Bangers & Mash

When I first started eating clean(ish) I thought that meant  I was in for a life of grilled chicken breasts, green beans and sweet potatoes. I found myself always veering off and having cheat meals weeks. It was a roller coaster of health and it wasn't doing anything to help my body. That's when I discovered the 80/20 rule. I eat clean(whole foods/not processed) for 80% of the time and the other 20% I allow myself to eat what I want...within reason. This has helped me SO much. I'm able to have my little treats when I want & without the guilt. Life is way too short to never have the things you love...which for me is food. Now this plan may not work for everyone, but if you find yourself yo-yoing with your nutrition then I encourage you to give it a shot. 

I also discovered that I could create cleaner version of meals without worrying about whether or not its perfectly healthy. Healthy eating does not have to be boring!! Get creative...take your favorite all out cheat meal and try to recreate it in a healthier version. There are so many alternatives to things that you can make just about anything healthier. 

Bill & I have recently been hooked on Chicken Sausage...so I've been coming up with fun new ways to cook with it. I created this recipe the other day because I just happened to have these items on hand. That's the fun part though...creating something from what you have. No need to spend tons of money! So below is the recipe I came up with for a healthier take on the classic Bangers & Mash.

I hope you love it! I would love to hear from you what some of your favorite healthier recipes are! Remember...eating clean does not have to be boring, bland or pricey. Get creative!!

 

Hammer & Chisel Meal Plan Week 1

So today is THE day. Hubby & I officially started Hammer & Chisel. We are both SO excited to start this program and see some awesome results. We've had bad habits in the past of falling off the wagon with the nutrition portion of programs. We'll do so well for weeks and then binge for a day week. So this time we are DETERMINED to not slip up...well not drastically anyway. A treat here & there may happen ( ;

I have always seen other people plan out their meals for the week and I thought 1. WAY too time consuming 2. I'm a free bird and I don't want my meals planned. I had fully convinced myself that eating without planning was working. Well...it wasn't. So I've decided to jump on the weekly meal plan bandwagon. So I was right about one thing...it's time consuming. I literally took breaks from doing it. I will say though that the following weeks should be much easier. I can just shift things around instead of starting from scratch. Plus I realized how much time I'll be saving by not standing in the kitchen for 15 minutes trying to decide what to eat 6 times a day. So without further ado...I'd like to share this beauty of a meal plan with you:

I'm prepared and ready to take on Week 1. That old saying "failing to plan is planning to fail" really is true. I can't wait to share more about this program later in the week with you. If this meal plan looks like something you would like, it's not too late to join my New Year Group. Just click on the "New Year, New You" picture on the right to get started! 

Gym vs. Home

I've been going to gyms since high school. I joined my first gym when I was 16. In college I had access to the University gym, but I rarely went and when I did it was just for cardio. I continued to go off & on to gyms ever since...until I found Insanity. With Insanity I felt stronger than I ever had. I loved being able to wear my old workout clothes without caring about how I looked. I loved that I didn't have to drive anywhere. I really loved that I didn't have to leave Gabe in childcare. I noticed that when I was relying on the gym to get my workouts in they often got skipped>>>I could come up with a million reasons that I just couldn't go. 

One of my favorite things about working out at home is how quick it is. If I were to go to a gym now that I have 2 kids...it would consist of getting myself ready, then getting the kids ready, driving to the gym, checking them into childcare, a visit to the locker room, staring at the machines while I decide what to start with, hoping there's an open machine, hoping no one around me is watching or judging, pick my kids up & drive home...that's most of my morning right there! Now that I workout at home I already have my workout picked out at the beginning of the week...so there's no time wasted on that. I just get into my workout clothes during Molly's nap time and push play. Workout for 30 min and I'm done. The funny thing is...I'm getting a better workout at home then I ever did at the gym. When I was at the gym I pretty much just stuck to cardio..the few times I did weights I always felt like the guys were looking at me like "go hop on a treadmill, you're taking up my mirror room". 

Now do I hate gyms? Absolutely not!! I think gyms are still a great thing for some people, but I do think that I've found a better option for myself and my family. I'm able to get my workouts in more consistently and get better workouts! One more thing that I love about working out from home is the cost. When I've paid for gym memberships in the past I always feel like I'm throwing money away on all those days that I didn't go. With home workouts I just pay once to have the workout forever. Plus with my online Fit Club I get way more accountability than I ever did at the gym. Suzy Q at the front desk doesn't care if I go to the gym on a Monday or not, but my Fit Club members care! 

A friend of mine did some awesome research to compare gym costs with at home costs. I want to share this with you because I know many of you are thinking about joining a gym for those new year resolutions. So I encourage you to think twice! 

I know I'll be working out from home this January...what about you?I would love for you to join me! Just click on the "New Year, New You" picture to the right.