TURKEY CHILI

21 Day Fix Extreme Recipe!
1/2 green
1 red
1/2 yellow

Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each.

1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds raw 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can all natural dices tomatoes, no sugar added
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped for garnish.



DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over med high heat
2. Add turkey, onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally for 5-8 min until turkey no longer pink.
3. Add spices, cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally cooking for 15-20 min.
5. Serve warm sprinkled with Cilantro.

21 Day Fix Extreme Update

Officially made it to Day 9!!! It is amazing because I truly thought I would have caved in by now and cheating with some nachos, pizza, muffins...anything.  Plus sticking to the meal plan while being on vacation for a few days was an achievement. And personally, me going 9 days without frozen yogurt is UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Funny part is though, when you are eating healthy, working out, and in a routine holding each other accountable, it doesn't seem that hard at all.  Your cravings go away, thanks to shakeology too, and you don't think about the junk food.  I really do not miss it...OK I MISS THE FRO YO!  But on the days I can have 2 fruit servings, I blend up frozen strawberries and banana and that is my make shift fro yo.  SO good!

How are the workouts??

Well, I have to admit after going through insanity max 30, I thought they would be a breeze.  Boy was I wrong.  Autumn pushes you with utilizing the weights and giving minimal breaks.  I feel like the second I have a sip of water, we are already going again.  I like this because it keeps your mind focused on the exercises and not on the soreness you are beginning to feel.



How is the meal plan?  

My girlfriend and I have stuck to it!  Is it hard?  YES.  And I say yes because it seems like we spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  But comparing week 1 meal prep to week 2, we are speeding up the process.  Make several servings of each dish, use teamwork in the kitchen, have one person chopping while the other is using the stove...little ways to make it go by faster.  And come the end of meal prep, our fridge is full of tupperware containers ready to go!!

How are the recipes?

Tried Autumns Vegetable egg cups which are to die for and great to take on the go.  And we tried the turkey chili. With how cold it has been in New England, this was the perfect dinner to warm us up.
This week Chicken Fajitas and Turkey Meatballs, and Hearty Beef and Butternut Squash Stew are going to be tried from the 21 Day Fix Extreme book!!  Can not wait!





How are the results?

So far we have not taken inches but I can tell that I have a bit more room in my jeans which is never a bad thing!  On the scale we have dropped a few pounds, but ultimately the goal is to feel better, and feel healthier.  My skin has cleared up just by e



ating healthier and getting enough water / sleep in my life.  It is awesome to see that fueling your body does to you on the inside and out.  Less cover up is always a goal! haha

So heading into week 2, here is our meal plan!  It will be hard again towards the end of the week since we will be traveling for work, but again holding each other accountable will get us through!

Insanity Max 30 Results!

60 days has truly flown by doing insanity max 30. It tested my fitness level beyond anything I could have imagined. There were times I wanted to give up, times I was swearing at shaun t, times I was sweating all over the living room...but I knew I had to stick with the workouts and push myself.

HERE IS WHAT THE WORKOUTS LOOK LIKE

I feel amazing, I feel energized, I feel healthy, I feel sexy and feminine. I'll admit I did not follow the meal plan perfectly. There were times I had a hard cider and nachos, or a plate of pasta, or the ever so tempting frozen yogurt. But I still pressed play and any time I went off the track, I managed to steer back in the right direction!

So my results:
-Down 7 pounds, Down 9 inches
-My legs have never not been "tree trunks" (as my mother used to refer to them as).
-And now I have the nickname of Popeye from my girlfriend haha

Next step: DO NOT GET BIGGER...tone and lean stage is up next with 21 day fix extreme!!

If you're ready for a program to push you, this is the one. 30 minutes a day gets you results.

21 Day Fix EXTREME Begins!

Sunday Feb 15th started my journey on the 21 day fix extreme program!  I am going through the program with my girlfriend so it will be awesome to hold each other accountable.  Having just went through insanity max 30, I am excited to incorporate weights back into my workout routine!
Here is what the program looks like: WATCH HERE!

I am committed for 21 days to:
-Follow the Countdown to competition meal plan
-Not drink alcohol
-Follow the workout plan every day
-Push myself to a new fitness level

FOR THE WORKOUTS:
So far we have done Plyo Extreme and Upper body extreme.
OH.  MY.  GOODNESS!!
My legs were shaking within the first few minutes of the Plyo workout and I found myself swearing at trainer Autumn quite often!  It felt really good to get a different type of workout in, plus jumping with weights is always a bit harder than it seems!

Upper body extreme...let's just say washing my hair in the shower afterwards proved to be difficult. I immediately felt sore in a good way, but wow I am not looking forward to tomorrow!

FOR THE MEAL PLAN:
I will admit I miss my fruits because of my sweet tooth, but my chocolate shakeology has helped me survive during the two days of the countdown to competition meal plan.  Tomorrow seems like I am going to be in heaven, being allowed back my 2 fruit servings and 1 more carb!!

But the countdown to competition meal plan is good so far.  I feel so full off of the nutritious foods and actually find it hard to eat all of the food planned in one day.

It is easy to follow because color coded portion controlled containers are provided for you!!

FOR THE WEEK:
Being the first week of the program, it will be the hardest.  With that being said, I am traveling for 3 days, which will be a true test of my commitment.  I have my meal plan set and will be grocery shopping, doing food prep, and packing all my food while away.  I am going to do my best to workout and kick ass even while away from my accountability partner!! Meal plan is below for those who are interested in seeing what it is all about!  I am sure we will get a lot more creative in our meal planning but since I will be away, keeping it simple will get me through!  Trying two of the Fix Extreme recipes this week which I am excited for...Turkey Chili and a Veggie Egg Cup!

I will be writing about our journey on my Like Page...https://www.facebook.com/recipetobefit

Anyone interested in trying the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme...contact me.  I highly recommend it as it totally changes your outlook on eating.  Food is Fuel NOT only for pleasure!

HOW DO I AFFORD SHAKEOLOGY??

HOW DO I AFFORD SHAKEOLOGY??

Number one reason I get that people do not want to even TRY shakeology for a month is because they simply can not afford it.  Believe me, I was this person when initially asked about the shakes over 2 years ago.  I did not see how I could afford the $4 per day shake, I did not think it was worth it, I did not want to even think about making it work.

BUT…Like most things that are new to me I finally said WHAT THE HELL, LET ME TRY IT!

I was convinced enough by all of the success stories that I thought, hey maybe this stuff actually does work.

NUMBER 1: IT IS NOT A WEIGHT LOSS SHAKE.  OH YEAH, AND IT IS NOT SIMPLY A PROTEIN SHAKE!

It is a nutritional shake, filled with vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, superfoods…. It has everything you need.  And it is equivalent to about 5 salads.  And let me tell you, I DO NOT want to eat 5 salads every day!

It will INCREASE your energy, aid in digestion, reduce hunger and food cravings, boost your immune system, help your skin look and feel healthier.  Just from the energy standpoint, it has helped me personally keep up with all of the little kids I coach soccer to.

So HOW DO I AFFORD IT??

What I don’t do now that I used to…

1.       Spend money at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. ---There is no need.  Make your own coffee.  Don’t be lazy.  And yes every now and then do I, of course, but that is $3 a day easily that I am saving aka my shake money

2.       No more bottled water---Again, no need.  But a water bottle, buy a water filter such as brita. BOOM. DONE!

3.       Do not eat out as often.---How to do this? Meal Prep. It is easy to order out, go through a drive through, or go out to dinner.  But it takes commitment to prepare your own food, AND know what is going into your meals to fuel your body.

4.       I do not chew as much gum---Long drives, I need gum.  BUT I used to be addicted…went through it like crazy.  Now, spend MUCH LESS on it.

5. Buy in Bulk!  Head to BJ's or Costco or wherever and get certain items in bulk.  Some examples that I got my last trip include: almonds, chia seeds, Peanut butter powder, flax seeds, black beans, chick peas.

SO….These are the ways I personally have saved money so that I can afford the NUTRITIONAL SHAKE, shakeology.  With all the benefits, who wouldn’t want to try it??

HONEY OAT CRUSTED CHICKEN

Delicious recipe to make for dinner tonight that's so simple. Thanks to One Fit Fighter for this recipe idea that I tweaked a little bit!!

Mix 2 eggs and 1/2 cup honey together in a bowl

In a separate bowl mix together 1 cup chopped almonds, 1 cup of oats, salt and pepper, basil or cinnamon depending on your taste buds!

Dip chicken breast in egg mixture then coat it in the dry mixture. Place in glass baking dish or a cookie sheet (spray with cooking spray) Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes per side. Enjoy!!

COCONUT CANDY (No Bake!)

1/2 cup coconut butter (softened)
1/2 cup coconut oil melted

Mix coconut butter and oil together then mix in 2 tablespoons of almond butter or peanut butter

On a greased cookie sheet, spread 1/2 shredded coconut, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 peanuts or almonds.  then pour the coconut butter/oil mixture over it, covering all pieces

Place in freezer for 30min, then pull out and break into pieces!  Store in freezer to continue to devour!