Meal Planning

So...who does it? How often do you do it? When you have a family of four, children involved in extra curricular activities, both parents work...meal planning is crucial to maintaining a healthy diet. Relying on grabbing fast food is not going to get you far, your healthy options are limited, and it can totally bust your budget. Spending a little bit of time once a week is all it takes to make sure you stay on track. If you have a routine that is pretty steady without much fluctuation, you could probably do this once a month and make shopping lists for each week, all at one time. If you are like me and your schedule is constantly varying, you might want to shoot for planning once a week for the upcoming week, so that you can keep your schedule in mind and plan around that. We've recently been doing the 21 Day Fix plan by Beachbody, and meal planning has been very important key to success on this plan.  I've actually started enjoying picking and choosing what we're going to have, and having it printed out to keep me on track. Plus, on those days when I'm too busy to think, it's nice to not have to come up with a last minute idea for meals because it's all ready planned out. This is one habit I'm going to stick with and plan to maintain. So, here's a few tips from me to keep in mind when you're planning your meals:

1) How many meals a day do you want to cook (meaning, how much time do you want to spend preparing each meal)? If you don't have time to cook a big breakfast, make choices that are easily prepared like fresh fruit, yogurt, whole wheat bagels, oatmeal, etc. Items that your kids are able to help prepare themselves are great, too. In our house, our standard breakfast is Shakeology. My husband and I have it every weekday, and most weekend mornings. Our kids have it sometimes, as well, but my 14 year old son wants a regular meal most days, so I try to cook something. Generally, because I work from home, I'm able to cook a breakfast of eggs and bacon, or biscuits and gravy (his favorite unhealthy breakfast). I really should work on finding a healthier way to make sausage gravy. I also try to purchase some prepared items to cut time on prep. Buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it, keep it handy in the fridge to throw on a salad or add to a recipe that evening. If you have a Costco or Sam's, they are typically cheaper there than in other grocery stores. I can buy one at Winn Dixie or Publix for around $7 or $8, and got a larger one at Costco yesterday for $4.59. I recently purchased these precooked chicken burgers (gluten free, no preservatives) with mozzarella and kale. There are 10 patties in the box, 2 patties vacuumed sealed together (so 5 separate packs per box). They were really good, low calorie, low sodium and easy to heat up. I've crumbled them up and put on a salad, or eaten on a whole wheat Sandwich Thin with lettuce and tomato. Easy peasy, and my kids like them too! (BONUS!)

2) Keep in mind what your day has in store for you. If you are going to be running errands most of the day, or stuck at your desk, try to choose options that you can prepare that morning that will be ready to eat when you can. It's easy to throw together a salad, sandwich or wrap in the morning. If you have a soup thermos, heat your soup that morning and put it in the thermos, it will be warm for hours and you won't have to find a microwave. If you are like us and have kids playing ball, you know how limited the options are in the ballpark concession stands. Try to eat or take a meal with you that you can eat at the park or before you go in (some don't allow outside food and drink). Just last night, my husband and I sat in our car and had chef salads I'd prepared at home that morning and grabbed out of the fridge on my way out of the door. It gave us a few minutes to enjoy together while our daughter was warming up for her game, and kept us on track with our meal plan and budget.
Here's a meal we had last week that I preheated and put in a cooler to keep warm (Grilled pork chops, steamed green beans and baked sweet potato)

Another time, we had a beach cheer competition that was 2 days at the beach. Eating out for a family of four can be expensive, and hard to stay on track with your diet. We went by Publix and packed a cooler with fresh, easy to eat foods that kept us on budget and within our diet options. 

3) This is a great time to plan for new recipes that you want to try out. I know we've all got pins on our Pinterest board that we haven't tried out yet. This is a great time to choose a few each week to throw into your regular go-to meals. One that I recently tried out for 21 Day Fix was a baked ziti. Here's the link to the original recipe: http://rxforhealthyliving.com/2014/07/01/baked-ziti-21-day-fix-approved/
I only made a few changes by using venison Italian sausage instead of ground turkey. It was amazing, my whole family loved it, and I couldn't believe it was considered "diet food". So yummy, it will be a mainstay on our menus.

4) Budget. Have a plan for your money first, and then plan your meals based on what you can afford. I'm sure we'd all love to have steak and seafood every night, but our budget most likely won't accommodate that. If you can purchase meat in bulk and repackage before freezing, that's a great way to save money. If you are going to have a special day during that week, adjust your budget for the other meals so that you don't break your allowed funds.

5) Make it a family event. Ask your family for their input. Get them to request a meal each week, and help choose recipes, shop for their ingredients, and then have them help you prepare it on the day you have it. It's a great way to get them in the kitchen and give you help, and teach them some cooking basics. My daughter loves to help with meal prep, and now that she's a little older, I can let her chop vegetables for salads, stir things on the stove, etc. Choose age appropriate things for your children to help you with, and get them involved.

6) Keep your family's dietary needs in mind. If you have someone in your household that is lactose intolerant, diabetic, gluten intolerant, etc..keep these things in mind when choosing your meals and ingredients. Most grocery stores today have special diet options available, and many of them are easy to prepare, or prepared all ready.

I'd love to hear your ideas for meal planning, and what you do to get it done (when, how much time you spend planning, etc). What are some of your go to meals on busy nights/mornings? If you'd like help creating a meal plan for your family, let me know! I'd love to help you get started. Here's an example of a week of meals that we have done while on 21 Day Fix (which explains the color coded columns with numbers):

Let me know if you are interested in help with meal planning, 21 Day Fix, Shakeology, or any other products offered by Beachbody. You can take a look at my website, www.beachbodycoach.com/rmbmajor. I'd love to hear from you!

Meal Planning for a Busy Schedule - 21 Day Fix style

With 2 children that are involved in extra-curricular activities, and my husband and I both working full-time, I've found it is so easy to get caught at 5:30 and realize I haven't taken anything out for dinner and need something fast, which usually results in something processed and not so healthy. Since starting 21 Day Fix (on Day 2 of Round 2 now), I've become quite fond of the meal planning aspect of it all. Taking 30-40 minutes a week to plan out our meals for the upcoming week based on what I know our schedules are going to be has made it a breeze to make sure we are eating healthy meals that can be prepared based on the amount of time I have to spend getting dinner ready and served. For instance, tonight, my daughter had cheer practice from 3:45-5:45, and then softball at 7. We live about 20 minutes from town, so the time between practices is not enough to come home, cook and eat dinner, and get back to town. So today, I dropped her off at cheer, came home and got dinner cooked, packaged up our plates and my son and I met my husband and daughter and had dinner in the car in the parking lot of the softball field. It worked perfectly, kept us on budget and on plan. Here's a pic of our yummy dinner!

I marinated boneless pork chops in Tony Chachere's Creole Pork marinade and grilled them. Served with a baked sweet potato dusted with cinnamon and steamed green beans. It was kind of fun to sit in the car together and share dinner and just have a moment of peace and togetherness before going back to the hectic day. And I definitely felt better about what we were eating than if we'd gone through a fast food drive thru instead! This whole week is going to be busy and a little unusual with the kids on spring break, but we're ready for it! Check back for more meal ideas and let me know if you'd like me to help you create a meal plan and get started on 21 Day Fix!

21 Day Fix

Here we are on the end of Day 16 of 21 Day Fix!! I am so excited about the results we are getting from this program! My husband refuses to get on a scale until the end, but I can see his hard work paying off and the changes in his physique (what a fun word) in just this short time. I wanted to take a minute and share a few of the things we've enjoyed on our meal plans so far.

Saute edamame in EVOO, some minced garlic and crushed red pepper (1 green). Serve with a baked sweet potato (1 yellow), dusted with cinnamon and a grilled pork loin. I marinated the pork loin in some OJ, EVOO, and McCormick's Gourmet Bourbon Spiced Pork seasoning (1 red). 

This is one of my favorite morning snacks. Toasted Bagel Thin (1 yellow), 1 70 cal Greek Yogurt (1 red), and a mix of strawberries and blueberries (1 purple). 

Loved this salad of spinach, strawberries, blueberries, feta and shredded rotisserie chicken. 1 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Red, and 1/2 blue. Dressed with dark chocolate balsamic and EVOO (1 tsp). 

Chicken tostadas were a hit with my kids! Shredded rotisserie chicken (1/2 red) mixed with store bought pico de gallo (1/2 green), topped on a tostado (1 yellow) and sprinkled with 1/2 blue of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15-18 minutes. 

Fish tacos were a big hit. Season tilapia with cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, pepper, cumin, paprika. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Mix broccoli slaw with pico de gallo, lime juice, and 1/2 cup non fat Greek yogurt. Crumble baked fish and serve on warmed corn tortillas with 1/2 green container of slaw and fresh avocado (1/2 blue) and shredded cheese (1/2 blue). These are per taco, 2 tacos per serving. You may have to adjust the avocado and cheese based on your container allowance. Mash the avocado and spread on the tortilla to make it go further. 

Another favorite, roasted asparagus, wild rice and grilled venison backstrap. Sprinkle asparagus (1 green) with garlic powder, pepper, Worcestershire, and Parmesan (1/2 blue). 1 Yellow of Wild Rice. Marinate backstrap in Wine Rub (from Pepper Palace) and Worcestershire. Grill on Med/Hi heat for 5-6 minutes per side, until medium rare (anything longer will dry the meat out and lose the flavor and tenderness that venison offers). Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice into 1/4 inch strips for serving. 

Venison Chili. 1 lb of ground venison, 1 can of kidney beans (I pureed them because my kids do not like beans....or so they think), 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 or 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 can of low sodium tomato sauce, 1 can low sodium tomato paste, 1 package Mrs. Dash (no salt) chili seasoning. Serve with dollop of Greek yogurt and shredded cheese. 

I can't believe we've been able to eat food this amazing (and this is just a few of the things we've had on our menu), and still lose weight. 5 meals a day, 30 minutes of workouts each day....and it simply works. Eating real food, giving our workouts our best effort, and using the support of a challenge group. These are the 3 keys of success to 21 Day Fix. 

I'd love to help you on your journey to reaching your health and fitness goals. This is not about getting skinny....it's about getting strong. And healthy. And happy with yourself. And proud of what you've achieved. Setting goals and reaching them. You have to give yourself permission to succeed and plan for it. It is possible, you can do this! 

Want more information? Please visit my website, www.beachbodycoach.com/rmbmajor

Like my facebook page, Major Changes for Major Results

Let me know how I can help you! 

21 Day Fix

Starting next Sunday, March 1st, my husband and I, along with a few others, are starting Beachbody's 21 Day Fix. 3 weeks of 30 minute daily workouts and portion controlled meal planning designed to get your body jump-started into a better version you've ever seen. I am so intimidated and nervous about this challenge, but I'm determined to see it through and get the results! It's 3 weeks, I can do anything for 3 weeks! But, I know myself, and I know if I'm going to make this work, I have to have a few things in place before we start.
1) Accountability. I need other people doing this with me that I can encourage, and be encouraged by. People that are going to be honest and open about their good and their bad days. People that are all in and just as committed to the challenge. People that want to get to the most amazing version of them they've ever seen, and see this as a beginning to a lifestyle change and not as a short-term challenge with life-long results.
2) Preparation. This challenge is largely based on portion controlled meals, and I know if I don't have those meals planned ahead of time, I will be setting myself up for failure. I have the first week planned out, along with a grocery list prepared, that I will be using and updating for weeks 2 and 3.
3) Schedule. I have to decide ahead of time, based on our weekly routine, when we will do our workouts. I love that we don't have to get up and drive to a gym, we just have to walk out to our office and do the workouts.

All that said, I guess I just want to share with you that I know how hard it can be to implement change into your routine to start something new. It's not easy, and sometimes not convenient. But, if you want to see change, if you want to see results, you have to make changes. You have to take the steps necessary to prepare yourself for the changes, you have to allow yourself to be held accountable, and you have to be honest with yourself on what your weaknesses are and equip yourself to not be tempted by them. But most importantly, you have to decide that you aren't going to give yourself permission to fail by not even trying to succeed.

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

If you are interested in joining this challenge group, go to my website www.beachbodycoach.com/rmbmajor and order the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack today. Let me know, and I will add you to the private challenge group on Facebook, share my meal plan with you and help you reach the goals you are looking to achieve! It's not easy to make change, but it will be so worth the effort you put in!

Tom Kha Gai or Curry Laksa (sort of...maybe??)

So, this past November, one of my best friends and I went to Charleston for a girls getaway, and we ate at so many fabulous places. But one in particular stood out to us, and it was a Thai restaurant on King Street called CO. Here's a link with info on their restaurant and locations: http://eatatco.com/

I had their Curry Laksa, and have not stopped thinking about it since! I have never cooked with curry or any Asian foods, really, so I was a little intimidated to try this, but went on the hunt on Pinterest to find a recipe that looked similar. Here's what I found and used as my inspiration for the variation I ended up making: http://www.daringgourmet.com/2013/01/16/tom-kha-gai/

So, a little disclaimer, I have no idea if this is authentic or even what it should really be called..I just know it is an amazing flavor experience and I want it not at least once a week!! I've made this twice and tweaked it the second time base on my experience with the ingredients and learning how flavorful they are (or aren't) and adjusting it to my taste. Here's my recipe, based on the ingredients I had on hand and purchased to try to make it as similar to the restaurant dish as I could remember:

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Olive Oil for sauteing (I used a cilantro and roasted onion flavor infused Olive Oil, because that's what I had on hand)
2-3 Tbsp red curry paste
2 Tbsp Lemongrass paste (I found this in the produce section, they didn't have fresh lemongrass)
1 knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 Tsp minced roasted garlic (I used the kind in the jar)
1 jar Thai Chili Sauce (Daring Gourmet called for 2 Thai Chilies, I couldn't find those)
3 cups chicken stock (I used Kirkland brand from Costco)
3 cups coconut milk (the recipe on daring gourmet calls for unsweetened, and that's what I used)
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Asian Fish Sauce
1 package baby bella mushrooms
1 bunch bok choy, washed and cut away from the base
2 Tbsp dried basil, or several leaves of fresh basil, chopped
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail-on
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
2-3 packages of refrigerated pad thai noodles

In large stock pot or soup pan, heat Olive Oil. Saute red curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Add chili sauce, chicken stock and coconut milk, stirring well until thick cream from coconut milk is dissolved and smooth. Add lime juice, fish sauce, mushrooms, bok choy and basil. Bring to a simmer and cover, cooking over medium heat, and stirring occasionally, until bok choy is tender, 25-30 minutes.
Add chicken, shrimp, and noodles, cover and cook another 3-5 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked and chicken and noodles are heated through. Season with soy sauce as desired. ENJOY!!!

Soup for breakfast!

At 8am this morning, I wanted soup. Not canned soup, but a big pot of steamy, delicious, creamy soup! So I took a gander at what I had on hand and this is what I came up with:

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 10oz package frozen spinach
1 1.6oz package McCormick's Sweet Basil and Oregano Bruschetta Chicken seasoning mix
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
28oz water or chicken broth
1 20oz package refridgerated herb chicken tortellini
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream

In large stockpot, melt butter. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic 4-5 minutes, until tender. Add spinach and seasoning. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes until spinach loosens (if you don't have time to let it thaw beforehand). Add crushed tomatoes and water or broth. Bring to a simmer and add tortellini and Parmesan. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until tortellini is cooked. Turn off heat and add whipping cream, stirring well. Serve with some beautiful crusty bread! So easy and delicious!

Beachbody? I just want a Fit-body......

Piyo. 
Have you heard about it?? It's Chalene Johnson's newest program, all low impact, that combines yoga and pilates for an intense strength building workout. It's amazing!! I am loving my results, and they are being noticed! 

I signed up as an Independent Beachbody coach about 7 weeks ago, initially to get the discount, with zero intention of ever trying to grow it as a business. Then I got the Piyo program and started it, along with Shakeology, their meal replacement program. And I'm loving it! 

A little background on me- aside from my marriage, my career, (and that one year shopping fast I did a couple years ago) I really stink at starting something and keeping it up. But Piyo has been different for me. I really think part of it has to do with the fact that I also was studying Proverbs at the same time that I started, and all these scriptures on self discipline, self control, and seeking wisdom jumped out at me, and then of course I got to chapter 31, which is all about the way a wife/mother is supposed to be and the part about being clothed in strength and dignity really jumped out at me. I know strength is not just physical, but I do believe that the physical health of a wife and mother is extremely important and taking care of myself has not always been a top priority. Which is part of why I've started multiple workout programs and not stuck with them, I didn't make them a priority. I didn't make my health a priority. But now I am seeing that by making my health and fitness a priority, I am not only setting an example for my family, but I'm making an investment in my future health so that I can be around longer to be a part of my children's lives, and hopefully their children one day. Piyo has me feeling stronger, and leaner. The Shakeology is amazing, and so full of nutrients. My hair and nails are looking awesome. My scripture encouragement through all of this is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

So, I decided that by "going public" as a coach, I would be keeping myself accountable. People know I'm doing this, either because they've noticed the physical change in me and asked what I'm doing, or because they've heard me talking about it. They know I've made a commitment. A commitment that I'm taking as seriously as my vows, as my job as a mother, and as my career. I run a business full time from home that takes up a ton of my time, and it wears me down. I need the endurance and stamina that I'm getting from working out and eating right to be the best wife, mother, and business owner that I can be. To be the best ME that I can be. Maybe I'll feel confident enough to post some before/after pictures soon. 

What about you? Can I help you be a better, stronger you physically? Check out all the programs that Beachbody has to offer by going to my website, www.beachbodycoach.com/rmbmajor. They really have something for everyone, from the beginner to the more advanced. Maybe you've just had a baby, and want to get back your pre-pregnancy figure. Or maybe you just want to hit your forties in the best shape you've ever been in (my personal goal!) Either way, I would love to help you find the right fit for your lifestyle, and help you make your health and fitness a priority in your life!