AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge Results

During my husbands deployment, I decided it was time to get healthy which is why I started my blog. I lost 20 pounds on my own with changing my eating habits and starting a Crossfit Bootcamp. But I had 5 stubborn pounds that I just could not get rid of. That's when I researched AdvoCare. I started with a 24-Day Challenge and I lost 8 pounds! I had more energy, was able to increase weights at the gym, and lost the weight before my husband got home. Here are my results above. If you would like more information, please contact me for more information!

https://www.advocare.com/140416482/
stephshields88@gmail.com

How Do You Prep?

Everyone has their own system, but I'm hoping if I share what works for me, maybe that will help some of you! I would like to start off by saying, I hadn't been grocery shopping in 3 weeks so I spent almost 2 hours shopping. Yikes, but I go to three different stores to find the best deals! Eating healthy DOES NOT have to be expensive; it just takes time and pre-planning. I always buy my bananas, avocados, bottles water, organic chicken, brown eggs, frozen salmon, and sweet potatoes at SAMs Club. This trip I also got strawberries, canteloupe, and organic salad mix. 

One of my favorite places to get CHEAP veggies, gluten free mixes, and canned goods is Aldi's. A misconception about Aldi's is that the food is expired, left-overs, etc...NOT true! Aldi's has their own distributor and is affiliated with Trader Joe's! 

Okay so now you've shopped and have all these bags on your counter. I WILL not put away my fruits and veggies until they are washed, cut, and put in their storage container. Preparation is so important so you have no excuse! I also boiled some eggs for my breakfast, got my frozen salmon out to thaw, and set out all my other meats for the week. 

I also recommend putting your fruits and veggies on the counter so you see it every day. If it's out of site, it's out of mind. 

A couple other ideas; I have a small bag I use to keep all my AdvoCare products handy so I don't forget to take anything. I get everything ready each night before bed. 

Lastly, I always pack a workout bag and set it by the door so I have no excuse to skip the gym! 

Transformation Tuesday

It's Transformation Tuesday so my goal is to get TWO people signed up to take the 24-Day Challenge! Here is an amazing success story: My dad finished the 24-Day Challenge, lost 12 pounds, and went down a size in his pants. He has maintained his weight loss and has more energy to ride his bike!! I'm so proud of him!!

I'm looking for TWO individuals who want to lead a healthy lifestyle! Check out my website:
https://www.advocare.com/140416482/

Gluten-Free and Paleo-ish Homemade Pizza

I was craving pizza and wanted something quick and easy! I found gluten-free pita crust at Hy-Vee and used veggies I had in the fridge. Here is my recipe but you can add other veggies or meat!

Ingredients:

1 pack of gluten-free pitas (or pizza crust)

1 tsp olive oil (for crust) 

Pizza sauce 

1 pound of ground turkey

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

1 tomato

Handful of spinach

1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to the directions on pita package. Cook ground turkey in a skillet and add basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Add pizza sauce, spinach, sliced tomatoes, ground turkey, and then top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I took a recipe from the book, "Make Ahead Paleo" and made a few changes. This was super easy, delicious, and a great way to get rid of those brown bananas. 

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
4 very ripe bananas - the browner the better!
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut milk

Add-In:
1 cup chocolate chips 

1.   Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. 
3. In a large bowl, blend the bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, and coconut milk with a hand mixer until bananas are fully mashed. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl, and blend. 
5. Stir in the chocolate chips 
6. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan with coconut spray/oil. Pour the batter into the greased pan. 
7. Bake the loaf for 55-60 minutes or until the center is set. 
8. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. 
9. Turn the loaf out of pan and onto the wire rack to cool. 
10. To store in the freezer, place small squares of wax paper between the slices. Place the slices in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. 

Roasted Beef and Veggies

Have you gotten to the end of the week realized you need to use up some veggies before they go bad?! This is a fool proof recipe that will help you roast those veggies before they expire and have a delicious dinner! I used brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and onions because that's what I had on hand, but sweet potatoes, broccoli or peppers would also be great. 

Ingredients:

1 bag of Brussels Sprouts - cleaned and halved

1 Butternut squash - diced

1 Yellow Onion - diced

1 package of Hillshire Farms All Beef Sausage

Generous covering of Salt & Pepper

2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil (faster clean up). Clean and cut all veggies and meat. Add to baking sheet. Liberally add salt and pepper, and lastly oil. Bake for 35-45 minutes until veggies are tender.

Product of the Week: So Delicious Ice Cream

I came across this Dairy Free and Paleo friendly "ice cream" in the organic section of my grocery store. If you have an ice cream craving, this will definitely do the trick. Very yummy!