Sweet friends!
We are getting so close to the start of our Holiday Extravaganza Challenge! Can you believe it?? If you haven't yet- email me to set up a weigh-in appointment and join in on the party!! Email me at transfitathens@gmail.com.
If you are unsure- check out the results from last year here! AMAZING! Collectively, the participants lost 116 pounds!!! To put that in perspective, 116 pounds of fat equates to roughly 738 Big Macs, 2,900 cans of Coke, or 3,867 bananas! Check out the winner from last year! Please read her story in the above link.
First prize wins the cash in the bucket!!! 2nd prize will be an entire outfit donated by Lulu Lemon Athens that you can pick out! 3rd & 4th prize will be some awesome gift baskets with donated items from local businesses! Super great prizes!! But the best prize - that you are feeling amazing January 1st 2016!
I am hearing so many great stories from you about the success you have had with your Food Journal Challenge this week which is GREAT practice for holding yourself accountable as you prepare for the holidays! You have a few days left- keep up the great work and email us photos of your journal (written or MyFitnessPal), we would LOVE to encourage you and praise you for your hard work!
As we look ahead to next week starting the challenge, we must start to think about the holiday season and what all it is going to hold. If you are like me, you've already begun to think about all the dishes you will have to prepare, events you will be going to and the full (yet wonderful!) schedule the next few weeks hold. Amidst all of this we have to stay focused on our goals and be diligent even through the holidays! Our client spotlight Tina Carpenter said in her article "Just live, learn and laugh along the way…and enjoy your life as you strive each day to be your best. If you are misguided or if you make mistakes, shake it off and get back on your bath to being the best you can be!" That is the mindset I encourage us all to have this season! There will be times when we will have a treat that maybe we didn't plan for or a day when we will miss a workout- BUT what is important is that you do not allow that to completely take your eyes off of your goals and your progress. If you put that small slip behind you but get right back on track, you will find that you are even better than before!! Patience and perseverance will be the name of the game!!
So friends FINISH STRONG this week! Give each day your best body, mind and spirit as you seek to become healthier and follow the Lord more each and every day! Get ready to have an INCREDIBLE Holiday Extravaganza!
Going into this next Thanksgiving week, here are a few GREAT tried and true recipes that you can prepare for your family or guests. These dishes are DELICIOUS and so good for your body. You will be left so satisfied but without the miserable fullness that we have all experienced! Treat your body right this Thanksgiving and IT will be thankful to you!!
The Roasted Brined Turkey
Serve a brined turkey at your holiday table this year and I can assure your guests will keep coming back for more!
Fire & Flavor's Apple Sage Brine infuses your bird with delicious holiday flavors. Dried apples, cranberries, sage, and other holiday herbs. Apple Sage Brine and Herb Brine are my favorites and I have used them the past 4 years! The company is run by some of my close friends and I love to support them and the flavor is unreal! To grab some for your turkey, click here.
This ready-made brine mix for those busy cooks that don't have time to mix their own is so juicy and flavorful!.
I place my turkey in a brining bag (large, leak-proof zipper-top bag) which you can purchase at stores like Whole Foods Market, Bed Bath & Beyond or Turkeyperfect.com.
Roasted Butternut Squash
This wonderful squash has an incredible flavor that can be made as a savory side or as a sweet dish much like traditional sweet potato casserole- but with A LOT less carbohydrates and sugars!
· 1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
· 2 tablespoons coconut oi
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss butternut squash with olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet. For sweeter version, leave out the garlic sprinkle with cinnamon and all spice!
- Roast in the oven until squash is tender and lightly browned, 25 minutes. Great as a side or on top of a delicious salad!
Simple Cranberry Sauce
Skip canned and complicated preparations of cranberries, this recipe is lower in sugar and higher in flavor! Enjoy!
- 2 cups organic fresh raw cranberries
- 2 organic oranges or tangerines (peeled)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or to taste--depending on how tart or sweet you want it)
1. Rinse the cranberries and put them into a food processor or blender.
2. Squeeze the juice out of one of the oranges and add it to the cranberries.
3. Cut the other orange up into bits. Blend the mixture together (don't make it too smooth).
4. Pour the mix into a bowl, add the sugar and stir.
5. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
6. Serve it cold and in a beautiful bowl.
Have a wonderful weekend!! If you would like MORE recipes or a SPECIFIC meal plan for you and your family going into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season- head over to the shop and look at our Nutrition Packages here! We would love to help you stay on track and keep your family happy and healthy this season! As a wife and mom of three little muffins I understand how creating healthy holiday recipes the whole family will love is VERY challenging. Let me help you by making it easier with family tested recipes they will all enjoy!
Blessings,
Caroline
Fun thankfulness craft with sweet Lyla!
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.-Psalm 100