We're back!

Summertime is winding down, and that means that our break is over and we're back to blogging! We had a super fun summer filled with friends, family and FUN! Here are a few snapshots:

When Labor Day weekend rolls around each year it signals a time for transition.  For those of us with kids it means back to school.  For others it may mean vacations, bbq's, or fun on the water are coming to an end for another year.  Whatever your transition is, the upcoming Fall season tends to funnel us into a lifestyle based more on routine than the care free summer days. 

For many of us, the same mentality applies to our health, and Fall can become a complex and emotional fork in the road.  Many people work their tails off all spring to get their summer beach body, and then spend the fall and winter resigned to the idea that its now okay to let down their guard and add a "winter layer".  Others will spend the entire summer just trying to maintain their health through camping trips, bbq's, ball games and other great summer activities and view this time of year as a time to "get the diet in check" and get down to business.  

Whatever your specific issues are, Ryan and I are here to help you create LASTING health for a lifetime.  We will help you remove the ups and downs of seasonal dieting from the equation and empower you to set yourself on the path to optimal health.  Together we can make healthy living your new routine! :) 

And now for a Delicious lean and green/healthy living recipe-

Crockpot Salsa Sour Cream Chicken

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 6oz each)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup light sour cream

Directions:
Put chicken in crockpot, sprinkle with taco seasoning and top with salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken. Place the cornstarch in a small amount of water and stir well. Add cornstarch to chicken mixture and then stir in sour cream.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with olives and tomatoes for people on Program...make pulled chicken sandwiches or tacos too!

Serves 4

Really yummy, and fast to prepare. Try it tonight!

We hope you all have a safe and Fun Labor day weekend!

Ryan and Ashley
www.fitforgood.tsfl.com

Weel 17

Happy first day of Summer! We hope you all had a wonderful fathers day! Here is a picture of my 2 favorite boys. I'm so glad that Gunnar has a father that can instill healthy habits into his life at a young age, and walk along side me on this journey to optimal health. We love you!

We've finally been able to get out and BBQ, which really expands our Lean and green options! We've got some tasty recipes for you down below that we hope you enjoy.

Ryan and Thea took sometime this week to have a healthy habits webinar, and if you haven't listened in on one of these yet, now is the time! If you already have heard one of these, listen again. It's a good tool to keep you motivated and on purpose. Or if someone you love needs health in their life,  listen with them, or send them the link. We would love to help those that you love get healthy and happy! =)
Click on this link below:
http://anymeeting.com/fitforgood/E151D78784

OK, on to some recipes.

We did Chicken kabobs, with veggies that were really tasty, and easy! I found a Walden farms sugar free BBQ sauce that tastes good, and used that in place of regular.

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
•  small mushrooms, cut into wedges
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• skewers

Directions

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. Thread the chicken, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and red bell pepper pieces onto skewers alternately.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place kabobs on the prepared grill, and brush with barbecue sauce. Cook, turning and brushing with barbecue sauce frequently, for 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

I had a simple salad on the side, and it was a nice dinner ( and easy clean up!)

Meal replacement:

Raspberry Cream Shake-

1 packet vanilla shake
6-8 ounces of cold water
3-4 ice cubes
1/2 tsp Raspberry crystal light (dry powder mix)

Blend for 15-20 seconds, or until all ice is crushed and enjoy!

Have a good week!

Week 16

Well, these last few weeks have been crazy busy, but we are finally moved in and unpacked! For the most part we have been sticking to the basics, lean and green wise, but I do have a yummy portabello mushroom recipe that you have to try- its to die for!

Summer finally graced us with its presence this weekend and it was wonderful. Many of our clients have been telling us how happy they are to be wearing swimsuits and shorts insted of feeling self concious about how they look. We love hearing things like this from our clients. Ryan and I are committed to helping people achieve the trilogy of health: healthy body-healthy mind-healthy finances. We have such a great tool to help create health for those that desire it- lets us know if you want to hear more about it.

On to some recipes-

For these, I bought the portobello mushroom caps that are already cut out and ready to be filled at safeway. If you can't find those, just de-stem and you are good to go. I also added in some minced spinach leaves into mine.
These were delish with a side salad. Give them a try!

Spicy Turkey Sausage 1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey Breast
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Tablespoon Sage
1/2 Tablespoon Thyme
1/4 Tablespoon Allspice
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper (less if you don't like hot and spicy)
1/2 Tablespoon Black Pepper


For the mushrooms:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using your hands, lightly rub each portabello mushroom with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and set on a cookie sheet. Spoon in the spicy sausage and bake until golden brown on top and the mushrooms are tender, about 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 2 lean and greens. (make sure to add in a side salad for the rest of your "green" portion)

Meal replacement of the week-


Rasberry Chocolatechip bread.

1 packet Chocolate Chip Pancakes
1 TB Sugar Free Raspberry Syrup
3 TB Water
2 TB Egg Beaters
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Preheat your sandwich maker. Mix together all the ingredients. Spray Sandwich Maker with Pam. Pour in mix and cook for 3 minutes.  Enjoy :)

This counts as 1 Medifast meal, and 1/16 lean.

Have a good week everyone!

Week 15

No blog this week due to our move :( But this means that next weeks will be extra good!

Week 14

Wow- Week 14 is here, and we are still going strong. We've been sticking to our workouts at the gym, and have decided that soon we are going to start the insanity workout (wish us luck!) Ryan and I are in the middle of a move, so we have been eating lean and greens that are fast and easy. My favorite one from this week is a delsih Teriyaki chicken dinner that you can make ahead and throw on the grill!

Our clients have had some awesome successes these last few weeks, and we are so happy that we get to help them along on their journey to optimal health! It's never to late to make that decision to get healthy. Maybe you don't even need to lose weight, but want to feel better, have more energy, or just learn better eating habits. We would love to help you along the way! Just take a few minutes and fill this out : http://fitforgood.tsfl.com/?page=client-profile . You wont regret it!

Ok and now on to the good stuff =)


Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Ingredients
2- 6 oz. chicken breasts
1 1/2 cup cauliflower
1 1/2 cup broccoli
Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Blend the marinade. Cut chicken breasts into bite sized chucks. Marinade chicken  at least 4 hours, or overnight. skewer and grill the chicken and steam veggies until desired softness.
Makes 2 full lean and greens!

This is a great article that I took from www.tsflsupportinmotion.com . *side note* This is a awesome website that you can use to track your meals water intake. You don't have to be on program to use it- Check it out.
A lot of people ask me about Medifast, if it is healthy, and how it stacks up against eating organic. This article explains it well! It's a little lengthy but definitely worth reading.



Medifast & Organic

If you’ve been reading and hearing a lot about organic foods, you may be wondering where Medifast Meals fit in with your healthy eating plan. Medifast Meals are not organic - does that mean they’re not healthy? Will eating organic make you lose more weight? Read on for some clarity on the issue. First things first Compared to the health risks of eating non-organic foods, the risks of obesity are far more serious. Going organic is a great way to fine-tune your meal plan once you’re at a healthy weight, but getting to that healthy weight should be your priority. Plus, if you’re eating organic food while you’re still overweight you may be wasting your money: If you are obese, the metabolic and oxidative stress on your body is likely to counteract any benefit you’ll get from eating organic foods. Healthy Medifast Meals Although Medifast Meals are not organic, the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan is the perfect prescription for safe weight loss. And the fast results mean that you will spend less time and money reaching your weight-loss goal. A lot of the "processing" that goes into Medifast Meals is to your advantage. Fortifying them with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber is what makes them so nutritious and so filling, and ensures that you get the same “nutritional footprint” in every Medifast Meal, whatever form or flavor you choose. Medifast Meals are manufactured to save you hours in the kitchen preparing and packaging healthy meals in appropriate portions. And, of course, while you’re on the 5 & 1 Plan, you’re retraining your body and your appetite to crave healthy fuel in normal portions. You can always look for and choose organic produce and lean proteins for your Lean & Green Meal. What a doctor says Mark Nelson, M.D., a New York cardiologist and Take Shape For Life Certified Health Coach, has this to say about Medifast Meals: "These are the healthiest meal replacements in the United States. There is simply no question about that. They are balanced carbohydrate and soy [protein], and soy is one of the healthiest proteins there is. "[They are] anti-inflammatory. There are enough vitamins and minerals for everyone. They are portion-controlled; they are pharmaceutical grade. These meals are not made by food giants; they are made by an independent manufacturing facility - the Medifast facility - that is FDA-inspected." It’s helpful to remember that being overweight or obese is a medical issue that can become serious if left unmanaged. Medifast is the perfect nutritional prescription for fast weight loss. Because Medifast works so quickly, you can reach your goal faster than you can with other weight-loss plans. Once you reach your healthy weight goal and resume eating a wider selection of vegetables, fruits, dairy, and whole grains, you can benefit from organic choices as part of your ongoing healthy meal plan.

Have a good week everyone!!

Week 13

Well, Its mid-May already and summer is really knockin' at our door now! This week we've got a great fajita lean and green recipe that we had for dinner last night and it was fantastic!

If you're new to the blog, or have been reading for a while you know my husband Ryan and I are trying to get America healthy one person at a time.  Maybe you're happy with your current weight, but you know your eating habits aren't great.  Perhaps you need to lose 100 lbs or more.  It really doesn't matter where you are now.  All that matters is where you would like to be.  When you make the choice to bring health into your life, our job is to help you make it happen safely and effectively.  If you've thought about getting more info on what we do but haven't pulled the trigger yet, go here: http://fitforgood.tsfl.com/?page=client-profile and answer a few questions.  You will thank yourself for taking the first step toward optimal health! 

Now on to this week's recipe....


Turkey Fajitas

Ingredients

• 6 oz cooked, lean ground turkey
• 3 slices green pepper
• 3 slices yellow pepper
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
• Three large leaves of lettuce
• 1 tsp low calorie salad dressing spray

 

Brown the ground turkey, and saute peppers. Place the three large leaves of lettuce onto a cutting board. Put 1/3 of the ingredients onto each lettuce leaf. Spray with dressing. Wrap lettuce around the ingredients and eat like a burrito!
Makes one Lean and Green serving :)

(This is Ryans serving = no mushrooms :)

Enjoy the sunshine this week!! :)

Week 12

First off- Happy Mothers day to all you other moms out there!! Us moms do so much, its nice to have a day that is just about us- we deserve it! And of course, here is a flash back of my pride and joy :)

Ok- Now to get to the good stuff!! We are 12 weeks in..  And it's flown by! We are one week down on our "blitz" as i've been calling it, and seeing our hard week pay off!  It's been an awesome few weeks for all of our clients as well. We love nothing more than hearing " The weight is just falling off" or " I feel better than I have in years!" We know personally how this program can change lives, and it is so fullfilling knowing that we are hepling others realize it as well. I've had to rack my brain on some new and fresh Lean and Green recipies, and decided to try one that i've heard about, but been scared to try :) So here it is...

Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce~

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground turkey (at least 93% Lean)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp fennel seeds

Mrs. Dash italian seasoning to taste

1/2 cup Walden Farms Marinara Sauce

3 cups or cooked spaghetti squash

Directions:

Combine ground turkey & spices in a medium skillet. Brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once browned, drain the fat and return the cook meat mixture back to skillet. Add the marinara sauce and stir until well. Serve over spaghetti squash.

Servings: 2 Complete Lean and Green Meals with 3 condiments.

If you were like me and had no idea how to cook spaghetti squash- Here is a crash course.

Start off by poking 8 to 10 holes on each side (front and back) of the spaghetti squash. (I found that the easiest way to do this is by using a metal skewer and just jabbing that thing in there.)  Place the squash on a mico safe plate and micowave on high for 4 minutes.Turn squash over and microwave for another 4 minutes. If needed, turn the squash over and cook for 4 more minutes.  A large squash will take about 12 to 14 min to cook while a small squash will take about 8 to 10 min. It is done when you can stick  a fork in it. It should be tender and not mushy. Slice that thing in half and scoop out the seeds and middle strands out with a fork. Next, scrape the inside of the squash with a fork all the way to the skin. Get all that good stuff out of there. Serve with your Meat sauce on top, and enjoy!

Okay.. Im so excited about this meal replacement!! I can't believe that I have been missing out on these little nuggets this whole time!!

Tomato soup sandwiches

First off- If you don't have one, go to target and pick up this sandwich maker- Its 10 bucks and you will thank me later.

You will need..
1 packet medifast tomato soup
2tbs of salsa (low carb, low sodium)
1/4 C egg beaters

Mix it all up in a bowl it will be slightly thick.
Pam your sandwich maker and pour the soup mixture in.
Let sit for 3-5 minutes.. Unitll it is slightly brown.
Half once slice of low fat, low carb cheese and put on 2 of the 4 pieces of "bread"
Put the top half of the sandwich on and cook untill the cheese is melted
Enjoy!

This counts as one meal replacement, and 1/8 of your lean and green :)
Last but not least, make sure to come out to our healthy habits night on Saturday, May 14th at 6:00.  The event will be at the Tigard Marketplace Starbucks at 13560 sw Pacific hwy in Tigard (in the Bi-mart parking lot).  If you've had questions about the program you've wanted answered, this will be a great opportunity to learn how to begin your own weight loss journey.  If you are already on program, you'll walk away from the event re-energized and happy you came.  For more info, don't hesiate to call 971-340-8348 or email me ashley.ballard27@gmail.com  We hope to see you there!

Week 11

We are 11 weeks into our program and still going strong! Ryan & I have made the decision to kick it up a notch and get back into a good 4&2 routine (4 meal replacements/2 lean & greens) for 2 weeks, and really get after it! Side note- If you are hesitant about getting on program because you don't want to give up your workouts, 4&2 is always an option.  This is an example of how together, we can come up with a program that works for you!
 As we mentioned before, we were in transition- But we're going to hit the gym hard, and do what we do to get maximum results! :) Since we are going back into strict lean and green mode, im going to share what we plan on having this coming week, rather than what we had.



Portabella Mushroom And Buffalo Steak Stir-fry

1C  Portabella mushrooms chopped into bite sized pieces
1C Broccoli crowns cut up into small chunks
1C Red or green bell pepper cut into strips
14 oz (1lb) Buffalo steak cut into strips about a quarter inch thick
Hot sauce to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Two teaspoons of olive oil
Cooking Instructions:
Sauté the broccoli crowns first until tender, then add the rest of the ingredients and cook on medium high heat while constantly stirring. Cook until the meat is done to your liking.
Add more hot sauce to your taste. Makes 2 full lean and green meals.

This sounds so good!! You can add any kind of veg you like-these are just my favorites!

Meal replacement

I don't think that I have shared this one yet, but this is one of my favorites =)

Rootbeer Float

1 packet Medifast French Vanilla shake

1/2 cup diet root beer soda

1/2 cup ice

Pour ingredients in blender and mix until smooth.


Let this weekend's sunshine serve as a reminder, summer is just around the corner.  If your health is not where you would have liked it to be at this point in the year, remember, there is time to make significant strides in lowering your body weight before the summer months arrive.  Take control of your health today and get in touch with Ryan or myself! Enjoy your week :)



Week 10!

Happy Eatser everyone!

 This is the first year that Ryan and I have made it through a holiday weekend, without the main focus being food! We truly are living the habits of health. We don't have to stop ourselves from not eating the candy/cake etc.. It just comes naturally now :) And if you know me well, I have just about the worst sweet tooth out there, so for me to be able to do this, really, anyone can!! It was nice to have so much more time to just enjoy ourselves, and have fun with Gunnar, and our family, and not be mindlessly munching on snacks :) And just for fun here is a glimpse of the fun we had this weekend.

Ok, on to some recipes-

I got this recipe from another lean and green site out there, and tweeked it a little. I love tuna fish, so I thought I would give this a try, and why not get rid of some of the hard boiled eggs we have around here.

Tuna Melt

 Mix together:

2 cans water packed and drained tuna
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
2 Tbsp light mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
2 diced dill pickle spears
1/8 tsp black pepper
dash of sea salt

Divide mixture in half. Place each half in a mound on a Pam sprayed cookie sheet and top each with one slice of  low fat Swiss cheese. Bake at 350 until the cheese is nicely melted.

Makes 2 servings. Each serving equals one "Lean" Medifast portion plus 1 Fat and about 2 condiments. We havd ours with a green salad, it was tasty!

(No picture-sorry!)

Chocolate Cookies

1 packet Medifast Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
1 packet medifast Chocolate Pudding
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons sugar-free Cookie Dough Syrup
1/8 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. When mixed add the wet ingredients to the dry. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Place balls of dough onto a non-stick tray. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack when finished cooking. 2 servings.



These were delish.. Even Gunnar loved them :)

Now that we're past easter, summer time seems just around the corner.  There's still plenty of time to lose some weight and be on the path to optimal heath before then.  Talk to Ryan or I soon and we'll help you get there!

Week 9

Hey everybody!

Ryan and I are excited to be starting the transition portion of our program this week.  This means we will be gradually increasing our calorie intake, and infusing some different types of foods such as fruit, dairy, and whole grains back into our diet.  This process is what separates Take Shape for Life from any other weight loss plan out there :)  You get to a healthy weight, and your given the skills and knowledge to maintain your optimal health! 

We're only a week away from Easter and we've got an "egg-celent" egg and broccoli lean and green recipe for everybody.  With all of the tempting treats that tend to show up this time of year, we use the stop-challenge-choose method to steer clear of foods we don't want going in our bodies.  If you are unfamiliar with this method, ask me about it! I'd be happy to share it with you.

Broccoli Bake

6 cups of broccoli
4 cups of egg beaters
8 oz of low fat mozzarella cheese (3-6 g of fat per ounce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor (or blender) add broccoli, egg beaters and cheese. Puree. Spray 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray. Pour in mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This recipe makes 4 servings. Each serving is 3 green servings and 1 lean serving.
Calories: 300, Fat 9.5g, Carbs 12.5g, Protein 42g

This is so fast to prepare, and sooo good!

Meal replacement of the week!If you love chocolate covered coffee beans, you will like this one!
Ingredients:

• 1 MF Chocolate Pudding
• 1/2 cup Cold Coffee
• 3 Ice Cubes
• 1 packet Via instant coffee
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 tbsp. Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup

Blend all the ingredients together and throw it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Ryan and I attended a good friend of ours' 30th birthday party this weekend, and it was a great reminder to us that for some reason being healthy is so often viewed as a product of youth, and its a given that it will rapidly decline as we get older.  That couldn't be further from the truth!!! No matter what your age is, you  attain optimal health.  Make today the day you choose to get healthy! Get in touch with us, and we will help you do what it takes to get you there!!!

Happy Easter!
Ryan and Ashley

Week 8

We got our first (and rather short) peek at this sun this week, but it was a gentle reminder that summertime is just around the corner! It was so nice to get Gunnar out on his bike, take the dogs for a run, and still have the energy to get everything else done!   Ryan is itching to get grilling season started, but we're not going to jump the gun on that just yet.  This is week I've got another tasty lean and green meal that's best when made indoors :)  I've also got some great fruit filled cookies for your kids to enjoy on those rainy spring days! 

 

Broccoli Chicken Dijon

 

1 pound chicken breasts (boneless skinless) cut into strips

1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

3 cups broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

In a bowl, coat chicken with soy sauce, marinate 30 minutes.

Saute broccoli, garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and cover to keep warm. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Stir-fry chicken 4 to 7 minutes or until cooked throough. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in mustard until blended. Return sauteed broccoli to skillet. Mix until heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes 2 lean and green meals!

 

 

 

If you have a hard time getting your little one to eat fruit like I do, try this recipe! These looked delish, and of course my child will never turn down a cookie :)

 

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

 

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup stone ground whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 apple, cored and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F . Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, honey, egg and vanilla until smooth. Combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats and apple. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. And enjoy!

Watching our trees and flowers begin to bloom reminds me that Spring is a time for new beginnings.  Make the choice today to give yourself a new beginning, by choosing to adopt habits of health into your life.  Ryan and I are always ready to help you do just that. Call, text, or email any time!

Week 7

Hi everyone!!
We just wrapped up week 7, and are feeling good, and seeing great results! Ryan met his original weight loss goal of 30 pounds (imagine carrying around an extra 30lbs!! Thats like a small child!) and has now decided to lose 10 more because it has happened so fast! Im back in the gym now and feeling amazing. running is now so much eaiser on my knees and joints without all that extra weight on me! Every pound you weigh is worth four pounds of pressure on your joints, so dropping even just 10 lbs can make a big difference on every step you take. 

Since we're almost 2 months in, we decided to play around with the camera today and track our progress via before and after pictures.  We had a good time with it, and we also realized we've come a long way in a short amount of time.  While there is no end of the road to optimal health, it is important to stop and realize successes you have along the way.  Feeling good and having more energy is more important than how you look on the outside, but I know Ryan was more than happy to say goodbye to his extra chins once and for all!

Okay, on to a Lean and green for the week!

Beef and Broccoli with Cauliflower Rice

2 servings of raw beef sirloin cut into strips (I used 14 oz to yield 10 oz cooked for 2 servings)
Mix the meat with 1.5 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce and let sit for 15 minutes. Then toss it into a nonstick pan on medium high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. I seasoned this with a bit of black pepper and garlic powder... just a few shakes. Set aside.

Add 1.5 cups of raw broccoli florets (cooks down to about a cup), 1/2 cup water, and a packet of Splenda. Cover and cook until broccoli is tender/crisp, 4-5 minutes. Add beef back to the pan and heat through. Split the dish in half for two servings.

To make cauliflower rice:
Take a head of cauliflower (or less if you prefer) and cut it into florets. Put them through a ricer, shredder, food processor, or grate by hand on a cheese grater. It will look like rice. Add a spoonful of water, put in a glass dish and cover and microwave for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Or, you can steam it til soft. Don't overcook it or you'll have mush!

For one meal, use one cup of cooked cauliflower "rice" topped with one portion (half recipe) of beef and broccoli. This equals one complete Lean & Green meal with 3 condiments. Enjoy!

(Sorry no picture :( It's good though! I Promise!)

Meal replacement of the week...

Chocolate Crunch Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1 Brownie Mix

1 Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bar (or flavor you would like!)

3 tbsp water

Directions:

Combine brownie mix with 3 tbsp water and set aside. Place the crunch bar in the microwave for 20 seconds on high until it is slightly melted. Add the crunch bar into the brownie mixture until blended. Place the mixture into two separate ramekins or on a plate sprayed with cooking spray. Microwave for 2 minutes.

2 Meals

 

YUM!!!

The sun poked its head out this week, which was a good reminder summer is not too far away.  Make this the week you decide to adopt habits of health.  If you need help getting there, just call, text, or email any time.  We are always ready to help!

Have a great week!

Week 6

Hey everybody!

We've been going strong for 6 weeks now, and we're continuing to learn more and more about how to make this program work for us.  We are also doing our best to find new and interesting things to try for our lean and green meals.  While its fun to experiment and try new foods, if you're ever experiencing a slow down or plateu in your weight loss it may be time to strip it down and keep it simple. Good old fashion chicken breast and spinach salad for a couple of days can do wonders to get you on track.  With that being said, never forget to take the time to enjoy your own journey and have a good time with it!

Shiraki Noodle bake
Ok these things REEK when you open the package. I mean like really stinky, but don't let it scare you away!
I saw an article about how the key to getting delicious Shirataki noodles is in the pre-preparation of the noodles before you throw them into a recipe. Let me share the miracle with you:

1) open the package and dump the contents into a colander/strainer over the sink.
2) Rinse with warm water. Drain. Stir. Rinse some more. Drain. Rinse and rinse. Repeat.
3) Toss the drained noodles into a pot of boiling water. Stir. Let them boil for 3 minutes.
4) Dump them back into the colander to drain.
5) rinse again with warm water, and drain very thoroughly.

There! Done! While it might sound tedious, it's not. It takes about five minutes and you now have "pasta" that is basically flavorless and odorless and has only 20 calories per serving! It's worth it.

Now for the recipe. This is so yummy and fits lean and green standards!

Shirataki Noodle Bake

Prepare one 8-ounce bag of Tofu Shirataki noodles as described above.

Brown 4 to 5 ounces of 98% lean ground turkey, season to taste.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan mix:
1/4 c canned diced tomatoes with only a little bit of their juice
1/3 c  No Sugar added tomato sauce
1/4 c chopped mushrooms (I used baby Portabellas)
1 clove of garlic, minced
 some freshly ground black pepper
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
 Mrs Dash Spicy seasoning, for heat

Let this simmer for about 5 minutes and then throw in the Shirataki noodles and ground turkey. Stir. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until it isn't watery, but more saucy. Dump it into a baking pan (I used a glass cassorole pan). Top it with 1/4C grated skim or soy mozzarella cheese. .

Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes so the cheese is melted. Enjoy! (Makes 1 serving!)

Meal replacement of the week is...
Chocolate cookies!

• 1 packet Maple Oatmeal
• 1 packet Hot Cocoa
• 2 packets Splenda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsps SF Chocolate Syrup (you may add more to flavor it more)
• 1/4 cup of water (give or take – work with it to find the right consistency)

Mix the dry ingredients together first. Next, add the wet ingredients. Slowly add the water and stir as you go. The consistency should be thick and sticky, like the scones or drop biscuits. Drop batter onto Pam sprayed cookie sheet. I made 6 nice sized cookies easily. Cook at 400 degrees for 8-9 minutes.
This makes 2 meals of 3 cookies each, share with a friend :-)


If you haven't started working on your summertime body, don't put it off any longer! Contact me today!!

Enjoy your week!

Week 5

Spring is here, and thank goodness we are well on our way to our summertime bodies! Ryan and I are so close to our goals that we can almost taste it, we are definitly in the home stretch :)
 This week has flown by, but I did have some time to play around with lean and green recipies, and have a few that im excited to try in the upcoming week. My favortie this week was turkey burgers, and squash fries.

Turkey Burgers and squash fries
You will need
Cubed butternut squash (costco, in the veg section)
extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
iceburg lettuce
tomato (or whatever veg you like on your burgers)
1 lb (14oz) 99% lean ground turkey.
Mrs. dash seasoning

For the squash
Preheat oven to 425
In a ziplock bag measure out 3 teaspoons evoo and Mrs. dash seasoning to taste
Measure out 2 cups of the cubed squash into the ziploc bag
Seal the bag and shake around so that the squash is covered in the evoo mix
Pour onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning fries over 1/2 way thru.
Fries are done when the edges start to brown. (I like mine a little bit crispy so I cooked them a little bit longer)

For the burgers, we use 1 lb of 99% lean ground turkey.  This will make about four 3.5 oz burgers.  Cook either in a frying pan with a small amount of water, or you can broil depending on your preference.  Season with Mrs. Dash and pepper to taste.  Wrap in iceberg lettuce, and add a touch of dijon mustard for flavor if you like.  Makes 2 lean and green meals!

Very filling, and tasty. Ryan says he would choose these fries over real french fries now!

Meal replacement of the week is....
Chocolate chip cookie dough pudding!
I bought some sugar free cookie dough flavored syrup from Cash and Carry its super delish! Just add it to chocolate pudding, and enjoy! YUM!



Instead of a kid friendly recipe this week, I decided to post a little info on drinking water, and how it relates to weight loss.

What’s the best way to feel fuller, wash away toxins from your body, and increase your energy?  Have a nice glass of water. Better yet, for Optimal Health, try having half your body weight in ounces or more each day.

Drinking plenty of water is a basic Habit of Health. The body loses water not only through perspiration and urine, but also from breathing.

 According to Dr. A’s Habits of Health, water makes up between 55 and 60 percent of your body weight, and you can’t make it yourself; you have to drink it in. Every function of your body needs water to work. Water is what moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies, and oxygen through your bloodstream and lymphatic system.

You may not know it, but by the time you’re actually feeling thirsty, your body is getting seriously low on water. If you only drink when you’re thirsty, you don’t have enough water in your system to keep functioning at your peak. Keep it up, and you may find yourself getting headaches, or feeling more distracted or fatigued than usual.

And it’s no wonder: When you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys can’t adequately filter and eliminate toxins and byproducts of metabolism. As Dr. A puts it, your body is forced to recycle dirty water, diminishing the efficiency of every metabolic function.

Keep bottles of water with you when you’re exercising, and sip continually throughout your workout. If you’re exercising strenuously in a very hot environment, try water enhanced with electrolytes to replenish potassium and other minerals that you’re losing through heavy perspiration.

Water is essential for those working toward a healthy weight. A recent study showed that drinking two 8-oz glasses of cold water could increase a person’s metabolic rate by 30 percent for 90 minutes. In addition, often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty, and a glass of water will take the edge off our appetite. A nice big water bottle filled and refilled throughout the day-can help keep your body (and your healthy eating plan) in top form.

Here are a few facts I found:

• Cravings are really a sign that your body is thirsty. So when you feel a craving coming along, reach for your water.  It’s the cheapest, safest appetite suppressant there is.
• Your initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water and that is why you need to drink a sufficient amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• When your body starts burning calories, it needs an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume and this causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles which can make you feel tired.
• Burning calories creates toxins in our bodies (think of the exhaust coming out of your car).  Water plays a vital role in flushing these toxins out of your body.
• Drinking water before and with a meal makes you feel fuller and will make you eat less.   However,  drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated, our bodies need protein, sufficient calories and nutrients. (All of which can be found in each of the Medifast Meal Replacements and in your Lean and Green Meal)

I can't say it enough times.. Drink water! And when you think you have had enough, drink more!

We have just 3 months until summer is here! Are you ready to get healthy and lose those extra pounds before swim suit season is here?? Email me, I would love to help!

Enjoy your week :)

 

Week 4

Well, week 4 is done and we are both well on our way to our weightloss goals! Ryan is down 23 pounds, and im down 12! We are both feeling great, and have so much energy. Its amazing how much better you feel when you are putting the right stuff into your body, and living the habits of health!

I was sick this last week, so sadly I didn't get to creative with the cooking, but my favorite meal was "turkey dinner". I bought some yellow crookneck squash, and turkey cutlets.I also had some cubed butternut squash leftover from another meal. I baked the squash as follows

1 cup (roughly 2 small squash) yellow squash
1/2 cub cubed butternut squash
1 chicken bouillon cube
spray butter
pepper (or whichever seasoning you like)

Turkey Dinner

Cut squash in 1/2 lenghtwise. Place squash cut side down in a large shallow baking dish. Dissolve bouillon in hot water, pour over squash. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn squash and spray with butter and season to taste. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until squash is tender.
As I said, I had leftover cubed butternut squash that I got from costco, it was super tasty in with the yellow squash! It really satisfies the carb craving :)

For the turkey, I placed the cutlets (14oz) in a pam sprayed frying pan on medium heat and cover for about 7 minutes on each side. Since lean poultry can dry out in a hurry, make sure to watch carefully and adjust time based on thickness. Season to taste and you've got a little taste of thanksgiving!

I did get a chance to make some super delish medifast cookies! They went perfectly with a cup of coffee for a late afternoon meal!

• 2 packets of MF vanilla shake (or shake of your choice)

• 1 packet of splenda ( gives a little sweet kick)

• 1 tsp of baking powder (more than most, but really helps “puff” them up)

• 1 – 2 tsp vanilla extract (or extract of your choice – amount depends on your taste)

• 2 – 4 ounces of water 



Mix dry ingredients with a wisk, then add the water slowly. Don’t pour in all the water at once, add it slowly at first and then add more as needed. You want to get a “dough” that is the consistency of paste.


Spoon the cookies by tablespoonful onto parchment paper covered baking sheet (or spray baking sheet with cooking spray). You should get about 4 good size cookies or 6 medium size cookies.


Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. For an extra kick you can sprinkle the tops with splenda and cinnamon for a “snickerdoodle” effect.

I followed this recpie, and they came out great! I only had to add about 3 oz of water, and it made 8 small cookies, though.  Makes 2 MR's.



 And lastly, the favorite kid friendly recipe of the week! These are vegan too! (sorry, no picture!) But they looked divine.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Spelt flour bakes into a slightly darker cookie , whole wheat pastry flour is slightly blonder - more traditional in appearance in the end. Finish the cookies with chopped nuts or a sprinkling of flaky salt. I'd also recommend seeking out a peanut butter that is well combined, and not super-oily (extra slick) looking - to avoid problems with the cookie batter.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup organic, chunky natural peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place racks in the top third.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. It's a loose batter, so if you're set on doing criss-crosses, go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step. Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy your week!

Ashley

Week 3

I did it! I got half way to my goal this week! I will have my summertime body in no time :) As of today, I am down 11 pounds, and Ryan is down 20.5. We both have decided to push past our orginal goals, and lose a few more because the process has been so easy and the pounds are just melting off!

 My favorite Lean and Green of the week was a super tasty "scramble"

You can find these sausages at costco, and I highy recomend you try them! Lean and Green approved, and so delcious.

Sausage Scramble

1 Sausage (1/2  lean)
1 Cup Egg Beaters ( 1/2 lean)
1/2 cup mushroom
1/2 cup tomato
1/2 cup brocoli
 ( you can use whatever veggies you like-these are just my fav)

Cut up all your veg, and sausage in advance
Pour egg beaters in a pam sprayed pre heated skillet
add in your veg and sausage when egg beaters are almost firm
fold veg and sausage into the egg beaters until warm

I added hot sauce to mine, and it was delish!

One of my favorite meal replacements of the week has been a "Via Shake" Or as Ryan and I call them our "Love Shake" We share them, I know, cute right?
Via Shake

1 packet Chocolate pudding

1 packet dutch chocolate shake
1 packet Starbucks Via (we use decaf at night)

Measure out 10 oz water, pour into blender. empty your pudding, shake and via into the blender. Add ice and blend! Makes 2 MR's. So tasty, it reminds me of mocha ice cream :)

And my sons healthy favorite of the week..? Banana chocolate chip pancakes! Another sneaky chef recipie :)

These have hidden applesauce, wheat germ, and almonds :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Week 2 recap

Week 2 on program  is done, and the pounds are melting off! Ryan is down 18, and im down 8. I expect to be halfway to my target by mid week, so I'm going to reward myself with a H&M shopping trip (you have to celebrate the successes!!). We've had a lot of fun playing around with different Lean and Green recipes this week, and I posted my favorite below. I also picked up the book "sneaky chef" to start making more healthy options for my son, and we've had a lot of fun with that! I posted his favorite of the week down below as well.

Cauliflower pizza

Crust:
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (1/8 Lean)
3/8 cup skim shredded Mozz or Mexican 4 cheese variety for a harder crust (3/8 lean)
1 cup Fresh Cauliflower chopped up in food processor (2 greens) *steam it first *

 Mrs. Dash italian seasoning to taste

Mix together and put into a sprayed (make sure you spray well!) foil pie pan.  Pat down so it all sticks together.

Bake 15-20 min at 450 till it starts to turn brown then flip it over and bake another 10 minutes.

Top with
2 tsp sugar free Pasta sauce ( 2 condiments)
1/2 cup low fat shredded Mozzarella cheese (1/2 lean)
1/2 cup of veggie (1 green)

Place it under the broiler just till the cheese melts

I tweeked the recipie a little and added a little Morningstar farms sausage crumbles, and less cheese  for my "lean" portion.. So scrumptious!! Totally satisfied my carb craving and 100% lean and green approved :)

Our goal also is to teach our son healthy habits for life, so I tried out a "sneaky chef" pizza recipie which has sweet potatos, carrots and white beans-And he loved it! (If you would like the whole recipie, I will email it to you, I guarentee your kids will love it as well!)

Who knew pizza could be so healthy (and good)!?!?

My favorite meal replacement of the week was a "neapolitan" shake! SOOO YUMMY!

1 packet strawberry shake

1 packet chocolate pudding

4 pumps sugar free vanilla syrup

 Ice

8-10oz of water

Blend and enjoy! Makes 2 meal replacement shakes. Ryan and I have these at night as a sweet treat :)

If you want to look and feel good for when the sun comes out ask me how!! Email me with any questions! Ashley.ballard27@gmail.com

Week 1

Well, here it is.. The first blog of many to come, on our journey to health! Let me first explain how this came about, and then tell you what you have to look forward to every week :)
Many of you know that Ryan and I have been Yo-Yo dieters. As soon as Jaunary rolls around we start hitting the gym hard, and dieting like crazy. We know that in about 4 or 5 months we have to be in a swim suit, and all those holiday cookies left some extra pudge on us. Then as the summer ends, we go back to our old habits and the cycle starts all over. This year, we decided to go a different route and try Take Shape For Life, a program that we had heard about from our good friends (and now our health coaches) Doug and Thea.
 A couple weeks ago we got in touch with them to find out how to start the process, which brings us to where we are now! We have been on program for a week, and at our weigh in this morning Ryan was down 13 pounds, and I'm down 6 ! Talk about a success! The best part is, not only are we losing weight, but we are learning the habits of being healthy for life.  Ryan and I are both so impressed with this program and all it has to offer, we have made the choice to become health coaches ourselves, and help our friends and family get to optimal health, just as Doug and Thea have done for us.
 So, this is my goal- Every week I will update this blog, and give you all some delish Lean and Green recipies (yes, they do exsist!) and some tips on making tasty Medifast meal replacements. Also, I will update you on Ryans and my weight loss journey, post pictures, and all that fun stuff :) My hope is that if you have any questions about getting healthy for yourself, or any of your loved ones, ASK!
Thank you for being a part of this amazing process with us,
Ashley