Autumn Calabrese's FIXATE Cookbook - 21 Day Fix Recipes

• 101 Personal recipes to use with the 21 Day Fix Portion-Control Program
• FIXATE Includes:
• Easy-to-follow recipes designed to work with 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix EXTREME and Portion Fix
• Each recipe is marked with their color-coded container equivelents
• Includes Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free and Paleo recipes

Have you tried this cookbook? If so, what did you think about it? I don't use the Beachbody workouts anymore because they are too tough on my hips and knees, but I still own and sometimes use the 21 Day Fix containers. 

I have been eating too much junk food and drinking soda since the pandemic, so I need to get back into exercising and eating healthier. 

Book Review: The Big 15 Paleo Cookbook by Megan Flynn Peterson

Did you go Paleo? Are you thinking about going Paleo? Are you just looking for some great recipes that are healthier alternatives to dishes you already enjoy? Then The Big 15 Paleo Cookbook by Megan Flynn Peterson needs to be added to your often used cookbook collection.

In this book, you'll find over 150 Paleo recipes to help with meal planning. After the author's introduction, you'll find instructions on how to change over to a Paleo diet if you go cold turkey, including: a list of pantry items and a yes and no food list. Each of the Big 15 is then given its own chapter filled with recipes and numerous variations of them. Interspersed throughout the chapters are pantry basics (sauces, marinades, and dry rubs) that have been made to match the Paleo diet--like the homemade mayo that my husband is sure to like because it doesn't include the dairy product that gives it the texture he's not fond of.


I'm not ready to go full in Paleo, but I asked to review this book so I could learn more about it and see how I could add healthier options into our diets. I like how Peterson acknowledges going Paleo is tough on the budget and that we should strive to do our best with it. Her philosophy is that taking as many of these steps as you can will get you moving in the right direction; though she does encourage you to go full in from the start. Surprisingly, I found many of the recipes were ones my family would enjoy because I make some of these foods already. With just a few tweaks, they are Paleo. Changing our diets doesn't sound half as intimidating as it did before. I can't wait to try out some of these recipes.

Highly recommended!


Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Rockridge Press (August 16, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1623157692
ISBN-13: 978-1623157692

I received a free digital copy of this book from Callisto Publisher's Club. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

The Challenge with Health and Fitness

I've come to discover I have two challenges with my health and fitness goals:

1. I keep buying new equipment.

2. My stomach doesn't enjoy junk food the way it used to.

The first challenge gets darn expense and the second one is just no fun. I guess you could say that all those years I ignored my diet and didn't exercise means I've got an untapped budget in the workout department; but it seems everything I want to do costs an arm and a leg: you remember I am an Ebeneezer Scrooge when it comes to spending money, right? 

So far I've invested in the 21 Day Fix and the CIZE programs from Beachbody. I definitely find the first one easier, but CIZE is fun on the days I feel like a different kind of workout. Recently, I purchased a set of resistance bands and new weights. 

When they released me from physical therapy this summer, they encouraged me to keep up my resistance band workouts. I had bought some loop bands last year, but I snapped one of them and figured it was time to buy something sturdier. Those things don't feel good when they snap. 

I would really like to order the 3-Day Refresh, but I am afraid I won't be able to stomach the shakes. I haven't been able to tolerate them in the past. Since the majority of the program is the shakes, I sure don't want to spend $69.95 and not get the results I'm looking for. 

It's a challenge that I am on this new healthy eating kick, but the kids still want goodies. I've always loved junk food. When I eat it these days, I just don't feel right. My stomach bloats and I'm sluggish. I guess I should be excited, but instead I miss being able to eat cookies and cake and other yummy foods without feeling yucky. Well, that's not totally true: I used to feel yucky before. I just didn't know how yucky until I started taking better care of myself.

I'm glad I'm making the right changes for my health. Too bad I didn't do it two decades ago. I can't see myself ever looking forward to exercising, but at least I am staying focused on my goals. 

What is your health and fitness plan? If you don't have a health and fitness plan, what stands in the way of you making one? What are some of your favorite healthy snacks? Anything you simply can't give up? 

Results of the 21 Day Fix

My 21 Day Fix ended yesterday. I'm sure you'll all dying to learn the results. What? Only me?

Here's the scoop: I lost 7 pounds and even lost 1 inch. Since the first week of January, I have been eating better and exercising, so that has led me to lose a total of 14 pounds and 2 inches. Not bad.

My biggest challenge: making time to exercise.

The easiest part of the whole thing: getting more sleep. Between working, family life, and exercising I was pretty tired by the end of the day so I slept more and slept better.

What did I do right: Used my containers every morning to start my day off right.

Where did I flounder: Still can't seem to give up my one Pepsi a day and only once made time to exercise in the evening if I didn't get a chance to work out in the morning.

Am I happy? You bet. I am definitely on the road to where I want to be. Now that I have my DVDs and my containers--which really do help you think about what you're eating--I can keep on moving forward. Having met my weight loss goal of 110 pounds, I am going to focus on toning up.

Thanks to all those who have supported me along the way. I couldn't do it without you!

New Year's Resolution Update: Why Is It So Hard to Stay the Course?

Why? All I want to know is why it is so hard to stay the course? I've participated in three Beachbody challenges so far, and with each one my participation lessens. Here are some things that are interfering with my success. Maybe writing it down will help get me back in the game.

Reason 1: Hectic Schedule

When I started working on my goal of eating better and exercising, my real estate business was on a brief hiatus. I had worked hard all year, so by the end of November I needed a break and wanted to spend more time with the family for the holidays. 

Real estate is notoriously slow at the end of the year and into the winter, so no big deal. Well, that didn't last. Not only did I sign up some new buyers, I'm really busy because the spring market is coming. So, my mornings are usually dedicated to marketing. 

The kids also went back to school and all their activities after New Year's Day, increasing demands on my time.

Reason 2: Tennis Elbow

It seems I have developed tennis elbow in my writing arm. The doctor says I need to reduce how much I use it, especially texting. Um, did I mention this is my writing arm? Oh, and we real estate agents spend a good part of our day texting and emailing. 

At this point, I can't lift anything heavy with my right arm. I have a brace, so that helps, but lifting weights is out of the question. 

Reason 3: Bummed Out

If you checked out my Facebook page, you'll see I won a sales award. In my first full year of selling real estate I was Top Selling Agent in my office one month and took home the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley's Bronze President's Award. 

But.....

There was this one other award that I was eligible for, and I was only eligible for it this year. I didn't win. I'm really bummed. There were many reasons I wanted this award, but someone else beat me. Actually, I don't know where my sales were compared to the other newcomers in our area because they don't tell us.

I'm thrilled for the winner, but I didn't realize how much I wanted to win until I lost. 

Reason 4: Overwhelmed

I've really tried to focus on giving of my time and talents the past couple of years. At this point, I am simply stretched thinner than a thong bikini over an elephant's bottom. I dropped one committee this week and one of my commitments ends this spring. That will certainly help, but I need to take some time to assess what I am involved in and why,

Promise to myself for next week:

• I am going to get back to time blocking and writing my exercise time in my calendar.
• I am going to follow up with the doctor to see if physical therapy is in order.
• I will let the loss of that coveted award go. I must look forward, not back.
• I will start assessing my volunteer commitments. 
• I will start drinking more water again.

Wordless Wednesday

New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2

It's been an interesting week as far as the New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2 goes. I've only worked out two days because the doctor diagnosed me with tennis elbow and my work schedule has been nuts. Bummer! I can still workout, but I need to be careful. If there is any pain, I need to stop. So, no lifting weights because that kills and no planks because that doesn't feel good either.

The exciting news is this:

Doctor's visit on 12/29/15: weight 124 lb 6.4 oz, BP 120/70, Pulse 64 and BMI 23.13.

Yesterday's visit: weight 117 lb. 9.6 oz, BP 94/62, Pulse 60 and BMI 21.86.

My blood pressure always runs low, so I was surprised when it was up at the end of December. Not sure if it had something to do with the infection I was fighting.

Many people have asked me why I am working out and watching what I eat. They don't see me as overweight. Here's the scoop:

I spent the majority of my life underweight. It wasn't until I had the Lil' Princess that I kept ten extra pounds. Then I got older and then I started with menopause. The last few years I've been close to the top of the normal scale for my height and I simply didn't like my BMI number.

In addition, when tracking my cholesterol numbers and blood pressure over the last few years, I've noticed them creeping up. Not to mention I can see the slow changes in my body: rounder middle, bloating, thicker legs and arms, and flabby skin. Toss in the osteopenia and I knew I had to make some lifestyle changes.

I've cheated a couple times this week: a soda or two and a pastry today. I don't feel well when I do it, so I can see my body is getting used to my eating healthier foods and drinking more water. That will definitely help, because when you feel better, you want to continue the habits that are making you feel good.

Keeping on track with the workout is tough because it's the first thing to go when my schedule gets busy. I want to stick to it, though, because I can see the results.

Wishing me luck!

New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2

Today starts New Year's Resolution Solution Part 2--another week of working out, eating right, and staying on track.

My participation in the New Year's Resolution Solution the first week of January led to me changing my diet, drinking more water, exercising five days, and losing three pounds.

I'm definitely finding it harder to keep up with the exercise now that I am back into a regular work schedule with some early morning appointments. I time blocked my calendar this week for 7:45 to 8:15 workout time, so we'll see how I do.

If you would like to join us, please visit the Facebook group here.

New Year's Resolution Solution - Post Day 5

I didn't even have the strength to take a picture of my workout today. LOL! Day 5 was a tough one simply because my work schedule was crazier than it has been all week.

Breakfast was quick because I had an early appointment--Greek yogurt and some walnuts with a cup a decaf tea. Snack was walnuts and raisins because they were easy to take on the road with me. Grabbed a salad and water on the road this afternoon and didn't have an afternoon snack because I had another appointment. 

The Lil' Princess made supper for me tonight--tilapia and rice. Chomped some carrots before sitting down and drank more water, so it was a nicely balanced meal. 

Workout was horrible. Focused on abs again, which are still aching from Monday; though not as bad as they were. I couldn't do three sets of all the exercises, but I am working out more than ever before so I am happy with my progress. 

Thank God it's the weekend!

New Year's Resolutions -- My Thoughts and Your Thoughts

It's that time of year again--time to make your New Year's resolutions. For years I avoided this because I have little willpower to stick with them. It seems silly, however, for a goal oriented person like myself to simply avoid them because they are tough. In reflecting on past resolutions, I realize I haven't treated them enough like my other goals. They are too vague: lose weight, eat better, exercise more (Who am I kidding? Exercise at all.).

For the record, I was underweight most of my life. Until after the birth of the Lil' Princess I was thirty pounds too light. So, now I am at the top range of--or depending upon how much I indulge, a few pounds over--what would be normal weight for my height. I just can't stand that all of it has settled into my middle and my skin is flabby.

This goal might sound silly, but it's part of my feel better, look better, eat better goal; and I figure my vanity will push things along faster than my desire to eat better and exercise.

So, in the spirit of making 2016 the best year ever, here are some S.M.A.R.T. goals for the new year.

GOAL 1 - Lose 10 pounds by June 30.

During this past week, I've signed up for the Eat This, Not That newsletter. I bought books this past year that I never had time to read, so I am thinking this short newsletter will be more effective. Today, I already made a list of foods/drinks that can help me shrink my belly and a list foods to avoid. I don't expect it all to happen at once, but baby steps. In addition, I am a visual person so this list should help. I might go so far as to create a board with photos to hang in my office as a reminder.

In order to truly make a difference, I have to:

Smaller goal: change my grocery shopping habits. While 2015 showed some improvement in what ends up in the grocery cart, there's still too much sugar, too little good fiber, and a bit too much sodium. My work schedule has created an environment where I depend on pre-packaged foods too much. I also need to stop buying soda. It's my one true vice. I really love it.

Smaller goal: There's going to need to be some better time management going on so that I can prepare meals ahead of time. If I keep Friday nights free--not always something I can do--I can make that a meal planning evening.

GOAL 2 - Find healthy recipes....and actually make them. 

I enjoy healthier options when we are out. I'm just stuck in the same old eating habits at home that I desperately need to break. So, I am thinking find a new recipe on a Friday night and then buy the ingredients during my regular grocery shopping trip.

GOAL 3 - Keep healthy snacks around the house.

Packaged healthy snacks can get expensive, but we need to start somewhere and I know my time won't allow me to make my own. I also plan to buy more fruit that I can easily carry with me to the office.

GOAL 4 - Exercise three mornings a week. 

This is going to be the toughest goal. I don't enjoy exercising and I never seem to make time for it. The reality is that if I don't do it first thing in the morning after dropping the girls off at school, it won't happen. That also happens to be, however, my prime time to get most of my work accomplished at the office because no one is around. My goal is to exercise Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:45 to 8:15. 

Smaller goal: Time block my calendar as a visual commitment to exercise.

Smaller goal: Use quieter, upstairs office space to accomplish more when in the office. If I am going to make exercise a reality, I need to distance myself from distractions. There is a new office space upstairs where I work which will allow me to not be distracted by so much office commotion.

Smaller goal: Substitute a short walk if exercise can't happen. The mall has a walking group and I have an ideal neighborhood to walk in when the weather is warmer. Not sure I would walk if it was too cold out, but we'll see.

I really think that is all I can work on right now. This will take a major commitment as it is to change some horrible habits.

So, what about you? How do you feel about New Year's Resolutions? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Avoid them altogether? Please share your thoughts. Also, if you would like an accountability partner, we could have a weekly check in time.

Stop The Diet, I Want To Get Off! Release Day Blitz with Lisa Tillinger Johansen

We're happy to be hosting Lisa Tillinger Johansen and her STOP THE DIET I WANT TO GET OFF RELEASE DAY BLITZ today!

About the Book:

Title:
Stop the Diet, I Want To Get Off!

Author: Lisa Tillinger Johansen

Publisher: J. Murray Press

Pages: 275

Genre: Nonfiction/Nutrition/Health

Purchase at AMAZON

The Paleo. The Zone.  The Gluten-free.  Another day, another diet.  We’re caught in a never-ending merry-go-round of weight loss plans, fueled by celebrity endorsers, TV doctors and companies
angling for a piece of a $60 billion industry. 

But do these diets really work? 

And how healthy are they?

Registered Dietitian Lisa Tillinger Johansen examines dozens of the most wildly popular diets based on medical facts, not hype.  And along the way, she reveals tried-and-true weight loss strategies, relying on her years of hospital experience, weight-loss seminars and community outreach efforts.  With insight and humor, Stop The Diet, I Want To Get Off shows that the best answer is often not a trendy celebrity-endorsed diet, but easy-to-follow guidelines that are best for our health and our waistlines.

Book Excerpt:


The idea for this book began at a wedding.

Who doesn’t love a good wedding? The clothes, the flowers, the romance, the food…

Ah, the food. As we moved into the banquet hall, the culinary feast was on everyone’s minds. It was all anyone seemed talk about. But for some reason, guests weren’t conversing about the dishes being served; they were swapping stories of diets they had heard about from friends, magazine articles, even celebrities on talk shows.

I’m a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutritional science and years of clinical and health education experience. I’ve counseled thousands of patients and clients on all of these diets. But hearing the guests only momentarily distracted me from my horrible faux pas of wearing white (gasp!) to a friend’s wedding.

“I’m on the Blood Type Diet,” said a woman with an impossibly high bouffant hairdo. “You’ve heard of that, haven’t you? It’s the one where you choose your foods based on your blood type. I’m an AB, so I’ll be having the fish.”

“Really?” her friend replied. “I swear by the gluten-free diet. I’m on it, my daughter’s on it, and my granddaughter’s on it.”

I happened to know her granddaughter was six and didn’t have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.

Then there was the stocky guy who was trying to impress one of the bridesmaids. “I’m a paleo man myself,” he said, piling his plate high with beef kebabs. “It gives me more stamina, know what I mean? It puts me in touch with my inner caveman. There’s a restaurant near my apartment that’s paleo friendly. Maybe we can grab a bite there sometime, or…Hey wait, where are you going?”

And there were three Weight Watchers sisters who typed furiously on their phones and argued over their meals’ point values. Apparently there was some discrepancy between their various apps, and the sisters’ discussion was becoming more heated by the moment.

I’m past the point of being surprised by the wide range of weight-loss strategies—some worthless, some crazy, some quite reasonable—being tossed around. In the past few years, there has been a tidal wave of diets washing up on the shores of our nutritional consciousness. Celebrities prance across our screens, promoting a variety of weight-loss schemes on talk shows and infomercials. Medical doctors star in their own syndicated television programs, exposing millions to weight-loss techniques, often unsupported by medical research. Other diets get traction on the Internet, racing all over the globe in social media posts, YouTube videos, and annoying spam e-mails. It’s hard to walk past a shopping center vitamin store without being approached by salespeople trying to pitch the latest weight-loss supplements. It seems that everyone wants a piece of the pie; the American diet industry tops $60 billion annually.

It’s classic information overload. You can’t blame people for being confused by all the diets out there, even as crazy as some of them may sound. I didn’t speak up to my fellow wedding guests that day, but it occurred to me they would benefit from some hard facts about the diets they so ardently follow.

So during the toasts, I thought to myself, I should write a book.

I counsel clients on these matters each week, giving them information they need to make the best choices for their health and waistlines. I find that all too often there’s nothing to the diets that are presented to me in my counseling sessions and classes. They just plain don’t work, particularly over the long term. And some of them are harmful, even potentially lethal. But it’s also unhealthy to carry extra weight on our frames. So how do we separate good diets from the bad?

In the chapters to come, we’ll take a good, hard look at the various weight-loss plans out there. I’ll pull no punches in my professional evaluation of some of the most wildly popular diets, both bad and good, of the past few years. And along the way, I’ll explore tried-and-true strategies for losing weight, based on my years of hospital experience, weight-loss seminars, and community outreach efforts. More often than not, the best answer is not a trendy celebrity-endorsed diet, but instead a few easy-to-follow guidelines that I’ve seen work in literally thousands of cases.

Enough is enough. It’s time for the madness—and the diets—to stop.

LISA TILLINGER JOHANSEN, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian who counsels clients on a wide range of health issues. Her debut nutrition book, Fast Food Vindication, received the Discovery
Award (sponsored by USA Today, Kirkus and The Huffington Post).  She lives in Southern California.

For More Information

• Visit Lisa Tillinger
  Johansen’s websites – Stop the Diet,
  Consult the Dietician and Fast Food Vindication.
• Connect with Lisa on Facebook
  and Twitter.

Getting that Beach Body Ready

Summer is quickly approaching and yet my exercise regime consists of a once a week 20-minute workout. How am I going to get that Beach Body I want for the Outer Banks if I am such a slacker? If I were honest, I would say my desire to exercise is right up there with my desire to have a root canal. I can never seem to make the time for it in my jam-packed schedule, despite knowing I am predisposed to osteoporosis.

An exercise program can help strengthen muscles and improve balance. It also helps improve your overall sense of well-being. As someone who has always struggled with body image issues, exercise could help me feel better about the way I look. I don't feel it's wrong to exercise for your health, while being happy with how you look too.

The thought of a 90 Day Review program is enticing. A training system that would allow me to get in great shape in only 90 days makes me want to sign up right now. If I can get in the habit of exercising over that period of time, then it could lead to a lifestyle change. An Extreme Body Workout would definitely make me feel better and look better. My husband already exercises five days a week. He's also made some diet changes over the past few years. I'm hoping I gain some of his willpower. While I don't eat anywhere near the type of junk I used to, I still need to improve my diet. A complete fitness and nutrition program could make a huge difference in my life.



This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance.