Cinnamon Rolls How-To!

Growing up, one of the first things I learned how to bake were cinnamon rolls. And they're not just any old cinnamon rolls, but these were created by my wonderful mom and they leave you wanting more!

By no means are these healthy. Nope, they're just plain old gluten-filled, sugar-laden, treats that are not friendly to your waistline. That's why I only make them once or twice a year! 

...yolo... 

I am almost apprehensive to share this because secretly I have a hope that if this whole health and fitness gig doesn't work out, I'll have these rolls to fall back on and go into business for myself baking and selling these golden nuggets. But I'll take the chance

The recipe has been given out to many people so it's not really a secret. And it seems that not many people come out with good results, especially the first few times they make them. Once you get the hang of the techniques, these become pretty darn easy. Almost too easy. 

So here's my Christmas gift to you - a demo on how to make these pieces of heaven. 

Exercising at Home

I think it's time I let you in on my exercise plan. It's really nothing fancy or exciting, but it's what works for me. 

I used to have a gym membership and would make it there maybe once a week if I really tried. But it was always a process. Pack up my gym bag and then drag myself to the gym to be there for only a half hour or 45 minutes. Working out among big beefy men wasn't my style, either. Add in freezing temps in the winter and a 10 minute drive, it got to be such a chore. So, I decided to invest in a few pieces of equipment of my own. 

Working out at home comes with its limitations. I'm not able, or really aiming for, big personal records. I don't have a barbell (yet!) for heavy lifts or cool machines to use. But I actually workout because all of the equipment is staring me in the face every day.  

My home gym is conveniently in my basement, just steps away from my napping baby.  

I started out with a few dumbbells, a kettlebell, and a yoga mat 

Then I added a stability ball, resistance bands and my $50 treadmill off Craigslist. (Funny story... this treadmill was used by the previous owner to walk their dog. Great find for me!) 

My newest addition to my home gym are my [knock-off] TRX bands! They cost $30 from Target compared to $300 for the real TRX set - winning! If you have limited space and money I recommend these bad boys. Great for beginners and for the more advanced folk. I wanted them so that I could progress towards being able to do a pull-up, but you can do a bunch of things with these to work your whole body. Easy to get creative. Which, I do have a pull up bar that can go in the doorway, but these have replaced that for now since I can't quite do a pull-up yet... Soon. I hope. 

All of this equipment was pretty cheap to purchase, and I didn't buy it all at once. Start with a few things and build from there. Places like Marshalls or TJ Maxx are great to find cheap pieces of equipment for beginners. Target has the stability bands and other great equipment. 

You may already have a good start to a home gym with things around the house! Some of my favorite things to use are just ordinary items. 

I bet you have a coffee table in your living room... 

You know you like my Friends poster

Triceps dips, modified pushups, single leg squats are just a few exercises you can do with a coffee table.

Or a chair...

Ab lifts, glute bridge and box squats are great with a chair. 

Or a couple pieces of paper... 

You don't need these fancy sliders that seem to be everywhere these days. Just use a couple pieces of cardstock if you're on carpet, or a towel if you're on a hard surface! 

And a staircase.

Box jumps, step-ups or a good cardio sprint up and down the stairs can do the body good. 

So, now that you have an idea of what I use, what do I do with all of this stuff? 

I usually workout 3-4 days a week, depending on what life allows. My workouts are usually around 30 minutes total; sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. On rest days I try to walk on the treadmill or outside. Using what time you have, is really what it comes down to. 

Day One: 
Upper body lift // 3 Rounds, 10-12 reps
Bench Press
Inverted row
Push up
Upright row
Cable face pulls

Day Two:
Lower body lift // 3 Rounds, 10-12 reps
Back squat
Split squat
Straight-legged DB deadlift
DB Hip thrusts
Plank

Day Three: 
Upper body lift // 3 Rounds, 10-12 reps
Military Press
Assisted Chin-up
DB Chest press
Bent over row
DB lateral raise
DB Pullover

Day Four: 
Lower body lift // 3 rounds, 10-12 reps
Deadlift
Goblet squat
Lunges
Single leg hip thrust
Back extension on stability ball
Pallof press
Ab roll out on stability ball 


There you have it. I don't do any jumping around, cardio nonsense or any complicated moves. I lift weights and I walk. Simple as that! 

Finger Foods for Baby

As a stay at home mom it is my responsibility to meal plan and cook for the family (among the million other things I feel like my day gets filled with). Trying to find new things for just my husband and I to eat is a challenge alone, but now I have to find new and healthy things that my one year old will eat. 

So what can we do when we're short on time or energy or money - or all of the above? 

It can be a little too easy to provide those babes with processed snacks like crackers, juice boxes, or those puffy things (I don't know what else to call them. If you're a parent with a little one you know what I'm talking about). 

These little tots need their protein and fat just like we do. Here are some ideas for healthy go-to foods for just that: 

Cut up string cheese

Perfect for an on-the-go option

Avocado

A little messy, but worth it

Beans

Open up a can of black beans, chick peas or whatever you have around. Can't get much easier than that! Good source of iron as well

Shredded Chicken or Tuna

Limit tuna to once or twice a week for young children

Ground beef

Combine it with diced, cooked veggies for a well-rounded meal

Peanut butter on a rice cake

Heck, I eat this for a snack myself! 

Full fat yogurt with peanut butter

I like to mix some sort of fat for an extra brain boost 

Scrambled eggs

Serve it warm or cold 

Sunflower seeds

Little, tiny seeds for some fat and protein. Watch for allergies! 

Cream cheese and deli meat roll-ups

Spread some cream cheese onto a slice of meat, roll it up, then cut into slices

Cottage cheese

Add fruit to it like peaches or some veggies like peas. We eat it plain around here

Bacon(Leslie LOVES bacon!) 

Although Leslie has choked on it a few times, so make sure you cup it up pretty tiny

Cut up meatballs

I'll admit, I buy premade meatballs for emergencies. But all it takes is a zap in the microwave for an easy dinner

Spoonfuls of coconut oil (Leslie thinks it's a treat!)

Nothing is much better than a shot of coconut oil! 

These babies of ours are in their prime for development! Make sure they're getting more than fruits and veggies for strong muscles and smart brains!

More than JERF

What a crazy few weeks it has been!

Hope you all have been enjoying this holiday season. 

It can be a hard time to keep moving forward with our health goals, but a recent Instagram post from proverbs31ministries really brought me back to reality. It had this caption: 

"I need to have January thoughts on December days."  

Have your goals become the thought of 'tomorrow', or 'Monday', or 'after the holidays'. Why not start today? Are your goals worth waiting for? What can you do right now to make your health a priority? 

A few indulgent nights for myself have got me refocusing on what I need to do to reach for my goals today, not in January or on Monday, but right now. 

...food for thought... 


Anyway, 


All that I'm about when it comes to health and lifestyle change surrounds eating REAL FOOD - i.e. food that is in its most natural state like butter vs. margarine, real fruit vs. Trix made with 'real fruit'. 
Making changes towards eating real food is a huge step towards improved health, especially if you may be someone who has included quite a bit of processed foods in your diet previously. I can almost guarantee that you'll see fat loss and other improved health markers by this change alone -- at least initially...  

However, there are many of us who have made this switch over to real food but are still not where we want to be with fat loss goals. How come? Isn't this enough?? 

Enter in Macros. What do I mean by 'macros'? Macronutrients include only 3 things: Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates. These 3 categories cover all of the foods out there. 

When we turn our focus on how much of each macro we eat we can make adjustments towards specific goals. 

So, how do you navigate what macro range you should be eating? 

Here are some general guidelines: 

Protein: eat protein at every meal - meat sources! This will give you plenty of protein and added good fat to your day. A minimum amount would be around 100 grams per day, although getting more is great, especially for men. We need protein to maintain and gain muscle mass. Muscles are great fat burners, we can't afford to lose those guns! 

Fat: include natural fat sources at each meal as well. Butter over your veggies, eggs and bacon for breakfast, heavy cream in your coffee, avocados on your burger. This is what I live for. Mmmm... Eating enough fat is essential, especially if eating low carb is your goal. When you lower calories from carbs you have to replace those calories with fat.

Carbs: this one is a little bit tricky. For fat loss, restricting to <30 net grams of carbs on most days is a great start. A moderate carb intake is around 100-150 grams, great for maintenance. A carb cycle approach is the next best thing - eating low carb for a few days followed by a higher carb day.
Carbs will have to be tweaked a little bit for each person with what works best for them. Eliminating carbs like refined sugars and grains is a must for fat loss! Just because maple syrup or agave nectar are natural, or 'real', doesn't mean they support a fat loss goal.

Watching your macros doesn't necessarily require tracking your food every day for the rest of your life, but it is helpful in the beginning to get an idea of how your macros break down. 

My suggestion for everyone, especially those of you with fat loss goals, is to track your food for a few days and look at how your macros break down. Is your protein too low? Carbs too high? 

If you would like a little bit more guidance on where to start with macros, feel free to reach out to me! I'd love to help you take your fat loss goals to the next level! 

You can look up more info on carb cycling as well. Here are some great resources on this topic:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-carb-cycling
http://heidipowell.net/2713/carb-cycling-101/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/558001-carb-cycling-for-fat-loss/

And just a couple studies pointing out the effectiveness of a low carb diet: 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12761365
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12761364



I have only just scratched the surface of this macro talk, but I want to stress the importance of them when continuing your health goals, whatever they may be. I encourage everyone to get educated on macros, what they mean, and what is the right equation for you. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is also a great time to mention a new and exciting protocol called Alt Shift by Jason Seib! He has created a plan from his many years of experience of working with clients with fat loss goals that surrounds this idea of cycling macros. You can purchase the ebook here: http://altshiftdiet.com/

His protocol has given so many people great results so far. It involves cycling carbs, fat and calories to achieve long-lasting fat loss. I've been following his work for a few years now, and am seeing for myself how his recommendations are helping me meet my own fitness goals. It would be very much worth your time and money to read his book.