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100-Calorie Soup
What typically goes in soup? Well, let’s think… Potatoes, Carrots, Corn, Peas, Lima Beans, any kind of bean, rice, pasta…basically all high carb vegetables. What do you not see in soup that often? Low-carb veggies like Brocoli, Cauliflower, Spinach and Cabbage. Why not? Did someone make a rule? Are there only a few soup-approved veggies? NO! People just like their carbs. A high-carb meal is a high-calorie meal, so i decided to make a low-carb soup that would entertain my tastebuds without costing me a few miles of cardio to burn off. This soup is perfect for those nights I had a post-workout shake and don’t need a lot of calories, but still want a hot meal when I get home for the gym.
100-Calorie 2-Cup Soup
4 Quarts Vegetable Broth Base (I used Knorr Vegetable Mix)
1 Bag of Frozen Cauliflower (or 2 cups fresh)
2 Cups frozen chopped spinach
2 Cups chopped brocoli
2 1/2 Cups Ground Turkey (20 oz)
2 Chopped Zucchini
2 T Splenda/Stevia
2 T Hickory Liquid Smoke
Salt/Pepper to taste
Makes 25 Cups
59 Calories per Hearty Cup!
I entered everything into my LoseIt app. Here is the profile 
Big Results for Little Effort
While you may read this title and clearly realize this is not how the world normally works, many people often live life by doing as little as they can get away with – and there is no better example than with fitness.
People typically decide to start with the bare minimum. They may start exercising 2 days a week, to see if they can get results on a minimal investment. Of course, two days a week is enough to improve physical health, but it normally isn’t enough to see major results. Most people want twice the results with half the effort. Then they are let down and they realize they are missing something.
After they realize the bare bones minimum doesn’t work, they may up going to 3 days a week. Then, when that doesn’t work, they add more cardio more workouts.
When someone is working out as much as they can, they finally may get to the point they realize they may need to change how they are spending the rest of their time out of the gym. This is when they may decide to add protein shakes or supplements. They may even be ready to give up some of their bad eating habits.
I’m not suggesting fitness is no fun, and that you are to be miserable or starving to get big results – but, what I am suggesting is not trying to see how much you you can get away with. Instead, see how much you can do right. Sadly, we have the tendency to have the same mentality with our marriages, friendships and jobs too.
Let’s decide to see how much we can do RIGHT this year, instead of how much we can still do wrong and get away with it. Because, I tell you the truth, we rarely will be able to get away with much without consequences anyway. So, instead of adding guilt and shame to your pile of mess ups, just minimize your mess ups from the get go! You are worth the effort, worth the investment, worth the results!
31 Days of Motivation: Persistence is Powerful
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Calvin Coolidge
TD Jakes once said (in a church service) “there is probably more talent in this audience than is on this stage, but they lack commitment”. I think of all the people I know who could have been pro athletes or music super stars, but are secret hidden talents because they lacked commitment and persistence.
Some of the best champions are not THE best, they are just the ones that refuse to give up – and the same goes with fitness. There are people who are in the gym DAILY and trying to watch what they eat DAILY – and even though they fail, their determination not quit brings them to success eventually. Better yet, they can be MORE successful than the toughest chick in the gym, or the most disciplined competitor, IF they are more consistent and committed.
BE ENCOURAGED!! Persistence trumps one day of strength. Never give up.
31 Days of Motivation: Beware of Short Cuts
Bring Your Gym Bag, Your Muscles AND Your Brain
When I show someone an exercise, I believe it’s important to tell that person what we are working, why that exercise is working that muscle group, and how they can make the most of that particular exercise to get the results they want. Not only will they understand the importance of that exercise, and know how to do it correctly, they will be more motivated to do it when they understand what it will do for them.
Sure, I could easily just point to a machine and have them go through the motions. Shoot, if I did that, they’d HAVE to keep coming back to me for help. Maybe other people consider that good job security. Some trainers have the mentality of, “don’t teach them anything, or they might go off and do it themselves”. But, if I just told people what to do, although it may change their body, it won’t change their mind.
Here’s my philosophy. People need a mind make-over. People need more than guidance, they need education. They need to make better decisions when no one is around to tell them what to do. The more a trainer empowers people with knowledge, the more lives they can change. The more success stories, the better their reputation will be – that THEY were the one that helped so many people reach their goals.
Sadly, some people just don’t want to learn. Often times people resort to short cuts or programs that tell you what to do because they don’t want to think for themselves. While joining a program that directs you is a good thing, beware of spending hours being told what to do without learning anything. Don’t be afraid to think, to try to understand, to invest time and energy in learning.
We are supposed to LEARN from our hard work. Dedication and discipline is supposed to challenge us, grow us and teach us how to persevere and overcome obstacles. Don’t look for short cuts, look for the right path – no matter how long or hard it looks. The right path is where you will learn the most, and you’ll learn how to stay on track once you get there!
Don’t look for shortcuts, sometimes the hardest routes teach us the most!
14 Quotes to Motivate You to Work Hard in ’14!
- The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. Thomas A. Edison
- Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work. Peter Drucker
- Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. Newt Gingrich
- Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but without it you don’t have a chance. Alex Rodriguez
- Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all. Sam Ewing
- Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. Stephen King
- Young people are threatened… by the evil use of advertising techniques that stimulate the natural inclination to avoid hard work by promising the immediate satisfaction of every desire. Pope John Paul II
- For every two minutes of glamour, there are eight hours of hard work. Jessica Savitch
- All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think, because thinking is such hard work. Thomas J. Watson
- You can’t get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you’re doing. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover will be yourself. Alan Alda
- Temporary success can be achieved in spite of lack of other fundamental qualities, but no advancements can be maintained without hard work. William Feather
- No great achiever – even those who made it seem easy – ever succeeded without hard work. Jonathan Sacks
- Opportunity looks a lot like hard work. Ashton Kutcher
- A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. Colin Powell
31 Days of Motivation: No Regrets
We’ve all done it – those moments we realize we coulda, woulda, shoulda. So, how can we improve? Next time we make a decision, we ask ourself “Could I? Would I? Should I?”
Making NO Decision is Still Making A Decision
I think many of us are not making bad decisions as much as we are making NO decisions. If we stop to think about what we are doing, we typically know the right thing to do. However, most of the time, we rush into things or live on the fly, without stopping to ask ourself if we are making the best decision. Every time I ask myself “could I, would I, should I?”, I make MUCH better decisions – purposeful decisions, instead of impulse decisions.
Even the smallest decisions are decisions we can regret. From whether we should run or not (Spoiler Alert: The answer is almost always yes) or we should eat “this or that”, sometimes we just need to stop and really think about what we are doing. If we are honest with ourselves. We’ll make more decisions we can be proud of – and less decisions we regret.
31 Days of Motivation: Better Than Chocolate
We all have a favorite food we seem powerless around. Some people crave sweets, others (like me) crave salty snacks. If you want to see me struggle, just put a bowl of chips and salsa in front of me. It’s my kryptonite. I will shrivel up into a ball and lose all my super powers. OK, not really, but you get the point.
If you want results this year, you need to STOP obsessing over your kryptonite, and START obsessing over the super powers you will get as soon as you get away from it. If you think you can’t live without your nightly ice cream, you should be more stressed out about living one more night not feeling your best, your strongest, your fittest, your healthiest. That, my friend, is actually something worth worrying about.
Think about living one more day in tight fitting jeans. Think about living one more day, out of shape and out of breath. Think about giving up a healthy heart, a long life, and spending time feeling your best playing with your grandkids. THAT, my friends, is what you are GIVING UP every time you GIVE IN – and THAT is some scary stuff!
Are you giving your kryptonite too much power?
Homework:
Make a list of the things you are giving up (the future, healthier you), if you don’t give up the things you need to reach your goals.
31 Days of Motivation: What Do Your Actions Say About Your Goals?
I am about to reveal how this fit chick got so stinkin’ hot and tone. It may not be what you think. She didn’t get fit by talking about it. She didn’t sculpt abs by posting workouts on facebook. She didn’t take a pill. She didn’t do it in 6 minutes a day. She didn’t use the Ab Lounge or Thigh Master. It wasn’t her protein shakes, supplements or even her healthy eating that got her looking that good. It wasn’t good intensions, a support group or counseling. No, it was WORK. Very hard work – in the gym and in the kitchen.
Surprise! The people who reach their goals work for it. Their actions speak even louder than their words. They live today, how they they desire to be tomorrow. They don’t have to feel motivated and they don’t have to love each workout – they just have to show up and do the work.
Good News for the Rebel
We’ve heard all our life that actions speak louder than words, but how many people talk about getting fit more than they act like it? We are all guilty of that at some point. Sadly, I think we release ourselves from guilt because of our “good intensions”, but what does God say about good intensions? Check out this story that Jesus tells about two sons – one rebellious, and one who appears to be respectful. This is one of my favorite stories because it is so encouraging to see it’s not about how bad we mess up, but about getting on track (or getting back on track) after you messed up. It also (to me) speaks volumes about good intensions. Powerful & encouraging. Here’s the story…
“What do you think? (Jesus says) A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, “The first”.” Then Jesus goes on to say “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom before you.” (simply because they believed and ended up repenting) Matthew 21:28-32
I think we all have a tendency to rebel. I also think we all “WANT” to do good, and don’t. Sometimes you just have to do what is right, even when you don’t want to (even if it is out of regret and guilt at first). As God blesses you for it (because He will!), I believe your heart will soften and the desires of your heart will change. Now, back to fitness and using this scripture for life application…
Actions Speak Louder
I believe these same applications applies to fitness (as well as many other areas). It is better to show up dreading your workout than to talk about it, pack your gym bag, and skip the gym. Good intensions aren’t going to get you results. Pretending to be fit, won’t get you results. Posting it on facebook won’t get you results. Your actions must reflect your desires – and sadly, your lack of actions may tell people that you don’t want it as bad as you say you do.
Like the priests and elders (Jesus was speaking to), talking the talk, is not as important as walking the walk. Going to the gym, but not being disciplined in the kitchen, is like going to church on Sundays, and acting like the devil at home. You have to live it - 7 days a week, in public and in private. Like I always say “what you eat in private will show up in public (on your hips!) eventually.”
“Don’t wait on motivation. Don’t wait to “feel like it”. It’s OK to fight it, hate it, dread it, and to rebel against it…at first.”
Just do it. Don’t wait on motivation. Don’t wait to “feel like it”. It’s OK to fight it, hate it, dread it, and to rebel against it and say “NO! I will not” (but regret it and go anyway). You can mess up, and still stand proud because you DID IT – and you WILL be rewarded. Then, the reward will keep you coming back, and do a major work in your life and body, as well as your mind.
Let’s commit to DOING not just SAYING. Let’s commit to ignoring our rebellious heart and mind, and be obedient – doing what we MUST do TODAY to go where we WANT to go TOMORROW.
I believe most of us want to do the right thing. We want to lose weight and take care of our bodies. We want to be healthy, disciplined and responsible. Now we just need to fully commit to LIVING like we WANT to live. Actions do speak louder than words – to you and everyone else who is watching, including God.
Are you acting as fit as you want to become?
31 Days of Motivation: What’s Your Body’s Balance?
Have you ever looked at your checking account and been surprised to see the balance was lower than you expected it to be. I think we’ve all been there before. At first you think, “there’s no way I spent that much money”. Then, as you look further, you begin to uncover all the small stuff that created the big problem.
It’s funny how the little stuff adds up so quickly, and the same applies to our diet. It’s all the extras that can get us in trouble. Condiments, salad dressings, snacks, cream and sugar – they all add a lot of extra calories to our diet. Unfortunately most people have no idea how many calories they are taking in.
Dieting is all about checks and balances. The only difference is, most of us don’t ‘balance’ our diet account to see where we stand. That habit would never fly when it comes to our money. Most of us can’t afford to just keep writing checks without reconciling our account. The truth is we really can’t afford to ignore how much we eat either. Eventually it will catch up with you.
We can fool ourselves into thinking we don’t have to count calories, but just because we don’t count them doesn’t mean that the calories aren’t there. The only difference is no one is there to cut you off once you’ve gone ‘over the limit’ like the bank does when you are in the red.
Managing calories is like writing a budget. It takes a little time in the beginning, but as you begin to journal your food, you quickly learn what you can and cannot afford to eat. The good news is, unlike managing your bank account, you don’t have to do it forever. Part of the initial discipline is just a learning process.
You may be a good steward of you money, but are you a good steward over your body? Your body is the most valuable asset you have. Maybe it’s time to do some checks and balances with your health this year.
31 Days of Motivation: Why Calories Count
Wouldn’t it be nice if every food item came with a label on it? If only we knew how many calories were each home-cooked meal, baked good and menu item, many of us would make much better decisions. The hardest part about dieting is trying to guess how many calories are in these types of foods. We tend to underestimate calories when we leave it up to our own guess work. We want to believe certain foods are OK to eat. Then after we talk our self in to believing we’ve made the right choice we expect to lose weight as if our guess was always accurate.
I made a major mistake one time that enlightened me on this very subject. I picked up a low-calorie snack on a recent road trip. I noticed the snack was a little over 200 calories. I wasn’t too thrilled about this since I try to keep my snacks to 150 calories or less but I thought I should bring it in case I got hungry. I found myself picking up the snack while I was driving along, re-reading the package over and over – contemplating whether it was worth it or not. I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it and would prefer to eat something better later. 
I decided to stop at Starbucks to stretch my legs and refuel my body with a fat-free sugar-free latte. I found myself staring at the pastry case looking for anything that could be the least bit healthy. The store had only one “healthy” item – ‘no sugar added’ banana nut bread (AKA: Cake). I thought that would be an OK choice. Besides, it had real bananas and whole nuts in it which sure beat my processed 200 calorie snack. The bread was larger than my wimpy snack so, even if it had a few more calories, I thought it would be worth it. I love how I try to talk myself into feeling good about my decision, but this was my thought process.
After I ate the snack I began to feel a little guilty, second guessing my choice so I looked up the calories for that banana nut bread and found that my little ‘no sugar added treat’ had over 475 calories and 30 grams of fat!! That’s more calories than an entire lean cuisine meal. I couldn’t believe it! I knew it was probably a little higher than my 200 calorie snack, but I had no idea it was going to be more than twice the calories. In addition I had my fat-free sugar-free latte which was 180 calories so in one quick trip to the coffee shop I had over 655 FREAKIN’ CALORIES! This little boo-boo would probably take me about 6 miles to erase! Ugh!
I am sure I’m not alone here. I hear stories like this all the time in the gym, but mistakes like this can be EASILY prevented. It’s simple: If you are dieting and you don’t know how many calories are in a particular food – DON’T EAT IT. It’s not worth throwing away your hard work in the gym and all your other sacrifices you make to control your caloric intake.
Dieters eating food without knowing how many calories is in it is like shoppers shopping for items that have no prices on them. How in the world are you supposed to know if you can “afford” something or not? How in the WORLD are you supposed to make an intelligent decision if you have no knowledge to base your decision on? You can’t! Like me, you can fool yourself into thinking something is okay for you – but just because you don’t know how many calories is in something doesn’t mean they aren’t there. And, like our poor spending habits reflect on our bank statement – your poor choices will eventually reflect on the scale.
The moral of this story: Know what you are eating or don’t eat what you don’t know – because what you don’t know can hurt you!
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31 Days of Motivation: Don’t Erase Your Hard Work
Most people fail, not because they aren’t working hard enough in the gym, but because they aren’t working hard enough in the kitchen. They blow 5 days of sweat and tears on snacks and cheat meals. Even people who are eating healthy, still can eat too much.
Start becoming protective over your hard work in the gym. It comes with a cost – they are called calories. We burn them in the gym, and we need to protect that investment and prevent replacing them with irresponsible eating.
If you are trying to lose weight, commit to counting every single calorie you eat this weekend, even if you’ve never counted calories before. Before it goes in your mouth, look it up and add it up. Once you know the real cost of food, you will begin to budget your eating better and see the results you want! Have a great weekend everyone! More motivation tomorrow!!
