I am going to be honest with you guys. Last year I lost the baby weight and somewhere towards the end of the year, I gained some of it back. I didn’t feel comfortable, my skin wasn’t the best and my confidence was low. I made it a 2018 goal to get my health back on track.

Assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables

Since January, I have been working out consistently, eating better, and I feel like myself again. I have started taking Smarty Pants vitamins (you can find them at Whole Foods or here) and have made adjustments to my diet. I wanted to share of things I have been doing with you and maybe help you get ready for those warmer months. 🙂

Workouts

The Barre Code– This gym and I go way back. I started with them when there was only one studio and it was actually called “Barre Bee Fit”. Now, they have studios all over Chicago, and in fact, the country. The classes got me ready for my wedding and have helped me stay in shape, but I slacked off after I had my son. 2017 wasn’t the year of exercise for me. I rejoined and I am so glad I did. I forgot how much I loved it. Everyone is so friendly and supportive, no matter your fitness level. Barre Code offers cardio, strength and restoration classes.  My favorite is TBC- Total Body Conditioning. It is strength, cardio, and HARD, but so rewarding.

I think my favorite part are the challenges they encourage everyone to participate in. Every few months, they do a challenge for prizes, raffles, etc. Right now, I started their annual Spring it On, which is 15 out of 21 classes. Difficult, but gets you ready for spring. The next challenge is SPF (Strength Power Fuel), starting in June. I am already excited to participate in that one.

Definitely check it out if your elliptical workouts are starting to bore you!

(Side note- I am not sponsored in any way. I genuinely love it and see such great benefits)

Home Workouts

1. I started these online workout classes when I couldn’t make it to a class or the gym in January. You wouldn’t think they are challenging, but they really are! They definitely get raise your heart rate and you work up a sweat for sure. My husband still does them every morning (he’s an early bird) and it has helped him also get back into shape.

It’s perfect when babies are asleep or you don’t have time to make it to the gym. They range from 15-35 minutes:

• 500 Calorie HIIT Workout (35 minutes)
• Belly Fat Burning (15 minutes)
• Beginner Full Body Workout (30 minutes)
• Total Body Workout (15 minutes)

2. This is going to sound obvious, but sometimes, cleaning the house while Noah sleeps is a workout for me! I make sure I track my steps and I can get thousands. I put on a good playlist (warning, it’s very pop) and get my heart rate.

1. “1, 2, 3” — Sofia Reyes (featuring Jason Derulo and De La Ghetto)
2. “Single Ladies” — Beyonce
3. “Anaconda” — Nicki Minaj
4. “Low” — Juicy J (featuring Nicki Minaj, Lil Bibby and Young Thug)
5. “On to the Next One” — Jay Z
6. “Mi Gente” — J. Balvin and Willy William (featuring Beyonce)
7. “Roar” — Katy Perry
8. “Get Me Bodied” — Beyonce
9. “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” — Jess Glynne
10. “Work B**ch” — Britney Spears

Snacks

Snacking is one of my biggest areas I need to improve. My snacks always seem to end in meals (sigh). All about portion control. Here are some I like:

• Saffron Road Chickpeas (you can find them at Whole Foods or here).- I have a slight addiction to chickpeas, so these are perfect.
• Kirkland Almond Butter on a rice cake with a banana and chia seeds.
• Bark Thins- I like these because it satisfies a sweet tooth, but uses a few, simple ingredients, Non-GMO Project Verified and there are so many different kinds. Click here for more all the flavors.
• String Cheese- I have one almost everyday.
• Turkey and cheese rolls ups- I like Hillshire Naturals turkey from Costco.

Recipes

1. Salads– I have one every Monday. I like that you can add whatever you want! My go-tos are corn, chickpeas, avocado, tomato and feta cheese. I am not a huge salad dressing person, but I use olive oil and McCormick Salad Seasoning. I am obsessed with it. Once you use, there is no need for dressing.

Starting off my week right 💪🏼 And if you’ve been following along in my instastory, I posted all my meals for the week last night to hold me accountable. So far, dinner one ✅ I also gave away one free week to @barrecode_chicago to @westloopsoul. I’m hoping to give away more very soon. Happy Monday! ❤️#salad #mondaymotivation #happymonday #dinner #saladbowl

A post shared by Blogger • Mom • City Life (@thechicagogoodlife) on Feb 26, 2018 at 2:24pm PST

2. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Serves 2-4

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Spicy black beans

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• Fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• ⅓ cup water
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Extras 

Top with avocado, guacamole, feta cheese or salsa

I’m getting my dinners and workouts back on track this week. 💪🏼 We are trying to have at least two meatless meals a week. (Have you seen Rotten on @Netflix? It’ll inspire you to eat healthier or try 🤷🏼‍♀️) One of my favorite and easiest meals to make is sweet potato and black beans tacos. 🌮🌮 What are you guys having for dinner tonight? #meatlessmeals #homecooking #dinner #tacos #veggietacos

A post shared by Blogger • Mom • City Life (@thechicagogoodlife) on Feb 21, 2018 at 2:54pm PST

1. Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using foil, line the baking sheet. Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, cayenne and salt. Arrange in a single layer and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
2. Prepare the black beans: Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Pour in the beans and water. Stir, cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
3. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and use a potato masher or a fork to mash up at least half of the beans. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and cover until you’re ready to serve.
4. Add your toppings and serve with warm tortillas!
5. Enjoy!

3. Sweet Potato, Beans and Avocado

Ingredients:

Serves 2-4

• 1 small onion
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks
• Chicken Broth (I use 1 tsp of Better than Bouillon found at Costco)
• 1/2 can black beans
• 1/2 can corn
• 1 packet of Sazon Goya- I use these.
• Avocado

Directions: 

1. Cook the sweet potatoes first in the chicken broth for 10-12 minutes with the onion
2. Add corn, beans, and Goya
3. Stir occasionally until sweet potato and beans are tender
4. During this time, cook your egg. (I like a runny egg)
5. Add your avocado
6. Enjoy!

Some extra tips:

• Add cottage cheese to your eggs! It makes them fluffy and gives your extra protein

Hi 👋🏼 my Tuesday tip for you. If you’re not putting cottage cheese in your scrambled eggs, you’re not doing it right. It makes them so fluffy and 🙌🏼🙌🏼 Pictured: scrambled eggs with cottage cheese, potatoes, zucchini, kale and avocado 🥑 #themoreyouknow #breakfast #brunch #eggs #kidfriendlyfood #cgljanuaryreboot

A post shared by Blogger • Mom • City Life (@thechicagogoodlife) on Jan 9, 2018 at 6:10am PST

• SLEEP! I always eat better with 8 or more hours (I actually can’t function on less than 7)
• Add fruit to your water! I like lemons.
• Make small goals: workout 2-3 times a week.
• Go for a walk! Track your steps. You get a lot of steps just running errands.

I hope you find some of these tips helpful! They have definitely helped me get back in shape and ready for spring.

Until next time,

Christine