Coconut Pumpkin Chicken

Coconut Pumpkin Chicken

Making healthy meals with the typical hectic day can be a real challenge. This meal is full of healthy medium chain triglycerides, fiber, and protein, vitamin C, and vitamin A. And as an added bonus it can be made in about 20 minutes, plus another 20-25 minutes of simmer time.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 containers fajita mix sliced onion and red and green peppers
1 can organic pumpkin
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce
10 garlic cloves
1 bag frozen peas
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon fined chopped fresh cilantro

1) Season chicken breasts liberally with sea salt and black pepper.

2) Brown chicken breast in olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat (about 2 minutes per side). You do not want to cook them through, just brown them on both sides.

3) Remove chicken from pot and deglaze with 1/2 cup of chicken broth, making sure to scrap up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

4) Add onions, red peppers, and green peppers to pan and cooked covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) While veggies cook cut chicken into bite sized pieces.

6) Add pressed garlic to taste. (I used 10 garlic cloves but if you are a vampire or don't like flavor feel free to use less.) Cooked about 2 minutes or until garlic becomes fragrant.

7) Add chicken broth, soy sauce, pumpkin, and coconut milk to veggies, stirring until incorporated and smooth.

8) Add chicken, frozen peas, lime juice, and cilantro. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 20-30 minutes), stirring occasionally.

9) Serve over rice or roasted butternut squash.

ABS 60 Day Challenge

I’m going to let you in on a little secret - almost every popular diet plan, nutritionist, and weight loss program has got it all backwards.  

This is because most programs focus on “what” to eat and “what” not to eat.

Eat more veggies. Drink more water. Add more protein. Don’t drink soda.

The list goes on and on…

But in the real world the hard part is not the “what.” The “what” is easy. And while some plans might work better than others, the truth is most WILL work….as long as you can stick to them.

You see, it’s not the “what do I do” that most people struggle with…

It’s the “how do I do it.”

How do I change my eating habits? How do I cut the soda out of my diet? How do I eat less breads and grains?

So how do we develop daily habits? How do we change?

Leo Babauta, author of the popular blog zenhabits.net, has a 8 step system for change:

• Do a 30-day challenge, focusing on just ONE habit.
• Write it out on paper, along with your motivations, obstacles, and strategies for overcoming them.
• Commit fully, in a public way.
• Log your progress.
• Remain publicly accountable — report on your progress each day.
• Have support for when you falter — either in real life or online.
• Reward every little success.
• If you fail, figure out what went wrong, plan for it, and try again.

So instead of trying to lose 15 pounds or eat only chicken and broccoli for the next two months we are going to instead focus on developing the habits we need to consistently do to achieve the results we desire.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

STEP ONE - Do a 30 day challenge, focusing on just one habit

Our ABS challenge will be broken down into two consecutive 30 day challenges.

MONTH ONE - Increase our daily intake of healthy foods.

During the first 30 days, we are going to focus on increasing our intake of the three cornerstones of healthy eating:

1. Water
2. Veggies
3. Protein

MONTH TWO - Reduce our intake of empty calories.

During the second 30 days, we are going to focus on reducing our intake of the two most common sources of the empty calories that stop us from losing weight:

1. Processed carbohydrates
2. Liquid calories

STEP TWO - Write it out on paper

Fill out your ABS Goal Setting Worksheet and review it with your trainer.

STEP THREE - Commit fully, in a public way

Post a screenshot of your Goal Planning Worksheet in the Kuzora Clients Private group before Monday February 1st.

In addition, fill out the “Accountability Bubble Worksheet” to help us enlist the support of 2 or 3 friends of family members.

STEP FOUR - Log Your Progress

Fill out your Daily Habits Log everyday.

STEP FIVE - Remain publically accountable and report on your progress daily

Post a screenshot of it in the Kuzora Clients Facebook Group.

In addition, weigh in weekly with your trainer and report your progress to the group.

STEP SIX - Have support when you falter

Use the Facebook group, your trainer, and your friends and family members as a “Support Bubble” to get you back on track when you fall off the wagon.

STEP SEVEN - If you fail, figure out what went wrong, plan for it, and try again

Meet again with your trainer during the last week of February to review how you did during during the month. Evaluate your successes and failures, and plan ways to overcome your obstacles for the next 30 Day Challenge.

In addition, fill out a new Goal Planning Worksheet for your March goals.

STEP EIGHT - Reward every success

Now for the fun part! Celebrate your hard work and success at a client appreciation party in early April, date and location TBD.

Real Functional Training

Your "To Do" List When You're Fighting Temptation

We all battle temptation sometimes. And
having a plan to strengthen your willpower
when you're struggling can go a long way
towards helping you achieve your goals.
So the next time you are battling with the
snooze button of fighting an internal war
with that piece of chocolate cake do these
three things:

1) Stop focusing on the problem

Whatever your mind focuses on grows. If
you are feeling hungry or tempted by food,
and you continue to focus on those feels,
they will eventually become the only thing
on your mind.

Instead of thinking about why you need to
give in, try thinking about why you need to
continue.

Instead of obsessing about how hungry you
are and how one or two chips won't hurt you..

Think about how you CAN'T just have "one or
two" because most of the time "one or two"
turns into the half the bag!

The mind is very powerful - so instead of using
it to justify your failures use it to strengthen your
resolve!
 

2) Willpower is a muscle

Willpower is a muscle and every time you resist
temptation you make it stronger. Each victory,
no matter how small, makes it easier to do the
right thing next time.

Every lapse in motivation we overcome, every
temptation we resist, will make us stronger in the
long run.

3) Get real with yourself

Did you think this was going to be easy? Because
I hate to burst your bubble but nothing worth doing
is.

Instead of quitting your diet, quit fooling yourself!
Success is about HARD WORK - plain and simple.

So quit thinking this was going to be a "piece
of cake" and get real with yourself!
Now throw out that cookie and give me 20 Burpees!
Till next time...
John

Trying Isn't Good Enough

I hate to tell you this but trying just
isn't good enough...

Whenever someone says "I'll try" it
should be followed with "but it ain't
gonna happen."

Don't get me wrong - making positive
change in our lives IS very difficult...

And we will all fail to reach our goals
from time to time...

And that's OK...

Our failures are just speed bumps on the
road towards our goals.

But if you're just "trying" you need 
an attitude adjustment pronto!

Google (which according to my daughter
knows everything) defines "to try" as

"Try - to make an attempt or effort to do something"

Hmmmmm....

Is making "an attempt" to do something good enough?

Not in my book.

Trying just isn't gonna get you to where you need
to be. It's a weak word that reflects your equally
weak commitment.

Instead of "trying" we need to STRIVE!

"Strive - to make GREAT efforts to accomplish or
obtain something"

So next time you think to yourself "I
should try that" STOP!

Re-assess your commitment level and
if it's something you really want make a
conscious decision to strive for it!

You can do it! I know you can - as long
as you don't try ;-))

What to do when you feel like quitting...

Everyone feels like quitting sometimes...
And I’m no different.

Just the other day I was talking with Michelle
about exactly that…
 
Disgruntled employees, 3:45 AM alarms,
7 PM Bootcamps…it can wear me out.
 
Sometimes I just want to quit and get a
regular job…
 
But then I logged into Facebook and saw
this post from one of you:
 
“I'm a firm believer in the work you all do! These
classes have been tough, exhausting, and at times,
painful. All of that plus i really have fun! That
means - it works!!! Thank you!!”

And then I got it... IT’S NOT ABOUT ME!
 

Weather you realize it or not, your hard work
is inspiring others to do their best.

And when you realize that, you’ll be energized.
 
Tia has inspired so many of us (me included!)
by chronicling her weight loss journey on
Facebook…
 
In turn, she is inspired by Carol who is proving
to everyone that age is no excuse...
(not that I’m sayin’ you’re old Carol ;-))
 
And just a few days ago Susan posted a message
about how she was going to forgo the cupcake
she wanted and just go to bed.
 
That post helped me to just go to bed instead of
finishing the beer I’d just opened ;-))
 
So while you keep fighting towards what is really
important, remember your efforts are not only helping
you…they are inspiring others!
 
There is another lesson to be learned here as well:
 
EVERYONE thinks of quitting sometimes.
 
Abraham Lincoln considered quitting politics all
together after numerous lost elections.
 
Lucky for all of us he didn’t.
 
Whatever your goal…whatever your motivations…
real defeat only happens when you quit.
 
And every set back, every momentary loss of
motivation only makes us stronger.
 
No matter what obstacle has gotten you down, no
matter how seemingly insurmountable the challenges
in your way are, and no matter how frustrated you
might be at the pace of your progress - remember
that you are not alone.

Do the work – not just for yourself but for all of us!

See You All Tomorrow!

John

I'll Show You Mine If You'll Show Me Yours...

I have some homework for you...

I want you to sit down in a quiet place
with a pen and paper and do some serious
soul searching.

I want you to REALLY think about why
you are doing this...

Why are you working so hard in bootcamp?

Why you are eating hard boiled eggs or a
protein shake for breakfast instead of having
a Latte and a Pumpkin Spice muffin?

And then write it down and show it to me.

But I don't want to see any cheap answers
like "I want to look good" or "I want to lose
20 pounds."

Don't get me wrong...there's nothing wrong
with working out to look good. But I need
you to dig deeper...

I need you to peel the onion to get to the
REAL reasons why these things are important.

When you identify your deeper motivations
it becomes MUCH easier to resist temptation.

If the choice is "I want to lose weight" versus
"I want some of that delicious chocolate cake"
most of us will pick the cake every time...

But if you know you want to lose weight
because your doc told you have type II
diabetes and that if you don't get your blood
sugar down...

Then you're no longer choosing between
"chocolate cake" and "losing weight" but
rather "chocolate cake" and "curing my
diabetes so I can see my kids get married."

And the choice becomes MUCH easier.

But the real key is to be honest with yourself...

Because if you're not the things you write
down won't mean anything and won't help.

So if you want to look GREAT because you're
going to a wedding and you know your ex
is going to be there....

And you want him or her to know exactly what
they are missing out on....

That's cool - use it as motivation!

I won't judge you ;-))





OK...I said I'd show you mine ;-))

1) I want to be around for my daughter Sophia
for as long as I can be. I know I can't control
everything...but I also know losing another 30
pounds will extend my expected life span and
decrease my risk of nearly every disease known
to man.



I need to hang around to scare off all the boys
in a few years! (Bench pressing 400 pounds won't
hurt either)


2) I want to be a better role model for my clients.
I am sick of just "talking the talk" and feel like
I need to also "walk the walk" if I want to help
more people achieve their goals.



I want to be a positive role model to the awesome
people like Mimi who pay me good money to help
them reach their goals!


There it is...now it's your turn!

Talk soon...

John