Monday 9 February 2015

Asian Salmon

Like anyone, I get bored of eating the same meals all the time and look for ways to add flavor to meals, while still keeping them healthy.  Right now, I'm hooked on this Asian Salmon dish that I've made several times now.  If you try it, please let me know what you think.  The recipe below is for one meal, so make more marinade if you're feeding your whole family.  


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Sunday 8 February 2015

40-Day Fat Loss Challenge (Day 14 Update)

It's time to check in and update my progress for the 40-Day Fat Loss Challenge I entered at my gym. For my body fat percentage, I'll use my trainer's caliper measure since I won't have access to the machine until the 40 days is up.  The machine measured about the same as my trainer anyway.  My goal is to lose at least 1% body fat each week so that at the end of the 40 days (nearly 6 weeks), I'll have gone from 24% down to 17%.  I'm on track for that now, but would love to get closer to 15%.  

PROGRESS

Day 1:  24% body fat (112.4 pounds)
Day 7:  22.4% body fat (110 pounds) 
Day 14: 21% body fat (109.4 pounds) 
(These numbers reflect what I weigh when I weigh-in at the gym mid-morning.  My weight below I take first thing in the morning when I wake up, so it's slightly lower.) 

Below is a picture of where I'm at as of Day 13.  I didn't take a good "Day 1" picture, so the "start" is from December, but it's a good representation of me on Day 1.  

You're not going to notice a dramatic difference week by week, but over many weeks, and then a couple or few months, you definitely will.  If there's one thing I've learned it's to be patient, take it one day at a time and TRUST THE PROCESS.  If you look carefully, you'll see my arms and tummy are leaning out a little 



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Thursday 29 January 2015

Healthy Meal Prep | Grilled Chicken Salad

Today (Thursday) marks Day 7 of our 40-day Fat Loss Challenge.  I measured in on Day 1 at 24% (calipers) and today was at 22%!  Woo-hoo!  A 2% difference in 1 week is a big deal!  I'll show you some progress pics soon so you can see what it looks like.  I'm also using my heart-rate monitor (twice) and have been surprised at how little amount of calories it says I'm burning during my workouts.  I'll get into more detail on that in another post soon too.

Today, I'm sharing one of the meals I've been eating- a Grilled Chicken Salad and I always make multiples at a time so I can just pull the assembled salad out of the fridge and I don't have to spend time reprepping.  

Step 1 is to always have grilled chicken on hand or prepare enough for several salads.  If I'm just cooking 4-8 chicken breasts at a time, I use a grill pan.  Spray that pan with cooking spray, and heat to medium-high heat.  I pound my chicken breasts a little so they are thinner and cook evenly.   My seasoning of choice is Mrs. Dash, which I put on both sides, then cook for about 4 minutes per side   or so until they are cooked through, and let rest before eating so they stay moist. 

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Tuesday 27 January 2015

40 Day Fat Loss Challenge

At the beginning of last year (2014), I challenged myself to get in shape for my first ever NPC bikini contest and reached that goal after 5 months of training (July 2014).  Since then, I'd been pretty much slacking on the diet and workouts, but by October 2014, I was not liking how I felt physically when I had gotten used to being in great shape.  My weight was creeping back up and my muscle was turning into fat.  In November, I started back with my trainer and by December had started embracing my bikini meal plan again, but not nearly as strictly and not without lots of "cheats".  It was the holidays after all.  And I like to eat as much as the next person.

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Monday 12 January 2015

Healthy Afternoon Snack -Yoplait Greek 100 Yogurt

Hi friends!  I'm definitely back in the workout/eat healthy grind, training with my trainer 3 times a week and doing 30 minutes of cardio 4 times a week.  It feels good to be back to it and I'm already noticing my jeans fitting better again, but being back on my meal plan where I eat every 3-4 hours is where I feel the most benefit.  If you're like a lot of women, you might actually skip meals (and I'm guilty of that too!) but eating consistently throughout the day keeps my energy level constant and there's no energy dip mid-afternoon.

If I'm in a pinch and can't eat a whole meal (or I'm just not hungry enough) around 3:00 p.m. (the time I'm typically heading out the door to pick up my son from school), I'll grab a Greek yogurt because it's delicious, low calorie, and full of protein.  

I was asked by Yoplait to try their Yoplait Greek 100 Yogurt, and since it's something I eat anyway, was happy to try their brand and flavors.  I didn't realize Yoplait made Greek yogurt, so I was surprised to see the varieties of flavors they had.  To name a few:  Coconut, Honey, Banana Caramel, Orange Crème, Apple Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, Mango, and Key Lime.

My favorites are Peach and Honey.  My husband likes Strawberry Cheesecake and Mango. So yummy!  

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