Tag: FIXATE

Wedding Soup – FIXATE

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I’m always looking for healthy recipes that feed my family. You are probably on the lookout for the same ones; do not take a lot of preparation BUT taste delicious! The extra wedding soup was shared with my parents – which they let me know was excellent. A big thank you to my dad for trying the foods I cook and for being honest with how they taste!

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 6 cups spinach, cut into bite size pieces (*I lightly packed the measuring cup – added close to 8 cups)
  • 20 Italian meatballs (*If smaller size meatballs – add more to the soup)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
  3. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
  4. Add broth; bring to a boil.
  5. Add spinach; reduce heat to gently boil; covered, for 10 minutes. I used more than 6 cups of spinach. You could use other greens such as Swiss Chard or Escarole.wedding-soup2
  6. Add meatballs; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. For this recipe, I used frozen meatballs that were baked for approximately 15 minutes in the oven before adding to the soup. I baked the meatballs in the AM and made the soup in the afternoon.
  7. Combine eggs and cheese in a small bowl; mix with a fork to blend. I did add additional Parmesan cheese to the soup when served; 2 TBSP was not enough for my family!
  8. Slowly pour egg mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly. Gently boil until egg bits are just set (as you stir), about 30 to 60 seconds.
  9. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately or reduce heat to low to cook more until ready to serve.

Each serving would equate to 2 green and 1 red if following the color coded container system. The recipe makes enough for 6 servings.

The color coded containers and the FIXATE cookbook are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

wedding soup, FIXATE, Clean eating, healthy

Chicken Noodle Soup – FIXATE

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On Saturday, my daughter and I sat down together to come up with the meal plan for the week. Looking through the pictures from the FIXATE cookbook she immediately pointed to the soups. Chicken noodle soup was her choice and we decided to make it today. Perfect for a chilly day and this recipe does not take much effort to prepare, but tastes delicious – a win for this momma. We set aside approximately 10 minutes in the morning to cut up the carrots, onions, and celery. The chicken for this meal was frozen so we placed water in a pot and boiled the chicken on medium to low heat. Once cooked, the chicken was shredded with a fork. The extra shredded chicken will be used for chicken fajitas later in the week!

chicken-noodle-soup2

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 cups celery,  sliced (about 4 medium stalks)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups chicken, cooked & shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced (about 3 medium)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups pasta
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
  3. Add broth, pasta, chicken*, carrots, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. *I like to prepare chicken in advance for the week by boiling in water. Once chicken is cooked – shred chicken with a fork. For the chicken soup recipe, I cut up all of my vegetables and boiled the chicken in the morning. Late in the afternoon, I prepared the chicken noodle soup per the recipe.
  4. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for another 10 minutes.
  5. Add cilantro before serving.

Each serving would equate to 2 green, 1 1/2 yellow, and 1 red if following the color coded container system. The recipe makes enough for 4 servings.

The color coded containers and the FIXATE cookbook are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

fixate, 21 day fix approved, chicken noodle soup

Peanutty Peanut Butter Squares – Fixate

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This momma is always on a mission to find healthy snacks that my daughter and I can make together. Now that my son is almost 10 months old…he is joining in on the baking fun too! I purchased the FIXATE cookbook to help take the guesswork out of my nutrition plan. There are large colorful pictures to compliment each recipe – I’m a big fan of the pictures when it comes to cookbooks! There’s so many amazing recipes in this book ranging from Gluten Free to Paleo to Vegan and Vegetarian. Not to mention each recipe indicates the seven color coded container equivalents per serving. We all know that nutrition plays a huge role in helping each of us achieve our fitness goals. It’s not a matter of figuring out what to eat; it’s also a question of figuring out how much to eat. Of course, I was excited to see the desserts included in the FIXATE cookbook and I couldn’t wait to make the Peanutty Peanut Butter Squares with my kids. A definite win in our family!

peanut butter, FIXATE, 21 Day Fixed Approved

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Lightly coat 8 x 8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Combine peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, eggs, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl; mix well.
  4. Evenly spread batter into 8 x 8 inch baking pan; smooth top with a spatula.
  5. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Squares may be a little soft when coming out of the oven, but they will continue to cook. The cooking time using my stove was closer to 27 minutes.
  6. Allow to cool and then cut into squares.

Each serving would equate to 1 yellow and 2 1/2 spoons if following the color coded container system. The recipe makes enough for 16 servings.

The color coded containers and the FIXATE cookbook are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

FIXATE, family baking, peanut butter

 

 

 

Country Heat – Week 3

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Week 2 is a wrap and week 3 of Country Heat started this morning! So stay tuned for all the updates and videos on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66). I would like to take time right now to reflect on week 2 as well as share my workout and nutrition plan for week 3 with you. Remember this is a process of changing old habits and replacing them with new ones. It is not always going to feel seamless!

Workout:

Week 2 was the first time that Dance Conditioning was on my workout schedule. This is a nice mix of dance cardio and traditional moves such as abs, lunges, and bridges. Every routine has me sweating and looking forward to the next! These workouts are my ‘ME’ time and life sure seemed more stressful than usual last week. The added stress did not allow my immune system to stay on point. The result was a cold and very tight neck muscles. I would catch myself often clenching my jaw and it took a few days until I could relax. Here are things I do to combat a cold and to feel like myself again:

Ways to Overcome Cold

I’m looking forward to week 3 and being able to breathe easier during my workouts without this cold! My workout schedule for week 3* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 3 Schedule

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Here are some tips this week if you are finding it difficult with nutrition/meal preparation:

  1. Carve Time Out To Develop Meal Plan: Pick a day of the week (weekend or week day) to determine the food items that are going to be part of your meal plan broken out into breakfast, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, and dinner. You can find me developing my meal plan on either a Sunday or Monday. The day can fluctuate based on your schedule, but it is important to set time aside each week.
  2. Meal Preparation: There are certain tasks that you can do in advance to make preparing food less time consuming on you. So you developed a meal plan, used the meal plan to make a grocery list, and shopped…now what! There are certain tasks based on your meal plan that can be done in advance for the week ahead.
    • Portion out snacks into containers or zip lock bags. This way they are available for a quick grab and go or can easily be placed in a cooler bag for wherever the day takes you.
    • Broil chicken or brown ground meat; store in an air tight container.
    • Chop vegetables; store in an air tight container together or separate by vegetable type.
  3. Set Goals: Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish this week? These goals should be specific to what you are going through and make the time frame achievable. Be sure that these goals are visible to you! WRITE THEM DOWN! Here are some example goals that I use for my nutrition:
    • I will drink 1/2 by body weight in ounces of water this week.
    • I will measure my food in the portion control color coded containers this week…let’s face it…we can become relaxed and get off course. Back to the basics helps me refocus.
    • I will take 15 minutes every single day to clear my mind this week. I like to break this 15 minutes up into 3 mini mind breaks! I’m not looking at my phone or checking email.

Country Heat - Week 3 Meal Plan

If you would like to join my Back to School – Back to You accountability group there is still time. We kick things off on August 22. If you have been thinking about making a change or if you are like me and let the summer fun in the sun get the best of you…do not just give up. The time is now to jump back on the horse and JOIN ME! You always find time for the things you want the most…why not make your health and wellness a priority?!

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

 

Country Heat – Week 2

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Well I officially finished my first week of Country Heat! So here is an honest review of my first week as well as my plan for week 2. Tomorrow starts week 2 so stay tuned for all the updates and videos on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66).

Workout:

The workout calendar is 6 days a week. There are 2 new workout routines each week to learn; the same workout routine for 2 days in a row and then alternate on days 5 and 6. For week 1, the first workout was Country Swing. I am still shocked at how much I sweat during the workout and was sore in my core and legs. Giddy Up was the second workout and there were some moves such as Wonky Feet that caused me to try and try again! Again, the focus was on my abs and lower body during this workout. The Country Music in the background of the workout makes the time go fast and before I know it…I’m dripping sweat!!

My workout schedule for week 2* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 2 Schedule

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Below is my meal plan for the upcoming week if you would like to check out what I will be eating. Meal planning can seem complicated so my best piece of advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and DO NOT OVER THINK. Try your best to not worry about complex recipes as I have found recipes with a few ingredients allow the meal planning process and grocery shopping to go smoother. I’m a big advocate to use what you already have in your pantry or refrigerator before buying more groceries.

Nutrition is extremely important to your success and people often give up on meal planning before even trying. Please take time to read through the nutrition guide that comes with your fitness program rather than jumping into the exercises without ever reading the nutrition guide. If you are finding it difficult or really are not sure how to start, then please ask. There are meal plans on my site that you can look at for guidance and then start substituting food items I have for food items you enjoy (i.e., a vegetable for another vegetable your family will eat). I started meal planning where my dinner options were a piece of chicken breast (1 red), brown rice or quinoa (1 yellow), and green beans (1 green). The more complex you make this process the harder it is to learn how to eat healthy and in the proper portions. Your goal is to eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism up. Your food is your fuel.

I have been asked if I stick to my meal plan 100%. Most often I do stick to my meal plan; however, there are times where I will swap my AM snack and breakfast. This is completely okay! The whole point to this journey is progress not perfection. Let’s make this meal plan happen!!

There are tracking sheets on the Team Beachbody website so that you can check off the boxes when you eat the color coded containers throughout the day. This way you will visually be able to see that you are eating balanced meals throughout the day.

Country Heat - Week 2 Meal Plan

If you would like to join my Back to School – Back to You accountability group there is still time. We kick things off on August 22. If you have been thinking about making a change or if you are like me and let the summer fun in the sun get the best of you…do not just give up. The time is now to jump back on the horse and JOIN ME! You always find time for the things you want the most…why not make your health and wellness a priority?!

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

Country Heat Image.jpeg

Stuffed Peppers – FIXATE style

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Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:

  • 4 medium bell peppers, cut in half with seeds removed (or 8 medium bell peppers, tops cut off with seeds removed)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 to 1/2 pounds of meat (grass-fed beef, locally raised chicken, etc.)
  • 1 tsp ground chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
  • 1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 TBSP fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Place bell peppers, skin side down, in a large baking dish; set aside.
  3. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add onion; cook for 4 to 5 minutes stirring frequently or until onion is translucent.
  5. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute
  6. Add meat of choice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper; cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently or until meat is no longer pink.
  7. Add tomato sauce, quinoa or brown rice, black beans, and lime juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through.
  8. Add a heaping 1/2 cup of meat mixture to each pepper half; cover light with foil.
  9. Bake for 35 minutes or until peppers are tender; remove foil.
  10. Top each pepper evenly with cheese and bake for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  11. Enjoy!

Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro, salsa, or even red hot (if desired).

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 1 green container, 1 yellow, 1 red, and 1 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Zucchini Lasagna

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This time of year we have a lot of zucchini (green and yellow) that is produced from our garden. I first attempted this recipe where a thin layer of ricotta mixture is placed on a slice of zucchini and then rolled up. That didn’t exactly go as planned; the zucchini slices must be very thin for the recipe to work. I decided to make zucchini lasagna instead of zucchini roll-ups! I have to say that this way is less time consuming, a refreshing switch from traditional lasagna, and the zucchini tasted delicious.

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INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

  • 2 (15 oz.) containers ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1-2 TBSP Oregano
  • 1-2 TBSP Parsley
  • Sea Salt, dash
  • Pepper, dash
  • 1 jar of marinara
  • 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced approximately 1/8″ thick or smaller
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, egg, garlic, sea salt, and pepper.
  3. Spread a thin layer of marinara into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  4. Place one layer of zucchini in the baking dish and then layer on top of the zucchini the ricotta mixture followed by the marinara. Repeat this step until zucchini and ricotta mixture is used completely up. You might have left over marinara.
  5. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
  6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake until bubbly. Approximately 30-35 minutes.
  7. Remove foil and bake until golden brown. Approximately 10-15 minutes.
  8. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  9. Enjoy!

This recipe I will often pair with another vegetable such as green beans. Also, another option is to cook ground meat and simply layer as you add the zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and marinara to the baking dish.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 2 green containers, 1/2 red container, 1/2 purple, and 1/2 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Country Heat – Week 1

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Country Heat - Facebook Cover

Country Heat is for customers with a beginner or intermediate fitness level who are looking to lose weight and get in shape with a fun, dance cardio workout program paired with an easy portion-control nutrition plan. Each Country Heat workout is 30 minutes or less with no complicated moves. I just wrapped up the 21 Day Fix Extreme program and Country Heat caught my interest as it is a break from lifting weights. I’m blown away how something so fun can leave me dripping in sweat! A bonus is that the workouts are to the hottest country music around! My official launch challenge group starts tomorrow August 1st. Spaces are limited and there is still time to join! The cool thing is that when the Country Heat & Shakeology Challenge Pack is purchased, customers have a free 30 day trial to the club membership so that they can start streaming their Country Heat workouts on Beachbody On Demand. *Please just make sure that I am your coach before you make your purchase.

1.  EMAIL me at Melissa@LLHealthyFit.com with your order confirmation # and let me know that you would like to be in the Country Heat Test group.

2.  Make sure we are connected on Facebook by messaging me on

3.  Lets get this party started!  I’m so excited!

Workout:

The workout calendar is 6 days a week. There are 2 new workout routines each week to learn; the same workout routine for 2 days in a row and then alternate on days 5 and 6.

My workout schedule for week 1* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 1 Schedule

*I will be following the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Nutrition:

In the nutrition guide there is a formula that you can use to figure out your calorie range and your nutrition category. There are 4 different plans to choose from based on your weight and goals. Your food is broken down by 7 groups:

  • Veggies
  • Fruits
  • Proteins
  • Carbohydrates
  • Healthy Fats
  • Seeds & Dressings
  • Oils & Nut Butters
Country Heat Portion Control Containers.jpeg

The secret to success is in the nutrition!

 

I love that for each group there is a list of foods along with serving sizes for each food. So your goal is to choose from each list and put together your meals each week! If you are new to meal planning, please do not stress. I am here to help you! I always say to keep it simple, repeat meals that you enjoy, and do not over complicate things. Once you get the hang of the meal planning and preparation then you can start to change up the recipes.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Country Heat - Week 1 Meal Plan

If you would like to join my Back to School – Back to You accountability group there is still time. We kick things off on August 22. If you have been thinking about making a change or if you are like me and let the summer fun in the sun get the best of you…do not just give up. The time is now to jump back on the horse and JOIN ME! You always find time for the things you want the most…why not make your health and wellness a priority?!

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

The Value in Meal Planning

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Meal planning is an important piece of the puzzle! If you choose not to attempt meal planning, you may find yourself leaning on excuse after excuse and that will not get you anywhere. I try to meal plan for the entire week and that includes weekends. Here are some reasons that I choose to meal plan:

1. Nutrition – I am able to eat balanced and healthy throughout the day. I use the concepts from the 21 Day Fix nutrition guide. It provides for a solid foundation for eating balanced as well as portion control. You will notice that my meal plans incorporate the count of each color coded container based on my calorie range. There is no such thing as counting calories or points; think healthy and simple!

  • Red: Protein
  • Green: Veggies
  • Purple: Fruit
  • Yellow: Carbs
  • Blue: Healthy Fats (avocado) and Cheeses
  • Orange: Nuts and Dressings

2. Money – I end up saving money by not buying all of the boxed processed foods. It will depend on your budget whether you choose to buy organic or not. Regardless, you will be eating healthier. There is less food wasted as a result of planning my meals.

3. Efficiency – I know exactly what I need when I go to the grocery store ahead of the time and this eliminates the need to go back to the store during the week. I focus on buying only the ingredients required to make each recipe since many of the ingredients you may already have in the pantry.

4. Simplicity – My dinners do incorporate more variety for my family; however, you will notice that breakfast, snack 1, and snack 2 may be consistent from day to day each week, but this is something that is easy for me as it relates to shopping and prepping. Each meal plan will vary depending on if you are only feeding yourself or if you are using the meal plan to feed your entire family. It will also depend on whether your kids are in school or not, etc. This is where we can spend more time and talk, individually, to further help you meal plan!

5. More Time for Family – I find that overall, I am less stressed during the week as I know exactly what there is to eat when I meal plan. Less time is spent cooking dinner and more time is spent together as a family; we have time to talk about our day or catch up on what happened in our daughter’s life.

Be prepared and you will be successful!

Tips:

  • Plan a crockpot meal on your busy day(s)
  • Chicken can be boiled and shredded on Sunday; then use for your recipes during the week
  • Allow for one cheat meal each week
  • Mashed up avocado in place of mayonnaise on burgers
  • Pay close attention to ingredients; especially High Fructose Corn Syrup
  • Eat frequently throughout the day (Breakfast, AM Snack, Lunch, PM Snack, Dinner)
  • If you are going on a road trip then pack a cooler with smarter food choices. Apples and almonds are a great on the go snack.
  • Drinking your shakeology before an event or running errands will help you avoid temptations!
  • Start meal planning by using recipes that you know that you enjoy and then each week browse Pinterest or my website to add a few new recipes. Keep the recipes that you enjoy in a binder or saved to your computer.
  • If you get in to a rut then always try to think simple. Perhaps steak and broccoli for dinner. If you did not eat all of your carbohydrates for the day then add some brown rice and make a stir fry!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!