Monster cookie protein balls? Say What!

These were a HUGE hit in our house when I made them. They're so yummy and filled with protein!

1 C. Oatmeal

1/2 C. Natural Peanut Butter (I used almond butter)

1/4 C. Honey (I used Agave Nectar)

1 Scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I'm sure any kind would work)

Mini M&Ms

Mini dark chocolate chips

Mix all together in a bowl, make into balls and put in the fridge! I doubled the batch which was perfect for us. 

My friend had showed me a blog with a TON of good healthy recipes on it. 

Chelsea's Messy Apron

Right now I have the Zucchini bread in the oven, I will let you know how it goes! I have never made it before, so we will see :)

Tomorrow I plan to run 8-10 miles, I haven't decided yet. I hope you all have a fun, active, healthy weekend :)

who wants an awesome leg day workout?!

This past Tuesday, I put together a leg workout for my sister and I to do at the gym. Little did I know... I was not expecting to STILL be sore... It's definitely a good sore but oh my gosh my hamstrings are killing me! So I thought I need to share this, here it is

Front Squats (regular squats) with weights - 3 sets, 20 reps

Sumo Squats with weights - 3 sets, 20 reps

Goblet Squats with weights - 3 sets, 15 reps

Deadlifts - 4 sets, 15 reps

Split Lunge with weight - 3 sets, 10 reps

Calf Raises (normal, inward, outward) - 1 set, 30 reps, 1 set, 10 reps

Hamstring Leg Row w/ball - 4 sets, 30 seconds

Squat with a band around ankles and walk 20 steps one way and 20 steps back

For the front squats and sumo squats I used 25lb weights, for the goblet squat I used 35lb and then for the deadlifts I put a 25lb on each side of the bar. 

I hope you all give this a try, because your legs will be burning for days :)

On another note, last weekend I got to spend some quality time with my family! We were able to go for a jog with my mom, step dad, and sister. 

My dad, step brother, and my dads cousin did the MS150 bike ride. They start in Duluth, MN and bike to White Bear Lake, MN in two days. It's for an amazing cause. My grandpa and grandma both have Multiple Sclerosis and all the funds raised by each biker go to finding a cure for MS. 

If any of you try the leg day workout, let me know how it goes - I would love to hear about it!! 

Oh and here's a picture of one of my oh so cute dogs, Levi

My Wellness Journey, So Far

I wanted to share with you my wellness journey as of now. 

I have struggled with many things throughout the years, such as weight gain, destructive eating habits, learning what foods are actually nutritious. I have tried multiple things to help me be "healthy" throughout the years but now I am finally learning what is actually good for me versus what people think is good for you. 

When I was growing up, we always had processed, packaged food around our house along with many fresh fruits and vegetables. As a kid, I would say I was a little overweight. I would eat whatever and did not have a good idea of what was actually nutritious for my body and what was destructive to my body. I was always active as a kid with sports such as soccer and hockey. As the years went on and high school came around I was a little more aware of what was good for my body, but I still was no where near as educated as I wish I had been. 

My first year of college, I was a very confused girl. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and I was just going through the motions by going to classes, meeting new people, becoming best friends with my roommate. I did not take my health seriously at that time. I was rarely active and did not make the most nutritious decisions. After that year, I moved back home and started focusing more on exercise and making better eating choices. I started making more smoothies (fruits, flax seed, protein, yogurt, real cranberry juice), my family had done a really nice detox (removing all the bad toxins and cleansing your insides) and making sure I had a dinner with a protein, fat, and veggie. 

Within the last year, I have turned my life around. I have not been tested for a gluten intolerance, but I have played around with gluten and found out that I feel 100% better when I stay away from it. Many people think being gluten free is a fad diet right now and that buying GF items will make you healthy and lose weight, but in reality it is a serous cause and a lot of people need the options of gluten free. By no means does that mean all GF foods are healthy, some are still processed and packaged just like regular foods. When I would eat breads, wheat pastas, flour, oats etc., I would feel extremely bloated to the point where I felt sick, I would be gassy, I also would have no energy to want to do anything after I ate. Since removing that from my eating, I have felt great, I hardly ever get that nasty bloated feeling. Thank goodness!

I am currently training for a half marathon in August and I have grown a love for weight lifting (I lift about 4-5 days a week and run 3-4 times a week). Right now I focus on flexible dieting but a lot of my recipes are considered paleo. I have three paleo cookbooks that I love, everything is delicious. My step sister has been cooking paleo for quite some time now and she loves it, she has mentioned that she feels so much better and has so much more energy. One goal of mine is to keep making more and more recipes from those books because I know I feel better when I eat whole foods.

I know I have a long road ahead of me to get where I want to be in my journey but I have also realized its a lifelong journey that I will always be working on and being committed to a healthier lifestyle. I am here to help others in their wellness journeys and able to give them the right resources along the way. I really enjoy talking health, fitness, nutrition, or life- so don't be afraid to contact me. 

Always be inspired, 

Megan Michelle

4K

I am proud to say that Dillon ran his first race ever today!!!

It was a 4K (about 2.5 miles) and we both finished in 25 minutes. He did so great and I am so proud! 

Today was an off day for me with my running, but I am glad that he was there because he pushed me to just keep on going - which is exactly what I needed! 

Races are a fun way to do something together and it'll be fun to see what races are ahead for both of us :)

On another note, I made a fabulous chicken salad this past week (recipe shared through my awesome step-sister)

Salad

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 C. pecan pieces, toasted

2 C. red seedless grapes, halved

3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

Dressing

1 C. mayonnaise (I used Spectrum brand)

4 tsp. apple cider vinegar

5 tsp. honey

2 tsp. poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

I definitely recommend it. And if you use the right mayonnaise, it's pretty good for you! 

Have an awesome Saturday, my friends!!

Who Else Had A Wonderful Weekend?

Did everyone have an amazing weekend? 

I hope so!

My weekend was great and I got to see many people!

It started off with a killer leg workout with my favorite gym buddy

Then we met up with my sister Amanda, her boyfriend Justin and his daughter AND my sister Brenna and her boyfriend Mike for dinner. We were celebrating Amanda and Mikes birthdays. We enjoyed some delicious food from Buca- everything in moderation is key. 

After that I went home (WBL) and got to spend some quality time with my sister Brenna! We watched lifetime movies and she made Strawberry Shortcake :) The next morning we went for a walk on Lake Avenue (if anyone is ever in WB they should run/walk/bike/rollerblade etc on Lake Ave... IT'S BEAUTIFUL!)

Sunday afternoon was one of my great friends, Stephanie's bridal shower. It was so great to see and catch up with her.. it had been way too long. I cannot wait to be a part of her big day in a couple weeks 

Today, Dillon's sister and I went to the gym- I worked on arms today and she went on the treadmill and bike today! Now its time to prep some meals. My step-sister shared two recipes with me that I cannot wait to try.. buffalo chicken salad and regular chicken salad. 

Happy Monday all, it's going to be a great week :)

Sunday Prep Day

Prep day fun!

I actually don't mind prep day because I really enjoy cooking!

I made a egg and egg white bake, with salt and pepper. I cut up veggies to have with the egg bake for breakfasts.

For lunch/dinner, I made shredded chicken breasts (put in crock pot with seasonings of your choice on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours) then just shred up - with brown rice (1/2C.) - and broccoli (3/4C.)

AND 

sliced cucumbers with cracked pepper turkey breast (store bought) with roasted garlic humus. 

I will alternate the two meals for lunch and dinners!

I also cleaned up my fruit (raspberries and strawberries) and my veggies (green peppers, carrots, pea pods) to have for quick grab.

This did not take me long at all once the chicken was cooked, I put it in the crock pot at around 10 for 5 hours on high and had all my prep done by 4! It really is not hard at all if you have planned out what different things you will make!! Give it a try and you'll see how easy it'll be on you during the week :)

Goals For The Long Weekend

Happy FRI-YAY to all you beautiful people :)

I decided to make goals for myself this weekend, I am still trying to find my routine and get into the swing of things here. Who knew moving and starting a new job could be so stressful! 

I started my new job this past week, three days of training and then one day in the clinic. It went well, overwhelming but good. 

So about these goals I set, here they are

run every day (shorter run, intervals, longer run)

increase my weights while doing the Rock Hard Challenge

sunday = prep day for the next week

get my fitbit steps in daily (at least 10,000)
and lastly... being super duper happy :)

I also wanted to mention that I haven't lost much weight or inches but I know I am getting a heck of a lot stronger- I actually have muscles in my arms, my back, and I've always had stronger legs.. but holy crap they're getting even more stronger and it makes me feel so good about myself and my journey. This is the feeling that keeps me going, that gets my butt to the gym, that gets me to keep choosing healthier food choices, and that makes me a better, happier person. 

"Once you start seeing changes, you become addicted."

I will be posting on Sunday about the recipes I prep for the upcoming week, so stay tuned and have a wonderful weekend!

oh and here's a super cute picture of my puppies!