10-Day Shakeology Challenge: May 2014

Need a fun way to jump start your weight loss, clean up your nutrition, and lose a few pounds? Then join my 10 Day Shakeology Challenge. I have vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and greenberry packets. If you've been curious about Shakeology and my accountability groups, this is a great way to see what it's all about!

What does it entail?

* Commit to replacing 1 meal each day with Shakeology
* Commit to exercising at least 30 minutes 8 out of 10 days. Any form of exercise will do!
* Weight yourself at the beginning and end of the challenge to see your results. I always like to take measurements too.

I will be available throughout the challenge to answer any questions you have and cheer you on!

Email me at moreveggiesplease@gmail.com

I host one EVERY month!  If you missed this one, email me to join the next one!  :)

Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks

If you love cabbage, you are going to freak out about how good this is. Now, if you are on the fence about cabbage, you need to try this because this might be the recipe that converts you to a cabbage lover.

This is a simple side dish worthy of a dinner party and couldn’t be easier to make. Four ingredients, a couple of minutes to prepare and toss in the oven for an hour.

Ingredients

1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1″ thick slices

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices.

2. Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

3. Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.

4. Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

5. Roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Chalene Johnson is releasing a HOT new workout called PiYo!

BREAKING NEWS! If you are a fan of Chalene Johnson or have ever tried and loved Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick, or Turbo Fire then you will be SO excited to hear that Chalene is releasing a HOT new program, PIYO! If you want to be the FIRST to know when it releases, be sure to sign up and enter your email address below! 

Click Here to Enter Your Email Address!

What is PiYo? Chalene describes PiYo as “Strength and stretch and flexibility all rolled into one powerfully dynamic workout!” Chalene continues, “PiYo is for people who just don’t feel like Yoga and Pilates is the right fit for them. People who know they need flexibility training, but they want to get more out of it.”

PiYo is a 60 Day workout program for your home.  The workouts range from 25 to 45 minutes long.

Weight Watcher Points for Shakeology

I have had questions from people also following Weight Watchers.  How many WW points are in Shakeology?

The following are the Weight Watcher points for the corresponding Shakeology formulas:

Chocolate  = 3 points

Greenberry = 3 points

Tropical Strawberry Vegan = 3 points

Chocolate Vegan = 4 points

Vanilla = 3 points

Strawberry = 3 points

Keep in mind, the Shakeology formulas may change over time, as well as the way WW calculates points, which could affect the point values listed above. If ever in doubt, it is best to consult the online point calculator at www.WeightWatchers.com  where customers can simply enter the Fat, Carbs, Protein and Fiber amounts from any label to retrieve the WW Point value.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 large red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 ½ cups stock

1 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

½ cup dried quinoa

4 teaspoons lime juice

Directions

Heat a large heavy bottom pot with the oil over medium high heat.

Add the sweet potato and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion if softened.

Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin and salt and stir to combine.

Add the stock, tomatoes, black beans and quinoa and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir everything to combine.

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa is fully cooked and the sweet potatoes are soft.

Add the lime juice and remove the pot from the heat. Season with salt as needed.

Garnish with avocado, cilantro, crema or cheese before serving.

Turkey Lettuce Wrap Taco

Yum!  I am a huge lover of tacos.... and this recipe makes my taco night a little healthier.

Ingredients

1 lb         Lean ground turkey, chicken, or beef (ground chicken is my favorite!)

1 cup      Salsa (pineapple or mango salsa would be yummy)

1 (4 oz)   Green chilies

1/2 tbs    Taco seasoning (or seasonings of your choice)

Toppings:

1 (15 oz) can Corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can Black beans, rinsed and drained

1   Head lettuce OR 6 low carb tortillas

Optional: Low fat plain greek yogurt or low fat sour cream, additional salsa for serving, corn, black beans, sliced olives

Directions

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add turkey meat, salsa, green chiles, and taco seasoning to skillet, and turn on heat to medium high.  Stir everything to combine, breaking up turkey as best as possible while cooking. Cook for 8-12 minutes, or until turkey is completely browned, and cooked through, (no longer pink). Take off heat. Add beans and corn and stir to combine.

To make the lettuce wraps, Cut off the stem (or base) of the lettuce head, and cut in half long ways. Peel off individual leaves, and wash and pat dry.  Scoop 1/2 cup meat into lettuce wraps and and top with low fat plain greek yogurt or low fat sour cream, additional salsa, and olives if desired. 

Cucumber Hummus Boats

Awesome EASY SNACK idea. Take a cucumber, cut it in half... scoop out the center and spread hummus inside! There you have it.

My favorite hummus is spicy hummus and garlic hummus... YUM!

Strawberry Spinach Snack Smoothie

This is one of my favorite smoothies!  It's more of a snack smoothie than a meal replacement smoothie.  Low calorie, tastes good, and an easy way to get in some greens.

Strawberry Spinach Snack Smoothie

1 Cup Frozen Strawberries (or one purple container if on 21 Day Fix)

2 Cups fresh spinach (or two green containers if on 21 Day Fix)

water to desired consistency

sweetener of choice (packet of stevia, honey, pure maple syrup, agave syrup)

You only need a small amount of sweetener.  I typically do not use sweeteners in my smoothies, but this particular smoothie is a snack for me, so I like to have a little more fun with it.

Also, I use frozen strawberries because I like my smoothies cold.

Enjoy!

Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan

*disclaimer.  I did not writ this article.  It was written by Chalene Johnson, creator of Turbo Fire, Turbo Jam, and ChaLEAN Extreme.  A great explanation to why you often see the scale move in the wrong direction when first starting an exercise program.

"The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!

When to be concerned: 
If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) that does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is? I'll give you one hint... you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! Your food (or calorie-laden beverages). News flash, friends… exercise doesn't make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight and have gained weight that's not coming off, it's time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. Start tracking your food, and be honest.

Moral of the story: 
Be patient young grass hopper. You'll be lean and mean in no time!"

I Can't VS I Don't

Often times our struggles are in our head, and simply changing a few little words can have a huge impact on the outcome. So try this for example, rather than saying "I can't have pop", say "I don't drink pop". When we use the word "can't", we often feel deprived and end up giving in. You CAN have whatever you want, it's whether or not you CHOOSE to have it. When you feel in control, you feel empowered and make better choices. Let's try to set ourselves up for success! 

Body Measurements, and Why they are SO Important!

So, you are getting ready to start a fitness and nutrition program.  How do you prepare?  Let me start by saying, the scale is just a small part of your success.  Especially in the beginning, you will be gaining muscle and your progress may be more in inches lost than numbers on the scale going down. Some people even gain a few pounds the first couple weeks, but lose inches.  Do NOT ever measure your success by the scale alone.  You may find yourself disappointed some weeks.  

Your success and how you feel really come down to three important things:  body measurements, weight, and NSV's (non-scale victories).  Stay tuned for a post about NSV's.

Right click and save the below image.  Print one off every week to track your measurements!

21 Day Fix is HERE !!!

This is the box I have been waiting for, yay!  Guys, I cannot wait to get started with this program.  It combines an awesome fitness plan that is geared toward women - you men can do it too, though!  And, with a modifier in each workout, it's for ALL fitness levels.  Not only that, but it includes 30 days of Shakeology, a shaker cup, and these amazing portion-control containers along with a meal plan that focuses on clean eating.  I mean, let's be real.  Even if you already eat healthy foods, you may be eating too much.  What better way to help us get back to correct portion sizes.  Exactly what I need right now!

Want to join me?  Now, of course this awesome program costs money, but I can be your FREE coach... I will give you one-on-one mentoring and access to my private Facebook challenge group!  I will set you up for success because I know how important it is for you to reach your goals.  :)

Get it NOW!


Stay tuned for updates on my progress!