What's Cookin' Wednesday plus an awesome GIVEAWAY!!

Hello my loves! Time for another #WIAW.... Idk if I am just weird or nosey, but I like seeing what people eat. haha. (ijustrealizedthecreepinessofthatstatement) BUT for me, when I was trying to lose weight it was SO helpful to see what kinds of healthy meals and snacks people would come up with. Especially if you are just starting out on your weightloss journey and don't really know how to cook healthy, or just aren't very inventive when it comes to food.
  I think a big part of eating healthy is to keep it interesting and fun. You'd be suprised at how much simply chopping a vegetable or fruit differently for your salads can make a big difference. I have this little kitchen gadget that makes my apples into apple slice rings and I love it! It's like I'm eating apple chips and it makes me crave apples!

My Breakfast was a Shakeology mug cake with pb on top (ask me if you'd like the recipe!) and slice apples sprinkled with sugar free raspberry jello.... random I know but don't knock it till you try it! hah

For Lunch I had some of my leftovers of this dinner I got when we went out to a Mexican restaurant on Monday night, it's hard to choose healthy options when going to a  Mexican restaurant for me, because I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. And Cheese<3 haha But I went with this chicken filet with grilled onions, avocado, rice, and black beans with some cheese on them. I think it was a pretty good choice. 

I ended up not eating a snack today because I got busy cleaning. I did however drink one of my IdealShape Boost packets, which are awesome for keeping my energy up and my cravings down. I seriously LOOOOVE these things so much. And they taste delicious. 

For dinner I kept it light because I  had some errands to run and was still full from lunch. I had a naked juice smoothie, love those things!

When I got home I was a bit hungry so I made some of my #strangebutgood egg white chips. I also had one of my ideal shape bars, the cinnamon bun flavor, which is my fave! It tastes like a treat. And I also had some baby carrots haha.That sums up what I ate today, not super exciting, let me know if you try out the egg white chips or the apple slices with jello! 

Now onto the exciting part, since I love Idealshape's boost packets SO MUCH I wanted to give y'all a chance to win a pack of each flavor. This is a $70 value you guys! And they really do help give you a boost of energy and curb hunger in my opinion. They are by far my favorite product that ideal shape has to offer. I also want to offer you a Special 20% discount code for my followers. Just simply put the code BPOWELL20 in the space provided at checkout for 20% off your order. 
You can go here to order: www.idealshape.com













                         And you can go here to learn all about the boost packets: http://www.idealshape.com/weight-loss-drink/



I am going to let this giveaway go on until January 1st, so you have plenty of time to enter! Make sure to follow all of the steps, and I will be giving bonus entries for those of you that pin my Youtube videos on Pinterest, like my Youtube videos, like my facebook page, and subscribe to my Youtube channel. 


Here are the links to do so:

Youtube.com/theianuzified

Facebook.com/brittanymariepowell


a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are some things you eat that are a little bit weird? What do you consider a treat when you are trying to eat healthier? What would you do if you won my giveaway?! 
Let me know in the comments below!
Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell

www.idealshape.com

Call 1-800-51-0896 and ask how you can save 10% and FREE Shipping on every order. 

Follow us on Social Media:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/IdealShape

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idealshape

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IdealShape

Post Thanksgiving Food Coma

   Hey Everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a great time with my family and ate a lot of good food. Too much, in fact! Which is why I am writing this post. 

I think this picture says it all! Haha. I've been feeling really bloated and uncomfortable from over-indulging since Turkey Day, and I am now on a mission to get back to my routine and feeling better. My work outs have been consistent and good the only thing that is lacking right now has been my nutrition! Which is a pretty crucial thing when it comes to overall well-being.

 I really love pie. Like alot.... So much so, that post-thanksgiving,  I had it for breakfast, and then again for dessert that night! Now even though it was fun indulging... I'm now experiencing the consequences, not just in how I look but in how I feel too. Because it really is a two-sided thing. I think sugar cravings will always be a struggle for me. I told my husband that I honestly would be happy just eating desserts for Thanksgiving! But I need to get out of this slump and back into my groove and into a healthy, happy, positive place. 

So for the next few weeks, until Christmas, I am going to do my best to nourish my mind and body in a healthy and positive way. I think this time of year, our bodies will naturally become depressed...and because of this we may tend to over eat or eat for emotional reasons. I wish I wasn't an emotional eater but I am...and I am always curious to learn the habits of people who are not! So here are some habits I am going to be adopting for these next few weeks:

1. embrace personal responsibility instead of blaming other people or factors.

2. patience... stop feeling the need for instant gratification.

3. consistency instead of 'only when Im motivated' to do something.

4. diligence and a desire to understand what I am doing, and why.

5. self-awareness.

6. self-love and positive thinking.

I always feel better writing things out. I feel like now that I've put it all out there, it's more real. That because I took the time to type this out, my brain will remember it and my body will too. This healthy living and weight loss stuff is as hard or as easy as I choose to make it. And I think....no, I know that I have been overcomplicating things in my life lately. I want to be the happiest, healthiest "best-est" (haha) me, and I feel this way when I am healthy...inside and out. Xoxo,

Brittany Marie Powell

****And By The Way****

 I thought it'd be a fun to get together a Christmas nutrition and fitness motivation group! The holidays are especially tough to stay on track, so I want to invite anyone who could use a little boost in finding balance for a healthier lifestyle. It's totally free to join, and it will be held here on Facebook. Let's help lift eachother up and give ourselves the gift of health for Christmas! :-)

facebook.com/brittanymariepowell

And The Winner Is....

Kayleigh Thulin!! Congrats, I will be emailing you shortly to give you your prize info! Thank you for all that entered and stay tuned for I will be having more fun give aways for you all! For those of you that didn't win you can go to:

www.idealshape.com

Call 1-800-51-0896 and ask how you can save 10% and FREE Shipping on every order. 

Follow us on Social Media:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/IdealShape

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idealshape

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IdealShape

****And I want to offer you a Special one time 20% discount code for my followers.

Simply put the code BPOWELL20 in the space provided at checkout for 20% off your order.****   

Xoxo,
Brittany Marie Powell

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday My Loves!
Today I woke up and ate breakfast and got Grayson and I ready for the gym. I ran 3 miles. My new thing has been running with my iPad and reading. 
I am really love my new hair extensions. They are from a company called gud hur and have an etsy shop, etsy.com/gudhur and when you use the code BPOW2014 you can score 15% off. I've enjoyed having my hair short, it's a lot more manageable for me, with my working out and chasing around a toddler, but it is so fun to be able to have long hair when I want to! I love how it looks curled :) I don't think my hair would ever be able to grow this long naturally. 
I am still obsessed with Suja juices, I wish they weren't so dang pricey, I need to just get myself to start juicing again even though it isn't really the season for it, because my body feels so much better when i'm drinking fresh juices, especially greens. 

I also was able to get some much needed cleaning done today. I've held out on the packing for now. Packing stresses me out! lol

I attempted to try doing my hair hungry runner girl's method today. I have an instyler and I loved it the first few months I had it but then I forgot about it and gave up on trying to figure out how to curl my hair with it. Her video made it super simple to understand and even though I need a bit more practice it was an easy method. This is why I love Youtube! You can learn nearly anything on Youtube.

Anyways, that's all for now, I am hoping to get in some strength training during Graysons nap today. And I am also hoping that we will find a baby sitter so that Grant and I can go on a much needed date together tonight!! 

XOXO,

Brittany Marie Powell

#MIMM

Happy Marvelous Monday Everyone!
   Today was a cooking day for me, every year I like to continue my Grandmommy's tradition of Dinner In A Pumpkin :) It's not a very complicated recipe, I'll post the recipe on here soon, but it's pretty time consuming when you are serving a large group of people. I bought 3 pumpkins for cooking, two pie pumpkins and one normal Jack-O-latern pumpkin, the pie pumpkins are slightly sweeter tasting and perfect if you have a small family or if it's just you and your significant other. I also made some Protein Cheesecakes for dessert, which I have a post with that recipe on here.

   I also was able to get some much needed cleaning done today, the clean mama's cleaning charts are so motivating. I am looking for a shoe organizer to take care of the shoe explosion in my closet. I am thinking of purchasing this cute locker style cabinet from Ikea, I would need to figure out a way to set up shelving inside of it though for shoes.

I am also in search for a toddler bed for Grayson, I was going to start him out in a twin bed, but I'm thinking it might be an easier transition for him if we start out with something lower to the ground. Any mommies reading this I am happy to hear your input with this! :) 
  I was able to fit in a run today. 3.5 miles. I am really wanting to start running more regularly again, and have a goal of doing 3 miles every day till christmas. I think that's reasonable, but we shall see, if I start getting knee issues again, I know when to hold back. I just feel like I need to give myself a little challenge again, since hubby and I are looking for a house I have cut back on how many races I've done this year, and in some ways that sort of kills my motivation so I need to find new ways to give me that push. I do think I'll be signing up for some sort of race soon though, even though it's getting chilly!

 I also was able to purchase some of the Suja Juices today, they're $$$ but my body is in need of juicing again I think.... and this just might get me to get in the mood to start juicing again :) 
Anyways, that's all for My #MIMM not much to post today, but just wanted to fill you guys in! :) 

XOXO,
        Brittany Marie Powell

Three Things Tuesday

I finally was able to go to the doctors today to get anitbiotics, I am not a happy camper when I am sick! I have so many projects I need to get done and now that I am feeling better I can finally tackle them. I went on pinterest and printed out a cleaning schedule courtesy of cleanmama.net  she has a bunch of free printables, I love her blog so much! It is my dream to be even half as organized as she is. 
   

 I don't really have much to say today so I am just going to share a few Pin's on Pinterest, that have caught my eye. I really am Pinterest Obsessed. I've had many sleepless nights due to spending way too much time on Pinterest! haha Anyways, I very much want to try this Ben Nye Banana Powder, I've heard nothing but good reviews about it, and look how flawless of a finish it leaves! 
   I am thinking about applying for a few makeup jobs, I'd love the opportunity to learn more and enhance my skills. And we could also use the extra income right now since we are finally starting our search in House Hunting again! Ahh! IT is sooo nerve wracking, and I wish houses weren't so expensive where we live but such is life! I know that we will find the perfect home for our family and that everything will work out. 

How adorable is this arm party?! I am looooving Tortoise Shell jewelry right now. This Tortoise Shell Michael Kors watch is so chic, and timeless. I love looking at all of the fashion posts on Pinterest. I looove this Lilly pumpkin printed skirt! <3 data-blogger-escaped-font="">

I am going to now try and find the energy to work out. I don't feel well, but I think I can work out today. I've gotten better at listening to my body I think I am even more paranoid now to when my body needs rest or when it doesn't. I've fell off the wagon lately, I feel like, with eating and working out. So I really need to get my right mind set back, and stop letting my stresses affect my food choices....which happens! 

To Do's &amp; Goals For the Week:
-Film and post at least 3 Youtube Videos.
-Stick to my daily meal plan and calorie goals.
-Wake up early for cardio.
-Get back into my lifting program.
-Drink more water.
-Focus on the positives, don't let the little things stress me out.
-Get Grayson Mickey Mouse Flashcards, and practice with him.
-Be better at Potty Training with Grayson. 

XOXO,
Brittany Marie Powell

Guest Post I wrote for themumsyblog :)

My name is Brittany Powell 
and I am a married 
mother of a two year old boy. 
When Michelle and Natashia asked me to write a guest post, I was
delighted, but nervous. I think I've always felt overweight
and insecure. Losing weight is HARD. One of my favorite quotes is, 
"We either make ourselves miserable, 
or we make ourselves strong. 
The amount of work is the same."  
HOW TRUE THAT IS!  I don't know about you, but I
can spend a day feeling bad about myself, my food choices, being lazy… 
Or, I can spend a day putting GOOD foods into my body, moving, and feeling GOOD.

My hope has always been that I can inspire
someone so much that they can say, 
"Because of you I didn't give up."

I think for me, losing weight was just the tip of the iceberg.I don't know if anyone can really embark on a weightloss or fitness journey and still stay the same.  It's from the inside out, your own personal health is an overall thing.  It all started from a remark I received from an acquaintance, she had told me I needed to be careful kneeling since i was pregnant, when I WAS NOT PREGNANT!  Then, shortly after that incident, a co-worker at work had said something to the effect of, "Oh that stocky girl?".  They were talking about me.  That made me think. I knew I had a weight problem, I knew I needed to be healthier, eat less junk, and think happier thoughts. I was tired of being tired, tired of not liking what I saw in the mirror, tired of being insecure (which by the way has NOTHING to do with weight)! So one day, I just decided I wasn't going to be this anymore. I was going to change for ME; to become someone I love! To become someone I love, because I loved myself enough to TRY. It is, however, the act of doing it that determines the difference between who you are, and who you want to become.

I really had no clue where to start, so I did some research. I read running magazines, looked at pinterest for healthy recipes, and I turned to Youtube videos for help and inspiration.  I loved watching videos of others on their weight loss journeys and talking about it, or just giving motivational pep talks. I now have a Youtube channel myself, and my own weight loss video with over 100,000 views. I finally made my health and fitness a priority.  I literally had to tell myself, "I don't care how long this takes, I don't care if I'm 80 years old and still working at this I WILL do this because it matters to me!".  There is strength in the struggle, people!  It's crazy to me to think how different I am now from the woman I was. Sometimes I still feel like the "old" me, or let some of my past thinking patterns creep in; but I've ran two half marathons, I've lost 80 pounds, I am doing a body beast strength training program, and I'm a health coach, ME!

Being a health coach has given me a team to be accountable to, and without my team and challenge groups I know I would've slipped back into my old ways. If you're like me and NEED that support, accountability, and motivation DAILY, then please, feel free to contact me! I know how hard losing weight is, I would love, and want to help empower others. If you want to live this lifestyle forever, don't look for the finish line, run this race with a smile and you'll never stop winning!

XOXO,
Brittany Powell

Check out the mumsy blog, it is full of amazing, wonderful things, I promise! 
themumsyblog.com

#mimm

Happy Marvelous Monday my Lovely Readers!

   Today was a "Cinderella Day", as one of my friends would say. Which really means I just did domestic wifely duties. Which consisted of laundry, dishes and making jam. I made some appricot pineapple jam, and I also made some Chia seed jam with it. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow.
   For today's workout I ran 3 miles and did Body Beast Bulk Back. I like the back workout because it is only 28 minutes long 8-). Both my husband and I needed a quick workout this evening because our son was getting pretty fussy. My post workout snack was something new to me. I had egg whites topped with a horseradish mustard and salt&vinegar almonds, it was delish!

  I also had to take Grayson to his 2 year check up today. He is 35 inches tall and 26 pounds. The Nurse and Doctor both thought he was a very well behaved toddler and that he was pretty tall! I am happy to see that he is developing good. 

   It was my Mom's Birthday today. Times like this make me really miss my family. They live in Upstate New York, while I live in Utah. I wish I could have been with her today to celebrate. She had a Marvelous Monday birthday celebration, which included a massage and hot yoga. Whenever I visit we do hot yoga together, it is for sure a good workout, HOT and challenging. She is considering doing Piyo and shakeology. I think that she would really enjoy both, seeing as how she is busy with her job, and on-the-go a lot. Plus Piyo seems like it would be right up her alley. 

   My quote for the day is: "Prepare for the BEST." I think often I naturally prepare for things to go for the worst. I am trying to be more of an optimist. 

   Well I am going to get ready for bed, I am hoping to wake up early and run. I REALLY want to get in the habit of doing that again. I am NOT a morning person unfortunately. But I am striving to change that. What do you early morning exercises do to motivate yourselves not to hit the snooze button in the morning?

  I've been lusting after this Alex&Ani bracelet. I just love the message behind it and feel that it really pertains to my weight loss journey and to my running training.
  I also REALLY want a wonder woman shirt. How cute is this one?!

Xoxo,
   Brittany Marie Powell

Me Party Of One!

   Well, Grant went to the movies with a friend so I decided to have a ME party, as the Muppets Movie would say! Which really just consisted of having a sugar free Rita's Italian Ice...watching trashy girly reality TV shows and reading blogs. Livin' it up over here. ;-)

   We are on the bulk phase of Body Beast. I've really enjoyed Body Beast, and even though it is tough it is worth it to me because I can see and feel the changes. I can even see myself doing another round of this! I'm starting to enjoy lifting more. I still don't think I get quite the same endorphins/stress relief as I do with running. 

   

   Lately Grayson just thinks it is hilarious to cover himself (and mommy) in stickers. It's so funny to see what he thinks is funny. He's developed such the little personality. He's my boy<3 

   Tomorrow for dinner I am hoping to make a turkey meatloaf. The body beast nutrition guide came with a recipe book for one. I am also thinking of trying to make a key lime cheesecake or maybe a Carmel one or maybe a cookies and cream one. Or I might just get the church lazy's and not make a dessert haha we shall see. Church wears me out sometimes (my service is 3 hrs).

   

^ I like this quote a lot. For me personally, I think I let fear win when it comes to things I want to do. I think, I think I won't succeed and that scares me. But honestly I have come to the conclusion that I would rather try and fail at something, than to never have tried at all and spend my life wondering. Anyways that's my "deep" thought for the day haha getting sleepy now. Good night everyone! 

Xoxo,

Brittany 

   

   

Protein Cheesecake Recipe

   I've wanted to try this recipe for months! But my husband isn't such a fan of "healthy" desserts, since it's my birthday week I went ahead and made it. It was sooo good you guys! Here is the recipe:

1 pckg fat free cream cheese. 

Yoplait Greek 100 calorie vanilla yogurt.

1 Egg.

3 Eggwhites.

Some sugar free cheesecake pudding mix, like 2 tbsp.

Sugar free graham cracker crust.

1 cup artificial sweetner of choice.

1 scoop vanilla whey.

   I blended all of the ingredients, poured the filling in the crust and baked for 40 mins at 300 degrees. It's about 185 calories and 18g of protein per slice! Enjoy! 

Xoxo,

   Brittany Marie Powell

11:11 o'clock !!!

   So I'm planning out my week in my head right now. My goal for this week is to lift/strength train daily, and wake up early to do so. I do much better with strength training, when it wake up early to do it. My June goals are: 

I feel like by putting my goals out there, I'm much more likely to reach them. I'm going to sleep now, gonna be up bright and early. Seize the day! 

Xoxo,

   Brittany Marie Powell.

#MIMM

I LOVE Healthy Diva's Marvelous in My Monday Posts, so I decided to hop on board. 

Some of my Marvelous recent eats have included:

                           

Sea Salt Carmel Arctic Zero Ice Cream. This is by far one of their best flavors yet! I am obsessed with all of them but I'd have to say that the Strawberry flavor is my favorite. I also love that the whole pint is only 150 calories and that there is protein in it as well.

 

 GREEN SMOOTHIES! I am so into these again. For a while I stopped eating them because 1.) It got too cold. and 2.) I think I overate them when I was prego with grayson so sometimes they just don't sound appealing, but lately they really have been good to me. This one had 1 Cup Almond Milk, Spinach, 1 Frozen Banana and some Frozen Tropical Fruit Mix. I also added a packet of Stevia because let's be honest, I am kind of a sugar addict. This has been my go to breakfast lately.

I am proud of myself. This weekend during night-time hours I was craving a quesadilla like mad. But instead I steamed some cauliflower and carrots and sprinkled a generous amount of cheese and some of the Bolthouse Farms Yogurt caesar parmesan dressing, which has been marvelous to me lately. I find I always get the worst/most fattening cravings at night, because I'll watch my Hubby eat all these delicious things and I'm like...... so yeah sometimes I gotta get creative haha.




I went to nordstrom rack a few days ago, and got

Grayson this like dressy t-shirt. It is so adorable on! I love it. It's funny how much I love boy clothes now. I also scored myself these Sperry's, they're totally me. They have pink glitter on the sides and they were only $9.90. I love finding good deals, and hardly ever pay full price for clothing. It actually kind of pains me to do so! Haha 


        I am still trying to come up with a crown for my little man for his BIG 2 BIRTHDAY! I finally got the supplies so now I just need to get crafty. This one looks so perfect. I'm always amazed at how crafty some people are, it inspires me. 


       HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE! 

           SEE YOU TOMORROW :)

                         

xoxo,

Brittany