21 Day Fix: Week 2

Today marks the end of week 2 on the 21 Day Fix for me. I am SO happy with my results so far! I don't have a scale at home right now, but I was able to take my measurements this morning. So far, I have lost 9.75 total inches on the Fix... 4 of which are around my waist! It is truly amazing to see what happens when we eat the way God intended for us to eat. Even more amazing is the strength I have built in only two weeks' time. I can feel it. Every time I go up and down the stairs, every time I bend over to pick something up, every morning when I wake up and stretch I can feel the progress I am making.

I'm not posting any results pictures until the conclusion of round 1, which is next week. So, in honor of the week 2 finale, here is the recipe for my Panda Express inspired Green Bean Chicken Breast and brown rice. 
[DISCLAIMER: brown rice takes a LONG time to cook, so I usually put it on ahead of time while I am doing other things around the house.]


What you'll need:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into cubes
1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
Kikkoman Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Sauce
Reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
French Style green beans
2-4 servings cooked brown rice (cooking instructions below)
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Fool-Proof Brown Rice:

1. Fill a large pot about 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add 2-4 servings of brown rice (per package instructions). My favorite brand is Mahatma.
2. Gently boil rice for 35 minutes. 
3. Drain rice in a colander. Return to the pan and cover with lid. Allow rice to sit, covered, off of the hot eye for 10 minutes.
4. Remove lid, fluff rice and serve.

Green Bean Chicken Breast:

1. In a large skillet, cook cubed chicken breast in EVOO. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. When chicken has turned white on all sides, add a little reduced sodium soy sauce (Be careful with this! Even though it is reduced sodium,  too much soy sauce will still make the dish too salty. You can always add more later if needed after you have tasted it).
3. Add sliced onion and chopped garlic to the pan and saute until onion becomes tender.
4. While you are waiting for the onion to cook with the chicken, add desired amount of green beans to a large pot. Barely cover the green beans with water. Bring to a boil and gently cook for about 3 minutes (This is a minute shy of package instructions, but cooking will finish when you add to the chicken).
5. When green beans are done, drain of all water in a colander and add to the skillet with chicken, onions and garlic. 
6. Pour Kikkoman Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Sauce to the mixture (approximately 1/2 cup or more to taste).
7. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (if a little kick is desired) and stir.
8. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

21 Day Fix: Week 1

I finished week 1 of the 21 Day Fix on Saturday, and week 2 is already in full swing! I must say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I began last week. I hadn’t been to the grocery store yet, so I had to make do with what I had on hand at the house. Even though my meal options were slim pickins that day, I decided to pop in the first workout DVD and hit the ground running.

The first workout I did is called The Dirty 30. Let me tell you.

I. Almost. Died.

 

I was sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and screaming at the TV before I was even done with the warm up exercises. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my dogs, who were terrified of the monster I became in mere minutes.

But seriously, this workout is no joke. It is designed to work out the whole body using weights, and it certainly does. By the time I was finished, my legs felt like absolute Jello. I could hardly even walk up and down the stairs. My 60-lb little angel, Rayna, stepped on my thighs so she could lay down in my lap like she does every night. Bless her. I almost threw her across the room. Thankfully, the extreme soreness subsided after a couple of days.

The rest of the workout week consisted of a different “fix” for each day: lower body fix, upper body fix,  Pilates fix, cardio fix, and Yoga fix (technically there are 2 cardio fixes, but skipped one so I could go to a super fun painting class with some of my friends).

I’m telling you guys, Autumn Calabrese kicked my butt this week. I have found it helpful to yell at her during the videos even though she is super adorable and relatable and encouraging. The videos that come with this program are extremely difficult, but I can honestly say that this is the first time in my life that I have genuinely enjoyed working out.

Now on to the fun part… the eating plan!

For some, this might be the daunting part. Thankfully, I was raised by a mom who cooked dinner for us every single day growing up (literally!) and she passed her love of cooking along to me. I am not afraid to experiment in the kitchen and make up my own recipes based on what I have on hand.

The thing I like most about the eating plan in this program is that it does not deprive you of anything. Instead, it teaches you how to control your portions and still feel satisfied. The program comes with a set of containers that are color coded for the food group they represent. You also get a chart that shows how many of each container you can eat per day based on the amount of calories you should be eating. I love this system because it helps me keep track of the amount of fruits and veggies I am getting every day. My OCD little brain loves that I can mentally check off the food groups I have eaten each meal. If you know me well, you know I love my lists (if you don’t know, ask my fiancé :)) so this is perfect for me.

I have to say, the hard work I have put in this week has paid off big time. In one week, I have lost 5 lbs and a total of 6 inches! I am so pleased with my results so far, but the best part about it all is how great I feel. I have had so much more energy to get things done throughout the day. I sleep better at night. It is truly amazing to see what happens when you fuel your body with the right kinds of foods. 

Even though I love coming up with my own recipes, I have done a little searching and found a couple that I really love. My favorite by far is the stuffed peppers recipe I found. You can find the original recipe here or you can follow my tweaked version below.

Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 4 peppers

Fix Portions (per pepper): 2 green, 1 red, ½ yellow, ½ blue

Ingredients

• 4 green bell peppers
• ½ pound 93% lean ground beef
• 1 can Original Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• ½ cup shredded 2% Mexican cheese
• 1 tbsp each ground cumin and chili powder (more or less to taste)
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package instructions
2. In a skillet with a little EVOO, saute onion and garlic until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, brown ground beef. Season with cumin, chili powder, sea salt, pepper, and Lawry's.
4. While the beef is cooking heat a large pot of water to boiling. Chop the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds.
5. Boil peppers for 3 minutes and remove. Drain on paper towels.
6. Open can of Ro-Tel and put a little of the juice in the bottom of a glass baking pan.
7. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, sauteed onions/garlic, cooked brown rice, and Ro-Tel tomatoes. Mix well.
8. Fill each pepper with mixture. Top with cheese.
9. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.
    
    Voila! Your peppers need to cool for a few minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
    
   
    

The 21 Day Fix

It is no secret. In the last two and a half years, I have gained over 25 pounds. Some of this weight gain was necessary per doctor's orders. The rest of it... not so necessary. You see, something about the security of a stable, long-term relationship just makes me want to eat pizza. And pasta. And Mexican food. So much Mexican food.

An amazing thing happens when you find "the one". You feel so happy, so free... and so relaxed. So you eat. (Or at least I do!) You stop opting for the salad every time you eat out. You stop fearing that your future love will judge you for eating more than him. You're not lazy, you're just comfortable.

That has been my reality since December of 2012. I met Daniel and suddenly started sliding down a slippery slope full of chips and queso and chimichangas and sour cream and did I mention I love Mexican food??

Today is the day it stops. I am tired of being tired all the time. I am tired of having to buy new pants because my old ones don't even zip up anymore. I'm tired of feeling self-conscious. Now, don't get me wrong, I do not think I'm fat. I just don't feel good. My wedding is in 3 months. I want to feel good. I look forward to the day that Daniel and I start a family. I want to feel good.

So, welcome to my journey. A couple of weeks ago, my mom saw an ad for the 21 Day Fix. She suggested that I look into it, so I did. My inner hippie in me is totally gelling with their philosophy on food and fitness. The philosophy behind the 21 Day Fix is "Simple Fitness, Simple Eating, Fast Results". The program emphasizes clean eating without being totally unattainable for those of us who don't make the big bucks. It also emphasizes the importance of exercise throughout the weight loss process.

A few months ago, I was texting my hairdresser (and lifelong friend) about strategies I'd used to improve the health of my hair. I told her I had seen significant results from sleeping on a satin pillowcase every night, taking hair, skin, and nails vitamins daily, and washing my hair every other day rather than every day. Her response to me was simple, yet very profound:

"Be kind to yourself :)"

This is a concept I have thought about frequently, if not daily. Honestly, I believe it is a biblical principle. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 

That is what I am striving to do through participating in the 21 Day Fix. I am not into crash diets. I AM NOT getting paid to write this post and I AM NOT selling ANYTHING. I am simply inviting you all to join me on my journey to live a healthier, simpler life. 

So without further ado, here is my before picture! I'll be updating my story along the way with pictures, recipes, and of course- progress!