Great Recipe

Hey Girls,

I found some awesome recipes on fitnessmagazine.com for some amazing salads. Check this one out! It looks delicious!

Spread 2 teaspoons pesto on a whole-grain pita; broil until golden. Toss 1 1/2 cups arugula, 1/4 cup chopped tomato, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 1/4 cup canned white beans (rinsed and drained), and 1 teaspoon olive oil with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve on pita.

Speaking of Brownies ...

Warning: These Are Not 100 Calories

I had a bad day today. In an effort to make a friend of mine feel better I made a batch of my famous brownies. Of course, if someone is sad I make food ... that is why I needed this challenge!

I thought I was going to be doing okay because I allowed myself to lick the spoon (I figured that was my 100 calories for the day) before I put it in the sink (after I was done mixing, I am not gross) and planned on saving the rest for my friend. I took them out of the oven, let them cool and was impressed at how strong I felt. As I arranged the brownies on the plate, however, there was one sad little guy who didn't fit ... I was really left with no choice. I had to take a snacking penalty.

What I do feel good about is that in the past when I have made these I am typically ravenous. I ate my one little brownie and was good. I think this diet is working and my life is really changing.

If anyone wants to make them I recommend waiting for cheat day. This is a recipe you won't find anywhere else ... these are my brownies:


2 Eggs
2/3 cup Unsifted flour
3/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 cup Butter or margarine; melted
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup Ghirardelli ground chocolate
1/2 cup Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
>>>secret ingredient>>>1 teaspoon Almond Oil

Mix everything together. Bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes.

100 Calorie Brownies

What? 100 Calorie Brownies?
Yes, that's right. These are best eaten in the morning or pre-workout.

Ready in 45 minutes • Makes 16 servings

Bulge-Free Brownies

1 can  black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
3 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz package Mori Nu, extra-firm lite tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp canola oil (for The Game! - Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (for The Game! - Honey or 1/8 Amber Agave Nectar)
1/2 cup unsweetened, non-dutched (unprocessed) cocoa
3/4 cup chocolate whey protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Purée beans in a food processor. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and blend to combine.

3. In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients and blend until creamy smooth.

4. Pour batter into an oiled 8-by-8 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrients per serving: 
(these numbers might change a bit when you use The Game! substituted ingredients.)
Calories: 100, Total Fats: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholestrerol: 40 mg, Sodium: 64 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 11g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 8 g, Iron: 1 mg

Source: Fat - Blasting Food Guide - Oxygen:  oxygenmag.com

I have not had a chance to make these yet, so if you make them, let us all know how they turn out. I got this recipe at Barnes and Noble Magazine Section: Fat-Blasting Food Guide - Oxygen. There are 174 pages in this guide, filled with recipes, fat-burning tips and meal plans!

Enjoy! *SS (Shiela)

Free Day: binging vs 1% loss

Last week on my free day I didn't keep track of my calorie intake nor did I workout. I ordered Gorgonzola Alfredo for dinner which apparently has over 1300 calories, I didn't know the caloric value at the time. I usual eat some of it and save the rest for the next day but because my next free day was a week away and I have a "thing" (no thanks to childhood habits) about throwing food away, I ate it all. Gasp! I know, well it get's better. Earlier that day we had a birthday party for our son, and of course I had a piece of cake and this amazing drink my son's teacher taught him how to make with orange sherbet, orange soda and root beer. I don't remember what I had for breakfast and I didn't snack that day but after the birthday and dinner I'm pretty sure I could have gone without eating for 3 days. Needless to say I didn't get my 1% loss the first week.
The second week I made a mental agreement with myself to only eat what I really felt I just had to have on my free day. Well when the day came I was craving everything under the sun and really looking forward to this day. I knew I would have some unforgivable calories so when I got up that morning I made myself a protein drink with some blueberries and lots of spinach. I had some nuts and berries for a snack. That afternoon our family planned to see a movie so I waited then to order pasta for lunch and a few thinks I craved like popcorn and fries and wine. I planned to keep note of what I would eat this day but It didn't happen. Anyway, after the movie we planned on picking up some food from the grocery store. You know that rule about never going to the grocery store when your hungry, well turns out the same rule applies on you free day even if your not hungry. So of course I bought chocolate, but instead of buying a whole bag of peanut butter cups or even a chocolate bar I went to the bulk aisle, don't worry because this is where I make a conscious decision to only get a couple of different bite size pieces. Yea me! When I when home I took a bite out of one and put it back in the bag then a few minutes later I took a bite out of the other. I felt satisfied of the previous craving and had no desire to go OCD on a bag of chocolate. Yea me again! I felt like there was real change finally happening and I was on my way. The third week I plan to be be more conscious and even plan to keep track of my calorie intake. I feel more confident now and I am starting to trust my judgment, Its a Good Thing :) YEA ME!
I feel that each week for me makes me a better person and brings me closer to where I want to be. I am creating more new habits during this challenge than ever imagined. I share this horror story with you because maybe you too are having a wild free day too or maybe you've been depriving your self and teetering the balance the other way, either way I think its important to listen to that little voice in your head that fights for you each day to be better for You. We all have days we don't want to keep going on this diet and wish for the end but what I've noticed in just the last two weeks is that its working! I see change in myself each week and I plan to continuing on this journey even after the four weeks.

Hey ladies hope your all having a great week , your all in my thoughts ! So I started at 158 I am now 155 so things are working . Some days are tougher then others not gonna lie :-) I really appreciate every one of  you . Heres to week two ! Go team flabulous !!!

CONFESSIONS

So I wanted to see how everyone else is doing. Honestly!!

I am struggling. My work schedule varies so much from week to week. My personal schedule varies so much from week to week. One week I might have my husband home to help, the next week, I may not. Kids at daycare, school, BB practice and more. Just like everyone else I am overwhelmed and a BUSY mom.

I am having a hard time getting all my meals in, in a day. I feel like I am having a good day if I get 3 or 4 meals in. Starting the whole diet process has been hard enough but honestly ( I hope I don't hurt feelings) the rest of it, is about to send me over the edge.

Trying to find one good new habit, lose one old habit, post a blog, meet up for a team meeting, respond to an opponent and a team player everyday, make sure I get my score in for the day in by 9pm, managing my work time and family time, it is all about to send me over the edge. I feel alone. I have no idea if anyone else is struggling as much as I am or not. At times, I just want to throw in the towel.

Is anyone else struggling out there, or am I all alone????

Nutritious Cleanse

It serves your body well to to do a good cleanse every once in a while. Cleansing with fruits, vegetable, spices and herbs can be your best friend especially when dealing with ailments such as water retention, menstrual cramps, and low energy.

Some times we need a cleanse during that time of the month to relieve the pressure of blotting and cramps. Some foods to help during these times are most fruits and green vegetable juice and fiber particularly celery, fennel, garlic, seeds, and wheatgerm. It's a good idea to throw these in your daily recipes too.
Here's a juice recipe to help with menstrual concerns while giving you supreme energy and boosting your immune system. Great for your skin too!
Beet Basic
2 beet roots
2 carrots
1 apple
1 orange
1 celery stick
1/2 inch ginger root
Blend Well & Drink!
Full of beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur.

If your having muscle cramps because of workouts here is the juice recipe for you, and you get the benefit of a gentle cleanse!

Apple Cleanser
2 apples
2 kale
 1 celery stick
1/3 cucumber
1/ beet root
Blend Well & Drink!
Rich with beta-caratene, folic acid, vitamin B3, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur.


One of the best ways to beat water retention is with water. This is a great detox, boosts immunity, improves energy level, and good for your complexion. It's easy, now you can shed those last few pounds!
Water Water Everywhere
1 cucumber
1 thick slice of watermelon
Blend Well & Drink!
Consists of beta-caratene, folic acid, vitamin B5, vitamin C, calcium. magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium.

Add water to any recipe for less smoothie and more juice like texture. Enjoy!

Resource: Smoothies & Juices by Natalie Savone

Stay up to date on the blog!

"Like Michelle asked is there a way to get notified when somebody post something?"

Absolutely!

Below the archive and above the helpful links you will find a way to be updated via e-mail ...

hey ladies tomorrow starts a new week good luck to everyone on both teams ! power to our health:-) .S.

Ideas to mix up your exercise routine

I incorporate several different types of exercise into my week.
Weights, running/sprints, squats, kick boxing, jumps, push ups, crunches, etc. I mix it up!

Why Women Should Lift Weights
http://www.active.com/women/Articles/Why-Women-Should-Lift-Weights.htm?int=23-42
Note from above article: Many women are convinced that lifting weights will transform them into fist-pounding, growling wrestling stars. I get it. No woman wants to look freakishly ripped. However, unless a woman is taking large doses of hormones and eating pounds of protein a day, she won't be able to look like a man.

Women don't have enough testosterone to get the big muscles. A program of whole body functional movements (lunges, dead lifts, squats, presses) with low repetitions of progressively heavier weights will make you stronger, not bigger. This is key.

Peak 8 Fitness
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/12/24/a-fountain-of-youth-in-your-muscles.aspx

Here's a summary of what a typical Peak Fitness routine might look like sprinting or jumping:

1. Warm up for three minutes - jog
2. Exercise (Sprint/Jump) as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should be gasping for breath and feel like you couldn't possibly go on another few seconds
3. Recover for 90 seconds, walk
4. Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times (14 minutes)

Since we need 20 minutes add in crunches, push ups and burpies.


Here are some of my routines:
Monday--Wednesday--Friday I do whole body circuit training.  I do 15 different exercises with lighter weights and high reps with no rest in between each exercise.  I do three to five sets of these for a total workout time of around 30 minutes.  I start off with flat bench press, then triceps kickbacks, shoulder shrugs, shoulder press, bent over row, curls, squats, toe raises, heel walk, kettle ball lift, pull ups, push ups, 50 jumps, 10 second all out sprint and then incline push ups.  Most of these are performed with dumbbells.


Tuesday--Thursday I do some type of high intensity workout where I do short bursts off all out movements followed by a resting phase.  Some days I have done the Peak 8 Fitness routine see above. Other days I have combined burpies, mountain climbers, punching bag, sprints on treadmill and bear crawls into a high intensity workout.  How I perform it is I start off with a 3 minute warm up on the treadmill and then I do a 30 second sprint at a incline of 20% and a speed of 6, I then go directly to punching the punching bag as hard as I can for 30 seconds, after that I go to the burpies and do 10 of those and then to mountain climbers for 30 seconds and then finish with 100 feet of bear crawls where you are walking on your hands and feet.  I have also did sprints outside on a hill, I have a very steep hill   going up to my house it has to be at least a 25-30% incline and I will do this for 5 sets.


Saturday--Sunday: I have been doing more of a cadio work out with running outside or going on walks. Today I went on a run with a friend, yes in the rain. :) We went 3.7 miles. There are several hills near my home so it's a great, challenging workout!


When I need to change it up I go to Comcast Cable; they have a whole selection of workouts to choose from. The Cardio Blast is kick ass (so many squats and crunches-squats and burpies are KING!) I also like some of Julie's work outs - kick boxing blast? These are so convenient and saves drive time if you normally go to the gym. I also like Julian Michael's' work outs and Insanity.


Good luck and remember to drink water, cool down and stretch after each work out. :)

Guilt free eating

My husband and I take our daughter out for dinner each week after her basketball game.  I used that as my free meal for the week.  We really don't eat fast food, but since she had a friend with her and we were thinking about going out the next evening (for my day off), we decided to use some coupons & hit Del Taco for some cheap eating.  After eating I added my meal up on myfitness pal & nearly cried.  1000 calories for my bean & cheese burrito & quesidilla.  1000 calories!  I had been running a little under 1200 calories per day since we started this.  And Del Taco's food tasted horrible, it wasn't worth the 1000 calories & I'm sure the beans are made with lard.

I rode home in guilt and decided to forfeit my glass of wine to make up for the damage done.  The following day for my day off I decided not to log my food on myfitness pal.  I chose to eat pretty healthy throughout the day.  I also decided to stay in & make my own healthy dinner with a naughty little spin.

I found a recipe on how to make restaurant style tofu: https://www.greenbuffalofood.com/blog/2012/02/cooking-restaurant-style-tofu-the-quick-healthy-way/
It turned out perfectly.  I threw in some mixed nuts, red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, & snap peas.  I put it over some brown rice, drizzled a little orange sauce & a sprinkle of sesame seeds over the top.  Guilt free - delicious eating!  I also indulged in a few glasses of wine & some dried fruit for dessert!  I felt much better about this then my crappy fast food experience.

Great and simple food ideas

Ok guys here's the BBQ sauce recipe I love courtesy of The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook.
I love this on chicken. You can also put in on pork or lean beef. I especially love it on Salmon. I cover the salmon with it wrap it up in foil and put it on the grill. You can add some honey, agave nectar or maple syrup to make it a little sweeter (since there is no brown sugar in it). Best of all, a 1/4 cup serving of this is only 25 calories!! It will keep in the fridge for up to one week.  Hope you like it!

South Beach Barbecue Sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoonWorchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder


Combine tomato sauce, vinegar, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a resealable container. Refrigerate until use.  


Makes 4 (1/4 cup) servings
Per serving: 25 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g protein, 5 g carbs, 1 g dietary fiber, 380 mg sodium

You Can Do A Lot in 20 Minutes!

Hey Ladies! I signed up on fitnessmagazine.com a while back and I find it is really helpful during the game. It is free to get an account and it leaves you options for all kinds of daily newsletters and fitness tips. I learn something new every day. There was some great articles about 100 calorie snacks, beating workout boredom, and I am posting a link in the blog about 6 great 20 minute workouts.

Here is the link http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/express/20-minute/multitasking-toning-exercises/?page=1

I loved what Natalie said about being creative with our 20 minutes. There is a lot we can do in that time...our favorite yoga positions, stretching, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, hula-hooping, or jumping rope. Exercise is about feeling good, so we should not dread this 20 minutes, but actually look forward to it. We will be happier after for sure! Exercise produces endorphins. Endorphins make people happy! And happy people dont go around killing people :-) -- Bonus if you can name that film!

Happy sweating!

Exercise-Finding things you enjoy

I was inspired by someone mentioning "dancing while making dinner" (which occurs frequently at my house, too) to explore finding creative ways to get my exercise in.   I love running and the gym, but it doesn't always fit in my consistently over-booked schedule.

I absolutely love being outside, especially when it's sunny, so today I decided to do some much needed yard work.  I will spare you the pictures, but our flowerbeds have been overtaken by weeds.  On my lunch break today I decided to do something about it.  I went to the shed found my gloves and a great digging tool and went to town.  I had so much fun soaking up some much needed vitamin D, getting dirty and day dreaming about the warmer days ahead.  And, I spent so much time in the squatting position that I know I will feel it tomorrow.  Nothing like firming those cheeks! ;)

Anyone else find some creative ways to defy the norm with exercise?

The Plan REALLY works!

Ok so far my counters are cleaner, I feel a lot better, and in just two whole days I am noticing a difference? That is CRAZY .... so after obsessively pacing I weighed myself today. I couldn't NOT know ... so now there is no way I will get a perfect score today (sorry Meltaways), but I was on the verge of actual insanity! After 2.5 days (I was basically on the diet on Tuesday with exception of a little extra chocolate Tuesday night) I lost almost 2 lbs.

The good news is nobody else needs to weigh themselves and loose points. If you are scoring perfect scores (or even just near perfect) this plan will work! I have a lot to loose so you might not have lost 1.8 lbs already, but I bet $ you are not far off from that!

Keep up the good work everyone!

PS: team Flabulously Fit! if you really really want to maybe you should, the results might be different for your team??

Game On!

My favorite meal!

I wake up early so I have a protein shake before my work out. I read somewhere that having 20+ grams of protein when you first wake up can help speed up your metabolism for the day. A shake is an easy way to get the protein without ruining my work out, but a boring breakfast which is why meal two is my favorite meal of the day!

I made up this super yummy egg scramble with a little Pam, garlic, cayenne pepper, lots of broccoli, 2 egg whites, 1 organic whole egg, black beans and topped with a little hot salsa. This meal is high in protein and very satisfying! You could add cheese and be on plan, but I am working on eliminating dairy from at least 2 meals a day.

If you munch on an apple while you are cooking you really have everything covered ... plus if you only have a protein shake for meal 1 you are probably hungry!!

Hello ladies!  I am not playing the game but did print out the food chart to try to follow.  What are you all eating for meat for breakfast?  I don't see anything listed and I am an egg and meat breakfast kind of gal.

Habits ... we all have got them!

Let's all post about the healthy habit we are going to start and the bad habit we are going to break!

Some examples of bad habits include the following:

• Swearing
• Texting While Driving
• Complacency
• Lying
• Negative Self-Talk
• Coffee
• Watching TV
  
• Internet Porn
• Gossip
• Ordering In
• Buying Bottled Water

Are you searching for the perfect good habit to start, but don't have any good ideas yet? Below you will find a list of some ideas the author of the book and her friends came up with:

• Take up Cooking (at least one meal a day)
• Organize Your House, Clear Clutter
• Study a Foreign Language
• Learn/Practice a Musical Instrument
• Rediscover Reading for Pleasure
• Take up Journaling
• Take up Yoga
• Take up Meditation
• Floss Daily
• Call Three People You Like Each Day
• Be of Service to Others (Do Charitable Work)

I strongly suggest (if you haven't read the book) reading this section on the habits rule. I am going to include my choices as a reply to this post and encourage you to do the same. (If you think the photo is a giveaway to my choices you are wrong, you have to read to find out!)

Helpful Apps

Here are a couple apps that some of us have already been using.
My Fitness Pal and Endomondo

You can search for them on your phone for the phone app.

Your Fitness Pal: Your Fitness Pal is here to help you get in the best shape of your life. Sometimes you just need a pal for a little advice, encouragement and motivation! You can track your food to find out how many calories you are eating daily, place your weight goal and track the calories you burned during an exercise.

Endomondo: Endomondo is a sports community based on free real-time GPS tracking of running, cycling, etc. Bring your mobile on the track and get a complete training log!

Sample Menu

Hello Ladies! It was great seeing some of my besties this morning and meeting some new ladies. And what a beautiful day for a walk!

Here is my Week 1 menu. Hopefully this will help everyone with setting up there meals. It seemed less daunting to me to create a weekly menu, this way I don't have to think of it daily. I am almost creating mine for the whole 4 weeks.

FYI Sanctioned Food Menu
*Note: I set an alarm on my phone for each of the times listed below.
I also tried to keep my carb intake low, so I am trying to choose low/carb options for my carb portions. Since I know that this has worked for me in the past. But I think it is still important to get carbs like it says in the book. I love Julian Michaels and she suggests some carbs, too.

Here is a blog I found with some recipes for this game. http://gameondietrecipes.blogspot.com any thing that has a blog link, I adapted the recipes a bit to make it work, example substitute plain yogurt instead of sour cream and deleted some ingredients.



As you can see I am starting mine tomorrow, since I am more of a Monday starts my week girl.

Monday, March 5
Meal 1 - 8 am
Carbohydrate: Strawberries
Protein: Cottage Cheese
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 2 - 10 am
Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Dessert
(blog for recipe: http://gameondietrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/01/applecinnamon-yogurt-dessert.html)

Carbohydrate: Apples
Protein: Greek Yogurt
Fats: 1 Almond or 1 Cashew chopped
Drizzle of Agave Nectar
Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, 1/2 cup of water

Meal 3 - 1 pm
Grilled Chicken, Cheese & Spinach wrap
Carbohydrate: Tortilla Whole-Wheat (low/carb)
Protein: 1/2 Chicken and 1/2 Cheese
Vegetables: Spinach
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 4 - 3 pm
Carbohydrate: Strawberries blended into shake
Protein: Protein Shake (Designer Whey - Strawberry)
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 5 - 6 pm
Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
Carbohydrate: Kidney Beans
Protein: 2/3 Turkey 1/3 cheese
Vegetables: Red bell pepper
Fats: olive oil

Tuesday, March 6
Meal 1 - 8 am
Carbohydrate: Blueberries
Protein: Cottage Cheese
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 2 - 10 am
Carbohydrate/Protein: Greek Yogurt
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 3 - 1 pm
Left Over Turkey Bell Pepper wrap
Carbohydrate: Tortilla Whole-Wheat (low/carb)
Protein: 2/3 Turkey 1/3 cheese
Vegetables: Red bell pepper
Fats: olive oil

Meal 4 - 3 pm
Carbohydrate: Strawberries blended into shake
Protein: Protein Shake (Designer Whey - Strawberry)
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 5 - 6 pm
Curry Beef with Broccoli
Carbohydrate: Plain Yogurt
Protein: Beef
Vegetables: Broccoli
Fats: olive oil

Wednesday: GAME ON! WEIGHT IN
Week 1- March 7
Meal 1 - 8 am
Carbohydrate: 1/2 Apple
Protein: Cottage Cheese
Fats: Peanut Butter

Meal 2 - 10 am
Carbohydrate/Protein: Greek Yogurt
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 3 - 1 pm
Left Over Curry Beef with Broccoli in Lettuce Wrap
Carbohydrate: Plain Yogurt
Protein: Beef
Vegetables: Broccoli & Lettuce
Fats: olive oil

Meal 4 - 3 pm
Carbohydrate: Strawberries blended into shake
Protein: Protein Shake (Designer Whey - Strawberry)
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 5 - 6 pm
Chicken Cashew Lettuce wrap
(http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/01/recipe-for-quick-sriracha-beef-lettuce.html)
Carbohydrate: Plain Yogurt
Protein: Spicy Marinated Grilled Chicken (Seasoned how you like)
Vegetables: Lime, Green Onion, Cilantro, Lettuce
Fats: Peanut oil

Thursday, March 8
Meal 1 - 8 am
Carbohydrate: Blueberries
Protein: Cottage Cheese
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 2 - 10 am
Carbohydrate/Protein: Greek Yogurt
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 3 - 1 pm
Black Bean Salad
Carbohydrate: Black Beans
Protein: Pepper Jack Cheese
Vegetables: Spinach or lettuce
Fats: Avocado

Meal 4 - 3 pm
Carbohydrate: Strawberries blended into shake
Protein: Protein Shake (Designer Whey - Strawberry)
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 5 - 6 pm
Turkey Ground Taco Salad
Carbohydrate: Pinto Beans
Protein: Turkey and Cheese
Vegetables: Lettuce, Cabbage or Spinach, Cilantro
Fats: Avocado

Friday, March 9
Meal 1 - 8 am
Carbohydrate: Strawberries or Raspberries
Protein: Cottage Cheese
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 2 - 10 am
Carbohydrate: Chick Peas (Hummus)
Protein: Pepper Jack Cheese
Vegetables: Carrot sticks
Fats: Olive Oil (in Hummus)

Meal 3 - 1 pm
Omelet with left over Turkey Taco Meat
Carbohydrate: Homemade Salsa (tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro)
Protein: Pepper 1/2 Turkey, 1/4 Jack Cheese, 1/4 Egg White
Fats: olive oil

Meal 4 - 3 pm
Carbohydrate: Strawberries blended into shake
Protein: Protein Shake (Designer Whey - Strawberry)
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 5 - 6 pm
Spaghetti Meat Sauce Over Zucchini
Carbohydrate: Tomato (Homemade sauce, garlic)
Protein: Turkey Ground
Vegetables: Zucchini
Fats: olive oil

Saturday: FREE DAY March 10

Sunday:  1 FREE MEAL March 11
Meal 1 - 8 am
Carbohydrate, Protein, Fats: Protein Bar

Meal 2 - 10 am
Omelet
Carbohydrate: Homemade Salsa (tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro)
Protein: 1/2 Turkey, 1/4 Pepper Jack Cheese, 1/4 Egg White
Fats: olive oil

Meal 3 - 1 pm
Carbohydrate: 1/2 Apple
Protein: Pepper Jack Cheese
Vegetables: Celery
Fats: Peanut Butter

Meal 4 - 3 pm
Carbohydrate: Strawberries blended into shake
Protein: Protein Shake (Designer Whey - Strawberry)
Fats: 1 Almond

Meal 5 - 6 pm
FREE MEAL

Some spices that curve appetite and speed up metabolism:
Cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, ginger and mint.
And guess what I found a chicken recipe that has most of these ingredients.

Chicken Satay With Spicy Peanut Sauce

I had this for dinner yesterday and my company, as well as my family loved it! If you use the peanut sauce recipe you may have to adjust the peanut butter depending upon how many you are serving, so that you do not go over your fat intake, same with oil. Then substitute Agave Nector instead of the brown sugar.

More natural way to increase your metabolism: How To Speed Up Your Metabolism Naturally

Strike a Pose, It's a Gangsta Party

So in our first meeting today we decided on a prize ...

Winners get chauffeured by the losing team and are treated to an appetizer or dessert and two drinks by the losing team as well. If that isn't enough the winning team will also get to wear tiara's .. how fun!

We are going to celebrate at Lola's Room on a Saturday night which is the 90's themed night .. FUN!!

Next plan of action is to decide on a date! I am proposing April 21st as a nice way to kick off the NEXT challenge and celebrate completing the first one. I was thinking if we like this we could start the next one on April 25th after a 2 week break!

EVERYONE ... please reply to give your input on the date we choose! We need to choose a date fairly soon I think so people can put it on the schedule!

Getting ready to get my GameOn!

I read in the book that for some people the hardest part was drinking 3 L of water per day. I am slowly increasing my water so that it won't feel like I am drowning that first week. There will be enough challenges I am sure. Also, I am working hard on limiting the snacks and chocolate. I have basically had an IV of chocolate since December. It is addicting for sure! I figure maybe I can slowly start going through my withdrawals now .. I need to kick the habit anyway.

Some people might be binging on junk food? Practicing your new healthy habit? Are you starting to exercise daily? ... I don't know if it is because I am a life long athlete or what, but I thought it was important to "train" before the competition. You should be fine even if you aren't doing anything, but in the book everyone struggles the most with the first three days... I just thought by easing into things it might be a little less shocking.

What are you doing to get ready?

Game On! Why ....

In the book they ask us to write down why we are doing the challenge. I know not all of us have read the book so I wanted to post that question here ...

• Maybe you wanted to get Melissa to shut up so you simply agreed?
• Maybe you are frustrated with the lack of increase in your running speed?
• Maybe you have been dieting for ages and had no long term results?
• Maybe you are a competitive nut and you wanted play to W-I-N?

I think it would be a great way to help us be supportive of each other and our goals (whatever they may be) if we shared that. Feel free to leave out actual pounds since this is the world wide web, but add a comment to this post with your feelings on why you are doing this challenge?

If you have decided you really want to read the book it's not too late to buy it and read it before we get started. If reading is part of your healthy habit you can complete the book as part of your challenge!

And why THIS photo? Did it make you smile? That's why ...