Fit Yummy Mummy Challenge - Week 6

Hello everyone, I hope you are all travelling beautifully and have had a fabulous week.

I have been blown away with yoga lately. I have never been to a class, sure I have stretched in some kind of yoga movement before but I am really getting into this October Yoga Challenge on Instagram and the kids are loving it too. I would highly recommend those on Instagram to come participate as it's been such a wonderful experience for all of us here. Click on my Instagram + ME link on the right side of this page and check out growsoulbeautiful.

This is called the tree pose and I was fortunate to practise first thing in the morning and late afternoon. I love the fact that our 7 year old, Noah was such a fabulous photographer who suggested I do these poses outside in our backyard!

Workouts
I have done my Fit Yummy Mummy exercises from the Transformation Kit this week in conjunction with these yoga poses as stretches or warms up before my actual workouts. I have still been very slack with increasing my weights so when I was doing my DB swings I knew it wasn't challenging me. So I really need to make these next couple of weeks count if I want to increase more strength and muscle definition. I can't believe week 6 is nearly ending and we only have another 3 weeks until the challenge finishes!!!

For those interested in following me and the workouts, the offer I have on my blog is a 50% discount to the FYM ebook which also includes a 30 day free trial at Clubfym. So click on the links and come check it out!

Breakfast
Strawberry pear porridge

I make this type of porridge most mornings as it's super quick (under 10mins) and I typically have the staple ingredients in the pantry ready to go!

Ingredients
1 can of pears (no added sugar)
10 fresh strawberries slice
oats
cinnamon
vanilla essence
milk

Method
Pour all juices and pears into a saucepan
Add strawberries and oats
Pour milk
Add cinnamon and vanilla essence
Stir frequently and....
Cook until creamy and fluffy

Morning snack
PWOS 180 Nutrition coconut protein drink
Yogurt granola

Here is the fabulous recipe I based my granola bars on the other day. Please note that I just used what was in my pantry here and didn't specifically buy the ingredients to make this granola. I also didn't use any sugar.

The beautiful people at Kamalaya Koh Samui were kind enough to give me the recipe (which they posted on Facebook) to their granola bar. Thankfully YOU HAVE the measurements for those that know I still DO NOT measure anything. I hope you enjoy them!!!

Lunch
Tuna salad

Afternoon snack
Hummus dip with wholemeal crackers, veggie sticks and 2 hard boiled eggs

Dinner
Burgers served with salad, eggs and wholemeal bread

Ingredients
500gms of both beef and pork mince
1 clove of garlic minced (I usually add an onion but I was out!)
grated carrots & celery (or whatever vegetables I have in the fridge)
a handful of fresh parsley and oregano herbs chopped
wholemeal bread soaked in milk
sprinkle of curry powder
2 eggs
S&P


Method
Mix all ingredients into a bowl and shape into burgers. In this case I simply placed them in my casserole dish with a layer of baking paper (parchment paper) even though my dish is a fantastic non stick one, it still helps with the washing up process :-)

Well I do hope you all enjoy the next few days and have a fabulous weekend. I look forward to seeing you again real soon.

Xx Dani

The fun is over, back to reality!!!

Yes, our kids finally went back to school and as sad as I am at least I have our 2 girls to play with during the day!!!!

We had heaps of fun these last couple of days from beach hopping, to movies, play dates and shopping in Melbourne!!! Oh how I love to shop in Melbourne!!!

Here was my dilemma over the weekend when we went to a good friends wedding on Saturday.....I needed to brighten up my black dress and add a splash of colour!!!! These were my options.

Which colour do you think I chose?


I love staying in hotels and especially waking up to the breakfast buffet!!!!!

I ate pretty clean, managed to fit in all my workouts however did binge on some "non" clean food these past few days. However today is a brand new day and as my girlfriend said, it was the school holidays so I had to indulge more frequently than usual.

I also have to remember that I AM on a 10 week FYM challenge, so I didn't want that to hinder my progress, success etc....never mind another 4 weeks to go so I'll ensure I am a bit more diligent than usual.

Workout 
Completed the workout from the Transformation Kit  and I don't know why but I am not a huge fan of the step ups!! Until I can get outside and do them properly on our bench, it's the sinking sensation I feel when I do it on our bed that annoys me. It's my only area to work out when it's wet and for the kids not to see me and jump around me!

PWOS
180 Nutrition coconut protein shake

Breakfast
Mixed berry porridge with a dollop of natural yogurt

Morning snack
Granola AKA muesli bars

Mietta and I had all of these ingredients that we pulled out of the pantry and what do you think we made???

I'll post the recipe tomorrow and the outcome of our bars as I am ready to jump into bed, literally!!!

Lunch
Salad sandwich

I was so happy that I got a sms from Celeste last night to go for a run as I managed to do a 3.8km "quick" run with a stitch again, which is totally annoying so I'll keep soldiering on!!! The run is in 22 days!! Gosh, that has gone quick!!!!

Afternoon snack
PWOS 180 Nutrition coconut protein shake
Feta basil dip with crackers and cucumber

Dinner
Mushroom bolognese sauce served with raw brocollini

Ahhhh yes as for my shoes, they were the Elvis "blue suede" shoes. They just looked fab with my fluorescent tangerine nail polish.

Here's a snapshot of the past few days......

Over and out beautiful peeps, until we meet again.

Xx Dani

Half way mark Week 5 FYM Transformation Challenge

Hello my lovelies, just wanting to touch base and do a real  r.e.a.l.l.y  quick post!!! More pics, less typing ;-)

Busy! B.u.s.y! B.U.S.Y DAY!!!! Is all I can say. Isn't everyone though???

Workout was scheduled today and I COULD have made an EXCUSE but I didn't, so I did my 15 minutes resistance FYM trisets workout from the Transformation Kit which I am following over the challenge. 5 more weeks to go!!! Half way mark officially is here! Whooooosh!!!

A lot of people following me at Instagram are amazed at some of the pics I post there and ask what my fitness secret is? Click on the url on this post page or simply have a read on my fitness tab and try it for free for 30 days. I'd love for you to join me at Clubfym.

PWOS
180 Nutrition coconut protein shake

Breakfast
Pear porridge with mandarin, walnuts and yogurt

We then headed out for our day trip to Melbourne.....I was so glad to get my toes out in the beautiful sunshine and a quick play in front of our house before muscle Mama :-) packed all the kids in the KIA and off we went!!!!

Here is my gorgeous friend Barb who is also a fellow blogger and one very talented fashion designer!!! Check her page HERE

This was us today having a chuckle, as we always do and I have ordered my Spring Racing carnival fascinator so WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!

How tired do I look???? Very puffy eyes and had the al natural look happening today, no make-up! Bring on summer as well for a bit of colour!!! I can't wait!!!!


Morning tea and lunch
Fruit platters and ham, lettuce and egg lettuce salad sandwiches
Americano coffee

I had about 6 of these sandwiches....and plenty of this beautiful fresh fruit. It was a hot day and it was so lovely to have these cool us down.

Here are our kids, Noah is 2 days older than Ava and they were each others first friends (we now refer to each other as "close family friends") when Barb and I met at our Melbourne Mothers Group 7 years ago. Our darling friend Deb was unable to come today (who inspired our daughters name Mietta) however look forward to seeing her very very soon, along with all our other lovely ladies.

On our way home we detoured via my old Williams-town before my husband whisked me away to the country......

Williamstown Pier, Victoria

Hey!!!!! I look in the rear view mirror and think? Sheesh!!! Where did all these 4 babies come from??? It sometimes freaks me out!!! All these guys in the last 7 years???? Unreal.

KIA Carnival. Best car in the world

Dinner

Meatballs with steamed veggies and wholemeal spiral pasta

Meatballs with vegetable pasta

All I can say is thank goodness for meal planning and having these meatballs already cooked from the other night. All I did was boil the pasta for the kids and I had the vegetables raw with a few pasta swirls, reheated the meatballs and whalla!!! 

Over and out from me. We have some super back to back stuff happening here these next few days. Can't wait to share.....until then.

Xx Dani

Did you say run? Yes I can run now...

So I started blogging a few months ago, I think that was around the same time when I started running. As you may be aware, I'm not a huge fan but I have it as one of my goals before I turn 40 to complete a fun run. So I have registered for the Run Ballarat 6km fun run which is only a few weeks away. I have managed to do the 12km course already, however still battling this mild stitch and would much prefer to defeat this and work out the cause than run in pain. 

So this is my track.....the road I turn onto to go running from my home. 

Run Ballarat has inspired me to do my first fun run!

PWOS (post work out shake after my 6km aka 3.75mi run)
180 Nutrition coconut protein drink with water not milk

I must admit my legs were extremely heavy between the 4-6kms mark as I did a deadly Fit Yummy Mummy workout out the day before, with the Transformation Kit. Bring on Summer and get these legs out, I say!!! Can't wait for the warmer weather to get here!!!


Breakfast
Cinnamon pear porridge

Pear porridge

Morning snack
Apple and carrot muffins

Carrot and apple oat muffins

Ingredients
Oats
Wholemeal flour
Chia seeds
Eggs
Vanilla essence
Grated carrots
Apple puree
honey
raisins
yogurt
sprinkle of nutmeg & cinnamon
walnuts and apple slices added on top for decorative purposes

Method
Mix wet ingredients with dry and leave the mix overnight in a cool room (or the fridge) and then you have your muffins ready in the morning to bake! Ran out of muffin cup holders, so I used baking (parchment) paper and cut them into squares and laid them in and poured the mixture!

Please forgive me for not providing you with my exact measurements. I do these at night so I am seriously just thinking about my bed and not the measurements. However please check out my favourite healthy chef Teresa's muesli muffins as these are as close to my recipe as I can recall. She truly does inspire me!


Lunch
Sandwich platter with various toppings, tuna, avocado, feta, tomato, spinach, cucumbers

We were out and about all afternoon and luckily packed snacks however were really fortunate to have these....

Afternoon snack
Date scones

Date scones

My girlfriend made these and she gave me her Mums ingredients, quantity and method. These were to die for!!! Simply divine. I am determined to make these clean and will let you know how I go and post the recipe for sure!!!!


Dinner
Honey soy chicken with potato salad and roasted chip carrots

Ingredients
Chicken tenderloins (x2 packs)
honey and soy sauce
boiled eggs
potatoes
carrots cut into sticks

Method
Mix honey soy ingredients in casserole dish and watch these babies glaze up. Ensure you don't over cook these as they will dry out! I also bake the potatoes and carrots while the oven is on as well. Another quick and lazy night for me to cook and just rely on the oven while I play with the kids.

Honey soy chicken

Oh yes the last pic is the dressing I poured on the potato salad. Simply mix yogurt, vinegar with some olive oil and add S&P and there you have a beautiful white dressing without the guilt AKA mayonnaise.

Hey!!! BTW I have a confession to make!!! This past week I have been loading myself up with that Cadbury Creations jelly popping chocolate and seriously wonder why my progress has plateaued??? "Keep eating that chocolate Dani, go on!!! Keep it up and you'll get to your goal!!!"

NOT!!!!!!

Goodnight all. From a chocolate junkie!

Xx Dani

ROCK-tober!!!!! CHIN UP challenge! You in?

Busy! busy! busy! The last few days, WHOOSH!!!! I need to relax and breathe......aaaahhhhhh....all good and coping well, kinda, sorta. The neck is still not 100% so going to get it checked out again in the morning.

1 week down of school holidays (well 2 really as Oscar has 3 weeks!) and 1 to go! Many activities and things booked in so we are on the go! Constantly!!!!!

Anywho!!!!

WHO CAN DO CHIN UPS????

I can't do ONE so my challenge for the month of October and would love your participation, is how many chin ups can you do in ONE MONTH????? It starts today and it doesn't matter if you do one today and then 5 tomorrow, add them all up and let's telly them at the end of the month. What do you think????

Here is my new $13 investment which I purchased at Big W on the weekend and fits on any standard door!!!!

Chin up bar

My little champions, were the first ones to experiment and loved every minute of it. I didn't push myself as I still have my neck prob however I did give myself a little lift but being an amazon of nearly 6' I can simply reach my hand up on the bar and just hop up on it! So I will need to really lift or bend my legs when I start getting serious on this. I am very excited and nervous at the same time.

I am still on my mission for my dumbbells, so I will let you know how I go there as well.


Breakfast
Apple cinnamon porridge with fruit salad

Workout
Completed my FYM workout and this week my workouts change in the Transformation Kit  as we approach our 5th week in the challenge, it's a 5-8 week TRI SETS program!!! I love them!!!! They keep me really challenged especially the close grip push ups as I am hopeless at those, hoping the chin up upper body strength building will help me with my personal challenge.

Running "Run Ballarat" fun run update 

Didn't get a look in this weekend with my Mum staying, so I will make more of a conscious effort this week to build that part of my fitness regime. The run is 3 weeks away, which reminds me I HAVE 2 BIRTHDAYS to plan as well!!! What da? Yes, Mietta turns 3 on the Saturday before the fun run and Adrian turns 37 the day after the run!!!! Told you we have a ROCKING month ahead of us!!!! 

Morning snack AKA PWOS (post workout shake)
180 Nutrition coconut protein shake
1 banana
milk

This is the most filling protein drink I have ever had, you just feel the fullness after tasting all the natural ingredients in your mouth. I need to add a splash of water into my cup to rinse out all the goodness in my mouth and not just wash it down the sink!

We were out and about with the kids this morning and came back home for some lunch only to head out again.....busy.....busy.....

Lunch
Avocado egg and tomato club sandwiches

Any sandwich that has a toothpick in it, my kids love to refer them to club sandwiches. It's hilarious! They love eating what I eat so I simply make it just fun for them. My 2 sandwiches looked like this...

I added some feta cheese with mine as well and kept munching on fresh cucumbers as well.

Afternoon snack
Fresh fruit salad
Almonds

For those that ask how I plan my meals for the week. When I buy our fresh fruit and veg, I quickly wash them and cut them up so they are ready to rock and roll when we need to go somewhere. Here is an example of how this weeks fruit has been washed and prepped up:

I buy these large tubs from the Reject Shop for $2 as they lay flat and stack ontop of each other in our fridge nicely. My others are filled with washed and sliced veggie sticks and can't forget our Popeye mate Spinach. However I will make another post about meal plans and how to save you time throughout your week.

Dinner
BBQ salmon with seeded mustard and steamed vegetables



I typically buy salmon when it's on sale, hence the few packs I bought this time around. We then have it the next day for lunch in a salad.

Method

I simply wash my salmon thoroughly under cold running water, drain in a colander and then on a paper towel and pat dry after seasoning with salt and pepper. Squeeze some lemon juice and you don't need anything else when this fish is barbecued!!! It is such a tasty fish and one of my favourites! Not so much for Adrian, he's a flathead white fish fan!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend and are geared up to rocking it with me in ROCK-tober!! Especially with my chin up challenge. I have to raise the bar (get it?) since my neck slowed me down with some workouts and choices in food last week. I am hopeless over the weekend too and over indulge in certain foods.

So I need to make the change this month to get the results I want to achieve. I am the only one that can make this happen. YOU TOO need to make the change. I hope you can join me. Let's eat clean and exercise!!!!

Xx Dani

60,000+ page views!!!! THANK YOU!!!

What else can I say but THANK YOU!!!! 

I was so amazed to log in this morning to see the amount of pages that have been viewed by all you wonderful people. I am honoured, I am grateful and so happy that my journey can be of some value in your lives. YOU mean so much to me so once again, thank you.


Workout
Neck update, all okay. Nothing major thank goodness. Just a nerve pinching the main brain stem from a muscular condition (sounds bad when I write it?). So all this rest I have done, has been great. I just need to make sure I listen to my body especially if I am running with my stitch, not to tense my neck and shoulder region. Or perhaps just stop for now until I get better.

I modified my FYM exercises today from the Transformation Kit so I mainly worked my lower body. I also added some additional squats, against our wall outside with a SB (swiss ball) to ease any pressure. Never workout in discomfort, listen to your body and rest when needed.

Breakfast
Chocolate protein waffles with greek yogurt and raspberries

Ingredients
1 scoop of 180 Nutrition coconut protein powder
2 tsp cacao powder
1 cup of blended oats (until flour form)
handful of walnuts (blended with oats into flour form)
2 eggs
splash of milk
vanilla essence
sprinkle of cinnamon
apple concentrate (or use a banana for the sweet factor)

Method
Mix dry ingredients well, add wet ingredients until you get a smooth batter for waffles (just thicker than my typical crepes mixture)

Morning snack
Strawberry 180 Nutrition coconut protein drink

Lunch
Quinoa salad sandwich
6 cherry tomatoes
1 latte

Afternoon
French toast with feta

Ingredients
eggs
feta
ricotta cheese
wholegrain bread
olive oil

Method
Whisk all ingredients together, dip bread into mixture and gently pan fry in olive oil until golden brown

Dinner
Mini beef hamburgers with corn on the cob and roasted carrot fries

Sorry dinner is a bit boring tonight, I am keeping it low key with cooking in the kitchen and didn't do much shopping so just using what ingredients we have in the fridge.

Ingredients
mince meat
garlic
herbs
1 egg
corn on the cob
carrots (cut in half and into long sticks)
cumin
coriander
S&P
honey
olive oil

Method
Mix mince meat with S&P, garlic, preferred herbs, eggs and roll into balls (I squash them into mini burgers for a quicker cooking process!)
Meanwhile clean and wash corn on the cobs and carrots. Boil in salty water. Just before carrots are tender, drain and mix some honey with olive oil, cumin, coriander, S&P and roast in oven until golden brown.

Hope you all had a sensational Thursday and once again apologies for the quick post. Off to Melbourne tomorrow to pick up my beautiful Mother that we haven't seen in over 3 months.

See you next time!!!! 

Xx Dani

Fit Yummy Mummy WEEK 4 transformation challenge continues....

YAY!!! I can't believe we're nearly half way through the FYM challenge!!! Time to crank it up to the next level as I have been a bit complacent. I still haven't managed to buy heavier weights, so this is my mission this week. My 4.5kgs dumbbells are like lifting feathers (well, not really but you know what I mean). Just need to build my strength a bit more and looking at buying either heavier dumbbells, a 10kg plate or getting a kettle bell? Or maybe all of the above???

What weights do you prefer to use?

I'll keep you posted with my new purchase/s. My real hassle with all this equipment, is storage! I have no dedicated place to store these guys so that's why I have been a bit slack purchasing them!

Oh yes, forgot to mention I was featured on Fit Yummy Mummy's blog on Saturday if you'd like to check it out. I'm so glad that I can be a great ambassador of Clubfym and encourage those women who are wanting to regain their body back after having babies. 15 minutes per day is all it takes me to get the results I have got, so I do hope to see you there!!!!

Workouts

I completed my Transformation Kit workout yesterday and even managed to do my 12km run on Saturday. Pretty huge effort I think for someone that has only been able to run a bath!!! I am completely stepping out of my comfort zone and trying to embrace something I am not so good at!

Here is the scenery and running track I was running beside and loving every minute of it!

How divine is this running track ~ Lake Wendouree, Ballarat

Run Ballarat course

Breakfast

Bircher muesli with strawberries

Ingredients

Oats

pepita seeds

sunflower seeds

2 oranges (juices)

1 lemon (juice)

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

2 chopped dried apricots

Method

Soak above ingredients overnight and add milk and fresh fruit and enjoy!

Morning snack
Yogurt with fruit

Lunch
Smoked salmon and egg salad

Ingredients
2 slices of smoked salmon
1 tomato
1 handful of spinach
3 hard boiled eggs
drizzle of olive oil & vinegar

Afternoon snack

Coconut banana protein smoothie

Dinner
Broccolini with BBQ chicken skewers

The dressing
3 crushed garlics
1 tsp seeded mustard
1 tablespoon white rice vinegar
S&P
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Add all ingredients together (except olive oil) then add olive oil last to emulsify this delightful dressing!

This is the dressing I poured over the steamed broccolini which I prepare in 4 stages. I also toast pine nuts and generously sprinkle over the broccolini, we love the taste!

1. Wash broccolini thoroughly
2. Steam broccolini
3. Place in cold icy water (remains green and fresh looking)
4. Drain in colander with absorbent kitchen paper

With the chicken skewers I pretty much marinated them in lemon juice, seasoned with S&P, 2 crushed garlics and tarragon leaves. I also leave the bamboo skewers in the tub to soak up the lemon juice to avoid them burning!

Off to bed early tonight, had vertigo all day today, very dizzy and light headed. I think it's caused by my pinched nerve in my neck. Not cool. Will go to Chiropractor tomorrow to check it all out.

Look forward to touching base with you all again! Have a sensational week!!!

Xx Dani