No Gym? Make Do!

I have been up in Prescott for a few days to pass the long Labor Day weekend.  It has been so fun to enjoy the cool temps and be around family.  I knew that I would be able to get my 10k steps in but I was worried about getting some high level cardio in.  I had no need to worry though...just had to use my mind and get a little more creative than usual. 

 My mom and I were able to get in a few good walks.  She even took me up and through some good hills in a beautiful neighborhood that overlooked the downtown area.  We finished up running the steps at the courthouse on two different occasions.  It was awesome!

We even got down there so early to walk one day...that we staked out a picnic table so that we could return a few hours later to relax and enjoy a yummy lunch.  It was a great time!

Howdy, Pardner!

These two girls rock!  Sarah (middle) and I have been friends since we were 4 years old.  She is so supportive, encouraging, and helpful in all facets of my life but especially with this new health journey.  We get together 2-3 times a week in the evenings to workout together.  It is great because not only doesn't it encourage each other in a healthy way...we get to have girl time and catch up on our chatting.  Val (left) is a new friend of mine from church.  She lives near me and I get to see her each Sunday too.  It is awesome because she usually works out in the morning so we meet up occasionally at our gym to get our sweat on together. There you have it...my morning and evening workout partners.  The cool thing about today was that Sarah and I were finishing up our workout and Val and her hubby walked in the gym.  So fun to have them meet and workout together for a minute.  

Zumba, zumba...

Class tonight was awesome!!  This is Magdalena, my favorite instructor around.  Her classes are awesome!  She is so positive and fun as a person and while she teaches.  She has a great sense of humor, uses awesome visual cues as we workout, and I always walk away drenched from sweat.  So glad to have found her class!

Starting to see it!

I am finally starting to really see a change.  I feel different and am fitting in to different sizes of clothing now...but I haven't been able to SEE a visible difference in myself very much.  I decided to do a side by side comparison and tears literally feel from my eyes.  The left side pic is from June 23rd (the day before the program started) and the right side pic is from August 18th.  Not even two months...almost though.  Down 48 lbs!!!  What a difference!  I honestly cannot begin to thank Joy Bauer and her team enough.  Love them and Woman's Day too!  What a blessing this program and these amazing women are in my life!!!

Tasty lunch idea....

I used to eat a lot of turkey sandwiches, salads, and turkey burgers for lunch.  They were tasty but I got a little tired of them after a while.  Then I decided to cut out my bread at lunch all together.  It was good for me because I felt like by eating my bread at breakfast, I had the whole day to burn it off. Well, the other day I wanted a sandwich for lunch.  I have been missing "crunch" in my diet as well.  So I toasted a 100% Whole Wheat sandwich thin SUPER toasty and topped it with spinach, tomato slices, and a tuna salad mixture.  It had tuna, onions, and a 1/2 Greek yogurt & 1/2 Low-fat Mayo blend.  Delish!!  

Happy Feet...

You may not be able to see it here...but the straps on my sandals have gotten very loose.  It is crazy!  My feet had gotten so puffy, swollen, and retained so much water that these sandals used to be tight.  I used to wear other flats and notice that I had a big puffy bump on the top of my foot where the shoe was pushing all the fluid.  Not anymore.  It is like my feet have gone on a diet themselves and lost lots of weight.  They look very different from before.  Pretty amazing how the body works!  I truly have Happy Feet!  Ha!

Problematic Protein Smoothie

This was my breakfast this morning.  I have been eating my usual "go to" breakfast that I mentioned HERE almost every day and I wanted to switch things up a bit. I love the smoothie recipe that Joy gave us because it is quick and full of berries, some banana, almond milk, protein powder, and some other yumminess. My problem is that it NEVER keeps me full and doesn't hold me over until lunch.  I could always add a mid-morning snack but it just bothers me that it doesn't keep me as full as some other breakfast options.  Id like to get away from the egg whites, English muffins, Greek yogurts, and oatmeal all the time and mix it up with a smoothie. Oh well...just an issue that I have come across. 

My "go to" breakfast....

Here is one of my all time favorite breakfasts now.  I can never get tired of it! I toast a 100% Whole Wheat English Muffin, top it with 2 T of the Non Fat Greek Yogurt & Cream Cheese spread that is AMAZING, and I top it with tomato slices and cracked pepper.  Wash it all down with some lemon water and start your day!  Veggies, grains, and protein...Love it!!

Each and EVERY day!

 I try to get a work out in EVERY day!  I can tell that I am getting a little tired some days and so I will occasionally take a rest day...but I try to get in a good hour of cardio every day.  It makes me feel soooo great and it is becoming habit!  I was torn after work yesterday on what to do to get a workout in.  Go to a class?  Work out with a friend? Be lazy and take an unnecessary rest day?  I decided to just push myself and go to the gym RIGHT then so I could get it done.  It was awesome!  I was the only one in my little gym and I got a great workout in.  I had all the space I needed to so that I could do walking lunges and crab walks all over the place.  I had forgotten my headphones so I turned up the music on the TV real loud and jammed away as I got a few miles in too.  Then I went home and made some steamed asparagus, sliced up some tomatoes, and broiled some VERY peppered salmon.  Yum!!

Matt-ivation!

We had one of our bi-monthly conference calls yesterday.  It is always fun because even though we are all constantly communicating...this conference call is where we (the whole Womans's Day editorial crew, Joys whole Health team, our Health Coaches, and each of us 6 women) are all on the phone together.  I have had some assumptions about what might happen at the end of this program but none of them had been confirmed until yesterday on the call.  I cant quite announce them yet because they are still in the "works" but I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited!!  Talk about being MOTIVATED to try my hardest!  Wow!  I will share this though....I had a funny thing I got to share with Joy.  Back at the beginning of the program, I was talking to Abby (Health Director for Woman's Day) and I said some silly comment about hoping to get a hug from Matt Lauer.  She said, "Hey, whatever works...do it!  If it is Matt Motivation, go for it!"  We have joked since them about my "MM" or "Matt Motivation."  I told Joy about it yesterday and she cracked up.  She changed it and started calling it my "Matt-ivation."  Ha!  She told me that she was going to text him to tell him the story and that I should watch out because he would be hitting on me when I see him.  Ha!!  She is so fun!

"You are MELTING!"

Other than my face/neck area and my shorts sagging all the time....it has been really hard for me to notice a big physical change in myself. It must not be as hard for others to see though because the comments are starting to roll in progressively.  In a previous post I had mentioned my friends little girl saying that I looked different and I had hardly lost anything compared to now.  One of my friends at church always tells me I look like I am "melting away."  Pretty sweet friend, right? Well, I realized the other day that my clothes are actually making me look bigger because they are getting baggy.  I had nothing t wear to church yesterday so I went to a old box of clothes from about 8 years ago.  I had bought a bunch of tops when I had lost some weight before and never took the tags off.  For some reason I didn't start wearing them back then and later I got too big for them.  I put one on to see if I could wear it to church and guess what...it fit and was actually a little baggy on top.  I have a whole new wardrobe now of old funky clothes from years ago.  I'll probably be making up some weird clothing combos for the next while because I am not going to buy clothes for a LONG time. I'm going to use them before its too late because if I keep progressing at this rate...I wont get to use them for very long.  That's a GREAT problem to have! 

Awesome, Amazing, Supportive Friends...

I got a random text the other night after my interview aired and my friend asked if I was at the gym because she thought she could see me in the window. I said, "Nope, I was there earlier today!"  Well, I guess that was enough of an answer for her to assume that I was home.  With in about 30 minutes there was a knock on my door.  She and her daughter had "tricked me" to see if I was home and had ran to the store to get some fun, motivating goodies for me.  There was a sparkly handled jump rope, glittery "magic" socks, some glow sticks to take to my Friday night Zumba class that has a disco ball and strobe light, balloons, a card, and more.  It was soooo thoughtful of her and it was great to get to see her beautiful daughter after so long too!  My favorite part of the gift bag was this mirror.  Isn't it awesome?!  I love it!  I just have to remember if I have hard days that....I can do this and I AM doing it! Thanks Yvonne!

Push Harder!

A little motivation for the weekend to keep moving!  I have been pretty good about my workouts this past week but it has been a little more difficult.  I did Zumba with a friend on Monday and it was a great workout.  Lots of new choreo and energy.  I did the same class on Wednesday and it was like the entire class was going to die.  We all finished the class but everyone was sweating up a storm and you could tell that we were all so exhausted by looking around the room.  It was pretty warm that day and the air conditioner didn't feel as cool...I guess I will just blame that.  ha!  I have gotten 2 gym/strength training workouts in and a couple days with lots of walking. With that said, I feel like I need more.  I don't feel like I am burning or working as hard as I have in past weeks.  I think it is time to bump it up a bit.  Anyone want to do bleachers at the track in the morning? Remember, we CAN do this!!  Push harder and don't give up!

This is ME...

I went to a "Meet and Greet" type of activity with a bunch of women from my church last night.  It was really fun to meet knew ladies, chat it up a bunch, and learn about each other and our lives.  We had to bring a gift back with things that we either like, related to us, or described something about us or our interests.  Everyone got to keep the bag that they chose ( or switch...kind of like a gift exchange) and the other person would explain what all it meant. Well, this is what I took.  Do you know what it all means?  I love popcorn and this is a brand that Joy Bauer recommended to us.  I could go on and on about the health perks of it.  YUM! The apples are because I recently moved from NYC after living there for years and I have used the name NYManzanita for blogging and Manzanita as a nickname for a LONG time. The polish because it is NYC brand. The cards because of NYC and also because they are educational and I used to teach school in NYC. Do I really have to explain the magazine?  Ha!  Woman's Day...because it is the BEST ever and I get to work with the amazing women from that magazine all the time on this program.  How lucky am I?  What a fun magazine promoting so much good and fun for women all over!  I love the Live Longer, Live Stronger Challenge and Woman's Day!!

Snacks can be GREAT!

 Just packed up my snacks for tomorrow.  Almonds give me such a boost during the day. The are awesome protein for you and get your metabolism going.  I only have about 12-14 and then I eat them kind of slowly as I work and then I drink lots of water with them.  I also love to snack on carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes or this sweet little sunshine tomatoes.  You can munch on them as much as you want and don't have to worry about adding tons of calories like other snacks can do.

Just an update on the YUMMY Greek yogurt cream cheese that I mentioned the other day. I found that they now have the option to buy it in the bar AND a whipped version. I got a couple bars so that I can just refill my container...you can save a few pennies buying it that way and less wasteful packaging.  I am a little confused about this...but I noticed that the whipped version had less sodium, carbs, sugars, etc. and claimed to have 3X's more protein than regular cream cheese as opposed to just 2X's more like the regular bar and tub claim.  ??  Either way...it tastes delish and is much better for you.

The BIG Day!

My interview with Tram Mai from KPNX 12, local PHX NBC, finally aired yesterday.  We had filmed it about 3 weeks ago but they had to edit it and fit it in to the production schedule. It was set to air last Thursday but was bumped around a few days until yesterday.  I rushed home to watch it with a friend and her kiddos....what a fun experience.  I was super anxious yet nervous about how they had clipped everything together.  I shouldn't have worried for a second though...Tram and her crew did a FANTASTIC job!

 Tram put my blog and mentioned the story on her Twitter feed and Facebook feed.  Then it was showtime!  Here I am in the interview showing them a recipe in the kitchen....

 They referenced the amazing Joy Bauer and her program....

...and they showed me working up a sweat in my gym.  It was so fun to work with them (Tram and her cameraman) and I cant wait to see them again in a few months for a follow-up story.  If you want to check out the interview you can click HERE to be taken to the link. Thanks Tram and NBC!  

It is possible! I promise!

I CANNOT stress how much I have learned that food prep is KEY in keeping a healthy lifestyle and sticking to a "strict" transformation plan.  I have learned this OVER and OVER during the last few weeks that I have been on this plan.  I used to get hungry and eat junk because it was easily accessible and quick. Sometimes I may not even have wanted it but it was fast and easy so I just turned to a drive-thru or something. Can you relate? Now I plan my meals and prep containers with healthy options so I don't make a bad choice when my belly starts to growl and I need to fuel. 

See these salads?  Don't they look awesome?  Well, for those times that you are eating out or need to eat something without having to go home and cook...don't go through the drive-thru to get a bag of grease....there are better options!  The top salad was from my recent trip to California.  We were out and I stopped by a Greek place to get a salad.  I tossed the pita because it wasn't 100% Whole Wheat..but devoured the rest.  Lots of veggies, small amount of feta (it should have been reduced sodium or low fat Feta but I'm sure it wasn't), lemon juice all over, and a protein punch of grilled chicken. The next two salads are from one of my favorite places in AZ....Pita Jungle.  I get the broiled chicken salad with their lemon vinaigrette on the side.  The bottom one is a similar salad with roasted peppers and salmon.  Can it get much better than that?  See...I think I just proved my point that eating out doesn't HAVE to sabotage your desires to achieve better health.  No excuses!  :)

Go Red for Women!!

I got an awesome package from the American Heart Association today.  It was full of a bunch of Red Dress products that support women in heart health.  What a great organization and cause.  So glad to be recognized and supported by them.  I'm learning that losing the weight is awesome but it really is a benefit of learning to become heart healthy first and foremost.  I used to think about dieting to lose weight.  Now I know that by striving to strengthen your heart and be "healthy"...the weight falling off will be a natural result.  Go AHA and Go Red!!

Go Mets! and Go Me!

The Mets were in town this weekend to take on the Diamondbacks.  My friend and I went to cheer on our NY team.  We have been friends since we were 4 years old and we also both lived a stent of a decade more or less in NYC.   As a result, we love to support NY baseball...specifically the Mets!  I was so happy that they won...but I was also super happy for a "win" of my own.  I have noticed that theater and stadium seats have gotten a wee bit tight over the last few years.  Not now...yup...I slid my booty in the seat with ease.  I guess being down almost 40 pounds can do this!  A victory for the Mets and a BIG victory and surprise for me! 

I can do this....YOU can too!

I love this!  I ran onto it a few weeks ago and it is so honest and real!  I have been a little "off" this week.  I have been super busy with trips, celebrating my birthday, having friends over for a little party, etc.  Since the star of this program, I have slowed down my social life a little bit because I don't want ANYTHING to get in the way of my workouts.  I have a pretty set schedule with my workouts and what I do on specific days. Well, with so many new things add to my recent schedule...I didn't get to work out at the same intensity.  I haven't gained any weight....but I don't feel as "pumped up" emotionally or physically.  It goes to show how your body feeds off of the food that you eat as fuel and the exercise that you do.  I have been exercising but not sweating as much.  I know that sweat equals fat loss and better cardio health for me.  The lower intensity of workouts was nice but the break is over....time to pump it up...I know the old me (and even though she was pretty dang fantastic...ha!) I need to get back on track!  What do you do to get your heart pumping?

Photo Shoot for 'Go Gilbert' Magazine

 I had a photo shoot this week at a High School in Gilbert for the September issue of Go Gilbert magazine.  The gal that took my pics was amazing to work with!  She is an amazing person and did a great job!  Looking forward to getting the word out to the people of Gilbert about how awesome this program is and how important it is to get Heart Healthy!  I have a LONG way to go on my journey....but I already feel like a million bucks!

Throwing a party with some healthy perks...

I had some girlfriends over for a "bingo" night this week.  It was super fun to have them over and to fill my home with extra laughs and chatter.  With that said, I wanted to provide something for them to munch on.  I decided that instead of only laying out carrot sticks....I would find a nice healthy balance.  I made finger sandwiches with hummus, egg salad, chicken salad, and turkey club. That way people could choose if they wanted the lighter sandwiches or something full of protein but with a light mayo dressing.  I also had pasta salad for them but made sure that there were some more lo cal options for me too by adding some veggies, grapes, and low fat cheese/cherry tomato kebabs.  It felt funny not to serve punch or soda but I opted to do lemon/lime infused water with lots of ice.  Dessert was awesome!  I bought Yasso Greek Yogurt bars (coconut and vanilla) that Joy Bauer suggested to me.  Light in calories and sugar and high in protein.  Yummy!  See....you can satisfy the est of both worlds without being too unhealthy or forcing your friends to follow your same diet.

Birthday Surprise!

I celebrate my birthday this month.  In honor of that...I got this awesome surprise from one of my sister-in-laws.  She invited me over for "birthday cake" and my first thought was "That is so sweet" and my second thought was "but I cant eat it."  I thought about it that day and just told myself that I might have a small piece even though I haven't had any sweets since the start of this program.  Well, no need to have had fear or worry.  The cake was entirely made out of fruit!  How awesome is that?  I cut a small wedge, since fruit has lots of sugars too despite being natural, and enjoyed every bite!  ***Props to my sis-in-law...she did an amazing job and the design is beautiful!  Watermelon, mango, pineapple, blueberries, and strawberries.

What? What?

I had to do a weigh-in for Joy today and after also taking some measurements, I decided to pull out a pair of pant that I haven't worn in 7 years.  I lost about 40 pounds years ago and wore these pants around that time. I gained a bunch of weight back and haven't used them since.  Well...guess what?  They fit!  They are still kind of tight but I can get them on....wahooo!

Trip to California...

Since I have been living on the East Coast for years...I haven't been to California for a LONG time.  I decided to get away for a birthday weekend with my mom.  We had a blast!  We rode our beach cruisers up and down the boardwalk every morning and got in lots of good walking too. Great exercise in an amazing location...San Diego!

We went to a luau one night on Mission Bay and had a blast!  They were handing out drinks so I had to get creative.  1) I don't drink alcohol and 2) I don't need all the sugar in the mix.  In an attempt to "not miss out on the celebratory fun" ... I asked the bar tender to make me a drink with 1 part orange juice and 3 parts seltzer water.  Still had a bit more sugar than I needed but it was yummy and festive!

Low-Fat product suggestion...

Just wanted to share this with you!  I love it!  This is a low-fat cream cheese made partly with Greek Yogurt.  Have the fat of cream cheese and 2x's the protein.  It is full of yumminess that holds me over til lunch. I spread a couple tablespoons on a 100% Whole Wheat English muffin and top it with some tomato slices and cracked pepper.  (A recipe adapted from Joy Bauer...check out her recipes at JoyBauer.com).  Divine!

Grillin up some goodness!

Doesn't this look amazing?!  This is actually a pic from a meal that my friend and I cooked a couple months back.  I have been repeating this for myself a lot over the last few weeks.  It is something that you can do at home in your kitchen or on the grill.  We just chopped up some zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus.  Then we peppered it and tossed it with some olive oil.  We put the whole grill basket on the grill and just let it steam and brown up those veggies until they were like heaven in a basket.  Yum!  The salmon was rubbed down with some olive oil and then sprinkled with some lemon pepper and garlic powder.  We just through it straight on the grill, skin side down first, and then flipped it.  Amazing!!  The only tweaks I would do to it now is us a spray oil instead of pouring (in order to cut down on some calories) and use natural lemon instead of the powder (because they add in extra salt and junk). Loved this meal....cant get any healthier. Yum!