The long road back.

I'm sure many of you feel the same way I do right now.  After having a great Christmas it seems so hard to get back on track.  There are still Christmas cookies and goodies in the house.  Plus any chocolates you received as presents or you simply bought yourself.  You body feels sluggish.  Your tummy is upset.  Your face may be breaking out from over abundant sugar intake.  Ahh we could go on and on but the truth is we have the power to change.

You have the power.  You have the power to give away or throw away the goodies, the cookies, the chocolates.  You have the power to shop for healthier options, to fill our fridge with real foods: fruits, veggies, organic meat, fish.  You have the power to not buy processed foods.  Your body recognizes real things not names on the back of a box that we can't even pronounce.   Here's the catch though.  It is hard to do this alone.  It is hard when no one is supporting you and keeping you accountable.  It can seem like the road back to healthy is going to be a tough one.. BUT.  You don't have to do it alone. 

I honestly don't think I could do this alone and thank goodness I found my support network.  I even created my own support network knowing what I would need to succeed.  I need challenges. I need goals.  I need rules.  I need encouragement. I need a group of people with similar aspirations.   Thank goodness for Beachbody.  With this company I have found all that I need and have created a support group that offers the encouragement that it takes for me to succeed.  That doesn't mean I don't stumble myself (cause Christmas goodies certainly got me!) but when I do I'm ready to get right back on track.  And I'm ready to help others do the same.

If this sounds like you.  Or you are ready to start!  Then please contact me and lets get you started.  Please fill the form out below and I'll be in touch!    

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I Voted... in workout gear!

It's primary voting day in Maryland and Dane and I both had time this morning to go in and get it done.  But let's start from the beginning of the morning.  After spending a wonderful evening with my in-laws (I have great in-laws, who I really enjoying hanging out with! I'm lucky I know) I went to bed and slept like a rock.  I woke up this morning to my furbabies wanting to be fed.  So, I got up and fed my babies and made coffee and did the dishes and posted on facebook for my current Challenge Group.  Then it's time to actually get moving.  I'm on week 7 of the 22 Minute Hard Corps program by Beachbody.  Today it was Cardio 1 and Core 2.  I busted through them (man there are a lot of burpees in cardio 1).  As I was stretching at the end Dane said he had time to go vote. I thought well let's do it so we don't have to tonight when I get home for work.  So I threw on my Shakeology shirt and out the door we went.

We got to our voting station and checked in and as I was being led to my voting booth the lady leading me starts talking about T25, one of the Beachbody workout programs.  She mentions she has a tough time following through on doing the program and I said well you need support and I run challenge groups that offer support and accountability.  And she was very interested so I told her after I was done voting I would give her my email address and she could contact me and we would go from there.  So, thank you Shakeology top for opening up the conversation.

If you need support, accountability, friends doing the same thing you are doing, you should really consider joining one of my challenge groups.  They run for 21 days and really help keep people on track with both their exercise and diet.  And it great getting to connect with others with similar goals.  Please fill out the form below if you are interested in learning more.

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Bad shoes!

Yesterday I got a little over ambitious with a new pair of flats that I knew needed to break in before wearing them for a long day at work.  I saw these flats because my client had them on and they are just adorable.  I asked her if they were comfy and she said that after the initial break in they are very comfortable but be prepared to break them in first.  So I bought them and wore them for a few hours twice at work and thought that should do it they are broke in now.  NOPE not at all.  I wore them yesterday and had to walk about 3 1/2 blocks from where I parked my car and by the end of the walk I wanted to scream.  I had several blisters on my feet.  My poor toes felt like they were bleeding.  I got into work and tried to put some band-aids on my poor feet but it felt awful.  That's when one of my co-workers said I should just wear the slippers that we use for clients.  Yes!  I slide those puppies on and proceeded to wear them the rest of the day much to my embarrassment but sometimes being a little embarrassed is better then not being able to walk at all or think straight because of the pain you are in.  

my not so pretty toes

So, that brings us to today.  Even though my feet are blistered and sore I was not going to use that as an excuse to not workout.  What did I do?  I worked out barefoot today.  Today was resistance 2 and there really isn't a lot of jumping so this was a good day to go barefoot.  And I think it can be good to go without shoes because it will help you build up all the muscles in your feet that support you.  No Excuses! You will do it if you put your mind to it.  And I put my mind to it today!

Only 2 1/2 Weeks Left... WHAT?

I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of what I would consider my favorite program from Beachbody.  22 Minute Hard Corp is my kind of program- fast paced, active, short duration but fat blast burning.  Running a very close 2nd is 21 Day Fix and who knows maybe when I do that program next time it'll be my favorite again!  Here's a little run down of how I physically and mentally feel on week 6.

Physically I still feel like this program challenges me.  I don't get as sore after doing the workout as I did on week 1 or even week 2 so I know that my body is somewhat getting use to it.  Once I start the workout I really try to push myself because it is such a short workout and when I finish I always am glad that I did.  The core workout that is combined with the cardio day is hard.  I think I will always struggle with Core 2 because of the amount of reps that we do but I try my best and take breaks as needed.  I would say what's hardest for my physically is that there isn't that much stretching and you need to do that on your own.  I haven't been the best at doing it and have noticed that I am getting tighter.  So having said that I will try to stretch more these last 2 1/2 weeks.

Mentally, I would say that because of the shorter workouts I can pretty much tell myself to get up and get them done.  Sometimes I wish there were more variety but that is all in my head because once I push play I enjoy each workout and try my hardest.  What has also been hard mentally is I haven't seen a big difference on the scale but that's why it is so important to take measurements.  They don't lie.  So at the 4 week mark when I retook measurements and had lost over 4 inches total that really put things into perspective for me.  I also had to take a step back from food mentally.  I had to give myself some really strict rules to follow so that I don't cheat.  I did this a little over a week ago and have done really well.  So no sugar for me!!

So, in conclusion.  I really really like this program.  It's physically demanding but short and mentally not super tough for me.  I'm seeing results overall and I'm happy.  I've only missed 4 workouts total and some of those have been on days that I've already ridden Bella and had personal training so I didn't feel the need to workout again.  

If you are looking for a great workout please ask me about 22 Minute Hard Corps!  

Off and On

Yesterday I hand to make a tough decision not to do my workout which was Resistance 1 from the 22 Minute Hard Corp program.  We are on week 4 of this program and I am loving it but sometimes you need to listen to your body.

Wednesday is one of my days off work and I normally pack it with all the things that I love.  I get to ride Bella and have my personal training.  Since, I started this program I have been doing the prescribed workout and riding Bella and doing my personal training.  I will say that I'm tired at the end of the day but it hasn't been bad.  Well, yesterday I woke up and needed to get some work done for Beachbody so I just didn't get my workout in before I needed to get ready to go to the barn.  I head down to the barn and end up having a fantastic lesson on Bella.  Then I go to my personal training and have a very good workout.  I also have a massage planned later that day and boy did I need it.  Since, I have been working out 6 days a week along with all my other activities my body has gotten very tight and has a lot of knots.  My massage therapist spends the majority of our hour working on my back and it was great.  Afterwards I have a decision to make, am I going to workout after this?  I decided that after getting such good work done on my back that the pluses of not working out outweighed actually working out.  So, I didn't do my prescribed workout yesterday and I didn't beat myself up about it.

Now on to today where I did get my workout in and it is a new workout.  Cardio 3 is Killer.  Here is a little taste of the craziness that I love so much.

Sometimes I have to brag about my Bella.

If you don't ride horses you may not completely understand why I'm so proud of my girl, but I'm sure you will appreciate the sentiment.  Bella has come so far with me.  I bought her over 7 years ago and the road has been quite a long one.  She has never been the easiest horse but I have come to love her and all her quirkiness.

Today I got on and started warming her up for my lesson.  Bella sometimes think she is a charging war horse and that is how she came out today.  Full of energy and activity just not channeling it properly yet.  That's where I come in, I use to try to stifle that side of her thinking she was taking over the ride or just being naughty but over time I learned that Bella needs to have her little fun and say too.  So I subtle ask her to start using her energy in a more constructive way and the end result can be quite lovely.

Judy had us working on a few things today.  Haunches in, turn on the haunches and flying changes.  Of course there were more elements in the ride but that's what our focus was today.  At the very end we asked for more collection maybe the start of some half steps.  Not sure if we are quite getting it right yet but I feel like we are headed in the right direction.  So I'm bragging on my girl just a little today because she makes me a very proud owner and rider and sometimes I feel like I could do anything and everything with her and that's a great feeling.

Started my 4th week on the 22 Minute Hard Corp program by Beachbody and got to try Resistance 3 for the first time.  Can I say I loved it.  

So I have totally figured out what type of program I like.   Fast paced, body weight or lighter weights.  Doesn't take a long time to do the exercise but is pretty intense during the workout.  21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, and 22 Minute Hard Corp are my type of programs.  I really wanted to love The Master's Hammer and Chisel but I had a very difficult time finding the motivation to do the workouts because of the type of structure.  I may try it again this summer we'll see.

Some short videos of today's workout. Loved it.

If you are interested in learning more about this program or any of the Beachbody programs please fill out the form below and I'll get back with you.  

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Hubby joined the fun!

It was great today doing my workout with my hubby.  After playing with his new toy which is the "little secret" that I will be sharing with you in a post very soon, we got home and I still needed to push play and get my Cardio 2 done for my 22 Minute Hard Corp program.

Now I almost didn't do this workout tonight because I will say I was just plain ole tuckered out.  I had already ridden Bella and been to personal training and been outside with Dane playing with his new toy.  So when we got home it was late and I didn't feel like doing it but I told myself that if Dane said he would work out with me then I would do it.  So I went upstairs and asked him and he said yes and away we went.  It was actually a ton of fun working out with him and will say that I probably work out a little harder when he is with me which is really good for me.  But boy am I done now.  It is time for a shower and some tv and relaxation time.  I think I earned it!

Dog Sitting Joys

So this week we've had my brother's dog Ana with us.  He and his family are on a nice spring vacation.  This is our first time watching Ana and I just wanted to share what fun it's been to have her join us for the week.

Zoskia, my sweet needy doberman had a big sister when we first got her.  Kia was very attached to both myself and our adult dog Callie.  So, when Callie passed (the dog of my heart who will be missed everyday) Kia really attached herself to me.  While this can be very flattering it also is very unhealthy for Kia.

So enter into the picture sweet Ana. She is around 2 years old and needs a lot of activity.  When I got home the first day from work after she had been dropped off she was crazy!!  Crying and running around the house which in turn made Kia insane.  After I addressed Kia and calmed her down I then addressed Ana's behavior.  It took a few minutes to come down from the heights of crazy energy but she did and I was able to calmly pet her while she sat beside me.  My husband had run a few errands and got home soon after.  We then took the pups out for a walk.  Whew that was tough. Ana was super excited and just wanted to pull Dane everywhere.  We got the dogs to the area that is mostly enclosed and let them off leash.  They exploded with energy.  And every since that time Ana has been great.

I've taken her down to the barn and she has had playtime with the pups there.  She was introduced to the horses. (still figuring that one out, she thinks its ok to blast through the barn).  Once Ana gets a little exercise she is just about a perfect dog.  Now enter back into the picture my needy Kia.  Not so needy this week.  She has a buddy and is perfectly happy to play with her and hang with her.

Now don't forget this has to come full circle with my blog which is about health and fitness.  This is about fitness and exercise.  With the proper exercise the dogs are balanced and happy and healthy.  And if YOU get the proper exercise you can also be all of those things!

And the day starts with a wedding!

First I want to start the day off by saying congratulations to my very beautiful and lovely sister-in-law Allyn Rose on her wedding day.  No make that Allyn Oertel.  We were able to join her in this very joyous, and momentous occasion via Skype.  Got to love technology.  She married the very handsome Christopher Oertel in his homeland of Germany.  There is future date for a wedding that we can all attend in Germany for 2017.  

The wedding was on German time so we had to get up for a 5:30 AM to make it!  We all "dressed up"  At least the top half of everyone did.  I think my little hat thingy really pulled it all together for me.   It was very nice being able to see the entire ceremony.  I will say it was different that what I'm use to here in the US and I think I missed a few things in translation, but it was lovely and Ally looked so happy that I couldn't help but smile through the whole thing.  So again congrats to the Bride and Groom.

Now I wasn't quite ready to get up and at it after the wedding so I wiped off my lipstick and went back to sleep for another hour or so.  The furbabies really don't let me sleep past 7:30 so I was up and feeding everyone and getting ready for my day.  I am on week 3 of the 22 Minute Hard Corp program and today it was Resistance 1.  So I made myself an energize drink from the Beachbody Performance Line and pushed play and got it done.  It always feels great afterwards.  There are times when I just don't want to do it.  But every time I make myself push play and push through a workout I feel so much better. And I think it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

After having a good workout I took the puppies outside for a little playtime.  I am watching my brother's dog for the week and she and my Kia have really bonded and love playing and chasing one another.  Hmmm is it time for another dog?!  Then it was off to work for the day at the Spa.  I love my job and saw some new clients and some clients that have been seeing me for years and had a great time.  So in closing the day started off with a bang and just kept on going!

April Dates

Don't forget to make your calendars for our upoming events.  You have a few options.  A free 6 day clean eating challenge group, a 21 day Challenge group and a sneak peak into what being a Beachbody Coach is all about and if it is right for you.  If you are interested in any of these things please fill out the form below.  We would love to have you join any of the above.  Take your future into your own hands and be proactive.

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From sluggish to a fabulous day.

This morning I posted about my over indulgence yesterday from Easter causing some sluggishness.  And I wasn't sure if I was going to just lay in bed and enjoy a slow start to the day or get up and get it done.  If the photo above is any indication then you know that I got up and got moving.  I decided this morning that I need to do the cold start warm up for the 22 Minute Hard Corp before I really got into the workout.  This was a nice choice.  My body slow started waking up and by the time I started Cardio 1 I was ready.  So, I completed cold start, cardio 1 and core 1.  I will say that I felt much better after I got my workout done and it set the tone for the rest of my day.

I then went down to the barn and had another great and I mean great lesson on Bella.  There were a few funny moments in the lesson such as the time Judy told me to keep my hands down by Bella's withers.  I can't do that, my arms are to short and my torso is to long.  I tried to follow her instructions but then I had to stop and tell her I physically can't do what she was asking.  We had a good laugh because Judy has the opposite problem her arms are long and her torso is short, she would have found that very easy.  After we made a few adjustments for my body type things just got better and better.  So proud of my Bella girl for giving me her all again today.

After my great ride I ran to the store and bought a few things to meal prep for the week.  As you know from previous post I have really been on a salad kick.  Still on it.  And these salads are delicious.  I also decided to make cauliflower pizza.  I haven't made it in such a long time but it is pretty yummy.  So meal prep got done and I made the very yummy pizza (recipe in the recipe section of this blog).  Now I'm ready to sit down and relax with my hubby before we have a super early morning skypeing with his sister in Germany because tomorrow she gets married!!  So excited for her!  Wishing her the best here in the US!

Cauliflower pizza Yummy for my tummy!

Today I made cauliflower pizza.  If you haven't tried it you should.  It's actually pretty yummy and not that hard to make.  And I can say that because I am not that good in the kitchen.  I will also say that I'm horrible at measuring things so honestly I do a pinch of this and a dash of that but I will try to give you accurate amounts.

Here is the ingredient list for the dough

1. medium size head of cauliflower- preferably organic

2. dash of koser salt

3. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

4. 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

5. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

6. about 1/4 cup or a little more Parmesan cheese

7. about 1/4 cup or a little more mozzarella cheese

8. 1 egg

-preheat the over to 450 degrees while mixing everything.  If you have a pizza stone then feel free to throw that in the oven while your preheating

-cut your cauliflower into florets you really don't need the stems.  Blend or food process florets into a little rice like bits

-microwave cauliflower rice bits for 4 minutes

-let cool then put cauliflower bits into a towel and ring it out.  A lot of water will come out, try your hardest to get as much moisture out as possible this will help with the finished product

-mix all the ingredients with your hands in large bowl. 

-spread on parchment paper and form pizza shaped dough

-slide into pizza stone or baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes

-add sauce and cheese and any other toppings and bake for another 8-10 minutes

That's it!  Let me know if you make it and how it turns out.

Hubby wanted to hang out.

Sometimes you have to make a decision that doesn't follow your workout program but is good for your over all life.  I got home from work today and Dane and I needed to get the dogs exercised (we are dog sitting my brother's dog Anna).  I changed into my workout gear and off we went to run the dogs around.  We tuckered them out and got back to the house.  I was then going to workout. Today I believe I have Cardio 2 and Core 1 from the 22 Minute Hard Corp program and it would have taken me 33 minutes to complete.  But just as I was about to go down and workout Dane tells me that he would like to eat dinner now and hang out.  So this is when I need to make a decision.  And today my decision was to hang out with my hubby instead of taking the time to workout.  I know it would have only been 33 minutes but then I would have had to take a shower and by the time I'm done doing everything at least an hour would have passed and I would probably be tired.

So, what I'm trying to say is sometimes its okay to make the decision to not work out.  Sometimes its okay to not push play.

And as a side note I learned pretty quickly why he wanted to hang out with so much tonight.  He kept saying such sweet things and cooked me an amazing dinner of flank steak and crab legs.  He kept saying how much he loved me.  LOL it's not that he doesn't say these things or cook great dinners regularly but tonight there was a little light in his eye which told me he had a secret.  I'll tell you about the secret soon.. it's pretty cool.

Feeling Pudgy and Tired

I know that it is ridiculous to feel pudgy but I do.  My clothes are a little tighter and I'm all around just a little bit softer.  I'm pretty sure that this is from my switching birth control pills recently.  My new pill has a higher level of estrogen and this can sometime cause weight gain.  I'm going to give it a few months but man so not fair when I've just started a new workout program!

And a workout program that I'm really digging.  I like the 22 Minute Hard Corp a lot.  I've pushed play everyday that I am suppose to and I'll admit that everyday I'm not going full out but I am getting it done.  My eating hasn't been completely on par but it also hasn't been horrible.  I know that in that department I need to do a little better and I am trying to and I will.  So it should be very interesting to see where this takes me.  With a new pill with new hormones and a new awesome workout program I can't wait to see myself after the two months time.

If you are interested in trying this program fill out the form below.  I would love for you to join me on this journey!

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Can she do it?

Let me start this post by saying the journey with Bella has not been the easiest but somewhere along the way I think we both found respect and love for one another and now I wouldn't trade her for the world.

Today I had my lesson on Bella and if you've been reading my blog you'd know that we just came out of a sticky spot.  She was being quite a nasty girl because she hadn't been getting her proper dosage of hormones/drugs.  And during her nasty spell I was being overly demanding and riding to much through physical strength and not finesse.  But we have moved past that and the last two weeks things have just been getting better and better.  I really have been concentrating on using less of my hands and more of my seat and Bella is responding.

So in the lesson today we just built on the last two weeks and threw back in our flying changes.  We have worked on them a little through the winter but never consistently got them down either from weather or other issues.  But if we are going to be doing 3rd level any time in the future then we really need to get these down solid.  So after some really steady work we moved into doing the flying changes.  If Bella has one thing in common with me it is wanting to power through things and use strength.  She does this when she finds things difficult and little does she know that in the long run it will only make things harder.  So that is what she wants to do in her changes.  She grabs the bit, pulls her head up and charges away.  It's not very pretty!  But with Judy's guidance I was able to keep her rounder and much steadier in the connection and within a few attempts we had some pretty decent clean changes.  Yay Bella!

Now you might think that we are done for the day but nope much bigger things came about in today's ride.  Judy wanted to go through a 3rd level test but I don't have them memorized yet and she didn't have the booklet down at the barn.  So she runs up to the house to get the booklet and tells me to keep Bella engaged and not let her think we were done yet (once Bella thinks we are done for the day she totally goes into sleep mode).  So I gather up my reins and think to myself "keep Bella active" and what happens Bella offers some half steps.  I mean nothing that anyone else would probably be excited about but to me it was amazing.  So I kept my seat light but active and we went around doing kinda little half steps then walk and so on and so forth and Judy comes down and is like wow you really kept her engaged didn't even recognize you two.  (that put a giant smile on my face).

It just gets even better from here. Judy proceeds to read 3rd Level Test 1 to me and I say okay I got it.  And then I did.  I rode the entire 3rd Level test on Bella.  What?!  Bella, my girl who I never thought would make it past first level.  Bella who keeps telling me that she can do more.  Bella the horse who has a great work ethic but is also highly opinionated.  She makes me so proud.  She makes my heart happy.  Even if I never enter the show ring at 3rd level it was such a joy to ride it today and feel connected with my horse.  It was a joy to feel my horse give me her all.  So Bella I will never doubt you again. I will allow you to show me what you think you are capable of and I will also believe you when you tell me you have done enough.  It is a partnership and one that I cherish.

Wednesday was all about love!

Started the day off with a this great scripture verse and I think it set the tone for the rest of my day.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, Love Never Fails.

I Corinthians 13:7

This Wednesday just turned out to truly be an amazing day.  So let me take you through it for a bit.  On week 2 day 3 of 22 Minute Hard Corp and I really want to stay committed to doing this program so even though I had a pretty active day ahead of me I still got up and pressed play because I mean come on I can do it for 22 minutes.  Did Resistance 1 today and I do like this workout until the very end when you have to do the bonus round of fast feet, burpee, pushups!  Did it and felt pretty good afterwards. 

Then it was on to the barn for a lesson on Bella with Judy Whyte.  Needless to say we had a super awesome lesson and even went through a 3rd level test for the first time but I'm going to give Bella a post all to herself so I'll go into detail there.  But I was incredibly proud of my Bella for doing a test in a level that I never thought she would be able to.  Hard work has paid off there.

Then it was time for my personal training at Trinity Fitness with one of my favorite people my personal trainer Dona Batten.  I had a new workout today and was excited to see what was in store for me.  (the setup for my personal training is that I get a new program every month and build on it for the month)  I made a little video of some of my favorite moves today.  But I loved this workout and will be looking forward to doing it for the next 4 weeks!

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My Food Prep is boring but who cares!

I think it is really important to set yourself up for success.  And one of the best ways to do that is to prep some food for the week.  It doesn't always have to take a ton of time.  Sometime it does if you are making more elaborate meals or making a few different options.  But for me lately it has just been a super delicious salad.  Yep that's been it.  A salad that pretty much has it all.  So here is what I've been doing.  And don't worry these aren't all for me.  One of my co-workers likes my prep foods so she pays me for a few lunches a week.  So she has been on a salad kick with me!

3 different bags of greens.  (most of the time whats on sale)
chickpeas (rinsed)
3 different bell peppers (orange, red, yellow)
Turkey breast
Feta Cheese
cucumbers
Hard boiled egg
avocado

Well balanced and delicious!

From Start to Finish

On Saturday's I have a hard time getting up early to work out.  It's my earliest day of the week for work.  My first client is booked at 8:30 so I need to leave the house pretty early.  Today the alarm went off and I just couldn't bring myself to get up.  I hit snooze and slept for a little longer.  It was bliss.  Then I started the day right with my daily dose of dense nutrition, Shakeology.  I love starting my day with my shake.  It taste delicious and I feel like I'm getting a treat.

Work was super busy, pretty much booked back to back with clients.  I had a quick lunch which was a great salad I had prepared earlier in the week and a snack of yogurt with granola.  Then I finished my day and started walking to my car.  Well, on the way to my car I have to pass a few cafe/pastry shops.  Today I didn't make it past The Dogtag Barkery.  UH OH. I walked in and ordered a delicious slice of raspberry cheesecake and can I say that it was totally worth it.  It was one of the best slices of cheesecake.  Now this is what I will say.  Do not walk past a bakery when you are hungry!

Now I shouldn't have had the cheesecake because I am part of a "test" group that is doing the complete program of 22 Minute Hard Corp.  But I had it and I wasn't going to let it derail me.  So I got home totally exhausted and pushed play.  Yep, you read it right I pushed Play.  I did the prescribed workout for today which is Resistance 1.  I did have to modify things because I was tired but I still did it because I promised myself that I would.  I promised myself that I would do the best of my ability to stick with this program.

So there you have it.  The day started off on the right foot with my Shakeology then veered off with the yummy cheesecake and got back on track with a good workout.  This is to say don't let a bad choice ruin your day.  See the whole picture there is so much more to it then one bad choice.

Zucchini Boats

Thank you Lexi's Clean Kitchen (Lexiscleankitchen.com) for this delicious recipe.  I will be making it next week for my 2nd week of 22 Minute Hard Corp plus clean eating.  I will let everyone know how it taste but if you make it first please share with me how good it is!  And this also proves that clean eating doesn't have to be boring it can truly be delicious. Try it!

Ingredients

1. 4 large organic zucchinis, sliced in half down the middle
2. 1 lb. grass-fed beef
3. 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 large organic carrots, chopped
5. 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
6. 1 white onion, chopped
7. 1 clove garlic, crushed
8. 1 15 oz. can Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce
9. 1 6 oz. can Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste
10. Himalayan sea salt, to taste
11. 1 tsp garlic granules
12. 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, more or less as desired
13. 1/2 tsp cayenne
14. Cracked black pepper, to taste
15. 1 small bunch fresh basil
16. Optional: 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, more as desired
17. Optional: 1/2 cup portobello mushrooms, chopped
18. Optional: 1 cup fresh spinach

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375
2. 2. Clean and cut zucchinis in half down the middle so you have two boats
3. 3. Using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop out the center (you don't want it too too thin)
4. 4. Place zucchini on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes while preparing your filling
5. 5. In a large pan heat oil and garlic
6. 6. Add in onions, carrots, and peas (add in mushrooms if using them); cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are cooked down and soft
7. 7. Add in meat and cook until brown
8. 8. Add your tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, red pepper, cayenne, basil sea salt, and pepper- mix well to combine (if adding spinach, add it here)
9. 9. Let the flavors cook together for an additional 5–7 minutes, until mixture thickens, taste and adjust spices as desired
10. 10. Remove zucchini from the oven and spoon mixture into each boat
11. 11. Cover each boat filling with parmesan cheese and place back into the oven for 15 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked to your liking