Just call me Coach Cari… #teambeachbody

You guys. I have BIG news. (No, mom – I am not preggers).

So, as some of you may know – and if you’ve been reading, I’ve gone on a journey of fitness in 2015. It all started back in December when, after spending about a month and a half near full-time in Savannah for work (eating ALL of the mac n cheeses) and a fruitful honeymoon filled with loaded coney dogs, pizza and gourmet foods for four meals a day… I decided enough was enough. I had literally tried everything to lose weight and nothing was working. I mean, you’re talking to the girl who GAINED weight while training for her first half marathon (note to readers: DO NOT use a 10-mile run as an excuse to split a large pizza with Mr. Grumpy).

I logged onto Facebook to do my usual stalking around the holidays, and saw my friend Angela had posted before and after pictures from doing a 5-day eating clean challenge and boy, did she look good. AND she had just had a baby so I like literally… had no excuse. I joined her next challenge and then, on January 5, started Insanity Max 30 and Shakeology daily as a meal replacement. These are two programs offered by Team Beach Body. I’m two weeks away from finishing Insanity Max 30 – and can already see a major difference. I was such a believer – I decided to sign up to be a Beach Body Coach to help others like me who wanted to look better and feel empowered to meet their fitness goals.

Here are my “before” pics – before I started on Shakeology  (this makes me CRINGE … and I was really nervous to share this! But I wanted you to see it because you’re my dear, dear readers and I am a HUMAN, ok?!):

Weight: 129, Bust: 34 Waist: 30.5, Hips: 34

 

And here are my pics after 1 month on the program (and I am not going to lie – I cheated on a few meals and missed about 3 workouts):

Weight: 126.2, Bust 32, Hips: 35 (this is because I’m getting muscles!), Waist 28.5

With Shakeology as my lunch or breakfast each day, I actually feel energized to accomplish everything I want to. I have less headaches, less sleepy mornings, less struggle overall. Oscar always tries to eat it – it’s like actually drinking a milkshake for a meal (which I love) – very smooth and creamy.

 

And so, I will be hosting my VERY FIRST clean eating challenge the week of March 8 on Facebook. The theme? Look Good. Get Lucky. That’s right – we all want to have a lucky St. Patrick’s day, but looking and feeling good isn’t about LUCK. It’s about taking care of yourself by planning ahead and getting your shit together so you can let it work FOR you all week long. Being fit doesn’t happen on its own, so let’s take a week to prepare ourselves so we can enjoy St. Patty’s Day guilt-free! If you’re interested in joining my group, comment below with your Facebook name (if we’re not already friends) – and I’ll get you added!

Here’s how it works: On Saturday, I’ll send the PRIVATE Facebook group a list of ingredients to buy at the grocery store. Then, each day, I will share the menu for the day ahead so you have time to prep and plan, and pack your lunch. You can use Shakeology (which you’d get from me) if you’d like, but it’s not required. The point is just to teach you the right things to feed your bod. In addition, we will share our workouts for the week. What do you do? Just “check in” each day to the group by answering my questions. If you don’t check in, you’ll be removed from the group not because I don’t love you, but it’s really just to keep you accountable. After my first clean eating challenge, I lost three pounds (in just five days). So these things really work!

Anyway, we have been cooking up a clean eating storm around here and working out like cray-cray! All the snow has Mr. Grumpy and I feeling pretty damn antsy, so we’re using it in our favor to work it out sweat style. Last week’s long run for half-marathon training was a 4.5 miler. And GUESS WHAT GUYS! I ran it in 45:48. My fastest ever. 🙂 Before you know it, I’ll be beating Mr. G in races!

Here are a few of my fave recipes we’ve been trying (most of which are on my clean eating board on Pinterest). Here are the ones we made without changing the recipe too much:

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• Damn Delicious’ Quinoa Parmesan Chicken 
• Pesto Chicken Kabobs
• Creamy Avocado Sauce (we did ours with brown rice, not pasta – so I guess we changed this.)
• Jambalaya Foil Packets
• French Onion Soup (we used low-fat cheese)

I had to cleanify this two below – just say NO to half-n-half, mmmkay?

Copy Cat Panera Bread Tomato Soup Recipe:
Adapted from Blommi.com

What You’ll Need:

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• A handful of baby carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 can diced tomatoes, sodium-free
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tbsp sugar-free ketchup
• 1/4 plus 1/8 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/8 cup greek yogurt (plain)
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic and celery, and cook roughly 8 minutes until soft. Add flour and stir to coat. Let that brown for about a minute. Add the chicken stock, then the tomatoes, bay leaves and ketchup. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover AND simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Pour about half the soup into a blender until the blender is about 3/4 full. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Add the rest back into the pot. Then add the milk and greek yogurt and stir. Pour in bowls and season with black pepper! This was delish.

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes
Annnndddd anything by the Pioneer Woman is NEVER going to be healthy – so I had to cleanify this (and not tell Mr. Grumpy it was “clean” because he gave up clean eating for Lent… …. insert heavy sigh here). But, these were delish!

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

What You’ll Need:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 cups organic, unsweetened cinnamon applesauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp egg whites
• Pam Coconut Oil Spray

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. In your mixer, combine milk, applesauce, honey, vanilla extract and egg whites. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Heat coconut oil over a skillet on medium-low heat. Scoop out pancakes about 1/4 cup each. Let all the bubbles pop on the top before flipping!!!

We topped ours with baked apples (slice apples, drizzle w/honey and cinnamon and bake at 450 for 20 minutes) and 100% pure maple sryup. Peanut butter would be yummy, too!

What do YOU think would happen if you dedicated five full days to healthy eating and working out? FIND OUT!!! I hope you’ll join me! 🙂

Hello. My name is Cari. And… My Blog Made Me Fat

Disclaimer: No one asked me to write any of this. Especially the part about Shakeology. Ok?

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Readers, hello. It’s me – Cari Jeanne. Whoa – I know, I know. I kind of abandoned you like … too many months ago to count. Here are my excuses: I was planning a wedding. Then, I was in a wedding (mine). Then, I was honeymooning. Then, I got a puppy (he gets here Saturday!). Then, Mr. Grumpy and I bought a house.

Ok! So you’re all caught up. What’s new with you guys??? I promise no more big life changes for at least another nine months (haha… get it? KIDDING! I am not preggers!).

The Move-In-With-Your-Boyfriend 20 (similar to the Freshman 15)
Listen people. This is a real thing. It is a known fact that women gain weight when they move in with their boy toys. This is completely men’s fault. Men can eat a WHOLE lot more food than women, plus eight candy bars a night, and never gain a pound. In fact, most men look BETTER as they age (um, hello – George Clooney, P. Dempsey, Ironman).

As my dad once told me, “Life is unfair and then you die.” This is what he was talking about. Thus the new title – My Blog Made Me Fat. Ok, stop – I know I am not FAT per say. But, in giving Mr. Grumpy the same portions as me for every meal for the last three years, am I 20 pounds heavier? Yeah. Very uncomfortable in my jeans? Hell yeah. Still not Ryan Gosling’s arm candy? We’re not talking about that…

From CrossFit Girls

So we are going to do something about it. Now, don’t fret. I’m still the same gal from Home with You, with the same old Mr. Grumpy. But we need a fresh start, my friends.

Introducing: My Blog Made Me Fat
What will you find here moving forward? I’m going to share my workouts, tips on staying healthy and of course, those good old recipes that I always shared minus the white grains, cheese and fatty meats. Why? Because it’s the New Year. And we deserve BETTER than this self-loathing body bashing that we ALL did ALL last year. We’re going to feel great – together – and we’re going to get our butts in shape. And then, Channing Tatum will dump his wife just to come marry us all. You. Are. So. Welcome.

I will also VERY likely share a ridiculous amounts of pictures of my puppy, Oscar the Grouch, who like I said … arrives this Saturday. It’s going to be very difficult for Mr. Grumpy to remain as such with an adorable Goldendoodle running around, so that will be interesting and equally amusing.

So, let’s get started. I’ve been involved in an amazing accountability group since January 5 called, “Fit and Fabulous in 2015.” And the best start to that group was setting reasonable (I SAID REASONABLE) goals for yourself to follow for 21 days. Mine are to workout five days a week and not cheat on half-marathon training. I signed up for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, which will be an uphill battle literally and figuratively.

Note: I did not say, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds in TWO WEEKS.” That is ridiculous unless you want to eat nothing but lettuce and mustard and be a huge grump-ass. You’ll also feel like shit and probably not have the energy to work out. So there. Don’t do that shit.

So, come with me, friends! What are your fitness goals for the next three weeks? Let’s stick to them together – (and then treat ourselves to a glass of wine because WE ARE WORTH IT!).

Tuesday Workout: 35 minutes of Insanity Max 30’s Tabata Power.

This sounds like it will be the easier of the week’s workouts but is it? Hell no. Shaun T – boy, that man is a sweat ball – really makes you work on this. Then, in the last five minutes he completely loses his mind and makes you do all the hardest moves from the last 30 minutes at max speed until you literally can’t remember what happiness feels like. You consider you may be close to death. Then, it’s over and you’re like … whoa – did I black out? No, my friends. You did not. You maxed out. God speed if you want to join me on this battle – I’ve got 56 more days of insanity and T’s shiny, shiny bod. (I think it will be worth it, don’t you?)

Almost to my goals and it’s only 9 pm!

 

Tuesday Clean Eating:

• Shakeology Breakfast: The deal with Shakeology is that basically you swap out one meal a day and it helps you lose cravings for stuff that you should not be snacking on at 3 p.m. at work every day (ahem)… And no kidding, it really works. Since I’ve started using Shakeology, I feel ten times more energized and I no longer have bouts of hunger where I feel like I have to eat everything in sight, including the chocolate peanut butter clusters and peppermint bark I got for Xmas. (Damn you, Santa)
• Snack 1: (The trick is to eat every 2-3 hours. This sounds absurd, but trust me. It WILL help you!) Grapes!
• Lunch: Whole wheat pasta tossed in olive oil with feta, olives and sun dried tomatoes. Yes, this is allowed though not completely ideal. It’s all about PORTIONS and not eating things that are BRIGHT WHITE like Wonder Bread or normal pasta or raviolis stuffed with cheese. Or cheesecake. That’s definitely out. Also, if you HAVE to eat out for lunch (which I did today), it’s important to know that no one is perfect. You can’t eat completely healthy all the time because you are not a fembot like Sandra Lee. So, give yourself a break. Ok? Just be smart-ish when you give yourself a break.
• Snack 2: Celery
• Dinner: Salmon Coconut Curry from Runner’s World Cookbook.
• Total Water Consumed (you should drink half your weight in water): 90 oz and counting! Woop!

Favorite Recipe of the Day: Dinner
This was an amazing dinner. It is full of antioxidents and is low-fat but energizing with yummy goodness like coconut milk, cilantro, salmon (yes, I ate and I touched salmon. It wasn’t fun at first, but it was … worth it), sweet potatoes and CURRY!

Since I didn’t make the recipe myself, I don’t want to ruin Runner’s World’s life by sharing it … not that I think they’d notice little ‘ol me down here in Minionville, but basically, chop some shallots, and saute with minced garlic. Add coconut milk, curry, cayenne pepper, cumin, sweet taters and chicken stock (low sodium!) and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Add salmon, frozen peas and lime juice. Enjoy! (Dash of cilantro on the top makes bellies very happy).

Here is a really bad picture:

So, tell me – what are your fitness goals for the next 21 days? What will be your biggest challenge in making those goals? Good luck, everyone! We can do this! (Also, if you want to try Shakeology, you should definitely contact my Beach Body coach – who has no idea I’m writing this! – she is so encouraging and is my fearless leader into a whirlwind of fitness fun and pain. All of the pain.

First Run + First Time for Bok Choy

As you can tell from my title up there … today’s post is all about firsts!

Mr. Grumpy and I began our half-marathon training today after work. We were scheduled to run three miles at an 11:48/mile pace. Well – guess what this gal did? I beat my training plan’s goal – and ran 10:27-minute miles! Isn’t that amazing? Now, let me tell you. It was not all fun and games. For example, Cleveland was under a tornado warning – little to Mr. Grumpy and I’s knowledge. So, about halfway through our run, it started raining… pretty hard. Then Mr. Grumpy was amazed that all of a sudden, my hair was curly (as I had straightened it for work). It seems like this would not be surprising after having cohabitated with one another for more than two years… but I digress. You have to choose your battles.

It was ALSO Mr. Grumpy’s choice for our route today … and for the first run of our training season I thought maybe … JUST MAYBE he would go easy on the hills and on me. I was obviously very, very wrong. Literally, we ran three miles up hill – both ways.

 

Here were my Asics stats!

But I couldn’t complain when we ended up right in front of the market, because after our very first and faster-than-usual-for-me run of our training, we were getting a little hangry. We also needed to take cover from the tornado (that never ended up coming to our side of town). So we picked up the perfect ingredients for an after-run dinner. Every time I go to the market, I tell myself I’m going to try Bok Choy. First – it’s a super food. So, when we’re running as much as we will be, we’re going to need to be as super as we can. Also – I love bitter-tasting greens. Cabbage? I’m in. So – after having heard it was a little bitter, I was definitely interested.

I have been reading a lot online that for good women’s health, you should cut out “bad carbs” like pastas and breads. Like – HELLO? We get it already. We need to stop eating nothing but lasagna and pizza. And garlic bread. I think buffalo chicken is probably still ok though… Anyway. I have also been reading that it is important to eat things like greens, brown rice and add more beans into your diet. Well – the great news is that those items are all really tasty when you mix them together. So – that’s exactly what I did for dinner.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 lb lean turkey kielbasa sausage (it comes in a package, next to the other kielbasa. Make sure you buy the turkey one, though or you can really throw the whole meal out the window for what we’re trying to accomplish here)
• 1 cup short grain, brown rice (we use Lundberg – it is literally my favorite brand on the planet.)
• 1 3/4 cup organic vegetable stock
• 1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup bok choy (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• Seasoned salt and black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each)

First, get your rice a cookin’ because it takes a while. In a medium saucepan, combine rice and vegetable stock over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and turn to low. Let that simmer for 40 minutes.

Next, chop up your veggies and slice the kielbasa into diagonal, thin slices (about a half-inch thick)! You can also add a green pepper to this if you are feeling like you need more green in the bowl. We just didn’t want to overdo it the first time. In a large sauté pan, heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and the thick parts (not the leafy greens) of the bok choy into the pan. Saute for 10 minutes, until softened. Season the vegetables during this time with the salt, pepper, ground coriander and red pepper flakes while they’re sautéing. Next, push the veggies over to the side of the pan, and add the rest of the olive oil. Add the turkey kielbasa and sauté for 5 minutes, until warm. Add the leafy part of the bok choy and the kidney beans. Saute for an extra 3 minutes over medium heat, then cover your pan and turn it down to low. You should at this point (but I’m not a math genius) have about 8 minutes left on your rice clock (assuming it takes you as long as it did me to cut up your veggies. I was very distracted by Mr. Grumpy who was eating chocolate bunnies the entire time I was cooking dinner).

Once the rice is cooked, add it into your sauté pan, and stir. Serve immediately! Although I think this will make some really great leftovers! If you want this meal to be vegetarian – you know what not to include (right?). We are trying to eat lean meats and avoid red met as much as we can, so that’s why we chose the turkey kielbasa!

Enjoy, friends! Did anyone run in the rainstorm tonight? Is anyone training for a half-marathon too? How do you kick up your pace while training?

 

Weeknight Dinner: Lemon Basil Porkchops with Creamy Potato Salad

Suzie Q and DS have been vacationing in our home state of Colorado now for about a week and a half with my twin nephews – Alex and Jack. My sister Krissy had dropped the boys off at my parents house, and on the way back she and her husband Pat came to visit. We had a blast showing them our town – taking them to all our favorite spots (D’Vine Wine Bar? Check! Johnny’s Little Bar? Check! Velvet Dog Rooftop Patio? Check! Barley House? Check check check!).

Cheers!!

 

Johnny’s Little Bar = Our CLE Slice of Heaven

When they arrived, they brought many gifts – one being Suzie Q’s weird looking red plant that I soon named Mr. Kennedy. Now, prior to my sister arriving with Mr. Kennedy, I had REMINDED Suzie Q of just how terrible I am at keeping plants alive. For example, my beloved houseplant, Ernie Squared, has been around since my senior year of college (circa 2008). It has died at least six times. And magically come back to life whenever Suzie Q or one of my sisters visits. I’m pretty sure they’re just using the same pot and switching it out with alive plants so I don’t feel too sad when I’ve killed Ernie … again. 

 

Despite these warnings, Suzie Q sent along this plant to come and live with us while they were vacationing. Her exact instructions were as follows:

1. Water Mr. Kennedy every day.
2. Don’t let the water sit in the pot. 
3. Don’t over water Mr. Kennedy.
4. Set Mr. Kennedy in the windowsill so he gets sunlight.

Now, these seem like simple instructions but alas… 10 days later and this is what Mr. Kennedy looks like:

Mr. Kennedy Loves America

Sorry. 

Mr. Grumpy was not surprised when Mr. Kennedy ended up dead. He pointed out that perhaps those times I watered Mr. Kennedy and the water sat in the pot like a pool was a factor. But, what he DIDN’T know is this happened everytime I tried to water Mr. Kennedy, so I just dumped all the water out, down our drain. Lots of dirt was lost during this process. We also forgot to put him in the windowsill for a good three to four days. Now, I haven’t given up on him just yet, but it’s looking pretty bleak. Lesson learned? Never ask us to babysit your houseplants. And probably your children, too. 

Now, the OTHER thing Krissy and Pat brought when visiting were Saratoga Springs famous salt potatoes. Oh. my. god. These are my favorite things on the planet. Basically, you get 5 pounds of potatoes and like a pound of salt and you cook ’em up in a big pot of water (skin on, duh!) and enjoy the happiness.

I decided to make good use out of my latest stock in salt potatoes, and made Mr. Grumpy creamy potato salad. And pork chops. He was in man heaven. 

First, let’s start with the potato salad. You can snack on it while making the pork chops. Don’t judge me.

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the blog GoDairyFree.org. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2.5 lbs salt potatoes (if you aren’t lucky like me, you can just use Yukon gold)
• 2/3 cup Hellman’s mayo (we use the kind with olive oil)
• 2 tbsp non-fat milk
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh baby dill
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 large stalks)
• 1/2 cup diced white onion (about 1/4 large onion)

First, boil your potatoes covered, leaving the skin on. If you do not have salt potatoes, I would suggest putting about 1/2 cup of salt in your water (assuming you’re using about 4 qts water). My potatoes boiled for 20 minutes, as the package directed. Once they’re done cooking, let them cool. But do not put cool water in your pot. It will remove the salt from the skin, and that is the best part. 

While those are cooking, make the sauce. Combine sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, mayo, apple cider vinegar and milk. Cut up your celery and onion. Cut your potatoes into small pieces – I cut mine into quarters, and then sliced one more time so they were about the size of a square hashbrown. Be careful when you’re cutting that you don’t rip the skin off all the potatoes. Can you tell that’s my favorite part? Combine potatoes, celery, onion and the creamy sauce in a mixing bowl. Let that chill in the fridge for about an hour before you serve it. (This makes delicious leftovers!)

Now, we can’t just eat potatoes for dinner, right? RIGHT! So, of course I made Mr. Grumpy one of his favorite dinners – Lemon and Basil Porkchops. We discovered this recipe on Reservations for Two, and have been making it ever since. We’ve adapted it a bit since then. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4-5 center-cut pork chops
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or as our market was spelling it today: Pasrely. I wish I were joking)
• Zest and juice from 2 lemons
• 1/4 tsp McCormick’s Lemon & Pepper Seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

(We make five porkchops so Mr. Grumpy can have leftovers)… 

First, in a shallow dish combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper, lemon zest, basil and parsley. In another shallow dish, squeeze out the lemon juice. Next, sprinkle your pork chops with the lemon & pepper seasoning and some sea salt. Next, dip each one in the lemon juice, and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure you press the pork chop into the breadcrumbs to really get them stuck on there.

Preheat your oven to 400. Next, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, place one porkchop in and brown each side (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Add more olive oil each time you place in a porkchop, otherwise your pan will dry out. 

Next, place the porkchops on a baking dish, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If you want them super crisy, finish them off in the broiler. 

And… voila! Enjoy your meat ‘n’ taters, people! 

 

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Work with Me + A Disclaimer of Sorts

I am always interested to hear about products that you think I would really like. That does not include cans of anchovies. Or anything related to laundry because, despite my awesome washer and dryer, I really suck at laundry and nothing you can give me will fix that. But, if you feel you have a product that fits the content of my blog, I accept products for reviews and giveaways. 

Please know this blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. The reviews are written strictly by me and are completely based on my opinion and the product reviewed.

I am not paid to write posts. For product reviews in which the product is supplied to me as a gift by the company to test and review, I will clearly state that at the top of each post. Otherwise, if I mention a company by name and there is no disclaimer at the top of the post, I am merely writing about something I like just because I think you should know about it.  

If I do receive products as a gift to review and test, it will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. This blog does not currently accept advertisements. 

For questions about this blog or if you’d like me to review one of your products, please contact me at cari (dot) j (dot) steiner (at) gmail (dot) com. 

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Typepad is currently updating their spam filter. Thus the 4,000+ (no, I'm not joking) spam comments on blog posts, mostly just on the meatloaf one. I THINK it's because the spammers find my chubby kid picture ESPECIALLY appealing, and therefore feel the need to publish weird things that need not be mentioned (such as where I can get electronic cigs, or play chat roulette or buy african mangos. I wish I were joking).

I've filtered most out, but PLEASE don't judge me if something awkward pops up and I'm not quick enough to delete it. Typepad ENSURES me it'll be fixed soon. I'm six days in and feeling skeptical…

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Ok, so I tried to seek revenge on my band-practicing neighbors by singing Glee at the top of my lungs for 30 minutes. They retaliated… with a synthesizer keyboard that they're now playing at the top it ITS volume. Touche, neighbor boys. Touche.

Neighbors: 2 | Cari: 0