Sabra spicy hummus

For all you healthy eaters and dieters I normally am not a fan of hummus but my daughter got this diet plan out of a magazine and shared it with me. Has some amazing recipes, drinks and shakes, smoothies and snacks. I have been working out a lot, back awhile ago I joined a boxing, self defense type of gym and try different things on the side like running, cycling, and yoga.

I have lost twenty pounds since last summer and now want to shed ten more pounds to be back in my skinny jeans for fall. I have a hormonal imbalance which makes me tired, bloated and I retain a lot of water. In the beginning I didn't lose weight right away but I toned up and got in better shape, eventually the weight started to come off but still holding some weight in my arms and thighs. Luckily my stomach has always been flat.

Yoga, boxing, kick boxing and doing the warm ups which have burpees, mountain climbers, push ups, squats and lunges help a lot. But now I am big into healthy eating. One snack we saw was wheat crackers or low far baked pita chips with hummus I was hesitant but I found this amazing hummus. It is spicy and really makes it taste amazing. I'm hooked. I have fresh fruit like oranges, bananas and cantaloupe in the am for breakfast with juice or a smoothie, then a salad with no dressing or light walden farms dressing for lunch, hummus as a snack and protein like chicken, fish or hard boiled eggs with steamed veggies for dinner amazing:). I was up and down with my weight but let me tell you in the passed few months twenty pounds came off and I'm back in a size 6-8. Was in a 12 for awhile then would jump down to a 8-10 then back up. I have kept it off and looking into when my girls start school working out two days a week with a personal trainer.

I considered trying Hcg again but I did that before and lost 15 lbs but was so tired eating that 700-800 calorie a day diet. I can't starve myself never had to cause I have always been thinner but I guess after turning 35 and having two kids it is much harder now.

Check your local grocery store for it, Sabra hummus I get the extra spicy and it is amazing:). Great with wheat thins or low fat pita chips with sea salt. Will post some before and after pics soon.

Day 5 of 1200 calorie meal plan

Here is day 5 so I'm not behind anymore. Also going to post later the apps I have for tracking my walks/runs and calories. Very helpful.

Breakfast

3/4 cup shredded wheat

1 cup of skim milk

1 melon

Lunch

1 cup of minestrone soup I use healthy choice low fat sodium free and alternate with different ones. Great vegetable and chicken soups.

1 serving Harvest Salad or mixed greens

3 oz fruit sorbet

Snack

1/2 cup of non fat yogurt (doesn't always have to be plain yogurt I get fat free fruit at bottom yogurts which help mix it up.

Dinner

1 serving Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

1 boneless, skinless small chicken breast

1/2 cup of steamed vegetables

1/2 cup of non fat strawberry/banana ice cream. Some nights I throw this in blender with a sliced up real banana or strawberries and a splash of skim milk to make a milkshake/smoothie. Will share some great smoothie recipe I have come up with while dieting that taste great and you can add supplements to them you need while dieting so you don't taste them:). Lol.

Enjoy and hope everyone is doing good. Below are some photos of me post baby five years ago. I had mentioned I took these Chinese diet pills and went from 189 to 125 in four months. I came across a few of the photos I had blurred out my face cause I used them to sell the diet pills back then. I tried to wear same clothes every photo by end my clothes were so loose I had to hold them up. Lol. I'm not anywhere near the size I was after baby I haven't weighed myself in a couple weeks but was 145 or 143 last time. This week every where I go people tell me wow you have lost weight! Makes me smile cause I know I'm doing it the healthy right way. Trust me I have cheated a lot between diet pills and tried HCG I decided at my age I wanted to be healthy and lose it right way. Glad I did cause I feel so much better all around. Some people say when depressed best help is medication, therapy, God or religion for me it is fitness or exercise works every time:). Even helps with my anxiety.

Day 6 I will post tomorrow then day 7 I mix things up and will allow a cheat either one of meals cause we usually go out to eat. I just walk an extra mile that night and really push myself Monday at gym:).

Day 4 of 1200 calorie diet

This is my own meal planned day and what I ate today then will finish off day with

Breakfast

1 cup Special K cereal

1/2 cup skim milk ( I use less not a milk fan)

3-4 slices strawberries or some sliced banana

Lunch

1 whole wheat pita

1/2 cup mixed salad

1 slice of turkey breast or chicken

1 apple

Snack

1 low calorie low fat snack bar I have chocolat brand I believe is how it is spelled got when I did Hcg diet has 35 calories and no sugar lots of flavors. You can find lots of selections at gnc or whole foods.

Dinner

1 serving grilled chicken breast

1/2 cup of grilled veggies like green or red peppers, onion and mushrooms.

I don't eat it but says you can have 1/2 cup brown rice I just eat the chicken and veggies. Only seasoning I use is black pepper and cayenne pepper or apple cider vinegar for dressing or to season chicken before cooking. All great to boost metabolism.

Then for dessert I am having 1/2 cup sliced strawberries dipped in non fat plain yogurt that I froze in freezer delicious. Enjoy and hope diet is helping everyone with ideas. I have been doing this for a few months on and off so now I can pretty much make it up as I go but wanted to share the sheet my trainer gave me and I have a good friend who is taking nutrition courses for her degree.

Also don't forget if you can't go to the gym or take work out classes try to walk for a half and to an hour a day. Just get your heart rate up. I even put music on when I clean and dance or do squats then lunges. Make chores your workout. I walk 2-3 miles alteast a day with half jogging the rest walking, some nights I carry 3lb each hand weights or medicine ball to workout my arms. I also will do lunges as I walk. Then every am I do 100 crunches, then different ab workouts and plank got one minute holding entire minute, 3-5 times after ab workout. Somedays I do insanity videos and then at least three days hit the gym for box fit class. Once I am 5 lbs from my goal weight will do weights daily. Right now most important thing is building core muscles and balancing. I use medicine balls to hold plank or my balance ball to practice balancing.

Enjoy and if anyone else is working out or dieting let me know I love to hear results. I started box fit in Oct the week of Halloween before that I dieted on and off then when I had money did workouts but usually just walked when convenient lost maybe 5-10 lbs but would gain back. Since joining gym and doing box fit from Oct-new year with a slight cut in calories went from 167 to 160. Then since new years cut down to 1200-1300 calories with lots of water, daily walks, and box fit went from 160-145. Goal is 130-135 I'm 5'7-5'8 so that us healthy. I was 117 two years ago and last year was 125 which is very thin for me will post photos below of thin me. I took before and after photos but won't post till done. Also been measuring cause I lose more inches then pounds it seems.

Off to post day 5.

Melissa

Boxing and kickboxing class

I signed up three weeks ago to start working out at a local gym. They have regular machines, weights but I signed up for the amazing classes. I have done the gym and crossfit but was looking for something with a mix of cardio and strengthening that was fun but worked out every inch of my body. I found it! Boxing/kickboxing class is amazing. They also have Mma and self defense along with boot camp classes that are similar to the crossfit workouts. I find that the boxing and kickboxing is similar to going to crossfit just with an amazing cardio warm up, full body workout punching and kicking then it is finished off with an amazing core/ab workout that I love then cool down.

I have never had more fun in a class, the hour flies by and in just three weeks of going 3-4 times a week I see amazing changes in my body that I never got with crossfit. Yes crossfit made me stronger and was for sure a amazing challenge but I actually gained weight I was building muscle but losing no fat. I am now eating healthy strictly fruit and veggies with protein. No bread, cheese or carbs. Drinking lots of water and loving my be work out. I'm already down 14 lbs and 2-3 sizes looking more tone and feeling more energetic and confident. I look forward to every class.

I can't wait to do a boot camp class they have them mon, wed and Friday am then Saturday morning also. The best part the gym opens at 5:30 am and is open till 10 pm so I have no excuse not to go also my kids can come if I have no sitter and they actually love it. My oldest has taken a couple classes and loves the machines. Haven't brought my little one cause I know she would want to participate and she is too small.

I'm so happy I have found something I love and happy to be getting into errrr shape. I always was thin of anything too thin before then gained weight after a hard rough patch after having my second child, a little post partum depression that I am happy has passed and I no longer take medicine but the medicine caused me to gain some weight and have been struggling to lose it for some time. Now that I have weaned off all my meds I am seeing big changes and all for the best:). I am happy, healthy and looking forward to a new year of promising things:). Anyways off to bed hope everyone has a great week and don't forget if you haven't already voted in the early voting don't forget to exercise our rights and participate tomorrow in voting, not happy with the choices but want to make sure I get my vote in either way. Have a good one xoxo

Meli

Kickboxing, my new love...

I have been trying to find a workout that I love, something that works out all body parts but is intense and I get cardio at the same time.  I have done crossfit, which can be addicting but gets expensive and isn't really for losing weight.  I seem to bulk up and not lose much weight.  I have found my answer.  A girlfriend of mine took up kickboxing and asked me to join her.  At first I was like no way I am so not coordinated but I went for the free class and that is it, love it.

I have done the boxing and kick boxing, then they have self defense, cardio kickboxing it is awesome.  Each class you stretch and warm up, then do squats, lunging, burpies, use weights, box, hard core ab workout, jumping jacks, push ups everything.  The class flies by and every part of your body aches.  I am addicted.  I got my gear tonight and have signed up for 7 months instead of paying for each class, that way it isn't so expensive.  Tomorrow I am going to get my boxing gloves found some cute pink girly ones at Sports Authority and already have tons of workout clothes from my previous adventures with other work outs.

Time to get into awesome shape and learn how to kick some butt.  Lol

I will keep you all updated on my weight loss, I have already lost two sizes from walking, running and dieting with this I hope to be back to my size 2/3 where I was this time last year by Nov/Dec.  

Try it if you haven't ever done it, I swear it is amazing and I feel so good, just left a class earlier and I feel so good.  

Melissa