Chicken Sweet Potato Hash with an Egg

I could try to name it something fancy, or just call it what it is. This is a good make ahead meal. 

Start with the hash...

- 1 lb ground chicken 

- 1 bell pepper, chopped

- 1 sweet potato, chopped

- olive oil and herbs to cook with

Sauté the sweet potatoes for a few minutes in a hot pan with the olive oil. Add the bell pepper for another couple minutes before adding the chicken. Season everything with herbs and spices of your choice. I went Italian style but you could do spicy too. 

You could leave it just like this. Put it on a bed of sautéed spinach even. As is, if divided into 4 portions, it is 1 red, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 green, 1 tsp. 

I heated mine up for lunch and put a runny egg on top of it. (Another 1/2 red.) Really yummy. Paired it with some snack bags of cauliflower and sugar snap peas to give me more veggies. 

5 Tips to Break a Weightloss Plateau

If you've ever traveled down the path of any fitness or weightloss journey, you've probably experienced the dreaded PLATEAU. You're rocking along, dropping pounds, gaining muscles, busting it out, and BAM! Suddenly, you're going nowhere. And it's frustrating! What you were doing was working, and now it's not?!?!?

What Causes a Plateau?

What is Intermittent Fasting and How Does It Work?

No, really. I'm asking you...

I listened to a podcast from the Chalene Show a couple weeks ago about intermittent fasting. It was a dieting concept that I had never heard of and was totally skeptical about at first.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

When I first heard them talking about this, I immediately thought, "This is starving yourself and ruining your metabolism." But then I started hearing the intricacies of it.

Intermittent fasting, explained simply so silly people like me can understand it, it not eating at all for 16-24 hours, then following that period by eating what you would normally consume over the course of one full day in 4-8 hours. 

There are several versions of this: 

- 16 hours fasting + 8 hours eating (focus on high protein)

- 24 hours of very low calories cycled with 24 hours of regular caloric intake

- 20 hours fasting + 4 hours eating (based on cavemen - fo' real, what is the fascination with cavemen?)

Clean Eating Fruit Cobbler in the Microwave

I suppose I could call it Cobbler in a Mug, because putting any microwaveable pastry in a mug makes it instantly Pinterest popular, right? 

Eh, the bowl's already out... 

The measurements in this are not precise. Play with it as you wish.

1 cup (or 1 purple for 21DF) of fruit

Drizzle of honey 

- microwave this for 30 seconds

Then add, 

A Heavy sprinkle of Ezekiel 4:9 granola (1/2 yellow for 21DF) 

Another tiny drizzle of honey

- and microwave for another 30 seconds. 

That's it. It's so good! 

The Ezekiel 4:9 granola is the same company as the people who make Ezekiel bread. It's has NO sugar and is completely natural. Truly a no guilt granola. 

How to motivate a Beachbody coach

I'm starting my bobblehead collection. And I'm super stinkin' excited about it. 

Spinach Eggs and Fruit

Eggs are not just for breakfast. Sometimes breakfast for dinner is exactly what you need.

- Coconut oil

- 1 green container spinach 

- 2 eggs 

- Autumn's All-Purpose Seasoning

Heat the coconut oil and sauté the spinach for a minute or two. Doesn't take long. Then pour the eggs around evenly and scramble them up. Sprinkle seasoning in there at some point. 

I like to dress mine with a little mustard (free food!), which is a total surprise since I've hated mustard for years. Just goes to show you that you need to try foods that you think you hate every few years. Our taste buds change, and now I'm in love with mustard. 

FlatOut Bread Pizza

FlatOut Wraps are a tortilla-like wrap that are usually whole grain and low carb. They are a good alternative to a sandwich with sliced bread. You can also use them for PIZZA. 

- Flatout Wrap

- tomato sauce

- bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, etc. 

- ground chicken, turkey, or lean beef (already cooked)

- mozzarella 

Heat the oven to 400. Place the wrap on a baking sheet. Spread a couple spoons of sauce on the wrap. Top with your favorite combo of things. This is really flexible and can involve leftovers! Shredded chicken or ground meat of any type can work. Sprinkle a blue container of cheese on top. Then put in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn't burn. 

How Fighters Cut Weight and How It Hurts Us

If you've read my Fitness Story, then you'll know I have been training in Brazilian jiu jitsu for a little over a year now. Shout out to Gracie Barra Alabama! I've competed a couple times myself and have actively supported my husband and teammates while they train and compete. Whether skinny, overweight, or somewhere in between, almost all of us have a weight cut experience of some sort.

Here's mine:

Spring 2014: I'm running half marathons on a regular basis, training at my BJJ gym 3-4 times per week, and eating fairly healthy. I was 148lbs and about a size 8. I was a fairly fresh white belt, but I had great training and support and was being encouraged to compete. I had done one small competition and had held my own. Competing is scary, but good for me. It puts me outside my comfort zone, lights a fire under me as far as training goes, and can be a lot of fun if I don't let it freak me out completely (which I have a tendency to do). So, I made the decision to compete in the BIG International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Atlanta Open in August 2014.

But I had to make another decision: what weight class was I going to compete in?

Clean Eating Pork Milanese

My husband loves my breaded pan-fried pork cutlet. And even the breaded version is pretty healthy. BUT if you're on the 21 Day Fix or another clean eating diet, those bread crumbs may not be on the menu. No worries! 

From time to time, I find pork cube steaks on sale at my grocery store. They are always a good buy, so I'll pick up a couple packs and throw them in the freezer. However, other than a breaded pork Milanese, I'm not really sure what to do with these suckers. So I tried the same basic recipe without the bread crumbs and amped up on the herbs. It worked! 

- pork cutlets or cube steaks

- Italian seasoning

- garlic powder

- onion powder

- salt and pepper

- olive oil 

- marinara or tomato sauce (check the ingredients and choose one without sugar) 

- shredded mozzarella 

Heat a tablespoon on olive oil in a large pan. Season the pork cutlets well with herbs, garlic, onion powder, and S&P. Cook a 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Spoon a little tomato sauce on each and sprinkle with mozzarella. Put the top on the pan and let it cook for another minute or so. Turn off the heat but leave the top on. Let that sit while you get the plates, etc. out. By the time you get ready to plate it up, the tomato sauce will be hot and the cheese will have melted. 

Serve with green beans and/or salad. 

21 Day Fix Count: 1-1/2 red (depending on size), 1/2 blue, 1 teaspoon 

The tomato sauce isn't enough to count for a green on its own, so add some veggies! 

Buffalo Chicken Salad

They are building a Zaxby's down the street. Fried chicken. Less than a mile from my house. I better have a healthy alternative ready, so I created one. 

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I make buffalo chicken all the time. I use shredded chicken that I've cooked in the crockpot, then shredded, and add a little buffalo wing sauce, like Texas Pete. If the plain wing sauce is too hot for you, don't worry. I know the traditional method is to cut the heat with butter. Put down the butter, and pick up the Greek yogurt. Mix in enough to cut the heat to your taste. Just add a little at a time. Once you've got the mix right, heat it a bit in the microwave and pour over your chicken. 

You can do a bunch of things with the chicken, but the salad...

1 green lettuce as a base

1 green of chopped celery, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. 

1 red of your buffalo chicken

1 blue of blue cheese crumbles 

1 orange Bolten Farms yogurt ranch dressing (all natural, 45 cal) 

Clean Eating Challenge May 18-22

It's happening over on Facebook! If you've ever wanted to test the waters of a new lifestyle, this is a great way to do it. Eating clean is one of the easiest and best things you can do for your health. It's not a restrictive diet. If you're hungry, then EAT! All I'm asking is that you make it something clean. 

No sodas. No overly processed foods. No added sugar. 

If you've never eaten like this, you're probably panicking thinking, "what is there left to eat then?" 

Take breakfast: Drop the cereal. It's not healthy. Even if it says 'low fat.' And don't touch the sugary orange juice. 

Instead, let's go for orange slices, 2 scrambled eggs, and Ezekial toast. No time? What about a creamy cold protein smoothie with banana and some strawberries blended in? Who doesn't want a milkshake for breakfast? 

I'll show you how to do this and give you all the tools and support you need to succeed. Just join me on Facebook! 

Click this link to request to join the group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1652176338337634/

Overnight Oatmeal and Quiet Time

Upper Fix Extreme, quiet time, and overnight oats with strawberries. 

I started with my devotion. Getting up early just for this is new for me. I'm trying to form a new habit. I loved a quick moment in the quiet of the morning. 

Then on to my workout: My shoulders are burning! And my calves are still tight from yesterday. This 21 Day Fix Extremw is going to rock! 

The overnight oats are yummy! 

Easy recipe you make the night before. 

1/3 c of dry oatmeal, old fashioned or steel cut (expands to 1 yellow) 

1 red of Greek yogurt 

1 purple of your favorite fruit 

a splash of unsweetened almond milk or water to loosen it up. 

Mix and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Optional: a teaspoon of chia seeds. 

I've gotten used to the less sweet Greek yogurt but you may want to use a pinch of stevia if your taste buds haven't adjusted yet. The fruit makes it sweet enough for me though. 

Count: red, yellow, purple.

21 Day Fix Extreme - A Second Try

I tried 21DFX after my first round of regular 21 Day Fix. It was ugly. I was very frustrated and didn't feel like I got a lot out of it because I spent so much time gasping for air or being confused at how to make my body cooperate. 

I'm taking another shot at it now. I feel like I'm ready now. Plyo this morning was not nearly as bad. I didn't have to sit down in he middle of the rounds. I didn't feel like vomiting...well, only a little at the end. I'm super excited about this round. I'm going to make this happen. 

The last round, I was not very disciplined about my diet. Way too many cheats. I'm at war now. It's on. 

My 21 Day Fix Sample Meal Plans

Some people prefer to plan their entire week in advance. Every single meal. I admire that. I just can't do it. I need a little more flexibility, so I've got a hybrid model. I will plan our dinners for the week, and usually calculate in enough food to eat my lunch each day from the leftovers of the night before.

But I keep it flexible. Depending on my schedule and what I've got in the fridge, I'll sit down the night before and map out my meals for the following day.

Get my FREE GUIDE to Fast Food on the 21 Day Fix

As a traveling lawyer and busy Beachbody coach, I needed to make this list for MYSELF more than anything. But I thought y'all might like it too.

Subscribe to my 21 Day Fix Eating Plans and Recipes updates, and I'll send you my FREE GUIDE immediately! 

Opt-in HERE to get your FREE guide for Fast Food on the 21 Day Fix!

I don't share your email, and I'm only going to send really important stuff to you, like big new recipes or massive eating plan tips. No worries. 

Coconut Oil in my Coffee!!!

I didn't expect this to work. It seemed creepy. But it was delicious. 

A cup of hot coffee

A teaspoon of coconut oil

Add and blend. You need to blend with something electric, like a blender, Nutribullet, or blender stick. Just stirring won't work. 

It's going to froth. Like a latte. What the...

And it tastes so creamy. I don't get it. This shouldn't work. And it does.