what's on the (healthy) menu!

As today is my official 'first' day of starting p90x again, i decided to share

some of the healthy foods/meals that i LOVE! ...and what I had today!

All of these ones are pretty quick and easy to make! enjoy...

to start off my day...honey & wheat pancakes! mmmm...

FIRST off: Krusteaz Wheat & Honey Pancake mix....this one - very simple! 

All you need is the mix and water! it's easiest to measure the water in a large ( i think 16 oz, depending on how much you're making...) liquid measuring cup and then just add the dry mix to that...easy to pour and no mess! i  usually make the '12-14' i believe, so i have lots of left overs! i have found, though, that if you use 2 cups of the mix like it says...you need more than 1 1/2 cups of water for it to turn out a good consistency...

I usually eat 3 or 4 of these in one meal...depending on how big i made them. ha ha. with them, i have Log Cabin Sugar Free Maple Syrup... (although the regular maple syrup doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup either now...i try to avoid hfcs at all costs...ha ha). some people don't enjoy the sugar free, i think it tastes fine... but whatever floats your boat! Smucker's Simply Fruit is also good on these. my favorites so far are apricot and strawberry...hm i'll have to check out the other flavors now! blueberry sounds reaaaally good. ha ha. and then i drink just a small glass of fat free milk. probably about 8 oz. 

(you will start noticing i really don't like measuring things out normally, but sometimes i randomly do...ha ha)

NEXT up: Homemade Cheeseburger! 

What i use:

• about 4 oz. extra lean burger
• pepper
• 1 slice Sargento Reduced-Fat Colby Jack Cheese
• whole wheat english muffin (or just a whole wheat bun)
• Heinz 'Simply Heinz' Ketchup

Just smash down your burger, sprinkle on the pepper, and put it in a pan (i spray mine with olive oil cooking spray) on med-high heat, and cook until desired 'done-ness' :) mine has to be all the way cooked, no pink. once it's about done, turn down the heat and add your sliced cheese (or not, if you're a plain burger person)...let it melt, and then get it on your bun! i toast mine sometimes...other times i don't. 

Normally, i just drink a tall glass of water, unless i have some V8 Fusion or something....and on the side...Athenos Whole Wheat Baked Pita Chips. YUM!

then i had...my Results and Recovery Formula...after p90x plyometrics!

FINALLY: BetterOats Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal

I LOVE this oatmeal. my favorite flavors are the apple cinnamon and the maple & brown sugar (with craisins in it. mmm).  they come in these cute little boxes.... 

this one is probably the easiest one. the pouch that the oatmeal comes in also serves as the measuring cup for either milk or water! now...it tells you on the package to use WATER and then after you heat it you can add milk...BUT i just use fat free milk...no water. and it tastes great. so, again, whatever you like! 

the only other thing to be careful of....make sure you use a bowl with high sides. because it WILL overflow in the last 15-20 seconds. it's happened to me. many times. you would think i'd learn, right? nope...not yet anyway...ha ha. 

SNACKS!

I will admit....i LOVE to snack. here's a list of a bunch of things i like to snack on to kill the cravings...

• bananas
• original craisins (they are packed with sugar, and they are SO hard to stop eating. but i try...)
• any 100 calorie pack snack (of course...without high fructose corn syrup...but there are LOTS without it...today i had the oreo snack cakes..yummmy)
• Planters NUTrition Omega 3 Mix nuts - these, too, are VERY addicting. the dark chocolate covered soynuts are so so good!
• Quakers 90 calorie or low fat granola bars...chocolate chunk and chocolate chip are my favorites.
• whole wheat english muffins....heated in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
• fresh strawberries
• Jello nonfat chocolate swirl pudding. one of my favorites!

I know that eating healthy can be difficult, but there are convenient AND healthy meals out there! some of them take 10 minutes or less to make...i will be posting more healthy recipes that i love soon! 

your health nut...courtney

one word. ouch! ...but you know, in the best possible way.

YAYYYY!!!! (you can purchase from teambeachbody.com - it's on CLEARANCE right now!!)

after about ten minutes....yummyyyy...

today is the day. i can feel it in my bones. the start of me not being lazy anymore. i've got a supply of P90X Results and Recovery formula, and i am ready to kick some butt (my butt, to be exact)! again. ha ha.

...and as i type, my arms are totally jello and shakey. but i love it! tonight i did chest, shoulders & triceps, + ab ripper x too. WHEW! this will be my...oh i dunno fifth time starting P90X. and i've completed it fully just once. BUT i think this time, i WILL once again complete my 90 days! and i think being able to blog about it will help motivate me too :) 

P90X is SUCH a great workout. very, very tough - i won't lie about that. it is very...well...extreme! just like its name says. the beauty of P90X, though, is that you can shape the workouts to what you need. if you're first starting out, you can make the moves as intense or as easy as you need to, either by changing the amount of reps, your weight, or the version of the move. in the videos, there are usually a few different versions of a move shown - from easiest, harder, to intense. then, as time goes on, you will be doing things you never thought possible! 

that being said....the workouts do get easier. in time. some more than others...for me, it's kenpo x that starts getting easy after a month or so... but also, as time goes on, you're getting stronger, using more weight, working harder - so the workouts may not really seem "easier", but if you were to go back and use the same weight as when you started, you would notice a difference. i can almost guarantee it. it's happened to me!  

another thing i love about P90X are the worksheets. LOVE LOVE the worksheets, and being able to see how i am doing from week to week. i wasn't really a fan of the actual beachbody worksheets, though, so i made my own using excel...very easy...and you can make them whatever colors, fonts, layout that you like! 

man...who would have thought typing up a blog would be so tiring for a P90X grad? ha ha ha. it is definitely time for bed i'd say...so to everyone out there who has been a lazy rut, or just hasn't gotten started on a workout routine...i encourage you to start today! well...maybe tomorrow. ha ha. and i know sometimes it can be easier and more motivating if you've got a workout buddy, so i will always be here to help you along the way! being fit can feel so good! the journey to becoming fit can be a difficult one though...but you can do anything you set your mind to. i always like to think... "the mind is stronger than the body will ever comprehend" ...and i'm not sure if i found that somewhere or made it up myself...ha ha. happy boot-camping and sweet dreams to everyone out there going to bed! :)

....and here are what my worksheets look like :)

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to start blogging...ha ha. I've been meaning to start a blog for a while now, but I
just haven't had the chance until now!

I'll be posting a bunch of different things on here (or...at least trying to ha ha)...from fun style finds...work out and healthy lifestyle tips...choreography videos and dance updates...to just life in general!

my life...as a student. dancer. choreographer. sister. health nut. teacher. picniker. daughter. come along for the journey.