Jodi's marmalade and granola

Photo via getnatured.com

Recently we asked you on Facebook for your favorite recipes or snack ideas. Bootcamper Jodi shared this recipe for marmalade and granola. Yum, thank you Jodi!

Marmalade and Granola
The key to the recipe is the marmalade. It can also be used as a substitution for jam with peanut butter, on toast or a muffin, or with a curry dinner as a condiment.

Mix together:
1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon marmalade (see recipe below)
2 Tablespoons granola, Kashi or Grape-Nuts

Marmalade recipe:
2 whole oranges (option: add strawberries with the oranges)
1/2 cup dates
1 cup apple juice concentrate
optional: chopped walnuts

1. Wash oranges and cut in quarters (do not peel).
2. Place in food processor with dates and process to chop fine.
3. Transfer to a sauce pan.
4. Add apple juice to fruit mixture and bring to simmer.
5. Cook until orange rind is very tender (stirring frequently), and marmalade is thickened.

If you have a recipe or snack idea to share, please email it to Mama Bootcamp food coach Allison Brewer (aka "Allibrew") at allibrew@gmail.com. Thank you!

Weekly Challenge #22: Gear yourself up for Sucess

Let's talk about your bra. Yes, you read it right - your bra.

We all know that 8 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong sized bra (thank you Oprah for telling us!). But did you know you may not be wearing the right sports bra?

The very first sports bra was literally two jock straps sewn together. Thirty-some years later, technology has come a long way! Scientists have figured out (finally!) that a sports bra needs to do more than stop up and down movement, it needs to take care of side to side movement as well. Most bras stop only up and down movement, which could be part of the reason more than half of women suffer breast pain during exercise. The right bra, however, can eliminate this pain for about 80 percent of women.

Most sports bras simply compress the breasts - not very comfortable and, in my opinion, not that attractive! A really good and supportive bra encapsulates each breast into its own cup (and of course, the cups have to be the right size!).

This week's challenge: gear yourself up for success from the skin out. Get yourself fitted for a new sports bra and feel the difference!

Can't get to a fitting? Here's some great information on how to measure yourself: http://www.enell.com/size_and_measurement_chart.php

Something else to think about: According to the experts at Fleet Feet, a sports bra should be worn regularly for only about 6 months before it is replaced.

Go shopping for a new sports bra - your body will love you for it!

Mama Bootcamp Community Shape-Up: June 18th

Please join us in supporting this wonderful cause with a fabulous workout and much, much more!

Weekly Challenge #21: Break your Fast the RIGHT Way

You know that old saying "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?" Its an old saying for a reason - its TRUE!

Breakfast is just that - time to break your fast. After not eating for at least 10 hours (because you closed the kitchen well before bedtime, and you're getting plenty of sleep, right?) your body is ready to refuel with healthy food. And you might find - as I do - that starting the day eating clean makes it a little easier to eat right all day long!

Here's Coach Renee's favorite breakfast recipe. She says: "This meal helped me achieve my weight loss goal and continues to help me feel energized and ready for exercising!"

*********************
OatMEAL!
1/2 c Olf fashioned rolled oats/1 c hot water
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 banana

Scrambled Eggs:
1 whole egg
2-3 egg whites
*add pepper for flavor

12-16 oz water with a packet of Emergen-C

Total Calories: 320-340
Total Fiber: 5 grams
Total Protein 19-34 grams
More than 100% of your daily vitimin C requirement
Includes potassium (banana), which is important when exercising
*****************

Your Challenge: Start EVERY day with a healthy, nutrient-rich, breakfast!

Remember: breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a pauper.

Eat your (clean) breakfast - your body will love you for it!

Weekly Challenge #20 - USE SUNSCREEN!

(From Coach Renee)

It is starting to heat up outside (finally!) and its a good time to remember to protect your skin from the sun.

Sunscreen does double duty - The regular use of sunscreen helps protect your skin from cancer-causing sun exposure, and can help your skin look younger. Protecting your health AND your looks? Sounds great to me!

Your face, neck and chest need the most protection. The skin on these areas are the most delicate and are most likely to show signs of aging (due to the fact that these 3 areas typically get the most sun exposure). DON'T FORGET YOUR SCALP! Ditch those visors and wear a hat - many cases of melanoma occur first on the scalp (where you are unlikely to notice it).

Buy a sunscreen with at least SPF 15. You do NOT need to buy anything greater than SPF 45! Look for Broad Spectrum sunscreens as they provide maximum protection against UVA and UVB rays. Look for Zinc Oxide, it absorbs light, therefore reflecting UV rays. Also look for Titanium Dioxide, it provides a physical protection while preventing skin damage and excessive melanin synthesis.

Remember... you might not have early signs of aging now, (i.e. Fine lines, sun spots, wrinkles), but that doesn't mean it won't catch up with you later. If you tan easily you still need protection! One hour in direct sunlight can cause permanent damage. So keep your skin looking healthy and beautiful!!!

Mamas protect your kids too! Most sun damage is done by the time you are 18 years of age.

Your challenge: USE YOUR SUNSCREEN. Use it every single day. Your skin (and your doctor!) will love you for it.

Ashley's Story: Week 8 - I Love to TRI!

Today is the last day of my first week back to work since having my baby boy. I'll admit that emotionally it's been a rough week. I cried when I dropped him off at daycare on Monday morning and it's gotten progressively easier to leave, but I still feel an overwhelming sadness when I think about all the time I'm not getting to spend with my children.

By my usual food standards, I've done an amazing job of coping. There has been a run-in with an apple fritter here or a few handfuls of chips there, but by no means have I gone off the deep end. That's a huge success for me.

Yesterday was a real test for me though. I had tri training last night. This was going to be the first night out of the house since starting back to work - something particularly hard because I knew that both kids would already be in bed by the time I got home. That meant that the short time I had in the morning before work would be the only time I'd see them all day long.

All day long I thought of excuses to not go to training. In the morning, I didn't have enough time to get my bike in the car or get my stuff together. My husband helped me get it done. During the day, I felt tired and exhausted. I told myself that I should really probably just go home and sleep. But by the afternoon, I had committed myself to it. I reminded myself that it's one night out of the week and while I wasn't giving that time to my kids, I was giving it to myself. I remembered that I need to treat myself good so that I can have enough to give to the other people in my life, too.

Tri training was fabulous! The workout was great - lots of laps in the pool, some time on the bike to practice clipping in, and a nice walk at the end to help me cool down. The best part of all though was the other women there. It's amazing how the excitement of competing in a tri can bring you all together. We all cheered each other on, gave transition tips we had learned in previous years, and someone (I'm sorry I don't remember your name!) even loaned me a pair of socks when I had forgotten mine!

I came away from tri training last night feeling so thankful for the amazing women I get to see during the week. You're all so strong and giving! Thank you for the support you're showing me. I love that we can all be each other's cheerleaders! Also, a big thanks to Lorri Ann and Marilyn, the two coaches I'm working with the most. You ladies are inspirational and keep me motivated.

I've already decided that I'm going to wait until the August sprint tri to compete. Since I got a late start on training this year, I don't want to jump in too early. Still, that's only 86 days away...not much time in the grand scheme. I'm already thinking about my goals for this year's tri.

2011 Sprint Tri Goals
1. Beat my time from last season. I completed the race in 2:36:26 last year. I want to be the only person I'm competing against, so I'm trying to best this time not beat anyone else in the race.

2. Clip in during the race. Last year, I was too afraid of falling to clip my shoes into my bike. This year, I'm going to overcome that fear and know that, even if I fall, I can get back up and keep going. And, really, everyone falls at least once or twice in clips so it won't be anything that someone else hasn't already done.

3. Enjoy myself and celebrate my accomplishment. This should be an easy goal to meet!

Weekly Challenge #19: Close the Kitchen

Late night snacking can sneak up on you when you don't even see it coming. That last bite of something left on the kitchen counter, a few cookies during the evening news, a cup of hot chocolate... Because you are slowing down for the day, late night calories don't get burned off. Instead, they go to bed with you, stowed away as fat.

To avoid late night munching, try "shutting down your kitchen" right after dinner:

• Put away leftovers and do the dishes
• Wipe down the counters
• Close the blinds and turn off the lights

Once the kitchen is closed, brush your teeth. This will further discourage you from snacking!

Creating a simple evening ritual of closing the kitchen can help you to avoid excess calories and bring an organized end to busy days.

Ashley's Story: Week 7 - Emotional Roadblocks

I have to start of by saying that this past week has gone fairly well. I've exercised. I've eaten well (mostly). And, remember those nine pounds I gained on my trip? I've lost five of them! I have a big challenge coming up next week though and I really hope I can continue the momentum that I've got going.

My Challenge
I start back to work on Monday. I could almost cry just typing that. I've had 13 wonderful weeks with my son and daughter and it breaks my heart to think about leaving them. I don't have an option though, so back to the daily grind I go.

Like I've said before, I'm an emotional eater. So, foodwise, next week could be full of pitfalls for me. I'm really going to work hard to not let this change derail me.

My Plan
One of the perks to working outside of the home is that I get some time to myself. I plan to use my lunch break everyday to exercise. Southside Park is just two blocks from my office and a great place to walk and run. With the new Hour of Power on Fridays at McKinley, I can take my bike and get in a ride and an awesome workout with other Mamas.

Another great thing: every other week, I'll be taking light rail to work. That means I'll have an automatic walk to and from my office everyday of those weeks. Exercise built into my commute; it can't get easier than that! Taking light rail also means that I won't have my car at the office, so I won't be tempted to drive through a drive thru on my lunch break.

Finally, having to pay for daycare for two kids puts a real crunch on our budget. It will be more important than ever for me to take my lunch and actually eat it instead of eating out. I just need to remember to plan my lunches so that I'm not grabbing just anything as I run out the door in the mornings.

That leaves me with the last part of all of this, the emotional part. I have to remember that it's really normal and very okay to feel sad about leaving my children. I also have to remind myself that they're going to be just fine. My daughter has been in daycare since she was three months old and she's perfect! (I maybe a little bias...)My son will do fine as well.

Time for you to share now. How do you get past your emotional roadblocks without falling apart? What's your alternative to food?

Connie Found Her Mojo

Connie Miano found her mojo with Mama Bootcamp. Read her story to find out how:

My story with Mama Bootcamp began over 2 years ago. Prior to joining Mama Bootcamp, exercising on a regular basis was just not part of my life. I had always been slim and never worried about my diet or how much I exercised. However, as I began to get a little older and went through menopause, things began to change. I started gaining weight and developed high blood pressure. Since I have a family history of heart disease, I became a little concerned and thought it was time to change my habits and lifestyle. However, I still lacked self motivation to begin an exercise program on a routine basis.

Then one day, a friend of mine told me about Lorri Ann and Mama Bootcamp. I hesitated in joining so my friend gave my phone number to Lorri Ann. I received a call from Lorri Ann and that is the day when my exercise habits changed!!

In the beginning, Mama Bootcamp was very challenging because I hated to exercise and sweat! I was also never a runner and struggled with it for the first several months. But with the encouragement and specialized training from Lorri Ann, I was able to overcome my struggles. It wasn’t long before I began to see results, which motivated me to continue with Mama Bootcamp and to NOT hate exercising.

The next step, or what I call an adventure with Mama Bootcamp, was training for a triathlon. What?? Are you kidding me? Oh my!! What was I thinking?? That was something I would never consider in my wildest dreams!! I was content with my success in simply attending bootcamp on a regular basis. With the encouragement from Lorri Ann and her coaches, I began tri-training despite my reluctance. There were a few bumps in the road though.

I bruised the ball of my foot, crashed on my bike, but I overcame those little setbacks and decided not to give up! During the tri-training, I didn’t do well in the swimming portion and did not feel ready. But after all the training I didn’t want to miss the event. I decided to participate in the Duathlon. This event consists of a 5K, which replaces the swimming, an18 mile bike ride, and the final 5K. I discussed this option with Lorri Ann and she thought it was a great idea! I completed the Duathlon, which was a rewarding experience I will never forget! It was such an accomplishment for someone like me who always hated to exercise!!!!

I can’t believe it has been over 2 years since I began Mama Bootcamp and I’m amazed that I have been able to steadily continue in an exercise program. I have now lost about 20 pounds, a lot of inches and body fat. I have gone from a size 10-12 to a size 4-6. This program really works as the results tell the truth!! Lorri Ann is amazing and puts her heart and soul in helping you meet your goals. Mama Bootcamp has truly been a positive and rewarding experience for me. All the coaches are wonderful and I enjoy the camaraderie of the fellow mama bootcampers.

My family and friends are very proud of my success and commitment to a healthier lifestyle. I am a much happier, healthier person and loving life! I owe this all to Mama Bootcamp!!