Blog - I am Fitnessa

June 26, 2016 by Vanessa

Sunday Strawberry Parfait

As a child I remember waking up on Sunday morning to the aroma of bacon and pancakes. My mom would always go all out for Sunday breakfast and dinner. We always knew Sunday was a day for church, good food, fellowship, and naps.

As an adult I have not carried on the traditional well. My family still attends church. However, most mornings we are rushing out the house. I don’t wake up early enough to make breakfast for my family. I barely make it up in enough time to get myself ready.

After this Sunday I have made a decision to start changing the way I do things. I want to start waking up earlier. I want to have breakfast prepared for my family. I don’t want to have just any old food prepared I want to have healthy and creative foods arranged. When my son wakes up I want him to be just as excited about Sunday morning breakfast as I was growing up.

I was recently inspired to be more creative with foods when I decided to make a parfait. I was looking in my fridge for something different to eat. I didn’t want the normal cold cereal. I wanted something light, filling, and exciting. My desire for a change is what led me to become creative. After about fifteen minutes of looking through my fridge I pulled out Strawberries and Greek yogurt. I was simply going to settle for throwing the strawberries in the yogurt and eating it like that. But, I felt that was boring so I looked in my pantry and found some granola. At that moment I knew what I was making! It was also super random that I had those ingredients in my house, but it worked out for the best.

Next Sunday I plan on making another type of breakfast Parfait. I am not sure exactly what it will consist of, but I am excited to get my creative juices flowing.

Ingredients:

Strawberries

Granola

Greek Yogurt

I didn’t measure anything as I went so I can’t provide a formal recipe for this creation. Next time I will measure so I can provide a recipe!!

June 23, 2016 by Vanessa

Vacation Pitfall

Last week my family and I went on a mini trip to North Carolina. The main reason for our trip was the death of my Uncle. We knew my uncle wasn’t doing well. We knew his time on this earth with us was limited. It was no shock to us when we received the grave news of his passing. We went to North Carolina not to mourn his death, but to celebrate his great life! We rejoiced in knowing my uncle is no longer in pain, and that he is in heaven with the Lord Almighty!

We drove to North Carolina which was about a 9 hour drive. I knew this trip was going to make it challenging to stay committed to eating healthy. How was I supposed to keep fruits,
veggies, and meat fresh during a nine hour trip? I figured I would just order healthy foods when we stopped to eat. I must say the first day I did pretty well with this. I stayed away from carbs and ate healthy items.

Well…..the next day proved to be a little more difficult. However, my mom was a huge support and encouraged me to workout with her in the morning. I woke up early in the morning and hit the elliptical! It felt so nice to wake up and start my day with a workout. After the nice workout it was time for breakfast. Lucky for us my husband booked a hotel with a breakfast buffet! (Sarcasm) The buffet was my weakness. I told myself that my workout would make up for eating the delicious biscuits and gravy. I was just justifying my desire to indulge in foods I knew I shouldn’t have. Later that day we went to the memorial service for my uncle. After the service there was food! If you have ever been to an African American event where there is family, you already know there is going to be tons of food. Well, my will power was gone and I ate food I know I should have avoided.

To make matters worse……the next day of our vacation (Day 3) was my birthday! So, let’s just say that day wasn’t a good healthy eating day for me either! On day four it was time to head home and I was tired of eating unhealthy food. But I made a huge mistake. I failed to plan! I arrived home to no healthy food choices in my house and no meals prepped for the week. The last couple days I have rushed out the house to get to work. I haven’t eaten food until way after 1:00 pm and I haven’t made good choices. However, I know the mistakes I have made, and I know what has to be done! It’s time to get back on track! Today, Friday June 24, 2016 I have started my detox cleanse! I am excited to be back on track!

Next vacation I will pack a cooler with healthy foods, and I will strive to make healthy choices. We live and we learn! Slipping a little bit has only made me more dedicated to getting back on track! My GPS is set back on course. My weight loss journey is still in full swing! I refuse to give up!

June 18, 2016 by Vanessa

The Bento Box of Healthy Snacks

The Bento box of healthy snacks has brought me through a rough week. I spent a lot of time driving for work this week. While on the road I don’t have a microwave. This makes it impossible for me to warm up my prepped lunches. Some people don’t mind eating cold or room temperature food, but I do. This week I had to rely a lot on my snacks. Having snacks on hand made it super easy to fly past fast food establishments. My snacks were able to hold me over until I arrived back at work or another destination where I could warm up my lunch.
Snacks have become an important part of my weight loss journey. I never realized just how important snacks are. I used to eat two very large meals per day. Those meals were most times lunch and dinner. I would never snack in-between. Most days by the time dinner rolled around I would be so famished that I would over indulge and have two and three helpings of food. Snacking through the day has prevented me from feeling so hungry by dinner time. This has overall assisted me in properly portioning my food.

One important thing about packing snacks is ensuring you pack items you actually like. One healthy snack I don’t like is rice cakes. I will eat a rice cake but I will not enjoy it. So when it comes to having a pack of rice cakes on hand, and a vending machine a few steps away, I am headed for the vending machine. To detour me from death trap of snacks (Vending Machine) I take time in planning out snacks that I would like to have. My Bento box allows me to pack a variety of different snacks in different compartments while keeping everything together. Now that is convenience at its best! If you would like to purchase one of the Bento boxes featured in the pictures you can do so HERE

This week’s snacks

Green Grapes

Watermelon

White Cheddar Cubes

Trail Mix

June 16, 2016 by Vanessa

Time to Workout

My journey Journal has truly been a continued source of encouragement for me. Saying you are going to lose weight is easy, but actually putting those words in action, and losing the weight is difficult. I have to remind myself daily that I didn’t gain this weight overnight, and I won’t lose it overnight. It’s going to take serious work, and dedication to obtain the results I am looking for.

The last couple weeks of eating healthy has been relatively easy. I make sure to prep all my meals and snacks. Prepping takes a lot of the guess work out of eating healthy. However, getting back into the gym and working out has been difficult. Most days after work I am exhausted. All I want to do is unwind and relax once I arrive home. I don’t want to jump into my workout clothes and hit the gym. That is actually the last thing on my mind. Some people have suggested that I go to gym in the morning. That sounds good and all……but I am not at all a morning person! If I wake up at 5am for the gym by 4pm I will be dead to the world.

So, ultimately it comes down to me making a sacrifice. Which is it going to be a morning workout or evening workout? I cannot make excuses and just not do it. I have to do it. So, going forward every day after work its back to the gym. Back to building my endurance and getting my body in shape. On this weight loss journey being active is a must! No excuses, no waiting!

My Journey journal this week is about working out! I have worked out in the past, but as time progressed I have slacked. Because of this I have placed a quote in my journal that says, “I want to see what happens if I don’t give up!” I long to see the results of my hard work and discipline pay off. The first step is no longer making excuses and making every effort to workout at least 3-5 days a week. It may be difficult, but in the end, it will be worth it! Off to the Gym I go!

June 13, 2016 by Vanessa

Chicken Fajita Quinoa Meal Prep

I have been working hard to keep my eye on the prize and to stay diligent to prepping meals on Sunday afternoons. I find that meal prep has become so much easier now that I am in a routine. I come home Sunday from church I throw my apron on, crank up the music, and start cooking. I feel like the kitchen is my playground! I really enjoy meal prepping. I also enjoy photographing my meals. Taking pictures and being able to share the food I prep with you keeps me inspired and motivated. Starting this website and sharing my meals is one of the best things I could have done. I know I haven’t been on this Journey long. However, I feel I have started strong! I don’t have a desire to eat unhealthy foods. And my dreadful sweet tooth is at bay.

Trust me when I say meal prep is easy! Don’t think so much about it! Just do it! Get in the kitchen and start cooking up some healthy meals. You won’t regret your decision. Also, a great tip I can provide is, use a slow cooker to make meat in. This will make prepping your meals even easier. Work smarter not harder. This week’s meal prep took me approximately 1.5 hours that is including the snacks I prepped also.

Meal 1:

Fajita Seasoned Chicken

Peppers

Quinoa

Meal 2

Seasoned Chicken

Spinach

Spaghetti Squash

If you would like to make Spaghetti squash, and aren’t sure how, here is a great step by step Recipe

Don’t forget to be looking out for my Bento Snack box post coming in the near future!

June 8, 2016 by Vanessa

Healthy Snacks on the Go

Having healthy snacks packed and in reach everyday has made changing my eating habits much easier. As I anticipated changing my way of eating I would cringe at the thought of missing out on certain foods. I had no idea how I was going to combat my sweet tooth. However, having my snack box and packing fruits has given me just the right amount of sweet that I need. I was super excited as I walked into the store this past week and saw cherries for sell. Cherries are one of my favorite fruits. Although Cherries are a fruit I know they contain sugar so I make sure to eat them in moderation. The same goes for dried fruit.

This week I made an important change in how I distributed the food in my Bento box. Last week I used one of the large containers for my trail mix. As much as I enjoy trail mix it was just way too much. Also, in my trail mix there are dried fruit, and dark chocolate pieces. These are items I should not be eating a large quantity of.

Featured in this weeks Snack Box:

Celery
Trail mix
Cherries
Apples

* I also carried a snack sized pack of pistachios with me in case I got hungry on the go.

So far this week with my bento snack box has been great! I can’t wait to think of new healthy snack ideas for next week

Also, if you would like to check out these amazing Bento boxes or purchase one you can do so here

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link.

June 7, 2016 by Vanessa

Healthy Food Focus

I once heard weight loss is 80% diet and 20% workout. I am not sure how true this equation is as I am not a doctor or certified personal trainer. However, I have been in the weight loss game for a while and have found one thing to be true, for me personally. Weight loss is 100% mindset. When I have lost the most weight it has taken place when my mind was focused on making it happen. I have set the stage to ensure I can be successful in my journey. Failing to plan is planning to fail. If you don’t have a game plan and a mindset to lose weight you won’t lose it. The main issue is you won’t stay the course. Small things will detour you and cheat meals will turn into cheat weeks. I only know this because I have lived it. I have fallen into the valley of weight loss failure! This time is different though! Because my mind set is 100% focused on losing the weight! I have planned, and I will succeed!!

This week’s journal entry is some magazine clippings of food. There are also quotes about eating healthy. My official weight loss journey started on Wednesday June 1, 2016. I have stayed on track up to this point, and plan to stay that way. I have eaten a lot of salads and protein. The first few days were difficult, and I had to make conscious decisions to make better food choices. However, lately it has gotten much easier and I lack the desire to eat junk food. This entry just reminds me to keep making healthy food choices.

When all else fails a salad is always a great choice!

June 6, 2016 by Vanessa

Meal Prep June 6, 2016

This is going to be another wonderful week! I have all my meals prepped and I am very excited about how they turned out. Over the weekend I thought about what I wanted to make for this week. I knew I wanted to stay away from chicken because I’ve had it the last 2 weeks. I dislike eating the same thing repetitively. I want to be semi excited about what I have for lunch. Having a nasty or repetitive lunch makes it easier for temptation to set in.

On Sunday I spent about 2 hours in the kitchen prepping my meals. Before prepping I had to run to the store and pick up some ingredients. The worse part about this week’s meal prep was my trip to the store. I noticed the clouds getting really dark and I could tell it was going to rain. I quickly went to the store and tried to get through the aisles as fast as I could. I made it through the entire store and got to the register. Right as I was cashing out the rain came with a vengeance. Lucky for me I had my umbrella. The only issue is the umbrella didn’t shield my sandals from getting all wet and my feet slipping. It also didn’t prevent the bottom of my long church dress from getting soaked. But, all in all I made it home with my ingredients. Granted, I was wet tired and cold. All I really wanted to do is lay down and take a Sunday nap. But, I knew that wasn’t in the cards if I wanted to complete my prepping. So, I got into my comfy cooking clothes and I hit the kitchen!!

Meal 1:

Spaghetti Zucchini

Turkey Meatballs

Tomato Sauce

Meal 2:

Olive oil fried Cabbage

Italian Pork Sausage

Snacks:

Cherries

Celery

Fuji Apple Slices

Trail mix

Make sure to check out my snack Box on Wednesday!

June 3, 2016 by Vanessa

The Snack Box

Sitting at a desk and working behind a computer screen can be a daunting task. Mindlessly sitting for hours at a time can make a person seriously hungry. I am the type of person who gets more work done while I snack. But, things have changed. I can’t reach for that bag of chips anymore. I can’t even indulge in a beautiful sprinkled yellow and pink frosted Doughnut! I have to make better choices. The simple thought of that doughnut has my mouth watering. But, I know ultimately it’s not worth it. This journey to fitness and me being healthy means much more to me.

In order to combat my desire to snack on chips, doughnuts, candy, cookies, and the other large array of junk food that is readily available in my office I have started packing a special box. Known as “the Snack box” In this box I pack fruits, trail mix, cheese cubes, and all the other healthy yummy food you can think of. Anytime I feel hungry or a craving coming on, I simply pop open my Snack box and let the snacking begin. The box you see in the picture is also known as a “Bento box” or “Laptop Lunch system” I brought mine several years ago and it has withstood the test of time. You can check them out and purchase one (Here)

I love that I can snack throughout my day and not fill guilty. I also enjoy coming up with new healthy foods to put in my “Snack Box”. Having my box filled with healthy snacks helps me to stay away from all the unhealthy snacks floating around my office. It also helps me avoid the dreaded vending machine!!

Make sure to come back and check out my other snack box combinations!!

In this box:

Strawberries
Celery
Trail Mix -Trader Joe’s View here
Turkey sausage
Cheese Cubes

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link.

June 3, 2016 by Vanessa

My Journey Journal

One of my largest struggles in losing weight is staying motivated. I tend to crack under pressure easily. I also let my mood dictate what I am going to eat. I admit it I am an emotional eater. If I have a rough day at work or even if I am in a celebratory mood I want to eat junk food. If my day is basic and normal I am easily able to stay focused and stay on track.

I was desperate to find something to help me stay motivated to eating healthy. I needed that one thing to aide me in conquering my emotional eating habits. So I decided recently to start a weight loss journal. I call it my “Journey Journal” also known to others as a smash book.

Every day when I arrive home from work I create a new page in my journal. This helps me to unwind and de-stress. I can also refer back to my previous pages for motivation. Most pages are just magazine clippings and cute designs. I also add some motivational quotes to keep me on track. I hope to stay dedicated to creating new pages in my journal. I also hope you enjoy checking out my journal pages each week!!