Amazing Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

Cauliflower “Fried Rice.” Make this. Trust me.

People ask me all the time if I follow a low carb diet. The answer is absolutely not. I prefer to think of it as a "smart" carb diet. For example: I eat lots of fruit. You know what is in fruit? Yep, carbohydrates. But the they are carbs your body can recognize and use to fuel your day. Do you know what is in that breakfast cereal bar you just ate? Probably not, unless you studied the label, but I can guarantee your there was a plethora of carbohydrates. The problem comes about when those carbs are actually factory created chemicals that smell good and look good, but are completely unrecognizable to the human body.

 So, yes, I choose to be as educated as I can about the food that goes into my body, including the sources of carbohydrates I include into my diet. I'm smart about them, But, no, I don't avoid them. There are definite times and places where grains make the recipe. Throw up your hands and rejoyce! This is not one of them. You'll never miss the rice. We actually told a little fib at dinner and told the kids this was just like the fried rice they love from our neighborhood sushi restaurant. They both ate an entire bowl and never once balked at the taste or texture of the cauliflower. Victory!

Anyway, needless to say I loved the way this turned out. I'm even planning to meal prep it next week for my lunches. 

As a little tip...You’ll want to marinade the pork for several hours or overnight. So make sure you allow yourself time for that. It’s a worthwhile step. Other than that, this recipe couldn't be easier. 

Here you go:

Marinade Recipe: In a zip lock bag combine the following-

3tsp minced garlic

2tbsp Tamari or Low sodium soy sauce

1tbsp dried minced onion flakes

1/4tsp black pepper

1tbsp sesame oil

1tbsp rice wine vinegar

1lb boneless, center cut pork, chops sliced into small thin pieces.

For the stir fry:

1tbsp sesame oil

2-3 tsp minced garlic

1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

1c green sweet peas, I used frozen

3 scallions, finely chopped including stems

1c of shredded carrot

2 large eggs

For the “Rice”:

2 bags of pre-washed cauliflower florets or a large head of fresh cauliflower. Wash if necessary.

2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Begin by ricing your cauliflower. Place the contents of one bag or ½ a head of cauliflower into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until it is the consistency and size of grains of rice. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Repeat with second bag or second ½ of the cauliflower.

In a very large pan, warm 1tbsp sesame oil over medium heat and sauté onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic carrots, peas and scallions and cook until carrots have softened.

Next, push all the vegetables to the perimeter of pan and add the pork and marinade. Cook the pork thoroughly, but do not incorporate the vegetables until the pork is fully cooked, about 4 minutes depending on how large or small you cut the pieces of meat.

After the pork is fully cooked, combine it with the veggies by stirring gently and once again push the meat and vegetables to the outer edge of the pan. Crack one egg at a time into the center of the pan and season with salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs and incorporate them into the mixture.

You are ready for the final step. Retrieve your riced cauliflower and pour the entire bowl into your sauté pan. Before you stir, top the cauliflower with 2-3tbsp low sodium soy sauce and then stir to mix all the ingredients evenly. No need to really “cook” the cauliflower, just warm it through. 

Garnish each serving with 1/4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

*I also added a sprinkle of dried red chili flakes to my rice. I did not include this in the recipe because I prefer to keep my recipes more child-friendly. Personally, I think great either way, but the heat from the chilies is really tasty.

Hope you enjoy it!

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

It is no secret I'm in love with my Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oatmeal. I've been eating it every morning for months, but every now and then it's good to change things up. Fall fruits are my favorite to mix with oats...pumpkin, apples, raisins, cinnamon...its like having dessert for breakfast. I even joked with a friend today that I wake up every morning looking forward to breakfast...like skip the snooze button to get to the fridge and heat up my breakfast look forward to it. Plus, its little gift from heaven when the peanut butter gets all melty and gooey over the top of the oatmeal. Trust me, its amazing. I hope you love these as much as I do. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 large apple, any variety (I prefer Jazz or Fuji)

2 tbsp reduced sugar Craisins or raisins

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 packet of Stevia

¼ tbsp apple pie spice

2/3 cup old fashioned oats, not instant or 5-min oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 scoop of Whey protein, vanilla or cinnamon flavor

3/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

½ cup cottage cheese, 2 or 4% but not fat-free

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

2-3 tbsp real maple syrup

2 tbsp natural peanut butter or almond butter

*2 servings

Method: 

1   1. Clean and chop apple into small pieces, approximately 1/2 inch cubes .  Warm coconut oil over medium heat and add chopped apple, craisins/ raisins, apple pie spice and stevia.  Cook until apples are softened, but not mushy. Remove from heat and set aside.

2   2. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well.

3   3.  Divide oat mixture between two air-tight containers, such as mason jars.

4   4.  Top each jar with ½ the cooled apple mixture and refrigerate overnight.

5   5.  In the morning, warm oats for 1 minute and stir well. Microwave for an additional 20-30 seconds and stir again. Top with 1 tbsp of almond butter or peanut butter and enjoy.

Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan

When I think of my favorite comfort foods, there seems to be a few reoccurring themes. Evidently I really like cheese and fried goodness. This recipe for my Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan skips right over the bad fried part and goes straight to the melty, cheesy goodness. I love this meal because I can get it to the dinner table in about a 1/2 hour and I feel like I'm getting a really indulgent meal with out a lot of effort in the kitchen or miles to run afterward.

Here is what you'll need for chicken:
1/2c Plain or whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp dry parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4c Egg substitute or 1 egg, well beaten
1c pasta sauce. I like Wild Oats Organic Sauces
1c Part-skim Mozzarella cheese
1lb Chicken breast strips or thin sliced chicken breasts

For Salad:
6 c Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
1tsp olive oil
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1tsp stone ground mustard
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

For zucchini:
3 medium zucchini
1tbsp olive oil
1 tsp finely minced garlic (I like Spice World Minced "squeeze" garlic)
Salt and pepper to taste

Here's how to make the recipe:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Set up your breading station: Line a pan with parchment paper or foil. Next, place the beaten egg or egg substitute in one bowl and the bread crumbs in another. Add garlic, parsley and 1/4tsp salt and 1/4tsp pepper to the bread crumbs and mix.

2. Dip each piece of chicken or breast strip in to the egg and let excess drip off. Next dip into bread crumbs, lightly pressing to help crumbs stick. Place on baking sheet.

3. Place the baking sheet in the oven. For these strips, the cooking time is approximately 20 minutes. For a larger breast, allow upwards of 30 minutes.

4. While the chicken cooks you'll want to prep your side dishes. For the zucchini:
Rough chop the zucchini while you heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add zucchini, garlic and salt and pepper to the pan and toss to coat with the olive oil. Cook until tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. For the salad: Add lettuce to a large bowl with a tight lid. In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, lemon juice and seasonings and mix well. Add salad dressing to the bowl and place lid on the container. Shake to distribute the dressing. Immediately divide into serving bowls and top with black pepper.

6. After your chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and set oven to broil. For these strips I grouped 3 strips together and topped each serving with about 1/4c of mozzarella.

7. Return the chicken to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and begins to brown.

8. Heat sauce in a small sauce pan or microwave. Move each portion to a plate and top with 1/4 of the warmed sauce.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family does. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions!

Quick Roasted Potatoes

Even with the very best meal plan in place, real life often intervenes and and that gorgeous but time-consuming meal you had planned gets replaced by a conference call or trip to the pediatrician. That is why it pays to have a few tricks up your sleeve and a few bags of frozen steam-able veggies in your freezer.

My family loves roasted potatoes, but the traditional method takes 45 minutes to an hour. On school nights I need dinner on the table in the shortest amount of time possible and on our busiest nights 45 minutes for a side dish is out of the question. That's where this recipe comes in to play. You can still have the crispy, oven-roasted potatoes you love...in about 20 minutes.

Here is what you'll need:
Fingerling potatoes or new potatoes, about 4oz per person. 4 servings = 1lb of potatoes.
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp dry parsley
1/4tsp garlic powder, or more to taste
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp black pepper
non-stick spray
Press and Seal plastic wrap

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Clean and rough chop the potatoes into small pieces and place in a large microwave safe bowl. 

2. Toss with olive oil, then add seasonings and mix well until evenly coated with seasonings and oil. I find it easiest to do this with my hands instead of a spoon.

3. Cover bowl with Press and Seal wrap or cling wrap and microwave on high for 7 minutes for 1lb of potatoes. Reduce microwave time for smaller portions.

4. Carefully pour microwaved potatoes into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Arrange potatoes in one layer and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once half way through cooking to brown potatoes on all sides and prevent them from sticking.

5. After 15 minutes, stir once more, and set oven to broil. Continue cooking on broil for 4-5 minutes, keeping a close eye on your potatoes. You want them browned, not burned.

6. Remove from the oven and taste for "doneness" and season if needed. We had these delicious potatoes with steamed green beans and (bunless) Morning Star Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burgers topped with cheddar cheese.

There you have it. Quick roasted potatoes with slow roasted taste. Enjoy! Feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

Perfect Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

I'm a big fan of any weekly menu plan that uses the same protein for more than night of dinners to feed our family. This recipe fits the bill perfectly. It tastes great as is as the main protein on your plate or with a few simple additions, its the perfect filling for pork enchiladas, tacos, soups, BBQ sandwiches, Hawaiian pineapple pork, Italian pork sandwiches and whatever else you can dream up. Dang, now I'm thinking how great this would be on a salad with pear, pecans and Gorgonzola cheese. We need more meals in a day...am I wrong?

This recipe is one I often recommend to folks new to food prepping. Mainly because it couldn't be any easier. When I started meal prepping I would often feel overwhelmed by the process because it seemed like too many elements to juggle and keep strait. Was that chicken for lunch or dinner? Did I put the garlic in the right dish? That's the beauty of this recipe. You put the pork tenderloin in the slow cooker, top with the seasonings, add the vegetable broth and forget about it. In fact, leave the lid alone. It is cooking, I promise.

Here is how to make the recipe:

First of all, I highly recommend using a slow cooker liner when you make anything in your slow cooker. It makes clean up a breeze and saves you a lot of soaking and scrubbing especially when you're making chili or dips. Back to the recipe-- Place your pork tenderloin in the slow cooker and liberally salt and pepper the meat then sprinkle evenly with the remaining seasonings.

Add vegetable broth and cover. Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours. Prepare for your house to smell amazing.

Regardless of the size of your tenderloin, you really need a relatively small amount of liquid to cook the meat. As you can see, even fully cooked, there is still plenty of liquid and I feel that cooking the meat in too much liquid changes the texture of the tenderloin in a not-so-great kind of way.

After the tenderloin is fully cooked, remove it from the slow cooker, reserving the cooking liquid. Shred the meat with forks while it is still hot. It should fall apart easily. 

After you've shredded the meat pour 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid over the shredded pork and give it a little stir. You are ready to eat! Serve it up or portion it out for lunches for the week.

And here is the best part. When you are done, just lift out the slow cooker liner and throw it in the trash. Occasionally there is some minimal clean up needed even with the liner, but usually I can just do a quick rinse and its done.

Here's the Recipe: Perfect Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
1-2lb pork tenderloin
salt- season liberally
black pepper- season liberally
1/4tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp cumin
1/2tsp dry mustard
1/2tbsp dry parsley
1c vegetable broth

Cook on low 5-6 hours

Moderation, schmoderation...

All things in moderation...I think that's pretty much the way to eat. Except when you are on vacation, which is exactly where we've been. I had thoughts of sticking to my goals of clean eating and working out while we were at the beach, but you know what? The beach is made for swimming and sun and FRIED FOOD.

For the most part I try to avoid fried foods, but on this trip I decided all bets were off. If you are going to fall off the wagon, best to open your eyes and jump on off, right. Everything was just as amazing as I imagined it would be. Living in a land locked state, we don't get to enjoy fresh seafood very often so on this trip, I did. Every night. In all its glorious, batter-dipped golden goodness. Fried shrimp, hush puppies, fries...fry it, I'll eat it. Let's just say I also ate something called a "cheese log." Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking it is...a fried, melty, heart attack on a plate.

My husband and I managed a couple of two-mile runs while we were there...moderation in all things, right... but for the most part we took a full-on break from life and it was just what our family needed. Rest, Eat, Repeat.

There was one noticeable difference in this trip from the other vacations we've taken. By the end of our time at the beach I found myself actually craving my routine, a solid workout, an UN-breaded vegetable. I'm realizing the changes I've made aren't just changes anymore. This is me now and I've got to say, I like it.

It would be a total lie to say all this reckless abandon didn't have it's negative side. Of course I had to know the damage I'd done so the morning after we got back I made sure to strip off every ounce of clothing, ponytail holder included, and stepped onto the dreaded (surely incorrect) scale. Yep, just as bad as I imagined it would be. I know logically it's not possible to gain 6 pounds in a week unless you are literally eating Crisco, but that's what the old girl said. I'm pretty sure it was the truth since I stepped on and off the scale three times just to make sure it said the same thing every time.  I know I'm not the only double/triple scale checker! I chose to call it water weight and move on.

We've been back nearly a week now and I'm still up a few pounds over my pre-trip weight, but the truth is as much as I hated seeing a higher number on the scale than I've seen in months, I would do it all again the exact same way. I know I feel better and work harder when I'm eating a clean diet, but finding out both my daughters love fried cheese was adorable and sharing those cookies and cream ice cream cones with them tasted even sweeter than usual. We made memories that wouldn't have been the same if Mommy "will just have a salad" and skipped dessert. In the big picture I still see it as moderation. It was one week out of many.

I ran across this old picture of Matt and me and I was reminded of how far we've come. I used to really believe in the quote, "Never look back unless you are planning to go that way." But for me, looking back is the best way to keep moving forward. The picture on the left...pure motivation.

Some Days Are Like That...

Yesterday was a rough day in the motivation department for me. I went into Monday knowing my week would be a little thrown off due to a hair appointment, returning a favor to my sweet neighbor by hanging out with her little boy, and a doctor appointment for my youngest, so I had tried to kick up my weekend workouts to compensate. That was rough in itself. I usually reserve the weekends for family time and try to squeeze in exercise by taking family walks at the park or chasing the kids around, but I decided to go for it. Saturday I ran a few miles and then hit the cardio machines and Sunday I ran a couple miles and did a Body Pump class to get in some weight training.

So, back to Monday...The extra time I put into the gym over the weekend evidently kept me from putting clothes into the washer because all the workout clothes I was looking for were in the dirty clothes. My options are more limited these days. I'm happy that a lot of my workout wear is getting too big, but replacing it is expensive and hasn't quite made it to the top of my to-do list. Ordinarily I'd just pull on whatever still fits and get moving but I was planning on doing a Yoga Sculpt class. It's a new class I just started a month or so ago and I love it...or love to hate it, I'm not really sure. Basically it is sixty minutes of yoga in a 100 degree room with hand weights and three very intense bursts of cardio. During those bursts, I'm quite sure I may fall over dead at any second, but thankfully just when I think that moment has arrived, the burst is over. Since it is so dang hot in that yoga studio what you wear really does matter. I ended up in a pair of long, loose yoga pants which was basically the worst thing possible since they weigh ten pounds by the time you've sweated the kind of drenching sweat this class creates. So...I was off to a bad start.

After finally finding pants to wear, I got the girls in the car and listened to my older daughter give a full narration on who she would see at the gym today. She is always ready to go to the gym. In fact, she is usually my biggest cheerleader. I had already planned on getting in a short run, maybe a mile, before class so we headed out about a half hour before yoga started. Last week I ran a mile before class and felt like being a little more warmed up help me acclimate to the heat a little better and in that class I need all the help I can get.

We are lucky to belong to a gym that has really great childcare...like an indoor climbing maze, basketball courts and a staff that actually takes time to learn the kid's names and greet them personally. She loves going to play with her "gym friends" and today was no exception. When we got there I put the baby in the nursery and walked my older daughter to the basketball court where all the older kids were playing. I scanned the court and realized we were the first of her little group to get there, but usually that's not a big deal. I opened that gate to let her in and BAM. The switch flipped. She was a clinging, teary-eyed mess. It just wasn't like her. I got down on her level and looked her in the eye. She had huge tears welling up threatening to spill over at any second, but she couldn't tell me what was wrong. That's also not like her...this girl is never at a loss for words. She finally came up with, "I think I just feel a little tired." She looked down at her shoes and when she looked up her eyes finally overflowed and my heart sank. I wanted to cry too when I looked at her sad little face.

In the past I've been able to simply step out of sight and she moves right on. It was worth a try. One of the teachers tried to give her a little hug to distract her as I stepped out, but she erupted into full on hysterics and I knew it was time to go. As we headed toward the nursery to get the baby, one of the nursery staff stepped out of the room and saw us. She calmly talked to us and asked if maybe a few minutes in the nursery with little sister would make her feel better. Thankfully, she agreed that it would. I handed her over and stood outside the door waiting for tears, but thankfully none came. I left the childcare area fully expecting a phone call that she needed me and that my workout would be short today. By then I think I was actually hoping for that call. Those moments in the basketball area had drained me and left my heart heavy. I have always felt that choosing a healthy lifestyle is as much mental as it is physical and my mind was checking out for the day.

I walked to the locker room and contemplated quitting before I even got started, but after making it through that scene in childcare I knew I had to do something to make this trip worthwhile. I headed up stairs to the track, turned on my music and stop watch and started to run. The first mile went by surprisingly fast. As I was finishing my sister called. I knew I should stop if I was going to do that class, but as I listened to her talk I kept on running. Whoops.

When I got into the yoga studio class was just about to start and it was HOT. We weren't even through the warmup and I already knew I felt off. I moved into my first downward dog and something weird happened. As I moved into the pose with my head hanging upside down, I tried to swallow. You know, like you do 10,000 times a day. Except when I did, it was like gravity took over and it went to my sinuses instead of my throat. I could literally feel an air bubble or whatever it was traveling up my sinus cavity toward my eyes...and yes, I'm still hanging upside down in my downward dog pose. It was similar to the sensation you have when you accidentally snort pool water, except searingly painful. I was trying to blink away the pain but even after we stood up I had what I guess I would call a sinus headache. I went on with the class, the sweat dripping and burning my eyes..I was so ready to bolt out of there.

By the third cardio round I had about all I could take. As we squat jumped and burpee'ed our way through that burst I was suddenly so light-headed that I could only think one thought. I had to get out of that heat ASAP. Out in the hallway the relief wasn't instantaneous, but I could feel my pulse slowing down and I had, thankfully, lost that panicked feeling. As much as I shouldn't have, I felt a little better that two other folks had to take a breather the same time I did. I know, shame on me. I headed back in knowing the class was nearly over and felt like it would be a shame to quit with only a few minutes left. Class ended and as I tugged my saggy, soaking-wet pants up for the thousandth time, I realized I did feel better for having made it through. I didn't quit even when I really wanted to.

By the time I went to collect the kiddos, it seemed like the incident from earlier was long forgotten. I asked her if she'd had fun and she gave me a resounding "Yes!" and asked if we'd be back tomorrow. The answer was actually no, since momma needs a rest day and some fresh hair color, but I was relieved that she was over whatever had made her so sad earlier.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty smooth, but after dinner my sweet tooth kicked into overdrive and I knew I was going to eat something, so it might as well be fun for everyone. We headed down the the street to our favorite little frozen yogurt shop and had dessert. While we were there I decided to bite the bullet and find out how may calories I was really eating. I was pretty pumped when I found out the no-sugar-added vanilla I usually eat only has 80 calories per 3oz. I had it topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, so all in all, not too bad as far as dessert goes. It hit the spot and I'm pretty certain after that yoga hell I endured earlier, I earned that fro-yo!

What I try to remember on days like yesterday is that everyone has an off day. You can choose to push through it or you can choose to start fresh tomorrow, but you can't choose to give up. There is some quote out there about how 80% of being successful is just showing up. Sometimes it only takes something as tiny as putting on your tennis shoes to spur you on to a good workout. The longer you sit on the couch and think about the other things you could do instead, the further you will be from your goals and the more overwhelmed you will feel. Everyday that you feed your body what it needs and get moving is a day to be proud of. Progress takes time, but the workout you do today will show one day soon. It took me months to get to a point where I could look in the mirror and see things changing, but I could feel them long before that. Give it time. Be kind to yourself. Think happy thoughts. And when you need motivation, lace up your shoes and get moving---even if it's only for five minutes. My guess is that once you get started, you'll finish and feel better for having stuck to your plan.

Sometimes it just takes a little reminder of what you've accomplished. Here is the picture that keeps me going right now. What a difference a year makes...

                                              April 2012 vs April 2013

Got questions? Comments? Let me know...I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Dinner in Gym Clothes

When I started posting a picture here and there of what I was eating for breakfast or had made my family for dinner on my Facebook page, I never expected to get the response that followed. That response is what inspired me to begin "Dinner in Gym Clothes." I hope to show you that eating in a healthy, nutritious way doesn't have to be hard, time consuming, or bland. And likewise, the gym does not have to be tedious, painful or boring. In my personal experience, making the time for both of these in your life will change more than your pant size. Although I would be lying if I said weight loss was not a major motivator in this journey toward a healthier life.

 Here is a little back ground: I have never been a particularly thin person. As a child I always remember being the "big" girl. Although I was athletic and kept busy with softball and bike riding, I more than made up for it in brownie eating and Dr. Pepper drinking. By junior high, I knew I wanted to make a change, but I didn't know how. It was so difficult, as a 13 year old, to be so proud to have made the cheerleading squad only to realize the very real fear that there may not be a uniform to fit me. I never felt the stinging words of bullies, but I did feel the shame of watching my mother sit behind a sewing machine trying to figure out how to move buttons and alter uniforms to get them to fit. I spent my junior high years always on the bottom of the pyramid but I was on the squad and that was what was most important to me.

In high school I lost weight and was finally happy with my body. What I failed to learn during that time of weight loss was how to lose weight in a healthy way. I ate a severely calorie restricted diet often consisting of one small bowl of cereal for breakfast, half a sandwich for lunch, and a can of green beans for dinner all while keeping up a hectic schedule of high school softball practice and games, cheerleading practice and games, and daily trips to the gym. I think I always knew I needed to be eating more, but I was constantly scared more food would mean I would once again become the "big" girl. If only I had known then what I know now, right?

After high school, I fully indulged in college life and loved every minute of it. I was able to keep my weight under control despite living in a sorority house with a cook whose favorite meals always included gravy. Hello, Chicken Strip Tuesday! Thankfully, I made good use of the university's gym facilities and long walks across campus to my classes.

The real problem began after I got married and became what many folks call "fat and happy." Except I was far from happy. I told myself I was being a good wife by putting three course meals on the table every night and making pancakes every weekend, but the truth is I wasn't doing either of us any favors. I had let my weight get to a point where I could no longer button my “fat-day” jeans. I couldn’t go on telling myself the pants in my closet were fresh-out- o-the-dryer-tight...these jeans were just too small. My husband and I went on the South Beach Diet, which was huge at the time, and quickly lost weight. It worked, but living la vida low-carb was tough and it wasn't a permanent solution for us. We both gained a few pounds back but we were both happy enough with our weight to try to go back to "normal" eating, whatever that is.

Fast forward four years to the birth of our first daughter. I gained 60+lbs by eating a steady diet of burgers and fries, cookies and my favorite custard ice cream filled with Oreos and heath bars. Was it delicious?...of course! Was it incredibly hard to lose?...absolutely.  I was able to keep my weight gain down with our second baby, gaining under 30lbs. Losing the weight the second time wasn't any easier, but with 30 less pounds to lose than the first pregnancy, it didn't seem as daunting.

Seven months after my second baby I had lost my pregnancy weight, but it was abundantly clear that my body needed a tune up. I had been back to the gym since the baby was 8 weeks old, but I wasn't putting much effort into my workouts. I would climb on a cardio machine, Kindle in hand, and do the minimum it took to break a sweat then go home and make a convenient dinner. These meals weren't completely devoid of nutrition, but we were eating far too much pasta, boxed/processed meals and fried restaurant dinners.  I was tired, stressed, hungry and worst of all, not getting the results I wanted.

The holidays and my birthday had the scale creeping back up but I refused to let it ruin the holidays. I did what so many of us do and vowed to make a change...after New Year’s, of course. I've made plenty of resolutions in my life, but this time I vowed to keep it…and you know what? I did.

That brings us to today. In the past months I have developed a passion for working out and a new love of cooking.  My number one goal is to raise a happy and healthy family, but I fully believe you cannot take care of the ones you love if you are not taking care of yourself. That has to include getting your body moving, but like I talked about before: getting a workout is important, but no amount of working out will take care of a bad diet. Eating Clean does require some effort, but the rewards are amazing. I rarely, if ever, need ibuprofen or Tylenol now which is a big change for me. I have far more energy which allows me to push harder in my workouts. I feel like I can handle stress better. And lastly, the little fact I am most proud of…I have lost 20+ pounds since January 1^st. I truly feel that changing my food intake has been the catalyst for all these changes and that motivates me to stick with it.

Now, the disclaimer: Am I a nutritionist? No. Am I a personal trainer? No. What I will share with you in this blog is simply what is working for me and my family right now. Will it change and evolve? I hope so. That being said, let’s be realistic. I am a mom of two little ones. Life can be crazy. It can get hectic. Kids get sick and I may eat an entire bag of Cadbury mini eggs. Life goes on. I start each day striving to do my best, but realize balance is the key. While I’ll try to give you the best advice I can, there will still be Easy Mac in my pantry and I’m sure there is a pizza somewhere in my near future.  Eating well and working out is something I strive to do, but it is not more important than being the best mom, wife, sister and daughter that I can be. This is my journey to living a healthy, happy life.  I hope you enjoy reading it. Welcome to Dinner in Gym Clothes.