Protein Bars

A
2T cocoa powder
1 cup Protein Powder
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal
¾ c Peanut Butter (natural no sugar/salt added)
¾ c dried blueberries
½ c ground flax
½ c hemp hearts
1 c chopped pecans
½ c Oat flour (ground quick cooking oats)
1 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla mixed in ½ cup water

B
1 cup Protein Powder
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
¾ c Peanut Butter (natural no sugar/salt added)
¾ c dried apricots, chopped
½ c ground flax
½ c raisins
1 c chopped Almonds
½ c Oat flour (ground quick cooking oats)
1 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla mixed in ½ cup water

C
1 cup Protein Powder
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal
¾ c Peanut Butter (natural no sugar/salt added)
¾ c dried blueberries
¾ c raisins
½ c ground flax
½ c hemp hearts
1 c chopped walnuts
½ c Oat flakes
1 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla mixed in ½ cup water

D
2T cocoa powder
1 cup Protein Powder
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal
1 c Peanut Butter (natural no sugar/salt added)
¾ c dried blueberries
½ c ground flax
½ c honey
1 c chopped pecans
½ c Oat flakes
1 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla mixed in ½ cup water

All recipes' are as follows to finish:

Water to finish mixture. Mix all ingredients except waters and vanilla. Mix together and add vanilla water. Continue to add water until stiff paste. Place into small ziplock sandwich bags. Weigh each portion to 95g.  Zip closed with air removed and form into a bar. Place in freezer.

Feel free to springboard I really like peanut butter (probably use more than the recipe calls for but adjust to taste) and also have used almond butter. Use ginger instead of cinnamon for a change. Any favourite nut will do as well. Keep in freezer until you need to take it out for your day. A great protein snack alternative and could even supplement a meal.

First Step. Food Diary.
..btw give up that TV...seriously

I started by talking to my trainers at the gym, and they suggested a food diary  Now, tons of Food Diaries on line, some have a fee and others are free.

  [Link Removed]
Just google and find one you like.. This is the most important step!!It is a bit time consuming to set up but MUST be done. You cannot determine where you are going without looking at where you are!! Like a GPS for yourself!!! You can input  your favorite recipe and meals, save them, and then just access them as you go from your personal food data log.  

Ie: My breakfasts are usually 1/3 cup dry slow cooking oatmeal, 1 egg white, ¼ cup milk, 1T raisins, I enter all that information and store it and I access with a click it every time I eat that breakfast! Brilliant

Oatmeal 110 cals (protein 4 gms)

1 egg white 17 cals (protein 3 gms)

¼ c skim milk 22 cals (2 gms)

1 T raisins 70 cals

Total = 219 protein = 9 gms

This is an awesome start, slow cooked oatmeal (the best) slow burning carbohydrates, protein to keep you full and raisins for that bit of sweet, I add a dusting of Brown Sugar Twin...

There really aren't many different things to enter, your favorite breakfasts, lunches snacks etc, there is listed chicken, hamburgers, fast foods, pre packaged foods.  Food Diary websites are marvelous tools and they make this part manageable.  You can track your weight, measurements etc.  Most importantly, you need to know what you are eating NOW to make the changes.  If you make a change before you know what you are consuming now, you cannot determine correct strategies if your changes are not working for you.

Once I got all my food history for a week or 2, I sat down with my research.  I adopt the Clean Food Eating (Tosca Reno) philosophy!  Fabulous, not complicated and the whole family can be included and not feel cheated.  Some of the really simple things I changed were

No drinking juice, I drink Skim Milk, Water, Tea, Coffee.

Eating more often

Getting protein into every meal and snack I eat.

I determined what I need as far as calorie intake, I took my current food diary and evaluated it and realized , yes I really am eating too much!!

I looked where I could make changes according to the clean eating guide.  For me, I needed to reduce my carb intake! I modified a meal plan, slowly changed the way I eat.

It wasn't easy...all those years of snacking and eating too much food was extremely difficult.  I read "Shut up, Stop Whining and Get a Life"  THIS is really what changed things for me.

This process takes time, I am a mother of 2 teenagers, full time sales position, travel for business AND I still managed to find the time to check my food, workout 4 x per week and manage things.  Think about how much time you spend in front of the TV.  That 2 hours from when you get home to bed is YOUR TIME to do all of this.  What does 2 hours of TV watching do for you????

Who cares who is the next Idol etc, with this time you can change your life SERIOUSLY!!!!!  Read Shut Up, Stop whining about being FAT......and give up that lousy TV. You can rent the series and watch it on the weekend if you need to.

Bl628396514, Your links have been removed, please consider upgrading to premium membership.

Introduction
I am writing to tell my story, offering information and a passion for health and fitness.  It is a story about my journey to good health, stability, peace, happiness and well being.

After losing 35 lbs, 55 inches and 6 sizes AND keeping it off for the past 7 Years, I am asked all the time, 'how did you lose all the weight??'  'What is your secret?' etc.  Here is my secret!!

It started 7 years ago. I was getting very depressed about turning 40 and being FAT.

Fat and Forty, this just sounded bad... I was going to the gym, had been a runner for years (2 half marathons!!) but it just did not matter. I was getting bigger and bigger each year. SO after many tears and frustrations I hit the right mix of things. I have researched fitness, food, websites, books magazines and have been able to keep off the weight for 5 years now and I want to share my achievements with you. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done but...  if I can do it you can too!! Fit tastes better than FAT!!!

I am 5 feet 8 inches tall, 165 lbs and size 10.

I will share my favorite

websites
books
workouts
motivation
how to videos
food and recipes
inspiration
tips and tricks
etc.....