I am giving up.

Yep. I'm giving up on trying to write these blogs at night time. I am so NOT a night person and have found it hard to get to bed at a decent time if I try to write before I go to bed. Then I have a hard time falling asleep because my brain is wired. (for those of you who know me I am sure you're thinking when is it NOT wired Lallenia?)

I know I have been MIA the past couple days! No, I didn't fall off the wagon! Actually stronger than ever on this challenge! I just have been enjoying the company of my husband being home a little more this weekend and had a little cooking feast with the recipes from the success guide for Whole30. AMAZING! (i will give you the recipes in a bit!)

This is Day 22 of my Whole30 challenge (http://whole9life.com/). It is pretty amazing to me that I have not had the desire for anything sweet since I started! Nor have I had the urge to binge. (now if you follow me on pinterest I just pinned a bunch of delicious looking recipes because I have been in a cooking mood and they just looked yummy. I am sure i will still make some things occasionally that are not whole9 approved but not nearly as much as I would have before AND I like to see if i can create my own healthy versions!)

I am thinking the couple who wrote the book is going to make some doctors go out of business if we were able to teach out of this book in school. I honestly do not understand why they don't teach us how to take care of our bodies in school. They expect parents to do it for their kids, but these days half of the parents cannot even take care of themselves! I can only imagine how successful we could be as a nation if children were taught at a young age how food affects your brain and body. I bet we would make healthier decisions if we were educated correctly. 

Not just from some Dr. on TV making money from telling us to go buy some supplement to help us feel better. Same with the packaged food that reads healthy heart or high fiber.... it is ALL a way of making money. Whoever is selling you their food or product is not concerned about you and your family. The companies are concerned about themselves and their families condo in Italy.

It is up to YOU to educate yourself and your family if you want to live a healthier lifestyle. I do not just mean a "skinny" or "fit"  lifestyle. I mean healthy as in wake up and feel confident in yourself and your abilities. I believe it all starts with what is on your plate. 

Remember; I did not have a family that was super supportive, loving or that encouraged me to be healthy (actually just the opposite). I made these changes on my own. So don't sit there telling me your excuses. I have not always been fit and confident, I have had many struggles and abuse throughout my life, probably more than many of you can imagine, and many ups and downs in weight and fitness levels.

 No,
 I don't want sympathy or attention from it all. I want you to use it as motivation for wherever you are starting. I absolutely HATE when i hear "You don't get it, You've never had to struggle with food or working out." I better stop right there because I will go on more of a tangent. 

Whew!! I am all worked up now.... *deep breath*....
As you can see I get a little passionate because I want people to be believe in themselves that they can overcome any obstacle that may appear in front of them. It's not always easy... I get it.  That doesn't mean it can't be done, and yes you may will have to work for it! 

I am finding a true love for cooking lately. I guess that means I am turning into a foodie? I don't know what that is.. .I suppose I can ask my search engine and it will tell me. (yep! I just looked it up and I fit right in!) 

This past weekend I made Shrimp and Salmon Chowder Paleo style... seriously delicious. I was excited beyond belief! I blew up the recipe for you below the picture. Unbelievable taste. Only thing i would have changed was to crisp the bacon a little better than I did and crumble it. 

I also made their beef and sweet potato stew in the crock pot. (haha and it's 90* outside... but these dishes are SO easy and so delicious)
Just remember to only go 8 hours not 12... it was a little mushy but still awesome!!!

I made a couple more that we will be having leftovers for these next few days but I hear a little boy calling for me. I think that means my time is up for now!

Oh and seriously check out the Whole30 challenge and Melissa and Dallas Hartwigs book "It Starts With Food." It will serisouly change your life.

Remember, what you put in your body is what you get out of it. If you're not liking your performance in any area of your life right now... don't go running to a Dr for pills... change whats on your plate first.

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Sooooo FAKE!

A little riddle for the day....

What do fake friends and fake foods have in common?

Fake friends look good on the outside, spike your energy levels for a bit and tell you things you want hear to make them look good (oh.my.gosh. I just LOVE your hair tie!).   After they leave you feel like you were just slapped in the face, only hear from them when they need something, yet you want more and to be around them because you think maybe if I just do (this) maybe they will like me more. Eventually if you hang around them enough, they rub off on you and you find yourself becoming just as fake.

Fake food also looks good on the outside, has outrageous tastes that are unnatural, spikes your energy levels and is packaged in a way that tells you what you want to hear  (Oreos ONLY have 70 calories per cookie). Then after they are gone (in your precious body) you feel like crap, yet it's hard to stop eating them because of the addictive additives in them. Eventually your body will not look like it's self because it will be surrounded with obscene amounts of fat that doesn't belong on you.

See, both of these make real friends (who are there for you at the touch of a dial and will cry at their door step with you at 3am because of a stupid boyfriend) and whole foods (which satisfy your appetite and fuel your body to perform at its ultimate best ) look bland and boring compared to the excitement of the fake ones that only build you up at their convenience.

WHY does this matter Lallenia? I'm sure you've had a fake friend and didn't realize it until you were placed in a situation that it became apparent right?

Well, with food it's similar but people seem to get so sucked in to their habits it's harder for them to OPEN their eyes and wrap their brain around the fact that the "bland and boring" foods are what makes you feel better, look better, and perform better in ALL aspects of life.

But in all reality if the food is prepared right it does't have to be boring! Have you ever bitten into a prime rib and steamed broccoli cooked just the way you like it? YUM! (PLUS it satisfies you not wanting more) And NO real friends aren't boring either! Heck you may find yourself driving down the interstate with a red bra hanging out your window to support breast cancer awareness. ;-)

REAL whole foods and REAL friends make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside all day, everyday no matter what. Why surround yourself and consume anything less?


“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” 


 Moving on to another kick butt day at eating whole30 approved!
Breakfast is still my beloved sweet potato hash and 2 eggs. 


Snack was pistachios (i measured out serving)


Lunch and snack before cycle was a salad. (yep I had TWO of them!)


 Whats in my salad today?

Spinach

lettuce 

red onions

tomatoes

mushrooms

Sliced ham off bone

1/2 avocado

balsamic vinegar 

Salad vinegar 

Salt & pepper

Dinner.... you will LOVE this idea....

SEE!? Ins't it AWESOME! 

It's Wyatts plate! Now i cannot go overboard with my servings or I will know it.

Dinner was pretty much same as last night but I added butternut squash. (LOVE and SO EASY!)

 If you want to learn about the foods you eat (like i do because I am weird i know) I LOVE this site that explains it all in detail for u. --> This is one to squash... SO many health benefits! 

 http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63.

I REALLY need to get some sleep but received this book in the mail yesterday and can't stop reading it.

YES! Thats the book from the people who developed Whole30! It is pretty awesome so far! But I LOVE learning about, as they call it the "science-y" side of what food is doing to your body and why we need to eat certain foods and how the bad stuff affects us.

I am also a big believer that when you know WHY you should be doing something and if the outcome is a what is wanted you are more likely to actually do it. Like eating your broccoli because of it's unique health benefits. Seriously! It's a superfood, look it up! 

Well, I'm off to snuggle my pretty awesome significant other and try to get away with keeping the reading light on until he tells me to turn it off and go to bed...

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

I am shocked.....

Today I am shocked for a few reasons;

1.) I dislocated my shoulder in august of 2010 and had surgery in January 2011. Since then I have had some issues with it whenever i go to do pulls ups =(  (which REALLY sucks because those have always been my favorite to do and my motivation! Now I am physically unable to do them due to my injury) 

It usually swells really bad after i sublux it (partial dislocation). Today during boot camp I was demonstrating an exercise, subluxed my shoulder but it did not swell or get inflamed like normal. Yes, it is tender but NO inflammation. I swear this is due to the whole30 way of eating. I have read about how certain foods you consume cause your body to become inflamed easier, I am a strong believer of that now.

2.) I had a little break down last night and stole shared a bowl of oatmeal, chocolate protein powder and peanut butter with Wyatt (it's his bedtime snack to fill him up all night!). I wasn't happy with myself and do not have an excuse for doing it expect that i kind of REALLY wanted it. To my surprise it did not taste as good as it normally does (honest, the natural PB even tasted sweet to me which is ODD). 

I could REALLY tell that it makes my body feel bloated and icky just like the sweet potato fries did to me. I didn't expect this to happen because I have always considered this a "safe" snack. I am shocked how much your body can tell you if you really listen to it after eating whole foods. 

3.)  I am shocked that my urges to binge on foods have been getting easier and easier. I am feeling more in control of my cravings and self control (besides my urge last night which i DIDN'T binge). This is new to me. I have always had a love/hate relationship with food and my body. 

When i was adopted at age 9, my adopted parents had junk food all over. I used to steal candy bars (babyruths were my favorite) from my adopted dads stash all the time, eat them as fast as I could and as many as I could. Which slowly developed into an eating disorder called bulimia at age 13. I guess you could say I struggled with closet eating also. Especially once I got into the fitness field. I would be embarrassed to eat unhealthy and try to hide it which led to even more struggles with my self image and food. Also there were are SO many mixed messages on food I didn't know what was REALLY healthy and what wasn't. 

My nutrition books told me protein bars and white rice were healthy (bullish*t). SO here i am reading and learning as much as I can, only for the next certification or seminar I would go to tell me something different. I was all mixed up and I honestly believe the only thing that saved me was my love for exercise and eating what i considered "healthy" outside of my  disorder. 

Once I found out i was pregnant the disorder subsided  because I was so focused on growing that little boy strong and healthy. Afterwards I breastfed for year until my shoulder surgery then had a couple months of self doubt and depression. I soon started being able to workout again but still had some issues here and there with binge eating and bulimia. (not nearly as bad as the past). 

It has always been in the back of my mind like a silent struggle. Once i started truly eating healthy, whole foods I can tell you i have not had one single thought of a binge. I do not believe that eating disorders are genetic or because of a persons past like i used to believe. I can see now it is all a pattern and habit your brain forms. Once you are able to realize you need to fuel yourself with healthy, real, whole foods your body and brain will not feel the need to rely on the junk and binges. 

Why I just shared all this I am not sure... I guess that's why they call this a blog.... 

Alrighty then today was pretty awesome as far as food choices. 

Breakfast: Eggs and sweet potatoes (yum! I never get tired of this combo!)

Lunch: A delicious salad with sliced ham (off the bone) veggies, 1/2 avocado and balsamic and salad vinegar. 

Dinner: AWESOME! 

Sautee red onions for 5 minutes 

Then add ground turkey

After 5 more minutes add:

chopped bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms 

Let it cook together until meat is fully cooked and veggies are a little soft.

Then add spinach and garlic to cook down along with natures seasoning and Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herbs. 

I allowed about 7 minutes here.

Then topped with avocado and ENJOYED! 

Ok it's WAY past my bedtime! I was a little chatty tonight! My hopes is that it will inspire you to take on the challenge of eating whole foods with me for 30 days and into the rest of your life. Even if it is one meal at a time. No matter who you are or where you are at in life it is NEVER too late to make yourself healthy. It all starts with your next bite of food. 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Cramps caused from fat? day 14....

Having terrible stomach pains last night (Sunday) I was a little worried maybe it was caused from the higher fat in my diet. Rest assured. It's just my body telling me I am able to reproduce if I want. =)

I am curious to see the way my body reacts to this time of the month while on the whole30. The first day is always the worst for me so needless to say it was hard to do much activity. I did try jump roping and performing some push ups but a UTI and menstrual cramps are a horrible combination.

I hope you're not feeling sorry for me because you don't need too! Other than the cramps i'm feeling great! I only had 3 hours of sleep Sunday night due to my husband & I watching Immortals before bed so i kept waking up to the Greek God's cutting peoples throats off. Feel free to laugh at me, it's ok I'm a little ridiculous i know but I do not do well with movies unless they are happy (this why I LOVE Disney movies).

Monday morning was left over sweet potatoes and hash for breakfast. My brother had a 3 hour Dr appointment so we brought pistachios (YUM) and larabars.

Lunch was SUPER easy and really tasty!

2-3 pieces of minimally processed ham (or turkey) rolled over avocado and wrapped in romanian lettuce. I had 3 of these awesome  wraps. You can even add other veggies and meat for more variety. My brother and wyatt added muenster cheese. (how rude) but at least it's not all of it AND bread.... baby steps.

I must say I am getting pretty awesome at this whole grilling thing. I made pork tonight! I always seem to forget about pork. It's a great lean meat to add to your diet plus it's not that expensive! I also made my own ketchup for the 1st time! Ok Ok... I wouldn't say it tasted like ketchup exactly but it was yummy! (I topped the pork with ketchup lol.... can you spot the pork?...)

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste;
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice;
1/4 tsp dry mustard;
1/3 cup water;
1/4 tsp cinnamon;
1/4 tsp salt;
1 pinch ground cloves;
1 pinch ground allspice;
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional;


Mix it together and BAM! 


So my mind was saying I still need to eat food....hmmm lets try that ice cream again! 

3-6 bananas (frozen)

1-2 tblsp of cocoa powder

2 tblsp  of nut butter.

Blend really good and enjoy! 

One thing that makes me SOOOO happy is seeing my fridge stocked with healthy food for my family!

 It makes me smile and I get really excited! This is only the crisper part of the fridge. (I am so happy we bought a fridge with this accessory!) We have a pantry and shelf full of fruits and veggies also. 

I have found it is so easy when you have the food ready to go ahead of time. Whenever I grocery shop I always plan on prepping it all and getting it ready to eat or make something with. It saves SO much time and money by not allowing things to go bad before you have time to make it. 

oh yeah! My husband told me if I make his lunches he will start eating what I am.... that may not seem like a cool thing to some people but to me I'm stoked! This means he is slowly starting to realize  maybe I am onto something... I can tell he is feeling better too. =) 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Hiding Cinnamon Rolls on Day 13

I walk into the kitchen this afternoon to find my husband hunched over hiding a huge, fluffy, dripping with frosting cinnamon roll from Wheatfields. 

I was so jealous mad.

 His mom brought it by for fathers day and he thought I was in still snuggling with our little boy for nap time. He was trying to be sneaky.  I glared at him and told him I didn't like him anymore. 

And I thought having to feed my son an amazing looking cake at the bridal shower was hard not to eat. Seeing my husband have the cinnamon roll was really hard! (because I know all I had to do was ask and he'd give in.... happy wife makes a happy life =))

About 3 minutes later after I went to the bedroom, put my head in a pillow and screamed cooled down, I went back out to apologize. He had devoured it as fast as he could so "I wouldn't be tempted." 

Brad said, "Honey, if you weren't on this diet you could have some."

I looked at him annoyed,"Babe. If you ever listen to anything I say this ISN'T a diet. It's me eating whole foods for 30 days and nothing processed. I'm not counting calories, measuring my food or watching points. I'm not doing it to lose weight either."

Brad raises his eyebrows,"ooo-kay... then why are you doing it?"

 Me, "To train my body and brain how I should really be eating. I am re-setting my metabolism and my habits."

Brad, "You're so weird. But thats why I love you."

Me, "Way to suck up." 

I understand why these guys from Whole9 tell you to go 30 days eating only whole foods. It teaches you self discipline in every situation and there is an end in sight so it's doable. My hope is when the 30 days are up I have trained my body and mind that I do not need that junk. I'm not going to lie, right now it is hard and I feel like if I wasn't on this challenge I'd give in... in a heartbeat! 

Fitness today was a run outside. I normally try to do mainly sprints and plyometric training but I love throwing in some distance running 1-2 times a week. I ran 4 miles in 28:49 today. Which isn't horrible but I can tell I still have pain in my tummy from the infection! (can't wait for those antibiotics to kick in!)

After my run today today I made Brad my awesome Jicama Hash from day 7 and eggs. (He LOVED it!) 

Then Wyatt and i went to a bridal shower. I was a little nervous thinking maybe i should've eaten more or brought some nuts. But they had a great selection of fruit, sausage croissants, wraps, cream puffs and cake. It was REALLY beautiful! I had the sausage and eggs off the croissant, a bunch of fruit, and coffee. The hardest part was not being able to eat the cake with coffee! One of my favorite things is something sweet with coffee... I know i should've been a cop =)

Had a little more jicama hash for late lunch then I grilled AGAIN today! I made some hamburgers, brats (for the boys) and this amazing vegetable stir fry with bacon. Everyone ate their veggies tonight!!! 

I sautéed bacon pieces for about 5 minutes then added broccoli, red onions, and green bell peppers and let it all cook together.... it was OUTSTANDING.  Topped the burger with avocado mash. Doesn't it make you feel better just looking at this awesome meal!

We have no buns in the house because I am trying to get the guys used not needing bread all the time. it's working =)

Wyatt LOVES eating avocados from a bowl...

(and Brad thinks I'M weird??)

Time to snuggle with my honey, watch a movie and munch on some cherries! 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

I SCREAM for Ice cream!!! Day 12 of 30!

Shish Ka BOB kind of day today!
Had an awesome workout this morning! I will tell you that even though i have taken out my supplemental protein drinks and Xtend (which I LOVE), I thought I was going to start getting weaker.
SO WRONG.
I trained legs today and was lifting heavier than I've ever done for many movements. The crazy part? I wasn't even trying to challenge myself. (I still have to be cautious of my UTI, it's tender).
 I'm still in shocked at how strong I felt during my workout!

SO it is day 12 of this whole30 and I have noticed:
*My sleep is deeper
*Stronger performance during workouts
*No rashes on my skin like i normally get during summer

I think these are some awesome results so far for 12 days!

Breakfast was this AMAZING sweet potato hash and two eggs.

 Sweet potato hash:

• 3 strips bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 8 ounces each, peeled and 1/4-inch diced
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon jalapenos, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

in a 13-inch saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and olive oil. When the oil heats and the bacon begins to sizzle, add the sweet potatoes and spread out as much as possible to allow the potatoes to rest in the pan in 1 layer. Leave the potatoes to cook until a quick toss reveals browning on the side in contact with the pan, about 5 minutes. Continue to toss and let stand until most sides of the potatoes are golden and the bacon bits are crisp, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Then add the onions, garlic, jalapenos, cumin and season with a nice pinch of salt and a grind or 2 of pepper. Cook the same way, allowing everything to sit in the heat of the pan for a minute or 2. Taste and re-season if necessary.

While i was making breakfast i decided to package all the sweet potatoes up, onions & bacon piecesfor fast future preparing! Because I WILL be making this ALOT!!! (have I told you how much I LOVE sweet potatoes?) 

Lunch was at a previous clients house of mine, who served us Kabobs, Asparagus and fruit... so perfect and healthy!! (I'm sure she knew not to serve anything less lol) 

The funny thing is thats what we were planing on making for dinner too! So we had Kabobs twice!I I had to try out the new grill! haha my girlfriend and I are the ones who were grilling on it! While the guys were indie with the kids gossiping. It was great! 

We were feeling a little creative so decided to grill bacon... just don't burn it. This picture was taken before the first batch was burned. Scooby loved it! 

Oh yeah!!! i also made healthy ice cream today! And it was REALLY REALLY good!!!!!! 

In a blender or food processor mix:

4-6 Frozen Bananas

2-3 tbsp cocoa powder

2-3 tablespoon nut butter (I'm sure peanut butter would be AMAZING but today I used almond butter for my whole30)

mix it All up an enjoy!!!!!

If THAT doesn't make your day then I don't know what would? Healthy ice cream thats actually yummy? Count me in please! 

I had to say no thank you to Schwan's Ice Cream today... urgh...it really looked (and sounded) amazing! I'm waiting for when it looks gross to me....... 

 I have always believed that you are who and what you surround yourself with but with this Whole30 challenge i am a GINORMOUS believer of it! 

I see how easy it is to get sucked into eating crap or think you deserve to eat something... who deserves eating junk food all day? Thats no treat for your amazing body that determines the rest of your life  depending on how you care for it.  

Why Sacrifice what you want most (feeling & looking healthier) for what you want now (an ice cream bar)?

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

messing up on day 11. =(

I sit here dreading what I have to admit today. I thought about just “forgetting” about it and pretending it didn’t happen but that would be lying. My hope is that this will open eyes to others as it has for me today…

Soooo…. Here I go…

Today my little boy had an icky cough on him and wasn’t eating too much. He was being a little fussy and really wanted to get out of the house, “mama IIII go bye bye.” Every 5 minutes.

I was trying to figure out a way to get my husbands fathers day gift home (a grill) and get Wyatt out of the house without being around too many kids and eat something relatively healthy. Then the idea came to me… I’ll call Brad and pretend my car broke down and was pulled into Lowes parking lot. He will have to come get me but will really be picking up his new grill and going to lunch with us. Perfect idea!
 

It turns out Brad was having an inspection at his job site and was really stressed since he is running the job. So needless to say he didn’t have lunch with us and it didn’t go the way I planned… He did get the grill though. Yes, he loves it but said that was horrible timing to try to be cute. Lol. I tried.

So here I am with my Wy man who is saying he’s hungry. I have a groupon for Smash burger and decided that wouldn’t be bad just don’t get the bun or sauces and Wyatt will eat there. We get there and I realize it is a little harder than I anticipated ordering;

 “Yes I’ll take the BBQ, Bacon, Cheeseburger without the BBQ, the cheese, or the bun. Please add a side of grilled onions and guacamole but only if it’s real avocados and is not processed. Oh and can you put the cheese, BBQ sauce and bun on the side because my son might eat them. Also a side of sweet potato fries for my son and an extra patty for him.”

I’m confused writing it out I can only imagine how the poor new cashier felt!

We get our order.

It was so awesome. I LOVE smash burger! 

Wyatt and I are just hanging out enjoying our lunch date when he puts a sweet potato fry in my mouth... 

I ate it. 

He kept feeding them to me and MINDLESSLY I ate the dang things. Literally, I was NOT in the slight bit thinking I was doing anything wrong. I was in a zone/habit. I had my healthy meal and felt really excited about it yet here I am eating sweet potato fries that are not like the healthy ones I make at home they are definitely fried and my guess it's NOT olive oil and parsley. 

After about 20 fries (really) I go take a drink of my water which turned out to be his watered down lemonade water. I realized crap thats not my water i can't drink that! Wake up lallenia! I looked down and realized i ate half of the sweet potato fries and was so sad i did could've cried.

I am still shocked at how easy i forgot about my Whole30 and just went along with the flow. This was a HUGE wakeup call to me! 

I hate it happened but might be a blessing in disguise. I'll be honest it wasn't very disguised today! I felt feel horrible, not just about this little fall in my challenge but my body!

I love when people think it's the vegetables that cause gas and bloating. False. I go from eating pretty dang awesome with tons of vegetables to eating 20-30 sweet potato fried fries and feel it draining me. No joke. It took a lot out of my body to process this kind of food leaving me sluggish and tired.
 It made that much of a difference in only 10 days. Think of the whole30 days of clean eating.

I am so upset that happened!! I really did not want to steer away at all for the whole30. I will chalk this up to an eye opener and learning experience.

On to happier notes. My son is singing E-I-E-I-OOOO and "tinkle tinkle wittle star" in his bed right now. He sings himself to sleep. Its SO cute!

I started my 6-week fitness challenge today! I focused my workout on back. I will start posting workouts soon I promise!

Dinner i made for the guys was supposed to be a meatza but ended up being a hamburger pie.
I asked my husband how it was and he said good enough to eat. lol I think i have ALOT of learning to do with this one!

My body needs to get to sleep to finish digesting my mindless eating escapade.
Pay attention at all times whats going into our precious temple God built for us to maintain in a healthy way.

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. - Franklin P. Jones

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Breaking Point Day 10/30

I think i have come to a breaking point in this Whole30...

NOT with quitting it or giving up and no I didn't cheat. Ha. This feels like a relationship I HAVE to hold for 30 days before I break up... can you imagine what our world would be like if we had a certain time period we had to give a relationship before we were able to jump ship or keep diving further in? I am thinking new reality show yes? I get the credit for this one!

 I feel like I am breaking away from some cravings and learning to embrace this way of eating. I am starting to enjoy this process a little bit more. I am also embracing a bit too much almond butter. First it's cashews and now almond butter.
*sigh*
My body feels better inside but outside is not too happy with the unable to workout very intense (due to pelvic pain from my UTI not caused from Whole30, actually i think it saved me from anything worse.) and all these freaking delicious nuts and butters.

SO Now I know I'm not preggers and am feeling a little bit better. I am going to add in a 6 week fitness challenge in the loop. I start tomorrow.
I don't like scales... i actually despise them! I have seen too many of my clients ruin their progress because they relied on the scale to show them success. Instead it's ALL about the numbers, pounds, and progress pictures.

Examples:
How many reps can I do with a certain amount of weight and for how many sets?
How many sprints can i accomplish in a set time?
How many push ups with perfect form am i able to perform in one minute?
How many pull ups with perfect form can I accomplish in a minute?
How many inches am i losing from my stomach?
Are my glutes becoming rounder and firmer?
Are my shoulders looking more defined?
How do my clothes fit?

These are going to be how I measure my progress.
Feel free to join me.

Today on my whole30:
Breakfast was 2 eggs & 1/2 banana w/ 2 tblsp AB (almond butter)
Lunch... delish! Chicken, sausage, onions, garlic sautéed together w/ a dollop of avocado on a lettuce wrap! ( I know my Iphone isn't the best quality but it works!)

Wyatt throughly enjoyed his meal! Can you tell?

Snack was fresh organic ham wrapped around green apple pieces... one of my new favorite snacks!

Dinner consisted of a can of tuna and no salt added peas.... don't judge me it was awesome! Heat them up for 1 min and add natures seasonings, cheap, tasty, healthy dinner!

After cycle I always feel like I'm starving. Thanks goodness my husband made me a 3 egg, ham and pepper omelet! Never underestimate eggs for dinner! 

I should've been done after that but Wyatt wanted to share some dates with me and almond butter... I gave in. Notice how it's Wyatt's fault right? That was my choice. Yes I regret it. It is what motivated me to start my own fitness challenge tomorrow for 6 weeks though =) I had a breaking point and realization with how many calories I am consuming from the nuts and I decided I am going to use a meal plan also and not steer too far from it. It will be whole30 approved until my 30 days is up then depending on how I feel I may add rolled oats, protein powder, Xtend and Ezekiel bread back in.... and I may not we shall see!

I'm pretty pumped and nervous for my fitness challenge... 

Why am i nervous? After all I AM a trainer. I LOVE working out and challenging myself right?

Well I am nervous because I haven't been able to really workout hard for about 3 months from a previous subluxtion in my shoulder (band slipped while doing assisted pull ups) and then this pelvic pain came on when my swelling in my traps went down. Not to mention I just told everyone what I want to do so feel like if I don't do it I will be the ultimate failure. 

Time to get these muscles back and even better than before!

I am excited to share and hope to inspire along the way!

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

I ate chocolate on day 9!

Yes! You read that right! Chocolate! Thanks to Pinterest and my new food processor I was able to make something that was like a slice of heaven. =) I will share!

6 dates

1/2 avocado

2tblsp of cocoa powder

1-2 tsp of water

I can read your mind. You're thinking seriously, Lallenia?! Thats what my husband thought too until he tried the finish product! Even my brother in law (who is an amazing chef) complemented my new found Dr. Oz recipe. 

Place all ingredients in food processor or small blender and mix until smooth adding a little bit of water at a time as needed. I did learn that I should've doubled the recipe for my food processor because it was hard to blend it until smooth due to the large capacity.

 

I also made some sweet potato chips by chopping them up in the food processor 1st. 

Add 1-2 tblsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. 

Then Broil for about 8 minutes;

 Flip and rotate then broil again for 8-10 minutes. 

Wyatt wouldn't stop stealing them! I'm pretty sure he ate at least 2 cups worth... 

I think this may be the best purchase I've made for my kitchen yet. 

Today was not as bad on the whole30! A friend and I were talking about how it takes 17-21 days to really break and/or make a habit. Give me another 10 days and I will hopefully be over many of my cravings for oatmeal, protein powder and Peanut butter! 

I will have to say this is one of the BEST challenges I've ever decided to pursue! I feel like this has already changed my way of thinking and feeling about food. I know I have SO much more to learn but I can tell you I absolutely LOVE this knowledge and learning how my body reacts to what i put inside it. It's not so much of an obsession as it is a genuine excitement and passion I have for health and fitness. 

A snack to incorporate in your nutrition is real (not sugary packaged) sliced meat (turkey and ham) just make sure it doesn't have added junk to it. Ask your deli department. I like this wrapped around a green apple, another outside of the box idea I am aware but this is what makes eating healthy so much fun! 

There is an ice cream recipe I am going to try soon also... I'm SO excited!!!! 

Oh yeah! Guess what!? I didn't snack on any nuts today!!! Be Proud!! That little charts helps from day 7, Thanks Bernstein Bears politeness plan! =) 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Not Pregnant and day 8!

Guess What!?
I'm NOT pregnant.... I know you're probably thinking Wait... What? I didn't know you thought you were....I knew SOMETHING was wrong and felt all the signs of a pregnancy so I was hoping that was what was making my body act crazy! I figured by starting this Whole30 challenge it would alleviate the symptoms... it did not. :-(  I made a Dr apportionment because something was just not right. Turns out I had an ovarian cyst rupture and a minor bladder infection.... Isn't that just amazing?

Have you ever tried unsweetened cranberry juice? It is SO tart!!! That is my new best friend this week!
 I am relived to know why I have been having a hard time working out, feeling nauseous, tired, really bloated, and going potty all the time. I would rather it have been because I was pregnant. That's more enjoyable than looking like I have a small watermelon in my abdomen, running to the bathroom every 5 minutes, and experiencing pain in  my pelvic. This may be too much info, I apologize.
No this won't mean I'm off the diet (dang it). It just means i will need to not drink coffee (ahhhh) instead tea, take out some fruits for a little while until I feel back to normal. Almost like a small cycle of detox. I'm ready to feel like myself again and be able to lift heavy and run sprints!

Back to Whole30 Day 8.  Nothing too exciting today I made the hash browns again.... ate them for breakfast and lunch! I still love em! Dinner was random. Sunflower seeds, carrots, and rotisserie chicken. Still within the Whole30 so no negative points!!!
We went to a baseball game tonight, Wyatt was over flirting with the pretty girls!

Isn't this cute! He's dancing and being a silly man! All these vegetables sure do make him feel pretty awesome! =)

Thanks for stopping by! Sorry today was boring, Time to for some beauty sleep!!

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

One WEEK down & Healthy hash brown Recipe!

One Week Down 3 more to go!!!
I have read that the first couple weeks can be an adjustment to this new way of eating.
It is.
I have had some headaches lately and my guess is because my body is adjusting to not relying on sugary and carb loaded nutrition to get me through. (even though I thought i was eating healthy before)
The positive side is I am learning to be more creative and find delicious recipes that are easy and inexpensive. I LOVE eggs in case you haven't already realized this. I eat them everyday. I was really craving hash browns for some ODD reason today.... I don't normally eat those.

I thought about using sweet potatoes but remembered we were having them for dinner... then I saw it.
The Jicama, I picked up because it had a cool name last week. I read that it said mexican potato (it's white as can be so I'm not sure why it's mexican?)  I figured what the heck I will give it  shot... OUTSTANDING!!!
I made an onion, Jicama & sausage hash with over medium eggs today and SO EASY! Might be my favor recipe yet. This was our lunch but it can work for breakfast or even dinner....
Heres How:
Cook your sausage (if you want it) and place to the side until end.
Saute some onions (i use  white) for a couple min

Then throw in some peeled and shredded Jicama (as much as you want) & add 1 tblsp organic butter, I also added garlic and Natures Seasonings

Cook until it is at your desired crispy or softness, add your sausage.
  Then cook however many eggs you want, anyway you want and ENJOY!

This is making me want to get up and go make it again! it was really THAT good! Shockingly!
Nutrition Facts of Jicama:

• ONE cup raw sliced
• Calories: 46
• Protein: 0.86 grams
• Carbohydrate: 10.6 grams
• Total Fat: 0.11 grams
• Fiber: 5.8 grams

I was pretty excited after that recipe and made a little collision of veggies and turkey for dinner. 

I just sautéed more onions, chopped up sweet potatoes, broccoli, and ground turkey. I experiment with different seasonings all the time also to change it up. This is easy, cheap, family friendly and health friendly as well. 

I had to get  a talking too from my husband about throwing vegetable scraps down the garbage disposal. He told me this is my warning... next time I will have to call a different plumber and pay for it lol... yeah right. Please learn from my mistakes... veggie scraps go in compost, or  animal food, or soups, or trash... not is sink. BUT if you do need a plumber you know who to call... =)

 (just don't hug him naked I might get a little jealous ;) ) 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Leftover casserole Recipe and Bad Habits Day 7!

I will start off with dinner tonight because it rocked my socks off!

One of my girlfriend's left some steak and crab at my place when she came to visit me today...whoops! I didn't complain just tried to figure out a way to use it to make dinner (it was from Flat Iron how could i not?)

 I originally thought about making a quiche, I LOVE quiches! They are SO easy and delicious. Once I started sauteing the onions, and sweet potatoes together with olive oil, I became really excited and cooked a bit too much for a quiche.

I then added some Kale and garlic.....

After it cooked down a bit I added the left over steak and crab in with salt and pepper

Placed it all in a baking dish with 12 beaten eggs.

Baked it in the oven at 350* for 30 minutes

Came out awesome! The only thing I would do different is not add the crab. The crab gave it a different taste. It was not bad just unexpected.

The cool thing is that you can serve this for breakfast or lunch as well! It freezes nicely and you can use any kind of left overs you'd like. Get Creative! Next time i make this i want to make a sweet potato crust somehow. That just sounds amazing doesn't it??

Today is my Day 7 on the whole30 and I am patiently waiting for it to get over easier...

My handsome hubby made me eggs and bacon. ( love his eggs!) I steamed some broccoli to add to it. I love it all mixed together. I also had an apple with 2 tablespoons of almond butter because i felt really hungry!

Lunch was leftovers from two nights ago and broccoli, with some cashews and olives.

As i was making the awesome dinner i did have a couple of the potatoes that came with her left overs thinking these are whole foods then realized white potatoes are NOT whole30 approved.... dang it!!!!

I have found I need to keep myself busy and out of the kitchen in between times to eat or I will feel the need to snack for no apparent reason. Which leads me to our bedtime story tonight....

I read the Bernstein Bears Forget Their Manners to Wyatt tonight. (great read!) My favorite part was when Mama Bear told her cubs they needed to replace their bad manners with good ones so they didn't have to do chores. Of course my brain converts everything to fitness and health so I am thinking yeah! Mama Bear! If everyone can replace their bad health habits with good ones we'd be so much healthier and happier!

She made a chart with a bad habit then had the chore they had to do if they performed that bad habit. For Example if one of the bears name called they had to clean the cellar. I am not saying if you eat some Twinkies you need to go dust your house (not a bad idea though) but i am saying if you make a chart of all the habits you'd like to break on one side and on the other a list of habits to replace the old it will help guide you on a healthier lifestyle.

Here are a few of mine I'd like to work on during the rest of this challenge to break these two habits.

Bad Habits                                              
1.) Not portioning my nuts I snack on        
2.) Snacking on the food while i cook      

Replace with
 1.) 1/4 measuring cup next to my mix
 2.) Limit the snacking to celery sticks or ice until food is ready

Oh I know there are many more that could be on the list but let me conquer these first then we'll talk about more k?

AHHH SO CUTE!
Little Wy guy just snuggled me, gave me Eskimo kisses then placed his little hands on my cheeks, pulled me in, puckered his lips, gave me a HUGE kiss and said in that sweet voice "I wub you mommy.... THIISS MUCH" and opened his arms as far as possible.
*happy sigh*
I hope he feels as special as i just did when i do that to him every night. =)
it's amazing to think that these little children are watching you and learning from you every minute of their day... never underestimate how special the little things in life are.
That moment right there beats any kind of I-Pad or video system in my eyes ;-)

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

It's all in the Mind. Day 6 Whole30

"It's all in your mind."

"You got this!"

"Don't think about failing (or falling) just focus on what you are doing at this time."

"one step in front of the other..." 

These and many other thoughts were running through my head during the warrior dash today. It started at 1pm during the hottest time of the day. My husband was my partner and I named our team Pumpin Hunnies! (He's such a good sport!) I did have to ditch him after first half mile because he's not a runner (he likes lifting a little bit more.) So my time probably would've been 3-5 minutes faster but I don't mind I love him anyways!

Team Pumpin Hunnnies & Scoob! 

See! I told you he was a good sport! He even wore the silly shirts I made for us!

 And posed for silly pictures with me! (wyatt is still learning on perfecting his bicep flexing ;-))

The Dash was a lot of fun and was certainly a mental challenge for me more than physically. I feel pretty good about the running after I left the hubby. I will admit I walked 1/2 of two hills. (they sucked!) 

The hardest part for me was being scared I was going to hurt myself since I have experienced 2 shoulder surgeries (one on each shoulder from crazy incidents). I went slow through some of the obstacles to keep good form that I had to sprint the running part in order to get a decent time. All in all It was a BLAST! 

As for the Whole30 diet.... DAY6 baby and still going STRONG!!!!!!

 It was HARD today. 

Breakfast i finished off the Brussells Sprouts! YEAH! Eggs, sprouts, and sausage... yum.

See it looks so yummy and healthy!

I was unable to have a red bull or any kind of energy drink from the gas station stop. *Urgh* I got a water and coffee. 

After the race they had bananas, granola, and beer!

 I had a Banana.....just one.

Then a turkey leg... YUMMY! It was huge so I couldn't finish it.

The hardest part of the day was my husband and his buddy going into this old fashioned ice cream fountain shop for malts..... They kept saying "c'mon you just ran a warrior dash you deserve it!" I said no thank you! I ate my cherry Larabar instead (AWESOME snack if need something quick!)

Cherries, almonds and dates. yum.

I had a SMALL ziplock of mixed raw nuts as well.

For dinner I ate Left overs from yesterday. My husband had BBQ brisket.

As you can see there are A LOT of obstacles I face in my daily life but have made a commitment to this 30 day challenge and am pretty solid on not giving in. 

It is AMAZING what your mind can do when feeding it positive thoughts. For example crawling under barbwire fences, up steep walls with no support, trudging through mud, running hills and then being tempted with old fashioned fountain ice cream after it all because you "deserved" it.

No Thanks. I deserve to keep the promise i made and feel confident in my ability to follow through with it. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger more confident and smarter if you allow it too. 

I need a cup of tea and some sleep. Good night World! Thanks for motivating me to keep on the 30 day Whole food challenge! My hope is that I can inspire others to do the same! 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*