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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Check out my Facebook page for more up to date meal plan information, fitness motivation and to keep up with my promotions and competitions! 

www.facebook.com/MonicaMarieStanley 

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

My attempt at a Protein Powder Microwave Mug Cake

 I am not prepping for a competition so sweets aren't off limits for me however I practice clean eating as my lifestyle NOT just when prepping for a competition. 

 

I made my family a nice dinner tonight which included a cake for dessert. I do make healthy meals but I don't expect my family to eat as strict as I do. Also I have a gluten allergy so I almost always have to prepare some different foods. 

 So any, I was really in the mood for something sweet and didn't want to drink a protein shake so I came up with this recipe: 

Ingredients:

1-1 1/2 scoop(s) UMP protein powder any flavor (I used Rocky Road) I used a digital food scale = 45 grams 

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (I used Equal) 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1 egg white 

1 tbsp peanut butter 

Add water until reaches a batter consistency. 

Instructions:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mug (protein powder, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt) with a fork until well blended and there are no clumps. Add in the egg and water and mix until smooth. Drop the peanut butter into the center of the chocolate mixture and press down to submerge. Microwave for around 1-2.5 minutes on high (give or take some time depending on your microwave), but watch it! It will start to bubble over the top. If this happens, stop microwaving, press batter back into mug with fork, and continue microwaving. When finished, cake should be cooked but still very moist. It is okay if not all the batter has cooked! 

 Very yummy and a nice clean treat!! 

Happy Eating! 

Monica 

This is my mug cake after it was cooked! Yummy!! 

What does the bible say about being fit?

 I've been a Christian since I was 6. I've been closer to God than I've ever imagined yet at times strayed away. Never once did The Lord leave me. I chose to live apart from Him. God always seeks us out. Longs for us to spend time with Him. He loves us even when we aren't lovable. 

Over the years of my life, as I've grown and gone through different stages, I've always wondered if God supported different choices that I made. Never has that been more true than when I  began modeling and then later competing in NPC Bikini competitions. 

 The bible is filled with scripture that tells us that God desires for us to be healthy. 

Proverbs 31:17 ESV

She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

 

 The one above is a favorite of mine as of late. Mostly because I'm working on growing my biceps! 

1Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 

What is your favorite scripture that talks about health or fitness? 

The alarm clock!

Blogger asked me the question this morning, "Do I think a person is being lazy when they hesitate before hitting the snooze button on their alarm clock?"

Well little did I realize that this is a somewhat sensitive subject for me.. This is my response:

I think that when I hesitate before hitting the snooze button that I am actually not being lazy. I am trying to negotiate with in my own mind whether it is worth it to get the extra time to sleep and having less time to be ready versus getting up and ready with the regular amount of time.  This is a daily battle as I am NOT a morning person! I dislike the cold air that hits my feet as I rise out of bed. I dislike waiting for the coffee pot to deliver that hot drink that finally brings me to the point of half awake..(I know, I know, I am supposed to be into health, I need one cup of coffee first thing in the morning to get me going.. It is my one vice!) I dislike that I am not a morning person.

 Each day I try to persuade myself to just get up when the alarm goes off. I know every night when I set the alarm on my phone that I am NOT going to get up when it goes off.. Yet to my husband's dismay I still set it for 5:45 A.M. I know that I will hit the snooze button once and then again maybe once more. Would this annoy me if the roles were reversed? Most likely.. But I swear I have good intentions. It is amazing to me that someone like me that is so good at setting goals and reaching them when it comes to my health simply cannot conquer the beast of the snooze button each morning.

 So instead I think of all the reasons it isn't my fault... Maybe alarms shouldn't have a snooze button. After all if no one created it, I wouldn't be tempted to use it. This excuse fails because people make donuts yet I choose to not eat them. I digress. So this brings me to the reason that snooze buttons were invented.  It seems that in 1959 someone from Westclox decided that alarm clocks weren't actually intended to wake people up.  So they added a snooze button. Makes perfect sense right? NOT!

 Since I like to focus on things that make our lives healthier, I decided to do a little research on whether or not the snooze button is unhealthy. Turns out that hitting the snooze button itself has no health risks.. Big shocker! Ha. The result of the snooze button though can affect your health in a negative way. When the alarm goes off and you hit snooze, you actually cause your sleep cycle to be disrupted. A disrupted sleep cycle IS a DANGER to your health. It is better to allow yourself to sleep through to the point that you know you have to get up rather than have the alarm go off every 9 minutes until you drag yourself out of bed. Studies show that using the snooze button can actually leave you feeling more tired than if you just forced yourself out of bed.

 Upon learning this new information, I am going to make a concerted effort to get up when my alarm goes off.. To not hit the snooze button, no matter how much it pains me.. Are ya with me?

Have a great day y'all! Do your best to make healthy choices today! 

Love and Peace 

M 

Amazing deals to help with your journey to a healthier you!

I have noticed some really amazing deals lately that I wanted to pass on to everyone. These deals will definitely help in your pursuit to a healthier you!

 

One such deal is actually at a store that I don't typically purchase my workout clothing from, however the items I found were too cute to pass up! At my local Kohl's department store in the Junior's section I found some really funky workout tops.

This one was my absolute favorite. They also have several that have cute sayings about running. While I do love to run, my real passion is in lifting weights so I tend to lean towards those types of sayings. 

These shirts are originally $15.99 at Kohl's. I used my Kohl's card which gave me another 15% off so I ended up getting it for 11.99. Not bad for a workout top that is also CUTE! Yay girl power! :-) 

 After I went shopping at the local store I was curious about what else Kohl's had to offer online. As usual I WAS not disappointed! Check out these super cute shirts available on WWW.kohls.com for less that $10 each! 

 Aren't these adorable and very affordable! 

Another great deal that I found recently while surfing the web is actually available at a fellow blogger's page. This woman is an inspiration to me because she is a Momma and a figure competitor. Her Facebook page is Busy Mom Gets Fit. This gal really has her stuff together! She offers 12 week workout plans on her we page that are catered to either working out at home or the gym. These plans only cost $24.95! That's a steal at $2.07 a week. Definitely check her out even if it is just for some motivation. Her page is :

WWW.busymomgetsfit.com

Happy Shopping y'all!