July Abs Challenge

With a pregnancy and a 50 pound weight gain, my abs are .... well .... not there!

I know I'm not alone and because of that, us MOMMAS NEED TO UNITE and MOTIVATE each other.  Soo, the July Ab Challenge was BORN!

As a certified Insanity group fitness instructor, I've used my knowledge of the core to design daily exercises that will get us to the following DAILY WORKOUT by 7/31 (don't worry, it'll take all month for us to WORK to these BIG NUMBERS!):

1. 2 minute plank

2. 100 sit ups 

3. 100 leg raises 

Here's the schedule: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l4vUqyAXOCam6HJhwiPWSg0QUupXz_StdbDLSQhqRt4/edit#

We CANNOT do this alone. Join my private virtual ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP on Facebook for DAILY ACCOUNTABILITY.  

Message me @ btyfitnessandnutrition@gmail.com for the full scoop!

BBQing Tips & Recipes

BBQ Tips

Alcohol Indulgence @ BBQs

Bad & Better Food Options @ BBQs

BBQ Recipes 

Rosemary Shrimp Skewers

Rosemary Shrimp Skewers with Arugula-White Bean Salad

Prep time: 15 minute   Cook time: 5 minutes

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon EVOO,

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, smashed,

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon salt,

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon black pepper,

1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp, shelled and cleaned, tails on; Nonstick cooking spray

1 small garlic clove, minced; Pinch sugar; 1 5-ounce package baby arugula;

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the smashed garlic cloves, the rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp; toss well.

Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

2. Heat a grill to medium-high. Thread shrimp on skewers (if they're wooden, soak in water

30 minutes prior to grilling) and discard marinade.

Lightly mist grill with cooking spray. Grill shrimp until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

3. Combine the minced garlic, sugar, and remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the arugula, beans, and onion; toss to combine.

4. Mound the salad on one side of a large platter and arrange the shrimp skewers alongside.

Nutrition facts per serving: 315 calories, 35g protein, 21g carbohydrate, 13g fat (1.9g saturated), 6g fiber

Alcohol Indulgence @ BBQs

Your best drink options are:

Soda water/vodka (boring but add a squeeze of lemon, lime or oranges to the mix and give it some flavor)

Rum & Diet Coke

Serving size: 6 oz..Calories: 65

Ingredients: 1 oz.. rum, 5 oz.. Diet Coke

This may seem too good to be true, and to some degree, it is. Even the stingiest bartender will probably give you more than one fluid oz.. of alcohol, since just one shot is 1.5 oz... But if you feel like taking it easy and enjoying the springtime weather without going in too hard, this mix should work for you.  As much as I DO NOT endorse diet soda's this is a better option than most!   

Anheuser Busch, Natural Light

Serving size: 12 oz..

Calories: 95

We bet you had no idea that all the time you spent practicing your Beirut technique, you were actually being health-conscious—good for you! One 12 oz.. serving of Natty Light contains just 95 calories, while the same serving of Bud Light contains 112 calories. The difference is pretty negligible so feel free to go for whichever beer you like more.   

Gin & Diet Tonic

Serving size: 7.5 oz..

Calories: 115 calories

Ingredients: 1.5 oz.. gin, 6 oz.. Diet Tonic

Like any beverage containing extra sugars, this simple and straightforward drink can be brought down a notch by picking a diet option, rather than the standard one. Gin and tonics have a slightly bitter taste, but it’s nothing a wedge of lime can’t cure.

Cosmopolitan

Serving size: 3 oz..

Calories: 150

Ingredients: 1.5 oz.. vodka, ½ oz.. triple sec, ½ oz.. lime juice, ½ oz.. cranberry juice

Cosmos are excellent low-calorie cocktail options. While they vary in size and alcohol content (a 4 oz.. Cosmo might go up to 200 calories, while another with 5 fluid oz.. could go up to 320), these drinks generally stay in the range of drinks that aren’t too bad for you. (And might even make you look pretty classy.)

Mojito

Serving size: 6 oz..

Content: 160 calories

Ingredients: 2.5 oz.. light rum, club soda, 1 tsp. limejuice, 2 tsp. sugar, fresh mint sprigs

Bad & Better Options @ Summer BBQs

Bad BBQ Dish: A Cheeseburger

A quarter-pound beef burger with a slice of cheese will set you back 510 calories (26 grams of fat). Skipping the cheese will save you about 100 calories. But if you love a good burger, go for it. It’s an excellent source of iron.

Better BBQ Dish: Hot Dog

A hot dog is lower in calories than you might think. Enjoy one on a roll with your favorite toppings (with lower-cal toppings like mustard, relish or just a little ketchup) and you’ll come out around 300 calories, 17 g fat.

Bad BBQ Side Dish: Potato Salad

There’s nothing inherently bad about potatoes: they’re actually a great source of vitamin C and fiber, but they contain more calories than other veggies. Plus, most potato salads are smothered in way too much full-fat mayo and will cost you about 360 calories and 20 or so grams of fat per cup.

Best BBQ Side Dish: Coleslaw

Coleslaw can satisfy a craving for something creamy for far fewer calories (83, with 3 grams of fat per cup). Low-cal cabbage is also a rich source of isothiocyanates, compounds that amp up the body’s natural detoxifying enzymes.

Bad BBQ Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake

Just because it contains fruit doesn’t mean it’s the healthiest or lowest-calorie choice. Between the cake and the loads of whipped cream that typically tops this summer favorite, you get a lot more calories than you may be bargaining for: about 425 (and around 20-25 grams of fat).

Better BBQ Dessert: A Frozen Fruit Bar

A frozen fruit bar (100 calories, 0 grams of fat). Or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream: 140 calories, about 5 grams of fat.

Chicken Avocado Pitas

These Chicken Avocado Pitas are healthy and filling, and taste just as great if they were packed full of calories.

This is one of our absolute favorite healthy summer sandwiches.

{{Ingredients}}

½ lb shredded cooked rotisserie chicken

2 avocados cut into small pieces

½ c plain Greek yogurt

1 t cilantro

1 t garlic salt

6-8 cherry tomatoes

4 slices of thin baby Swiss cheese

Juice from half a lemon

4 whole wheat pita pockets

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

{{Instructions}}

1. Put 1 piece of Swiss cheese into each pita pocket.

2. In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt and garlic salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine avocado, quartered tomatoes, lemon juice, and half of the cilantro. Set aside. In a skillet, brown the cooked chicken with the olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. While cooking, sprinkle with half of the cilantro.

4. Take off of heat and add ¼ of the chicken to each pita.

5. Top the chicken with a drizzle of the yogurt mixture followed by a large spoonful of the avocado mixture, all within the pita pocket. Can be served cold, or grilled on a sandwich maker/foreman grill for 2 minutes to serve warm.

Coconut Delight Shakeology

Coconut Delight Shakeology

Summer is pretty much here in the Boston area!! In preparation for that, here’s a summery Shakeoloy recipe!   

1 serving of Chocolate Vegan Shakeology

• 1 cup coconut milk beverage
• ⅛ tsp. coconut extract
• 2 tsp. honey
• Handful of ice
• Blend until until it’s to the consistency you LOVE!

Calories: 290 * Protein:17g * Carbohydrate: 40g * Fat:8g * Saturated Fat: 6g