Far Too Long...FOOD!!

Hello Fitness friends!

I know it has been so long since I've posted, but as you all know, life catches up with us!  I've been busy and tired and when it comes down to catching up on sleep or blogging...well you know which one I chose!  :-)  Fret not, I have not given up on you!  I have been saving some GREAT recipes to share!! First let me share a little fit life experience with you all.  So I've been doing ChaLEAN Extreme which is Chalene Johnson's weight lifting and cardio program.  I've been eating good and working hard, now I'm in week 3 and almost finished with the first month of the three month (90 day) program.  Well I've been feeling a difference in my body, mostly my legs and abs, of course my body has been sore too; but I have yet to see any weight loss or loss of pants/dress sizes.  I know it's kind of early in the program and Turbo Fire was the same way, I felt the difference before I saw it, long before.  But I felt like this was different.  So I reached out to my coach who inquired about my calorie intake, when I told him I hit around 1100 with my workout (net calories 1400 calories eaten with 300 burned) he told me I wasn't eating enough.  Now this seems kind of odd when you think of losing weight you want to eat less calories, right?  Sometimes.  If you are lifting weights you have to give your body enough fuel (food) to repair and rebuild the muscle or your body will put itself in starvation mode, thus storing everything as fat.  1200 calories per day is what it takes to run your body.  If you are working out,especially if you are weight lifting you MUST put more than the basal requirement in, or you'll be starving...literally.  So my coach told me to go for 1500 calories and then with my 300 calorie workout I would net the 1200 base, so I'm following that now and I must say it's a bit harder than I had anticipated!  I've been trying to eat 1200 for so long now (with no results...no wonder why) that it's actually hard to eat more!  So please, take some of this great input and use it!  If you're seeing no improvement and you're eating well (whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean meats, etc.)  and working out, you may need to eat more!  Okay enough blathering, now to the FOOD!!!


Tropical Fruit Smoothie

• 2 small bananas
• 6 strawberries, cut in half
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup pure pressed apple juice
• 1.5 oz Pineapple Greek Yogurt
• Crushed Ice

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

Nutrition:  336 calories, 4g fat, 74g carbs, 7g protein, 47g sugar, 175mg sodium

Jalapeno Turkey Burger

• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 4oz Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey (93/7)
• 1 whole wheat English Muffin
• 1/4 cup onion chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp light mayo
• 1 slice cheddar cheese

1. In a bowl mix together chopped jalapeno, chopped onion and turkey meat.  Form into a patty.
2. In a large frying pan place burger and 1/2 cup water.
3. Allow burger to cook until water is gone, flip.
4. Add another 1/2 cup of water and allow burger to cook until water absorbs.
5. Burger should be cooked through, if not, heat on pan for a few more minutes.
6. Meanwhile spread 1/2 Tbsp. light mayo on English muffin, place 1/2 of cheese slice on each side.
7. Remove burger from pan and place on muffin.  You can add mustard for free but ketchup will add about 20 calories.

Nutrtion:  378 calories, 18g fat, 20g carbs, 31g protein, 2g sugar, 380mg sodium

Shrimp Stir Fry with Brown Rice

• 1/2 cup dry (2/3 cup cooked) Minute Rice, Brown Rice
• 12 cocktail shrimp, thawed, deveined and cleaned
• 1/2 cup string beans
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup corn
• 3/4 of a bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Spicy Stir Fry seasoning
• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Cook all veggies as directed (usually by boiling in water)
2. Cook rice as directed on box
3. In large frying pan, heat olive oil, add cooked rice, veggies and shrimp.  Heat through.
4. Add spicy stir fry seasoning and mix thoroughly.

ENJOY!!

May Good Health and Prosperity Follow You Always!