Weekly Meal Prep

I work the regular Monday to Friday hours, but my Husband works away from town for 3 weeks at a time, then spends 3 weeks at home. During the 3 weeks that he's away, I spend life as a fulltime working single mother to our gorgeous 2 year old daughter. Time can sometimes go rather quickly while he's away as life is so busy with just my daughter and I. I had mentioned to a friend of mine last week that I can't remember what it feels like to be "bored" and have absolutely nothing to do. As I type, I have lingering in the back of my mind, the pile of laundry that sits in the laundry room waiting to be washed and the 3 bathrooms that just WILL NOT clean themselves. Yes, I understand, this is LIFE. And I'm not complaining about it AT ALL, however, just giving you a bit of a run down about who I am.

I like control, and Monday-Friday needs to be completely routine and basically scheduled for me, right down to what I will eat and what, and how supper will be cooked.

Saturdays are always grocery shopping day for us. But not until a plan is in place and a list is made. I am NOT a winging it at the grocery store type. I need to know what I will be cooking during the week and what I will be packing in my work bag ahead of time. Again, I like control. I'm not about to however, compromise on quality when I have to prepare a meal in record time. Meaning, I won't buy frozen processed foods to pop in the microwave or oven because as long as we eat, that's all that matters. That's what having a slow cooker is for! Prep the night before, plug it in in the morning and PERFECT! a wholesome home cooked meal when we arrive home! Whoever came up with the slow cooker is an absolute genius!!!!

So, Sundays are my meal prep day. I make a some jars of overnight oats and some homemade granola, divide baby carrots/berries in sealed sandwich bags, along with single serve packs of hummus and shakeology packets. I also make sure that I have enough pureed spinach in ice cube trays in the freezer for smoothies. I was never one to batch cook chicken and the like because I'm kind of nuts in that I usually don't like to eat meal type foods after they are 24 hours old (after cooking). But, again the slow cooker and our grill have really helped us to have great healthy foods in an appropriate time frame.

For myself, during the normal work day, my meal plan is as follows:

Breakfast- Ezekiel wrap with natural peanut butter and a banana
Am Snack-Overnight oats/granola with greek yogurt and berries/oatmeal breakfast muffin with greek yogurt
Lunch-Usually leftovers from the night before, I tend to make enough to have for lunch the next day
Pm Snack-Chocolate Shakeology with water
Supper-Tonight will be clean eating chicken and broccoli with a side of brown rice. Again, I'll make sure that I make enough that I can take the leftovers to work tomorrow.
Snack-I tend to work out at night after my little one goes to bed, so post workout, I have a Pure Protein Chocolate protein shake or I'll have a protein of some sort.

I always aim to drink at least 1/2 of my body weight in ounces of water per day!

Nay to the naysayers!

I began my health and fitness journey last July, and since then I have seen my body transform from a skinny, unhealthy 30 something with a post partum "pooch," to a leaner, more confident, healthier version of myself (with a 6 pack!).

I have had my definite fair share of naysayers along the way. "Why are you trying to lose weight?" "You don't need to exercise." "You're obsessed." "What do you eat? Butter and flax seed?" Umm, butter and flax seed? Seriously?? But yes, it was asked to me believe it or not!

I eat clean pretty much 90% of the time and I workout. I do it for me. I do it for my family, my daughter. So that I can be the very best that I can be for myself as well as for them. I don't count calories, but I DO pay attention to WHAT I put into my body.  Honestly, even though I wouldn't sit and eat that burger that you're scarfing down, I would begrudge you because of it! Well, maybe a little, but quietly to myself. I would never make a comment about it to you. Don't get me wrong, nobody's perfect, and I NEVER once claimed to be. I do enjoy some chocolate from time to time!

What really just gets right under my skin is when family, yes, family are the ones that continue to judge your lifestyle. they don't seem to care about how much better you feel, and how much better you feel about yourself. They just see you as the skinny one that never needed to diet, exercise and lose weight. So you must be anorexic right? Umm, actually no! Why is the way I live somehow driving people to think that I have an eating disorder? I saw myself as being unhealthy and tired and wanting to make a change. That's it. Why do we feel the need to associate healthy eating and exercising as something that only people that need to lose weight do?!

I don't feel supported by the decisions that I make in regards to my lifestyle. Really though, it doesn't matter to me, yes, it does I guess, but I'm not doing this for the health of my Mother or my Sister or Aunt or Cousin or whomsoever else. I'm doing it for ME, my daughter, my husband! I want my child to grow up with healthy values, to know what healthy living is. RANT OVER! Thanks for being sounding board.

So, what do we do about the naysayers and the negative nellies that come our way?

1. Be prepared for anything that they may say to bring you down. Don't look at it as a personal attack on you, they may just be envious of your dedication.

2. Don't get defensive. Be the better person. You don't want to say something that you may regret later.

3. Be sure to remember that this is YOUR health. You're doing this for YOU, not for them.

4. Talk with them. Find out what's really bothering them about your new lifestyle. Let them know how you feel when they make those negative comments and stand your ground!

5. Find support from others. Surround yourself with like minded people with whom you share common interests. You'll feel that much better!

Hubby in the Kitchen with Tosca reno!

So, when my Husband is home from working offshore, it's great when he does the cooking so I can have a hot homemade meal with my family when I get home from work. You know what's even better? When he cooks something right out of the Eat Clean Diet cook book! He spent just a short amount of time in the kitchen, followed the recipe, and we had this delicious meal! It's chicken, and it's Chinese...how can you not like it? It was the first time that we actually tried this particular recipe from the book and I can't help but wonder why we never tried it before now.

This will definitely become a staple in our house! Hope that you enjoy

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into julienne strips
2 cups water
1 cup brown rice
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1 cup penny-sliced carrots
1 cup green onions, sliced

MARINADE:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced ginger root
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash hot pepper sauce

Directions

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in marinade and let stand for 1 hours in refrigerator. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a six-quart covered casserole dish with cooking spray. Add rice, water and salt and bake for 40 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet and gently saute garlic until just fragrant. Add sliced chicken and saute until no longer pink. Add chopped vegetables and cook until just soft. Remove from heat. Add cooked vegetable mixture to the rice when it is finished baking.

Serving Size: 6 servings

Number of Servings: 6

Ummm, Nutritional Yeast? What the heck is it?

So, nutritional yeast....Exactly WHAT is it and should we be adding it to our diet?

While I dig deep into the online world in search of clean eating recipes, I continuously find recipes that contain "nutritional yeast." Hmmm, why would we put yeast into a dish to make it creamier or more cheesier? I found a recipe recently for clean macaroni and cheese and the instructions stated that one could add more nutritional yeast to get a creamier consistency. Strange to me, as I only think of brewer's yeast.

In my search to find if I should be incorporating this "yeast' into my meal plan, here's what I have found:

1. It's an deactivated form of yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is usually the strain that it is derived from. It's a commercially sold food product that comes in powder or flake form.

2. It has protein and is chalked full of B vitamins! Plus, it's low in fat and sodium and is gluten free, sugar free and dairy free! Doesn't get too much better than that hey? (ahem, unless it's Shakeology of course :))

3. So, what does it taste like? I'm still unsure at this point, I have yet to buy it. But according to what I've seen and heard in my search for clean eats, it has a strong flavour that has been described as cheesy, nutty and creamy. Vegans and vegetarians use it in place of cheese. It is also a popular popcorn topping.

So, I may have to add this to my meal planning recipes and see what the hype is about. I'll let you know what I think!


2014. Wikipedia

Top 3 Reasons Why EVERYONE Should Have/Needs a Health Coach

Yes, It's only been since that July that I have been on this journey to health and fitness. Sporadically in the past, I have tried eating clean, tried working out at the gym, even tried the odd at home workout program. I went hard on the clean eating wagon, but for whatever the reason, fell off, I got bored at the gym because I really and truly had NO IDEA what I was doing. I didn't feel challenged at all by the at home workout program that I had chosen.

Honestly, I felt kinda jealous of the fit people. The ones who ran, the ones who were toned and the ones who could walk more than the length of themselves without huffing and puffing.

I felt the motivation to BE one of those people, but never followed through. Motivation just didn't seem to be enough.

Since beginning my Beachbody journey last July, I have never looked back. I eat clean pretty much 90% of the time, because honestly, I don't believe in completely depriving yourself, I do enjoy a bit of chocolate every now and then. I look forward to my meals and definitely have fewer cravings for junk food (especially since my daily Shakeology came into play).

Am I a fitness trainer? No. Am I a nutrition expert? Nope. Do I have a wealth of knowledge about weight loss supplements? Not at all.

What I do know is this:

1. I know that I need, and I believe that most people need accountability to reach their goals. An outlet to reach out to when you had the day from hell and you just DON'T want to get off the couch. Someone or some people who will support you to be the best that you can be.

2. I know what has worked for me. No, I have never had weight issues. I have never been overweight. But I HAVE been tired, unmotivated, and feeling sorry for the body that I had. Skinny does not equate confident! With regular working out to Beachbody programs and drinking Shakeology EVERYDAY, I feel more energetic, more confident and have a toned body that I could never have imagined myself to ever have!

3. Having a health coach is FREE! Again, It provides an avenue to keep you motivated and accountable. It's all in your attitude! How bad do you want it?

If you would like to enroll in one of my upcoming challenge groups or even if you are considering the coaching opportunity, fill out the application below.

https://nbowles.wufoo.com/forms/dream-team-coach-application/

Or, if you're not ready for that, open up a FREE account and get meal planning advice, recipes, and fitness tips here:

www.beachbodycoach.com/nancynb1

The Fitness "Fad"...Is it something that you can stick with?

The fitness fad has been around us all at some point right? Through the "I'll start Monday," the new year's resolution, or the upcoming event that we want to look our best for.

My first question...do we stick with our fitness routine? OR, do we even begin one at all? What's your true motivation for wanting to change your lifestyle? Because in actual fact, that's what it is. A lifestyle change. Not a quick fix in a short period of time that will promise permanent results.

It's a total makeover of yourself. Not just physically, but mentally, you need to get motivated and push yourself during the times that you would much prefer to lay around. It's a makeover of your diet. "Abs are made in the kitchen right?" About 70% of your weight loss comes from what you are eating, NOT how much you workout. It's a makeover of your habits. It takes 21 days to create a habit. Pushing play everyday will get you to a place where you just go workout. It becomes as natural as brushing your teeth. You just need to be committed.

But what can you do to REALLY get to your goals? For me, it started with a Beachbody challenge group. I loved that I had a place to check in everyday to get the motivation and tips that I was looking for. It was a place that I went to be accountable to what I had to do. A place that offered me clean eating meal tips and meal planning tips. A place that I could go to vent any frustrations that I may have had trying to control my sweet tooth, any struggles that I may have had with my workout routine. It offered a place where other challengers as well as a coach could help to support and motivate me through my journey.

As I sit here, I am taking a rest day from my workout because after working out everyday to P90X3 and shoveling the copius amounts of snow that we've had this week, I'm just not sure how much my shoulders can take. However, I still feel as though I SHOULD be doing my normal workout routine. Not because I feel guilty, but because it's what I do after my daughter goes to bed. It's definitely become a habit and something that I look forward to.

I have monthly challenge groups running every month if you feel that you need some extra motivation and accountability to reach your goals!

Welcome back Tony! The beginning of my P90X3 journey

So Chalean Extreme is officially over! And then some actually, I just couldn't stop after 90 days. It made me become so addicted to weight training! It transformed my body and definitely whipped me into shape. I never thought that I would ever have a 6 pack!

So after the original P90X then Chalean Extreme, it's on to P90X3! So far I have done the first 4 workouts of the Classic schedule. The first was Total Synergistics, then Agility X, yesterday was Yoga X and tonight was The Challenge.

The first 2 workouts were definitely Tony Horton P90X style, tough to say the least! Yoga X was more mellow than I anticipated. Which was great since I am terrible at yoga! Tonight, was THE CHALLENGE and it was completely Tony Horton style a tougher spin off of chest and back (if I remember correctly) from the original P90X.

Out of the 4 of these workouts, I have to say that The Challenge was definitely my favorite so far. I LOVE working upper body! Nothing like kickin' it old school with some push ups.

I am excited to see what this program has in store for me. I know that Tony Horton can get the job done and the accelerated 30 minute workouts are right up my alley.

I know that I'll be sure to see some MAJOR changes to myself by the end of 90 days!

Stay tuned....


http://www.teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/p90x3-workout

Are you a smoothie fan? I get a dense helping of nutrition from my daily Shakeology, but there are times that I really want to amp it up with different flavours. I use eat on the run in the car on my way to work. I tend to have a whole wheat flax wrap with natural peanut butter and banana inside EVERYDAY.

Recently I tried having my shake for breakfast and adding a few extras that I wouldn't normally put into it, and I have to say, it was quite delicious!

• 2 Cups Spinach
• 1/2 Cup Raspberries
• 1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt...
• 1 Tbs. Chia Seeds
• 1 1/2 Cup Almond Milk
• 1/4 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

Blend and enjoy!