Health Feature: Meghan Siwecki

November 2, 2015November 2, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Happy November and Happy Health Feature Day! I’m slightly late with October’s feature, but I was a little busy celebrating my birthday. Which, by the way, was an awesome day! I’ll be sure to share it with you next week. 🙂 Now onto the health feature!

Last month, we met Jamika and heard about her amazing story. This month, I would like to introduce you to Meghan Siwecki. Meghan and I actually went to high school together and were in the same section in marching band. She was a year older than me and she really welcomed me into the section and made me feel comfortable. We became fast friends and some of my best memories in band include her.

After she graduated, she went to college at Southern Illinois and we drifted apart. Through facebook, I was able to see what she was up to and in the past few months I noticed a big transformation in her health. She made some awesome changes and she told me that she really wanted to help inspire others to turn their health around. When you read her story and see all the hard work she has put in, I’m sure she’ll inspire a lot of you!

Name and Age: Meghan Siwecki, 28

What did you weigh before and how much weight have you lost?

When I started my weight loss journey, I weighed around 180-185 pounds. Honestly, I do not like stepping on a scale which is why I don’t know the exact beginning weight. Currently, I weigh around 135 pounds.

What made you want to turn your health around?

I decided to change my lifestyle because of how I truly felt about myself- the outside didn’t match the inside. I wasn’t confident in myself at all and that needed to change. I chose to change my weight to help with my confidence. I hated going to the store and looking all the way at the bottom for a shirt size or not being able to go to certain stores because they didn’t carry my size. When I started this transformation, I was a size 14 and in my head that wasn’t bad considering I was a size 18 when I graduated high school. I was the “fat friend” and struggled to do things that should be easy for a woman in her 20’s. It was hard for me to walk more than a mile without being out of breath or sweating like a pig. Also, being a teacher it was hard to hear what middle school students would say every day and it made me flashback to being in school myself and getting bullied because of my weight. I decided to not be sad about it all the time but do something to make myself feel better about who I am.

What did a typical day (food/exercise-wise) look like before you changed?

Before I went on my health journey, there was little to no exercise. Sometimes my friend and I would go walking but that would be less than a mile and it was a slow speed walk. I would eat whatever I wanted to eat! Fast food, tons of chocolate, ice cream, greasy food.. basically anything I wanted to eat. I will say I always drank milk and ate fruit, even before the health journey. Whenever I would be bored at home, I would eat something just because I didn’t have anything else to do at the time.

What was your goal when you first started?

My goal when I first started was to honestly lose about 10 pounds and just be healthy. I knew I wasn’t a healthy eater so I wanted to work on that too. By no means did I anticipate to lose the amount of weight I did.

What did you do to change your diet and lifestyle?

I went through a lot of different ways to help me lose weight and become healthier. At first my friends and I at school all wanted to lose weight so we started The Biggest Loser competition. At that time, I started watching what I ate but didn’t truly try to lose weight. Then my friend told me about the Couch to 5K program and after looking at it I decided to give it a try especially since school was out and I had summer to work on it. I completed the program and it was not easy by any means! There were some days I was crying while running, and I might have only been running for 2 minutes! But it was so difficult because I was that out of shape. However, I didn’t give up. Also, at this time someone I knew started talking about these protein shakes, which helped with weight management. They aren’t weight loss shakes because I know what that does to your body. I decided to give the shakes a try and drank one for breakfast every day, since I was never a breakfast eater anyway. The combination of working out and those protein shakes made me realize that I could do this! I need to get my life back and this was going to be hard work, but it would happen.

After I completed the Couch to 5K program, I ran my first 5K and it sucked! It was in Chicago which was great and my dad ran it with me. At one point, I remember my dad telling me, “Meghan, why don’t you just stop running. You can walk along with these people.” I thought about walking it, but I’m not a quitter. I continued to run and I won’t lie, I walked some of it, but I ran across that finish line! My goal was to finish in less than 45 minutes and I finished within 43 minutes. Looking back, that was a long time to run 3 miles. That was the starting point to my journey.

After that, I decided that I need to do something besides run because it was going to be winter and I didn’t want to go to the gym. I bought a workout DVD from the store, “The Biggest Loser”, and started doing that at home. I worked on that DVD for about a year or so, and I also had another DVD I threw in there at the time. While I was being conscious about my workout regime, I was also careful about what I ate. I continued to drink my protein shakes, eat healthy lunches, healthy snacks, and a well-planned dinner. I didn’t go out to dinner anymore unless it was for Subway. Soon, I felt the need to change my workout routine because I was getting bored and felt like the workout wasn’t doing anything for me. I heard about the program T-25, which, fortunately my sister had and gave that a whirl. Man! I thought I was somewhat in shape after running and my other DVD, but nothing compared to what T-25 had in store. My first day trying it I remember turning it off after 10 minutes because I didn’t think I could do it anymore. I tried it again the next day and took a lot of breaks but got through it. I did T-25 five days a week. I did this program for about a year and a couple months. Then again like before, I got bored and needed something new! I knew I wanted to keep my workout somewhat short and so I found Insanity Max 30. I was so pumped for that and knew it was going to be the true test to see how much I had improved over time. Again, just like T-25 I was dying after the first 10 minutes. I did not turn it off, though… I fought through! That was a 60-day program, but I continued and still workout with Insanity Max 30 because it truly tests every muscle in your body.

My lifestyle changed throughout this time because I wasn’t always thinking about food. I occupied myself with other things in life and thought about what my workout was going to be like instead of where I was going to get dinner that night. I slowly became a happier person and once I saw that, I knew I couldn’t stop the journey. My whole outlook on life changed after I lost some weight that was noticeable.

What does a typical day (food/exercise-wise) look like now?

For me now, I still drink my protein shake for breakfast. I’m weird when it comes to food and food in the morning makes me feel sick. I eat a lot of fruits, protein, salads, and I do throw in the occasional sweet treat. I have a huge sweet tooth so that’s something I couldn’t give up. I just had to change what I ate and how much. I still workout to Insanity Max 30 every day and recently got a new DVD, Cize and have been trying that 3 days a week as well.

Who has been your biggest support?

My biggest supporters have been my family, hands down. They have been there for me the whole journey and have been supportive in both words and making better food choices at home for when I visit them.

What was the hardest thing to change?

The hardest thing for me to change were my eating habits. Food was always a comfort for me when I was frustrated, upset, bored, happy… any emotion really. I still struggle with what I eat some days, but it’s a work in progress. Nothing is ever perfect.

Who or what is your motivation?

My motivation is myself. I look at pictures of myself 5 years ago or even in high school. I realize that I don’t want to go back to who I was then both emotionally and physically.

How do you stay motivated every day?

I stay motivated by thinking about my next fitness goal. I know that I have to work hard to achieve that goal and if I don’t keep with my workout and eating routine then I could fall back into what I used to be. I also think about others who have told me they want to change their lifestyle after looking at my pictures. Life motivates me! Being happy motivates me!

What is your biggest struggle now?

My biggest struggle is what I eat and making sure I keep on track. There are days where I eat cereal for dinner because I don’t want to cook anything. Or when I’m at school I eat chocolate because I’m stressed, but this struggle isn’t going to stop me from achieving my goal.

What are your goals now?

My main goal now is to tighten my body and gain more muscle. I honestly don’t want to lose any more weight because I’m at a stage where I’m comfortable. I just need to work even harder to make my body what I envision it to look like.

What is one thing you can do now that you never thought you would be able to do?

One thing physically I can do now that I never thought I could do is a burpee and lots of them! I know that sounds silly but I remember having to do them in high school and I just pretended because I couldn’t do it. Not only can I do a burpee but I can do a one-legged burpee and a one-armed burpee. When I did my first real burpee I had tears in my eyes because I knew that I was finally getting to where I need to be physically. Even though burpees suck sometimes, there is nothing like the feeling of actually doing 10 in a row when 10 years ago I couldn’t even kick my feet back and hold myself up.

Emotionally I can walk with my head held high and be proud of who I am and who I have become. When people look at me and say you’re beautiful I actually believe them now because I feel beautiful. It has taken me years to get to this point, but it is something that’s worth waiting for.

What is your advice to those who are just starting to lose weight?

If you are just starting your journey, don’t give up! There are days when you are going to want to sit and eat your food of guilty pleasure; whether it’s ice cream, a cheeseburger, or chocolate, but don’t give up! Each day is its own adventure, take it one day at a time. Encourage yourself by rewarding yourself with certain things you have wanted when you reach milestones. Be proud of making the change and altering your lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you only did 5 jumping jacks or ran 2 blocks; at least you aren’t sitting on the couch eating chips. This is about YOUR body and well being. Always believe in yourself. Have faith.

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I love that Meghan kept at her health and fitness even when she wanted to give up. She knew it was hard, but still worth it. I also like how she kept changing things when she got bored. That helped her stick with her fitness routine and keep up her good eating habits. Thank you so much, Meghan, for sharing your story and keep up the amazing work!

If you or someone you know wants to be featured in one of my transformation posts, let me know! You can contact me on my Facebook page, Twitter, or email me at lifehealthfullylived@gmail.com!

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

October 30, 2015October 30, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Today is my last day of being 27 years old. 27 has been good to me, but I’m excited to see what 28 has in store. It’s weird to think that I only have two more years of being in my 20’s. I can remember the day I turned 20 and thinking, “Finally! I’m not a teenager anymore. I’m an adult and I’m important.”

While I’m important at any age, I was far from being an adult. 20 is barely not a teenager and I had so much I still needed to learn. In all honesty, I still have a lot to learn and I think that is true for any age. Except maybe 100. Once you hit 100, you can pretty much do whatever you want and your excuse is I made it this long I think I’m gonna be just fine.

I decided to make you a delicious dinner for my birthday, which now that I’m typing it out sounds backwards. You should be making me a delicious dinner for my birthday. Jeez, you’re lazy! Making me do all the work on my birthday!

You know how delicious spinach artichoke dip is? That was my inspiration for this lasagna. Instead of cheese, I used bechamel sauce and artichokes along with a layer of spinach to create a creamy and delicious filling. This meal can come together really fast if you use a jar of tomato sauce and a box of lasagna noodles. But if you want to make everything from scratch like I did, I promise you won’t regret the time you put in.

This is also one of those meals that is even better the next day and makes really great leftovers for lunches throughout the week.

See? I’m feeding you even beyond dinner. 28 is making me a giver!

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

1 batch of my tomato sauce or a jar of your favorite store brand
1 box of gluten free lasagna noodles (I made these from Against All Grains)
3-4 cups spinach leaves
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery salt
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste

If you are making the tomato sauce and noodles get those ready and set aside. If you’re using boxed noodles make sure they are cooked and ready to go.
To make the bechamel sauce: In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews, Italian seasonings, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp celery salt into a fine powder. Set aside.
Heat a little olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of the cashew powder and stir to make a paste. Cook until the cashew powder turns golden brown.
Whisk in the can of coconut milk and keep whisking to combine the paste and milk. Whisk in the nutritional yeast and salt and pepper. Keep cooking and whisking the milk until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
Pour the sauce into a blender and add in the drained artichoke hearts. Pulse a few times to break up the artichokes, but don’t make it completely smooth.
Now it’s time to build the lasagna. Preheat the oven to 350 and get out a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Put a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom, then a layer of noodles, a layer of artichoke sauce, a layer of spinach, and a layer of tomato sauce. Keep going until you run out of noodles and make sure you end on tomato sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and uncover. Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes before you slice and serve.

You can make this lasagna ahead of time and then just pop it in the oven at dinner time. I hope you have a Happy Halloween and a great weekend!

DIY Wednesday: Plantain Chips

October 28, 2015October 28, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Snack foods are one of the biggest things that people buy in the store rather than make themselves. It is just so easy to buy those prepackaged and prepared foods to grab and go rather than create a snack for yourself.

I’m not going to completely knock bought snacks, there are a few healthy options out there. But for the most part, they are full of sugar and other ingredients that have no need to be in food or your body.

That leaves us with making our own snacks and often people default to cut up fruit and vegetables, especially if they are trying to be healthier with their choices. While fruit and vegetables are a great snack option, they can get a little boring after awhile. Boredom with food can lead to unnecessary snacking or choosing something not quite as healthy.

So what do you do? You leave it to me! Well, don’t leave it to me to actually make your snacks because there is no way I could get snacks to you personally every day even if I wanted to. No, leave it to me to come up with some tasty snacks that you can make on your own and will fuel you through your day.

Plantains chips are kind of a trendy food/snack right now. Plantains have been around for a very long time and are usually grown in warmer climates like South America. They are part of the banana family and actually look like bananas, but they are much starchier. Which makes them amazing for baking and making things like chips.

These plantain chips are really easy to make and you can make a big batch to snack on throughout the week. You also probably have all the ingredients other than the plantain in your kitchen right now. Just one big note: Make sure you get a greener plantain rather than a yellow or yellow/brown plantain. The yellow variety is sweeter and while tasty, it won’t make the nice crispy savory chip that the green variety will.

Plantain Chips

1 to 2 large green plantains, peeled
half a lime
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt, divided
olive oil

Slice the plantains very thinly. The thinner the slice, the crispier the chip!
Place the plantain slices in a large bowl and squeeze the lime juice over them. Sprinkle with the chili powder and 1/2 tsp of salt and then toss to coat them
Place a paper towel onto a large plate and set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a medium cast-iron or non-stick skillet and once the oil is hot layer the plantain chips in an even layer with plenty of room. You may have to work in batches.
Cook the chips until the bottom is golden brown and then flip over. Watch carefully so you don’t burn the chips. Once they are cooked move them to the plate. Take another paper towel and blot the top of the chips and while they are still hot sprinkle with the rest of the salt.

Simple and crispy chips that are a fun twist on regular chips but will still satisfy your snack craving! You can keep these in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, if they last that long!

DIY Wednesday: Herbed Macadamia Butter

October 21, 2015October 21, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Have you ever seen a log of herbed butter? All cut into pretty round slices and full of delicious herbs like parsley, chives, basil, and oregano?

This is not like that.

Well, it’s sort of like it but not quite. I had the idea to try and come up with an alternative to those fancy herbed butters that are so delicious. I haven’t had dairy in years, and I wanted to see if I could make a dairy-free version.

Sure, there are tons of vegan specialty butters that you can buy. But many times those butters are full of processed ingredients that aren’t any better for me than regular butter.

So I decided to go the route of making a savory nut butter. First I had to decide which type of nut to use. Almonds and peanut butter have their own distinct taste and I wanted to use something a bit milder so that you could really taste the herbs.

Cashews are pretty mild, but they can be a little grainy in texture unless you have a high-powered blender. I settled on macadamia nuts. They are mild and have a slightly buttery taste to them and come out nice and smooth when blended into butter.

I was surprised how quickly this came together and I was pleased with the taste and the spreadability. The only thing that I couldn’t really change was the color. Yeah, it’s kind of an icky brown, but sometimes the ugliest concoctions taste the best. Just trust me on this one.

A few notes about the recipe. You don’t have to roast the nuts, but it adds a nice depth of flavor to the savory butter. Raw nuts will give you a lighter, more appealing color. Don’t worry about the coconut oil giving this butter a coconut-y flavor, it’s just to help the butter set in the fridge and spread nicely on things like bread.

Herbed Macadamia Butter

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
2 tsp roasted garlic
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme

Preheat oven to 350 and spread the macadamia nuts on a large baking sheet in an even layer.
Roast the nuts for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender or food processor immediately.
Blend the nuts, scraping down the sides as needed, until you have a smooth and drippy butter. It should be almost liquid like.
Add in the teaspoons of coconut oil and the 1 tsp of salt and blend until combined.
Add in the garlic and the rest of the seasonings and blend until completely combined. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.

This will obviously not act the same way as real butter, as in it won’t melt. But it does add a nice salty, herby, and fatty quality to whatever you use it on. And really, who doesn’t like things that are salty, herby, and fatty?

Keep this in an airtight container in your fridge and let it warm up a few minutes before you use it so it spreads easily. And there you have it! Your own savory spread that you didn’t have to pay top dollar for! Enjoy!

Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now

October 19, 2015October 19, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I had a pretty great weekend. It was filled with family, laughs, and covered bridges. Adam and I spent the weekend in Brazil, Indiana and I got to experience the covered bridge festival for the first time.

Yes, there was a covered bridge. There was also a ton of food, crafty things, and pretty much anything else you could think of. I had a good time and was glad for the time to relax.

So while covered bridges have made me happy, I thought I would share a few other things that are making me happy right now.

Changing Leaves

It felt like fall would never really come this year. For most of October, our neighborhood has been surrounded by green leaves and summertime vibes. Just in the past week or so we have finally had leaves falling and changing color. I love how pretty this city gets in the fall!

Fall Running Pace

I love the beginning of fall and the cooler temps because it means I run even faster than normal. I can’t seem to slow down for the first few weeks of fall running and that’s just fine with me. I love feeling like I’m flying down the Lake Shore Trail.

New Quilted Sheet Set

This is how I know that I’m an adult. I am super excited about a brand sheet set. This was a covered bridge find and an early birthday present (12 days and counting). I have been wanting to change up our bedspread for awhile now to something more bright and cheery. I love the grey and yellow together and I think that Dot approves as well.

All The Baking

Now that it isn’t torture to turn on the oven, baking all the things can commence. I am not a strong baker, so I am always trying to improve. I gave you some carrot cake cookies last week and I’m working on a fall banana bread for you guys this week. You can also check out my cranberry coffee cake over on Girlish. Yay baked goods!

Kuri Squash

I am all about fall/winter squash and I’m always excited to try new to me varieties. I found this one at Whole Foods the other day and figured I would give it a go. Whelp, now I’m obsessed with it. I love that you don’t have to peel it, just scoop out the seeds, cut into chunks, and roast it at 425 with a little oil and your favorite seasonings. It’s creamy and a little sweet like butternut squash. I bet it would be great in soup or my gnocchi.

The Cubs

I was born a Cubs fan and have always hoped that maybe next year would be their year. It’s looking like 2015 could be it… I will be cautiously optimistic and just keep rooting for my Cubbies.

I don’t know why but turning 28 is sounding pretty good to me. I think there are some good things in store for my 28th year on this big blue marble we call Earth. Can’t wait to see what they are…