So How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight?

Isn't funny that this question is probably the most asked question of anyone looking to get in shape? We never even consider "how long" it took us to get to the incredibly unhealthy state we are in when we finally have that "wake up call." I spent years playing the yo-yo game. The days when it simply wasn't about nutrition or exercise - the days when it was all about "what can I do or take to make these 5, 10, 15, 20... pounds go away?" I have probably tried every fad diet on the market. If you were to step into my living room and glance at my bookshelves, you would find a HUGE assortment of books written claiming to be "the one true" way to lose weight and keep it off. Not that I am going to discount these diets or their promises you will lose weight, because quite honestly - I did lose weight. The problem was maintaining the weight loss.

I know there are a few, if not many, of you reading this that know exactly what I am talking about. You follow the diet to the "T" and miraculously the weight just seems to drop off of you. Then one day you reach your goal weight, you are wearing the size you wanted to wear and life is perfect. You immediately rush out and buy yourself that new wardrobe and sport that fantastic body all over town.

Now let's fast-forward this moment to two or three months later. You've resumed eating normal meals again, you've added in the protein, fat, carbs or whatever you were told to avoid to lose the weight. But something has changed...those size 6 jeans suddenly don't look as good as they once did. That muffin top is coming back and it doesn't look pretty and where the heck did that double-chin come from? OMG! Are you actually getting bigger than you were before? And what about that cellulite...was that there before? Um yeah, I've been there. Incredibly not just once or twice - that was more like the story of my life. It's a vicious cycle and one that is destine to repeat itself over and over until you decide NO MORE!

In November of 2007 I reached my all time highest weight - I toppled the scales at 188 pounds! Mind you, I am a small-framed woman at only 5 feet 4 inches tall. So any excess weight on my frame may as well be threefold. If you think the camera adds an additional 10 pounds, can you just imagine how "camera-shy" I became? If you look through our family albums during that time, I can guarantee you won't see any pictures of me. And the photos that did capture this very unflattering time in my life are the candid shots taken by friends and relatives that you "HOPE and PRAY" never get tagged on your Facebook page!

Fortunately, I caught an infomercial on television advertising Turbo Jam ® . It was right after Thanksgiving and I was feeling worse than ever. Everyone in the house had gone to bed and I was channel surfing, when this bubbly blonde was bouncing up and down on my television screen and you know what? She was having FUN! She was happy, smiling and it was exercise! The best part - Chalene Johnson said I could do it in my home. I could get the DVD, load it up in my player and just "PUSH PLAY!" How cool is that? NO special gym membership, NO fancy gym clothes, NO stares over my shoulders and NO "pity-party" from the Fit Girls Club. So I did it. I got my hot little hands on the program and my journey began - the journey that lead me to where I am today.

Now, I'm not going to lie to you. I've had my pitfalls and dabbled a little here and there. Exercise is not the total answer to solve all your problems. As a matter of fact, I am the "QUEEN of DENIAL" when it comes to that. Doing the program and not eating properly will get you results - just not the REAL results you want. It took me about a year and half to figure that one out. Then probably another half a year to realize that it wasn't going to be a "pick and choose" thing on having some good foods mixed with bad. If I really wanted it - I had to commit.

This year I started doing P90X ® . This had been my ultimate goal since my journey with Team Beachbody began. I was happy with my progress, but not getting those KILLER results I really wanted. Finally, I caught a chat with Tony Horton and his challenge to give up a few things to gain "feeling better than I ever had before." It was at that moment, "IT ALL CLICKED!" Nutrition and Exercise = A HAPPIER HEALTHIER YOU!

It was then and only then that my life has been forever changed. I finally got it, the "light-bulb" turned on! If you want the results, you have to fuel your body with the proper nutrition and exercise. It isn't one or the other. It is a package deal. And if you want to keep those results, you have to commit to making this a "lifestyle change." So when people ask me, "how long does it take to lose the weight?" My one reply is "as long as it takes you to decide to make the commitment to change your lifestyle."

DECIDE * COMMIT * SUCCEED!!! 

You don't have to be the "fat-girl" anymore and you don't have to do it alone. I am here to help you with your journey. Let's start writing your SUCCESS STORY today. Email me at equildottsin@beachbodycoach.com . If you have questions, we will find you answers!

Curried Tuna to Celebrate Halfway Point

I have successfully completed Week 6 of the P90X+® !This morning was Kenpo Cardio Plus. I just love Kenpo. That tells me that I am so ready to move to the next level. I can't wait until they launch the TurboFire® . Life couldn't be more exciting than it is now.

Today I went shopping for new clothes! YAY ME! What girl doesn't like getting a "smaller" wardrobe? It was simply fabulous to walk into that dressing room and slide those skinny jeans on. Can we say "buh-bye fat pants...hello skinny jeans?" Armed with all my new clothes (shopping bags galore), I rushed home and immediately boxed up all those big girl pants. Yes, tomorrow we will be making a Goodwill donation. There will be NO COMFORT ZONE in this house. That size is long gone and no reason for it to return. Temptation has left the premises.

To keep my eating in check, I also picked up some really cool cookbooks today at the local garage sales. Isn't just amazing what some people with practically give away? My favorite find in garage sales are cookbooks. And today I scored big time. One of the cookbooks I found was copyright 1990 "Light & Easy for Two!" by Lee Harvey & Helen Chambers. The cookbook is complete with shopping guides, food storage recommendations, tips, sample menus and delicious recipes. Each recipe shows a breakdown for both oven and microwave directions. It truly is filled with some very good recipes. Tonight I ventured on the Curried Tuna recipe. Excellent choice! This recipe will definitely be a keeper for my family.

Curried Tuna

1 tbsp Canola oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Celery Stalk, sliced thin
2 tsp Brown Rice Flour
1 1/4 tsp Curry Powder
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1/2 cup Vegetable Bouillon
1 (1.5 oz) small box Raisins
1 (6.5 oz) can Chunk Tuna in water, drained
1 small Jazz Apple, chopped
Prepared Brown Rice

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil slightly. Add the onion, garlic and celery. Cook until softened. Stir in the flour, curry powder and pepper. Add the vegetable bouillon, stirring to avoid lumps, while thickening slightly. Mix in the raisins and tuna, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the apple and cook and additional minute or to desired consistency. Serve over prepared brown rice.

Recipe was modified to make it Gluten free. Light & Easy For Two! Lee Harvey & Helen Chambers.

Serving size: Curried Tuna over one cup prepared brown rice.

Approximately: 2 Servings


Calories: 457 Total Fat: 10 g Cholesterol: 27 mg
Sodium: 350 mg Potassium: 711 mg Carbs: 65 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g Sugar: 13 g Protein: 29 g

Tacos without Guilt

One of my favorite things to do is to take my family's favorite foods and try to create healthier versions. WE LOVE TACOS!!! Who doesn't? But all that grease doesn't make me very happy. Not to mention the FAT. So let's do the comparison. Two tacos at a nationally known fast-food Mexican restaurant will set you back 440 calories, 28 g of fat, 70 g of cholesterol, 720 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrates, 2 g of fiber, 4 g sugar and 18 g of protein.  Let's note my healthier version has almost 2/3 less fat (and by the way those are good fats), NO cholesterol, 4 times the fiber!!! The sodium is a toss up. I suppose if you use a low sodium taco seasoning or get a little creative with the spices and you could totally tweak this number, too. I just went for convenience, but it definitely could be corrected with a little experimenting. Plus I can guarantee my portions are a lot heartier than you will find wrapped in those waxed tissue papers in your little white paper bag...still not naming names here.

Clean eating doesn't have to mean giving up the foods you love. It simply means finding better alternatives to make healthier choices when it comes to your nutrition. The nice thing about my recipe is it is not only vegetarian, but gluten free as well!

As a wife and a mother, I want to know that I am giving my family the best nutrition possible. Finding creative ways to make their favorite foods healthier that taste good is a win win for everyone. They get the foods they love and I get the satisfaction of knowing what they are eating is actually good for them.  What is your family's favorite foods and how are you making them healthier? I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave your comments.

Meatless Tacos

Taco Filling:

1 (29 oz.) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1.5 oz) can Black Olives, chopped
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 tbsp Canola Oil
2 Jalapeno Peppers, chopped
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
1 pkt Taco Seasoning Mix
2/3 cup Water

In large skillet over medium heat add canola oil and stir in onion, jalapeno pepper and garlic. Cook at medium heat stirring constantly until onions are translucent. Add in black beans, black olives, water and taco seasoning. Bring to boil at high heat and boil for about 1 minute. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro. With hand masher, press bean mixture until desire consistency.

Taco Fixings:

Round Gluten Free Corn Tortillas
Tofutti Sour Supreme (imitation sour cream from tofu)
Shredded Romaine Lettuce
Chopped Tomatoes
Salsa (if desired)

Serving size: 2 Tacos
Approximately: 6 Servings

Calories:  350  Total Fat:  10 g   Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  830 mg   Potassium:  646 mg   Carbs:  52 g
Dietary Fiber: 9 g   Sugar: 1 g   Protein: 12 g

Gettng the Skinny on Shakeology

I'm not going to try to be the infomercial here for Shakeology®. If you really want to know everything that is in it and what other people think about it, then you should check out the SHAKEOLOGY® website. I could go on and on about the over 70+ ingredients, but the truth is I don't have to. I mean when something taste good do you really care what's in it? Well, of course you do. Just testing to see if you are paying attention. But let's face it, there are a lot of people out there that are plain skimping on taste just because some celebrity is endorsing it as being the GREATEST thing since sliced bread on the market. Ok, we all know now that sliced bread wasn't necessarily the greatest or healthiest thing for you. So I am going out on a limb here, but betting so are a lot of those "DRINK ME SKINNY" products out there.

Truth of the matter is, if you are looking for a meal replacement - then you really ought to be looking at the nutritional value you are substituting for your meal. Otherwise you are probably going to rob your body of some very vital nutrients you need to help build and develop the lean muscular body you really want. So how are you going to know what's right for you? The same "label reading" method you have been perfecting when making better food choices while developing healthy eating habits. You need to get out there, look at the assortment of products and make an informed choice about what is right for you. Not just because some Hollywood actor or actress says it's "how they got their body." I'm betting all those personal trainers and hours at the gym had a little to do with it. I mean, if I could spend 4-5 hours in the gym everyday I probably could get that hourglass killer body while being the spokesperson for tap water. But I imagine most of you reading this are just like me. I live in the 8 to 5 corporate world where my mornings are filled with rise and shine workout sessions (even though P90X+® is so worth it) grabbing a quick shower, making breakfast and getting the little guy off to school and me out the door to the job within seconds of missing the next click on the time clock. My evenings are spent cooking meals, helping with homework, doing the dishes, getting the little guy off to bed and then if I am lucky, a few minutes to myself to blog or play on Facebook. My weekends are filled with catching up laundry, running errands and attending whatever sports activity my little guy is currently participating in (sometimes multiple events on one day). I just want something that helps me meet my nutritional goals, taste good and is convenient enough I can pack it and GO!

I like Shakeology® because Team Beachbody did an excellent job of putting all the things I need in a convenient carry-along pouch. I mean as you read above, I don't have very many minutes in the day to always make the best nutritional choices. So having one of these in my purse all the time just helps me to stay on track of my nutrition goals. It's like always having a plan! And everyone knows "if you fail to plan, plan to fail." So I'm not going to tell you what you have to buy, I'm just telling you to do the comparison. Research the other meal replacements out there. Compare what you are getting for your money. Then make an informed choice.


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