Recipe: Turkey and Mushroom Meatloaf & 21 Day Fix Results

I am all about taking my favorite recipes from growing up and making them healthier.  The other night, I decided to take a look at my mother's meatloaf recipe and tweak it to better fit my current eating plan.  I swapped out the hamburger for ground turkey and the bread crumbs and egg with mushrooms. The results were amazing, so much so, that my husband who normally scoffs at my healthy dinners said that he would be okay with me making this again. In other words, he liked it! Let me say, that I leaned up this recipe a bit, but there is still room for making it even leaner if you so choose, especially with regards to the sausage component of the meat loaf.  So here it is, my skinny mama's meatloaf:

I know it might not look appealing like this. I'm not good at taking food photos, but I promise it tastes awesome!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground turkey
1 pound of hot ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Hot, but to make it cleaner, you could use Jimmy Dean natural sausage instead, or a sausage substitute, I believe there is a good one you can find at Trader Joe's)
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1/2 a bell pepper finely chopped (I used red in this recipe, any color is fine)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 button mushrooms or 1 medium sized portobello mushroom chopped.
1/2 a small can of tomato sauce
A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
Black Pepper and Italian Seasoning to taste
1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the ground turkey, sausage, onion, bell pepper, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, 1/2 can of tomato sauce, and pepper and italian seasoning to taste in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Form either 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves and place in a baking dish. (I use a glass square dish)
3. Pour the other half of the tomato sauce over the top and add a bay leaf. (This is optional, depending on how tomato-y you like your meatloaf)
4. Cover with foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 
5.  After 1 hour, remove foil and drain off oil.  Continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 more minutes. (smaller loaves may take less time, check for doneness at 15 minutes).
6. Serve and enjoy!

Served with a side of mashed potatoes. You may be asking where the veggies are.  I had a big salad in a separate bowl. I'm a weirdo and can't eat my salad on a plate. I don't like my foods to mix!

21 Day Fix Results!

I finally had time to take my after photos, or I should say I finally found a time when my husband could take my after photos.  I really need to find a tripod for my iPhone so I can do these myself.  Here you go:

7 pounds and 13 inches in only 3 weeks!

The proof is in the pictures!  I had such fantastic results in the first round that I'm going for a second round to see how much more I can lose.  21 Day Fix is really a great program.  Easy to follow, and super effective for weight loss.  My November challenge group is in there second week right now and doing awesome.  I had one challenger share with me that she lost 4 pounds in just the first week. If you are looking to make a change in your health, why wait until January to make the change?  I will be running one more challenge group in 2014 and it starts December 1st.  The average American gains 5-8 pounds during the holidays.  Commit to this challenge and not only prevent yourself from the holiday gain, but also lose 8-15 pounds before Christmas and look awesome going into the New Year.  The challenge groups I run are small, and I only have 3 spots left in the December group.  If you are at all interested in this challenge group or want any information about the other types of challenge groups I run, please fill out the form below!  

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Motivation Monday and the Final Day of 21 Day Fix

Motivation Monday

A mantra can be a powerful motivational tool.  I developed my own personal mantra when I was training for my first marathon.  I used it whenever I was feeling weak, or needed an extra push.  This came in handy during my long runs and especially during the marathon itself in the final miles.  My mantra: "you are strong, you are motivated, you will do this".  I found this little motivational gem while I was surfing Pinterest this morning:

I find this picture so inspiring!  I hope you do as well.  Take some time in the near future to develop your own mantra.  It doesn't have to be long, eloquent, or even grammatically correct.  It just needs to work for you.  It should be something that lights a fire inside you and helps you push past the wall or whatever is stopping you.  Find your mantra and use it whenever you need to dig deep and find that extra push!


21 Day Fix Progress:

I have officially completed my first round of the 21 Day Fix!  I didn't have a chance to take after pictures today, but it's on my to do list for tomorrow, so be on the look out for my official results!  For the last 3 days of the program, I decided to do the quick fix eating plan.  It is a much stricter plan than the normal fix plan, and is supposed to give you even more drastic results.  I'm going to be completely honest and share with y'all and that the quick fix did not work for me.  Part of why I am a Beachbody Coach is because I believe in the products. I have experienced great success and have helped others get fantastic results using the programs and nutritionals Beachbody offers. I speak very highly of these programs and products because they work, but I am also very open and honest about every aspect of these programs, so if something didn't work for me, I'll share that too.  

The first two and a half weeks of the 21 Day Fix worked great. I was blown away with the results I was getting.  They were as good or better than I had ever seen with other programs I have completed.  Whether it was on the scale, or in the measuring tape, I saw results every single day.  This is great motivation to keep going, so if motivation or consistency has been an issue for you in the past, I highly recommend the 21 Day Fix program.  I firmly believe that I would have continued to see the same level of progress the last three days of the program if I had continued with the normal eating plan.  

I think where I went wrong, was my calorie intake during the quick fix.  I followed the plan as written, but I think for my body, the number of calories I consumed for those three days was just too low.  I didn't gain weight or lose weight at all the last three days of the plan and I felt fatigued and bloated.  My body is exceptionally good at adapting to the situations I put it in.  Seriously, in the event of an apocalyptic disaster, I really think I would be one of the last people standing. I gain muscle quickly when I lift, my flexibility improves right away when I start stretching, and unfortunately, I plateau often when trying to lose weight, so I am constantly changing up my routine and calorie cycling to try to prevent/break those plateaus. I also can go in and out of starvation mode at the drop of a hat, and I totally know when that happens because of how my body feels.  This felt like one of those times.  Now that I know how my body responds to this program, I am eager to do another round and see how much better my results can be in another 21 days.  I had a "cheat meal" for my dinner tonight, and will begin with the plan again starting tomorrow. I'm only 9 pounds away from my pre-preggo weight.  My goal is to get there in one more round of 21 Day Fix.

I do believe the 21 Day Fix is a great program for people of all fitness levels, whether you are just starting out, or this is you second, third, or even fourth program.  The eating plan is solid in its foundation, easy to follow, and flexible.  The workouts are short, only 30 minutes, and very easy to modify up or down to give you the challenge you need to see results.  I will continue to promote this plan and recommend it to those I coach. In fact, I will be starting another 21 Day Fix Challenge Group starting December 1st.  Perfect timing to slim down before the holidays so you can show off your awesome new body to your family and friends. 

21 Day Fix Challenge Pack

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Monday Motivation, 21 Day Fix Day 7/8, and Results of the First Week

Motivation Monday

I just got off a team call with my Beachbody team and I am feeling inspired.  The call was about going from selfish to selfless in this business.  I did not become a Beachbody Coach for the money, though I knew the potential was there.  I became a Beachbody Coach to help others experience and achieve success with their health and fitness goals.  Here is one of many little nuggets of inspiration I took away from our team call:

I feel absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to combine my love of fitness with my desire to help others achieve their goals, all while being about to be at home with my daughter.  Team Beachbody is a fantastic business to work for.  They provide all the tools you need to be an effective coach.  I am lucky to be a part of the top team in our organization and have found a wealth of knowledge and support from my fellow coaches.  I could keep going about all the awesome perks of being a coach with Beachbody, there are so many, but I will leave it this.  If becoming a Beachbody Coach sounds like something you might be interested in doing, or you just want to get more information, leave a comment or message me on facebook -----> here.

Days 7 & 8 of the 21 Day Fix

Yesterday, was another busy day. We started out going to dog agility training as a family because we wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather we are having here in NC.  My daughter got to run around and get her wiggles out, while my husband worked the pup.  Afterwards we came home and enjoyed a relaxing Sunday of family and football.  I was craving red meat all day, so I indulged and had a lean burger for lunch and steak for dinner.  I stayed within my proper portion sizes, but the food was so dense, that it left me feeling too full. Blech.  I did save a yellow (carb) serving so I could have a small treat.

Meal Plan:

• Breakfast: hashbrowns and an egg (1y,1r,1tsp)
• Lunch: Cheese burger and salad (1r,1b,1y,3g,1o,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes (2p)
• Dinner: Steak and green beans (2r,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple (1p)
• Dessert: Dark chocolate (1y)

Today started out late for a normal weekday.  My husband is on call for work, so he was up nearly all night working, and I don't sleep well alone anymore, so neither of us got restful sleep.  Couldn't workout in the morning, but I did get in my Total Body Cardio Fix this evening.  I'm taking a rest day from PiYo simply because I didn't have enough time today to get it in, and I'd rather get an extra hour of sleep than squeeze in another workout.  I will be back at it tomorrow.  This is my last week of PiYo!  

Meal Plan:

• Breakfast: Hashbrowns and an egg (1y,1r,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple (1p)
• Lunch: Cheese burger and salad (2r,1b,1y,3g,1o,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes (2p)
• Dinner: Steak and green beans (1r,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Peanutbutter and dark chocolate (1tsp, 1y)

21 Day Fix Week 1 Results

I am super excited to share that in my first week of the 21 Day Fix, I have lost 3 pounds and 5 inches!  I couldn't be happier with my results so far, and I can't wait to see how much more I can lose in the next 2 weeks!  If you would like to join my next challenge group, message me on facebook ------> here.

If you are looking for more fitness tips and tricks or healthy recipes, I post both daily on my health and fitness Facebook group. I also run free challenge groups each month in addition to 30 and 60 day Beachbody challenge groups.  Join us!  We are up to over 300 members!  Click this link ------> Achieving a Fitter Life with Heather Hope