Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 jumbo egg

1 tbsp cumin

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 cup quick oats

4 whole wheat 100 bun

1 small hass avocado, sliced thin

Directions:

1. Dry the beans well after washing, extra moisture keep the burgers from sticking. In a medium bowl, mash beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
2. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic, then add oats, then eggs and spices. Then stir into mashed beans.
3. Divide mixture into four patties (using slightly oiled hands helps) and place them onto a flat surface covered with wax paper. (If it's too wet, chill the mixture 30 minutes in the refrigerator or add another tablespoon of oats)
4. Freeze at least 2 hours before cooking or keep frozen until ready to cook.
5. Heat a lightly sprayed skillet to medium heat and cook frozen burgers about 7 minutes on each side.

*If grilling, preheat grill over medium heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil; grill 7-8 minutes on each side or you can bake in the oven at 375° on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Nutritional Facts:

per serving (makes 4):

Calories 79

protein 5

carbs 13

fat 1

sugar less than 1

fiber 1

Not including bun or toppings!

Focus T25 and tips on how to reach your Fitness goals!!

I cannot believe I only have 2.5 more weeks of FOCUS T25!! It has been an awesome journey so far!! I have been right on with my workouts, and meals have been great other than this holiday weekend, BUT its over and Im back in the game!!  Some people tend to fall off track after having a bad weekend, but it is important to stay focused and keep your goals in mind!! You won’t reach them by wishing that’s for sure!!

Here is how I make sure I stay on track throughout the week:

• Meal plan- I plan out what I eat each week, then I am not left confused and out of time and full of excuses!!
• Pack extra snacks- If you pack extra just in case of an emergency, you are again, not going to run into excuses of I had nothing good in front of me!
• WATER- Drink water, and have extra with you!! You should be having your body weight divided by 2 and make it into ounces!! That is what you should have DAILY!!
• Eat every 3 hours- Keep your metabolism going! Fuel your body with energy!! If you go too long without eating, your body will eventually go into starvation mode and start using muscle and store fat!! We are trying to get rid of it, not keep it!!
• Eat breakfast – EVERY day!!!! If you eat breakfast daily, you are again, increasing your metabolism, you stay full longer, and you tend to crave less!! I use SHAKEOLOGY as my breakfast because it is an entire meal replacement full of dense nutrition (ALL NATURAL) and easy and convenient!! If you don’t  have time, this is perfect!! If your not use to eating breakfast, this again is perfect!!
• Exercise regularly- Exercising at least 3 times a week is going to help increase your metabolism and help you build muscle!! Muscle burns fat right?!? You want to be strong right?? You want to look younger right?? Here you go!!
  
• Sleep- If you do not get enough sleep, you are adding stress to your body which then prevents people from losing weight.  Try to get at least 8 hrs of sleep a night and make sure it’s a good sleep! Turn off the tv and your 3 alarms.. FYI my husband does this and its quite annoying.. lol If you wake up to turn off your alarm, you never go back to a full blown sleep, so why do it every 5 min?!?! JUST WAKE UP THE FIRST TIME !!! HAHA this seriously gets me EVERY time!!
• Last but not least STAY POSITIVE!!! So seriously, if you don’t have a positive mindset, you will eventually talk yourself out of anything!! You HAVE to be positive and BELIEVE in yourself or you will NOT succeed!! Bottom line! When you stay positive, you automatically talk your-self into up and work harder! If you have a hard time staying positive on your own, join a challenge group where you have others around you giving you support and encouragement!! I run challenge groups every month and they turn out successful every time!! My challengers get AMAZING results and end up with higher self-esteem, confidence they never had, and POSITIVE outlook!!! You never know until you try!! What’s the worst that can happen, you find a new lifestyle and body?! Doesn’t sound bad to me!!!
  

This is my before and after picture which I actually won 500$ for my transformation by Beach Body!! I was in challenge groups myself and continued coaching others in my own challenge groups to help keep myself motivated and accountable for reaching my goals! I followed my tips above and I succeeding!! Now it's your turn!!

You can find me on facebook at www.facebook.com/deidra.penrose

Visit my Like Page www.facebook.com/foreverfitnurse

Team Beach Body-My Transformation

One year ago, I was completely unhappy and Im not going to lie, FAT.  I was happy with my beautiful family, But inside, I felt miserable.  I was uncomfortable with my body, even in front of my husband.  Let me ask you a question.. How do you expect someone to love you if you cannot love yourself?

I had to do something, and it had to be quick.. Not a quick fix though.  I wanted to just completely change my life altogether… More like a LIFESTYLE change! I knew if I did Adkins, or even Medifast, once your done with those diets, that weight comes right back on one way or another.. You simply cannot live off that food.. Well some of it is not even real food.  I LOVE my food and did not want that taken away from me. 

So I decided one day after my cousin who is a BEACH BODY COACH contacted me to join one of her CHALLENGE GROUPS with BEACH BODY.  I was skeptical just because there are so many fad diets out there and did not have money to just blow… I mean come on, I have 2 small children both in diapers, we were building a house, I was taking Master’s classes, and working in the ER. How could I possibly afford to eat healthy right? 

I just one day decided to take a leap of faith after being so disgusted with myself and start the challenge. So I started with INSANITYand drinking SHAKEOLOGY once a day. The workouts would help increase my metabolism, and the SHAKEOLOGY would be 1 meal a day to replace full of nutrition, so that would really help me with the nutrition aspect. 

After 30 days, I was losing lbs inches, but even more importantly, I was gaining energy, losing my cravings, and my digestive system was improving! These shakes were actually making a difference, and the fact that they are so easy and convenient for me, especially when Im at work and on the go helps sooooo much!  This was such a motivation for me to keep going!  Of all the times I spent in the gym getting nowhere, I’m finally finding something that works for me!!

So here I am now,  a yr later, 40 lbs lighter, and in the best shape of my life.  I have learned from my challenge group how to eat clean, and take care of myself, along with finding the motivation in me to follow through with my goals! I have been drinking my SHAKEOLOGY

 for breakfast or snack EVERY DAY.

I now am a BEACH BODY COACH!  I hold CHALLENGE GROUPS for everyone else, to give back what was given to me… The ability to follow through and succeed.  To reach your ultimate goals, to make that lifestyle change! 

All you need to start my challenge is the need to WANT TO CHANGE.  If you want it, I will help you get there! 

To join my next challenge group, message me for details deidra.penrose@yahoo.com

Find me on facebook at www.facebook.com/deidra.penrose

Like my “LIKE PAGE” @ facebook.com/foreverFITnurse

Can’t wait to watch your TRANSFORMATION!

If you love health and fitness and would like to help people reach their goals, I am recruiting people who are motivated and have the passion to help people live healthier and fulfilling lifestyles! 

Message me for details!

Sign up as a BEACH BODY COACH here: 

http://www.BeachBodyCoach.com/Deidrap8

SHAKEOLOGY NO BAKE COOKIES

SHAKEOLOGY NO-BAKE COOKIES

Total Time: 10 min.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: None

Yield: 25 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

1 cup quick cooking oats

½ cup raw honey

1 cup Chocolate Shakeology

Preparation:

1. Combine peanut butter, oats, honey, and Shakeology in a medium bowl; mix well.

2. Roll mixture into 24 balls, each about 1-inch in size.

3. Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 112Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 2 mgSodium: 13 mgCarbohydrate: 12 gFiber: 1 gSugar: 7 gProtein: 5 g

New Challenge Group, great start to a new week!

Yesterday was the start of yet another challenge group that I am so excited about!! These people are so motivated to reach their goals and I am loving the positivity in this group!!!

You may be wondering… what exactly are challenge groups??

Challenge groups are 60 or 90 day support groups that I make on face book that helps people stay motivated and holds them accountable to reach their health and fitness goals.  This is a closed group that only the members of the group can see.  I post daily motivational posts, nutrition and health tips, recipes, and even help with meal plans, so you have the opportunity to maximize your results and learn the right way to make that lifestyle change!  

On your end, your job is to pick any Beach Body program of your choice and follow the schedule, eat clean, and drink SHAKEOLOGY once daily! This is going to improve your overall health and really give you the best results! You want 100% results, the tools are right in front of you!!

This is not about a diet just to get into bikini season.. This is a long term, in it for the long run type of change.  Its learning how to stay committed to yourself and learn a lot of self-discipline.  What I love about these groups, is you not only learn this new lifestyle, but you learn so much about yourself! 

I run these challenge groups every month, so if you are interested in making that change, I would love to have you in my group!  I limit my groups to 5 people per challenge, this way I can focus on each as an individual. 

So, since my new challenge group started, I become even more motivated, which I do not even know how I do that because I thought I was at my max, but I surprise myself each time! Today was a great day and had some awesome workouts, and awesome meals!

I woke up this morning at 5am, got my workout in and posted in all my challenge groups!! My workout today was T25 Beta Dynamic Core.  Definitely worked up a sweat!

I ate protein berry pancakes, which are sooo yummy and easy to make!! 

Snack was Shakeology with PB2 and unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Lunch was Whole wheat English muffin pizzas ( I used mushrooms, onion, and red pepper) which is also another easy meal and awesome when your craving pizza!!

I did slack off on the rest of the day, I had nothing until after my Fit Club, which was a protein bar.  Overall, not bad though! I feel great, and btw did another T25 workout at Fit Club! So I definitely burned calories today! 

Does this look like a lifestyle you want to have for yourself? join me in my next challenge group starting Sept 23rd and get ready for an awesome journey ahead!! Whether you want to tone, lose weight, bulk or even just learn to eat healthier... we do it all!! Message me for details!

Deidra.penrose@yahoo.com

find me on facebook at facebook.com/deidra.penrose

Mediterranean Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Mediterranean Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

2 slices rustic white bread or sourdough bread (I used Whole Wheat)

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 oz. Mozzerella Cheese (sliced)

1 oz. Wisconsin Feta cheese, crumbled

2 cups fresh spinach

4 Roma tomato slices

2 Tbsp diced black olives

1 Tbsp finely chopped red onion

2 tsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp finely minced garlic (about 1/3 clove)

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and spinach and saute until spinach begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in basil and set aside. To assemble sandwich, spread Mozzarella and Feta cheese over one slice of bread into an even layer. Layer tomatoes in a single layer over cheese. Spread spinach mixture over tomatoes then sprinkle olives and red onions over tomatoes. Season with freshly ground black pepper and top with remaining slice of bread.

Spread 1 tsp olive oil evenly over skillet, add sandwich and heat over medium-low heat. Cook until bottom is golden brown, about 3 - 4 minutes, then remove sandwich from pan. Spread remaining 1 tsp olive oil evenly along skillet, carefully rotate sandwich to opposite side and return to pan over medium-low heat. Cover skillet with lid and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

This may be my new favorite lunch!!! 

FOCUS T25 30 DAY RESULTS~

FOCUS T25 – WEEK 5

I am in my last week of ALPHA round of T25 and so far, so good!! I did my 30 day measurements and was not excited about gaining 3 pounds, but on a good not, I lost 3 inches!! This comes to show, you can no go only by the scale!! I know I can still lose a few, but I am excited that I am toning, especially in my abdominal area, which can be tough!!

I have been keeping up with my workouts, and it helps to have Shaun T in my house cheering me on!!  This was a gift I received from beach body for hitting SUCCESS CLUB yet another month!! So far, I have hit success club every month this year, and I got to keep it going!! 

My eating habits are pretty good, although I know I can be a little stricter, which I am starting that now and really get lean for this next 30 days.. My husband and I had a date night, and I did have an alcoholic beverage.. ok 2… BUT stuck to my vodka and water with a lemon!! It does the job for me!! I still made healthy choices eating wise, I had a black bean spinach wrap with veggies and some sweet potato fries.. I know the fries were not the greatest choice, but better than regular right?!? I did not have the whole serving either! As my husband had dessert, I watched and enjoyed not having it because I know I did not need those extra calories! Plus, its only a temporary satisfaction, so I was ok without it!!

I am ready to have another awesome 30 days here, and am loving T25 for just 25 min a day!! I will say, I am a mommy of 2, I have 2 jobs, a husband, and home to take care of, BUT I still make time to be healthy for myself and my family!! 

NO EXCUSE when you can do a 25 minute workout 5 days a week!!

T25 in a challenge pack (includes 1 month SHAKEOLOGY HD) is ON SALE!! Not only are you saving time, but your saving CASH!!! Ok it does not get much better than this!!  WAIT, yes it does!! Join my challenge group starting August 26^th and get 1:1 coaching with me and get into the best shape of your life!!!

If you do not want to use T25, you can chose from any BEACH BODY workouts!!

Other fitness programs on sale this month are BODY BEAST and TURBO FIRE!!

Message me for details on getting started Deidra.penrose@yahoo.com

Let’s get started together!!

Apple Pie Shakeology

Apple Pie Shakeology

1 scoop Vanilla SHAKEOLOGY

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup almond milk

3/4 cup water

Ice

Blend

Black Bean, Corn, and Edamame Salad

Black Bean, corn, and edamame salad!

Ingredients:

• Black beans- 14 oz
• Corn- 2 ½ cups
• Edamame- 2 cups
• Red onion- 1 medium chopped
• Cilantro fresh- 1 tbsp chopped
• Red peppers 1 ½ copped
• Olive oil- 3 tbsp
• Black pepper ½ tsp
• Cumin- ½ tsp
• Lime juice-1 tbsp
• Himalayan salt- ½ tsp
• Cayenne pepper- 1/2 tsp
• Raw honey- 1 tbsp

Directions:

1. Cook Edamame as per package states. While cooking edamame, brown red pepper and corn in same pan on high for 5 min or until brown.  Add in black beans and cook on medium for another 2 min.
2. After Edamame is cooked, drain water and add into mixture of corn, black beans, and red pepper and take off stove.
3. Add cilantro, black pepper, cumin, lime juice, salt, cayenne, and raw honey and mix ingredients all together.
4. Put in fridge and let cool for at least 2 hrs prior to eating!

Enjoy!!

SHAKEOLOGY NO BAKE COOKIES

SHAKEOLOGY NO BAKE COOKIES

Total Time: 10 min.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: None

Yield: 25 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

1 cup quick cooking oats

½ cup raw honey

1 cup Chocolate Shakeology

Preparation:

1. Combine peanut butter, oats, honey, and Shakeology in a medium bowl; mix well.

2. Roll mixture into 24 balls, each about 1-inch in size.

3. Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 112Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 2 mgSodium: 13 mgCarbohydrate: 12 gFiber: 1 gSugar: 7 gProtein: 5 g

Day 3 T25~

Day 3 T25 was yet another successful day!! This is what happens when you put your mind to it!!! If you believe, YOU WILL ACHIEVE!!! It is all about having faith in yourself and pushing until you get to where you need to be in life!! This is where I want to be.. healthy and happy with myself! I love the way I feel when I eat this way and I love the way I feel when I get great exercises in! I worked again today a 10 hour shift, but still got my T25 workout in and had great meals! Today was Total Body Circuit and holy crap was it intense! I think that is my favorite T25 workout because it truly works every part of your body.  Even parts you didn’t think you had!  For work, I ate very healthy and enjoyed every bit! I even got my water intake in!

I did get hungry in the afternoon, so I doubled up on my veggies.  Drank extra water and I was good!! I had FIT club tonight where I have a group together to workout and get motivated and didn't have extra food so I stopped at subway and got a 6 in chicken with whole wheat bread and lots of veggies!! Overall, great day and I still feel great, ready to chug some water and hit that sack! Im exhausted now and work again in the morning!! NITE NITE!! :)

Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

Prep time:  35 mins Cook time:  20 mins Total time:  55 mins

Serves: 4-5 

Ingredients

•1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or chicken thighs if you prefer)

•1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise (get a BIG one)

•12-15 artichoke hearts, cut in half (I used jarred artichokes that were in olive oil for more flavor)

•⅓ cup walnuts

•4-5 tablespoons olive oil

•4-5 tablespoons vegetable broth

•2 garlic cloves, minced

•½ cup fresh parsley

•½ cup fresh basil

•juice of 1 lemon

•salt and pepper, to taste

•3-5 cups of spinach (optional)

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 405 degrees (not 450, stop questioning me)

2.Cut the squash in half lengthwise, place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until squash gives when you poke the outside of it.

3.Use a spoon to remove the excess seeds then a fork to thread the strings from the squash. To make spaghetti, duh.

4.But while the squash is baking, make the pesto and chicken.

5.Place a large pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of fat and 1 minced garlic clove. As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, add the halved artichokes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let cook until slightly browned and tender on all sides.

6.Once artichokes are browned, add them to a food processor along with the walnuts, olive oil, vegetable broth, and second garlic clove. Puree until smooth.

7.Then add the parsley, basil, lemon, and salt and pepper. Puree once more until smooth. Taste and add more lemon and salt and pepper to your preference.

8.Once pesto is done pureeing, add the chicken to the same pan that you sautéed the artichokes in.

9.Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

10.Once chicken is cooked through, add in about ¼ of a cup of the pesto to the chicken along with the spinach, in the pan and mix well to coat. Cover and let cook for 2-4 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

11.Then add the threads of spaghetti squash to the pan (or a large mixing bowl if you need more room). Mix spaghetti squash, pesto, and chicken all together.

12.Serve with some fresh basil on top.

This recipe is from PALEOOMG which is an awesome site that I started looking at after a friend introduced me.. The recipes are awesome and I recommend using them!!

Vanilla Almond SHAKEOLOGY

Vanilla Almond Fudge SHAKEOLOGY

• 1 serving of Chocolate Shakeology
• 1 Tbsp. almond butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 dashes cinnamon
• 1 cup skim (nonfat) milk

Yes, in just 1 glass of SHAKEOLOGY, you get all of this dense nutrition!! No more need for multi-vitamin!!! This is not just a weight loss shake everyone, this is a HEALTH SHAKE!!! Get started on getting healthy now!!  Get it now in HD (home direct) and get FREE SHIPPING!! That's right!!  If you are worried about a cancelation fee, don't worry, there is NO penatly for canceling!!!

Be Healthy With Your Kids While Spending Quality Time!!

Many people say, " I cannot be healthy because I do not have time." or "I work all day and when I finally get a chance to get home, I only want to spend it with them." Here is the thing... if you want something bad enough, you will work for it... end of story.  I have been there, done that. I used up every excuse I could throw out there.  Until I found a way to make it work!! What is wrong with playing with your kids while getting your workout, but both of you enjoying the time spent and getting a good laugh?!? If you can find something wrong with that, please let me know!!  I adore my children, but I also work as a nurse and as a Beach Body Coach, so my time is precious with my kids, but I also realize I need to be healthy so I can live a long life and be around for my children as long as possible! Today, while I felt like I needed to workout , but also wanted to spend time with my son, I came up with ways to do both!!

You may think it is silly, but I killed two birds with one stone!!  We had a blast doing it too!!!

I worked out my biceps....

 15 reps x 3 sets does the trick!!

I work out my Quads while also getting my biceps!!!

 I even work out my shoulders!! Yep.. Delts and Triceps too!!

How bout a little push ups to finish off a good workout?!?!

Make it harder and hold one arm and one leg out!! It's all on what you make it!!

He is having WAYYY to much fun with this!!

So this is my life as a MOMMY and a BEACH BODY COACH!! I love my family, but I also love being healthy!!

If you are interested in joining me in my next challenge group and get motivation, accountability, support, nutrition and exercise tips, recipes, and a chance to meet new people and live a healthier lifestyle, contact me!!

Deidra.penrose@yahoo.com

Find me on FACEBOOK facebook.com/deidra.penrose

Find me on IG @dpenrose113

www.beachbodycoach.com/deidrap8

Can't wait to get to know you and help you on your journey to success!!!