Fit Body Fat Wallets: meal prep

SNEAK PEEK: Summer Survival Challenge

9:58:00 PM

Nutrition is 80% of your Results

5:56:00 PM

Have you ever workout consistently and saw minimal results? Did you feel like I am killing myself in the gym or my workout but you are not hitting your goal?

You are not ALONE! We have all been their, even myself, I felt this for years. Which is why I want to share with yo what I have learned. I know how frustrating it is. We all go right for the gym membership which is great and you will need this for a portion of your goal, but they then still lack in the area in which is the most important. I personally feel like gym count on this because it keeps you coming back. Planet fitness even goes as far as giving you pizza. Which is just mind blowing to me. Any who, i digress. What you are putting in your mouth each and everyday is so important. You can ask any professional nutritionist, trainer or body builder they will all tell you the same thing, “EAT CLEAN!” Have you ever heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen”? The fact that 80% of your results come from what you eat is why this saying is 100% true.

What does it mean to “EAT CLEAN”?

I am by no means a professional on this topic but I have done my share of research and reading on this topic, I have met with countless nutritionists so I could get to the bottom of this. It all boils down to “power foods.” These foods are what give you the natural energy your body needs to operate on a healthy pattern.

So this doesn’t not include things like chips, cheetos, cookies, ect. These foods are fake and should be avoided. Reach for things that are close to their natural state like whole grains, lean meats, fruits and veggies. Many of us reach for soda or high sugary food to get us through our mid afternoon slump when you can easily get the same effect from a healthier option. The obesity in the world is rising so rapidly due to all the processed foods we have so easily available. We also have foods that clam to be “healthy” but are made up of nothing buy FAKE processed ingredients that are potentially dangerous to our health! They are far from “HEALTHY".

I will admit I am not perfect and eat processed things like breads and cheese. I am now eating less of it then I ever have before. I am by no means saying yo can’t have a treat here or there but the healthy options need to make up for 80% of your diet.

Number one EXCUSE, it is to EXPENSIVE to EAT HEALTHY.

Many times all it take is some planning. Check out my page on meal planning for more info. You create a list of healthy ingredients and you can make many meals all based off of the same ingredients. People don’t realized they actually spend more money on the packaged foods then they do on the healthier options. Especially since your body will crave more food because you are not fueling it with the proper nutrition.

I am eating healthy, NOW WHAT?

So, you probably thought it was that easy. Sorry to tell you but it isn’t. I have had way to many clients come to me and say I am eating healthy but nothing is happening. Here is the deal, you can over eat on healthy foods as well. Which is why portion control is so important. Not serving size… PORTION SIZE!

What is the difference between serving size and portion size?

Serving size is a measured amount of food or drink, such as a slice of bread or a cup of milk. (Don’t gauge the labels on your food for correct serving sizes)

Portion size is the amount of food that YOU choose to eat for your meal and/or snack… Big or Small- you decide.

This means a portion can contain multiple servings, without you even realizing it! YIKES!!!

Do we all eat the same amount of portions?

NOPE… Which is why I can break it out for you in a blanket statement. I can list the recommended daily amounts but in reality it all based off your weight, activity levels and goals. If you email me at crystalsfitbodyfatwallets@gmail.com I would love to help you with the tools you need to succeed.

Some healthy tips for watching your portions.

- Follow a meal plan

- Split a meal (when you are out)

- Use a child sized plate

- Stop eating when you are 80% full

- Eat slowly… takes your body about 20mins to realize it is full.

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Meal Plan 101

4:19:00 PM

Your nutrition and what you eat is crucial to your results. Which is why meal planning is fundamental part of your routine. This will ensure you stay on track and hit your goals faster. The lack of planning can ruin your success.

Let me start by saying that this is a lifestyle change, not a fad diet that you will yo-yo back and forth from. The idea is to basically eat to MORE healthier foods and have them easily available to you. This will be so you are less likely to indulge, because all your food is easy and can be quickly available. Many of us don’t have healthy food in ready-to-eat portion sized servings so we tend to starve ourselves until we get to the point of starvation which leads us to shovel anything and everything into our mouth.

Meal Prepping can take on many forms. You can prep weekly, monthly, ect. I personally prep weekly because monthly is to overwhelming to me. I also like to start out small and work myself up. So I stat buy planning out my snacks, then breakfast, lunches and finally dinner. Well, I guess dinner and lunch go hand and hand for me. I typically make extra dinner to eat as lunch the next day or for two days. This makes for prepping less items.

How we meal prep can also be different for different people. It is really based on preference and time.

First option: You can spend an afternoon, most of us do it on a Sunday because we work Monday - Friday, but it can be done anytime really. After you make your plan for the week, you get started cooking all your meals. I try to keep the meals simple so I can make 3-4 options for the week. I then take my meals and my snacks portion them out into the serving size that fits my goals. Now everything is easy for me to grab, all my lunches and dinners just needed to be heated up when it is time to eat. Some people don’t like this idea because they don’t like the idea of heating up all the meals for the week. But, then some people LOVE it because the rest of their week is so EASY, because it is all done.

Second Option: This option is more about planning and less about cooking. So after you develop your plan for the week you get to prepping. But instead of cooking a ll the meals you focus on cutting your veggies, cleaning you fruit and cooking a few things that will take a while like potatoes, rice, ect. By cutting veggie and things ahead of time, when it comes to cooking dinner you just have to place it all together, it doesn’t require you to prepare everything. I still go ahead and place my snacks in containers or snack bags already in the portion sized i needed so they are easy for me to grab and throw in my lunch. I started setting up alerts on my phone reminding me to pull the meat out two days before i planned on eating it. One day to defrost in the fridge next day to marinate with juices or spices. When I walk thru the door after a long day it is easy to throw it all together and have a hot meal in usually 20-30mins.

While meal prepping remember to follow many of the guidelines on the nutrition page.

MEAL PLANNING EXAMPLE

Still need help meal planning, send me an email at crystalsfitbodyfatwallets@gmail.com

Energy

Looking for SUPPORT & ACCOUNTABILITY?

8:47:00 PM

Are you struggling with weight loss?

Why am I a coach?What is Beachbody?

Do you not know where to start?

Are you working out and seeing NO or MINIMAL results?

Do you need some help staying motivated and accountable to your health and fitness goals?

Are you the type of person that needs someone constantly telling you what to do so you do it?

Do you enjoy working out with others?

Do you just want to maintain your body and learn how to eat healthier?

If you answered yes to ANY of the above questions then sign up for a FREE beachbody account and choose me as your coach. I will make sure you choose the correct program to match up with your needs, wants and desires. I will also help you with a meal plan to increase your energy along with encouragement and motivation to get through the long process of getting fit and staying healthy for life!!

Why I became a coach?

I decided to become a coach because I fell in love with the accountability and support. I realized that the support I had from my coach was HUGE! I had been working out and trying to hit my goals for years before I ran into my coach and was placed into these challenge groups. We help hold each other accountable. It is a fun supportive environment that teaches you and guides you through your entire journey. If you have help or are struggling you just ask or explain where you are struggling and everyone is their to help!! As I started to help people reach their goals, I realized that this was a passion of mine and I love to ensure others feel happy and proud to look in the mirror and see what was looking back at them.

What is Beachbody?

Beachbody is a company that creates high quality fitness programs and nutritionals to help people get fit and live a healthier lifestyle. They are working one day at a time to end the trend of obesity in America! They have created programs such as Insanity, P90X, 21 Day Fix, TurboFire, Hammer and Chisel, 22 Min Hard Corps and many more. Check out this clip below to see what Beachbody has to offer.

Beachbody also creates a wonderful little meal replacement drink called Shakeology which is helping people around the world to eat healthy and lose weight by replacing one meal a day with a shake. Shakeology is the number one healthiest meal replacement on the market. Each tiny scoop has about 70 superfoods. WOW… CRAZY! Mind boggling amounts of nutrition in each cup, without any filers, or extra added junk. When I learned what I had been drinking before Shakeology, I was actually upset that I didn’t do my research sooner.

It is all natural and is proven to reduce your cholesterol, fight cravings, increase proper digestion and give you more energy. It has helped me lose those last 15 lbs and I feel great! I rarely crave sweets and and if I do, I use shakeology to crush my cravings, it is that GOOD!

If you have health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes ect.. then Shakeology can help you improve your health condition and get you moving again! Message me to find out how Shakeology can transform your life forever or visit http://www.shakeology.com/cryssullivan.

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Apple Pie Shakeology

9:06:00 PM

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BAKED: Zucchini, Squash, Tomatoes

8:59:00 PM

Energy

Tilapia, Brown Rice and Asparagus..

8:50:00 PM

cooking

Chicken Sausage Penne

2:23:00 PM

clip coupons

7 Tips to Save Money Without Using Coupons

1:44:00 PM

If you are anything like me, you love to save money. I would love to clip coupons because I realize how much money you can save, but realistically I just don’t have the time in my schedule as of now. Over the years, I have learned ways to save money without using coupons. I still use coupons here and there, when I can but I don’t always rely on that. Below is a list of things I do, and would like to share with you. Maybe it will help you save a few bucks.

Buy Meats at Wholesale Prices

A few years ago, I found a place to purchase my meats at a wholesale place. The only down fall is there is not many of these places around. The one for me is an hour from my house, but it is worth the trip. We stock up, when we go so we only need to purchase meats every few months. This can be challenging if you do not have an extra freezer. If you have a place to put an extra freezer, I highly recommend picking up one. It will pay for itself in no time. So at these wholesale places, the steaks, bacon are sold in large slabs. The prices change each time we go, but we spend $2- $3 per lb on average. Our butcher will cut it any way you would like for FREE! Other items are just sold in large boxes, for instance we usually get a 20lb of boneless pork chops for $20. So you can see quickly how much money you can save. Do some research and see if you can find a location near you.

Buy Produce at Wholesale Prices

Produce at the market can be very pricey. I also noticed that sometimes when they have sales or buy one get one, they jack the price up. I purchase my produce from a location called, “Produce Junction.” It is just a wholesale place for your fruits and vegetables. Many items come in larger quantities than I will ever be able to eat. At first I saw this as a issue, BUT as I have learned and tried different things over the years, it no longer is an issue. You can split your order with your family or friends. Or you can meal prep crock pit dinners, or you can just freeze the fruit and veggies for smoothies or snacks, ect. Get Creative!

Purchase your Produce When It Is In Season

If you know when the produce you like to eat is in season, it is much cheaper to stock up or eat it within those particular months. Many times if your items is not in season it could cost significantly more per lb. The reason the price goes up is because it is being shipped from far away so they need to pay for the extra shipping cost.

Make Meals from Scratch!

People get started on a healthy routine and the first thing they do is go out and purchased all these pre-packed frozen foods. Besides the fact that these are not really that healthy for you, they are also a strain on the pocket. It is much cheaper to just make extra food for dinner you can reheat or spend a few hours every month and portion out your dinners or lunch and freeze them for later. Crockpot can become your new best friend.

DO NOT buy more then you need!

I have done this one two many times. I know that if I am hungry and I decide to go food shopping I end up with way more then I went in for. So, what ever you do, do not go food shopping when you are hungry. The best and cheapest way to purchase groceries is to plan out what you plan to eat for the week, and make a list of items you need for those meals. Then when you go shopping do not wonder off the list! The only time I will buy things I do not need is when something is a good deal and I need to stock up, because I don’t want to waste money later on.

Use Loyalty Cards

Just about every card has a loyalty card. Most stores are even making the loyalty cards more convenient. They can save you money for the items that are on sale throughout the store. Depending on the deal it could save you a good bit of money. Many of the loyalty cards allow you to attach e-coupons. As I am walking in the store I will login and do a quick scan for items I planned to purchase. Check them off and then when you check out.. CHA CHING… money saved!

Buy Store Brands

Many store brands are just as tasty as the popular more expensive brands. What we tend to do in my house is, we at least give them a try. If I see something has a store brand version, I will purchase it. Then we can try it and if everyone is in agreeance then we will continue to purchase the store brand of that particular product. Even if it is only a few cents difference, all those cents add up to dollars. That is the way I look at it. One thing to watch out for tho is the ingredients. Sometimes other brands will add fillers and other ingredients you don’t want or need.

SNEAK PEEK: Summer Survival Challenge