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For the past month I’ve been on a ‘quest‘ to lose some weight that I put on during the second half of last year. My quest (which can be appropriately defined as a journey towards a goal) is not only to lose weight, but to lose body fat, gain muscle and basically become the fittest version of myself that I’ve ever been. I like being active, and I want to feel fit and strong (and good) while being active. Especially with my family. I have 3 incredible kids to keep up with and I want to feel good while keeping up with them.

I’ve never had a problem getting motivated to workout, but I found myself in a bit of a rut so I signed up with a personal trainer I know from my previous gym, Jeff Higuera, last month. I started training with personal trainers 2 years ago and it’s been the best investment I have made for myself. Working out is just part of the equation and since I’ve made a goal to get in 5 workouts at the gym (sometimes I only make it to 4 and I’m okay with that) and hit 10k steps daily my activity level is covered. What I’ve been struggling with (ironically) is nutrition. Obviously I enjoy healthy food, my biggest problem is I enjoy too much of it. I also enjoy pizza but that’s another story. Two weeks ago Jeff challenged me to track my meals in My Fitness Pal for 31 days. That’s all I needed to hear so here I am 15 days in and down about 5lbs. The first week of tracking was the hardest, but now that I’ve got most of my everyday foods logged in and I know what to stock my fridge with each week I’m in a good groove. I’ve read and agree that a big part of weight loss is eating the same type of foods every day. It doesn’t mean it has to be boring, but sticking to the same types of structured meals has helped me stay on track.

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Yay for Friday!  What does everyone have planned for the weekend?  We’ve got some fun stuff going on….flag football tonight, pumpkin patch and pony rides tomorrow, girls night in with friends Saturday night and Sea World for some Spooktacular fun on Sunday!  Oh and of course a Gator game tomorrow night!  I love this time of year.

This little creation was inspired yet again by Facebook.  I swear, I get so many ideas from Facebook friends … most of whom I have not actually seen in person for almost 15 years!  Facebook is a lot of fun that way!

These little Bacon Cheddar Apple Melts are incredibly easy to whip up and snack on while watching a game on TV (or not) while drinking a yummy fall beverage such as one of my favorites Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale…well at least that’s how we enjoyed them!  I took a major shortcut by picking up some precooked Boar Head bacon that I found in the deli section.  I like bacon, though I’m not a huge fan of the grease it produces while cooking.  These precooked strips were really good (I was skeptical but pleasantly surprised!) and cooked up in a minute in the microwave!  Of course, if you are up for frying up some bacon yourself…please do so.

Bacon, Apple, Cheddar Melts

Ingredients:

• loaf crusty whole grain bread from the bakery, sliced medium-thin
• good sliced cheese - I used Boars Head Vermont yellow cheddar
• cooked bacon slices
• Granny Smith apple, sliced thin

Directions:

1. On slice of bread, layer bacon and cheese and place under broiler till cheese melts and browns up a bit.
2. Top with thin slices of apple. Cut into appropriate size for serving and enjoy!!

Bacon, Apple, Cheddar Melts

Ingredients:

• loaf crusty whole grain bread from the bakery, sliced medium-thin
• good sliced cheese - I used Boars Head Vermont yellow cheddar
• cooked bacon slices
• Granny Smith apple, sliced thin

Directions:

1. On slice of bread, layer bacon and cheese and place under broiler till cheese melts and browns up a bit.
2. Top with thin slices of apple. Cut into appropriate size for serving and enjoy!!

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src=”https://aggieskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Bacon-Cheddar-Apple-Melts-Collage-640×1247.jpg” alt=”Bacon, Cheddar & Apple Melts – a perfect combination of flavors! These are delicious and great for football season!” width=”640″ height=”1247″

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