Almost 33...

Earlier this week I was cleaning pictures off my phone and I came across MANY before/after photos of my journey over the past year.

As I slowly (or not so slowly) creep up on 33, I can't help but feel thankful to be where I am today. A stay at home mom, coaching amazing people on their journey while working on my own health and fitness goals.

If you would have told me in college that I would be healthier at 33 than I have ever been in my life, I would have laughed at you.

I was your typical college kid, I drank, I smoked (yep, not proud of that one AT ALL), I partied a lot, I ate like crap every single day (not exaggerating), I didn't exercise unless walking to and from campus was considered exercise and I was so negative all the time, not to mention I had terrible OCD and anxiety that could have been controlled better with clean foods and exercise.

But I used to think that I couldn’t be the girl who worked out and took care of herself. I used to think that you had to be a certain type of person to do that, that you had to be athletic or born into a family of athletes. Or that some people were just lucky enough to be “fit” and stayed that way all of their life.

It was all about how I perceived myself. It was all about my mindset.

Once Mason was born, I knew I wanted to make a change in my life, but I never quite knew how to make it stick. I tried fad diets, trainers at the gym (who I loved but they weren’t on my ass everyday and clearly, I need that), heck, I even got really lucky one time and an old birth control I was on made me lose a ton of weight but was I healthy? No. (And for the record, that birth control was BAD…I was like the devil woman on it)

Although healthy isn’t about weight. Healthy is about how you fuel your body. It is about being active. It is about how you feel inside and out. It is a lifestyle. I truly didn’t realize that until completing the 21 Day Fix last year with the support of my coach. I became a coach myself because I realized that I am in charge of MY LIFE and coaching keeps me accountable. Coaching helps me stay on the right path and allows me to set the example for my kids I always wanted to set but never knew how….

So yes, it finally dawned on me last year at age 32, that this is a lifestyle I can live, this is a lifestyle I can share with others. I can enjoy the foods I love in the proper portions. I don’t have to feel deprived or hungry, I just have to eat the right things. I can workout from my home when it is convenient for me because life with two kids is busy. And I can get results working out from home and reach my goals, while helping others reach theirs. Even as a mom of two, I am capable. I finally realized that I am the type of person who can take care of herself and be healthy and fit, inside and out. It is never too late. I deserve it. My kids deserve it. You deserve it too!

That is why I post about coaching and these programs, that is why I invite you to my challenge groups or to join my team. Because I know what it has done for me. This whole experience over the past year took a girl who thought she didn’t have what it took to lead a healthier life or didn’t deserve to be happier and changed all of that. I workout regularly, I eat better than I have EVER have before and I sure as shit don’t feel like I am turning 33 next week! I read personal development to learn and grow plus it reminds me each day that I am capable of great things. I am more confident in my skin than I can ever remember being and I know without a doubt that Beachbody is the reason I am where I am today. It provided me the tools I needed to make the change in my life that was long overdue.

Message me if you want more info on becoming a coach or to join my next challenge group, we start April 18th and I am currently offering a gift to new customers in honor of my birthday! 

Change your mindset. Change your life. <3 

Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats

Who loves tacos? Me? Who could eat tacos every night? ME!! Who is trying to eat all of her carbs before dinner....yeah, me. So I decided to take my favorite Southwest Turkey Taco Meat and make Zucchini Boats out of it! 

Both Aaron and I were a little unsure as I was making them but when we took our first bite, we were sold! 

What you need for 2 servings:
2 servings of Southwest Turkey Taco Meat (about 3/4 cup each) 
2 large zucchinis, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
1/2 cup of salsa
Shredded Cheese
Guac (optional) 

How to prepare: 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Boil water in a large pot (just enough to throw in your zucchini).
3. Spread enough salsa to cover the bottom of a baking dish (you should have about 4 tbsp left) 
4. Meanwhile, use a small spoon or melon baller to hollow out the center of each zucchini halves. Leave about 1/4 inch in each zucchini shell.  You can take the center of the zucchini and chop it up to add to your turkey taco meat, that is optional. 
5.  Place zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 4-5 minutes (we like ours soft, you can do 1-2 minutes if you prefer a crisper veggie). Remove from water.
6. Place each zucchini boat in your baking dish.  
7. Each person will get 2 zucchini halves and 3/4 cup meat mixture, so divide it equally among the boats. Press the meat firmly into zucchini. 
8. Top each one with 1 tbsp salsa (4 tbsp total) and 2 tbsp shredded cheddar (8 tbsp total). 
9. Cover pan with foil and place in oven for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.
10. Enjoy! 

Optional: You can serve with a side of guac, like I did! However, since I did that, I cut back on my cheese to do so, therefore my zucchini boats only had 1 tbsp of cheese on each one. 

For my Fix Family: I counted this as 2 Greens, 1 Red, 1 Blue (some may count the salsa if they use a ton of it, I didn't) 

Fit Foodie Approved Pizza

I LOVE pizza. I mean love it. Aaron and I recently decided if we weren't making pizza at home or eating Dewey's or Lou Malnati's (or trying somewhere new) that it wasn't worth the calories (i.e. most delivery places). 

So this pizza recipe is a saving grace for us on our journey! It keeps us on track yet it is super satisfying! I adapted it from the Fixate Cookbook.  

Easy Pizzas (Modified) - Serves 1

What You Need: 
1 Whole Grain Ultra Thin Pizza Crust from Golden Home  or Azteca Ultragrain Tortilla
1/4 C Sauce - I use a clean Marinara or Pizza Sauce from Trader Joe's. (sugar free with no other artificial junk in it)
1/2 - 1 C or more of veggies of your choice - Peppers & Mushrooms are my favorites
1/2 C meat of your choice or 3 slices of natural lunch meat - I go for natural ham
4 TBSP (2 each) of Mozz and Parm

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Assemble pizza with toppings.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Alternatives for your crust: English Muffin, Pita, Pizza Dough (all wheat)

Shredded Chicken - Perfect for Meal Prep!

I decided to do a blog post with my recipe at 9pm on a Tuesday (while I watch Fallon) so you all would get off my ass for my lunch recipe today. ;) LOL. Kidding! I was going to do it anyways, but all the comments and messages just prompted me to post it a little quicker. Thanks for the motivation friends.

This shredded chicken is simple. It is plain so you can dress it up however you like throughout the week! I will also share the exact recipe I made for lunch with it because it was SOOOO good. 

What you need (5 servings, 3/4 cup each):
1.5 lbs of chicken breast
2 celery stalks
2 medium carrots (or about 10 baby carrots...yeah, that is what I had on hand and used)
Water

Instructions: 
1. Place chicken in the bottom of your crockpot. 
2. Add in celery and carrots.
3. Pour enough water in to just slightly cover the chicken. 
4. Cook on high for 4 hours. 
5. Once it is done cooking, take out and shred.  
6. I measure mine out into about 3/4 cup chicken which makes roughly 5 individual portions.  I put a couple in my freezer and the rest in my fridge for lunches this week! 
7. Boom, you have shredded chicken for any meal throughout the week. You can throw southwest seasoning on it for Taco Tuesday or put in a wrap with some veggies. Whatever you want! But....how I ate it today was simply the best. (Are you singing that now? I am...)

For ONE serving of this mouth watering lunch you need:
1/2 cup brown rice, you know I love my Trader Joe's precooked rice. 
2 cups kale
3/4 cup of your precooked chicken
1-2 tsp szechuan sauce 

To prep ahead, I would:
1. Cook chicken as noted above.
2. Cook brown rice per instructions.  
3. Sautée kale in a pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray until it is somewhat wilted. I did about 4-5 minutes. Don't burn it! 
4. Throw it all in a container and heat it up when you are ready to eat! 

Let me know if you try it and how you like it! Just remember, healthy food does not have to be tasteless or boring.  This is super simple but really full of flavor, even with just a tiny bit of sauce! I love the San-J sauces because they are clean and not full of crap ingredients! You should be able to find it in your grocery stores Asian food isle. 

Deconstructed Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

So, I made this recipe which came from the Team Beachbody blog, however, 1) It wasn't enough protein me for in 1 serving so increased it and 2) It was BLAND, nothing a little Frank's Red Hot Sauce can't fix (or Sriracha if you prefer)....

I also preferred taking it apart and throwing in brown rice, making it into a bowl vs a wrap. This is a recipe I would recommend doubling so you can throw some in the freezer! You know I love to do that.  This is a perfect meal for lunches throughout the week! You can precook it and eat the meat cold in your bowl or warm it up, whichever you prefer! 

Total Time: 19 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 9 min.
Yield: 4 servings, 2 wraps each or 1 bowl

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey breast
½ medium red onion, chopped
½ medium red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
⅔ cup chopped water chestnuts
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 large head of lettuce, I use romaine (no iceberg folks, has no nutritional value whatsoever), roughly chopped up
4 cups cooked brown rice (I use Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, precooked, all I do is heat it up) 

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add turkey, onion, and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through and onion is translucent.
3. Add garlic, green onion, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add cilantro; mix well. Remove from heat.
5. Put 2 cups of lettuce, 1/2 cup brown rice and 3/4 cup of the meat mixture together in a bowl, drizzle with the hot sauce of your choice & dig in! 

Wraps! This was before I discovered the hot sauce gave it more flavor, I tried extra reduced sodium soy sauce (Trader Joe's brand of course) and it didn't even do the trick! Gotta go w/ the heat!