SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO!

I'm gonna keep my post short and sweet today, but I wanted to share someone who I look up to with yall. I came across a girl named Chelsea on instagram and it lead me to her fitness blog that I now read all of the time. She is the same age as me and has some of the same interests so I feel like I can really relate to her. She even attempted and completed insanity so I feel that she is the perfect role model for any girl trying to get into shape! Here is the link to her blog....go check it out!!!

http://www.chelseablush.com/p/my-story.html

Fun Recipes!

So instead of my usual personal experience stories, I decided to do a post today on a healthy food that I absolutely love. Drum roll please…………………AVOCADO!! I don’t know what it is about avocado but I could eat it all day every day. Of course, I think the more salt you put on top of it the better, but that probably isn’t exactly the healthiest way to eat it. Fortunately for us avocado lovers, it can be incorporated into so many different recipes. So without further ado here are a couple examples!

 

AVOCADO AND MANGO TOPPER RECIPE

 

Eating chicken and fish all the time can get really old really quick! This recipe is a great way to switch things up, but still be healthy at the same time!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 cup seeded, diced tomato
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. chopped red onion
1 tbsp. minced jalapeno pepper
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine mango, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
2. Add avocado and toss gently.
3. Serve over grilled chicken or fish.

AVOCADO CLUB CHICKEN SALAD

This is a fun way to put a twist on a salad using avocado!

Ingredients:

6 qts. Iceburg lettuce
6qts. Romaine lettuce
3 cups jicama, 1/8- inch julienne, 1” length
¾ cup basil
2 ¼ lbs chilled grilled chicken
6 ripe avocados
Diced tomato
6oz bacon cooked crisp, chopped
4 tbsp. basil

Instructions:

1. Toss together 2 cups iceberg, 2 cups romaine, ¼ cup jicama, 1 tbsp. basil, 3oz. chicken
2. Place fresh avocado slices in salad.
3. Sprinkle diced tomato on top.
4. Top the center of the salad with bacon and then basil.

Weight Loss Results

Hey guys, I know it’s been a while since my last post, and I’m sure you’re all just dying for more posts…(sarcasm)…, but  the wait is over and I’m here to talk about my weight loss results. As you all know I attempted the first phase of the South Beach Diet, which is eating no carbs for two weeks. I am proud to say I only cheated one time throughout the entire process, but other than that I stuck to the diet 100% and saw great results. The diet is designed to target your midsection and that’s exactly what it did. I took pictures the day I started the diet and then two weeks later and the difference in my body was obvious. I’m not big on weighing myself on a scale, but at one point I had lost about ten pounds and that was before the strict dieting so I’m not really sure on a final number. When we left for the bachelorette party I was feeling so much better about my body and was so proud of what I had done. Needless to say, I had the time of my life that weekend and also indulged in any junk food that I could. I do have to be honest and admit that ever since returning from the trip I have hardly been watching what I eat and I haven’t been working out much either. I’m determined to not let myself go too much though, so today I began the no carb diet again. I don’t know if I will be quite as strict this time because by the end of the first two weeks I was so sick of chicken, fish, and eggs I could have barfed! Regardless, I’m going to give it a go again and hopefully see results once more. Sooooo…wish me luck and happy reading!

South Beach Diet

 Okay guys, here I go again with my desperate attempts to lose as much weight as possible before this bachelorette party! I know I just told y’all that I was replacing two meals a day with Advocare meal replacement shakes, but this week I’m trying something new. When trying to get in shape in the past I usually just cut out foods that I know are terrible for me and eat a lot of chicken and broccoli. I’ve never really been interested in going on a diet that tells you exactly what you can and can’t have, but that all changed this past weekend when my mom told me about the South Beach Diet. She told me there are three different phases to the diet and that phase one lasts for two weeks and targets your midsection. When I heard this I got excited because two weeks was exactly what I had left to make things happen for myself and my midsection is exactly what I need to work on. I don’t know if I plan on continuing the diet when I return from the trip, but so far I haven’t swayed from the diet AT ALL this week. I am currently on day four. There is a book on the South Beach Diet and the author claims that you will lose 8-13 pounds in phase one and it will be mostly from the midsection. He is very confident in this since he is a cardiologist and did some serious research while putting this diet together. The book is actually really interesting and you can really learn a lot about eating healthy. The number one rule and pretty much the only rule in phase one is NO CARBS! Now I know that sounds terrible because you can’t have any bread, pasta, fruit, alcohol, etc. but since it only last for two weeks I knew I could do it. There is a list in the book that tells you what you can eat which is pictured below. I pretty much have been eating a lot of chicken, fish, vegetables, and eggs. This morning I ate an omelet with cut up onions, tomatoes, turkey, spinach, and shredded cheese dipped in picante sauce. It is actually super yummy and I don’t mind eating it at all. There are numerous ways you can use the same ingredients in different ways and recipes for the South Beach Diet are all over the internet. I have also included a link where you can buy the South Beach Diet book under the "links" tab. I could go on for days about this diet but I’ll stop here. If anyone is interested in trying it please ask me about it! I would love to give you some insight on my personal experience. I’ll be updating you guys in two weeks when I complete phase one and let you guys know if it worked or not! 

Advocare

The other night I looked at my calendar and realized that I only have three weeks until the bachelorette party. I don’t know why I wasn't aware of this, but it definitely freaked me out! All I could think about is how my body is not where I want it to be yet. I know how to eat healthy, but I am also realistic and know how hard it is to actually stick to it so I started brainstorming for ideas of how I could really buckle down with my diet for the remaining three weeks. My boyfriend’s mom came into town this weekend and gave me a great idea, actually it may not work at all, but I’m determined to find out! She sells Advocare products, which is a collection of health products, and one of the products is a meal replacement shake. She told me to replace two of my meals a day, whether it is breakfast and lunch, or breakfast and dinner. I decided to try this because it is so easy. I am always rushing out the door in the morning and then trying to figure out what I’m going to eat for dinner so this solution seemed perfect. I have no idea if this is even a healthy way to get in better shape, but hopefully it is effective. I have listed some key benefits of the shakes below, but I know that there are probably some negatives as well that the website left out. I started my new routine yesterday and it was a success. I drank a shake for breakfast and dinner, had a sandwich for lunch, and a few snacks in between. Overall, it was pretty easy and I have no complaints. I don’t know if this will give me the results I’m looking for but hopefully in three weeks I’ll be writing a new post about how it did! 

:

KEY BENEFITS

• Only 220 calories
• Balanced meal for optimal nutrition and weight management
• 24 grams of easy-to-digest protein
• High in dietary fiber (5-6 grams)
• 50% of the Daily Value of calcium
• 26 vitamins and minerals
• 1:1 ratio of proteins to carbohydrates
• Low sodium and low fat 

Insanity Is An Understatement

I have to attend a bachelorette party at the end of March so I wanted to do a workout program that would give me results fast. I chose to do Insanity after doing some research because nothing is needed accept a TV, your body, and a little motivation, but unfortunately motivation isn't for sale and is pretty hard to come by. I purchased the program over the phone for around $120 and received it in the mail about a week and a half later. I am currently on week five of the program and love it. Being in college makes it pretty hard to eat well but I have been making a substantial effort to eat healthy on a daily basis. I’m not going to lie though, by the time the weekend comes it is a million times harder for me to continue being healthy. I will still do Insanity but unfortunately I love fast food and I tend to talk myself into eating it every weekend even though I know calories still count on Saturdays and Sundays. Like I said, I am currently doing week five of Insanity and it is quite possibly the most miserable thing I have ever done. Whoever came up with the name "Insanity" definitely wasn't exaggerating.  Month two is unbelievably hard and sucks the entire time but the funny thing is that the second I am done, and can breathe again; I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow. I have seen great results so far but definitely want to see more in the second month. I have a couple of before and after pictures that really motivate me because my results so far are obvious in them, but I don’t think I’ll be sharing those on here.  J  If anyone is curious or interested in doing insanity feel free to leave questions or comments!