Summer Challenge - Day Fourteen of 21

Dad's party

10:00
Eggs
Bacon
Hash browns

1:30
Chips & salsa
Few bean scoops
Veggies
Grapes

5:30
Salmon
Prawns
Egg plant, zucchini
White rice

Pineapple instead of carrot cake!!

Great day. The final week is coming

Cheers,

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day Thirteen of 21

I love weekend

9:30
pancakes with choc chips
turkey polska
grapes

1:00
Beef
Brown rice
broccoli

Coffee

5:30
Ribs
Oven fries
String beans

Great night and family weekend. Doing reasonably good on the challenge.

Busy with last week before school coming...

Summer Challenge - Day Twelve of 21

Raging Waters and other misc

7:00
Turkey
Carrots
Br rice

11:00
Turkey
Zucchini
Brown rice

3:00
Chicken breast
(at the park!!)

6:00
veal and prawns
baked potato (dry)
Salad
Broccoli!

Yummy!

Baby kisses from my new nephew!

Great day!

Summer Challenge - Day Eleven of 21

Thursday

6:00
2 eggs
bell pepp
corn tort

10:15
chicken
green beans
br rice w olive oil
coffee (ok I had a latte)

2:00
chicken
bell pep
tomatos

5:30
MRP shake

9:00
gr beef
veggie salad
salsa
corn tort

Yum-o day!

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day Ten of 21

Wednesday
Things are feeling better, but still...the outfit seemed not right since I had an "out-of-uniform" day in the Bay Area. BUT, I am working on it! The day ended well

7:10am
Chicken breast
String beans
Corn tort

10:20am
Chicken breast and mushrooms
Bell pep
Corn tort

1:00
Chicken breast and mushrooms
Zucchini squash
Brown rice

2:00
Latte (a social latte :) )

5:10
Chicken (again!!)
Chinese bell peppers from Asian market
Rice and tomato juice

8:15
More chicken! (Thank God for the cooler)
More chinese bell pepp
Carrots

Cheers,

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day Nine of 21

Cool, my day off (until night)

Slept in!!

9:30
Eggs over easy (went for the yolk)
Turkey sausage
Hash br0wns
Blueberries
(definitely a "day off" eat)

12:45
Stir fried chicken
Mushrooms
String beans
Tomatoes

4:30
Sample turkey meatball
1 beef short rib
Carrots and bell pepp

8:45
Spaghetti sauce (with beef and sausage) over
Turkey meatball
Squash
AWESOME! I feel better

Summer Challenge - Day Eight of 21

Monday. Good day. Things are getting a little bit better, but still a bit of a struggle. Again - I have talked with the Campers and shared, it's not because of the food and lack of junky foods, it's because I am being a bit impatient about the rate of change I expect! It's okay. Things will work out allright and I am going to hang in there!

6:15
Lunchmeat
Corn tort
Bell pepp

10:30
Chicken breast
Carrots
Tomatos

1:15
Chicken breast
Brown rice
Asparagus
Coffee (I had a latte - no sweetener though)

4:30
Chicken breast
Corn tortilla
String beans

8:00
Stir-fry pork
Spinach, mush, broccoli
Rice

Yay - sleepy and a lot of workout today!

Summer Challenge - Day Seven of 21

HEYY

For a Sunday, things were all good!

Breakfast 9:30
Eggs 2 (1 white)
Turkey sausage
Breakfast potatoes
Bell pepp

1:30
Turkey meat
Corn tort
Asparagus

5:00
Lean beef stir fry
Brown rice
String beans

Hanging in barely!! haha. Just having a bit of a hard time with this! :)

Beth

RECIPE for Ashley & Lisa

Thanks for the request, ladies...

Here's from last Challenge of March:

Crispy Spiced Potatoes
==================
1 1/2 lbs white or red boiling potatoes
3 T olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
nonstick vegetable spray

Scrub potatoes, but do not peel. Cut each potato in half and then cut each half into 4 wedges. (Note: if potatoes are very small, cut each half into 2 wedges.)
Place potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to boil cooking potatoes for 10 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking, combine oil and seasonings into a large bowl. When potatoes are finished cooking, drain them and toss thwm while still warm into the seasoning mixture (above). Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick vegetable spray amd place the potatoe in a single layer then bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until golding brown. Serve immediately!

Serves 4 servings, 218 calories, 6g protein, 22 carbohydrates, 9 g fat.

Summer Challenge - Day six of 21

Saturday... off and running again

7:45am
Turkey
Corn tort
Asparagus
Black coffee

12:15
Starving after teaching that class and hurting back!! :(
Eggs
Potatoes
Asparagus

3:30
Beef chunks
Brown rice
Asparagus
Tiny garden tomatoes

7:00
Turkey burger pattie
Brown rice with olive oil
Mushrooms
String beans

3 Popsicle cheats! Later

OK, I am hanging in there...

I need to increase my cardio just among notes... all else is well and TOMORROW (Sunday) is food prep day! MORE food to have an awesome week!

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day four of 21

Here's Thursday.

Was I really that behind? Guess so...

EARLY MORN!!

6:30am
Turkey lunchmeat
Corn tort
Bell pepp
(standard)
Black coffee

10:00am
Scrambled eggs with peppers and onions
Salsa
Pan potatoes

1:30pm
Calamari salad
Chicken breast
Tomato soup
Salad w/oil

5:20pm
MRP shake

9:00pm
(another long night)
Steak
Red potatoes
Broccoli

TOO LATE AGAIN

I do not feel organized this late week!!

I am feeling very challenged by this challenge! :0)~~~

Cheers,

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day five of 21

SO, here's Friday's foods. Been very busy and not on-line.

I workout out real hard yesterday (Saturday) at my body pump class (I was pulling more weight than the guys) :) and hurt my back some. Of course, it didn't keep me from pulling some weeds that were choking my vegetable garden as I NEED LOTS OF VEGGIES!! So, I was done in and I missed a special wedding last night.

Still resting right now.

SO... here is the low down on the intake recently.

Friday 8/8
Slept in a little (thanx Laura and Sam :0) )
9:00am
Oatmeal pancakes (egg whites and oatmeal)
Strawberries (workout at noon - so I allowed myself!)

11:30am
Turkey lunchmeat
Corn tortilla
Bell pepper

3:30
SUPER hungry!! too long after I taught at noon.
Pan fried beef
Brown rice
Asparagus

7:30pm
Salad
Chicken
Strawberries

OK, so I had 2 things of fruit! BAD DOG!!
I did workout, though.

Thanks for your comments and sharing in person as well!

You all are doing GREAT! And even in our struggle to do this Challenge, we learn lessons.

Cheers,

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day Three of 21

Greetings! Today was pretty good! I packed up the cooler for ALL day and found that toward the end of the day, water got in the lunchmeat container and - MAN, that tasted like CRUD!! I ate out at Whole Foods Market and did fine. Purposely I ate at 6:00pm so I wouldn't be hungry when I got home, but after having taught 3 classes all day (and working it) I WAS in fact hungry when I got home! Kept it light and did my best!

In case it was unclear... I do have multi-vitamin and EFA at my 3 main meals - I don't want to type it every meal over and over agian!

7:30
Turkey
Corn tort
Bell peppers (standard)
Black coffee

11:10
Chicken breast
Rice
Peppers

2:20
Chicken breast & thigh meat
Brown rice
String beans
Mushrooms & tomatoes!
Green tea
Whole Foods YUMMY!

6:00
Icky bite of water-logged lunchmeat
Brown rice
Celery sticks
Mushrooms & tomatoes

9:15pm
Salad w/chicken breast & tomatoes
Olive oil dressing

OK! The cold food gets so boring so when I get my food hot, it's nice!

Hang in there everyone...lots of comments are roling in...
Some are learning and doing great and others, mixed feelings have been expressed! Some have been there before and it's hard to get back at first.

You are never alone!

Cheers and see you at Camp or at class....

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day Two of 21

So, today was a little different because I was OFF most of the day!

I found things to be fine except in the afternoon, I just WANTED to have an additional snack, but I didn't go there. Must have been just because I was home and my mind was tricking me!

9:30 - a cheat meal for the week :)
protein shake
homemade chocolate chip pancakes
latte w/ milk

12:00
chix breast
brown rice
asparagus
pickle

3:00
MRP

5:30
prawns w/ olive oil
brown rice
bell peppers

9:00
small chicken salad

I ate late but was hungry after camp. Might have been just fine with a MRP, but I am always on the road, so being at home was nice to eat heated and homemade meals!

Off to a long day.....

HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING??

POST COMMENTS!

Beth

Summer Challenge - Day One of 21

Yesterday was a great day and felt nice by the end of the day. Have to admit teaching yoga and my belly right there in the mirror made me remember how I let getting sick and injured the past months let me slip somewhat on my eating...it happens to everyone!

I always feel great when I get back on track like this, the evening was a little difficult because I wanted something more when I wasn't even hungry! Oh, the mind can trick you!

Here's my meals:

6:30am
1 egg + 2 egg whites
Bell peppers
2 corn tortillas

11:00am
Turkey meat
Celery sticks
1 corn tortilla

1:45pm
Baked chicken
Bell peppers
Brown rice

(Waited too long for my next meal which was dinner... because I had a clogged kitchen sink that required work! I should have ate around 5 on my way home)

7:15pm
Lean steak
Asparagus with parsley
Brown rice with Cheri's olive oil

Tada! Great day!

Comments?? How did you do??

Laurie had a great share in Camp about her favorite rice...tell us Laurie!
Eva also told us about her spinach saute...please post these ideas for us!

Cheers,

Beth

I'm READY NOW!

Hello friends,

After a fun weekend of a few treats of bacon and eggs and my favorite latte, I am ready to begin tomorrow. Ok, I did not do anything crazy, but I did finish up the popsicles! HAHA Life's too short!

Here's what I've been doing today:

• Shopping!!
• Extra protein like chicken and turkey is cooked and bagged, ready-to-go
• Protein shakes and oatmeal is off the shelf
• Hard boiled eggs are peeled and stinkin my fridge!!
• Brown rice is cooked and packed up
• Veggies are cut and either ready for snacking or ready-to-saute

I'm ready for the challenge to get back on track after months of...injury, illness, more injury, more illness, a fall... hmmm... what else?? No more slacking! It't time to boost all and make that change!

Are you ready to rock!!???

I will be toting the scale and the tape measure as well as the body-fat calipers all week. Find me on location in Livermore, Form Factor, Starbucks (with a misto in hand - aka black coffee) and Tracy!!

Cheers and see you soon,

Beth

GETTIN READY FOR A CHALLENGE!!!

Do you need some motivation???

I am presenting once again (and by popular demand) the Summer Challenge to all of you who choose to participate. The Challenge will begin on Friday, August 1 with an “official kick-off” date of Monday, August 4. For those of my clients and friends who did this Challenge back in March, they certainly remember how difficult yet rewarding it was! All lost at least 5 pounds and some as much as 11!

This weekend will give you time to prepare for Monday’s kick off. Do feel free to ask questions this weekend once I get your Challenge rules and incentives to you this weekend. This time around, we will go for 3 weeks! 21 days.

I will be ready to record your information on Monday, August 4 to do weight and any other starting statistics you choose.

Will you play? The Challenge Magic Foods List will be posted this evening when I am at my home server!

Again, please ask me questions via e-mail otherwise the rules and incentives will be sent to you in the next few days.

Here are a few items of importance about the Challenge:

• Please do note that if you do not choose to partake in using the Magic Foods List as your eating regime but still wish to participate in the overall Challenge of eating better and making a change, that is great! Some of you are already on great eating plans!

• This Challenge is open to everyone… clients, friends and family! Get other people on board.

• My blog will be updated beginning on August 1 for your information and motivation. www.bethmidfitness.blogspot.com

• My new Beach Body website and role as your “on-line” coach will be an optional companion to add to the Challenge excitement. You will learn more about that once I send the rules and incentives to you on Saturday! www.bethmidfitcoach.com

For thought: about your goals and desired outcome:

Generally, I do NOT focus on pounds loss, but with this particular plan, pounds will be lost – so, consider that and then considser your most pressing goals and answer below.

What is your desired outcome for this challenge (choose one!)?

a. Weight loss

b. Fat loss (body-fat measurement)

c. Waist and hip measurement loss

What other categories of milestone, success, etc. do you wish to be rewarded for?

Please share your thoughts! And feel free to post and ask questions on my blog.

Hear from you very soon!

Good luck!

Beth

Beth

LIVERMORE'S CAMP ROCKS!! TRACY'S BEGINS

It is an official Summery weekend and getting closer to the HOT WEATHER kick-off of Memorial Day Weekend...

So many of us are working hard on our goals by keeping with the regular exercise whether it's at

CAMP / The GYM / At HOME

So, give yourself a hand!

Don't forget to come try a camp session OR invite a friend if you are a regular!!

Stay tuned for a FUN season out on the turf and playgrounds!

Cheers,

Beth

Day Three & Four - The 2-Week Challenge II

FRIDAY's MEALS

Meal One
6:45am
======
Oatmeal
Protein shake
Greens first
EFA
Multi
Joint repair

10:15am
=====
Chicken salad
Tomatoes

1:30pm
======
Carnitas
Corn tortillas
Spring mix salad
EFA

4:15pm
=====
1 leftover carnitas taco
Carrots

7:30pm
=====
Baked chicken
Brown rice
Broccoli

-----------------------------------------
MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND!!

Celebrating a bit early with family... Here's Saturday's intake:

Meal One
7:30am
======
Oatmeal
Protein shake
Greens first
EFA
Multi
Joint repair


11:15pm
=====
Post-Workout Shake

2:00pm
======
Turkey & Avocado & Cheese on Sourdough
Potato Chips
Picnic lunch for MOM's Day!!
EFA

4:15pm
======
Chicken breast leftovers
Sliced tomatoes
Carrots

7:00pm
======
Steak
Oven roasted potatoes
Zucchini & garlic saute
EFA

Have a great celebration!!

Beth

Day Two - The 2-Week Challenge II

Good day in the office and around to be able to cook a little. The straight up simplicity of this just works! It's a mind-set!

Here's yesterday's intake:

Meal One
10:00am
======
Oatmeal
Protein shake
Greens first
EFA
Multi
Joint repair


1:15pm
=====
BBQ chicken
Brown rice
Broccoli

5:30pm
======
Steak
Corn on cob
Lima beans
EFA

Probably not enough food, again, but I was up late and turned in early. This day was a non-activity day (no workouts) so, less was fine!

Stay motivated, everyone. It may take time to ease into the challenge for some...but do work on getting there! It will pay off.

Happy Friday,

Beth

Day One - The 2-Week Challenge II

Yesterday, Day One, was real good. What a nice day it turned out to be. We had a chilly morning camp session, then out in the Bay Area is was beautiful as I trained PT clients outdoors, too!

The meals went fine. I didn't eat enough yesterday which happens sometimes on Wednesdays.

Meal One
7:00am
======
Oatmeal
Protein shake
Greens first
EFA
Multi
Joint repair
Black coffee

11:10am
=====
Turkey
Corn tortillas
Lettuce

1:45pm
======
Whole Foods - YUM!
Cornish hen
Red potatoes
Grilled vegetables
EFA

5:00pm
======
MRP - Muscle Milk

9:00pm
======
Turkey
Corn tortilla
Carrots
EFA
Joint repair

It was no trouble to make the transition on day one! Let's see how the rest of the week goes!

Recipes will follow soon.

WRITE COMMENTS!!! REQUESTS!!! (you have to create an account to post a comment, I believe) Just do it!!

Cheers,

Beth

Round TWO - The 2-Week Challenge

Here we go again... as you enticed me with a challenge, I absolutely accepted and here's the deal...

Hello!!

I would like to share one of the secrets I have learned about how to boost the metabolism and eliminate a few items to re-set the furnace in the body for burning fat. This is what I do to get back on track. Combined with a consistent workout program, it is amazing how you will feel and look at the end of two weeks. It's like MAGIC - Maybe you will give it a try as...

HERE WE GO AGAIN, MY LIVERMORE FITNESS CAMPERS!! GO LIVERMORE, YOU ARE F A B U L O U S !!!

Here's my eating regime:

Lean Proteins	Starchy Carbs	Fibrous Carbs
Egg Whites	Potato	Broccoli
Chicken Breast *	Corn	Cauliflower
Turkey Breast *	Tomato	Carrots
Tuna	Sweet Potato	Green Peppers
Shrimp	Peas	Yellow Peppers
Grouper	Oatmeal	Red Peppers
Mahi-mahi	Cream of Rice Cereal	Mushrooms
Cod	Brown Rice	Onions
Halibut	Jasmine Rice	Asparagus
Salmon	Basmati Rice	Spinach
Swordfish	Couscous	String beans
Lobster	Corn Tortillas	Cucumbers
Shellfish		Celery
Sushi		Artichoke
Marlin		Romaine, green leaf or other green lettuce (no iceburg lettuce)
Wahoo		Zucchini
Tofu		Swiss Chard
Whey Protein		Squash

*non vegetarian

Meals are simple - I eat food every 3-4 hours. The first meal begins within 1 hour of waking up.

For each meal I pick one food from each group. It’s as simple as that. Serving sizes are 3-4 ozs for proteins and 4 ozs for starchy carbs and 6-8ozs for fibrous carbs unless it’s an item such as a potato where you I would have a medium sized one.

At first, sometime I just do equal servings of all 3 food groups. The serving sizes can be roughly the same and the I do not have to measure the amounts, but eventually my best results are achieved when when the serving sizes are as above.

The examples below are only samples of what I did and note I did not eat within 1 ½ hour before working out and ceased eating 3 hours before bed.

I drank plenty of water! Multiplying my body weight x .62 and that is how many ounces of water I needed to have per day not counting what I drink when I workout. I had to get at least 5-6 meals in per day.

One or two meals was sometimes a Meal Replacement (MRP) but I prefer and have the best results eating real food. Sometimes I ate breakfast for dinner and lunch for breakfast, dinner for breakfast, etc.

Seasonings and marinates were low in salt or salt-free, and also mostly sugar-free, and fat free except when homemade and those marinades are best.

I always take and my daily regime of:

Multi-vitamin , EFA (essential fatty acids, including fish oil)

Joint Repair (including MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin)

My Typical Food Journal

Here is a sample of two days.....

Gettin the ice and cooler ready!

DAY ONE - Meal 1

Multi vitamin/EFA/Joint Repair
Egg white omelet with 4 egg whites
Bell pepper slices
Oatmeal

Meal 2

Tofu
Peppers
Couscous

Meal 3

EFA
Chicken
Potato
Salad

Meal 4

Multi vitamin and MRP shake

Meal 5

EFA/Joint Repair
Fish
Brown rice
Broccoli

DAY TWO - Meal 1

Multi vitamin/EFA/Joint Repair
Cream of Rice cereal
Add maple extract and Stevia, if desired
Leftover steamed broccoli from the night before

Meal 2

MRP shake

Meal 3

EFA
Tuna
Rice Cakes or cherry tomatoes
Carrots and celery

Meal 4

Multi vitamin and MRP shake

Meal 5

EFA/Joint Repair
Steak
New potatoes
Green beans

* I use olive oil for cooking or an olive oil spray (at the Whole Foods Market)

* I use oil and vinegar for salad, no diet dressings, etc. I collected a tone of stuff from my favorite internet sites or recipe books for homemade dressings with an olive oil base.

* I sometimes use Stevia as a sweetener because it is real (diabetics use it) to dress up the hot cereals or sometimes splenda, but I am not a huge fan of man-made sweetners. I came up with a special pancake recipe following below that sounds odd, but is really satisfying and tasty.

OATMEAL PANCAKE
4 egg whites and 1/3 c dry oatmeal. Mix and add maple extract or vanilla extract and Stevia, pour 1 large pancake or two into a heated pan with little olive oil or cooking spray. Carefully flip over. These are good hot or cold. Sounds strange, but is filling and has a good texture. If you must use an artificial sweetner, consider “Torani Syrup” in the sugar-free version available from World Market in vanilla, hazelnut, strawberry, etc. Good!

** I eat no fruit, it has natural sugars.

** Dairy has natural sugar, so I give up my latte and just drank black. I had NO dairy!

** I have to forgo the carbonated beverages like tonic water...but 10% of the time, it was okay! Good thing I gave up diet soda moons ago!!

** I drink water, tea, iced tea, black coffee

** I totally use the 90/10% rule which has no negative effects with 2 cheat meals per week, my cheat meals are Wednesday and Saturday.

Are you are interested in giving this a try?

Have a great week and I will enjoy hearing from you... feel free to COMMENT (below) on the blog or E-MAIL anytime me at bethmidfitness@comcast.net

Good luck and good health and happiness to you!

CHEERS,

Beth

YUM-O

Okay, okay. Last day... since I created a "last day" before the CHALLENGE, I had a last day. Yes, it was an In and Out Burger and a tiny Cold Stone! Who could resist!

Anyways, tomorrow is D day, are you preparing? Even if you don't start tomorrow - just knowing that the challenge is in the air is good enough.

Stay tuned for the low-down...

Ahhhhh.... almost time to relax

Spring is in Swing

Spring is happening and it's feeling like a Summer night tonight.

You asked and I will now deliver...
Back by popular demand is the 2-Week Challenge! It will begin in a few days, so if you will join in this time... enjoy your Tuesday! And get ready to EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

Meanwhile, keep things going... enjoy... and laugh!

Stay tuned for at least 2 weeks of postings and more recipes.

Cheers,

Beth
(and Turbo)

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Fourteen - Last Day of Challenge

It is the last day (Sunday!) and what a great day and successful challenge for all who participated, myself included!

Here's Sunday's meals:

8:00am
======
1/2 oatmeal pancake
Bell pepper
EFA
Multi
Joint repair

9:30am
=====
Pre-workout amino acids protein

11:15am
======
Post-workout amino acids protein

12:00
====
Leftover rotisserie chicken
2 Corn tortillas
Carrots and bell peppers
EFA
Latte cheat!

2:35pm
=====
3 egg whites and a dab of runny yolk
Rosemary potatoes
Celery and carrots

5:00pm
======
Turkey
1 corn tortilla
Red bell pepper
Latte cheat!

7:30pm
======
Pork roast (lean) w/brothy gravy (no flour or oil!)
Brown rice
Zucchini and mushrooms with olive oil
EFA
Joint repair

What a great and hungry day! Between yesterday's workouts and this mornings... I was in huge need of fuel.

All said and done, it was great! And although I won't be posting my meals anymore... I am on a roll.... MANY of my campers and clients are on a roll, too!!

Please COMMENT and MAKE YOUR REQUESTS/QUESTIONS!

What do you want to see posted??

Cheers!!

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Thirteen

Almost to two weeks...

Busy and hungry day as I taught 2.25 classes!! Great workouts, though.

7:15am
=====
Oatmeal pancake
Carrots
EFA
Joint repair
Multi

8:00am
=====
Pre-workout amino acids protein

11:15am
======
Post-workout amino acids protein

11:30am
======
Turkey
1 1/2 Corn tortillas
Cucumber

1:50pm
=====
Rotisserie chicken (store-bought)
1 1/2 corn tortillas
Red bell pepper
Carrot
EFA

2:45pm & 3:30pm
=============
Latte + a 1/2! (2% milk and coffee, no sugar or sweetner!)

4:55pm
======
Turkey
Corn tortilla
Red bell pepper

7:40pm
======
Steak
Brown rice
String beans, mushrooms, broccoli
Carrots
EFA
Joint repair

Yum! And I was totally hungry today, but I do not feel stuffed!

Time for a DVD and rest.

Great mini-camp today to finish up the last 6 weeks!! Monday starts a new...

Cheers,

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Twelve

Hopefully the fever of the challenge hasn't escaped you... all is still fine here. Two weeks is a long time! I applaud all of those who have been working hard at this. And great job also to a few who are just starting.

The valuable lessons are still coming up from you all. Awesome!

Today's meals:

7:00am
======
Roast beef
1 1/2 Corn tortilla
Carrots
EFA
Joint repair
Multi
Black coffee

11:15am
======
Roast beef
1 corn tortilla
Celery

1:45pm
======
Turkey
1 corn tortilla
Carrots
EFA

4:30pm
======
Chicken breast
2 crepes
mushrooms, spinach, green beans
EFA

6:15pm
=====
Latte

8:00pm
======
Tofu
1 corn tortilla
cucumber and carrot
Sunflower seeds

So I had a little cheat today with the latte and the seeds. I have a big teaching schedule in the morning, so a little loading does a workout good!!
Done with cheats for this week! ;) Here's to a successful, clean and busy weekend!

Cheers,

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Eleven

I woke up pretty refreshed, despite early to train clients... today was a surprising misty morning, but finally was dry for outdoor camp in the PM. New gals, yessss! Awesome job, ladies! We had fun...

Today's meals and sitting here I am tired again. Lower energy at times this past 3 or 4 days, I think the allergies are kicking in...

6:30am
======
Turkey (can you believe it??)
Cucumber, carrots
1 1/2 corn tortillas
EFA
Multi
Joint repair

*** time slipped away with a busy and somewhat stressful morning *** did not eat until 1:30pm

1:30pm
======
Turkey (turkey'd out)
Bell pepper, cucumber
1 1/2 corn tortillas
Black coffee
EFA

6:00pm
======
Steak
1/2 baked potatoe
Broccoli, zucchini and peppers

Glad it's almost sleep time. Last night's workout plus the other two Yoga classes kicked my behind!

Recipes coming soon....

AWESOME job to the ladies surviving and benefiting from the challenge! We are almost at 2 weeks and you look fantastic and seem to feel so great, yay!

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Ten

BUSY Wednesday and ended it soooooo late that here's my entry.

7:00am
---------
Turkey
Cucumber and carrot
1 1/2 corn tortillas
EFA
Multi
Joint repair

10:00pm
----------
Turkey (again!)
Bell peppers
Corn tortilla

I actually had half a latte and it was KILLER!! Go Katie, you are the rockin-est barista!!!
Wednesday cheat! WOW

1:45pm
--------
Turkey (again!)
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes

Forgot my pre/post workout aminos!! Taught Yoga and did an awesome workout with Nakata

7:30pm
--------
Even more turkey
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes

TIRRRRREEEDDDDDDD

Cheers,

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Nine

OK, now we're talkin! Everyone seems to be lookin' like they are changing. Cool stuff! I enjoy the comments and am thrilled you are learning some lessons. Great job!

Today I got very exhausted prior to my 2:15pm afternoon snack and prior to the 6:45pm dinner. That was a bummer, but I can tell my body is really getting used to the 3 hours or so in-between meals and 4 + hours just didn't cut it today! I think I needed more food today because yesterday I had 3 1/2 classes I taught (and worked very hard) and I needed replenishment. So glad I have been bring the cooler with my goodies all day. I have been using it like crazy! Tomorrow will be a bigger cooler as I need more variety AND tomorrow is yet another day where I teach and work hard all day long!

I hit the store as I am running out of fresh veggies like fast! The prices are very high though... is it almost time to plant the veggie garden???

Today's food intake was:

6:30am
======
Turkey
1 corn tortilla
String beans

10:10am
======
Leftover BBQ chicken breast
Brown rice
String beans

2:15pm
======
More leftover BBQ chicken breast
1 Corn tortilla
Cherry tomatos
Carrots
EFA

6:45pm
======
Steak
Crispy spiced potatoes (yummy recipe is in a previous post)
Zucchini
EFA

I was so hungry for dinner I ate too fast and had 2 Tums for dessert ;)

That's it for today...

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Eight

Back to work and back out on the turf! Awesome work today from the ladies and we missed you Laura and Denise. Welcome, Jamaica!!

The day's intake was good... had to go out to eat after teaching late tonight because my microwave broke over the weekend, so I managed to do best as possible!

7:00am
======
Oatmeal pancake
Red bell pepper
EFA
Multi
Joint repair
Black coffee

10:00am
=======
Turkey meat
1 1/2 Corn tortillas
Cucumbers

1:40pm
======
Turkey burger
Brown rice
String beans
EFA

3:40pm
======
1/2 serving of chicken
Corn tortilla
String beans

5:00pm
======
Pre-workout amino acids protein

7:00pm
======
Post-workout amino acids protein

7:50pm
======
2 thin burger patties (from Wendys) with the oil blotted!
1/2 Wendys dry baked potato
Red bell pepper, cauliflower and string beans
EFA
Joint repair

I am SOO tired now after teaching 3 1/2 classes and yesterdays teaching!

The ladies looked terrific today at camp... I see some changes and the comments about how great you all feel and other notes were great!

Avocado & Asparagus Salad
=====================
This is a great light dish especially when the weather is nice. For fun, add prawns for protein!

Ingredients

1lb fresh asparagus
8 medium sliced fresh mushrooms OR 1 1/2 cups snow peas
1 medium diced zucchini
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cubed (note: avocado can be replaced by other vegetable)
1 large tomato chopped
1 medium sliced red onion
2 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions:

Steam asparagus or par-boil, drain and cool

Combine the asparagus, mushrooms, avocado, zucchini, tomato and onion and toss gently

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients (dressing) and poor over salad tossing gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate until served.

Serves 2-4. 122 cals, 4g protein, 11g carbs and 9g fat per serving

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Seven

A whole week and I feel great! I am down a few pounds since last Sunday (I peeked on the scale!) The scale is no comparison to how I feel, but still kinda fun!

Here's the day's meals (daylight savings day) and then off to snooze:

8:20am
======
Oatmeal pancake (with egg whites and dry oatmeal, splash of sugar-free vanilla)
Asparagus
EFA
Joint Repair
Multi
Black coffee

9:30am
======
Pre-workout amino acids proteins

11:30am
======
Post-workout amino acids proteins

12:15pm
======
Leftover rotisserie chicken (from grocery store)
2 corn tortilla
Carrots

4:00pm
======
Steak leftovers
Brown rice
Asparagus
EFA
Black coffee - got me too amped

7:30pm
======
BBQ chicken
Brown rice
Green beans
EFA
Joint repair

Awesome weather day and I cannot wait for the exciting, jam-packed week.

Cheers,

Beth

2-Week Challenge - Day Six

What a gorgeous day! Today's food intake is:

8:45am
======
Oatmeal pancake (with egg whites and dry oatmeal, splash of sugar-free vanilla)
Asparagus
EFA
Joint Repair
Multi
Tried Latte again, but it wasn't satisfying - stuck to black coffee

11:45am
======
Rotisserie chicken (from grocery store)
Corn tortilla
Corn
Carrots and asparagus

2:35pm
======
Chicken breast
Brown rice
Carrots
EFA

4:00pm
======
Black coffee

6:15pm
======
Steak (again!)
Brown rice
Green beans
EFA
Joint repair

Great day and finally ate 4 times today...

After a nice day like today, here is a marinade recipe for the grill or you can bake. This goes great with one of the potatoe dishes from the other day...

Mustard-Rosemary Marinade
=======================
Serves two, so again, may want to double or triple if making for the family. Use for grilling, baking or microwave. Especially good with chicken breast or turkey cutlets and the occasional pork tenderloin.

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a small, flatt gflass baking dish. Add two chicken breast halves, skin removed, turning to coat with mixture. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

To grill, shake off excess marinade and cook over medium-high flame for 30 or so minutes, avoiding charring.

To bake, cover and cook at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

To microwave, cover with waxed paper and cook on 80% power for 10-13 minutes, rotating half way through, let stand 2-3 minutes before serving.

Serves 2. 153 cals, 24-30g protein, 2g carbs and 3g fat per serving

Enjoy!!

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Five

Things are going well and the intake is as follows:

8:45am
======
Egg whites
Oatmeal
Bell peppers
EFA Joint repair
Multi
Black coffee

1:00pm
======
Turkey
Brown rice
Red peppers
Water

3:00pm
======
Black coffee


5:00pm
======
Steak
Baked potatoe
Broccoli, zucchini & peppers
EFA

All of the meals were excellent but surprisingly I didn't get in a 4th meal. Today will certainly be different. Stay tuned for todays post and another recipe later today.

How are you all doing on your challenge??? Please post comments!

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Four

Today was an excellent day and slept in late but all went well!!

Here's a short post...

9:45am
--------
egg whites
red bell pepper
oatmeal
EFA
Joint repair
Multi
Latte - but it wasn't as satisfying as a few days ago ;-(

1:30pm
---------
Leftover chicken breast
Brown rice
Red bell peppers
EFA

5:00pm
---------
Turkey meat
carrots
Tomatoes
Black coffee
EFA
Joint repair
Multi

9:30pm
--------
Protein shake (cause I ate dinner so early)

ZZZZ, ready to rest since it's vacation... but wait! A recipe for you follows...

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
====================
Makes 2 cups. I usually double or triple this recipe and save and freeze! This sauce gives the texture of a cream-based sauce with very little fat and calories! Try it on your fish or chicken... it's even good on rice (or pasta, of course)

4 large red bell peppers, roasted (roast for 15-20 mins at 400 degrees turning a few times in a pan coated with non-stick spray) and cut into strips (reserve 1/2 cup)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Roast peppers first. Then in large skillet, begin with olive oil then combine red pepper strips onion, garlic and wine. Cover and cool over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes (or until onion is very tender). Transfer to a food processor and add broth then process till pureed. Transfer back to skillet and heat until mixture is "reduced" to 1 1/2 cups, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes. Stir in reserved pepper strips and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

* Soup stock recipes are available, ask me or try Swanson's Broth, or go to Whole Foods for an organic selection

Serves 4. 40 cals, 1g protein, 4g carbs and 1g fat per serving

Enjoy!

Good luck as you approach the weekend! Looking forward to your comments. Where are your comments? :)

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge - Day Three

Things are going fine and I am all adjusted to this plan. Again, I have done it so many times that it was just a matter of telling myself that it's time to act and things then seem to work okay. I did step on the scale today, which I rarely do, and I was happy.

I got in very late last night and did not go on-line! So your blog is TODAY and then check later for TODAY's.

Still haven't had my cheat meal but am feeling a latte coming on this morning.

Yesterday's meals were fine - there was a long lag between late afternoon and late dinner snack as I was busy! It happens! Funny, though, likely because there was such a huge gap between those meals was why I very late I craved a little "something". I behaved, though!

6:30am
--------
Turkey slices
Asparagus & zucchini
Brown rice
Water
Black coffee (making it at home and saving money)
EFA
Joint repair
Multi

9:50am
---------
Leftover chicken breast
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes

11:30am
---------
Black coffee

1:55pm
--------
Leftover chicken breast
Asparagus & zucchini
Brown rice
EFA

6:00pm
--------
Post-workout protein and amino acids

10:00pm
---------
Turkey slices
EFA
Joint repair
Multi

Lots of water! Was busy and missed the dinner meal but the workout kept me from feeling the hunger. Today (Day 4) will be better. I miss having hot meals, so it will be good to do so today. The thing about packing the cooler is that everything is cold!!

CAMP Wednesday morning was awesome and the 5 of you kicked booty. It is fun for me also to hear the triumphs and also gripes about your 2-Week Challenge. I remain extremely proud to see all of your efforts!

Good luck staying active over the next several days!

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge, Day Two

ONE POTATOE, TWO POTATOE

Day Two comes to a close and it was a beautiful, sunny and a good day... I felt fine with the eating changes and, same as yesterday, feel great about taking charge! Enjoyed my old-standby-favorite of oatmeal pancakes (not the traditional, of course) and will have to go get a tiny bit more sugar free to splash in for a hint of flavor.

As I met with both camps today (AM and PM) we had conversations about how things are going and the struggles and "ah-ha" moments as well as a few surprises!!! Awesome effort... you are getting close to passing the hump of the 3rd day. Some Campers' families are participating as well to support eachother, so the stories and the lessons keep coming to surface. Great recipe ideas, too.

Please do share comments and recipes (especially those whom have already shared things they have cooked...) and things are a challenge to stay creative!

Speaking of recipes...

POTATOES ANYONE??

Maple Yummy Sweet Potatoes
========================
2lbs sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp maple flavoring (extract)
1/8 tsp rum extract
1/4 cup hot water

Scrub sweet potatoes thoroughly under running water. Place in stockpot of boiling water, cover and boil potatoes until tender. Drain. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and mash. Add cinnamon, maple flavoring, rum extract and hot water. Beat till light an fluffy!

Try with turkey and green beans for this menu

Serves 4. 191 cals, 3g protein, 41g carbs and .5 g fat per serving

Crispy Spiced Potatoes
==================
1 1/2 lbs white or red boiling potatoes
3 T olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
nonstick vegetable spray

Scrub potatoes, but do not peel. Cut each potato in half and then cut each half into 4 wedges. (Note: if potatoes are very small, cut each half into 2 wedges.)
Place potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to boil cooking potatoes for 10 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking, combine oil and seasonings into a large bowl. When potatoes are finished cooking, drain them and toss thwm while still warm into the seasoning mixture (above). Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick vegetable spray amd place the potatoe in a single layer then bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until golding brown. Serve immediately!

Serves 4 servings, 218 calories, 6g protein, 22 carbohydrates, 9 g fat.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I HAVE TRIED THEM BOTH AND THEY ARE OUTSTANDING DISHES! GO FOR IT!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following is today's intake... I got up late for a change...

8:45am
--------
Oatmeal pancake (4 eggs, 1/3 c oatmeal uncooked, splash of Torani sugar free french vanilla)
Asparagus
Water
Coffee
EFA
Joint repair
Multi

12:15am
---------
Turkey burger
Red bell pepper
Tomatoes
Water
Coffee

3:30pm
--------
Oatmeal pancake
Carrots
EFA

6:40pm
--------
Turkey lunchmeat
Red bell pepper
Tomatoes
Water

9:05pm
--------
Baked chicken
Steamed zucchini and asparagus
Brown rice
Forgot my last dose of vitamins
Ate late but it was sooo good!

Good day - clean and very boring, but not bland!! Cannot wait to have the leftover chicken and veggies! I love to have the food bagged, measured and etc in advance!

Cannot wait to do some cooking in bulk this weekend!

Cheers and good night and enjoy the day tomorrow! Keep on rockin'!!!!!

Beth

The 2-Week Challenge, Day One

It was a rough and busy weekend, but I still managed to whip up my brown rice last night (Sunday) and cook asparagus and turkey burgers...now I am WAYYY to tired to do any prep, so it's GRAB N GO tomorrow, but I have some good staples ready.

Today went better than anticipated and it seemed right to be on a "plan" of action to eliminate some of the garbage and clean up the nutrition. Had some very positive comments from a few of the gals this morning and afternoon and all I can add is...

I am very excited for you and proud of your diligence in preparing and making a great go on the first day!!

I drank 2 black coffees which was something I hadn't done for a while! I even managed later to sit in my Starbucks office and NOT do the latte. It was an Americano, plus I used the fancy-schmancy machine at home and saved more than $4!!

My day's meals consisted of:

7am
----
Turkey meat
Carrots
Brown rice
Water
Coffee
EFA
Joint repair
Multi

11:00am
---------
Turkey burger
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Water

1:30pm
--------
Turkey meat
Carrots
Tomatoes
Coffee
EFA

4:00pm
--------
Turkey burger
Asparagus
Brown rice
Water

5:00pm
--------
Pre-workout amino acids protein

7:00pm
--------
Post-workout amino acids protein

7:30pm
--------
Salmon, tuna sashimi
Steamed broccoli
White rice
Water
EFA
Joint repair

9:30pm
--------
2 cookies n creme Tums for flavor!

Not too bad for day one. Honestly, it felt good to be working towards a goal for a change and the cooler has always been a part of my day, now it's a different animal inside!

Tomorrow I am going for oatmeal pancakes as I picked up some Torani "French Vanilla" sugar-free syrup, just incase I wanted a splash of sweet!

Feel free to share your comments.........

Keep it up!

Beth

When it's Time for a Change!

Hello!!

I would like to share one of the secrets I have learned about how to boost the metabolism and eliminate a few items to re-set the furnace in the body for burning fat. This is what I do to get back on track. Combined with a consistent workout program, it is amazing how you will feel and look at the end of two weeks. It's like MAGIC Maybe you will give it a try as...

I AM STARTING BACK ON IT TOMORROW ALONG WITH MY LIVERMORE FITNESS CAMPERS!! GO LIV!!!

Here's my eating regime:

Lean Proteins	Starchy Carbs	Fibrous Carbs
Egg Whites	Potato	Broccoli
Chicken Breast *	Corn	Cauliflower
Turkey Breast *	Tomato	Carrots
Tuna	Sweet Potato	Green Peppers
Shrimp	Peas	Yellow Peppers
Grouper	Oatmeal	Red Peppers
Mahi-mahi	Cream of Rice Cereal	Mushrooms
Cod	Brown Rice	Onions
Halibut	Jasmine Rice	Asparagus
Salmon	Basmati Rice	Spinach
Swordfish	Couscous	String beans
Lobster	Corn Tortillas	Cucumbers
Shellfish		Celery
Sushi		Artichoke
Marlin		Romaine, green leaf or other green lettuce (no iceburg lettuce)
Wahoo		Zucchini
Tofu		Swiss Chard
Whey Protein		Squash

*non vegetarian

Meals are simple - I eat food every 3-4 hours. The first meal begins within 1 hour of waking up.

For each meal I pick one food from each group. It’s as simple as that. Serving sizes are 3-4 ozs for proteins and 4 ozs for starchy carbs and 6-8ozs for fibrous carbs unless it’s an item such as a potato where you I would have a medium sized one.

At first, sometime I just do equal servings of all 3 food groups. The serving sizes can be roughly the same and the I do not have to measure the amounts, but eventually my best results are achieved when when the serving sizes are as above.

The examples below are only samples of what I did and note I did not eat within 1 ½ hour before working out and ceased eating 3 hours before bed.

I drank plenty of water! Multiplying my body weight x .62 and that is how many ounces of water I needed to have per day not counting what I drink when I workout. I had to get at least 5-6 meals in per day.

One or two meals was sometimes a Meal Replacement (MRP) but I prefer and have the best results eating real food. Sometimes I ate breakfast for dinner and lunch for breakfast, dinner for breakfast, etc.

Seasonings and marinates were low in salt or salt-free, and also mostly sugar-free, and fat free except when homemade and those marinades are best.

I always take and my daily regime of:

Multi-vitamin , EFA (essential fatty acids, including fish oil)

Joint Repair (including MSM, Glucosamine, Chondroitin)

My Typical Food Journal

Here is a sample of two of what my days entail..... looks like tomorrow will be a fun day, oh, ya FUN. NO LATTE's!!! Well, at least I will have some CASH at the end of the week...

Gettin the ice and cooler ready!

DAY ONE - Meal 1

Multi vitamin/EFA/Joint Repair
Egg white omelet with 4 egg whites
Bell pepper slices
Oatmeal

Meal 2

Tofu
Peppers
Couscous

Meal 3

EFA
Chicken
Potato
Salad

Meal 4

Multi vitamin and MRP shake

Meal 5

EFA/Joint Repair
Fish
Brown rice
Broccoli

DAY TWO - Meal 1

Multi vitamin/EFA/Joint Repair
Cream of Rice cereal
Add maple extract and Stevia, if desired
Leftover steamed broccoli from the night before

Meal 2

MRP shake

Meal 3

EFA
Tuna
Rice Cakes or cherry tomatoes
Carrots and celery

Meal 4

Multi vitamin and MRP shake

Meal 5

EFA/Joint Repair
Steak
New potatoes
Green beans

* I use olive oil for cooking or an olive oil spray (at the Whole Foods Market)

* I use oil and vinegar for salad, no diet dressings, etc. I collected a tone of stuff from my favorite internet sites or recipe books for homemade dressings with an olive oil base.

* I sometimes use Stevia as a sweetener because it is real (diabetics use it) to dress up the hot cereals or sometimes splenda, but I am not a huge fan of man-made sweetners. I came up with a special pancake recipe following below that sounds odd, but is really satisfying and tasty.

OATMEAL PANCAKE
4 egg whites and 1/3 c dry oatmeal. Mix and add maple extract or vanilla extract and Stevia, pour 1 large pancake or two into a heated pan with little olive oil or cooking spray. Carefully flip over. These are good hot or cold. Sounds strange, but is filling and has a good texture. If you must use an artificial sweetner, consider “Torani Syrup” in the sugar-free version available from World Market in vanilla, hazelnut, strawberry, etc. Good!

I eat no fruit, it has natural sugars.

Dairy has natural sugar, so I give up my latte and just drank black. I had NO dairy!

I have to forgo the carbonated beverages like tonic water...but 10% of the time, it was okay! Good thing I gave up diet soda moons ago!!

I drink water, tea, iced tea, black coffee

I totally use the 90/10% rule which has no negative effects with 2 cheat meals per week, my cheat meals are Wednesday and Saturday.

Maybe some of you are interested in giving this a try!

Have a great week and I will enjoy hearing from you... feel free to COMMENT (below) on the blog or E-MAIL me at bethmidfitness@comcast.net

CHEERS,

Beth