Worried you have to limit all your favorite Thanksgiving foods?

Don't worry, you don't have to deny yourself all the traditional Thanksgiving foods. I created a Pinterest Board to collect some recipe options for our favorite menu items. If you have more recipes to share please send them my way. You can find a link to my email above in the "Contact" tab.

Happy Thanksgiving!

http://www.pinterest.com/sewparcell/thanksgiving-dinner-healthier-options/

Pumpkin Overnight Oats in a Nutella jar!

Since we are focusing on eating on smaller dishes, I thought I'd share my breakfast this morning. I saved a small Nutella container and I often mix up the ingredients for overnight oats in it because I can put everything in, give it a shake, and then grab it quick in the morning. And it feels kinda cozy and indulgent to eat straight out of a Nutella container! Today I had Pumpkin Overnight oats. Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Overnight Oats
Basic recipe:
1/2 cup quick oats
3/4 cup milk (I like coconut milk)
1 teaspoon chia seed
dash of salt

Here you can add whatever you like to change it up. Today I added:
3 T pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3-4 drops liquid stevia

I normally don't add any sweetener at all, but with the pumpkin I thought it needed just a little.

Put everything in the jar and shake it up. You can use a small mason jar or just any covered container. Mix it up the night before or at least 4-6 hours in advance. The next morning, just grab a spoon and eat. No need to heat it up.

12 Weeks to New Year is happening NOW! Click here to get started. It's small easy changes you can make that will establish good habits. Go ahead! It won't be hard and you won't feel like you are deprived of anything.

12 Weeks to New Year: Week ONE

I'm super excited about this. Fitness instructors generally love New Year's anyway because loads of new people start coming to class and it's so full of energy! LOVE IT! But October to December is generally not a good time for healthy habits and exercise. Following these simple EASY steps will help you navigate the holiday season like a champ AND give you a headstart for whatever you want to accomplish for 2015! No need to gain a ton of weight or let your exercise program be forgotten.

WEEK 1: Drink 2 cups (16 ounces) of water first thing in the morning. Drink it before you have breakfast.

WHY: Water fills your stomach and gets things moving for the day. Often dehydration causes food cravings, grumpiness, and headache. Those three things together make it tough to make good food choices.

HOW: Won't this be EASY? In five minutes you can check this goal off for the day! Just set some sort of cue so you remember like setting the glass right next to the sink, or leave a note next to the pantry so you don't forget to drink before having food.

EVEN BETTER: Drink 2 cups before every meal.

WEEK 2 Goal will be posted October 14.

12 Weeks to New Year. GET READY!

I've selected 12 simple things you can alter in your day that will make BIG improvements in your health. If you make one change per week, you'll be ahead of the game come January 1. You'll have some good long-term habits established that will help you maintain or improve your health for life. And if you want further changes in January, you'll have already exercised your self-discipline so you can conquer anything! ARE YOU READY?

Week ONE goes live here at 10:00 am MT, Oct. 7.  JOIN IN! Click "subscribe" in the right column to get each week's goal emailed to you.

I'll also be announcing each goal in my Tuesday Night Zumba class as my Tuesday Tip.

Why am I doing this? TWO REASONS.

1) I have learned that people who want to make improvements fall into two categories: They want to make changes but get overwhelmed and give up, or they really don't recognize which things in their life they need to change. I'm breaking things down to very simple parts. And there is nothing I'm taking away from you. This are clear decisive things you can check off a list and say "DONE!" As you establish these simple habits, some of your more destructive things will naturally fall off your list. Just give it a chance!

2) October - December is kinda murder on our ambition to keep healthy and exercise. We feel like just because its Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas we are just fully expecting to gain 10 pounds and stop exercising (Who has time to exercise with all that shopping to do?) So these goals will help you stay on top of what's most important--YOU!

WIN-WIN!

READY. SET. GO! (Well, not until October 7, at 10:00am)

Best time to create a new habit is NOW!

New Year's is so…next  year. And cold. And dark. And January and February are so depressing. Right now we are enjoying life! Sunshine, slightly cooler temperatures, and we're feeling good! The kids are back in school so the schedule is already getting an overhaul, why not just schedule in what you need in your life? Pick your goal and we'll help each other work on it together with a "High Five" Zumba Social this Wednesday at noon. Bring a lunch, a solid color t-shirt and we will commit to our new goals together!

https://www.facebook.com/events/350572361774555/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Here is a great article to read to help you set yourself up for success. Learn about how Habit Loops can change your life to be just what you want it to be!

See you Tuesday night in class and Wednesday for lunch!

http://blog.runkeeper.com/2033/how-to-make-running-a-habit/

Join the Zumba with Shelly Facebook page to always know what's going on with my classes! Link on the upper right of this page.

Are you training your kids to struggle with their weight?

What I notice as the biggest obstacle with those who want to lose weight is that they really don't know how to eat healthy. They don't know how to shop healthy, how to cook healthy, or even that the food they *think* is healthy (fruit snacks, diet soda) is not actually good for them. And when they get to the point where they know they have a problem they don't know where to start because this is the way they've done it their entire lives.

If you are trying to lose weight while the rest of your family eats "normally" it is not only harder for you, it is just laying the foundation for your kids to grow up and be in the same hard spot you are in now. They won't know what to do, how to cook, or where to start. And they and their love ones will panic when their health/life is threatened.

Start now. With school starting everyone is thinking about packing lunches. Try to think of REAL food you can pack, and not a package of fruit snacks, a juice box, chips, and a lunchable. Those are terrible choices on a regular basis and are not teaching your child the necessary habits for a long healthy life. In fact, when you pack their lunches, you could prepare one for yourself to make your own choices through the day better.

Don't worry, this video will make you think but it's not graphic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUmp67YDlHY

Have a lot of lettuce? Taco Salad Recipe

Here is my awesome Taco Salad Recipe. I am having a lot of this lately because I have a TON of lettuce in my garden. And some of you have a bagful of it. So here's a great way to use it.

Taco salad

about 300 calories per serving.

1 15 oz. can black beans

1 12 oz.  Ortega taco sauce

1/2 c chopped green pepper

1/2 c chopped onion

low-fat sour cream (or see my version below) 

crushed tortilla chips
diced tomato

Brown green pepper and onion in a small amount of olive oil. Add beans and sauce until heated through. Serve over a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips (not too many!) and top with low-fat sour cream and diced tomatoes. No cheese. You won't miss it because it tastes so good! This is a filling meal and only has about 300 calories!

Now here are all my homemade versions of the above ingredients:

Black beans

Super easy!

Traditional cooking method: Soak 2 cups of dry black beans overnight. The next day, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cover for 2 hours. Add water if needed. You can also cook in a crockpot for 8-10 hours on low. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt when beans are tender.

Quick cook method (not what you think!)

Put 2 cups dry black beans AND 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a dutch oven or large oven safe pot. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Bring to a boil on the stove. Cover and cook in the oven for 75 minutes (or longer). I often get it started before church and let it keep baking for 3-4 hours. 

Taco sauce

I created this in a pinch when I didn't have Ortega taco sauce, now I use it all the time. Soooo much cheaper.
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 c white vinegar
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt
Mix all ingredients in a jar.

Sour "cream"

No need to hold back with this. Has 15 calories and 2 grams of protein per tablespoon. And it tastes REAL. So much better than plain yogurt.
8 oz. 2% cottage cheese
1/2 c buttermilk (the real stuff, no substitutes on this)

Blend in a blender until smooth. Use more or less buttermilk to make it thinner or thicker.

Yummy new recipe: Overnight Oats

This is a basic recipe that you can add lots of things to. Try it with fresh fruit or berries. I love it with a little toasted slivered almonds.

Overnight Oats

I love this when the weather starts to warm up or I just want something cool

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vanilla coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 t chia seeds (optional)
dash of salt
dash of nutmeg

slivered almonds, toasted in a dry skillet

Put all ingredients in a jar or covered container in the fridge overnight. Add some toasted slivered almonds for a little extra flavor and crunch. I use the vanilla flavored milk which is slightly sweet. If you use unflavored milk you can add a little vanilla and sweetener of your choice (brown sugar, stevia, honey). But go easy. Try it without. It's not that bad!

Time will pass before you know it. What will you DO with it?

I loved this video. She is determined! The time between now and when the Rec opens again is going to pass no matter what. What condition will YOU be in? Cross-training is an important element to fitness. Find at least one new routine you can go to for variety.

http://www.wimp.com/womangym/

How to make the most of your Zumba Workout

Here is a great article with a few great tips on getting a good workout in Zumba. I show you what to do. YOU decide how intense you want it to be.

(But seriously, wear more than the woman in this picture is wearing. When things start moving, dressing like this could get dangerous.)

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/5-ways-burn-more-fat-zumba-class

Looking for Love, inspiring weightloss journey

This woman is determined. Watch to the end to see where she found love. I love it!
http://www.wimp.com/womangym/