Cize it Up- Fitness Program Review

I have to tell you... I am so giddy on the inside about starting this program it is scary. LOL. Home girl over here CANNOT dance. I mean...I've got a pretty good bounce rhythm going but that's where the moves stop. But I LOVE to dance... so Shaun T just launched this new workout program that is aimed to get you in super fantastic shape AND he vows to teach you how to dance...this could be epic.

Last week, I gave one of his workouts a try before it launched this Monday. Beachbody had one of his workouts from the program streaming on Beachbody On Demand and lucky enough for me...I have On Demand. So workout party commences.

It was so much fun, so much fun that the 45 mins flew by. At about 15 mins to go, I literally thought, "awe man, it's about to be over". No one says that about a workout... but let me tell ya, I was a sweaty mess after, sweaty smiling mess. Effective. Fun. Winner.

Warning: You will be dancing in the kitchen with your new moves. Significant others be warned. ;)

Cize is meant for people who want to get fit, improve their cardio but don't want to feel like they are working out. The workouts are anywhere from 35-40 mins long. Shaun T teaches you step by step the moves. He'll teach you four moves strung together, then repeat it. Then add on another, then repeat, then another, until you have a 2-3 min choreographed routine to crazy fun music. I challenge you to do one of these workouts and not to have a BLAST...it's simply not possible. Too much fun before 7am. ;)

I'll be starting a challenge group JUST for this program starting August 2nd. I just bought mine and I seriously can't wait to get started. If you want to join, please email or message me on facebook. jennifergunnell@gmail.com

Within our group, I'll be providing daily support, motivation, meal plans, clean eating tips and answering any questions you have as well as providing any additional support you might need. I'm here to see you succeed and will do anything that's need to get you there. But you have to want it.

Are you ready to CIZE?

21 Day Fix Challenge Group Results

This June I made the commitment to stick to the 21 Day Fix with my challenge group 100%. Prior, I had been mixing and matching programs depending on my mood. Always using the 21 Day Fix containers and meal plans for my nutrition, but the fitness program was a free for all. Mainly PIYO, a little running, some yoga, and some more PIYO. But this time, I was going to pretend like I was a brand new challenger.


I took my pictures on Sunday, made my meal plan from scratch, prepared my meals and was pretty excited about going all in. No cheat meals during this 21 days either. No 80/20 rule, just strict clean eating, lots of water, shakeology everyday, and the fitness workouts according to the fitness plan. Truthfully, when I first did the program last year when it came out, I completed the first video and was SO sore the next day...no the next four days that I gave up on the fitness section and just did the nutrition portion. So really, the fitness DVDs were completely new to me and that was super exciting.

Oh and did I mention that the first week I was headed to San Fran for a business trip. I was sure to be tested.

So Week 1 was on June 1st and it went great. I heavily relied on my challenge group to push me through. I just couldn't let them down and truely we were all in it together. Everyone has their own hard reasons that they can't get in that workout, why nutrition is hard to stay on track. But they were finding a way to push through which mean that I needed to find a way to push through too.

One of the most important aspects of finding success is planning your day prior to starting. For example, if i know that I have an 8 am meeting where I need to be dressed and then dinners at night, then I'll wake up early and get my workout in then. 5:30am comes early, but trust me, you will thank yourself when you finish. Trust me. Workout is checked off the list and then you just have to focus on nutrition.


Okay, let's talk about the fitness DVDs. Each are thirty minutes long which is AWESOME. It starts with a 3 minute warm up that is the same each day. Then leads into Rounds of exercises. Depending on the day you could have four rounds of two moves each. Then you repeat each move twice. Or it could be 5 moves for two rounds, repeat each move twice. What I love about the workouts is that mentally they are SO easy to get through. By Round 2, you are already 10 mins in and almost to the halfway mark. Then right when you think you can't push any farther you are 20 mins in and well...then you only have 10 mins left so you HAVE to finish right. Then its done. You're dripping with sweat and on a high of endorphins.

The moves are accessible for all levels for fitness. If you are a beginner, there is a modifier that is right next to Autumn to simplify to the moves so that you can get fit at and grow stronger and be good to your body. I urge you that if you are a beginner that you follow the modifier first. Then if you feel like you can do more, move on to the full moves. I say this as this is what I should have done last year. Instead, I went gun-ho the first day and completely over did it and then psyched myself out. You here me?! Listen to your body.

Change your perspective.
Change your life.

Now if you are already fit, this is great for you too as you can really go full speed with all the moves and get awesome results. I did several of these workouts in my hotel room with little space and no equipment. If you put your mind to it, you absolutely can ROCK this program.

If your curious about the nutrition part of the program, please see my previous posts on the containers. These are GOLDEN and simplify all the guesswork about portion size, how many carbs, protein, fats should I have, etc. It's all there simplified in an easy to complete way.

Day 21. Final Day of the 21 Day Fix Results. 

So what were my results. Well, I really was nervous to take my after pictures because I wasn't sure if I had any results. The first week I lost 3 pounds; second week was down 4 total and then by Day 21 I was still at 4 total. So, results, but not what I was used to. Then I put the pictures side by side and I saw it. RESULTS. I am transitioning in the weight loss stage of my journey to the toning stage of my journey which means the pounds lost are slowing. This is because while I am losing fat, I am gaining more weight in muscle. So this is going to look different on the scale but GREAT on your body.

I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking through the program. My challenge group pushed me harder than I had been pushing myself and I am so grateful for them. They are an extremely inspiring bunch of ladies.

Day 21 Front View. Truly shocked to see these results. 

Moral of this post is TRUST YOURSELF. Give it your all, follow the program and you will see results. While it is as simple as that, the 21 days for sure tests many of pressure points. That's what is great about 21 days in forming a habit. You are going to experience the many reasons to stop or cheat, getting through those will not only make you stronger but will help get you to that bigger goal.

If you are interested in joining my next 21 Day Fix Challenge group, please drop your email below or message me on facebook and I'll share with you all the wonderful details.

Wishing you a happy and healthy life,

Healthy Snack Popcorn

I have a confession. I LOVE popcorn. I mean LOOOVE popcorn. Chris makes fun of  my popcorn habit at night but, I'm pretty sure I was raised on after dinner popcorn sessions. I'm not talking one bag for the whole family, oh no, we EACH had our own bag of Butter Lovers microwave popcorn. That's 400 calories right there, plus some chemicals and preservatives added in for good measure. The grandkids now know Grandma/Grandpa's house as the popcorn house. As soon as they get settled, no matter what time of day, the question inevitably comes, "can I have some popcorn?". It's cute and endearing, but not so healthy for us adults.

I have the snacking gene. I love to eat little finger foods full of crunchies so I had to find something that would fill this eating habit/motion/love. My sister showed me this neat trick of buying popcorn kernels, a brown bag and a microwave to get oil free, chemical free popcorn. Brilliant right?

Popping:
You'll need two things. 1. Brown Bag and 2. Popcorn Kernels. You can find a big bag of kernels in the grocery store for cheap in bulk. Buy the store brand. Making the popcorn is completely simple. You'll put two handfuls of kernels into the brown bag. Then, fold the top of the bag down one fold. Last step, place in microwave and press the popcorn regular button. That's it.

Seasonings:
My favorite is simple salt and cracked pepper, but you have so many options. Have fun.

• Spicy? Add cayenne and cracked red pepper
• Tangy? Add yellow pepper
• Mexican-y? Cumin and chili powder. 

Use your imagination and add you favorite toppings. 3 cups of popped popcorn with no calorie seasonings like the above suggested is about 100 calories. So, this is the perfect snacky food for you to munch on when you get the snacking bug or for your next movie night. 

Cucumber Tomato Summer Salad

The other day I was looking at the 8 cucumbers we had just picked from our garden and thinking to myself, "goodness, what am I supposed to do with all these cucumbers". Well, I gave a lot away, but then I remembered this very basic delicious salad that I grew up on. So, I started cutting up my cucumbers and tomatoes and Chris stepped in to suggest an easy vinaigrette salad. So, he whipped it up and BAM, we had a healthy veggie side for dinner. This is great for parties or potlucks as well. Healthy, filling, and quick... my kind of side dish. 

Tomato Cucumber Salad

• 2 Cucumbers
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes (or other tomatoes)
• 1/2 onion chopped (optional)
• 1/2 avocado cubed (optional)

Vinaigrette 

• 1/4 cup of vinegar
• 1 tbsp of vegannaise (or lite mayo)
• cracked pepper to top

Directions:

1. Ready for this...chop and combine <Rocket science, I know!>
2. Vinaigrette: Wisk all 3 ingredients together.
3. Combine and toss. Chill before serving. 

Dinner for 2. Served.
2 reds, 2 greens. 1 tsp.

Easy enough right?! This will be on the menu next week. :D Gotta get it in while cucumbers and tomatoes are in season and in their peak. 

Meal Planning on a Budget

Everyone is watching their pennies right? I know we are. Recently, I made it my mission to cut down our grocery bill. We were so used to just buying what we wanted when we wanted that it was getting out of hand. Then, I'd find myself throwing away SO much food. Seriously, it pains me to throw away good, clean food. UGH. Changes had to be made. So, last month I started recording our grocery  bills. The biggest change was our breakfast/lunches which I slimmed down and bought in bulk. No more, 'oh maybe I'll have bell peppers, how many should I buy...hmm... let's just throw 4 in the basket'. NO. Now if bell peppers (insert food name) is not on the list... I don't buy it. Simple right?!

Step 1: Meal Plan

Each Sunday (or Monday if I'm lazy), I will right out a detailed plan for myself and for all of our dinners. Chris doesn't eat breakfast or snacks so I really on need to worry about lunches and dinner for my love. Me on the other hand... I like to EAT...like ALL THE TIME. So, I plan out breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Here is a sample of my meal plan for last week.

First put in your activities, then plan around them so you won't be caught off guard. 

Tip #1 - Breakfast/Lunch Batch Cooking

Breakfast for the next four days. YUM-O.

Plan similar or the same breakfast and lunches for each day of your week. This helps take the guess work out of 'what's for breakfast/lunch' and I don't know about you, but I'm not much of a good thinker at breakfast and lunches I just want the fastest thing. Having it all pre-made and in the refrigerator ready to go will help you stay on track for your clean eating goals and will also prevent "I'm STARVING" bad decisions. I have four Pyrex dishes that I use for each breakfast/lunch, which means I make four days worth of meals ahead of time. I find that this is about the life span of keeping the meal fresh so this timing works for me. Really its 5 days, bc I will make that day's meal while I'm making them.

Tip #2- Make 2+ Dinners Vegetarian

Each week, I will pressure cooker (or you could slow cooker) beans for us to eat. Every week is a new bean type (Black Eyed, Red Bean, White Bean, Lentils) to keep it fresh. We actually LOVE beans and they are so easy to make with huge taste/yumminess payoff. Plus, one pot will last us two meals. SCORE. Pair with rice and a salad/veggie and you've got your protein, carb and veggie in one easy meal. Fast and inexpensive and yummy. My kind of meal.

Step 2: Grocery Shop

Salad bases for the next four days. All set.

If you plan your meals out ahead of time, you have ALL the food right there on a neat list that you need to buy. DON'T buy anything additional that is not on that meal plan. This will help you stay on plan as well as on budget. Two important things we're after.

I usually do a Costco/Sam's run twice a month and a regular grocery store run twice a week or so. There is no reason you can't get away with doing one grocery store run a week, just buy everything on the list. :)

So here is how my week will play out:

• Breakfasts $2.01 to $2.45 (Parfaits- alternating fruit toppings) for 7 days = $15.83
• Yogurt- 6 oz a day = 42 oz 
• Chibani Greek Yogurt at Sam's $4.98 for 38 oz (Buy 3 for 2 weeks) 
• $0.83 per serving (6 servings in one container)
• Quakers Oatmeal at Costco $7.98 for 120 servings
• $0.07 per serving
• Frozen Fruit (Mango Mix $8.88 for 64oz & Cherries $9.28 48oz)
• $1.55 per serving (cherries) for 6 servings per bag
• $1.11 per serving (mango/pineapple) for 8 servings per bag
• Lunch $2.22 (Salads) for 7 days = $15.54
• Garden mix from Sam's or Costco $3.98 for 16 oz or 7 servings
• $0.57 per serving
• Cherry tomatoes from Sam's/Costco $5.98 for 32oz or 5 servings
• $1.20 per serving
• Healthy Ranch Dressing
• Tofu from Costco $14.99 for 14 packs of 12oz
• 1 week of Dressing needs two packs of tofu
• $0.30 per serving
• Spices already in kitchen. Estimating high end of cost. 
• $0.15 per serving

Got to spend my morning with this sweet nugget.
He watched cartoons, I made my meals.

For all of my breakfasts and lunches, I will spend $31.37 before tax. Not too bad! In a future post, I will talk dinners on a budget in detail, so look out for that post to come. 

If this is interesting to you, facebook or email me and we can chat. We learn this and more in the monthly challenge groups I run. If you're interested in joining, I would LOVE to hear from you. (jennifergunnell@gmail.com or fb: Jen Gunnell)

I'm always learning and building as each day/week comes. Would love to hear your suggestions/comments on how to improve or clarify. 

Lots of healthy love!!!

Clean Eating- Airport Edition

As many of y'all know, I travel for work. Lately, I've been traveling A LOT for work. While I would rather be home, I do like to get out and away from the normal routine. Truthfully, when I'm home for over 3 weeks, I'm wondering when is the next time I get to fly off to a far away place. Lucky/not lucky for me, it seems that I have a trip almost every week this summer which means --> I had to develop a plan on how to stick to my clean eating lifestyle while traveling for work or better yet, in an airport on a flight delay.

So, let's jump right on it!

1. Commit

This is often overlooked but what I feel is the most important part. Before you step foot in that car/airport/bus you MUST COMMIT to eating clean no matter what. Take out a piece of paper, write down what you are committing to and sign it. Take the time to remind yourself why you are committing so that you can tie into that larger goal of WHY you are working towards eating clean. Commit first.

2. Plan ahead

Pull out that itinerary and plan ahead. Will you need snacks? Do you have a layover? Is the plane ride right in the middle of your usual lunch? Plan around your schedule.

Water: I ALWAYS have an empty water bottle with me so that I can fill it up post security. Let me tell ya, if you don't have a water bottle, I can bet shelling out $5 for a bottled water post security is going to be less likely. Seriously, $5 for a liter of water is the going rate...so grab that empty water bottle and find a filling station. Atlanta has water bottle fillers everywhere. If you can't find one, look for a water fountain OR a restaurant who has a soda machine. You should be able to fill your water bottle with ice and water for no charge. Depends on the restaurant so ask ahead. I have had no problems getting free water this way (and its cold--> BONUS).

Snacks: Before you leave, I recommend having at least two options for snacks. My go-to's are almonds, peanut butter and Shakeology. I have these in my work bag at all times just in case there is a flight delay or shaky moment in the plane with nothing around. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled out my Shakeology, poured it in my shaker bottle and made a meal in the middle of the airport. It's a lifesaver. It buys me at least 3 hours before my next bored/hunger pain comes. If you are not into shakes, peanut butter packets are the bomb.com. They'll satiate your hunger and provide you nutrients for your body to function cleanly. My favorite are Justin's Almond Butter packets which I find at Rouse's or many other grocery stores next to the regular jars of peanut butter. Make sure you get the ones with no added oil or sugar. These packets I love because: #1 they are thin so they fit in your bag easily and #2 you can tear just a little baby hole and control the amount of PB you get without having a napkin/knife/etc available. GOLDEN.

Wowser. That's a lot of options!

3. Make Good Decisions

Okay, okay, okay, but Jen, I had no time to prepare and I don't have snacks... now what? It's all good. Take a deep breath and go back to that commitment. You're going to look at as many shops as you need to find REAL FOOD. That means you can identify every ingredient on they label and see it in real life. I.E. no chemicals. OR better yet choose something that doesn't need a label.

If your looking for a snack, there are bananas everywhere grab one and eat either alone or with Peanut Butter for an extra boost. There are also many places these days with other options like veggies and hummus, clean salads, boiled eggs, and more. Airports have gotten the memo and are more and more adding clean foods to their stores. Cheers. From. The. Crowd.

Breakfast: My go to for breakfast is Starbucks Classic Oatmeal with a cut up banana. Throw away all the 'good' stuff they send with you. You won't need the brown sugar with the banana cut up, save the nuts for a time when you are in a crunch (it's already in the perfect packaging) and throw away the raisin packets. The dried fruit is COVERED in oil and nobody wants that. When ordering coffee, go for black. I add soy milk, no added sugars. I highly suggest you finding your 'go-to' breakfast while on the road to help eliminate some of the decisions you have to make. Yogurt/apples/fruit... all are good clean choices. Just make sure that you are ordering unsweetened options.

Lunch/Dinner: This one usually takes the longest to find the right option but it is absolutely possible. My favorite options are Chipolte/Qudoba/Moe's type places where I can make a rice/bean/veggie bowl with no added cheese/sour cream. I like it because you can control what goes in your bowl right from the start and its super filling. Other options are some of the salads. I do want to caution you that you will want to stay away from the heavy cheeses, dressings and oil. I often buy a salad and then take away some of the cheese, squeeze lemon and add pepper. No dressing for me because you just don't know what's in the dressing. That dressing will make your lunch go from a GO to a NO.

4. Flip for Ingredients

The most important thing for you to do while looking in an airport for clean eating foods is flip the package and read the label. Ask yourself two questions: Do I know what each one of those ingredients is? Can I see the ingredient in real life? If the answer is yes and yes, you are good to go. Here's an example on a spring roll I found recently. It made it past my test.

And that's it. It's fairly simply and definitely takes some will power, but this is all something you are capable of learning and practicing on your next trip.

If this is something that interests you and that you feel like you could use some more tips please email or facebook me. We learn about all of this in our challenge groups that I hold monthly. Email me at jennifergunnell@gmail.com or facebook me at Jen Gunnell and I'll be happy to get you on the right path to clean eating success.

Hope you have a GREAT trip full of yummy clean foods! Let me know how it goes. I would LOVE to hear!

Clean Eating Oil-Free Caramelized Onions

About two years ago, I made the commitment to go oil-free. It all comes down to the simple fact that you just don't need to use oil to cook food and the calories you save by not using oil add up! Lastly, oil truly doesn't have any nutritional value to it. So, really... let's all just ditch the oil. Save some $$ and some calories.

One downfall to no oil was cooking onions. I never could get my onions to caramelize like I could with oil. Recently, with the help of Julie from the Protective Diet, I had my 'aha' moment. I was using vegetable broth to cook my onions in rather than oil when I should have been using NOTHING. That's right, all you need is a non-stick pan and some patience.

Steps:

1. Place thinly sliced onions in non-stick pan on med-high heat. 
2. Let onions brown while stirring back and forth. 
3. Once all onions have a brown coating coating them, pour a small amount of veggie broth into the pan to release the caramelized yumminess coating the pot. 
4. Serve.

Easy-peasy RIGHT?!

Let me know how it goes next time in the kitchen. I LOVE this trick.