Fit Food On the Go

You overslept, you can't find your keys and the worst of the fit worsts... you didn't have time to prep a fit lunch.  Instead of heading to your local fast food drive though, here is a recipe that you can make in a pinch and have  a beautiful, delicious, and fit lunch that can be made in less time than it takes your to find your keys :o

Skinny Tuna Salad

Ingredients for Tuna Mix:

1 can of your favorite tuna, drained

1 tsp of balsamic/red wine/apple cider/ or white vinegar

1/2 tsp of olive oil

Salt- to taste (you just need a little)

Pepper to taste

Optional:

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp chopped onion

Serve this over your favorite salad mix; and you have a great and healthy lunch.

Additional Ideas: 

Keep boiled eggs to add to a quick salad for extra protein or even eat as snacks throughout the day :)

I hope you all enjoy the meal. Post your comments below. And as always stay Fit and Pretty  :)

XO

-C

Fit Meal Recipe... Pita Pizza, Yum!

Hello my gorgeous readers.  I have a great recipe for you.  It is lean, clean, and oh so delicious. PIZZA! Who doesn't love pizza? Just because we are on a diet does not mean we cannot stop eating our favorite foods; as long as we consume them in a healthy manner. 

How delicious does that look? And at only about 280 calories.  Whats not to love?

It's super easy to make.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:

Grilled chicken, diced,

1 whole wheat pita

Marinara or favorite tomato sauce

Cherry, plum or roma tomatoes sliced

Onion diced

0.5 ounce reduced fat mozzarella cheese

0.5 ounce of feta cheese

Any vegetable you would like to add

Directions:

Prepare pita by adding 2-3 tsp of tomato sauce on pita to cover.  Add sliced tomatoes, onion, and veggies. Top with cheeses and grilled chicken and then put in oven to bake until cheese is melted.  

There you have it.  Delicious chicken and veggie pizza. Clean, lean, and delicious.

Comment below with suggestions or comments on how you liked the recipe.

Keep healthy and beautiful.

XO

-C

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cheesecake

Hey loves. Today I made a Trader Joe's run.  And boy did I find some yummy treats! While I did find tons of good healthy food to fill up my tummy; while still watching my waistline, I did stumble upon Pumpkin Cheesecake! Lately I have become a seasonal treat fan.  I love anything pumpkin.  Pumpkin pie, cake, fryo, you name it, I love it! So when I found my two favorite loves, Cheesecake, and Pumpkin together, I just had to get some.

I do realize that I am on my Holiday Fitness Challenge; but as of late I have become more liberal with my eating in the sense that if I am sharing a special occasion with friends, family, or my lovely girlfriend, I definitely will indulge.  My family loves anything cheesecake, so I set up a family cheese cake hour (after going on a 1.5 hour walk with my mom), and we all got together and had a nice slice of cheesecake.  IT WAS DELISH! AMAZING. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT YOU ALL.  One slice and you feel so satisfied.  I am a big believer of health and eating well, but I also believe that occasional treats are invaluable to you and actually help you stay on track.  It's not just good for your head, health, and heart to just sometimes kick back and enjoy; but I think it goes along way in keeping you on your plan and not binge eating after your diet is done. 

I hope you are all doing well on your diet challenge.  I am doing well (with my minor indulgence). 400 calories and 0 transfat FYI, no artificial flavors or preservatives too.  Gotta love Trader Joes.

I'll be back on the gym grind and diet challenge tomorrow.

CIAO BELLAS

-C

 

 

Holiday Diet Challenge

I hope you guys are ready for this one; it's my ultimate holiday diet that will be sure to have us all looking great at holiday parties.  Nothing is worst than having to go dress shopping for the holiday parties and find that things don't fit the way you would like.  A little buldge here, a little fluff there.  This is enough to make us want to forgo holiday parties all together.  But the holidays are about fun.  Spending time with loved ones. Not stressing about your body.  That is why I have come up with a stress free plan that will have you looking your best.  This plan will have you looking like the belle of the holiday ball in no time at all.

For added support, we will do this together! I will follow the diet and post my results every week as we count down to Christmas. That is 6 weeks! We can definitely get Christmas dress,  New Years fabulous in that time.

Here is how we will do it.

Diet:

Breakfast: 

Scrambled eggs and 2 slices of whole wheat toast

*can substitute egg whites or egg beaters

1/2 cup of blueberries

Snack:

1 apple 

or

Baby carrots

Lunch:

Grilled Chicken/Salmon/Tilapia/Ground turkey/Lean beef  4 ounces

1 Cup Brown Rice or Quinoa

1 Cup Veggies or Salad with light dressing

Snack:

Protein Bar or apple with peanut butter

Dinner:

Grilled Chicken/Salmon/Tilapia/Ground turkey/Lean beef  4 ounces

1 Cup steamed veggies 

Unlimited green salad with light dressing

Snack 3: Optional * 

Protein shake or 1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

There it is.  This diet is going to lean us out and encourage lean muscle growth.  Our arms will look toned, and are butts will look amazing!

So join me! Comment below. Make the commitment with me. I will be updating on my progress over the course of the 6 weeks. 

I will also post workouts.  This will be fun.  We will of course look  FIT and PRETTY this Holiday Season.

XO

-C

And so it starts... The Holidays! :D

Happy Veteran's Day everyone!  It's already nearing mid November, the holiday's are almost here. Costco has their Christmas stuff out, Starbucks has their seasonal red cups out, and the holiday parties are about to start coming. Don't let the holiday's put a damper on your weight loss efforts, or even worse set you back and add some pounds. Often the holidays signify delicious high calorie food and desserts.  Along with some holiday booze to wash it all down.  The average real weight gain that is seen during the holidays is 1 pound.  And while that may not seem like much, the problem lies in that normally people are not able to lose that 1 pound.  Compound just that pound over 10 years, and you are looking at 10 extra pounds- and that's only looking at what is gained during the Christmas Holidays.

So how will we avoid this and keep looking fit and pretty during the holidays? We will eat clean and exercise during the holidays.  I am not saying that we will not indulge a little, but we will make up for it at the gym or doing some other sort of meaningful exercise.

Here is the workout plan I recommend:

Monday: 30 minutes weights, 30 minutes cardio

Tuesday: Rest/enjoy- maybe go for a walk

Wednesday:  30 minutes weights, 30 minutes cardio

Thurday: Rest/enjoy- maybe go for a walk

Friday: 30 minutes weights, 30 minutes cardio

Saturday/ Sunday - Fun run if you like on one day- other wise just be active and enjoy the season.

And if you can't get into the gym as often as you like, here are some ideas for getting in some extra exercise during the holidays:

Thanksgiving: Set up a family football or other sports game pre-dinner.  This will be a great way to bond with family members you have not seen in a while or just hangout with the ones that you do, while working up an appetite and burning some calories.

Calorie burn: ~ 300 calories per 40 minutes

Holiday Shopping: Wear comfortable shoes and do a lap around the mall.  This will let you scope out the stores and see if there are any good sales!

Calorie burn ~ 100 calories, plus 100 more burned during shopping :)

Christmas outings: Schedule a fun walk around your local Christmas Tree Lane or Down town to admire and look at the decorations.

Calorie Burn: ~ 150 calories

Christmas Day: Schedule another football or other sport game with the family, maybe a rematch :o)

Calorie Burn ~ 300 per 40 minutes

New Years: Go out or stay in with family and ring in the New Year dancing

Calorie Burn: ~250 calories per 30 minutes

And there you have it, some great tips and workouts to keep you looking fit and pretty during the Holidays.

XOXO

-C

Fat Loss Meal Plan

Hi my loves. Happy Monday! I have a treat for you all ( no tricks here; get it trick-o-treat? ) lol- anyway just being goofy.  

So anyway, getting down to business. I know that you all want to look great for this up coming Halloween. Nothing is worse than those unforgiving, skimpy Halloween costumes.  I am here with a diet plan for you all to adopt for the next couple weeks.  This will help you slim down, and show off those great abs at your next costume party. 

First you will need to calculate how many calories you need (BMR). You can calculate this by following my article "Know your numbers".  This should be your target calorie consumption.  From there you can adjust your portions to these meals to hit your desired calorie amounts.

Below you can find the diet:

DAY ONE
Meal Two: 1 protein bar (15 grams protein/20 grams carbohydrates)
Meal Three: 6 oz. grilled chicken, 4 slices fresh tomato, 2 pieces Melba toast
Meal Four: 1 medium peach and 12 almonds
Meal Five: 6 oz. baked tilapia, 1 cup butternut squash, 1 cup steamed asparagus
DAY TWO
Meal Two: 1 medium apple, 6 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
Meal Three: 6 oz. tuna and 1 cup raw vegetables, 4 Tbsp low-fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Meal Four: ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese and 12 almonds
Meal Five: 6 oz. grilled salmon, 1 cup steamed green vegetable of your choice
DAY THREE
Meal Two: 1 protein bar (15 grams protein/20 grams carbohydrates)
Meal Three: 6 oz. turkey, 1 cup cooked quinoa
Meal Four: 12 unsalted cashews and 1 large plum
Meal Five: 6 oz. bison (buffalo) burger, 1 cup steamed spinach, 2 cups green salad, 4 Tbsp vinaigrette dressing
DAY FOUR
Meal Two: 1 scoop whey protein, mixed with 8 oz. skim milk (or water) and 1 cup fresh strawberries
Meal Three: 2 cups chopped lettuce salad with ½ cup chickpeas, 4 oz. chicken, 2 Tbsp low-fat dressing
Meal Four: 2 pieces string cheese and 12 almonds
Meal Five: 6 oz. baked cod, 2/3 cup cooked lentils, 1 cup steamed broccoli
DAY FIVE
Meal Two: 1 protein bar (15 grams protein/20 grams carbohydrates)
Meal Three: 2 cup lettuce, 6 oz. cooked shrimp, 2 Tbsp low-fat dressing, 2 pieces Melba toast
Meal Four: 1 cup cubed melon, ¼ cup unsalted walnuts
Meal Five: 6 oz. grilled lean sirloin, 1 cup acorn squash, 1 cup cooked couscous
DAY SIX
Meal Two: 4 Tbsp low-fat hummus, 1 cup raw vegetables
Meal Three: 6 oz. tuna, ½ pita bread, low-fat mayonnaise, 1 medium peach
Meal Four: 12 almonds, 6 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
Meal Five: 6 oz. grilled chicken, 4 oz. baked sweet potato, ½ cup sugar snap peas
DAY SEVEN
Meal Two: 2 pieces string cheese and 12 almonds
Meal Three: 4 oz. chicken, 2/3 cup cooked brown rice
Meal Four: 1 scoop whey protein, mixed with 8 oz. skim milk (or water) and ½ banana
Meal Five: 4 oz. baked flounder, 4 tomato slices, 1 cup acorn or butternut squash

Enjoy!

X's and O's

-C
F.Y.I : One mini M& M's packet = 10 mins on the spin bike ;o

Top Exercise Excuses

We've heard them before, in fact we have probably used a few of them before.  I know that I definitely have.  In fact, just this past week I have been using my "get out of exercise passes".  I am here to say no more excuses, and get back to it. I wanted to share some of the top exercise excuses with you guys.  

"I'm too tired" (my favorite)

Yes, we are busy. School, work, family, etc, us fit and pretty people are constantly on the move. However, this is no excuse to skip a workout.  Studies show that exercising actually helps you have more energy during the day. Once we get out there and start moving, the endorphins come and the fatigue leaves. 

I'm too busy (my second favorite)

Between cramming for finals, prepping for work meetings, workouts seem to fall down the list of important things to do. This shouldn't be the case. We need to make time to exercise a priority.  We make time to TiVo our favorite TV programs but we don't make time to exercise.  That shouldn't be the case. Use exercise as a time set aside for yourself.  Do something nice for yourself today and exercise. 

"Exercise is boring"

Exercise doesn't have to be boring.  Don't like to run? Then bike! Join Zumba! A bootcamp! Whatever. The key is to enjoy what you are doing.   Make exercise fun and you will stick to it.

No excuses guys!!! Go get your workout on!!

Hugs and Kisses

-Carmen

Goals! Lets Set them High!

Good morning my fit and pretty friends!

Today I want to spend sometime talking about  active goals and their importance.  What is a goal? A goal is defined as, " An object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result".  Well that sounds great! Something we want and desire a result.  However what happens all too often is that we make these long laundry lists of goal but fail to make them active goals.  We do not put a plan in place to reach our goals.  We do not follow it up with a timeline.  We do not think of potential road blocks and come up with strategies to avoid them. And lastly we do not remember to repeat to ourselves our goals everyday.

Lets use me as an example:

"I want to achieve 16% body fat".

 Okay, that is awesome, however, I need a plan. I need to make this an active goal.  So lets fix that.

"I want to achieve 16% body fat.  I will pack my meals a head of time so that I can follow my diet; which will consist of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. I will also work out 5 days a week strength training and doing cardio. I will set a bed time and stick to it every day so that I do not miss my early morning workout.  I will make a list of foods I can order at restaurants when I decide to eat out. I will achieve my goal in 3 months.  I will repeat my goals to myself daily, and post motivational pictures and sayings on my mirror".

Now that is a good active goal!

You can make your active goals too! Just remember.

Act on desires MAKE a GOAL
Come up with Plan
Timeline
Interventions
Visualize goals
Exercise daily repetitions of goals

Now that I have gone ahead and made my active goals, (and told you all about them) I have to follow through.  For the next 3 months I will be following my active goals trying to lower my body fat to 16%.  I am currently at 22%.  I won't let you down.

I encourage you all to write some active goals.  Post them on to the page! Together we can do this.

Keep healthy, and keep well

Xoxo, Carmen

Knowing your numbers

To eat or not to eat... how much turns out to be is the question!!

Losing weight, in theory, should be so simple.  Calories in equal, calories out. Eat a little less here, walk a little more there and BAM magically the weight fall off, right? Not exactly.  Ask anyone who has ever been on a diet and you will find the contrary to be true.  "Losing weight has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done" are things I have actually heard. To be quite honest, this isn't too far off of the mark.  Weight loss is hard.  It's challenging, and it's not created equally.  We all have different body make ups and compositions.  We have different genetic determinants that either make it harder or easier to lose weight.  Or maybe you gain weight more in certain places.  Add stress to the mix, and geeze what is a fit and pretty girl to do?!

One of the biggest things we can do to aid in the ease of weight loss is determine how many calories our body actually needs to maintain weight.  From there we can determine how many we should eat to lose, and how many we should avoid to gain. Once we know that, weight loss can be a snap.  In this entry I will go over Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and Estimated Energy Experdenture (EEE).  This will tell us how many calories we burn just waking up, watching our favorite TiVo'd program, feeding the dog, and reaching for some (healthy) snacks.

Let's first calculate the calories we need to consume to maintain our weight, this is known as our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)  (used almost always interchangeably with Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

The following formula is for women:

RMR= (9.99 x weight) + (6.25 x height) - (4.92  x age) -161

weight-- reported in kilograms
height-- reported in centimeters
age-- reported in years

and for the guys....

RMR=(9.99 x weight) + (6.25 x height) -(4.92 x age ) -5

* To calculate weight to kilograms, divide weight in pounds by 2.2

** To calculate height to centimeters, determine how many inches ( by multiplying foot by x 12, example if ur 5 ft 4 inches, multiply that by 12.. that will equal 60 inches and then add remaining 4 inches, that will grand total you at 64 inches.  From there multiply that by 2.5 and voila you have centimeters.

So for me, a 5'1, 120 pound female that would be:

RMR= (9.99 x 54 kilograms) + (6.25 X 152.5 centimeters ) - (4.92 x 24) - 161+ 1213.5

This is how many calories I would burn at rest.

If we add to this moderate/normal activity.  Multiply your weight in kilograms by 3.5 for your estimated energy expenditure (EEE). For me this would be 190 calories.  This is what I burn* just walking to and from my car, to the kitchen or where ever during the day. *Generally anyway, this formula is general

So a day if I add both values I burn 1403 calories without doing purposeful exercise!

So if I stick to this amount of calories a day, I will maintain my weight (i.e my favorite skinny jeans will still fit in the morning :D ).  AWESOME.

Knowing these numbers will empower you to be able to maintain/ lose weight.  It will help serve as a tool. However, make sure not to obsess with these numbers.  There will be days that you will indulge a little, and over eat. Say at an anniversary dinner, your best friends wedding, a vacation, whatever it may be. That is okay. That is a normal part of healthy eating.  As long as this doesn't happen everyday.

In my next entry I will go over how we should cut calories, and how many to see weight loss and those wash board abs ;). I will also provide a great, kick butt fat burning meal plan we can follow to ensure we look fit and pretty year round :)

Stay beautiful, smart, empowered, and as always FIT and PRETTY

xoxo, -C

The ABC's of Dieting

D-I-E-T.... why must this word start with die? Maybe this is due to the fact that we inherently think that to diet, a little piece of us must die-our inner foodie and food lover.  However, this thinking is flawed and down right wrong.  Let's go over the ABC's of dieting, and put the fun and life back into dieting, and keep looking Fit and Pretty!

Let's start with A....

A : Control you APPETITE.  Portion control is key when it comes to dieting.  I am not saying subsist off of 2 baby carrots and a can of tuna.  No way, I love food and could never do that. By controlling your appetite, keep eating good clean foods, and small controlled portions that are full of fiber, protein, and low glycemic carbohydrates.

B: BE Consistent! Don't start a diet to just stop 2 day's into it.  You will never see results.  There is a saying, it takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 weeks for everyone else to notice.  Stay consistent and let everyone see the changes.  Before you even see the changes you will feel the changes.  You will feel lighter, quicker, more energetic and happy.  It's worth a try to stick with it, you owe it to yourself.

C: Count CALORIES.  There are all these fad diets out there.  Master cleanse, Atkins, Cabbage Soup, Cookie diet. Which do we follow; who do we believe? I am here to tell you that the biggest factor in controlling your weight comes from monitoring your calorie intake.  Yes, maybe you have tried a fad diet, and actually lost some weight, but the only reason this has been due to a caloric deficit caused decreasing calorie intake.  If I ate cabbage soup all day, of course I would close weight.  Cabbage has next to no calories, and if eaten with soup, the high volume of fluids, paired with the high fiber cabbage, and of course you feel full.

D: Don't lose track of your goals. Setting goals is key.  If you don't have a goal, how will you ever stay on track. Repeat your goals daily.  Write them down, talk about them, remind your self of them daily. This will help you stay on track.

E: EXERCISE!!  Need I say more?!  Get up and move.  Have fun! Go for a run, join ZUMBA, lift some weights, sign up for a boot camp.  Whatever it is, have it be something you like and will stick to. Exercise will not only help you lose weight, it will help you maintain weight loss and promotes overall good health.  Try to burn at least 300-500 calories during every exercise session.  If you cannot do that all at once, break it up into several small sessions throughout the day.

As I continue on, I will keep adding to the ABC's of fitness. But for now lets focus on these. Portion control, exercise, and don't lose sight of those goals.

Together we can do this my beauties.

Stay Fit and Pretty

xoxo, -C

Be Fit and Pretty is Born

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows. -Audrey Hepburn

I have always been told that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In conjunction with that, beauty is not just measured by what the eye can see, but it can also be measured with what the heart and soul portray. Interior beauty is the most beautiful of all, and the one that we should strive hardest to attain.

Be Fit and Pretty is a movement. A movement towards better fitness health and improved self esteem thrusted forward by way of interior and exterior beauty. Through this movement I hope to share some knowledge, fun, and laughs with you and help you attain your fitness and well rounded beauty goals.

Together we will be Fit and Pretty.

xoxo

-Carmen