Never Quit

   So for the past week I haven't worked out, not once (besides all the walking I do at work, but that's so not enough)....I know what's wrong with me?!?!?
   I guess I just lost my motivation. It all started when my Shakeology (aka shakeo) stopped arriving. It was a total bummer. I have no idea what in my mind triggered some sort of switch that said "you can't work out! you have no shakes for afterwards!" But it did! Alright lets be honest, that first month was tough! For me at least. I'm doing the P90X Lean program (cause I think it's the easiest of the three) and I thought oh this will be easy. WRONG! I had injured my back and took a month to rest it and when I finally started working out it was slow going. I'd find myself skipping days or feeling like my back still needing to recover from the last workout. I use to go back and try and complete those but it just felt like I wasn't making any progress! So I started just started skipping them. If I missed them I missed them! I wasn't going backwards anymore. I had a workout planned for that day and that's what I was gonna do! And at the end of the workout series I'll go back and hit all the days I missed.
   Alright so that's been the plan so far.....well I missed the entire last week of the first phase (the recovery week) and I'm really struggling with do I just keep pressing on since technically it is month two or do I just start with that week. I think I'm going to just press on after all that is what I have been doing anyways! And boy does my body need it! I can always tell when I've stopped working out and it by far time to jump back on the ban wagon.
   So the motivational picture of the day is.....

And this one is for the people, like me, waiting for something that says workout!

Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad

*Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad

• 3 handfuls of lettuce (I used iceburg and romaine, you can use however much you want)
• 1 Carrot, chopped/shredded
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
• Left over Garlic Chicken breast (from the other night), sliced
• 2-3 Tbls Italian Dressing

You can add more goodies in there if you want. That's all the I did and it was awesome!

1. Throw all veggies and chicken in together, stir in the salad dressing (I always shake it in actually!)

Helpful hint if taking for lunch (just incase you haven't figured this one out already ;) ). If you don't want to eat a wilted salad invest in itty bitty containers to carry your salad dressing in! It will change your life.......ok maybe that's an exaggeration!

Shamrock Shake

I am so gonna try this when I finally get my Shakeology! It looks delicious!


*Shamrock Shake

 

• 1 cup Rice, Skim, Soy, or Almond milk
• 1/2 cup of ice
• a splash of peppermint extract
• 1 tsp peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp sugar free vanilla Jello
• 1 packet or scoop of greenberry Shakeology
• Blend and enjoy!

Mushroom Omelet

This morning I made myself a mushroom omelet because unfortunately there was some sort of mix up with the post office and I have not received a Shakeology all month. They should be sending me another bag soon though. I'm renaming it to the mushroom fold because apparently my omelet skills are lacking! Might be the fact that this is my first successful attempt of creating any sort of omelet.. Usually it turns into some sort of scramble. Please don't make fun of my end picture (I know it's pitiful), but it tasted great!

*Mushroom Fold

• 6 egg whites (I just used 3 eggs cause I can't waste the yolks)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbls green onion, chopped
• 1/2 roma tomato, chopped
• 11/2 ounces low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

2. Coat a small nonstick sauté pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add veggies and cook till nice and tender.

3. Add the eggs and cook till set on the bottom. Sprinkle cheese on one half and fold like an omelet (unless it doesn't fold all the way then just fold it in so it's covered all the way). Cook a bit longer until cheese is melted and the eggs are set.

Look my mushroom even knows it's HEALTHY! It's in the shape of a heart!

It was delicious and I was full before I even finshed it. There's a yummy breakfast option for ya!

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This recipe is from the P90X Nutrition Guide.

*Lemon Garlic Chicken

• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbls Molasses (I used brown sugar instead cause I'm out of molasses)
• 2 tea Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3-4 Lean Chicken Breast
• 1/4 tea salt
• 1/4 tea black pepper
• Lemon Wedges
• Parsley sprigs

1. Combine the first four ingredients in a nonreactive dish and add the chicken. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for one hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 425*F (this was to hot for oven for the allotted time to cook).
3. Arrange chicken in a shallow roasting pan (9X13) coated with cooking spray. Pour the reserved marinade over chicken; Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I just ground some on top, didn't measure it out).
4. Bake at 425*F for 20 minutes basting occasionally with the marinade (I did every ten minutes). Bake with out basting for another 20 minutes or until chicken is done (I went another ten minutes and it was way beyond 160*).
5. Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley if so desired.

   We had brown basmati rice and asparagus to go with our chicken. Mom liked this chicken. It was definitely a hit and will be made again. It danced along the lines of tangy sweet, sooooo delicious!

Hope you enjoy your cooking as much as I do! =) Lots of yummy things out there!

Last nights dinner

   So this recipe comes from my P90X nutrition plan book.

*Red Pepper Soup

• 2 cups White Wine
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 5 Roasted Red Peppers (I did 4 Red and 1 Green)
• 2 cups Celery, chopped (I didn't have celery, so I threw in peas)
• 1 Tbls Garlic, minced
• 2 Plum Tomatoes, chopped (I used two roma)
• 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
• 2 cups Fat-free Chicken broth, low sodium
• 2 Tbls dried Thyme, make sure you crush it....I didn't, bad mistake
• 1/4 tea ground white pepper
• 1/4 ground cumin
• dash salt

1. Make sure your peppers are roasted. You can do it yourself. Turn your broiler on high or 500* F and make sure your oven rack is in the highest position. Cut the peppers in half and de-seed them (however you usually dress them up). Place on a cookie sheets so the outside/skin is facing the broiler. DO NOT WALK AWAY! Your oven will start to smoke (just a little, it's not gonna fill your house with smoke) but don't take them out till they are completely black on top. Once they are done remove from the stove place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or tin foil and place them in the freezer for 30 mins. Once your timer goes off, pulled the blackened skin off of them (it peels nicely when they are black, other wise the skin won't come off). I then cut them into strips.
2. Heat wine in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, red peppers, and celery (did not add the pees here). Cook and stir for 3 mins. Stir in garlic. Cook for another 2 mins. Add more wine if necessary
3.Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth and peas; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 mins.
4. Puree soup in a food processor or blender. Return to pan, add seasonings and heat through.

Mom and I had grilled cheese sandwiches with it. But it'd be good with some sour dough bread or crackers as well.

Mom wasn't a huge fan, but I liked it. It taste a lot like tomato soup but not at the same time. I think I'll make it again.....when red peppers are on sale like they were yesterday. Two for a dollar!

Before your brain figures out

   Yup so this is totally what I have to do, other wise I won't do it. I actually just sleep in my sweats (they are clean I promise! I own a lot of workout clothes), roll out of bed throw on the sports bra and shoes and then I push play. I am a huge advocate for P90X. This program is amazing! I had amazing results the first time. The second time, even though I'm having to take it slow and easy because of a back injury, I'm still seeing results.
   In this first picture I weigh about 220 pounds. It was 2009 and I was trying to join the navy. Weight wise they wanted me to be at 165. Through P90X I lost 50 pounds.......

    And looked like this. I know not the best of pictures to tell the transformation but you can totally tell in my face.

I hope that with hard work, dedication and a change to the way I live my life I can make these results again cause let's face it, I'm 5 pounds away from where I started. But this time, with a change of lifestyle, I'll keep it off and it won't be allowed back in my life =)

Granola Bars

Did you know your granola bar purchased from the store probably isn't good for you? It's probably got some form of corn syrup or a preservative in it. I was talking with a lady the other day that eats nothing but organic because of all the pesticides and hormones added to our veggies now a days. It was really interesting and it got me to thinking and researching (which we'll talk about later. This post is for granola bars). As much as I would LOVE to buy organic everything. It's not practical for me at this point in my life because I just can't afford it. Hopefully next year I can grow my own veggies. Anyways we started talking about why boxed, bagged, or canned meals really aren't good for you and that's because most likely there is some sort of preservative chemical in there that your body really doesn't need. I watched a couple of clips of Dr. Oz the other day. Dr. Oz had my "favorite" person ever on, Mr. Tony Horton. Tony was talking about food and what to eat. He said eat like your great grandparents had to eat. One ingredient at a time. So now when I go to the store I look at every label. If I can't pronounce the name in the ingredients list I don't buy it. He also said follow the 90/10 rule. 90% of the food you eat should be whole and healthy. For example green peppers, avocados, whole wheat grains, free range chicken, wild caught fish, etc. The other 10% should be a reward, cause let's face it you can't make changes in one day. Our bodies have been brought up on all this bad for us stuff and now we need to wean ourselves off of it. He said you want that piece of chocolate cake? Go for it! But it can only amount to 10% of your daily calorie intake.

Okay, whoa huge tangent! Back to granola bars. There are some pretty great sites and recipes out there. I haven't tried these yet, but I bought a bucket of oats the other day and I plan on making them today. Yay for granola bars! Cause they are totally my favorite snack to grab.

*Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup white wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup raisins
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup sucanat/brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• ½ cup sour cream

1.Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.In a mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, sucanat/brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir.
3.Add egg, sour cream, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir until combined. It will be stiff. Pack down into pan using damp hands.
4.Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned to your desire.

These came from http://www.stacymakescents.com/20-healthy-granola-bar-recipes

*Back to school

• 1 Cup Unsweetened Organic Coconut
• 1 Large Banana (Extra Ripe)
• 1 Cup Whole Grain Oats 
• 1 Tbsp Organic Vanilla Extract 
• 1/2 Cup Ground Flax Seed 
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 2 Tbsp Mini Vegan Chocolate Chips 
• 1 Packet Truvia (Your Choice Of Sweetener)

Preheat oven to 350

1.Add banana, coconut, flax seed, vanilla,  oats and Truvia to electric mixer and mix on low speed. 

Add unsweetened almond milk 1 tbsp at a time slowly increasing the mixer’s speed.

2.Grease a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.Pour granola mixture onto baking sheet and spread out into a square shape with a spatula.Try to spread and flatten the mixture evenly as possible without puncturing the shape. 

3.Evenly distribute the mini chocolate chips on the granola and lightly press them down.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown.

4.Before the granola starts to harden take a knife and cut the square into 8 even rectangles.

1 Bar : Calories 85, Fat : 4g, Carbs 14g, Fiber 5g, Sugar 2g, Protein 3.4g 

 

These came from http://windsorstore.tumblr.com/post/31063653252/fab-fit-friday-back-to-school-granola-bars-and-a 

 

*Healthy Banana Bread Granola Bars

 

• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 tsp chia seeds

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2.Combine the banana, applesauce, honey, egg white, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and 3 tbsp brown sugar in a large bowl.
3.In a separate bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, flax seeds, and chia seeds. Add to liquid mixture and stir well to combine.
4.Press mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp of brown sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
5.Once done, invert onto a cooling rack and allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.

 

These came from http://www.ericasweettooth.com/2013/01/healthy-banana-bread-granola-bars.html

 

These are three recipes I wanna try but that www.stacymakescents.com/20-healthy-granola-bar-recipes has 20 different recipes.

 

Getting to know you

   The king and I, what a great movie! And that song has so much meaning, cause come on who takes the time anymore to get to know someone......lately it seems like a lot of people just want to get to know you enough to use you.
   Before we get off on a political tangent (which is not what this blog is for, I'm gonna have to remember to keep those thoughts in check) I'd like to say WELCOME! If you're here you probably know me some how and wanted one of my really neat recipes I found or some info on healthy living, cause after all that IS what this blog is for.
   I'm like the copy, paste queen! My problem though is after I copy, paste and save I never seem to be able to find those things that seemed like such good info EVER AGAIN. So this blog is gonna serve as my organizational tool. I know, how AWESOME of me to share all this AMAZING stuff I find.
   Remember how I said tangent up top? Yeah well they are like my favorite thing ever! So let's get back to the topic of this post. I'm Kayla and I have recently turned over a new leaf and have decided to get HEALTHY. Notice how I didn't say skinny. I said healthy, cause I believe a healthy strong body is better than a skinny sickly body. I've lived in soooooo many different states it's not even funny, but I am currently located in Central Texas. I work for a hospital here as a Patient Transporter. Basically that's a fancy name for pushing people around and walking ALOT (cough, cough 14 miles). I love to hike (I think Texas should grow a mountain, they can do that right?), take photos (oooo look a cow, a flower, oooo another cow), watch movies (as long as it's not a scary movie, come on they are predictable. Oh and Netflix, best invention ever!), read my kindle (oh look a free book, let's download it. What? Where'd this book come from? Oh yeah it was free six months ago.) cook/bake (you're probably saying man Kayla this is a healthy blog how are you gonna bake. I have my ways.) and of course work out! I know, who in their right mind likes to workout? Well who ever said I was in my right mind? I am left handed after all (haha sorry for my lame attempt at humor. It's kinda just how my brain rolls ALL DAY LONG). It's gotta be fun! It can't be all serious all the time. If my workout partner/video is serious all the time then all I'm gonna do is focus on the pain and then I say those two dangerous words. I can't. SURE YOU CAN! You can do anything! You just have to be stubborn enough to do it. And eventually, if you do it enough, it get's easier.
   Well let's get started with some of this wonderful info I've been collaborating shall we, after all the only way you found this blog is probably cause you already know my crazy self.