Easter Brunch Menu

Easter is one of my favorite holidays!! The warm weather, the beautiful flowers, Easter brunch....what could be better?!?! Well let me tell you...with Easter Brunch and Easter baskets full of candy, comes lots of empty calories leaving us feeling full, sluggish and tired all day! So this year why not go the healthy route? No healthy doesn't mean you'll be missing out on all the delicious foods, it just means you'll be making a few easy changes to your ingredients and how you prepare them!!

Whether you are hosting Easter brunch or taking a dish to a pot luck these clean eating dishes will be a hit for sure!!

 

Spinach Onion Frittata

A frittata is a great option for brunch because you can make it ahead of time. It's also great because you can throw just about anything into it; head to your nearest farmers market, grab what's in season, and run home to make your spinach onion frittata.

Egg Muffins

These little egg muffins are a wonderful treat for any brunch! You can make them ahead of time or serve them hot, right out of the oven! Another fun idea would be to have a "make your own muffin" bar and let guests select from a variety of yummy, fresh ingredients like fresh chopped veggies, spices and lean meats. The options are endless with this one!

Baked Egg in Avocado

This recipe, Baked Egg in Avocado, combines two of my favorite things...eggs and avocado!! When I first saw this recipe on Pinterest I was a little skeptical but I figured with these two, what could go wrong?!?! It was so creamy and yummy!

Ok...So now that we've got some healthier items on the menu, let's take a look at how we can improve the beverage bar!! Easter is a time to celebrate and often times that includes endless Mimosa's, Bloody Mary's and Bilini's but those lovely libations are swimming with added sugar and calories! Try one of these skinny versions and  plan ahead and stick to your guns when enjoying just one or two.

Skinny Mimosa

Tropicana's Trop50 has 50% less sugar and calories than regular OJ, is naturally sweetened, and tastes great. The juice drink cuts mimosa calories down BIG TIME. Simply mix up 1/3 cup Trop50 with 1/2 cup icy-cold champagne. Cheers! 

 

Skinny Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Skinnygirl Cucumber vodka
• 2 parts low sodium tomato juice
• Splash of fresh lemon juice
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
• Dash of hot sauce
• Sprinkle of celery salt

Garnish with lime, cucumber and celery stalk.

 Skinny Peach Bellini

Simple and delicious!! Use a kitchen hammer to mash pre-washed white/yellow peaches [ about four ] & place the peach purée in the fridge for an hour. Then add two heaping tablespoons of the half-frozen peaches in a chilled flute, pour champagne on top and enjoy!!

Don't forget to get in your workouts!! For most of us Sunday is our rest day, me included. But this Easter Sunday I will be getting up EXTRA early to "help" the Easter Bunny hide the eggs and to knock out some Focus T25 all before anyone else is awake! Even though I will be making healthy choices and eating as clean as possible I will allow for some wiggle room. But that doesn't mean I go buck wild and eat and drink everything in sight, it just means that I will enjoy my day with family and friends so this extra workout is crucial to my success.

I hope to have provided you with some new and healthy options for your Easter brunch this year that will let you enjoy while not feeling guilty for completely undoing all your hard work this week!

Do you want to know more great tips to turn your own health and fitness around?  Learn the tips and tricks that have made me successful in my own health and fitness journey!  Starting May 5th I will be kicking off my SUMMER SLIM DOWN accountability group and I would LOVE to have YOU join us!! Shoot me a message over at Facebook and fill out the application below to get started!!



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T25 Week 2 Review - Couples Edition

We just officially finished week 2 of T25 and are LOVING the results! We are down a combined 14 pounds since day 1! We have gotten in a good groove with our routine and our eating habits and are kicking some serious booty in the results department!! This go around we have both committed to an early morning workout. They are quick, focused and to the point. We give 110% effort and have been continuously gaining greater calorie burn and improvements in stamina.

We were out of town on Monday and I brought the wrong disk but we didn't let that stop us! We popped in the one I had (Speed 1.0) and crushed it. I absolutely love these quick 25 minute workouts because we can literally be house guests somewhere and get in our full workout in so fast before anyone else is even up, including our son!!

This week we both concentrated on form and pushing past our stats. So we buckled down and pushed past our daily calorie burn each day and we had some non-scales to be pretty proud of!! Ruben has not missed a workout the entire two weeks and I was able to keep up with Scott in the Cardio video on the Alt High Speed Knee workout. If you're not familiar with that move its high knees, FAST for almost a minute. Doesn't sound so hard until you're into the meat of it and you can't breathe!! But hey, I survived and my abs were feeling it for a couple days!! Win-win!! To catch more of our workouts this week check out my YouTube Channel and subscribe to get the latest progress updates from our journey!!

If you've been following me you know for the most part I stick to routine in my meal plan. I know what works, I know what will get me results and I am a creature of habit. So here goes...

I will say that I did stray a few times from the meal plan to try a couple new recipes which I'll share here and it was DEFINITELY worth it!! These clean eating recipes were such a hit and definitely family friendly!! They'll be added in on future plans for sure!

Thursday night I had my weekly Beachbody Cup Team call and I had literally 30 minutes to scarf down dinner before I logged on. Let me tell you, I didnt even need that much time!! This Margarita Spaghetti Squash was to-die-for!! It was the perfect texture, perfect flavor and it was a hit all around!! My son loved his "teddy squash" too!! Click the picture for the recipe :)

Another hit this week was the Chocolate Protein Mug Cake! I've seen this around now for a while and always something I wanted to do so I whipped this up and had it for breakfast one morning! You can read all about my experience by clicking the picture where you'll also find the recipe!!

So now it is on to Week 3 of T25 Couples Edition! Stay tuned for more of our journey and my top tips!!!
If you are looking for support in your own personal journey and don't currently have a Beachbody Coach, then contact me to get into a support group for continued support, accountability, meal planning and motivation!!!

T25 Chalean Extreme Week 2 Review

My hubby fixed my weights and I am one happy girl!! I have been craving my lifting workouts and now I'm back on track! Like I said last week I tend to do better with lifting heavy and not as much cardio so my plan this week included a bit of both and I feel like I had a good mix and am starting to get results.

I wanted to share something that I struggled with this week, my routine! Last week I was on point. 5am the alarm went off I jumped out of bed, drank my E&E and crushed my workouts. This week I still got up ok, drank my E&E but got started posting in my challenge groups, chatting with challengers and coaches on my team and didnt get my workout in until noon. As much as this is a part of my job and very important things for both them and me I need to stick to my schedule. So this coming week I'm not getting on the computer until 6am when I've completed my workout!

Week 2
Monday - Chalean Extreme Push Circuit 1
Tuesday - T25 Speed 1.0
Wednesday - Chalean Extreme Push Circuit 2
Thursday  - T25 Total Body Circuit
Friday - Chalean Extreme Push Circuit 3
Saturday - T25 Cardio
Sunday - Rest

Another thing I'd like to point out about this week is that I was starving!!! I noticed it mid afternoon on Monday right after my workout. I stuck to my meal plan, drank lots of water but was just plain hungry. As soon as this started I remembered that the same thing happened when I was doing Chalean Extreme over the summer. But I was prepared.

I had actually prepared some extras snacks Tuesday when I made my meals for the week so I just grabbed a couple hard boiled eggs for Salsa Boats or peppers and hummus and was good to go. I've been really focusing on drinking at least a gallon of water each day too. Yes, this sends me running for the nearest restroom lol, but I know it will stop soon as my body will get used to it. 

This time of year is a busy one for every one but in addition to the "normal" holiday festivities we have over 10 birthdays in our immediate family between October and December where we usually get together for dinner and celebrations. So it is crucial for me to plan ahead when I will have my cheat meals so that #1 I'm mentally prepared to stay strong and not cave when I'm faced with foods not on my meal plan and #2 I enjoy it and don't feel guilty about it. This year I have done something I've been trying to do for years but haven't actually successfully done and that's bringing or making my own meal while others are eating other food. This year for my mom's birthday we had Chinese food. And as much is that is one of my FAVORITE foods it was also during the week that I had 4 other dinners. So I just talked to her and said that I would be making my own dinner as it was important to me to be there to celebrate with her but it was also important for me to stay on track with my training and clean eating. She completely understood and supported me an no one even batted an eye!! So while they enjoyed their Chinese food I enjoyed my spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs (all homemade!)

My meal plan this week was very similar to last week as I am following the Eat Clean Diet Stripped plan. I have been participating in a 30 day challenge group as a challenger instead of a coach and it is so much fun! I've forgotten what it was like to be involved from this side and my fellow challengers are just awesome! We've been sharing some great recipes, motivating and cheering each other on!

I am half way through the Eat Clean Stripped challenge group and will be starting a new 21 day TEST challenge group, Healthy for the Holidays on December 2nd to continue on my journey. I'd LOVE to have you join me. If you are ready to get a jump start on your weight loss before the year is over check out the details here and contact me to get started!!

T25 Week 1 Progress with Meal Plan

Officially back on track and feeling great!! I restarted T25 after my move now that I'm all settled in and I am following the Eat Clean Diet Stripped meal plan along with it. My original plan was to also combine Chalean Extreme in this week with T25 but when I went to get my weights ready last Sunday night I found out that they were stuck and I cant get them out of the base. But I didn't let that throw me off track. I just moved forward with T25 and my clean eating until I can get them fixed!

I am feeling more comfortable with the moves and I feel that by focusing on them and perfecting my form that I will get results faster than just "going through the motions" which I found myself doing sometimes. I've really had to have some conversations in my own head while working out. Checking myself when I KNOW I'm half assin the moves. When Shaun T says SPRINT I have to say "Melinda is this a sprint or a JOG, STEP IT UP!" I have very limited time to work out before my son wakes up and my day gets busy with mom duties, play dates, coaching  etc so I dont have time to give it anything less than 100% effort!

At the end of the week something funny happened...well lets just say that I found it anything BUT funny but I still want to share. I started AND ended this week at the same EXACT weight of 151.5 and I lost 1 inch around my waist. I was BUMMED...I crushed my workouts, I followed my meal plan, drank a gallon of water a day, drank my Shakeology etc, so what happened? Well here's what I think. First it was "that time", ladies you know what I'm talking about. So I'm going to take that into consideration. But I also think that I might be at a plateau. I have lost and maintained a 45 pound weight loss from last year and I think its time to change things up a bit. I know that my body responds well to lifting heavy weights so that's where I'll be making some changes this week and going forward. My weights should be repaired today and I will be doing Chalean Extreme 3 days a week and T25 3 days a week. I enjoy the cardio but that's not going to deliver the muscle definition that I'm looking for and lets face it, building muscle helps you burn more calories so its a win-win!! Since this new plan is just a trial, no scientific proof it will work lol, I am looking forward to reporting back to let you know how it goes!!

Here is the meal plan I used for week one following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Stripped book!!

I'm looking forward to the next 7 weeks of the year to see where my journey takes me. Eating clean (following the stripped plan specifically) has left me feeling full of energy, less bloated, feeling and looking lean and able to get into jeans comfortably with no muffin top!! HECK YA!!

If you you are interested in learning more about clean eating, Shakeology or working out I'd love to chat and help you get on the right track! Friend me on Facebook and shoot me a message saying that you saw this blog post and want more info!!

Lean Out For Labor Day

WOO WEEE!! This has been a crazy good start to the month!! I have three challenge groups busting at the seams with challengers reporting pounds and inches lost like crazy!! And more people are wanting in....so due to popular demand I will be opening the LAST challenge group for July starting Monday July 29th. Let's work together and LEAN OUT FOR LABOR DAY!!

What is a challenge group? How about AWESOME SAUCE!!! A group of like minded individuals all on a health and fitness journey who work hard and cheer each other on, pick their teammates up when they fall and pat them on the back when they succeed!! People working hard to get in shape, get healthy, get off insulin or other medications. People who know that it is up to THEM to make sure they are healthy and around for their kids and grand kids.

 I'm just here to motivate you daily, help you with meal planning, help teach you how to do all of this while traveling or hosting parties but most of all I'm here to SUPPORT you on this journey!! I LOVE watching YOU succeed because I WAS THERE!! I know when enough is enough. I know how hard it is to wake up and work out when your baby has been up crying all night. I know what its like to work all day and not want to work out but I also know how amazing you are about to feel! The HUGE smile that's going to cross your face when you need to go shopping for new pants ever couple weeks. The warm fuzzy feeling you're going to get when someone says "Hey you look great, what are you doing?"and I'm here to make sure YOU get the results you want to achieve. 

My goal is to help you kick the excuses, end emotional eating, arm you with the tools to be successful and teach you how to make it a lifestyle and not a crash diet.  It's a kid tested and husband approved approach to weight loss and living a healthy and fulfilling life!  My mission is to set you up with a fitness program that is not too easy and not too hard but just right for your ability level. Then, I create a customized meal plan WITH you so that you can learn how to plan out your meals, prepare healthy snacks, give you recipes, tips, motivation and accountability to start and complete a fitness program!  I call it a challenge group, but it's not a competition to see who can win or lose the most weight but yet it's an accountability group.  It's a place that you can feel safe, you can feel comfortable talking about your struggles and triumphs, where you won't be judged for making a mistake instead we encourage you and  celebrate all the victories along the way!
  

  This last group will begin on July 29th.  The requirements are that I am YOUR coach!  I will help you choose a fitness program to meet your needs plus you are required to replace 1 meal a day with Shakeology for the duration of the challenge.  The challenge is 60 days long!  Then, I will add you to the accountability group where we will set goals, track our progress, make your meal plan, teach you how to prepare healthy snacks, I will give you recipes and more!!  We will track our progress at the 30 and 60 day mark and make any changes at that time to the plan!

 So yes, I'm sure you stopped at the Shakeology and said, heck no I don't do shakes or you said I don't want to be dependent on a shake to lose weight right! Well I was the exact same way.  Let me tell you I was so surprised at the difference Shakeology made in the way I felt!  Clearly I wasn't eating the recommended daily veggies or even getting enough of the vitamins and minerals from my foods that I was eating.  When I added in Shakeology (not a protein shake but a complete all natural nutrient dense meal) I stopped having cravings for sweets, I was making better choices vs the drive thru, I had energy naturally minus caffeine and I was truly pushing harder in my workouts because I was getting nutrition so my body could function properly!  

  If you've been on the fence about T25 I suggest you jump on board now because starting August 1st you will NO LONGER be able to get it at the sale price. But if not T25 no worries, this group will be open to challengers who are interested in any Beachbody program out there! I will work with you one on one to make sure we find the perfect fit. Space is limited so when the group fills up then you will go on the waiting list for the following months group! If you're ready to jump in full force fill out the challenge group application and let's get started today!!

T25 Review - Week 1

Shaun T has done it again!! The creator of Insanity has come up with a complete body workout and compressed it into a 25 minute DVD, only 5 days a week!! Beachbody has shortened the program so that we can really focus and give it our all for 25 minutes....and honestly before I knew it, it was almost over. When I first saw the results of the test group I knew I HAD to get my hands on this program! Then I heard that it was 25 minutes with NO breaks and I'm not going to lie, I got a little nervous. I'm fine to give it 110% but I also like those breaks to catch my breath. But I wasn't going to let that get in my way. I'm willing to PUSH hard and get the results I know are possible with this program. I bought the T25 program when I was at Summit in Las Vegas and my husband and I started first thing Monday morning.

From the start of the first workout I've only said one thing....I LOVE IT!!! I am literally dripping in sweat and burn between 200-562 calories on these workouts. With other programs I can usually burn quite a bit of calories but I barely break a sweat, so I know this will be a whole new ball game!! As you can see you dont need a large workout area. Both my husband and I are able to get an awesome workout in a small area. 

Week 1 Schedule

Monday - Cardio

Tuesday - Speed 1.0

Wednesday - Total Body Circuit

Thursday - Ab Intervals

Friday (Double Day) - Lower Focus & Cardio

Saturday - Staturday (record measurements/weight) Rest Day

Sunday - Rest Day

Couples that sweat together, stay together!!

I am happy to say that I was able to keep up with the main crew for most of these videos and when I needed a break I could just follow Tayna but still get a great workout, and jump back in when I was ready!

Prior to starting T25 I was just finishing Chalean Extreme and I was really enjoying the results I was getting. I love how strong I feel when lifting weights and I like how my body was shrinking down. So after completing my first week of T25 I've decided that I will be adding Chalean Extreme back in to my routine in addition to 25. I'm also going to aim to workout 7 days a week next week. With T25 being only 25 minutes there's really no reason not to!!

 

In addition to starting this new workout, my husband and I also tried the new Vanilla Shakeology and we are hooked!! It tastes just like vanilla cake batter. We are having so much fun experimenting with all of the flavors too!! This is a great addition to our clean eating meal plan to provide some variety to our Chocolate and Greenberry Shakeology. My husbands favorite recipe is 1 scoop vanilla Shakeology with ice and OJ. I agree it was so yummy! I also bought some frozen mixed tropical fruit so we can have a nice summer treat!!

 The recipes that come with the T25 program are delicious as well!! I didn't expect anything less from Beachbody as they always deliver on healthy recipes that also taste really good!!

Turkey, Pepper & Avocado Rolls

3 slices of low sodium, nitrate free turkey breast

1/8 medium avocado sliced

1/2 medium bell pepper sliced into 6 pieces

Top each slice of turkey with bell peppers and avocado, roll and enjoy!!

Check out our week 1 Couples T25 review and our weight loss stats....Week 2 starts today!!

 My exclusive T25 test group is starting July 8th and we have a limited number of spots left, but I would love to have YOU be a part of it!! In the challenge group you will get support, motivation, accountability, help with recipes, meal planning and clean eating, tips to stay on track with your nutrition and exercise while traveling or going on vacation. If you're a busy person who couldn't find time for a long work out, but are interested in getting in the best shape of your life in ONLY 25 minutes I would love to chat!! Registration ends soon so request to join the group today!!