DON'T GIVE UP

So tonight I wanted to touch on a subject called calories....Thats more than 4 letters but it is still a dirty word, right? OK lets talk about this for a bit. 

Now if you eat exactly the right calories and go to the gym every day and work your butt off you will loose some weight. It is a calorie in vs calorie out equation. Simple right? But here is the complicated part....How many calories do you take in per day what is the perfect training schedule? 

Here's the fat or should I say skinny on this whole thing. If you are still eating crap and bad carbs no matter how much you diet and exercise  you are not going to see the true results of your training. 

So here is what I propose, are you ready for this?

STOP COUNTING CALORIES!

Why you ask? Because just like a scale and your weight they really mean nothing! 

Yep that's right, you just read it right. So do you want to know what to do next? Well then read on.

1) Stop eating processed food. Instead eat whole real food as close to the source as you can get it. If you have to eat processed food try to stay with food that has less than 5 ingredients.

2) Give up Sugar totally! It is not a food! It is a man made pile of white YUCK that gums up your insides and does not do even one good thing for you. 

3) Eat good clean protein like lean turkey and chicken and add in beef or pork 1-2 meals per week. 

4) Eat complex carbs and protein together.

5) Eat 5 small meals per day.

6) Never EVER EVER eat fast food again!

Follow those rules and work out daily and forget about weight and calories and stick to it and never ever give up!

Perfect Guacamole

• 3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, minced (add more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• dash of cumin
• (Optional: 1 roma tomato, cored and chopped)

Method

Mash together avocados, jalapeno, onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, cumin with a fork until well-mixed. (If adding tomatoes, stir them in at the very end.) Serve immediately, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap (so that the plastic is literally touching the entire top layer of the guacamole) and refrigerate.

Skinny Tuna Melt

Ingredients:  

• 1 4.5 oz can tuna (in water) drained
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 tbsp red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp light mayonnaise (Hellman's Light)
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 2 slices light whole wheat bread 
• 2 slices 2% cheese
• 2 slices tomato
• oil spray 

Directions:

Combine tuna, celery, carrots, onion, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Spray skillet with oil, and place two slices of bread on top. Top bread with cheese, then tuna salad and tomato. Cook on low heat until cheese melts and bread gets toasty. Serve immediately

You are here: Home / RECIPES / BREAKFAST / Clean Eating Turkey Breakfast Sausage

Clean Eating Turkey Breakfast Sausage

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December 17, 2012 · by The Gracious Pantry ·

Sometimes, you just gotta have some sausage with breakfast. Right?! That’s been my experience anyway. What else could possibly pair so well with eggs?

Well, okay. Bacon goes really well with eggs too. But lets face it. Bacon just isn’t something you can eat every day, even if you do buy the stuff that qualifies as clean. You’re arteries would not appreciate it. So sausage is the next best thing.

But seeing as how I’ve yet to find an actual sausage that qualifies as clean and doesn’t have any added sugar, I decided it was high time to make my own. And the nice thing is, the sodium content won’t give you a stroke just by looking at them. They turned out really tasty!

Clean Eating Turkey Breakfast Sausage
(Makes 12 patties)

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb. lean, ground turkey
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. allspice

Directions

Step 1 – In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients.

Step 2 – Form into 12 equal portions, shape into patties and cook. You can either fry them or bake them it’s up to you.

If frying: Coconut oil or olive oil is a great way to go.
If baking: Use parchment and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, give or take. Break one open to see if they are done cooking. I also highly recommend the use of a thermometer when cooking meat. The patties should reach at least 165 F. to be fully cooked.

CLEAN EATING SOUTHWESTERN SLOW COOKER 2 BEAN CHICKEN

Ingredients:

• 4 raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz. each)
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, low sodium is best
• 1 pound frozen and thawed organic corn (organic to avoid GMO corn)
• 1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa, no sugar added

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and salsa over that and then layer on the beans and corn.
2. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until the chicken easily falls apart when the pot is stirred.

CLEAN PINEAPPLE PORK

Pork Tenderloin with pineapple serves 8

Ingredients:

1lb Pork Tenderloin

Olive oil cooking spray

1 pineapple, cored, peeled, and cut into 1/2 - inch pieces

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp real maple syrup

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1) Preheat Oven to 375F. Rinse tenderloin under cool running water and lightly dab dry with paper towel.

2) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and mist quickly with cooking spray. Place tenderloin in skillet and sear on each side until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes total. Remove tenderloin and place in baking dish.

3) Immediately pour pineapple into hot skillet and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring once or twice as pineapple browns slightly. Meanwhile, stir together vinegar and maple syrup in a small bowl, and add to pineapple. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute.

Four: Pour pineapple-syrup mixture over tenderloin;then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until juices are only slightly pink in the middle.

CLEAN EATING POT ROAST

• 3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast
• 32 ounces low-sodium beef broth or stock
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons smoked (or regular) paprika
• 3 teaspoons allspice
• 2-3 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 medium sized carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly
• 1 to 2 pounds potatoes, diced (about 3 medium potatoes)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Spray your crock pot generously with Pam or line it with a crock pot liner.
2. Pour the beef stock, balsamic vinegar, honey and tomato paste into the crock pot. Stir it together and add in the paprika, allspice, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss in half of the vegetables and place your chuck roast on top of everything. Toss in the rest of the vegetables and stir everything all together as best you can, making sure that the beef is mostly submerged in the broth. Top with your rosemary.
4. Set the crock pot on low and cover. Let it cook for 8-10 hours on low. If you can, check on it every so often and give it a little stir (this isn’t necessary if you are away from the house).
5. When ready, move the roast to a cutting board and slice to serve. Serve with the vegetables and juices from the meat and broth. A salad might go well here too, but we were all about meat and potatoes that night. Serves 4.

CLEAN EATING TACO SEASONING

Clean Eating Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. Blend all spices in a bowl and use to season any taco meat you are cooking. Use approximately 1 tablespoon per pound of meat.
2. Note: This mix has a small amount of “kick” to it. Nothing that will set your mouth on fire, but definitely noticeable. If you want something without the kick, leave out the cayenne and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.

CLEAN EATING SALSA

Clean Eating Cilantro Salsa

(All ingredients are an approximate measure. Adjust to your liking.)

Ingredients:

• 5-6 small-medium tomatoes
• 4 small garlic cloves (or two large ones)
• Peppers (choose the type & amount based on how spicy you like your salsa)
• Cilantro (about 1/2 cup chopped, but again, use to your liking)
• Red onion (1 large or two small)

Directions:

1. Chop all your ingredients. Be sure you chop them well. The finer you chop everything, the better texture your salsa will have.
2. Mix in a bowl and serve.

SNICKERS BAR ROLLS.... YUM!

Makes about 25 bites

What You’ll Need:

4 cups rolled oats (we used gluten-free!)
1.5 cups raw sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup banana chips, crumbled
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup sunflower seed butter (can also use peanut or almond butter!)
1/2 cup agave nectar

What to Do: 

1. Combine oats, sunflower seeds, banana chips, blueberries, cinnamon, and chocolate chips in a bowl. Add sunflower seed butter and agave and stir until well combined.

2. Refrigerate mixture until relatively firm (about 20 minutes). (If you’re extra impatient like we are, feel free to throw the mixture in the freezer for half that time!)

3. Using a teaspoon to measure, roll mixture into balls. Feeling fancy? Try rolling the finished bites in cocoa powder, cinnamon, or toasted coconut. Or just start eating them as-is. Store in the fridge (or freezer) in an airtight container!

CLEAN EATING BAKED FISH

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia filets or grouper, halibut, mahi mahi or any other fish you want to use
• 1/4 cup (EVOO) extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger root, freshly ground
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• cayenne pepper just a pinch or more if you like it hotter

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line your baking pan with parchment paper. In a bowl combine EVOO, ginger root, garlic and all the dry seasonings. Dip each filet into the seasoning and place in the baking pan. If there’s left over seasoning mix then pour it over the filets in the pan and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until fish is flaky.

CLEAN EATING FISH TACO'S

Clean Eating Fish Tacos

(Makes 4 small tacos)

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces raw fish (trout, salmon, tilapia, halibut, cod or shrimp)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 small, whole grain tortillas
• 1/2 cup grated cucumber
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, fresh
• 1 cup non-fat greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• Chili powder to taste
• 4 clean tortillas 

Directions:

1. Rub 1 large fish fillet with cumin and chili powder.
2. Cook in pan sprayed with olive oil.
3. While the fish is cooking, grate the carrots and cucumber, and chop the cabbage and cilantro. Set aside.
4. Break fish into small pieces and divide into 4 small whole grain tortillas.
5. Make the sauce by mixing the yogurt with the lime juice and chili powder.
6. Top each taco with yogurt sauce.
7. Sprinkle on the cucumber, cabbage and carrots. Top off with the cilantro.

BAKED PARMESAN TOMOATO'S

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

HONEY LIME SKEWERS

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• juice of one lime
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 teaspoon Siracha
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine your ingredients, through the cilantro. Mix thoroughly.
2. Pour marinade over chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.
3. Grill on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear.

A new look at sweet potatoes

Ingredients

6 large sweet potatoes, washed and quartered lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Nutrition Facts

Per serving: 153 calories, 4 g fat (0.6 g saturated), 28 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g protein, 3.6 g fiber, 272 mg sodium (12% Daily Value).

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.

2. Combine potatoes and olive oil and spread in an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. Combine honey, lime juice, and zest. Pour over potatoes, add seasonings, and gently toss. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until tender. Broil for 2 more minutes to caramelize. Serve warm. Can be cooled, refrigerated, and reheated the next day.

CLEAN EATING HOMEMADE MAYO

YUMMY CLEAN EATING MAYO

• 2 egg yolks (free range and very fresh eggs)
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 1 t salt
• 3 cloves of garlic crushed (totally optional)
• a pinch or 2 of Stevia
• black pepper (as much as you like)
• 500ml / 2 cups of olive oil

In the food processor briefly blend the eggs, vinegar, lemon, garlic, sugar and mustard.  With the blade running slowly add the olive oil in a slow stream until it has all emulsified.  Check the taste and add the salt and pepper and any other seasoning you may like.  If it is very thick add a tablespoon or 2 of warm water to thin it down.

Clean Eating Cilantro Lime Honey Dressing

Cilantro Lime Honey Dressing

 Print This Recipe
 Print With Images

Ingredients:
1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded if you don’t want it spicy
2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice,1 or 2 large limes depending on how juicy they are
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp cumin
1 handful cilantro leaves, about a 1/4 cup…try not to use the stems it will make it taste soapy
Salt to taste, about 1/2 tsp
1/2 cup canola or olive oil

Directions:
Step 1: Place all ingredients except cilantro and oil in blender, pulse until well blended, add cilantro and pulse a few more times
Step 2: With blender on, slowly pour in oil until mixture maintains a dressing like consistency. (If using a food processor, start by pulsing the jalapeno and garlic before adding liquid.) Makes about 1 cup.
Serve: or over a salad, use as a marinade for chicken or come back for my next post and I’ll show you what I made with it.

Black Bean Burgers...yum!

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2; tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Creole seasoning

How to Make It
1.) Cook onion with 1 tbsp olive oil in saute pan until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

2.) In a bowl, mash beans with back of a fork until smooth. Stir in cooled onion mixture, cilantro, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and hot sauce. Mix well.

3.) Shape into patties and dust with flour and seasoning.

4.) Heat remaining oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook patties until golden on both sides.

5.) Optionally, top with tomatoes, sour cream, or guacamole.

Nutritional Breakdown
Per serving
Calories: 391
Protein: 16 g
Carbs: 46 g
Fat: 16 g
Fiber: 11 g
Serves 4

Added Tips
— If the bean mixture is too soft to form into patties, let it cool for 10 minutes.

— To make Emeril's classic Creole seasoning, mix together 2 1/2; tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp garlic powder, and 1 tbsp each black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thym

Cauliflower Poppers

	1 head(s) (medium) uncooked cauliflower
	1/2 tsp ground cumin
	1/2 tsp chili powder, or more to taste
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  
• Cut cauliflower florets into bite-sized pieces (there should be about 4 cups). Place cauliflower in a medium bowl and add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper; toss well to coat.
  
• Spread cauliflower on prepared baking sheet and bake until cauliflower is tender, but not mushy, stirring halfway through, about 10 minutes. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Italian Sliders!

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 lb lean ground turkey 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup minced roasted red bell peppers (packed in water and drained)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup natural jarred marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 
• 24 cocktail-size whole-grain pitas or buns, split, toasted lightly if desired

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg white, onion, bell peppers, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Gently mix until combined. Using a spoon or small scooper, form into patties about 1 scant tbsp each, making about 24 sliders; place on sheet. (MAKE AHEAD: Prepare patties up to one day in advance, wrap tray in plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
3. Transfer to oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and flip patties over. Bake for 5 more minutes. Remove patties from oven; spoon marinara over each patty and sprinkle each with cheese, dividing evenly. Switch oven tobroiler setting on high, return to oven and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through and cheese is bubbling. Using a fork or tongs, transfer each patty into a pita or bun

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

3 diced tomatoes 

2 jalapeno peppers chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 pounds Steak 

2 tablespoons ground cumin 

2 tablespoons chili powder 

2 teaspoons salt 

2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper 

In small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle the spice mixture over the beef so that it is evenly coated and place in the crock pot Prepare all veggies by cleaning and chopping them. Place them in the crock pot.

Add Beef Broth and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Shred the meat with 2 forks and drizzle with some of the braising liquid to keep the meat moist. Cover until ready to serve with whole wheat or ezekial tortilias or over lettuce leaves! 

Yum!

My Journey to Fit

Hello all....

Many people wherever I go ask me how I lost 88 lbs and have kept it off for 15 months and counting. I start to explain my journey and by the time I am 1/3 of the way into the explanation they have a glazed look of someone who has been fed way to much information way to fast.

So to share my story more easily I thought that I would break it down into blog entries. So bare with me:-)

My Journey to fitfab40 began in Feburary of 2009. We had been living in a small community up towards Stevens Pass. My commute was 45 minutes each way so I was forever cooking in the crock pot which in and of its self was not bad. We were eating mostly wild game which again in and of its self is not a bad thing. However because we were pretty broke I was cooking side dishes that mostly had to do with an Idaho girls favorite, you guessed it POTATOES!

With every dinner we had some type of potatoes which I totally love. Now because we were low on money I made sure to make enough for lunch for my husband Kevin and myself. So basically I was not eating breakfast because I left the house so early every morning, then by lunch time I would be famished and I would eat leftover meat and POTATOES. Every day at least 5 days a week.

On weekends I would bake bread, cookies, cinnamon rolls anything sweet that the boys would eat to take their minds off of not being able to go to the store and buy stuff. I am a great cook and so in short I was using my homemade goodies and great cooking to lull us into not thinking about being able to afford the stuff that we wanted. In February of 2010 we made the decision to move from Baring were we had been living to Monroe, WA.

Now I was closer to work actually 7 minutes from home, we had more money due to the fact that my husband got a raise and a company truck and because I had an extra 1.5 hrs to prepare food I stopped using the crockpot so much.

I wanted more than anything to do back country hiking and start exploring the alpine lake region of the state. So in March of 2009 we did our first Alpine Lake of the year, Barclay Lake. This lake is a short hike and not to strenuous but by the time I did the 4 miles round trip to the lake and back I was bushed and spent the next week nursing sore muscles and an ache body.

I remember thinking then that it should not have been that hard on me. I took a good long look at myself in the mirror and had a long private talk with myself and acknowledged for the first time that I weighed over 200 lbs for the first time in my life, at 5' 7" I was seriously overweight. I am not sure why it took me so long to notice, I was probably in denial. What ever the reason I decided at that very moment that I was going to do something about my weight.

My first stab at trying to loose weight left me eating salads for lunch. I took off a few pounds but that was about it. I started researching diets that would help you to loose weight quick. The message here was to cut your carbs and limit your calorie intake to anywhere from 450 calories to 1500 calories a day. This caused me to stop and think....hmmmm how many calories am I taking in a day? So, and this was a fateful  moment in my life I kept track of my calories for 2 days. I was taking in anywhere from 2300 to 3000 calories a day! Wow! OK that had to stop and stop right now.

So I took my first step on the road to learning how to eat healthy and started eliminating things from my diet. First to go was my beloved McDonalds sweet tea. I thought that I was making better choices by drinking sweet tea, right? It wasn't soda I told myself...well that sweet tea had more calories in it that a soda. What a moment that was for me. So sweet tea was gone for a week and then I moved on to my next challenge. Coffee! Coffee again in and of itself is not a bad thing but I drank it all day long with lots of half and half and sugar. No fake crap for this girl....right? So knowing that I would really be miserable if I gave it up cold turkey due to the caffeine and being so addicted to it so I started drinking it with almond milk and Splenda in it and for the first time I limited myself to 4 cups a day. 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon.

After about a month of no sweet tea and limited coffee I jumped on the scale because my jeans were about to fall off of me and low and behold I had lost 15 lbs. This brought my total weight loss to date to just over 20 lbs. Cool....right? Just by eliminating those 2 things. Now I knew that I had a long way to go to be at my goal weight but for the first time I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. I kept it up and nothing more really happened....? Things that make you go hmmmmm? Why wasn't I still loosing weight?

So...back to the internet I went. Ok I had my calories under 1500....? What was the problem? I found a sight that gave you good vs bad carbs and meal plans to help you loose weight. This was another pivotal part of my weight loss journey because it was the first time that the idea of not all carbs being created equal came into my line of sight. This was also the first time that I had ever heard anything what so ever about clean eating.

I guess this would be a good time to tell you that I have the adult form of ADHD and I tend to be a little on the obsessive side when I get somthing in my brain. So along with all of the other information that I had gotten off of the internet, it recomended lifting weights as part of your diet. The first magazine that I bought was Prevention and it had a pretty simple weight circuit in the issue that I bought that promised results if you practiced clean eating. I started doing this in June of 2009. By July 4th I had taken off another 10 lbs for a total weight loss of 30 lbs. WOW but even better than that was that I had gone from a size 14-16 jeans in Feburary of 2009 to a size 10-12 jeans by July 4th, AMAZING RIGHT?

On July 4th we had planned a 10 mile round trip hike with a hiker friend of ours up Taylor River which is towards Snoqualimie Pass. I was 30 lbs lighter had some muscle tone and was super excited to try out my new fitness on the trail. The trail was mostly easy and partially graveled with almost no elevation gain.We made it to Otter Falls which was essentially the end of the hike and I was in GREAT shape. Ok so there was one little misshap long the way I was rock hopping to get across a creek and ended up face down in the creek about 2 miles in. I didnt get seriously injured but I did take a pretty decent sized hunk of skin off of my shin and I was drenched in Alpine water which is generally speaking around freezing at that time of year but again I was in good shape. We continued on past Otter Falls because it was an amazing day in the 80s in the low lands and we were in the mood to explore. We came to a sign that said that there were two Alpine Lakes within 2 miles. We tried and failed to reach Norbert Lake due to the trail being out so we doubled back and decided to hike up to Lake Snoqualmie which the sign said was 2.4 miles further. NO PROBLEM we all said....and started out.



The trail went around switch backs and we climbed slowly up the mountain. We rounded a curve in the trail and the trail headed up....I dont just mean kind of up I mean 1.3 miles of straight up over roots and rocks finding and picking your way along. I had to stop a lot getting up that trail that day but I made it to the lake. Once at the lake we shared what we had brought along for food which was mostly granola bars of the grocery store variate and some beef jerky. Our friend had brought along 8 pieces of turkey bacon and a huge hunk of cheddar cheese. I remember thinking after I had finished my granola bars and jerky about wrestling her for that cheese and turkey bacon. I was famished, I don't mean just hungry I mean my body was crying out for nutrition! Somehow and I don't really remember how I mastered my hunger and we headed down off the mountain.

We got back to the trail head for the Lake and thought OK we have about 5 miles left to get back to the car. I remember thinking fondly of the rest of the box of granola bars that I had left under the seat that morning by now it was about 4 pm. All I had eaten that day was 2 granola bars, lots and lots of water and 1.5 ounces of beef jerky. WE walked and we walked and we walked and we walked.....My feet had blisters on them from ill fitting cheap hiking shoes, I was so hungry I had hunger pangs and a horrible gut ache and in short I was miserable.

We finally got back to the parking lot around 7 pm and thankful for food and cold water started for home. Our friend had ridden with us and she had plans for the 4th with other friends so we had to take her to her place and then home to Monroe from there. The trip took about 1.5 hrs. All I remember thinking about was going to Buzz Inn as soon as we got to town and eating the first thing that I saw on the menu. I ordered a grilled turkey and Fries with a salad and oh please bring the salad first. We got home around 8:30 pm and showed and went to bed. Honestly I dont even remember my head hitting the pillow and I never heard even one firework despite living in a big neighborhood. I was one tired girl!

I woke up the next day and looked at the hiking book....it appears that what we thought was a 15 mile hike was actually a 21 mile hike. YIKES but again, I hurt all over. I spent the week working out and cringing every time I had to bend over or stand up. Why was it so hard for me to get into shape? 21 miles was a long way but this was ridiculous. I HAD to find a better, harder more challenging working out to get me into better shape QUICK because we had planned a huge hike to Ingals lake as an overnight backpacking trip on Labor day weekend this hike was different than the rest that we had been doing. It had 2000 ft of elevation gain in 3 miles on the trail which is daunting in and of its self but, you rose to almost 6300 ft at the end of the hike at the lake. WOW it was for seasoned hikers.....by this time we had been hiking for 2 years. But I knew that I had to step up my workouts. So I went to Safeway on my lunch hour and started looking at workout magazines. I stumbled on Oxygen Magazine.They had a total body workout that would rock my body to the core. I started walking for 5 minutes and running for 5 minutes on a 1.5 mile loop and doing this total body workout.

I dropped another 10 lbs but even better I shrunk to a size 6-8. The differences in my body were amazing. I had a waist for the first time in years. My leg muscles were becoming defined, I felt like a new person. I had switched over to eating clean about 50% of the time, started taking vitamins and I felt amazing, like I could take on the world. Well I was wrong again!

On Labor Day weekend we left late in the afternoon and headed for Cle Elum to find the trail head. We couldn't find the trail head and wandered around for quite some time before we found the trailhead. Looking back I know that it was much much to late for us to start the hike and we probably should have stayed the night in a camp ground and started the hike the next morning fresh and ready to go. But, like most people we wanted to have our adventure as we planned it so up the trail we went.

The first mile of the trail we gained a 1000 ft of elevation. It was hard on me but I was doing it. In the next mile we gained 900 ft of elevation. I was sucking wind and my legs were shaking but I was still eager to get to the lake. Another mile and we were at the trail fork where we needed to branch off and head for Ingals lake or head up to Longs Pass.

Due to a mistake in reading the Falconer Guide by my husband we headed for Longs Pass. This mean that in another long mile we gained another 1000 ft of elevation. I remember making that climb and thinking to myself that I might die on the side of that mountain. We met some fellow hikers who were headed down that night. It was almost dark and the climb was switch backing around on its self and getting scary. The hikers said it was about 5 tenths of a mile further to the top so we kept going....up....up ....up.

We reached the top and quickly realized that we were not where we were supposed to be. It was late we were tired, hungry beyond belief and exhausted so we made camp. We ate cup of noodles, protein bars and beef jerky and gazed at the starts and Mt Stewart across from us. Mt. Stewart is a huge draw for Mountain climbers. They have base camp and they climb it by trail and straight up rock walls. We could see the climbers in their hammocks on the mountain when their headlamps glowed in the still night air. That night as I went to sleep I was in so much pain and I remember thinking, yet again...hmmmm. I am going to have to step my game up even more to get back into the shape that I want to be in.

We woke up the next morning and confirmed that we needed to hike well over 2 miles back to the fork in the trail and then ascend again to 6300 ft at the lake. I almost cried because my legs were shaking and I felt like my bones had turned to jelly. We broke camp, hiked the mile back down to the steam and  got water and when we got back to the fork in the trail  we ate more food. This improved my outlook on life considerably. As we started the assent to Ingals Lake I felt good if tired and thought I could finish the hike off.

We took frequent breaks on the way up that day. It was warm and sunny and after getting back on the trail my muscles worked their way into the load and the climb and by the time we reached the designated camping area we were all in high spirits. The guide said that the Lake was about a mile further on and that the last little bit was a rock scrabble. I have never wanted to be a mountain climber because I am terrified of heights.On our way to the Lake we ran across a mountain goat which provided a nice distraction for about 20 minutes.

We kept going and going and going. We crossed over into a baren rock strewn alien land with no trees and only a trail cut into the side of the hill out of shear rock. We started to meet hikers who were on their way back down from the lake and said that the lake was not far. We kept going and going and going yet again. Finally the trail disappeared all together and we were now left to follow rock carin piles to guide the way. I started to get upset when we reached and area where we had to go up 100 ft with 50 lb packs on our backs with nothing but footholds cut into the rock. we rounded the corner and met a set of 50 something women who were headed down from the lake. I remember thinking...if they can do this...so can I!

After another 100 ft rock scrabble and another 50 ft climb straight up we topped out and walked down to the lake.I was so happy to be at the lake I could have cried. We ate more food drank lots of water and filled up our water bottles. I even soaked my feet in the icy water for a little while. I remember dreading the hike back down off of the cliff more than I can even explain.

We left the lake after about an hour and headed back out of the back country knowing that we had hiked about 13 miles and had at least another 8 to go. There was a low trail about a mile from the lake that took us down through amazing flower covered fields with steams running though it and besides it gave me tired sore legs some more time to rest.

I guess now would be a good time to point out that my husband and are hiking partner were in much better shape than me and had no real problems with this hike, but because they love me and felt bad were willing to take it easy on me. We finally reached the part of the trail where we needed to head back up. I remember thinking what goes down must go back up. BUT this was straight up. I told my friends that I wasn't sure I could make the hill. My husband said...."Lisa, we have to make this hill or turn around and go the long way back around across the rocks. So up up up we went I had to stop multiple times and almost cried once, but I made it to the top.

From there on in it was mostly downhill or side hill and we stopped often and ate and drank a lot. We got back to the parking lot and were a pretty happy group as we headed for Cle Elum and warm food. All I could think of was juicy meat. I thought I could eat half a cow at that moment. We had huge sloppy burgers with ham and bacon and full and happy headed back to Monroe.

So this experience made me realize that on top of lifting weights and eating right I needed to add cardio drills to my training. I started researching cardio drills on the internet and ran into HIIT. HIIT was for me I decided so I bought a used elliptical trainer and started getting up and 5 and doing 35 to 40 minutes of high intensity cardio drills. In about a month I could tell the difference in 6 weeks the difference was dramatic. I had shed 20 more lbs couldn't eat enough even with 6 meals a day and I had been hooked as a hardcore fitness junkie.

It was sometime along about now that we decided that we were going to get married on December 23, 2011. I set my sights on being a size 6 on the day I got married and so I trained hard. Most days I did Cardio drills morning and night and lifted weights at lunch time. On December 1st I went dress shopping and wow....I got a standing ovation in a dress at Davids Bridal and one lady asked me how got such amazing legs. I looked her in the eye and said....I am a hardcore hiker chick and I train 6 days a week to hike whenever I can. That made this old girl feel pretty darn good about herself! I ended up with a dress that was a size 4 and had to have it taken in to fit me the day before my wedding.

So now we come to the post wedding point. It was January and cold and snowy.....hmmmm we could just kind of slack off a little bit right? So January progressed and I worked out sometimes and sometimes, ok most days I slept in and didn't work out.

In February I put on a pair of jeans that were fitting me great right after the wedding and to my surprise I had a muffin top already. Well that just wouldn't do so right back to it I went. Cardio drills and weights, weights and cardio drills. Ab days, leg days, shoulder days and then ab days again. May came around and I decided that I would join the gym that had just opened right up the road from me. By this time I had gone from 208 at my heaviest to 143. I felt amazing and looked great for a 44 year old mom of 4 sons.

At the gym they gave a complimentary set of training sessions with your membership and so the trainer set me up with a weight routine on the machines and I started in with cardio 6 days a week and weights 5 days a week. Cardio after weights everyday. Now we were getting somewhere. My abs started to lean out my legs got defined and my arms were buffing up. In June my best friend got married and I have to say that I love the pictures from her wedding because for the first time you could see that I was really into fitness.



So then I really got my butt into gear. I got down to 132 but everyone started saying I was too thin so I gained back up to 140 which is where I sit today. I am super happy, healthy and eat clean daily and love my life for it. I hope this all helps you with your journey because now that I have this all down you   don't have to stumble around the way that I did.... you can ask me anything and I will be happy to help you. If I don't know the answer I will check with my trainer friends...I have lots of those.

Recently I switched over from going to the gym to working out at home with Beachbody products... You know the ones you see on TV? PX90 Power90 Insanity? I use Chalean extreme and love it. I run monthly challenge groups on Facebook so hit me up and join one!

one more thing folks.... here are some pictures of my progress!