Truthful Thursday

So it's Thursday and it is time to get a little truthful. If you have been following my blog you know I have been completing PIYO and my progress/updates are at week 2 because I restarted week 3. I was slowly into it and with physical therapy, I kind of just lost my motivation (I told you I would be truthful). And in the last week and a half I have not done anything. This weekend I really took some time for myself and had to have a really good talk on my goals, why I started my journey, and what was going on with me.

I have truly been feeling lost and not knowing who I am. I cannot tell you when my mindset really started to shift but I have went to see my PCP and we are waiting for my blood work to come back (another blog post at a later time) Until then, I felt like I was letting my body and my negativity really take control of my life. I wasn't getting up in the morning to workout, I ate whatever the heck I wanted without really watching, I wasn't reading my personal development daily, and my whole mindset was pity me. I told myself this was no ones fault BUT your own. You have no one to blame for the excuses & decisions you have made. If I do have a health issue (we will deal with that when it comes down to it) but instead of throwing a pity party... I could have still kept my same normal routine.

Like I said in the beginning...this is truthful Thursday.

 I have been quiet.

 I have been MIA.

I have been looking for the right words, but I realized there are NO right words.

I'm honest with myself and know when I need to put my big girl pants on & get it together. This is me, 100% honest. Sharing my journey with you every step of the way. That means failures, success, weight loss, weight gain, life experiences, products, and much much more.

I am putting this out there for EVERYONE to hold me accountable. I have RE-STARTED Piyo this week and I am now on day 4. I am giving it my all this time around....no excuses. I am human and I mess up and take many steps back in my fitness journey (even as a coach). But every failure you encounter turns into an even BIGGER success story.

If you have questions for me or want to know more I would love to answer them. You can send me a private message on Facebook or email : alyssayourish@gmail.com 

Looking forward to chatting with you!

One Pan : Italian Bake Chicken

Ready for a recipe that calls for three ingredients and really no prep time?!



 





HERE WE GO!

What you need:

- 3 chicken breasts
- 4 medium red potatoes
- Green Beans or (you can choose a different veggie)
- Italian dressing season packet
- You are supposed to use butter but I threw a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan

What to do:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Cut the chicken in cubes, Cut the potatoes in half
- Spray the bottom of the pan.
- Place the chicken in the middle of the pan; the potatoes on one side; your veggie on the other.
- Top with half of the Italian seasoning packet and add a little water to the dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for about an hour.

PIYO Week 2: Update and Results

 

 

We have another week done with Chalene Johnson. I have to say she is by far my favorite trainer, no matter what workout I am doing I feel amazing after the time stops! And sometimes it feels like you have just started a workout and you are already done. Time flies (literally). I cannot believe I am half way through month one.  I have to be honest, I did not think PIYO was going to be enough. Even though cardio is not my favorite but I do like to get my heart rate moving. But even if you are aren't jumping around doing agility you still work up a sweat & you are still moving. You are moving in a different way, but you will work you bootay off!

 

Thirty minute workouts give or take low impact do you think you are going to get something out of it? You are using muscles you truly do not use in your day to day routine. When starting any new routine you get nervous and worried you will not see the results, but you have to trust the process. And I truly believe that is why some people do not stick to programs in the first couple weeks and throw in the towel. WHY? Because sometimes they do not feel challenged enough. It isn't hard enough. This program is something they typically do not do normally. You just want to give up and go back to your "normal" routine. That is where most people fail and hit a plateau. If you stay in your normal routine you continue to work those same muscles & you won't see results as much as you would like too. You have to step outside your comfort zone every once in a while.  Work new muscles, try new things...you never know what could happen?! Try the program for 30 days..see it through to day 30; following the program to a T, then make your decision about quitting & moving onto something else.

 

Bummed Knee

Unfortunately, when it came to working out I did not have a choice. If I wanted to get back to it PIYO was the only thing I could do or lightly walk. You can't see the picture to good, but my knee gets tapped every time I go to PT so I can warm up with running. It's not comfortable believe me. The white tape is the bottom layer & the brown tape we push my knee cap over from the right side to the left so it is "centered." The goal is to keep it on for 48 hours, if it is uncomfortable it can come off. It hasn't lasted more than a day, but I do honestly try to keep it on that long & workout with it because if it helps, then it could help my knee issues a little bit. But I must say I am very glad that PIYO is the only program I can do, because I truly enjoy it. I get frustrated sometimes because my muscles need stretched and it hurts, BUT it is working! It tests me and it is mind over matter. I try to push myself a little further each day.

Believing you can is the first step. Next come up with an action plan. Write a schedule of your workouts down (even though you get a schedule), but that way it is visible and you know what you are doing each day. If it helps start creating a vision board with your goals (weight loss, what size you want to be, maybe your future swimsuit you want to wear). When you put your goals in front of you where you can see them everyday, it makes you work ten times harder.

Motivational/Goal Board

What does week 2's schedule look like?

Monday - Sweat
Tuesday - Define: Lower Body
Wednesday - Core
Thursday - Define: Upper Body
Friday - rest
Saturday - Sweat
Sunday - Core

I can't exactly say what my favorite workout of Piyo is just yet. And I only say that because I have not done all of them yet. From the ones I have completed so far I would say Sweat and Upper Body. Upper body is a little short for time but you still can get a great workout, you can always add something else to workout longer.

I have been delaying writing this post not because I don't have words to say or I don't like piyo. It is because I didn't really give my all. It has been getting to me. I had a bad week during physical therapy. I really was struggling with not being able to workout during PT days and when I was having a hard time running,I just felt defeated. It's hard to accept I can not physically run when I want and some plyometric exercises still bother me. It is hard to be "restricted," but I have to learn to work around it and do what I can. If I push myself harder, I could hurt myself more & set myself back. And if I quit what does that say about me?

So onward and upward. I gave myself some time to sit and think about where I am, how far I've come, and where I want to be. It is just a chance for me to regroup and get my mind right. So, I have the right mindset & ready to kick butt on week three.

 

If you would like more information on joining my next Piyo Accountability and support group to get customized meal planning, tips and recipes to help you start and complete your Piyo Journey please contact me below!

 

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Stuffed Ground Turkey Peppers

One of my favorite recipes when I was little. But I wanted to find my own way to make it. So that is exactly what I did.
 
Ingredients:
 
- green peppers
- ground turkey
- 1/2 onion; chopped
- garlic
- tomato sauce (your favorite sauce)
- sea salt
- pepper
 
Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
- Cook onion and garlic on low for a few minutes.
- Add ground turkey ; you can also add salt, pepper, and spices if desired for taste.
- As the turkey is cooking cut the tops of the peppers off, and hollow out the insides.

Hollow Green Peppers

 

- Once the ground turkey is cooked all the way through add your sauce. (I did not measure anything out)

 

Ground Turkey Mixture

- Fill the peppers with your mixture.

 

 - If desired sprinkle cheese on top.
- Place in over for 30 minutes; let cool for a little.
- Serve with a side of brown rice or black beans.

Vegetable Tian

As we were riding home from Maryland this weekend I was scrolling through Pinterest looking for new recipes. Why not make the most of your 5 hour drive when you can't go food shopping or meal prep .. at least you can make your shopping list with your meal plan. That is exactly what I did on the way home, but you know when you type in "clean eating recipes" thousands of amazing dishes. You must narrow it down or you will be on forever. I wanted to try to do something different, something without meat. There was my narrowed down search "veggie" dishes, which is how I came across this recipe.

Vegetable Tian Being Prepped

What you need:

-baking dish

-1/2 onion ; chopped

-2 tbsp. chopped garlic

-zucchini

-potatoes (I used red skin)

-red pepper

-Parmesan cheese

-seat salt

-pepper

-thyme

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Wash, Peel, and Slice vegetables.

3. Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for seven minutes.

 

4. Add onions and garlic to the bottom of the pan. Layer the pan with the vegetables.

5. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and drizzle 1-2 tsp of olive oil over the top for taste.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese over and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes.

8. Let it cool for a bit before serving.

 

 


Dijon Vinaigrette

(makes 8 servings ; about 6 tsp.each)

Salad Dressing


This is equal to one orange container.

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl ; whisk to blend.

2. Slowly add oil while whisking ; mix well

**Tip: store leftover dressing in a covered container in the refrigerator. If dressing thickens when cold, hold at room temperature for 3o minutes and stir before serving.