MOTIVATION MONDAY - NEVER GIVE UP!

THIS...

YES! THIS...is something to ALWAYS remember!

Last week had been a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad..." week - to somewhat quote one of my favorite books! It was brutal. It was difficult. It was a constant tugging at my heart and plaguing of my mind to GIVE UP...forget about life and crawl back into my hole. Yes, I have a hole...it's not a tangible place, but it's the place I used to frequent when I was hit with one of the most debilitating episodes in my health journey. That hole is a place of self-pity, a dark place where a person is consumed by a cloud of hopelessness.

HOWEVER...I haven't gone to the hole in a VERY LONG TIME and honestly I never plan to go back! So when the above inspiration popped up in my newsfeed it was an awesome reminder (no pun intended...well...maybe!)

YOU'RE AWESOME*

*NO CONDITIONS APPLY.

YOU ARE JUST STRAIGHT UP AMAZING!

BELIEVE IT!!!!

So, you're on this journey to health and wellness!! How are you doing?? Are you making it? It's not as hard as some might make it out to be. I think the hardest part is our MIND. Yep - it's not our metabolism or our initial hunger pangs that are the issue.

It's easy to view a weight loss program as a DUTY. 

The doctor said I had to lose weight or... you fill in the blank.

The best way to succeed is to have the proper mindset about the whole thing! Seriously, make it a LIFESTYLE not a DUTY! WHY?!?! Well, are you married? Do you have children? Do you have parents? Do you have grand babies?
At the end of your days what will come to mind? Oh I wish I had bought the bigger house? Oh I wish I had watched the entire Scandal series? NO! What comes to mind is PEOPLE...RELATIONSHIPS!

So...why ARE you working on being healthy and whole???

THIS...is my Fit Farmer! (Looking good right!! -43 pounds down since February!)

AND I am the Fit Farmer's Wife... (slightly sassy wife that is...)

THESE LITTLES are part of our motivation!!!

We want our daughters, their children, and their husbands to know how much we care about them. We want them to know that we are trying to be healthy and determined to live as full of a life as possible...for them. We want to enjoy ALL of them as long as we possibly - THAT'S our MOTIVATION!!  And it starts with our determination to be healthier! 

WE ALL HAVE IT WITHIN US TO SUCCEED!

Proper motivation helps!

Daily reminders are necessary!!

And just so you know...I may have had an 

entire WEEK, last week, that was rough...

but it's Monday, I'm starting over and 

THIS

is my inspiration...

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK! GO!

TO PURSUE YOUR LIFESTYLE OF 

HEALTH & WELLNESS CONTACT:

thefitfarmer@gmail.com

FIT FARMER FRIDAY - WHEN TO SWITCH TO PHASE 3

Phase 2 of the drop program runs anywhere from 21-42 days. This can be a little ambiguous when you are trying to determine when to keep going or if you should throw a Phase 3 in there and go back into the drop phase after a 21 day reset. Before this program I had given up on fad diets. Nothing seemed to work. When I saw the results my friends had on this program, I was determined to make the most of it. Here are some things I took into consideration.

1. What is my goal weight and how many pounds would I need to lose to achieve it? 
2. How many rounds of drops might it take to achieve my goal?
3. What, if any, holidays were going to fall on my current calendar of 21-day stretches? 
4. Are there any people nearby that are on the same phase schedule?

My goal weight required shedding about 50 pounds. Looking at that number and giving myself an average of a one pound loss per day (which may have been generous) I figured 50 dropping days, which meant TWO dropping rounds with a third one possible. 

I knew Easter would fall into my Phase 3 - figured it was better that, then during my dropping days. I did cheat, I did fluctuate, but not much, and it was back down within a day. 

If you want to succeed you do need to plan ahead and see what is on your calendar.  

Don't sabotage your success with a lack of planning. 

#4 is important because it helps to have accountability and encouragement.

Knowing I would have at least two dropping rounds, I decided to start February 1 with the drops and run the entire month of February. I dropped 28 days then moved on to Phase 3. The best part of this phase was realizing I could maintain without the drops and my body was doing what it was supposed to do. I had some fluctuation within a 4 pound range of 2 over or 2 under. 

My second round of dropping has been different. As I have gotten closer to my goal weight my weight loss has slowed down to .4 or .2 pounds per day. I kept going after my 21 days with the hopes of reaching my goal - I am 3 pounds from it. Yesterday was day 28 on the drops and I have decided it's time to move on to Phase 3. WHY did I decide to move on and not stay with it? It's not because I'm giving up - it's because when you're on this program, you learn to listen to your body and my body is ready for Phase 3. No I didn't make goal, but I am close enough that it could still happen in Phase 3. For all intents and purposes, I have created a goal RANGE - it's a 5 pound fluctuation point I'm willing to be in and I happen to be there now. 

It's sometimes hard to determine when to move into Phase 3. When you hit day 42 of dropping - that's good indication it's time for Phase 3. But if you're 21+ days in and you still have 20+ pounds to go, see what your body may be telling you...it's possible it's suggesting Phase 3 and then doing another round of drops. I believe in the program and know it works - stick with it!

YOU CAN DO IT!

WE ARE...

REAL PEOPLE with REAL RESULTS

Don't give up! It's worth it!

For more information contact:

thefitfarmer@gmail.com

WEIGH IN WEDNESDAY - FIVE TOP REASONS FOR TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS

Have you ever had the "diet doldrums"? When I first began my journey to recovery from my first major flare of my autoimmune disease, I was put on a VERY STRICT DIET. It was a nightmare. My Fit Farmer called it the "Can't Eat It Diet" because it seemed there wasn't really anything that I COULD actually eat! The longer I followed the protocol however, the more I saw results and healing and the more grateful I became for my little "Can't Eat It Diet". My only issue with my results was the feeling they were not measurable. Or at least that's what I thought.

When I saw the Fit Farmer's directions for the Drops Program I found it a bit ironic when I saw the foods allowed during P2. The restrictions actually are not as bad as one might think, but they are restrictive none-the-less and I thought - AHA! Here we go!

I might or might not have been thinking retribution.
I might or might not have been laughing a bit as I made his meals each day.
AND I might or might not have had WAY TOO MUCH FUN at his expense
in the beginning of the program.

THEN I SAW IT...

RESULTS! 

Just like my "Can't Eat It Diet" his "You Only Get A Little To Eat Diet" 

began showing amazing results! 

There was no arguing it was making a difference. 

And to be honest, I finally came to a place where I said, "Self...you should not be acting like this. You should be supportive in a nice way, not a spiteful way. You need to straighten up and cheer your Fit Farmer on!" Yep. That's what I told myself.

And so I changed my tune and guess what...a wonderful level of camaraderie began to grow between us. We became a team and we began accomplishing goals together! It has been glorious!

I was not sure about this tracking business but our upline were so adamant about it and my Fit Farmer is a stickler for rules - so he did exactly as he was told. And as we've progressed through the program, I am realizing there are certain reasons WHY this is important.

1) It's hard to track your goals if you're not tracking your daily weigh ins. 
Successful droppers have goals and knowing you're on track to meeting them provides some good motivation.

2) Seeing the fluctuations helps the dropper to figure out when something is amiss. 
If you aren't weighing in, you won't catch when you are having issues. Some issues may be food related, others related to scheduling and still others related to water consumption and more. Without the tracking you don't know if there's something going on that needs to be addressed.

3) Daily weigh ins become your cheerleading squad.
Every time you step on the scale in anticipation of how much weight you've dropped it's like having a party. I can just see droppers doing a happy dance on their scale!

4) Tracking daily weigh ins can also signal when you stagnate. 
Sometimes a person might plateau and not see any movement on the scale for a couple days at a time. If you find that you haven't had any movement for five days straight, the program calls for an apple day. (Directions for apple day are found on this POST)

5) If you don't know how much you've lost what do you put on your button??
Silly maybe, but honestly - one of the keys to reaching others with this amazing program is being able to say how much you've lost, showing before and after pictures and leaving an opening for them to ask you how you did it!

SO there you go! MY FIVE TOP REASONS FOR TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS! (In a nutshell!)

If you need help in any way, if you want coaching support, 
meal plans, inspiration, motivation, 
or just someone to partner with for a future of wellness...
please contact us! 

thefitfarmer@gmail.com
thefitfarmerswife@gmail.com

TASTY TUESDAY! Buffalo Chicken & P3 veggies and crackers!!

My buddy Shane has been working in the kitchen and posted this picture and it looked AMAZING! KEY TO SUCCESS IN PHASE 2 & 3...PREPARATION!!! This is actually a great philosophy for LIFE phase as well!!

So I asked him if I could share his recipes here on the blog. He agreed and here they are!!!!

BUFFALO CHICKEN Shane Larson style!  P2 (4oz) & P3 (8oz)

(These portions are for P3)

4 - 8 oz chicken breasts

1/4 cup Frank's red hot sauce

1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard

Combine sauce and mustard. Place chicken in a baking dish. Cover with sauce. Bake uncovered at 400 until done (approximately 25-35 minutes). 

BAKED CAULIFLOWER P3 only!

Chop up cauliflower and spread on a baking sheet (lined with parchment as shown above)

Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with garlic/onion powder or chili powder.

Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes until crispy.

COCONUT FLOUR CHEESE CRACKERS

Preheat Oven to 400

1/2 Cup coconut flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons grass fed butter

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (from a block of cheese that you shred yourself)

Pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients with high speed blender or food processor.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and put batter on.

Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll it out thinly.

Carefully pull the top layer off and cook for 10 minutes. 

Pull out and score with knife or pizza cutter. 

Put back in for an additional 5-8 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool then separate. 

Makes approximately 32 crackers.

Shane's modification options: 

Added a sprinkle of sea salt on top and some garlic powder.

Add 1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan to the mix.

THANKS SHANE for the INSPIRATION!

ENJOY EVERYBODY!

For more recipes contact:

thefitfarmerswife@gmail.com

MOTIVATION MONDAY!!!! Making a difference by BEING YOU!

I've always struggled with discipline. I can justify my way into eating a half pound of dark chocolate covered almonds just about any day! AND I convince myself I am just going to eat my 10 that is supposedly healthy. HA!!! What a joke. If I eat just ONE of those babies I'm totally DONE FOR!

Along with my "little" discipline issue...

I struggle with the idea of building a business. I have this complete and horrific fear of failure. 

SO - today's motivation is to remind us that...

WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE

in order to GET SOMEWHERE! 

LOVE IT!

~TIP TOE IF YOU MUST...BUT TAKE THE STEP!!!!~

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!

THIS...This is something I've had to learn over and over again.

Comfort Zones are for the complacent. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

It's.so.worth.it!

HUGE CHALLENGE

YOU are CAPABLE of so much more than YOU KNOW!

The thought of being "rejected" can sometimes keep me from taking any action. 

But when you think of what we have here - that if we DON'T SHARE, 

we are keeping others from living out a quality life! 

We are denying them an opportunity to hear about something that 

could change their life.

THE CHALLENGE HERE...

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

Ending on a little humor - but really...

The Fit Farmer and I have messed up...we've shared this nutrition plan when we first started,

we've scared some people off with our enthusiasm...

If you're anything like us, you may make mistakes along the way - 

but you can learn from them and that's excellent! 

BRUSH YOURSELF OFF...

MAKE SURE YOUR MOTIVES ARE PURE...

YELL "PLOT TWIST!"

and KEEP MOVING!!!

For more information:

thefitfarmer@gmail.com

INSPIRATION I HAVE OBTAINED FROM MY FIT FARMER

Let me just take a moment to be real here. I want to share with you what an inspiration my Fit Farmer has been for me since he started the drops program!

We've been through a lot. I'm not saying this as a play for sympathy - far from it. We have become who we are because the events in our lives have shaped us. We have struggled through tough times with my incurable disease. We have struggled through some major turmoil that has broken our hearts and left us feeling like nothing but wasted lives. But we have pulled through and carried on. It has made us stronger, developed our character (or maybe made characters out of us...), and deepened our faith. BUT with all that - there has been a dark cloud over my Fit Farmer's life for quite some time. A cloud that followed him, sort of like that commercial where the girl has this cloud following her. However, we never wanted to go the big pharma route, after my near death experience at the hands of doctors and prescription meds, we steer clear, but it's always been at the back of our minds that something just wasn't right. You know how that happens though...you can't put your finger on it, you aren't even sure what it is, you just have this gnawing sensation that something isn't entirely right. YEAH! We had that! For YEARS!!!!

But when my Fit Farmer started the drops program February 1, something changed. He started taking the liquid vitamins and the nite time supplement and suddenly a sense of balance returned. He started to have a spring in his step again. Within just a few weeks, the man I married 25 years ago began to emerge and it was a cause for celebration. Of course he may not have noticed it right away (then again maybe he did and we just never discussed it right away.) BUT as time progressed and he continued the program, he began to realize just how amazing this program has been for him.

AND THIS IS THE FIRST THING I LEARNED FROM HIM...

His success hinged on his attitude and his attitude was priceless!

He ate whatever I set before him, never complained, never got cranky.

HE WAS A TROOPER!

It caused me to reflect on my own attitude and make some of my own adjustments.

THEN HE TAUGHT ME THIS...

When he plateaued and wasn't losing as much as he thought he should - he didn't quit. 

He kept going, kept working at it, dug deep for possible solutions. The key was

HE NEVER QUIT!

And just when I thought I had seen it all, my

Fit Farmer surprised me again with his DETERMINATION!

HE WAS TRULY AWESOME!

He worked hard to follow the program. We watched in shock and awe as he not only dropped weight

but started losing INCHES!!!! YES! He was losing his belly - something he struggled with. 

And as we watched, he became more and more determined! 

He's just a few tenths of a pound away from having lost FORTY POUNDS!

And with this determination, I have been changed and filled with this desire...

THIS REFLECTS MY HEART!

I want to inspire people...

I want to help people who are struggling to keep going...

I WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED!

So, if you are looking for a program that might help you

FEEL BETTER

REST SOUNDLY

LOSE WEIGHT

IMPROVE YOUR OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE

Contact The Fit Farmer and I!

WE HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!

thefitfarmer@gmail.com or thefitfarmerswife@gmail.com

TASTY TUESDAY...WOWZER WEDNESDAY!

So life has been moving along at break neck speed! We have been having a fabulous time coaching several of our friends through the drop program and they are having AMAZING results!

As of Sunday, Reggie was down 14 pounds in just 6 dropping days
Bonnie was down 11 pounds. WOWZERS! ROCK ON YOU TWO!
Barb is rocking it as well! Her faithfulness to the program is inspiring!!
Kim has been sharing her kitchen exploits finding drop program approved honey mustard and making her own BBQ sauce! AND she's down 7 in just 5 days!

All this to say - 
THIS PROGRAM ROCKS - ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE IN IT!

ANOTHER KEY TO SUCCESS!

Persistence -

produces results and the drop program is full of 

REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL RESULTS!

(Used by permission)

Down 90 pounds since October 2014

(Used by permission)

Down 70 pounds since October 2014

These two amazing people are our upline! They are ROCKIN DROPPERS!

SERIOUSLY...this program transforms lives! AND you don't have to sacrifice your tastebuds!

ONTO OUR TASTY TUESDAY RECIPE 

(A day late...but WORTH THE WAIT!)

Stuffed Chicken

(recipe is only for one so double or tripe if you need to feed more)

4 oz chicken breast

1/2 oz celery, chopped

1/2 oz onion, chopped

1 Wasa cracker

dash of ground thyme

dash of salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons chicken broth

Pound the chicken breast so it’s thin and place on a cookie sheet. Grind your cracker in a mini food chopper/processor and place the cracker crumbs in a bowl. Add the celery, onion and spices. Mix well. Add the broth and Place the stuffing in the middle of the chicken breast and roll the chicken closed. Secure with a toothpick. Bake in a 375 oven for 20 minutes.

Unfortunately...We ate the meal BEFORE 

we remembered to take a picture!!!!

Believe the Fit Farmer...It's awesome! ENJOY!!!!

MOMENTUM - Motivation Monday

There's nothing like 

MOMENTUM 

to keep a person going when they're 

trying to meet goals and make progress in a diet program. 

SOME THINGS YOU WILL NEED 

FOR THE BATTLE AHEAD...

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

you CAN do it!

DON'T COMPARE YOUR PROGRESS

You are uniquely you and that's AWESOME!

Celebrate others' successes as well as your own!

It's all about PROGRESS...

Whether the loss recorded is .4 or 2.4...

IT ALL COUNTS!

And by the way...

have you checked out THOSE INCHES?!?!?!

MOMENTUM...PROGRESS...

it ALL counts and you can do it!!!!

There's a huge team of fellow droppers 

that are ready to support you! 

LET THEM! 

For more information contact:

thefitfarmer@gmail.com

FIT FARMER FRIDAY - Doing the IMPOSSIBLE!

I think many people get to a point in their life where they think to themselves, "There's got to be more to life than this..." And they start searching for MEANING, for STRENGTH, for the COURAGE to move forward and make a difference in their lives and the lives of their loved ones. 

THAT IS WHAT THIS PROGRAM HAS DONE FOR US! 

SERIOUSLY...my Fit Farmer thought it would be impossible to lose weight.

BUT he's done it and is still doing it! 

He finally found something that he knew would work, 

mainly because the results were standing right next to him. 

REAL PEOPLE

with

REAL RESULTS

With the proof came the conviction - he was going to do this!

Whatever the reason - 

whether it's just for YOU, 

your HEALTH, 

your FUTURE, 

your FAMILY

A healthier lifestyle, the benefits of a better quality of life, being able to live "drug" free, avoiding knee surgeries or hip replacements in the future because you do something about it today!!!

IT'S SOOO WORTH IT! 

Think about what might be stopping you from bettering your life. 

Then, consider this...

ALL YOU'VE GOT TO LOSE IS WEIGHT!!!

If you want more information email:

thefitfarmer@gmail.com

WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY - What to do when you STALL

It's the middle of the week...for those who loaded over Easter and started Phase 2 on Monday,
how are you doing?

The Fit Farmer was midway through Round 2, Phase 2 on Easter - he might have cheated a bit...but is back on track now. He's been doing great but he has had a bit of a stall the past two days.

A stall is when you have zero weight loss from the previous day. It's sort of a plateau in the diet.
Happens to the best of us - one of the first steps to take when you stall would be personal analysis.
Ask yourself the following:

1. Am I drinking enough water? 
2. Am I taking my drops at the same time everyday? 
3. Am I eating a variety of foods or the same thing over and over? 
4. Am I getting enough sleep? 
5. Am I cheating? 

WATER CONSUMPTION

Water consumption should be close to a gallon per day. This is vital through Phase 2 and Phase 3. Make sure you are consuming enough water so that your body can function at it's best!

THE DROPS

When my Fit Farmer would take his drops sporadically throughout the day rather than on a schedule, his weight loss numbers would decrease. Sticking with a specific time, three times per day is helpful.

Another note on drops...

THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! 

Make sure you have no food or drink 15 minutes PRIOR to taking the drops 

and for 15 minutes AFTER taking the drops.

FOOD INTAKE

It helps to journal your food intake so that you can see what foods work well with your body and the weight loss program. Some have found that eating strawberries in the afternoon doesn't bode well with their weight loss plans, however, if they eat them first thing in the morning it has no adverse effects. Change things up occasionally - just like working out and muscle confusion is beneficial, let's go with the idea that food confusion can be beneficial too! :)

SLEEP

Sleep is vital for your body to regenerate itself. Being well rested will give you the stamina you need to succeed in the program! Make sure you are getting your eight hours so that you can finish strong!

CHEATING

We are all tempted to cheat at some point. It is hard to muster up that will power to STAY STRONG and CARRY ON...we think we are too weak, we are SOOOOO hungry - but really a quick pep talk and you're good to go. Think about it this way - what is your goal weight loss? Find an item that is in that weight range and pick it up. Carry it around for a few minutes then put it down and think to yourself - "Do I want to continue carry that around or do I want it GONE?!" REMEMBER...

DO NOT eat, drink or chew it if it's not on the approved foods list and...

After your self-analysis, you can determine what you may want to adjust. 

If everything seems to be in order and you're still stalled, it's time to look into APPLE DAY! 

If you've gone 5 days with no movement on your scale and you're feeling you're stuck you may consider doing an "apple day". Here's what you do:

• Keep taking your drops.
• Drink only enough water to quench your thirst.
• Eat SIX apples throughout the duration of one 24-hour period - starting at noon and going through until noon the next day with no other food consumption. 

Remember you have an awesome team of people rooting for your success! It's not easy, but it is SOOOO worth it! Keep you eyes on your goal, have a partner to call when you are wanting to cave and hope on the Facebook page for tons of encouragement! 

Feel free to contact The Fit Farmer or his Wife at 

thefitfarmer@gmail.com or thefitfarmerswife@gmail.com

TASTY TACO TUESDAY - Ultimate P2 Taco Salad!

One of my Fit Farmer's favorite meals on Phase 2 is the tacos so - for our first Tasty Tuesday we decided we just had to go with TACO TUESDAY!

Let's start with the homemade taco seasoning! When you start looking at prepared seasoning you will find that many contain sugar! Not sure what are why - but it's there! Sugar is an addictive substance and companies try to buy our loyalty through our cravings - for many companies it's through sugar!

TACO SEASONING MIX

In a small air tight container mix the following: 

3 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Ground Cumin

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Dried Minced Garlic

1 Tbsp Onion Powder

1 Tbsp Dried Minced Onions

1 Tsp Oregano

1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Tsp Sea Salt (or less - optional) 

Once you have all the ingredients measured out put the lid on the container and shake it well to mix. 

Next we'll move onto the taco meat! 

THE MOST AMAZING P2 TACOS EVER...

I make enough to last a week - so I usually go with about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds. But this recipe gives directions for a SINGLE SERVING! 

4 oz Lean Ground Beef

1 Tsp Water

1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (recipe above)

2 1/2 oz Lettuce of your choice (see alternative section for other veggie serving options.)

1/2 oz Chopped Onion

1 oz Petite Diced Tomatoes (make sure this product does not have sugar)

In a small skillet brown the beef and onions (add water if needed to keep things from sticking), season with onion powder and garlic powder if you like (I don't like the smell of just plain beef browning, so I always add seasoning.) When completely browned drain off the grease. Place back on low heat and add water and taco seasoning, stir to combine and simmer for about 1 minute. 

Build your salad - with a bed of lettuce, the beef and tomatoes.

The FIT FARMER'S TACO ALTERNATIVE:

Season and cook lean ground beef as directed above, without the onion. 

Building his salad - 2 oz Romaine Lettuce - chopped, taco meat and 2 oz P2 approved Salsa!

We use Pace Picante - no sugar! :)

My Fit Farmer loves his tacos so much he has them repeatedly for lunch. This makes meal prep easy. I have containers that perfectly fit each item and makes them easy to pack in his lunch! 

A FARMER'S DELIGHT...

P2 TACO SALAD TO GO!

ENJOY!!!