Meal Prep

 I have been thinking about this for a long time now, so I finally decided to actually blog about it. I think for most women that are seeking a healthier lifestyle, it isn't the exercise area that we fall short in. It is with FOOD! I have heard time and again from Mommas that I speak with that they are more than active enough but that they have a hard time getting ample nutrition or the right types. They struggle with the idea of how can they eat to obtain their goals while still being sure that they are feeding their families properly.

There is more than one way to handle this problem. Food prep can be extensive and require a lot of time from your family to do, however I have learned a few tricks along the way that I am happy to share with everyone. I do not make all of my food for the week ahead of schedule. Instead of I have 2 separate days that do use to create a stock pile of food that I can choose from during the week to be sure that I have my meals in and my macros followed.

 One way that I do this is by making a menu of sorts for the week for my family, this allows me to know ahead of time when I am able to eat the same things for dinner that my family is having. It also allows me to prepare for the nights that I need to eat something else. My family has a couple of health issues that we are battling that could arise in the future as well as one very odd one that we battle daily (My 9 1/2 year old has high cholesterol, even though she is not overweight and is very active. It is genetic unfortunately) . I will definitely blog about that one another time. As a result we limit the amount of red meat that we eat as well as the amount of processed foods that we eat. My family eats more chicken, fish, turkey and lean pork. We also grow a garden every year and can things such as green beans, homemade salsa and freeze other veggies to use later. We also raise our own chickens for eggs so we know exactly what our eggs contain.

 The first item that I prepare on Sunday is eggs. I will hard boil 1-2 dozen of them at a time. I eat 4 egg whites every morning so use these every day. I prepare them by washing and peeling so that they are ready for me to grab and go when I need them in the morning. These are also a great snack for my kiddos as we are heading out to practice or archery.

 Secondly, I use the crock pot A LOT! I buy organic, free range, anti biotic free chicken in bulk so I separate it out before I freeze it into 1-2 pound packages. I will put one of these packages into the crock pot with water and fajita seasoning over night on any day of the week and it allows me to have my staple protein source for 4-8 meals depending on the size. I also do this with 99% lean ground turkey 1-2 times a week. I can use the turkey for my meals as well as a starter for tacos, fajitas, taco soup, chili, etc.
     

Another way that I save time is by making extra when I do cook something. For instance with the warm weather, I like to grill out most nights. So, when I do, I add extra chicken or turkey burgers to the grill. Cool them and wrap them up and throw them in the fridge. This allows me to have an ample supply of protein sources for my meals each week. I also do this with my complex carb sources. If I make brown rice for dinner one night, I always make an extra couple of servings to use over the next few days. The same goes for grilling sweet potatoes or quinoa.

Hope these tips help you save time and keep you on track with your fitness goals!

Happy Prepping!

FitForLifeMommyandWife

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Give up the gimmicks!

Hello everyone! 

  I just returned from a wonderful 11 day vacation with my family in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. One of the best things about this trip was of course the food, but also the fitness center that was on the ship that we were on. I was able to workout as much as I wanted which was good because it was hard to not partake in all the great food! As a result I came home from vacation with only a couple pound weight gain! This is amazing for me as I really like to eat and I promise I didn't miss a meal. :) Or a dessert for that matter.

  One of the things that I thought about while I was on vacation was how different cultures view the female body and especially what is deemed as attractive in one culture compared to another. It was truly an eye opener to see so many different types of women proudly displaying their bodies of all shapes and sizes in bikinis. Now I don't want to start a debate about how unhealthy it is to be overweight, that is a subject for another day. More I want to focus on women finding beauty in themselves no matter where they are in their fitness journey. As women it is important that we accept who we are and love ourselves. If you are a woman that is overweight and you are truly happy then don't worry about what others think. Let me preface this with, you need to be sure that you level with your doctor and make certain that you are healthy and not at risk for long term effects as a result of your weight. However if you are like so many other women that struggle with your weight and as a result you feel terrible about yourself, then a change needs to be made. 

 See I have never truly been over weight but I have experienced unwanted weight gain at times through out my life and I have struggled with the darkness that comes from having an eating disorder. Those are very real issues that plague many women. I am proud to say that I work very hard to not only be fit but to also be healthy. Truth is that I weigh more now than I ever did (besides being pregnant with my kiddos), however the difference is that I have gained muscle mass from consistent workouts and clean eating. This didn't happen over night. It is still a work in progress. I hope that all women can stop following the fad diets, believing in the false claims of MLM companies and find that getting back to the basics of calories in and calories out as well as healthy exercise are the way to get the desired shape you want. 

 So back to my original thought, I think that it is important for women to feel good about themselves no matter what, but I do know that I have seen the gleam return to a woman's eyes when she is fit and proud. I have seen a glow return to a woman's face when she can wear clothing that only fit when she was first married and didn't have children. The first step to feeling great and changing your body is your nutrition. Anyone that has worked out for any length of time knows that being fit is 80-90% nutrition and 10-20% working out. You simply CANNOT out train a bad diet. It will not work in your favor to eat unhealthy foods while killing it in the gym. 

 Nutrition is my passion and as a result I have begun helping many other women with their goals. If you are a woman that is reading this and truly wants to change their lifestyle and feel better about yourself, then believe me when I say stop the yo-yo dieting and weight loss gimmicks. They are designed to make you fail. Otherwise these companies would be out of business. Get it?

 Stay tuned for more posts about how to begin a journey to a healthier you! I will be posting workouts, recipes, sample meal plans and much more in the coming weeks. 

                                       My husband and I after a day of riding ATVs & sea doos in St. Croix

                                                     The beautiful Pitons in St. Lucia

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Hope you are enjoying your Summer,
Fit for life Momma and Wife