One Pan Mexican Quinoa

Literally the easiest thing I've ever made.  Super filling, super delicious, super vegan (if you're into that) AND awesome for Friday nights during Lent (shout out to my Catholics).  Really, no negatives in this amazing dinner.  And it goes great with margaritas and/or wine.  So there you go.

One Pan Mexican Quinoa

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cook time:  25 minutes

Total time:  35 minutes

Yield:  4 servings (Dan and I pretty much ate it all)

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 cup dry quinoa

1 cup vegetable broth (to be honest, I had chicken broth, so that's what I used)

1 (15-oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-oz) can fired roasted diced tomatoes

1 cup corn kernels

1 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado, peeled and diced (optional)

Juice of one lime

2 T chopped, fresh cilantro leaves (also, technically, optional)

Instructions:

There are literally three steps.  First, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and jalapeños and stir until fragrant.  Add the quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn and spices.  Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer until the quinoa is cooked through (25-35 minutes).  Top with avocado, lime and cilantro.  Oh and chese.  We added cheese.

Done.  I mean literally, how easy and delicious does this sound.  Also makes fantastic leftovers.

(original recipe from http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/)

A Food Dilemma: Poison or Pleasure?

I've been struggling lately.  I feel like a lot of people have.  I can feel it in the air.  I don't know if it the changing of the seasons or the start of school, but it seems like everyone around me is fighting their own personal battles.

I would've never been able to resist at Hogwarts

Mine, is food.

Last year, I got a real handle on my eating.  I wasn't heavy by any means, but I lost a good amount of fat that I was carrying around my middle and in my thighs.  I was eating more, eating cleaner, and lifting heavy.  I was drinking very little alcohol because I was exhausted every night from renovating my new home.  I felt strong both mentally and physically.

This year is proving to be a different story.  I have started training for my first marathon, a HUGE bucket list item that I never thought would be possible after my knee surgery.  And I know that one of the main struggles for runners can be eating TOO much... especially too much carbs.

So, I've been watching what I eat... at least, I think I have.  And I've been working out, hard, every day.  And yet, the pounds, and the fat, have been creeping back.

This makes me angry and frustrated!  Meanwhile, my good friend Bethany over at Living Between Labels is struggling with her own autoimmune issues.  She has been forced to cut out MAJOR foods, like tomatoes and wheat, because they cause her body to, essentially, attack itself.  The two of us, along with many of our other friends in the health and fitness world, talk daily about what we should be eating, what we shouldn't be eating, how much to eat, when to eat it.  And then we have to help our challengers navigate these same questions and struggles.  And that just goes for people with no food allergies or health issues!

It's exhausting.  And the struggle to constantly make the right choices is real for a lot of people.  My friend and coach Kristin can't eat gluten or dairy, and for her, she says it's simple:  these foods are poison.  If you think about it like you're eating poison, it's very easy to say no.

But then, food is an addiction for many.  Just like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine are all poisons, people still put them in their bodies every day.  And while many people die from them, many don't.

Food gives me joy.  Pizza and chocolate and ice cream and pasta and chips and grapes and cheese and wine.  I feel good when I drink my Shakeology and eat my salad for lunch and my lightly sweetened greek yogurt and my cauliflower and my turkey meatballs for dinner.  But those are not what I want.  But even when I do eat those consistently, sometimes it's not enough.  I want a treat.  Those are healthy in moderation.  But what is moderation?  One small portion a day?  One large portion a week?  You only live once, you know... what's wrong with having a glass of wine at dinner.

So here I sit, fighting with myself and my desires.  Do I want wine or do I want rock hard abs?  Do I want the guilt of eating a piece of chocolate or the agony of turning it down?  What is REALLY going to make me happy?  Food or 5% body fat?

You know what?  I'm not sure yet.  Whenever I think I know, I change my mind.

I want to live a long, happy, healthy life.  What's the recipe for that?

Vacation Plan-- How to workout and eat right even while you're on vacation!

As a teacher, vacation has somewhat of a different meaning to me.  It's true that I don't have to go to work for a solid three months out of the year, but for me, having an entire day to my self means I'm cleaning the house, running errands, getting caught up on business stuff, and the list goes on.  If you really want to talk vacation with me, it means I'm not in my own house and most likely, also have a wonky internet connection.  Those two things for me = vacation.  Those two things also mean it's going to be hard for me to a) stick to my meal plan and b) workout.

But for me, I LOVE eating well because it makes me feel good and healthy.  I LOVE working out because it energizes me and gives me an outlet for my stress.  And so for me, when I take a vacation, a real vacation, I don't actually want to stop doing those two things!  But none the less, as I said before, taking a vacation does make those things difficult.  So, I wanted to talk about my tips and tricks to eating, working out and work your business even while you're on vacation!

Food is Fuel.

Everybody's vacations look different.  Some people are with their families and young kids, some are with friends, some are laying by the beach and pool all day napping and reading, some are walking around theme parks (me!), some are on amazing adventures like hiking and biking and rock climbing!  Whatever the case is, vacations almost always involve... RESTAURANTS.  People love not having to cook for themselves.  Seriously, if I didn't have to cook for the rest of my life, I would be a happy woman.  It's not that I don't like the actual cooking per say, but everything that goes along with it:  the meal planning, the shopping, the prep, the clean up.  Check please!

So what are some DOs and DON'Ts of restaurant dining if you're trying to stay on track?

DO eat all the fruits and veggies that come with your meal.  All of them.
DON'T eat the bread that comes before the meal!  Even though it is delicious.
DO save half of your meal as leftovers.  Restaurants almost always give inappropriate serving sizes.
DON'T order alcohol (or, order only one, and NOT the super sugary ones with the umbrellas in them!)
DO drink as much water as you can!
DON'T order meat and bread heavy options at every meal if you are eating out for multiple meals of the day.
DO skip dessert.

Everyone deserves a treat.  It will not be a treat if you are away for 10 days and eat whatever you want.  Trust me.  #allthepoop


Some other helpful tips for eating right while on vacation:

• Keep some easy to keep and carry fruits and veggies in your hotel room/vacation space.  You can easily pack a banana, apple, or some baby carrots to munch on while your on the boat or taking a break from Space Mountain (woohoo!)
• Don't go out for breakfast.  Instead, buy a box of cereal and eat it in your hotel room!  You can even keep little cartons of milk in the hotel fridge!
• Remember that most places will sell you bottled water, but they will fill up a cup of water for free.  If you're not nervous about where the water is coming from, take advantage of that!
• Did you know that with just 8 oz of water, you can shake up a serving of Shakeology and know that you are getting almost all of your necessarily vitamins and minerals for the day?  And covering a snack or meal?  And doing it for less than $4.66 a serving.  That's less than a water bottle at most vacation spots!

Wake Up and Work Out.

Getting motivated to workout during vacation is hard.  I get it!  The allure of sleeping in and cuddling with your significant other/kids/pillow is strong when it is a rarity on days when you have to go to work.  But instead of thinking of exercise as something that cuts in to or takes away from your vacation, think of it as something that adds to and enhances your vacation!



Take advantage of where you are and turn your surroundings into exercise.  Do yoga on the beach or take a bike ride on the boardwalk.  Do laps in the bay.  Jog through the woods or even through the city!   If it's a rainy day, grab a partner and head to the hotel gym or pool.  Vacations should also be about spending time with people that you... love to spend time with!  Imagine that!  So spend some time working up a good sweat and talking about what you're going to do that day or even how much fun you had the night before!

Regardless, just get up and move around.  If you spend all day walking around an amusement park, don't feel guilty about counting that as your exercise for the day.  But, if you're going to nap and drink mojitos all day long, a sunrise, exploratory jog might be just the ticket!


Are you looking for some accountability during your upcoming August vacation?  Or are you just looking for the motivation to get up and get moving?  What about daily posts and reminders to make good food choices?  How about the advantage of having ONE totally and completely healthy and guilt-free delicious meal that you can make at home or take on the go?

My Operation Vacation Challenge Group is starting on August 16, just three days before I leave on my own vacation to Disney World... and I would LOVE to have you join me (in the group... although if you want to come to Disney World with me, let's do it!)!   Just fill out the form below to apply!

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

FIXate: French Toast Review from a French Toast Expert

If you know me at all you know that there is only one thing I EVER order when I go out for breakfast:

FRENCH TOAST.

Only one time in my entire life did I order something different.  October 4, 2014.  And that was because I had already tried the french toast at the restaurant we were eating at... and it was disgusting (#amiright? #lauraandjendoyoureadthis?).

I can't say I'm as good at making french toast as I am at ordering and eating it.  Although there was this one time I made a Paula Deen Overnight French Toast recipe.  I don't want to tell you how much butter was in that thing.  But my god it was amazing.

Enter FIXate, Autumn Calabrese's new cookbook.  It's perfectly aligned not only with her 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme nutrition programs, but it also lists other information for each recipe, such as calories, fat, protein and carbs.  When I saw there was a healthy french toast recipe in it, I about nearly died.

So this morning, I made it.

It DID NOT disappoint!

Healthy French Toast from FIXate

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cook time:  6 minutes

Total time:  16 minutes

Yield:  2 servings (I ate them both!)

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp. pure maple syrup, divided

1/2 tsp. group cinnamon

2 slices low-sodium sprouted whole-grain bread (I used Ezekiel Cinnamon-Raisin bread)

1 tsp. extra-virgin organic coconut oil (I used Pam coconut oil cooking spray)

1 cup fresh sliced strawberries

Instructions:

Combine eggs, almond milk, 1 tsp. maple syrup, and cinnamon in a shallow pan; whisk to blend.  Soak each slice of bread in egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning halfway.  Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat (know your stove, mine had to be a little hotter than medium, but it's good to start lower).  Add bread; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Top with remaining 1 tsp. maple syrup.  Serve strawberries on top or on the side!

Crazy Delicious!!

21 Day Fix/Extreme (per serving!!):  1 yellow, 1/2 Purple, 1/2 Red, 1/2 tsp.

Calories (per serving!!):  219

Total Fat:  8 g

Saturated Fat:  4 g

Cholesterol:  186 mg

Sodium:  84 mg

Carbs:  27 g

Fiber:  5g

Sugars:  8 g

Protein:  11 g

When Should You Rest?

In terms of health and fitness, the fitness part has always come easy for me.  I have always been easily motivated to workout.  In college, I used to wake up at 6 am (the time when most kids were just going to bed) and walk in the dark, through the city to the other dorm gym where it was only ever me and the one other person insane enough to wake up "that early".  I loved it.

Now that it's summer and I'm working less, I try to squeeze in two-a-days.  Because, why not.  I love it and it makes me happy.

On the other end of the spectrum are people who HATE working out.  They can't get motivated and they can't find an activity that they enjoy.  Maybe, they're (gasp!) lazy.

Whichever is the case for you, everyone needs rest days.  The struggle for me is reminding myself why they are important and not feeling guilty about taking them.  The struggle for the other half is not making up excuses to rest and being able to differentiate between a rest day and excuses.

HOW DO YOU KNOW if it's time for a rest day?

1.  Be able to identify pain vs. soreness.  You may be feeling muscle soreness... but is it painful in a way that you know is not right?   PiYo is actually a fantastic workout to do when your sore because of the stretching (even though the strengthening also makes you sore!).  The more you work out, the more you will know when the pain is not right.

2. Is your resting heart rate high? Do you wake up in the morning and feel like your body is rushing and you're not well-rested?  An elevated resting heart rate is a sign of stress.  While working out can be an emotional stress reliever, it is not a physical stress reliever.  If your body and heart are feeling stress, it's time to take a day to rest (ha that sort of rhymed).

3. Are you having multiple nights with bad sleep? Many things can cause a poor night's sleep, but when you have a few in a row, your body isn't repairing your muscles the way that it should, so a break is probably needed.  Obviously, stress can cause a bad night's sleep but so can overtraining.  Normally, working out and eating healthy should actually improve your sleep because your body is finally functioning as it should.  Your insides aren't working overtime to try to digest substances (processed foods) that shouldn't be in your body. However, when you're overtraining, the opposite happens.

4. Be able to tell the difference between being run down and being lazy (or just wanting to snuggle back in bed!). Being run down is an exhaustion that you can feel in your entire body. You're too tired to focus or breathe.  This is another time you really have to rely on knowing yourself.  If you haven't done anything strenuous in a while (physically, mentally or emotionally), you probably aren't run down.  

5. You're sick. I have heard that if you have a head cold, carry on with your workout, but if it's a chest cold, you need to let it ride. AGAIN, listen to your body. Usually when I'm just stuffy in the head, a workout really clears me out.  Actually, even when I'm not stuffy, I use a butt-ton of tissues when I work out.  But sometimes, a headache can be so bad, you just need to lie alone in the dark.  Sometimes, when you're coughing so much, you can breathe and everything is strained.

It may be worth it to try to start your workout and see how it goes.  Even on my worst days, a few minutes into my workout I feel great.  But there have been times when I've started and then stopped because I know I needed to.

WHY SHOULD YOU REST?

1. Rest prevents injury by preventing overuse.  

2. Your muscles need rest days to repair.  When you use your muscles, the tiny fibers actually start to tear.  As those little fibers repair, they actually become stronger than they were before.  If you don't give them time to repair (work the same muscles every day or don't take rest days), they will continue to tear and you won't see much improvement.

3. Your immune system needs a break!  Part of what helps those little fibers repair themselves is your immune system.  If it is working in overdrive to repair the muscles you're working, it's not able to fully do it's job to make sure you don't get sick! Overtraining can actually weaken your immune system and make you sick!

4. You don't want to retain water.  If you are just starting to work out or starting a new program, the shock to your body could actually cause you to retain water (this is why you shouldn't weigh yourself in the first few days of a new workout regimen).  A rest day will allow you to release some of that water you've been unnecessarily holding on to.  Retention of water in your joints can also inhibit them from moving and working properly.  The fluid build up can cause unnecessary stress on your joints and cause injury.

5. This is your life. If you're not doing things you enjoy, what is it all for? Take a day off and spend it with your kids, your cat, or take a nap! We'll all understand and make sure you're back at it tomorrow!

The 8-Hour Diet (Intermittent Fasting)

As a middle school reading teacher, something I like to talk to the kids about a lot is connotation.  Middle school is where their vocabulary starts to (or should, anyway) really pick up.  They are learning that there are other ways to "like" something, to "say" something, and to think something is "nice".  When I teach them new words or when they hear or read new words in their books, we try to talk about the best way to use those words.  Sometimes, who words can mean the exact same thing, but one can have a more negative connotation than the other.

Like the word "diet."

Did you know that in Merriam-Webster, it's not until the fourth definition that "restriction of food in order to lose weight" is mentioned?  Simply put, a "diet" is what someone eats on a regular basis for nourishment.  That's it.

I hate hate people suggest I'm on a diet because I think about the nutritional benefits of something before I put it in my mouth.  Because I try to eat appropriate portions of food.  Because generally, when I eat crap, I feel like crap.  With that being said, take the title of my next lifestyle choice with a grain of salt (no pun intended).  I am about to try the 8-Hour Diet.

Insert gasp.

I was first introduced to this idea on a Chalene Show podcast episode featuring Melissa McAlllister, who calls it the 8-Hour Ab Diet.  Basically, it is a type of Intermittent Fasting.  THAT I learned more about on a 2-part Chalene podcast with Dr. Sara Solomon.  Obviously you have some question...

What is Intermittent Fasting?
As long as you're getting about 8 hours of sleep and not eating during that time (if you are, maybe talk to a doctor...) you are fasting!  Fasting (in terms of eating) is any period of time that you are not eating.  The average person usually fasts between 8-12 hours, again, while they are sleeping.  Intermittent Fasting takes that 8-12 hours and stretches it to anywhere from 16-20 hours of fasting in a day.  This is not necessarily a daily occurrence.  Some people follow Intermittent Fasting for as few as 3-4 days a week.  Some do an 8-Hour Diet for 4-5 days and a 4-Hour Diet for the other days of the week.  It is completely customizable to your schedule and what works for you.

How does it work?
The 8-Hour Diet assumes that you are fasting for 16 hours every day and eating all of your food in an 8-Hour window.  So, you might eat your first meal at 11 am and your last meal at 7 pm.  Or maybe your first meal at 8 am and your last meal at 4 pm.  Why?  Science shows that during the first 8 hours of a fast (aka, while you're sleeping), your body is metabolizing your stored carbohydrates.  After that first 8 hours, it moves onto your stored fat.  Prolonging a fast gives your body more time to get rid of that nasty fat you might be hanging on to.  Yaknowwhatimean?

How can this be safe?
One reason (of many) that diets (when we think about deprivation of calories) often fail is because our body's metabolism adjusts to the deprivation of calories and nutrients and goes into a panic mode.  It holds onto fat, worried that you will continue to not feed it enough to keep everything running as it should.  With Intermittent Fasting, you are not depriving yourself of calories, you are just adjusting WHEN you consume them.

Who is it good for?
This lifestyle can really work for anyone!  For people who tend to "binge eat", eating all your calories in a 4-hour window might be a dream!  For people who lead extremely busy, on-the-go lifestyles, it might be a relief to not have to worry about fitting in a snack during 16-hours of the day.  For people who are constantly hungry (like me), it works because I end up being hungry for less of the day, if that makes sense, since I get to eat more food in a shorter window.  A cup of fruit hardly holds me over for 2 hours, but a big salad and a cup of fruit will hold me over for 4 hours.

What can you eat?
Technically, you can eat anything you want.  What you SHOULD eat, like with any healthy lifestyle, is a well-rounded selection of fruits, veggies, proteins and carbs that are clean, whole foods.  Here's how my day used to look:
7:30 am:  Shakeology with protein and spinach
9:30 am:  Fruit
11:30 am:  Salad
2 pm:  Greek yogurt
4 pm:  Cauliflower and hummer
6 pm:  Starving for dinner
8 pm:  Avoid the pantry

NOW, with the 8-Hour Diet, my day will look like this:

11:30 am:  Salad, fruit, greek yogurt
2-4 pm:  Shakeology with protein and spinach, cauliflower and hummus
6:30-7 pm:  dinner

I love eating and I love the idea that I can pretty much eat til I'm full (which I never do when I eat every 2-3 hours) and then I can eat again when I'm hungry a few hours later.

What about exercise?
Dr. Sara Solomon suggests intense weight training in the middle of your fast.  Meaning, I really should keep my workouts at 4:30 am even though I'm not eating until lunchtime.  However...

Why am I doing this?
I found this "diet" to be the perfect solution to the dilemma I had when trying to coordinate a time to work out with my husband.  I am an early-bird.  I have no problem (in fact I enjoy) getting my weekdays started with a workout at 4:30 am.  I have to be a work at 7:15.  My husband would rather workout when he gets home from work at 6 pm.  However, I am usually so hungry when he gets home, we sit right down to dinner and then spend the rest of the night on the couch.  How could I make myself less hungry at 6 pm so that we could both push back dinner and get our workout in together?

I am definitely going to play around with this new lifestyle.  My husband and I aren't going to start doing 21 Day Fix together until May 11, so I'll have about a week and a half to keep my current morning workouts.  After my 10 mile race is finished on Sunday, I will do some heavy lifting and see what that does for me.  Maybe I'll do two-a-days... one morning workout and one with my husband at night.  I do love working out!

For more information about Intermittent Fasting, visit www.drsarasolomon.com or this great article at Men's Health.

T25 Review

This is not an April Fools joke:  I am forever grateful to my very best friend, Rachel, for writing this review of T25 for me.  I have tried all of the workouts, but Rachel just completed the entire program.  Don't let her downplay her results... they are awesome!

When it comes to making a commitment to a fitness lifestyle, there are many excuses and complaints. Probably the most common one I hear is that people can’t find the time to fit exercise into their busy schedules. I’m not going to get into how your health should be a non-negotiable; I’ll leave that for Michelle to tackle. But I AM going to get into how T25 is the workout for your busy lifestyle.

Ok, fine, I know. My life isn’t that busy. Even though I work full time at a job an hour away that often requires more than the 40 hours I get paid for, the fact is that once I get home, I have no one else to worry about but myself. Being single and childless, I don’t have much else to do except workout and eat some semblance of dinner. But, I have a very short attention span when it comes to exercise. If the workout is more than 30 minutes, I lose interest quickly, get a mental block, and start slacking on the moves (don’t even get me started on PiYo Drench…). One day, over a bottle of wine (duh), I complained about this to Michelle, and being my wonderful coach, she recommended I give Focus T25 a try. Since I’ll basically do (almost) anything Michelle tells me to do, I clicked on over to www.TeamBeachbody.com and ordered myself a brand new workout.

Having completed PiYo as my first Beachbody workout, I wasn’t accustomed to high-cardio/impact exercises. It was difficult at first, but now having completed T25, I feel very strongly that PiYo and T25 complement each other very well. Both are high-intensity workouts and increase strength but T25 aids in building your cardiac endurance while PiYo really improves your flexibility. Strength, endurance, and flexibility - three things that everyone needs!

What is Focus T25?

Focus T25 is a high-intensity, 25-minute, full-body workout created by Shaun T, the same guy who created Insanity. It is considered Focus Interval Training, where every muscle group gets worked, and then worked again. With this plan, you get the benefits of an hour long workout packed into a short 25 minutes, and there are NO water breaks. It’s no joke… it’s hard work and there’s lots of sweat, but after 25 minutes, you’re done. That’s ONLY 1.7% of your day! You still have 98.3% of the day to do whatever else it is you need to do.

How does it work?

T25 is broken down into two blocks, Alpha and Beta. There is also a Gamma cycle that can be purchased separately (I did not do the Gamma cycle, so no review of it here). Each block is 5 weeks long and has a different focus. For every week, you do one workout Monday through Thursday, a double on Friday, rest on Saturday, and stretch on Sunday. Shaun T recommends doing the double on Friday for maximum results, but if "T50" (as I like to call it) does not fit into your schedule, that’s ok. You can do the second workout over the weekend. I don’t have the patience for Friday doubles so I always spread it into the weekend. For every workout, there is a modifier who shows you how to do low-impact versions of the exercises. Don’t be fooled though. Even though the modifier is low-impact, you’re doing just as much work as everyone else (sometimes even more because you don’t have the momentum from the jumps!). After every 25-minute workout, there is a 3 minute stretch/cooldown to help your muscles recover.

What do I get?

You mean, other than a hot, fit, bod? So much! You get 10 different high intensity workouts, a Stretch workout, a Quick Start guide, a 5-Day Fast Track guide, the Get It Done Nutrition guide, an Alpha-Beta wall calendar that shows you which workouts to do on which day, and a pro-grade resistance band. If you order through Michelle, you will also get a bonus Core Speed workout.

What else do I need?

The right shoes! Do not wear running sneakers to do T25. Your feet will cry. You might cry too. T25 has a lot of quick, lateral movements for which running shoes will not give you the proper support. I learned this the hard way when my wide, flat feet started cramping and burning within the first 10 minutes of every workout. Don’t make my mistake. In the end, I found that doing the workouts barefoot was actually the most pain-free option for me. This won’t be the case for everyone, but it's definitely something to consider if you're having some foot pain.  I also purchased some interlocking foam exercise mats (http://tinyurl.com/p4wfj7g) to cushion my landing and the world was right again. For the rare instances that I do decide to put shoes on, I found a pair of low profile New Balance cross-trainers (http://tinyurl.com/ougb9bh) that give me good lateral support with minimal cramping. Look for a crosstrainer that gives you support for side-to-side movements and is also flexible, allowing your feet to move naturally.

Some other optional equipment you might want are a soft workout mat and a set of dumbbells. The workout mat comes in handy for some of the exercises on the floor to cushion your back and knees. Dumbbells can be used in the Beta cycle in place of the resistance band that comes with the program. Choose a dumbbell weight that is doable but also challenging.

You should also know that for the entirety of T25, you should be focused on form over speed. Sometimes, those people on the screen with the perfect six pack abs and ripped arms will be going so fast, and you are doing your darndest to keep pace with them. But, it does you no good to keep pace with bad form. You end up cheating yourself of the proper focus and could also cause injury (to yourself and/or your pet/person/tiny person/tv). Stay with Tania the modifier when you have to and go at your own pace. With practice, you will work your way up to speed.

ALPHA - Focus: The Foundation

In the Alpha round, your main focus is building a strong foundation using just your body weight. The workouts are Cardio, Speed 1.0, Total Body Circuit, Ab Intervals, Lower Focus, and Stretch.

Cardio - A full 25 minutes of non-stop cardio. Get ready for heavy breathing!

Speed 1.0 - This is the only workout in Alpha that does not give you the option of turning off the music.  This is because it’s a workout focused on improving your speed and agility with interspersed stretching intervals. Speed 1.0 is one of my favorites from the Alpha cycle because it feels like a dance routine as opposed to a workout.

Total Body Circuit - TBC is, I think, the hardest workout of the entire program. It makes me want to lay down on the couch and start thinking to myself that maybe having some extra fat padding and a subpar cardiovascular system really isn’t that bad. You certainly work your entire body and there are, what feels like, endless planks and pushups. I had to follow the modifier the most for this workout and take breaks as needed, but by the end of the Alpha cycle, I was able to take less or no breaks and only follow the modifier for a few moves or when I got really tired.

Ab Intervals - Shaun takes you through a slew of ab work with cardio recovery in between. You will V-sit like a pro after this video.

Lower Focus - Leg day is here. You will definitely feel the burn with Lower Focus as you work the largest muscle groups in your legs and glutes.

Stretch - Confession… I have never actually done the Stretch video. But The Google tells me that it helps you lengthen, stretch, and recover the body. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sure, ok.  That's what PiYo is for.

BETA - Focus: The Core

After you’ve built up a good foundation in Alpha, you move on to the Beta round where your main focus is your core. You will notice that for every video, Shaun puts an emphasis on keeping your core engaged even if it is not an ab-based exercise. The workouts are Core Cardio, Speed 2.0, Rip’T Circuit, Dynamic Core, and Upper Focus.

Core Cardio - Another non-stop cardio workout. I personally think this is the hardest Beta workout just because it’s so cardio heavy and your heart rate never really goes down.

Speed 2.0 - My (and Michelle's) favorite of all the T25 workouts! Just like Speed 1.0, this video focuses on your speed and agility with repeating sequences that build and are done in shorter and shorter intervals as you progress through the video. Also just like Speed 1.0, it feels like a dance routine, and I can bring out my inner hip hop dancer.

Rip’T Circuit - When I first saw the name of this video, I groaned because I thought it was going to be TBC x1000. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not want to kill myself the first time I did Rip’T. In this video, Shaun takes you through intervals of CULA - Cardio, Upper, Lower, Abs. It is the first instance where you will use your resistance band/dumbbells. It’s not as tear-inducing as TBC, but you still work hard using a lot of muscular and cardio endurance.

Dynamic Core - A great core workout using seven standing exercises and seven floor exercises. You also get to witness Shaun T punch a girl in the stomach. That’s my favorite line from T25 - “Now watch, as Jen goes by, I’m gonna punch her in the stomach.”

Upper Focus - The most difficult part of Upper Focus is trying to figure out why Shaun T is wearing a polo shirt. Who works out in a polo shirt? Anyway. If you’re a lifting junkie, this video will probably be your favorite. The resistance band/dumbbells are heavily featured in this workout to build your upper body strength.

Results

In doing Focus T25, I lost 2.6 lbs and 4 inches overall. I know it’s not a super impressive drop in weight, but let me tell you… I fit into so many clothes that I didn’t fit into a year ago. Talk about reclaiming my closet! I also saw improvement in strength and endurance as I progressed through each week. Things that were hard to do in Week 1 were not nearly as hard in Week 5. In reminding you, dear readers, I am also reminding myself that the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Stick to it. Show perseverance and persistence. It’s only 25 minutes a day. Do the work and then you can enjoy your results for the remaining 23 hours and 35 minutes of your day.

Clean Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

I tried so many new recipes this week!  Thankfully, none of them were failures, but I'm not quite ready to share them with the world!

Sooo I decided instead to share my favorite snack in the whole wide world, aside from Oreos, Clean Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Muffins.  It sounds like an exaggeration, but it's true.  These muffins are densely packed with all things whole grain, with a touch of sweetness and warm cinnamon.  I originally found the recipe at Chew Out Loud, but I wasn't 100% pleased with it.  The biggest issue was I found that the blueberries got a little rank in the muffins if I didn't eat them fast enough.  I tried to freeze them, but the blueberries didn't thaw real well.

And then I remembered the most perfect combination in all the land:  Oatmeal and Raisin.

Add to that my desire to "clean up" the recipe a little bit and WA-LAH (sp?)!  A star was born.

Of course, I headed over to Rachel's to teach her about my magic little muffins.

Clean Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Total time:  35 minutes
Yield:  12-15 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 TB dry flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pure maple syrup
1 TB vanilla
1 cup leftover, cooked steel cut oatmeal (I cook a big batch and keep it in my fridge for when I need it!)
1 cup raisins


Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a muffin tin with coconut oil spray.  If you're feeling extra culinary (and you don't forget like I always do), try soaking your raisins in the vanilla for about 15 minutes before adding them to the recipe.  It really plumps up the raisins in the muffins and make them extra flavorful!

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and honey until well incorporated.  Add the buttermilk, olive oil and maple syrup and whisk again until well combined.  Next add the leftover cooked steel cut oatmeal.  I find that it's usually pretty clumpy and gets stuck in my whisk.  I'm not afraid to dig my hands in their and break up the clumps.  Although, it's not a bad thing to take a bite of a muffin and get a clump of oatmeal :)  Next add your raisin and vanilla mixture.  Finally, combine the wet and dry ingredients together in one bowl.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  I fold slowly from the bottom up until I don't see any flour.

Spoon batter into the muffin tin.  I like to make the batter just even with the top of the muffin tin.  Play it by ear depending on how many muffins you want.

I freeze these bad boys to ensure long-lasting freshness.  It's so easy to just pop one out in the morning and either heat it up in the microwave for a few second, or throw it in my lunchbox, where it defrosts naturally and is ready by the afternoon.  

I totally see myself trying to turn this into some kind of pumpkin miracle, come next fall!