6 things to do when weight loss has stalled

It’s Monday! Time to Grind and get the week started!

I wanted to jump on here and share a little wisdom with regard to weight loss & what to do when you reach a plateau! There is nothing more frustrating when what you have been doing STOPS working when you’re trying to get leaner or lose weight…so I’m here to help.

6 things to do when weight loss has stalled

1. NUTRITION: If you guys know me, you know how I preach that good nutrition is the key to getting to where you want to be. Re-evaluate how you’ve been eating. Remember, every little bit adds up. The small piece of donut or spoonful of peanut butter makes a difference. Reign yourself in and I highly recommend tracking what you’re eating whether it be by hand, or by myfitnesspal! This will be an eye opener for sure and get you back on track! Yes, I know its hard AF. But, if you want it bad enough you’ll get through those first few days. It takes 3 weeks for something to become a habit. That discipline will be like second nature after a week or two. My honest recommendation: focus on fats and proteins and lower your carbs.

2. Do Less: I know this sounds counterproductive, but believe it. I do less- but when I’m working out, I make it count and go hard. Days off are important, especially when you’re training hard! Our bodies needs time off.

3. Sleep: Sleep affects everything in your body including hormones, appetite, energy! Ever heard of cortisol? Do the research! Sleep is crucial to weight loss and just overall body function. Also, those of you who are postpartum are probably reading this thinking…umm its impossible for me to sleep! I feel you! I RARELY did morning workouts when I was nursing and the kids were infants. I fit it in during the day because I already wasn’t getting much sleep. Just know that your baby WILL sleep soon, and its just a matter of getting through it!

4. HIIT: Any explosive movements you can do in your workout will blast fat like you won’t believe! Think: Squat jumps, jump rope, sprints, broad jumps, burpees, or really any activity that you can do for 15 seconds-1 minute will raise your hear rate and burn fat. You don’t need any equipment! Search HIIT exercises on IG or pinterest. I guarantee if you add HIIT into your workout regiment 2-3 times a week you’ll see a difference in your body.

5. Resistance Train: Weight training has CHANGED my body for sure, especially after having three kids. It has been the #1 reason that I was able to lose all the baby weight. Weight training is critical for weight loss because it increases after burn exercise, and by increasing muscle size (this increases the number of calories we burn at rest). If you’re not comfortable and don’t know where to start, hire a trainer. If you don’t have the money for that, buy some bands and kettlebells/free weights. Watch videos online and look at the smallest details. Form is important!

6. WALK. I know this sounds silly, but i Walk SOOOO much and it makes such a difference in weight loss! Move more! Park farther away, walk to your errands, go for even a 10 minute walk 2 times a day. Trust me, it adds up! I shoot for a minimum of 10k steps a day, and usually hit 15k unless the weather has been super crappy! You don’t need to be a marathon runner to lose weight! All you need to do is WALK!!

Remember, be PAITIENT. This process isn’t a sprint, its a marathon!

xo

Alex

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe

Hi everyone! Happy Thursday! Hope you guys are all hanging in there! 

I don’t know about you, but cooking every single night has forced me to be a little more creative with my meals! I’m really sticking to my nutrition during this quarantine because I have the time! Coming up with some items that fit my macros while not going to the grocery store as often has been my challenge, because as you know a lot of what I eat is fresh produce. 

Last night was a low carb night, but I really wanted to have something in my meal to look forward to (no offense to my grilled fish meals haha). I had been wanting to try and make Buffalo Cauliflower bites at home in the air fryer for quite some time, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity. It got me excited for low carb night! 

It was SO easy and added a little flavor to my meal. This would make an awesome appetizer as well or even a lunch! 

Ingredients :

1 cauliflower head

1/2 cup franks red hot sauce 

2 tablespoons butter (melted) 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Garlic powder to taste 

1/2 cup flour (I used unbleached) 

Instructions:

1. Cut cauliflower head into small pieces. 

2. Melt butter in large bowl. Add hot sauce and olive oil. 

3. Mix flour and garlic powder in a different large bowl. 

4. Dredge cauliflower pieces in hot sauce mixture, then into flour mixture. 

5. Turn fryer on to 390 degrees, cook for 15-20 mins. Make sure you shake/ flip! I like them crispy so kept them in a little longer!

6. Enjoy ❤️

Xo 

Alex

6 Months Postpartum: The Body & FASTer WAY to Fat Loss Results & Review!

To register for the next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss, Click here!

11 Months Postpartum Fitness Update

As many of you know, fitness is a huge part of my life and is super important to me. After I had my first and second son, it took me a LONG time to get back to where I was pre-pregnancy. Like…18 months. I always chalked the long ((and slow)) postpartum weight loss journey to nursing. I was really scared to limit too much food intake because I was so worried about my milk supply. I also figured my body just wanted me to hold on the extra weight until I was done nursing. And, bottom line, that I wasn’t like some people that were able to drop the weight while nursing and “bounce back” in a few months.

Fast forward to postpartum baby 3, and I happened to see a few other mamas who had just had babies, were nursing, and started a program called FASTer Way to Fat Loss. The reviews seemed pretty good, and these mothers looked AMAZING, lost their baby weight…and kept their milk supply! BUT, I’m like any other person out there and resisted any sort of change. Because lets be real: change is scary! And it puts you out of your comfort zone. I kept pushing it out of my mind thinking “There’s just no way that would work for me….”

But then something in the back of my mind thought “what the hell. If you do what you always do, you’ll get what you always get.” I thought 6 weeks isn’t really that long of a time (the length of the program) and if it didn’t work at least I would know and I TRIED. So, I put myself out there. And so I went for it. Because, at the end of the day I wanted change. I wanted to feel good about myself, feel confident, have more energy, feel like I was on a plan, and mostly wanted to fit in my clothes again!

I can hands down say that FASTer Way to Fat Loss is THE BEST THING I have ever done for my nutrition, eating habits, my lifestyle.. I’m happier, I’m more confident AND I’m eating more carbs. HELL YES. I’ve had pizza almost every week since I’ve started the program, I’ve had cake, cookies, gummy bears, pancakes, syrup. ALL OF THE THINGS. I’m not done yet, but the progress I’ve made in the last 2 months has been incredible.

Update: I continued on the program through January of 2020 and continued to see results! I did not sign up for another round, but just continued to do the program on my own!

I lost 18 lbs, and lost 14 inches in 6 months

As you can see, there is a huge difference between these photos. Also.. this is not easy for me to post because I am definitely not where I want to be yet…so be kind, friends! The reason I show this is that I want to help other people and honestly feel this program is truly amazing and I thought these photos spoke volumes.

I’m leaner, fitter, and so much happier. I’m still not where I want to be, but I feel like I’m on a structured plan and I’m totally focused on something that is sustainable, that works, and is HEALTHY for me and my baby! Believe it or not, my milk production/supply is BETTER now than before I started.

As you all know, I mentioned that I wanted to try this out before even really talking about this on my blog. I wanted to be sure I believed in it, and it worked, before I even really spoke about it (I was your guinea pig!)! Well, here I am, 8 weeks later, living proof that this program works. No gimmicks, no supplements. Just fueling your body at the right times with good, whole foods.

I 100% believe in this program.. If you’re interested in registering for the program, click here: .

Now, on to how this program works, what it entails…

What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss?

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is a 6-week online fitness program. The program was created by Amanda Tress, and it helps you learn to fuel your body effectively and maintain energy throughout the day while you naturally burn fat. It’s basically a strategic program that combines intermittent fasting, carb cycling, macro counting, and strategically paired workouts so that you are working smarter, not harder.  If you have no idea what those words mean, I’ll answer them in the Q&A below!

What makes  FASTer Way to Fat Loss different ?

First, it’s NOT a diet. Or a fad. I hate the fact that this sounds even the slightest bit gimmicky because it is the farthest thing from that!

It’s a healthy way of eating. We count macros (proteins, carbohydrates and fats), not calories. The focus is on why proteins, carbs and fats are each essential parts of a healthy diet. Carbs are not bad, and fat doesn’t make you fat. This is a lifestyle change that is actually sustainable!

I’m not sure the name  FASTer Way to Fat Loss (or FWTFL for short) does it justice, but its different than any other program out there. No supplements. No gym memberships. No crazy meal plans. No weigh ins. In fact, they want you to stay off the scale. They want you to focus on keeping/building muscle and losing fat. The goal is sustainable progress, not overnight transformation.

What are macros & why do I need to count them?

Macronutrients (or macros) are the molecules our bodies need to grow and be active. We use these molecules as energy to do work on a cellular, tissue, organ, and organismal level. This energy helps us break down nutrients, repair damaged cells, grow new cells, and more. Macronutrients are broken down into three basic categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

I was familiar with doing macro counting…however this was still a little bit of a learning curve! It was 100% COMPLETELY worth it though! I can say that it is an adjustment tracking all of your food and entering it, but after the first week it just becomes part of your day. Most of the time I enter everything the night before, or right when I wake up.

How do you track your food?

This program encourages you to use the MyFitnessPal app to track calories and macros. It’s a free app to download on your phone. Using the MyFitnessPal app is pretty easy! You put in your weight and your goals and then it calculates everything for you. Then every day you enter in the food you’re eating and watch the chart change to try to hit your goals.

During Prep Week of FWTFL, there are helpful videos ( I listened to these videos driving in the car-time is something I don’t have a lot of these days! ha!) that teach you how to set up and effectively use MyFitnessPal to track your macros based on the program, and once you get through the first week it is like second nature. I do have to say that planning your day out is the most important part of tracking your macros! I try to enter my meals and snacks the night before so I have time to adjust each macro before eating a thing ie. Do I need to add more carbs? Fats? That way I don’t get stuck at 6 pm wondering what else I need to eat/find that I’ve eaten too much one.

What is carb cycling?

We not only track our macros in FWTFL, but we also cycle our carbs and fats. This may sound a little overwhelming, but it’s actually a very simple practice of varying our carbohydrate intake each week to maximize the body’s ability to burn fat. The program has 3 regular macro days (higher carb), 2 low macro days (this was still a lot of carbs for me!) and only 2 low carb days! Every week, I actually look forward to the low-carb days where I can fill up on healthy fats and protein (think nut butters, avocados, olive oils/sunflower oils, nuts, etc., but then love that following the low-carb days I can then go back and enjoy the carbs that I missed for the 2 back to back low carb days. This is such a departure from what I have done in the past- limiting carbs 5/7 days ( I did do carb cycle but only on 2 days). I find this is so much more managable and a LIFESTYLE! The fact that I can have a plentiful amount of carbs 5/7 days is amazing and I’m SO. HERE. FOR. IT.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

During the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, you engage in a daily 16/8 fast protocol. This means that you fast for 16 hours each day (most of which are overnight while you are sleeping), and consume ALL of your daily calories during an eight hour feeding window. While there are other fasting schedules that can be followed for similar results, this is the one that worked for me! 

Daily periods of fasting changes your body at a cellular level. In addition, it helps to regulate hormones like insulin and HGH to make the fat stores in your body more accessible energy sources. The time given to your cells to repair during fasted periods, allows cells to remove waste and function optimally.

Intermittent fasting allows time for the body to utilize fat as its main source of energy, which means you not only lose weight overall, but will see an improvement in your overall body composition. Intermittent fasting allows you to maintain muscle mass which speeds up your metabolic rate, while helping you shed fat.

This is the only part of the program that I hadn’t had experience with (in the past I have counted macros and done some carb cycling) and was most nervous for. I am a huge breakfast lover and proponent of it!

And guess what? I love it.

Honestly, its one less thing I need to do in the morning when I have 3 kids 5 & under…! Do I get hungry? Yes..sometimes I’ll feel a pang of hunger but I drink a TON of water and any feeling of hunger doesn’t last for very long. Even though I break my fast at noon, I usually eat breakfast foods because I just love them that much (ie. oats, pancakes, eggs, turkey bacon, etc.)But you can break your fast with whatever you want!

I will say that I slowly worked my way into the fasting during prep week. I started with 12 hours, then 14 hours, and then all the way to the 16!

Can you do this when breastfeeding?

Yes. Basically what you alter for being a breastfeeding mom is the lower carb days (you don’t go below 100 g net carbs, regular program is 50).

What made me feel so confident was seeing other mom’s do it with no issue with their supply, and the fact that my coach is a Labor & Delivery nurse (medically qualified & educated), who also did FWTFL while nursing and was successful. There are no supplements, drinks, etc. to take doing this and you are just eating plain, natural food that God has created for us to eat!

I can tell you that I had NO issues with my supply, if anything I had an increase!

Who will coach me through this?

I had an amazing coach in Allie Janszen! She is a Labor & Delivery nurse as well as a pregnant mama of two (soon to be three). She is so encouraging and helpful on a daily basis! After you join the program, she will contact you to join a facebook group that will be integral to your success! Every day you send a screen shot of your macros. I love that there is accountability built in this program. Everyone is super encouraging to each other and Allie is so accessible for any questions you may have, especially when prep week can seem a little overwhelming.

Do you have to do the workout portion of the program?

FASTer Way to Fat Loss comes with a workout program has two options: at home and gym. I love this about the program especially for people who may not have the experience that someone like myself has (professional sports background). I personally did a combination of the workouts they suggested, as well as my own strength workouts through STA Sports performance (highly recommend if you live in WNY). Most of the workouts I used from FASTer way were the low carb days where we did HIIT or sprint workouts and it helped me have a bit more variety to my sprint sessions.

For those who aren’t experienced, they have great options for home workouts with videos & explanations of every single exercise! I love that they offer a home and gym option for those who may not be able to get to a gym!

Most of the workouts can be completed in 45 minutes or less!

Please know that you can decide to not do the workouts at all, or do some of the workouts. Also, the schedule is fairly flexible. Technically, the week is: Monday & Tuesday- Low Carb, Wed, Th, Saturday- Reg Macro, Friday & Sunday-Low Macro. However, due to my work schedule/child care I switched some of the days around. The only thing that you have to abide by is the 2 low carb days in a row, with a regular macro day following. I love the flexibility of the program!

What did I eat on the program?

Like I said earlier, I broke my fast on most days with breakfast at 12 noon. I have oatmeal almost every day (its great for nursing mama’s and a good slow burning carb!). I add in eggs, chicken sausage or turkey bacon and put peanut butter in my oatmeal. On my higher carb days, sometimes I have Kodiak Pancakes WITH Maple syrup. Yes, real maple syrup. Not low sugar, fake syrup!

In the afternoons, I usually have a salad with avocado, especially on low carb days. I have Quest bars and lots of fruits on higher carb days- think bananas, apples, plums, strawberries, blueberries. Dinner it honestly varies every day. I use Sunbasket meals twice a week so I enter the macros on those days straight from the recipe card. Other days we will grill out and I enter how much I’m eating of everything. Go -to’s are salmon, grilled chicken, fajitas, burrito bowls, sweet potatoes, salads, avocados, brown rice & stir fries, fruit, steamed vegetables, sweet potato fries. ANY of the recipes on my website are also fair game- you just need to fit them into your macros!

The hardest days are my “regular macro” (higher carb) days when I have to go to work just because of the amount of food I have to pack for work. I usually pack simple foods -like oatmeal, an apple & banana, and some eggs/bacon. Then I try to eat more between 5-8 pm so I don’t have to pack as much.

Do you have to be dairy/gluten free?

I know some coaches for FASTer way do require you, but my coach Allie does not. I still saw results and I have had yogurt, gluten and cheese throughout the 6 weeks.

Can you drink alcohol?

YES! Just fit it into your macros. And obviously they recommend limiting alcohol intake to 1-2 times per week.

Can I have coffee in the mornings? 

You will be fasting in the morning, but coffee is okay to have.

Can I have treats? I have a sweet tooth!

Yes! Your coach will actually URGE you to have a treat on Saturdays! I also sneaked in different snacks during the week- ie. gummies, 1/2 cookie, etc. I always just made sure it fit into my macros and that I did it on a high activity day (leg day usually!). Like I stated before, this is all about manipulating what & when you are eating, and manipulating it to work for you, not against you!

Also note that I had pizza & cake 3/6 weeks I was in the program! I can’t tell you how much freedom this program gives you while still seeing results.

#PROGRESSOVERPERFECTION

What I love about this program is there are some days where I’ve gone over with my macros, gone under my macros, missed a workout…etc. but still, I have some incredible results to show for it and am constantly working towards my goal everyday.  The mantra of the program is “Progress Over Perfection”. 

My plan moving forward:

I’m continuing to follow the FASTer Way program including macro counting, the FASTer way schedule AND the intermittent fasting combined with my own workouts. Stay tuned for my next update in 6-8 weeks!

HOW DO YOU JOIN?

The next round of FASTer Way To Fat Loss starts on January 4th with Coach Allie! The best part of the program is that you are part of an amazing community and have a coach who is there to help you every step of the way! Sign up with my referral link .

Also, if you have ANY questions whatsoever, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments below or via email or FB/ instagram!

xo

Alex

FASTer Way to Fat Loss 3 Week Update

FASTer Way to Fat Loss Update

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Alo Yoga High-Waist Ripped Warrior Leggings • Alo Yoga • $125
Quay Empire Sunglasses • Quay • $60

HAPPY MONDAY! Who is ready to get after it this week?!!

I’m officially 3 weeks into the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program and I wanted to share 4 things that have surprised me about the program, and what have been my hottest items at the grocery store the last month!

If you don’t have any clue what I’m talking about, check out my 4 months postpartum post where I explain a little bit about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program!

4 things that have surprised me the most about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program:

1. How Quickly I saw results: I’ll admit I was pretty skeptical of the program going into it especially because I’m nursing. BUT I swear that I saw a difference in my body within 5-7 days. I could see changes in my body, clothes fitting better and the crazy thing was…I was eating ALL of the food! This kept me super motivated on and on track! I’m currently halfway through the program, and have lost weight & inches (technically I’m not supposed to weigh myself so shhhh….don’t tell!!But I already have lost a few lbs!)

2. How easy the intermittent fasting is: I was honestly really worried about skipping breakfast and not eating until noon. Going 16 hours without food seemed pretty much impossible. ha. Can you tell I love food?!! I pretty much was convinced that I might shrivel up and waste away during the 16 hours. lol.

   It’s turned out that intermittent fasting is one of those things that sounds harder than what it actually is (for me anyway). Its really just getting past thinking about eating all the time! In order to make the transition easier, during “prep” week I worked my way up to the 16 hours of fasting. And this is coming from someone who LOVES breakfast. Truthfully, It makes my mornings so easy to not eat and I really feel like its working!

3. My milk supply has been great: Outside of the intermittent fasting, maintaining my milk supply was probably my biggest concern going into this whole thing. I’m happy to report that MY MILK SUPPLY HAS INCREASED. Guys, I have more milk now than I did before AND I’m getting leaner relatively quickly! I have no issues on low carb OR low macro days. So, this was clearly a pleasant surprise!

4. Prep week is overwhelming, but after a few days everything becomes second nature: During prep week, I felt a little overwhelmed with info and scared i wasn’t going to be able to manage this. Crazy as it sounds, after a few days, I was starting to take the time to plan the night before (I totally recommend this) and punch everything in to myfitness pal! Remember, knowledge is power! I can’t say enough how much you will learn about fueling your body when you join the FASTer Way to Fat Loss.

Project Social T Tommie Striped Tank Top - Women's • Project Social T • $37.95
Alo Yoga High-Waist Ripped Warrior Leggings • Alo Yoga • $125
Quay Empire Sunglasses • Quay • $60

The next round starts on July and you can register here: https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/#Alexsahlen2 . THIS IS an affiliate link, but please know I didn’t even share the link before I started because I wanted to be sure it was something I could stand behind! I truly love how I feel right now and I’m starting to feel confident that this can get me where I want to be physically WHILE I’m nursing my little guy!

I have another 3 weeks left in the program and I’m excited to see where it will take me! I’ll be sharing my results mid July on the blog including a Q & A on the program.

My current grocery store list:

As always, let me know if you guys have any questions about the program!

xo

Alex

4 Months Postpartum: The Body

4 Months Postpartum: The Body. Where I’m at, and My plan the next 6 weeks!

I’ve documented the first 3 months of the postpartum journey and been completely transparent on how I’m feeling, my fitness, and of course weight loss. Looking back at photos, I’m ahead of where I was with my other two postpartum phases at the same point in time. I know it has to do with the fact that I strength trained as long as I did while I was pregnant, my nutrition postpartum (more focused) this time around, and my consistency of strength training over the last 2.5 months.

Regardless of this, I have had some real low points during this journey already (especially around 2-3 months PP) with lack of progress and comparing myself to where I was pre-pregnancy, to other people on instagram or IRL that may be fitter than me, leaner than me, doing more than me….So much so that I’ve been trying to keep the blinders on, focus on what I’ve accomplished thus far (creating THREE beautiful boys) and remember my journey is UNIQUE to anyone else’s and its about ME, not what Susie or anyone else is doing on their instagram page.

I AM happy to say I saw some real progress this past month (finally!) and I’ve dropped another 3-lbs. This was so meaningful to me because the scale stopped moving around 6 weeks postpartum and I didn’t see movement for a good 8 weeks, even though I was working hard and saw small changes in my body composition and clothes were fitting better.

From a strength standpoint, I’ve started to ease my way into max effort squats/leg day exercises vs higher reps that I had been doing since easing my way into working out. We held off for a little bit so to not shock my nervous system. So, I’m definitely seeing strength gains in that department. Cardio wise, to be honest, I’m still struggling at times to feel good running, mainly. Also my splits are pretty crappy most of the time, but, that all takes time so I try to not let it affect me.

On average I’m getting 3 strength days and 3 cardio days. The 3 cardio days are generally 1 sprint day, 1 longer distance day (3-4 miles) and one HIIT day (sled workout for 10-15 minutes).

Would I like to be doing more? Absolutely. But at this point its all I can manage given work, kids, lack of sleep lol. I do try and WALK as much as I can. Why? Low intensity cardio is good, and its something I can do with the kids. I am a big advocate of moving more if you want your physique to change.

Nutrition has been on a whole pretty good and I’m happy with where I’m at. The most important thing at the moment is keeping my supply for nursing.

As you can see, my stomach is definitely an area I’m going to focus on….

How I’m feeling

Regardless of some of the progress I’ve made, I’m still very far off where I was, and I hate it. Around 12 lbs, 2 pants sizes to be exact. A good portion of my closet doesn’t fit. I feel heavy & tired when I run. While I am definitely a confident person, I still don’t feel great about how I look & feel.

There’s been a big part of me thats been wanting more for myself postpartum and not wanting to accept the mindset of “This is just the way it is for the whole year after you have a baby”. I’ve been wanting to free myself of the stigma of “I’ll completely feel confident about myself when I stop nursing”, “I’ll get my body back after I stop breastfeeding,” or “that’ll fit next year when I’m done nursing.”

I don’t want to live like that. I want to live in the now, not for the future. I want to live my life fully and wholly, happy. NOW. Do I think I look good right now? Sure. But am I super happy with it? Not really.

What has always held me back during the year postpartum was my milk supply. Breastfeeding is so important to me and I would never jeopardize that. I’ve always held off with any strict dietary changes (macros, etc.) until I was done nursing because I’ve been too scared to play around with my food intake. And, because I nurse my babies for a long time (13 months with my first, 15 months with my second) I’ve always wondered if I could make some changes and get to where I wanted to be while still breastfeeding. Because, lets be honest…9 months of pregnancy & over a year of breastfeeding is a LONG time for your body to not be yours.

After the birth of my two older sons, I just wished I had a little bit of guidance from someone who knew what was best for my body while nursing so I could get where I wanted to be. Maybe I could do it if I had the right plan?!

A few months ago I saw 2 or 3 girls doing something called the Faster way to Fat loss program that were nursing babies similar age to mine, and still lost weight. AND….wait for it….

THEIR SUPPLY INCREASED.

I was intrigued. I kept thinking about it, week after week. And finally, I pulled the trigger and thought- if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But at least I’ve tried.

So, I’ll be starting the Faster Way to Fat loss Program tomorrow. I’ll explain everything briefly about what the program is, and I’ll be sharing my results with all of you throughout the process!

Faster Way To Fat Loss

What is the Faster Way to Fat Loss Program?

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is a 6-week online fitness program. The program was created by Amanda Tress, and it helps you learn to fuel your body effectively and maintain energy throughout the day while you naturally burn fat. It’s basically a strategic program that combines intermittent fasting, carb cycling, macro counting, and strategically paired workouts so that you are working smarter, not harder.  If you have no idea what those words mean, I’ll answer them in the Q&A below!

Can you do this when breastfeeding?

Yes. Basically what you alter for being a breastfeeding mom is the lower carb days (you don’t go below 100 g net carbs, regular program is 50) and you don’t need to do the low macro day. You can choose to do either one of those, but I think to start I won’t.

What made me feel so confident was seeing other mom’s do it with no issue with their supply, and the fact that my coach is a Labor & Delivery nurse (medically qualified & educated), who also did FWTFL while nursing and was successful. There are no supplements, drinks, etc. to take doing this and you are just eating plain, natural food that God has created for us to eat!

What is Intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is when you limit yourself to a shorter window of eating through out the day, thus being in a “fasted” state for more of the day.  Specifically, having only an 8 hour period in which you eat and a 16 hour period where you don’t eat.  For example, eating only between 12pm-8pm and not eating, or “fasting,” from 8pm-12pm. To note: I’ve always been a big proponent of eating breakfast, and this might not be something I do longer term, but I’m willing to try it (after looking at results and doing some research) to get myself where I want to be.

What are macros & why do I need to count them?

Macronutrients (or macros) are the molecules our bodies need to grow and be active. We use these molecules as energy to do work on a cellular, tissue, organ, and organismal level. This energy helps us break down nutrients, repair damaged cells, grow new cells, and more. Macronutrients are broken down into three basic categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

I have tracked my macros when I leaned out after my first 2 babies so I AM familiar with this and using my fitness pal, but its still been a learning curve for me during this past weeks “prep week.”

What is carb cycling?

We not only track our macros in FWTFL, but we also cycle our carbs and fats.  This may sound a little overwhelming, but it’s actually a very simple practice of varying our carbohydrate intake each week to maximize the body’s ability to burn fat.

I found this to be very beneficial leaning out in the past, so I’m excited to start this up again. I mean, hello, who doesn’t want a high carb day and still lose fat?!! YES.

Other Random Tidbits about the program:

-You have a “prep” week the week before you actually start the program. So, technically the program is 7 weeks. This prep week is super beneficial so you don’t get overwhelmed. They supply videos, and a ton of information on how to do everything over the course of the week for the next 6 weeks. You have time to ask questions, familiarize yourself with everything, and try things out!

-There’s a huge support system (and accountability!) with other people that are in the program with you and access to your coach via a private Facebook group!

-They do supply workouts with FWTFL, but you can continue your own if you want. Also, you can ONLY focus on nutrition if you don’t want to do the workouts.

-It is a completely flexible program, meaning that they don’t tell you that you can’t have treats, or carbs, etc. If it fits in your macros…you’re good.

-Yes, You can have coffee during your fast!

-I mentioned above I’m a huge proponent of breakfast. I used this past week to practice fasting and eating in the 8 hour window. I had no issues with my supply and there were times I felt a little hungry, but I was fine! I’ll keep you all updated with this!

Here we go!

I start the program officially tomorrow morning, so I’ll be checking in on instagram with y’all, as well as blog posts (Maybe I’ll do a 3 week update when I’m halfway through). I know everyone will have a ton of questions about the program! I’m happy to be your guinea pig to give you all a lowdown if the program really works!

Hope y’all have a great day!

xo

Alex

3 Months Postpartum: the Body

3 months Postpartum: the Body

Happy weekend peeps! So glad this week is over-I always find coming back from vacation is so busy. Laundry, cleaning, unpacking, and then being slammed at work! Yikes! Also, sleep has been few and far between so this mama needs some chill time this weekend!

Last week my little guy and I celebrated 3 months old and 3 months postpartum, respectively. I always found 3 months to be such a milestone. Everything is still hard, no doubt, but by this point nursing is usually in a rhythm, you’re getting some (key word: some…I guess some is better than none!) sleep, some smiles, and you’ve somewhat gotten used to baby and the new family dynamic.

State of Mind

This month brought an interesting dynamic to the postpartum body edition. Going on vacation at 3 months postpartum with your 3rd baby can be tough on your confidence and mind. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it weighed a little bit on me (no pun intended ha!). I am definitely heavier than I was, and what I want to be, and was reminded of this about 100 times when packing for the trip haha. Packing shorts, bathing suits, etc. was tough especially when hardly any of it fit. Not to mention making sure I had nursing friendly clothing! Basically 70% of my closet still does not fit me.

However, I was determined to not let it ruin an ounce of my excitement for or during the trip.

I focused on these things heading into this trip and threw my bathing suits on with confidence:

1. My body has created 3 human beings in 4 years (!!!!)

2. The extra that I’m carrying is allowing me to feed and nourish my baby.

3. I’m only 3 months out and I need to respect the process

4. My experience will not be determined based on whether or not I’m at my pre-pregnancy weight. End of Story.

In saying that, you can bet your bottom dollar I took advantage of the weather and was extremely active down in florida. Tons of walks, runs, good eating and gym sessions were had because I have some goals to crush. And, yeah, body positivity is great. But something I always remind myself is that there’s nothing wrong with respecting and loving your body and still wanting to see change!

The Stats

The good news: down a pants size. The bad news: I only have lost one more pound. I’m slowly inching my way into the 140s which is going to be a HUGE milestone for me (I was around 135/136 pre-pregnancy). On delivery day, I was rocking about 170 lbs so getting into that 140s range is going to mean a lot to me. Also, disclaimer here that many people may not believe I was 135 when I got pregnant but I was strong/muscular and muscle is so much more dense than fat so that is why I weigh a lot more than what people may think. I know a lot of people are very touchy about disclosing how much they weigh (I totally get it) but I want to be completely transparent on my road to fitness so I’ll be sharing everything!

The scale can be tricky. As I’ve stated before, I know that by being consistent with workouts and nutrition may not show on the scale right away, and show in other ways like losing inches or just looking leaner. So, my hope is that from month 3—>month 4 is when I see a 2-4 lb drop that gets me into the 140s. Because whether we want to admit it or not, the scale does matter to all of us, at least a little bit! I think the fact that its measurable has something to do with it.

Nutrition

I’m definitely doing a much better job of increasing my protein macros and decreasing my carbohydrate macros which was a goal of mine over the last month. Since I’ve returned from vacation, I’ve been more strict with my post dinner snack which is going to help me for sure in the long run.

My meals for breakfast and lunch are always pretty basic. Breakfast i generally have eggs and oatmeal. Mid morning snack is a quest bar, followed by lunch which is usually chicken and a salad. Mid afternoon is a protein shake and dinner varies every night. I usually post my dinner on my instagram stories so hop on there for meal ideas!

My biggest battle from Month 2 continues to be eating some sort of processed carb at night (ie. cereal and granola). I’ve not had any all week since I got home from vacation and I’m determined to stick to it. Instead, I choose greek yogurt with some fruit.

Goals for the next month include staying strict with the bedtime snack, and ensuring my macros are on point every day, not just 4 or 5 days of the week.

The workouts

Right now I’m grinding out about 3-4 strength workouts per week. Generally, they are broken up into lower and upper workouts. Usually I get 2 lower, and one upper in. The 4th day is usually a workout filled with some HIIT weight exercises and simple accessory work that I make up on my own in my basement with bands, and kettlebells.

Cardio wise I’m slowly trying to increase my HIIT workouts. All the way through 10 weeks postpartum I strictly focused on steady state cardio with some HIIT thrown in here and there.

My goal is to ideally get 3 days of HIIT in with one steady state. On average right now I’m getting 2 HIIT and one steady state, which is alright. As the weather continues to improve I would love those workouts to be at the track doing intervals. I find that these work excellent for me in terms of fitness and burning fat.I also find that being active outside of workouts is super important, so I try to ramp up my general activity. Getting anywhere from 8-10 miles a day is definitely a goal of mine over the course of May, June, and July.

How I’m feeling & how I battle sleep deprivation when working out

How am I feeling? I guess thats a loaded question. I feel 100 times better than I felt when I was pregnant. And about 2000 times better than the first month postpartum. My incision is fine and I feel great working out-no issues other than fatigued muscles lol!

But I still have such a long way to go before I really, truly feel like myself. I’m up 2-3 times a night and I think thats not so bad….but when you’re going on month 3 , 4, 5, 6 of doing it …it gets real old, real fast.

How do i find the motivation/fit in working out when I’m not sleeping well?

Well, thats pretty tough. Because there are some days where I don’t want to do it. Sure, not sleeping is definitely a legit reason to not workout.

But, at the end of the day, it is still an excuse regardless of whether or not its valid reason.

So, I grind it out. And getting to where i want to be is an accumulation of little choices I make each and every day that add up to be big choices. Like, take a nap or go for a walk. Eat the yogurt or the processed cereal. Tons of tiny decisions on the daily that will make or break whether I get to where I want to be.

I also get creative with workout times-I try to avoid super early AM workouts for obvious reasons (normally when I get a good amount of sleep I love them), and try to do more on the weekends when I have help.

My biggest motivators are knowing how good I will feel about myself when I’m strong. How much more energy I’ll have because I’m fit and healthy. And …. the feeling when my clothes fit me great, and I’m a confident Bad ass bitch.

Exercise of the month:

I’m (hate) loving burpees at the moment. What a great exercise. No equipment needed, works the whole body, raises the heart rate, and you don’t need much space for it! BOOM.

Thats all for now!

Have a great day! xo

Alex

My Favorite Home Workout Exercises

First Saturday in April! Let’s go! So excited because this weekend the weather is actually supposed to be SPRING-like! Give us all the outdoor time!

On any given week, I try to make it to the gym 3 times a week for my workouts. If I get 4 in, thats a really good week (that has yet to happen since I had Sammy lol). The other days I either run, or work out at home. In my basement I have kettlebells and bands …which have been a lifesaver to be honest over the last year or so. Its so hard to squeeze as many workouts in as I want with work, kids, etc. The biggest challenge I think with home workouts for me (and for many people) is what exercises to do! So, I wanted to share my favorite go-to exercises that I do ALL of the time. These exercises are mostly compound (where I use my whole body) which allows for a higher energy expenditure, calorie & fat burn. When I only have 30 minutes, I want the most bang for my buck!

1. Squat to Push Press. This is a simple exercise where you have two kettlebells, hold by your shoulder. Squat down, squeeze the glutes as you stand, and push press the KB’s when you stand. Here is an example of the exercise. Anything with a squat is a great exercise because it tightens that booty.

2. Broad Jump: You need NO equipment for this. Gets the heart rate up, is an explosive movement and you only need about 6 feet of space! Example here.

3. Kettlebell swings. These are fantastic for not only strength, but conditioning. Sometimes I use two, sometimes just one and hold with both hands, sometimes I use a heavier weight for less reps, and other times I do high rep (like 30) for conditioning. The key is the slight bend in the knees, thrusting the hips, and squeezing the glutes during the forward motion. As seen here!

4. Row. A row is an easy way to incorporate some upper body work into your body. Lean on a bench or table…as seen here.

5. Dead Lift. This has to be one of my favorite exercises of all time. Key is slight bend in knees, feeling the pull in your hammys, and squeezing the glutes on the way up. As seen here. The footage shows a bar, but you can use KB or free weights! Such a good exercise!

6. Last but not least, I love lunges. Whether you do reverse, lateral, or just standard ones, these are fantastic. If you’re advanced, you can do a lunge to a step up, or a lunge to a bicep curl. Crucial in your form for the lunge is keeping your chest up, and front knee at 90 degrees. As seen here.

I noticed that there are some HUGE sales this weekend and I’m always down for some new workout clothes or athleisure. SO I rounded up a few of my faves! Keep in mind Old Navy has a huge 50% off sale right now!

Have a great weekend! xo

Alex

Meal Plan Monday: 3/11/19

Happy Monday!

Anyone else super happy about Dayoght savings? I know a lot of people hate it because you “lose” n hour of sleep…but when you’re used to losing sleep it means nothing— ! I know it can cause a lot of havoc on sleep schedules to parents all over the nation but right now I will take that over darkness any day! This winter has honestly lasted 49053 days and I’m ready for SPRING.

Our big kids were off at their grandparents this weekend so I actually went grocery shopping on my own #score. I wanted to share my meal plan for the week with you all!

Sunday: I made Arugula Chicken - you can find my recipe linked here. I like this meal because its a two for one- meaning I don’t need to make an extra meal for the kids (HECK YEAH). I just give them the chicken plain and then just steam some veggies and pair it with some noodles. This meal is SO good, fast, and you can make it ahead of time (like I did today-I just put it in the fridge and when it was time to cook, popped it into the oven!!).

Monday- I have two Sunbasket meals arriving this week. The first is a Crispy tofu stir fry with sweet Sichuan sauce. The second we will be having on Tuesday night and its a Chipotle turkey chili with cucumber sumac salad. For those interested you can use my code to save money on your first order with Sunbasket!

Use this code: https://sunbasket.com/invite/Alex398281

Wednesday- I’ll be falling back on the trusty chicken pepperoni meal-the kids love it, and its easy!

Thursday- I’ll be making this cheesy chicken bake . This is another good recipe that can be made ahead of time & thrown into the oven, the kids like, and I substitute plain greek yogurt for mayo to make this pretty healthy. Yes, it has cheese in it, but this meal HAS been part of my rotation when I’ve been in the process of leaning out! Because when I’m leaning out, this works because I tend to focus on high fat/high protein! *Also, I have had this WITH mayo and honestly I don’t even like mayo and it still tastes good. I obviously prefer the greek yogurt because it packs extra protein and is lower fat/cal and just all around healthier!

Friday- Will be your standard Friday fish day! Salmon with good ol Paul Prudhomme’s spices!

I can’t think as far as Saturday so that is it for meal planning! ha! I wanted to share every week a few of my favorites.

This Weeks Faves:

1. Teriyaki Wegmans Chicken: I really like their pre-seasoned chicken. Yeah, its more expensive but for the season I’m in I need something easy, fast, healthy, and convinient that I can just make ahead of time and warm up on the go at home or bring with me to work. TIP: Cut these in half before cooking!! This will help give it an even cook. I always found it hard when leaving it whole to get it cooked just right. Either the outside would get burned, or the inside would be raw! Added bonus: Both of my boys like this chicken and I give it to them for dinner/lunch one or two times a week. I always make these ahead of time and put in the fridge for a fast meal in a pinch!

2. Wegmans Turkey Bacon -This stuff has great flavor, is awesome paired with eggs, or in an omelette!

3. Eggs are a big staple in our house. May-October we get eggs at the farmers market, but in the winter we rely on the grocery store options. Wegman’s came out with these this past year and they are worth the extra money. The flavor of them is AWESOME.

Lastly, I wanted to share these Lara truffles. Only 7 ingredients (and all goodies) make these a great snack.

Have a great day peeps! xo
Alex

3 weeks Postpartum Thoughts & My #1 PP Must Have

Happy Thursday everyone!

Hope you all are having a good week and enjoyed the warm up we had at the beginning of the week! It def gave me spring fever 🌸 🌺 ☀️ It also made me totally want to book a getaway ASAP!! 🏝 LOL

Hopping on to give a lil update on 3 weeks postpartum and some of my Postpartum must haves...

3 weeks postpartum

I remember the days going by so slowly postpartum with both of my first two kids, but I feel like this time it’s flying by. Maybe because I have two other guys to look after? I’m not sure but it sure is going by fast. 

The newborn honeymoon phase is clearly over at this point and it’s GAME ON. I know sooo many people who are like “newborns are so easy”. I think they may be on some sort of drugs or .. they had a super easy baby. I prefer toddler phase SO SO much more. Probably because 99% of night waking is my responsibility ((nursing))so home girl is tired AF. So let’s get to it...

Sammy 

Our big guy loves cuddles, milk, and being warm. Tolerates tummy time better than my other two ever did, and likes the bottle definitely less than the others. Hates to be swaddled (wants his arms free) and is the only one of my kids who actually likes to baby wear! All in all, he’s growing, healthy and we coulden’t be more blessed. truly. ((even with the lack of sleep lol))

SLEEP 

Sleep was actually going okay. At first I was getting 2-3 hour stretches at night. Bedtime is all over the show ((which is normal I guess)) and the last week was pretty rough. There were 2-3 nights where he was up 11 pm-1:30 am and then up every 90 min after- which is brutal considering my other kids are up at 6:30/7 am. Last night I resigned to the fact that I needed to go to bed when my older two hit the sack around 8 pm and that’s what I did. So I was able to get two 3 hour stretches of sleep and then once we hit 2 am he was up every hour or 90 mins. I was so happy he wasn’t up for the happy hour at 11 pm! 

How am I managing it? Some days are better than others. Most days I’m okay... but tbh yesterday I felt completely defeated.

Like...I’m never going to sleep again or get anything done ever again??!!. Before I had Sammy, I was usually up before 6 am to get myself ready, work out, emails, work on stuff for our business, blog, etc. Now that’s clearly not going to happen and it’s driving me crazy. It was my “time” to be productive and going to bed at 8 or 9 pm also means I get ... nothing done at night. Ugh. 

I’m not much of napper but I have forced myself to when I have help. I also remind myself 55 times a night on how fast this will go, and how my little guy is so used to being with me 24-7 and that he needs me. His mama ❤️.

Also, caffeine helps. Lol. A lot. Gimme allll of the spark. 

Breastfeeding

All of the pains of the first couple of weeks have subsided including sore nipples, massive engorgement, super leaky boobs, etc. and we’ve settled into a pretty good routine. 

Sammy only has taken the bottle 2 or 3 times; he’s not a huge fan which is okay for me now anyway because I’m with him so much and not working atm other than doing some things remotely at home and a meeting or two every week that I need to head in to the office for.

He’s gaining weight really well and I’m so grateful for my body and ability to nurse him. I’m definitely going to write up a breastfeeding post to share with y’all including tips, things I wish I would have known, and my favorite nursing friendly clothing!! 

Body

I did a big post on this last week. In the past week, I’ve started to walk a little bit weather permitting. My incision feels better and better and no signs of any issues there.

Also ...true story ....after my first walk my abs were sore! Haha! I don’t force the walking though- if the weather is crappy (like today) I just roll with it!

I’m not going to lie that I don’t feel a little frustrated - I weighed myself yesterday for the first time in a week and I haven’t lost a single ounce. So, I’m still up about 18-30 lbs. 

On top of that I ((stupidly)) tried on a pair of my normal size jeans and couldn’t get them over my thighs. On the same day that I weighed myself #ROOKIEMISTAKE lol.

Literally cried for the first time since having the baby. Not sure why I decided to do both of those things in one day 🤦🏼‍♀️Anyway, I have soooo much work to go to get back where I was and I’m definitely feeling down about that. 

It’s actually FUNNY to me typing that. I mean, I did just birth a 8 lb human 3 weeks ago….I guess patience and grace is an area that I need to work on lol. Also I’m not even walking consistently so I’m not sure why i think my body should be back to the way it is. I guess its just been a reality check and thats been a tough pill for me to swallow about the work and grind I’m gonna have to put in starting at 6 or 7 weeks PP. I’m mentally gearing up for it though and ready for the challenge.

I’m definitely going to do a “body image” post sometime soon because its something I’m really passionate about and I have sooo many thoughts about the “body positivity” movement!

Brothers 

The boys have adjusted really well ((so far)) actually. Max is definitely more interested in his baby brother and is pretty helpful!! but Seb loves him as well. Managing all three at one time on my own is a bit of a circus. I resort to a little more TV time than I would normally especially because I have to nurse so much ... and baby wearing 🤷🏼‍♀️when I have to. Newborns DO sleep a lot which helps, and my boys are in school (Seb twice a week, Max 4 times) so the mornings are easier. Early afternoons are okay because both older boys nap so its pretty much the 3-6 pm time slot and I mostly have help for now.

Tuesday night I was on my own with all three boys for bedtime. Luckily the baby napped the hour leading into their bedtime so all was good 🙌🏼I’m looking forward to a month or so from now where I can start to have a routine for the baby (or at least a ball park scheduled bedtime) and it will give us a little more structure. 

Postpartum Must- haves

I thought I’d share a few things that have been crucial to the bane of my existence for the past 3 weeks! These are great for postpartum…but also just COZY and COMFY wear for those on the lookout!!

-My #1 PP Item- The belly bandit. I wear this thing 24-7. Helps me keep my core stable, gives me support, and helps with reducing size of my tummy post baby. Cannot recommend this enough!!!

-Barefoot dreams cardigan. Wearing a sweater at times can be cumbersome when you nurse 10 times a day lol! these are soo warm and easy to wear.

-Another barefoot cardi

-Barefoot socks….wore around house or out and about with boots!

-I wear these C-panties day and night to help protect my incision! A must for C Section mamas.

-Cannot live without my boppy for breastfeeding.

-I wear joggers around the house alllll day. Love these joggers from Loft. Honestly they are like a soft blanket!

-My Dylan joggers from Anthro are on mega sale. Great if you’re pregnant, not pregnant or PP. Come in tons of colors!

-When I actually have to look presentable I wear the Align legging from lulu (high waisted and suck it all in) or the Zella legging!!

-Can’t say enough about these Wit and Wisdom jeans. Elastic on jeans? yesssssss.

-BP t shirts- easy to nurse in and great for layering. ( i sized up for PP life) I have these in solid and striped. Wearin them all day everyday. Also. $10. Add to cart.

-The january tee is an easy postpartum option made by Free People!

Have a great day

xo alex

Monday Meal Plan: Breakfast

Hi friends!

Ok, so…lets get to it. I’ve gained and lost 135 lbs over the last 6 years so I have a little experience in getting your body back after baby. I always get questions about what I eat! Today I’m focusing on breakfast.

Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals. I truly believe it is so important to have a good breakfast and set yourself up for the rest of the day. .

So, whats the best thing to eat?

Stay away from:

-Anything sugary, high refined carbohydrate (a lot of cereals, bagels, donuts, muffins, pastries have these high refined carbs etc.) This will avoid you having sugar crash and energy lull.

What you SHOULD eat:

Eggs, omelette, egg whites, Turkey Bacon, Chicken Sausage, Oatmeal, whole grain toast (I never have toast any more but its definitely better than muffins/other carbs!), nut butters, yogurts, fruit. All of these are excellent choices!

Intermittent Fasting

I do want to say that I have done intermittent fasting in the past, but I came back to eating breakfast because I just feel better eating it! I do try to give myself 12 hours between eating the night before and eating the next morning. So, if I snack at 8:30 pm, I’ll wait until 8:30 am to eat breakfast! According to some researchers, fasting for 10–16 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss. This is why I do the 12 hours!

Breakfast Favorites

Last week's Meal Plan Monday was my go-to in the morning for breakfast- Peanut Butter Oatmeal.

Oatmeal is a great slow burning carb to start the day with! I also make sure that at every meal I have 20-30 g of protein so today I'll be sharing what I've started to really enjoy in the morning with my oatmeal! 

I'll talk more about my "macro" goals and what I focus on at a later date to lose "the baby weight" as well as different supplements I use, but I always find that hitting your protein goals for lunch, dinner and snacks is relatively easy. There are tons of different recipes and and foods that you can make.

Breakfast on the other hand...meh. I feel like I have fried eggs. Or an omelette. Or Scrambled eggs. And occasionally some chicken sausage. It gets REAL old, fast. 

Last week I tried something completely new and its rocked my world. Honestly, it is something SO simple and I don't know what took me so long to try it! 

Turkey bacon and Egg sandwich. Bingo. This is so easy and fast to make and you NAIL your protein breakfast game with 24 grams! This keeps you full for the morning and starts your day out right. You can use any kind of turkey bacon, I just buy the Wegmans organic but you could find a flavored bacon if you like that.

I throw them on a frying pan, let them cook for 2-3 minutes and crack two eggs right on top. Then just flip them when the eggs have reached your desired level (I like mine a little runny). Something about the two combined tastes SO SO good and you don't have to force 3 or 4 eggs down in the morning! 

Have a great week everyone! xo

Alex

MealPlan Monday: The best healthy Sweet Potato fries

Hi everyone! Happy Monday!

I plan on sharing more recipes on the blog moving forward and I thought I would start today because, why not?!

For those of you who don’t know, I did the Advocare 24 day JumpStart after Max weaned and I had amazing results. It was definitely really challenging for me from a diet/nutrition standpoint but it opened my eyes to what works for my body now that I'm getting older/being a mom. Its completely changed my nutrition (for the better) over the last 2 years!

Like anyone else I definitely loosened up my nutrition while pregnant. I mean who doesn't, amirite-its the least we can do when we are waddling around and can barely sleep. Postpartum I worked out and eat pretty healthy, but I FOR SURE have a SAVAGE sweet tooth that kills some of my gains ha.

I'm super excited to get back on the wagon now that I'm done nursing and have no more excuses ("I can't lose weight while nursing,..my body holds onto the fat lollll" ) and getting serious with this 'ish!

I'm always trying to find great recipes that still taste good. I love eating clean, feeling good and looking good...but you will not find me eating fish and asparagus every day! I LOVE food! The below recipe has lots of flavor but it is as healthy as can be. I am obsessed with these sweet potato fries...and so is my hubby and youngest son (I just don't put the spice on the boys portion)

Here we go...Recipe of the week: 

Paul Prudhomme's Chicken with Baked zucchini and Sweet Potato fries

Paul Prudhomme's Poultry magic is of my favorite poultry spices- it is fantastic. They don't sell it here in upstate NY anymore but they do in Florida, and I bought mine online at vitacost.com. It is actually a really great meal prep spice to use if you are making chicken in bulk. It definitely has a little bit of a kick to it which I love because well..we eat alllll of the chicken when meal prepping lol! Also it is so EASY and FAST to use with plenty of flavor so I'm all for it! 

Ingredients: 
Chicken as desired
Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic spice
2-3 Zucchini
1-2 Sweet Potato
1 egg white
cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

Heat oven to 450 F. (Keep the pan in the oven while it heats) Wash and Peel sweet potato. Cut lengthwise and then again into quarters so you have "fries". Pour egg white into small bowl. Sprinkle cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper as desired in egg white. Dip fries into the egg white mixture. Place on parchment paper (make sure they do not touch). Drizzle with olive oil if desired. Bake on one half of the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then flip. Cut Zucchini in half, then into half moons. Place on other half of baking sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper when you flip the fries (so halfway through). Cook for 10 minutes or until soft.

                                                                     Ingredients

While the sweet potato fries are cooking, Cut the chicken in small pieces (or leave as a breast if desired..I usually find diced is best because you can throw the leftovers really easy in a salad!). Warm oil in pan. Place chicken in oil, and shake desired amount of spice onto chicken. Stir While chicken is cooking. Serve and enjoy :)) 
 

                                                           Spread out on the pan

                                                           The finished product :) 

 For those who are interested in anything Advocare or want to know more about the Jumpstart...just DM me at @alexsahlen2 on instagram, or email me at peanutbutterblondie@gmail.com.

Have a great day everyone and enjoy! 

xo

Alex

Friday Free For All

Happy weekend everyone! Hope you all have had a great (short) week. The tough thing about the 4 day weeks is everything is crammed into the 4 days and I always feel like I'm trying to play catch up! Anyone else? 

Labor Day

Labor Day was super low key for us..spent some quiet time with the boys and got some things done around the house like organizing my desk area and attic storage. I had a bit of coaching on sunday so that took up most of my morning. The weather here was a little bit of a buzz kill but we try to spend as much time outside with the boys unless it is pouring rain while we can before the weather turns!

                                           Participants at the Hurricane Harvey Soccer Pick up Fundraiser!

Hurricane Harvey Fundraiser

Seeing all of the people affected by Hurricane Harvey has just absolutely broken my heart. Seeing lives lost, families lose everything and not have a home is so hard to see. Having a family myself, its devastating thinking of other moms out there struggling to keep it all together for their families and in need of simple things like food, water, shelter, diapers, etc.

I kept thinking to myself..there has to be something that we can do to help to show our support and had an idea about bringing together the community for a night of soccer where the proceeds of the "games" would go directly to Houston. I enlisted our Director of Coaching, Rob Ferguson, who set up an incredible "pick up soccer" event where youth players came and donated some money to play pick up. Any player, any club, come one, come all. We put this event together in basically 5-6 days. (Bravo, Rob)

The support was overwhelming with so many young players coming to participate, as well as volunteers coming to help in every way possible. Canisius and Buff State sent players from their collegiate programs to support and hang out with the kids. Sahlen's (obviously) donated hot dogs available for purchase and proceeds also went to the cause. The event was incredible- I can't tell you how amazing the vibe and atmosphere was. THANK YOU to everyone that attended and donated! As of now, we have raised over $4,000 for the Hurricane Relief efforts. The WNY Soccer community sure did rise up to the occasion and a big pat on the back to all of the WNY Flash Academy and Sahlen Sports Park staff that helped us make the event a reality. Our thoughts are with everyone in Irma's path and we are praying for all of you down south! 

My go-to night snack

I don't know about you guys, but whenever the cooler temperatures roll around, I CRAVE COMFORT FOOD (and sugar). 11 months postpartum and I'm still trying to lose those last dang 5 lbs :P #thestruggle

Its been about 2 weeks since I've had the self control to stop having my bowl (or two lol) of nightly granola. I love granola and although there are certainly WORSE things I could be eating, the portion size that I have been eating is basically for two people, lol, and the sugar content in that is just....yeah. not ideal. My replacement? some Quest Peanut Butter Protein Powder mixed with Chobani plain greek yogurt.

I find that its sweet enough (the peanut butter flavor), and filling enough with the protein content of the yogurt as well as a 1/2 scoop of the powder. Its low sugar, and lower carb. If you like peanut butter, I definitely recommend trying it! I also have done this with different flavors of protein powder (vanilla) and it was pretty good. This gives you FLAVOR without the added sugar content of the flavored greek yogurts! 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

xo

Alex

Thursday Thoughts 6/1/17

Hi everyone! Happy June! Hope you are all having an awesome {{shortened}} week! YASS to 4 day weeks! :) I had a quiet memorial day as my oldest was away with my parents at the races and hubby was away coaching. Let's talk about how EASY one kid is! I feel like I got so much done! Laundry, organizing, cleaning, down time and even some quiet time. 

I took Sebby to the grocery store, {{and because for once in my life I wasn't in a complete rush}} ALSO...sans car seat! Things will now be 83984542 times easier {and lighter} without lugging a car seat into said store. YASSSS. I grabbed some new items at the store...and I'm obsessed. First things first- the HERO bar. Literally tastes LIKE a candy bar. But isnt! Definitely try out Quest's newest amazing invention. 

Next...my husband is obsessed with ThinkThin's flavored oatmeal. I can't break away from my plain quaker oats with Peanut butter mixed in, but he SWEARS by the flavors he has tried. I guess it changes things up for him. Anyway, I was browsing at Wegmans and found ThinkThin Unwrapped Protein Bites (I chose peanut butter flavor of course). I decided to try them out. These are *awesome* when you need a quick snack..with only 170 cals, 22 g carbs for 8 pieces and 10 grams protein you can't go wrong!

Lastly. I cannot believe it has taken me so long to try Halo Top. Guys. This was so so good. I have been eating Arctic Zero the last 2 years, I can honestly say that the texture of Halo Top tastes so much more like ice cream than Arctic Zero. I snagged the vanilla and mixed it with..yes..of course PB. With only 240 cals for the entire pint..makes you feel a little less guilty for treating yourself! 

                                                                        Halo Top...definitely going to try this flavor! 

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend...xo

Alex