Baked Oatmeal Cups with Berries and Bananas

Talk about delicious!  I made these muffins last night for meal prep and I do not think they will be lasting too long!  The whole family loved them!  These are also great if you are a hurry in the morning or traveling you can just pop them in your bag and go!  I paired them with some poached eggs and I had a full breakfast!  1 Yelloe and 1 Purple for 2 muffins!

Baked Oatmeal Cups with Bananas and Berries
(Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each)
Total Time: 45 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large bananas, mashed
1 Tbsp. raw honey
2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. baking powder
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup fresh blueberries (or raspberries)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare twelve muffin cups by coating with spray. Set aside.
3. Combine eggs, extract, bananas, and honey in a large bowl; mix well. Set aside.
4. Combine oats, cinnamon, and baking powder in a medium bowl; mix well.
5. Add oat mixture to egg mixture; mix well.
6. Add almond milk; mix well.
7. Divide oat mixture evenly between prepared muffin cups.
8. Top evenly with blueberries.
9. Bake 26 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Tip: Raisins, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pomegranate seeds, or dark chocolate chips can be substituted for blueberries.

Snickers Shakeology Recipe!

Talk about a yummy shake!

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology

1tsp caramel extract

Dash sea salt

1tbsp All Natural Nut Butter

1c Almond Milk

1/2 cup water

Ice to taste

21 Day Fix Extreme Recipe: Chicken/Shrimp Fajitas

21 Day Fix Extreme Recipe: Chicken/Shrimp Fajitas 

I am seriously loving all of the recipes in the Fix Extreme book! We made the chicken fajita recipe and actually substituted the chicken for shrimp and it was AMAZING!! I love to make extra so I can have some for lunch too! You can use lettuce leaves for shells , or if you are using a yellow for dinner you can mix with rice or use tortillas/shells!

If using shrimp I do not marinate with the veggies since the shrimp only takes a couple of minutes to cook. Marinate the veggies, cook them to your liking then add the shrimp. The shrimp will take on all of the seasoning!

This recipe makes 4 servings and 2 fajitas each

Ingredients:
1tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp olive oil, divided, use
4 (5-6oz) raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2 in strips
1 medium red or green red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
8 large romaine (or butter) lettuce leaves
1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh salsa
lime wedge for garnish optional

Directions:
Combine chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 tsp oil in large resealable plastic bag.

Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion; mix gently to coat.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Empty contents of bag into skilled; cook stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat.  Add lime juice.

Evenly top lettuce leaves with chicken mixture, avocado and salsa.
Garnish with lime wedges if desired.

Containers:  2 Green, 1/2 purple, 1 red, 1/2 blue

You gotta try this!  It's amazing!!!

Tips for eating out

Its Saturday and I'm sure your weekend is packed with picnics, graduation parties, birthday parties or dinner at a restaurant. As I'm writing this sentence my blood pressure is already starting to rise because I know that all of these things are filled with high fat, sugary, and hard to resist temptations. The last picnic I went to the menu consisted of pigs in a blanket, roast beef, stuffed chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, salad, and fruit salad. Oh, and need I forget the beer, liquor, pop, cookies and cake! So needless to say there was not much for me to choose from. I did my best to keep it clean. People kept giving me weird stares and offering me cake and cookies. I politely declined and drank my water and ate my fruit. When I got home I prepared myself a healthy snack.

To keep from having to stress every time you go out in public to a restaurant or an event here are some tips fromTosca Reno's Stripped book to keep your blood pressure in check!

Planning is best, when you are out you always need a game plan. You should avoid eating out as much as possible because once you enter a restaurant you surrender control over what is in your food.

1. Develop an "I don't have to eat it all!" Mindset. Make up your mind before you go that you don't have to get the most bang for your buck by cleaning your plate. KEEP YOUR GOAL IN MIND.

2. Satisfy hunger only-Don't Gorge. Eat for the purpose of satisfying your hunger, but no more.

3. Start small and green. Start your meal with a salad, without dressing. Use a spritz of lemon or some balsamic vinegar.

4. Broth is best. When there is no salad option have a broth based soup.

5. NO BREAD PLEASE! Remember this is not helping you achieve your 10 pound weight loss goal.

6. Clean Cooking techniques rock! Look for entree options featuring steamed or raw veggies and grilled, baked or roasted meats or fish. If they aren't listed, ask the server to prepare it that way. Oh and don't always trust the low fat or fat free symbols.

7. Portion control is in. Have a good look at your plate when it arrives. Ask for a doggie bag and split your meal in half.

8. Fletcherize. The practice of chewing each mouthful a min of 25 times. It gives your body a chance to recognize when you are becoming full. (This is very hard to do when you are with kids, because you never know when they have had enough and you will have to leave your meal behind to take the kids out).

9. Zero Tolerance. You want to avoid alcohol because sugar can derail you in the most powerful way. Have sparkling water with lemon or lime slices.

10. Stop before the end. Think of your plan to shed those pounds, if you can't resist something sweet ask for a dish of fresh fruit and leave it at that!

If you doubt your ability to resist restaurant offerings then pre-eat! Then when you go to a restaurant or social event you don't have to worry about what's on the menu and you can focus on socializing.

If you can't resist the dessert table then pack a few clean cookies in a Ziploc bag and pull them out with your coffee while everyone else is eating their sugar laden cookies and cake. If you have to go through a drive through, familiarize yourself with the menu. Never super size and make smart food choices by ordering grilled chicken and a side salad. Cut up the chicken and place on salad and go with olive and vinegar dressing or, low fat balsamic.

One of the most difficult things to manage while following a healthy lifestyle is your social life. So surround yourself with family and friends that support what you are doing and are not sabotaging your efforts. Instead of going out drinking or to a restaurant here are some alternatives.

Meet a friend at the gym

Have a game night at home with healthy clean snacks

Batters up- organize a kickball or softball game in your neighborhood or with the kids.

Volunteer together at a local charity

Meet at the park for a walk or bike ride

Take a zumba class with friends- I am doing this at Northway Church every Thursday night! AWESOME!

Eating clean and creating a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean that you are becoming a boring person. There is so much more to experience than food and drinks! Live outside the box and you will have people wondering what you are doing because your energy and personality are on fire!!!

SAGIS SIGNATURE MEATBALLS!!

 These meatballs are delicious and great for meal prep on Sunday!  

Ingredients

* Nonstick Cooking Spray

* 1 1/2lbs lean ground turkey

* 1 tsp sea salt

*1/2 tsp ground black pepper

*1 large egg, lightly beaten

* 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

* 2 TBSP chopped cilantro

*2 TBSP all natural tomato sauce

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F; lightly spray a large baking sheet and set aside

2.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well by hand

3.  Roll mixture into 30 in inch meatballs; place on prepared baking sheet

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until reaches 165 degrees.

21 Days Fix : 4 meatballs 1 R, 1/2 Y

My Story

My weight has always fluctuated.  Ever since I gained the Freshman "40" in college I have been on some kind of diet, some healthy, some not.  I have never been truly comfortable in my own skin even if it may seem like I have the most confidence in the world. I knew that I needed to make a change... I wanted to be confident and happy!

 My breaking point..  stresses in life caused me to start drinking a little too much wine.  After all I needed a stress reliever at the end of the day after working full time and taking care of two kids ages 4 and 2.  I put on a little weight, not much but enough that my pants didn't fit anymore.  I also starting working from home full time which meant open access to the kitchen all day long. Enter Beachbody... I don't remember how I saw T25... it wasn't an infomercial but it may be have been a banner or something on a website.  I was like sweet!  25 minutes a day!  At the time I was going to the gym everyday taking all sorts of classes which I loved!  But my body wasn't changing... I wasn't losing weight and I was basically doing the same exercises over and over again, not switching it up like all the fitness experts tell you to do.  What did Albert Einstein say?

  Finding Beachbody changed my life.  My pants fit again!  Working out from home 30 minutes a day or 25 with T25 was awesome!  They tell you what workout to do everyday and tell you exactly what to eat so you get results.  No gimmicks, no easy way out, just hard work and I love it.  You also join a challenge group on Facebook.   It was awesome!  You get a coach and check in everyday with other people who are doing the same workouts as you and you get tips on getting your water in, modifying exercises, etc.  It truly keeps you motivated!  I've been doing the workouts for over 2 years now. I've completed T25, P90x3, 21 day Fix, Insanity Max 30 and I'm just recently a 21 day fix Extreme grad!  I've lost weight but more importantly I've learned the value of healthy eating as well (Not Lean Cuisines!!). Eating bad food sort of sucks the life out of you - it makes you so tired and makes you crave more of it!!! When you eat healthy food you have more energy - all day energy!!! What else give you energy?  EXERCISE!!! Those endorphins make you feel AMAZING!!! The more you move the better you feel!

I feel better now than I ever have.  I'm happier and I feel more confident. I even have a more positive attitude towards life.   I look forward to getting up everyday and working out and checking in my challenge groups.  Yep, I still do them!  They keep me motivated!  I even had Cha (my husband) do the 21 Day Fix Extreme with me and he lost 10 pounds!  I think it also instilled some really healthy eating/exercise habits too!

Because of the great support I received from the challenge groups I decided I want to do the same thing for other people.  It's hard to commit to changing your life and eating healthy and exercising especially in the beginning.  It gets easier and makes you feel amazing!   I want to be your support system and motivation to stay focused.  I have learned so many tips and tricks along the way and I want to share them.  Who's with me!

So.... What is a Challenge Group?!?

Hmmm... What is a challenge group?  What is a coach?  A Beachbody coach is someone who coaches you along your  journey to a healthier you!  When you sign-up up as a challenger with beachbody, your coach will place you in a challenge group where you check in everyday to share with the group how your day was in terms of eating and exercise.  the group shared their meal plans, recipes, tips and tricks to make the program work for you!  The best part of the challenge group is the motivation you receive from everyone who is in the same boat as you.  You share your frustrations and your victories!  You do not need to go through this journey alone!  We are there to help you and guide you along the way!