TOP 5 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR BUSY MOMS

1. Find 15-30 minutes EVERY DAY for yourself to de-stress. Everyone can find 15-30 minutes per day of down time. Make it a point to give yourself some ME time. By taking time to yourself, you can allow your body and mind to de-stress. Hormones play a BIG role in weight management. Increased levels of stress will lead to higher levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol will make you crave those delicious little snacks that lead to weight gain. Therefore, by simply taking the time to de-stress, you lower your levels of cortisol and reduce your appetite and cravings, leading to weight loss. 

2. Stock your fridge and pantry with convenient, healthy foods. It's easy to grab a Chewy bar or Peach Cobbler Yoplait Yogurt when you're late and still trying to get the kids ready, but if you're trying to lose that pesky belly fat or hip fat, it isn't a smart choice. Oftentimes, we shop for kids and family and not ourselves. Take the time to buy a few extra items for mom instead of eating whatever is fast and easy.

3. EAT MORE! This is especially important if you're exercising. You can not starve your way to a healthier, better looking body. By not eating consistently throughout the day, you put your body into starvation mode. When this happens, your body hoards any fat it can get from the food you do eat, so it may feel like you're hardly eating, but still gaining fat! Our bodies are smart and adapt to our diet. If you're trying to live on incredibly low calorie diets, your body will wise up and hold onto the few calories it does get. In addition to that (as if that isn't horrible enough!), by starving yourself you increase stress thus increasing Cortisol (cravings anyone?). You'll feel cranky, unmotivated, tired and you'll sleep worse! So what do you do? You eat a healthy amount of food. The key is to eat healthy foods, not convenient foods (see number 2 for ideas). Fuel your body appropriately and it will take care of itself.

4. Learn about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). If you're a busy mom looking for exercise tips, this is your bread and butter. HIIT packs an hour on the treadmill into 20-30 minutes. Numerous studies show the benefits of HIIT - increased fat loss, muscle definition, decreased cravings, lower blood pressure, lower risk for heart disease, and more. 

5. Get a routine. Finding time to exercise becomes a lot easier when you and everyone around you knows when you're going to do it. Try to find a time first thing in the morning, or right after you drop the kids off, or right after you put the kids to bed. By finding a time that works for you almost every day, exercise becomes a habit. You unconsciously start planning around your exercise time instead of trying to fit it in here or there. The same goes for everyone who knows about it. By making it clear that this is your 15-30 minutes to exercise, those around you unconsciously start to work around that time. Getting into a routine and building an exercise habit is very important when you're busy with other things, especially if you're a busy mom trying to lose weight.

There you have it! Those are five of my best tips about weight loss for busy moms. Follow those as closely as you can and you will start to see changes in your mood and your body!

PIYO SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

21 DAY FIX SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

CIZE SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

LIFT, EAT, SLEEP ...REPEAT

During exercise, when you lift weight, you are putting a lot of stress to the muscle that micro injury occurs in the muscle tissue. After the workout, your body will then repair the damage. As a result, your muscle is growing bigger and stronger. Keep in mind that it can only happen given sufficient rest and nutrition. 

Good News... You can build lean muscle while you sleep, and it's as simple as having a bedtime snack. Exercisers on a resistance - training program who drank a high- protein shake right before hitting the sheets got stronger and increased more muscle mass than lifters who skipped the drink. Your body digest and absorbs certain proteins more effectively during sleep, which helps in building muscle, experts say. On days you workout, pick a healthy nighttime snack that has at least 20 grams of protein.

Don't forget muscle recovery will not take place when you're lack of sleep. So, just because you have your nighttime snack of 20 grams doesn't mean you can stay up all night and think that your muscles will grow. Sleep is also very important to boost muscle growth because human growth hormone (HGH) is produced the most when you sleep, one hour after onset of sleep to be exact. This hormone promotes cell regeneration and increases the synthesis of new protein tissues as in muscle repair. New muscle tissue is built this way. As a result, with the right nutrition and sleep you gain more muscle mass.

THE MENTAL TRICK ...

The Mental Trick that Builds Muscles

Question: How many minutes do you think you can hold a plank? 

Answer that question and you just might improve your workout results. Simply making a prediction causes your brain to pump out more of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine, and that could spur you to push harder. Studies have shown that the more dopamine you have, the less your mind focuses on the effort required, which translates into a higher level of determination. Next time you are about to do your workout remember being successful is turning up to your tasks mentally ready to make it all work, come what may. Attitude is everything!!!

PORTION CONTROL

Whether we are a little on the fluffy side or extremely over weight and want to lose weight, it is important to know about portion control.

There are millions of over weight men, women, and children battling obesity on a daily basis and this obesity is
putting them at risk for developing many diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. If you feel this is you, keep reading because I can help you to understand how following a Portion Control Guide can help you to lose the weight through lifestyle changes and healthy eating.

Your goal should be to create a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight for you and your family. This can be accomplished with proper portion control.

There are a few things that can help you to be consistent with sticking to the proper portions on a daily basis.

Portion Control Plates and Portion Control Containers

To help you with eating the correct portion size there are wonderful dishes that consist of plates, bowls, glasses and even colorful containers. They are designed with the correct food portion control recommendations for fruit portions, starch portions, vegetable portions, and protein portions. So if your healthy portion sizes is something you need help with on a daily basis, this is the way for you, completely portable to go where you go.

Eating the required amount each day is the key to success if you want your weight loss to be consistent. You should incorporate proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, veggies, fats, and dairy into your diet.

When you are starting to follow a diet plan, do not get too caught-up on the specifics of your diet. Simply start by paying attention to what you are eating. Have a glass of water before your meal, eating slower, and putting the fork down while you are chewing your food. Make healthy food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, beans, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, low fat meats, fish, and skinless poultry.

When eating out always remember one portion serving of red meat is equal to the size of a deck of cards and avoid foods that are high in fats and calories.

GREEK VINAIGRETTE RECIPE

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or 1 teaspoon dried) 1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (optional) 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 3/4 cup olive oil Salt, to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in container. Cover and shake. Refrigerate unused portion. 

TAHINI DILL DRESSING

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon), plus 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped dill
• 1/4 tbsp puréed garlic
• Pinch sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To a jar, add all ingredients
2. Shake vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

SHAKEOLOGY PROTEIN BALLS

Ingredients:
½ cup finely chopped raw mixed nuts
½ cup Chocolate Shakeology
½ cup organic old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup all-natural creamy almond butter
3 Tbsp. raw honey

Preparation:
1. Combine nuts, Shakeology, and oats in a medium bowl; mix well.
2. Add almond butter and honey; mix well with a rubber spatula or clean hands.
3. Roll in balls about the size of a ping pong ball.

EAT CLEAN BAKED OATMEAL

Ingredients: 

3 Bananas
2 Cups of Rolled Oats
1 tsp of Baking Powder 
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups of Skim Milk or Milk of your choice (Almond, Coconut, etc. ) 
1 tsp Vanilla 
2 tbsp of raw honey or Agave 

*optional .... you can sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top of oatmeal before you put it in the oven. 

Directions: 

1. Heat Oven to 375.

2. Slice 2 bananas and set to the side

3. Combine these dry ingredients in a bowl

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt               

4. Combine these wet ingredients in a bowl

• 1 egg, beat
• 1 mashed banana
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 2tbsp of raw honey or agave

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, MIX WELL

6. Spray an 8" pan with non-stick cooking spray

7. Layer some banana slices on the bottom, pour batter into pan. Top with remaining banana slices. **Optional.. You can also sprinkle top of oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon.  

8. Bake in the oven at 375 for 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack. 

9. When serving this the next day. Just cut out a portion you would eat, place in a microwavable bowl, and add milk. Microwave for a minute or till heated to your liking. 

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients :

1/2 cup peanut butter, or almond or sun butter 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

3 tbsp whole wheat flour 

¼ cup of turbinado sugar or sweetener of choice.

2 tbsp brown sugar (omit for sugar-free)

2 tbsp applesauce 

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Pinch of salt

Directions :

1. Mix dry ingredients very well. 

2.Then add wet and form cookie balls. 

3.Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4.Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. 

5. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from tray. 

TURKEY CHILI

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey meat
• 1 tea olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey meat
• 1 med white onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tea ground cumin
• 1 TBL chili powder
• 1/2 tea salt
• 1/4 tea cayenne pepper
• 1 15 oz can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce (non-sugar added)
• 2 TBL chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1) Heat oil in large saucepan over med/high heat. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper and garlic.
2) Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink.
3) Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; stir and cook another minute.
4) Stir in kidney beans and tomato sauce; bring to a boil
5) Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened.
6) Serve warm sprinkled with parsley.
Variations: Substitute ground diced chicken or turkey for turkey. Add garbanzo beans and organic corn for additional texture and flavor. Add a diced jalapeno pepper.

Variations:  Substitute ground diced chicken or turkey for turkey.  Add garbanzo beans and organic corn for additional texture and flavor.  Add a diced jalapeno pepper.

CLEAN EATING SNACK IDEAS

Here are some of my favorite snacks to keep me on track. Aim for 2-3 snacks per day.

• Mini bell peppers (5-6 mini sized) *Try dipping your veggies in Hummus (2 TBSP)
• Hummus on toasted Ezekiel bread
• Almonds (1 handful) 
• Cashews (1 handful) 
• Pumpkin seeds (1 handful) 
• Pistachios (1 handful) 
• Quest Protein Bars 
• Sugar snap peas (1 handful) 
• Apple (optional: with Tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter) 
• Banana (optional: with Tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter) 
• Small spinach salad with veggies and a vinaigrette dressing – 2 cups of spinach plus 5 mini bell peppers plus 1 handful of carrots plus 2 Tablespoons dressing 
• Carrots (1 cup) 
• Cucumbers (1 cup)
• Beef Jerky (1 handful) 
• Protein Shake (1 serving)
• Strawberries (1 cup) 
• Raspberries (1 handful or ½ cup)
• Blueberries (1 handful or ½ cup)
• Blackberries (1 handful or ½ cup) 
• Grapes (20) and cheese stick (1)
• Natural peanut butter, whole wheat rice cake, ½ banana
• Pretzels & hummus
• Frozen fruit & yogurt smoothie
• Sweet potato (I like to add zero calorie butter spray)
• Zucchini (2 cups)
• Cauliflower (2 cups)
• Green Beans (2 cups)
• Hard boiled egg 
• Tuna (with a tablespoon of Olive Oil Mayo) 
• 
  
• 1 piece of whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter 
• Greek yogurt or plain non-fat yogurt (1 cup fat free), sweetened with 1 Tbls agave or pure maple syrup (optional), add berries 
• String cheese (one)
• Cottage Cheese (1 cup), add berries
• Steel cut oats (1 cup- cooked which is about ¼ cup dry/precooked)

PINTO BEANS & RICE W/ MICROGREEN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup canned pinto beans (with liquid)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Bragg liquid aminos
Himalayan salt to taste

Directions:
Heat beans gently in saucepan over medium high heat until simmering.  Drain and return to pan.   Add oil, spices, aminos, and salt.  Stir well.  Gently fold cooked rice into beans.  Serves 1.

MICROGREENS SALAD

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup sprouts like radish, alfalfa or broccoli
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped jicama
fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, parsely, dill
1/3 cup toasted seeds and nuts like cashews, pecans, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (all unsalted).

Then top with your favorite homemade dressing.

QUINOA SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan salt or Bragg Liquid Aminos to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp finely minced fresh mint leaves
1/4 large ripe tomato, diced
1/4 large cucumber, peeled and diced
2 tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives

Directions:

1. Toss quinoa with olive oil, salt or bragg liquid aminos, and lemon juice, mixing well.  

2. Gently fold in parsley and mint, followed by remaining ingredients.

3.   Cover and chill for 1 hour.  Serves 1.

ASIAN CABBAGE SALAD

Ingredients:
  
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2tbsp fresh lime juice 
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger juice (grate a piece of fresh ginger and squeeze juice into a bowl)
2 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
1/2 head Napa or Savoy Cabbage (or regular green cabbage)
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro
Himalayan Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  

2. Toss with remaining ingredients and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.  Serves 1.

MASON JAR OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 cup low fat greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or enough to fill the jar.

Directions:

1. In a 1/2 pint jar or 1 cup jar put in the oats, milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon and honey. 

2.  Put the lid on and shake that up!  

3. Open up the jar and add in the applesauce to the top, cover and shake.  Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.       Eat chilled!

BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES

(Makes 8. Serving size is 2 and replaces 1 Yellow container on the 21-Day Fix)

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 medium ripe Bananas, mashed
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Combine oats, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl, making sure to mix well.
4. Add mashed bananas, chips and coconut, mix well.
5. Drop by heaping Tbsp onto your baking tray. 
6. Flatten the cookies with wet fingers (so they don’t stick) or a silicon spatula.
7. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until they are firm.
8. Cool and Enjoy!