Live and Learn

Fitness + Nutrition + Support

Change your mind.

Your body will follow.

Eat Clean

Nourish your body.

Train Mean

An hour workout is 4% of your day.

Live Lean

Healthy and Happy!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

21 Day Fix Round Two: Meal Prep


21 Day Fix Meal Prep

21 day fix portion control, 21 day fix menu plan, success story, 21 day fix, weight loss
 If you have read my blogs before or Follow me on facebook/instagram you know I love Meal Prepping. I would suggest it to anyone and everyone. Especially those trying to clean up their diet and typically eat fast food AND to those that are always using "busy" as an excuse.

I have been meal prepping for about 5 months, and the last month and a half with 21 day fix. 21 day fix basically just helped along my meal prep and made sure I was eating enough of all the food groups which I wasn't. I didn't have enough vegetables or carbs in my diet before 21 day fix.

  Meal Plan

Every weekend I sit down with my 21 day Fix Eating Plan book and I plan out my meals. I am all about simple, easy and cheap so I make the same 5-6 meals every day for a week. People always ask if I get stick of eating the same things, honestly I don't. When I cooked before going to the Eat Clean Diet I always cooked the same things and if I ate out I ate at the same places and ordered the same things. I like what I like and when I really like it I'll eat it a lot. But for those that don't like to eat like this, you can still switch it up and make different stuff for each day or make different variations. I typically try to make things I am excited about eating that helps keep me eating my prep and helps not get sick of eating the same meals each day. 
 
  Breakfast I usually have shakeology because it's simple and quick and that way I ensure I DON'T skip breakfast. My favorite snacks for the day are Oats or Yogurt with fruit or frozen grapes! I usually have Stir Fry EVERY week. It is my absolute FAVORITE meal to eat and I never get tired of eating it. I mix it up by changing what meat I use each week between Chicken, Pork, and Lean Beef. I love Turkey burgers as well but I did just discover the AWESOMENESS of homemade fries!! :)

Meal Prep

It usually takes me about 3 hours to cook and package all my food for the week. I don't make EVERYTHING but I do make most of my meals. I cut up all my fruits and make my lunches and dinners. Shakeology shake and oats I make the day of but those literally take a few mins to make. I can take my meals on the go when I need to and I hate cooking so when Im not in the mood to cook it doesnt lead to me eating out because I have a healthy meal in the fridge that I can microwave for 2 mins and its ready to be eaten. 
I Challenge EVERYONE to try this and I promise you'll love it. Even if you batch cook a few meals for dinners and pack lunches for the day. It saves so much time in your week and makes eating healthy a NO brainer!
 

 

 





Monday, March 17, 2014

Clean-Eat Egg McMuffins





 Egg McMuffins


Photo: The Eat-Clean Egg McMuffin!

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare a muffin tin with coconut oil
3. Take any sort of veggies you want with your eggs.
*We used sauteed kale, onion, & tomato*
4. Add a little sea salt and black pepper & favorite seasonings.
5. Scramble your ingredients with your eggs and pour about 1/2 cup scoop into your muffin tin.
*We used four eggs here which made 6 egg muffins in total.*
6. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes (until the eggs are cooked through).

These make for a great breakfast, snack or salad topper!1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare a muffin tin with coconut oil
3. Take any sort of veggies you want with your eggs.
*We used sauteed kale, onion, & tomato*
4. Add a little sea salt and black pepper & favorite seasonings.
5. Scramble your ingredients with your eggs and pour about 1/2 cup scoop into your muffin tin.
*We used four eggs here which made 6 egg muffins in total.*
6. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes (until the eggs are cooked through).





These make for a great breakfast, snack or salad topper!

Missygray3.blogspot.com

Friday, March 7, 2014

Quinoa

Quinoa Benefits AND it's already in Shakeology!!! www.shakeology.com/PForceFitness

               
               QUINOA

   Pronounced (keen-wah), this ancient grain is full of dietary goods. Not only is it versatile at absorbing flavors, much like rice, quinoa is a super food. I just switched from brown rice to Quinoa. It is a little more expensive for a smaller bag BUT a little goes a LONG way!!










 

Quinoa packs protein
  • The Incas referred to it as “the Mother grain." Quinoa contains more high quality protein than any other grain, and one of the best sources of protein for vegetarians as it contains all 9 essential amino acids. A cup of quinoa contains 9 grams of protein (more than an egg)
Gluten Free
  • Many people who suffer from gluten intolerance find quinoa to be a great alternative! It’s versatile and can be made sweet or savory!
Quinoa aids weight loss
  • Rich in fiber, low in cholesterol, and high in vitamins, quinoa really is a super food. The protein and complex carbohydrates help you feel fuller longer, while adding to your nutritional profile. It’s low on the glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar the way processed grains, white flour, and white bread can, which in turn means no carb crashes!
Quinoa is a source of magnesium
  • Quinoa has been linked to a reduction of migraine headaches, due in part to it’s magnesium content. Also adding to migraine relief is it’s vitamin B content. A sufficient intake of magnesium can also help prevent hypertension. Quinoa is good for your heart.
Quinoa is full of Iron
  • Iron is what keeps our red blood cells healthy. Iron increases brain function, regulates body temperature, and aids in energy metabolism.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Sweet Potato Fries

Finding The Fit Girl Inside Me: Sweet and Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Eat clean recipes Clean eating
SWEET POTATO FRIES

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp each of smoked paprika, cayenne
pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley and sea salt



Preparation

  • Slice sweet potatoes into VERY thin slices.
  • Add the sweet potato to a large bowl and microwave for 4-6 minutes.
  • On a non-stick baking sheet spread out microwaved potatoes evenly.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minute.
  • While they are in the oven, heat a frying 
  • pan on high.
  • Add 1/2 cup of coconut oil to frying pan.
  • Remove fries from oven and add to frying pan with coconut oil.
  • Cook fries until they crisp and lightly brown.
  • Add all fries to a brown paper sack. Add all spices
  • Shake to combine 

21 Day FIX Results


21 day fix results, 21 day fix meal plan, 21 day fix weightless results
     It's almost been ONE MONTH since the 21 day fix launched and changed EVERYTHING! It has been the biggest program in the history of Beach Body programs and my challengers are getting amazing results. I have had challengers losing 2-7lbs a week.

     This program has been a total game changer for me. I plan my meals based on the the amount of servings per food group I get, then around the amount of calories I get. I can still eat everything I was eating before but I am actually eating more than I was. More Veggies, More Fruits, More Protein, More Carbs, and MORE healthy fats.
     The workouts are by far my favorite from Beach body that I have done. Its simple workouts for 30 mins. including warm up, cool down and rest time in between. Sounds easy, right? But don't let that full you, it was such a great workout and I was sore almost every day.

21 day fix portion control, 21 day fix menu plan, success story, 21 day fix, weight loss
      This program is all about portion control NOT calories, quick/efficient 30 min workouts that WORK, and a simple basic meal plan to follow. The prepping and tracking is so simple that anyone can do it. No counting calories, What fits is what you eat. Plain and simple. In the guide book their is a place to calculate how many calories you should have daily and then it breaks that down into how many containers you are allowed to have daily of each color. This plan is 100% something you can do for life. It's a quick fix because you are finally eating the correct amount of portions but it's something that you can maintain and continue for life. You aren't depriving yourself, in fact you eat so much food that sometimes I have trouble fitting it all in. I can see that this is a system I plan to follow from now on. 
WHY I DID 21 DAY FIX?
Recently, I have been having trouble dropping weight and hitting plateau's. January I pushed and only lost a little under 2lbs. I decided that I was going to order this program DAY 1 because it sounded like just what I needed to kick this in the butt.
I lost a total of 4 pounds and 6 inches in 21 Days. 

     Four pounds doesn't sound like a lot to most but when you are struggling to lose 1-2 pounds in a month this is like HITTING gold. I am now about to start Round 2 of 21 day fix. Stay tuned for the next update. :)
21 day fix weight loss story, success story, 21 day fix results, 21 day fix transformation, challenge, test group

Here is my Meal Prep to start Round 2.
(Look at all that food!!)
21 day fix meal plan, portion control, meal prep
So if you are questioning whether or not a 30 minute home fitness program can truly work here is the visual proof, just normal people like you and me that are committed and dedicated to truly changing their lifestyle for the better!!!! If you are interested in joining my next 21 day fix challenge group and getting on your way to killer results, you can contact me on FACEBOOK.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Being healthy is EASY!

Healthy & Happy

Being healthy…      People are always looking for the next easy trick to get results and that leads to complicating something that should be very simple process. An easy fix or fast results don't teach us anything on living a healthy lifestyle. And while we may not all want the same thing, or have the same goals, the answer to being healthy and fit is very SIMPLE! One simple truth is that: there is no RIGHT WAY to be healthy and get in the best shape of your life.


You can ask me and many others out there: How do I get abs? How do I eat clean while working a full-time career? ETC. and you will get 100 different answers. But anyone that is successful in getting healthy, fit and staying that way can all tell you that they had focus, health conscious eating habits, consistency, and they moved more than they sat. Bottom line!

Just Move. And Do it Often.

Find workouts that you enjoy, make you sweat and are challenging. And most important, that will keep you coming back for more for long enough to see results.
**I love beachbody workouts because they are fun, inexpensive and effective!**

Focus on eating REAL food 

Fuel your body (hint: it doesn’t come from a bag, box, or can). Different diets work for different people so experiment and find what works with your lifestyle and makes you look good- that simple.
**I use the Eat Clean Diet and I drink Shakeology everyday!**

Give it time.

Be patient with yourself and your journey. You don’t gain 20 lbs overnight and a few days of good habits won’t take it off either. Stick with it. When you over-focus on your food and body image, your world becomes very limited. Time and consistency win every time on the path to your goals. 

Stop hunting for the latest and greatest (there is no magic pill, sorry) and start living. The real secret is to relax, believe it doesn’t have to be this hard, eat real, whole foods, workout regularly, and get good rest. Repeat.

Keep it simple. Keep it flexible. Keep it real.

Missygray3.blogspot.com

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Top Clean Eating Tips

Top Clean Eating Tips

.I need all of these!

eat clean, clean eating tips, clean eating tips that worked for me I thought I would share some tips here that really helped me get on track and make this whole clean eating thing easier for me. My challenge groups always do great with the workouts but in the first few weeks the most common questions are "What should I eat?" "How much should I eat?" "What is clean and what isn't clean?" "How can I switch my family over". All of these concerns come up and I really thought it would be useful to share my tips that have worked for me. I want to equip my challengers with the tools needed for SUCCESS so they can get the results that I got and so many other challengers before them have gotten just by following these principals. 
clean eating, eat clean, clean eating tips

The first thing I suggest is getting a copy of "Eat Clean Recharged" by Tosca Reno ASAP! It gives you a break down of what clean eating is, the foods that are okay, and the history behind this method. Really everything you ever wanted to know about clean eating is explained here along with some meal plans and grocery lists. I truly loved this book and it changed my whole life!! So many things just clicked and made sense for me while reading this book.
So first things first ....
portion control, clean eating tips, how to portion control, how much should I eatPortion Sizes: You don't have to count calories or points. Instead you will portion out foods and focus on pairing the right food groups together. It's really easy to stay on this type of plan because you don't need anything fancy or have to play the guessing game. You simply use your hands as your guide 

Protein
= The palm of your hand
Complex Carbs
= (apples, berries, oranges, grapes, veggies) 2 cupped handfuls 
Starchy Carbs= 1 cupped handful 
If you follow this guide and the correct portion controls you will be less likely to indulge!

hot lemon water, detox, loose weight,

Warm Lemon Water:
Drink a large glass of lemon water when you first wake up and before you eat breakfast for a natural detox. This will also jump start your metabolism!!

Get a Lunch Tote:
Totes are perfect for packing a healthy lunch and snacks. 
clean eating tote bag, pack clean lunch
Sunday is my day to sit down and plan out all of my meals. I make my grocery list after shopping, I then sit down and cup up all of my fruits and veggies and portion out so they are ready to grab for the week. I also measure anything like PB, Hummus, and Nuts as my protein to pair with my veggies. If i'm out and about I always pack my snacks and an extra one so I'm never left starving and left to resort to fast food. I always have a shaker cup and single packet of shakeology. It's easy to grab water while out and about to just shake it up and go


Always Carry a Refillable Water Bottle with you: You can add lime, lemon, cucumber and strawberries to your water to give it flavor.  NO SODA OR JUICE!  I'm telling you that it's full of empty calories and you are not going to lose weight you drink soda or juice!  Just WATER!

Drink Green Tea: This helps with hunger pains and cravings in the late afternoon and evenings when the munchies hit you. 



SWEET TOOTH: If you are someone who has a sweet tooth after dinner or needs dessert try some greek yogurt, cinnamon, honey, and chopped up fruit. It's amazing!!! One of my favorites. 
Buy in Bulk: Sams Club/Cosco are GREAT! Buy in bulk, cut up and freeze for later use.
Meal Prep: I love to meal prep. Every Sunday I cook 7 lunches and 7 dinners and portion it out into 14 meals for the week. This is what keeps me on track all week. I have "FAST" food there when I get hungry.

Another thing that you can do is cook extra chicken for your lunches on prep day. That way you can slice it up and put it in a tupper-ware and pull out for salads or wraps for the rest of the week.

Also, cook extra for dinner and place in containers for lunches throughout the week.

You can replace any foods so long as you replace a complex carb with another complex carb ect.  So if you don't like banana's replace them with an apple.  If you don't like almonds replace with all natural pb!


BODY BEAUTIFUL/BODY HEALTH FORMULA
80% nutrition + 10% exercise + 10% genetics = body beautiful/body health
EAT CLEAN PRINCIPLES

1.      Eat six small meals a day.  Eat every two-and-a-half to three hours.  I literally set the timer on my watch to remind me when to eat!  Now that I have been doing it for so long my body just tells me that its time to eat! 
2.      Eat breakfast everyday, within an hour of rising. I always have a warm glass of lemon water each morning as my wake up and detox!  I squeeze 1/2 or a whole lemon into a glass of warm water.  I make it a rule that I cannot eat my breakfast until I drink the entire glass of water.
3.      Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.  A lean protein would be your plain unsalted nuts, almond butter, all natural peanut butter, white meat such as chicken and fish.  A complex carb is your fruits and veggies such as bananas, apples, oranges, cucumbers, carrots, tomoatoes just to name a few.  
4.      Eat sufficient of healthy fats every day (evoo, avocado)
5.      Drink two to three liters of water each day.  I make this a MUST!  If you want to lose weight then you must drink a lot of water each and everyday.  If you do not drink enough water you body actually holds onto water weight.  Drinking water speeds up your metabolism and helps lose weight.
6.      Carry a cooler packed with clean foods.  I seriously cannot leave the house without my cooler bag.  Even if I am pretty certain that I am going to be home before my next snack or meal I still throw in an apple and a handful of unsalted almonds and a bottle of water.  It is super easy to throw in a packet of shakeology and your shaker cup.  Then you are never left scrounging for a meal or a drive through to go to.  you always have a healthy snack or meal to hold you over!  
7.      Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.  Limit your starchy complex carbs to two to four servings each day.  I suggest not relying to heavily on juices.  I would aim to get your servings of fruits and veggies each day from actulaly eating them.  This way you get the added fiber from the skins of the fruits!  Juices more often than not have added sugars and additives that our bodies do not need.
8.      Adhere to proper portion sizes.

TOP 10 THINGS TO AVOID

1.       Sugar, white flour and over processed foods.  Bread at the bread table when you are out to eat.  Especially when I was trying to lose the weight I would avoid bread at all costs.  I even avoided ezekiel bread or most starchy carbs.
2.      Artificial sugars- NO STEVIA OR EQUAL OR SWEET N LOW ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU!  I reccomend Agave nectar and honey if you need to sweeten something.  Even then I still think you should use it sparingly.  Again, sugar is addictive and the more you have the more your body will crave it!
3.      Sugar-loaded beverages such as soda and juice- NONE, ZILCH ZERO!!
4.      Super sizing your meals or portions- If you are at a restaurant always ask for a box and take half of it home!  Restaurants are known for their oversized portions.  Even if it's a healthy meal that does not give you permission to throw your rules out the window!  You can eat the right kinds of foods and have to much and still not see results.
5.      Alcohol, try your best to limit.  My rule of thumb is for every alcoholic drink that you consume you must have 1 full glass of water!  
Alcohol is full of sugar and empty calories so you need to ask yourself,  is this short term sacrifice of drinking worth the long term results of me feeling amazing in my body and having the confidence to put myself out there!
6.      Chemically charged foods- So this mean smart ones, lean cuisines or any other processed meals.  Take a look at the labels on your food.  If there are more than 3 ingredients and you don't understand what they are then you probally shouldn't buy it!
7.      Foods containing preservatives
8.      Artificial foods such as processed cheese slices- I very rarely eat a piece of cheese.  I tend to choose feta cheese if I go that route!  Once again your body holds onto bad fats!
9.      Saturated and trans fats
10.  Anti foods, calorie dense foods with no nutritional value.
TOP 5 WAYS TO MAKE EATING CLEAN EASIER FOR YOU
1.       Pack a cooler everyday
2.      Carry a water bottle everywhere
3.      Make a shopping list and stick to it- I grocery shop for 2 weeks at a time.  I sit down with my white board, grocery list and recipes and plan out my meals so that my entire family can follow the same eating schedule.  It works and we are all happy!
4.      Prepare planned leftovers
5.      Keep your pantry stocked with staples.  Staples in my pantry are plain unsalted rice cakes, all natural peanut butter, almonds, cashews, raisins, flaxseed, and olive oil!  If I run out of fresh fruits and veggies I turn to rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins!

TOP FIVE EXERCISE TIPS
1.       Set realistic goals for yourself-weekly, monthly and yearly.
2.      Train all of your major muscle groups, arms shoulders, chest, back, legs and abs.
3.      Challenge yourself-vary your routine every few weeks.
4.      Keep cardio fun-try new activities
5.      Stay focused-put your mind into your muscle.



Missygray3.blogspot.com