What the Heck is iifym?

So, if yall are anything like me...when you see anything about iifym (aka if it fits your macros aka flexible dieting), you are totally confused.  What's a macro?  Dieting and flexible go together?  Huh?

Well, my coach does iifym, and I clearly remember her sending me a text at the end of December last year suggesting that I look into it.  She said I could still go out to eat and have treats and stuff.  I was like pshhh, yeah OK.  Totally blew it off.  At that time, I was stuck on the “gotta eat CLEAN” bandwagon, and I didn’t care about trying to eat a different way.  I was perfectly content planning out my meals for the week on a spreadsheet, and cooking the same exact thing every single day.  If it wasn’t on my spreadsheet, it wasn’t on my plan.  And if it wasn’t on my plan, it was BAD!  That means every time I ate chocolate, pizza, ice cream, or anything “not clean” that I was “being bad”.  Which lead to feelings of guilt followed by more junk food.  Restricting myself to stay away from bad stuff just made me go crazy.  When the weekend would arrive, I’d start it out with a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino from Starbucks.  Then I would eat everything under the sun – frozen pizzas, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, nachos, etc.  I’d tell myself “hey, it’s the weekend – I deserve a break...it’s only a couple days, it’s not a big deal...I’ll be good again starting Monday”.  This was a vicious cycle...workout and eat according to my spreadsheet all week, then go crazy on the weekend.  I’d gain 3-5 pounds between Friday and Monday, then I’d lose it by the time the weekend came again.  Finally, one day I was just like what the heck am I doing?!  I’m paying for boot camp, working by tail off all week, blowing the weekends, and then feeling like crap about myself.  Something has got to change.  Then, I remembered an email my coach had sent out a while back saying something along the lines of “...if you’re not seeing the results you want, you know it’s not the workouts – it’s got to be what you’re eating.”  And I got curious. 

I started to wonder, what this iifym crap is all about anyway?  So I researched – for a couple of weeks.  I read all kinds of stuff online, joined a group on facebook just for iifym women, and I still couldn’t figure out how in the world to do it.  Then, my coach put up a blog post laying it all out there.  After reading it, I was like hold up...soooo I can eat whatever I want as long as it fits my macros?  I don’t have to “eat clean” anymore?  WHAT?! 

 

......and then it allllll started!  I got the My Fitness Pal app on my phone, changed my goals online according to the iifym calculator, and started tracking everything I ate.  At first, I was still a little confused because I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I could actually eat things like candy, pizza, sandwiches, etc. without losing my progress and “being bad”. I had the “eat clean” mindset for so long that shaking it was a little difficult.  But once I got the hang of it and started noticing changes physically and mentally...I was hooked!

Before iifym, I would stress about food ALL the time.  If I didn’t follow my little eating plan, I’d just throw caution to the wind and eat junk.  Now, I don’t have a plan.  I wake up and eat what I want, grab some stuff for lunch, then I figure out the rest of my day by using the my fitness pal app.  It doesn't take as long as I thought it would to track food, and I do it because I WANT to not because I HAVE to.  I don’t restrict myself anymore, which means I don’t go nuts on the weekend anymore. Last weekend was the first weekend in months that I kept track of what I ate, worked out, and actually enjoyed myself. Don't get me wrong here - doing iifym doesn't mean I eat junk all day long. If I did, I would never be able to hit my macros. It's all about moderation.   If a co-worker brings me chocolate mints from Olive Garden, I can eat them.  If I wake up late and only have time to grab a pop tart out of the vending machine, I can do that.  If we are planning on going out to eat, I can actually enjoy it instead of stressing out.

It. Is. AWESOME!

Not only do I have a better understanding with food now, but I am also noticing changes physically.  My back fat is slowly disappearing, I can actually see 2 or 3 of my abs, I’ve got muscles poppin up that I would have never expected, my clothes are starting to fit differently, and most importantly – I’m starting to feel comfortable in my own skin.  I am by no means perfect nor do I want to be, but I am learning to embrace who I am, and I like it! 

For some of yall, this whole thing is still confusing - I get it!  There's so much stuff floatin around these days about how you can or can't eat this or that to be healthy - that it's hard to know what to do.  I was the same way.  I thought it sounded weird, too good to be true, and I just didn't think it would work.  All I can say is, if you are unhappy with how you are eating now and with your progress...do some research on iifym, and don't be scared!  Try it out for a week and see how you feel.  You might be surprised!  :) 

 

I am not an expert at this getting fit and healthy thing, and it is a constant learning process, but I think I am finally starting to understand it.   It’s not about doing it this way or that way, or being good or bad, or whatever...it’s about balance and doing what works for you!   For me, that’s boot camp and iifym.   Simple as that.

...and if you are curious about what I have been eating lately, feel free to check out my food diary here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/losingfluffwithkelli :)

 

 

Low N Slow BBQ Chicken

So this recipe is way easy.  Two ingredients and a crockpot is all you need!

Ingredients:

• 1 jar BBQ sauce

• 800g chicken breast

First, pick out a jar of BBQ sauce that you like.  I grabbed Stubb's because it's awesome.  :)

 

 

Next, dice up your chicken breasts and throw em in the crockpot.  Then, dump your whole jar of sauce over the top and stir it all around to make sure it's all covered.

 

 

Put the lid on, and let it cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high if you are in a time crunch).  Luckily, my crockpot has a timer which is AWESOME because I can set it for however many hours I want, and once it's done - it just goes to "warm".  So by the time I get home after work and boot camp, it's still hot and ready to go.

 

This is what it looks like when it's done:

 

 

Instead of leaving the chicken whole, I decided to shred it up.  I just grabbed a couple forks and pulled all the meat apart so the sauce could really get all over it.

 

...and that's it!  I know, easy right?  :)  We had ours with some sweet potatoes and squash, but I think it would make a killer sandwich!  My hubs loved it, and I loved it because it was super easy, plus it makes great leftovers.  Score!

 

 

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 servings):

• Calories:  253

• Protein:  31g

• Carbs:  21g

• Fat:  2g

Pineapple Herb Chicken

Not gonna lie...I have been burnt out on chicken for a looooooooong time.  I didn't start eating chicken again until just a few weeks ago.  Instead of continuing to cut it out of my meals entirely, I have started experimenting with more marinades to add flavor.  I mean, who wants plain ole chicken?  Uhhhh boring!

I threw this recipe together, and it turned out great! 

Marinade Ingredients:
• 800g raw chicken breast
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tsp fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice (I just used the juice that came from the cutting board where I cut up the pineapple)
• 25g fresh pineapple
• salt and pepper to taste

 

First, weigh out your raw chicken breast.  I usually cut mine up into chunks, but you can leave it whole.

 

 

 

Next, get out a big ziplock bag.  Put the chicken inside, then start adding in all your other ingredients...

 

 

Once you have all the ingredients inside, zip up the bag, and toss the meat around to coat well. Put it in the fridge and let it have a marinade party overnight.

 

 

How you cook it is totally up to you!  ...grilled, baked, roasted, etc.  I just seared mine in a skillet for a couple minutes and then put it in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 for about 25 minutes.  While it was in the oven, I put 75g of pineapple into a skillet to heat it up.  After the chicken was cooked, I divided the pineapple up evenly between servings and added it on top.

 

 

I've never had chicken and pineapple together before, but it was yummy!!!

 

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 servings of about 55g each):

• Calories:  173

• Protein:  31g

• Carbs:  4g

• Fat:  3g

 

 

PB&J Protein MugCake

Let me start off by just saying that this is only the second time I have ever made a "mugcake".  So, I have no clue if it turned out to be the right texture or if I even did it right...all I know is that this little creation is UH-MAZING!  Here's how I made it:

 

1.  Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2.  Add in all wet ingredients and mix well.  Use a fork or a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.

3.  Spray a little non-stick spray inside a coffee mug.

4.  Pour mixture into mug.

5.  Microwave for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

6.  Take mug out of microwave (careful, it will be hot!)

7.  Dump cake onto a plate.

8.  Add topping.

9.  Stuff yo face!  :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 scoop Biotrust vanilla protein powder

• 1 large egg white

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp. vanilla almond milk

• 1 tbsp. Jif natural creamy peanut butter

 

Topping:

• 1 tbsp. Jif natural creamy peanut butter

• 1 tbsp. Welch's grape jelly

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown:

• Calories:  296

• Protein:  18g

• Carbs:  21g

• Fat:  17g

 

 

*If you want to omit the extra tablespoon of peanut butter on top, then you will have this:

• Calories:  201

• Protein: 14g

• Carbs:  17g

• Fat:  9g

:)

Panko Crusted Squash

I don't know about yall, but I love me some fried squash!  Growing up, we had a garden in our backyard every summer with squash, okra, and other stuff.  Dad would pick it, mom would fry it, and my sister and I would eat it...I could seriously just eat fried squash and okra with ketchup for the rest of my life and be just fine!  Hey, a girl can dream.  :)  Anyway, I have come up with a healthier way to get that same crunchy fried squash taste with less calories and fat.  No, it's not the same as mom's but it's pretty darn good.  Here's how I make it:

First, get your ingredients together and turn the oven on to 350:

• 200g yellow squash (this was about one medium squash)

• 1/8 cup liquid egg whites

• 60g panko bread crumbs (you can find these on the baking aisle)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Next, you'll need to cut your squash.  Personally, I like mine super thin so I use a mandolin.  It's not fancy but it works!  If you don't have one of these, you can just use a knife.

 

 

 

Once all your squash is cut, set up your breading station.  Dump the egg whites into a bowl or plate, and add in some salt and pepper.  Then dump your breadcrumbs onto a plate and add in some salt and pepper.  Also, get your baking sheet ready.  I lined mine with foil and spread 1/2 tbsp olive oil on the bottom.

 

 

 

So, a little trick when it comes to breading - use one hand for wet and one hand for dry.  This keeps the breadcrumbs from stickin all over your fingers.  With my left hand, I coated each piece of squash in the egg whites then dropped it into the breadcrumbs.  With my right hand, I pressed breadcrumbs onto each side of the squash then dropped it onto the baking sheet.

 

 

Once you have all your squash coated and on the pan, drizzle 1/2 tbsp olive oil evenly on top.  Then pop em in the oven.

 

 

Let them cook for 10 minutes, then flip them over.  Let them cook for about 10-12 more minutes, and that's it!

 

Easy, simple, quick, healthy, and delicious!

 

Here's the nutrition info per serving (makes 4 servings of about 40g per serving):

• Calories: 96

• Protein: 3g

• Carbs: 14g

• Fat: 4g

 

 

 

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Have a good one!! :)

 

 

 

Stovetop Beef Tips N Gravy

This is a spin-off of my Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy.  It's got more of a spicy kick to it, and the meat is super tender with TONS of flavor!  Here's how you make it:

 

First, get your ingredients together:

• 800g lean beef (I used a london broil cut - it comes in one big piece, and I just cut it into chunks)

• 1 packet A1 original marinade mix

• 13.7 oz. reduced sodium beef broth

• 2 packets brown gravy mix

 

 

 

Next, dump the marinade mix, beef broth, and chunks of meat into a ziplock bag.  Zip it up, and toss the meat around so that it's all mixed up and coated well.  Put it in the fridge and let it marinate overnight.

 

 

 

When you are ready to cook it the next day, get out a big pot and turn it on to medium-high heat.  Once it's hot, put the meat into the bottom and let it sear a little bit.  Once it's all brown on the outside, dump in the liquid from the bag.  Add in both packets of brown gravy mix, and about 1/2 cup of water.  Mix it all around so that all the lumps disappear.  Make sure all the meat is under the liquid (you don't want it to dry out), put the lid on, and turn heat down to low.  Let it cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking...

 

 

 

 

...and that's it!  :)  Super simple and yummy!  My hubs loved it, he said it reminded him of his Uncle Sherm's Sauce Piquante (or as he says with a french accent - sauce peecawh) - he's from Louisiana and loves some spicy cajun tastin stuff yall!  Next time you see him, ask him how he says "filet mignon" :)

 

 

 

Anyway, here's the nutritional info per serving (makes 6 servings of about 3.5 oz each + gravy):

 

• Calories:  257

• Protein:  31g

• Carbs:  7g

• Fat:  9g

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Pesto Marinated Chicken

I threw this marinade together on a whim, and it turned out so good that I had to share!  It's super easy and adds a punch of flavor to your meat!  So far, I've only tried this on chicken, but I think it would be good on beef too.  Here's what I did:

Put the following ingredients into a blender:
• 4 garlic cloves
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• sea salt
• black pepper

Blend until smooth, then put into a ziplock bag.  Add in your chicken breasts, close the bag, and toss around to coat the chicken evenly.  Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  

When you are ready to eat, just heat up a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook each piece of chicken for a couple minutes per side, then put on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until done.  That's it!  :)

 

 

I only made enough for me and my hubs, so this recipe is only for 2 servings.  Here's the nutritional breakdown (per serving - 3.5 ounces):

• Calories:  247

• Protein:  33g

• Carbs:  5g

• Fat:  11g