Workout and a Smoothie

So I have a great post in the making about goal setting.  But instead of staying up late tonight to finish it I am going to wait until Mondy to post it and go to bed. It has been a long day and I think I picked up the stomach bug my kids just got over. Lucky me!:)  Or maybe I am just sleep deprived from naughty children who don't like to sleep. Whatever the reason I am admitting defeat and going to bed.

So to hold you over I have a great Cardio Ab YouTube video you can do this weekend and a yummy smoothie recipe for you to try.  I made it just the other day and it was delicious.

Gold Smoothie

(about 300 calories)

1/2-1 cup carrots (microwave just enough to soften them)

1 clementine orange (the little cutie kind is what I used)

1/2 cup canned pineapple (It is yummy if you freeze it before hand but you don't have to)

1/2 almond milk

1/2 cup water

2 scoops protein powder(the kind I use has 90 calories in 2 scoops)*

1 tsp honey

Throw it all in the blender and enjoy!

*If you don't have protein powder you could throw in some greek yogurt or cottage cheese or a banana.  You may need some extra honey if you use the greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Or you could sweeten with Stevia. 

Or turn this into a green smoothie by throwing in a handful of spinach.

Hope you have a happy and healthy weekend!...It's my birthday so I just may have a little dessert to celebrate:)



Today I am going to direct you to an awesome blog for a workout idea that you can do at home or the gym.  I like it because it is so versatile and can be adapted to your needs and the equipment that is available to you.  Not to mention that it will kick your butt:) 

Hope you enjoy!

http://www.pojofitness.com/2013/02/pojos-30-25-20-workout.html

Make sure to check out all the great info, workouts and nutrition tips on her blog.

Check back tomorrow for a post on goal setting.  It is not too late to make some great goals for 2013:)!

Now go check out Pojo Fitness and get yourself a great workout in for the day.

Paleo Brownie Bites..

I had a friend request some Paleo recipes.  I will admit that I have not tried the Paleo diet so I had to google search some ideas:)  I may one day give Paleo a try but for now I am still pretty addicted to my dairy foods. 

I decided to give this recipe a try last night before going to bed.  I will say these Paleo Brownie Bites turned out pretty yummy.  I didn't have time to figure out the calorie count yet but I will.  If you are a fan of rich dark chocolate you will really enjoy these babies.

Paleo Brownie Bites

I found this recipe here

1-1/3 cup pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup raw pecans
Unsweetened shredded coconut, for topping
Flaked sea salt, for topping

Instructions:In the bowl of a food processor,combine dates, vanilla and cocoa powder. Process until the mixture forms a paste. Add the pecans and process until they are finely chopped and fully incorporated (but don't let them turn into dust). Form the "dough" into bite-sized balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll half the balls in coconut, if desired, and top the other half with the sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Notes:

I didn't have pecans on hand so I used a mix of almonds and walnuts.  These may be healthy but they are not low calorie.  I made 26 small brownie bites with this recipe.

Killer Workout...

It won't take long to finish the workout but you will definitely get worked:)

You will need dumbbells for a few of the videos.  Some of the moves are done on a step as well.  Just find something that will elevate you a little if you don't have a workout bench. 

Each video is about 3-4 minutes.  Except for the burpee one...it might take longer:)  Just do the workout in the order I have posted the videos.  Keep the time inbetween each video short.  Pretty much just enough time to click on the next video. 

Gotta love a killer workout:)!

Ninja Baby!!!!

Today I was spoiled with an early birthday present from some of my training clients.  I can't even tell you how excited I am to try this baby out.  I have been wanting one for sooooooooooo long!!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!:)

In celebration of my new toy I thought I would share some new smoothie recipes with you.  The calorie count is determined off of the protein powder I use which has 90 calories per serving.

Strawberry Cheesecake

(Just under 200 calories)

Pic via thebetterbaker blog

• 1 1/4 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 calories per cup)
• 1 tbsp sugar free fat free instant cheesecake pudding mix
• 2 scoops protein powder
• Ice

Throw in blender (or fancy Ninja:) and enjoy!

And here is one that doesn't have protein powder in it...

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

(365 calories)

1 Banana

1 cup Almond Milk (You can use skim milk but it will change the calorie count)

1/3 cup plain yogurt (You could use Greek yogurt but you may need a sweetner to ofset the tanginess)

1/2 cup cooked oatmeal

1 TBSP Peanut Butter (or any nut butter)

Once again pull out the fancy Ninja:) and enjoy!

Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing

I came across this recipe for Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing on Pinterest the other day and knew I had to try it.

 Image via SeriousEats

I changed a few things to cut back on calories but I promise I didn't cut back on taste.

I promise this recipe wont disappoint.

Asian Slaw with YUMMY Ginger Peanut Dressing

For the dressing mix-

(makes 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup honey

1 TBSP oil 

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 TBSP Sesame Oil

1 TBSP Peanut Butter

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP fresh ginger

1 large garlic clove

1/2 tsp Srirachi Sauce (optional...I opted not)

For the Slaw mix-

(makes about 7 1/2 cups)

Cut up one small head of cabbage (1 quart)

2 large carrots chopped

1 red bell pepper (I used green cause that is what I had on hand)

1 cup edamame (See note below)

1/2 cup cilantro

1 cup peanuts chopped

Notes-

I did not have edamame because I could not for the life of me find it at the grocery store the last time I was there.  Instead I baked some chicken and served it over the slaw.  The calorie count of the slaw is without the edamame or the chicken.  If you want to lower the calories of the slaw mix you could easily cut back the amount of peanuts you put in it. 

Calories-

1 TBSP of dressing 79 calories

1 Cup of Slaw 122 calories

My kids don't really like salad so I just served them the chicken with some carrot sticks.  This way I could make the recipe work for the whole family. 

Fresh Start Monday...

Is this applicable to any of you?

Mondays are often used as a time to kick start a healthy week.  Today can be a fresh start.  Don't put it off any longer!!!

Happy Monday!

I posted some recipes and a workout over the weekend so if you are needing some ideas to get you going this week be sure to check them out.