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Conclusion: Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation

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12week3The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. As always all opinions are my own.

I am in the homestretch for completing Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation 4-week preview plan. I am often not one to stick with training plans (with the exception of running) so I am proud of myself for sticking fairly close to this plan. I’m not going to tell you I didn’t have off days because I did have 3-4 but overall I stuck to the plan and I can tell you I notice a difference.

  • Weight: My weight fluctuated during this training time but overall I saw a 2lb lost (according to today’s weigh in). My goal was to be closer to 5lbs but I’m still happy with 2.
  • Inches (or Centimeters): Here is where I have seen more of a difference. It was a bit confusing to do everything in metric although after going to University in Canada I get why metric is just more accurate overall (take note American teachers). Anyways I lost centimeters around my hips, waist, arms, and legs which for me is even more significant that the overall weight loss. Clothes fit a bit better and I even went and bought myself some new items!
  • Workouts: I tried to stick close to the plan and I got in 90% of my workouts including a lot more running. I am feeling good and back on my game for sure. I am planning to keep up with running, strength training and also some yoga.
  • Food: This was the only real place I found issues. I tried most of the vegan recipes but since there was such a small selection my husband, daughter and I got bored fast with the options. Now I refuse to cook separate meals for the two of them so whatever I make is for all of us so I had to consider them a bit when choosing our meals for the week. I ended up creating meals a number of meals that stayed in my calorie allowance that were low in salt, sugar, fat and were filled with protein and important nutrients. Some of the dishes I made were gluten free pasta with lentil marinara, Buddha bowls, tempeh with greens and roasted roots and banana ice cream (whipped frozen bananas).

Overall my experience with this program was a positive one. I lost a little weight, lost centimeters and got back on track with working out. As I said in the past I have heard rumors that they will be increasing the number of vegan options so if you are vegan the selection of food should improve. I also really enjoyed the weekly motivational videos from Michelle Bridges. They really helped to keep me focused and on track with my goals.

So would I do the full 12 week program? Although I know it would be a huge challenge I would love to try it out. I was impressed with the preview and think that there is a lot of potential for this to be a really great 12 week program.

Do you think you would be interested in this program?

Vitacost: Fuel Up

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The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Vitacost. All opinions are my own.

With a toddler at home getting out to the market is often a big ordeal so I often do a lot of my shopping online. On top of that I’m always on the search for a great deal especially on my favorite products so when I was offered an opportunity to check out Vitacost I was thrilled. Vitacost is an online retailer of a variety of products including nutritional supplements, beauty products, natural food items, herbs and even products for your pets and home.

When I first visited their site I was impressed to find a number of my favorite brands including Vega, Nutiva, Bob’s Red Mill, Tinkyada, Navitas Naturals, Sunwarrior and Eden Foods. They also have some of my favorite non-food products such as California Baby, Dr. Bronners, Jason, and Seventh Generation. Honestly they have just about everything that I tend to buy at other stores but the prices are better and I can do it from the comfort of my own home while Edith naps. Best part is there is free shipping on orders over $49 and when I can order everything I love in one place it’s easy to meet the minimum.

Here are a few of the things that they sent me:

Vitacost Super Cacao> This was as new to me chocolate bar and it was so good! We go through at least one chocolate bar per week at this house and I think this one will be added to our rotation. Also I’m sure Neil is reading this right now and wondering why he didn’t get any- sorry love it was too good to share! Vitacost Power Snack> Now I have had these yummy power snacks from Navitas Naturals before and was beyond thrilled to find them in my Vitacost box. These snacks are bite-sized and a perfect mid day pick me up or post run snack. Edith loves them too. Also side note Vitacost has a ton of other Navitas Naturals products that I use regularly including chia seeds, raw cacao powder, cacao nibs and goji berries all at 20-40% of the price I usually pay.Vitacost Vega and Nutiva> Lastly two of my favorite products were also in my box.  I love, love, love Vega Energizing Smoothie and Nutiva Hemp Shake. I love to mix these protein powders with banana and unsweetened almond milk and have as a morning snack or post run snack. On Vitacost this Vega Energizing Smoothie protein powder goes for $15.99 and I usually buy it for $19.99 at other stores; that’s $4 I could use for a Sunday morning coffee date.

Overall I am thrilled with the products that I received from Vitacost and I can tell you that I will be shopping from them in the future. Anytime I can get a good deal on my favorite products I’m all in and Vitacost is the perfect place.

Have you ever ordered from Vitacost? Tell me about it!

You can follow Vitacost on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

#12WBT: 2 Weeks Down 2 Weeks to Go

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The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. As always all opinions are my own.
12week3
So I have completed two weeks of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program and I’m pretty proud of myself that I have made it this far. As you may know I have a tendency to get lazy about things but I have been making a real effort to stay on track. That being said I have had a few times where the best decision wasn’t necessarily made like the chips and salsa and beer at a Friday night happy hour get together or skipping my workout yesterday (oops). I’m not letting this little slip ups stop me from jumping back on track. Everyday is a new opportunity and every meal is an opportunity to make a better decision.

One thing to note is I switched up my workout plan. Initially I had been on the beginner running program because based on my fit test I was just over the running time cut off to be an intermediate. I did that plan for a week but it just didn’t seem to be the right fit so I bumped it up to the intermediate plan and it has been going really well. The workouts in this program are diverse, challenging and hurt so good.

Let’s talk about food for a minute. This is the only challenge that I have really found with this program. I am vegan and while the program has vegan options or recipes that could be veganized there is still a very limited selection. I am still trying recipes out and there are a number of them that I really like, some that are meh and one or two I didn’t love. I plan to do a full review at the end but so far the workout plan is an enthusiastic two thumbs up and the meal plan is a okay, not bad not good. If you are an omnivore the menu plan seems to go over a little better and I would like to add that this is a preview of the program and the team behind Michelle Bridges 12WBT is working to improve things.

Until our next check in here are a few meals and workout photos from my journey.

12wbthummus

12wbtpizza

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12wbtrun

12wbttofu

beanandguacamole12wbt

Pumpkin Beer & Upton’s Seitan Bacon Pizza

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For the past three years Neil and I have done a harvest beer/pumpkin beer tasting (2010, 2011, 2012) and this year was no different except we are now on the other side of the country where there is a major lack of pumpkin beer options. Anyways we decided to have our friends over and we did a blind tasting of 6 different pumpkin beers, or rather it was 4 pumpkin beers, one pumpkin cider and one combo or pumpkin beer and oatmeal stout.

Of course a pumpkin beer dinner party is complete without dinner so first I whipped up some appetizers of chips, salsa, veggies and hummus and then for dinner we had vegan caesar salad and pizza.  Now this post is really about the beer and the pizza so let’s first do a run down of the pumpkin beers (and cider) that we had and then I’ll share my recipe or a yummy fall pizza.

2013 pumpkin beer

Okay so the beers we tried were:

  1. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale
  2. Elysian Night Owl
  3. Ace Hard Pumpkin Cider
  4. St. Ambroise Pumpkin
  5. KBC Pumpkin Ale (Trader Joe’s)
  6. KBC Pumpkin Ale + Stockyard Oatmeal Stout

Favorite of the night: Elysian Night Owl. Runner Up: Ace Hard Pumpkin Cider

Now on to the tasty stuff the pizza! As you might already know we are big fans of pizza around here and I really enjoy creating fun and new topping combinations. Last nights combination was a bit of a risk but I would say it was a success, a delicious success! I have been working on a few recipes using Upton’s Seitan products and this pizza uses my absolute favorite product of theirs, seitan bacon. Seriously this stuff is so good!

If you have experienced vegan bacon in the past you may have had what I like to call “cardboard” version, you know the one that you cook and it gets really hard and loses any flavor it’s just gross. Then there is the tempeh and coconut versions which are both tasty but not so versatile. Well now Upton’s has a seitan bacon and it is seriously so good. It cooks up well, it tastes great and I have used it for so many different recipes although I have to say a good ol’ BLT is my favorite way to use it, however this recipe is probably my new favorite way to use it now.

Okay, okay let’s get on to the recipe!

upton's seitan bacon pizza

Upton’s Seitan Bacon Harvest Pizza Pie

Preheat your oven (and pizza stone if you have one) to 550F. Roll out the dough cover with a layer of pesto and then top with all of your toppings. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove. Let rest for a few minutes. Serve. (Easy right?)

Little note about Upton’s (from a recent press release of theirs): Upton’s Naturals—a Chicago company specializing in a wheat-based meat alternative, seitan—has opened West Town’s very first 100 percent vegan establishment, housing their production facility, a top floor yoga studio, and Upton’s Breakroom: a vegan cafe with a modest menu featuring the company’s seitan, soft serve ice cream, and pastries created in-house by Chicago-area native Kelly Peloza (author of The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur and the soon-to-be released Cheers to Vegan Sweets).

So Chicago friends if you’re in the West Town neighborhood stop on by and check out Upton’s Breakroom and enjoy a yoga class or a vegan ice cream! I just checked out the menu and a vegan pastrami sandwich sounds so good. I am hoping we make a Chicago trip soon and this will for sure be on our list!

Disclaimer: I was provided coupons for free Upton’s Seitan products. All opinions are my own and I really am excited about their new location! 

You can check out my very first Upton’s post back in April 2011 here and my recipe for Upton’s Chorizo & Mushroom Potato Skins.

Q: Have you ever tried Upton’s seitan?

 

 

My Big Fat Revenge Finale & Giveaway Winner!

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The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Oxygen Network. All opinions are my own.

I can’t believe that the season finale of My Big Fat Revenge airs tonight 9/8c on Oxygen.  What a season it has been! Who else has been following this season? I have to say it’s pretty inspiring to watch others achieve their health and fitness goals. I’m ready to take charge myself and start accomplishing my own health and fitness goals such as putting myself first more often, losing the baby weight and (finally) running a half marathon.

So before I reveal the winner of the giveaway check out this sneak peak clip from tonight’s season finale:

So now for the giveaway winner. First I want to say thank you to all 53 entrants your stories were all so inspiring and I am planning on responding to each of you over the next month. I really appreciated the time you took to answer the giveaway question and seriously what amazing answers (go take a minute and read a few).

The winner of this giveaway was chosen my random.org and the winner is:

Christina!

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Committing to Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation

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The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. As always all opinions are my own.

I am just going to say it I’ve been struggling with making time for workouts.  I started off October on a good foot and was doing T25 but I didn’t stick with it (surprise, surprise?). Now we’re getting closer to November and it’s time to recommit and this time really commit so I am going to say it here and now to all of you:

I am committing to four weeks of participation in Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program.

Right now we are in pre-season mode so I am getting ready to officially start the program this Monday. In pre-season there are eight tasks to fulfill and let me tell you they really put things into perspective. For example the ‘Get Real’ task forces you to confront everything that is holding you back or rather how you are holding yourself back.  All the excuses that I make which lately have included lack of sleep, Neil’s schedule, too many other things to do, too late, too rainy, ect.

Once I laid out my excuses I then set my goals for the next 12 months. My overall goal is to lose 30+ lbs in the next year.  This month my goal is to lose 5 pounds, my three month goal is to have lost 10 pounds and to be able to once again run a 5k with ease, my six month goal is to have lost 20 pounds and to be back at my 10k pace and then lastly at 12 months I want to have lost 30 pounds and be ready to run a half marathon.

So task three was to gear up based on where you will be doing your workouts inside, outside or at home.  Since most of my workouts will be outside or at home I really have nothing to get but I do need to get the tire on our BOB looked at because it keep losing air; anyone else have this problem?

Task four is the kitchen makeover and I have to say besides the pumpkin beer for our tasting party this weekend there really isn’t anything that I needed to clean out. We have been making a real effort to keep our kitchen filled with whole and healthy foods so it felt good to see that we have been keeping up with it.

Next I did my Fitness Test which included a flexibility test, running, push ups, plank and a wall sit. It felt really good to get out and run even if it was just for the fit test. I’m slow but honestly my pace wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated but nevertheless I am still in the beginner category because I have taken such a long break from consistent workouts.

After my fitness test i did my weight and measurements which is always something I dread.  I don’t plan on going back and doing either again until I have completed the four weeks. I really don’t want to get hung up on my weight and measurements and would rather focus on how I feel. I do however think that a monthly check in especially when doing an activity like this is important so that I can gage results.

Let’s see the last few tasks I completed where to organize my schedule to include time for the prescribed workouts and I took time to go over the first weeks meal plan. Unfortunately there is no vegan plan so I have to go with the vegetarian and make swap outs. This is the one thing I haven’t cared for with the program because I ended up having to take about 45-60 minutes to rework my meal plan for the month so that it was dairy and egg free and I had to make my own shopping list because once you customize your own meal plan your shopping list they provide you is useless.

So here I am at my last task before the official start of the program; I need to say it out loud. So now I have. I am committing to this program and I am ready for a change. I am ready to commit to myself and to improving my health and fitness levels.

What are you committing yourself to this month?

My Big Fat Revenge Giveaway!

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Oxygen Network. All opinions are my own.

It’s that time again! Are you an emotional eater? Were your parents your role model for health and nutrition? Check out this sneak peak from Oxygen’s My Big Fat Revenge and tune in tonight at 9pm EST.

Giveaway {Closed}:

Leave a comment telling me about a time you felt discouraged while attaining the goal of bettering yourself.

One winner will receive the following ($500 value).

  • (1) $150 Whole Foods Gift card
  • (1) Fitbit ($100 value)
  • (1) $100 AMEX
  • (1) $150 Lulu Lemon GiftCard

The giveaway is open to US residents only and will be selected randomly from the comments. Giveaway open until October 28th. Winner will be announced in my My Big Fat Revenge finale post on October 29th.