Kayla Update Week 21

Kayla continues to kick our butts. We recently took a quick trip to Las Vegas for a business trip so we were able to utilize this GORGEOUS gym at the Aria Resort and Casino. 

Here are a couple variations for the classic plank. Planks target arms, back, and abs and each variation can continue to use and challenge each muscle as the muscle groups grow stronger. 

Here is a normal plank. Start with this position, and as it gets easier, move on to the more difficult ones. 

Plank Variation 1: Bending the knees allows you to focus on the arms and abs. Don't place your knees on the floor, just bend and keep knees about an inch above the ground.

Plank Variation 2: Try rocking back and forth slowly while in plank position. 

More tips and work outs coming soon... As soon as things slow down at my house.

Paleo Fruit Popsicles

Summer hit hard here in Utah. So hard, that I had a rough time adjusting without my daily popsicles. (Yes, I'm secretly 5.) Anyways, Tyson pulled this AMAZING recipe out of thin air (magician, I know) and it definitely hit the spot! Plus, it's made with REAL fruit, and I KNOW there isn't any added high fructose corn syrup, stevia, sugar, etc. 

6-8 servings

1 can full fat coconut milk (no sugar added)

1 cup berries (We used frozen, but fresh would probably be more flavorful)

1 ripe banana

Popsicle Molds 

Blend together. Disperse evenly into popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 5 hours or until completely frozen. 

If you have a real sweet tooth, you can add in 1 or 2 tablespoons of raw honey or organic maple syrup.

You better believe I will be eating these all summer long! 

Enjoy! 

XOXO

Kayla Itsines Update Week 19

With summer here, I've had little to no time to update my blog on our fitness journey. June came up quick and with so many activities and family events, the blog ended up going on the back burner for a while. BUT... I'm back :)

Here is my week 19 update!

I LOVE donuts. I got this sweet shirt for my birthday and I feel like it fits my personality great :)

(Don't mind the portable a/c unit. It's basically saving our lives this summer.)

I've been more than happy with my results from the BBG. Here's to 4 more weeks to complete 2.0!

Kayla Itsines - Week 15 update

For the past few weeks, I've been sick so it took me 2 weeks to finish a week on the workout plan. I think it's important to allow your body to heal when your sick. It was also my birthday last week which meant a lot of celebrating. I broke my diet more than normal, but still didn't go crazy. My body gets sick when I eat something I'm not supposed to like bread, or tortillas. So, most of my cheating was with sugar. It's OK to cheat every once in a while (on your diet, not your spouse). You can easily get back on track at the next meal. This update is to show a few things. One, my progress. And two, that lighting and posing can play such a huge part in pictures as well as the time of day the photo is taken. These are taken right when I woke up. This is when I've found my body to be the most lean. Through out the day, I tend to puff up a bit due to all the food and water intake. The second set of photos were taken right after I ate at 1 pm.

AM photos:

Stretching my stomach by taking a deep breath in, I can make my stomach muscles appear longer than they really are. This is something I see ON THE DAILY on social media. It drives me nuts. Some people may look like this in real life, and in my opinion, that's fantastic! I'm jealous! I'm not calling anyone out, or claiming no one looks great in real life and everyone is photoshopped, but too often we compare ourselves to the perfect image of someone else. 

This is post-meal around 1. Abs are not as defined as before, and my body begins to appear more bulky than lean. 

The reason for this post is so everyone that is working toward a goal doesn't get discouraged. Don't look at photos on social media and mistake them for raw images. Majority of those photos are photoshopped, or have been taken in the right lighting or during the right time of day to make the person appear fit. Continue working your way to achieving the goal you have in mind for YOU. No one can tell you the right way to look. As long as you are happy, that's all that matters. 

Ultimate Taco Meat

Eating paleo can get BORING. So, my sweet husband does his best to switch things up, trying out new recipes to make sure I'm not eating the same stuff, day after day.


This recipe is out of the Frugal Paleo Cookbook we received for Christmas. (It's a good one to have on hand and can purchase it HERE)

The Ultimate Taco Meat 

Serves 2 - 4 (In our case, its more like two - we eat a lot)


INGREDIENTS:
2-3 TBSP bacon grease or coconut oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 cups chopped kale
1 tsp sea salt
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 batch Taco Seasoning Blend (posted below)





{Preheat} large skillet to medium heat and melt your desired fat.

{Add} Onion, zucchini, bell pepper, carrots and kale to the hot pan along with the sea salt. Cook and stir until the veggies are almost tender - about 7-9 minutes. {Dump} par-cooked veggies into a large bowl and set aside.

{Return and add} additional tablespoon of fat to the pan if the other has dried out. When the pan is back up to medium heat, cook the ground beef, garlic and Taco Seasoning Blend until the beef is browned - approximately 10-12 minutes.

When the ground beef is nearly done, return the par-cooked veggies to the pan and continue to cook together for another 5 minutes or until the veggies are fully cooked.

{Serve} immediately, or pack away for up to 5 days.


Taco Seasoning Blend:

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.


We've added our meat to salad or you can eat it alone. Either way, it's a great way to get your veggies and protein in a quick meal.

Ranch Dressing recipe can be found HERE

ENJOY!

Ranch Dressing

Life has definitely gotten the best of me this past few weeks and I'm just getting around to posting the Paleo Ranch Dressing recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup Paleo Mayo (Find recipe here)
1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
1 TBSP dill weed (dried)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

*Side note on the coconut milk: canned coconut milk separates - with a hand blender, blend the contents of the canned coconut milk back together prior to adding

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Ranch will last approximately 1.5 weeks in refrigerator

Kayla Itsines update - week 7

I cannot believe we just finished week 7 from the BBG! I know ya'll are wondering, and yes, my husband looks great in his bikini thanks to this. HAHA. JK.

Seriously, I have seen such a difference! I hate to admit it, but I think I'm actually addicted. I look forward to going to the gym, sweating, and getting that sense of satisfaction that I did something that day. I've seen a lot of lifting in my buttocks area, my quads are beginning to tone, and my abs... are even there when I eat ice cream for a cheat treat!

I wanted to give everyone an update on the challenge, but also to address a few questions I have received through txt and email.

The Kayla Itsines BBG is designed for anyone and everyone that is looking to improve their body, and athletic performance. However, when you begin the workout, your not going to be completing the entire workout three times over. The way the BBG is designed is like interval training. I'm sure you all have heard of HIIT *High Intensity Interval Training*. It's proven to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight AND tone the body without spending hours at the gym.

So, the BBG runs in intervals. 4 rounds, 7 minutes each, with 30 second breaks in-between each round, bringing your total workout to 30 minutes. During each round, there are 4 exercises with a limited number of times you do each exercise. Once you finish the specific number of each exercise, you move on to the next one.

As I mentioned above, everyone will be on different levels. Some people take the 7 minutes to go through one round one time, while others may be able to finish it one and a half times. The key here is to challenge and push yourself, but also focus on your form. Push yourself to your limits, but if you begin to feel faint or like throwing up, back off just a bit.

For example, one round may look similar to this: 24 walking lunges, 15 burpees, 15 tuck jumps, and 40 bicycles. Once you finished the 24 walking lunges (whether it takes you 1 minute, or 4) you just move on to the next one, the burpees. Once you reach the end of the line-up, simply start over until your timer goes off. Hopefully that makes sense.

Here are a few moves we shot while at the gym this morning just to make sure your doing the correct form.

Mountain Climbers: 

That counts as one. Try doing 25 in a row to engage those abs. 

 Elevated Sit Ups:

There's one. Try doing 15. 

Weighted bent-leg jackknifes:

15 reps

Leg lifts:

15 reps

I hope this clarifies a few things, and helps motive a few of you that don't have the Kayla workout right now. Use these 4 moves to create your own interval! 

Paleo Mayo (hey that almost rhymes)

Before I start, I just want to throw out a quick disclaimer. I've been posting a lot about our Paleo Lifestyle and I just wanted to say that this lifestyle does not work for everyone. Just like everyone else in the world, we have flaws, and we aren't perfect. We strive to do our best and to use the best products available. In no way do we claim any of these recipes or workouts to be our own and would like to fully credit the appropriate authors.

Paleo is something that works for us. We do not believe in evolution (even though The Primal Blueprint insists on it), rather we believe in Christ. We are two LDS people that like to improve our lives and treat our bodies as a temple, keeping it clean inside and out.

Thanks

Paleo Mayo

Eating paleo may seem like a bit of work. You have to prepare everything from scratch and nothing comes from a box or a carton. But, we've found it to be something that is doable, and is part of our lifestyle. We make the time to prepare the food, whether it be Mayonnaise, or a birthday cake, its all from scratch the Paleo way. 

Ingredients: 

2 Whole Eggs (Room temperature)

2 Tablespoons White Vinegar or Lemon Juice (1:1 mixture of the two works as well)

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Mustard (Optional)

1 1/2 cup Light Olive oil 

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper (Optional)

First, combine eggs, vinegar/lemon juice, salt, mustard, and pepper in the mixing container. Gently pour olive oil over the top (this part is important). 

Next, insert the hand blender into the mixture, all the way to the bottom, trying to pin the egg yolks against the bottom. 

Turn the blender on, leaving it on the bottom. You will start to feel the egg yolks break up and essentially thicken the mixture, about 10 seconds. Then, slowly raise the hand blender towards the top and ensure the mixture is entirely blended. 

The End. 

Easy huh! There are other oils you can use such as: 

avocado oil

walnut oil

macadamia nut oil (For the rich :))

But, oils you would like to stay away from are: 

soybean oil

canola oil

vegetable oil 

corn oil 

peanut oil

sunflower oil

safflower oil

cottonseed oil

grapeseed oil

The above oils are not a part of the paleo diet and essentially bad for your health. It is essential you use LIGHT olive oil and not EVOO because EVOO is too strong and will taste... nasty. 

We like to use this little baby. It's only $35 and can be ordered HERE

Hope this information helps! I know its hard to make smaller things like this, but your body will thank you in the long run! 

XOXO

Helpful Hints for Going Paleo

I've had a lot of inquiries about what Ty and I's daily diet and workout look like. I can't believe February is halfway over. This is the first year I've actually stayed in shape instead of 'letting myself go' for the holidays. All I can say, is its been totally worth it!

Diet:

Andrea: 

Breakfast:

2- eggs, 2 pieces of bacon

Mid-morning snack (usually between clients):

Gnarly Protein

Lunch: Spinach Salad with tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and cucumbers with balsamic dressing from Tessemae's or Caesar dressing from Steve's Paleo Goods 

Afternoon snack: Dried plantains and salsa - they taste just like chips, but they are actually healthy for you. (It's true)

Dinner: Burger and Veggies - we get the Normandy Style frozen veggies from Costco and eat them on the daily. It's a great price, and we don't have to purchase and cut those veggies all the time.

Late night snack: I REALLY like my Gnarly protein. So, I will usually have another serving of that, or, frozen mixed berries with canned coconut milk.


Tyson:

Breakfast: Tyson doesn't usually eat breakfast. He has never been a breakfast person. This is out of choice, and he's usually not hungry in the mornings. But if he is, he will eat 4-5 eggs with sautéed spinach.

Lunch: 5 eggs, sautéed spinach,

Mid-day snack: Usually leftover meat and veggies from the night before. This is anything from Chicken, Burgers, steak, shredded pork, salmon, etc.

Dinner: He tries to have a protein, whether it be steak, burger, chicken, and veggies as well as a starchy vegetable or fruit.

Bedtime Snack: This should actually be his second dinner. He usually eat tuna and homemade mayo, pickles, and an apple.

His main focus is that he eats a lot of vegetables and eats a lot of high-quality meat in order to get his protein.

Obviously, we eat dinner together. I wrote this out to give a few options for dinner. Thank heavens for my husband because he is the prime reason we have continued with the paleo lifestyle as long as we have. He LOVES to cook. So, I clean in return :)

WORKOUT SCHEDULE:

Because our bodies are different, our workout schedules vary, naturally. Obviously Ty is a total babe and has the body of a Greek God so he works out a little differently.

About a month ago, I approached Tyson about a new workout program. I was tired of the same routine, go to the gym, lift two muscle groups, and then go home. It was boring. I found the Kayla Itsines workout through my sister who is ALWAYS finding the new workout programs. She informed me of the program a few months back when I went to visit but she never made me fully aware of what it entailed. But, once I told Tyson about it, we were fully committed.

Here we are on week 5. I can't believe I've made it this far. I've seen a definite change in my body, feel stronger, and I am toning up in places I didn't think would ever tone. (someday maybe I will have the guts to post progress pictures) Ty agrees this is one of the most challenging workouts he's done in a while. You can try the KAYLA ITSINES MOVEMENT for 7 days for FREE!!!! Kayla is from Australia which means she is a shoe-in to be a total babe!

We try to do interval training which includes but is not limited to sprints, spin bike, walks on the beach in Kauai (that one was by far my fave), anything and everything that will get your heart pumping!

Every morning Tyson does intervals on the spin bike, 20 minutes total, changing up the speed and resistance during each minute. (I think this is one of the reasons he is such a babe but I just DON'T have the will or want to get up early in the morning, it's fine)

Here's the tricky part. I took pictures of our fridge and pantry to show you exactly what it looks like. I can tell you this. When something is in the house, you are tempted to eat it! I know, a lot of you have kids that enjoy fruit snacks, small chocolate treats, and processed stuff, but I can tell you, it is having a negative effect on them as well! So, if you want to take the Paleo Leap, do it now, and make sure the whole family is in on it.

Tyson has become MR Chef Boyardee in the past year, cooking up all sorts of concoctions I thought I was going to hate. The trick to being paleo is tricking your stomach into thinking something healthy is actually something you want. Example: Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Zucchini noodles. Bam.

First things first.

CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE:

As I mentioned before, if something is in your house, you WILL be tempted. Those late night cravings aren't going to cure themselves.

FILL IT WITH PALEO GOODS:

Fruits, Veggies, Meat. I can't tell you how many times I've said that. That's what we eat. (Careful on the fruit). Here is a list of things that are currently in our fridge/freezer.

Meat:

Chicken Breast
Ground Beef
Ground Pork
Steak
Bacon
Pork chops
Sausage
Pork Roast
Beef Roast
Eggs
Salmon
Shrimp

Veggies:

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Spinach
Tomatoes (I know they are a fruit but they don't have as much sugar)
Peppers
Pickles
Sweet Potatoes(Yams)
Onions
Carrots
Olives

Fruits:

Pineapple
Apples

Spices! Being paleo doesn't mean you have to eat bland and boring food. I've posted a picture below of all the spices we have acquired over the past year due to fun recipes that give the food a different flare.

We've also acquired quite a few cookbooks. We have some we favor more than others, but for the most part we use them all.

The Well Fed Series 

The Frugal Paleo Cookbook

Hopefully this is enough to get you all started and answer any questions that you may have. If not, just comment or send us an email. We'll post weekly recipes soon! 

XOXO

Tex-Mex Hash Breakfast Casserole

Thanks to the ever so lovely Paleomg.com, we discovered this amazing recipe. Eating Paleo has gotten easier as the time passes, but sometimes, you still crave the foods you love. I absolutely love enchiladas, tortillas, burritos, basically anything mexican food. The problem with that is they are always made with flour tortillas, or corn tortillas, as well as beans and rice, and that just isn't in our eating guidelines.

Enter the Casserole.

This amazingness hit the spot. You can literally eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, the author of PALEOMG.COM suggests you eat it for breakfast. Personally, I like it warm and usually for dinner, but everyone is different.

Here is the recipe.

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1lb Grass fed Ground Beef
• 2 sweet potatoes, shredded
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat (or other fat)
• 1 (14oz) can of El Pato Enchilada Sauce or homemade
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Pull out a large skillet or oven proof cooking dish. (aka cast iron skillet, etc)
3. Place skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of fat then add your minced garlic and diced onion.
4. When onion just begins to soften, add your ground beef and use a spoon or spatula to break it up and combine with onion.
5. Now use your shredding attachment on your food processor to shred you sweet potatoes. If you don’t have a food processor, just use a grater then go to the store and buy a food processor for next time. Life will be better with one.
6. When your meat is almost cook through, add all your spices to the meat and onions and mix to combine the flavors.
7. Now pour your shredded sweet potatoes on top of the meat and pat down then add your enchilada sauce on top.
8. Cover and let simmer for around 8-10 minutes.
9. Once sweet potato begins to soften, remove from heat, add your whisked eggs and stir to combine it all together.
10. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.
11. Let cool, this b*tch is gonna be hot!! The enjoy! For breakfast, lunch or dinner!!

This recipe is literally idiot proof. I can do it. So that's saying a lot. Anyways, give it a go and let me know what you think! Thanks again PALEOMG.com

The Paleo Cookbooks

Turning Paleo was literally life-changing. As I've mentioned before in previous posts, I LOVE me some junk food. Whether its cake, cookies, ice cream, or pizza, scones, or churros, it was like asking me not to breathe when I was told I couldn't eat these anymore. Tyson is always so willing to try to help and make things easier on me, so he found a few cookbooks that would allow me to eat healthy, but fool my tastebuds into thinking it was the same junk I always ate.

Some things that have saved me that aren't in cookbooks - Plantain chips. They taste just like chips, only better. Thicker crunch, sea salt and none of the guilt. We get ours at Harmons because they make them fresh. We like to pair it with the homemade salsa they have available from their produce section. HEAVEN.

On to the cookbooks.

Well Fed Cookbook

Well Fed 2 Cookbook

Our personal favorite:
The Primal Blueprint Series

Mark Sessions are ridiculously smart when it comes to the body and the reason we should eat Paleo. As a society, we see dinner and eating as a social activity. We love to go to dinner, have family barbecues, have Sunday Brunch. But why do we feed ourselves? We all know the body cannot survive without food. By eating Paleo, you are fueling your body, rather than eating things that taste good to us, but don't give the appropriate nutrients our bodies need. The Primal Blueprint series is a great way to learn about how the body works, how it absorbs nutrients, and what types of food we need to be putting into our bodies in order for us to work properly. We've also subscribed to Marksdailyapple.com, which is a website that sends daily motivation and recipes to your inbox! We have loved this journey thus far, especially because we have learned how to modify a recipe to make the food we eat be more of a fuel for our body rather than a fault.

The REAL reasons I turned paleo.

4 months ago when my husband asked if I wanted to do a 21 day challenge, never in my life would I think at the end of the 21 days I would completely change my outlook on eating. As I mentioned before, sugar was most definitely one of my main food groups. I lived for ice cream, cake, cookies, and even bread, cheese, anything and everything. The 21 day challenge consisted of head aches, mood swings, and a lot of support from my husband. Besides the fact that I needed to do some type of cleanse anyways, there were a few reasons that I truly wanted to better myself.

Reason #1
In February, we went to the Canyons skiing as a family with the Lands. We were having a great time, lots of laughs, and ate lunch at one of the lodges on the mountain. I had a burger with sweet potato fries, I LOVE them. About 15 minutes post lunch, my eye started to itch and feel funny. I took my goggles off and asked my husband if he saw anything. We were on the lift and my mother in law just about fell off her chair. We laughed it off until we got to the top, where I showed the rest of the family. Not knowing what caused it, we continued to ski. About an hour after lunch, Ty looked at my eye one last time and at that time my vision was impaired. We decided we were finished skiing due to my vision condition and headed home.

Yes, that's me. Crazy right?

Reason #2
About a year ago, I became a Master Esthetician and found myself constantly trying to figure out what was going on with my own skin. No one wants to come to a 'skin care professional' that doesn't have clear skin. As we continued our 21 day challenge, I noticed my skin was looking exceptionally well. I figured my skin was finally balanced and didn't think much of it. We continued our challenge by making it a way of life. About a week ago, I had my first taste of flour with banana bread my sister made. I LOVE banana bread. I ate one serving and decided that was enough. The next morning I woke up with breakouts on my cheeks. What the heck??? I figured it was that time of the month and blamed my breakout on hormones. This past weekend we were up on the ranch, where Ty works, and one of the cooks made some amazing peach cobbler. After sitting in a hot truck for 10 hours watching fisherman 'try' to fish and getting eaten by bugs, I decided I deserved some cobbler. The next day, I woke up and bam... just as expected, breakouts on my forehead. A lot of people say junk food doesn't taste as good as skinny feels, but I think junk food isn't worth the breakouts!

Reason  #3
Growing up I was always the skinny girl. I was 5'6 from the time I was 13 and came from a tall family. I was active with dance and cheer and it wasn't until after high school I had to start making an effort to be fit. In college, I would occasionally run, but most of my energy was focused towards school and my job as a server at a local restaurant. After college I was able to focus more on my body but never had a drive to do so. After getting married, I thought several times about changing my workout routine, and made more of a conscious effort to do so. However, I saw myself as the skinny fat person. A skinny fat person looks good in clothing, but underneath everything, they aren't toned, and most definitely are out of shape when it comes to exercise. That was me.

So here we are. I feel like a completely different person. I wake up feeling refreshed. My skin is clear. Aside from the 48 bug bites I currently have covering my body, I am in the best shape I've been in for 8 years. I crave the gym, I get a high from lifting. I do miss eating crappy, until I see the effects of it on my skin, or when I wake the next day and feel like I need to throw up.

There is a reason the cavemen ate like they did. Fruits, vegetables and meat fuel your body, making food a necessity, not a casual gathering. I've changed my views on eating and I'm sure they will change a lot more as I become a stronger person. But until then, I will depend on cold stone on saturday nights to get me through.