Is it really Tuesday already?!?!? 'Cause it really feels like a Monday! It's been a rough day here. Struggles of today included, but are not limited to the following: No workout, Dishes piled in sink when I walked into the kitchen this morning, Water dumped into purse which contained my cell phone and brand new camera, Fussy child, Broken dryer, Messy house... I could go on but really, would you want me to do so?
Due to the madness, Tuesday's Tip is a short one:
GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND DO SOMETHING!
That is all. Thank you for your time.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
What would you do....
for results like this.....
????????
Huge congratulations to Olivia!!!!! Not surprisingly, I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser. Not only is it inspiring to watch people change their lives but it is also a great way to learn some exercise routines and tips for healthy eating.
What happens on the Biggest Loser ranch is truly amazing. Extreme? Definitely. BUT, it IS attainable for everyone out there. Reality check. It WILL take longer than 3 months. You won't get a quarter of a million dollars at the end. And it won't be easy.
When (not if) you do it, you will be so glad you did. So, what you YOU do for a transformation????
Huge congratulations to Olivia!!!!! Not surprisingly, I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser. Not only is it inspiring to watch people change their lives but it is also a great way to learn some exercise routines and tips for healthy eating.
What happens on the Biggest Loser ranch is truly amazing. Extreme? Definitely. BUT, it IS attainable for everyone out there. Reality check. It WILL take longer than 3 months. You won't get a quarter of a million dollars at the end. And it won't be easy.
When (not if) you do it, you will be so glad you did. So, what you YOU do for a transformation????
Friday, May 27, 2011
One of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE websites...
I am loving the Food Facts website!!! Seriously, it's awesome - go check it out!!!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday's Tip
Eat HEALTHY on a budget.
Three years ago, I took on the task of our family's budget, and I was shocked by how much we were spending on groceries. Adding up the totals for the month, Giant Eagle was getting about a thousand dollars of our hard earned money. Not cool. At all. So, I decided to use coupons when I could and go to Aldi for the majority of our food. Right away, I got that total down to about $700 a month. Yay me.
I was really proud of myself for learning how to save some of our money. We lived that way for awhile and then I started learning more about reading labels and the importance of that. Again, I was shocked but this time it was over how many fat and sugar grams we were consuming. I needed to find a way to strike a balance between saving money and eating healthy.
Enter Meal Planning which I discussed in more detail in a prior blog post. I started to buy my groceries according to what my family would eat each week. And I started to pay more attention to prices and how they fluctuate. I buy when a price is low and can be combined with a coupon. I plan out what we will eat based on the sales and utilize the Farmer's Markets around the area whenever possible. And we are finally down to about $500 a month in groceries. For a family of 5. Not bad, eh?
For this blog post, I decided I would share one of my favorite budget friendly meals that will feed a family of my size, keeping in mind that my younger two don't eat much so this is probably the equivalent of 4 people.
1 pound of Nature's Basket Chicken tenderloins, cut into 1 inch pieces and cooked with Pam Olive Oil spray in a pan. In a separate pan, I sauteed broccoli, baby carrots, 1 oz green pepper, .5 oz red pepper, 1 oz yellow pepper, and 1/2 cup of Glen Muir Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes in 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. I sprinkled in some dried basil and rosemary for a little extra flavor. I'm not usually a fan of boxed potatoes but I got such a great deal on these Betty Crocker garlic mashed potatoes that I couldn't resist. I served this with 1 individual size of Giant Eagle's health diced pears in juice.
PRICES:
The chicken (which is organic and 99% fat free) was on sale for $4.99/ lb. $5.00
The peppers were bought at Aldi. They have a pack of red, green, and yellow peppers for 99 cents and I didn't even use a full one of each. $0.50
The baby carrots were on sale for $2.00 a bag and I used 1/8 of the bag. $0.25
The Glen Muir tomatoes were on sale for $2.00 a can and I had a coupon which then doubled making it $1.00 a can. I used 1/4 of the can. $0.25
For the pears, I bought the individual servings because it's a lot easier to take them to the park or on an outing (would be even less expensive if you bought a large can). $2.00
The potatoes were on sale for $1.00 a box (which contains 2 packets) and I had a coupon for $1.00 off when you buy 2 boxes, so each packet ended up being so cheap. $0.25
For $8.25, I fed my entire family a wonderful dinner!
Calorie count per plate was 429 calories.
Feeding a family on a budget is much easier than I originally thought it would be and my only wish now is that I had started this sooner...
Three years ago, I took on the task of our family's budget, and I was shocked by how much we were spending on groceries. Adding up the totals for the month, Giant Eagle was getting about a thousand dollars of our hard earned money. Not cool. At all. So, I decided to use coupons when I could and go to Aldi for the majority of our food. Right away, I got that total down to about $700 a month. Yay me.
I was really proud of myself for learning how to save some of our money. We lived that way for awhile and then I started learning more about reading labels and the importance of that. Again, I was shocked but this time it was over how many fat and sugar grams we were consuming. I needed to find a way to strike a balance between saving money and eating healthy.
Enter Meal Planning which I discussed in more detail in a prior blog post. I started to buy my groceries according to what my family would eat each week. And I started to pay more attention to prices and how they fluctuate. I buy when a price is low and can be combined with a coupon. I plan out what we will eat based on the sales and utilize the Farmer's Markets around the area whenever possible. And we are finally down to about $500 a month in groceries. For a family of 5. Not bad, eh?
For this blog post, I decided I would share one of my favorite budget friendly meals that will feed a family of my size, keeping in mind that my younger two don't eat much so this is probably the equivalent of 4 people.
1 pound of Nature's Basket Chicken tenderloins, cut into 1 inch pieces and cooked with Pam Olive Oil spray in a pan. In a separate pan, I sauteed broccoli, baby carrots, 1 oz green pepper, .5 oz red pepper, 1 oz yellow pepper, and 1/2 cup of Glen Muir Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes in 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. I sprinkled in some dried basil and rosemary for a little extra flavor. I'm not usually a fan of boxed potatoes but I got such a great deal on these Betty Crocker garlic mashed potatoes that I couldn't resist. I served this with 1 individual size of Giant Eagle's health diced pears in juice.
PRICES:
The chicken (which is organic and 99% fat free) was on sale for $4.99/ lb. $5.00
The peppers were bought at Aldi. They have a pack of red, green, and yellow peppers for 99 cents and I didn't even use a full one of each. $0.50
The baby carrots were on sale for $2.00 a bag and I used 1/8 of the bag. $0.25
The Glen Muir tomatoes were on sale for $2.00 a can and I had a coupon which then doubled making it $1.00 a can. I used 1/4 of the can. $0.25
For the pears, I bought the individual servings because it's a lot easier to take them to the park or on an outing (would be even less expensive if you bought a large can). $2.00
The potatoes were on sale for $1.00 a box (which contains 2 packets) and I had a coupon for $1.00 off when you buy 2 boxes, so each packet ended up being so cheap. $0.25
For $8.25, I fed my entire family a wonderful dinner!
Calorie count per plate was 429 calories.
Feeding a family on a budget is much easier than I originally thought it would be and my only wish now is that I had started this sooner...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Do you run?
Most of you know that running is what started me on this path to overall wellness. To go from being a couch potato to running a 5K is a daunting task but I found the Couch to 5K program to be extremely effective. I started off much like most of you, hating running and saying I would never be able to complete a 5K race. After mastering muddling through the Couch to 5K plan, I conquered the 5K and then over the next year, the 10K, 1/2 Marathon, and Marathon. I never thought that *I* could run a mile, and I ran over 26 miles consecutively. Just wanted to throw this plan out there. If you decide to do, check in with me anytime and I'd be happy to answer any questions for you.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday's Tip of the Day
Train your body evenly.
Looking around at the gym, I have noticed that most women spend more time at the machines that target the inner thighs, hips or butt. It seems that other body parts are not as important to them. Unfortunately, this approach is not a good idea. Trying to "spot lose", by just training the body parts that bother you, can cause muscle imbalances. This can lead to injury, poor posture, and a worse physique. Just as you train equally on your left and right sides, train equally in the front and the back to see the best results and to keep your body trim, healthy, and strong.
Good luck and as always, let me know if you have any questions.
Looking around at the gym, I have noticed that most women spend more time at the machines that target the inner thighs, hips or butt. It seems that other body parts are not as important to them. Unfortunately, this approach is not a good idea. Trying to "spot lose", by just training the body parts that bother you, can cause muscle imbalances. This can lead to injury, poor posture, and a worse physique. Just as you train equally on your left and right sides, train equally in the front and the back to see the best results and to keep your body trim, healthy, and strong.
Good luck and as always, let me know if you have any questions.
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