Hi, my name is Kim and I am 53 years old. I am from Long Island, New York where I still live. My earliest memory of me exercising is when I was 4 or 5. My mother would exercise in front of the TV with Jack LaLane every morning and I would “exercise” with her!! I have incorporated exercise into my life ever since. At the time I didn’t have a gym near me, so I would exercise at home to videotapes, then DVDs and had my own “gym” area set up and worked out at home. Aerobics and free weights were my exercises of choice.
Fast forward to my mid 40’s and I started taking gym classes: P90X, TRX training, and other bootcamp style classes, along with spinning. I loved the group classes so much I became a personal trainer and was hoping to be able to teach those types of classes in the future. BUT all that hard training and jumping from years of aerobics took its toll on my body and I was experiencing shoulder issues, major foot problems, and back issues. I was constantly modifying just about all my exercises in my classes that it made it so I couldn’t even go anymore.
Then I turned 50 and all of the sudden I was no longer able to do any kind of physical exercise whatsoever…. not even walking. My feet were so bad and I also found out I herniated a disc and tore another. All I could do was sit in my easy chair every single day and rest which is something I never ever did. I became depressed and didn’t modify how much I was eating (now that I am not burning as many calories) I put on 15 pounds. Now I was in the “overweight” category and my blood work showed it. I needed to change.
One day in Feb 2017 I was watching QVC and Rosalie Brown was demonstrating the Total Gym. I have seen the informercial with Chuck and Christy for so many years but I never thought I needed it at the time. Rosalie showed me how I could get back in shape with no impact on my body so I ordered it. I used it sporadically, but was still trying to recover from my injuries and still in a bit of a depression, so mustering up the energy was hard. I love to cook (I can thank my Mom for that) and decided I needed to eat for my health so I created many ways of experimenting with my recipes to make them healthy and still tasty. I was feeling better, had more energy and I was using my Total Gym.
Then in January 2018, I stumbled upon a Facebook Group called the Total Gym Addicts. Once I joined that group my life changed. It gave me the inspiration and support I needed to get my life and my health back. I was hooked on the Total Gym! Since Feb 20th 2018 I have lost 15 pounds and was on my way back to where I once was. I went on a vacation in March to visit my parents, who now live in Virginia, and I couldn’t bear to not have my Total Gym for the two weeks I was there, so I purchased another one and set it up in their basement. My Mom, who is now almost 89 years old, still goes to her exercise classes 5 days a week and still works out at home every day. I showed her how to use the Total Gym and she fell in love with it!! She is thrilled to have it in her house and she uses it on the days she doesn’t go to her exercise class. This goes to prove that no one is too old to start to use the Total Gym! Since joining the Total Gym Addicts group on Facebook, I have posted many of my healthy and delicious recipes and ideas to help other people eat healthier and make cooking fun and interesting as well as being easy so anyone can prepare them. I am grateful for being a part of the Total Gym family!!
Here are some of my fast and easy recipes that are healthy, delicious and also a great way to use some leftovers!!
Are these lettuce cups as good as the ones you get in that popular Asian chain restaurant? You decide!
Asian chicken lettuce cups
1 TBSP Olive oil
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey (I use 93/7 turkey. Do not use breast or it will be too dry)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 diced onion
1/4 C hoisin sauce (I use 1/8 C and mix 1/8 C shiitake mushroom water from rehydrating the mushrooms
5 or 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in water and chopped (save that water!)
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP grated ginger (I use the kind in the tube!)
1 tsp sriracha sauce (or to taste)
1 eight oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 scallions thinly sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 head Boston or butter lettuce
Make a sauce with the hoisin, mushroom water, soy sauce, ginger, sriracha and vinegar. Set aside.
Heat oil and brown the chicken. Add onion and cook until tender and add garlic. Cook for a minute and add the sauce and cook a few more minutes. Add the chestnuts and scallions until heated through. Stir in sesame oil. Serve in lettuce cups.
Top with extra sriracha for an added kick!
Here is a healthy snack with multigrain Tostitos scoops and Tastybite Madras Lentils (heated if you like) topped with red onion, greek yogurt, tomato, cilantro and a squirt of fresh lime. Very satisfying for about 200 calories. You can also use leftover chili, taco meat, chicken, etc!!
One of my favorite desserts is sliced strawberries that I mix with just a little sugar or honey, a little finely chopped mint, and some fresh cracked pepper. Do this at least an hour in advance. Then top it with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, Feta cheese, and some lemon zest. A dollop of whipped cream is good too!
I love salmon! When I have leftovers, I scramble it up with a couple of eggs, tomatoes, power greens, and top it all off with some fresh dill and red onion.
Or I use whatever leftovers I have. This time I used mushrooms, eggs, power greens, a little soy sauce and topped it with scallions. Breakfast of Champions!
I love rotisserie chickens! They are a great thing to have in your refrigerator for a quick meal. For lunch, I threw together a light chicken taco with low fat coleslaw (leftover of course!) corn salsa (that was leftover too!!) some cilantro, on a lightly toasted corn tortilla. A couple of shakes of Cholula sauce and a spritz of lime and I was in heaven!
Here is one more dinner idea! These pork chops were delectable!!
I seasoned them with Cavender’s Greek seasoning, or any seasoning you like, and browned them in a little olive oil. After I removed them from the pan I browned lots of whole garlic cloves and mushrooms. Then I added sliced red and yellow bell peppers and browned them. Then I added some chopped kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, and some sliced cherry peppers with some of the brine, white wine, a couple of bay leaves, red pepper flakes, oregano, lots freshly ground black pepper, some homemade thick chicken stock (glace) and brought it to a simmer. I added the chops back in, covered and simmered it for about 15 minutes until just done. I removed the chops and simmered the sauce to reduce a bit and added lots of fresh parsley at the end. They were so savory with just the right amount of smack (as my husband would say!)
As you can see I love to cook! Of course, I love to eat too! And that is yet another reason why I love my Total Gym. It keeps me in shape so I can continue to do the things I love to do, especially when it has to do with food! Happy gliding everyone!!
