30 Day Abs & Core Challenge

Photo retrieved on July 18, 2012 from: here

Here we go, the challenge that could make or break me. But I am optimistic and excited. Today was day one of the thirty day Ab Challenge and it was not easy. My abs are killing me already! Definitely looking forward to reaching day 30. I am ready to have a body that I love and this is just another step in the journey to the healthy happy me. So today, I weighed in and measured and on we go to a new me. 

Retrieved on July 18, 2012 from: here

The basic motions in this workout are as follows,

• In-N-Outs- 25 reps.
• Bicycles- 25 reps.
• Crunchy Frog- 25 reps.
• Cross-Leg/Wide Leg Sit-ups- 25 reps. per side 
• Scissors- 25 reps.
• Hip-Butt Ups- 25 reps.
• Heels to Heavens- 25 reps.
• Roll-up/V-sit ups- 25 reps.
• Leg Climbers- 25 reps.
• Kayakers- 25 reps.

Stretching:

• Cobra Stretch
• Child sit

Always, Always, Always stretch before and after any workout. It is a must. 

 Here is a link to the original blogger who will show you all the moves if you are interested in doing the 30 day challenge. There are a couple that I can't do YET without hurting myself, due to a weak core, so until I can get my core strengthened I am substituting a couple of these moves with crunches, peddle pushers, and stair-steppers. The point is, to find an Ab workout that works for you. Don't feel bad if you need to adjust. Better safe than sorry. You can always work in the harder moves once you get farther along. 

Retrieved on July 18, 2012 from: here

I can't say that I am aiming for a six pack, yet. Right now, my goal is to flatten my belly and get rid of this pooch. If I get to my goal weight, from there I will work on toning and tightening. Again, one thing at a time, don't want to overdue it. :) Looking forward to working hard, sweating, and getting in shape. It feels so good!

Retrieved on July 18, 2012 from: here

A great friend of mine is doing this with me as well, check out her blog! Two Golden Spoons

What a Girl Wants...Sports

There is something very satisfying and rewarding that comes from playing a sport. It wasn't until high school that I joined any sports team. I was in volleyball, cheerleading, and softball, and I absolutely loved it. I thrived being able to spike that ball or hit that home run. Now, grant it, I am not a pro. I wouldn't even go as far as saying I was great but I was good and I did enjoy it. The feeling of success after a match or game was such a high, whether we won or lost. I just loved it. It wasn't till I graduated and was no longer playing on a team that I realized how much I loved it. I longed for it and wanted to be active again, but hitting the gym did not quench that thirst for sports.

I love being active, I hate working out. The repetitive motions of just walking or doing crunches bores me. I will do it, but its not "fun." I'd much rather go play a game of volleyball as a workout than run a mile. 

A couple nights ago, my husband and I broke out the tennis rackets and hit the court. I suck at tennis. I am absolutely horrible. I am lucky if I can get it over then net, then when I do, it usually goes over the fence. Its bad. But I had a blast! I loved getting active and just playing a sport. I was so deprived of my love for sports that I was willing to go play tennis. Thats really saying something. :) 

My husband, on the other hand, is really pretty good. He played in high school and the poor thing has to put up with my horrible abilities on the tennis court. It was fun watching him get into it and showing off with his powerful serves. Lets just say, I wasn't able to return a single one, he really had to take it easy on me. But I loved it. Sports and time with my hubby, a girl couldn't ask for more. 

So the last couple nights we have gone to play tennis, and I am looking forward to going again tonight after work. Now if only I could get him to play volleyball with me, but in that case I think I would be taking it easy on him. I miss volleyball. When we went to the store and purchased our tennis balls I couldn't help but be drawn to the volleyball isle. Holding a volleyball in my hands again "felt like   home."  Brings back so many fun memories. :)




 So my next goal is to find some friends to play volleyball with, cause this girl needs her sports.

JV Volleyball Junior Year

Cheerleading Junior Year

Senior Year ECS Invitational Tournament: 1st Place

Fried GF Pickles

Fried pickles, oh yes I did it. :) Some think gross, others its pure heavenly bliss in your mouth. Whatever your opinion is on them, these were simply amazing. I couldn't make them fast enough! The first couple tries I just couldn't get it right, I either burnt them or they weren't done. So third times the charm. :)

By now, you can probably assume that all of my meals are GF. Regardless of what the title is. I must say I am getting pretty good about finding substitute recipes for all those wheat filled recipes. 

The first attempt was with pickle spears. That didn't work at all. So I sliced up large pickles super thin which seemed to do the trick. 

First step. Get a deep pan/skillet put enough oil in them so the pickle slices can float. I used about two cups of coconut oil. Adjust depending on what kind of pan you are using. 

Get one bowl for your eggs, water, and lemon juice, mix really well. Then another bowl for your crumbs, spices and flour mix well. 

One Egg

3 TBSP Water

1 TBSP Lemon Juice (optional)

1 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup GF Bread Crumbs

Sprinkle in Red Pepper Flakes or any other seasoning you would like to add to them. 

We had a huge jar of the large whole pickles.  Slice two pickles super thin then toss them in the egg mix bowl. I just let them sit there while I was heating the oil. Once the oil is up to temperature you can start frying them. (My oil was a little over 300'F) . Do the slices one at a time or they will stick to each other in the flower mix. Then drop them in the oil, making sure they aren't sticking to each other. I had about 7 in the pan at a time. Once those were done, I would add more. They will get a golden brown and a little puffy. 

Use a slotted spatula to fish them out of the oil and put them on a paper towel to drip dry. Then enjoy! 

You could easily use pickles that are already sliced in a jar, dill, sweet, whatever sounds good to you. We just used what we had on hand. :) 

Now some of you may be thinking, FRIED! PICKLES! UNHEALTHY! AHHH!  Well, yes they are fried and pickles have lots of salt and No I wouldn't recommend eating them daily, but hey, who says you can't have a fried pickle every now and again? By using coconut oil and GF ingredients it cuts down on the fatty unhealthy quality that you would find at the fair. So no, I am not fixing a decadent salad here, I am simply enjoying some homemade Gluten Free fried pickles :) 

My Archenemy

We all have one. That one person or thing that can tear us down just when we need to be lifted up. What ever you want to call it, it's there. But mine, has a specific and familiar name. Ladies, you will agree...the bathroom scale is my archenemy. You laugh, but really! How many mornings have you woken up chipper and happy till you step on that scale....dun dun duhhhnnn. The sight of those digits beaming back at you with a larger sum than the day before. How depressing! When you've counted every calorie, ran away from the gluten filled bakery isles and sweated till you couldn't move any more. Yet those numbers seem to climb, ever so steadily. Or worse, stay the same.

Photo retrieved on July 12, 2012 from: 

http://www.theblackpeony.com/2012/05/dont-let-scale-fool-you.html

This link has a great article about weight loss. 

I get caught up in the numbers. Thinking that I did so good the past couple days, surely I am down a few pounds. But then, to my dismay they are the same. So for the past week I have avoided the scale. Focused on what I was eating and doing and not on those dreadful numbers. Seeing unchanging numbers can make you lose hope and give up. If you are going by how you feel, not the pounds you are more likely to keep going with a diet that is meant to make you feel better.

I personally think, that weight loss shouldn't be the only goal in anyones life. Simply because if it is, it will only be a temporary loss. Hence, yo-yo dieting. Being healthy should be the main goal. If losing weight is a result of being healthy then "WAY TO GO!" (and in most cases, the two are linked, you are overweight because you aren't eating healthy and you lose weight once you start eating healthier.) Trust me, I am preaching to myself right now, so I know I am being a little hypocritical.

Luckily I have been seeing a steady decrease in my weight since going GF, but it is still depressing when I see the numbers haven't budged. So, I avoided the scale last week. Did nothing but eat right and focus on my health, not my weight. Yes, they both go hand in hand, but you can change to healthy eating in an instant, you can't change your weight in an instant. So, baby steps.

Photo retrieved on July 12, 2012 from: http://weightlosstory.blogspot.com/

The main thing I noticed this last week. I feel amazing. No churning stomach, no indigestion, lots of energy and have been sleeping through the night peacefully. Also, my clothes are looser! My fairly new jeans (just prior to going GF) are literally falling off me. Now this didn't all just happen last week, it was just something I noticed when I stopped fretting over those numbers on the scale. I don't want to go buy new clothes yet though, simply because I plan on dropping more weight soon. So, to feel better, don't stress about those numbers! They'll go down, just worry about eating healthy and feeling better and sooner or later those numbers on the bathroom scale will match the ones in your head. So from now on, I am NOT going to weigh myself daily. I will every week just to keep record, but no more stressing. If I lose, I lose, if I don't I will retrace my steps ask myself where I need to improve and move on. :)

One little helpful tidbit: Drink lots of water and walk! Water weight is water that the body retains because it thinks it is dehydrated. If you aren't constantly putting water in, it will store it up thinking it won't get anymore anytime soon. So to get rid of that annoying water weight. Keep hydrated. You're body will thank you and let go of all that stored up water. :)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Okay, so at first I thought yuck! How does that work or worse...taste!?! I first saw this recipe in a gluten free cookbook, but I didn't get the guts to try it till I saw a friend of mine post how amazing it was.

Ingredients you will need.

1 head of cauliflower

1/4 cup of cheese (your choice of kind)

2 eggs

thyme

oregano

cumin

italian seasoning

1/4 cup red pepper chopped

1/4 cup green pepper chopped

1/4 small onion chopped

pizza sauce or tomato paste

ground turkey 

Pre-heat oven to 425'F. 

Using a cheese grater, shred the cauliflower then put it into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 8 minutes. Then let it cool for a few minutes. 

Add cheese, eggs, and spices. (I used 1/4 pepperjack cheese in the base and 1/4 shredded colby jack for the final topping) Stir until it starts to hold its shape and is mixed thoroughly. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. 1/4 inch thick seems to be the perfect depth for the cauliflower crust.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. While that is baking, brown your meat. It doesn't take much, but it really depends on how much you want to use. 

Obviously we had A LOT of meat left over, but I will freeze it for later. 

Now prepare your other toppings. I love peppers, so we made that the bulk of our pizza. You can add mushrooms, pepperoni, really whatever you want. I kept it simple to ensure that it was GF. 

Once the crust is browned pull from oven and top with sauce, then your other toppings. Spring with oregano and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Cut and enjoy! 

p.s. it doesn't taste like cauliflower at all!! It is amazing and is a new favorite in the Wagner household. 

Fresh Fruit Smoothie

Whenever I get a sweet tooth, I turn to fruit. It's natural, healthy, and just yummy. Now, let me say, there is too much of a good thing. So moderation is key.

First off, take a cup of milk and pour it into blender. I use skim/or fat free. Adults don't need the extra fat in milk that kids might need, so keep it simple. Soy or almond milk would even be a good choice. Then add your banana and blend it up good. Add your frozen strawberries and blend those as well. I like frozen berries because it gives it an iced texture. Top with a garnish (if desired) and enjoy. :)

1 Cup Milk
1 Banana
1 Cup Frozen Strawberries

Feel free to mix it up and choose different fruit. Blueberries, peaches, grapes, raspberries, anything will work.

Next thing I want to get into, is veggies smoothies. :) Will post soon.

Gluten Free Jalapeño Poppers

Here is my recipe for Poppers. As a for-warning. WEAR RUBBER GLOVES when handling hot peppers. It makes your hands burn and leaves the juice on for hours regardless of any amount of washing, and do NOT touch your eyes.

First pick out about 16 larger jalapeños. The larger they are the easier they are to scrape out the seeds without mutilating them. Cut them long ways from tip to stem leaving about 1/4 uncut.

Then using the back handle of a soup spoon scrape out the seeds. If you want the poppers to have a kick to them, leave in a few seeds. And I mean one or two.

They pack a mighty big punch and are what holds all the heat. Once they are cut, rinse the peppers thoroughly and lay on a paper towel. Then prep your filling.

Mix in your cream cheese, ranch dressing dry mix, and bacon bits in a bowl. May need to heat up the mix a little bit to make stuffing easier. I used a disposable cake bag, but a zip lock baggie with the end cut would probably work just fine. Done try to use a spoon, it will make a mess. Ones they are stuffed, place on a cookie sheet in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

 Just long enough to let the insides set up. Do not over freeze, this will break down the cell wall of the peppers. Not freezing them before baking or frying will result in the inside oozing out. Which you do not want. While the poppers are in the freezer, prepare your breading. Put about 2 cups of GF bread crumbs and rice flour in one bowl and 2-3 whisked eggs in another bowl.

Once the peppers are chilled, dip them individually in the eggs, then the crumbs. Repeating till completely coated going back and forth between eggs and crumbs. I did at least two coats of crumbs to ensure that the breading doesn't fall off during baking.

Spray pan and tops of poppers to add to the crispy coat. Heat oven to 350'F and place the poppers back in the freezer till the oven is heated. Then bake for 30 minutes or till completely crispy.

Pull from the oven and enjoy hot, warm, or cold. May want to keep a glass of milk on hand, they can be powerful! But oh so yummy :)

• 16-18 Jalapeño Peppers
• 8 oz of Neufchatel Cheese
• GF Bacon bits
• 1/4 cup of ranch dry mix 

Fresh Avocado Guacamole Dip

I am thoroughly enjoying going GF. I am discovering all of these simple new amazing recipes. Today, I discovered avocados. YUM! Also known as an alligator pear. It is so versatile and great on salads, dip, tacos, and even in simple recipes that require a stuffing or sauce.

Just like every other fresh food, the key is knowing how to pick it and prepare it. Choosing an avocado can be tricky, I have been fooled on what I thought was ripe, but was not even close. The method I discovered that works best is to first look for one that is semi smooth, not huge bumps on it. Then gently press on the skin. It should give just a little. Too hard means its not ripe. If its mushy, it is too ripe. If you can see the "meat" moving around when you press on it, it is too soft. I have not yet discovered if color has anything to do with it?


 I bought two avocados today from the grocery store. One was absolutely perfect, the other was almost ripe. So I stuck it in a brown paper bag to sit for a day to soften some more. Looking forward to tossing it up into a guacamole dip tomorrow.




After you select the perfect avocado(s) take a sharp butcher knife and cut the avocado in half moving around the seed that is in the center of the fruit. Then twist the two halves to separate.

Then stick the seed with the knife and pull it out. If the fruit is too ripe, the seed will sometimes fall out.

Then with a smaller pairing knife, cut slits in a checkered pattern going the length and width of the fruit.

Then take a spoon and scoop out the insides. If it is not ripe enough it will be hard to cut and scoop, if this happens, put in a baggie and let it sit. Sprinkle lemon juice on the meat to keep it from browning.

Mash up the chunks then add the seasonings, and enjoy! 

Recipe for guacamole dip.

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Today I cheated and used a packet of guacamole seasoning that I had in my pantry. It was GF and did the trick. Quite yummy.

Free Range vs Store Bought

I can definitely say that I have a new found passion for all things fresh. I am still working on finding a local butcher, but after going to the farmers market and buying all our fresh produce I am hooked. My newest find is farm fresh "free range" eggs. :) Also known as "cage free" hen's eggs. They are AMAZING! Wow. Nothing like what you buy in the store. They are much larger, heavier, and even the shells are thicker. From the inside-out they are different than your store bought eggs. Even the yolk is a bright orange. When it comes to fresh eggs, it is a matter of quality over quantity. Caged hens are bred to mass produce. Which shortens their lifespan and can result in weaker, less nutritional eggs. Ever wonder why all store bought eggs look exactly the same? Me too, especially because the fresh ones are all different...makes you think, doesn't it? Commercial eggs that can be bought in the store have a much thinner shell and have a pale yellow yolk. Another signature sign of store bought eggs is their color. They are typically pure white. This is not the typical color you see on fresh eggs. Fresh eggs have a brown or bluish/green hue to them. Some find this strange, but it is just a sign of nature. A sign that nothing was engineered to be uniformly massed produced. They are indeed fresh. 

I was thrilled when a co-worker of mine offered to give me a dozen of his fresh eggs. He has about 6 chickens that he raises to lay eggs. Below are two of the eggs he gave me. One is a speckled brown egg and the other is a light bluish/green. (hard to tell in the picture, even though it looks white)

I absolutely love omelets. I was curious as to how store bought and fresh eggs would compare. So I experimented. The only difference is one i used red peppers and the other I used green. Nothing else was put in the omelet. Each omelet had 2 eggs. 

Grease the pan and let it heat up a bit. Then add the peppers and let them cook for a few minutes. Then add the eggs. Once one side is cooked and you can flip it without it breaking fold in half then let it sit for  a few minutes, letting the inside cook. Slide onto plate and enjoy. 

Two store-bought eggs with green peppers. 

Two farm fresh eggs with red peppers. 

Too Much of a Good Thing

Portion control, portion control, portion control. That is all I have to say. For the past month we have been eating all fresh foods and it has been wonderful. I have seen the weight go down and it is so encouraging, but I know there are still some things I need to improve upon. The fist step is to stop eating when I am comfortable. Do not overstuff yourself with food. Yes Americans seem to "get away" with this quite often where every meal is a king's feast, but it doesn't have to be. Food is for sustenance and nutrition. It is not a hobby. Food should be pleasing to the pallet, but it shouldn't be an emotional bind. The key to any weight loss is self control. Being able to just say no, I don't need that, and walk away. I am pleasantly surprised at how easy it is for me to pass all those baked goodies and processed sweets and not even bat an eye. I know they are bad for me, and will make me feel rotten, so I just avoid them. My downfall now seems to be just saying enough. I am loving all this good food we are making, but again, portion control. Now that doesn't mean say, this meal you can have a cup of this 2 tbsp of this and a tsp of this. That in my mind is a little much. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are comfortable. Not full. It will also help to cut back on indigestion. So don't overstuff yourself, it isn't necessary.


Overstuffing also leads to getting hungry sooner. You're body realizes that you don't have that "full" feeling and you start munching thinking that you need that feeling back. You don't.
Also, don't wait to eat till you are ravenously hungry. Have munchies on hand to hold you over and keep you comfortable. But that doesn't mean mindlessly snacking all day either.

Second goal is to not eat after 7pm. This gives your food time to digest before you go to bed. Sleeping on a full stomach is not only uncomfortable, but is definitely not the best thing for your intestines.

So whether you are out and about or eating at home, keep in mind that food is to sustain your life, not entertain you. If you need entertainment get out and go for a walk or go to the park, something active. Your body will thank you!


Picture retrieved from http://slenderherbs.com/weight-loss-lose-weight-inspiration/food-is-my-sustenance-not-my-friend/ on July 3, 2012.

Every Little Bit Counts!

That's right ladies and gents! Down a pant size. After only a month of GF eating I am down a size. :) YAY!

I am starting an exercise routine back up called TTap. It is an intense 15 minute workout a day. 15! Minutes! That's it! :) Let me tell ya it works.  The first stage is 14 days straight. Which is the hardest part to do. You definitely get sore but it is worth it. After that you go every other day. So starting today I am doing the 14 days. Hopefully it will help with toning as I lose weight.

Yesterday was awesome, busy day, but fun. We made Ham, green beans and potatoes for lunch/dinner. It was delicious and SUPER! EASY!

Coat the bottom of a large pot with a little bit of oil and heat on low/med heat. Slice 1/2 of a medium sized onion and add to pot. Then add three slices of bacon and cook till browned and crispy. While those simmer cut your ham into small dices and add those to the pot. By adding them before the water they will get a nice brown coat on the sides.

Once the ham is slightly browned add 8 cups of water and turn the heat up to high. Then take your red potatoes cut into fourths and add them to the pot as well. Then add the green beans. I used fresh green beans which required snapping the ends off.

Cook them until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. Then enjoy!

You can freeze the broth to use later as a base, since GF broth is hard to come by...and expensive.

I had left over ham and green beans that I put into food saver bags to freeze. If you are eating fresh fruits and vegetables a food saver is a life saver. It is so easy to use and it keeps your food fresh longer.