Cycling and Biking

I have taken a few cycling classes and have fallen in love with it! It is an AMAZING workout and so much FUN!!  The room is dark with some colorful lights on and loud fun music.  Indoor cycling is a great workout and always puts me in a good mood!

I am not a runner, but have always loved biking!  I like that it is low impact.  We are lucky in St. Louis because there are so many great trails to ride.

Matt and I love to bike the Katy Trail.  Biking is a great way to get exercise and spend time together. :) Last weekend we celebrated our anniversary in Herman, MO and brought our bikes along.  We rode a new section of the Katy Trail in Rhineland.  The Katy Trail is 240 miles long- so many areas to explore, lucky us!

Paleo Week Four

Another week of Paleo.  My weight loss has slowed, but I feel great!  This week I worked on experimenting with new side recipes.

Asparagus with Roasted Red Peppers and Capers

I love Leftovers Weight Watchers Cookbook

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb asparagus
1/2 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 Tbsp capers
1 garlic clove minced
1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add 1 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces, and cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender for about 5 minutes

3. Add roasted red peppers, capers, garlic, and black pepper.  Cook stirring constantly until heated through about 1 minute

2 WW points per serving

Summer Salad

It's starting to feel like summer out there and I made a yummy healthy salad.

Lettuce
Avocado
Strawberries
Grilled chicken
Light olive oil/vinegar

The weather is beautiful with a high in the 70s this week-- i'm going to try to get outside and exercise and garden :)  I need to work on my window boxes. Can't wait to put my winter coats away for good!

Paleo Week Three

This week was a little more difficult- I had cravings for chocolate and carbs!!! I was hungry this week and ate too much- didn't loose or gain anything this week. I'm finding that I do ok without dairy, but really miss carbs.  So this week, I decided to experiment with baking.

Blueberry Muffins

From The Gluten Free Home Maker- found on Pinterest

1 cup coconut flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 large eggs

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda

3. In a smaller bowl, beat together with a fork the eggs, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla

4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed for about one minute or until well combined.

5. Stir in the blueberries

6.  Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes 

7. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Approximately 64 total WW points- 5 WW points per muffin.

These were very easy to make and I will definitely make them again!  The batter was thicker than I had thought, but they turned out great!  The blueberry muffins were moist and delicious :)  

Subway Chopped Salad

I was also getting tired of my packed lunches and decided to go out to lunch on Friday.  I went to Subway and tried the Ham and Turkey Chopped Salad- it was so good!  I loaded it up with veggies and just got a little oil/vinegar and salt and pepper on top.  Yum Yum.

Paleo Week Two

This week we went to Chicago to visit college friends and I did not eat 100% Paleo, but I got right back on track when I got home.  I did make healthy options while in Chicago and we walked a lot.  Surprisingly I still lost weight!  I'm feeling great this week and can tell my clothes are fitting looser! :)

New Paleo recipes I tried this week--experimented with cauliflower :)

Cauliflower Hummus

From Everday Paleo Family Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

4 cups steamed cauliflower ( I used one head of cauliflower)

2 Tbsp almond butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Cut a head of cauliflower  into florets and steam in a large pot for approximately 6 minutes or until fork-tender

2. Remove florets immediately and let them cool

3. Once the cauliflower is cool, place the steamed florets into a food processor along with the remaining ingredients and process until completely smooth.  Serve with raw veggies, olives, and even slices of cooked chicken breast for dipping.  Makes approximately 3 or 4 cups hummus.

Total of 20 WW points.  Mine made 3 cups- approximately 1 WW point per 2 Tbsp of hummus. Next time I will split recipe in half and make two batches because it was too much for my food processor to handle.  I will also experiment with different seasonings.  I just love hummus and have really missed it! While this doesn't taste exactly like hummus, it is a nice dip for carrots, peppers, and celery. 

Riced Cauliflower

From Everday Paleo Family Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

1 head of cauliflower

3 Tbsp coconut oil

3 green onions, diced- I didn't have so I left these out

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, whisked

1 tsp coconut aminos or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 Tbsp sesame oil

Black pepper

1. Rinse and dry the cauliflower and cut into florets

2. Place the florets into a food processor and process until they are finely minced, looking like rice!

3. In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat

4. Add the cauliflower and saute for 5-6 minutes

5. Add the green onions and garlic and saute with the cauliflower for another 2-3 minutes.

6. Push the cauliflower mixture to the side of the pan and pour the whisked egg onto the empty side of the pan and cook until the egg begins to firm.

7. Mix the egg into the cauliflower mixture and add the coconut aminos, the sesame oil, and black pepper

8. Taste your riced cauliflower and add more aminos or sesame oil if desired.  I cooked longer until it was warm and soft all the way through.

Makes 5 servings- a total of 15 WW points.  Each serving is approximately 1 cup and 3 WW points.  It isn't rice, but tastes good- I will definitely make this again.  This meal was filling and delicious.  I have left over meat that i'm going to add to a salad with avocado for tomorrows lunch!  And while my husband is supportive of my Paleo diet, he is not a big fan of cauliflower.  I made some twice baked potatoes last night and served him one with dinner... he was very appreciative!

1 cup riced cauliflower

4 oz flank steak

Salad

Total of 9 WW points

Avocado Slicer

My new favorite kitchen gadget- a 3 in 1 avocado slicer.  We purchased this at Crate and Barrel in Chicago.  I have been eating a lot of avocados since starting the Paleo diet and this tool is amazing!  My favorite part is how easy it makes removing the core.

Paleo Week One

First week on the Paleo diet went great!  I am not starving on this diet which is surprising to me.  Drinking a lot of water helps and i'm eating foods that are filling and stay with me longer.  I have noticed that my stomach has shrunk and i'm down 3.6 lbs!!  I'm loving Paleo and loving the results so far!

New Paleo recipes I tried this week--experimented with sweet potatoes :)

Poblano Roasted Sweet Potato

From Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp black pepper

5 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes

1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and diced

4-5 garlic cloves minced

1. Preheat your oven to 400F

2. Melt the coconut oil and in a small bowl whisk the spices and oil together

3. In a large mixing bowl add the diced sweet potatoes, minced poblano pepper, and minced garlic

4. Pour the oil and spice mixture over the potatoes and stir well until all the sweet potatoes are coated

5. Pour the sweet potatoes into a large glass baking dish and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown and are soft all the way through, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

Makes 5 servings- 28 total WW points

I served mine with garlic balsamic pork chops and a salad.

This was delicious and I will definitely be making this again!

Pork chop- 3.5 oz

Sweet potatoes

Salad 

Total of 11 WW points

I also made sweet potato pancakes and used them instead of a bun with a burger.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

From Practical Paleo Cookbook by Diane Sanfilippo

Coconut oil to pan-fry in

3 eggs

2 tsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups shredded sweet potatoes (using a food processor with a shredding disc is ideal)

1. Beat the eggs with the coconut flour and spices.  Mix in the shredded sweet potatoes until well combined

2. Using a skillet over medium heat with coconut oil coating the pan and filling it up about 1/8" for shallow pan frying

3. Spoon the mixture into the pan in desired sized "cakes"  I made mine roughly 4' in diameter and cooked them two at a time but you can make smaller ones and load up a pan with 4 at a time.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature- along or with bacon and eggs- or use as a bun with a hamburger patty.  Yum

Sweet potato pancakes- 2

Jalapeno burger

Salad

Total of ~17 WW points

These sweet potato pancakes had great flavors!  They look very strange when you first put them in the pan, but hold together better than I thought.  Next time I will make them flatter and use less oil- this will cut down on the WW points for each pancake.  I liked them so much, I had one for breakfast the next morning :)

Try Paleo, it works!  I feel great and am so glad I started eating a Paleo diet.

Paleo Day One

One day down and so far so good!  I weighed myself this morning and took before pictures and measurements.  I can't wait to see the results in 6 weeks!  I drank a lot of water today and so far I feel great! I was even surprised that I wasn't hungry throughout the day.  It did help that I had protein with every meal, planned snacks, and drank a lot of water.

 Breakfast:

2 Eggs

1/2 Avocado - 2 oz

2 pieces of turkey bacon

Total of 8 WW points

Lunch:

4 oz canned tuna

1/2 Avocado - 2 oz

Total of 4 WW points

Snack:

1 oz of raw mixed nuts

Apple

Total of 5 WW points

Juice- carrots, pear, apple, lemon, cucumber, celery
Total of 3 WW points

Dinner:

Chicken- 5 oz

Vegetables- zucchini, yellow carrots, red peppers

Total of 5 WW points

Workout:

Purchased a new yoga mat as well as 3lb and 5lb weights. Did some core, arm, and leg workouts.

Bailey wanted to help me workout :)

Paleo Challenge

For lent this year, I've decided to take the Paleo Challenge.. 40 days of eating a Paleo diet.  I've seen lots of 30 day Paleo challenges on Pinterest and decided to try it!

What I will eat:
Fish- salmon, cod, tuna, scallops
Meat- steak, hamburger, chicken, pork, bacon, turkey, eggs
Veggies- asparagus, avocado, carrots, spinach, celery, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, onions, squash
Nuts- almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts
Fruits- apples, blackberries, peaches, plums, blueberries, grapes, lemon, strawberries, watermelon, lime, raspberries, cantaloupe, oranges, bananas
Drinks- coconut water, herbal tea, homemade juices

Eat in Moderation:
Coffee- black one cup a day
Wine
Dark chocolate
Green beans and sweet potatoes

What I cannot eat:
Grains- cereals, bread, crackers, oatmeal, pasta, beer, corn
Dairy- butter, cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream
Beans/most Legumes- most beans, peanuts, peanut butter, miso, tofu
Soft drinks, sugary fruit juices
Snacks/ sweets
Starchy vegetables- potatoes, sweet potatoes, french fries
Alcohol- beer, rum, vodka, wine

What I will miss the most:
Hummus
beer
Greek yogurt
Bread
Green beans

Resources:
http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-diet-food-list/
http://robinssweetconfessions.com/wp/category/paleo-challenge/
http://www.paleoplan.com/resources/paleo-plan-food-guide/

I will also be drinking a lot of water- my goal is 64-96 ounces of water a day.  Exercise is also key- I am upping my workouts from 3 to 5 times a week. Going to the gym 3 times a week and working on strength training at home 2 days a week.  Wish me luck!

~Kelly

SMALL changes make a BIG difference

Make little changes everyday towards a healthier lifestyle

1. Start your day off with a healthy breakfast

2. Eat fruit or veggies with every meal

3. Plan your activities/ workouts - put it in your schedule. Pack your workout clothes and put in your car- go straight from work.

4. Pack your lunch or look up the menu/ nutrition before you go out to eat. If you know you are going to go to happy hour Friday, plan ahead and save your calories for a couple cocktails.

5. Write down what you eat.  Whether it is Weight Watchers or MyFitnessPal or just a pad of paper, you will eat less if you write down everything you eat and drink.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/login (free food tracking website)

6. Watch empty calories and drink more water.  Try swapping soda for sparkling water or ordering a skinny latte instead of a venti caramel macchiato.

7. Watch your portion sizes- I purchased a food scale and if you just "eye it" on portions, you definitely eat more than you think you are.

8. Be more active without “working out”. 

- Park your car further away- don’t spot stalk

- Don’t ask your husband to take out the trash, walk the dog, bring the laundry upstairs, do it yourself.  Not only does it prevent an argument, but it will allow you to be more active

- Take the stairs instead of the elevator

These small things really can make a big difference!

~Kelly

Disney Workout

Since I will be going to Disney World in 36 days, I decided to max a play list focused on Disney for motivation!

This play list is about 45 minutes long:

I'll Make a Man Out of You: Mulan 

Under the Sea: The Little Mermaid 

Hakuna Matata: The Lion King 

Zero to Hero: Hercules 

Go the Distance: Hercules 

Friend Like Me: Aladdin 

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride: Lilo and Stich 

I Wanna Be Like You: Jungle Book 

Ever Ever After: Enchanted 

I've Got A Dream: Tangled 

Down in New Orleans: The Princess & The Frog 

Just Around the Riverbend: Pocahontas 

I Just Can't Wait to be King: Lion King 

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah: Disney Park Song 

This is typical with my dog watching the "ball" 

Kettle Bell Workout

Kettle Bell Work Out 

First, I did 20 minutes on the elliptical to get my heart rate up. Then I did the workout posted below. I also was listening to music during my workout. This play list comes from coaching swimming in which all of the songs focus on high beats per minute.

Here are the songs from today:
Timber by Pitbull Ft. Kesha
Eye of the Tiger by Journey
Bust a Move by Young MC
Footloose by Blake Shelton
Just Dance by Lady Gaga

http://www.skinnymom.com/2014/02/08/14-kettlebell-moves-for-an-allover-body-calorie-torcher/


~Allison

Getting fit

I am trying to loose weight, live a healthier life, and gain strength!  I joined Weight Watchers with my mom and it's great having that support system.  I also started taking work out classes 2-3 times a week! I've tried a YPump class that is all weight training and Zumba!  I was tired of going to the gym and just hopping on the elliptical for an hour.. the workout classes are great!  Having a scheduled time to be at the gym Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday is great- I don't plan anything else during those times and don't stress myself out on other days because i'm not working out.

 

You have to feel confident when working out- I like to wear bright workout shirts!

A new pair tennis shoes :)

Jawbone Up band

I've been wearing my Jawbone Up band to help motivate me to be more active.  This band tracks my steps per day and also my sleep patterns.  

Workout clothes: Lululemon

Shoes: New Balance

~Kelly

Caffeine Detox

A month plan to give up coffee! My new year's resolution was to give up coffee because I was to dependent on it, I was drinking way to many calories with it, and to start changing my overall health. I still love the smell, coffee shops, & the overall idea of coffee but for now I said goodbye! 

These were my two favorite drinks before: 

Starbucks vente (24 ounces) iced white mocha w/ skim milk still with the whip cream average price $4.50

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (24 fl oz)

Calories 570	Calories from Fat 180
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	31%
Saturated Fat 14g	70%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 50mg	17%
Sodium 290mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 85g	29%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Sugars 80g
Protein 16g
Vitamin A 20% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 50% Iron 2%
Caffeine 225mg** What shocked me was not only the calories in a starbucks drink but also the amount of caffeine! After some research their espresso is about double compared to other coffee shops. My ultimate favorite coffee shop is Biggby Coffee and I would usually get a Super (24 ounces) iced or hot Teddy Bear w/ skim milk and still with the whip cream average price $4.99  Nutrition Facts Per Serving (24 fl oz) Calories 500.2 Calories from Fat 72.5 Total Fat (g) 7.9 Saturated Fat (g) 5.2 Trans Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 34.1 Sodium (mg) 387.2 Total Carbohydrates (g) 87.7 Dietary Fiber 0 Sugar (g) 77.7 Protein (g) 17.6 Caffeine (mg) 150 mg  Again a ridiculous amount of "empty" calories!  So my plan of action starting on January 1st was to cut back on the caffeine and calories in coffee! My weeks always started on a Sunday when I could be at home.  Week 1: I reduce the size of beverage to 16 ounces for 3 days and then to 12 ounces of espresso based drinks. I always got skim milk or soy and got rid of the whip cream. I also stuck to just one coffee/ day no extra trip.  Week 2: I got down to just 1 shot of espresso the smallest size of coffee I could get or I would make my own coffee in a Keurig or Coffee pot up to 2 cups.  Week 3: Brewed coffee only 1 1/2 cups with a coffee pot and in a Keruig I filled it to about the 10 ounce line. With barely any creamer or extras. I used flavored hazelnut so the taste was not an issue. ** I did experience caffeine withdrawal headaches this week so I took aspirin, slept more, and used bio freeze to fight it off. The weather was also really up and down this week so the headaches could have been related to weather vs. caffeine withdrawal.  Week 4: I switched to 1/2 calf coffee & K cups as well. If I went to a coffee shop I got healthy teas (black, green, etc.)  Week 5: Try to wait later and later in the day until a headache or urge was there. During this week I only made myself coffee 3 times and barely finished my cups! I replaced the urge with water or working out to distract me.  I waited to fully say I was off of caffeine for 5 days without coffee. I read somewhere it takes 21 days to break a habit or make a new one so my month plan was perfect for me. My stomach feels flatter and I lost about 5 pounds so far.  ~Allison

Herbal Life

I am ready to tackle a weight loss plan. Last year (2013) I tried herbal life and messed around with 2 shakes a day. They were fancy shakes: oreo, mint, cookie dough, you name anything chocolate I tried it! I did a shake for breakfast and for lunch it just got to time consuming for me and I did not do it on a regular basis. Now for 2014 I am ready to try it again with some simpler shakes: formula 1 mix, protein powder, and pb2. Maybe instead of water I will use my half coconut milk/ half almond milk to change the flavor. I will be doing the Ultimate weight management plan. Here is a picture of all the supplies: 


I am hoping that after doing this for 30 days maybe 60 if needed. On top of changing nutrition I will be adding more exercise hopefully 3x a week for 45 minutes this includes the elliptical, kettle bell, & swimming. My goal is to feel healthy on the inside and outside. 


~Allison