Tuesday 24 April 2012

A Little Inspiration


A little inspiration for your Tuesday!




       I can't quite remember where I ran across this idea - I was either on StumbleUpon or Pinterest, but I think they may have originated here. I thought they were a great idea and just had to make my own!

     You can use any sort of jar or container you like - I've seen people use fish bowls, old wine glasses, candle holders, mason jars, or just some old bowls or cups you don't mind using; the possibilities are endless! You can decorate them any way you like - I've seen painted ones with feathers and designs, some with pictures taped on the front, or just simple words written with marker, what ever makes you happy. Just use what ever you have around the house, or you can go out and get some supplies, it just depends on how much you are willing to spend. I had some old ribbons and jars, I just bought some scrap booking letter stickers that stuck right to the front of the jars. For the inside you can use marbles, pebbles, rocks, or glass stones like I've used (they are very inexpensive). In mine, I have 100 stones all together, one for each pound I need to loose. There are 80 black stones for 1 pound lost, 19 green stones for every 5 pounds lost, and for my final 100 pound stone I have a golden heart, just to make it a little special. I already have 5 stones in my lost jar!!

     I keep the jars in my living room, mostly because that is where I spend most of my time. Every time I'm craving something or think I need food, I just look at those jars and it reminds me of what my goal is - and reminds me that I don't really need that food I'm craving - I need to lose weight to add more stones to my lost jar. They have been working so far!


     Do any of you have things that keep you motivated? I'd love to hear about them!! I hope you all are doing well and continue to reach for your goals!!



♥ Lots of LOVE ♥

Laura

Friday 20 April 2012

I'm Back!

         First off, I would like to apologize to the 4 of you that actually read this blog; I didn't realize that I had been away for so long. But I'm back now, and will be posting here much more often then I have been. I know that doing a blog isn't something a lot of people think of as important or worth the time it takes to do it (except for all of you, thankfully!) , but I really believe that this blog is going to help me through my journey to become a healthier and happier me. By making the time to do things here, it's helping me make time for other things in my day that are important to me, like my workouts! I thank you all for your support, and I know, that by posting here, your continued support will only help me in achieving my goals.

Now, lets move on to something a little more interesting! :)

A Yummy Protein Shake!

I wish I would have thought about this idea a long time ago: iced coffee with protein for a great post workout snack or meal replacement! We'll start with the healthier iced coffee recipe that one of my younger sisters, Kristy, came up with. It's a very simple recipe, tastes amazing, and has WAY less calories than an iced coffee you can get at Starbucks, or any other restaurant that may have them. Here is the recipe (it will also be posted on my recipes page under drinks):

Healthier Iced Coffee:

1 cup brewed coffee of your choice (I love Folgers vanilla biscotti flavor)
1/4 cup milk (you can use 2%, 1%, or skim, it just depends your preference and how many calories your willing to use up on a drink)
1 tsp. sweetener of choice ( I use Truvia, but you can use what ever sweetener you like)

Add all ingredients to a 16 ounce cup and stir well to combine. Add enough ice to fill the cup the rest of the way and mix well. That's it! It's simple, quick, and it really does taste good. If your using 2% milk the drink is a total of 33 calories, for 1% it's a total of 30 calories, and for skim milk it's a total of 22 calories. And yes, those numbers are correct! I also add in just a small amount of sugar free liquid vanilla creamer, for a little extra flavor, which does add a few more calories, but the creamer is optional; those that don't want to use it don't have to... it tastes just as great without it.

Now, to make it into a protein shake, all you need to do is add 1 scoop of your favorite whey protein powder, and shake well to combine with the iced coffee mixture - before adding the ice of course - then just add your ice and mix again. I use a chocolate protein powder, so it adds a hint of chocolaty flavor to the drink, witch I think is pretty dang good! The powder I use is 100 calories per scoop, so my final product is about 133 calories (I use 2% milk).

I hope some of you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as I do!

I think this is a good place to end today's post. I have a few more little projects I've been working on that I'll be sharing soon!

♥ Lots of LOVE ♥

Laura