EGGIES!!!

So, needless to say - and I'm sure you've heard the saying before - "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  Many of you guys do not realize why and how important breakfast is.  Many people eat around noon as their FIRST meal which in the metabolism friendly world is a no bueno habit.  People who successfully maintain a significant weight loss eat breakfast just about every day. So what is best? AND more importantly - EASY?

We all work hard.  We brave traffic, commute, get to work early, jump on the train / bus and make keep grinding out Monday - Friday to get to where we need to be.  Usually breakfast has to be simple or you'll be picking up a doughnut or bagel and stuffing with carbs in the am.  This isn't terrible once in awhile, and probably better than nothing, but when you're trying to not have so much bread and carbs and sugar in the am - what can you go for to be an easy light jumpstart meal?  Maybe some EGGIES!!!

TOTAL TIME: about 5 minutes to make (note: my red peppers and onions were pre-prepped so my time was a bit shorter)

Cook spinach in a big pot to wilt up (only using cooking spray - I use the coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's)

In a muffin tin add SPINACH, RED PEPPER, ONION, sliced up SAUSAGE pieces (note - turkey and ham work well also) and pour liqued EGG WHITES to almost the brim of the muffin tin

MAKE SURE TO SPRAY YOUR MUFFIN TIN WITH PAM OR COCONUT OIL SPRAY AS WELL.  THIS HELPS THE EGGIES RELEASE FROM THE TRAY

I added a sprinkle of grated jalapeno cheese (but be aware - I'm on a low carb high fat diet, if you're not think about nixing the cheese and sausage and only having turkey or ham without cheese)

Cook in the over for 15-20 minutes, remove, let cool and add some Siracha sauce because it's amazing.

Wa-lah - eggies for the week! They're quick and simple for the 'on-the-go' individuals!

Other reasons why it's important to eat breakfast:

- After fasting all night, breakfast can kick-start your energy level
- Overeating throughout the day is less likely
- Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to make up for the calories later in the day, often with unhealthy, high-fat and high-calorie convenience foods.
- Eating breakfast increases the metabolic - or calorie-burning - rate.
- You have more energy and weight control is easier.

Other breakfast options:

· A nonfat or lowfat yogurt parfait layered with fresh fruit and cereal, nuts or raisins
· Lowfat yogurt mixed with fresh fruit in a blender for a vitamin-rich smoothie
· Whole wheat toast with a little peanut butter and banana slices
· Instant or quick-cooking oatmeal or whole grain cold cereal with raisins or fresh fruit and lowfat dairy or soy milk
· Fish, such as leftover salmon, on a whole grain bagel with reduced or nonfat cream cheese
· Homemade bran or fruit and nut muffins, made on the weekend and frozen.

3 months til 30!

Soooooo today is THREE months til 30!  3 months exactly until I WILL be in the best shape of my life.  I say this because this IS my goal and I WILL achieve it.  I want to hit my all time goal weight - 50 lbs down from my July 2012 weight by November 29th, 2013.  Realistically - it's 10 lbs.  How do you lose 10 lbs (when you've already dropped 40?)  Here are 50 different ways to lose 10 extra lbs.  I've highlighted those that I am going to focus on from now until November.  I mean really - how fast does three months go?  NO. BIG. DEAL.

1. Water yourself (I drink two large smart water bottles of water daily and I love it!) Research shows that dieters who guzzle plenty of H2O lose more weight than those who don't.
2. Halve at it. Divide your normal portion by two and save the rest for later. You are likely to feel full on less food than you think.
3. Go meatless. In general, vegetarians have lower body weights than their meat-eating peers. Follow their lead—at least until you drop a few pounds. 
4. Go vegan. Vegetarianism not helping you lose? Take it to the next level by swearing off eggs and dairy, too. Cheese can be a diet killer.
5. Get fresh. (Farmers markets on Sat or Sun and pre-cooking for the week.  I need to take my own advice from my blog and get to pre-cooking more often again!) Eliminate all packaged foods and eat only fresh ingredients you've prepared. No bags, boxes, cans, or cartons allowed.
6. Diet two days a week. If you can't stick to a program all the time, try slashing your calories to 650 a day just two days a week and eating normally the other days.  
7. Not so sweet. Everyone knows sugar isn't healthy, but when you start reading labels, you find it in unexpected places, like pasta sauce and frozen entrees. Cutting the sugar out of your diet will mean healthier meals overall.
8. Cut the flour. The short-term elimination of floury foods like white bread and pastries can efficiently kick-start your weight loss plan.
9. Be a virgin. (I will do this - except the weekend of 9/21 & 9/22 haha) Alcoholic beverages are some of the emptiest calories out there. Replace them with water, and the weight comes off.
10. Walk two minutes out of every 30. Short walking breaks add up to weight loss.
11. Fidget more. Studies show that fidgety types burn significantly more calories than their stationary peers.
12. Sleep it off. (working on this one) Research shows that those who don't get enough shut-eye eat more and reach for more fattening grub than people who get plenty of rest.
13. Get it on. (anyone?  anyone?  in for a little exercise? haha) Thirty minutes of sex burns at least 60 calories for a 150-pound woman.
14. Eat at home. Meals eaten away from home have 134 more calories, on average.
15. Start a blog. (I vow to keep it up a bit better now that it's not summer - lucky you guys! and for all ya'll that don't like my check-in's at the gym - tough luck for you cause they're gunna be coming hard and real...get used to it!) The weight loss blog is practically a literary genre. Start one, and you aren't just losing for yourself. Your public needs you.
16. Tweet your weight. Some call it the #humiliation diet, but many credit the accountability for their weight loss success.  
17. Find a buddy. (I'm lookin' at you Mel!!) You know you are more likely to show up at the gym if someone is waiting there for you.
18. Lose to win. Bring a taste of The Biggest Loser to your own gym, work, family, or circle of friends for extra motivation.
19. Veg out. Fill two-thirds of your plate with vegetables, which are less calorie dense and more nutritious than any other type of food.
20. Go nuts! A recent study found that dieters who snacked on shelled pistachios shed more pounds than those who ate other snacks, even though they contained the same amount of calories.
21. Grapefruit diet. Eating one grapefruit daily helped 58% of subjects to lose weight, according to research.
22. Pay cash. (hmm, good idea) Shoppers who pay with plastic are more vulnerable to impulse buys, which tend to be the fattening snacks you know you shouldn't have anyway.
23. Don't be smelly. Scented cosmetics make us crave the foods they remind us of, which ultimately makes us eat more, according to recent reports.
24. Remind yourself to eat better. One study found that people chose better-for-them foods when they were prompted to "consider the healthiness" before digging in.
25. Learn to knit. Doing something—anything—with your hands can distract you from your cravings.
26. Train for a race. Many people find that having an athletic goal motivates them to exercise regularly in a way that nothing else can.
27. Join a sports league. (hey, I need to make friends anyways - adult league anyone?) Fitness can be fun, and if it is, you're more likely to stick with it.
28. Quit sugary drinks. (all I drink is water!) Some supersize sodas have 500-plus calories, and juice isn't much better. Drink water instead.
29. Swear off dessert. (I'm going to do this...which is crazy for me - I LOVE sugar but from now until November - no more dessert and no more sweets!) Cut a slew of calories by ordering a skim cappuccino instead so you have something to do while your dining companions devour a cheesecake.
30. Join a program. US News recently rated Weight Watchers the best choice for weight loss.
31. Work standing up. Standing burns at least 30% more calories than sitting on your backside all day.
32. Get a treadmill desk. Studies suggest you can burn an additional 800 calories during your workday—if you continually walk at a very slow pace.
33. Swap your supper for soup. Soup's high water content makes it a low-calorie and filling option. Just steer clear of the creamy kinds.
34. Stop dieting. (my goal is to find the balance...September is the month for finding and achieving the balance) Yo-yo dieters don't tend to get thinner—they get fatter. Instead, make a serious lifestyle change.
35. Quit snacking. (no. more. snacking) The real reason the French don't get fat is because it's a cultural faux pas to eat between meals.
36. Go gluten-free. It isn't a miracle diet, but it can be a useful short-term experiment that often leads to weight loss and ultimately a less bread-heavy diet.
37. Spice it up! (Cayenne pepper, lemon and hot water every morning) Cayenne pepper really can rev your metabolism, according to research.
38. Abandon your car. Walk or bike to work for a slimming—not fattening—commute.
39. Eat breakfast. Those who enjoy a morning meal have been shown over and over to be slimmer than breakfast skippers.
40. Drink more milk. Low-fat dairy consumption seems to speed weight loss—scientists credit the calcium.
41. Eat more yogurt. A recent report revealed the foods most identified with maintaining a healthy weight, and yogurt ranked among the best.
42. Drop the potato chips. At the top of the list for foods that make you add pounds? Potato chips.
43. Take a two-wheeled tour. A long weekend bike ride around your hometown will help you see the sights in a new light, all while you torch a ton of calories.
44. Make it interesting. Go to Stickk.com to sign a contract with yourself to lose weight. If you don't shed the pounds, your money will be donated to a charity that you hate.
45. Weigh in daily. For some, the scale is a bummer and a distraction. Others like the daily feedback and accountability. Try it, and see if you lose weight.
46. Meditate. (after 30 days of bikram in a row - I've learned the invaluable necessity of meditation) It's no secret that stress-eating can sabotage the best diet intentions. A short daily meditation can help you keep binge-inducing anxieties in check.
47. Chill out. Drinking eight or more glasses of ice water a day may help your body burn fat, according to research.
48. Express yourself. (painting my house...here I come!) A creative outlet is likely to boost your self-esteem and take your mind off food. You can't eat and decoupage at the same time.
49. Brush and floss. Who wants to ruin their minty-fresh breath with a snack?
50. Fantasy binge. Before you dig in, visualize yourself eating a treat. Science suggests that those who do this mental exercise will eat less of what they first imagined.


And there you have it.  Jenistrayning's resolutions for the next three months....90 days....looking forward to it!!!

Bikram is my boyfriend! PART ONE

Have you ever done anything for 30 days straight?  Like anything?  I mean even if it's not pertaining to eating healthy or exercising - but like keeping your house clean?  getting lots of sleep?  I mean I cannot remember being diligent about doing anything for 30 days straight, especially when it's hot and sweaty and hard and annoying - like bikram.  BUT....I love it.  Bikram has been my boyfriend now for 9 days in a row.  I'm ALMOST 1/3rd of the way through and my body, mind, soul, skin...etc. has all been improving since my "padahastasana hands to feet pose" has been going down.  Since my hips and sciatica have been MAJOR issues through my working out over the last year and several months these poses have been awesome to keep everything stretched and relaxed.  You see small improvements here and there and most recently I've been able to ACTUALLY do the camel pose.  This was something that was SO not going to happen 6 months ago and I've now done the camel - on the second set - 5 times in a row!

Camel Pose - (Ustrasana)

I'm not sure what my deal is with a challenge but you give me one, and I work my ass off to achieve it.  I think I just wanted to do 30 days of Bikram to say I indeed - did 30 days of Bikram.  What I've learned so far is with 30 days of hot yoga comes a lot of hair washing, good nights sleeps and a LOT of laundry (i.e. clear plastic bags that once held your wet clothes) laying all over your room / car. The hardest part is time maintenance and making time for a 2 hour event daily.  It's a good discipline though and I'm fortunate to have this as part of my regimen....for now.  20 days to go!

Bikram's Yoga College of India has 2 weeks UNLIMITED for $20 so if you're interested you should definitely check it out.  Come stretch with me in a 110 degree room!