Day 181: You don't have to have a gym membership to get in shape!

Hey everyone!

It's me! Wymichelle!

Here to say....MAKE THE TIME! We make time for anything we want to do so why not make sure we get proper exercise and meal planning in! Bet you could squeeze that in somewhere each day!

You don't even have to have a gym membership to get active! You have a room and you have the outdoors! No money for equipment....SO WHAT! Your body weight is great equipment or make things around the house useful! Even if your on a budget if you must have a few things check out Ross each week and see what steals they have in their fitness section! You can get medicine balls, weights, resistance bands, workout dvd's etc! No excuses people!

You can even watch YouTube or bodyrocktv.com (they have a iPhone app) as well! They provide exercises that you can do in short amounts of time an get a good workout! All for what....for FREE! We jump on that free sample at the store or free anything! Get on the FREE fitness train! Once you get motivated and consistent with that you will see improvement! Of course you have to eat healthy and make good choice with your food for the majority of the time so you can get the best results from your workouts but you'll want to eat healthier and not waste that hard work you put in your home workouts.

Know if you really rather have a gym look for the best gym for you! Variety is key! Instead of going out to eat once or twice a month or shopping every weekend (out of the many fun things we do a month), save to get a gym membership! Find a gym that waives the enrollment fee and let's you pay monthly or just save enough for the enrollment fee and use that extra money you save each month by not shopping one day or eating out for your monthly fee. Bet you can find a good place for 30 a month! Invest in your health! Local ymca's also give plans to people based on their budget and you can pay monthly as lows at $20 a month maybe less!

If you don't make time now, you may regret it! Start today and take care of yourself! Try my mini-workout to get you moving!

Tale care folks! Make the time
For you! You deserve it!

Day 170: Prepping is the way to GO!

Hey hey hey yall!!!!

Have you ever made this excuse?????????

• Man, I don't have anything healthy, let me just eat what is here.
• I am so hungry I don't have time to cook anything?
• Ughhh, I don't feel like cooking?
• Let me just grab something, it will be quicker and easier?

These lies that we tell ourselves can lead to over eating, wasting money, wasting food and letting it expire, and eating unhealthy choices because we are going to grab processed quick food  (which you shouldn't even have this in your house or very little) or stop at a fast food spot or restaurant.

Well, I am here to help lead you in the right way.  It can help with those who work often and work out but don't have time to make that healthy meal you need.  It is also beneficial to those who are out and about and don't pack snacks and end up grabbing something unhealthy!!!!!

CHECK THIS OUT..................

As I have written about before, it is good to plan your meals as well as have a shopping day planned each week.  This keeps fresh produce in your house as well as gives you the opportunity to make new meals each week and have a plan.  Having a plan equals success.  When we go to college, we follow a degree plan in order to take the steps to get where we need to be and graduate soooooooooooo when you want to eat healthy and eat right you should.........PLAN IT!!!!

A few things that are easy to make ahead of time to help with healthy snacks and quick meals...

• Boiled Eggs - (snacks, breakfast, for salads, etc)
• Turkey Muffins -(instead of making an entire meatloaf, cook the meat mixture in a muffin pan - great for a snack or maybe two for a quick meal with some veggies and rice)
• Fish - Saute, broil or grill fish and have it stored in fridge.  Eat within 2-3 days.
• Grilled veggies - yummy side dish and just reheat and eat!
• Chicken breast/strips - Cook in oven or grill and put aside. Cook until done not overdone so it won't be dry when you reheat during the week.  I am doing this to chop up on my salads for lunch.  It could even be a quick snack or dinner with a sweet potato and green veggies.
• Chopped Raw Veggies -  Clean and cut your favorite raw veggies and eat them plain or with any variety of hummus.  For instance, carrot sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, etc. You can even separate them and put in snack size plastic bags like your own grab and go snack!!!!
• Fruit - Chop up fruit and make a fruit salad and pack in small storage containers to take with you or just have around the house.  Even cut watermelon, melons, strawberries, pineapples, etc and have them prepped and ready to go for easy eating!
• Lettuce - Have lettuce cleaned and cut and place in plastic bag with paper towel and it is said to last longer.  Add some fresh spinach, kale and/or arugula and you have a mixed green salad ready to go!
• Lunch Bag - Have your lunch bag ready with cold items, sandwiches, hummus, fruit, water, veggies, etc so all you have to do is grab and go! I do this all the time and its great
• Oatmeal - You can make my overnight steel cut oats recipe (put it in the search at top right corner of the blog) or even have the water in pot ready with oats measured so while you get ready it can cook! Just don't let it burn! :)

These are just a few ideas I believe can be helpful but there must be more! So please share them for my benefit as well as my readers!!!!!

Take a look at my prepping for the day....

1 lb of 99% lean ground turkey with sauteed veggies (mushrooms, jalapenos,  green onions, white onion and garlic).  Season with some garlic powder, 1/2 T sea salt and ground pepper.

Brown Rice (Cook ahead of time and add to meat and veggie mixture)

Cut top off of  a bell pepper.  This recipe could probably fill 6 bell peppers.  Red is my favorite so far!

Stuff the bell peppers and if you are prepping to have TURKEY MUFFINS for snacks or meals.  Put the remainder in the muffin pans.

Cook on 400 degrees and  Put a little water at bottom of pan and cover with foil.  Cook for about 40 to 45 minutes.  The  Turkey Muffins may be done in 30 minutes so check them as well.  Top the stuffed bell peppers with a little tomato sauce or marinara sauce and cook for about 5 to 10 more minutes.

 I would of put mozzarella cheese on top too but on the cleanse right now and no or minimal dairy.

EXAMPLES OF PREPPING FOODS..

Had to get these chicken tenders from Sprout's Farmers Market (store).  They were only 2.99 for the Manager's Special. I seasoned them with a little sea salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning and some lemon squirted on it.

 Here they are when they finished with some grilled zucchini

Since the grill was still going and pretty hot...I thought about what else I could add so I added some button mushrooms and tilapia seasoned with Mrs. Dash, sea salt and pepper (just a pinch of salt).

Here it is when it is done! Yummy!

 Oh yea, here was the chicken and zucchini grilling!

Look at that fire! It was ready for some grilling!

I bought some veggies to snack on.  Washed and cut them and put them in a storage container.  I forgot to get snack sized plastic baggies so this will have to work for now and then I will take some with me for work and put them in a smaller container or wrap them in foil.

Here is my fridge with the prepped foods.  I will get to that watermelon from Bountiful Baskets tomorrow! I need more storage containers! I feel confident that I will eat right and stay on track this week not only because I am determined but because it was easy and fun to prep and get all that out of the way!

Until next time friends! Please comment and share your ideas as well!

Cleanses! To do or not to do! HELP!!!

Hey folks!

It's me, WyMichelle!!!!

Hope everyone has been active and doing their best to maintain a healthy lifestyle through balance between eating right, working out and having fun!!!!!

I know many people do cleanses from the Master Cleanse, Lemonade Cleanse, Herbalife, Advocare and so many more brands and recipes and plans to follow.

I have been told by many people that a cleanse is a great way to clean your colon and get toxins out among OTHER things!!!! Heehee!

Mayo Clinic Talks about Cleanses

The article above talks about reasons why not to do a cleanse and then reasons why it can be beneficial.   Some doctors say your body cleanses toxins and things out naturally while some believe that it helps boost energy and removing toxins.


Just Cleansing.com says this..

"The body has it's own natural ways of detoxing itself - however in this day and age, no matter how careful we are, accumulating harmful substances is unavoidable. Research suggests a detox diet can accelerate the rate of removal of these toxins."

So the question is to do the cleanse or not do the cleanse?  I have got an Advocare cleanse from a friend and I know a good amount of people who have used it and they are fine and say they liked it.  I think that a cleanse could be a good thing to get toxins and all of that out.  I like the Advocare plan because it pretty much allows you to eat most of the healthy things that I am already eating except for things like yogurt, dairy, NO ALCOHOL and a few other things.  I have never been a person to take any type of pill but it is only for 10 days so I don't see the harm in it.  There is a drink as well and there are various days you take it.  So I am still looking into it but if I start I will start on Sunday and I will be keeping you all updated.  I pretty much have my mind made up and would like to try it but still a little hesitant. Out of everything I have seen with cleanses that people are doing right now, this one fits me best.  I want to be able to eat food and I think it does a good job for those who aren't already eating healthy at showing people how to eat foods that  are good for them in everyday life and that is what I am all about! Woop! Besides the occasional cheat meal or Margarita lol!

Sooooo talk to me....have you ever done a cleanse?  What do you think about cleanses?  And for any comments posted please respect others thoughts.  Yes we have our own way of doing things and others do too.  If something works for them, it may not work for you and vice versa!

Thanks everyone!  I need some insight!!!

UPDATE : 6/18/12


Started the cleanse today so far so good!  I had the fiber drink this morning and it wasn't horrible as I thought.  Had it with half water and half orange juice so it worked out pretty well.  It does get your stomach churning a little lol.  Had lots and lots of water even more than 8 glasses a day amount since it is highly recommended to help the stuff process through your system.  Tonight I take the herbal cleanse pills and thats that.  So far so good! Keep ya updated as the week progresses!  Also, it does have me having salads more for lunch so that has to be a good thing and more raw veggies in my diet! Woop!