Tips to get you on and stay on track!

Focus on progress, not perfection

If you had to skip a workout, that’s OK. Focus on getting back to your normal routine as quickly as you can, and make each workout as intense as you can. If you missed a few healthy meals, instead of using this as an excuse to slip back into your old eating habits, try new and different clean recipes. I love Clean Eating and cooking light magazines.

Problem solve

This is a good time to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t working with your nutrition and exercise plan. Have you had a challenge working out first thing in the morning? Schedule your workouts after work or at lunch instead. Has it been hard to do all your shopping on Sundays? Split your shopping into two shopping trips during the week instead. Coming up with new solutions to your challenges will increase your motivation to make the most of this life-changing experience.

Try it on

Do you have an item of clothing that was tight or that you were unable to fit into at the beginning of your Challenge? This is also a great measure of your progress. Try this item of clothing on periodically throughout your Challenge; you’ll probably see that it starts to fit better and better.

Change happens at your own pace

Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you are not making as many changes as you would have liked to at this point. Many past participants experienced their most drastic changes in the last three or four weeks of their Challenges. If they had gotten discouraged and quit earlier in their Challenges, they would have never gotten to that point. Small changes do lead to big results.

Learn how to adapt

If situations are popping up every week that threaten to derail your program, it may be time to sit down and figure out how you can plan ahead so that you are better prepared.

Seek professional help

It never hurts to find a personal trainer and/or nutrition coach to help with motivation and tactics to keep you on track to reaching your goals!

Clean Eating Pumpkin Protein bars

So last week was  a very crazy, hectic and stressful week for me. Enter the sugar cravings...ugh. I have to admit I gave in a couple times and then felt horrible afterwards. It happens...time to move on! This week I am ready. I just finished cooking all my foods for this week (turkey burgers, chicken breast, lemon pepper cod, batch of extra lean ground beef, protein pancakes,  sweet potatoes, green veggies....whew). To combat my sugar cravings healthfully and not risk eating crap I made these:

Jamie Eason's Pumpkin Protein Bars

Nutrition Facts:

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein
Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

Ingredients:

• ½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal)
• 1 - 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground clove
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
• 2 C oat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

1. Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
2. Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.
4. Makes 24 squares.

The only changes I made were to eliminate the walnuts (my children don't like nuts..go figure?) and instead of the applesauce (didn't have any on hand) I used sugar free vanilla pudding. All I can say is these bars are super YUM and will satisfy almost any sugar craving you have!

Give 'em a try!

Clean Eating Fish and Chips

One of my favorite magazines to get great tasting and healthy recipes is Clean Eating Magazine.

So i was estatic to see a cleaned up version of a favorite dish of mine!

Fish and chips

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups multigrain loaf, cubed
• 1 extra large sweet potato, peeled
• 4 3- to 4-oz white fish filets (such as Alaskan pollock)
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning or paprika
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 
• 2 egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread cubes on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until toasted. Leave oven on and at the same temperature.
2. Using a food processor fitted with a standard blade, grind break cubes into about 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, about 3 minutes.
3. Using a mandoline, slice sweet potato into paper-thin slices. (If you don't have a mandoline, thinly slice with a knife.)
4. Lay sweet potato slices on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes. Then reduce oven to 250°F and continue baking for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly browned and crisp. Makes about 4 cups chips.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F.
6. Sprinkle filets with seasoning, salt and pepper. Place egg whites and bread crumbs into 2 separate bowls. Dip filets into egg white, then roll in bread crumbs and place into shallow cooking pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Serve each filet with 1 cup chips.

Enjoy!!

Nutrients per serving (1 filet and 1 cup chips): Calories: 300, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 44 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 14 g, Sodium: 640 mg, Cholesterol: 80 mg