Baked Eggs in Ham Bowls

Today is Food Friday! I found this recipie on Pop-Sugar on pinterist! I'm writing this as I make them, so we'll see how it tastes. 

Here is the link http://www.fitsugar.com/Low-Carb-High-Protein-Breakfasts-30915254?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20fitsugar%20(FitSugar%20-%20Healthy,%20happy%20you.)#photo-5

That link will bring you to a page full of high protein breakfasts. I chose Baked Eggs in Ham cups. It is a really simple recipie with only a few steps, so for me who doesn't like to cook it is the perfect recipie that is going to be really hard to mess up. Knowing me I might still mess it up though.

Before I get going with the recipie I want to talk a little about nutriton. In the morning it is very important to eat within the first hour after waking, and it is also important that that breakfast contains protein. A lot of people things eggs are bad for you, but they are actually kind of a superfood if you get the right eggs. Farm Fresh or Vegetarian Fed Hens Egg's are amazing for you. They contain high levels of vitamin D, E and good cholesterol. The kind of cholesteral that keeps moving through the blood. They are also delicious and easy to make. 

I also love bacon! I usually have slice every morning with my eggs.  Your grocery store (we like Harmon's bacon best) has fresh sliced bacon that you can even buy by the slice. You want to get the kind without preservatives (sorry Oscar Meyer) so that you are getting the best quality you can without putting harmful chemicals in your body. As long as you don't eat bacon in excess it is a good source of protein and fat (fat you eat and fat on your body are different, but that is another post). High protein breakfasts are an excellent way to start your day and give you a lot more energy than a bagle and coffee. 

The recipie:

Ingredients:

Eggs

Bacon

Salt, Pepper, Paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 375.

2. Line muffin tin with how many bacon bowls you want. 

3. Crack and egg into each bowl.

I use eggland's best eggs. They feed their hens vegetarian, and I don't have any friends around here with chickens. 

4. Sprinkle eggs with desired amount of salt, pepper and paprika.

5. Bake for 20 min

6. Take out of oven and let cool for 2-3 min

7. Remove from tin and enjoy! (don't mind me without makeup in my pjs)

Verdict: Delicious! I give it my seal of approval. It was easy and fast. You could put it in then go do your makeup or something if you  are short on time. You could also make a lot and serve it some fruit for a brunch with friends. So try it out! 

TurboFire

This week I wanted to review one of my favorite workout programs, TurboFire!

Like TurboJam, TurboFire was made by Chalene Johnson and is a cardio kickboxing workout, but Chalene kicked it up a notch in TurboFire! You still have Turbo or Fire drills in each of the steady state cardio sessions and killer music to puch and kick to. My favorite Fire workout is Fire 45 because it has this amazing song after the second fire drill with an amazing dance! "Boom I got your boyfriend, I got your man!" I love it! 

Every video has Aly who is the low impact modification, and Chalene and another friend that go crazy. If you have done Chalene's other workouts you'll see people you recognize who are doing the class with you. You compete with them just like you would in a live class setting. 

The biggest difference between Jam and Fire is the HIIT and the intensity of the Strength Training classes. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. You work at an anarobic level for about 45-70 seconds followed by about the same amount of rest. These improve your heart strength and push you into a long period of what Chalene calls the After-Burn. Your metabolism is increased for almost 48 hrs after each HIIT. Fitness experts  have been touting the benefits of HIIT and with TurboFire you can do a HIIT without having to think about what to do.

The strength training classes use a resistance band instead of free weights. Even though the band can be uncomfortable sometimes, it still is very effective and as you get stronger it is a lot cheaper to add more resistance than free weights because you can just choke up on the band. Another plus to the bands is that you can just tuck them away in your luggage with your dvds and exercise on your trip.

My favorite part of TurboFire, after the HIIT workouts and Fire 45, is the Stretch classes. I feel like a lot of programs ignore the importance of flexibility. They might have a little stretching in the cool down, but TF has 2 stretch classes. Stretch 10, which you do after almost every class, and Stretch 40. Stretch 40 is basically a Yoga class, but it doesn't feel like one. You move quickly through the poses so you don't get bored and still feel more flexible at the end. After doing TF, I am able to touch my toes which I haven't been able to do since I quit gymnastics when I was 10 years old.

I recommend TF for people who like a fast paced, intense workout with great music. It is for people that want to improve all areas of fitness in their life: agility, cardio, strength, flexibility, and speed. The workout is fun and easy to do. If you aren't comfortable jumping they have the low-impact modifier. If you don't pick up sequences easily, they have the new to class option. It is a program anyone at any fitness level can do. Chalene is a great motivator and trainer. 

Do you want to try TurboFire? Check out My Store! 

Transformation Tuesday

I decided it was finally time to reveal my tansformation. I have worked hard for the body I have today and I am very proud of it. It has been almost 2 years since I started my fitness journey, and I haven't aways been perfect. I started with Brazil Butt Lift followed by TurboJam, CheLEAN Extreme, and TurboFire while training for my first half marathon. Then I did Hip Hop Abs, and Brazil Butt Lift Master Series and i did a mixture while training for another half. Then TurboFire/CheLEAN Extreme hybrid and then BBL/BBLMS hybrid. Now I am doing a mixture of them all while training for the ABQ half marathon and Utah Valley Marathon which is 2 days after my 26th birthday. 

Here are the stats:

3-26-2012

Weight: 130

Waist 28.5 in

Hips 39 in

R Thigh 22 in

L Thigh 21.5 in

23.1% Body Fat

3-17-2014

Weight 124.4

Waist 24.5 in

Hips 36 in

R thigh 19.5 in

L thigh 19.5 in

20.1% Body Fat

And here is the picture:

What you don't see is how much better I feel. How much more energy I have. How much happier I am. How comfortable I feel in my body. How I can run half marathons and marathons this year with those tired little legs. How much stronger I am. How much I want other people to feel the same way I do.

Please, no matter where you are starting you can be healthier! Just because you are naturally skinny does not make you healthier than the bigger person sitting next to you. In fact, you are probably just as much at risk as they are, and if that person exercises and eats healthier foods than you do, they probably are at less of a risk.

If you are bigger, you can be healthy. Being healthy and being skinny are two different things. That is my message to the world. Number 1: Skinny people don't like their skinnyness pointed out to them. Fit people enjoy their fitness being pointed out to them though. Number 2: Just because you weigh a certain number on the scale does not mean you are fit or healthy or not fit or healthy. Everyone has a different body and what is healthy for me may not be healthy for you. 

Any questions? Leave a comment below and remember to like my page on facebook and follow me on twitter by cllicking the links on the side of the page. 

Be Healthy everyone!

Tip of the Week: Eat Every 2.5-3 Hrs

Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I didn't have internet at home (I know, how can anyone survive without nternet!) and now I do! So here we are with this week's Tip. In order to manage your hunger, you need to eat every 2.5-3 hrs.

It sounds like a lot, but that means you end up eating about 5-6 times a day depending on when you wake up. Your first meal/snack should be within the first hour after waking and your last meal/snack should be about 3 hrs before you go to bed. Your body might even tell you that you are hungry right before bed because you are used to eating so often. Don't give in. With time this craving will subside. Eating this often will increase your metabolism and also help you curb cravings for less healthy things. If you're in to counting calories (which I am not) each meal should be about 200 cal and each snack should be at least 100. 

The most important part of eating this often is to make sure you are eating protein with every meal/snack. Protein is an important part of blood sugar stabalization. It makes it so your body doesn't metabolize whatever carb you are eating as quickly. This helps keep your blood sugar stable which prevents you from craving snacks like a candy bar or soda. It also helps to keep your mood and energy more stable throughout the day. Try to include a lot of fresh fruits and veggies in your day as well. 

A good way to start implementing this habit is to set a reminder or alarm on your phone. This way you don't go too long without eating. When I started doing this, I set an alarm on my google calendar then shared it with my husband. He would often forget to eat throughout the day and get headaches and started to gain a lot of weight. Once we had the reminders on his phone he now remembers to eat and eats a lot more healthy foods. He's also lost a lot of weight!

It is important to plan your snacks for the day if you are going to be at work and school so that you don't end up going to the vending machine when that alarm goes off. Keep your pre-prepped foods at the ready so that you can grab the appropriate amount of food to take with you. 

Here is an example of what I eat each day:

Breakfast 8:00- 1 egg over easy, 2 slices of bacon, half a grapefruit

Snack 1 11:00- String cheese and 1 cup of cucumbers

Lunch 2:00- Spaghetti squash with meatballs and red sauce (leftovers)

Snack 2 5:00- 1/4 c raw almonds

Dinner 7:30- Grilled chicken with steamed asparagus

Start using this tip this week and you'll find you have more energy and might even find yourself losing weight!

TurboJam

This week's workout review is TurboJam. It is a fun high energy workout that a lot of people think is just for girls. I'll admit most of the people in the video are women, but I think that is because the trainer is a woman. Her name is Chalene Johnson. She is high energy and fun. I love the way she motivates you and keeps you excited to work out, while giving you advice to stay healthy. 

TurboJam is her first workout program. It is dance kickboxing and it comes with a meal plan and schedule like all Beachbody programs. It is only 30-60 days but you can mix it in all the time. It also comes with these awesome weighted gloves that you wear while you are working out. 

It is a great cardio workout that gives you abs of steel and Michelle Obama arms! I never got bored of the workouts and I loved Chalene's energy. It is easy to follow along with even if you are not good at dancing. She breaks everything down for you so it is easy to follow. 

I recommend this program for anyone looking for a fun and easy beginning workout program. If you heard about Turbo before, do this one first. It gets you familiar with all of the moves before you move on to something more complicated like TurboFire. 

Really, my mom did it and my sister has it, and they both loved it too. It is easy to start and great to get you used to working out every day because they have just a 20 min workout or you can punch your anger out for 45 min. Whatever you prefer! 

I loved TuboJam and I had fun doing it.

Food Friday: Spicy Mexican Skillet Chicken

This meal is one of mine and Dee Man's favorite meals. It is quick and easy to make. We got it from Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices Cookbook p152. It also makes great leftovers for a healthy lunch later in the week. 

What you need:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1-2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tblsp vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/3 cup picante

Chopped fresh cilantro if desired

Red chilie slices if desired

Directions:

Remove fat from chicken and sprinkle chili powder, salt, and pepper on both sides of the chicken. Heat oil in cast iron skillet. Cook the chicken for 10 min turning once until no longer pink in the middle. Stir in beans corn and picante. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat cover and simmer 3-5 min until veggies heated. Sprinkle with cilantro and chilie slices. 

I don't use cilantro because it makes me sick and I usually don't add the chilie slices either just because it is more money. But when I grew them in my back yard it was delicious.

So there you go! Have fun and enjoy this healthy meal high in fiber, low in calories, and full of taste. 

And yes those are Halloween decorations. 

Tip of the Week: Schedule Your Workouts

Sorry about not posting this on Monday and also not posting the rest of the week. I very rarely have internet, so the blog gets postponed. I'm going to start writing them in advance and scheduling their release so that doesn't happen again... 

This week's tip is Schedule Your Workouts!!

I know it seems silly. But if something is important to you, you need to make time for it. Also it is much easier to make something a habit if you do it the same time every day. 

What I do is I make a calendar, either on Word, or on a dry erase board. I write down which workout I'm going to do and what time I plan on doing it. I know for me it is easier for me to wake up and get my workout done first thing in the morning. The only thing I ever make time for later in the day is my runs. Number one because when I wake up it is dark outside and therefore not safe to do anything other than an indoor workout, and number two because I can sometimes get my husband to join me if I wait until we get home from work. Really just schedule it for a time that you KNOW you will do it. Then make it happen. When you're done with the workout, you cross it off! 

Here is an example of my dry erase calendar:

You can see I scheduled my rest days, when I was going to run, and when I was going to do my TF. For the TF workouts I followed the program schedule that came with the program. 

Remember you can also use your phone calendar. This is helpful because then it will beep at you.

Or you can make your own on Word. 

Just remember to schedule your workouts and stick to that schedule. Soon you'll be in the habit of working out and 6 days a week will feel like nothing!

Good luck and let me know if you need any help making your workout calendar.