Paleo Turkey BALLZ

It doesn't matter if you are Paleo or NOT, these juicy balls will make everyone happy. ;-) Not only are they super easy to make but they're FAST and great for a weeknight when the family is hungry and you're short on time. OH.... and meal prep SCORE cause they are easy to pack up for additional meals!

Gluten FREE, dairy FREE, egg FREE and freaking FREE of any nasty additives---- aka good for the soul! Try them out and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (I use the one with a little fat to avoid it being super dry)
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Everyday Seasoning (Trader Joes)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup Organic Tomato Soup (lower-sodium and check ingredients to make sure it comply with Paleo OR use whatever one you'd like)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (NON-PALEO addition and it adds that little extra if you're not following a Paleo diet)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix really really well.
4. Form the meat into 2" balls and place on the cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 400-degrees.
6. Set oven to BROIL and bake for an additional 5-minutes--- set the timer cause if you're like ME, you'll forget and burn them! ;-)
7. REMOVE and SERVE with a side salad, spiralized zucchini noodles or anything else you'd like. You can even add a little marinara sauce on top.

Try them out, add some more chopped veggies if you'd like and share this recipe with your friends and fam cause its really that yummy!

ENJOY!

Fit4Lyfe Memorial Day Workout & MURPH WOD

"Murph"
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

The Murph hero WOD was originally posted on CrossFit.com on August 18th, 2005 by Lauren Glassman. The description read as follows:

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor”. From here on it will be referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

THE EVENT:
Every year on Memorial Day, Americans honor those who have fallen serving the United States Armed Forces. At Fit4Lyfe, we will be supporting the Murph Challenge by completing “Murph” workout on Memorial Day beginning at 715am (you have until 1030am to FINISH your WOD).

THE WORKOUT:
Break up the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed but you must start and finish with a mile run (2 miles total). If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

TIPS and TRICKS:
For most of the population Murph’s 200 push-ups are the limiting factor. Many athletes will bite off more than they can chew attempting to break them up in to sets of 20. By the time they’ve accumulated the first 100 push-ups they are struggling to string three together at a time.

Push-up burnout can be prevented by partitioning the workout wisely. Listed below are some rep schemes to consider:

5-10-15
The 5-10-15 scheme is probably the most common pattern people succeed with. This mirrors the rep scheme of the Cross Fit benchmark workout Cindy:
20 rounds of...
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups (If you are new to Murph, be smart and shake out your arms after five reps, from the very beginning).
15 squats

5-5-5-15
If push-ups are a particular challenge for you consider the following scheme:
20 rounds of...
5 push-ups
5 pull-ups
5 push-ups
15 squats

5-5-5-10-5
{Similar to the 5-5-5-15}
20 rounds of...
5 pull-ups
5 squats
5 push-ups
10 squats
5 push-ups

What To Expect
Times vary quite a bit on Murph. The mile route will of course be a big factor in determining your time. As a rough guideline though consider the following for an athlete (male or female) completing the workout without a weight vest:
+70 Minutes Beginner
40-70 Minutes Intermediate
30-40 Minutes Advanced
30 Minutes or less Elite

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED if you can’t do the entire workout (Not many can)! Anyone can do their own version of “Murph” including scaling the run, reps, movements, or even partitioning the workout as a team. The idea is to challenge yourself and do a little more and go a little faster each AND EVERY year. Let this be YOUR year you start AND JOIN FIT4LYFE as they complete it.

FREE for Fit4Lyfe Platinum Members!
$10 for anyone else
Get registered in ADVANCE at http://bit.ly/2017MurphWOD as space is LIMITED

Good luck Fit Fam!

Its not just another "selfie"

Is it just another morning selfie {with a messy garage}?!?! Nope, not this time. I don't show you my progress and abs to be like "hey look at me", I do it to share a story; one that I'm sure some of you can relate to. It's a story that I hid for years, not knowing that THAT was hurting me more than ever. So some 6 years ago, I started to SHARE.... openly share my life, my progress, my frustrations, my HUMAN mistakes and some really awesome achievements. I'm not perfect, I'm perfectly imperfect and getting better everyday.

You see, all of this has been a journey--- 25 years to be exact. 25 years ago I developed an eating disorder and wanted my life to end. The day to day actions were SO intense that I could mentally talk myself in and out of ANYTHING--- including starving myself, isolating myself and completely drowning myself in negative self talk--- conversations that I had NO idea was damaging my once beautiful smile. Negativity that would eventually CONTROL my life... I was no longer in control. I was sick. Very very sick!

But what happened in the days, weeks, months and YEARSSSS after saved my life. I'm forever grateful for the help and support from others; especially my parents that have ALWAYS been by my side. It was easy to put the blame on others but eventually I grew up and realized that the ONLY thing I can control is ME and if I can control ME, all else will have to be. All else will fall into place in the way that God would want it to be. I know that my experience was meant to be shared and PROOF that you can get better.

It's been a journey and will continue to be a journey. Being hospitalized for 6-weeks and going through intense therapy and self-help was not a walk in the park. I may have walked away a few times but I've always come back, knowing that if I could just fight more day, I was getting better. With time, I started to heal from the inside out. My life changed!!!! My visions became a reality and those negative thoughts became more and more positive.

I get asked often about HOW I do it. How I wake up early. How I keep going. How I continue pushing when everything is pushing against me. The answer is SIMPLE.... it's ALLLL in the way I think and see myself. What I thought is what I became. Who I let into my life effected my thoughts--- positive and negative. You see, the way you talk to yourself, the words you use and the way you write become your beliefs and those beliefs become actions. Watch yourself and be careful what you say to yourself and others! Be careful who you surround yourself with. With a positive attitude, ANYTHING is possible. I mean if I can do it and pull my shit together after sooooo many years, SO CAN YOU!!! Trust me... you CAN!

Until the next selfie, lots of love and self-healing❤️
Coach Sandy T

"Healthier" Piccadillo

Keeping it healthy, whole food and YUMMY is not always an easy task to do---- especially when you have two young boys under the age of 8 that would really prefer cereal and ice cream for dinner! {haha}

Tonight I whipped up this HEALTHIER version of an all-time Latin favorite and to my surprise, the boys TORE IT UP and asked for more. Mom-1 Boys-0!!!

Healthier Piccadillo

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp cilantro
• 2 lbs ground meat (I used 1 lb extra lean ground beef and 1 lb extra lean ground turkey)
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) tomato sauce (I used a lower sodium kind from Trader Joes)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Sazon Tropical Seasoning
• 2 tbsp green olives (comes out to like 8 olives--- you can dice them if you'd like)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown meat on high heat in large sauté pan. When meat is no longer pink, drain all juice from pan. Return to heat and lower setting.
2. Meanwhile, while meat is cooking, chop onion, garlic, red pepper, tomato and cilantro.
3. Add to the meat and continue cooking on a low. Add olives and about 2 tbsp of the brine (the juice from the olives) cumin and Sazon. Add tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes.
4. Serve over spaghetti squash or salad or rice if you're not Paleo/watching grain intake.

New Year New You Weightloss Challenge

As we welcome a NEW YEAR, Fit4Lyfe is happy to announce its first ever Weightloss Challenge!

Basic Details:
Starts: January 9, 2017
Ends: February 19, 2017
6 Week Challenge
Cost: $20/person
Winner: Takes all!!! (additional prizes for 2nd and 3rd place)

Weigh-Ins AT Fit4Lyfe ONLY:
Weigh-Ins should be done during the first few days of the challenge but the longer you wait the less advantage you have. Weigh-Ins should be done first thing in the morning, before breakfast. Wear light clothing and preferrably the same outfit; remove shoes and any car keys, wallets, etc etc. You can stop by the gym during business hours to complete your weigh-ins. You do NOT need to see or know your weigh-in but your Trainer/Coach will record what the results are.

Beginning Weigh-Ins and Optional Photos: January 7-10 at Fit4Lyfe
2 Week Weigh-Ins and Optional Photos: January 21-24 at Fit4Lyfe
4 Week Weigh-Ins and Optional Photos: February 4-7 at Fit4Lyfe
FINAL Weigh-Ins and Optional Photos: February 20-21 at Fit4Lyfe

Results based on Total Percentage Loss: The calculation is to take your actual weight (today) and subtract it from your initial weight. Then divide that number by your initial (starting) weight. Take that number and multiply it by 100 and you get your weight loss percentage. (Someone that weighs 200 vs. 160 has the same advantage!)

Additional Rules/Regulations:

1. This is an individual contest.
2. $20 Entry Fee is non-refundable. We want you to be all in and commit to YOU!
3. MUST workout at Fit4Lyfe a minimum of 2x/week during the challenge period.
4. All weigh-ins are REQUIRED. If you do not check-in, you will be disqualified. Like mentioned, you do NOT need to know the number but we will keep the results for you.
5. Front and Side photos are optional and will be taken at the gym. (recommended to wear the same outfit for any and all photos)
6. Entry fee must be paid by the end of the first week aka January 15th and can be done at Fit4Lyfe (cash or credit card) or NOW online using this link http://bit.ly/2017newyearnewyouchallenge
7. We discourage participants from using unhealthy methods to lose weight, such as starvation, diet pills, water pills and laxatives.

But WAIT... we ALSO are going to offer you a VIRTUAL group on Facebook to help you stay committed to your goals. This is a PRIVATE group and you can join after you've paid your dues. In this group, you will get daily motivation, support, accountability, recipes, healthy tips AND some added friendly competition amongst your fellow challengers. The group is located at: http://bit.ly/2017newyearnewyoufacebookgroup

Overall, this is a FUN and FRIENDLY COMPETITION! We are encouraging EVERYONE to participate as it helps the moral of our friends and family! By participating, you are leading from the front and encouraging others to stay committed to their goals. Although weight-loss is NOT the only way to track changes and success, it is an added perk and many of us are motivated by those changes. There will be additional FUN mini challenges throughout the course of the challenge to help you SEE those other changes; including strength and endurance.

DECIDE.COMMIT.SUCCEED! HELLO 2017!

NoodleLESS Lasagna in the Crock Pot

After my original Crock Pot took a nosedive in the garbage, its been quite a while since I've used one BUT I'm happy to announce that we are BACK! My In-laws hooked us up with a new one and I've already made a few meals this week. First up is this AMAZING noodleLESS Lasagna that does have a few extra steps than my normal easy breezy 1-2-3 DONE recipes BUT its totally worth it and a GREAT Saturday or Sunday meal when you have a little more time.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium eggplant
• Kosher salt
• 16 ounces (2 cups) good quality store bought tomato-based pasta sauce (or homemade)
• 1.5 to 2 cups COOKED lean ground turkey or beef (I combine and do a 50/50 mix)
• 16 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces part-skim shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese, divided (about 2 cups)—I used a blend of both cheeses and even add in some Italian Blend
• For serving: Parmesan cheese and some extra ricotta 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 500-degrees. Place the top oven rack about 5 inches from the upper heat element.
2. With a very sharp knife, slice the eggplant and zucchini length-wise into long, thin (1/4-inch) sections so that they resemble lasagna noodles. Rinse each piece and spread the vegetable slices out onto a kitchen towel or layers of paper towels and sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt. Let stand for 15 minutes to allow some of the excess liquid to drain off. Pat dry. 
3. Arrange the zucchini and eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. (Do not line the baking sheet pans with wax paper or parchment, as they will burn.) Lightly brush the slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Flip over the slices and repeat for the other side. Broil for 8 minutes, or until lightly brown, working in multiple batches as needed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Place the slices on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
4. Lightly coat a 6-quart crock pot with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup layer tomato sauce on the bottom of the crock pot—the layer will seem very thin. 
5. Create the first veggie lasagna layer in the crock pot as follows: 1 layer of eggplant “noodles;” 1/3 of the ricotta cheese; 1/3 of the mozzarella; 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of the cooked meat.
6. Create the second veggie lasagna layer, this time using zucchini: 1 layer of zucchini “noodles;” 1/3 of the ricotta cheese; 1/3 of the mozzarella; 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of the cooked meat.
7. Create the final layer: 1 layer of eggplant “noodles;” remaining ricotta cheese; 1 layer of zucchini noodles; 1/2 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup cooked meat and remaining mozzarella.
8. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours, until the eggplant is tender. To test, insert a long, thin knife into the lasagna and ensure the eggplant feels tender.
9. Turn OFF (NOT ON WARM setting but actually OFF) the slow cooker, and let stand until any remaining liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes to 1 hour (note: if you did not grill or broil the vegetables first, you will have a lot of remaining liquid). 
10. To serve, slice and scoop desired portions, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a spoon of ricotta cheese on top.
11. ENJOY!