I'm always on the lookout for the right tools to help me, motivate me, and encourage me with my weight loss journey. These tools are to help me keep on track and to add variety because I just get bored really fast. Especially with exercising. However, this past week, my husband and I decided to join a gym. Man am I glad I did! First off, the price was unbelievable. Like to good to be true. $20 for the both of us! Yep! Plus, we get to sit down with a personal trainer and come up with a workout program to fit our needs or goals. I was going to share that with you today but my appointment was cancelled because the trainer got sick. Hopefully next week.

For this weeks series, I'm going to share with you my favorite apps, sites, and other great tools to help keep you motivated and perhaps more accountable. At least give them a try.


Favorite apps:

myfitnesspal  - to track your food intake and exercises. You can even scan your foods to make tracking faster.

lolo   - this is an app as a personal trainer. There is an variety of them like training for a 5k, 10k, dumbbells, kettle bell, etc,.. I love working with kettle bells which is the one I have.You do have to pay like $3 for the app but I think it is well worth it. It does kick your butt! :)

10k - A free app to get training to run a 10k. I was hoping to do a half, but for the time I have left to train for one, I'd be pushing it and potentially setting myself up for injury. So I'm looking at a more realistic goal, and that is the 10k one.

Pandora - Do I really need to explain this one? They do have great music if you need to listen to       something else on your smart phone.




Favorite Site:

Skinnytaste.com - LOVE this site. I've been following her for years. She has a lot of variety of skinny dishes with great eye candy. She also breaks down all the nutrition value of her dishes so you can calculate it.




Favorite Magazines:

Cooking Light - great dishes and ideas to get creative with your meals.

Weight Watchers - Oh you know, keeping up with the latest science on weight-loss and such.

Muscle & Fitness Hers - Great motivating magazine and workout routines to try.



What are your other favorite media tools? Please share - I'm always on the lookout.

Time to head out to the gym!

Hi there, friend! Well I'm here  reflecting on week 3 and I kind of fell off the wagon just a bit. I'm learning now that you have to just accept it, move on, and don't dare quit. I still need to remind myself to take it one step at a time. However, here is what I do know that has changed; I really don't care for pop anymore. Really. Actually, I've didn't care for it much before but, now it really doesn't sound good. I'm realizing that I prefer more veggies now, more so then ever. These are small victories that will make a huge difference later on. Again, remembering to take it one step at a time.

I should have done this a couple of weeks ago, however, this post will be about organizing yourself skinny, or fitter. Just a tips for you that I believe is very vital on your journey to transition on a more healthy lifestyle. You may already know of these.

1. Go through all your food and get rid of what I call empty calories which are the processed foods that I'm sure you have somewhere in your pantry. These would be donuts, (most) cereal, chips, those snack-like food that you find in the cookie, chip, isle. Really, get rid of it. Think of it as a long term investment for your body.

 2. Always have frozen "fresh" fruit in your freezer. This is a HUGE money saving tip. Sometimes I'm terrible at getting to my fresh fruits on time or I just forget that I even have them. Having frozen fruit might have more nutrients then you think. Or, when you pick-up produce from your local market,put them in the freezer just so they'll last longer. I have yet to try this, but place grapes in the freezer and then use them as a snack for later.

3. Next, perhaps one of the most important tip, is watching your portions. I know, so original right? Here is what you really need, a coffee cup and a salad plate. Really! Salad plates are obviously smaller than dinner plate but will also create an illusion that you are filling up your plate to the gills. It could also help you train your eye on smaller portions. Catching my drift?

4. My last tip on organizing yourself skinny is a food scale and measuring cups. Again this is suppose to help control the portions and to visually train what would be the right amount.

Oh wait, I do have one more tip. Its water. Always be drinking water and so much of it per day. I'm sure you might have heard if you drink so much of it before you eat, it kind of helps curb the appetite. It also make your skin look great and helps flush out some of the toxins. My favorite thing to drink out of is a camelback water bottle. They come in a lot of pretty colors to.

Also, I just want to let you know, I'm not a doctor nor a nutritionist. I'm sharing with you what I know and what has personally worked for me.

What has been your favorite tip that you always go to? Please share!

Well dear friend, I have managed to drop almost 4 lbs for the past week and a half! Some days are hard being tempted on those juicy burgers layered with cheese and .... Ah - I should stop! Anyways, I've done a bit of research on how much I should eat on protein, carbs, fiber, and fats. And don't forget the calories. It's really hard to manage all those numbers. I'm not gonna lie it's a challenge.

Although, I've noticed my energy level has been going up. I have been drinking more and more water and finding little ways to adding more activity throughout my day. Even if it's calculating. One of the things I have managed to put onto my schedule for this week (and will be doing for now on) is Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Man, that girl will kick your butt! It's HARD! But I think it's worth it and can not wait to see my picture results. Don't worry I'll share them with you to.

For today, I'm going to share a little recipe that I love that is great for lunches or dinner. The skinny flatout margarita pizza.

Here is what you need:

Preheat oven to 365.

- I Flatout Bread
- 2 1/2 Tbn of Pizza Sauce
- 1/8 c. of shredded cheese
- Basil (preferably fresh)
- Balsamic Vinegar

1. Spread the pizza sauce evenly ontop the flatout

 2. Cute the basil into little pieces and add them as a topping, spread your cheese, and add dashes of balsamic vinegar.
3. Put into oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I hope you will enjoy this dish. It goes well with a great salad as well. The pizza is about 250 calories to eat. If you want to join with me on my journey, you can find my fitness pal under as CatieBuck2013. Find me and join with me on this!

K - D!