Tips for Tuesday..and a recipe too!!

Bodybuggs and Fitbits...

 

Well to start things off let's talk about some devices that can be extremely helpful on your weight loss journey. There are heaps of gadgets available to help you meet your goals. In my opinion, however, there are only two main contenders.

1.  The Fit Bit

2. The bodybugg (or Bodymediafit)

Similarities :

• Both of these items are going to count your calories.
• They are going to count your steps
• They both have websites that let you set goals
• They monitor your sleep
•  Both sync with MyFitnessPal

Differences  :

Bodybug:

The bodybugg or body media fit is  the only FDA-certified medical device. It tracks movement, skin temperature, heat dissipation, and perspiration levels into an algorithm to give steps taken, sleep efficiency that's about 95% accurate, and gets more accurate as you continue to wear it. 

Detractors: 

• it's $6.95 a month to keep is accurate, and there's not display on the device so you either have to activate the bluetooth and use the app on your android or iPhone to check your daily progress or..you have to plug your bugg into your computer. 
• it's worn on your arm so unless you want to tell everyone about what it is you have to wear sleeves long enough to cover it up.

 

• It's more accurate in my opinion having worn them at the the same time. 

Fitbit

This little guy only uses an  accelerometer and an altimeter, to track your calories burned, steps taken, stairs climbed, and even how well you've slept.It also your movements at night to compare the time you're lying down versus the time you were asleep. 

Detractors:

• You have the move the Fitbit to your wrist and wear this armband to monitor your sleep..and you have to push a button to start and stop the sleep monitoring process.

• The fitbit is cheaper over all, and it's more discreet as it's worn on your pocket in between your bra.  Also fitbit has a display right on the device.

I could go on and on about the pros and cons of each of these devices but really it's up to you...I have both so...I use both. I prefer my bodybugg. but when I want to monitor my calories and wear a sleeveless dress or short sleeves I clip my fit bit on and go.  I think that bodybugg has an edge of fit bit on accuracy. I think the fitbit has a better overall interface, and is a bit more fun giving you stairs climbed and more. Honestly you can't go wrong with either and....these are just a piece of the puzzle. You've got to make them work for you! 

Set your goals with either device, and meet them! Having a device like this lets you become really specific about your goals. You know what you can afford to eat cause you're getting a general idea of what you burn and Calories in Calories out is most of the battle...but we all knows it's not that simple. 

I use Myfitnesspal to keep me accurate, but you can to be honest about every lick, bite, and nibble. I have not been as accurate as I should have been, so now that I have the opportunity I'm buckling down and seeing what happens. I've got about 20 or so pounds left to go until I've reached "goal weight" but I know that I want to look become a bikini or figure competitor so I'll have a long way to go after that....

Salsa Chicken (serves 12):

3lbs. of chicken breast

1 jar of salsa 

( I used Trader Joes "Hot Chipolte Salsa)

2-3 diced tomatoes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup sliced green onion 

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp of Kosher Salt

1 tsp cayenne (for spicy lovers) 

fresh cilantro and/or green onion for garnish

Dump it all into crockpot, turn on low and go to work...come home shred chicken and serve.

I eat this with rice, but you can eat it on a bed of salad, or roll it into a (clean) tortilla.

Macros (based on a 6 oz serving)
Calories: 141
Fat: 1g
Carbs: 4g
Protein: 26g 

Adapted from heandsheeatclean.com

 

That's all for now folks! Enjoy the recipe~~

Fitness Friday: What's your battleplan?

Fitness Friday: What's your Battle plan?

 How are you going to battle the winter holiday bulge

It's Friday...it's getting colder and that's normally a reason to sit around and gain weight. The holidays are coming and there's even more of chance to pack on the pounds....so what's a girl who wants to shrink, not grow to do?

I've set myself on a path for success, and I have a goal in mind: to end the winter hibernation slimmer than I was when I started. 

I'm one week into my Chalean Extreme/Turbo Fire Hybrid. A 140 day program (I know that's a lot) that I'll finish this Spring to help me accomplish my goal!!

Why have I chosen this program?

1. Chealean Extreme is a weight lifting program mixed with cardio intervals. This type of program is great for someone like me who build muscle easily, however this program is just as great for someone who doesn't have a lot of muscle and wants to gain it some (read toned).
2. Turbo fire is an intense cardio program which is great for increasing cardiovascular endurance.  It's also got these killer HIIT workouts which are also killer fat burning workouts (noticing a theme here). These workouts will get you hot, sweaty, and lean (read toned)
3. Doing these programs together gives you a powerhouse workout combination of strength training and cardio. You're sure to see you body change with the one folks!!
4. Weight lifting helps slim you down, you might not notice the pounds melting away but pull out your tape measure...or use an pair of jeans that are too tight and keep trying them on every couple of weeks.
5. Cardio helps keep your heart healthy and it will also help you lose weight!! Don't be too much of a scale watcher because you can lost fat and gain muscle (a good thing) without using weight on the scale.

 
I strongly suggest grabbing a set of calipers, or having a local gym or fitness center that tests body fat percentage and getting that done...it's amazing how much more of a gauge for proper fitness that it is!! 

I'll be posting monthly photos to show my progress as well as taking my measurements and getting my body fat percentage done.  

My goals for this program:

1. Lost at least 5-6% body fat so that means I'd like to be around 21-23% when I finish this
2. Have all of my measurements add up to less than 195" right now they add up to about 208" when all together.
3. I'd like to see my waist specifically drop at least 5 of those inches
4. Comfortably wear a size 8 in my normal stores right now I wear around a size 10 in most of them.
5. I don't have a weight goal...I have an idea of where I'd like my weight to be, but I will not make that a goal

Bonus: I'd like to be able to run a 5k...which means I have to start running...this will probably be the hardest goal of all!! 
Have a fabulous Fitness Friday and make it amazing!! Do something fun try rock climbing, or try some hot yoga. Give pole dancing a whirl, or hit up a kick boxing class....you don't have to workout at home...but you gotta get moving....

Up next: A review of Fit Bit, and BodyBugg

 

Tasty Tuesday: Fruit Pizza

Sometimes you just need something a little sweet...we all have those days right? Well when I get that need for something sweet I like to try to do a little damage control so I can have my cake and eat it to...what's a girl to do?

My hubby requested this Tasty Tuesday dessert...which I made yesterday. Feeling a little from the recent passing of his grandmother he wanted me to make the dessert she'd make for him, a fruit pizza. I felt this worked perfectly for a dessert that while not healthy, still a healthful alternative.

I love this dessert cause it's got your sweet, and it's definitely a treat, but you can also get some fruit in there and with the portion size built in my cutting it into 12 pieces you can enjoy it without worry. 

CAUTION: Don't eat the whole pie...though you made me tempted too!!

So my fruit pizza is of course a lightened up version

What you need:

 1 packages of sugar cookie dough

1 cup of raspberries

1 sliced banana

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 can Mandarin oranges drained (small can)

1 packages softened light cream cheese

1/4 cup Splenda/Truvia/ or other no calorie sweetener

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tbs  of your favorite jam or preserves

1 tbs of water.

How to make it:

1. Line a pizza pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Press the cookie dough into the pan and bake for 11-15 minutes. Cool completely

3. Remove cooled cookie from aluminum foil and place on serving plate.

4. Blend softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and spread over surface of cooled cookie dough.

5. Arrange fruit in a decorative fashion on top of cream cheese mixture. 

6. Melt jam with water and and spoon over top of fruit. 

7. Refrigerated until it's time to serve. 

8. Slice into 12 pieces and enjoy!!

Calories: 252 Fat 11g Sodium 160g Carbs 34g Fiber 1g Protein 4g

Notes:  

• You can use any fruit you like, kiwis, peaches, apple slices etc. 

• You can make your own cookie dough if you choose and it might be a great idea to have even more control over the recipe. 

• I just pop the jam in the microwave for a few seconds, stir and then pour. 

Make Up Monday: Lips and Eyes

Ok so as you will soon learn if you don't already know I love make up...specifically eye make up! Why? The eyes are the window to the soul...no no it's because when it comes make up I feel that eye make Queen...it's one of the best ways to change your look around and make a major statement!

So...I bring you a new eyeliner that I'm seriously crushing on.  I know this tip looks totally intimidating but believe me it's not!!. So let's talk about why this tip looks like Poseidon's trident, cause there is a very good reason for it!

1) the prongs are meant to help emphasize your lash line. You use the tips to dot in between your lashes to fill in the gaps and make your lashes look fuller and darker.It also help to fill in your lash line if your missing a few lashes, or they look sparse. This baby fixes that.

2) If you flip the brush onto it's side you can tight line your upper lash line. This technique sounds scarier than it its. You're literally doing the equivalent to lining your water line (your bottom lash line) on the top. This brush draws a super skinny line that dries really quickly and again emphasizes your lash line.

 

3) Perfectly lined eyes!  You take the line and starting on the side draw that same skinny line you did when you tight lined. Then you roll it so that the fattest part is against your lid and keep drawing. you want the line to start small and get gradually thicker towards the corner of your lid. This tip also makes cat eyes a dream! Bonus the inky liquid liner is super deep carbon black so one coat is all you need!! 

The awesome folks and Too Faced provided these pictures and they are very great!! 

My next obsession took me a while to bite the bullet on because I couldn't wrap my head about the cost!! $32 for a lip gloss is a hefty price tag. I noticed that I was "demoing" this product whenever I walked into Sephora so I eventually caved and gave it a whirl. What am I rambling on about? Yves Saint Laurent's Glossy Stain. This stuff is so worth the price!

First of all you have 20 shades to choose from, so you'll find the one for you!!  It's like a hybrid between a gloss and a stain. The reason I was willing to drop $32 on it? I've tested it several times and it's stays super shiny, but not sticky for hours. It will last through dinner or drinking your morning coffee with barely a stain on the mug. You can kiss your hubby without leaving evidence. The fact that you don't have to reapply all the time means that you can also save yourself money in the long run...(or at least this is how I've justified it)

I picked this jewel up in No. 5 Rouge Vintage. That means Antique Red for those non French speakers and this color is true to it's name. It stains your lips a nice deep red (read: not fire engine)  that's totally wearable during the day, but also super sexy. When I want a super red lip (for me) I layer this with my other obsession Hourglass Costmetics Opaque Rouge in it's oh so vampy color Icon. On it's on this lip color dries with a truly stunning matte finish that last for hours and hours. Icon is an exclusive color only available at Sephora. 

Speaking of heading out for the night, that's what I'm going to do now, but I'll be giving a pin curls tutorial very soon!!  It's one of my favorite ways to style your hair without heat and being a natural curly girl no heat is one of my favorite ways to style!!

Well I think it's time to catch up

OMG!! I've been horrible about blogging!!

Soooooo much has happened!! I'll have to work extra hard to catch up with everything!

I got a keratin treatment on my very curly 3c/4a hair and it's amazing the difference it made!!











I went to Vegas and had a fabulous time there!!




I discovered the twistband which has already become my favorite hair tie ever!!








I hit my lowest weight, and lowest body fast percentage since starting my weight loss journey last March!!




The list goes on and on!! I will take the time to post pictures for a proper update as soon as I can have some alone time with my computer!!

Tasty Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas.

So for my first Tasty Thursday I've decided to share a recipe that I've made several times and absolutely love! I got this recipe from Pinterest.  Budget Savvy Diva got this one right on the money!!

Why do I love this recipe??

1. It's totally delicious..like really really delicious
2. You can lighten it up as much as you please (fat free tortillas, non fat sour cream, of Greek yogurt , fat free cheese etc)
3. It's inexpensive, and most of the ingredients are already in your house
4. You can eat it more than once (for my family of two this meal can be lunch and dinner for a couple of days)
5. It's not filled with mystery ingredients
6. You don't have to guess at the serving size it's on enchilada (built in portion control)

Ingredients:

10 soft taco shells (any variety you choose)

4 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

2 cups chicken broth

 (I use low sodium and poach my chicken in it before hand)

1 Clove of Minced Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt and Pepper

1 cup sour cream (I use light)

2 teaspoon Onion Powder

2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1.5  teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon of lime juice

1 Finely Chopped Jalapenos Seeded (keep the seeds if you like spice)

How to make it:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9×13 pan.

In a medium size bowl mix – chicken, 1 cup of cheese, garlic – roll mixture into tortillas and place into pan.

In a sauce pan – melt the butter and stir in corn starch and cook for one minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Keep over heat until it bubbles and becomes thick. Stir in sour cream, chopped Jalapenos, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, lime, salt and pepper. Do not let it boil.

Pour mixture over enchiladas and top with the last cup of cheese.

Bake for 25 min  – You will want to make sure the cheese has browned.

 

Nutrition info per enchilada: 343 calories, 15g fat 374g sodium 27g carbs 1g fiber 25g protein

Additional Information: 

Do NOT skip the cornstarch it's a totally necessary ingredient and you will be sorry if you skip it!!

I prefer to eat this with nothing more than a nice side salad as it's got everything else that I need to make it a great meal option.   I like to keep my dinners to no more than 400-500 calories depending. My husband eats about double the calories so he might eat 2 enchiladas, or add a side of rice to make his calories higher.

I find that the tortilla shells I use from Trader Joe's are a bit too big to stuff 10 enchiladas into one pan so I break it up and do one big on and smaller one which makes freezing some to go easier. 

You can individually package and freeze these for your own DIY frozen meals and serve with a size of rice.

What's this about?

I know I know two post in one day, but it's my blog so I can do what I want with it!

I've decided to add some order to the chaos...can't say I'll always follow the plan but....

We're going to have:

Makeup Mondays: hair, nails, makeup tricks, products I love etc. 

Tasty/Thirsty Tuesday- recipes!! Things I love to make, and drink but (hopefully) healthier versions of them all!!

Weigh In/Workout Wednesdays. These will be the days I post how I'm doing, what I'm doing on my current workout regimen. I mean this is after all about fitness!!

Tips for Thursday: any tips I've tried and liked or gotten off pinterest whether is be, the best way to do cat eyeliner, or how to get the bathroom ring from coming back. Decorating stuff too !

Fashion Fridays: My outfits, designers I love, places to find great clothes, jewelry etc!! 

Wildout Weekends- Free for all whatever I wanna post I can and will!! hahaha be prepared!

I have realized is time for a new progress photo so I promise to take a new photo and get new measurements and body fat percentages done to see where I am.  I hope you'll enjoy yourselves. Also check out my other pages!! One is shakeology recipes!! The other is pinterest stuff, arts and craft etc that I have done. 

Lastly Tomorrow is an exciting day!! I've just ordered some new beachbody products that I'll be reviewing for you all!! Get ready!!

On the journey!!

 I'm still on my fitness journey...and I've finally broken through a plateau that's been plaguing me for a while.
I've been trying so many things I dunno what was the catalyst that got it started so I'll just keep trying everything as long as it works then switch to something new.

The plateau I'm talking about? I dropped about 8lb. that's a big deal for me. The only time I've been this skinny I was sucking down 800-1,000k of GM food (if you can call it food) and paying about $300-400 to do it. This program was called Medifast and honestly I won't say too much bad about it cause it did help me lost 30lbs. I know some people loved it and it works great, but after a time I just couldn't do it anymore. I wanted to eat real food again.

So lately I've been working out a lot, and have become a total Beachbody convert!! I've been doing Turbo Fire which is amazing and did really great things for me!!

and just switched to RevAbs. I switched to this one so hubby and I could workout together cause the TF choreography is a bit too much for him!!

I've been eating about 1300 calories (on purpose, as allowed by my meal plan) but making sure my macros are great, and upping my protein. My general rule of thumb is that I like to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of muscle plus a little extra. I am a huge fan of adding muscle and burning fat. I have a more athletic build and will not be able to be 115lb...what I'll be instead is 155lb, wearing a size 6 with 135lb of muscle...this it totally possible!! 

Currently I am extremely sore from all those dumbbell lunges so I will be making a date with my foam roller tonight! I love to hate that thing. It hurts but it really helps!! Rumble rollers come in two sizes one that fits great in a suitcase at just 12" and a full size one of 30"

 

On a random side note I thought I would bring up an eyeliner that has made its way into my life and I'm totally in love with. Eyeko skinny liner.I got this little gem from my Birchbox order this month...I'll write more about Birchbox another time!!

 This liner has a felt tip pen applicator that I love cause it doesn't have any little hairs to get separated and mess up your whole look. It makes the whole cat eye look a breeze and comes in some really great colors.

 
 This has to be some of the best liner I've encouraged and I really like makeup and I love to test out new stuff. I like it more than my Kat VonD Tattoo liner!! 

Kat VonD still have a place in my heart for the fact that is has 3 different tips for different liner looks which is great if you are makeup challenged or just being lazy!!

Hello Cruel World

The diary of a former obese now just an overweight girl on her way to being a fit one. Watch me shrink! 

I'm sure to be amusing as I post photos of me through this process... I will at least try to be I won't like I'm about halfway through but I've still got a long way to go ...about 30lb.

Along the way you'll learn about me and get some makeup, natural hair, fitness, fashion tips and more. I'm a fan of cooking and reading so I'll throw that in too!! 

Right now I'm doing Turbo Fire. It's totally kicking my butt but I'm positive I'm already seeing changes. I hope that someone out there can be inspired by my journey!!

I started my journey Last March after getting my wedding photos and hated what I saw... my happiest day was ruined by how horrible I looked in my photos...well to me at least. I know that was amazing but I can't help but look at some of my pictures and just go..what was I thinking? 

this photo almost made me cry. a beautiful moment with my grandma and I'm too busy looking at my arm fat. Well enough was enough. I got off my but and got my numbers...and then decided to drop some weight!

I started out at about 41% body fat. I'm at last count at 30.5%.
I was squeezing into 36 band size down to a 34.
Thighs 27inches now 23
My waist went from 40" to around 35" at last check
Hips were 47" now about 43"
My jeans were a 14/16 now an 8/10
Weight 207/7-181.2 and counting....

My dear friend and coach Erin Frick helped me discover Turbo Jam and I really put my heart into and started dropping some major weight...it felt so amazing....embarrassing photos to follow... but it shows my shrinking back and arm fat!!