I have to admit, I really enjoyed this article and it made me snicker.
Grilled chicken with tomato and wine reduction, with arugula and avocado salad topped with vanilla fig glaze and pecans. Just because I’m poor after Vegas doesn’t mean I have to eat like it!
To make tomato wine reduction:
Put half a cup of olive oil in large pan. Add sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes — I used both. (Life cheat: these were pretty old tomatoes I didn’t want to throw out. PERFECT for this!)
Throw tomatoes in pan, add about 2 or 3 cloves of diced garlic, depending on personal preference. Add a cup of red wine, and turn to medium high, letting tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Add about two tablespoons sugar, salt and pepper, even red pepper flakes, and season to taste. After several minutes and sauce is starting to lessen and tomatoes are soft (pushing cherry tomatoes in as necessary), add flour one tablespoon at a time until sauce thickens. Add to anything - steaks, chicken, etc!
Bonus points if you first top protein with chèvre goat cheese, then tomato reduction. It broke my heart but my chèvre was a bit too over the hill to use tonight.
ENJOY! :)
With this challenge I will provide some guidelines but please note, I’m not a trainer and I’m not a nutritionist, but I am person who is passionate about health and fitness and I have worked hard to get to where I am.
How you design this challenge is in your hands. I will provide you with some suggestions and examples to help guide you but ultimately you will be the person setting your goals for the next 30 days. You don’t have to prove anything to me or other readers, you just need to prove to yourself that you are capable of doing what you set out to do, because you are. Mistakes, missed meals or workouts, unplanned cheats or temptations might happen. And if it does, don’t focus on the bump in the road, focus on getting over that bump and right back on track. Each meal, workout, hour of sleep, and each day is a new opportunity to learn from your mistakes. It’s an opportunity to reflect on each situation and to devise a plan for success when you get your second chance. There’s always another opportunity for change and become a better version of yourself. Only you know the direction you want to go in and only you know where you’re currently standing.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS 30 DAY CHALLENGE:
- Get your sweat on for 30-120 minutes a day for 4-6 days a week (you can use your own program or something you found in a magazine. But whatever you choose, it needs to be consistent for the next 4 weeks).
- Every Sunday schedule in your workouts for the week
- Eat a clean meal every 2-3 hours (5-7 meals a day) (check out Tosca Reno’s EAT CLEAN DIET book, Oxygen magazine, my recipes/meals’ pages, or the Clean Eating magazine for some guidelines)
- Eat protein with 3-7 of your meals
- Cut out all added salt
- Cut out all added sugar
- Cut out all white flour
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep every day
- Drink 1-2 glasses of water with each meal
- Drink 1-5 cups of decaf green or white tea a day
- Avoid drinking alcohol if possible
- Drink coffee before your workout if you need an extra boost (avoid energy drinks)
- Prepare all your meals the night before
- Schedule in 0-2 cheat meals a week (FYI: cheat “meal” does not equal a day)
- If you plan on cheating also plan on what you will be having before the day
- Say “No thank you” to treats that are unplanned
- Eat your last meal 1-3 hours before bed
- Take your measurements in the AM (on Monday, January 30th or Tuesday, January 31st) and again when the challenge ends. Measurements can include: photos in a bikini, using a measuring tape to measure your body (e.g., thighs, chest etc.), the scale, body fat %, try on a tigher pair of jeans etc. This is up to you but I don’t recommend you just use the scale! It is not the best indicator of your hard work.
- Try your best
- Give it your all
- Ditch your excuses, it’s only 30 days - you’ll live
RULES FOR THE CHALLENGE!!!
RULE #1: If you are joining this challenge you will need to make a post on your blog stating what your goals are for the next 30 days (feel free to “steal” the NO EXCUSES picture and repost it on your blog).
For example:
- I will cook all my meals and bring my lunch to work every day
- I will drink 500ml before I arrive at work every day
- I will not drink alcohol during the next 30 days
- I will workout 5 days a week for 60 minutes
- I will have one cheat meal on ____________ and it will be 2 pieces of pizza from ____________.
- I will go to bed by 9:00PM Sun-Thur
RULE #2: You will need to post at least once a week (if not several times a week) how your challenge is going.
RULE #3: You MUST be honest. Honesty is key to change. If you mess up, reflect on it, get back to it, and do better the next time.
RULE #4: You need to TAG your challenge posts with #noexcuseschallenge and thefameofhealthandfitness so myself or any reader can see how you’re doing. Remember, we are all here together on the same journey towards health. No judgement.
RULE #5: Measure yourself at the end of your 30 days (in the same fashion you measured yourself originally) and make a post about your results. This could include your measurements, how your clothes fit, how your body or mind feel, personal realizations, etc.
RULE #6: Have fun and enjoy your journey!
“Without love we perish.”
AHHH THIS WAS MY IDEA. Tattoos on feet. The only thing I’ve ever really wanted to get.
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