Puff into Tuff: August 2017

Lasagna Please

Who doesn't love a nice cheesy saucy lasagna?

I know I do. I just don't love all calories and bad carbs that go with it.

Today using a few simple swaps, I'm gonna show you how to make a super low calorie Lasagna, that is still super high in taste! This is my zucchini lasagna and I promise not only is it yummy but it's also easy to make and pretty light on your wallet as well.

(My fiance bought the worlds thinnest zucchinis

so I apologize for my patch work lol)

-Ingredients-

1 lb of Lean ground turkey

2 Zucchinis

2 cups of low fat ricotta

1 cup of grated Parmesan

1 egg

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp basil (you can use fresh but I used dried)

1 jar of pasta sauce

1 1/2 cups mozzarella

1 tbsp of butter

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

-Directions-

1. In a medium sauce pan brown your meat.

When cooked Drain off any fat that may remain and set aside for now.

Go ahead and pre heat your oven to 350.

2. Rinse the pan and add pasta sauce heat over medium low.

3. while your sauce heats up slice your zucchini Length wise.

Ideally you want them to be about 1/8" thick but if its not don't worry.

4. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add butter.

Once the butter melts lay your zucchini in the skillet

like you would strips of bacon and cook each side about 3 mins.

5. Once your zucchini are done let them cool on a plate.

Meanwhile get your ricotta, Parmesan, egg and seasonings.

Mix them together in a bowl till your satisfied with the texture of your cheese.

6. Take about a cup of your pasta sauce and cover

the bottom of your casserole dish. Then begin lining your

dish with the first layer of zucchini.

7. Spread your ricotta mixture across your bottom zucchini layer

and then start the next layer of zucchini.

8. Add the ground turkey and then the pasta sauce.

Top with mozzarella and back about 10-15 mins.

9. Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy!

The entire Pan is about 1700 calories.

One large bowl full is 235 calories so add a little salad

and you have one yummy meal.

So nice Ill say it Twice

So with my knee finally starting to feel better, I thought that I would take a moment and reiterate how important rest days are. They are every bit as important as work out days. Taking care of your body so it will function correctly is the best way to show how much you love yourself.

I get being busy and barley having time to get to the gym let alone rest but you have to make the time. Weather it's a soak in a hot bath or a great nights sleep you need it so your body can repair it's self form the previous work out insuring that you are ready for the next.

Rest days allow your muscles, nerves, bones and connective tissue time to rebuild. it's a true regeneration process that also requires water, nutritious and high protein foods, and sometimes even supplements. Rest days make you stronger.

I understand the want to work out everyday but that is not what is best for your body. Working out 3-5 times a week and having Active rest days in between are so much better for your body then 7 days of pushing through. Plus you are way less likely to have an injury that way. Take it from someone who knows.

Love yourself and go take a nap lol

Probably the only time you will hear me say that.

because laughing burns calories

Don't go without

After all the excitement of the beach, I completely forgot my fitbit charger at my moms. I was without a fitbit for a week and a half and this is what I noticed....

I still worked out and eat well. I thought I was doing pretty well but honestly by day 3 my body could tell a difference in my fitbitless workouts. I was doing the same work out but not feeling the burn and my body was letting me know. I decided to up the ante and make myself feel it and I ended up hurting my knee.

(which is still not feeling right).

So after all of that I went in search of my old fitbit zip and putting it on was like someone switched a light on in the darkest room so I could finally see again.

I quickly realized that while I was doing the same routine, I wasn't putting forth the same intensity that I normally did. Nor was I doing any of the extras to try and up my step number. I was only doing a little more than half of what I would with my fitbit on. Then when I wasn't feeling it I over compensated and wound up hurt.

I feel like this only reinforces what we already know TRACKING is the best way to know what your really doing with your body. If you don't have a fitbit use an app on your phone. We always think we are doing more or less then we actually are even after we get into routines, so make sure you know what your body is doing.

My first day back on fitbit and back on track.

Breaking through

So I have been Hovering between 230 and 235. I keep going up and down.

It's like no matter what I do I'm stuck in this weight loss Plateau

Anyone else stuck somewhere and they wanna push through?

Well this post is for you.

10 quick tips to Break through a Plateau

1. Increase exercise frequency or intensity maybe even both.

2. Stay a little further away from crabs.

3. Eat a vegetable at every meal.

4. Stay away from salt it makes you swell.

5. JUST WATER no Diet sodas or juice.

6. Get lots of sleep.

7. Reduce your stress.

8. Track your every calorie in and out.

9. Eat more fiber.

10. More Protein.

Because I don't wanna

I swear I actually love the eating healthy and I trully dont hate the exercise. I Honestly I feel so good once I get done and I'm dripping sweat, but there are just days like today when I have cleaned my house, chased after my son and delt with so much other freaking crap that all I wanna do is sit on the couch huddled up in blankets with a pizza and watch my korean shows.

As you can see I needed a little motivation today so as always I turned to my list of why I wanna be healthy and when tht wasn't enough I went to google to give me a qoute or a funny photo to get my butt in grear and thought I'd share.

Macronutrients

If you have a fitbit or a myfitnesspal you probably already know what macro's are since they use them to break down your calories but if you don't have an account with them or you still don't get it stick around for this macro breakdown...

What are Macronutrients?

They are what makes up the food we eat.

Everything you eat consists of at least one of the Macros.

Better know to you as Fats, Protein's, and Carbs.

They Provide the majority of our bodies energy in the form of calories.

All three Macros have their own specific roles and functions in the body.

Fats -

Forget everything you know we need them.

I know, I know but don't run away just listen.

Fat's are an essential part of a healthy diet and should make up

15 - 20% of what you eat. They help improve brain development overall cell functioning, protecting the body's organs and they help you absorb the vitamins found in food.

Proteins -

We need Protein to repair and regenerate our body tissues and cells.

It helps keep our immune system healthy and functioning.

Protein also helps with manufacturing hormones.

A healthy diet should consist of 10 - 30% of protein.

Carbohydrates -

Carbs are made of small chains of sugar which the

body breaks down into glucose to use as our body's biggest

energy source and needs to make up 45 - 65% of our diet.

And no that doesn't mean go eat a loaf of bread. Most people aren't

aware but Veggies and fruit are full of carbs.

I have said so many times not every Calorie is created

equal and I love how the macro proves it and puts it into prospective.

Whether you eat a healthy snack bar or raw veggies the only difference is how the macros are balanced. For example an avocado is generally made up of 75% fats 20% carbs and 5% protein's and is there for a fat based food. On the other hand Bananas are 95% Carbs with only very very small amounts of protein and fat.

100 Calories of a candy bar and 100 calories of broccoli technically provide the same amount of energy to your body but are processed and stored very differently.

Focusing on macros promotes a more balanced diet by forcing us to take a hard look at the foods we are eating. So even if your counting calories make sure your getting the right ones for your body.

an easy 25

Did you know you burn Calories doing nothing?

I'm serious even breathing burns calories not many but still...

Every step you take,

every time you bend over,

whenever you pick something up

you burn some calories.

Every thing you do is potential for extra burn especially if

you workout in the morning and your metabolism is already going.

If you cant make it to the gym for a super killer burn or you just want to go the extra mile so to speak and rack up some more calories burned,

these 10 activities don't take much and most you might already do.

If you are mindful and employ just 3 of these activity's through out your day for at least 5 days a week you will have burned enough calories to lose 25lbs in a year right there alone.

1. At work (or at home if your like my family lol)

Don't text or email a memo walk to the individuals desk

or room and deliver the message when ever possible.

2. If you work at a desk take the last five minutes of

every hour to stretch or walk about.

3. Clean a room for about 20 Min's.

4. Vacuum or mop for 20 Min's.

5. Park at the back of the parking lot when you go somewhere.

6. When your waiting on the microwave or for water to boil run

in place or do some squats.

7. If a cart is not required use a basket at the supermarket.

It tones your arms ;)

8. Take the stairs instead of the elevator

(at least half the way if it's a super tall building or you have bad knees)

9. Soaking in a hot bath for 30 Min's can burn 130 calories.

10. Swaping your Desk chair for a stability ball can

burn an extra 300 calories a day.

Why Even Bother

When you have a lot of weight to lose and your progress slows it can be really hard to stay motivated. The ups and downs then the plateaus, it can really bring you down.

In times like that I pull out my handy dandy notebook and look at the list I made the day I started my journey.

It's a long list of why I want and need to be healthy. I add to it all the time.

It starts with my son and varies from silly things like getting in and out of a car easily and riding roller coasters to living a longer life and traveling.

Almost every day there is a new reason for me to take care of myself.

When it all feels so pointless I look at that list long and hard and tell my self to keep going. I think about it during tough workouts and hard days in life in general.

What I want you to do is make a list....

I don't care what order you place things.

How big your reasons are or arnt.

Everyones List is different.

This is YOUR list so make sure YOUR on it.

LOG IT!!!

I have stated many times how important it has been for me to keep track of my calories and my exercise. I have even done a post for which apps do it best.

What I haven't done is really explain why you should...

Now if your doing keto or paleo or some kind of special diet you may think you can skip this part since your focus isn't on the calories it's self but your wrong. There are so many reasons to log your food other than calorie counting.

So EVERYBODY listen up...

I live in a 1800 calorie a day world not because I am dieting but because I am eating better. I don't consider what I do a diet since I don't deny myself things and I plan to eat this way for life. I'm not getting thin so I can eat a whole pizza without judgment I am getting healthy so my life can be filled with more memories and less days on the couch amongst a million other reasons but that's another post lol...

1800 calories is what my body needs right now to function correctly.

Before I started to look at foods and calories I knew things were bad just not how bad. A simple slice of pizza can be 300 calories or more. I guarantee there are days I ate more in one setting then 3 days worth of my calories combined.

Even things you think are good for you like turkey sandwiches and salads can be filled with so many calories you will have wished you just ate the pizza.

The NUMBER ONE mistake someone can make when trying to lose weight is that they under estimate the number of calories they consume and over estimate the number they burn.

Keeping a food and exercise log will help you become more mindful of what you are actually putting into your body as well as what your putting out. You will be so shocked how many calories we actually consume completely without thought as well as how little we burn when we think we must have burned thousands.

Keeping logs can help you understand the source of your calories. Maybe your only eating 1800 calories a day but when 70% is from carbs it does nothing but make you hungry and sluggish. By keeping a log you can see just how many proteins carbs and fats you are ingesting and adjust accordingly.

Some days I have to use my food log to make sure I'm eating enough. It's such a strange feeling to have to make sure your eating enough but if your body doesn't meet a certain number of calories it will start to store fat because it thinks your starving.

I had no sense of portion control and over ate at every single meal until I started logging. I made ridiculous amounts of food and always felt so blah after I ate. Now I can make a balanced plate that has me feeling full without a food hangover.

Food logging has also showed me that there are times when I just binge ate. I would literally eat massive amounts just from boredom or emotional reasons. Once I started keeping track and being mindful I was able to identify the fact that I wasn't hungry I was just in my feels or super bored. Being mindful I can now redirect.

Logging your exercises can be a really great way to stay motivated as well as helping you to see progress in other no scale related ways.

Logging is an amazing tool if used correctly.

Don't Lie to your log!!!

Let it be a tool for you to check and always be making improvements.

Angel Food Cupcakes!

Tonight's post comes to you as a pleasant surprise to even myself since I had planned

on covering a different subject but this one came out of no where...

SO........

DID YOU KNOW........

A normal sized cup cake you buy in a grocery store

can have between 300 - 800 calories for just ONE!!!!

I sure as heck didn't....

how about Cupcakes you bake at home from a box or buy in specialty stores?

They are even worse!

I don't normally have a sweet tooth but tonight I was craving something super sweet.

I hoped online and looked around and what I saw was horrible and what my grocery store had was worse. I mean come on I just want one little cupcake.... I happened upon a box of angel food cake and what do you know it is super low in calories so I grabbed a box decided to see what I could do.

The results were so good I decided to share!

All you need is

A box of angel food cake

Whipped cream

Strawberries

Liners

OK so this is super simple

Preheat oven to 375

Mix up the cake mix according to the box

Line a cupcake tin with the liners don't use any cooking spray or oils

Fill the tin with your batter

Place in oven for 15 Min's or so

Once they reach the desired doneness remove them

(I like mine to be nice and golden around the edges and still white in the middle)

Let them cool about 5 Min's or so and go ahead and slice your strawberries

Once the cupcakes have cooled top with whipped cream and strawberries for a super yummy treat

EACH CUPCAKE IS ONLY 60 CALORIES

That's for everything!!!!

Transformation Tuesday!

Today is Transformation Tuesday.

Personally I couldn't think of a better topic to talk about after coming home from the beach than transformations.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate going to the beach.

I love water and would gladly swim all day. I don't mind the salt air smell or the hot sand on the bottom of my feet. No the Beach it self was never the problem.
It was everything that came along with it.

I hated people seeing my body in a swim suit.
I felt more like a beached whale then a mermaid.

I hated standing/walking on the beach all day.
Seriously I would do anything to not have to move.

I hated the stupid gift shops where my beautiful thin sister could buy cute clothes
to remind her of the trip and I was stuck with a some kind of lame
mood jewelry because I couldn't even fit a stupid t-shirt.

I hated going to dinner and having people watch me eat
or god forbid I had to order my own food.

I hated the other beach goers.
I didn't want them looking at me or talking to me.
I would just assume they were making fun of me even though they probably couldn't have cared less.

I hated seeing a cute boy look at me.
I mean really hated it. Like hid in the sand you cant see me like this hated it.
I was always hyper aware of everyone and felt so judged when the only one judging me was myself.

No the beach was never a fun place for me.
If my family went to Florida you could bet your sweet bottom you would find me in the hotel room laying in bed with a sandwich hiding from the world.

Well Ladies and Gentleman that was not the trip I had.

I got out and got active.
I was on the beach In my two piece having a blast.
I truly understood how amazing the experience actually is.
I was able to do things the old me would have never even tried.

I am so happy to be in control of my body.
To be able to push myself further.
Gone are the days of hiding in a hotel room.

When I climbed the steps in that light house I truly think I went up one person and came down another. I had a new confidence in me that I cant even describe.
As I Continue to get healthier and make and meet new goals, I will look back on the moment I stood on that deck at the top of the lighthouse and remember the feeling of true transformation.

I am no longer the lazy fat kid hiding from the world.

I am now a strong confident woman who will never back down form a challenge or shy away from a new experience because it's difficult or I am worried what people may think.

I'm BACK!

Finally and a little sadly I am home from Florida

It was a beautiful trip and I had so much fun

Now it's time for my vacation fitness run down

As you all know I went into this with the mindset of want to lose weight while there.

I was gonna exercise, Eat right, and Drink smart!

Well Sadly that didn't happen.

I broke even and neither gained nor lost.

which was a little bit of a bummer I have to admit but hey I'll take 0 over +5 any day lol.

Food- I always made the smartest choice that I could and I stuck to my calorie counts.

Never ate a desert.

Exercise- I ran up and down the beach. Swam laps, Jumped waves, Walked the boardwalk, and Climbed to the tip top of the tallest light house in Florida!

Drinks- Now here's where it all went terribly wrong lol. I was gonna only drink rum and diet coke but once I was down there and the drinks were flowing I was downing the pina coladas my sister made left a right. Each one had about 280 calories!

I drank water for every non alcoholic drink.

So if you learn anything from this post

It had better be DO NOT DRINK YOUR CALORIES!!!!!

All and all I may not have lost weight on this trip but by using 'mostly' healthy judgment I was able to maintain where as before I would have gained 10.

Thrive Dont Deprive this vacation.

Tips and Tricks for Eating Healthy on Vacation

(Without Feeling Deprived)

1. A Salad a day.

Weather it be a small side salad with a burger instead of fries or a full on grilled chicken salad if you can add one to your day that's great!

2. Five A Day.

Make an effort to eat five servings of fruits and veggies a day.

It will make your meals much more satisfying with fewer calories.

3. Water is your friend.

Skip the sodas and save the calories for something better.

You can stock up for cheap before hand.

4. Hide the Mini Bar Key.

If you are staying at a hotel do yourself a favor and stay away from the mini bar.

Your waistline and wallet will thank you later.

5. Choose Wisely.

Make healthy Choices that appeal to you. Do not force yourself to eat something you wont be happy with. If you want pasta, girl go get it. Just use a marinara instead of a white sauce.

6. One A day.

You do not have to miss out on the yummy things around you.

If you want cheesecake after dinner you eat it. If you want a cold ice cream after a day on the hot sand eat it. Here's the trick though you only get one a day. After that opt for something healthier like fresh fruit.

7. Enjoy the Food.

Don't deprive your self of yummy foods just use moderation.

Sample the foods don't Feast on them.

8. Have it Your Way.

PLEASE PLEASE don't be afraid to ask for changes. If you want it in olive oil instead of butter ask them. 9 times out of ten they will be more than happy to help you.