The goal is to be fit, not skinny and that's a big dag gone difference!

Today was a very important day for me!! I was so excited, I could barely sleep!! Today I finished Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 DVD!! Like I said in an earlier post, I have had this DVD for at least 2 years and I've never finished the whole thing! I'm very proud of myself and I'm even more excited about the results that I'm seeing!

Here is a picture of me on the day that I joined the gym on the left and a picture of me from this morning on the right.

I've never been really "big" per se, but I am definitely loving the results I'm seeing here! Now let me be clear, my results are not all attributed to doing Ripped in 30! The picture on the left is from October 31, 2012 and the right is from today, Feb 1, 2013.  Clearly that is longer than 30 days.  The first two months after I joined the gym, I was still eating relatively all that I wanted to eat.  I was doing better with food choices, but I still enjoyed a cupcake here and there and I still drank alcohol whenever I pleased.  I read food labels, but mainly the nutrition label and I would glance at the ingredients just to see how long the list was.  After I started eating clean, I started to slim down! 

My goal is to be fit and ripped...not skinny and there's a big dag gone difference between the two! As for right now, I appear to be much thinner, but I have a lot more work to go! I want to get stronger and I want to get leaner.  The biggest "problem" area on my body has always been my stomach.  I am truly trying to tone that up more and hopefully will see some abs shining through! Since it's only been a month of clean eating, I'm excited to see what I'll look like this summer! 

10 things to know about me and my journey:

1. I'm doing this all the natural way....clean diet and exercise

2. I'm not taking any type of pills to achieve results.  The only supplements I take are: protein shakes (mine just consist of protein powder and water), fish oil, and calcium with iron. I don't use the protein shakes as meal replacements.  

3. I'm not on a diet.  In the realms of clean eating, I eat what I want! This is a lifestyle change...diets usually last for a little bit of time then you're right back to your old eating habits. I used to have a huge sweet tooth, so I've been getting my sweet tooth satisfied through various foods that are considered "clean". Fruit has probably been my biggest form of satisfaction! I eat a piece of fruit with almost every meal.  

4. I work out 6 days/week.

5. I'm not starving myself at all. In fact, I got so excited about buying food last month that I would have preferred to buy groceries over spending my money on anything else. 

6. I eat 5-6 times/day.  I also eat ever 2-3 hours.  Before I started all of this, I called myself eating 5-6 times/day, but I found out that I was actually snacking pretty much all day! I was eating like every hour! 

7. I drink a gallon of water every day! Staying hydrated is very important! When I first started, I had a hard time getting the whole thing down. Not that I didn't like water, but it was just difficult to drink a whole gallon.  I started pacing myself too because getting up all night long to use the bathroom was annoying. Bed pan please!!!! 

8. I stopped drinking alcohol! Yes...that's right...gone! I will admit that I did have a glass of red wine while out with friends.  Basically if I do decide to drink, it'll probably just be red wine.  The empty calories and the dehydration were counterproductive to achieving my goals.  

9. I stopped eating fast food! The last time I had fast food was when I was in the airport flying home from Memphis (January 4th was the exact date).  I always prepare food to take with me from now on because I have to be prepared or else I'll resort to eating fast food due to the fact that I'm starving and desperate.  Again, counterproductive to my goals.

10. Progress is slow, but consistency wins all the time!!! If you're in the process of trying to reach your fitness goals, keep going, stay consistent, and progress will come!! Stay motivated and encouraged!! 

Hol' on Ash...Imma let you finish, but eating healthy is EXPENSIVE!

If you follow me on Instagram or if are my friend on Facebook, you may have noticed that lately I've been posting several pictures of food that I've been eating or things that I've been doing to embrace this new healthy lifestyle of eating clean and working out.

As I was doing some chores around the house, I thought about what can I do (other than post my pics of what I'm eating and exercises I'm doing) to help someone else who may think this lifestyle is too expensive to embrace.  Well just in case that person is you, I'm so glad I thought to write this post!

Let me first start with saying, I would have been one of those people who thought eating healthy and joining a gym was out of my budget.  I am very money conscious and try to be as strictly on a budget as possible. I try to never complain about the low salary educators are paid, because God definitely blesses me and provides for me regardless if I can't always do everything I want to do. I never want to seem ungrateful because so many people are unemployed and would take my salary to their no salary any day. Either way, everyone knows educators are not the breadwinners by any means, so sometimes you really have to get creative and smart when you're stretching a dollar.  They don't call me Frugal Frannie for nothing! And I take that name with pride because that's just how it has to be some times!

So I usually set a budget of about $150/month for groceries.  Now some people may think "that's ridiculously low" or you might think it's too high, who knows.  Either way, I used to have a grocery budget of  $175 then I had to scale back due to some other financial obligations.  I looked through my spending history on www.mint.com (excellent budgeting tool to help keep you on track on where you're spending your money and how much you spend each month on certain things and it's totally secure) and I noticed that prior to me wanting to eat completely clean, I was meeting my monthly budget of $150 for groceries without exceeding it.  I do recall in previous months, I'd have to get "creative" with my meals towards the end of the month when my budget had ran out and I was left with really having to only eat the food I already had instead of buying more food. This usually left me eating a bunch of processed food that was stored in my pantry or buying a pizza from Dominos on a day between Monday and Wednesday so I can get the $7.99 carry out special and eating off that pizza for a few days to survive.

Since I started eating clean, I have already spent $200 on groceries and if I didn't have a budget, I would certainly go back to the store between now and January 31st to buy more food.  The first week of eating clean, I went to the grocery store and I went HAM!!! I spent like $100 on food that was mostly produce which I knew would be gone by the end of the week. $100/week on groceries, $150/monthly budget for groceries...you do the math and imagine my dismay when I realized I had gone too hard too fast with this whole thing.  You might be wondering, so what did you do Ash? I talked to my sister  and she made a really good point.  She suggested that I make dishes that allow you to make a lot with few ingredients.  Stuff like quiche, casseroles, etc.  With that being said, I started thinking about things that I could make that 1.) I already had in my freezer, pantry, or refrigerator and 2) could be something that could stretch out for a couple of days. I also read up on how frozen veggies are just as healthy as fresh and thanks be to GOD, Kroger had a 10/$10 sale on their frozen veggies so I stocked UP!!!!

I have also started thinking of ways to shop smarter which definitely requires a lot of planning and a lot of time.  Convenience comes at a price...and sometimes that means eating junk and not having that fit body that you want (since abs are made in the kitchen you know).  Without a plan, you will more than likely make bad decisions for food because when you're hungry, you aren't thinking about how you can make a nice healthy dish.  You want food and you want it now!! And if food requires you to cook it (other than in a microwave), then you usually want no parts in preparing it! So the next thing to do is eat whatever is convenient whether that be fast food, chips, candy, sweets, anything to get your blood sugar back to a normal reading or sometimes higher if you eat the wrong foods.

I've started cooking on Sundays and preparing dishes for lunch throughout the week. By doing this, I cook all the food I want for the week, put it in Tupperware, refrigerate or freeze, then when it's time to pack my lunch for the day, I just grab and go.  That eliminates standing in front of the refrigerator, swaying back and forth thinking "what shall I eat, what shall I eat".

As for grocery shopping a lot smarter, I have now downloaded an app called Grocery Pal (Google App Market...Android).  This app has stores like Kroger, Harris Teeter, Giant, Food Lion, Wal-Mart, etc. and all their circulars listed so you can see which store has the best deal.  It also allows you to make shopping lists and download coupons to your loyalty card.  I did notice the loyalty card section is limited, but you can always do this online at your favorite grocery store's website.  I downloaded a coupon for $3.00 off the protein powder that I use from Kroger's website and one day I was shopping and noticed the protein powder was on sale for $13.00 (down from $18.00) plus my $3 off brought my protein powder to a whopping $10 (I saved $8 woohooo)!!! I was soooo excited about this deal! Kroger also sends coupons in the mail every month and they do NOT accept expired coupons so I have started highlighting the expiration date to be sure I don't miss out on a good deal.  I am also carrying my coupons in my purse so that if I randomly pop into the store, they're always with me. Thanks to this idea, I scored a pack of Boca burgers for $.64!!! They had been marked down to $1.64 and I had a coupon (in my purse...YES!) for $1.00 off! Talk about EXCITEMENT!

So there are a few tips for you! I hope they help and remember you will get better at this and it will take less time as you get used to it all. It'll be second nature! I'm excited about next month's shopping because I have learned a few lessons so I know better for next time.  Happy shopping and remember..eat clean, train mean, get lean!!!

49 days until "A" Day!!!!

In case you guys didn't know, my 29th birthday is in approximately 49 days!! I affectionately started calling my birthday "A" day a few years ago. Probably some time after Beyonce come out with the B Day album on her birthday.  Ok so I'm not that creative...but that's neither here nor there.  

So with my birthday coming in 7 short weeks, I'm committing to a new challenge.  In the next 7 weeks, I am preparing to commit to eating clean and working out 6 days/week. Any health fanatic will tell you that abs are made in the kitchen and it's really about what you're eating instead of focusing mainly on working out.  

I joined the gym on October 31, 2012 and in the past 2 months, I see some progress, but I'm sure if my diet was clean, I'd see even bigger results.  I wanted to do things my way and decided I could just put in at least 2 hours in the gym and still eat  what I wanted (within reason).  I then started to notice, I'm logging all these hours in the gym, slaving away, yet my diet is setting me back.  I want maximum results!.  

I'm fully ready to take on this challenge! I know it's going to take work and it's not going to be easy, but it'll be worth it when I'm strutting around this summer looking amazing.  Not only will I look good, but I'll be healthy and that's truly what it's all about.  

Today I spent a few hours cooking meals for the week.  It was a very labor intensive process, but after I was finished, I felt truly accomplished and was ready to take on the week.  Prior proper planning truly does prevent piss poor performance!! That piss poor performance is eating crap just because you haven't planned ahead of time and when you're starving, you become desperate.  Desperate will have you back where you started eating those foods that have set you back all this time.  

Here are some pics of some food I have prepared for this week! 

The far left is roasted broccoli and cauliflower, brown rice, and 4 oz of chicken breast with red onion and green peppers on top.  The other dishes are either 4 oz of grilled chicken breast or 4 oz of turkey chop with sauteed fresh green beans with mushrooms and garlic, brown rice, and green peppers and red onions on top of the meat. 

This was breakfast this morning. 1/2 grapefruit, spinach wrap (9 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein in the wrap alone) 2 egg whites and one whole egg, spinach, mushrooms, feta cheese inside the wrap.

I have other foods that I'll be eating throughout the week, but this was just a little sample for now! I hope to post progress pics at the end of the 7 weeks! Better yet, I'll be sure to post...good or bad...I need to be held accountable! So here I go!!! #legooooooo :)

And I'm back!

I'm finally back from Christmas vacation and it feels good to be home! I really hate staying away from my house for a long period of time.  It's like I go through house withdrawls....weird.  Either way, my time spent with my sister and brother-in-law was a wonderful time, but I'm really glad to be home! 

Now that I'm back, I'm super excited about getting started on this eating clean diet and back to regular exercise.  While I was in Memphis, I did exercise regularly, but I haven't been to my gym since before Christmas.  It's been two weeks and I'm ready to get back in there and get ripped!!! 

Another thing I did while I was in Memphis was watch a video called Food, Inc. which basically talks about what is really going on with our foods in this country.  It was a truly eye opening experience to watch.  I couldn't believe some of the stuff I was seeing!! It's a shame that these things are allowed in our country to be put out as food.  I also read a book called The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno which changed my prospective on a lot of things too.  Reno was once overweight and after her divorce, she decided it was time to make some changes! She began working out and eating better.  Her book series are really easy reads and I enjoyed learning about how to eat clean.  

Last night I drove back home after my flight landed in Richmond around midnight.  I was going to stay in Richmond and just drive home in the morning, but I was really ready to get back home and more importantly get a jump start on this new lifestyle change.  I stopped by the store in the wee hours of the morning to pick up a few things and will be going back to the grocery store today to get more stuff.  I'm also hitting up a killer workout to top it all off.  

Breakfast today consisted of sauteed spinach, mushrooms, 2 egg whites, 1 egg with yolk, a sprinkle of feta cheese. Dried oats, maple syrup, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.  I washed it all down with a mug of green tea (no sugar or sweetners).  I made the oatmeal with water instead of milk and I must say without my regular 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, it was a different taste.  I'm sure it's something I can eventually grow to like.  It wasn't 100% horrible though.  I'm sure I can perfect it with some other ingredients as I continue with this change.  

So here I go....I'll keep you all posted on how well it's going for me!! 

Dinner on a budget!

As I mentioned in my first post, I will be sharing foods that I cook and love to eat! Tonight's post is called dinner on a budget, because well...I'm on a BUDGET!! Every penny counts and every dollar has a name in this household! Now don't get it wrong, I am blessed and God definitely supplies all of my needs. Now my wants on the other hand....yeah, you get it.  But as long as my needs are supplied, I'm all good! Thank you, Lord! :)

Either way, yesterday I went by Trader Joe's (which by the way is a health haven for those on a budget) and I picked up a few things.  One of those things included some ground turkey.  I had it sitting in my refrigerator and knew I either needed to cook it or freeze it very soon.  So I decided today to cook it.  I do cook meals for one (that would be moi), so sometimes I have to get really creative so that I don't waste food as it is kind of hard to make portions small enough for just one person. With the ground turkey, I made two meals! Yes, two different meals and both were very cost efficient!  One meal I will have tonight for dinner, and those left overs will probably be lunch or dinner tomorrow.  The other meal will be eaten some time in the next few days.  

Meal number one: turkey burgers! And they are good!! So I took half the package of ground turkey to make two turkey burger patties.  I mixed an egg, sweet onions, green peppers, Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning, and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce together to make the patties.  I then cooked them in a frying pan over medium heat until they were completely cooked.  Putting the onion and green peppers in with the ground turkey makes it sometimes hard to keep the patties together while cooking, thus I added the egg. When I got finished cooking those, I set them aside because I was working on meal number two.  In the mean time, I cut up a little red onion (I love onions!!) and placed those on top of the patties and sprinkled a little bit of shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top (not too much, just a little).  To go along with my burgers, I baked some french fries.  Not the most healthiest side dish, but sometimes I have cheat days! And besides, I baked them so not too too bad.  

Meal number two: whole wheat penne pasta with marinara sauce, ground turkey, and a few pieces of turkey pepperoni.  I cut up a few more green peppers and onion and sauteed those before putting the ground turkey in to brown and cook thoroughly.  I combined the cooked penne pasta, marinara sauce, ground turkey, and pepperoni together to make a quick and easy pasta dish! I seasoned the ground turkey with Italian seasoning, basil, and oregano.  

I now have two meals using some of the same ingredients without wasting anything! 

By the way, in case you haven't noticed the trend or was wondering why...I don't eat red meat or pork so this is why I'm using the ground turkey and turkey pepperoni.  I gave up all meat instead of fish for Lent this past Lenten season and after it was over, I only incorporated chicken and turkey back into my diet.  I left the red meat and pork alone.  It hasn't been too bad either! I have really enjoyed using turkey and chicken products for that added protein.  I also use a lot of herbs and spices to season my food instead of salt.  Mrs. Dash's line of seasonings is amazing and gives food a real boost of robust flavor!! Some of my favorite from the line is lemon pepper, garlic and herb, original seasoning, and onion and herb! 

meal #1

I didn't have any bread, so I basically adorned my turkey burger with all the fixings without a bun.  I added fresh spinach, red onion, organic ketchup, and spicy brown mustard.  I am also working on taking at least 20 minutes to eat my food instead of scarfing it all down in record time.  What I found to be helpful was to write this blog while I ate.  And sure enough, it's been about 20 minutes! I washed dinner down with a tall glass of water!! I may have a piece of fruit for dessert.  

Do you like turkey burgers? If you make yours from scratch, what do you like to season yours with?