Healthiest Deals in Town 5/31/09

Here ya go! Here are some of the "healthiest" deals in town... and some other ones that I liked!

CVS

Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup $.50 (limit 8) use $1/2 coupon here= 2 FREE

 Deans 2% milk gallon $1.99 but you get $1 ECB, so like paying $0.99

 General Mills Total, Fiber One, or Cheerios Cereall, Fiber One Bars or Nature Valley Granola Bars 2 for $5 (multiple coupons as well)

 Dijorno Pizzas 2 for $10

 

WALGREENS

Crystal Light $1.99

Use $1 coupon from coupons.com on right side of blog and get for$.99

 Bounty 12 pack big rolls (limit 2) $11.99

 Deerfield dried fruit $1

 BumbleBee Chunk White Tuna (limit 3) $0.99

 Quaker Oats B1G1 (limit 4)

 

KROGER

Starting 5/29 Country Time lemonade $1, use $1.50/2 coupon from coupons.com at side bar of blog= $.50 for 2; Also watch for this catalina deal buy 2 Country Time drink mixes get a $1 coupon for your next order, valid 5/29-6/11 This makes the Country Time FREE

 Gallon Milk $1.98

Kroger Singles Cheese $1

Boneless Pork Loin $1.78/lb

Kroger frozen chicken is B1G1

Sirloin tip $1.99/lb

Kroger russet potatoes $2.99 10 lbs.

Green Giant box veggies $1 – Use $.50/2 from 4/5 insert and get for $.50 each

MEIJER

 Peaches or nectarines $.99/lb

Milk $1.98 gallon

Dozen large eggs $.98

Mejier bonless skinless frozen chicken breasts 64oz $7.99

Asparagus $1.49/lb

Strawberries $2.99 for 2 lbs

Kelloggs cereal $2 – Uise $1 coupon from coupon.com sidebar and get for $1/each

Chi Chis salsa $1- Use $.55 coupon from 5/17  insert = FREE

Wheat thins or triscuts $1.67—Use $1 coupon from sidebar = $.67

 

TARGET

 Kelloggs Cereal $1.99—use $1 coupon from sidebar and get for $.99 each

 Smartfood popcorn $3.00 Use $1 coupon from 5/3 insert plus $1 coupon from Target = $1

 Garnier Fructis Shampoo 13oz. $2.99- Use $1 coupon = $1.99

 

$5 TARGET GIFTCARD earned when you buy 2 of any of the following:

 -Weight Watchers Smart Ones $1.80 each; free $5 Target Giftcard when 10 entrees are purchased

-Fiber One and South Beach Diet Snack Bars are 2 for $5

-$2 JIF peanut butter

-Silk Soymilk $2.59 64oz

-Charmin bath tissue 30 pk or 16 pk megaroll $14 (multiple coupons from paper as well)

 

Giveaway Extension...

I'm feelin' in the mood so the very exciting Body Life Works giveaway deadline has been extended until June 4th at 9am, EST. So COMMENT NOW. Remember you can enter more than once!! C'mon don't miss out!!

Comment on this post here: BODY LIFE WORKS GIVEAWAY 

Recipe of the Week

Sloppy Joes with Turkey

An oldie but a goodie... I give credit to  Hungry Girl  (Sloppy Janes) for the inspiration to these :)

4 servings

4 whole-wheat buns

1 pound extra lean ground turkey

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 tbsp steak seasoning

1 tbsp Splenda or sweetener of choice

1 tbsp Worschire sauce

1 tbsp red wine vinaigrette

salt and pepper to taste

diced onion and green and/or red pepper ( I use a bag of frozen mix of the 3)

In a sprayed skillet, brown turkey. Add steak seasoning and splenda. Then add onions/peppers and cook till soft. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and rest of ingredients and cook until bubbly. Serve warm on whole wheat buns.

Push It! Stroller Class

For my local readers....

Push It! Baby Boot Camp!

 

A way to get fit and meet other Moms… no excuses this time!

 

Just bring your baby (older kids are welcome too), water and a mat.

 

Thursdays 9:30AM

 

Location: MANN Property Parking Lot at 96^th Street and Masters Road (if its raining or under 50 degrees, class will take place in Castleton Square Mall meeting at the SEARS mall entrance)

 

Cost: Your first class is FREE! After that, the cost is $50 for 5 classes, which will expire after 10 weeks.

 

 

Please contact Mandy for more information or to reserve your spot! (317)595-9006 or mleonards@push-fitness.com

Pregnancy Weight Gain Guidelines

I'll be the first one to tell a pregnant woman not to worry too much about their weight gain... however, there is a still a point where we should be careful to be healthy and not use the baby as an excuse to pack on a ton of extra pounds. New guidelines were officially released today... here they are:

New Pregnancy Weight Guidelines

Here are the guidelines for pregnancy weight gain, based on a woman's BMI ( body mass index) before becoming pregnant with one baby:

Underweight: Gain 28-40 pounds
Normal weight: Gain 25-35 pounds
Overweight: Gain 15-25 pounds
Obese: Gain 11-20 pounds

And here are the guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy with twins, based on the mother's prepregnancy BMI:

Normal weight: Gain 37-54 pounds
Overweight: Gain 31-50 pounds
Obese: Gain 25-42 pounds
Underweight: No weight gain guidelines are available because of insufficient data.

Not too much different from the old ones that I remember... but I think the main point is not to stress too much about it. Eat when you are hungry, eat mostly healthy foods,  continue to exercise moderately during your pregnancy and enjoy the stage of your life... it goes by sooo fast!!  

Weight loss Wednesday

I thought I'd start a new trend here for Wednesday's blog theme... Weight loss Wednesday. This is going to be a theme to help you and others. If you are currently trying to lose weight, then send us your link to your blog or comment here about how you are doing with your goals this week. If you are currently not trying to lose weight, but more about maintaining health and wellness in your life and family, then simply post your tip of the week for others to read. Since that's my path, I'll be posting a tip every Wednesday. Hope that they are helpful! :) I look forward to reading every one's comments! Also, don't forget the Body Life Works giveaway... you don't want to miss out on that! 

Tip of the Week: Eat Breakfast. Every. Single. Day. And not just a granola bar... a GOOD breakfast!! Seriously, people! It is true what they say. It boosts your metabolism, gets your body going for the day. Don't skimp out on this meal. I look forward to breakfast everyday and my breakfast is usually somewhere between 300-400 calories. 

Body Life Works GIVEAWAY!!!

Whooooaa nelly! This is a huge giveaway for me :) In celebration of my new blog layout and Summer Shape-Up plans available on Body Life Works, I am offering 1 free 12-week summer shape-up plan to one very LUCKY Fitness & Family reader! All U.S. and international residents are eligible to win, **excluding any of my current clients at PUSH Fitness** (if you a current PUSH client of mine, you are already in the middle of a giveaway there from me:)). To enter, you must do the following: Go to the Body Life Works website and tell me why you deserve this plan and how you plan and how you will stick to it. Then come back here to this blog and comment, make sure to leave your email address in the comment. Additional entries may be entered by doing the following:

Make sure to leave a comment for each entry:

1. Add my new blog button to your blog (include the URL so I can see it)

2. Subscribe to Fitness & Family by email 

3. Subscribe to Fitness & Family by reader

4. Follow Fitness & Family

5. Add me to Twitter  

6. Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a URL 

This giveaway has a $99 value and a winner will be selected via random.org on June 4th at 9am EST. Just in time for the winner to begin their summer shape-up on June 1st! 

Good luck and get to commenting!! 

Terrific Tuesday--The "healthiest" Deals in town...

Terrific Tuesday

Deals Good Until Thursday 5/28 in the Indianapolis area

 Healthiest Deals in Groceries for You posted every Tuesday!

Walgreens

Vitamin 10 water $1: Use the $1/1 coupon from SmartSource 4/5 = FREE

Posture-D Calcium $8.99, Earn $8.99 RR =FREE

CVS

Post Trail Mix Crunch Cereal- $4.29 - $4.39 B1G1Free
- (2) $2/1 Printable Coupons
- $1.50 Upromise Savings= Free + $1.21 - $1.11 Profit after Coupon & ECBs

 

Meijer

Peaches or nectarines $.99/lb

Milk $1.98/gallon

Dozen large eggs $.98

Meijer boneless, skinless, frozen chicken breasts $7.99

Asparagus $1.49/lb

Strawberries $2.99 for 2lbs

Ball Park Turkey Franks $2.50 (use $1/2 coupon) = $2 each if you buy 2

Chi Chi's Salsa $1- use $.55 coupon from 5/17 = FREE

Wheat thins or triscuits $1.67- use $1 coupon from the side widget on the blog from coupons.com and get for $.67

 

Kroger

Kroger gallon milk ( including chocolate) $1.98

Kroger singles cheese $1

Boneless pork loin $1.78/lb.

Ground Beef value pack $1.78/lb.

Kroger frozen chicken select varieties ( excl. party wings ) B1G1

Assorted pork chops $1.99/lb.

Sirloin tip $1.99/lb.

Green Giant box veggies $1.00--Use $.50/2 from 4/5 insert  $.40 each (buy 2)

 Target

I didn't see any healthy deals worth posting :)

 

*Did I miss a great deal in the "healthier" department? Leave a comment if I did so everyone knows about it!

Blog layout update:)

Memorial Day Weekend has come to close, the Indy 500 is over, I finally have my ERGO baby carrier and I have an awesome new blog layout thanks to our good friend, Basilios! What do you guys think? The website is getting an uplift as well..so stay tuned... there might just be a nifty giveway included in that post tomorrow! ;) If you like the blog layout and want to inquire about Basilios' handy dandy talent yourself, you can find him here ... just be nice to him, he's getting married in a little over a month to a very pretty blonde named Angela! :) 

Recipe of the Week

Eat your veggies! I OFTEN get asked for yummy veggie recipes.. so here's one for ya!

Curried Baby Carrots Serves 2

1/2lb baby carrots

2 tbsp fat free mayo

1 tbsp nonfat sour cream

1/2tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp skim milk

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp honey

Steam carrots, covered 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Combine mayo, and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; place over medium heat until hot. Serve sauce with carrots. 

Per serving: 92 calories, 2g fat, 2g protein, 4g fiber, 15g carbs 

Master Your Metabolism Review

So I got my hands on Jillian Michaels' new book, Master Your Metabolism. I'll admit that while I like Jillian overall, I was a little skeptic before reading this book. Mostly because I am skeptic when it comes to most diet books; mostly because I find all of them in the end say much of the same information in a different way. However, I read most of them for education and professional growth and experience. Its always good to know what my clients are reading and curious about! 

So here's the deal on the book. Its captivating and well written. Jillian co-writes the book with a doctor and the beginning of the book focuses on her personal life as a chubby kid, a troubled teenager and a addicted personality (food, exercise, and probably some illegal activities as well...) . I actually found this information to increase Jillian's credibility to me. I never knew her personal story before and only knew her as TV's toughest trainer who unfortunately gave the incorrect way to use a kettle ball on The Biggest Loser a couple of weeks ago. .haha :) However, this was eye opening to me. She struggled for years to keep her body the way it is, and after years and years of yo-yo dieting, psychotic exercising and calorie tracking, she realized that she was missing a huge piece of the puzzle... hormones.

I've always been interested in the hormonal effect on weight and this book is a good review of scientific studies as well as personal experience on how hormones affect the metabolism, and how toxins in food and the environment can effect these hormones. Kinda scary really! 

The only thing I will say negatively about this book is that I do think you have to take it lightly. It can scare you into never buying another canned good, but the reality is that most of us cannot afford to live and eat like Jillian and most of us cannot avoid the environmental pollutants completely (unless you live in a black hole)... BUT what we can do is pay more attention to what we put in our bodies. What we put in our children's bodies. What we do with our waste. The few key points I took from the book that I plan on implementing are:

1. Eat as fresh as possible. Although its not realistic nor possible to eat perfectly, making fresh choices when possible are great.

2. BPA plastic.

3. Eating every 3-4 hours to keep the metabolism booming.

4. Not counting calories; listening to our bodies about hunger, health and happiness.

5. Exercising is not only for health but for mood as well

6. Staying away from as much processed food as possible. (again not perfect here)

7. Encouraging my clients/friends/family to eat ENOUGH  to keep their metabolism booming (a constant struggle honestly.. my clients like to not eat enough all the time... its a viscious cycle...)

The actual diet part of this book is a non-calorie counting approach, but no matter how you see it, its still simple and controlled. The only bad thing I see with it is that it could get pricey to get all the products considering she wants you to go all organic and it could be difficult at times. 

I definitely will still use this book as as reference for my job, and recommend it to anyone who likes to read the health/wellness books like I do. Definitely worth the read! 

And if you're interested... you can get the book for $4.95 here. You also get a free 2 week trial of her online program, which you can cancel as soon as you sign up to save yourself that monthly fee. 

Let me know your thoughts about the book and/or topic! I'm interested in what you all have to say! 

Keeping it Fun

In the realm of exercising...I find it necessary to reiterate something today... make it FUN. Make sure you ENJOY what you are doing! So many times people come in and tell me that their treadmill in their basement has become a nice clothing hanger because they find it so boring they would rather be fat than run on it. While I do find this sad, I do understand! Even a fit momma like myself gets bored with workouts. I think I go literally do my Tae Bo DVDS with a blindfold on and no music, no joke! Unfortunately because I know the workout so well, its hardly a workout for me anymore, and I find it boring, with a capital B! Not even Billy Blanks in his awesome purple spandex can keep my interest anymore, haha! The elliptical machine.. the pedals going round and round and round for 45 minutes... sounds so friggin' exciting, let me tell you. Not so much! So how do I keep up with it?? Here are some tips of mine...

1. Don't do the same thing two days in a row. So if I decide to do the elliptical Monday, you bet your booty I'm not doing it again probably for at least a few days! The next day I might decide to go outdoors... day after that, try a new class. Day after that maybe sprints on the treadmill. Key is keeping it fun!

2. If you belong to a gym, try a new class. Step outside your comfort zone here! Kickboxing in various forms, Zumba, Bootcamp, Spinning, Step.. there are SO many choices you could do a different class every day of the week and the class will always be different!

3. Weights... don't just do a boring machine 1, machine 2, etc... YUCK! Spice up your routine with some plyos or change your repetitions. If you are not a gym junkie, consider meeting with a trainer, even once to help you spice it up. Trust me it HELPS! I hardly ever do the same weight routine. It gets boring too!

4. Working out at home?? Be creative! I have used my stairs. A chair. A jump rope. My baby! You laugh, but its true :)

5. Exercise with a friend. Its always more fun with someone else.

My first real Mama

This post is slightly sappy, so bear with me. Yesterday Isabella said "Mama" for the very first time, and I think she meant it. It was probably the most special moment for me with her (besides her birth, of course) so far. I've never in my life felt such a rush of love and excitement as I did in that one very second. I know it totally sounds bizarre, but that's the only way I can describe it. 

She's been saying "mmm-mmmm" for awhile now. She does it constantly, so its not anything new. Yesterday I put her in her high chair around lunch time so I could make her some food. She was doing her "mmmmm" and I was talking to her like always. Then, she got quiet and I turned around to fill her sippy with water when I heard-- clear as day-- "MA-MA!" I  couldn't believe it! I turned around, smiled and said, "yes baby??" She grinned that huge adorable grin at me with her two little teeth and kicked her little feet. Then I felt the mist in my eyes and I was so excited! She said Mama! And she was talking to ME! Of course I kept saying it back to her and kept trying to get her to do it again and she thought THAT was hilarious, and didn't do it again, but we'll work on it. But I'm definitely counting that moment as the first "Mama" and writing it down in her baby book. She knew exactly who she was talking to and that she was trying to get my attention. It was so amazing to feel like she knew that I was "Mama" and that she needed me... and that she is learning to communicate so well. I just love this little girl more than I could ever imagine loving anyone in my life. 

I know there are going to be tons and tons of moments that out do this one with our family, but this was a very special moment for Bella and I. And she said "Mama" before "Dada" and I think Jer is a bit jealous.. hehe ;) I am convinced though "dada" and "doggie" or "buffy" are not far behind... or maybe "Mimi" for my mom :) 

Crawling is also becoming better for her. She does the regular crawl for about 5 paces before deciding she wants to do the "I am paralyzed on half my body" crawl. Haha.

Zoo trip on a budget

I really wanted to take Bella to the zoo:) So we went this past weekend and it was so fun! We also went on our tight budget. How, you ask?? Well, we had a 20% admission coupon for 2 adults from the Zoo book, and Bella is under 1 year old, so we got her in for free. She is too young to enjoy the dolphin shows and such, but we enjoyed the beautiful weather. Bella also really enjoyed the petting area-- where she petted goats for the first time and got to ride on the carousel with her Daddy. She was full of smiles the entire time! 

She was also completely fascinated by the other children there. I am already planning on going back for Christmas at the Zoo in December; and in case you are thinking about it, a Zoo membership is a great deal if you are planning on going more than 3 times/year and/or have a large family. For $105/year, you can get in all year, free parking, including all the special events. Really its a great savings!! We are planning on getting a Zoo membership next year once Bella is a little older. I can't wait!! :)

Time Saving Tips for Staying Healthy

Many times what keeps us from living a healthy lifestyle is time. There just isn't enough of it. If I had a penny for everytime a client told me they "didn't have time" to workout, or "didn't have time" to make a meal at home, I think I would be a very rich woman! I do not expect us to workout everyday or always eat at home... thats not realistic, nor is it very much fun! I enjoy eating out as much as the next guy, and I most certainly enjoy my rest days of laying around like a bum on the couch with my dogs and family! But ... using the "I never have enough time" excuse does run out... here are some time saving tips for you and your family:

1. Always keep pre-washed salad greens in your refrigerator. When in a pinch, you can alwayus have a salad; or add it to a meal for some vegetables to be added! I've also gotten in the habit of eating a salad if I'm in that "ravenous" mode while dinner cooks. Much better than polishing off half a bag of Sun Chips...

2. Cook up big meals once a week and save them; eat leftovers! Leftovers save our family. I always make extra, especially meat when I make dinner so Jerry and I can both have lunch the next day without thinking about it.

3. Learn to love your crockpot. Seriously.

4. Prepare chopped veggies one a week and keep them in ziplock baggies in the fridge. Same goes for fresh cut up fruit.

5. Can't fit a trip into the gym? Get up during the day and take a 20 minute walk.

6. Have a bag of nuts and/or a cheese stick available for "on-the-go" snacks. If we are going to be out and about running errands on a Saturday, I keep a baggie  of nuts and stuff in the car. This helps keep my hunger in check and provides a nutritious snack.

7. When you go out to eat, take half your meal home and you have a meal for the next day.

8. Have you seen those Steamfresh vegetables in the frozen section yet? Seriously, they are always on sale, and EASY to cook. It only takes like 5 minutes for fresh yummy vegetables. If you are a frozen-meal junkie (aka Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones) add a serving of these vegetables to your meal. Many more nutrients added plus more filling (I don't know about you, but 5 ravioli just doesn't do it for me..."

9. Buy canned tuna and/or chicken. Its easy to grab and travel with for lunches on the go.

10. Have a dozen eggs? Hard boil half of the dozen at the beginning of the week and keep them in the fridge. Makes easy, quick snacks. 

Do you have good time-saving tips to add to the list to help families stay healthy? If so, comment and let us know! 

Celebrate Nutrition Giveaway Winner!!!

And the winner of the Celebrate Nutrition Giveaway is:

#14: FitnessCrazedMama!! CONGRATULATIONS!! I'll be emailing you soon with instructions on how to get your yummy chocolates!! Let me know how you like them!

Safe Salad??

You go out to eat and you want to order something that is fairly healthy. So what do you choose? A salad is safe, right? Something called "Chilled Shrimp California Salad" sounds healthy... but is it?? A recent email I got just shocked me again with the fat and calorie content in some of our favorite restaurant salads.... Here were some of the examples: 

Outback Steakhouse Pittsburgh Style Steakhouse Salad = 1,370 calories

Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Florentine Salad = 900 calories, 60g fat, and 65g carbs

Applebee's California Shrimp Salad = 1,310 calories

Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad = 1,260 calories, 76g fat, and 84g carbs

And here are some other shockers that I searched out for you:

Chili's Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad with Dressing: 930 Calories; thats more Calories than 12 Breyers Oreo ice cream sandwhiches!

Chili's Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad: 1070 calories, 78g fat and 4440mg sodium--the same in 77 cups of buttered popcorn!

Quiznos with Chicken and Flatbread Salad: 1110 calories.... and unfortunately most of the salads on the Quiznos menu have more than 1000 calories.

Macaroni Grill's Sea Scallops Salad: 1320 calories & 91 grams of fat. ummmm.... seriously?!

Friday's Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad: 1360 calories....

Its crazy to me that salads have these many calories. Its bad enough that french fries and super sized portions these days are crazy high in fat and calroies, but salad??? Lettuce? Our "safe" food? I think I'd rather eat the 12 ice cream sandwhiches for all those calories... ha! 

The bottom line here is to be careful with salads at restaurants. Here are you safer bets:

-Order dressing on the side, and dip or add a small portion. All of the above macronutrients include the dressing.

-Stick to grilled meat; stay away from the crusted, breaded and fried chicken salads. yes, I know they are yummy, but your waistline will thank you!

-Watch out for the crazy amounts of cheese, hard boiled eggs, bacon, croutons, avocado etc. that they put on salad. 

Here are some of the healthier alternatives available at some restaurants:

Applebees Chili-Lime Salad: only 250 calories and 5g fat

Subway.... turn any sandwhich into a salad! If you choose turkey or roast beef, your salad will only have 120 calories!

Long John Silvers Shrimp & Seafood Salad w/ Fat free french: 380 calories, 16g fat

Chik-Fi-La's Southwest chargrilled Chicken Salad w/ Light Italian dressing: 255 calories

Fazoli's Chicken and Fruit Salad: 245 calories

Lonestar Steakhouse's El Paso Salad w/ Sweet Bourbon Salmon: 200 calories, 9g fat

Panera Bread's half portion of a greek salad: 260 calories, 5g fat

Taco Bell's Fiesta Chicken Salad w/out the Shell: 430 calories, 18g fat (still a bit on the high side for a salad...but its the best they've got!)

**Reminder: Don't forget to enter a comment to be entered into the free giveaway for chocolate that is actually good for you! NO strings attached... just enter and you could win! The giveaway ends tomorrow May 16th at midnight EST. You will like these chocolates, I promise! And they are good for you... totally organic, totally whole foods and help with cravings!

Fat Language

Tonight's blog is a bit of a serious one coming from me. I have been having these reflective thoughts today and thought I'd share them with all of you! I have watched and followed the entire season of The Biggest Loser, and the season finale was last night. I don't know how many of you watched it, but I think there are good things and bad things about this show. Good things-- it tends to inspire people to exercise and eat healthier. Bad things-- gives false hope that dramatic weight loss is normal and healthy; that even at 300 pounds, its completely acceptable and safe to start a workout program with 9mph sprints on a treadmill and that its OK to run a marathon even though you haven't trained for it. 

Now, I have been slightly more impressed with TBL this season; they touched on issues this time around like how its not so easy to loose weight at home; how you must eat ENOUGH calories and how finding balance is tough. At the end of the show however, I was dissapointed by the winner's look. Helen, who got on my nerves all season, looked scrawny, depleted and 10 years older. And yet, they celebrated the fact that she lost 140 pounds in 9 months. I found myself thinking as a professional that I really hope my clients don't expect or try to see these fast results. I also found myself thinking about my daughter.

I don't want her to base her self-worth on her weight. I know as females especially, we grow up in a world where beauty is stressed and throw in our face; where thin is in; where its wrong to think you are beautiful and God forbid you actually like they way you look... if you do, you'll be considered full of yourself. As fate would have it, Jillian Michaels from TBL was on tv this mornign talking about this very issue. Have you ever noticed that when a woman says "Ugh, my thighs looks fat..." we, as her fellow female friends, are programmed to say... "no they don't!" OR ... "oh, tell me about it. have you seen my calves??" Why is it that we as a society, especially as women in today's society, find this "fat talk" normal? Is it normal? I don't know the answers... I am just reflecting :) But I know one thing. I am going to watch what I say around Bella. There will be no more "I feel so fat" or "Ugh I look terrible in this outfit!" statements around her. She will hear everything I say, and want to be just like Mommy. (Remember on TBL how Mike wanted to be big and fat just like his daddy??) I think this cutting out of "fat talk" in my life will not only be good for Bella's self esteem as she grows up, but will also be good for my own self-esteem. 

Its time that I tell myself its OK to like the way I look. So goodbye fat talk, you are not welcome in this house anymore! :)

Anyone care to join me??? Come on ladies!!

Oh and don't forget about the Celebrate Nutrition giveaway... only 3 more days to comment!

Recipes to share!

A couple of recipes to share this week!

BBQ Turkey Crockpot Meatballs

BBQ sauce... 2 servings worth
1.4c canned low sodium tomato sauce
2 tbsp reduced sugar ketchup 2 tsp brown sugar (or splenda blend if you prefer)
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder tada!
3 tbsp.. is 37 cals, 8g carbs I mixed the bbq sauce with some worcheshire sauce for the meatballs I made last night and they were very yummy!! For the meatballs, I just combined turkey, chopped onion, garlic, mrs dash spicy chipolte seasoning and some pepper and 1/3c egg whites. I then put half of the bbq sauce and about 2 tbsp of worschire sauce on the botoom of the crockpot and put the meatballs in there. Then topped with reamining sauce and added 1/2c water. Cooked for 6-8 hours on low. YUM!!!

Another share-worthy recipe... this one is from a new fun Hungry Girl cookbook I got! (THANKS AMI!! :))

Butternut squash Bake 4 servings
4 cups cubed butternut squash (I found it frozen already cubed!)
2 wedges of laughing cow cheese
3/4c diced chopped onion
1/4c egg substitute 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Cook squash in microwave according to directions. Then place squash in blender and add all ingredients except onion. Pulse until mixed but not super liquidity. Remove from blender and stir in onion. Transfer to small cassrole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until edges are brown. per serving: 100 calories, 1g fat, 20g carbs, 4g protein

Coupon Madness!

Some of you know my new found love for coupons and bargain hunting. Such is the life of a new mother, huh?! Well, one of the wonderful coupon sites out there, coupons.com has an AMAZING selection of free printable coupons for you this month. There is a link in the sidebar on my blog. The purple sidebar-- just click on it and it will take you there. They are free and there are coupons for Kraft, Kelloggs, Kashi and much much more. Whoo hoo! 

I've been doing the Grocery Game for a few months now. Its great! I'm going to start testing my hand at finding the best deals around town on my own this month. Still have my GG subscription, but I'm going to start this week by looking at the inserts and all the helpful blogs I've found to compare deals myself and then cross-check it with GG. I'll keep you posted on how I do! 

First Mothers Day

My first Mothers Day as a mother is now over. It was a nice day, and its totally wild that I'm an actual mommy now. Its a day later that I'm getting around to post this post, but I was thinking about it all day. In reflection of my first mothers day, I wanted to write a little something to Bella. 

What is means to me to be a Mommy? Isabella's Mommy. My wishes for her are that she knows how much I love her. I hope she wakes up in the morning feeling safe. I hope she learns tolerance, understanding and patience. I hope she loves herself and knows how beautiful she is, inside and out. I hope she looks up to her daddy. I hope she enjoys being active as much as I do. I hope she loves music. I hope she loves animals. I hope she knows she can do anything she puts her mind to. 

I hope she grows up to be as good of a mother to her future children as my mother is to me. 

Celebrate Chocolate Review & Giveaway!

Celebrate Chocolate Truffles & Cocoa Almonds Giveaway!

I had the privilege of sampling some amazing chocolates. What? Mandy eating truffles?! I know that is what you are thinking :) Well, let me tell you! These are not your typical chocolates. Celebrate Chocolate specializes in making 100% natural, Non-GMO chocolates that contain no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. These chocolates are also hand-made and contain 59 whole foods and are an excellent source of Omega-3 DHAs. Seriously, chocolates that are actually good for you! 

I actually highly recommend these chocolates. Weight loss is often a struggle because of cravings. You may crave sweets and give into your typical candy or chocolate on the market, only to experience more cravings and blood sugar rushes. These chocolates are the solution. They are rich, not bitter and they actually release hormones and enzymes with quick digestion that tell your body and mind that your cravings are satisfied-- keeping your appetite and cravings in  control.... so you may actually eat less! 

Celebrate Nutrition gave me the wonderful opportunity to try these delicious treats. I tried the cocoa flavored almonds as well as the truffles themselves. Jerry and I both tasted different bites of them over the course of a few days and I can honestly say that they were very tasty and one small bite was enough for me! Also, the actual caloric content of these truffles are not bad either. 1 truffle is only 60 calories, 5g fat and 5g of sugar-- much less than any ice cream product out there that is packed full of high fructose corn syrup. These chocolates easily fit and are a good addition to any diet. 

Celebrate Nutrition is giving the opportunity for 1 Fitness & Family reader to win 3 individual boxes of these decadent and one of a kind chocolates. This giveaway will end May 16th at 11:59pm EST. To enter this giveaway, you must visit Celebrate Nutrition and view their products and leave me a comment back here of which product you would like to try.  You can get additional entries for each of the following:

1. Subscribe to Fitness & Family in reader or email

2. Tweet about this giveaway and follow me on Twitter

3. Blog about this giveaway on you own blog with a link back

4. Become a follower the Fitness & Family blog 

Be sure to leave a comment for each of the things you do to enter the giveaway. The winner will be selected randomly on May 17th and will be announced then! These individual boxes make wonderful gifts as well! Good luck!

**THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS FITNESSCRAZEDMOMMA ON WINNING!**

Happy Mothers Day!

I would like to wish all the mothers out there a very Happy Mothers Day! Do something special for yourself. I am feeling giddy about my first Mothers Day as a Mommy, knowing that this is one and only time that this will be my first Mothers Day. I feel so blessed to have Bella in my life. I can't wait to see her cute chubby cheeks in the morning!! 

Summer Shape-Up

Just wanted to announce that my Summer Shape-Up online program has officially kicked off! This program is totally online so its designed and priced to be for those that cannot train with me in person. For more information, visit Body Life Works 

Lasting Lifestyle Changes

 loss, As a lifestyle coach, I often get asked... "How do I make lasting changes, that's not just a diet?" "How do I stick to a plan?" If I had a quarter for every time I get asked these questions, I'd probably be rich by now! Haha! Many of you don't know this, but I haven't always been active, in shape and healthy. For most of my adolescence I struggled with my weight and body issues. At my mere 5 foot stature, I went from one extreme to the next growing up. I always felt awkward and average. When I was in middle school, I went through puberty early and went through a chubby stage. Then I decided I wanted to slim down and not knowing a thing about it, I slowly started eating less and less until I spiraled down pretty darn close to an eating disorder. My lowest weight was 85 pounds. Luckily, I had great parents and friends, and it didn't take long for me to snap out of it and realize what I was doing to myself before things got too bad and I started gaining weight back quickly. I was active then, but didn't know how to moderate my eating, and was back to a "chubbier" kid through the rest of high school.

Then I went to college. Pizza and ice cream, daily... what?! Yep. That was me. Late night pizza runs, cheese enchiladas combined with absolutely no exercise, the introduction of alcohol on the weekends and the stress of school had a HUGE impact on my body. My freshman year at school I gained 50 pounds. My top weight was at 175. Its pretty amazing how fast I gained this weight and how I hardly noticed the weight coming on when it did. It took one day of tears in my dorm room when a dress I had bought a mere 2 weeks prior wouldn't zip for my wake up call to come. I couldn't believe I had let myself get that way. Not only was I fat, but I was sooo unhappy and could barely stand to look at myself in the mirror everyday. It was that day I decided it was time for a change. And a lasting one this time. No more yo-yo dieting... no more broken promises.

So I started exercising... S L O W L Y. I was very out of shape. I started tracking my food. It took me 2 months to loose 5 pounds, but I didn't give up. I kept going. And it paid off. 6 months later, I was 30 pounds lighter, and much more fit. And more importantly, I was HAPPY. I continued to workout and enjoy new activities. I ran my first mini-marathon. After college, I got into weight training and furthered my education in nutrition. It was then that I decided I wanted to inspire others to make lasting lifestyle changes too, and pursued a career in fitness and lifestyle coaching. 

When I got pregnant I had a return of many internal fears that I would balloon back up to "Fat Mandy". But I didn't. I only weighed 131 when I gave birth to my beautiful healthy daughter, and I know that I was able to do this because I have made these lasting lifestyle changes in my own life. I am proud that I will be able to instill healthy habits in her and encourage her to have a positive self esteem. The most important thing that has come out of these changes for myself is that I have learned to love myself so much more. I am worth all the trouble :)

So that's my soapbox for today. I hope you know that I am here for each of you if you ever need that extra push or pat on the back. Remember YOU are worth it!! 

And here are before and after pictures for you to see for yourself!