Superbowl Game Plan

I’ve finished the Ultimate Reset–21 days of no exercise and seriously clean eating.  On the other side, I am sleeping deeper and better, have much more energy, and lost 8.5 lbs and 7 inches all around. I feel Fantastic!! It has not been very hard to stick with a clean eating diet this week.  I had one day when I splurged on a fabulous cupcake from Jilly’s Cupcakes and I have to admit–it tasted great but I felt simply AWFUL after eating it. Headache, and some digestive trouble.  Lesson learned. Not eliminating cupcakes, but maybe next time I’ll only have a bite or two. That’s all I really needed anyway.

Tomorrow, though is another story. Superbowl Sunday–its the American holiday of beer and junk food. I’m going to my first superbowl party in years and am thinking strategically about the day, because I want to have fun, and I don’t want to feel completely gross and torpedo my results afterwards.

Here’s my list:

• Get my workout in early–I usually take Sundays off, but I’ll workout in the morning to make sure I have burned some extra calories before I event start the day. My favorite for this kind of thing is a HIIT from TurboFire–I can burn 550 calories in 15 minutes. Incinerator, baby!
• Bring Healthy food to share–I’ll bring a fresh veggie assortment and a big bowl of this Quinoa Salad from the Beachbody Ultimate Reset–see recipe at right. I’ll have to multiply the recipe by 8 for a party crowd, but its so flavorful and satisfying, its perfect for a crowd.
  

  The Beachbody Ultimate Reset Quinoa Salad
  ½ cup cooked Quinoa
  1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  Himalayan salt or Bragg® Liquid Aminos (to taste)
  1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  2 Tbsp. finely minced fresh parsley
  1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh mint leaves
  ¼ large ripe tomato, diced
  ¼ large cucumber, peeled and diced
  2 Tbsp. chopped pitted Kalamata olives
  Directions
  Toss quinoa with olive oil, salt or Bragg Liquid Aminos, and lemon juice, mixing well. Gently fold in parsley and mint, followed by remaining ingredients. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serves 1.
  Nutrition270 calories, 18 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat. 0 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber. 5 g protein, 254 mg potassium

• Get some protein in before I go–I’ll have a shakeology before I leave. Its low-calorie and will fill me up so that I don’t snack mindlessly
• Drink Lots of Water. The party is at a club with a bar, but rather than having to go get refills of small plastic cups of water, I am going to bring a couple of bottles of my really great clean tasty filtered water.  I find if I have a bottle of water in my hand all the time, I will snack less and drink less beer.   I can still have the beer, but in between the beers  I will have to finish a bottle of water
• Superbowl parties tend to involve a lot of sitting along with overindulging on snacks and beer. I am determined to get some folks to do a healthy challenge with me during the party. Check out this superbowl workout game from Spark People. I think it will be fun! And maybe I will work off some of the less healthy stuff I know I’ll consume (in moderation of course!)

  What’s your plan?

Resetting…the first day

My very full fridge prepared to Reset!!

For the last week, we have been preparing to start the Ultimate Reset.   I did this cleanse program last August, and was thrilled with the results, so I’m really excited to be doing it again. I’ll be chronicling this journey here, on facebook and on instagram, with lots of pictures of the food and commentary on the process.  After eight weeks of business travel and the excesses of the holiday season and vacation, its time to get my body back on track and feeling great. What’s so cool about the reset is that it is SO much more than a diet or cleanse. Its a whole body/mind program that balances your PH, reduces inflammation, eliminates toxins, and helps you to return to a state of mindfulness around your body. It a fantastic program to do this time of year when I’m thinking about goals and plans, already working towards a more reflective way of being on a day to day basis.  The recipes are delicious, and actually pretty simple to prepare–there is a fair amount of veggie chopping and preparation, but you get used to it after the first week.

This is called alkalinize…I know people who have to take this like a tequila shot, with a lemon, but I don’t think its that bad. Think grass clippings.

The program entails a very specific meal plan, enormous amounts of mineralized water,  specific supplements, and no exercise.  I will admit that for me, the no exercise thing is a little scary if you have an established routine, but its actually really great because I am using that time to both prep the meals I need and be reflective about the process. Oh, and trips to the bathroom too. (Its 9pm and I’ve had about 90 ounces of water today so far–I have not had to pee so much since I was pregnant!)

Scrambled eggs and…KALE? Its not bad, actually.

Designed to wean you off both meat and dairy, the first week has a meal with chicken and a meal with salmon, and then after week one the program goes completely vegan (There are options for the meals if you are already vegan) I am a huge foodie and the first time I did it, I was very concerned that I would miss things.  But the recipes are so good that I really didn’t.

So–Day One report–a little bit of a hectic start, prepping the food this morning and getting everyone out the door on time–including me.  And taking the time to eat breakfast is a change–I usually drink my shakeology at work so I don’t need to eat at home. But I did my best to eat…slowly, calmly, chewing fully, and appreciating the food. Can be hard in the midst of school morning chaos, but it was ok. My little oasis of kale and eggs.

The rest of the meals went pretty swimmingly, and I am actually stuffed.  Now, if I can just get to bed before midnight, I’ll be doing great (wish me luck)!

3.9, Impatience, & Feeling Badass

3.9: That’s the number of pounds I gained on a 10 day vacation.  Add to that the 3 lbs I was already over due to 8 weeks in a row of business travel and exercise slack and you have…yup, you guessed it…muffin top! Its a little muffin top but baked goods are not in the plan for the new year.

So January is about kicking myself back into high gear and focus. Its off to a great start and I am looking forward to three things this month that will move me forward in my fitness–

First–I’m hosting a challenge group this month with some of my favorite friends/customers to help everyone start off the new year on the right fitness foot. I host challenges every month, but there’s something about a January Challenge that fires me up a bit more.  I LOVE being surrounded by people who are excited and working towards a goal. Its so much fun to help people reach their goals–all of us motivating and supporting each other. and it seems that the more I help others the more motivated I become myself and its just awesome.  I can’t wait to see where everyone is in 30 days!

Second–I got a really cool christmas gift (though it hasn’t arrived yet, and its still not here today, no matter how many times I open the front door to see if there are any packages). Bowflex Select Tech weights: I have been drooling over these weights for a year, ever since I first did ChaLEAN Extreme (my soulmate workout). I always go to the gym on weight days during this program because I have only a couple of wimpy 3-5 lb weights and even though you CAN do it with bands, I feel so much more badass when I’m lifting weights (and its all about feeling badass, isn’t it? well, that keeps ME motivated, anyhow!). I don’t have room right now for a home gym, but I can keep these in my living room without a problem. I’m hoping that they will arrive soon, before the 9th when I start on the third thing I am looking forward to this month…The Ultimate Reset. 

The Ultimate Reset is a 21 day detox and cleanse that reclaims the body’s natural balance, releases any harmful toxins, and restores the system to its maximum health.  I did it once before, in August, and had fantastic results, and plan to do it twice a year from now on. It provides more energy, better focus, weight loss, and improved digestion and overall health.  It balances your PH and reduces inflammation. It’s NOT a starvation diet, or a harsh laxative or colon cleanse. Its whole fresh foods and supplements combined with a mindfulness program that leaves you feeling amazing. Oh, and did I mention that you aren’t allowed to exercise during the Reset? Only light yoga or stretching, or light walking are allowed.  No weights.

So, UPS guy, I know that the package is heavy and I am really sorry but….HURRY UP!!! I’m starting in a week and I want to feel badass NOW or I will have to wait 3 weeks!!!!

Moroccan spiced cauliflower & almond soup

I got this recipe from bbcgoodfood.com via my good friend Carolyn Jane, and it is delish. You can get harissa paste at any international grocery, or there are lots of online sources as well. Its not very expensive, and I am already thinking of lots of other recipes I can add it to…

I have changed the original ingredient list to the proportions I used, and noted as such below, and converted to US portions.

• 1 large cauliflower
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, cumin and coriander (original called for 1/2 tsp each)
• 2 tbsp harissa paste , plus extra drizzle for garnish
• 4 cups vegetable stock (heated before blending below)
• 50g toasted slivered almonds , plus extra for garnish (get raw and toast yourself to save on the calories of things like almond accents, which are good but high in fat and sodium)

1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Fry olive oil, ground cinnamon, cumin and coriander and harissa paste for 2 mins in a large pan. Add the cauliflower, stock and almonds. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the cauliflower is tender. Blend soup until smooth, then serve with an extra drizzle of harissa and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.

Serves 4

PER SERVING

200 calories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 8g, fat 16 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 3g, sugar 3g, salt 2.7 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2012.

New Year, New Beginnings…

A FIT LIFE–physical fitness, spiritual/emotional fitness, financial fitness…these are my goals for 2013.  This is going to be a BIG year. I’ve got BIG goals and a plan to get there, and this blog will chronicle that journey. I hope you find it interesting, amusing, and/or instructive!  I’ll be posting regularly, and I’m sure I will learn a lot about blogging in the months to come.

First step–I am doing Chalene Johnson’s 30 Day Push Program. I’m really excited for this program to help me to redefine and refocus my daily habits in alignment with my goals. Chalene is a fantastic trainer (ChaLEAN Extreme is my soulmate workout!), and her book PUSH made the bestseller list last year. I have joined this kind of program in the past, but have not been great in my follow through. This year will be different…You will not get different results unless you do something different, right? Stay tuned…