Fight the Fall Fat!

It's that time of year; my bathing suits are packed away and the boots, jeans, scarves, and oversized comfy, cozy, sweaters fill my closet instead. But just because you've packed away your bikini doesn't mean you have to pack away your bikini ready body with it! It's easy to get carried away this time of year with the wonderful flavors of   pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin scones, breads, etc. Not to mention the holiday feasts!

Fight the fat and keep your figure with some of my favorite fall recipes and at home exercises!


GREEK YOGURT PUMPKIN PANCAKES
This delicious recipe is a modified version of the Greek yogurt pancakes I published a few months ago.

3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin ( NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
dash of nutmeg and cinnamon

Whisk together egg, yogurt, and pumpkin in a small mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scoop 1/4 cup of mix onto well greased griddle and flip when pancake starts to bubble.
I usually make a double recipe because they are great left over!!!!

Topped with sugar-free syrup, and combined with turkey sausage and coffee with sugar-free pumpkin spice creamer!

LOADED MASHED "POTATOES"
As a nutritionist one of the most common struggles parents shared with me was the battle to get their children to eat vegetables. My most common suggestion was to blend vegetables with other favorites such as: carrots blended into sweet potatoes, peas mixed into macaroni and cheese, and my favorite, cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes! Topped with you child's favorite potato toppings, they'll never know the difference!


1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed

1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

garlic powder, pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, diced scallions (if desired)

Place cauliflower and chicken broth in a large covered pot on low heat for 1- 1.5 hours or until soft. Blend cauliflower with half of the chicken broth until cauliflower reaches desired consistency. Add pepper and garlic powder to taste, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

I made these for Josh and he had NO idea that they weren't real potatoes!!!

BAKED MAC-N-CHEESE  (cookinglight.com)

12 oz uncooked penne pasta ( I prefer Dream Fields as it has a low glycemic index)

12 oz low-fat cottage cheese 

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 grated, fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

3 Tbsp panko bread crumbs

cooking spray

Cook pasta as directed, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside when done.

While pasta is cooking, puree cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Combine cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Add the cheese mixture to the pasta and mix well. Spoon into a greased 11 X 7 baking dish. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Broil 1 minute to crisp the top.

Before you indulge in all your fall favorites, bust out this quick 30 minute circuit!

Complete 4 rounds of the circuit; 1 minute at each exercise and a 1 minute rest between rounds.

Squat jumps

Bicep curl up to a shoulder press

Side Plank with leg raise (alternating sides each round)

Tricep Push ups

Jack Knives on the exercise ball

JORDAN IS GETTING IN HER WORKOUT TODAY, ARE YOU?

Food Fun with Jordan!

I'm nestled into the couch with my afternoon cup of coffee (with pumpkin spice creamer of course!), computer in hand, surrounded by silence....for the next 5 minutes at least. Jordan has a way of timing her naps to wake up right around the time I get started on a new project. Those first 30 seconds after she wakes up, I have to stop what I'm doing, I get a little frustrated. But, that big smile that starts in her mesmerizing, blue eyes and works it's way down to her mouth, captures me immediately, and I don't hesitate to stop what I'm doing to serve as her entertainment for the next few hours.
These last 5 1/2 months have flown by just as everyone warned me they would. She is at such a fun age and just in time for my favorite time of year!

I've packed away my "ocean breeze" Sentsy and replaced it with the smell of  "autumn air". It's time to get out the fall decorations and bask in the aromas of cinnamon, sugar,  spice, and pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING! I'm excited to take cute pictures of Jordan in a pumpkin patch, dress her up in her first Halloween costume, take her on her first fall camping trip, and watch her taste the flavors of fall.


We started baby food this week. I'm making all of my own baby food using a simple food processor and fresh or frozen veggies. It's as simple as steaming veggies and blending them up, so why not make your own rather than spending money on over priced jarred foods! Once you've pureed the food you can control the consistency by breastmilk or water.

I searched for the best storage containers to store Jordan's baby food and came across these little gems at Babies R Us. They're BPA free, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and stack easily to save room in freezer.

When I worked as a nutritionist for Women, Infant, and Children, I would recommend that parents begin introducing green vegetables first, followed by yellow vegetables, orange vegetables, and then fruits. This is because children tend to love  sweet flavors of orange veggies and fruits and will often turn down green veggies if they are introduced to sweet foods first.

You also want to wait 3-4 days between each new food that you introduce to your child so that any allergic reaction can be noticed.

Stay away from nuts, honey, egg whites, and shellfish for the first year.

Shop for fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables rather canned as they contain loads of sodium and or sugar.

Jordan LOVES the grocery store!

Jordan started with peas......

Believe it or not, some of the food DID actually make it into her mouth. HAHAHA


As I learn about the foods she likes and dislikes, I will start mixing them together to make more flavorful combinations.

HAVE A FUN FILLED WEEKEND!

Meals in Minutes!!!

My wiggly, giggly, talkative little 4 month old is keeping me on my toes these days!  Just when I think she's entertained herself, and I start to fold laundry, do the dishes, or make dinner, she throws me a curve ball and I'm back to being her sidekick for the moment.

That being said, I've had to learn how to make dinner as quickly as possible, before Jordan gets too bored in the kitchen. Here are a few quick dinner ideas that will help you get dinner on the table for the entire family while taking care of your bouncing baby!

Mommy's little helper

Grilled Kabobs

It doesn't get any better than kabobs on the grill! They're easy, healthy, and can be individualized to your liking!

Grab a few of your favorite veggies, meats, and wooden kabobs (soaked in water for 30 minutes before putting on the grill) season up to perfection, and stick them on the grill! 

Here are few ideas:

Southwestern marinated chicken with onion, orange pepper, jalapeno,and green pepper (pictured below)

Lemon pepper chicken with squash, zucchini, onion

Marinated steak with thin sliced potatoes, onion, sliced portabello mushrooms

Shrimp, diced asparagus, onion, tomato

Grilled Portabello Caps

Ingredients:

3 Portabello Caps
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag. Add mushrooms and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Grill for 12 minutes.

While we were enjoying our kabobs, we decided to cook up some grilled peaches! These are VERY easy and make for a wonderful, low-fat dessert!

Ingredients:
2 large peaches, cut in half
Cooking spray
2 tsp Cinnamon Sugar
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt

Spray each peach half with a light coat of cooking spray and place face down on the grill for 10 minutes. While the peaches are grilling combine cinnamon sugar, butter, and honey in a sauce pan over low-medium heat. When your peaches are done, place 1 Tbsp of Greek yogurt in the pit hole of your peach and drizzle with sauce. ENJOY!

This next recipe is a great staple to keep in the house. Packed with healthy fats, protein, and vitamins it makes a nutritious addition to any snack or meal.  I enjoy it on my egg white omelettes, mixed with chicken, or used as a salsa on chips or crackers.


Ingredients:
1- 14.5 oz can yellow corn, drained
1- 14.5 oz can black beans.drained
1- 14.5 oz can pinto beans, drained
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 avocado, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss in lime juice. Enjoy!

I found these little gems buy 1 get 1 free at Publix a few weeks ago. Armour turkey meatballs. 1 Serving is 6 meatballs, 180 calories, and 11g of fat. I've used them in several different recipes and have yet to be disappointed.

I'm not a big fan of red sauce so I took a different approach to spaghetti and meatballs and lightly tossed elbow noodles with EVOO, Parmesan cheese and sauteed garlic, onion, green pepper, and tomatoes I had prepared on the stove. While the veggies were cooking I popped a few meatballs in the microwave, tossed them with my veggies and pasta, and BAM, healthy, hearty dinner in 15 minutes!

 Another variation included sauteed mushrooms, garlic, and onion over brown rice with meatballs. Another fantastic combination in under 30 minutes!!

There's always time to fix a healthy meal for you and your growing family! 

Fuel your body the right way!

Kick up the Cardio!

Whether you are pregnant, a new mom, or just your average Joe, cardiovascular health is vital to a healthy lifestyle.  My last 6 weeks of pregnancy made the cardio aspect of my workouts very hard. The pressure Jordan was putting on my bladder, hips, and tail bone slowed me down and turned my walk into a full waddle. But I pushed through and did what I could each and every day, even if that meant taking an hour to walk a mere 2 miles.

At 15 weeks Jordan loves to explore the world around her, especially when she is outside. I’ve taken advantage of her love for nature and have gotten back into an outdoor running routine; but now I have two running partners, my four-legged baby boy, and my sweet little girl. Josh’s parents bought us a Graco running stroller set that we absolutely LOVE! Jordan gets to rest comfortably in her seat and I get the added resistance of the stroller to increase my workout intensity!

Running or walking with a stroller is one of many ways to pump your cardio workout up to the next level, and your little one will love the stimulation of being outdoors. Whether you are running, walking, or riding the elliptical machine at the gym, there is always a way to push your routine up a notch. Here are few additions to an every day cardio routine that will increase your heart rate and get you working different muscles!

She gets to relax while mommy gets in a workout!

For the Runner:

Running is a GREAT cardiovascular workout-

-Run backwards:  Spice up your average run by turning around and running backwards for a while. This will target you calf muscles,hamstrings and glutes!

-Run uphill: Running up hill adds extra resistance, improving the strength in your quads, hamstrings, ankles, and glutes more than your flat ground running.

- Sprint:  Exploding into a sprint between bouts of regular running will help increase your endurance and help your body burn more fat! Try to add sprints to a least one of your weekly runs.

For the Walker:

Walking can be just as effective as running and it is easier on the joints!

-Speed Walk: rather than sprinting, step up the pace of your walking by speed walking in intervals.

-Add Weight: Grab a pair of 3 lb dumbbells before you venture out for your walk. The added weight will serve for resistance and you may even find the motivation to do some bicep curls while you’re walking.

-Don’t avoid hills: As I mentioned before, whether you are running or walking, doing so uphill works your quads, calves, hamstrings and glutes extra hard! If you are outside, find a hilly route to walk. If you are indoors on a treadmill, bump up your incline!

-Walking lunges: If you are feeling really adventurous, break out into walking lunges while you are on your walk! These are greats for your quads and glutes as well!

- Enjoy the view:  Any kind of cardio indoors can get really repetitive and even discourage you from completing your workout. Change up the scenery to make your runs more enjoyable! Venture outside, find a new trail, or go to a neighborhood park. Not only will the change of scenery motivate you, but the change in terrain will help work different muscles, while the sunshine from outdoors will help you soak up vitamin D.

This is my FAVORITE running/walking route- lake lanier

It doesn’t matter what you do, just as long as you keep on moving! Adults should get no less than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. This will decrease your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease while increasing your energy level and brightening your moods!

If you are pregnant, maintaining a regular exercise routine will help control your weight gain, prevent gestational diabetes, increase your energy level, reduce the difficulties of labor, and has MANY health benefits for your unborn child.

“Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.”

~Lee Haney



For those of you looking for a personal trainer in the Flowery 
Branch or Buford area I'm your girl! Send me an email at:

jethomas512@gmail.com

For those of you who don't live in the area I also sell workout plans you can do on  your own!

Go Greek!

First family photo with our adorable babies! I know you're jealous of our matching shirts!

 My rambunctious 14 week old daughter has been keeping me very busy,but motherhood has been more fun than I ever could have imagined! We've shown Jordan the world over the past 14 weeks. She's traveled to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virgina! She's been to the pool, felt the breeze from the boat on lake lanier, and touched her toes in the sand at Tybee Island beach.

Our most recent adventure took us to visit my sister, brother-in-law and sweet little nephew, Will. We had the best time watching these two kick and coo together.

"Mom I've been in this seat for 9 hours, get me out!"

Will and Jordan cheering on USA during the World Cup

My sister and I spent quality time changing diapers, cleaning up spit-up, bouncing babies, and swapping notes about nap times, breastfeeding, etc. One of my favorite moments occurred at about 4 am one morning. My breast pump wasn't working so I went into my sisters living room to use hers. To my surprise my sister was in the living room herself also pumping. I told her I needed to use her pump so she unhooked one side, handed it to me and we sat on the couch together at 4am sharing a breast pump. We looked at each and started cracking up; if you would have asked us a year ago where we saw ourselves today, I'm sure pumping breast milk at 4am together on the couch would not be on the list. The following 3 days we met for a breastfeeding/ pumping date at 4am.

Play Time!

We also did a lot of healthy cooking during our visit!
My sister always keeps Greek Yogurt in her refrigerator. If you have't familiarized yourself with the many uses of Greek yogurt I highly suggest you do so!

Greek Yogurt is a wonderful substitute for higher fat ingredients like mayonnaise, sour cream, and butter. It cuts fat and calories all the while adding protein!

While visiting we made a batch of DELICIOUS Greek yogurt strawberry muffins.

GREEK YOGURT STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 eggs ( we used 4 egg whites to cut fat and cholesterol)
1.5 cups greek yogurt
1/4 cup butter ( we substituted 1/8 cup applesaue for butter to cut fat)
1 tsp vanilla

Method:
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, and strawberries

2. Blend remaning ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until well combined.

3. Divide batter into 12 muffin tins and bake at 375 for 18-25 minutes.

Muffin paired with spinach and egg whites and fresh fruit

A few days ago I used Greek yogurt to make  pancakes. This easy recipe can be altered to make whatever flavor pancakes you wish! I chose to make blueberry.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, flavor of your choice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of fruit of your choice

This is my FAVORITE Greek Yogurt. It's only 80 calories and 7g of sugar compared to 15-20g in your other Greek Yogurts 

Method
1. In  small mixing bowl, whisk toget egg and yogurt and set aside.

2. In another bowl mix flour and baking soda. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

3. Heat greased skilet over medium heat and pour 1/4 cup batter onto skillet, add fruit and flip once.

Rock-N-Roll Abs

My biggest concern about getting back in shape postpartum was getting my tummy back in shape. I was convinced that it was going to be impossible to get my stomach back after seeing how far it stretched out! However, with a little hard work and dedication I'm on the way to getting my belly back and you can be too!

 This was me at 37 weeks pregnant! I NEVER in my wildest dreams thought I would be posting a picture like this!

This was taken yesterday at 14 weeks postpartum.


Working my abs has always been my favorite part of a workout; I was very excited to get back into my ab routine postpartum. Here is short abdominal workout that is sure the get your belly back in shape!

AB ROLLER
This exercise requires an ab wheel which can be purchased for as a little as $10. I LOVE the ab wheel!!! It targets your entire core. This is a more advanced move so you may need to work your way into a full
extension.
Place your knees on the ground and wheel in front of you. Slowly roll the wheel out as far as you can. Keeping your core tight, use your stomach muscles to pull the wheel back into starting position.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS

This exercise targets your obliques, or outer abs. Lye on your back with your legs straight and in the air, directly over your hips. In a slow, controlled motion, let your legs fall to the right until your feet are hovering just above the ground. Keeping your shoulders flat on the ground, use your stomach muscles to pull your legs back up and over to the left side. This is considered 1 rep.

SUPINE LEG LIFTS

This exercise targets your lower abs. It is performed in much of the same way as windshield wipers, except your legs are lowered in front of you instead of to the side. 

This photo was taken mid-lowering. Continue to lower your legs until your feet are hovering over the ground. If you
can't lower them that much, lower to a 45 degree angle.

CHERRY PICKERS

This is another exercise that targets your obliques. I usually perform this exercise while holding a weight, a more novice option would be performing it without a weight.

Balance yourself on your buttocks, knees bent, and feet off the ground. Using slow and controlled motions, rotate your torso to the left, and then to the right. Keep your hips facing forward and your legs as still as possible.

   

SWISS BALL JACKKNIFE

This exercise targets your lower abs and your transverse abdominis (inner abs).

Place the tops of your ankles/feet on the swiss ball while you balance your body in a plank position. Keeping your shoulders over your hands, roll your knees towards your chest, and return back to plank. 

Complete 3 sets of 15-20 reps of each exercise and you'll be well on your way to those rock hard abs!

Oh Motherhood!

We are 6 weeks in, "how is motherhood you ask?" Well it's taken me nearly 5 weeks to find the time to write this if that says anything HAHAHA. I started writing this on Monday, finished on Tuesday, and forgot to publish it until today! Time doesn't flow quite as freely as it use to :)

However, every time I look at this face, all the stress, frustration, and exhaustion just disappears.

Here is what I have learned so far:

1. They aren't kidding when they say all a newborn does is eat, sleep, and poop. It is a constant cycle that only changes as the hours between each action grow slightly longer.

2. Breastfeeding is NOT easy. Thus far Jordan has not had any formula, but it's been a struggle. I feel like a walking vending machine and I leak at the sound of her cry, my breasts pulsate just from thinking about her, and if I dare go more than 3 hours without feeding or pumping I am in for 24-48 hours of painful engorgement. The kind that makes you want to cry when you lift your arms.

There is the constant worry that she's not getting enough milk, the fear that I didn't wait long enough after drinking that DELICIOUS glass of wine to feed her. And the feeling of being secluded because I don't have enough pumped milk stored to have a night out.

But then I look at this cute little belly that she's growing and I let out a deep sigh. She's a perfectly healthy, happy, growing baby and I am just your average worry wart of a mom.

So for all of you moms out there that want to give up, DON'T. It's not easy, but you're not alone. Find a support team and keep up the good work! You're giving  your child an amazing gift.


3. Ask for help! Josh as been a HUGE help but he's at work all day and has started traveling again. I've tried to be a superhero and run on the broken 5 or so hours of sleep a night while breastfeeding, doing laundry, cooking, grocery shopping,etc. Well, as everyone eventually warned me of, I hit my breaking point. I walked into my parents house this past weekend with Jordan, and while she slept, I cried. Not for any reason in particular, just hormones and sleep deprivation working their way out.

Jordan was fed, changed, and sleeping peacefully so I took the opportunity to immerse myself in an hour long yoga session. She started crying half way through but I continued my yoga knowing she had two perfectly capable grandparents taking care of her.

Find that time for yourself. Even if it's only 20 minutes. Lock yourself away, take a deep breath, cry if you need to, and ask for help.

4. Don't plan a vacation with a 5 week old, there will be nothing fun or relaxing about it.

Josh and I went to Asheville last weekend for our 2 year wedding anniversary. Jordan pooped through one outfit on the way down there, and another while we were at the Biltmore. It took 2 hours to get her fed and asleep so we could go out to dinner, and by 9 pm, after dinner and 2 beers, we were so exhausted we basically slept walked back to the hotel.

We returned from Asheville on Sunday and left for Nashville early Tuesday morning. Josh had to go for work and I thought it would be great for Jordan and I to tag along. I had this perfect vision in my head of me laying by pool for an hour or so each day, spending an hour in the hotel gym, and strolling her through the city.Well the hotel pool wasn't open, the gym had nothing but a treadmill, it rained half the time we were there, and Jordan picked that week to stop napping. Instead we spent the ENTIRE week in the hotel venturing out only for dinner; and even then she spent most of the time on the boob to keep her from screaming in the restaurant while she fought sleep.

5. Bath time fixes the worst of moods. Once her belly button scab finally fell off, at about 3 weeks, we discovered that JoJo LOVES bath time. The warm water instantly calms her and has been a life saver this past week.

6. I have become a pro at completing tasks with one hand. When you have a fussy or hungry baby in one arm (or on the boob) and things you have to do, you simply make it work with the one hand you have left. Feeding the dog, making breakfast, getting dressed. You name it, I've mastered it!

7. Number 7 is the most important. I have never loved something so much in my entire life. Who knew that something so little, could make you feel something so big. I find myself thinking about her when I'm not with her, and looking at pictures of her on my phone when she is napping in the next room. She's my reason for getting up each and every day.

So here we are 6 weeks postpartum and I've lost all but 2 pounds of my pregnancy weight. The owners and trainer of my gym refused to let me in the gym without a doctors note from my postpartum check up so I had been doing yoga and walking/running outside. I am happy to say I had my postpartum check up yesterday and marched directly into gym with a smile on face, and note in hand! To say it felt AMAZING to get back in there is an understatement!

Here are a few of the healthy foods I've turned to postpartum.

Overnight Oats
These are GREAT for new mommy's who don't have time to make breakfast. I found that there were too many days when I would look at the clock that read 11 am and realize I had yet to eat. This recipe is super easy and makes for a healthy, hearty breakfast.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of milk ( I use light vanilla soy, but you can use whatever kind of milk you want)
toppings of your choice( suggestions: pecans, honey, raisins, cinnamon, berries- I suggest waiting until morning to add berries and nuts)

Simply mix your oats, milk, and added ingredients of your choice and let sit the refrigerator over night. Take out the next morning and enjoy

My favorite combo is honey, cinnamon, pecans, and slice banana

Protein packed breakfasts are key to starting your day off right, especially if a certain little one leaves very little time for snacks and lunch.

One of my favorite go to breakfast combos in an english muffin topped with an egg white, turkey sausage, and avacado. It's the perfect combination of healthy fat, protein and carbs. Add some fruit on the side and you've go an nutritious breakfast that will satisfy you for hours.

I've had a pretty heavy sweet tooth for the last few months, but I've been trying to keep it in check with a piece of dark chocolate here and there, a serving of sugar free Jello topped with low-fat Cool Whip, or this new little gem that my sister found. Non-dairy ice, made from bananas!

Non-dairy ice-cream

Ingredients

2-3 frozen bananas, sliced
flavors of your choice (vanilla extract, cocoa powder, peanut butter, honey, etc)

Method:

Slice you bananas and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Remove bananas from the freezer and puree in a food processor until the smooth, ice cream like texture is reached. It will take awhile for the bananas to reach the desired texture. It will start as a grainy, beady texture, but as you push it down and continue to blend it you will reach the texture you desire. Then simply add whatever flavors you like!

I added a tablespoon of peanut butter and a few teaspoons of cocoa powder. Topped with a few dark chocolate chips and PRESTO. A healthy, dairy free, alternative to your favorite dessert!

The recipe makes 2-3 servings. You can freeze the left overs but you will need to let it thaw for a few minutes before eating.

HOPE YOU'VE BEEN GETTING YOUR REST ! BABY J SURE DID!




STAY STRONG, STAY FOCUSED, STAY POSITIVE! GET OUT THERE AND GET MOVING!