Please excuse the desk photo... this one was taken on my lunch break.
One of my strongest cravings has always been Mexican food. I could probably eat at least one Mexican-inspired meal every single day. I was so excited when I made this chicken fajita quinoa bowl for the first time and it actually curbed my cravings without ruining my progress!
1 yellow container prepared quinoa
1 red thinly sliced fajita seasoned chicken*
1 green thinly sliced bell pepper and onion
1 yellow container corn and black beans
1/2 green container of shredded lettuce or spinach
1/2 purple container salsa
1/2 red container nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 blue shredded cheddar cheese
I literally just mix everything together in a bowl except for the salsa, yogurt, and lettuce, and pop it in the microwave. Then top your fajita bowl with salsa, yogurt, and shredded lettuce.
* All I did to make the fajita chicken was marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts overnight in a mixture of lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. I threw mine on the grill, but you could also bake the chicken. I keep this on hand all the time for when I'm craving this recipe, fajitas, taco salad, enchilada soup, or taco pizza..... all of which I we be posting recipes for shortly.
This 21 Day Fix approved recipe for pizza chicken has helped me through some of my serious study night pizza cravings.
1 thin cut boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 green container bell pepper strips
1/2 green container sliced mushrooms
1/2 purple tomato sauce (I used Hunts so added sodium)
1/2 - 1 blue container shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian seasonings to taste
1/2 red turkey pepperoni slices, optional
Season a thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breast with black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Bake or grill until fully cooked. Place the cooked chicken breast on a foil lined pan. Mix tomato sauce with garlic powder and Italian seasoning to taste, then spread on top of the chicken breast. Layer sliced mushrooms, bell pepper slices, and turkey pepperoni on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 - 1 blue container of shredded cheese and additional Italian seasonings if desired. Stick the chicken under the broiler just until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Makes 1 serving = 1 1/2 red (if you opted for turkey pepperoni), 1 green, 1/2 purple, 1/2- 1 blue.
I usually serve this with a salad or 1 green container of steamed broccoli.
Here is a brief description of the 21 Day Fix program from Beach Body for anyone who is not familiar with the program.
Let me just start off by saying that I am normally not the type of person who is going to buy a product from a late night info-mercial. In fact, I had not even seen the info-mercial for the 21 Day Fix when I purchased the program. I actually heard about it from a woman in a fitness Facebook group and decided to look it up on Google. When I decided to conduct the search I was already skeptical. I'm not someone who is interested in fad diets, quick fixes, pills, or supplements, simply because they don't work! To my surprise, the 21 Day Fix was none of those things!
The 21 Day Fix is a program that helps re-teach portion control using color coded containers, a good carbohydrate to protein ratio for your body personally, and a clean eating plan that consists of normal food you can find in a real grocery store that will not cost you an arm and a leg. There are no pills or crazy ingredients needed here. Some 21 Day Fixers do use Shakeology, but it is totally optional. Personally, I tend not to like protein shakes so I could not justify spending the money on Shakeology. Either way, you will lose if you follow the rest of the program.
When I received my 21 Day Fix in the mail, I started off by reading the book. There is an equation within the first couple pages that helped me figure out how many calories and portions of each container I should consume in one day. This is another aspect of the 21 Day Fix that I love. It is completely personalized for your current weight. Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the 21 Day Fix, understood that weight loss is not some cookie cutter thing. One method is not going to work for everyone! I am currently in the highest calorie bracket which suggests 6 purple (fruit), 4 red (protein), 6 green (veggies), 3 yellow (carbohydrates), 1 blue (healthy fat), and 2 orange (other fats) per day. Believe it or not this is actually a ton of food! I seriously have trouble getting all of my containers in most days. One thing is for sure... I never go hungry.
The fitness portion of this program consists of workouts spread across two DVD's that come with the 21 Day Fix program. Each workout has a different focus and lasts approximately 30 minutes. There is Cardio Fix, Upper Fix, Lower Fix, Yoga Fix, Pilates Fix, and Dirty 30. If you are a plus size individual, such as myself, each workout also contains modifiers to help you get through the workouts even if you cannot physically perform all of the moves right away.
I am in no way a 21 Day Fix expert, but if the sounds like a program that could work for you then follow this link to learn more.
Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by to check out my little corner of cyber space! My name is Mary Beth. I'm a twenty-something year old college senior, bride to be, and foodie who just wants to enjoy life because I only get one.
I have made some pretty unhealthy decisions in my life up to this point, and have not taken care of my body as I should have. I currently weight (insert fake cough here) 273 pounds. I wear a size 22 currently and I'm absolutely miserable. People try to tell me I don't look like I weigh 273 pounds, but I feel like I do! I've heard it said that if someone has been overweight for the majority of their life, they learn to carry it well. But I'm so tired of just carrying it well! I'm tired of hiding my body under frumpy clothing that is completely not my style!
As in most cases, my excessive weight has begun to cause health problems. I have been on medications for high blood pressure since the age of 23. My dad tried to add me to his life insurance policy and I was actually denied because my weight and blood pressure categorized me as a "high risk." Heart disease and diabetes both run in my family and I am really not wanting to become another statistic. In addition to having high blood pressure, I also suffer from Hyperthyroid Disease. Anyone with thyroid problems knows how significantly the thyroid hormones can slow your metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight. However, I refuse to let this stereotype bring me down. I am determined to break through the barrier and find the fit, athletic person that has been hiding within me.
This past January I started the 21 Day Fix program from Beach Body. Actually, I purchased the program as a Christmas gift to myself. I started off great! Even though I had not started the workouts yet due to a faulty DVD (Beach Body was amazing at getting a replacement out to me quickly by the way), I was following the clean eating plan and dropping inches like crazy! I actually had to go out and buy smaller jeans within the first week or two of the program. The 21 Day Fix also helped me lower my blood pressure and my doctor actually took me off one of my blood pressure medications. Unfortunately I got board with the meal plan and fell off the wagon. I started drinking soda again, going out to eat with friends as most college students do, and I gained back what I had lost... and probably a little more.
So that brings me to now. It is May. Here I am still overweight, still unhealthy, and still miserable. You would think with summer just around the corner and my wedding in just five months that I would be able to motivate myself to make the necessary lifestyle changes to drop this weight! Regardless of my failures I'm ready to do this! I'm ready to feel comfortable in my own skin, to wear clothes I actually like, to ditch the blood pressure medications, heck I'm ready to play softball and tennis again without getting winded after ten minutes!
Basically, I'm looking for some accountability. Through posting updates, workouts, meal plans, recipes, etc. I'm hoping that y'all will keep me going. Maybe I will even be able to help someone else achieve their health and weight loss goals in the process.
So here I am... I'm putting myself out there for every one to see...for all of my actions to be seen and scrutinized....I have to make this happen before my weight ends up killing me!
Please feel free to follow my blog, tell your own story, comment, offer suggestions and ideas, etc. I am always open to hearing what others have to say and definitely open to learning from anyone that is willing to teach!
