Meal Plan Monday! Spicy Orange Cinnamon Shrimp

Spicy Orange Cinnamon Shrimp

(OMG!!!! THIS IS SOOOOO GOOD!)

Clean Eating Spicy Orange Cinnamon Shrimp

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

1 lb. small shrimp, tail off, cooked and frozen package – thawed

2 tsp. olive oil

Zest of 1 large orange

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 – 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)

Directions

Step 1 – Place all ingredients in a large skillet and sauté the shrimp until just warmed.

Eat and Enjoy OVER YOUR FAVORITE STEAMED VEGGIE, SPAGHETTI SQUASH NOODLES, OR MIRACLE NOODLES.  Also great on top of salad!

Nutritional Content

1 serving = 1/4 of the recipe.

Calories: 139

Total Fat: 4 gm

Saturated Fats: 1 gm

Trans Fats: 0 gm

Cholesterol: 170 mg

Sodium: 166 mg

Carbohydrates: 1 gm

Dietary fiber: 0 gm

Sugars: 0 gm

Protein: 23 gm

Estimated Glycemic Load: 1

If you're on an em meal plan this meal is PERFECT really any time, but I'd throw it in for meal 3, or 5.   

MOTIVATE ME!!!! What you eat in private you wear in public

"People often say that motivation doesn't last,  Well.. Nether does bathing!  That's why we recommend it daily!

-Zig Ziglar

So... Here ya go!

One of the things I hear the most, (and used to believe myself) is... "I've worked out sooo hard!  I can have a few brownies.... or some Pizza.... or a plate of cookies, and still lean out!"

NO!  Not true!  Get it out of your head! NOW!  :)

The true problem is that when most of us eat unhealthy we do not view the AMOUNT of unhealthy food we eat accurately.   We say in our mind that we've just had a "few tiney unhealthy things"  but in reality we've had much bigger portions than we realize, or we've eatin a small unhealthy "something" but we've eatin that small thing 5 days out of the week!... etc etc.  

Eat HEALTHY!   MAKE IT A LIFESTYLE CHANGE, SO... That's just what you eat.... HEALTHY FOOD!

Once you start eating good clean food you'll start to LOVE the way it makes you feel... LOVE the way it tastes... and LOVE that you're teaching your family to live a healthy and happy life.  Then you won't really want to eat unhealthy food.   It takes a little time, but if you do it, you'll get there!

NOW, I'm bringing out the brutally honest Hard-Core trainer in me to leave you with this last little bit of info.... Here comes "TOUGH LOVE ERIN!"

If you can't make it 1 week,  JUST 7 DAYS! Without putting something unhealthy in your body, you need to sit down and have a tough talk with yourself about your eating habits and why you eat what you do.

AND

If you are trying to lean out, and you are eating an unhealthy meal more than once a week, and THEN expecting to drop fat... you're kidding yourself.  Don't step on the scale and be disappointed when it doesn't move, if you're putting bad food in your body.... even a little.

Like my dad used to say, "The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing, but expect different results!"

ENOUGH TOUGH LOVE!  

The biggest reason I LOVE healthy eating and LOVE to see other people do it, is how AMAZING YOU FEEL!   

My favorite thing in the entire world is when someone comes to me after a month of clean eating and says, "Erin, I had NO energy for my kids, and now I have TONS!"   Or, "Erin, I used to be on tons of different anti-depressants, high blood pressure medicine, I had Joint problems, back problems, Shots for diabetes etc etc... and NO MORE!"   Of just simply, MY FAMILY AND I are so much happier and enjoy life so much more because we FEEL AMAZING!"  

Try it, YOU'LL LOVE IT!

MY BEFORE & AFTER!

BEFORE

AFTER

My Son Kellen is now 3 1/2 months old!

This picture was taken after my spin class today!

You wanna know how I know that eating healthy and exercise works!!!!  Because I've done it!!!!  Don't get me wrong... IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY, IT TAKES HARD WORK AND DEDICATION... BUT IT IS SOOO WORTH THE WORK!!!!!

More on my story later, but I want you to know!  We ALL struggle with the same things when it comes to weigh loss, but if you're consistent YOU CAN DO IT!!!! ANYONE CAN DO IT!

I KNOW YOU CAN!

Meal Plan MONDAY: Southwest Turkey Sliders over Spicy Avocado Slaw! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Southwest Turkey Sliders over Spicy Avocado Slaw

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the burgers

1lb ground turkey

¼ red onion, minced

½ poblano pepper, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground red pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup oatmeal (You can leave the oatmeal out but your burgers won't stick together as easily)

1 egg white

For the slaw

1 small head of cabbage or bag of cabbage, chopped (I used purple cabbage and it was yummy, and it looked cool!)

2 avocados

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

First make your burgers

Add all your ingredients for your burgers in a large bowl. Mix with your hands!

Shape 4 small burger patties.

Heat up a large skillet under medium heat with a bit of olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, and add your sliders. Flip after about 3-5 minutes or when you see the sides of your sliders begin to turn a white color (meaning they are cooking through).

Now make your slaw

Pull out your food processor, add all your ingredients for the slaw other than the cabbage and pulse until smooth.

Pour your avocado “mayo” on the cabbage and mix. Top off with a bit of salt and pepper.

Place your cabbage on a plate and top off with your sliders! 

*I also added a little relish of diced tomato's, cucumbers, red onion, and cilantro to the top of my burger!

Consume!

MY HUBBY LOVED THIS!  You can drizzle a little hot sauce over the entire thing if you like your food spicy!

If you're on an EM Meal plan this recipe is AWESOME for meal #3, #4, #5, or #6!   Just keep in mind that it does have avocado in it so that counts as 1 of your healthy fats!

Meal Plan Monday - Quinoa salad with Apples!

I LOVE all my AMAZING FRIENDS! Lately I have received some KILLER workouts sent to me by several of my friends/training clients! I LOVE trying new workouts, so keep sending them my way.... I may even pass them along as workouts to my classes!!!!

Along with workouts, I LOVE it when you guys try new healthy recipes and then pass them along to me!!!!

That is the case with the recipe I'm posting this week. It's from NICOLE, and it's KILLER!!!!

Quinoa Salad with Apples

Yield: 8 servings

Dressing Ingredients: 

Juice of 1 large lemon 

2 teaspoons honey 

1 medium shallot 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

Salad Ingredients: 

3 cups very thinly sliced kale (about 1/3 of a standard bunch) 

1 1/2 cups quinoa 

3 cups water 

1 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 large tender-sweet apples, such as Fuji or Gala, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

2 teaspoons stevia 

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts 

4 ounces crumbled feta 

Directions: 

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon, honey, shallot, and salt. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking as you go. Set aside. 

Put the kale in a serving bowl and set aside. Put the quinoa, water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan, cover, and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and add it to the bowl with the kale. 

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, heat for a minute, then add apples and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add stevia and continue cooking and stirring until the apples begin to turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add apples to the bowl with the quinoa, then add the pine nuts, feta, and dressing and toss until evenly combined. 

Divide into 8 servings

If you're on an EM Meal plan, this recipe is perfect for meal 2 or 3

MOTIVATE ME! It takes time... sorry.

I'll make this short and sweet and to the point.  WEIGHT LOSS TAKES TIME, SORRY It's reality!

I know, I know, we all want to lose 20 lb's in a month, but If you do something drastic to drop lots of weight quickly, it's not something you can maintain throughout your life, so guess what... YOU WILL GAIN IT BACK!!!!   (Plus more, cuz you just starved your body and messed up your metabolism)

You must make a lifestyle change. And if you exercise and eat right your body HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO GET FIT!!!!  IT WILL WORK!  But you must do it... for a long time... without constantly cheating on your healthy eating and skipping workout. :) 

Some weeks you'll lose a pound, some weeks none, but you'll keep getting closer to your goal, steadily

SOOOO Pull up your big girl pants and do what you need to do consistently, for a LONG TIME. :)

Hide your scale for 3 weeks, Stop checking your weight incessantly!  JUST DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.  Then see where your at 3 weeks from now.  

XOXO

Meal Plan Monday- Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs w/cilantro Lime Dipping sauce

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs 

Serving size: 4 meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground white meat chicken

1/2 small onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1 tsp of smoked Paprika

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Wings sauce, Buffalo style

A couple of handfuls celery sticks

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, paprika and cayenne.  Season with salt and black pepper.

Take about two tablespoons of meat mixture and roll between the palms of your hand to form a meatball about the size of a golf ball.

Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray.  Pop them in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until they are cooked through.

While the meatballs are baking, heat the hot sauce in a  large skillet.  Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat.

Enjoy the meatballs with celery sticks and some Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce!!  Enjoy!

Makes 16 meatballs.

Nutritional Analysis

Four Meatballs:  Calories: 184; Total Fat: 6.5g; Saturated Fat: 0.5g; Cholesterol: 75mg; Sodium: 333mg; Carbohydrate: 5g; Dietary Fiber: 0.8g; Sugars: 1.4g; Protein: 29.2g

Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce

(I just threw this in because it’s my favorite sauce to dip chicken or any type of meatballs in right now!!! IT’S SOOOO GOOD!)

2 TBS plain nonfat Greek yogurt, or you can use nonfat sour cream

1/2 A LIME fresh squeezed into juice, (I also zested the lime and added that! yum!)

1 garlic clove, minced or 1 tsp already minced garlic.  You can use more if you'd like

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 dashes hot sauce if ya like it a little spicy

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Mix it all together and DIP WHATEVER YOU WANT IN IT!!!!

* Serving size is 1/4 cup

**** If you're on an em Meal Plan this meal is AWESOME just about any time.  Try it for meal #3, #4, or #6.  Just remember, If you have the dipping sauce, the yogurt counts as a healthy fat!

MOTIVATE ME! CHOOSE YOUR HARD! :)

I hear it all the time... and if i don't hear it, I know many are thinking it... "working out is so HARD!!!  Eating healthy is SO HARD!!!!"  

What's harder, Working out an hour a day and eating healthy, or living in a body you hate every second of every day.  Or a body that doesn't function properly, has no energy, etc, etc...

It's all hard... Choose your hard!