Good morning to you all!! In this crazy, busy world we live in it can be really difficult to start our days in an organized manner..much less to take time for inspiration and motivation..oh, and while we are at it..lets throw in positivity training..some of you are lucky..life is filled with rainbows and fuzzy unicorns..but if you are like me sometimes you have to work on remaining positive despite what life throws at you. Some days this comes easy breezy and somedays..well..somedays I just really shouldn't have contact with the general public- or deposited on an island, somewhere in the tropics..alone..!! However..that being said, I am making a (refreshed) commitment to myself to start everyday with God's word, prayer, a bit of journaling and super charging my body and it's functioning with awesome nutrition and movement..no more staying warm and comfy in my jammies ;D..as you all know I started my Herbalicious Lifestyle back in February..and have had great results..energy is high, inches are gone, a few pounds have disappeared BUT..I am now ready to kick it into high gear..ready for more weight to go away and to really optimize my nutritional intake so I have been doing a lot of reading..and keep seeing articles referring to Superfoods..so I have compiled a list for all of you who are also in the quest for awesome nutrition..here goes..Spinach, Probiotic Yogurt, Carrots, Tomatoes, Black Beans, Coconut Oil, Blueberries, Walnuts, Oats, Cinnamon, Wild Salmon, Avacados, Olive Oil, Flax and Chia Seeds, Kale, Apples, and Raspberries..plus..Green Tea. I am also going to throw Mango, Papaya (seeds included), and Pinapple in there.. Now..you know as a Herbalifer on the weight loss quest that includes 2 shakes a day for me but that also includes healthy food..and if you have to eat why not eat a superfood or 2?? And..DON'T forget the H2O..stay hydrated and flush your system!!
I have also been putting my blender to use upon returning from my mini vacation..found that eating in the hotel and in restaurants everyday for about a week had left me feeling sluggish..and that is with a "S"..
Wanted to share a couple of recipes with you all..
GROOVY GREENIE
handfull of spinach (sometimes here in Germany fresh is hard to find so I substituted frozen-note here..fresh is optimal)
1 granny smith apple-medium
green grapes-20 or so
3 kiwis-can use green or gold-I used a combo of both 2 scoops of Herbalife Vanilla Protein Powder
2 frozen bananas
approx 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
Almond Milk-to desired consistency
Blend and enjoy-makes 2 smoothies
SLIDE INTO the SUNSET
5 lg chunks of Watermelon
2-3 Apricots
2 frozen Bananas
2Tablespoons Flax Seeds
2 scoops Herbalife Vanilla Protein Powder
Almond Milk- for desired consistency
Blend and savor!!-makes 2 smoothies
I will continue to work on new recipes to introduce these foods into my daily eating plans so stay tuned!! As far as my smoothie recipes-why do I always make enough for 2? So I can have one for later in the day or to share of course?? My husband is not so a health freak as I am but evvery oce in a while I like to suprise him with something like this..slow and steady not only wins the race but also forms new habits!! ;D Am currently doing some reading on clean eating..will let you know what I find..by the way.. all of this nutrition awakening in myself has opened a door to a new interest I never knew I had..yea yea..we all want to eat healthy but I want to take it to a new level and actually study about this topic..so talked to my academic advisor at Liberty University yesterday and will be adding Health and Wellness courses to my degree plan..super excited about this..not to mention how that will enable me to help those even more who want to join the Herbalife family!! Alrighty then..day is off to an awesome beginning..time to hit the treadmill and work on my abs..80 % Nutrition 20% Exercise..challenge for you all today..minimum of 10,000 steps!!
He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
-Proverbs 11:25
Hi there!! Well, as you all know I have been fairly busy the last few days between a working weekend and then hitting the road to travel to Southern Germany..saw my kiddo Monday evening and had planned to see him yesterday but he had to work 24 hrs..boo to that.. so I made a sweeping tour of 3 cities, 1 small village, 20 steps and a few hundred kilometers..the day was amazing, the locations breathtaking, the people are super friendly, and the weather has been a dream!! This morning will be study time as I am now about 3 days behind on my classwork and then we will be off and exploring again this afternoon..my son well rested..me with a free mind!! Took a few to update my Goodreads account this morning..so far 34 out of a goal of 45 books for a 76% completion rate at this point..I think I will exceed my goal this year..plus a friend posted another "women's must read list" this morning..;D Good thing I have a Kindle!! Will be posting on Have Flip Flops will Travel in the morning ..sorry, it takes a minute to get my travel posts up as I like to do a bit of research and digging around for info for all of you before posting!! Unfortunantly my motto for computer work has to be coursework first..playtime second..
I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday..don't forget to share your smile!!
Good Morning all!! Sorry, no pics to share this morning but sty tuned to my travel blog..Have Flip Flops will Travel this week..and heading to South Germany to Number 1 visit our youngest kiddo and Number 2 while doing that exploring some places I have never had the opportunity to visit before..a bit excited about this short mini vacation!! So, just finished up a working weekend..must say that Saturdays activities were not so my thing but yesterday was pretty darned exciting..had to take a physical fitness test and beat my goal for running by 6 seconds (decreasing my total time by 55 seconds) and increased my core reps by 5..for some of you out there that is not biggie but for me it was HUGE!! Had a great weekend..even though it was a working weekend to reconnect with coworkers and deepen some friendships..along with meeting a few new folks.. Plus my awesome , amazing hubby came for the evening yesterday to bring me a new laptop on which to do my schoolwork..ladies, let me tell you..and you guys out there too..lesson learned for the day..month..NEVER overlook or take for granted what is right in front of you just because it is familiar ..if you do you may not see the best thing that has ever happened to you..I know that sometimes it is oh so easy to get caught up in the everyday routiene and small irritations that can make us all crazy but at the end of the day make sure and thank the one who stands by you through it all.
So, here I sit in 1 hotel room, had the ability to sleep in a bit but the birds woke up at 0430 so what the heck, laundry and blogging it is..plus have to get organized to venture on to the next location and get some reading done for my course..early mornings really do rock!
I wish you all an amazing Monday..drink water for your health and share your smile for your soul!!!
Hi there..the baking fairy hit the kitchen on Mother's Day..2 types of dog treats..made with all natural ingrediants by the way..in the event you need a snack you could eat these too!! Whole grains, applesauce, chicken broth..it's all in there!! And the fuzzy kids love them...See below for a wonderful picture of my 2 taste testers!! Max the Wonderdog and Melissa the Sweetest Dog ever!!
As for people snacks..peanut butter cookies and banana bread!!
I know you all all scratching your heads and thinking..but Fluffy you are on a weight loss-fitness mission and totally immersed in a healthy lifestyle..what gives?? The fact remains that I love to bake, when the craving for a sweet something hits I would much rather eat something homemade than something store bought with all of the preservatives, flaorings and who knows what else..plus homemade goodies are prefect to give away to friends, family, and neighbors!! ;D
Enjoy your day..don't forget to share your smile and make someone's day a little sweeter!!!
Good Morning to everyone!! Well, it is week 12 and the weight has started shifting again as well as another 0.5 inches lost..I have to tell you..I am loving the fact that my stomach is now flat and I no longer look like I am about 5 months pregnant..I am happy to leave that to you younger women!! and that now when I stand with my legs together there is once more space between my thighs ( warning..white skin may cause temporary blindness!!)..plus these are new shorts that I bought in my old size and they are a bit too big!!
As for the delicious water mix found at the bottom of the page..super easy and super refreshing..1 pitcher water, 1 cucumber slices, 1 lemon slices, a handfull of fresh mint, and grated ginger..chill and enjoy!!
Yesterday was a gorgeous day..my nose even got a little pink-but the skies are back to being grey this morning but regardless, after hearing about the weather that my family is experiencing in Texas I will take what we have here in NW Germany!!
So, for all of you who are saying..oh, I will start a better eating plan and exercise tomorrow..or maybe the day after that..Don't put it off!! The benefits that you will get are so worth all of the sweat and compromises..I personally use Herbalife products and love them!!
For everyday that I don't workout now I feel crummy-less energy, less motivation, not such a great mood..I know, I know-everyone is busy, work, house, family, errands,etc..but do this for you-those around you will thank you as all that sweating and sense of accomplishment releases all sorts of feel good chemicals!!
So, my new course started yesterday and I still have not recieved my books ..which I had to order from the states this time..mild state of panic setting in but thank goodness there is enough to do with what our professor provided online and in prep for a large research paper so that will keep me occupied for a minute..if not here today will have to purchase the online version this evening in addition to the hardback (that is somewhere between countries)..yes, I know..I am so completely old school -I have to be able to highlight and turn pages when I learn..;D
Today is Take it to the limit Tuesday!!Whatever you do today take it up a notch or two and exceed what your goals are..try doing this a bit everyday and soon you will be unstoppable !! And as I say everytime..don't forget to share your smile..
Hello to everyone!! So..as I was preparing my after workout shake (see pink smoothie pic!!)..frozen mixed berries, coconut milk, 2 scoops protein powder and greek yogurt..super thick and creamy..makes you feel like you are eating something that can't be good for you!! I got to thinking about what my next trip to the grocery store needed to consist of..the loaded down basket and reusable grocery bags is what my last trip looked like..and what is pretty normal for the spring summer months but after having a quick nutritional conversation with a friend this morning..okay..it was more like an SMS conversation..but at any rate.. the moral of the story was that more fresh greens and other colorful veggies need to be brought into the mix..I am starting to venture into the land of green smoothies..see pic below!! and will be doing some experimenting over the next few days..I downloaded a green smoothie recipe book a few days ago but was a little disappointed as some of the recipes have some pretty abstract ingrediants that just can't be found here at a local grocery store..so..time to make it up as I go along!!
I have become a pretty big fan of Cous Cous lately also, like rice it is a very adaptable grain-you can add veggies, dried fruit, meat, tofu..whatever you want to come up with your own taste masterpeice..instead of plain water to prepare either rice or cous cous with I use vegtable broth to add more flavor during the cooking process. It gives it more depth and makes me feel like I am eating something heartier without having to add a sauce. As you all can see..I am a BIG smoothie fan..one of my weaknesses in life is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and to satisfy this need for this particular consistancy frozen bananas or yogurt blended with another frozen fruit hits the spot..but in the middle of the day when I have the need to chew on something I try to keep it to sliced veggies, raw nuts, and boiled aggs..without yolks these days..are also a staple. As far as this super refreshing green beauty I made up last night..it consists of fresh spinach, grated coconut, apples, mango, an orange, flax seed, and a handful of fresh herbs from our herb garden, I used coconut milk as the base liquid. Even my husband who is not such a smoothie freak tried it and was suprised that it actually tasted good!
I wish you all a day filled with laughter, good health, plenty of energy..don't forget to drink your water and share your smile!!
Good Morning to all of you..let me show you what consistancy can do..even though it is officially spring here and for us here in Germany that means everytime we turn around there is a festival..outdoor Markt or 3 to go to..which means lots of festival food..Currywurst, fries with mayo, Fisch Brötchen (aka Ostfriesland Sushi), huge pretzels, lots of fried sweets, ice cream, Crepes, Wine and Beer..what is awesome here is that with my Herbaliciouslifestyle I have actually lost 3.5 MORE inches while eating what I want, along with my 2 shakes a day and supplements..where I used to fall asleep on the couch about 1900 (or earlier) every evening I am now the one wide awake and still talking or looking for some activity to do..
I am super excited about this as for this year will be officially my 4 year anniversary here..in July.. and every single year before this one I watch not only my waistline increase in diameter but also my arms, thighs, and hips.. oh..and did I mention the double chin that seemingly appeared overnight??, my energy continue to circle the drain, and to be honest my motivation, drive and passion for living decrease..but this year since February when I decided to jump in and introduce AWESOME nutrition into my
body I am feeling more like my old self..granted the crazy weather here still presents a challenge for me sometimes as I am a beach kind of girl now living where it is cold way more often than my choice of clothing enjoys..but besides that I am not so motivated and energized that things are getting done, my inspiration for crafty, colorful, and fun has returned. Is life perfect?? absolutely not but with feeling good in my skin, lots of help from God, support from my family, and bare bones determination to be better than I was yesterday life is pretty darned good!!!
I follow a site on fb..GrowingBolder.com and they post great motivational quotes..my quote of choice for today is..It's a great day to have a great day!!!! Hope you choose to make it yours too!!
Now..today is Sunday which means 1 more Markt to attend..then tomorrow it is time to get back into the swing of things with following a more reigned in eating plan (ie..decrease in eating what I want when I want and getting back into the protein rich, colorful world of tons of fruits and veggies) as I still have my favorite jeans that I have promised myself I would not try on again until the scale hits 67 kg..my goal is for that to happen this month!! Stay tuned for biweekly posts on my progress..next Saturday is week 12..which means another 4 week mark in my Herbalife Journey..which means photos..for once I am thinking WooHoo..bring on the camera..this decreasing in size woman is ready!! So sum of what has disappeared so far?? Pounds-7.70 Inches-24.5!!
Don't forget to share your smile and drink at least 2 liters of water!! Your soul and body will thank you!!
3 kiwis-can use green or gold-I used a combo of both 2 scoops of Herbalife Vanilla Protein Powder
I will continue to work on new recipes to introduce these foods into my daily eating plans so stay tuned!! As far as my smoothie recipes-why do I always make enough for 2? So I can have one for later in the day or to share of course?? My husband is not so a health freak as I am but evvery oce in a while I like to suprise him with something like this..slow and steady not only wins the race but also forms new habits!! ;D Am currently doing some reading on clean eating..will let you know what I find..by the way.. all of this nutrition awakening in myself has opened a door to a new interest I never knew I had..yea yea..we all want to eat healthy but I want to take it to a new level and actually study about this topic..so talked to my academic advisor at Liberty University yesterday and will be adding Health and Wellness courses to my degree plan..super excited about this..not to mention how that will enable me to help those even more who want to join the Herbalife family!! Alrighty then..day is off to an awesome beginning..time to hit the treadmill and work on my abs..80 % Nutrition 20% Exercise..challenge for you all today..minimum of 10,000 steps!! 
