LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP THE FAITH

IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS THAT THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS LET THIS STORY ENCOURAGE YOU THAT IT IS TRUE. This beautiful young lady asked to join one of my 21 Day Fix Challenge groups several months back she already had the program and didn't need to purchase it from me, which was just fine. From that day forward she has been an active participant in all of my challenge groups and she has been killing it, as you can see from the pictures.

I am so inspired by this girl and impressed by her relentless spirit of faith. So, what does this have to do with the Lord and all? For over a year now I've been praying about doing missionary work with Joyce Meyer Ministry and one of the main places her missions goes to is Africa, specifically Kenya. And what does that have to do with anything? Ms. Obianuju is in Kenya and very active with her church and faith there. Hummm....

I've questioned often if this coaching thing is something that I should be doing, but I truly feel that it is a calling that God has laid on my heart. Each time that I have doubts God will reveal another reason as to why I should continue down this path. Thank you Obianuju for being the reason I stay the course that God has put me on you truly are an inspiration.
If you would like to join my next challenge/support group fill out the form below and I will be back with you within the next 24 hours.
Challenge Group form:
https://lorimudd.wufoo.com/forms/zfkglm50fxxl0m/
 ‪

21 DAY FIX TACO BAKE-LEAN GROUND BEEF & QUINOA

LEAN GROUND BEEF & QUINOA TACO BAKE

Makes 4 servings
Each serving = 1 yellow, 1/2 green, 1/2 purple, 1 blue, 1 red

Yellow Container Ingredients
1 cup uncooked Quinoa

Red Container Ingredients
16 oz Laura's lean ground beef (you can also use 93% lean ground turkey, but ya know how I feel about ground turkey :( )

Green Container Ingredients
Chopped Red or yellow or green pepper*(I used a 12 oz bag of frozen mixed peppers and onions)
Chopped onion & Jalapeno*( I used a Tbsp of diced Jalapeno)

Purple Container Ingredients
Tomato Sauce (low Sodium) 2 cups (1 15 oz can)

Blue Container Ingredients
Shredded Cheddar (4 Blue containers worth) (1/2 cup)

Freebie ingredients
Juice of 1 lime (optional, I didn't use it and the dish was still great! Not a big fan of lime it's right up there with the ground turkey.)
Garlic 3 cloves minced
Chili Powder 2 Tbsp
Cumin 2 Tsp
Onion Powder 1 Tsp
Chopped Cilantro 1/3 cup (optional)
Hot Sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9

   

   21 Day Fix is Simple nutrition. 30 minute daily workouts. Fast Results!

   X 13 baking dish with cooking spray & set aside.
2. Add Quinoa to 2 cups water in a Medium saucepan & bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low & simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat & fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa & set aside.
3. Spray frying pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add onion, garlic & jalapeno & sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up as it browns. Cook for about 5 minutes & add the peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until meat if no longer pink.
4. Add the juice of 1 lime, cumin, chili powder & cilantro. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. Remove from heat & add the quinoa to the meat & veggie mixture. Pour in the tomato sauce & hot sauce if using & stir. Add 1 blue container of shredded Cheddar Cheese.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 3 (blue) containers of Cheddar. Cover with foil & bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil & bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & edges are bubbling. Remove from oven & let cool for 10 minutes.

**All the veggies chopped should equal 2 green containers full.

For more information on the 21 Day Fix please contact me at by sending me a friend request on Facebook www.fb.com/lori.mudd.92 or not ready  to commit yet and just want to check things out then get your Facebook Creeper On by following me at www.fb.com/LorimuddWTF3.

Breakfast for only 131 calories-Zucchini, Red Pepper,& Sweet Potato Frittata

             ZUCCHINI, RED PEPPER, & SWEET POTATO FRITTATA
                                                   Breakfast for only 131 calories!

If you hate veggies the way that I hate veggies then you have to start early to try and get all your servings of vegetables in for the day. It is always hard for me to find a way to slip a vegetable in with breakfast, but with this yummy recipe I get a serving of vegetables in 1st thing in the morning along with a healthy dose of carbs for energy and protein to keep me feeling full longer. This is just one of the many quick and easy recipes that are available on The Beachbody Blog that you have access to with your Beachbody club membership. Don't have a Beachbody club membership or need to know more about it then send me a friend request on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/Lori.mudd.92 or check it out for yourself at www.coachdannon.com. If you like this recipe please share it with your friends and make sure you hit  "like", so a copy of the recipe will be saved to your facebook account.

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 cooked medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ tsp. sea salt
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (1½ oz.)
Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Add zucchini, bell pepper, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
3. Add sweet potato, basil, and salt. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 to 60 seconds, or until the moisture has evaporated. Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Add eggs to vegetable mixture. Mix until combined; cook, without stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom is light golden. As it cooks, lift the edges and tilt skillet so uncooked eggs flow to the edges.
5. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, covered, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Garnish with reserved basil; serve immediately.Frittatas are healthy, easy, and packed with protein. Our zucchini, red pepper, sweet potato frittata recipe is loaded with fresh veggies and tastes delicious.
Total Time: 41 min.                                          calories 131 per servings
Prep Time: 15 min.                                           fat 7g
Cooking Time: 26 min.                                     protein 8 gm
Yield: 4 servings                                                Dietary fiber 2 gm
                                                                            carbs 10 gm
                                                                            Sugar 5 gm
1-green 1-yellow 1-red 1/4-blue

21 Day Fix Friendly Chicken Marsala

                                                             21 Day Fix Friendly
                                                               Chicken Marsala

 I'm always on the lookout for new recipes that are 21 Day Fix friendly, easy to make, and can be thrown together in a crockpot or one-an-done. This Paleo inspired meal is the Triple Crown with it's basic ingredients of chicken and vegetables, marinating in a baggy, then cooking it all in 1 pot for only 30 minutes- AND IT'S LOW CAL CHICKEN MARSALA FOR THE WIN!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• One 3 to 6 quart dutch oven.
• One large ziplock bag for marinating.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 to 2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken breast.
• 1/2 cup of Tomato Balsamic dressing.
• 1 small package (2 to 3 cups) of sliced bella mushrooms.
• 1 medium white or vidalia onion, cut in half and sliced into medium strips.
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh chopped tomato or tomato sauce.
• 1 tbsp of Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced.
• salt & pepper to taste.

THROWING IT TOGETHER:

1. Before cooking, place chicken thighs in your ziplock bag with 1/2 cup of the tomato balsamic dressing. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Place your dutch oven on a stovetop burner, set to medium heat, and also turn your oven on to 350°F.
3. Add your oil and garlic to your dutch oven, stir and raise heat to medium-high.
4. Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and add to your dutch oven (with any remaining dressing from the bag) to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
5. Once browned, remove your dutch oven from the hot burner. Add your tomatoes.
6. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the tomatoes and scrape the bottom of your dutch oven. That is where the flavor lies.
7. Add your onions and mushrooms to the top of your chicken and tomatoes, no need to stir in.
8. Cover and put into your 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and serve! It goes great with a spinach salad. Enjoy!

www.facebook.com/LorimuddWTF3

21 Day Fix Extreme

After 3 rounds of the 21 Day Fix and >30 lbs gone I'm ready to cross that finish line and hit my goal weight by going EXTREME, 21 Day Fix Extreme! On 2/16/15 my 21 Day Fix Support Group will be blasting off!!! You can go low key (with the original 21 Day Fix) or FULL THROTTLE (21 Day Fix Extreme) just let me know which 1 you want to do. Can't decide, drop me a message below or on fb and I'll be glad to help you pick what's best for you to get you to your fitness goal.

Oh, did I mention both programs are on sale and you can check them out on my LIKE pg www.fb.com/LorimuddWTF3, if you know what you want when you're there then hit the "shop now" button at the top of the pg and you can go straight to my site and purchase your  program. 

**FYI YOU MIGHT WANT TO HURRY AND ORDER SOON, BECAUSE LAST YEAR WHEN THE 21 DAY FIX WAS LAUNCHED IT SOLD OUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS**

(then it was on back order for months and I'd hate for you to miss out on this fabulous deal and program, just sayin...)

One more thing before I go if you've struggled to have success with your weight loss goals in the past and you've never tried a program with a coach then I ask that you give this, me a try. As your coach I'll help you get started, stay motivated, and get results! Together we'll succeed in crushing our goals! 

Weight Loss Surgery-Friend or Foe?

           WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY-FRIEND OR FOE

I'm writing this blog in the hopes that maybe just one person will read it and believe me, because all of my friends, family members, co-workers, the majority of them never did. Unfortunately, they had to find out the hard way for themselves, so here goes. Weight loss surgery is not an "easy, quick" way out of a fat situation.

I had gastric by-pass surgery in 2008 and my sister had the gastric band. At the time I weighed 352 lbs and 50 lbs did come off rather quickly, but that was it and I still had 150 lbs to go. My sister had similar results and she weighed about the same maybe a little less. I was not about to give up after all I had gone through, so I buckled down and started working out everyday and eating a healthy diet. Eventually I reached my goal weight of 178 lbs!! People had noticed my transformation, people who also needed or wanted to lose weight and I was happy to share my secrets with them. I told them it was diet and exercise, but of course, they were aware I had had the surgery and if they weren't as soon as they heard about the surgery they stopped listening to anything else I had to say. They just believed that the surgery was the answer and not the diet and exercise.

After my sister and I had the weight loss procedures and had success at least 12 more people at work went and had the surgery. What type of success did they have? Only 1 woman reached her goal weight and she had the band and never once went and had fluid put in it. She changed her diet and I mean she changed her diet! She became vegan and she is very serious about it too. A 2nd lady had great success, even though she didn't reach her goal weight, she looks fantastic (she did have complication from the band, it eroded through her stomach, she got peritonitis, and she was in the hospital for months). The rest lost little to none, because they didn't believe they needed to change their diet and they didn't need to exercise.

The moral of the story is don't place your hopes, dreams on a magic band, surgery, pill, because it doesn't exist! I'm not telling you not to have weight loss surgery it is absolutely necessary for some people, but you need to see it for what it is-a TOOL to help you reach your goal. You don't assemble a cabinet with just a hammer, you need a screw driver, and a saw to cut the wood. It's the same with losing weight there are many tools that work together to build your success, your healthy life.

 I greatly encourage you if you are over weight, especially if you are >50 lbs over weight, to find a plan to get on to help you lose the weight. I wasted so many years being obese, so much time not getting to do things because I was to big to fit in the rides, or to heavy to ride the horse or to zipline, etc... Or just to feel good and you don't realize how bad you feel, until you feel REALLY good. And with every pound that comes off you'll feel better and better I promise you that. Good luck.

21 Day Fix Friendly Taco Soup

                          21 DAY FIX FRIENDLY Taco Soup
                                                                                 TACO SOUP
This recipe is quick and makes a fair amount, so you can divide it into several servings and freeze it for another day.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb Laura's lean ground beef
1 can black beans ( rinsed)
1 can fat free pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 pkt ranch drsg
1 pkt taco seasoning
1 medium onion diced
1 can corn
COOKING:

Brown ground beef season with salt and pepper, break into pieces while cooking, add onion. Cook until onions are translucent and meat is brown.
Mean while add all other ingredients to a large pot & heat on medium. When meat and onions are done add them to the pot. Stir well. If watching calories serve as is, if not serve with Mexican cheese and tortilla chips. 
 1-cup is a serving size
1 yellow
1 red

If your struggling to lose weight or to just get healthy, then send me a IM or friend request on Facebook I'd love to talk to you and share my secrets to success. Not ready to talk yet then check out my like pg @ Lori's losing It www.facebook.com/LorimuddWTF3 for tips on dieting, healthy eating, recipes, support, motivation, and more. 

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

             IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

I almost missed, once again, a party of a life time because I let my self doubt take over. I use to weigh 352 lbs & I never believed that I could lose the weight. I tried every diet, every pill, every fast, even surgery and nothing worked, until one day I got it. The problem was me! That Fat person was all in my head and I couldn't lose her. Yes, there was physically fat on my body, but the real problem was in my head. I didn't believe I could lose the weight. I couldn't picture myself thinner. I had always been extremely shy as a child and missed out on a lot of fun, because I was afraid to try things or talk to people. What if they didn't like me? What if I failed? I made myself be more outgoing as an adult, because I got tired of missing out. But when I gained weight I started hiding behind it just like I did my shyness as a child. 

I drove 6 hours to meet my upline coach and I was so excited the whole drive up, then when she text that she was in the lobby guess who came to visit? Yep, F*** and I was paralyzed thank God my son was with me, because I probably would have never left the room. I would have missed an outrageous party, seeing the CEO of our company up close, and meet the inspirational women on our team.

My only regret from last night is I did let that person in my head win a battle. You see I lost 173 lbs and then tore a tendon in my hip an gained 75 lbs back. I realized I never really learned to eat right I just exercised like crazy, so when I couldn't do that the weight started to come back on. The 21 Day Fix and Autumn Calabrese have been a life saver for me. By teaching me how to eat right I've now lost 35 of those pounds. And I would have loved to have told her and to have taken a picture with her and I could have because I notice her standing by the door before anyone else. She was alone, but the FAT person in my head won and told me, "I was still fat, look at all the skinny people in the room, really you're going to go up to her?" Damn It! The point is it is all in your head too.

 I want you to know that you can lose the weight and know it won't be easy and there will be ups and downs, but you can do it. Tell the person in your head to SHOUT THE HELL UP! Because you are not wasting 1 more day being trapped in a body you don't want. God bless.

EASY, QUICK, LOW CAL SNACK-KALE CHIPS

QUICK, EASY, & LOW CAL SNACK

                     (Don't tell the kids but it's good for you too!)

Are you trying to get healthy and eat better for the New Year, but finding it hard to give up all the "good stuff"? Old habits are hard to break and it takes about 21 days to form new ones.  If you're like me and you love chips with your sandwich here is a healthy alternative to the high fat, high calorie, 0 nutrition potato chip. It is the KALE CHIP! Packed with nutrition, easy to make, cheap to buy, and best of all delicious. Here's to a healthy new you.

Recipe 
preheat oven to 350 degrees
INGREDIENTS
* 2 cups fresh kale leaves (if you really buy the fresh stuff on the stems make sure you wash it really, really well and then remove the leaves from the stem and dry the kale off. I'm lazy and buy the bagged stuff that is pre washed and cut, just sayin...)
* 1 Tbsp Olive oil or coconut oil
*olive oil spray
*Dash salt (sea salt or kosher salt works best)
If you want spicy a dash of paprika and/or chili powder
Cut the kale up into bite size pieces, toss kale and olive/coconut oil together using your fingers. Lay the kale out on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with the olive oil spray and make sure the kale leaves lie as flat as possible. Bake for 10-15 minutes (until the edges get brown, not burnt). Once you remove them from the oven sprinkle them with the salt,paprika, or any other calorie free flavoring that you might like-Enjoy!!
Breakdown:
64 calories per serving(2 cups of kale), 1 g fat, 212 mg sodium, 13 g carbs, 2.5 g fiber, 0 g sugars, 4.25 g protein
1-green container

DINNER FOR LESS THEN 300 CALORIES

QUINOA The supergrain of the future. Protein, fiber, and iron-rich. Gluten-free. Plus, it's a complete protein, making it ideal for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa can be made a head of time and stored, so you can have it ready to add to a meal or recipe at the last minute when you're short on time. Before I give you the recipe for the Quinoa patties and spinach how about the simple instructions on how to prepare quinoa. This recipe makes 8 servings (1/4 cup per serving), so you'll have extra for those emergencies I was talking about.

COOKED QUINOA

1. 1 cup dry quinoa
2. 2 cups cold water
3. sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

• Rinse quinoa thoroughly
• combine quinoa, water, salt (if desired), and pepper (if desired), in medium saucepan with lightly fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil; cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed. Try to avoid peeking so quinoa will cook evenly.
• Remove pan from heat. Continuing to keep pan tightly covered, let quinoa sit for 5 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork and serve.
• Tip You can store leftover Cooked Quinoa in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

QUINOA PATTIES OVER SPINACH

(makes 1 serving)

1. 1/4 cup Cooked quinoa
2. 1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
3. 4 tsp flaxseed
4. sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
5. 1 large egg white
6. Nonstick cooking spray
7. 3 cups fresh baby spinach

• Combine Cooked Quinoa, bell pepper, flaxseed, salt, pepper, and egg in a medium bowl; mix well. Form into two balls. Place one ball in a 1-cup measure. Press into a patty using fingers or 1/2-cup measure. Turn 1-cup measure over to release patty. Repeat with other ball.
• Heat medium skillet lightly coated with spray over medium heat.
• Place patties in skillet, cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes, or until cooked through and light golden. Remove from skillet. Keep warm.
• Add spinach to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted.
• Place spinach on a serving plate; top with patties.

Nutritional info: (per serving) Calories 298, fat 9 g, sodium 512 mg, carbohydrates 41 g, fiber 11 g, sugar 3 g, protein 15 g