Looking for Motivation to Get Healthy & Fit? Here's a solution!

I may, from time to time, run some challenges of my own to help keep myself on track with my health and fitness and to have others join me in becoming healthy and fit too.  However, due to the increased busyness of my work schedule and Fall school and sports schedule with my family, I won't be able to do them as often as I had originally planned.  But I still have a solution for you!

If you are serious about changing your health for good, I recommend checking out these facebook pages of the two sisters that I've done health and fitness challenges with.  They run challenges often that you could be a part of too!  Being a part of one of their private, online Facebook groups is what really, really helped me to make a permanent health change.  I started out doing a 14 day sugar detox health challenge with Marta, then I did a 30 day Pi-Yo fitness challenge with Maggie.  Both were great and helped keep me on track.  I truly feel after doing these, I have made a lifestyle change that I can stick to long term.  In the process of about 3 months, I've also lost about 20 lbs.  I didn't set out to even lose that much, but my body has just responded well to feeding it healthy, whole food, and to staying away from processed, unhealthy food.  Check them out below and join one of their challenges so that you can see the benefits too!

Maggie-Four Fit Sisters:  https://www.facebook.com/maggievee15
Marta at Haus of Girls Fit Family:  https://www.facebook.com/HausOfGirlsFitFamily
Four Fit Sisters Blog:  http://fourfitsisters.com

Looking for a little more motivation?  Here are my before, during, & after pictures over the course of the time I was doing the challenges with Maggie and Marta.  Since day 47, in the past 20 days I've just been trying to maintain, continue sticking to healthy eating as much as possible (with allowing myself a couple treats or meal off a week), and exercising at least 20 minutes a day . . . and I've lost another 4.2 lbs in that time!  Also, from a recent physical, my cholesterol went down from what it was 2 years ago, 195, to 139!  (a drop of 56)  I am just amazed at how much better I feel!  It is worth it to get serious about your health!

Where do I buy some of these foods and ingredients for these recipes?

I think one of the biggest challenges I have faced when deciding to eat this new, healthy way, is figuring out

#1 - how to cook . . . because yes, I've never been a cook, and yes, I am spoiled because I still have my mom living near me who does know how to cook and makes our family a lot of meals to share during the week.  (Thankfully, she's also embraced trying the new recipes I've found!)  But I also have tried cooking a few of these recipes myself, I'm proud to say! :-)

#2 - where do I buy some of these foods and ingredients for these recipes?  I will focus on the answer to #2 on this post.

Nitrate/Nitrite Free Bacon - Hormel Natural Choice bought at . . . Walmart!  It seems like bacon shouldn't be allowed, but it is!  I have two pieces almost every morning for breakfast.

No sugar added pasta sauces (did you know many have added sugar?? read the ingredients on yours in your cupboards now)

Organic Full Circle Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce . . . bought at Bi-Lo

Premium Organic Paesana Tomato & Basil . . . bought at Costco (There were also some sugar free ones at Walmart, but they were more expensive than these . . .)  LOVE these sauces with my spaghetti squash!

Coconut Oil (my new best friend for my coffee and to cook with!) - Carrington Farms Pure, Unrefined, Cold Pressed 100% Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil . . . bought at Costco

Coconut Sugar (another new favorite for sweetening my coffee or baking with) - Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Coconut Palm Sugar . . . bought at Ingles

Paleo Wraps (a nice flour tortilla alternative for tacos, or I even like them with almond butter spread on them and rolled up for a snack!) . . . these bought from julianbakery.com online, but they may be carried in your local healthfood store also.

Almond Flour & Tapioca Flour & Coconut Butter (used in baking some "better for you" sweet treats!) . . . bought at Fresh Market  - a bit more expensive than I like to pay, but having healthy treats available and made for when the mood strikes me to be able to grab instead of processed junk food is worth it to me!  These have lasted longer than I thought they would too!

Pickles (for when you need something salty and crunchy!) . . . Farmer's Garden by Vlasic . . . found at Walmart and Publix.  Did you know some pickles have added food coloring and extra sugar?  These use beta carotene for coloring and the spears (empty jar) have no added sugar listed on the ingredients.  The dill chips do list Sugar as an ingredient, which is kind of weird.  But then it says less than 1g of sugar on the nutritional label.  So these are still probably a very good option compared to others!

 

Protein Bars (good for when you are in a time crunch and didn't have the time to plan ahead) . . . I like these Kind bars, the dark chocolate nuts & sea salt only have 5g of sugar . . . bought at Target, may have available elsewhere too.

So these are some of my new foods and ingredients that I've added to my new healthy eating lifestyle and where I've found them at.  Hope this helps some of you who are looking to incorporate these into your new clean eating too!