Saturday, July 31, 2010

Find out what it's all about

We are having an AdvoCare mixer and would love for
you (and your friends) to join us.

Monday, August 2nd
6:30 p.m.
208 N. Englewood Ave
(children welcome)

Come learn what these products can do for you and your family.
They truly are life changing!

Start your own journey...

For more information email:

Changing Habits

One thing Brad and I have been working on that is part of the Advocare nutrition program is simply changing eating habits. We went to the farmer's market and grocery store this morning and when we got home we unloaded all of the fresh produce that we love eating everyday and cleaned out some old junk that was still in our pantry. As I looked at the new and the old, I easily saw why we are in the shape we are in. I encourage you to look at what's in your cabinets and think about what you grab when you just want a quick snack (or give to your kids). I'll bet you too will realize how far off many of us are.

The crazy thing is that until I started eating all of these fresh fruits and vegetables, not only for meals, but also for snacks, I had actually forgotten how delicious they were (not to mention how great I feel compared to stuffing sweet snacks or chips in my face). Of course having a Spark to drink instead of coke or coffee is so much better!!!


Only about two weeks in and I'm loving the fresh food, the new found energy, and especially watching my weight drop and clothes get looser and looser as each day passes. This is totally AMAZING! I hope that each of you reading this will make an effort to get going on your own journey. I look forward to taking it with you. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I may help you in any way.


For More Information
Please visit:
www.doitwithadvocare.com

Or Email us at:

emily@doitwithadvocare.com

or

brad@doitwithadvocare.com

I'm back...Day 13 (a few recipes in here)

Sorry I've been a little under the weather and had a busy week, but I stayed on track with my nutrition program and as I posted Thursday I was thrilled with our ten day cleanse.

Brad ended up down 9 pounds at the end of the cleanse and was down another pound yesterday.

I have not managed to exercise the past couple of days but will get back to walking as soon as my sinuses clear up(hopefully Sunday).

I will just mention a few dishes we have had since my post on Monday. I'm not going to try to remember which dish was on what day but you will want to try a couple of these. So, here we go.

One night Brad grilled delicious chicken breast with a Chimichurri sauce/marinade that use we for pork, chicken, and beef. It is GREAT!!

Brad uses the food processor
(you can just mince everything if you don't want to use FP)

Combine:

6 cloves garlic chopped, 2 seeded jalapenos or Serrano peppers chopped, 1/2 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh oregano, juice from three limes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or just salt), fresh crack pepper to taste, 1 cup EVOO. The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup red wine vinegar. We left that out this time because you should not have vinegar on the cleanse but usually add it also.

Mix all ingredients, reserve about half the mixture for dipping then pour the other half over chicken (or what ever meat you would like). Works great in a ziploc. Only marinade for 45-1 hour because the lime juice will begin to cook the meat if it goes much longer. Grill like you normally would until desired temp. YUMMMM!

I was chickened out one night this week so we were racking our brains trying to come up with something different. I decided I wanted breakfast for supper. Unfortunately it was not cheese eggs, cheese grits, bacon, and biscuits, but it was still good and made us feel good also.

We chopped up some of the leftover chicken from above along with bell pepper and onion then sauteed them for a while. We made omelets with two eggs each adding the chicken, onion, and pepper mixture.

At the last minute I thought of making a fresh salsa to go with our dinner omelets. We diced cherry tomatoes, sweet onions, a little Serrano chili, fresh cilantro, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little fresh squeezed lime juice. Mix all that together and add to any dish for a wonderful fresh pop. The salsa really made the dinner! Add fresh fruit for desert and who needs bacon and biscuits?

The other recipe worth mentioning is a great marinade/rub Brad found (quick & easy).

We used it on a small boneless turkey breast (only about three pounds).

Food Processor time again.


Combine:

1 small onion, about 12 fresh sage leaves, a little lemon zest, 1/2 cup fresh parsley,
3 Tsp EVOO, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and rub all over turkey breast.

I bet it would be great on chicken also, this was a first for us. I'm glad we found it. Cook according to directions or however you normally would. This one said cook on 350 for about 2 hrs. We used one of those baking bags and it came out very juicy!! We also roasted carrots, onions and cauliflower seasoned with salt and pepper. We would typically roast things like this using potatoes, onions and carrots, but cauliflower is a wonderful substitution. So glad it wasn't "chicken".

Try these out and let me know what you think!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

11.4 lbs. LOST in 10 DAYS!!!!!!!!!

The 10 day cleanse is now over - and I am happy about that. But I am more happy that I LOST 11.4 lbs. Time to celebrate....by going to exercise :o)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Cajun Grilled Grouper Recipe


Lightly brush grouper fillet with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with sugar-free Cajun seasoning. Add a bunch if you want it extra spicy. Put on hot grill for a few minutes on each side. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over fish before eating.
After the 10 day cleanse, Brad will probably add whole grain rice to this meal.
...and Velveeta cheese sauce for the broccoli - now that was just wishful thinking!


Chicken and Vegetable Soup Recipe



3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4" strips

1 cup okra, sliced

3 spears asparagus, cut into 1" pieces, and/or 1 cup broccoli florets

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (we actually added more pepper than this)

In a large pot, combine the broth, carrots, celery, onion, mushroom, okra, garlic, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the vegetable mixture to a food processor and process until pureed. Return to the pot.

Stir in the chicken, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add asparagus and/or broccoli, parsley, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Enjoy!
Taste better than it looks...

Shaker & Egg Poacher

I love both of these products. They both came from Wal-mart. The egg poacher was over where the microwaves are. I am not sure where the water bottle shaker is located since my my sweet niece let me use hers (I have decided that it is mine now - I will get you a new one, Cori - if you tell me where I can find it ). So, for the shaker, it holds 25 ounces (it measures in ounces and milliliters) and has 2 small compartments built into the top for pills and whatnots. The bottom also unscrews to reveal fairly large cup for storing things like my afternoon spark or a lunch time meal replacement drink. There is also a removable screen in the top which which allows you to simply pour in your Spark/Shake powder, add water, shake it up and go...no stirring required.
GREAT product! I feel like an infomercial. I am in no way affiliated with either of these products. Just FYI.



The Egg Poacher


The egg poacher is another neat product. You can poach 2 eggs in less than a minute. Depending on the cook time, you can either completely cook the yolk or leave it runny. I prefer the yolk completely cooked since I can't have grits right now. This is especially great for those people, who like me, are always in a hurry. All you have to do is crack the eggs into the bowls add a teaspoon of water to each bowl, close the lid and nuke it for about a minute depending on the strength of your microwave. This can also be done without buying the egg poacher (I call this the redneck poacher). You can use a bowl and a saucer/plate . Put the egg in the bowl, add water and cover it with a saucer or plate also put something with some weight to it on top. I used a coffee mug. Then nuke it!
The Redneck Version
This makes a quick breakfast with great protein and I also make them ahead of time and take to the office in ziplocks for my morning and/or afternoon snack.

A little tid bit - each egg contains about 6 grams of protein.

Day 7 Schedule

7:15 - Pink Lemonade Spark, 3 catalyst pills & 2 pro-botic restore (still no fiber drink)

8:00 - 1/2 chocolate meal replacement shake (should have drank the whole thing but I just wasn't feeling it)

9:45 - 1 small plum, 5 strawberries and 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (I had to eat before 10:00 because for the first time I was STARVING - should have drank the whole shake...I know, I know)

12:30 - leftover chicken soup with a peach

3:00 - was taking a nap, so I skipped this meal (that is a no, no and Brad actually called it "cheating". Better nothing than a bag of chips in my opinion)

6:15 - Lettuce chicken wraps & sliced tomatoes - Brad had sugar-free Cajun grilled grouper with steamed broccoli - his meal was much more impressive than mine so his recipe for that will follow. I do not eat anything that swims (well anything that swims for a living) so his meal was yuck in my opinion. He said it was delicious!

8:30 -3 cleanse pills & 3 catalyst pills

No exercise today and boy was it nice :o)

Day 6 Schedule

7:15 - Pink Lemonade Spark, 3 catalyst pills & 3 herbal cleanse pills (no fiber drink today) & 2 Pro-botic Restore pills

8:00 - 2 boiled eggs, grapes & strawberries (I didn't measure these, oops)

9:30 - visited the farmer's market and bought delicious fruits and veggies

10:00 - 10 baby carrots and a handful of edamame (bought frozen from grocery store and just thawed in refrigerator, added a tiny bit of salt)

12:30 - turkey lettuce wraps, with tomatoes and mustard, and blackberries

1:00 - 3 miles walk (on a Saturday!!)

3:30 - apple and natural peanut butter (this stuff is finally growing on me)

6:15 - homemade chicken soup (recipe to follow), sliced tomatoes and sliced peaches.

8:30 - 3 cleanse pills & 3 catalyst pills

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Bad. The Ugly.

So for some reason I am up .8 lbs today. I don't know why since I have followed this plan exactly - not cheating even one time. I guess maybe it is just part of it. Went we to church this morning and it was the first time I was STARVING. I was so hungry that I wanted to get up and leave. I even wrote on the church bulletin "STARVING" and showed to Brad, in which he showed no sympathy (thanks a lot, honey -just kidding). Maybe it was because I couldn't drink water during that hour or because I only drank half of my meal replacement shake before.

I have decided that I do not like my shakes blended in the Magic Bullet. For the last several days, due to time restraints, I have just dumped it in this cup/shaker thing my niece bought from Wal-mart (I have just taken it over, thanks Cori - I will have to buy you a new one plus Brad wants one too). I will take pictures of it and post on here, because it really is a nifty item. I have used it from day one and love it. The Magic Bullet puts too much air in it and I just don't love the texture.

I am truly ready for this 10 day cleanse to be OVER! We are on day 7, but tomorrow we have to start back with the dreaded fiber drink. Even though, it really isn't all that bad. Hopefully, in the next few days I will loose the .8 I just gained. I will be extremely happy to lose 10 lbs. in 10 days. It will be a great bonus if I lose more. I am counting down the minutes until Thursday morning. Can not wait to add other foods into the diet for days 11-24!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Unheard of...

I have just exercised on a Saturday. Now that is unheard of.

Water, water and more water

And can I get a side of water with that? I haven't mentioned how much water you need to drink during the 10 day cleanse. At least a gallon. That is a whole lot of water and get ready to spend an appreciable amount of time in the restroom. Especially when you are trying to sleep which for me is so aggravating!

Habitat for Humanity

Brad is with the men from His Ministries (from our church, Covenant United Methodist). He took an AdvoCare Rehydrate and Spark together this morning and just called me and said he can't believe how great he feels. He also helped build a storage building for the Wiregrass Children's Home for 3 Saturdays over the last few weeks. We didn't know about AdvoCare then and he said he wishes he would have. Nevertheless, glad we know about it now and that he is feeling good because it is real hot out there.

10 lbs. in 5 days!!!!

Today is a GREAT day! 10 lbs. in 5 days. I am so happy.

5 more days of the cleanse.

I think I can.

I think I can.

I think can.

I KNOW I can.

I KNOW I WILL!!!!

Friday, July 23, 2010

SLAM is where it is AT!!!

Took my first Slam this morning and just did 6 miles of cardo. HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it! If I can do it...ANYONE can do it! Thankful for air conditioning cause I am so hot, so so hot.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Days 4 & 5 schedule

So day 4 was a good day. I was a little tired, but overall feel pretty good. I am proud of myself and so thankful for ALL my "cheerleaders" (you know who you are)!! I couldn't do it without yall. I didn't exercise this on day 4 and looking back, I wish I would have. I felt like I needed a little break. Brad and I did get in 2 miles for our evening stroll so at least I did something. So for day 5 I took a Slam walked 6 miles. Needed my cheerleaders more than ever then. Thank yall so much for your encouraging texts.

Day 4:

7:00 - 3 catalyst, 2 ProBotic Restore pills and a pink lemonade Spark

7:45 - Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake

No morning exercise - oh well

10:00 - 2 boiled egg (I have a great tip for these) and watermelon (didn't measure)

12:30 - left over pistachio crusted chicken lettuce wraps and cherries

3:00 - natural peanut butter and apple

6:00 - Baked chicken with just salt, pepper and garlic, steamed broccoli, and watermelon

7:20 - Brad and I walked 2 miles in the hood

8:30 - 3 herbal cleanse pills and 3 catalyst pills


Day 5 was basically the same as day 4 so I won't bore you with the details.

Day 4 weigh in

Only down .5 lbs. today for a total of 8.5 in 3 days. Didn't have to drink the fiber drink so I am a happy camper right now (we get a 4 day break). About to drink a spark and get in some cardo.


FOR MORE INFO visit
or email
or
Live Healthy. Live Happy.
Do it with AdvoCare!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Pistachio Crusted Chicken Salad RECIPE
























This was delicious!!!! We made 2 chicken breast. We only ate 1/2 at dinner so the other 1/2 will be for lunch tomorrow.






Preheat oven to 375.






Pound out chicken breasts and lightly salt and pepper.






Finely chop pistachios - we used the Magic Bullet we use to mix AdvoCare shakes (food processor is okay)

Spread pistachios on a plate or pan and coat chicken (pressing both sides into nuts)

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (or EVOO as Rachael Ray would say)

Lightly brown chicken for about 2 minutes on each side.

Place chicken on a cooking rack in a pan to keep off bottom of pan and cook for 15 minutes or until done.

Let it cool, slice it and serve it over salad greens.

Avocado dressing recipe:

Heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO and lightly saute 1/2 a cup of diced onions. Add a little salt and pepper and finishing cooking onions until they are golden brown.
Puree the onions with one ripe avocado peeled and pitted, 3 tablespoons of EVOO, 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon of water. Salt and pepper to taste.
FOR MORE INFO
or email
or

Day 3 of 24 day challenge

Today was a GREAT day! Like I mentioned in my earlier post I got on the scale the morning of day 3 and LOST 2.8 more pounds. That's 8 pounds in just 2 days. I know I keep saying it, but that is 8 pounds in TWO days!!!!! I am so excited that I just can't hide it.

Since I am a picky eater, we are having to get creative on recipes. I am so blessed that Brad is the cook in the house and he is wonderful at it! I will post recipes and photos (if I can figure out how) and let you know if we will make it again or not. The following is my day 3 schedule:

7:15 - Fiber Drink (celebrated since I get a four day break), 3 catalyst pills & Pink Lemonade Spark

8:00 - Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake (today I just stirred instead of blending - I like it this way too)

8:30 - 2 mile walk

10:00 - 2 hard boiled eggs and 1 cup of blackberries

12:20 - Turkey lettuce wraps (heart of romaine lettuce) with tomatoes and a little mustard, 1 cup of grapes

3:00 - Pink lemonade Spark with an apple with natural peanut butter

5:45 - YOU SHOULD TRY THIS ONE...pistachio crusted chicken salad: pistachio crusted chicken, spring mixed greens, tomatoes, chopped boiled egg with avocado dressing (recipe and pics to follow) also, fresh okra and tomatoes from the farmers' market stewed with diced onions and watermelon for dessert.

7:00 - 2 mile stroll

8:30 - 3 Herbal Cleanse pills and 3 catalyst pills

Now just praying for a good weigh in in the morning...


FOR MORE INFO go to
or email Emily at
or email Brad

Days 1 and 2...

8 pounds LOST!!!!! I am in complete shock. Only 2 days and I have lost 8 pounds. Brad is down 7. So the Masons have lost 15! Unbelievable really.

This is what I did on day 1:

With dread, I mixed the fiber drink. I heard it was thick and I have a terrible gag reflux so I was NOT looking forward to this. Everything I heard was right...it was thick and had fibers in it. Not a fan of this one at this point. We blended in our Magic Bullet and that was a TERRIBLE idea. I suggest mixing with spoon, holding nose and chugging it as fast as you can (closing eyes seems to help too). So my first experience with it was a funny one. I keep gagging and taking small sips and it is just getting thicker and thicker and Brad is calling me a wuss and making fun of me. I kept adding water and after just about throwing up, I finally got it all down. That was a major feat.

Here is the DAY 1 schedule:

7:15 - Yummy Fiber Drink, 3 catalyst pills & a Pink Lemonade Spark (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this)

8:00 - Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake (mixed with Magic Bullet)

8:30 - Walked on treadmill for 2.5 miles

10:00 - Ate 1 hard boiled egg (little salt & pepper) and 1 cup of cherries

12:30 - Lettuce, 8 cherry tomatoes, 6 baby carrots, 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 cup blackberries

3:00 - 1 apple with 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (this isn't my favorite, but not too bad - getting used to it)

6:00 - Stir fried cubes of chicken breast with onions in a little olive oil, steamed broccoli and 3 tomato slices

7:00 - Short stroll around the neighborhood.

8:00 - Herbal Cleanse pills and 3 catalyst pills



DAY 2 Schedule:
Weighed in and lost 5.2 lbs on DAY ONE!!!!!

7:15 - Fiber Drink (a little easier to swallow today), 3 catalyst pills & pink lemonade Spark

8:00 - Meal Replacement Shake (today Brad and I mixed chocolate and vanilla and it was really good)

8:35 - Walked 4.5 miles

10:15 - 2 hard boiled egg and a cup of strawberries

12:30 -lettuce, 7 cherry tomatoes, 6 baby carrots, 3 oz. grilled chicken, and 1 cup of blackberries

2:30 - Pink lemonade Spark - needed a boost of energy and it did the trick

3:30 - Apple with natural peanut butter

5:30 - Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps with tomatoes & mustard, 1 hard boiled egg, cherries and grapes

6:00 - 1.5 stroll around the neighborhood

8:30 - Herbal Cleanse pills and 3 catalyst pills

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Measuring, Chopping, Bagging & Labeling

Tomorrow is the BIG day! I am going to finally start the 24 day challenge. So today, my sweet husband and I, have been measuring, chopping, bagging and labeling everything we are going to eat for the week. Brad, my husband, is also doing the challenge with me. He doesn't have much weight to lose - he is mainly doing it to support me. He is truly the best!

My goal with trying AdvoCare is to lose weight - a BUNCH of weight - and hopefully be able to start a family. I know being overweight has a great deal to do with the infertility we have been battling for years.

I am going to weigh and measure myself in the morning. UGH! The dreaded weigh-in. I will not post my weight any time soon and probably only will if I start seeing huge results. I have taken before pictures so maybe one day you can see that picture next to a SKINNY, NEW me picture!!!!!

I will try to post everyday or so with all the details. I will document everything I put in my mouth and every exercise activity I do as well as how I feel, etc.

Wish me luck! (I don't know who I am talking to as I have no followers since I haven't even told anyone I am doing this - maybe one day someone will read this and be inspired!)

Friday, July 16, 2010

My AdvoCare Journey Begins...

Today is the day that I hope changes my life FOREVER! I made a decision to start the AdvoCare 24 day challenge. Well, I made the decision a few days ago, but I have the products in hand. I am scared and nervous at the same time. The box seems a little overwhelming and I think I have a whole lot to learn. My AdvoCare Journey will actually start Monday. I need the weekend to prepare myself mentally and school myself on how this process works. I can't wait to start the 24 day challenge and more importantly LOSE weight and finally gain control of my life. This is MY JOURNEY. I hope you will join me.