This is one of our family’s favorite dinners, and the leftovers for  lunch the next day are even better!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3 sweet peppers (I love to use red peppers)
• 1 sweet onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• Olive oil
• Whole Wheat Tortillas

Cut the sweet peppers and onions into strips, and chop the garlic into small pieces.  I make quick work of all of this by using my food processor.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan on medium high heat.  Add the garlic, and stir until those good garlic smells start…should be only about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the peppers and onion, and stir until they start to get soft (about 4 minutes).  Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Chop the chicken into long strips.  I find it’s easier if the chicken is slightly frozen, and I use the food processor for this step as well.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and heat on medium high heat.  Add the chicken, and turn until no longer pink.

While the chicken is cooking, mix together the soy sauce, lemon juice, and corn starch in a bowl.  Once the chicken is done, add the sauce to the mixture, and stir until bubbly.  Add the peppers, onion, and garlic back into the pan.

Place a tortilla on a paper towel and warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds.  Place some of the chicken and pepper mixture in the middle of the tortilla, fold up the bottom, fold in the sides, and ENJOY!

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I received an email the other day that just THRILLED me.  One of the things I enjoy most in life is encouraging others to lead a healthy lifestyle.  Honestly, sometimes it can be frustrating.  People have more excuses when it comes to eating right and exercise than children have excuses for not doing their homework!

But then there are people like Andrea.  We met through Beachbody’s customer lead program.  Beachbody entrusts me with their customers, and my job is to support and encourage them (which we’ve already established that I LOVE).  I sent a welcome email to Andrea and also a voice mail welcoming her to Beachbody, and introducing myself as her personal coach.  We quickly started developing a relationship.

Andrea has had a lot of questions for me, but 90% of her emails are all about her “WHY”…playing in the park this summer with her two little children!  Since she has continually focused on WHY she wants to lose weight and get into shape, she’s sticking with her program, looking for answers, and changing her habits.

She’s had her share of challenges…including her little son deciding to get up VERY early in the morning and interrupting her workout time.  She worked through that, and kept losing weight.

Here’s the email Andrea sent me the other day:

Hi Judy:

Today I am wearing a pair of pants that I could not fit into around this time of year last year.  Last August when I tried these pants on I could not get them past my thighs.  I tried everything in my power to pull these pants up to fit and they would not go past my thighs without riping off a button.

Today I am wearing the same pants and Judy, beleive it or not, these pants are fitting me, they are extremely loose and I started to cry when I put these pants on because I thought about just last year when I put these same pants on and they wouldn’t go past my thighs I knew in my heart I would never get this weight off.

Judy, I am still crying as I am typing you this email because I can’t believe these pants are fitting me, not only fitting me but they are very loose.  When I see things like this happen when I never thought could it just makes me want to keep going.  Judy when I look back to my past DIET, I see myself eatting until I was full, eatting because I was stress or angry about something, eatting to take my mind off of things or eating just because a certain food was there.

Now when I look at myself today I don’t see me trying to lose weight because of a DIET.  I see my trying to lose weight to gain my strength back, good health, live longer for my children and a BETTER LIFE STYLE.  DIET is no longer in my vocabulary.  Judy now when I eat I spread my meals out to 5-6 small meals a day and the best part is that I don’t eat many snacks.  Instead of having 3 meals and 2  snacks I actually eat 5 meals and 1 snack (the snack is only if I am craving something).  I found out that replacing snacks with small meals will keep you fuller longer.  For instance for my mid morning snack I may have 1/2 peanut butter sandwich with an apple vs. cake or a candy bar etc..  I realize I don’t need bad junk fund to stop my cravings there are always alternatives out there and I use the internet and weight watchers to look for them.

Judy, I am so proud of myself that I can fit into these pants I don’t know how to act.  Now I have at least 25 pair of jeans in my closet, some of them I have not even worn yet because I gained so much weight.  My husband since last year told me to give all those jeans to the United Way and let them donate them to shelters etc.  Judy, by this summer I am going to fit in those jeans and tell him I will donate other clothing but I will get my sixe 8 back.  No rush but I will be in an 8 again.  Right now I went from a size 16 in pants and now I am wearing a 12 and the 8 is not  to far behind.

Sorry for the long email but I needed someone to share my good news with.

Now, is Andrea JUST excited about fitting into a pair of pants she hasn’t fit into in years?  Absolutely not!  She knows that it is just one step in her journey toward the REAL prize…effortlessly playing in the park with her children this summer.

Once she achieves that goal, I’m sure that she will be choosing another goal.  Andrea is just THAT type of woman…one that is determined to develop a healthy lifestyle…for herself AND her children!

To your health!

Judy

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Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, I thought that I would give this recipe a second try.  I’ve seen my friends RAVE about this, but I tried it once and didn’t like it one bit.  Well, I discovered my mistake.  I’ll tell you about that in a minute!

Recipe: Put a lot of ice (I used 7 large cubes) in a blender.  Add some water (I used about a cup…you may need more).  Add one scoop of chocolate Shakeology and 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract (I may use a little less next time).   Blend!  It tasted like a Pepermint Patty version of a Wendy’s Frosty!

NOTE:  I have a vita-mix blender, which is very powerful.  If you are using a regular blender, you may want to crush the ice first (before adding the rest of the ingredients).  Also, you may need some more water to get it to blend.  If so, you can add it to the freezer for a little while to get it to that frosty consistency!

Now, the mistake I made the first time?  I used mint extract instead of peppermint extract!  HUGE difference!  Don’t make the same mistake I did! 

This drink was healthy, delicious, and only 140 calories!  It also left a very pleasing after taste in my mouth! 

Let me know if you try it!

Judy

P.S.  If you don’t have Shakeology, I’m sure you could try this with chocolate protein powder.  You won’t get a drink that is as nutrient dense as the Shakeology, but it could still be a nice snack!

If you want more information about Shakeology, feel free to visit my Shakeology website.  Stay tuned because tomorrow I’m going to post about a great deal available with Shakeology and the legendary home workout routine called “Slim in 6″!

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So here are the final results!  I did the 3 day Shakeology Cleanse last week, and I weighed and measured myself on Saturday morning.  I lost a total of 4 pounds and 3 1/2 inches…2 of them from my waist. The inches lost really surprised me!  I had to keep remeasuring to make sure it was correct!

So all in all, I think that this was a success!  It was pretty easy to follow.  I was a little hungry, but not too bad.  Usually, when I was hungry, it was because it was time for another shakeology or my salad.  I think that there were two things that helped with my hunger…the green tea and drinking enough water.

Drink your water people!  It’s SO important to weight loss…cleanse or no cleanse!

So I think I’ll be repeating the cleanse again in the future, so stay tuned for that.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to comment here or contact me through my Shakeology website.

Together we’re better!

Judy

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Day 2 is in the books and day 3 is well underway!  I’ve been weighing myself every morning at the same time.  That’s crucial to getting the most accurate results.  I know that I can be 2-3 pounds different depending on what time of day I weigh myself.  By the way, just in case if may seem like I am obsessed with the scale…I’m NOT!  I usually don’t even weigh myself unless my pants are fitting me differently.  The only reason I’m weighing daily now is because it’s all part of this cleanse…just to see what’s going on with my body.

I’m also not kidding myself that this is fat loss.  It’s probably mostly water weight and maybe some “crud” my body has been hanging onto.  That’s what “detoxifying” is for anyway!  Getting rid of the “crud’!

Okay…so when I weighed myself this morning, I was down another 1.8 pounds for a total of 4 pounds in 2 days.  My energy level is fantastic today!  I didn’t even get that sleepy feeling this afternoon, and that’s rare for me!  I’ve been able to get through my workouts with no trouble (I’m doing P90X).

I’ve felt a little hungry at times, but usually when it’s almost time for another meal or snack.

So, all in all, I think things are going very well!  I’m very curious to see what the final results will be tomorrow morning!

If you’d like to know more about Shakeology, please feel free to visit my Shakeology website.  You can order from there, and if you any any questions, feel free to comment on this blog or click on the “contact me” button on the shakeology website!

Together we’re better!

Judy

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So day one went well!  I was a little hungry at times, but it was really close to the time I should be eating anyway.  I started too late yesterday (had my first Shakeology around 9:30AM), so I missed my second cup of green tea.  I also didn’t drink all 3 bottles of water (20 ounces in each).  There was about half of the 3rd bottle left.  I’m not worried about that because my Shakeology meals had plenty of water in them!

My energy level was pretty good.  I had a short nap around noon.  When I had my second Shakeology of the day (around 2PM) I got a nice burst of energy.  The same thing happened when I had my third Shakeology around 8:30PM…I felt energized.  That worried be a bit because it was getting close to bed time.  However, I fell asleep at around 10:30PM and slept through the night.  I woke up before the alarm clock at 5:30AM…mostly because all of that water I ingested the day before was looking to escape! 

I got on the scale this morning, and I was down 2.2 pounds.  I’m reserving my excitement about that until I see if what I lose stays off of me!    I plan on reporting daily while I’m doing the cleanse, and then one week later (to see if it “stuck”)!

My real hope for this is that it kick starts my weight loss by reducing my cravings for certain foods, so even if I gain a little of the weight back, it will be worth it in the long run.

Stay tuned for Day 2 results tomorrow!

Together we’re better!

Judy

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I think the closest I ever got to doing a cleanse was one day when I decided that I would fast on water only. That was tough. I was low on energy. I also tried a 6 day slim down diet that came with one of my Beachbody programs. It was about 1200 calories a day, and I lasted 3 days before I just had to eat more!

I like to think I’m open minded, but cleansing was just not something that I put too much stock into. I figured that once I started eating regularly again I would put all of the weight back on.

Well, I put on about 14 pounds over the winter, and I’ve been having some trouble getting them back off. I eat pretty healthy, but I just have some foods I’ve been craving…like peanut butter. Then those darn girl scout cookies came! You know…just WAY too many indulgences!

Then I read about a 3 day cleanse Beachbody was trying out using Shakeology. This is a product that I sell as an Independent Team Beachbody Coach. I’ve been using it since March of 2009, and I haven’t gotten sick since I started using it. It tastes GREAT. It’s easy to make. It’s quick. And…it’s got SO much healthy stuff packed into it! Some people tell me it’s too expensive at $4 per serving, but I’ve come to believe that it’s worth the cost. It’s got a LOT more value to it than a $3 or $4 latte, and it tastes even better!

Anyway, because this cleanse was using Shakeology, I started looking into it. I discovered that Beachbody’s Director of Results, Steve Edwards had done it and lost 10 pounds in 3 days. This is a guy who is in exceptional shape, but he admitted in his blog that he did the cleanse after a weekend of “debauchery”…he ran a lot, but ate a lot of bad food and drank a lot of beer (he was celebrating his wife’s birthday).

Again, Steve lost 10 pounds in 3 days, but his goal really wasn’t weight loss.  It was to detoxify and bring his body back into homeostasis in preparation for his return to healthy eating.

So I decided to be open minded and give it a shot! Here are the details of what is included in each day:

• Shakeology for Breakfast and Lunch

• Dinner is a green salad with 4 ounces of white protein (chicken or fish), unlimited veggies, small amount of low fat salad dressing is allowed

• 2 cups of green tea

• 1 snack – Shakeology again (your choice where to put this in your day)

• Lots of Water

• Optional – up to 3 pieces of fruit. This is for people who are in fairly good condition without too much weight to lose and may need the extra calories to power their workouts.

I’ll be reporting in over the next few days to let you know how it’s going!

Together we’re better!

Judy

UPDATE: Steve said in his blog that the cleanse was about 1500 calories daily.  I asked Steve how he came up with that number because every time I calculated the calories, it came in at around 800-1000 (including the fruit).  He said that because of his activity level he needed some extra calories, so he got it by adding seeds (flax and chia) and nuts (walnuts and almonds) to his salads and shakes.

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Oprah had a GREAT show today called  “Before you grocery shop again: Food 101 with Michael Pollan”.  Most of the show was centered around a new documentary called “Food, Inc”.  I had rented that movie around a month ago, and I must say…it was eye opening!  It’s amazing to see how fast food has changed the way we eat in America and not JUST in fast food restaurants.  Our government subsidizes crops like corn and soybeans, but crops like broccoli, carrots, and fruits are not.  No WONDER junk food is so cheap and healthy food can be so expensive!

I highly suggest you watch this movie.  The Oprah Show and Amazon are offering “Food, Inc” for $9.99 and with your purchase you get a free download of the movie, so you can watch it while you are waiting for your DVD to arrive.  This expires Friday at midnight.  Click here to go to the Oprah page with information about this show (including the movie offer).

The Oprah show also had a section with actress Alicia Silverstone talking about her new book “The Kind Diet”, and the Oprah page has some recipes from it.  Those chocolate peanut butter cups look SO YUMMY!  Could it be that my daughter’s Girl Scout cookie sales are getting to me?  Could be! 

Judy

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It’s Saturday night, and I don’t feel like cooking.  Okay…I admit…I almost NEVER feel like cooking!  It’s just something that SOMEONE has to do!

So I pulled out an old favorite.  This is something that is SO QUICK and SO EASY anyone can do it!  Plus, I like to make extra so that the time it takes me to make it will save me time tomorrow and the next day.  It takes a lot less time to reheat leftovers! 

I got this from Bill Phillips “Eating for Life” cookbook.  I highly recommend this one.  It has a lot of easy ideas in it.  The only thing missing is nutrition information.  If you are familiar with Bill’s “Body for Life” plan, he doesn’t believe in counting calories.

Anyway, here’s how this went!  First, I pulled out the chicken I had in the fridge…

Organic chicken breasts are a little pricey, but I try to buy organic whenever possible.  I consider it an investment in the health of my family.  I had two of these packages, probably almost 3 pounds of chicken.  I took them out of the package, rinsed them, and cut them into bite sized pieces.

Then I sprayed a non-stick pan with olive oil spray, heated it on high heat for a minute or two, and added the chicken.  I just kept stirring up the chicken until it was no longer pink.  There was a lot of liquid in the pan, so I put a colander over a bowl and dumped the chicken into it in order to drain it off.

This next step is really in preparation for those glorious leftovers!  I used my new “biggest loser” scale (just bought that from QVC a week or two ago) to individually weigh 3 oz. of chicken into little glass containers.  By the way, I LOVE that scale.  I’ve just scratched the surface of it’s capabilities, but it worked so well tonight for this purpose!  I think I’ll blog about that scale in the near future.  It will give me just one more reason to read the directions more! 

Now I have five little containers, each with 3 ounces of chicken in them!  Perfect!

Okay…on to the next step!  After removing the leftover chicken from the pan, you are left with just the chicken you are going to eat with that meal.  Mix 1 cup of salsa into the pan with the chicken, heat, and stir.

Here’s the next three ingredients:  100% whole wheat wraps, salsa, and low fat cheddar cheese.

Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil spray and heat to medium high.  Place a tortilla on it and spread a little cheese on half.  One top of the cheese, spread a little of the chicken mixture, then top with a little more cheese.  I find that putting the cheese on the bottom and top helps it to stick together.

My daughter, picky kid that she is, doesn’t like the salsa in it.  No problem, I just use the cheese and a little plain chicken for her!

Now, with a spatula, just fold the half with no “stuff” on it up, and flip it over the half with the “stuff” on it.  Press it down with the spatula a little to help the cheese make it all stick together.

Put it on a plate and use a pizza cutter to cut it into three equal pieces.  You can put a little non-fat sour cream on the side.  And there you have it!  Quick, easy, and delicious!  Serve it with a green salad for your veggie portion!

I used the myfitnesspal website (another thing I highly recommend) to calculate the calories.  With the sour cream (about 25 calories in 2 Tablespoons of that), it came out to 353.  I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that, but it sounds about right to me.

If this sounds like something you’ll be making for yourself or if you have any tips on how to improve it, please leave a comment below!  Right now I have a few dishes to do! 

Judy

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