Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Body Turnaround Challenge...AGAIN!

Do you remember me telling you about the Body Turnaround Challenge at the beginning of the month?  Well, the response we got was so overwhelming...we are opening the challenge up to new people!  You would not believe the results people are getting with the Turnaround Kit and we have people doing maintenance on the Lean and Healthy Kit

The best thing about this challenge is all the SUPPORT people are getting.  If you decide to become a challenge participant you will get access to an exclusive online forum.  This is a safe place where you can share your progress, concerns, post questions, and share your victories.  

I have never been so proud to be part of such a wonderful group!  Since I am nearly 26 weeks pregnant, I incorporate the Lean and Healthy kit into my daily life.  This way I am ensuring I get all the vitamins and minerals baby and I need!  Once he is born I will be diving into the Turnaround kit, so I can lose the baby weight and then some!  


The value is amazing!  How much do you spend on coffee a day?  You can get healthy for less than that!  Plus it is really easy to get your products for FREE!  Yup, I said F.R.E.E!  This is one of the features I am most excited about.  For every month you have three people taking the challenge with you, you will get your products for free.  It doesn't get much simpler than that!
If you are ready to get your life AND body back please let me know!  I am so excited to continue working with the first round of challengers and now YOU!  I look forward to taking to you soon.  :) 
wschmitt123@gmail.com

*Don't forget...If you are not 100% satisfied with ANY Shaklee product you will get your money back!*

"I lost a total of 50 pounds, 22 pounds in my first 90 days!" ~Lori


"First 90 days, I lost 38 pounds.  Our new baby gained a fit new daddy!" ~Zack

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Weekly Meal Plan 1.27--2.2


 Where did this month go?  Is it seriously going to be February soon?  Insane!  

Here is what we will be dining on this week.  Please feel free to share your meal plans!  I love getting new ideas.

Weekly Meal Plan:

Sunday: Pork tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, and veggie

Monday: Sloppy Joe's, sweet potato fries, and veggie

Tuesday:  Chili.  We love this, so we eat it A LOT.  I'm gone all day with appointments, so it will be nice to come home to the house smelling like heaven chili.  ;)

Wednesday: Omelets and fruit smoothies.  We finally have our farm fresh eggs back!  I love that we can get farm fresh eggs for $1 a dozen.  That is a steal!  Because they are so cheap we always give a little extra.

Thursday: Hopefully there are some leftovers of some sorts.  :) 

Friday:  Chicken and dumplings.

Saturday: ???
 
 
 
 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Investing In Your Health


Isn't this picture beautiful?  Maybe it only is to me, but we LOVE fruit in this house.  We call it natures candy.  Who needs a snickers when you can have this healthy NATURAL sweetness?  Not me!  

I'm sure you have heard the old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."  I tend to believe this is true because fruit is packed full of vitamin, minerals, and fiber.  All of these things are important to our health.  Fruit also has phytochemicals which can help in fighting against cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.  Sounds like eating fruit is a no brainer, so why don't people eat enough?

I always hear the excuse that fruit is expensive...organic fruit especially.  I USED TO BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE!  I'm a bit ashamed of it now that I look back.  


Would you rather eat the top picture, or the bottom?  I for one would MUCH rather eat the bottom picture.  For those who think the bottom picture costs more...think again.  For my husband and I to eat fast food, three times a day, it would cost us roughly $40 ($10 breakfast and $15 for lunch and dinner).  Sure it would be cheaper if we ate off the value menu, but I know that wouldn't happen.  This doesn't even include snacks and any other drinks we would want.

In other words, for us to eat all our meals out (fast food) for ONE week would cost us $280.  That is a lot for the little amount of food you get!  

Instead, we spend on average $75 a week on groceries (mostly unprocessed and organic).  Then I spend about $50 every 2-3 months at our local locker for meat.  For the sake of easy math let's say I spend $20 a month on meat.  That is $95 a week on groceries for two people.  We eat all breakfasts at home.  I eat lunch at home and my husband takes his lunch to work.  I make 5-6 dinners at home a week for us as well. 

For $95 we are able to eat most meals from scratch.  We are eating healthy and saving money!  I know that grocery prices depend on region and store, but I think we can all agree that eating at home saves money and saves on our health.

I think it is important to look at healthy unprocessed foods as an investment in our health.  Sure I could get out of the grocery store for less money if I filled my cart with chips, cookies, and sugary cereals.  Is that really wise though? 

The next time you are in the grocery store and shocked by the cost of wholesome non processed foods STOP yourself.  Think of it as fueling your body in a natural way.  Are you tired of always going to the doctor?  Are you tired of feeling bloated and lethargic?  Are you tired of your kids bouncing off the walls with all the sugar they consume?  Changing your diet can help alleviate all of this!  You are investing in your families overall well being.  :) 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

24 Week Update!


Sorry, I didn't get a picture taken and I wanted to get this post up because it is late!  I will do better next time.  :)

As of today I am 24 weeks 4 days.  Time if flying!  I can't even believe it.  I start going weekly now.  This is a high risk pregnancy and we knew that going into it.  Our eyes have been wide open the whole time and I have AMAZING doctors that watch us closely.  

Can I just take a minute to tell you how wonderful all my doctors and nurses are?  I have my primary o.b., but I have been rotating through all of them as well.  You never know who will be on call when you go into labor.  :)  Everyone is amazing!  They are all so sweet and caring.  Never once am I made to feel that my questions are stupid.  Never once have I been made to feel bad about myself.  I have heard horror stories from some people and I was so worried going into this.  

We knew I would have a great chance for G.D. going in because my thyroid gets so messed up.  We now know with 100% certainty it is NOT my diet.  The first time I met with the dietician I was certain she was going to "scold" me for something.  That has NEVER happened.  I get complimented all the time on how awesome my diet is.  I keep a food journal along with a b.s. journal and take it with me to my appointments.  My body just insulin resistant and being pregnant is not making it easier.

Landry is doing GREAT!  He is an active little guy with a strong heart beat around 150 every time I go in.  I'm so excited because I get another u/s in 2 weeks.  I love seeing his little face. :)  

I only have 1.5 more weeks of working outside of the home left.  I am so excited to focus on getting things ready for him.  Plus my feet will be thanking me.  They get so swollen at night.  My mom, sister, niece, and I went Outlet Mall shopping last week.  He has more clothes than me!  I got some ADORABLE things for him.  I can't wait to dress him up in all these preppy little outfits.  :) 

Sleeping has been near impossible!  I do not sleep through the night.  I either have to get up and go to the bathroom, or my hips start hurting.  Plus I have never been a great sleeper, so it doesn't really bother me.  

I still get morning sickness.  Every.single.day.  That means I am still on Zofran.  Once the Zofran kicks in I am good to go for the rest of the day.  Unless, the dogs do something gross that makes me gag.  Dog owners know the kinds of things I'm talking about!  

That is all for the 24 week update.  I am eating like a rockstar, I work out (pregnancy yoga) 3-4 days a week, and my blood pressure is awesome.  Right now I am just battling my blood sugars.  I know I will be on insulin before this pregnancy is over.  Right now I am just learning what my body likes to be fueled with and when.  All this hard work and healthy lifestyle has led me to only gain 6lbs so far!  I blame a few of those pounds on being swollen when I stepped on the scale and wearing a heavy hooded sweatshirt.  :)

This weekend I will be going and purchasing a fake wedding ring.  LOL  Mine is starting to get tight and I don't want to forget and have to have it cut off!  And I feel naked without it on!  

I hope everyone is having a great beginning of the week.  Landry and I are going to go snuggle under a blanket for awhile.  ;) 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Weekly Meal Plan 1.20-1.26


Another week, another meal plan.  How was your week?  We did really well in the eating department around here.  I got a new cookbook that I will be diving into this week.  I have several new recipes marked.  I love this cookbook because it has all the nutritional information for each recipe.  The recipes are healthier than their counterparts, but do not sacrifice taste and ingredient quality.  

Make sure you are following me on facebook.  I update on there much more frequently than here.  Plus I am always posting pictures of our meals.  Don't miss out!  


Weekly Meal Plan:

Sunday: Crockpot lasagna and salad.  New recipe from my new cookbook!  
Monday:  BBQ chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, steamed veggie.

Tuesday: Stirfry (made with veggies I froze this summer) and rice (or noodles)

Wednesday:  Loaded salads and fruit. 

Thursday:  Egg sandwiches and fruit smoothies.

Friday:  White bean and kale soup.

Saturday:???

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia...Seeds.

Last week I talked about nutritional yeast.  This week I want to talk about something else you may have never heard of.  Chia Seeds.  I LOVE chia seeds.  Yes, these are the same seeds used when growing a chia pet.  *LOL*  Do you think I'm nuts yet?  I promise I'm not.  :)

These little seeds hold so many health benefits!

1.  They help you lose weight.  They help you feel full faster because they absorb liquid and bulk up.  
2.  They are packed full of Omega-3.  This is great for preventing heart disease.  They actually have more Omega -3 than Salmon! 
3.  They help control blood sugar.  Chia seeds help slow down how fast our bodies convert carbs to sugar.
4. They are a complete protein.   This means you are going to have more energy through out the day. 

For me, adding chia seeds into my diet was a no brainer.  I heard about them a few years ago, but I was intimidated.  I basically forgot about them until about 2 months ago.  This is when I went to see a dietician.  She reintroduced them to me and told me about all the great benefits they pack.  
 
I just had no idea WHAT to do with them.  I was afraid they would taste horrible.  Basically, I was dumb and uneducated about their greatness.  Chai seeds are so easy to incorporate into our daily diets and they have no taste!  
 
 
I like adding mine to greek yogurt and oatmeal.  They are also great to add to your baking.  I don't do much baking, but on occasion we like muffins for breakfast.  Adding chia seeds to the muffins is great!  I also recommend adding them to smoothies and fruit salads.  

There are A LOT of brands out there.  And most grocery stores carry chia seeds in their health food section.  I just chose the Dole brand because it was about $5 cheaper than the others.  I will need more in a few weeks and I think I will try another brand.  These are the milled seeds and they say they don't lose any nutritional value, but next time I will be getting the whole seed variety.  I am still fairly new to the chia bandwagon.  ;) 

If you can't find them in your store, look on Amazon.  Amazon has everything.  :)  

What are you waiting for?  Go get some chia seeds and get healthy! 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Saving Money on Lunch

Did you know that lunch time is where a lot of Americans waste money and calories?  When you are working it is so easy to just grab something on your morning/afternoon break and lunch break.  

My husbands place of employment is a perfect example of this!  Everyday 95% of the people he works with go down to the gas stations for their morning break.  Then at lunch they generally go back to the gas station, or order burgers from one of the restaurants in town. 

They figured on average they are spending at least $10 a day on food and pop.  That is $50 a week, or $200 a month!  Oy!  Those numbers are on the conservative side as well.  

My husband works with no one who has a concept of a healthy lifestyle.  These guys live off cigarettes, beer, Mountain Dew, and Little Debbies.  No joke.  

In the last few years my husband has lost nearly 50lbs.  All of this has been done through proper diet and cutting out pop.  After seeing our family doctor last month he is now on a mission to maintain this wonderful weight loss.  She wants him losing no more weight because where he is at now is perfect and healthy.  I am so proud of him!  

One of the easiest ways to cut the fat is by....get this...are you waiting for it?  BRING YOUR OWN FOOD TO WORK!  :)  


Every night I pack his lunch for the following day.  For his morning snack he generally likes fruit, celery with peanut butter, or a homemade yogurt parfait.  For lunch I generally just make extra of what we had for dinner the night before.  If we have no leftovers then he LOVES salads.  I wish I loved salads as much as he did!  Otherwise, sometimes he will request a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Nothing fancy here!  

He also only drinks water at work.  We have a reverse osmosis system and a filtered water pitcher at home.  He takes a 32oz water jug with him in the morning and drinks that at his desk until lunch.  Then he will drink the 24oz water bottle you see in the picture above.  

We save so much money just by him taking his snacks, lunch, and water to work everyday.  I am fortunate enough to be home by 1:00 in the afternoon, so I eat lunch at home as well.  I just can't imagine us spending $200+ a month on eating lunch out.  I think it is a waste of money and calories!  

Do you take your lunch to work? 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Weekly Meal Plan 1.13- 1.19

 We are armed and ready for the week.  How about you?!

Yes, we will go through all that fruit in one week.  We love fruit.  Plus we also love eating healthy.  We feel better and have so much more energy when we consume healthy foods.  

Here is what we will be eating this week.  Enjoy!   



Weekly Meal Plan:

Sunday: Homemade chicken veggie soup.
Monday: Tacos with all the fixings.

Tuesday: Chili.  Yes, we had this last week, but we love it so much I am making it again!  
Wednesday: Roast chicken, quinoa, and steamed veggies.

Thursday: Chicken broccoli rice casserole.

Friday: ??? I am going to be gone all day, so it might be huge salads or leftovers (if we have any).  If all else fails there are always eggs. :)

Saturday: ???

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Nutritional Yeast

Have you ever heard of nutritional yeast?  I hadn't until last April when I went to our local Natural Living Expo.  My husband and I attended a cooking demonstration put on by a raw food chef.   She made us Cheesy Cauliflower Popcorn.  It was delicious!  The star of the show was nutritional yeast.

You might be wondering WHY I would want to eat yeast?  Well, nutritional yeast isn't really yeast.  It is a great source of protein, amino acids, iron, B vitamins, and potassium.  Can I just tell you how much this stuff rocks?!


My favorite way to eat it is sprinkled on popcorn.  Nutritional yeast has a cheesy taste and is great to use as a cheese replacement.  We also like to add it on top of our pasta sauces.  

I cannot find it in my local grocery store (my small town organic store closed), so I order mine on Amazon.  Their are several different brands, but I use Red Star.  This is the brand the chef used in the demonstration, so I have just stuck with it.  

If you are trying to get healthier, lose weight, live a cleaner lifestyle, ect then I would recommend trying nutritional yeast as a cheese replacement for certain dishes.  
 
Let me know what you think of nutritional yeast!

Side Note:  If you live in the middle of nowhere, like me, then it might be hard to find some of these products in your local grocery store.  Amazon is a GREAT way to get these food products.  If you don't have Prime I HIGHLY recommend getting it.  We get free two day shipping on almost everything we buy!  And we buy a lot from Amazon.  I hate having to drive 30-50 minutes (one way!) to get to a store that carries what I need.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Healthy Smoothies

I absolutely love smoothies.  I love making them in the morning because they are healthy and packed full of protein.  Perfect for keeping baby and me healthy and fueled all morning long.  

There are tons of smoothie recipes out on the world wide web.  Some of them sound amazing to me and some of them sound down right gross.  I thought I would share my favorite smoothie combination with you.


To make two smoothies (one for my husband and I) I use:
 1 cup yogurt (try homemade!)
2 cups frozen fruit (we really like strawberries and blueberries)
2 scoops protein powder (I use this because it tastes the best and isn't gritty like some powders)
2 big handfuls of spinach (yup, I use spinach!  I promise you CANNOT taste it!)
and a splash of milk



Blend everything up until it is smooth and creamy.  

Voila you have the perfect smoothie with out all the added sugars and cost!  Buying smoothies at specialty shops is EXPENSIVE!  I make my own to stay healthy and save money.  :)

The blueberries and spinach are both really high in antioxidants.  Again, I PROMISE you cannot taste the spinach.  :)  This would be a great way to sneak some veggies in your kids diet.  
 

Monday, January 7, 2013

22 Weeks!


Holy baby belly!  

It is hard to believe I am already 22weeks!  It feels like I have so much time left, but then when I think about it I start to panic a little.  I have very little time left!  I have been knee deep in re-organizing everything in my house.  My house is already organized, but I want it super organized before little man gets here.  :)

My next O.B. appointment is next week, so I will have more "stats" to update on then.  For now here is what has been going on...

I CAN FEEL HIM MOVE!!!  Finally!  The first time I felt him was at 20 weeks 4 days.  I didn't think much of it because it was just tiny and weird feeling.  Then the next few days I was certain it was him.  He sure likes using my bladder as a trampoline. ;)  

I have also started retaining water.  I have been really watching my sodium and how much I am on my feet.  I fear my wedding ring is going to have to come off soon.  This is something I will bring up at my next appointment.

I have also failed my glucose testing.  I have been following a "loose" diabetic diet since 12 weeks, but my pancreas just isn't picking up the slack (so to speak).  I now test my bs 4 times a day and my urine once a day.  Friday I will call in my blood sugars and see if they want me on medication.  I am on a low sugar, low carb, low sodium, high protein diet.  This is kind of tricky since I only tolerate chicken.  I had the dietician school me on a vegetarian diet because meat just isn't very appealing right now.  

I cannot get enough fruit!  Lucky for me my diet allows me to have fruit.  

That is about all that has been going on.  I have been purchasing a few things here and there, but for the most part we have everything bought.  I am now organizing everything.  

I will update again at 24 weeks!  :) 

Friday, January 4, 2013

Weekly Meal Plan 1.6--1.12

I feel so on top of things this week!  I have my groceries bought, put away, meal plan done, and my house is clean!  Plus I am pretty sure I have started the nesting phase...a bit early.  LOL  I just can't help it.  I have been re-organizing everything in this house!  It feels so good.


Here is my EXCITING grocery haul for the week. ;)  As you can see, we don't eat much processed food.  Instead we focus on lean protien, fruits, and veggies.  Breakfast consists of oatmeal, steel cut oats, hard boiled eggs, or smoothies.  Lunch is always leftovers of some sorts, or salads.   


Weekly Meal Plan:

Sunday: Chili.  I make a huge batch and we will eat it for lunches basically all week.  We LOVE chili!  

Monday: Pita Pit.  I have been craving it and I have a late doctors appointment, so it is a perfect night for Pita Pit.  :)

Tuesday: "Loaded" lettuce salads.  Basically, we throw as much stuff as we can on them. I will try to take a picture.  ;) 


Thursday: Spaghetti with homemade sauce, steamed veggie.

Friday: BBQ chicken drumsticks, sweet potato fries, steamed veggie.
 
Saturday: ???  In case you are wondering.  I never plan for Saturday.  Sometimes we go out to eat and sometimes I cook.  Just depends on our weekend plans!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

10 Random Facts

I thought it would be fun to start the new year off right.  Here are 10 random facts you may, or may not know about me!  :D
  1. I am a HUGE Minnesota Vikings fan.  Win or lose, I will always be a fan.
  2. I have a weird obsession with keeping my floors clean.
  3. I would rather clean a toilet than dust.  Yes, I despise dusting that much.
  4. I HATE leftovers...with the exception of soup.  I usually pawn all the leftover off on my husband. :)
  5. I love cats and tolerate dogs.  :)
  6. I am obsessed with cute little cloth diapers.
  7. Pancakes are my favorite food.
  8. If I am in a public restroom and I see someone not wash their hands I will tell them to.  It is just so GROSS!  Why would you not wash your hands?!
  9. If a cashier is being extremely rude to me, I will be extremely nice to them!  It makes people so mad when you are nice to them when they are being mean.  I say "kill'em with kindness"!
  10. Mouths and lips gross me out.  The thought of putting my hands near someones mouth makes me want to puke.   I could NEVER be a dentist! 
There you go!  Ten not-so-important facts about me.  I bet your day is now complete knowing these little tidbits.  ;)  

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

The Body Turnaround Challenge

The Body Turnaround Challenge is here!  I'm so excited to introduce something fun, exciting and innovative with you.  Are you tired of hanging onto those last 5-10lbs you have been hanging onto?  Do you have 20, 30, 50, or even 100+ pounds to lose?  Are you tired of having no energy?  Do you want to maintain the healthy weight you already are?  Are you pregnant (like me) and want to focus on proper nutrition?  If you answered YES to any of those questions then I have something for YOU!  


Imagine This~

You lose your fat FOREVER!!!!

We tell you exactly what to eat & show you how to exercise (in 3 minutes a day) for 90 days

AND

We show you how to keep it off for another 90 days!

You will receive your favorite flavored, yummy health smoothies and snacks.  (The ones that actually fill you up but don't weigh you down!)  They are designed to help burn the fat while maintaining your muscle.  (You need the muscle to keep your metabolism up- that's a great thing!)
You will not go hungry!! (You will not be hungry while you turn your body around!  We provide a meal by meal online program...Basically, you will not need to think about it.  You just start losing the inches.
You set the goals, we set the plan! (Each plan is designed for you!)  We have plans for you to turnaround your body and shape, stay lean and mean AND a maintenance plan so you never gain it back....EVER!!!
You will also get an accountability online program to keep track of your progress.  You will also be able to post updates directly on to Facebook (with pictures if you want-we know how you like posting pics of food!) 
You will be part of our Body Turnaround Challenge online forum!  You will join other like-minded and focused people to keep you on track.  You will have access to a personal trainer so you can ask fitness questions and the right answers!  You will also receive daily motivation so you will stay motivated and not fall off.
You will finally be able to wear your skinny jeans again! This is the only program that guarantees that you will burn ONLY FAT! So, you know your efforts will not only show it on the scale but you will literally see the inches falling off. You will exercise 3 minutes a day!
You will feel strong, motivated, and determined!  You will feel the best you have in a really long time.  You will be happy!
This program works and is doctor recommend!
Don't make weight loss the top of your New Year's Resolutions every year.  Make a PERMANENT and HEALTHY lifestyle a part of your daily life starting NOW!  


Shaklee 180!
  Be sure to contact me for more info!