The Journey .. Weightloss

TRANSITION OF A LIFETIME ….

It’s easy to fall into the comfort of one’s life. To learn how to adapt to what you have become by merely being devoid of the purpose of what you are doing.

Today I was blessed to be here for a good friend. To be the ear that listens, the heart that aches along with theirs, the voice of reason, the sledge hammer of truth and the eyes that are open. Throughout the conversation, she kept telling me how grateful she was for me and how much she respected and loved me for bringing sense into her life … when at the end of it all, it was her that opened my eyes; that made me finally HEAR all that I was merely just listening to.

What is it about the coming to the close of another year that brings us to our knees? To go through this painful self evaluation (which usually only sees everything that we failed to accomplish or obtain in the years past). It’s funny what we put ourselves through.

The topic of conversation this evening was “Being Demotivated”. When someone puts their entire being into something, goes full force and then fizzles out … does that equal instant failure? Not necessarily. It’s merely a transition .. and an uneasy one at that. All transitions, positive and negative are uneasy. It’s up to you how you want to guide that uneasiness. You either go towards a good response or a negative reaction. You have to visualize the outcome that you would want to occur and tell the universe how it should be so that it happens.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but can only share what I know … my experience. This year was definitely a year of transition for me. I wanted to show you a timeline of that transition. When I first started out, I had a goal. It was vague, but it was real ~ I want to look like “her”. Who that “her” was ~ who knows. Just someone (anyone) that could wear whatever they wanted without the worries of a fat belly hanging over their belt; or if the color made them look even larger than they were; maybe someone that didn’t have to hide that extra inch (who were they fooling anyways?) … well, it’s not really important! I started with a Trainer, Shadow. We had a plan, a strict diet and an emotional breakdown … then we were off. I went ALL OUT! Gave all of me! I was at the gym everyday. Ate better foods. Consulted with him for every next move .. then EFFIN FIZZLED like a wet firecracker. I felt demotivated (or I simply was giving up). He taught me to understand that me fizzling out and becoming demotivated were two totally separate things. One was, my body needed rest and the other, was me giving up because I became uneasy. I was totally out of my comfort zone and didn’t know what to do with myself. See?! One just has to be able to stop and understand what they are feeling. Feel, honor that feeling, act towards what you want the outcome to be and the understanding will present itself. You know, it’s true what they say … the best way to get somewhere is one foot taking a step in front of the other (repeat ~ hahaha).

Transition is a great thing. You can’t just be stuck in one place (bad or good), it get’s boring and that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms. Becoming demotivated, that’s temporary … being uneasy because of a transition in your life or attitude is amazing!! Because when one is uneasy, it promotes change. Now, make the conscious decision to make a positive change.

I’ll leave you with 3 things that I do EVERYDAY (it seems to keep me sane):

1 ~ Make my bed ~ My mother always told me, “Make your bed. Then if everything else in your day goes wrong, then at least you did one thing right.”

2 ~ My Daily Mantra: Kat, everything you say and do today, say and do it with a purpose ~ It helps me stop and smell the roses. I move so quickly and think on my toes, that life passes me by too often. If I force myself to have a purpose for all that I say, then I REALLY MEANT TO SHARE IT. If I force myself to have a purpose for all that I do, then it leads me closer to one of my goals.

3 ~ Cry ~ I cry for things that make me sad because I have lost or missed out on something or someone and it reminds to always cherish that specific experience. & I cry for all that makes me happy because I can appreciate what that was and I am overwhelmed with love and joy for it.

~ Namaste ~

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

 

RECIPE: Baked Chicken

Ok! Everyone knows that I’m super busy and am BIGGG on my 20 minute meals :)

This was truly worth the exception.. and plus, I was baking dessert while it was in the oven (LOL, of course..). I wish I could take the credit for this amazing concoction, but I got the idea from EveryDay Paleo.

Alright, Y’All ready?! Preheat the oven to 450d (this will take 45 minutes to cook). S&P your 1.5 lbs of (Organic) Chicken on both sides. In a large bowl, place 1 cup of Pesto and juice 1 whole Lemon. Stir it up, then throw in the Chicken. Make sure that the Chicken is well coated then place in a pan and straight into the oven they go.

Now for your side dish! I chopped up the Broccolini into bite size pieces (I used 8 large stems), but the original recipe called for it whole. I shall leave that up to you. In a large bowl, toss in ¼ cup of EVOO, 1 tbsp of S&P (I love heavy pepper so I added a few extra turns of the mill) & 1 tsp of Red Chili Pepper Flakes (of course, I went extra heavy for that Kat Kick that all my foods have). Add a quick squeeze of the lemon remnants used to flavor the Chicken, 3 chopped cloves of Garlic and throw in several Crimini Mushrooms & Kalamata Olives. Mix this all up then throw onto a lightly greased baking sheet (Grapeseed spray for me, please).

Once the oven timer is down to 15 minutes, place the Broccolini pan beside the Chicken Pan, in the oven and roast away. The chicken came out super moist and simply pulled apart while the veggies were roasted perfectly. I served this with my Tumaric Garlic Cauli Rice …. & if I must say so myself ~ PHENOMENAL!

I hope you take the time today to really enjoy yourself in the kitchen and prepare this wonderful meal. I think I danced to a whole CD while sipping on some Vino and toasting with those that I love enough to share this fabulous experience with.

RECIPE: Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

Hey Y’All ….

Oh, how I’ve missed baking up new creations and sharing ‘em with you. After my LIL incident with the Cuisinart Hand Blender and my ‘lil pointer finger … I’M BACK!

Tonight, I made something very special for you: PALEO PUMPKIN MUFFINS! Ultra easy and crazy speedy. Here’s the recipe: 1st .. preheat the oven to 350d. Now .. ½ cup of Coconut Flour, ½ cup of Agave nectar, 4 heaping tbsp of (Organic) Pumpkin Puree, ¼ cup of Coconut Oil, ¼ cup of EVOO, ½ tsp Baking Soda, 1 tbsp Pure Vanilla & 6 (Farm Raised) Whole Eggs. Combine all of the ingredients and blend away.

I greased the muffin pan with my fave Grape Seed Oil Spray and served 2 tbsp for 1 muffin. I then sprinkled Hemp Seeds (Nutritional Facts: Contains all the essential Amino Acids & essential Fatty Acids to maintain healthy human life. Which no other single plant source has the essential Amino Acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential Fatty Acids in as perfect ratio to meet human nutritional needs) along with Chia Seeds (Nutritional Facts: Is the only plant source that contains the highest amount of Omega-3, proven to reduce the BAD (LDL) cholesterol, a complete protein with all 9 Amino Acids and aside from several other wonderful facts .. are 100% natural, raw, non-GMO & Gluten FREE)! Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for another 5 .. THEN SERVE!!

I had mine con CAFE, of course …. AND a dabble of chocolate. I hope you enjoy this LIL TREAT <3

Uneasiness from Deep Within

You know .. I try my very best to stay in tune with my energy, to nurture my Chakras & to stay off the crooked roads (which I have traversed for far too long). There was something in me today that made me feel uncomfortable .. uneasy. Very similar to a knot in the pit of my stomach. I have to now hone in on the negative energies in my Swadhisthana Center and force the positivity to come through. If you get an opportunity to read this article .. that would be amazing. It changed my day … My Daily Om .. “Digging Deep for Healing”

Jokes of the Day

May I share these ….

JOKE#1

One day, Bill & Tom went to a restaurant for dinner. As soon as the waiter took out 2 steaks, Bill quickly picked out the bigger steak for himself. Tom wasn’t happy about that. Tom: “When are you going to learn to be polite?” Bill: “If you had the chance to pick 1st, which one would you pick?” Tom: “The smaller piece, of course.” Bill: “What are you whining about then? The smaller piece is what you wanted, right?!”

HAHAHA

JOKE#2

When the waitress in a NYC Restaurant brought him the soup du jour, the Englishman was a bit dismayed; “Good heavens,” he said, “what is this?”

“Why it’s bean soup” she replied

“I don’t care what its BEEN,” he sputtered. “WHAT IS IT NOW?”

HAHAHAHA

JOKE#3

A young man was visiting his brother and sister-in-law for Sunday dinner. As he arrived at their house he found his young nephew, Mikey, helping them bake some cupcakes.

After they were done, his sister-in-law allowed Mikey to put the icing on. When the boy had finished, he brought them to the table.

“The cupcakes look delicious, Mike.” his uncle said. He took a bite and said, “Mikey these are so good.”

As he finished cupcake and took another, he again complimented his little nephew. “The cupcakes look beautiful, Mikey,” his uncle said. “How did you get the icing so neat?”

His nephew replied, “It was easy. I just licked them.”

The uncle turned pale. He pointed to the plate of cupcakes. “You licked all of these?”

Mikey replied, “Well no. After a while my tongue got tired, and I got the dog to help.”

HAHAHAHAHA

RECIPE: Paleo BBQ Chicken Pizza

Hi there!

Enjoying another Football Sunday! Wahoo! So of course, what would it be without Beers, Hot Wings, Pizza, Chips and Dip right?! Exactly!

So here’s my Paleo Version: Vodka/Soda with an orange or lime twist, my Salmon Salad (Wild Alaskan Salmon, Red Cabbage, Celery, Walnuts, Parsley, Cilantro, Wasabi paste, Serranos, Avo, EVOO & S&P ) served with Organic Blue Corn chips & my BBQ Chicken Pizza! I would love to share this recipe for the perfect Paleo thin crust.

2 cups Almond Meal, 2 Eggs, 1 tbsp EVOO, ½ tsp Baking Soda, 2 tsp Garlic Powder, 1.5 tbsp Rosemary, a dash of Italian Seasoning. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you combine all of the ingredients. I love using my hands to better incorporate everything. Form the dough into a ball and SPLAT onto your “greased”
pizza stone (I PAM my pizza stone with Grapeseed spray). Use your hands to push and pat the dough into your desired shape. Bake for 20 minutes.

Alright, now you’re ready to pile on your ingredients. I start with Organic Tomato Sauce, then my Paleo BBQ Sauce (I make a batch and refrigerate). Then goes the Veggies, diced grilled Chicken, Herbs & Olives then one last drizzle of BBQ Sauce. Throw this back in the oven for another 15-18 minutes. Then serve! Remember, this crust is pretty substantial and can hold a good amount of weight, just make sure that your pizza at least tries to stay flat.

ENJOY!! Go Team!

Love Yourself

Love the Effort .. Love Yourself

(I am sharing this not because I have reached my goal nor feel that I have come to my full potential because I have so much work yet ahead of me, but to share with those that feel like they are alone, too tired and just simply CAN’T … No, a year from now, you would have wished that you started TODAY)

~ Hi Everyone, just wanted to update you on the workout progress. This is my beloved trainer Shadow: My Mentor, my Guru, my Motivation, at times my Nemesis but always my Strength. He has led me down a successful path of finding my self worth. You know obtaining a physical goal is bigger than just the losing the weight.

For me, it was the monkey on my back that symbolized everything else within that I was struggling to let go of. Trust me, there were a couple of teary-eyed moments. Like when I did a full work out with a weighted vest (8lbs he says, but what to me seemed like EIGHTY) & finally taking it off and feeling like the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I cried because it was just that. I made it through the workout so now I can make it through any daily obstacle in my life – lighter of course. Or like the other time my reps got better and better with every circuit. Gosh, I found out that day that the resilience I had was unmatched for the fear I used to allow to take over.

The effort that one has to put in, has to be whole-hearted. It has to be RAW and completely primal. This is so that the outcome is in its PUREST form. No holds barred, right?! Lay it all out on the line and what one can achieve is limitless ~

Only those who risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go ~ T.S.Eliot

National Coffee Day

National Coffee Day

Unfortunately, no one seems to know how or who started this celebration, but it’s here. Ah yes, I remember it as if it were yesterday: walking into a local coffee roaster situated in a huge warehouse, about to interview for an Accounting position (of course I got it)! Knowing absolutely nothing about coffee except the fact that I loved Caramel Frappes from Starbucks (not coffee knowledge, by the way). Anyhow, a little exposure here and there and sure enough … I am now celebrating my 10th year in coffee.

Slurp, Cup, Spit, Hedging, Dosing, Roasting, Trading, Non-Profits, Origin and yes, COFFEE. Just the standard industry jargon (or maybe gibberish) in my world. I have hated that I LOVE every moment of it though. It is a fantastic experience and a fabulous career if you truly understand the life of the bean … we are here though to celebrate those that acknowledge and respect having that gift of understanding.

Hooray Cafe!

~Sit down, Shut up & Sip it~

RECIPE: Coconut Cupcakes

GOOD MORNING!! Ok, Ok, so being bombarded with friendly requests to find out what we had for dessert, I am happy to recommend this fabulous recipe from my fave Paleo site: Coconut Cupcakes:

6 Eggs, ½ cup Coconut Flour; ½ cup Agave; ½ cup Coconut Oil;’ ½ tsp Vanilla; ½ tsp Baking Soda. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pour into well-oiled cupcake tin and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (TIP: Throw in some Organic Vegan Choco Chips and leave in the oven for another 2 minutes then take out to cool).

This cupcake turned out super moist with ooey-gooey chocolate happiness within. I double boiled more choco chips and coconut oil and glazed and doused the tops of the cupcakes for an extra treat !!!! Heaven !!!!

~ eat WELL folks, ENJOY ~

RECIPE: Paleo Aioli

The Art of Eating Paleo .. Tonight, my attempt to cheat yet another fatty favorite of mine ~ Aioli! So the classic version: Garlic, Mayo & Egg :(  No more mayo for me remember. SO! Here is my version: Paleo Pretend Aioli …..

2-3 tbsp Honey, 2 Yellow Squash, ½ cup Parsley, Ginger to taste, Cracked Pepper & the secret ingredient BLUEBERRY VINEGAR to taste (you can use red wine vinegar too though). Take the squash, peel and cut into cubes. Boil until a fork can easily poke through it. Drain well, if not the consistency will be too runny. I use a hand held blender, but a food processor will be great to use as well. Throw everything in together and blend away (TIP: for the ginger, I use about 10 back and forth runs over my Microplane) … This Aioli is a great accent to either chicken or fish.

Tonight it was served with my Cauli “Rice”, Stir “Fried” Veggies & Smoked Sockeye Wild Salmon ~ Bon Appetit!