Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are my new obsession. You can take a usually fatty meal {beef tacos} and turn it into something light, healthy, and amazingly delicious.

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

I love being able make comfort foods healthy. Yes, tacos are a comfort food for me - much love to my Mexican family on my Mom's side :)

In Mexico, it is a sin to put sour cream on your taco. However, I LOVE IT. But, I no longer use sour cream...ever. I have switched to Greek yogurt and I find that it gives the same creamy, tangy flavor without raining on your healthy eating parade. Check out this article from LiveStrong.com that gives all the details on the nutritional differences between Greek yogurt and sour cream. It is a deal breaker.

TLS Weeks 7-12: The Home Stretch!

We made it!!!!!! 


Final Stats after 12 weeks: 

• Down 15 lbs
• Decreased body fat by 3.8%
• Metabolic age lowered by 10 years!
• Inches lost overall: 9

Having already lost 20 lbs prior to TLS I am extremely happy with these results! This program was exactly what I needed to get over the plateau I was in and it completely changed my metabolism. We had some amazing transformations in our group and I can say without a doubt that this program really does change lives.

12 weeks ended up seeming longer than I thought it would, but definitely not in a bad way. After 6 weeks on the TLS program you are allowed to introduce grains back into your diet. Don't get too excited though! This does not mean you can now eat whatever you want and pig out on that pasta and bread you've been craving for the past 6 weeks (you know you were). The whole purpose of the TLS system is to transition your lifestyle, so when I say you can eat grains I mean whole, natural, nutritious grains like quinoa. You can also choose to avoid grains in general until you reach your weight loss goal because by eliminating them the weight will come off faster.

Before I started TLS I already had a pretty good foundation of knowledge when it comes to healthy eating, so for me the 12 week program was not as hard as it might be for others. The detox in week one was truly the most challenging part (obviously!), but in the end it was so well worth it that I will be doing it again. The most valuable part of the program for me was learning about reading labels. I honestly do not buy anything anymore without reading the key points, such as fat, carbs, sugar, and of course ingredients.

I will admit...I cheated. But it proved how much my metabolism has changed because it didn't effect my weight or progress. Plus, I have been on this "lets lose weight" path for a lot longer than 12 weeks (with results, I might add), so I wasn't too hard on myself with guilt for a little cheat. I am a firm believer that everything in moderation is perfectly fine; it is a matter of educating yourself on how much is too much.

Now that this program is over I am going to continue to eat the TLS way - I simply refer to it as clean eating. I am also going to get back into training mode so I can reach my goal and actually run that half marathon this year!

Matt wants to do a triathlon, so that's next!

Baked Chicken Parm & Whole Grain Rotini

As an italian, and self-proclaimed carb-o-holic, I have to find healthy ways to get my fix of the classics.

Chicken Parmesan. BAKED.

Through TLS I have learned how to choose healthy carbs and grains for when you are going to eat them and this recipe knocks it out of the park. I was honestly surprised at how authentic this tasted! BJ's sells this salad blend of asiago, parmesan and romano cheeses that is to die for and it is gluten free. Get it. It will change your life.

TLS Weeks 5 & 6 + Italian Spinach Pie

Weeks 5 & 6 on TLS are pretty similar to 3 & 4 only now introducing exercise is extremely important. YAY I CAN RUN!!! I started running again after detox week, but I hadn't gotten back into my normal weekly routine yet because I really wanted to see how the low glycemic diet alone would effect my body. And boy did it! I finally broke through that stubborn plateau and dropped another 10 lbs! I bought my first size 6 EVER. S-I-X! HOLLER!! I was never in single digit sizes let alone a 6! I have never felt better in my life and I am so excited to get back on track with training for a half marathon. I should note my first race won't be until the fall now since I had knee issues and then started TLS and had to break from my training and I DO NOT want to run my first race in the hot summer months. I want to come out alive, thank you.

I am usually drinking one TLS shake per day and I found a flavorless fiber supplement from GNC that I add to it so it really keeps me full for a long time. I drink my shake around 8:30 AM, have some fruit around 11:30/noon, then won't be hungry for lunch until 1 or 2 PM. The timing is great because most days I can't bring myself out of bed early enough before work to run, so my workouts are done after work and no one likes to run (especially distance) completely famished.