Baked Oatmeal Cups

We all have those days when we are rushing out the door in the morning before realizing we haven't eaten breakfast yet.  Well, you should definitely NOT skip breakfast, instead have something already prepared, that you can just grab and go.  And I don't mean a donut!  So, this week for my meal prepping, I baked oatmeal cups.  This is a nice clean, healthy breakfast to have on the run or even as a snack.  If you are going to be having this as breakfast, I recommend pairing it with a protein as well.  A good easy, on the go protein, would be a hard boiled egg.  I like to always have hard boiled eggs already prepared for the week so that I can grab them whenever I need some protein.

I have stored mine in the refrigerator, so that I can take one out and throw it the microwave for about 30 seconds and its ready to go.

Baked Oatmeal Cups

Ingredients
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla etract
1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 cup pumpkin (could also use 1 banana instead)
1/4 cup honey
2 cups Oats
2 TBSP Chia seeds
1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup almond milk

Optional Toppings:  blueberries, dark chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, cranberries, raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix egg, vanilla, applesauce, pumpkin and honey together in a bowl.  Add oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.  Pour in milk and combine.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.  Divide mixture evenly into muffin tins cups.  Add toppings.

Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

I didn't think about this until after I made these.  But you could totally add some chocolate Shakeology in the mix to add some protein and make it extra yummy!  I'm definitely going to do that next time!
Enjoy!!

Top 5 Mistakes People Make When it Comes to Health and Fitness

You know that health and fitness is my passion.  I am not an expert in the field, however, through research and lots of trial and error, there are things that I have learned that work really well and things that do not.  There are a lot of common mistakes that I see people make when it comes to trying to lose weight or even just trying to tone up.  Some of these mistakes are ones that I have made myself in the past.  So, I have decided to compose a list of what I think are the top mistakes people make when it comes to their health and fitness.

1) DIETING- I actually get accused of dieting a lot.  People often ask me when they see me turning down cake or choosing something healthy to eat, "why are you on a diet? You don't need to lose weight."  The answer is always that I am NOT on a diet!  I do have sweets and french fries and pizza, just not everyday.  There are times when I will choose to turn it down and there are times when I will indulge.  I do not believe in giving up foods, and I honestly never have.  If I told myself that I could not eat pizza anymore, that is all i would want to eat!  Becoming healthy and/losing weight does not mean that you have to give up all of your favorite foods.  MODERATION is key!  I believe in the 80/20 rule, 80% of the time you choose healthy, clean foods to eat.  Then the 20% is left for your "cheat meals."  I also believe in making my favorite "unhealthy" foods, healthy.  All you have to do is get on Pinterest or follow my blog, for recipes on how to make things healthy.  You love pizza?  Try a pizza made with a whole wheat tortilla, some clean sauce and add your favorite veggies!  You love tacos? Easy!  Try it with chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.  Instead of adding sour cream, try plain Greek yogurt.  You love sweets?  Try one of my healthy sweets on my blog!  It's possible to lose weight without dieting.  Healthy is a way of life, not a diet.

2) NOT EATING ENOUGH FOOD-  People often think that the only way to lose weight is by decreasing the amount of food they eat.  Well, that's not always necessarily true.  It's also about what foods you are putting in your body.  Portion control is important and it's a great lesson learned from the 21 Day Fix. http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/ BCP21D160?referringRepId=582447

 Instead of skipping meals, you should eat several small meals a day.  This helps keep your body fueled and keep you from getting so hungry that you overeat.  Finally, not eating enough calories will actually slow down your metabolism, keeping you from being able to lose weight.

3)  NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER-  I think we often underestimate how important it is to drink enough water each day.  When your body is dehydrated, it can not burn fat.  It also helps give us the energy we need to get through the day and our workouts.  You should be drinking half of your body weight in ounce each day.

4) NOT SWITCHING UP YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE-  This was my problem for a long time.  I was a runner and that is pretty much all I did besides the occasional squat, crunch, lunge, etc.  I kept wondering why I wasn't seeing the changes in my body that I wanted to see.  When we do the same exercise over and over, our bodies adapt which means we start to burn fewer calories.  Switching up your routine will also help build muscles to different parts of your body.  So change up your routine a bit!

5)  NOT HAVING AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER- I can not tell you enough how much of a difference it can make having someone else to help hold you accountable.  I was never so consistent with my workouts and clean eating before I became a coach and started doing the online challenge groups that I do.  That is a great way to have accountability but it's not the only way.  Find a friend, spouse, relative that will gently remind you get your workout in, maybe someone you can workout with.  You want someone who believes in you and will support you.  Find a group online to join.  Join  one of my challenge groups!  I am more than happy to be your coach and help keep you accountable! You can get a FREE Team Beachbody account and enlist me as your coach right here  https://www.teambeachbody.com/tbbsignup/-/tbbsignup/free?referringRepId=582447 and we can get you on the right path to reaching your goals.
It's a lot easier for us to disappoint ourselves than it is to let someone else down.

So, there you have my top 5 ways to sabotage your health and fitness progress.  If you have been struggling with losing weight or getting in shape, I hope that this information has been helpful.

Banana Apple Muffins

I just love to bake!  I don't get to very often, it's just not something I make time for.  But when I do get to bake, I really enjoy doing it with my kiddos.  My oldest son has been working on trying new foods since he super picky.  So, a great way for him to do this, is by helping to make the food.  So,he gets introduced to new foods, learns to bake/cook AND I get to spend one on one time with him!  That's a win all around!

Our latest creation, actually came from Autumn Calabrese (21 day fix trainer) recipe book FIXATE.  I absolutely LOVE this cook book!!  It has so many great recipes, lots of variety of food (even gluten free foods) and they are all 21 day fix approved (she even tells you how many containers for each meal).  This one is a quick and easy muffin recipe and tastes really good (especially when warmed).

Banana Apple Muffins

Ingredients
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1 TBSP organic grass-fed butter, melted
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 tsp baking soda, gluten free
1 dash sea salt
1/2  cup chopped apple (about 3/4 medium apple)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,  Prepare 9 muffin cups by lining with muffin tin liners.  Combine eggs, banana, and butter in a medium bowl; mix well.  Set aside.  Combine almond flour, baking soda and salt  in a medium bowl; mid well.  Add apple; mix until just blended.  Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups.  Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Transfer muffins to rack; cool.  Enjoy!

1 Purple 1 Blue

Just keep swimming

I know that a lot of people have started new exercise or health routines this month with it being a new year.  A new year always seems like a good place to start a new.  I totally get that!  Did you know that 70% of people who start a fitness program never finish!  That is a pretty high percentage!  I know that you do NOT want to be one of those 70%.  So how do you avoid it?

One way to keep from being in that group,

is it to take it one day at a time, one exercise at a time, one meal at a time.  Do something everyday, no matter how small, that will get you a little closer to your goal.  You must also be patient.  If you've never run before, don't be disappointed that you weren't able to run a mile on your first trip out.  Be proud that you tried.  You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run.  Every little step you take matters.  If you haven't read the book "The Compound Effect," then go out and get it right now!  Seriously!  It will change the way you look at things.  Every thing that you do whether good or bad has an effect on your life.

As long as your moving forward, you're headed in the right direction.

So, stay positive, and keep on swimming!

Berry Quinoa Parfait

I started my new health and fitness program, Hammer & Chisel, this week.  This means that I also started a my new meal plan to go with it.  It feels good to be back on track after kind of losing myself over Christmas break.  This program has already proven to be challenging, which means, I LOVE it!  I have muscles that are sore where I didn't even know I had muscles!

I know as part of doing this program, that if I really want to see some changes, I HAVE to follow this meal plan.  But if you know me, you know, i LOVE my sweets so I was super excited to find this healthy little sweet snack that I'm about to share with you, in my meal plan!  YAY ME!  Believe me when I say that eating healthy does NOT mean that you can't enjoy your food!  If your meal plan does not include food like this, then you need to come talk to me!  ;)

So, here she is:

Berry Quinoa Parfait

Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
3 cups low-fat (I use non fat) plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp raw honey (or pure maple syrup)

Evenly layer quinoa, stra
wberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, and honey in a tall glass.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Serve and enjoy!!

For my 21 day fixers or H & C, here is the container breakdown
1-purple 

1-red
1-yellow

Making new habits stick

Have you ever wondered why 95% of people who make New Year resolutions never follow through with them??  Are you part of the 95% or the 5%??  Well, I will be honest, I was always part of the 5% but I have learned a few things about setting goals and actually accomplishing them.  Of course, that doesn't mean that I accomplished everything that I set out to do in 2015??  NO, I did not.  But I did accomplish some of my goals that I made. As for the other ones, well, I had to sit down and really reflect on why I did not reach those goals.  They weren't unattainable goals and it wasn't that I gave up on them.  So, I ask myself, "What did I do last year that worked really well?  What did not work? and what do I need to do differently this year?"

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
                                 -Henry Ford

Not following through on your goals and not attaining them are really separate issues.  If you worked towards your goals all year but just came short of reaching them then you followed through.  You just need to figure out what steps you need to take to make them work this time.

Not following through means that you failed to create or stick to a new habit.  The truth is that most people hate and avoid change.  Change is hard and we don't like hard.  We like easy.  Therefore when we set a goal and start to work towards it, we ultimately give up because it's too hard.  But the thing is, is that its only hard at first.  Once we create new habits and stick with them, it eventually becomes second nature to us.  It is said that it takes anywhere from 21-30 days to form a new habit.  So, if we decide that we want to start working out and give up after the first week because its too hard, there is no habit formed.  We then give up.  BUT, if you stuck with it, it would eventually become easier and after 30 days, would be a new healthy habit.  The hard part is only temporary!  Push through and do what's right instead of what's easy.  That is the only way to see results.

How do you stay focused and keep from wanting to give up?
Write down your goals, make them specific.
Write down your why.  Why are these goals important to you?
Write down the steps you need to take to reach those goals.  What habits do you need to create to get what you want.
Make the first thing that you do every morning, reading those goals, picture yourself reaching those goals.
Stick with a schedule.  If your goal is to workout everyday.  Try to do it at the same time every day.  Our bodies and minds like routine.

Most of these ideas I've shared with you are from my personal development that I've read over the past year that I have personally put into practice myself.  I am no expert but these things have worked for me and I continue to use them to work on my own personal goals.  I highly recommend you choose your own personal development to work on this year based on your goals.  This could be in the form of a book, audiobook, podcasts, seminars, etc.   What do you want to improve in the year 2016?

Facebook challenge!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I am so excited about starting this new year!  Last year was amazing and I know this year is going to be even better!  I have so great but challenging goals set and am starting off strong!  Today, I started my Miracle Morning routine, which involves me getting up at 5 am each morning.  This is MY time, my time to reflect, meditate, pray, write in my journal and keep up with my personal development.  I got off to a great start this morning and am looking forward to keeping it up.   It's amazing how good you can feel when you start your mornings off calmly and with reflection versus constant rushing around, which is how most of the rest of my days go.

Last year, I spent time focusing on thinking positive and pushing negative thoughts out of my head.  This was a great practice and really transformed me.  I found my self feeling happy and positive most of the time.  Have you heard the saying, "Be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life."  Proverbs 4:23  or how about this one, "Change your thoughts and you'll change your world."  I totally, 100% believe this is true because I've seen it.

So, I've been contemplating this for a while...Have you noticed that other people's thoughts, words and actions can sometimes affect how you feel as well?  They don't control my feelings but I do notice a difference in how i feel when i spend too much time with someone who is always so negative.  I have actually made it a point to associate myself with negative people as little as possible.  But here's the thing, they are everywhere and most certainly on Facebook!  Now, I have a love/hate relationship for Facebook.  I love it for the reasons i think it was designed for like; keeping in touch with family and friends that you don't see often, reconnecting with old friends, sharing pictures, etc.  But the part I hate (hate is a strong word, dislike) is all the negativity that there is on fb.  There is so much hatred in people's posts sometimes.  I consider myself a very positive person but sometimes reading all that can bring you down or make you angry.  I've considered staying off of fb and have cut down my time on there for sure.  But the thing is, i enjoy getting on there occasionally and keeping up with some of my family and friends that i don't often see.  I love seeing pics of my friends or cousins kiddos.  I love getting inspiration from others.  So, what's a girl to do?

I would really love to do some sort of challenge on Facebook.  Let's call it, "If you don't have anything nice to type, don't type!"  Okay, I know, I'm not very creative, that was the best I've got.  I welcome your input!  Basically, I would like to challenge you stop (at least cut back) on the negative posts and focus on something positive.  You can almost always turn a negative situation into something positive.  ex. "DANG, I wrecked my car today!  Some *&#@^%$# ran me off the road!"  Instead you could say, "I am so thankful that my family and i are safe after being in a wreck earlier today."  This is not just about how you make others feel.  When you turn a negative into a positive, it changes the way YOU feel.  I'm not asking you to change your posts to make me feel better.  I want to inspire you think positive and spend each day grateful.  And when you do this, you just may inspire someone else to do the same!  Negativity spreads like wildfire.  Let's take this year and and spread HAPPINESS and POSITIVITY and LOVE and GRATITUDE.

We all have so much to be thankful for!  WILL YOU TAKE THE CHALLENGE AND HELP ME SPREAD GOOD NEWS!?  Make this the year that YOU inspire others!!