Love the Summer…Summer…Summertime! I have so many memories from being outside on my bike as a kid, playing hide-n-seek until the street lights came on, to high school parties on the beach and feeling the freedom of riding my motorcycle on a sunny day. There’s too many to list here but another one that comes to mind is cookouts! Mmmm…just writing about it brings the smoky scent of the charcoal grill and the mouth-watering flavor of an ice cold beer flooding towards me! Cookouts are a ton of fun yet they can also wreak serious havoc on our health and our desire of having that lean mean physique! Does that mean we have to forgo the cookout completely? Absolutely not! Here are some of my tips for enjoying those seasonal cookouts while also enjoying a smokin’ hot bod:

• Replace those hamburgers and hotdogs with leaner choices such as:

• boneless skinless chicken breast
• fresh fish
• shrimp or scallops
• lean beef tenderloins
• lean ground turkey
• lean ground bison

• Grill chicken breast, fresh fish, and beef tenderloins whole or cut into chunks and make kebobs.
• Experiment with different spices to make a flavorful rub for your protein choice.
• Cut up fresh vegetables, such as portabello mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes and toss with spices and lemon juice, place in grilling basket and grill to desired tenderness.
• Eliminate the creamy salads made with mayo or creamy dressings and replace with homemade vinaigrette (mix extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh herbs and spices).
• Replace the bowl of chips and dip with fresh cut veggies. Serve with a dip made with plain Greek yogurt mixed with fresh herbs and spices. Hummus is another great dipping choice.
• Instead of alcohol, serve ice cold water and experiment with some of these great natural flavor additions: lemon, lime, raspberries, watermelon, fresh mint or basil.

Remember, a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy delicious food! It’s all about experimenting and trying new things! Not only with you look good but you’ll FEEL AMAZING! Cheers!

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Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Pizzas
Ingredients
     4 Portabella Mushrooms
     2 Tbs olive oil + 1 tsp olive oil
     ½ cup pizza sauce, no sugar added
     ½ lb ground turkey
     ¼ cup chopped onion
     ¼ cup chopped bell peppers
     2 handfuls spinach, cooked
     2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
     1 tsp crushed red pepper
     ½ cup fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375˚. Gently wash mushroom caps and pat dry with paper towel. Pop out center stem and chop for topping.
2) Brush bottom of each cap with olive oil and place on ungreased cooking sheet. Set aside.
3) In pan, add 1 tsp olive oil and add chopped onion, bell peppers, mushroom stems and garlic. Sautee 4-6 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Add crushed red pepper and spinach and cook for 1 more minute.
4) Spoon ¼ of ground turkey mixture into each of the mushroom caps. Top with ¼ of parmigiano reggiano cheese.
Bake for 8-12 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition Info per serving (makes 4 servings):
Calories: 295 Protein: 24g Fats: 18g Carbs: 9g

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Does this resonate with you?

You wake up in the morning feeling fantastic! You’ve been exercising regularly and really watching what you eat in hopes to have that beach bod you promised yourself you’d achieve this year.  Your stomach is flat, you feel light and you just know that you’re making progress. You saunter into the bathroom, strip down to nothing (because even that one ounce that your underwear weighs might make a difference on the scale, right?) and you step on the scale feeling really hopeful.  The number blinks a few times and when it stops it’s the same number it was yesterday! Or even worse, it’s up a pound or two! Aaahhh! FREAK OUT! You have knots in your stomach, you’re angry and your whole day is now ruined! In a rage you start getting ready for your day, wanting to just crawl back into bed because you feel like a fat-ass, and you pay absolutely no attention to the fact that in a matter of seconds you went from feeling amazing to calling yourself a fat-ass.  Also, you’re paying no attention to the fact that your clothes are fitting looser, your skin and hair look healthy, and you have had more energy throughout your days lately.  None of that matters because of a NUMBER on a scale that nobody else will see and that didn’t reflect what you wanted it to.

Sound familiar? You know you can relate! We all can. So what do you do about it? Here’s my advice: GED RID OF YOUR FREAKIN’ SCALE!!! RIGHT NOW! SMASH IT, THROW IT IN THE TRASH, GIVE IT AWAY…JUST GET RID OF IT! The scale is NOT your friend. Do you keep friends around that lie to you and that you can’t trust? Well, that’s exactly what your scale does…it LIES! And here’s why I say that…

When you step on that scale and see a number appear, that number represents your weight. It does NOT represent how much fat or how much muscle you have.  Your mind automatically goes to FAT and that just may not be the case! Losing or gaining weight is very different than losing or gaining fat. If the scale reads the same or even goes up, you’ve got to consider whether or not you’re losing fat and gaining lean muscle, which is what we want!  Muscle is much more dense than fat.  Don’t mistake that for the old adage that “muscle weighs more than fat” because that’s not true either.  A pound is a pound is a pound. But as stated, muscle is more dense than fat meaning that 1 pound of muscle is going to take up much less space than 1 pound of fat (see visual below).

So if you gained 5 pounds of muscle but also lost 5 pounds of fat you would actually be smaller while your scale didn’t budge! Not only that, but by building nice lean muscle, you will boost your metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning machine! Bottom line: ditch the scale and focus on how you feel, how your clothes are fitting and use a tape measure to measure results. Don’t EVER be deceived by your scale again! Cheers!

Ingredients

1/4-1/3 cup uncooked oatmeal

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (preferably all-natural, organic)

1 Tbs dried cranberries or raisins

1 Tbs sunflower seeds

1-2 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix together.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy cold or warm up in microwave!

Nutrition Info per serving (recipe makes 1 serving):

Calories: 285     Protein: 28g     Fats: 8g     Carbs: 20g

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It’s pretty simple actually…there is no secret! Yup, that’s right…no secret. The way to getting fit and lean, in a healthy and balanced way that will last, is to follow these fundamentals:

1. Eat whole, natural, unprocessed food.
Get rid of anything that is processed. Stick with foods that you typically find around the parameters of the grocery store such as vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, some dairy, eggs. Some things you may go into the aisles for include oatmeal, healthy oils, nut butters, spices and maybe some frozen produce.

2. Eat every 2-3 hours.
Fire up that metabolism and keep it smokin’! The only way to stoke this fire is to fuel it regularly. When you don’t provide consistent fuel your metabolism can slow down and store fat as it prepares for starvation. Eating too frequently and too much can also lead to fat storage. Eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours can keep the fat-burning furnace flaming!

3. Eliminate or greatly minimize sugar.
There are many health risks to consuming too much sugar. Not only are sugary foods typically very high in calories but these calories are “empty”, meaning they have no nutritional value to them. Sugar can suppress the immune system, cause inflammation in your body, raise insulin levels, and speed up the aging process. And these are just a few of the dangers of consuming too much sugar!

4. Drink water.
Our bodies need water! All of our bodily functions require it. Without it we become dehydrated which can lead to many health issues, low energy levels, and lowered metabolic rate. Aim for at least 2-3 liters of water each day.

5. Exercise regularly.
Move your body! When proper nutrition, strength training, and some cardio are all combined in a balanced way you will shed fat, build beautiful lean muscle, and achieve that beach bod before you know it!

The key to lasting success is to follow these fundamental consistently! Only following these guidelines for a week is not going to get you resultsl Creating a healthy, fit, lean lifestyle is a process that takes commitment, discipline, consistency, persistence and time. Be patient and know that it will happen. Trust the process, enjoy it, and pay attention to ALL of the changes that happen, not only weight loss but higher energy levels, clearer skin, healthier hair, better mood. Choose the healthy life you deserve, my friends! Cheers!

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1) Build muscle
Your body is always burning calories, even at rest. This is called resting metabolic rate or RMR. Increasing your RMR is important when trying to shed pounds and those who have more muscle have a higher RMR rate. Bottom line: building beautiful, lean muscle will help you burn more and shed more fat!

2) Drink more water
Your body NEEDS water for so many bodily functions and one of those is to process calories. Without sufficient water your metabolism can slow down, making it difficult to shed pounds. There are many other benefits to drinking enough water too! Water is necessary for digestion, absorption of nutrients, circulation, and transportation of nutrients.

3) Eat smaller portions, more often
That’s right…eat more often! And be aware of your portions. This is often where folks can go wrong in their weight loss efforts. Eating more frequently throughout the day (every 2-3 hours) will help maintain your metabolism and keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day. When we go for extended periods of time without proper nutrition we set ourselves up for lowered metabolism, cravings, and possibly overeating or bingeing later. Eating more often also requires knowing what your servings sizes and portions should be. This will vary for each individual and your goals. If you’re unsure about how much you should be eating, think about hiring a nutrition coach.

So there it is! Eat (more often), Drink (plenty of water), and Be Merry (by building lean muscle)! Cheers!

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Many times plateaus can be the result of doing the same thing day in and day out and never switching things up. Our bodies are fascinating and intelligent and will adjust to the demands that you’re putting on it.  In essence, it’ll get bored! So spice it up and change up the routine.  Switch up your food and add in something new each day. Eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner! Keep your food interesting and tasty. And on the exercise side, add in some new exercises, try a new cardio session or seek out a new group exercise class in your area!

I’ve recently been switching things up by going to a kettlebell/TRX combo class and I’m loving it! It’s breathed new life into my workouts just by going once a week! I’d never even tried kettlebells and was a once-in-a-whiler with the TRX system.  The combination is interesting and invigorating!

Kettlebells are terrific for fat burning and building muscle by facilitating whole body dynamic moves.  They’re super versatile and allow the user to adjust rep ranges, recovery periods and weight.  Another cool thing is you can use them just about anywhere you have the room to swing one of those bad-boys around!

TRX is a suspension training system of straps and handles that require body-weight based training that’s super awesome for strength, balance, core, and flexibility.  Like the kettlebells the user has complete control over how intense the workout is by adjusting body position and resistance.

I have to admit, attending a class like this was intimidating at first! I’m used to slinging iron around a gym and this was new territory. It took me a bit out of my comfort zone but man was it worth it! Kicked my booty! So, I encourage you to go outside your comfort zone and seek out something new and interesting! Need some help? Visit me at www.bodymindpotential.com or email erin@bodymindpotential.com. I’d love to help you kick it up a notch! Cheers!

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DOES YOUR BIKINI REALLY FIT IN A ZIPLOC BAGGIE? (Written March 2012)

I had an eating disorder. There…I said it. Phew! So you may be saying, “big deal…you said it. Yay for you…whoop-dee-doo.” I hear ya. And I understand that it may not seem like a big deal from your perspective, but from my perspective it’s huge and here’s why. I have not been able to say those words out loud, at least with any level of comfort and without any feelings of shame and guilt, since the day I was diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia. That was 17 years ago! Even after a total of 12 weeks of hospitalization and months of therapy (and several years of silent suffering after that), I could never face it. I just wanted it all to disappear. I no longer wanted to feel labeled as “the one with the eating disorder” or the “anorexic” so I tried my best to cover up the fact that even though I had gotten back to a “healthy” weight, I was still binging and purging on a regular basis and I never talked about it again. Anyone that met me after that would have no idea what my story was.

Why am I talking and writing about this now, 17 years later? Why put it out there? Because over the past year of my life I have come to realize that I have a message. And if this message can help just one person that is suffering, publicly or silently, with an unhealthy body image, low to no self-esteem, weight and food issues, and eating disordered behavior then it’s worth putting it out there. I don’t want ANY other young girl, woman, boy or man to have to go through the darkness that I did – I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. How did I come to this realization that I’ve got an important message? Enter Cathy Savage Fitness and a team of amazing, beautiful, strong, supportive and inspiring women! My life, and the way that I look at and approach life, all began to change the moment I stepped foot into and connected to this world. It’s amazing to me the dramatic impact that one small decision, the decision to attend a weekend camp to learn about preparing for a figure competition, has made and how much I have learned about myself and grown from it!

Here I am a year later having competed in three figure competitions, preparing for a fourth, and feeling the most strong, healthy, confident, and beautiful that I have ever felt! This truly is a feeling that I never imagined would be possible. So my message is that you don’t have to suffer. You don’t have to strive to be supermodel skinny. You don’t have to live in darkness and pretend everything is okay. You can be happy. You can feel amazing. You can have light in your life. I’m a living, walking, breathing example. I went from being so ashamed and disgusted with myself and my body to strutting out on stage in heals and a bikini so small it can fit into a Ziploc baggie!!! How crazy is that? So, that’s my story. I’ll be continuing this discussion in future blogs and will fill in some of the gaps of where I’ve been, how I’ve gotten to where I am now, and what I’ve learned along the way.

Until next time my peeps….

Much love!