Evolve With Mary

Asian Beef with Snow Peas

Ingredients

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound beef round steak, cut into strips

8 oz snow peas

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar and cornstarch. Set mixture aside
Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium high
Stir-fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds.
Add the steak and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until evenly browned.
Add the snow peas and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes
Add the soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil, stirring constantly
Lower heat and simmer until sauce is thick and smooth.
Serve immediately

In my house stir fry’s are served over rice, that’s just a suggestion.

Calories 203 kcal

Carbohydrates 9.7g

Fat 10g

Protein 16g

Cholesterol 39mg

Fiber 1.5g

Sodium 711mg

I decided it was time to bite the bullet and try to prepare beef. I feel like the easiest way to cook beef is on the grill, but I don’t have a grill. I’m always afraid I’m going to over or under cook beef in the oven. I picked this recipe because Stir Frying is easy, and something I know I can handle. I was a big fan of the Juila and Julia movie. Julia Childs used to say: Be Brave (referring to cooking) so when ever I get nervous I tell myself to Be Brave and just cook. I was brave and my beef came out tender, juicy, flavorfully, and delicate. I’m very proud of my first beef dish, so proud that I had to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy.

BE BRAVE!!!

Reference:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asian-beef-with-snow-peas/detail.aspx

Today is Challenge Tuesdays…

Are you ready for a challenge???

Last week I challenged you to attend one new fitness class this week. I joined a local TRX class and enjoyed the change in routine. I hope you enjoyed this week, stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new.

Keeping with the theme of stepping outside of your comfort zone, today:

I officially challenge you to

purchase or stream a new workout video and complete it 2 times this week.

I have always been a fan of exercise videos. My mother had over 100 difference exercise tapes that she did 5-6 days a week. I still remember waking up before it was sunny outside, getting out of bed and creeping to our garage to watch my mother sweat to whatever tape she fancied that day.

At first I thought my mother was weird and silly. Who gets up an hour before everyone else just to gyrate with people on the tv screen. But as I get older and older I realize my mother was genius. She had a husband and 2 daughters that begged for every second of her time. By getting up early, before the house was awake, and popping in a exercise tape, she was able to get some time to herself, workout, and keep it interesting.

A lot of people can not afford a gym membership, a lot of people don’t have time to go to a gym, and a lot of people don’t like going to a gym. I have a huge phobia about working out in front of people. I feel like everyone is watching me, and judging me. Working out in the comfort of my home has always been attractive to me.

Purchasing or streaming new workout videos is a no brainier for me. I don’t have to worry about looking like an idiot in front of other people, and I get to go at my own pace.

I hope I have inspired you to look for some workout videos that interest you. For those that don’t have the money to purchase a workout, there a millions of free videos on youtube that you can pick from.

Check out my favorite Zumba teacher. He makes you work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgbBdS9W54

I challenge you purchase or stream a new workout video and complete it at least 2 times this week.

Good Luck!

Share your experiences with all of us!

Always listen to your body, if any exercise causes too much impact stop right away.

Happy Abdominal Monday

Here are my weekly pictures… Enjoy

Hello Friends!

I usually don’t comment on my abdominal pictures but I think I’m coming along nicely. A month ago I realized I had to work on getting the fat off of my stomach to truly see my abdominals. Not only have I been working out, but I’m also keeping a close eye on everything I put into my body. As soon as I get out of bed I eat a 6oz-baked portion of salmon and about 1 cup of raw vegetables. Eating first thing in the morning jump-starts my metabolism. Since I don’t eat meat, to me salmon protein in the morning is the breakfast of champions. I feel tight, and fit. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Instead of sharing an abdominal exercise with you I would love to share a workout video I just found. I mentioned in other posts, last week, that I am tired of riding my exercises bike. Since I don’t have a gym membership and I’m not a runner, it’s been frustrating trying to find fun ways to attack my cardio. I found this great Latin dance workout that trims my waistline. It has a lot of hip movements, rib thrusts, booty shaking, and fun dance moves. I found it on Comcast On-Demand under dance-Latin grove. If you have Comcast On-Demand please check it out. The dancing is low impact but you work up a great sweat, and you are able to go at your own pace. If you do not have Comcast here is the video, you can purchase it on line and stream it to your phone or computer. Believe me its worth it. I saw slimming results the first time I completed the routine.

You can purchase and stream the video here:

http://acacialifestyle.com/dance-and-be-fit%3A-latin-groove/p/51616/

Happy Friday to everyone!

Confession

I got my first visible tattoo yesterday. I already have 5 tattoos, but yesterday I bit the bullet and got a heart on my hand. I love my new tattoo. I can’t stop looking at it. I’m happy with my choice, I was scared to get a tattoo that wouldn’t be covered at all times, but there is no turning back now. I will have this heart for the rest of my life. What do you think?

My father had a few random tattoos that I thoroughly remember. Tattoos have always been accepted in my family. I’m the only child that has 5, and now I’m the only child that has a tattoo so visible. My sister has a lot of piercings that makes her stand out in crowds. My father, sister and I all have matching tattoos, which is very special to me, it keeps us all connected. I got a heart on my hand to remind me to spread my love to everyone around. My father has LOVE on his arm. He is a veteran, an alpha male, strong, and even scary and intimidating to some people. But to my sister and me our Dad is a big teddy bear. He got his LOVE tattoo when he was in high school. I feel like my heart honors my father’s philosophy for spreading love everywhere you go.

Confession

I started using exercise On-Demand for cardio workouts again.

When I was on my quest to loose weight I took full advantage of Comcast, On Demand, Exercise TV. I found yoga routines, Pilate’s workouts, and a lot of fun and new cardio workouts. I have an exercise bike, but I’m tired of riding it, which happens. I don’t have a membership to a gym anymore, so its hard for me to find effective cardio if I’m tired of my exercise bike. I know I haven’t been getting enough cardio, so I added 30-minute cardio workouts that I found on Comcast’s Exercise TV. This week I enjoyed a cardio kickboxing class, a cardio step class, and today I’m going to do a Latin dance cardio class. I always view the routine before I do it. I’m enjoying the challenge, and my body is enjoying the switch in my routine.

You just peeked into my soul. I like being human, because I’m allowed to be un-perfect, I’m allowed flaws and mistakes, I’m allowed to take a break from my strict diet, and crazy workout routine. As much as I love being in shape, I also realize it is not the end all of be all.

This is a never-ending journey that I signed up for. Thanks for coming long for the ride.

Hello All!

Today I am going to talk about Food Journals, my favorite subject.

When people come to me and express interest in working with me, the first thing I ask for is a 7 day food journal. I have mentioned food journals before; writing down what you eat has many benefits, from calorie tracking to eating accountability. I find that when I track my food intake I tend to eat less. Writing down what I eat helps me stay on track and not over eat; but that’s not the only reason I request a food journal from my new clients. By tracking your food intake you can figure out what your hunger schedule is. When you’re just eating to eat, when you are truly hungry, and when you love to snack.

I find that I can control my appetite until the middle of the day. Then I love to snack on anything and everything I can find. To address my mid day snacking issue I make sure to drink plenty of water, and only purchase healthy snacks. When I’m searching through my house looking for junk food, I only find fruit, raw vegetables, and healthy alternatives.

I find that some people like to over eat at night. After work most people come home, sit on the couch and eat. I’ve learned that a lot of people reward themselves with food. One of my former clients had a very sad conversation with me about her disciple. She couldn’t make it through the day without promising herself some kind of greasy reward meal. If she got through a hard Monday she rewarded herself with her favorite meal of fried chicken, and her week goes on like that. I wasn’t surprised by her eating habits; I had the same attitude many years ago. Her eyes surprised me. She truly wanted to loose weight, she was truly miserable, but she didn’t know where to start. She used food as a friend and a reward, if she takes away a friendship or a reward then she would have no motivation to continue on with her day.

She was a special case, but I started her out with a food journal just like all my other clients. Once she could see what she was consuming she noticed she was runined her day, and her life with these reward meals. It took us over 6 months but I helped her realize that food wasn’t her friend. Food is just something we need to live. I still wanted her to enjoy eating, but to stop depended on food to make her day better. Her food journal was a very positive tool for her to have. She said writing down what she ate on a daily base made her feel powerful, it reminded her that she is the only one that has true control over her eating. We “baby stepped” her down over 40 pounds, now she is tackling her weight on her own, I still check in with her once a month, but she feels like she finally has the tools to take control of her life.

I never endourse something that I don’t truly believe in, I truly believe in food journals. I recently started keeping track of the food intake again. Summer is right around the corner and I must fit comfortably into my bikini so I’m pulling out all my tricks.

There are many apps for calorie tracking. My favorite is MyfitnessPal, after you down load the app it asks you how much you weight, how tall you are, how much you exercise, and what your goal weight is. The app calculates how many calories you should consume on a daily bases, and that’s where it all starts. After you register you have to keep track of everything you eat. I find that using my notepad app to keep track of all my food intake throughout the day is the easies thing for me, then at night I enter everything into the app. They count my calories for me. The only annoying part about all food tracking apps is it gets old fast. The annoyance is worth the reward. This app has assited me in loosing vacation weight last year. I went on a 3 month trip around the world that I had to look great for, and I did with help from my fitness pal. The best part about MyfitnessPal is that is free to download! Who doesn’t love free.

Good luck on this wonderful journey we call life. I hope this posting inspires you to keep track of your daily food intake, and take control of your eating habits. You can send me your 7 day food journal and I can help you with your own weight loss goals.

It truly works!

I’m the proof!

Happy Hump Day Recipes

I am on a mission to cook, edit, and consume low calorie recipes at least two to three times a week.

Oven Fried Shrimp

Ingredients

1 pound raw shrimp (75-100 count)

I butterfly(ed) my shrimp after cleaning them.

½ cup panko crumbs

I ran out of panko crumbs with 4 shrimp to go, I suggest you add an additional ¼ cup of crumbs

½ cup regular breadcrumbs

I ran out of breadcrumbs with 4 shrimp to go, I suggest you add an additional ¼ cup of crumbs

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon peper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 eggs

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Pre heat oven to 420 degrees (used convection feature if you have it)

2. Spray baking sheet well, with cooking spray

3. Beat eggs in shallow dish

4. Mix Pank crumbs and regular bread crumbs

5. Mix garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to the Panko crumb mix and place in shallow pan

6. Place all of shrimp in egg, toss and coat

7. Remove 1 shrimp at a time from egg mixture (coating more then a few at a time will gunk up your crumbs, which you don’t want)

8. Press shrimp into crumbs to get a good coating and place on baking sheep

9. Spray tops of shrimp with additional cooking spray

10. Bake shrimp for 6-7 minutes, turn once, and bake for 3-4 more minutes until nicely brown.

Calories 220, Sodium 470 mg, Total Fat 3g, Potassium 0mg, Saturated fat 1g, Polyunsaturated 1g, Monounsaturated 1g, Trans 0g, Cholesterol 170mg, Total Carbs 18g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 0g, Protein 30g,

Seafood was a treat in my house. My birthday dinner always consisted of fried shrimp and mash potatoes. We had fried fish every Friday, and when we all started gaining too much weight we had broiled fish on Fridays. I enjoy seafood more then I enjoy meat, which is pretty obvious since I am a pescetarianism, a vegeterina that doesn’t eat meat, but does consume fish. I love fried shrimp, as I mentioned earlier, they are my favorite, but on my current diet I can not eat deep fried shrimp like I used to. I oven fried chicken, for friends, on a regular basis so I had the bright idea of oven frying shrimp. These babys came out so tender, juicey, flavorful, and delicious. If you are a seafood lover I’m pretty sure you will enjoy this recepie.

REFERNCES:

http://laughingspatula.blogspot.com/2012/06/crunchy-oven-baked-shrimp-with-peachy.html

Today is Challenge Tuesdays….

Are you ready for a challenge???

2 weeks ago I challenged you to complete a 30-minute walk everyday. I enjoyed exploring my neighborhood and visiting with all the local dogs. Are you ready for this weeks challenge???

My last few challenges have all been focused on getting your heart rate elevated. This week I want to focus on getting you out of your comfort zone.

I officially challenge you to

attend one new fitness class this week

There are a lot of fitness classes out there. Some are free and some are expensive. I took a Krava Magra class with my life coaching client a few months ago. It was a free class and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We never went back but I’m happy we both stepped outside of our comfort zone and tried something new.

This week I plan on going rock climbing. I have always wanted to rock climb but I constantly make excuses to get out of it.

· I don’t have the right clothes

· I’ll look stupid

· I don’t have the right shoes

· What if I fall

· What if I’m not strong enough

· I don’t know anybody

· I’m scared

This week I’m throwing away all excuses and creating new and exciting experiences for myself.

While loosing weight I realized making myself uncomfortable assisted in my success. When I completed exercises I was comfortable with, I didn’t check my form, or remember to breath properly, I just pumped out as many reps as I needed and walked away.

Realizing I wasn’t working hard enough was easy

Realizing I was the only person that could change myself was hard

Actually changing seemed impossible.

We are ruled by habits. We do thing the same way every time because its comfortable. The issue in staying safely in your comfort zone creates psychological barriers that can lead to real limitations, says author and speaker Denis Waitley.

“When we don’t do anything dynamic in a long time we start to think we can’t.”

William J Hall, M.D., director of the Center for healthy Aging at University of Rochester Medical Center, “When you start something new, particularly in the creative area, its just like a whack on the side of the head to your brain”

Here are some class suggestions to get your out of your comfort zone:

Zumba!

Zumba is a very excited dance party atmosphere full of Latin and international music. They say you will forget your working out with all the sexy but simple dance moves, and you don't even need previous dance experience.

TRX

TRX Suspension Training is a revolutionary total-body fitness program that uses gravity against the your own bodyweight to develop strength, balance, flexibility and core stability.

Cross Fit

Crossfit is a strength and conditioning system built on constantly varied if not randomized functional movements executed at high intensity.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is an activity in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls.

Bar Method

The Bar Method Workout creates a uniquely lean, firm, sculpted body by combining the muscle-shaping principles of isometrics, the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy and the intense pace of interval training into a powerful exercise format that quickly and safely reshapes and elongates muscles.

Pilates

Pilates is a method of body conditioning based on using positioning and gravity to work the muscles

Yoga

Yoga is a form of exercise that uses slow movement and stretching. It is good for increasing flexibility and balance. It is also good for relieving stress and relaxing.

Bikram Yoga

Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques. Bikram Yoga sessions run for exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures while in a room heated to 105 degrees, and 40% humidity.

Spinning

Indoor cycling classes for a non-impact, highly effective way to build cardiovascular strength and endurance.

Water Aerobics

Water aerobics exercises force the body to continuously move to keep its balance and your head above water. Moving in the water engages more muscle fibers because of the water’s consistent resistance. This helps tones your body as well as keep your heart rate up, while developing cardiovascular endurance and help work your muscles with out punishing joints and bones.

Martial Arts

The martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practices, which were practiced for a variety of reasons: Self-defense, competition, physical health, and fitness as well as mental, physical, and spiritual development.

Self Defense

Self Defense are selected techniques and methods to create a program that is designed to keep you safe.

Krav Maga

Krav Maga is a non competitive tactical self-defense system developed in Israel that consists of a wide combination of techniques sourced from boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chung, Judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and grappling along with realistic fight training.

I challenge you to push yourself attend one new fitness class this week

Good Luck!

Share your experiences with all of us!

Always listen to your body, if any exercise causes too much impact stop right away.

REFERENCES:

http://zumbawithheather.blogspot.com/2009/11/excellent-description-of-zumba.html

http://www.abbyschonierfitness.com/training-packages/description-of-levels-of-trx-classes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_climbing

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/what_is_crossfit.pdf

http://www.barmethod.com/about.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/245261-water-aerobics-exercise-description/

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5172010_pilates-exercise-description.html

http://bestfitness.net/erie-spinning-class-description.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts

http://www.definedefense.com/BoulderCO/selfdefense.html

Here are my weekly pictures… Enjoy

Hello Friends! Today I feel great. My abdominals are coming along, but it's always a work in progress. I'm excited for the summer, and if I stay on track I'll have my desired body just in time for bikini season. All that said, I have completed so many abdominal exercises I believe I have discovered the most effective ab exercises for me. I've noticed planks are a godsent. I've had other personal trainers tell me to add planks into my workout routine, but I hated them so I always avoided them. recently I decided I would start adding exercises I hate to my routine such as blurpies, jump squats, lunges, and planks. I must admit, I don't hate these particular exercises anymore, but I do know that I love planks. My body loves planks, my abdmonials love planks, and my boyfriend now loves planks. I encourage everyone to get comfortable with planks and enjoy the results.

Planks are ranked #10 in a American Council of Exercise study. It is a great way to build endurance in the abdominals and back, while an excellent muscle stabilizer.

Planks are not the sexiest exercise, but they are one of the most effective abdominal exercise around.

By forcing your body to stabilize itself in one position, planks work abdominal muscles and your back muscles. Planks assist in developing better looking abs because they work the transverse abdominus (that holds in the recturs abdominus), crunches focus only on the rectus abdominus.

Enjoy your Monday, and start planking!

References

http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com/six-pack-abs/how-to-get-washboard-abs-plank-exercises-no-more-crunches

Happy Friday to everyone!

Confession

I ate half of a loaf of low fat banana nut bread in 3 days. When I was growing up when we had extra bananas we made banana nut bread. It became a family tradition and we had home made banana nut bread at least once a month. I had some bananas lying around the house that were extra ripe, so I figured I would keep the tradition going and make banana bread. I found a wonderfully delicious low fat recipe that I shared with everyone on Wednesday. That banana nut bread is dangerous. It is so moist so gooey it calls to me in the middle of the night. I have consumed over half of the loaf, and there are about 3 more pieces that I know I will put away by end of day today

As much as I want to beat myself up about it I needed a break from my current diet. My diet works! Limiting my calorie intake, eating an absurd amount of raw vegetables everyday, consuming at least 6-8oz of salmon a day and drinking 6-8 bottles of water a day keeps me very happy with my body. But all work and no play makes Mary a sad girl. This banana nut bread was a break from my normal calorie barren diet. I’m happy I made it, and happy I’m consuming it.

You know my motto:

Eat good 80% of the time, Eat bad 20% of the time

Confession

I used to work out at least 6-7 days a week. I am now only exercising 4-5 days a week and my body seems to like it much better. If I don’t work out everyday I feel like I’m going to wake up 300 pounds again. I realize I have a warped body image, and I’m constantly working on getting myself into a healthy mindset. By letting my body rest I can see a lot more results then I used to. I’m not as tired as I usually am, and I’m a lot more excited to work out then ever. I don’t want to get burnt out, and if I keep this up my passion for sweating isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Every morning the very first thing I do is stare at my abdominals. I check to see if I look as good as I did yesterday, if I look flabby, or if I look ripped. It’s a habit that’s hard to break. Lately my abdominals have been looking slim, sexy, and muscular. I’ve been consuming banana bread, and only working out 4-5 days a week these last 2 weeks, and my body has a positive effect to my new routine. I’m always looking to shake things up, to create different habits so I don’t get bored with my routines. I think I hit the jack pot, and I’m going to keep moving forward and posting my progress.

Fyi: Banana nut bread is not part of my new routine…

This is a never-ending journey that I signed up for. Thanks for coming long for the ride.

Today I’m sharing a tip that can help you win the battle of the bulge.

This tip is an oldie but goodie. I have heard my mother tell me this tall tale, and I have seen other people swear by it, but I don’t believe anything until I try it out for myself.

Smaller plate = Less food consumed

It seems like common sense. If you have less of a plate to fill up you should eat less. I never really believed this myth. I figured I would eat off of my small plate, and when I wanted more I would get a refill, I might even eat more calories to compensate for the small dishware.

A few months ago I stopped using my favorite bowls. They are a deep purple, and have the circumference of a large plate, yet it is shaped like a bowl. My mother ate out of bowls when I was growing up, and most people know, like mother like daughter.

I’ve been on a mission to get in shape, and accomplish my goal of a 6 pack by summer, so I have been trying every myth, and tall tale that I have ever heard with intentions to cut my calorie intake. I realized my “favorite” bowl was large, deep, and dark. Purple is my favorite color, but maybe it’s not the best choice for dish color.

My boyfriend contributed some of his dishes to our household, which I never used. I actually had a plan to slowly get rid of them; but instead of plotting their demise, I decided try eating off of his smaller saucer. I must admit, the color scheme of his plates are much more attractive to me. Since cooking healthier I find my food is very colorful, and the contrast with my favorite purple bowl actually plays down the colorfulness of my food. About 3 months ago I started eating off of this saucer, (its so small I can’t even call it a plate).

I find that I enjoy eating off of something so small. My plate gets filled up a lot faster, and I tend to eat a lot less. I didn’t noticed how much less I consume until we went out to dinner. The plates were huge and after 2-3 bites of each course I was full. Even my boyfriend commented about the drastic drop in the amount of food I consume. Eating off of a smaller plate makes me eat slower, because I don’t want it to be over as fast, which gives my stomach time to signal my brain and tell it I am full. The bright color makes me happy, and brings out the even more color in the colorful food that I create.

After my own experiment I did some research on this subject and this is what I found.

“The results showed a small increase in dishware size can lead to a substantial increase in calories available to be consumed, particularly if food is calorie dense. This reinforces the need to consider dishware size when developing strategies to prevent over-consumption.”

The highlighted points:

Small bowl or plate + high calorie-dense food + multiple servings = higher relative calorie intake
Small bowl or plate + low calorie-dense food + one serving = lower relative calorie intake
Large bowl or plate + high calorie-dense food + multiple servings = higher relative calorie intake
Large bowl or plate + low calorie-dense food + once serving = lower relative calorie intake

“Appropriate calorie intake still comes down to discipline”

If you are attempting to decrease your total calorie intake use small dishware, consume low calorie foods, and limit your number of servings.

It truly works. I’m your living proof.

Reference:

http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/lose-weight-smaller-plates-science-weighs-dishsize-and-calories

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