Have a Skinny Holiday!!!! Tips and Tricks :)

The holiday season is here!!! 

Joel and I are, for the first time ever, participating in Black Friday craziness.

More on that later. 

I know that as the winter and holiday season approaches, we tend to eat a bit more and work out a bit less...and over time, we gain 6,7,8,9 pounds. 

Depending, of course, what kind of mom/husband/wife you have. 

I don't know about you, but this is what I want to look like in January: 

 

 

(Thank you Pinterest for the Fitspiration!!! Follow me HERE.)

These girls are all super hott but not because they are SKINNY! They are FIT and STRONG.

Now that is sexy :) 

Every year, before the holiday season begins, I make a list of fitness goals that I stick to to help me get through the holidays without gaining pounds. This is, of course, no easy task, especially since Joel works at a church and everyone brings him delicious sweet things to bring home and lay out on the kitchen counter for all of the world to see.

(source)

But here is an incredible, almost unbelievable fact:

Last year I actually LOST two pounds over the three month holiday season.

And, if you are wondering, I didn't deprive myself, and I didn't say no to cookies. 

Here is a practical list of tips that I followed that will not only help you maintain your current weight over the holidays, but will help you LOSE it once and for all:  

Please note that this is only what I have learned from personal experience! I am not a professional dietitian. 

1. Sweat once a day. 

20 minutes on the elliptical is better than nothing.

Go for a 30 minute jog. If you live in So Cal, you can't use the weather as an excuse to stay on the couch. 

If you can't leave your house, here are some youtube channels that have 

great follow-along workouts:

Pop Pilates

Sarah Fit 

 

Body Rock TV 

Also, exercise is one of the ONLY WAYS to naturally bring sugar levels down, as your muscles will use the sugar as fuel for your workout! See this Live Strong Article , it explains it really well :)

****NOTE****

 IF YOU WANT TO BURN A TON OF CALORIES IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, OPT FOR HIGH INTERVAL TRAINING CIRCUITS . 

 

(source)

  Below are some links to a few great HIIT workouts (click on the links): 

Shape.com HIIT Workout

Oxygen Magazine HIIT

And here is a great follow along HIIT video:

Pop HIIT 

 

Now, with these awesome links, you have no excuse not to sweat at LEAST once a day. Even if your workout is only the ten minutes before you get in the shower, that short workout can speed up your metabolism so that you can eat more food without gaining inches. (The Pop HIIT is really short, too, so I KNOW you can find time to do it).

And who doesn't want that???

  

2. Drink tons, and tons, and tons, of water.

Holiday food is usually loaded with salt and sugar, two substances that can make you dehydrated, which will make you retain water and gain water weight (eww gross).  I try to drink a gallon of water a day (about 128 ounces) when I know I will be consuming large amounts of sugar/salt, and it helps SO MUCH! You know that gross bloated feeling you get when you over eat? Drinking tons of water will prevent/help that!!

3. Drink warm lemon water (with real lemon squeezes!) in the afternoon.  

According to Live Strong (gosh I love that website!), this lovely beverage will cleanse your system, aid in digestion, and stimulate your liver. Even better, is GREEN TEA WITH LEMON! The caffeine and antioxidants in the tea will give your metabolism an extra boost.

4. Simply don't overdue it.
Have a cookie, and stop after one, okay two, okay three ;)

If you drink alcohol, set a limit, don't exceed it. Alcohol is SO fattening and will actually slow your metabolism down! Very, very bad.

5. Enjoy the holidays outside the realm of food.

 Walk through twinkling neighborhoods. 

Go to parties.

Volunteer for a charity and serve your community.

Make ornaments with friends. 

Watch a Christmas movie. 

Read the Christmas Story. 

Decorate your house. 

Go to church. 

Drive to the mountains (or, if you have snow in your backyard) and have a snowball fight. 

Paint your nails a sparkly red or green or gold. 

 Shop for presents. 

Write an encouraging card. 

The list can be endless!!! Start to make memories around activities instead of around a table/counter consuming an excessive amount of sugar :) 

Comment below and share YOUR favorite Christmas activities and your skinny tips and tricks!

 <3 Beth

Fall Inspiration

Fall is my favorite time of year...the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas, combined with the warm scents of cinnamon and warm cookies, make pre-winter months both exciting and full of hope. 

In a couple of days we will be sharing a meal with friends and family. 

What will your Thanksgiving look like?

 

 

Sigh. Don't you love Pinterest?

IMPORTANT:

 

Don't forget to push the cardio this week, and burn those calories so that the holiday week doesn't set you back. 

You still want to look good in those tight leather leggings, right?

Or perhaps, a backless dress?

Or, you just want to look dang fine?
 







 

 


 

(Can you guess what my favorite colors are???)

Either way, don't neglect your body. It's the only one you have. 

If you want to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me here.

Happy Travels,

<3 Beth

Pumpkin Chocolate Walnut Goodness

Fall Greetings!

Nothing cheers me up like the cool, brisk air  of autumn and a warm mug of chamomile lavender tea. Sigh. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner!!! 

And you know what that means :) 

Pumpkin Chocolate Walnut Cookies

I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers found here. 

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 cups almond flour/meal
• 3/4 cup 100% flax flour
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Event though this recipe isn't a super healthy alternative, it is still way better for you than these monsters.

 Here's what you do: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until batter is blended evenly.
3. Roll batter into 1-inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake cookies for approximately 13-15 minutes.
5. Remove cookies from baking sheet and allow to cool on wire rack.
6. Eat and enjoy!

(Don't judge my cooking sheet because I use it. Those colors are beautiful and represent lots of incredible delicious moments in my mouth.

Don't judge my cooking sheet because I actually use it. Those dark splotchy colors are beautiful and represent lots of incredible delicious moments in my mouth.

Just out of the oven!

I bagged them up and gave them to a friend for her birthday. Cute/inexpensive/thoughtful gifts are the way to go. Always.

(Please excuse Joel's picture-taking disability. Love you babe!)

I hope your fall is off to a great start!

Paleo/Gluten Free/Vegan Home-made Ice Cream

Like my post titles?? I am very creative. 

I also love apples. 

Sigh. Fall is so my favorite season. 

 

 

Anywho!

Last night I was CRAVING (ladies, you know what I'm talking about) ice cream. Like really badly. Like, I-am-going-to-drive-to-the-store-and-eat-an-entire--pint-of-Ben & Jerry's kind of craving.

Here's how I deal:

Pumpkin Banana Home Made "ice cream". 

 It's brilliant, because it makes your craving go away and it's super good for you AND low in cals! 
 

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin (the can needs to say 100% pumpkin!)

4 frozen bananas

1 tsp maple syrup

Cinnamon

Cocoa powder

Dash of almond/soy milk

Just in case you were interested:

Here are six reasons why you should eat tons of pumpkin: 
 
1. It's loaded with cartinoids.
2. It contains 3 grams of fiber per serving.
3. It promotes production of the anti-oxidant beta carotene.
4. It contains the amino acid tryptophan, which helps the production of serotonin. 
(aka it makes your mood happy)
5. One cup has 564 milligrams of potassium (oh daaaang). 
6. 1 Cup contains more than 200% of your daily intake of Vitamin A.

(source)
 

Anyways, 

Now that you know why you should make this incredible dessert, all you need to do is blend all of the ingredients in a food processor and voila!!!!

 

Happy Travels!

<3 Beth

 

Interview with a Real-Live Model

Happy Day-After-Election-Day!

Well, my sister in law Michelle is pretty much the nicest person I have ever met (besides my other sister in law. Go figure.), and she is a real-life model and commercial actress.

 She is also super trim-tight-skinny, which makes every girl jealous (but not the hate-jealous. She is so stinkin' nice, you can't help but love love love her!). 

I sat her down (well I sat down; I can't be sure if she sat down, since it was a phone interview), and listened to her mush about her job, health, and fiancee. 

So, what is your job, exactly?

Michelle: Haha, I do commercial modeling and acting in Los Angeles. It's freelance work, which means it's sporadic...sometimes I work six days a week, and sometimes only one; it depends! My agent will usually call the night before and I have to be out in L.A. by four or five A.M. the next morning, and the day can last anywhere from 4 to 15 hours. It keeps me on my toes!

How did you get into the entertainment business?

Michelle: I started when I was about fifteen, and my mom would pull me out of school to do background work in commercials, movies, and TV shows. It wasn't that glamorous, haha, I put in a lot of hours without much payback. After high school, I took acting classes and found an agent. I slowly got into modeling, as I started to get calls for photo shoots, but I didn't really pursue it .  Now, I do it nearly full time, and I love it! I have the best job. 

 

What is the most memorable commercial job you have had?

Michelle: Well, there was this one commercial where we were filming at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and we had to ride the same roller coaster over and over again! It was seriously crazy. I mean, I love roller coasters, but when you are riding one over and over again for hours...whew! Oh, man, just thinking about it...

Ha! That is crazy.On another note, we can all see that you are beyond gorgeous and have a great figure. Do you watch what you eat?

Michelle: Honestly, I have always been naturally thin; for the longest time I didn't have to watch my diet, or exercise, or any of that. Lately, however, I noticed that my body is changing (aka my metabolism is slowing down now that I am older), and so for the past few months I have made some healthy lifestyle changes. I drink more water, substitute fries with a salad or broccoli, eat more fruit, and limit my junk food. I also bought a gym pass with Casey!

That's awesome! Tell me a little bit about how you and Casey met. 

Michelle: We met at our church. I remember after service one night everyone went to Red Robin, and I saw him and thought he was really cute. It's crazy that we are now engaged! 

How cute! How did he propose?

Michelle:  He did a scavenger hunt all around Orange County, and left notes/gifts at our favorite places. He proposed on the cliffs in front of the Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach. We both love surfing and the beach, so it was perfect.

You guys have been together for a LONG time. Do you have any good relationship advise??

Michelle: Well, we both put God first, and we always try to put the others' needs above our own. This is so key, because it ensures that we both feel respected and loved! We also laugh a lot, and make sure to have a lot of fun together. It keeps things "fresh". 

I love that. You guys are doing real-estate together, right? 

Michelle: Yes! We recently began doing real-estate in Orange County, and we love it! It has really taught us how to be a team, and work together. Selling houses has been a lot of fun, even though it's "work". I love helping people find their perfect home!  

Well, there you have it, folks: 

an interview with a real-life model, actress, real-estate agent, and all-around beautiful person inside and out. 

Just goes to show you, looks aren't everything.

;) 

Happy Travels,

Beth

Candy Hangover??

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I have a candy hangover. 

 

Symptoms: super tired, super lazy, slight headache, and everything feels a bit gross. 

Most of my food yesterday looked like this:

So today, I will be drinking lots of green tea, hot water with lemon, and water, as well as eating a TON of veggies :) 

 (source)

My fridge inspiration for the week:

 

(Source)

Body Inspiration for the week:

 

Suddenly, all of that left-over candy sitting in my desk is no longer worth it.

;) 

Hope you had a happy Halloween!

Simple, Easy, Delicious, Healthy Soup Recipe!

Happy Tuesday!

Last night, I was craving something warm and full of flavor...I decided to make my mom's famous Mexican Soup and home-made cornbread!

It is fiber and protein rich, low in calories, and absolutely delish.

It's incredibly easy, and it only take 15 minutes of preparation. I made a mongo-huge pot of it so that I can take it to work for lunch this week. 

I know, I'm genius. 

Here is what you need (to make a mongo huge pot): 

1 tsp Olive Oil

2 Cans of Whole Corn 

2 Cans of Black Beans

1 Can of Kidney Beans

1 Pound of Fat Free Ground Turkey (or chicken!)

3 Bell Peppers

1 Onion

2 Large Cans of Stewed Tomatoes (with no sodium!)

Cumin

Dried Red Pepper

Salt

Black Pepper

Curry

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder (no sodium!)

 Optional (AKA the fattening stuff): 

Olives

Cheese

Sour Cream

For Garnish: 

1 Avocado

What to do: 

1. Chop the onion, and put it in a somewhat large skillet with 1 tsp of olive oil. Mix it around, and let the onion cook for about one minute.

2. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and let it simmer until the meat is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile: Put the two cans of stewed tomatoes into a large pot, along with the beans, corn, and seasonings to taste (don't put the red pepper in yet or you won't be able to eat the soup because it will be way too spicy!). Mix the ingredients together, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer at medium heat.

4. Once the meat has browned, add it to the pot. Cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes. 

5. Now, go read a book while the soup simmers and the flavors deepen!

If you want to make the cornbread, this is the time to do it. 

Here is what you need: 

Home-style cornbread: 

2 Cups Cornmeal

1 1/4 Cups Fat Free Milk (almond milk works as well)

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Honey (I use organic raw honey - clover honey is too sweet)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 Cup Oil (I use Grape Seed Oil - Vegetable & Canola work as well)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. 

2. Combine dry ingredients, then wet ingredients in a bowl and stir

3. Coat an 8x8 (or 9x9) baking pan with oil

4. Pour batter into pan

5. Put in the oven, and let it bake for 20 min.

And...voila! 

6. Back to the soup! Now that the it has simmered for a while, go ahead and add the bell peppers. I don't like to add them too soon, because I like them somewhat crunchy. 

7. Add 1 TSP (not tablespoon!!) of red pepper to the soup, and let it sit for 5 more minutes. 

8. Pour into bowls, top with cheese/avocado/sour cream (I just did cheese) and consume!