Feel Unstuffed during the Holidays

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we all know what that means; time to get out the stretchy pants. Many people pack on at least a pound (some gain more) during the holidays -- and most have a hard time taking it back off. But with a few tips you can survive Thanksgiving dinner and still enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast.

Get Active

Since you know you will probably be eating more than normal over a few days take the time to put in some workout time adding 5-10 minutes to your regular workout. Plan to attend a local run/walk event or create your own in the neighborhood. After dinner resist the urge to nap and gather the family for a walk or laps at the local mall.

Choose Wisely

Not all the food served on Thanksgiving will be worth the calories. Chose one or 2 favorites you wouldn’t normally eat and fill up the rest with lean turkey or vegetables. Take a small portion and only go back for seconds after waiting 15-20 minutes to feel you really want it. If you are in charge of the menu plan some healthier choices or bring a great healthy dish to a dinner you are invited to (Roasted root vegetables are easy and delicious).

Focus on Being Thankful

Thanksgiving foods are nice but gathering together as family and friends is where the focus should be. Start new traditions of sharing thoughts of gratitude or work together on a service project to kick start the winter holidays.

Overall it is important to honor the balance of enjoying traditions yet honoring your fitness goals. Having a plan and sticking to it will help you to not end up feeling just as stuffed as the turkey.

Fitness Coach Sarah Ward is a full time mom to two very active boys. She is passionate about helping others find what they need in their lives to achieve the best life they can with clean eating and daily movement. You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram @LifestyleForward or connect with her at sarah@lifestyleforward.com.

Summer CSA Review

So my last pick up for my Summer CSA is over and I didn't sign up for the Fall/Winter version. While I think it is a great concept here is why it doesn't work for our family (but first you must always start with the positive : )

What I liked:

1. Right from the farm veggies are delicious and sometimes the grocery I shop at lacks in the organic section.



2. Pick up was easy. We picked a place that either my husband or I could get to.



3. I got to try some veggies I wouldn't normally try like bok Choy, cabbage and some weird alien broccoli/Cauliflower mashup.



4. It did force me to eat more veggies in the summer and be a little creative with the menu.



5. You are forced to eat seasonal which is good for you.

Things I didn't like

1. SO MANY VEGGIES. Even doing a half share and getting to swap out things we liked better each week we had so many that I felt like I had to eat all the time to use them up. I should have had a better plan of sharing, freezing or giving stuff away each week.



2. Cost of $20 was very reasonable for the amount we got but I have to see if I will save some money just buying what I will eat per week.



3. I missed some veggies that I didn't get enough of or they just don't grow. Mushrooms for omelets and celery to munch on. I never thought I would say that!

If you haven't checked it out here are some recipes I made with what I got.

Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Spinach & Zucchini

The True Villains of Halloween - Sugar Filled Sweets!

People tend to worry about a lot about the Thanksgiving pounds or the stress of the winter holidays but it often starts with the most evil holidays of all, Halloween. Each year the Halloween seems to get longer and longer and the shelves fill up with bags of sugar filled treats even before the day is near. Here are some tips to help you bet the sugar crush and stay on track for your health goals.

Buy Late

It may be tempting to buy bags of candy or treats ahead of time to save money or to save time later but chances are if you bring it into your house before Halloween you will be more tempted to eat it and then have to go back out anyways. This year commit to not buying your trick or treat candy until the day before or on Halloween.

Go Candy-Free

Be that house and commit your family to be candy free this year. There are a lot of options out there for giveaways that are not candy related that kids still love. Try glow sticks, erasers, pencils, stickers, pretzels or gum this year.

Enjoy your Favorites

Don’t deprive yourself! Pick out one or 2 pieces you do want to eat this year on Halloween, eat and savor them and enjoy the moment with your family. Pass up other treats that may be passed around at work or earlier in the month.

Give Away the Bounty

After Halloween don’t think you have to keep all the candy. Look for opportunities at local hospitals, dentist offices, schools or military mailing services to donate your candy to good causes.

The key to avoiding the evil snacks of Halloween is to plan early and stay committed. Challenge yourself to see how far you can go to avoid the things you don’t need in your daily nutrition plan.

Training for Runs without Carbs - My Story

A lot of people in my running group would consider me crazy but I started doing my Whole30ish/Food Trigger Detox program right at the beginning of my half marathon and marathon walk training. Last year I gained 7 pounds when I did my training because I let myself eat granola bars filled with sugar on my runs and then would eat to my heart content when I got back. This year I want to focus on doing this to make me feel good while I was training and the reason why I am focusing so much on how I fuel myself.

Because I am doing so much running/walking I am really careful about making sure I do get enough fuel and especially those carb filled vegetables that have so much of the good stuff in it. So far into week 3 of my plan I have had summer squash. Spaghetti squash, beets, sweet and white potatoes to support me.

You do have to think outside the box sometimes to make sure you are getting in the right food. This morning before my early run I had a hard boiled egg and sweet potato soup with coconut milk in it. During runs I drink HYDRATE and carry a dried fruit bar for additional fuel as needed (only on runs 6 miles or longer). After my run I had a RECOVER Protein Shake, omelet with summer squash topped with salsa and avocado and watermelon.

Week 2 I felt the effects of low energy as my body adjusted to this new way of eating but overall it hasn't effected my run times. Week 3 I feel much better. Although I haven't weighed myself since I started and I am not plannign to until after my half marathon I am feeling lighter which makes running even easier.

Interested in learning how to fuel yourself right, how to do a Food Trigger Detox program or to learn about the products I use email me at sarah@lifestyleforward.com.

Ride along on the Food Trigger Detox Train

Hi, my name is Sarah and I am addicted to food. Yes, sadly it has come to that. As in any journey you will have bumps, detours and wrong turns along the way and I am fighting hard againt all that right now. Over 2 years ago I was focused and learned a lot of new things that helped to improve my overall health and fitness level. I was excited to share what I had learned with others.

Then somewhere over the past 8 months I stopped applying what I had learned and got caught up in a lot of bad habits. I quickly learned it is one thing to KNOW something and a whole different ballgame to APPLY it. I was doing challenge groups and trying hard to get back into it but the struggle has been real. It has come to the point whre I need to have a serious intervention and deal one on one with my food issues. Hence I am starting my 30 days of removing food triggers from my diet and I am inviting you along for the ride!

Based on the Whole 30 concept (Highly suggest you read that or "It all Starts with Food"), I am removing the foods that are connected to bad habits for me including grains, sugar in all forms, alcohol and dairy. I am also not going to be making any treat items like paleo pancakes or donuts even if they are technically ok. I am still on the fence about making smoothies and will be using some supplement drinks I use for running. My biggest bad habits right now include craving sweets after meals, stress eating, late might eating and not being able to stop eating once I start on certain foods like sweets.

I started last Monday with a 3 Day Refresh program which always gets me back on track but by Wednesday I as ready for more food options. I have been focusing on lean protein sources, LOTS of vegetables and few fruits and healthy fats. Foods are very similar to the 21 Day Fix plan (although a little more strict) but I am interested to find out if not keeping track of portion size makes a difference for me. This past weekend I faced a lot of temptations but held strong. I am starting week 2 and the only side effect that has been rough is my lack of energy but that was to be expected until my body adjusts. Looking forward to seeing where the next weeks will take me.

If you are interested in what I am eating follow me on Facebook or Instagram @lifestyleforward.

Not your Grandma's Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Peas are not something I usually eat but I was looking forward to shelling the farm fresh version and eating them up. The first thing that pops into my head for peas is tuna noodle casserole which again is not something I typically eat but given the challenge I wanted to see if I could come up with a healthy 21 day fix version.

 

I have been wanting to try a version of cashew cream for a while now. It sounded like a great way to get the same texture of cream but in a healthy version. And I was right tha like tofa the "cream" takes  the flavor of what you put into it. I made savory for this recipe but also a sweet version with maple syrup and cinnamun.  The recipe turned out great and even my toddler was begging for more. That is when you know a recipe isa keeper .

 

Not your Grandma's Tuna "Noodle" Casserole
Makes 2-3 servings

 

1/4 cup cashews soaked

1/4 to 1/2 cup water (and more as needed)
1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Garlic

1 packet/can tuna (Drain if needed)

1 cup cooked peas

Zucchini for noodles

 

Soak Cashews overnight or for at least 3 hours. Rinse and drain then combine in blender with water until smooth. Add Olive oil and garlic and blend again.

 

Make zucchini noodles. Toss cream with peas, tuna and noodles. Heat until warm on stove top or microwave.

 

21 Day Fix: 2 Green, 1 Blue, 1 Red

Lifestyle Forward Gets Down and Funky - CIZE Review & Video

Finding myself the other day with trying to fit in an afternoon workout and needing a way to shake of some stress so I decided to join the hype and try out CIZE.

What is CIZE?

CIZE is the new program from Shaun T! It’s a four week dance fitness program that gets your heart pumping….while you learn to dance. I’m pretty sure you won’t even realize that you’re getting a great cardio workout because you’ll be having so much fun! In each routine, Shaun T breaks down the moves step-by-step and builds them up into a full dance sequence. In total, it takes 35-40 minutes. It’s all choreographed to the latest pop music to keep you energized and moving. And while you’re focusing on trying to master the dance moves you’re also burning fat and calories.

 

After logging onto Beachbody On Demand and getting my laces tied, I started in. You start with a warm up and get into the different moves pretty quickly. It follows the process of learning one move at a time and then adding them together slowly.  When I first stated I was a little hesitant and overwhelmed at all the moves but by the end I felt I got the first part down and feel confident with a little more work I would get much better doing the whole thing. Click HERE to see my routine (no laughing!)

It reminded me when I first started doing Zumba classes. It took me about 3 months to get the moves down but then I felt pretty good about them. The music you listen to when you are learning the moves was a little boring but I guess it is better for you to help concentrate. And you will concentrate. I felt like the 45 minutes went by so fast. You really have to concentrate to put everything together. There were times I lost my focus because I was also watching 2 kids as I was doing this but I got quickly back in to it. The music was fun at the end. I wasn't dripping in sweat but I did feel like I got my heart pumping, calorie killing cardio in. Now I totally need to get a trucker hat to match my fly moves!

Want to check out CIZE for yourself? Join Beachbody On Demand FREE for 30 days or email me at sarah@lifestyleforward.com to talk about joining a challenge group to be support with other super cool dancer wannabes.