Week One: A New Life

My Video Intro - Week One

I have always tried to be in great shape, and I have always succeeded in doing so. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of those lucky people who can eat whatever I want and stay thin. I have always had to put full effort into staying in shape. I have been fit most of my life, until I had my first baby seven months ago. The first six months of pregnancy I only gained about 13 pounds – in the last three months, without changing any of my habits, my hormones went crazy and I gained 62 pounds in 3 months! I thought – no problem, I will have my daughter and then I can whip myself into shape again. Well, after 37 hours of labor and then an emergency c-section my hopes of getting into shape fast kind of disappeared. Nobody can explain to someone what it is like to recover from a c-section. I had worked my whole pregnancy to have a 100% natural labor and even though I had a healthy baby girl, I was devastated that it ended in c-section. I became depressed and for the first time in my life I started to eat my feelings away. I know I have all the tools to do what I need to do – what I need is the support of others around me – I have found that is what most people need to stay on track. I know what I have to do to get into shape, I have the knowledge and the determination, why not share my journey with others and maybe help some of my friends along the way.

So here is my very first video entry:

Tip of the Week

You may think that buying everything non-fat will help you lose weight. Depending on what it is you are buying, the opposite may be true. Most foods lose most of the flavor when the fat is removed so it is replaced with sugar. Dairy products, like cheese, sour cream, eggs and cottage cheese are one of the few foods that do not have extra sugar added in the non-fat version.

Recipe Makeover of the Week: TACO SALAD

I LOVE taco salad. Unfortunately, it is very high in fat when made in the traditional way – cheese, refried beans, beef, sour cream, guacamole etc. Here is our healthy makeover for taco salad – just as satisfying but won’t go straight to your hips.

What you will need:
Extra Lean Ground Turkey (I like Jennie-O)
Taco seasoning package
Green leaf lettuce
Black beans
Non fat sour cream
Low fat shredded cheese
Salsa
Onion (to your liking)

How much should I eat?

Each serving should have:
4 oz. ground turkey with seasoning
3 cups green leaf lettuce
¼ cup black beans
1 oz. low fat shredded cheese
4 Tbsp. non fat sour cream
4 Tbsp. salsa

Tips: Rinse your cooked ground meat under hot water in a colander until water runs clear - then add your spices. This will eliminate some of the fat.

Nonfat sour cream tends to not be very creamy – I like mixing my sour cream and salsa together – it makes a great dressing.

The Comparison:

Azteca Traditional Taco Salad

652 calories

29 grams of fat

Ladies in Weighting Taco Salad

333 calories

4 grams of fat

This recipe may sound boring to some, but it is easy and not short on flavor and great for those skinny jeans hidden in your - I’ll wear these someday pile.

Exercise of the Week

Squat with side leg lift

Because we don't carry people around on our backs or eat hay, we probably don't need our saddlebags either - this exercise is great for minimizing that problem area.

Works the front (quadriceps), sides (gluteus medius and minimus) and backs (hamstrings) of the thighs; buttocks (gluteus maximus).

Step 1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead. Make sure that the body's weight is in the heels.
Step 2
Stick your tushy out to assure proper form for the squat. Stay at the bottom of the squat position for 5 seconds. As you are standin up, lift the leg up and straighten it out to the side with toes still facing forward.
Step 3
Squeeze all the muscles on the side of the body when lifting the leg. Continue the squat move and alternate lifting the right and left legs in the side leg lift.
Step 4
Concentrate on the butt when doing the squats. Focus on the muscles along the side of the body when lifting the leg at either side.

Do 3 sets of 15 for each leg!!

Goals for the Week

1. Find 15 minutes each day to just get moving – take a brisk walk, do a quick workout, dance for fun or whatever will get you up and moving.

2. Pick one meal each day to make healthier. Starting slow when changing your nutrition plan is key. Most people revert back to their old habits if they try to change everything all at once.

3. Find one thing that you like about your appearance and write it on a post-it and stick it on your bathroom mirror. (And yes – you can find something you like about the way you look)

See you next week!!