Travel on Stimulock - Helpful hints on what to eat, when you eat out.

Hey friends! With the Holiday's coming up, my guess is that you might be spending a lot of time in your car. With travel comes fast food and eating out. Understandable. I wanted to help you out so that you can eat the best you can while on the road. 

A few months back I wrote about what you can eat at Chipotle -> check it out here. Chipotle is my go-to during Stimulock if I do not want to cook, or we are out and about. Plus it's extremely delicious. 

Here are some other ideas for you. **Keep in mind that these aren't all 100% protocol, but they are as close as you might find while on the road, and better than other options.

Subway - Salad with grilled chicken, veggies, and lemon as the dressing. If you HAVE to get one of their dressings, get it on the side and dip your fork in it, in order to get the least amount of dressing as possible. 

Chipotle -  Chicken or beef, any of the salsas, half a scoop of corn, lettuce :) YUMMY!

Jimmy Johns - Turkey Un-wich w/ veggies, or a Tuna Un-wich. Have them really strain the tuna so there is minimal sauce on it. 

Applebees -  Oriental Chicken Salad - Dressing on this side, no Asian noodles, no nuts. Just lettuce, cabbage, and chicken. You can ask for tomatoes too as well. Switch out the dressing for the Balsamic Vinaigrette if you'd like, the Asian dressing that comes with this is STRAIGHT sugar.

Wendy's - 2 Value menu burgers w/ lettuce, tomato, onion (if you like it) and mustard. Toss the bun! Eat the patty and veggies. 

Chick-Fil-A - Grilled chicken sandwich with veggies. Have them wrap it in a lettuce leaf, vs. a bun. They will do it...and it will be their pleasure. ;)

Gas Station - Many truck stops will have boiled eggs and fruit for you to choose. Don't worry, the boiled eggs are fresh, just double check if it makes you feel better. 

Sit Down Restaurants - Ask for steak, chicken, or fish cooked on open flame - NO OIL, NO BUTTER, NOTHING. Just meat and heat. Ask what their veggies are cooked in, many times they will be cooked in butter. If that is the case, as for raw or steamed veggies. You can also do a salad - bring your own dressing, or use salsa.

This may all seem overwhelming right now, but trust me, you will eventually know all of this by heart, and you will be making wonderful progress so you won't care if your husband and daughter are eating french fries. Be healthy for you. If there is one thing I can stress it is that. Be healthy because you are only given one body, take care of it the best you can! If you're on Stimulock, you are already on the right track. 

You're going to do great! Stay motivated and don't feel bad about asking your practitioner for help and advice. That is what she is there for. 

Merry Christmas!!



Travel Photo Credit: Deeply Rooted Magazine Blog, Vine & Light - check it out! 
To give them a quick shout out. Deeply Rooted Magazine has been a blessing in my life. It is a Biblical based magazine filled with fun, real life stories, advice, and incredible photography!   


 
 

NSV - Non-Scale Victories

Each day you wake up, use the restroom, and weigh yourself. Day after day you are extremely encouraged that you are dropping weight consistently, but what happens when you weigh yourself and you didn't lose?

What do you do?
A. You freak out?
B. Get discouraged?
C. Go back over your food from yesterday in your journal to see what could have gone wrong?
D. All of the above

Answer, C. There might be times throughout your journey that you stumble upon a day or two that you can't see your loss on the scale. First ask yourself: Did I drink ALL of my water? Did I Eat ALL of my food? Did I deviate from protocol? Did I exercise and not add in my extra protein? (Women, am I on or about to start my monthly cycle?) If you answer to all of this is yes, you didn't cheat, and you aren't PMS'ing, then what went wrong?

Truth is, our bodies can be stubborn from time to time. If you've spent a long time at your current weight in your past, then it could be that your body is trying to over come the hurdle, and it may take a couple of days to get your down.

Or, you just had an off day. Maybe your food was cooked in oil and you didn't know, or you're truly just having a "bloated day" and your body is holding on to extra water for some reason.

So how do you stay motivated?

 NSV - Non-Scale Victories

- Measurements. How many inches have you lost?
- Clothes. Are your clothes fitting looser? Are you able to wear old shirts/jeans you haven't been able to fit in in a while?
- Sleep. Do you sleep better?
- Energy. Do you NEED that afternoon soda or coffee to stay awake around 2:30PM at the office?
- Feel. How do you feel? Can you say no to bad foods easier? Do you feel overall healthier?

When our bodies are taking in only the good foods that HELP them, you will see and feel changes in all of these areas.

Don't get discouraged, if you don't lose every single day after you've been on Stimulock for a few weeks. It happens to all of us. Keep going! Stick to the good foods, drink your water, and you will be back on track before you know it.

If you experience more than 3 days of no weight loss on the scale, contact your practitioner. We WANT to help you succeed. We can give you ideas on what might be happening or tell you how you might alter your diet for a day or so.

Never give up! Focus on the NSV - Non-Scale Victories

Happy Losing!

So, I've Been Working Out...

So, I've been working out now, every day for a least 1 hour at a time, if not more, for almost two weeks now.

With that said, my weight loss has been SLOW. SLOW. SLOW. SLOW.

"muscle weighs more than fat", you say.

"I know", I say.

However, I am still training my mind on how to NOT freak out when I step on the scale in the morning and it's either the exact same from the day before, or only down .1....yes there is a decimal point in front of that 1...meaning 1/10 of a pound.

Truth is, muscle does weigh more than fat, and I have GOT to tone up from that 40-50lb weight loss from 2 years ago. I have kept my weight pretty steady, but my flabby skin...is still here. (that was a real moment, FYI)

I have decided today after my 20 minute run, and 40 minutes of weight training, that I can no longer go off of the scale. I have to base my success on inches lost and over all feeling of health. I have to listen to my body and learn that exercise is GREAT for my long term health, and at the age of 26 I can no longer make excuses, of ANY kind, as to why I did not sweat that day.

So cheers to getting healthy on the inside and the out, toning up flabby skin, and retraining my mind.

PS. I forgot to mention that it was arm day today, so the sheer fact that I can even type this right now is a miracle in and of itself. ;)

PSS. I Googled "Water Bottle Cheers" to get that image...you're welcome.




Love you all! Stick with it! Healthy is the new black, it goes with everything. 

PSSS. Is that too many PS's? Either way, remember to eat your 2oz of EXTRA protein for every 30 minutes of weight loss! You're body needs to to build muscle! 

Stop Eating CRAP

The photo below is a GREAT example of why Stimulock works!

Recipe - Bruschetta Chicken

Delicious & nutritious tastes just like....chicken. 

I made this last night based on THIS recipe. I just switched out the olive oil for coconut oil and a few other minor changes. Below is the modified recipe for Stimulock

It is so fresh, and such a nice way to mix up the protocol foods so you don't get tired of making the same ole things over, and over, and over. 

Bruschetta Chicken

• 10 oz of boneless skinless chicken breast (this makes two if you want left overs make more)
• 4 or 5 small tomatoes, chopped
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil 
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt & pepper to taste
• Handful basil, chopped

1. In a large skillet, put 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in the bottom. Place chicken in skillet and sprinkle with chicken seasonings. Cook chicken to your liking. (or you can bake the chicken)
2. Meanwhile, combine chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and basil in a bowl. Refrigerate until chicken is ready to be served and spoon over top of the chicken. Enjoy!

Size 6!!!!

Long story short - 

All my jeans are like WOAH saggy. So I decided to just go and get some new jeans at Marshalls today after work. 

Tried on the 8's...too big. 

Was fearful about trying on the 6's and them being too tight and me getting discouraged and so on...but I went ahead and tried them on. 

Much to my surprise - THEY FIT!!!!!

I wanted to be 100% sure that I could fit in a six for real, so I tried on a few different brands. 

Yall, I walked out of the store with 3 different brands of size 6 jeans!!!! 

I did it yall!!! I did it!! I'm so excited!! 

I'm still going to continue on the journey and who knows, I might one day be a size 4! Until then I'm elated to be strutin my stuff in a 6! 

Photo I sent my sister and my friend Karey! 

$20 Off Starter Kits!

LIMITED TIME ONLY!! $20 off starter kits! 

$130 gets you:

- 35-40 days of drops

- book with Journal / recipes / info 

- Me! I help you 100% of the way! 

- **Guaranteed 15lbs lost OR your money back!! 

Email me at kayla.stimulock@gmail.com for more info!! 

** money back if protocol is not deviated and journal can be presented 

Recipe Make Over - Pizza Spaghetti Bake

I don't know about y'all, but I crave pasta, like a lot. So the easiest recipes for me to play around with are the ones that have all the pasta goodies w/out the fatty/carby noodles. 

Last nights dinner was

Pizza Spaghetti Bake - I found the original recipe here on Pinterest, but knew I needed to make a few modifications in order to be able to have it be "protocol friendly". 

Serves: 3-4   (1C & 1/2 should give you the correct serving size)

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash (about 600 grams)
• 1-2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey (I use 2 in order to make SURE I get my 5oz)
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup pizza sauce (no sugar added) (or make the protocol recipe in the back of your Stimulock Book) 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 eggs, whisked
• (optional: add anything you like with pizza: veggies,basil, etc.)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Option 1 - Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the skin of the squash gives when you press on it. Then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. 
3. Option 2 -  I always prep the morning of by cutting my spaghetti squash in half width wise, place it "hole down" in a crock pot of about 3 inches of water, put it on Medium heat for 8 hours. It's ready to scrape out into the dish when you get home! 
4. Once squash is done cooking, remove threads and place in baking dish.
5. Place a large pan over medium heat. Add beef/turkey and onion. Cook until pink no longer remains.
6. Add pizza sauce, dried basil and sea salt and pepper to the pan and mix well.
7. Add meat mixture to the baking dish and mix well with spaghetti squash threads.
8. Lastly, add whisked eggs to the baking dish and mix everything together until you can no longer see the eggs.
9. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the mixture forms a slight crust that doesn’t give when you press on it in the middle of the dish.
10. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Once again - This is an AWESOME protocol dish. This one and my "shrimp scampi pasta" are two dishes I would eat anytime, on Stimulock or not...yea, they're that yummy. 

How did you like it?! Yummy right?! 

Bye Y'all!

6X26 UPDATE

Geeze,

Sorry friends, I haven't updated yall in a while. However - I AM DOING GREAT! 40 something days strong and I feel amazing. My weight is coming off slower this time because I don't have as much to lose as I did last time, but I feel like a million bucks and I can tell that I am losing inches like crazy. I'll measure this weekend and give you an update on just how many.

17 days until I'm 26! 

My 8's are loose, so I am headed in the right direction. Even if I don't "fit" in a 6 by my 26th birthday I am CONFIDENT that I did SO well and will be 100% happy with how far I came in such a short time.

Then when I get back from my "Golden Birthday Trip" I will get back on Stimulock, finish up, until I reach my goal, then lock this new weight in! <- MOST IMPORTANT PART

I'm excited! Sorry about not updating sooner!!

(Here is a photo of how skinny my face has gotten! YAY) I'm so happy that I haven't cheated ONCE! It hasn't been easy but BOY is it worth it! 

How are you doing?! Have you reached your goal? How are you feeling? More energy? Less cravings?!

The Struggle is REAL

The Struggle is REAL yall.

I am doing really well, down 4.2lbs since Monday and feeling great, but these
co-workers of mine keep bringing in these sweets!

I walk in on Monday, head back to the kitchen to refill my water bottle and BAM - chocolate covered Oreos and rice crispy treats...ON STICKS. It would be so easy to just grab 10 and eat them, BUT I didn't. By Tuesday afternoon they were all eaten and I thought I was in the clear.

NOPE.

One of our sweet new interns at work decided to bring in home made brownies. Can't a girl get a break?

Then Wednesday rolls around and one of our new team members brings in, listen to this...fruity pebble rice crispy treats.

I can't make this stuff up yall. IT HAPPENED. Bam, Bam, Bam, I felt like I was in a boxing match with Sugar and I was about to get knocked out.

Through will power, and just sheer ignoring the sweets I made it through.

I walk into the kitchen this morning - a whole new tub of chocolate covered oreos were making their appearance.

I'm going to start bring a gallon of water with me every day so I can avoid the kitchens. (Disclaimer, I don't have to drink a gallon every day, I choose to because I really like water, and it makes my hair grow!)

I personally chose today, after seeing the new sinful cookies, to make a longer trip to the other kitchen to avoid them at all cost.

A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Bye Yall - Hope sugar isn't stalking you this week.

6X26 - Challenge

Hey sweet friends!

It's been a while since I have uploaded any new recipes, or really just anything for that matter.

Sorry about that. Life has been a fast ride recently giving me very little time to just sit down and blog.

Never-the-less, here I am and I have an exciting goal to tell you all about!

My 26th birthday, which also happens to be my Golden birthday is on September 26th, and I have set a goal to be a size 6 by my 26th (6X26). With the help of the Stimulock System I know that I can get to my goal in no time!

I just have to be determined to get this last bit of weight off and get to my goal.

Nothing that is given to you in life is as sweet as something you had to work for, and trust me I like sweets. I have a mean sweet tooth, so this goal IS going to be accomplished and it IS going to be oh so sweet!

Some of the obstacles I might face will be planned trips in August, my best friend coming to visit in just a couple of weeks, and then the ever dreaded weekends. Don't get me wrong, I love the weekends, but I like the routine of work days...they help keep me on track and focused vs. my mind wondering off to candy land.

I just need to be prepared for those few times when sticking to protocol might pose a few challenges, and I will be A-OK!

Feel free to follow along in my journey. I hope something I share will help you in your Stimulock journey as well!

Let's GetFit together!

Bye Yall!

Smothered Pork Chops

This recipe is SUPER easy and has a ton of flavor! I'm not the biggest fan of onions, but I ate them up with this. (Don't be jealous of my fine china ;) ) 

Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Lean thin cut pork chops with the fat cut off the sides

1 onion

I can't believe it's not butter spray

Crushed Garlic 

Garlic Powder

Instructions:

Turn the burner on Medium heat

Cut the onion, separate the sections, and put in the skillet with butter spray and crushed garlic (as much or as little as you want)

Sprinkle garlic powder on each side of the pork chop

Once the onions have caramelized remove them from the skillet and set to the side. 

Place pork chops in the same skillet and cook through

Once all the pork chops are cooked put the onions back in the skillet and place a lid on the top on low heat for about 5 minutes.  

Remove from skillet and serve. 

*Be sure to weigh your pork chops before you put onions on them as to get 5oz (3 of them added up to 5oz for us)

It was so yummy! 

This recipe goes great with corn and a green smoothie! 

ENJOY! 

"Soup-er Soup" - Cilantro Lime Chicken Soup

Hey Y'all - I hope you are having a "SOUP-ER" day!

“Soup Season” is almost over, but I think this is one of those soups that I will cook year round. The amount of flavor in this soup is UNREAL. I have made it about 5 times now, if not more, and each time it is consistently delicious. I found this recipe here on Pinterest and modified it to match up with Stimulock Protocol.

Ingredients

·         2 Tbsp coconut oil

·         1 medium yellow onion

·         2 stalks celery

·         4 cloves garlic

·         4 boneless skinless chicken breast

·         4 cups low sodium chicken broth

·         2 cups of water

·         1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chilies

·         1 tsp oregano

·         ½ Tbsp cumin

·         1 medium lime

·         ½ bunch cilantro

Instructions

   1.  Dice the onion and celery Mince the garlic , or throw in 4 tablespoons of pre-minced garlic. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic in coconut oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

   2. Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, water, canned tomatoes with chilies, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

   3. After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. (weigh out your 5oz servings). Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.

   4.  Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves, add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve.

   5. Put 1 cup of “soup” into your bowl, add your 5oz of chicken and ENJOY!

 
   Tastes great when warmed up as left overs! 

  **Shout out to my new friend Erin Gray! Keep up the GREAT work, and thanks for stopping by! 

Taco Tuesday = Success

Okay...

This is kind of a common sense recipe, but it is SO yummy and I had to share it just in case anyone on Stimulock wasn't aware of it.

Recipe:
Makes 3 servings (5oz. per serving)

Ingredients:
1lb of Lean Ground Turkey (or hamburger)
Taco Seasoning (NO SUGAR ADDED or make your own)
Romaine Lettuce
Salsa
Green Onions
White Onion

1. Saute the onions in the skillet with "I can't believe it's not butter spray"
2. Add in ground Beef and brown until cooked all the way
3. Add in taco seasoning
4. Weigh out the ground turkey to 5oz
5. Place the meat into a few lettuce leafs
6. Add Salsa to taste
7. Add green onions to taste

TA-DA!!

Its SO YUMMY! I could eat WAY more than 5oz of this, BUT portion and protocol are key.

This is so easy to just heat up for lunch the next day too!

ENJOY!

Stimulock Recipe Makeover | Orange Chicken

I have found that finding my favorite recipes and modifying them to match up with Stimulock Protocol is not only fun, but often times I'm surprised at just how much BETTER those recipes are.

Yea, I said better. No guilt + better flavor + health = BETTER.

Tonights recipe modification is Orange Chicken. Chinese food is my greatest weakness so finding a recipe I am successful at modifying is priceless.

Recipe:

4 Servings, or 2 servings with lunch the next day ;) 

20 OZ. of Chicken 

Sea Salt & Pepper

1T of coconut oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

Juice of 1 whole Orange

4T of Stevia

1/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce (or brags aminos)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2t of ground ginger

Zest of 1 Orange

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

thinly sliced scallions

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat 

2. Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes

3. Add chicken and salt/pepper to taste to pan and saute for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together the garlic, juice of an orange, stevia, soy sauce (brags aminos), apple cider vinegar, ginger, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. 

5. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to combine

6. Let sauce come to a boil and continue boiling for another minute to allow all the flavor to cook into the chicken

7. Remove from heat and serve immediately

8. Garnish with scallions, and additional red pepper flakes if desired

(weigh out your chicken to 5oz BEFORE you add any of the juice in order to assure proper ounces have been distributed)

TA-DA! Enjoy. 

*my husband drank the remaining juice off his plate. Oh yea, it's that good. 

What I modified / substituted from the original recipe:

Corn Starch

Honey

Sugar

Orange Juice Concentrate

Rice Vinegar 

Olive Oil

Table Salt

Sesame Seeds/Oil

With only a few modifications / substitutions you can make just about any recipe protocol. 

Bye Y'all!

-K

What We Had For Dinner- Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce

We have eaten spaghetti squash a lot, even before Stimulock, but it always seemed to have a "crunch" texture that I didn't care much for. Last nights dinner was a different story. I saw the "Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash and Meat Balls" on the Pinterest Stimulock Page and I had to try it.

Who doesn't like an easy crock pot meal?

What You'll Need:
Stimulock Protocol Spaghetti Sauce
1LB - Ground Turkey/Beef (we are turkey eaters)
1 - Spaghetti Squash
Crock Pot

Cook your ground turkey/beef - we like to add seasoning to ours like garlic
Cut your Spaghetti Squash in half (right down the middle - NOT long ways)

 

Place Meat, Sauce, & Spaghetti Squash in Crock Pot
* add a little water if needed but be careful not to add too much
 

Turn on low for 10 hours (we were headed to work)
       * Turn in on High for 4 hours if you are making it from home and not leaving

 

When the time you choose to cook it is up, remove the spaghetti squash and scrape out the spaghetti like noodles inside.

Measure out half a cup of spaghetti squash, half a cup of sauce, and 5oz of meat.

Tada! Dinner is served & the spaghetti is SUPER tender, NO CRUNCH! YES! Success :)





Do you like our "Fine China? - AKA Paper Plates ;)

It was so yummy. We had enough left over for both of our lunches today, and it was great warmed up as well! This is the ONLY way we will be having spaghetti from now on. The days of cooking spaghetti squash in the oven are O.V.E.R.

Water + Water + Water = Bathroom...and more

WATER. SO MUCH WATER.

If you are on the Stimulock journey then you know water is a VITAL part of your day, but how do you keep from getting TIRED of plain water?

I'm so glad you asked.

There are so many fun ways to liven up your water. Add fruit, add lemon juice, drink herbal tea (decaf) instead (counts towards your water intake). Below is a photo I found on Pinterest that shows some fun ways to add some flavor to water.

 

 

Those look so yummy to me. I, unlike a lot of people I know, LOVE water and the plain taste is A OK with me. BUT if you are not like me, try some of the examples above and let me know which one you like best.

 

 

Fun facts about what water does for us:

 

 

 

Water is good for you! When in doubt try the instructions below.

 

 

What are some tips you have for drinking all of your daily water?