Quick Meal Prep For Weight loss

My FIRST weight loss VLOG!

Here it is, please comment any questions or recommendations for future videos :)

The Struggle Is Real

   Starting another round of 21 Day Fix this week.  I am down 6-8 lbs depending on the day my weight has been fluctuating.   I have been stuck at my current weight for a couple of weeks and I am ready to recommit to the program that helped me lose 9 lbs in 21 days the last time I did it.

   I have been up and down with my Crohn's symptoms and recently spoke with my Gastroenterologist about starting Remicade.  I am excited, scared, and hopeful that this in combination with my Imuran will improve my symptoms.

   I just placed my order for some new Erin Condren planner stickers from Etsy.  I will post pictures when they come in.  I will be using them to organize my daily life and Beachbody business.  

  I will be posting on my blog at least once a week to do updates on my weight loss progress.  If you are interested in home workouts and an accountability group full of positive strong women send me an email at kristenslosingit@gmail.com

Before and after from my first round :)

HERE I GO AGAIN....

I'M BAAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKK! Can I get a whoop whoop???  Ok seriously though, I cannot believe how long I have been gone from my little blog!  This past year has been f*cking crazy.  Pardon my language but in this situation it is the most appropriate description. Between living in a place I don't love and my battle with Crohns, this past year has been CRAZY.  I'm moving back to what I consider one of the most beautiful places in the USA and my Crohns a bit better, I hope to have more time to get back to blogging and weight loss/ get healthy journey.  Thanks for reading and come back soon :)

21 Day Fix - Week 2 Results!

Lost another 2.4lbs and 4 inches! Making total lost 7.5lbs and 12 inches in 13 days.....WAHOO!!!  Coming up on doubles week (they have an option where you can do two 30 minute workouts a day in the last week), I cannot wait to see my final results for the first round.  I will be doing another round when I am done because I am loving my results.  The above picture shows the difference in pant sizes just in the past 2 weeks I have gone from a bloated size 18 to a shrinking 14. There will be another challenge group starting the beginning of May, if you are ready to get real results using 30 minute workouts and a simple meal plan that teaches you correct portions of clean whole foods friend me on Facebook and I can send you more information or answer any questions you may have. Click HERE to add me on Facebook :)

Clean eating and squat challenge!

30 day clean eating and squat challenge starting this Monday 4/14. You will be provided clean eating grocery list, meal ideas, daily squat goal and you will have the support of other women taking the challenge.  ITS FREE :) To join the women only fitness group on Facebook message me at www.fb.com/kristenslosingit and I'll add you. 

Week 1 weight loss results!

Week 1 of the 21 day fix DONE!!!  I lost 5.1 lbs and -8 inches! I am so full from all the food I have been eating throughout the day.  You really can eat more if you choose clean whole foods.  The portion control containers are great and take the guess work out of meal prep.  I also enjoy not counting calories.  The workouts are quick at 30 minutes but give you an excellent calorie burn.

I have included a collage of some of the meals I have been having while on the 21 Day Fix.  I have even saved money on groceries because I can buy everything at Trader Joe's.

If you are interested in joining our next challenge group starting the end if April leave your email below and I can send you more information.

Getting back on track after hospitalization

I am on day 3 of my new workout program and meal plan.  I feel sore but really happy that I am able to workout and incorporate some healthy food options that I was unable to tolerate only a couple weeks ago.  It amazing how the human body can transform with correct nutrition and exercise.  I have experienced it myself with losing 40lbs before my Crohns diagnosis and hospitalization.  After being in the hospital for 5 days out of work for a month and taking large amounts of steroids, my body needed a jump start.  My muscle tone that I had worked hard on developing is gone, the steroids have me puffed up like a marshmallow, and I was advised by doctors to eat a low residue diet which is basically white bread, white pasta, white crackers, cheese and a few other carbohydrate and fat rich foods.  To say that I was excited to eat fruit, yogurt and vegetables is an understatement.
Now on day 3 of the 21 Day Fix my clothes are fitting again, my face is slimming out and I'm saying peace out to my double chin :)  The workouts are short (30 mins) and they have modified options which I use because I need to build back up to where I once was.  I look forward to being able to run 3.5 miles a couple times a week again and go to a spinning class!  I know my body needed the rest and recovery from everything that happened, and now my body needs to be healthy weight wise.  I will continue to update on my health and fitness progress, and would love to know if you have any experience with weight loss helping you control your chronic illness symptoms.  Thanks for stopping by. ~ Kristen

Make your own spices

Get some of your favorite herbs from the grocery store (I get approximately 2 cups worth).

Pre heat oven to 250

Place spices on backing sheet and put in oven for 4 hours

Bask in the deliscious aroma of chosen herbs : )

Remove dried herbs and put in  high powered blender, pulse until desired consistency.

Enjoy your homemade spices!

I store my spices in a small tupperware on my counter

Cashew Cream

As I mentioned in my last post I have a new love/addiction to cashew cream and lucky for me there are many SCD friendly recipes online and on Pinterest!

The photo above is my own of strawberries smothered in fresh cashew cream, it tastes like a desert which is something I miss since I cannot tolerate a lot of sweets.  

Recipe for cashew cream:

2 cups raw whole cashews soaked overnight in water cover and keep in refrigerator

drain cashews and place in blender (high powered blenders tend to work best for a smooth consistency)

add enough filtered water to cover cashews approximately 1 inch

BLEND!!! Until smooth or desired consistency. You can add less or more water depending on desired thickness.

DONE

You can add maple syrup, honey, or stevia, and vanilla extract to sweeten/ flavor.  I added vanilla extract to mine to keep it SCD legal.

Pour over fresh fruit, top a waffle, add to fruit smoothies...the options are endless :)

Now for something even more AMAZING!!!

Key lime cashew cream pie with almond meal crust and whipped coconut milk

The photo above is my version of a "nailed it"

Can you guess which pie is my creation? LOL!  Can't tell? I don't blame you they look pretty much identical :)  The BEAUTIFUL photo on the left is from Baker Bettie who I was lucky enough to stumble upon her inspiring food blog through Pinterest, the photo on the right is my less glamorous, but none the less very delicious attempt.

This recipe is so easy and the finished product is refreshing and light.  I will be making another pie the second we finish this first one.  I made this SCD friendly by using honey as my sweetener of choice.

For the recipe click here.

And for more inspiring recipes visit:

www.bakerbettie.com

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

One of my awesome Aunts sent me this book when I got my Crohns diagnosis.  For those who don't know the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD is a very restrictive diet that through cutting out certain starches, grains, processed foods, dairy, and many other items is supposed to help heal many intestinal ailments.  You can find a list of "legal" and "illegal" foods on their website www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info

I have slowly been cutting out gluten and dairy.  Trips to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to stock up on legal food items have become a 2-3x a week occurrence.  I recently discovered cashew cream, and have developed a full fledge addiction.  I love it on strawberries and found the most incredible recipe for key lime cashew cream pie with whipped coconut milk.  I'll post pictures of my finished product with a link to the recipe on Saturday this week.

My Crohns symptoms have been improving recently and I cannot wait to start tapering off this prednisone.  I have only gained 3-5 pounds depending on the day, but my clothing is tight from all the swelling :(  I'm hoping if its just water weight I'll be able to lose the bloat quickly as I finish my prednisone in a couple of weeks. 

I haven't worked out in almost a month and have put as a goal for next week to go to the gym at least 2x for 30 minutes.  I hope that with the iron infusions I'll be getting weekly for the next 8 weeks my energy level will increase and I can get back to my workout DVDs and maybe even some spinning classes.

Hope you're having a great week!

Crohn's Diagnosis

Yesterday was my follow up appointment with GI to go over test results and discuss treatment options.  I was advised I do have Crohn's disease and that since my symptoms are not improving with prednisone I should also start Imuran and continue prednisone at 40MG instead of starting to taper down.  As hard as it was to hear I have  chronic illness it was a relief to finally know what has been making me sick on and off for years.  I am looking into alternative treatments and hope to figure out a diet that helps to prevent flair ups in the future.  Something that has been mentioned to me by numerous friends and online is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD.  It was created by a woman who has a daughter with Ulcerative Colitis another form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  Anyone ever tried it?  I would love to know your experiences with it good or bad.

Motivation

How fun are these wings on my running shoes? A bit ridiculous? Yes, but I love them!  Sometimes when I'm having trouble with my motivation to workout finding something fun and exercise related can give me a little boost.  I also like to buy workout clothes a couple sizes smaller to motivate myself to keep losing weight so I can fit in them.  Do you have a secret weapon you use when you aren't feeling motivated?

Counting calories...

I have been using myfitnesspal.com and their phone app since January 2013.  It is a free resource and I would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to lose weight.  However I feel like I have been stuck at 190-188 for the past couple of weeks and need to try something different! So for the next 2 weeks I will not be counting calories! I will eat clean, drink my water and workout 4 times a week. I will keep you guys posted on here with my progress! Have you ever taken a break from tracking food? Dud you still lose weight?

 

You don't need to starve to lose weight!

This is my dinner from the other night.  4 oz steak, 2 oz cilantro lime shrimp, oven roasted carrots, garlic, and turnips.  I had never in my 28 years of life had turnips!  Turns out I love them :). Have you tried a new vegetable recently that you liked?  If not... I challenge you to try a new vegetable or fruit this week.

Finding time to workout

Recently a lot of people have been noticing my weight loss.  When they ask what I'm doing I tell them eating right and exercising a ton!  The response I've been getting is " I don't have time to exercise."  Well let me tell you, I used to make the same excuse.  I work at least 10 hour days and take an excessive amount of call as an operating room nurse.  I work on my feet all day often wearing 30lbs of lead and pick up heavy trays of instrumentation.  I would come home and just crash on the couch, often watching 2-3 hours of TV before bed.  When I finally got serious about my health goals I realized you don't have to find the time to workout, you need to make the time.  Schedule it into your day.  Make it your "me" time.  So i cut back on couch potato time and workout at home to save time that would be spent traveling to a gym. Two weeks into my workouts and now I crave the endorphin rush it gives me, I feel so accomplished even after a short workout. 15 minutes is all it took to burn 174 calories and get my heart rate up!  So make the time to workout. Aren't you worth it?

I be up in my home just working on my fitness!

I have struggled for years trying to make/ find time to get to the gym.  I enjoy classes more than using cardio machines or nautilus equipment.  With my schedule at the hospital I work long days and a lot of overtime on the weekends. Classes at my local gym never fit my schedule so when I did get to the gym I would have no idea what to do.  I would run/ jog on the treadmill and use the nautilus machines but I never really enjoyed it and my results were minimal.  I recently discovered some before and after transformations of people who did workout programs at home and they are incredible!  I bit the bullet and ordered this program through Beachbody and will be starting a hybrid program of Turbofire and LMPump.  Progress photos, my meal plan and measurements to come so stay tuned :)

Quick, easy, healthy lunch

                         

Super quick and easy to make! Toast the bread for added crunch! Loaded with protein, some healthy fat and carbs. What is a quick and healthy lunch you like to make?