December 28th...Back in action!

Well I'm back, as the Terminator would say...I wonder if he ever got the flu?  OK I have to say...I haven't felt that run over by a train, in a long time!  The flu hit our family pretty hard, I was the last of course, believing that I wouldn't get it...until our youngest was really sick and spent several nights in our bed coughing thru out the night...in my face.  I will spare you the gory details!  Then Christmas came and went, in a wink of an eye!  And now, New Years is right around the corner!  I just realized that I haven't Blogged since Dec. 4th!  And I have also realized that part of the reason I got sick was my body was saying slow down!  I did work out during the flu and have to say I did feel better, but afterwards I was wiped for the day.  One thing I really noticed was how sugar effected my moods and energy level.  With all the left over baking and party food and no self-restraint, I have been over indulging and really just eating with out thinking. This has done a real number on my system.  After eating this type of food I've notice shortly after, a huge energy crash, where I literally have to go have a nap, and then wake up feeling like I'm hung over. Ok so I don't look that cute after I wake up!

This yo-yo sugar diet has also increased my irritability...go figure! Which is not so good, since the kids are home from school for another week! So what have I learned...to enjoy the holidays, family and friends, and eat lots of food you wouldn't normally eat!  The great thing about the holidays is, you feel so grouse afterwards, like a bloat seal that you won't do it again til next year!

December 4th...Christmas Calorie Creep, DAY #2 work out & Veggie Stuffed Meatball!

Well here we are, day 2 of the Christmas Calorie Creep and I have to confess I've already indulged.  My brother is in town...have to blame it on someone, anyhow we went for breakfast at a local place Floyd's Diner and I had the hash scramble, and yes it had bacon and no I don't need to eat now for the rest of the day!  Not the end of the world, did a work out and feel human again.  I found this recipe for meatballs way back and decided to give it a go, with the exception of tweeking it into a healthier version...Mel's veggie stuffed meatballs, here's what you need...

INGREDIENTS: one package of ground turkey and extra lean pork, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, celery, carrots and your choice of either chestnuts, walnuts or pecans.  2 tbsp of Italian spice blend...

 ...I put all the veggies in my food processor, chopped them all up and then sauteed them in 1 tsp of Coconut Oil.  Once softened, set aside to cool...

 ...here is the Italian spice blend...1 tsp of sea salt, ground fennel seed, dried parsley, 1/2 tsp ground sage, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper( had to use the coffee grinder to finely chop up the fennel seeds)...

 ...mix the ground turkey, pork and seasoning all together.  Then add the veggies/nuts and mix again.  You can see by adding the veggies the recipe almost doubles!  Then roll out into little balls, you should be able to get 12 meatballs per tray, I got 36 in total...Oven should be set at 425 degrees and bake for 25mins...

...I let them cool for about 5 mins. and then took them off the tray before they had a chance to stick to it...

...and here they are!  The kids will love the bite size meatballs.  Get creative and make your own healthy dip, try tzatziki or cranberry sauce!

Below is your DAY #2 work out, get it done!

Beginner workout-full body circuit-MelFit TV Dec.3.MPG

OK as promised, here's the first video of the Christmas Calorie Creep!  We are going to take you on...shortbread cookies, butter tarts, bacon(that ones for me) and eggnog and what ever else you TRY to temp us with...we are ready! 

Below is a healthy recipe, Zucchini Pancakes, OK I know your thinking, Mel...this just might be going too far.  Nope, these actually turned out surprising good!  This is the base recipe, 3 ingredients, can't go wrong.  I say it's a base recipe because there are so many combos you could add to this, green onions and low fat cheddar cheese, dill or red peppers, or even sun dried tomatoes.  Here's what you need...

 ...3 eggs, 2 Zucchini's (you need 2 cups total), 1 tbsp Coconut flour and Coconut oil to cook it in...

 ...whisk together 3 eggs, Coconut flour and Sea salt and pepper to taste...

 ...I used the food processor to chop up the zucchini or you can do it by hand with a grater...

 ...mix together...

...place a small amount of Coconut oil in pan, heat on about 7, and cook for about 3-4 mins. per side....I made 6 pancakes first, tried it and then added extra ingredients to give it a little more umf!  These would be great served with some turkey bacon! 

The whole recipe comes in at 290 calories, I got 16 mini pancakes total, so that's 16 calories each!  Zucchini is packed with vitamins and minerals, so give it a try and let me know what combos you can up with!  See ya tomorrow!

December 2nd...Survival Guide to the Christmas Calorie Creep!

Welcome to the Christmas Calorie Creep!  So I'm not a big fan of jumping on the scale as our weight can fluctuate so much over any given day.  What frustrates me is that sooo much emphasis is put on that number, it can make or break our day.  But on special occasions, i.e. the month of December, so much damage can occur!  So here's where I pull out the big guns and ask my clients to step on the scale to keep the "Christmas Calorie Creep" at bay.  This month is all about over indulgence, from drinking, to eating to shopping, so let's not try to go up a belt size!

My goal for you this month is to hold steady and stay on track.  All month long I'm going to give you your daily holiday survival guide. You'll have work outs to do, healthy recipes to make, learn how to substitute your favorite high calorie dishes , party survival tips, keeping your cool when family invades your home, and taking a few moments for yourself.  So tune in daily, get what you need and get on with your day!