The Day Frankie and I Wrote a Story

Apparently my last blog post was in December.

Oops.

Life happened. Coaching happened. School happened. Grandparenting happened.

Today, Frankie and I were sitting on the floor playing with a wooden truck puzzle. Each puzzle piece was a different construction vehicle. As he handed me each truck, we talked about what it was called and what it did. A dump truck. A cement mixer. A tanker truck. An excavator. A bulldozer.

As we talked about each vehicle and its job, we started imagining them all working together on the same construction site. Before long, we had a title for our story:

Beep Beep, We Have a Job to Do!

The truck puzzle that started it all.

As I sat there making truck noises and helping build a make-believe playground, I found myself thinking, this is exactly why I care about living a healthy lifestyle.

Not for a number on the scale.

Not for a clothing size.

Not even for a fitness milestone.

I care about my health because I want the energy and mobility to say yes when Frankie asks me to sit on the floor and play. I want to be able to crawl around, tell stories, build towers, and fully enjoy these ordinary moments that become some of life's sweetest memories.

So here's the story we wrote and acted out together.

Beep Beep, We Have a Job to Do!

One morning, the construction crew got a big job. They were going to build a brand new playground!

First, the bulldozer arrived.

"Beep beep! Out of the way!" said the bulldozer.

He pushed away rocks, sticks, and bumps until the ground was nice and flat.

Next came the excavator.

"Scoop! Scoop! Scoop!" said the excavator.

He dug a big hole where the playground would go and piled up lots of dirt.

Then the dump truck rolled in.

"Load me up!" said the dump truck.

The excavator filled the dump truck with dirt, and away it drove to take the dirt to another part of town.

Soon the tanker truck arrived carrying water.

"I brought water!" it said.

The workers used the water to help make concrete and keep the dusty dirt from blowing around.

Then the cement mixer truck came spinning into the construction site.

Round and round went the drum.

"I've got fresh concrete!" said the mixer.

The workers poured the concrete into the hole to make a strong foundation.

Just when everyone thought the job was done, another dump truck arrived carrying gravel.

The gravel was spread around the playground so children would have a safe place to play.

The bulldozer pushed it smooth.

The excavator helped place the last big rocks.

The tanker truck cleaned things up.

And the cement mixer truck headed off to help build another playground.

A few weeks later, children were laughing and playing on swings and slides.

The construction crew smiled.

"We did it!" they said.

And all the trucks honked their horns! Beep, beep, honk, honk!

BEEP! BEEP! HOORAY!

Maybe no one else will remember this little story. But I have a feeling Frankie and I will. And that's a pretty good way to spend a morning.

Focus On These 4 Things to Achieve Your Goals

 We have less than 3 weeks left in this crazy year of 2020! Time is just flying by.

Time is one of those things we would love to control, but it has its own path, right? I have clients who get caught up in how quickly they are losing weight, losing inches, changing their body composition. How quickly those things happen varies from person to person and is simply something we cannot control.

Instead of focusing on time, I tell my clients to focus on what they CAN control.

Consistency.

1. How consistently they are making healthy choices with their nutrition. Choosing whole foods and avoiding highly processed foods.
2. How consistently they are getting in their exercise. Moving each and every day whether it is a structured workout or not.
3. How consistently they are sleeping enough - aiming for 8 hours each night - and sleeping well. This is important for the body to be ready to burn fat and build muscle.
4. How consistently they are kind to themselves - it is important to have a positive mindset and show ourselves grace if we have an off day. 

These are the things that we CAN control. These are the things we CAN be consistent doing that will have an impact on how quickly we make progress.

Consistency is the key ---> to progress, to seeing change, TO SUCCESS!

Want to learn more about joining the FASTer Way with me? Click here!

Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice & Chicken Bowl

I used to be the girl that kept everything separate on her plate and ate one thing at a time...ok, I still do that sometimes, but now I am more likely to throw a bunch of different foods in a bowl. 

A few nights ago, I was on my own for dinner because mrC was on a trip. I had spent most of the day getting work done and dropped the ball on meal planning for myself. Fortunately I had all the ingredients (well, most of them) for this yummy recipe from the FASTer Way meal guide.

*Every week, FASTer Way clients receive a meal guide as a resource. Clients are not required to follow it, but it definitely makes planning and coming up with ideas for meals A LOT easier. You can learn more here.

Most of the time, I like to use the meal guide as inspiration. I'll add some ingredients, substitute for others or just leave out what I don't like. That's how I put together this recipe for Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice & Chicken Bowl.

My version:

1 cup baby spinach

1 cup read leaf lettuce

1/4 cup basmati brown rice

1/4 cup black beans seasoned with 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/4 cup frozen onion, 1 tsp dried cilantro, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup organic salsa

1 tbsp flaxseed and 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (because I seed cycle)

4 oz grilled chicken diced

This recipe came together so easily because I had grilled a big batch of chicken earlier in the week and use pre-packaged rice (this is my favorite) and organic salsa from Whole Foods. I'm all about keeping things simple!

This is a great macro meal for days when you need all the macros! Plus it is packed with fiber to keep the gut a happy place. I encourage my clients to do meal bowls because they're more likely to have balance.

Do you like meals in bowls? What is your favorite combo?

 

Blueberry Protein Bars

I've been making these protein bars for years, but the way I make them has evolved enough that it was time to write an updated blog post. 

It is also worth noting that these bars are perfect snack material for Feast Days. If you are not following the FASTer Way yet, Feast Days are when we strategically increase our food intake by 25%. For a lot of people on health journeys (trying to lose weight), this sounds like a crazy and even scary idea. However, eating MORE helps with metabolic adaptation and prevents plateaus.

• That means the thyroid will be active and functioning which raises the metabolic rate increasing the fat burning process. 
• It helps prevent muscle breakdown which also keeps our metabolism revved up. 
• When we eat a little more than our body is expecting, our cortisol levels and hormones are in check and happily letting the body burn fat for fuel.

So, like I was saying, we aim to eat more food, but we still focus on whole food nutrition.

The recipe:

2 cups quick cooking gluten free oats

1 cup protein powder (I use vanilla)

1/4 cup organic buckwheat flour

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1T chia seeds

1 tbsp cinnamon 

1 cup sunbutter

1/4 cup honey

6-8 oz blueberries (mash half)

I combine all the dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients. Then I gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. Sometimes I need to add a little water to help the mixing along. I toss the whole blueberries in last.

Spread mixture into a sprayed baking dish. Bake 350 degrees 15 min. Let cool. Cut and refrigerate.

If you make them, tag me in your post @amycainefitness and let me know what you think!