Its that time of year. The last few days of the year and everyone is trying to decide their New Years Resolutions. But not this Momboss. I’ve never really liked New Year resolutions because I never stick to them. I do however love lifestyle changes and improvements. I like to say I’m a goal slayer at goal setting! So as I sit and ponder what I want to improve I’ve decided to share my goals with you and throughout the year you will get to see how I slay each of my goals. I’m going to do it in a 3 part post starting today thru New Years Eve.

Health

This is one of the top 5 on peoples resolutions each year. This year I have decided to make it my number 1. I had a big step forward yesterday at my doctors when he informed me my blood pressure was doing well enough I was able to get off 2 blood pressure pills. He also reduced my dose of metformin that manages my blood sugar. This was a huge achievement for me as I have struggled with my weight and diabetes since my last pregnancy. It’s been 4 years  Heres how I did that and will continue to progress

• Eat breakfast that is high in protein. I am not much of a breakfast eater mainly because I run out of time.So I started doing a breakfast shake. Its easy peasy to make a batch and keep it refrigerated for 2-3 days. I also found a yummy protein shake. It’s called Visaulus Vi-shake. I was leery at first because I have issues about texture and have found most shakes to be rather gritty. This one however blended perfectly in the shaker cup I bought and just like the add said tasted just like cake batter. Deliciousness!! It was a simple process to mix with almond milk and call it a day. On the days I woke up a little hungrier I would use my blender and blend in some chia seeds, flax seeds, 3 strawberries, and a half a banana. If you are interested in the product I used here are the links to the shake and the shaker bottle I use. Love them both.

•  I tend to be a snacker so it was important that I had healthy snacks on hand. This included a lot of fruits, veggies, and nuts.  I am a mom on the go so I had to have them easily accessible. This meant chopping veggies and portioning them into baggies. This way I could grab a baggie and be out the door. One thing that helped with this is changing where I shopped. I started getting fresh veggies and fruits at our local farmers market and at Sprouts and Trader Joes. A favorite spot of the family became the Apple Orchard and Veggie Garden out past Tucson. Its called Apple Annies and they have 2 locations One for Apples, pears, and Peaches and the other is vegetables. You can pick as much or as little as you like of the fresh fruits and veggies. They also have little gift shops at each location. At the Orchard is a burger shop and a pie shop which are both must stops if you are there. If you live near you should visit and if not then try finding an orchard or pick your own veggie spot near you. Sprouts and Trader Joes are also great if growing or picking your own is not an option.                                                                                                                                     
• Meal prep became a necessity. I started portioning my meals and prepping them ahead of time for easy access. My hubby was very impressed when I made 10 crockpot freezer meals. All healthy and all low carb. They made dinner so easy. Before freezing I add all sauces and spices so when its time to cook its just dump and cook. the only additional cooking I would do is if there was rice or noodles on the side. Just defrost or even put frozen in the crockpot and walk away.
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A few of my favorite recipes are

1. Healthy Chicken and Broccoli
2. Teriyaki Chicken
3. BBq Pulled Pork
4. Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
5. Carnitas

If you are interested in the actual recipes please subscribe! I will shoot you over my top 10 Freezer Crockpot meals.

• My favorite portioning dishes are below. There are many options these are just the ones that worked the best for me.

• An exercise regimen was important. Now being a bigger girl it was hard at first but I pushed thru. My bestie started an accountability group on FB and it continues to be a huge motivation for me. And no it’s no direct sales stuff or anyone selling anything. Just videos of us exercising, contests, and daily check-in. Shoot me a message if you would like the link. I started doing the different exercise challenges and as time went on it got easier. Not going to lie my favorite is when we exercise to The Fitness Marshall on Youtube. This guy is hilarious and inspirational. Gets my booty moving. I alternated cardio and weights daily and then incorporated stretches to help my muscles. I’m still not a fitness expert but I’ve made progress.
• Increasing my water intake helped. I noticed I wasn’t as hungry and believe it or not my skin even looked better. My doctor recommended 1 oz of water per pound I weighed. Basically, I drank a lot of water LOL

These are the things that helped me hit one health goal. I will continue this thru the new year and hopefully up the intensity of my workouts and continue healthier eating options. Not going to lie I still eat some not healthy things but it is much more in control than it used to be.

So for my Goal Slaying goal setting for 2018 I’ve decided to continue meal prepping, increase the intensity of my workouts, and continue cutting sugars and carbs. Hopefully, with all that in place, I will be able to control my diabetes without the help of medication. I would love if you were here to cheer me on as I set my goals and slay them one at a time. 2018 is going to be a new year and new healthier, happier me! If you have any goals for the year feel free to comment!!

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