T-Tapp into Fitness

Foodie Blog has Moved!

2011-01-03T00:10:00.000-05:00

Bonjour Friends and Followers!

My little blog has been up since 2004. It's time that I moved to a new fresh blog site to continue posting.

My blog can now be found at FoodieInMotion.com.

Thanks for reading!

Au revoir!

T-Tapp Christmas Party

2010-12-28T23:39:00.001-05:00

You'd think that a fitness company would be a little skimpy when it comes to holiday treats and celebrations centered around food. NOT at T-Tapp! We all love food and that's part of the reason why the T-Tapp workout is so fabulous -- you don't have to diet to get results! Do consistent workouts (or even a few T-Tapp exercises regularly) and you will be able to maintain and possibly even lose inches over the holiday season while enjoying treats and great eats. YES You Can! Try it for yourself here: http://t-tapp.com/try!

This year we did our annual Cookie Exchange and Secret Santa. Unfortunately, I was really sick and took my first sick days of the year, which meant that I skipped the baking this time around. (Sorry guys!) Luckily my coworkers are awesome and sent me home with a huge plate of cookies anyway. Plus, I got to enjoy that yummy cupcake from a friend.

On the Winter Solstice (December 21st) the T-Tapp staff headed over to Cello's Charhouse restaurant in Safety Harbor -- a quaint, colorful eatery right off of Main Street. They welcomed our party with open arms. We started off sampling the various wines that Teresa brought over and crunching on char-grilled pita triangles with Parmesan cheese.

And a delicious salad with Goldfish crackers.

Beer Cheese Soup with Popcorn. Sooo good!

I ordered the bacon wrapped filet wrapped in mushroom saunce with perogies and winter squash.

Lauren and I shared a slice of Lemon Butt Cake. They called it that because apparently the cake goes right to your rear.

Thank you for the wonderful meal, Teresa! It's always a pleasure spending time away from the office with my coworkers.

The moon was ripe and ready for the eclipse. I wasn't feeling well and went straight to bed, so I missed it. *sad face* But I did snap this picture, which doesn't do the moon any justice. It truly was looking magical.

Au revoir!

T-Tapp's Live International Hoe Down Showdown

2010-12-08T14:22:00.001-05:00

I was part of T-Tapp's Live International Hoe Down Showdown this past Sunday at the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa in Florida. During this exercise session we hosted a live broadcast of the video stream so people around the world could participate. SO FUN!

From left to right: Berei, Rhonda, Gretchen, Margit, Michelle, Chloe and Teresa Tapp

I was right in the front row!! We did 10 consecutive sets of the T-Tapp exercise called Hoe Downs. Try this fat burning, sugar busting, carb controlling 3-minute exercise right now:

Chloe was adorable! She's 7 years old and can sing beautifully. We opened and ended the live broadcast with a winter song by Chloe. She gave me goosebumps!

The Spa was decorated for the season with poinsettias, garland and lights everywhere you turn.

And Santa Claus too!

After the event I sat down to brunch with Teresa Tapp and T-Tapp staffers.

And headed home for the afternoon. I took a long nap and went to bed early. What a wonderful Sunday!

Au revoir!

Since I've Been Gone

2010-12-08T14:08:00.000-05:00

Bonjour! It's been a while. Life got super busy! And there's a LOT going on in my world.

Since I last posted...

I became Mayor of Ban Thai Restaurant!

I met my new cousin, Cassie!

Enjoyed a chocolate baklava! And didn't think twice about how much butter or sugar was in it...

Celebrated Thanksgiving Day with good friends!

Cherisse and David... newlyweds!

My plate:

Apple cobbler for dessert:

And then proceeded to pass out in a food comatose on their couch. Good times!

Tended bar at the Writer's Block Party in Ozona where Non-Local Flow (my step-sister's book) was sold.

They put these two paintings together for the first time and discovered they appear to be painted together.

And a whole lot more!

I have been exercising here and there, body brushing often, going to bed by 10pm and working many overtime hours through the T-Tapp sales.

Au revoir!

Sunday's Trip to the Farmer's Market

2010-11-15T21:45:00.003-05:00

I was up before 9am on Sunday morning. Dogs are great for waking you up early, even on weekends. I made a gusto brekkie of scrambled eggs wrapped in several organic romaine leaves with 50% reduced fat sharp white cheddar cheese. We left for Tampa shortly after for a well overdue trip to the farmer's market.

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm opens to the public on Sunday's at noon. They have a pretty amazing CSA program I wish I could participate in. At the market you'll find vendors, vegan eats, fresh produce to purchase, live music and farm tours. Bring the kids and leashed dogs for an earthy afternoon on the farm.

The place was packed with people bustling around. I think it's fun to browse and talk to each of the vendors to see what they're offering. The organic produce included some veggies from the farm, but mostly the kind of produce you'd find at a local health food store. I ended up buying a bag of fresh organic basil, a few of the most beautiful zucchinis ever, an organic butternut squash and cherry tomatoes.

To be honest, I just like being on the farm. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy...

I'm looking forward to heading back to the farm this Sunday, but also want to finally check out St. Pete's Saturday Morning Market. It's supposed to be spectacular!

Au revoir!

Kicking off Tappy Holidays 2010

2010-11-10T12:33:00.000-05:00

This holiday season I'm armed with healthy tools to keep me accountable, active and eating veggies. T'appy Holidays with T-Tapp Trainer Lani Muelrath is a T-Tapper's dream. Lani created a spreadsheet that gives a weekly outline with some healthy habits including daily exercise, body brushing, eating 7 servings of veggies and having a "gusto" breakfast. For each activity that you complete you get a certain amount of points. At the end of the week you tally up your points and see where you fall: Goddess, Diva, Muse or Flirt. We all want to be Goddesses!!!

This is a wonderful way to keep up with your healthy habits and stay on track with a fitness plan during the busiest time of year! Tappy Holidays started on Sunday, November 7th. I technically started on Monday because I was feeling under the weather this weekend and needed to get a newsletter done for work.

Monday, November 8th
So far so good! Yesterday I got in 6 servings of veggies and my body brushing. Skipped a gusto brekkie and had a cup of hot coffee (it's cold in Florida!) with cream and raw sugar, plus an organic golden delicious apple once I got to the office. I was starving by lunch and devoured 2.5 cups of raw salad (romaine, spinach, onion, carrots, cilantro) and 1 cup of homemade pumpkin soup. That's 5 servings of veggies at lunch alone! For dinner I made a fresh organic beef chili packed with veggies (zucchini, green pepper, onion, garlic, and kidney beans). Almost 7 servings, but one short due to skipping brekkie... the most important meal of the day!

No exercise though...very busy day and I didn't make the time for it. No excuses.

Tuesday, November 9th
I made sure to get in my veggies... 1.5 cups of chopped zucchini, onion and baby bellas accompanied my 2 scrambled eggs with BVI Seasoning and Garlic Pepper. That's 3 servings of veggies! For lunch I ate another bowl of my pumpkin soup, which accounted for another 2 servings. And dinner was more of my beef chili. I did sneak in a few all-natural gummy bears.

Workout: Basic Workout Plus + floor work (OIP/HF, 15 Crunches, AL, PT, DD) for a 30 minute "free choice" routine. And got my body brushing in too!

Will keep you posted on my T'appy Holidays progress each week in a wrap-up blog. For now I'm off to get in more veggies... staying stocked up on produce is KEY!

Au revoir!

Epcot's Food & Wine Festival

2010-11-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

Bonjour! I just returned from three trips around the world in one day. Amazing! Last week I was lucky enough to get a free ticket to Epcot's Food & Wine Festival from Shelly Ballestero. She was sweet to think of the T-Tapp staffers and all the hard work we put in at the last two Retreats this year, and thought we needed a day to enjoy and have fun together. Teresa gave us a 1/2 day off paid, and we took a quick trip over to Orlando for the day. Thank you Shelly and Teresa!

Forgive me for the delay in blog posts. I had about 275 photos from my day at Epcot. Lots of editing! And I've been feeling under the weather these past few days too...

I was starving by the time we arrived. First stop for me was Greece where I picked up this yummy chicken soulvaki.

Hola, Puerto Rico! My next stop...

This was the most amazing Chicken and Rice Soup! Perfect for a cool rainy day.

Then on to Mexico...

I spotted the Day of the Dead skulls pretty quickly. Would have bought one if they weren't $30.00 each!

And more Day of the Dead skeletons on the Mexico ride...

Here's Norway...

And France...

I ate this cheese ravioli in Italy.

And drank some South African wine.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Blue Cheese from America... just about the ONLY veggies in the whole place.

And a Purple Haze beer.

Epcot was celebrating 15 years of their Food & Wine Festival.

Soda from China is TOO sweet.

I had a few bites of Jen's sweet pretzel.

Epcot is beautiful at night...

I got home just before midnight with soggy feet and frizzy hair. We walked about 5+ miles and my legs were feeling it. What a great day with the T-Tapp staffers!

Au revoir!

Nature's Food Patch Makeover

2010-11-02T23:18:00.001-04:00

Since I was a little girl I've been going to Nature's Food Patch with my mom. I remember when the store was on Cleveland closer to Highland Avenue in a much smaller location. Then they moved to their current spot years ago and have recently done a total store-wide makeover! This place is truly amazing now and really competes on the same level as The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market.

Nature's Food Patch
1225 Cleveland Street
Clearwater, FL 33755-4908
(727) 443-6703

I stopped at NFP after my morning appointment for a quick bite to eat. As soon as I walked through the door I was blown away with how different the store looked! Love the floors, colors and large variety of delicious, healthy foods.

I could literally LIVE in this store! Give me a sleeping bag, tent and lock me in... I'll stay for days, weeks even!

I'm lucky that I only stopped for lunch because I could seriously do some damage to my bank account in that store. Their hot and salad bars are amazing, and I love their deli section with freshly made personal servings -- great for lunch!

I picked out a cup of sweet potato and veggie soup, California Surprise Wrap (on whole wheat - 100% veggie), roasted sweet potatoes, tabbouleh (mine is way better), a few Emergen-C packets and a bottle of eVamor alkaline water.

So far this week...
I have not worked out this since Saturday, have lots of house work to do, blogging to catch up on and sleep that my body craves. For the past two days we ate homemade mac and cheese -- made with brown rice gluten-free macaroni, Cabot extra sharp cheddar and organic milk. I'm back drinking coffee too... homemade and Starbucks. Although I do not like the SB workers around here -- only the employees at the Clearwater Mall location are nice and happy to serve customers, so I'll be making more coffee at home instead. I plan to get back on track with my workouts and healthy habits this week. T'appy Holidays starts on November 7th!

Off to bed...

Au revoir!

{ weekend } Halloween with Friends and Fire Dancers

2010-11-02T22:43:00.000-04:00

Bonjour! What a fantastic weekend! I had so much fun with my friends and Marcel's family. Just wish Monday didn't come so fast and we had another day of weekend left. Time flies when you're having fun, right?

We started the holiday with a trip to Einstein Bagels for brekkie. I tried the pumpkin bagel with light pumpkin cream cheese and a medium vanilla coffee with cream and sugar. We didn't carve pumpkins this year.

As promised, I did Tempo 2 (lower body style) on Saturday before we left for St. Pete. (No other healthy habits completed... too much going on!) Veronica, Nikki and I went to CVS to pick up some more makeup for my costume. Then back to the house to get started on my full face makeup! Veronica is an amazing makeup artist. She had never heard of Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), but once I showed her a few pictures she quickly go the idea and totally rocked my makeup. She made it pop and even added little jewels and everything!

Crazy, huh? SO fun!!!

Marcel took me home and I left shortly after to head to Kristy's salon for to get my hair styled. She did a simple braid to keep it off my face, added a few hologram pieces and sprayed me down with glitter. A few friends met us at the salon and we carpooled to the Annual Hard Corr Halloween Party.

Here I am with the hostess... Snow White!

Party Drinks & Eats

At the party I enjoyed 2 light beers, 2 jello shots and a Jägerbomb (light on the Red Bull), a pulled pork sandwich, a Halloween cupcake, chips and candy... totally junked out, but hey it was Halloween! We split a taxi ride home. Safe and sound.

...I got home at 3am...

Sunday was Halloween this year. We drove to St. Pete again to spend the afternoon with the gang. Once I parked on the street in Old NE St. Pete, got out of the car and Marcel noticed a little black dachshund by my back tire.

I could have hit the poor little guy! He had no collar and was covered in something that smelled like crap, we caught him, gave him a quick bath and some food and water. He didn't make a peep, even being around 5 other dogs in the yard.

Anyone missing an all black wiener dog? I want to call him Ween.

They took the lost dog to the dachshund rescue in St. Pete on Monday. Marcel really wants him... and we may get the poor little guy to see how he does with Roxy in her own space. Another dog was the last thing on our minds.

So back to Old NE neighborhood... they go ALL out! Here are just a few pictures for you:

Please take a look at my Facebook page or AdoringLife.com for more photos.

We ate Tijuana Flats for dinner... chicken and black bean burrito on whole wheat power light minus black olives, chips with queso and guac. So good! The kids were in bed and we all took a walk around the neighborhood, down to the water and back before heading home for the night.

Great times with awesome peeps!

Au revoir!

Halloween Party at the T-Tapp Office

2010-10-30T00:57:00.001-04:00

Bonjour! Here I am over here to the right... all sleepy, but costumed up and channeling Cleopatra with my Pumpkin Kale green smoothie. Yum! Today was a great day... dressing up just for fun, Halloween party at the office with delicious eats, it's Friday and fun is plentiful this weekend.

The spread of food for lunch was serious... we sorta went all out for this one. But I was the only one in "costume". Cleopatra is a recycled toned down version of my costume from two years ago.

I ♥ being Cleo!

We planned to each bring a dish for the office party. They made burgers and ribs next door and brought them over.

We ate fresh and grilled veggies with ranch and hummus dip, baked beans and deviled eggs.

Here's my mac n cheese... needed to be in the oven for another 20 to get real crispy, but it tasted awesome.

And for dessert... cupcake sized cheese cakes with cherries on top, Halloween cupcakes from Publix and rice crispy treats!

My plate: turkey burger (with cheese, mustard, lettuce, tomato), one rib, roasted veggies and a little mac. I also ate a deviled egg and rice crispy treat.

And then a cherry cheesecake and La Croix Lemon for dessert...

Here's Ava dressed up as a Ghost Buster! Too freakin cute!

After work I recycled a whole car load full of paper, plastics, cardboard and aluminum. Amazing how all of that stuff really stacks up after a week or two.

We decided to go to Dominic's for Friday night pizza... it's becoming a weekly ritual. I got a tall nonfat vanilla latte, Roxy barked her face off, we got a fresh pizza made, picked up the mail and headed home to relax and drink wine. After this crazy busy week it was nice to have a chill night at home. I'm listening to Marcel jamming out on the guitar right now...love this life.

And I got into the cupcakes Lolly sent home with me... they're actually really good for store bought cuppy cakes! I dare not look at the ingredients.

I'm super excited about getting all dolled up tomorrow!!! Day of the Dead makeup + cute outfit + styled hair + party and lots of photos with my friends = FUN! Halloween rocks.

Au revoir!

P.S. I am SO doing a killer workout tomorrow!

Ezekiel Whole Grain Flourless Tortillas

2010-10-26T21:07:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of Ezekiel Whole Grain Flourless Tortillas? Now you have! These things are amazing. They may look like ordinary soft tortilla shells, but are SO much better!! The nutrition is incredible -- each shell is only 130 calories, but is a complete protein with fiber and no added fat. Plus since they're flourless AND sprouted, it's like eating a whole food... almost like a veggie! Ezekiel products can be found in the freezer section, and it's recommended to keep them frozen at home until you're ready to use them too. The wraps are especially easy and filling, great for any meal!

Inspired by the Holy Scripture verse "Take also unto thee Wheat and Barley and Beans and Lentils and Millet and Spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it." - EZEKIEL 4:9

INGREDIENTS: Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Sea Salt.

= YUMMY!

Here are a few ways I like to eat Ezekiel Wraps...

Tonight's Giant Turkey Taco.

Breakfast Wrap with Eggs, Bacon, Cheese and Veggies.

Another Giant Turkey Taco.

Quick Boiled Egg, Cheese and Romaine Wrap.

Hummus and Veggie Wrap.

Another Hummus, Cheese and Veggie Wrap.

I highly recommend you try these instead of regular tortillas or wraps. They really rock!

As for my eats... a failed green apple smoothie for brekkie (way too tart!), yummy leftover roasted squash soup for lunch, snacked on some raw almonds, a few dried cherries and 3/4 brownie (from T-Tapper Carrie Ann), then made that giant taco for dinner! Plus I drank 2.5 Lifefactory bottles full of Kangen water 8.5 pH.

Today's T-Tapp exercises:

Primary Back Stretch and Body Brushing at 7am
2 sets of Hoe Downs at 11am
2 sets of Hoe Downs at 3pm
And now I'm going to do the Basic Workout Plus...

Still need to soak my feet in magnesium oil tonight too. Oh, and I'm going to make some pumpkin puree tonight for my Pumpkin Pie Kale Smoothie in the morning. And plan on trying out a new recipe for Quinoa Veggie Burgers that don't fall apart for dinner!

Au revoir!

2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 4 & Trainer Certification Retreat

2010-10-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Bonjour! I'm still catching up on my posts, as you can see... Above is another gorgeous sunrise over Tampa Bay I took on 10.10.10. (Just to think the next 10.10.10 will be on October 10th, 2110!)

First thing in the morning Teresa led a final Senior Fit workout and we finished measuring the event attendees shortly after. Every year I am so amazed at how many inches everyone drops in a matter of one weekend, by pushing maximum form, learning and applying new techniques and tweaks... maybe a massage, reflexology session or steam time in the sauna. Balancing relaxation and rest, plus hydration and quality eats with all the physical activity is important!

The Retreat workouts count as a Blitz type of Boot Camp; this is where you do 2-4 workouts per day (depending on the individual) for two days in a row and end with 1-2 final workouts on day three. You can choose to do as many or few workouts as you'd like. Sit in the back and take notes... T-Tapp Retreats are all about education! Knowledge is power and everyone who attends really gets better with the mind to muscle connection (neuro-kinetic flow) and maintaining form too!

Top 5 Inch Loss Winners of the 2010 T-Tapp Retreat:

Laurie Brooks - 31.25 inches
Dawne Gordon - 22.50 inches
Cryssanthe Detroyer - 19.25 inches
Claudine Henry - 19 inches
Stephanie Robinson - 18 inches

110 combined inches lost for the top 5 winners! Awesome!

In the photo, left to right: Laurie, Cryssanthe, and Claudine...

Congratulations ladies!

The other inch loss winners were not in the room for the announcement.

And I've even seen other Retreat attendees post on Facebook and the T-Tapp Forum about additional inch loss a week after they left Florida. It's like residual results!

Teresa ended the 2010 T-Tapp Retreat with a Final Straight Through Workout that was a fusion of the other previous workouts done over the weekend. We all said our goodbyes and parted ways (well, most of us), hoping to meet again soon at another fabulous T-Tapp event...

Our Annual T-Tapp Trainer Certification Retreat started at 4pm on Sunday, with the actual certification classes beginning on Monday morning and stretching through end of day on Tuesday. During this event we have our trainers and trainers-in-training (TNTs) come in to teach the T-Tapp workout (Total Workout, T-Tapp MORE, Hit the Floor, and/or Ladybug) to be certified by Teresa Tapp to teach that workout in anywhere around the world.

Sunday, October 10th Eats

Brekkie

Starbucks Grande Nonfat Vanilla Latte, Fresh Fruit Cup, KIND Fruit & Nut Bar.

Forget the fruit and get an apple instead...

Lunch

Lauren and I had a window of free time and made it to Val & Matty's Wedding Party!

Asian Pasta, Scallops and Duck Quesadilla.

Plus one Bud Light beer.

I wish we had more time to hang out with our friends at the party, but we headed back to the Spa for the start of our Trainer Certification Retreat.

It was wonderful seeing the trainers again! We're like one big happy family of sisters. It's so fun to be with everyone, catch up, workout, learn new form techniques, eat fabulous food and drink!

Dinner

For dinner we headed over to the new pizzeria in town... Dominic's. This place rocks! We got a Mother-In-Law Pizza and it was fantastic.

The Mother-In-Law pizza... no sauce, mozzerella, cheddar and feta cheeses, tomato, spinach and garlic. YUM! My new favorite pizza.

And I drank a Blue Moon when we got back to the spa.

Joan Schrader did another presentation for the trainers on magnesium oil and prill beads. And a Trainer Only Meeting with Teresa followed that session, we wrapped things up before 11pm.

Trainer workouts started at 7am the following day, Monday the 11th.

When I locate my green robot flash drive with all my backed up photos I'll be able to finish up Monday, October 11th - Thursday, October 14th.

Au revoir!

2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 3

2010-10-21T14:25:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned before, I saw the most beautiful sunrises during the Retreat. Each day was breathtaking, made me fully understand why people live near the water. Here's the view from my hotel room...

Somehow managed to skip all workouts on Saturday... guess I was busy working! I am so thankful for the T-Tapp Retreat. I love this time of year, connecting with clients that I work with via phone and email, spending time with T-Tapp Trainers, Forum Users, Challenge Winners, Newbies and Retreat Veterans is so much fun it almost shouldn't be called "work". (Shh... don't tell the boss!) I can honestly say that I love my job. The T-Tappers make it all worth while. Every year we continue to learn, grow and change for the better, meeting again looking younger, more toned and full of positivity. I'm even smiling at strangers these days!

Saturday's speakers and some tid-bits I took away from their presentations...

Mary Shomon, Thyroid patient advocate and NY Times best-selling author. Mary is a T-Tapper and Bichon Frise owner, like Teresa Tapp. She's a bunch of fun and really knows her stuff when it comes to the thyroid. Some of the things I learned from Mary at the Retreat are...

Ask your doctor for the tests you need (thyroid, adrenal, etc) during during your annual physical. They are more likely to order them for you at that time.
Chronic dieting lowers metabolism, as much as a 60% reduction in basal metabolic rate.
Calories in, calories out is not true anymore. Your hormones play a part in weight loss.

Mary recommends:

Mindful eating: stop and take the time to eat. Smell, touch, taste and enjoy your food.
Stress reduction: stress created cortisol, which leads to belly fat among other things, and could result in a leptin issue (the "full" feeling hormone).
Cut sugar and simple carbs: food carries energy, good or bad. Focus on eating whole foods and avoiding sugar when possible.
Don't overexercise: gentle, regular, cardio and muscle building exercise is key... like T-Tapp! Love your workout.

Dr. Rob Carlson a cardio-thoracic surgeon that knows his stuff about hormones and is passionate about the thyroid. He recommended taking vitamin D over the flu vaccine, and I was happy to hear that! Vitamin D improves immunity, so take yours daily. Dr. Rob did a demonstration on his Stop-It product, which makes sugar powerless in just one taste. T-Tappers were literally spitting out chocolate! Amazing.

Joan Schrader from Health and Wisdom spoke to us about the power of Magnesium Oil. Basically, you need this stuff! Our bodies crave magnesium and it's very difficult to get your levels up quickly with supplements. Magnesium Oil is applied topically anywhere on the body, but most effectively on the feet. Joan recommends using 2-4 ounces of magnesium oil in a warm foot bath. Delightful! She also talked to us about Prill Beads and how they make your water hexagonal on a molecular level so your body can absorb it. Not all water is created equal!

Teresa Tapp did a More Than a Workout Seminar where she discussed how the T-Tapp program is so much more than another workout to get you in a smaller size. She told us about her health scare last year with tumors in her breast and how she was able to heal naturally using her knowledge of the body. I'm so thankful to have Teresa Tapp in my life. I've learned so much from her over the years, and she never ceases to amaze me with the new things she comes up with. Thanks for another fabulous year, Teresa!

Saturday, October 9th Eats

Brekkie

Starbucks Grande Iced Green Tea and Spinach Wrap.

Lunch

We ate lunch in the Four Springs Ballroom, which has a beautifully painted cathedral ceiling and crystal chandelier lighting.

Salmon Caesar Salad.

Sourdough Bread with 1/2 Butter Ball.

Lobster Bisque... right, Jen? Too much good food to remember...

Dinner

Before dinner we took a group photo outside by the pool... well, most of us.

I got a Blue Moon at the tiki hut before heading inside for dinner with the Retreat attendees.

We had the Floribbean themed dinner together...

In case you missed it:

Retreat: Day 1
Retreat: Day 2

Retreat: Day 4 / Trainer Certs coming soon...

Au revoir!

Organic Black Beans and Brown Rice

2010-10-20T13:43:00.001-04:00

Bonjour! This is last night's post for a snack and dinner... I fell asleep watching Veronica Mars on Netflix. At the Retreat someone said to turn off the TV and avoid electronics for at least 1 hour before bed. I am SO bad at that!

Eats

Dinner

Organic Black Beans and Brown Rice.

Beans and rice make a great, nutritious and delicious meal. Cheap and easy to make too!

Ingredients:

1 can of organic black beans (I purchase Organic Black Beans in a can from Publix, the GreenWise brand.)
1/2 to 1 cup of dry rice (One of my favorite brands of rice is Lundberg Wild Blend. It's a little pricey, but the flavor can't be beat. Organic brown rice is a good alternative.)
1/8 to 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
seasonings to taste
vegetable and cheese toppings of choice

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.
When rice has about 10-15 minutes left, you can start the beans. Heat olive oil in pan. Open the can, do not drain, and empty the contents into a pan.
Add apple cider vinegar and seasonings. Cook beans until boiling, reduce to simmer.
Chop vegetable toppings. I like to use tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and spinach.
Shred cheddar cheese and get sour cream or Greek yogurt ready for toppings.
Serve beans over rice in a bowl and each person can customize their meal with toppings they enjoy.

Snack

Organic Gala Apple with a spoon of PB.

Dessert

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I did eat a 100 calorie Klondike bar too. That's probably why I felt so run down this morning, even after almost 8 hours of sleep. Dessert right before bed is a no no!

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Magnesium Oil: topically

Nourishment
Fruits: 1 servings
Veggies: 2 servings
Water: 1 liter

I did OK on meeting my goals today...

Wake up a bit early -- done!
Exercise upon rising -- done!
Complete healthy habits -- skipped body brushing, oil pulling and a mag soak... will do better tomorrow.
Make and drink a green smoothie -- done!
Skip the sweets (including wine) -- messed up and ate dessert when I knew better.
Bring lunch to the office -- done!
Experiment with a new butternut squash recipe -- found some great ones today from WFM!
Try 2/day blog posting (noon and evening) -- Well, it kinda worked
Use the Rebel for photos -- done!

Au revoir!

Pumpkin Green Smoothie

2010-10-19T14:19:00.000-04:00

Bonjour! I'm trying to split my day into at least 2 separate posts... we'll see how this goes.

I decided to mix some organic pumpkin puree in with my green smoothie this morning. It came out creamy and super delish!

Eats

Brekkie

Pumpkin Green Smoothie:

1/2 can organic pumpkin
2 cups organic baby romaine
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup vanilla almond milk
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Blend and enjoy!

This smoothie was SO good I'm making it again tomorrow!

Lunch

A simple lunch of randomness...

Leftover rotisserie chicken, romaine leaves and 50% reduced fat cheddar.

I'm going to need a snack later...

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Exercise: Basic Workout Plus, first thing this morning. Why is exercise so much harder when I first wake up?

Nourishment
Fruits: 0.5 servings
Veggies: 4 servings
Water: 1 liter

Supplements
Alfalfa: 3 caps
B-12 Plus: 4 sprays
Cellfood: 8 drops
Emergen-C: 1 packet
Pyruvyl Glycine: 4 sprays
Vitamin D3: 4 sprays

So far so good on meeting my goals today...

Wake up a bit early -- done!
Exercise upon rising -- done!
Complete healthy habits -- working on it!
Make and drink a green smoothie -- done!
Skip the sweets (including wine) -- working on it!
Bring lunch to the office -- done!
Experiment with a new butternut squash recipe -- working on it!
Try 2/day blog posting (noon and evening) -- working on it!
Use the Rebel for photos -- working on it!

Au revoir!

My Retreat Results!

2010-10-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

I bring news of success... I've lost 4.75 inches in a month and a half. For a Less to Lose gal, that's mighty! That would be about 6 inches if I don't deduct the areas where I gained a little muscle, like my calves.

You can see above that my legs started balancing out. First the Upper Right Thigh was a bit larger (1 inch bigger on the dominant side is the norm) and then my Upper Left Thigh was a bit larger one month later. But my Calves balanced out and my Lower Thighs stayed balanced.

Below shows the muscle building in my Calves... and lots of muscle activation in my lats.

If only I could balance out my arms...

I did a few workouts during the T-Tapp Retreat, but did 2 per day for 2 days in a row of Trainer Certs and 1 workout on the third final day; sort of like a Blitz. I haven't exercised much besides walking, PBS and HD since October 13th. It's due time to get back to a regular schedule to maintain this inch loss, and shape, tone, define, and strengthen...

Au revoir!

P.S. I did take photos in a bikini on September 1st and October 1st. Having trouble locaing September's photos... once I do I'll have some progress pictures for you come November 1st.

October is Non-GMO Month

2010-10-18T20:43:00.001-04:00

NonGMOProject.Org

You may be asking yourself, "What does GMO stand for? And why is October now Non-GMO Month?"

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. Sounds pretty scientific, huh? What if I told you that you've been eating GMOs daily, and have been for years, without even knowing what a GMO is. For the majority of us, that's the truth. These days I'm seeing more about saying No to GMOs in the media. It could be that I read up on health and food related topics for my own personal research, but I can spot the Non-GMO labels on more and more products these days.

NonGMOProject.Org is a wonderful research tool that will help educate and empower consumers to make intelligent decisions. Instead of trying to re-write the fantastic information on their site, I've included some FAQ's below. Get the full listing at http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/about-gmos/.

What are GMOs?
GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are organisms that have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Are GMOs safe?
In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be cause for concern.

How common are GMOs?
According to the USDA, in 2009, 93% of soy, 93% of cotton, and 86% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMO. It is estimated that over 90% of canola grown is GMO, and there are also commercially produced GM varieties of sugar beets, squash and Hawaiian Papaya. As a result, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery store.

It's your right to choose Non-GMO. This brings a new meaning to "you are what you eat" if you're not really sure what you're eating. Right? Read the labels, ask questions, and look for the Non-GMO seal on products.

After the Retreat, Lauren went to the grocery store determined to find a canned tuna without the ingredient of soy. She had the stock boys helping her read labels and they were unsuccessful in the search for tuna without soy. As shown above 93% of all soy is GMO; unless the label says otherwise assume GMO.

I'm not saying to throw away every food product in your household, but start small and make better choices when you are replacing your staples. I don't know about you, but I enjoy eating food the way nature intended it to be eaten, in a whole unaltered state as much as possible. Look for Organic and Non-GMO labels on products; produce stickers that start with #9 are organically grown.

Resources

Non-GMO Shopping Guide: http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/search-participating-products/print-shopping-guide/

Non-GMO iPhone App: http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/search-participating-products/iphone-app-shopping-guide/

Pledge to choose Non-GMO Project Verified the producers, manufacturers and retailers: http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/consumer-pledge/

By voting with my dollars, I will do my part to help preserve a non-GMO food supply for generations to come!

Read your labels!

2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 2

2010-10-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

Annette and Jennifer with Joan
from Health And Wisdom

Did I mention the Retreat is like a T-Tapp Reunion? This photo catches the excitement of a few of my favorite ladies thrilled to be together again for the weekend.

Meal time was done a bit differently this year, we did it Beauty Boot Camp style... instead of on-your-own with only one big meal on Friday night we enjoyed lunch and dinner together on Friday and Saturday with a guest speaker afterward. It worked out perfectly. We got to sit at different tables each time and socialize with everyone. Plus, listening and learning as we digested the delicious spa food was quite nice.

Friday's speakers included...

Shelly Ballestero (lunch seminar): presented on skin care. Your skin tells a story! She gave us a few DIY recipes for skin care and educated us about chemical ingredients in our products.

Julie Brannon (dinner seminar): presented on Earth's medicine and key nutrients for great health.

Teresa Tapp did a seminar on Cellulite and Products. Did you know your big toe is connected to your belly? Lift your big toe to feel the activation in your tummy. And our Grapefruit Essential Oil is produced from Florida Grapefruit! How cool is that?

Renee McLaughlin and Lisa Moretti: presented on Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and taught us how to use it for exercise consistency. They're both EFT certified and shared their knowledge with us on how to use this simple, yet powerful tool.

My Workouts
There were 4 workouts on Friday.
I was able to do the Progressive Basic Super Slow class + the Hoe Down Showdown (10 sets!).

Friday, October 8th Eats

Brekkie

Starbucks Iced Grande Green Tea and Bacon, Egg and Cheese.

Lunch

Chicken with Sweet & Sour Sauce, Green Beans and Red Potatoes.

Tomato Bisque.

Bread with Butter.

Coffee with Cream and Sugar.

Dinner

White Bean Soup, 2-for-1 Cab.

Salmon, Salad, Grilled Veggies, Pita.

Minted Berries with Fresh Cream.

Would you like some berries with your cream?

It was a fabulous day at the T-Tapp Retreat...

Au revoir!

{ weekend } The Great Outdoors & Halloween Shopping

2010-10-17T23:45:00.001-04:00

Día de los Muertos

Bonjour! The great outdoors is calling me with this phenomenal weather. Nature has many health benefits of its own and all you have to do to reap them is get outside and enjoy the green nature around you.

I enjoyed my first day off in since October 3rd. Ah, Saturday... has to be my favorite day of the week. I slept in for the first time in a while. After trying to get rid of my caffeine withdraw with homemade brew, we headed to Einstein's for a bite to eat and took a short drive to Philippe Park to enjoy the scenery and fresh air. The park is peaceful until screaming kids go by, but I like the Indian Mound, water views and basking in the sunshine.

After breakfast we took Roxy home and ventured out to do some Halloween shopping... starting with Goodwill and Salvation Army, then to the House of Make Believe (my favorite costume store ever) and a few other random stops. So far I have makeup, one accessory and a head brimming with ideas for a costume gone wild with imagination. Stay tuned...

Saturday's Eats

Brekkie

Organic Coffee with Vanilla Almond Breeze.

A picnic at Philippe Park by the little beach on a blanket in the beautiful sun...

Einsteins Good Grain Bagel with Lite Cream Cheese.

Lunch

Organic Apple and Raw Almonds Shared with Marcel.

Dinner

Outback Steakhouse Deluxe shared with Marcel...

Bloomin' Onion!

Steak with Grilled Lobster Tail, Sweet Potato and Veggies.

Pumpernickel Bread with Honey Butter.

Blue Moon.

There was also a 100 calorie Klondike Bar in there, but my camera and computer no longer wish to function properly...

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Body Brushing: check!
Magnesium Oil: topically
Exercise: walking in the park, upstairs

Nourishment
Fruits: 1 serving
Veggies: 2.5 serving
Water: 2 liters

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
B-12 Plus: 8 sprays
Cellfood: 8 drops
Immune Boost: 1 dropper
Pyruvyl Glycine: 12 sprays
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays

Sunday's Eats

Brekkie

2 Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Organic Coffee with Vanilla Almond Breeze.

After breakfast we took Roxy to the Enterprise Dog Park. I love this place because of the walking trail... reminds me of Rocky Point. And there are ponies!

The pony didn't want to play today, but did come out to say hello.

Lunch

Rotisserie Chicken Organic Salad.

Some leftover Bloomin' Onion.

1/2 Sweet Potato.

My sweet tooth got the best of me this afternoon...

European Chocolate is my weakness, especially with almonds!

100 Calorie Klondike Bar.

Post-lunch we all took an afternoon nap together... Roxy was done...

Dinner

Magic Hat and a Blue Moon later...

Shrimp Scampi with Whole Wheat Pasta and Broccoli.

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Body Brushing: check!
Magnesium Oil: topically
Exercise: dog park walking

Nourishment
Veggies: 5 servings
Water: 2 liters

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
B-12 Plus: 8 sprays
Immune Boost: 1 dropper
Pyruvyl Glycine: 12 sprays
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays

Blogging is taking so much longer than it should due to technical difficulties. On my blog to-do list:

My Amazing Inch Loss Results!!!
2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 2
2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 3
2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 4 / 2010 T-Tapp Trainer Certs: Day 1
2010 T-Tapp Trainer Certs: Day 2
2010 T-Tapp Trainer Certs: Day 3
Thursday, October 14th

Note to self: Research new computers that can keep up with my speed.

Off to bed...

Au revoir!

2010 T-Tapp Retreat: Day 1

2010-10-17T22:31:00.000-04:00

Day 1 of the T-Tapp Retreat is exciting! Our attendees arrive at the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, check in and get measured by a T-Tapp Trainer or Staff Member. We keep track of the inches lost during the Retreat for fun, motivation and learning. Check-in started at 11am, so we spent the first day at the Spa talking with event attendees, like catching up with old friends that all share the same passion... T-Tapp exercise!

After the measurements, we started T-Tapper introductions where each person gets up on stage and tells their T-Tapp story. This part of the Retreat is so amazing. I love hearing about how the T-Tapp program has transformed people's lives, bodies and attitudes.

Following that session Venus DeMarco spoke to us about healing breast cancer naturally. She was also a speaker at the July 2010 Beauty Boot Camp Retreat. Venus recommends that we love and take care of our "girls" with daily massage using Pomegranate Breast Oil. I love her personality and admire her courage. Looking forward to reading Venus' book about the journey of her bodacious ta-tas!

We actually got to our room before midnight, but with all the excitement it was difficult falling asleep.

Thursday, October 7th Eats

Brekkie

Jamba Juice Bright Eyed and Blueberry 16oz and Banana Steel-cut Oats.

Lunch

Mahi Mahi, Salad, Grilled Veggies, Roll with Butter.

Dinner

A quick bite from the Mediterranean appetizers including grilled veggies and cous cous.

Sorry, no photo...

Au revoir!

The Annual T-Tapp Fitness Retreat was Fabulous!

2010-10-10T19:30:00.001-04:00

I'm living at the beautiful Safety Harbor Resort & Spa for a whole week! LOVE this place!

Safety Harbor Spa is the largest spa facility in the southern US -- the spa alone is about 40,000 square feet! Located on Tampa Bay, the Spa has a great water view and downtown feel with shops, restaurants and bars within walking distance. I'm working the T-Tapp Retreat, so I don't get spa time...but I do get to workout and enjoy the speakers!

I took almost 500 images with my boyfriend's Canon Rebel DSLR during the Retreat and can't wait to go through them. (Everyone is calling me "Camera Casey" now!) This event has been my favorite of them all. They get better and better every year! It was like a big T-Tapper reunion and we had some Retreat newbies too, with a lot of cutting edge health education on healing cancer naturally, hormones and the thyroid gland, the power of transdermal magnesium and prill beads, and how to be a beauty detective. I learned some new things, probably lost a few inches and really had a genuinely great weekend!

I have SO much more to tell you about this fabulous Retreat. Tonight our Trainer Certification Retreat began and we're getting ready to workout in the morning with Teresa, followed by a trainer teaching T-Tapp workouts every hour all day long. Wishing good luck to all our Trainers!

Au revoir!

Organic Blueberry Spring Mix Smoothie

2010-10-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

Bonjour! Well, I didn't get a chance to post last night... fell asleep too soon again. Here ya go...

Tuesday's Eats

Brekkie

Purple smoothie!

1 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups fresh organic spring mix
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 Tbsp Chobani 0% Plain yogurt
1 tsp local bee pollen

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend. Done! Drink and enjoy.

And once I got to work I snacked on the rest of the Chocolate Cherry Almond Balls. Yum!

Lunch

We decided to get lunch from Taste Safety Harbor.

Pumpkin Curry Soup and a Meddie Veggie Wrap.

Honestly, this was the WORST $9.00 lunch in the history of lunches. I ate 1/2 of the wrap and less than 1/2 of the soup. The flavors were so off and sadly, the pumpkin soup didn't taste like it did last year. I love Taste for wine, but not their food. Bleh!!! The only thing that I like there is the hummus...and my homemade version is better in my opinion.

Snack

Veggie chips!

Dinner

Wild Coho Salmon with WW Pasta, Spinach, Broccoli, Tomatoes and Bread Stick.

Healthy Habits

Body Care

Skipped everything good for me today...

Nourishment
Fruits: 2 servings
Veggies: 4 servings
Water: 2 liters

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
Pyruvyl Glycine: 12 sprays
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays

Au revoir!

{ weekend } Sleep Deprived and Happy

2010-10-04T21:35:00.000-04:00

Bonjour! I woke up Saturday morning thinking it was Sunday. To my surprise there was much more left to the weekend. Less than 6 hours sleep does that to me. The weather has an autumn feel to it, mildly humid for Florida, full sun with clear blue skies and a breeze. It's a fabulous time to be in Florida! And the T-Tapp Retreat is coming up on October 7th already.

Saturday's Eats

Brekkie

Abbie's flight left at 3pm, and she still had a few friends left to see... Matty and Val. We met them plus Lauren and Mike at the (somewhat) new Safety Harbor Grill. They have a welcoming outdoor patio for dining.

Eggs Florentine with Hash Browns and Ketchup (not shown).

Under that hollandaise sauce are two sunny side up eggs on top of spinach and red peppers and an English muffin. Delicious goodness for $6!

I also drank an unsweetened iced tea with lemon.

Lunch

Snacked on some of this dried fruit and nut mix.

Then ate 1/4 of a Jimmy John's Turkey Tom on WW.

Dinner

Coho Salmon with Red Quinoa and Steamed Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese.

A glass of Pinot Noir and German Chocolate.

I was supposed to go to the Alter-Ego Art Show, but never made it... car trouble. Grr...

Sunday's Eats

Brekkie

About 4 Raw Vegan Chocolate Cherry Almond Balls.

Blueberry, Spring Mix, Yogurt, Almond Milk Smoothie.

Lunch

A slice of French Toast with powdered sugar, maple syrup and 2 slices bacon.

I spent the rest of the afternoon grazing at Valerie's Bridal Shower.

A glass of champagne...

Munched on some veggies with ranch.

Ate a couple sausage balls.

Some fresh strawberries, kiwi and cheese.

Several potato skins... these are TOO good!

We had some fun girl's time, chatting and making scrapbook pages for Matty and Val.


From Left to Right... Back Row: Me, Paula, Valerie, Sandra, Kristy Front Row: Jessica, Ava, Lauren

My page!

Dinner

I was still in snack mode when I got home.

Ate the rest of our homemade hummus and veggies.

And drank 1/2 of this Yuengling Light.

Then made some turkey tacos with veggies on the side.

And a little later munched on Animal Cookies and PB.

I didn't keep track of any healthy habits this weekend again. Kinda let things slide since Abbie was in town, I was catching up on my Z's and having fun friend time. Since the Retreat starts this week, I'll be sure to make up for any missed workouts!

Au revoir!

P.S. I ♥ my friends! What an awesome weekend.

Friday Fun with Friends

2010-10-02T18:09:00.000-04:00

Hope you had a Happy World Vegetarian Day! I've been eating more and more vegetarian these days... without really trying. Actually, did eat 100% Veggie today too. I have to admit that I'm totally addicted to green smoothies. They get 2 servings of veggies in my system first thing in the morning. Power punch of natural nutrients from whole foods. Yum! I made Abbie (my sister) her first ever green smoothie today. She loved it!

Friday night Abbie and I met up with a bunch of our friends in St. Pete for a rock show at State Theater. 4 bands played and I knew 3 of them. Good times! Since we ended up going to bed just before 5am, I didn't get to post my blog last night.

My Car Woes... please continue to scroll for Friday's eats.
It was our THIRD trip to St. Pete for the day... dropped my car off at the Mazda dealership to get the 5th gear in my manual transmission evaluated. It keeps popping out of 5th gear as I'm driving... and I really NEED my 5th gear! At the end of the day I paid $99 for a transmission diagnostic, a car wash and to be told that I need an entirely new rebuilt transmission installed for $3,500, including labor! *Gasp!* followed by tears streaming down my face. If only I had a warranty! (Or won the lottery.) So I'm trying to figure out what to do next since I don't have that kind of money to dump into a car I've had for a only year and a half.

Eats

Brekkie

Green Smoothie:

1 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups fresh organic baby romaine
1 cup almond milk
3 oz Chobani 0%

Lunch

I split an Eggplant Marino from Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza with Abbie. Yum! She stopped by the T-Tapp office for a quick lunch before going to meet more of her Florida friends at the beach. I ate a few bites of the bread and then tossed it. Not a big fan of their bread, but the eggplant is SO delicious!

Dinner

I made some fresh homemade hummus with Abbie. We split an Ezekiel wrap in half, added hummus spread, green pepper, tomatoes, cheddar and greens, then wrapped it up.

And made some fresh organic sweet potato fries with spicy honey mustard.

Drinks

At State Theater I enjoyed 2 Shock Top beers and 2 ice waters.

St. Petersburg's State Theater

I ♥ Sunshine & Bullets!

Abbie, me and Lauren

After the show we walked a few blocks over to The Emerald... and my water drinking continued. It was a fun night with about 10 of my closest friends! Wish we could do this more often, and I wish I lived closer to Abbie too.

Healthy Habits

Body Care
Body Brushing: check!
Exercise: walking around downtown St. Pete, not a whole lot of fitness today.

Nourishment
Fruits: 1 serving
Veggies: 5 servings
Water: 2 liters

Supplements
Alfalfa: 6 caps
Immune Boost: 1 dropper
Pyruvyl Glycine: 12 sprays
Vitamin D3: 8 sprays

My weekend post will be on time... promise!

Au revoir!

Oranges All Over Dunedin

2010-09-30T23:02:00.000-04:00

When leaving my Dad's office tonight I saw these bright, juicy oranges painted on the wall. I had to snap a picture.

As we walked around Dunedin I noticed there were more oranges painted on the buildings around town. Is this a new (and very talented) graffiti artist? Or something that the city meant to do on purpose?

Hmmm.... curious! So I just had to Google it. And wouldn't you know it, Dunedin has an Orange Festival. Who knew? Dunedin hosted the First Annual Dunedin Orange Festival in July 2010. This new orange initiative is a way for the city of Dunedin to brand themselves as orange lovers. I adore oranges... yum!

One medium orange contains
1.23 grams of protein,
62 calories and
3.1 grams of dietary fiber.

Au revoir!

P.S. Orange was my first word as a baby.