chicken and eggplant casserole

We have reached 1,000 viewers.

Actually, we have reached 1,176 viewers.

Thank You!

Just like we promised, here is one of our favorite recipes.
Low cal, low carb, and really good!

******

Easy. 

Delicious. 

Easy!

Here are the ingredients. 

2 medium eggplants. ( sliced thinly!!! )

2 jars of marinera sauce 

( gluten free, use organicville pasta sauce. )

1 rotisserie chicken

1 bag of mozzarella cheese

Serve with salad, and enjoy!

-Jenica and Sheena

Welcome Back!

If you are new to this blog ... 

Welcome. 

If you are a returning reader to this blog... 

Welcome Back. 

Thank You all for your patience, support, and love. 

It was a busy, fun filled summer and we are excited to be back. 

Here is a video we've made. 

Please, don't judge us =)

We are more excited, inspired, and ready then ever! 

Ready to share stories, recipes, fun facts, workouts, and so much more!

Stay tuned, we promised that when we reached 1,000 viewers we would post a cooking video. 

Right now we are at 978. 

And the one we will be posting, you will want to watch it, and

cook it! 

Here's to being fit, healthy, and happy.

Cheers! 

-Jenica and Sheena

P.S. The cocktails you see in our hands is Skinny Girl Cosmo. We added a strawberry and blueberries for a little color, and fun! Plus, berries are an antioxidant and a cleansing fruit =D 

pass the water, please!

Water.

Water, water, water.

Here is the scoop on water.

Did you know that 75% of Americans are dehydrated? And did you know that in almost 40% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak.. its often mistaken for hunger?

And did you know, not drinking enough water is the main cause for daytime fatigue.

And.. water can decrease the risk of certain cancers, naturally moisturizes skin, increases your metabolism and prevents constipation, and is the main source of transporting all the nutrients in the body.

So.. why then, ... why are over 75% of Americans not drinking enough water?

Here is an interesting article we found on Shapefit.com



Doing the Math
Every day a human loses water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For a human body to function properly, we must replenish our water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.
One popular method of calculating the necessary daily water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" - drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Though the approach isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.
There are different ways to calculate human water needs. As a general recommendation you can simply follow the replacement rule based upon gender. Men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.
In any event you should drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day.


Different Strokes
The amount of water a human needs can vary. Humans need to modify their total fluid intake depending on how active they are, the climate they live in, their health status, and if they are pregnant or breast-feeding.


Workouts
If humans exercise or engage in any activity that makes them sweat, they need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake.
How much additional fluid humans need depends on how much they sweat during exercise, how long they exercise and the type of activity they are engaged in. During long bouts of intense exercise, it's best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia (loss of Sodium), which can be life-threatening. Additionally, humans need to continue to replace fluids after they are finished exercising.


Weather changes 
Hot or humid weather can make humans sweat and require additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause human skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of a humans' fluid reserves.


Illness or health conditions
Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, can cause a human body to lose additional fluids. In these cases humans should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions with electrolytes. More fluid is needed if a human has a bladder infections or urinary tract stones. Heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair human excretion of water and even require that a human limits its fluid intake.


Pregnancy or breast-feeding
Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. Pregnant women should drink 2/3 gallon of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3/4 gallon of fluids a day.







So the challenge..

Drink more water. Keep track of the water you're drinking.

Tell us how you do it, and the changes you've seen! We'd love to share your story =)


* Stay tuned on learning the different types of water, and which one is best to drink. Sounds complicated, but its pretty interesting stuff~!

BOOTIE BLASTER

Buns of steal for summer.

Yes please!!

Here is a routine that seems easy, but beware.. it'll blast that cellulite and fat right off that bootie.

.. and you can do it right in the comfort of your own living room.




The 10 Minute Butt Blaster!!

You will need a mat or something soft to place your knees on, and one 5 to 8lb dumbell.

Start in the standing position. 

Squats

-20 squats with your feet together

-20 squats with your feet hips distance apart

-20 squats with your feet wide toes pointed outward.

.. and for you cheaters, this is how you should look. Don't waste your time. There is a WRONG way to squat! So do it right! 

.. get low!

Fire Hydrants. 

We'll start with our Right Leg. 

-10 Full range

-10 Pumps
-Repeat 4 times

      

( This is how you do it! )      

Go to your mat and get on all fours (hands right under your shoulders, knees right under your hips) 

Your going to lift your Right leg up keeping it bent at a 90* angle and lift as high as your hip. 

-When you do your pumps do the motion halfway, starting from where your knee is and lifting to your hip. This gets that area where stretch marks and cellulite tends to accumulate. 

Imagine pumping that out! =) 

            

Donkey Kicks

- 30 Full Range

- 50 Pumps

-10 Full Range

 ( This is how you do it! ) 

Staying on all fours, grab your dumbell and place it behind your Right Knee, squeeze your heel to your butt to keep the dumbell in place throughout the excersise.  

Your going to push your heel to the sky, try and get your knee as high as your  hips.  

When you do the pumps, do the motion starting at the height of your knee and lift as high as your hips.

Another fatty area for us women.. again, imagine 'pumping' that fat out of your leg. No pain, No gain. 

Hip Thrust

-30 Full range

-50 Pumps

-10 Full range

   

 ( This is how you do it! ) 

Set your dumbell to the side and lay on your back. 

 Bend at your legs keeping your ankels right under your knees.

Lift your Left Leg off the ground but keep your knees together squeezing your thighs together throughout the whole excersise. 

Your going to lift your hips up and down without letting your hips touch the ground while pushing through your right heel and squeezing your gluts ( that muscle in your butt! ) .. at the top.

*****

Then start back at the Fire Hydrants and repeat everything with your Left Leg =)

Please note, "From Fat To Happy " is not responsible for the safety of your butt, legs, and body. Since we don't know your bodies history and its injuries.. please do this routine and any routines we post here AT YOUR OWN RISK. We are only here to make you happy, and if you happen to pull a muscle or you are sore the following day(s).. Please don't think you can sue us! Thanks =) 

"From Fat To Happy " is almost at 1000 views! Thank You from the bottom of our hearts. 

Your support is very much appreciated. 

To celebrate this blog and getting ' Happy',

 stay tuned for our first video posting with a couple of recipies we love.. 

..that are yummy and healthy for you. 

friday fact and coming out on monday with a win!

We all love Fridays.

Well, most of us who don't have to work the weekends, love Fridays!

Whichever relationship you have with Fridays..
People who are losing weight tend to look at Fridays with a ..
 ---- " how bad am I going to fail" point of view." ----

We are the first girls to say "bring on the wine, nachos, margaritas.. ect "
and party food.. theee best ever, right?! 

Best tasting, yes! Best for you, not at all. 
Especially if you are trying to go "From Fat To Happy!"

Sometimes we'll find ourselves going into Friday maybe a pound, even two less then the week before.. and coming out Monday being three or four pounds heavier.

Defeat.

Disappointment, and any other awful D words come out.. maybe a couple M and F words are thought too!

And we're left with our hands up wondering what we did wrong.
When really, deep inside - you know exactly what went wrong! 

That wine you drank.. or maybe beer - lead to a 12:30am trip to Taco Bell, and too hungover the next day to do anything. Sunday. 'Well shoot. I'm really, really good through the week.. I deserve Sunday to be a "free for all" kind of day. '

How about, we change it up a bit?

How about, we go into our weekend with our heads held high..
... and come out Monday with our heads still held high!
Proud and feeling good about the weekend.

How about that?

Well. First and foremost. If you like alcohol and you're trying to lose weight. Read this!
click here!



Just as the article reads. And exactly what we believe.


"Everything in moderation. Compromise!" 

If you know you don't have the willpower to not get obliterated and head to Taco Bell because your sober mind left SIX cocktails ago

.. DO NOT DRINK! 

If you do have the willpower to go in to a situation and have A glass of wine, or A beer, or A cocktail, have that one.. and a salad, instead of a entree. Or, have the entree and a low carb/low calorie cocktail.

Everything in moderation.
 Compromise.
Being in control of your weight loss and this journey you are on.

YOU are in control of the things you consume.
Whether its a quick drive thru, or taking a few extra minutes to make something quick at home.
There are no excuses these days. Not one. 

Especially with the easy access we have to the internet via our phones.

Go on there, pull up google and punch in the restaurant you are heading too.
 Pull up their menu and decide exactly what your going to eat and drink before you get there.

That way, you're not setting yourself up for possible failure.
And chances are really high that someone at your table will give you a bite of the entry you
 WOULD HAVE talked yourself into ordering had you looked at the menu.
aka "Mind Over Menu!"

Another tip. Before you go that party, eat at home.
When you are home, you are fully in control of what you eat, drink, and portion control!
And, if you go to a party not hungry.. you wont over do the greasy food and snacks that are almost always offered. Lets be real here. We have NEVER gone to a party hungry, and chosen the vegetable platter over the greasy, better tasting/worse for you-- food!

Again, not setting yourself up for failure.

Being in control! Staying in control!

What about 'Saturday Morning Breakfast?'

Want a really great recipe for pancakes?

Protein Pancakes by Jenica!

I have made these and given them out to my clients as gifts one year and they all loved them.  

These are great to freeze and grab when on the run. Zap in the microwave for 30 seconds and go. Its better then Eggo! =)

This recipe makes 12-14 pancakes (might want to make extra for the week, they are great meal replacements when on the run)

1 cup egg whites

1 cup cottage cheese (non fat)

1 cup of oatmeal (run through the food processor or blender)

1/2 of either walnuts or almonds (run through the food processor or blender)

2 scoops of any kind of vanilla protien powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp stevia 

dash of cinnamon (I use 3 or 4 shakes )

Then I put in 1 cup of blue berries or dark chocolate

Mix everything together in bowl  then I use my 1/4 cup to measure out my pancakes. Cook just as you would normal pancakes!

And to wrap this up, here is a link for some info on low carb/low calorie cocktails if you'll be drinking this weekend! 

click here!

Happy Healthy Weekend.. to all! 

-S and J

Since this blog included alcholol, and since we suggested a site that lists alcoholic beverages, and since we never want to see anyone in court - unless we are there to photograph the event.. 
We MUST advise that if you drink, DON'T DRIVE!!! Jenica and Sheena in no way condone drinking and driving!  Paying a Taxi Fee is much cheaper then a DUI and much easier then taking the chance of killing yourself or someone else! =-)

Welcome to "From Fat To Happy!"

Here we are.

This is the journey of two friends, coming together, 

with a shared passion of sharing with the world how to go

 from "Fat To Happy!" 

 By being "Extremely Fit!

This is a journey. 

Its a lifestyle.

 And, ITS REALLY HARD.

It takes dedication, sacrifice, compromise, and focus to get to a goal.

 And its even harder once that goal is reached. 

Thats maintenance.

In a world of "Biggest Losers" " Skinny Girl " and millions upon millions of books and stories of how people lost their weight and got through their struggles, so many of us find ourselves inspired, ready to take the bull of its horns, and then shortly after

 - defeated, disappointed, and overwhelmed with guilt and failure.

We'd like to note that those shows we listed specifically are two of our favorites! In no way are we bashing them, or the people related to them! Just a note! =)    

With our own personal experiences, 

Jenica's personal training backround,

 and Sheena's struggles and the many things she has learned about PCOS and how she lost almost 30 pounds.. 

..we are joining together to welcome any and all along our journey.

Being girls who love wine, love food, one who has had babies, one who wants them, and everything else life brings.. we are realists! 

Welcome to a place where we will share recipes, workouts, tips, stories, anything at all relating to being healthy, fit, and happy. 

Going "From Fat To Happy!"