3 Day Refresh...Easiest Cleanse EVER!!!

Here I am on day three! I made it! I survived! And the results are amazing! Drumroll please..............

3 POUNDS IN 3 DAYS!!!!!

Yes, I'm talking about the 3 Day Refresh. And let me tell you, it was the easiest "cleanse" I've ever done. I say "cleanse" because it really isn't a cleanse. It's a refresh, just like the program is called. I feel absolutely amazing after these past three days of clean eating and healthy, good for you nutrition.


So let me break it down for you. It's three days of eating whole,  healthy foods, plus three shakes a day and one fiber boost drink. The only issue I had was not drinking my morning coffee. It's amazing how not having just one cup of coffee can affect you! That being said, it was a good wake up call to make sure I am not getting too much caffeine because it does alter your body more than you really realize. Okay so here's the menu:

Breakfast: Shakeology with fruit. I had vegan chocolate Shakeology, which is amazing! I also had watermelon every morning because that's what's currently in season, and I had just bought a huge watermelon that week. And I am not one to waste good food!
Morning tea break: Green tea with stevia
Mid-morning snack: Fiber boost drink. It's lemony goodness in a glass. Yum!
Lunch: Veggies with hummus. Can I just say how much I love hummus?!?!? Vanilla Fresh - a creamy vanilla shake that I could seriously drink for all three meals. Fruit - strawberries and blueberries.
Afternoon snack: Spinach salad - baby spinach, grape tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Mrs. Dash's tomato basil and garlic seasoning.
Afternoon tea: Green tea (decaf) with stevia
Dinner: Vanilla Fresh - sometimes I added pure vanilla extract and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Yum!

I also had three different meals for dinner each night. The first night, I had veggie stir fry. It was flavored with fresh garlic and ginger...seriously delicious!

The second night I had a cucumber salad. We have an abundance of cucumbers coming from our garden right now, so this was as fresh as you can get. I went out and picked my cucumber that day! It also had red onion, grape tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil and fresh cilantro in it. All straight from the garden as well!

The third night I had a coconut steamed vegetable medley consisting of broccoli and carrots and coconut oil. I even added a little bit of pumpkin pie spice to play off the coconut oil. It was a good choice because then it was a slight reminder of the flavor you get with glazed carrots, but nothing unhealthy about these carrots at all!

Evening tea: I didn't have this every night, but last night I did. I drank an organic detox tea blend with dandelion root and licorice root. Surprisingly, it was pretty tasty. I'm not a huge fan of licorice root, but I actually liked this one.

The biggest part of my day really was committed to drinking PLENTY of water. And when I say plenty of water, I mean about 100 ounces of water per day. The recommendation from the program is to at least drink half of your body weight in water, but they suggest you even aim for an entire gallon. While I never reached the gallon mark, I did come pretty close each day. I've always been a good water drinker, but after completing the Refresh, I've come to realize the difference between hunger and thirst. My biggest problem is that I'm a huge snacker or grazer when it comes to food. But while doing this program, I had to make myself drink more water. At times I'd think I was hungry, but then I would drink a glass of water and feel completely satisfied until the next scheduled meal or snack. This was probably my biggest wake up call after completing the program. And I am so thankful for this realization.

So, why am I writing this all? Because I think this is probably the best program to meet a wide array of needs. If you're looking to jump start your weight loss, then this is the program for you! If you're looking to lose those last few pounds and keep them off, then this is the program for you! Or if you just want to get out of a slump or learn how to eat healthy foods and love them, then this is the program for you! Or if you're like me and just needed a wake up call to learn the difference between being hungry or just being thirsty, then this is the program for you! I promise you this.... I would not recommend the 3 Day Refresh if I didn't believe in it! The best part besides my little wake up call, is the weight stays off! There's no gaining it back because these past three days I've fueled my body, not starve it. As long as you keep eating healthfully, you'll continue to feel amazing! I love this!

Bun-less Portobello Mushroom Chicken Burger

Another great recipe created tonight! I was running a bunch of errands today, and got home and was STARVING! I'm so excited that I was able to come up with this gem of a recipe that doesn't take a lot of time. Here's what you need:

For the burgers:
1 lb ground chicken breast
4 portobello mushroom caps
Portobello mushroom stems, finely diced (I only used two of the stems)
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
(Or add more of the above spices, to your desired taste)
Olive oil cooking spray

For the burger toppings:
1/2 red and 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
4 - 1/2 ounce slices Cabot reduced fat pepperjack cheese

For the avocado mayonnaise:
1/2 avocado
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
Juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Make sure to oil your grill well so the meat doesn't stick to it!

In a large bowl add your meat, finely diced mushroom stems, onion, garlic, and spices. Mix all ingredients together using your hands. Score the meat into four equal sections, then form each one into a patty. Spray both sides of your burgers lightly with olive oil cooking spray. I do this because ground chicken breast is such a lean meat, that it's more likely to stick to the grill.

Spray both sides of your mushroom caps with olive oil cooking spray and put burgers and mushrooms on the grill. Mine took about 6-7 minutes per side for both the mushrooms and burgers to be fully cooked. Top your burgers with cheese after flipping them over with about 2-3 minutes left on their grilling time on the second side.

While your burgers are cooking, grill the peppers or use a medium pan coated with olive oil cooking spray to cook up your bell peppers over medium heat. They should only take about 5 minutes to cook. Also, make your avocado mayonnaise.  In a small bowl, use the back of a fork to mash up your avocado. Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, and garlic powder. Mix well.

To plate it all up: place a mushroom cap on each plate, top with a burger, evenly distribute the avocado mayonnaise and grilled bell peppers on each burger. Enjoy!!!

"Zpaghetti" and Meatballs - 21 Day Fix Approved!!!

I tried out a new recipe tonight and it was SO GOOD!!!!  Even my kiddos loved it. I call it "zpaghetti" and meatballs because instead of noodles, I used zucchini curls. Um....yum! So here's how it went down. I used organic ground chicken breast, fresh herbs, and homemade tomato sauce. And it was super easy. I cannot stand when a recipe takes more time to make it than it does for you to eat it, and I promise you this one was VERY easy. Okay so maybe I'm exaggerating a little about the time thing, but it really didn't take much time at all.

First off, I used FRESH herbs: basil and oregano. It made a world's difference! Mince up about 2 tablespoons each of both herbs, one garlic clove and 1/4 of a medium onion. Reserve 2 tablespoons of that mixture for your sauce, and put the rest in a large bowl with the ground chicken.

So for the meatballs...they started out like any other basic meatball recipe: ground meat, herb mixture, 1 egg white, 1/4 cup dry oatmeal (instead of bread crumbs), and some spices (1 teaspoon Mrs. dash's garlic and herb seasoning). Using my hands, I mixed up all of the ingredients, then scored the meat into four equal sections. Then I made four equal size meatballs from each section to make 16 total meatballs. I browned them on all sides in a large pan coated with olive oil cooking spray over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes total.

While the meatballs were browning, I used one small jar of homemade canned tomatoes (approximately 14 ounces). A 14.5 ounce can of  any kind of tomatoes would work well too. I put the entire jar of tomatoes into a medium sauce pan with the 2 tablespoons of reserved herb mixture and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes  I have to admit though, I added a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity. But you can omit this if you want.

Then while the meatballs were cooking and the sauce was simmering, I sliced one small-medium zucchini length wise. Using a potato peeler, I peeled ribbons or curls of zucchini.

You end up with ribbons like the ones shown above.  I placed mine in a small bowl, covered them with a small plate and microwaved them for 20-30 seconds. You don't really need to cook them because they're so thin, but just heat them up a little bit.

Back to the meatballs we go! Once they're browned slightly on both sides and the sauce is done simmering, I poured the sauce into the pan of meatballs, covered it and simmered the meatballs in the sauce for an additional five minutes. Just enough so the meatballs were cooked all the way through, and the flavors had a chance to combine.

Then I took my zucchini, plated it and topped it with four meatballs, and a little bit of sauce. I also topped mine with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat Italian cheese blend (Weight Watchers brand). I also served mine with a side of broccoli. This is definitely being added to the menu rotation in our house!

(If you like your spaghetti a little bit saucier, you can double your tomatoes and herb mixture. I really didn't want to drown the meatballs out with too much sauce. It's up to you and your personal preference though.)

21 Day Fix Servings:
Zucchini and broccoli along with 1-2 tablespoons of your sauce equal your green container
4-5 meatballs equal your red container
Italian blend cheese is your blue container ( I only used 1/2 of my blue container)

Best Chicken Taco Recipe....So Far

As most of you know, I seriously love Mexican food. I'm always trying new recipes. Tonight's was super yummy. I completely forgot to take pictures of it because it smelled so good, I couldn't even wait to eat it! You know it's good when my kids gobble it up too! Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground chicken breast
1/2 diced green bell pepper
1/2 of a small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder 
1/2 teaspoon coriander
8 low carb tortillas (60 calories each tortilla)
1 Avocado
2 teaspoons lime juice
Shredded lettuce (about 1-2 cups)
1 medium diced tomato
Cilantro (1 tablespoon chopped roughly per person)
2 diced green onions

Instructions:
Spray a large non-stick pan with olive oil cooking spray that has been preheated over medium heat. Add the green peppers, red onion, and 2 cloves of the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the ground chicken and the black pepper, cumin, chili powder, and coriander. Break up the meat until it's cooked through. If it seems a little dry, add 1/4 cup of water as it's cooking. 

Mash the avocado up in a small bowl, add the last garlic clove, and the lime juice. Stir until combined.

Distribute the meat mixture evenly among the tortillas. Do the same with the avocado mixture. Top with lettuce, tomato, cilantro, and green onions. Enjoy!

Nutritional breakdown for 2 tacos per person:
364 calories
15 grams fat
18 grams dietary fiber

21 Day Fix Portions:
1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue

Yes I Did!!!

Just last week I posted a few tips that I planned on using while on vacation, and I have to share that yes, I did follow these tips! Here's proof! Check out that red, sweaty post workout face!  I did my workouts two out of the four days, went swimming every day, and walked a lot! Let me just say, it was not easy waking up early to get a workout in, but what a relief to have it checked off of my list before heading to the beach for the day. And yes, I did have ice cream while on vacation, but I limited it to two times instead of the usual every single night! I felt a lot less guilt too. :) Let's keep it real here though people....it IS vacation. So we ate rally well for breakfast and lunch, and within reason for dinner. I chose grilled shrimp, steamed lobster tail, and grilled chicken for dinner. I only indulged in crab cakes the last night. I also chose veggies as my sides for every meal. It definitely was a much better choice than the loaded mashed potatoes or mac 'n cheese that most meals came with. Being on the coast made it easy to want to choose fresh seafood though....so delicious! The point of this post really is to just encourage you that you can still go on vacation, enjoy yourself, eat well, and feel good about the choices you made. I tried new things and they were so good. I did not for one second miss any deep fried, fatty, fatness that would just lead to guilt and regret. So if you're headed for a vacation this summer, just plan ahead a little. Research some of the menus for restaurants you plan on going to. Try new things! But most of all, have fun! That's what vacation is for!

Easy Breakfast Burrito

Can I just say that I LOVE Mexican food?!?!?!? I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! And today, it's my breakfast. I found these awesome low-carb tortillas that are only 60 calories each. Yes, you heard me right, 60 calories. And they're huge! I mean, they're the size of a real burrito-sized tortilla. You might be thinking, "I'm not so sure about the taste of a low-carb tortilla!" But let me tell you, they are so good!

Today's breakfast consisted of one of these yummy tortillas, one egg and one egg white scrambled with a little bit of spinach and green onions. Then I topped them off with about one tablespoon of chopped cilantro and one tablespoon of salsa verde (green salsa). Delicious! I love how quick and easy they were too!!!

Nutrition breakdown for tortilla & eggs:

Total calorie count: 147 calories

Total fat: 6.5 g

Dietary fiber: 7 g

Keeping Off the Weight on Vacation

So here we are coming up to vacation season, and it's always a challenge to at least maintain your weight when you're away from home. When you plan for a vacation you of course plan out your itinerary, car rental, flighs, hotels, etc. But what about your food & workouts? My husband and I are going on a little getaway soon here, and I've been busy planning all of the above...including our food & workouts. Call me crazy, but I really don't want to throw away all of the hard work I've put in these last few months. I want to enjoy my vacation, but I don't want to bring back more than just souvenirs, and that includes a few extra pounds along the waistline. So, here are a few things that we're doing to avoid that problem.

1. Rent a condo or hotel room with a small kitchen. We like to do this because then we're in charge of our food for at least breakfast and dinner. We always plan on going out to eat for dinner, but at least we know the first two meals of the day and snacks will be healthy. 

2. Look up the menus for restaurants online. Since we do go out for dinner, I like to look at the menus  for the restaurants we plan on going to. Plan out what you're going to eat ahead of time, and stick to it! These are well known things, but always stick with grilled lean protein, veggies, salads (no creamy dressing). Get a to-go container if the portions are too big. You have a kitchen already with a refrigerator. Use it! You could always eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

3. Plan a grocery shopping trip for your first day of vacation. Write out a detailed list of what you plan on eating for breakfast, lunch, and snacks for each day. Then stick to your list when you're at the store! Don't forget bottled water if you'll be on the beach. You need to stay hydrated. 

4. Workout first thing in the morning. Get it out of the way so that way you can enjoy your day and not have that nagging feeling lurking over you of "Awww man! I still have to workout today!" At least that's how I feel if I don't get my workouts done in the morning. :) Bring exercise DVDs and resistance bands to use in your room if your hotel doesn't have a fitness center. Or if it does, plan to run on the treadmill first thing in the morning. 

5. If you know there's a special treat you want to have while on vacation, plan for it. There's this little ice cream shop that my husband loves to go to when we're on vacation, so if I know we'll be going there that day, I like to account for it with the rest of my food that day. That might mean forgoing those pancakes in the morning and swapping them for a healthy veggie omelette. 

6. Last but not least, don't get down on yourself if you don't make the wisest of choices on vacation. That's the whole point is to get away to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. So enjoy yourself, but make sure that you won't regret it too much! :)

Happy start of summer!