Rebounding After the Holidays

Congratulations! We have made it through the Thanksgiving Holiday!  How did you do?

I made it through Thanksgiving still on plan.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, which allowed for me to be in complete control of what was served. I followed the tips in Autumn Calabrese's video I share in my last post.  I started with the veggies, visualized my containers to guide my portions, and stayed on plan!  Yesterday, however, (Black Friday) was not as successful.  Our day was a little bit off right from the start.  We slept in later than planned, were slow getting out the door, and because we were tired and a little lazy, we didn't make great food choices. We went out to brunch before heading out on our Christmas tree hunt.  I ordered a veggie omelet and only ate half of it, which was good, but the omelet came with pancakes, and I ate a bit more than half of them, so the meal was carb heavy.  I knew I was going to have to be conscious of the carb content in my meals the rest of the day.  Our Christmas tree hunt was a success!  We went to this great little tree farm about an hour south of us and were able to cut down our own tree.  Spending so many Christmas seasons in the Pacific Northwest has spoiled my me and my husband when it comes to Christmas trees.  We have to cut it ourselves.  It just doesn't feel right if we don't!  Hadley, my daughter, had a great time at the tree farm and helped us pick out the perfect tree!

When we finally got pack home and got the tree situated, it was time for Hadley's nap, and for us to eat lunch,  I was very good and made a salad for myself topped with leftover turkey breast.  The problem came way later.  My husband and I were busy cleaning up around the house and let our daughter sleep too long.  By the time we got her back up, the temperature outside was dropping to near freezing and we had to get the tree set up in the house.  That took awhile, so by the time we were ready for dinner is was way later than we normally eat, and we were burned out.  We ordered pizza.  I love pizza, like really love pizza.  It has taken me a long time to learn the self-control and discipline to limit my portion size when I eat it.  I stayed within my 2 piece limit, but knew I was gonna regret eating it later, and I did.  As much as I love pizza, my body just doesn't.  I retain water like crazy after I eat it.  I hate feeling puffy. This doesn't happen to my husband at all, so I don't know if it's just me, or if he's the weird one.  Anyways, this was a perfect example of eat like crap, feel like crap.

But.. Today is a new day!  I normally try to blog every other day, but by the time I had time to sit down and type, it was pretty late.  I knew I needed a fresh start after the day I had, so I made the decision to go to bed on time and save my post for today. It was the right decision!  Today I woke up, got my workout it, and started my day right.  I hopped on the scale because I was curious about yesterday's damage.  I wasn't surprised what so ever to see the number I did, but I was able to acknowledge my previous day's mistakes and push forward.  Great eating choices all day, and I'm feeling good!

My 3-day Thanksgiving Clean-Up Challenge group is in full swing, and my ladies are doing great!  They are getting their workouts done, and drinking half their weight in ounces of water each day.  I'm so excited to see how everyone feels on Monday when the challenge is through.  Monday we are starting our 21-Day Fitness Challenge, so we can be fit and fabulous for Christmas.  I've got an awesome group of women in this challenge who are motivated to make a change, get healthy, look fabulous before the New Year.  Looking forward, I will be hosting a FREE 14-Day New Year, New You challenge starting January 1st to detox from the holidays and get the New Year started off right, and when we are finished with that challenge, we will keep our momentum going through a 30-day Beachbody Fitness Accountability Group!  Interested in any of these fabulous fitness groups?  Fill out the form below to reserve your spot.

In honor of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, I'm doing a Save Some Money Sunday!  TOMORROW ONLY, anyone who buys a Beachbody Challenge Pack from me will receive a $30 VISA gift card from me as a thank you!  **offer available to new customers and my established customers only** Message me on Facebook, or email me to get in take advantage of this deal! If you are not a member of my Facebook Group, join us!: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478749202392357

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Staying on Track this Thanksgiving

Anyone excited for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Feast?  I am! I love Thanksgiving.  We usually drive out to my sister's house and have dinner with her family, but this year we are staying home, so I am totally in charge of what's going on the Thanksgiving table.  Even if you are visiting family and not in charge of the cooking, you can still stay on track with your eating plans tomorrow.  My girl, 21 Day Fix creator, Autumn Calabrese created an awesome video with tips on how to help you through Thanksgiving dinner.  In the video, she references the 21 Day Fix containers, but her serving sizes do apply to anyone trying to eat healthy and balanced meals.  Check it out:

I love her tip about adding veggies to your plate first and did you notice you can still have some indulgences while staying on track?  Love it!

If you happen to stumble tomorrow and end up in that "food coma"  I've got you covered!  I will be hosting a Thanksgiving Clean-Up Challenge in my open Facebook group.  The Challenge is totally free, everyone is welcome, and there are no strings attached.  Here is the link to our group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478749202392357/

And... here are the details:

1) Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal and your time with your family
2) Plan on jumping back in on Friday and joining us here.
3) Invite a friend to join us! The more the better!
4) I'll be posting each day:
     -Quick core workout
     -Healthy Meal Plan ideas
     -Tips and Encouragement to keep going

What do I need from you?
1) Check in every day.
2) We'll have a quick fun assignment each day. Complete it to stay on track!

What are we going to focus on?
     -Healthy nutrition
     -Getting in our water
     -Working out 2 or 3 days

That's it! Super easy.

Then if you want to hit it and keep going to start the New Year strong and would love some support and coaching keep me posted! I have a 21 Day Fix Accountability Group Starting next Monday,12/1. I'll also be starting a new private free clean eating group Jan 1-14 and a 30-Day Beachbody Challenge Group starting Jan 15th. 


Let's do this!

Join us!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478749202392357

Happy Thanksgiving!

Motivation Monday and the Beachbody Holiday Sale!

Happy Monday everyone!  I feel like Mondays have kind of a bad reputation.  Even now that I am a stay at home mom, Mondays are the hardest day of the week.  For me, I think this is because I fall out of my routine on the weekend.  I get up later, I don't workout in the morning, we might go out to eat one meal, and I stay up way too late on Sunday night trying to get things done that I had put off all weekend.  If I had to point to one behavior that has the most significant impact on my Mondays, it would be staying up too late on Sundays.  By staying up late Sunday night, you are potentially putting your whole week in jeopardy.  I say this because I firmly believe that what you do on Monday sets the tone for the rest of the week.  Regarding your workouts, never miss a Monday.  If you do, you are more likely to miss other workouts during the week. It's easy to say "well I already messed up once this week, I can try again next week".  Don't say that!  Don't let your one missed workout be the start of a trend. Tuesday is a new day, treat it like one.  

After staying up way too late last night (Sunday night) and not getting up early enough to get my workout in right away, I have decided that last night was the last time I will do that to myself.  It will be the last time I self-sabotage my Monday morning.  I will give a progress update next week and let you all know if it makes a difference in my Monday.

Now on to something exciting....

The Beachbody Holiday Sale!

Coaches were given a preview of the holiday sale that goes live tomorrow night, and let me tell you, there are some crazy good deals on programs, equipment, and apparel.  Check out the graphic below:

I've got my eye on Les Mills Pump and Combat.  Will probably also get a Jump Mat and some clothes.  These deals will go live tomorrow night (Tuesday Nov 25th) at 8pm EST.  Based on past year's holiday sales, there is a good chance that most of these items will sell out in the first couple hours of the sale, so if you see something you want, make sure to log on as close to 8pm as you can.  

Here is the link to the sale:

https://www.TeamBeachbody.com/Shop/HolidaySpecials?referringRepId=499028

Happy shopping!

   

Staying Fit Through the Holidays

Did you know that the average American gains 1-2 pounds over the holiday season? That might not seem like much, but that weight tends to linger, and adds up year after year.  Soon that 1-2 pounds becomes 2-4 and then 3-6 and so on until we reach a point where we are so unhappy with ourselves, that we decide we have to make a change.

What if you could avoid that holiday gain, without sacrificing the joy of the season?  How about instead waiting for January 1st to roll around and throwing your hands up until then, you make the choice to take charge of your habits and make a plan to focus on your health between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Could you do it?  What if you had the support of a coach and were part of a group of people doing the same program you were doing at the same time to lean on and hold you accountable in a completely judgement free forum and participate from the comfort of your own home? Could you do it then? I bet you could.  

I am holding a 21-Day Fitness Accountability Group that will run from 12/1 until 12/22.  We will start the Monday after Thanksgiving and will be finished the Sunday before Christmas. The group is entirely online, in a closed Facebook group, where only other members of the group can see our posts.  I will post daily support and encouragement, as well as, 21 Day Fix approved recipes and tips to get you through the holidays without getting off track.  Joining the group is free, the only requirement is that you own or purchase the program we will be using, 21 Day Fix. If you already own the program, great! Even if you already have another Beachbody coach, you are more than welcome to join our group.  If you do not already own 21 Day Fix, I will show you were you can purchase it, and guide you to the best package option to fit your goals and needs.  If you are interested in joining our group, please fill out the form below, and I will contact you sometime in the next 24 hours.  I look forward to you joining us!        

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Why I am a Beachbody Coach

I'm participating in a fabulous coach training right now with my upline coaches and one of our assignments was to share my "why", or my reason for becoming a coach.  I jotted down a bunch reasons that came to my mind, and it occurred to me, that this opportunity I have been given is just too great not to share with others.  Hopefully my "why" will hit home with some you and I will get the chance to share this opportunity with you.

When I reread all of the reasons I became a Beachbody Coach, I found that I could group my ideas into three big reasons: Helping others, Financial Freedom, and Flexibility.

Helping Others

I am a third generation teacher.  My great Aunt was a 5th grade teacher for her entire 30+ year career.  My mother is an elementary school teacher, currently 5th grade as well. I was an 8th grade teacher until the birth of my daughter.  Teaching, helping, and uplifting others is in my blood, and it is what I love to do.  I am very thankful I had the ability to stay home with my daughter after she was born, but I missed teaching.  I missed seeing the light bulbs going off when my students got it.  I missed celebrating the victories, big and small, when my students reached their goals.  I missed coming up with new ideas to engage and figuring out how to reach the tough kiddos.  I just missed teaching.  

I was given the opportunity to teach Zumba at a local gym a few months after my daughter was born, and I jumped on it.  I had taught Zumba as a second job before I was too pregnant to do so, and I welcomed the opportunity to teach again.  As a Zumba instructor, not only did I guide my students though an hour of fun, fabulous, dance fitness, but I was also able to help them with their health and fitness questions.  I would share the importance of stretching, proper warm-up and cool-downs, water consumption, perceived exertion, suggestions for cross-training, and many other topics that would come up in casual conversation before and after class.  I was back in my element and happy.  Then my husband's work schedule got more demanding.  I wasn't going to be able to continue teaching at the gym because I needed to be home with my daughter.  Family will always come first, and my job did not give me the flexibility I needed in order to keep doing it.  That's when I met my coach, Stacy, and she introduced me to the coaching opportunity.  I now help others reach their health and fitness goals as a coach, and I am able to reach many more people than I was ever able to as a fitness instructor or school teacher. 

Financial Freedom

I had always wanted to be a stay-at-home mother, but I didn't know if it would be financially possible for us to do.  After a stroke of luck with my husband's job, and researching the cost of daycare versus how much I was being paid as a teacher, it was a no brainer.  Daycare would have cost us half my paycheck, and knowing I wanted more than one kiddo, it didn't make sense for me to go back to work.  Our finances took a hit when I left and we had to do some creative budgeting to make ends meet, but I know it was the right decision.  We still have some debt, mostly student loans, but as my coach business is growing, I can see how quickly we will become debt free and it is exciting!  

Flexibility

I mentioned earlier that I had to leave my fitness instructor position because I was needed at home.  I needed a job that gave me flexibility.  I run my coaching business from home, at whatever time of day I have time, usually around my daughter's sleep schedule.  Nearly everything I do is through social media, so I can do it on my laptop, tablet, or phone, so I can work my business anytime, anywhere.  The flexibility is amazing!  It removes so much stress out of my life.  No traffic, no deadlines, no what the heck do I wear today? In fact, right now, I'm writing this blog post wearing flannel pj's and listening to Grey's Anatomy in the background while my daughter sleeps.  Sound nice?

Now that you have read about why I became a Beachbody Coach, are you at all intrigued? Wondering if this opportunity could be right for you too?  My team is holding a Sneak Peak into Coaching where we will be sharing what it means to be a coach, what we do everyday, and the benefits of becoming a coach, including the financial compensation plan. We will also answer any questions you have about coaching.  If you like what you hear and want to become a coach, we will help you do that, if you want to wait, or decide coaching isn't for you, no worries.  This is a no obligation, no risk, no stress opportunity to see what we do and see if its right for you!

Want to join our free Sneak Peak into Coaching? Fill out the form below, and I will be in touch!

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Recipe: Zucchini Noodles

The hubby is out of town on a business trip this week, so I've decided to experiment in the kitchen. Specifically I'm trying some pasta substitutes. If they turn out well, then I will add them into the dinner rotation. Tonight, I got to play with a new toy I received for my birthday earlier this month -- the spiral slicer.  The experiment: zucchini "noodles". 

Here is my amazing spiral slicer:

I like to leave the skin on my vegetables for the extra fiber, so I cut off the top and bottom of the zucchini and started spiralizing (pretty sure I just made up my own word).  This tool is really neat. You spin the zucchini in it like you are sharpening a pencil.  This is what it looked like when I was finished:

One cool result of using this tool is the center of the zucchini, where the seeds are located, stayed separate from the noodles. Can you see my sharpened zucchini pencil at the top of the picture?

Once the zucchini was cut, it was ready to cook. 

I sprayed a large pan with coconut oil cooking spray. It's important to use a large pan when you saute. If you over-crowd the pan, everything will turn out soggy. 

Once I got some color on the noodles, I added just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and continued to cook on medium-high until the water boiled off.  This step introduces steam to the noodles and ensures they are cooked though. My finished noodles looked like this:

At this point the noodles are complete and you can serve them as is, or you can incorporate them into a dish.  I decided to make a skinny chicken Parmesan dish, so, at his point, I added about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce to the noodles and cooked until the sauce was warm through.  The amount of sauce you add is completely personal preference. I do not like a lot of sauce in my dishes, so the 1/4 cup was plenty.

I put the noodles on a plate and stacked a ground chicken burger on top and melted a slice of Swiss cheese over the dish. 

 Yum!  I liked the zucchini noodles in this dish.  They delivered on texture, and tasted great.  I would totally make this meal again!

What is Shakeology?

In my last post I shared what Beachbody is, the variety of programs they provide, and what my role is as a Beachbody coach.  In this post, I will explain what Shakeology is, and how it differs from the multitude of other shake products that are out there.

What is Shakeology?

Shakeology is a dense nutritional protein shake.  It contains over 70 high-quality ingredients that come from whole-food sources.  These ingredients include superfoods like: goji berry, chai seed, flax seed, and moringa.  The ingredients in Shakeology are all natural, which allows for better absorption and utilization of nutrients.  Shakeology is high in nutrients yet low in calories and can be used as a meal or snack replacement depending on your goals.  

What is in Shakeology?

Every serving of Shakeology contains 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids to help build muscle and reduce food cravings, prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes to aid in digestion and improve nutrient absorption and regularity, adaptogens to support a healthy immune system, increase energy, protect the body from stress, and balance hormones, antioxidants and phytonutrients to neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation, and 23 vitamins and minerals essential for your body to function at it's best.

What can Shakeology do for you?

Beachbody recently conducted a clinical study, administered by a natural health product reasearch company, that included 50 participants and lasted 90 days to research how Shakeology effects the body when used as a meal replacement daily.  The results of the clinical study showed that drinking Shakeology daily can help you lose weight, increase energy, reduce cravings, decrease cholesterol, reduce blood sugar levels, and promote healthy digestion and regularity.


I have spent a ton of time researching various protein and nutrition shakes because I feel it is very important to know what I am putting into my body, and I have not found another shake on the market that contains even close to the same nutrient content as Shakeology does, from natural, whole-food sources.  That's the part that's most important to me, the fact that the ingredients are natural.  So many of the nutrients found in our vitamins, nutrition shakes, and fortified foods come from synthetically created sources, which our bodies simply cannot utilize fully.  If you are taking a daily multivitamin, chances are you are peeing out most of what was in the pills you took.  Our bodies have a far easier time absorbing nutrients from natural sources.  It just makes sense.  And really, what is the point of trying to eat clean if we then take a vitamin that is filled with synthetic, processed chemicals?

So what should you have gotten out of this post?  Here is a brief summary: Shakeology is not just a protein shake.  It is a protein nutrition shake that takes the place of your daily vitamin.  It is completely natural and clean eating friendly.  Drinking Shakeology daily will help you lose weight, increase energy, reduce cravings, and improve your overall health by lowering cholesterol and reducing blood sugar levels.  Oh and I forgot to add that it tastes great! There are 6 flavors to choose from: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, greenberry, vegan chocolate, and vegan tropical strawberry.  Did you catch that there are vegan options too?  The vegan flavors are great for vegans, of course, but also individuals who are lactose sensitive or intolerant.  My personal favorite is vegan chocolate.

For those of you who are still skeptical but interested enough to try it, Beachbody offers a bottom of the bag guarantee. If for some reason you are not happy with Shakeology, you can send it back for a full refund within 30 days, even if the bag is empty!  So the decision is risk free!  Are you hesitant to purchase because your not sure what flavors you will like? I've got you covered.  If you sign up for your free Beachbody account (using the link at the top of my blog) you can then order a taste sampler pack to try before you invest in a full month's supply.  The cost of Shakeology breaks down to around $4 a serving.  That's less than the Starbucks coffee you are drinking every morning or the drive-through breakfast you get on the way to work.  

Want to learn more or are you ready to dive in and buy your first bag of Shakeology?  It's only available through Team Beachbody or a Team Beachbody coach, like myself.  Click here to get to my coach website.  From there click on "Shop Team Beachbody" and you are good to go! Remember, if you are wanting to purchase a Taste Sampler Pack you must sign up for a free Team Beachbody account before you can buy it.  You can do that from my coach site as well by clicking on "Join".

I will leave you with my favorite Shakeology video of all time: Tony Horton, the cashier.

What exactly is Beachbody?

The last couple of days have been crazy hectic.  My husband's work schedule has been more demanding than normal, by toddler is sick, and I have my first two vendor events this week.  I've been running around like a crazy woman, staying up late, not taking care of myself.  I can proudly say that I have gotten my workouts in. I really do depend on my morning workouts to start my day off right. As far as the rest of the day has been concerned the past couple of days, all I can say is thank goodness I have my Shakeology. It really is the healthiest meal of the day, and lately its been one of the only meals I am consistently getting.  You know when you are so busy you just forget to eat? Yep, the last two days I have been guilty of that.  I try to eat six small meals a day, but the last couple days I have only been getting two or three meals in. Not good for my metabolism and certainly not good for my mood either. At least I know that I am getting the nutrients I need, and I have the energy to get through these crazy days.  And I can't forget to mention my amazing husband!
He is doing his best to be my fitness accountability partner in the mornings before work, devoted daddy when he gets home, and business assistant after the little one is in bed.  I am so thankful to have him in my life. 

I did my first vendor event last night.  It was a fun, and surprisingly, eye-opening experience.  I was surprised at how few people I spoke with had even heard of Beachbody or Shakeology.  Of the few people that had heard of either, even fewer actually knew anything about either.  I took this as an opportunity to share about how many programs Beachbody has to offer.  There really is a program for everyone.  If you are new to fitness, there's 21 Day Fix or P90.  If you love cardio, there's Insanity, T25, or Turbo Fire.  If you are trying to build and tone muscles, there's P90X, Body Beast or Chalene Extreme.  If you like to dance, there's Hip Hop Abs or Rockin Body.  Like low-impact? Try PiYo or Tai Cheng.  I could go on and on. Last I counted there were 24 Beachbody fitness programs, and I know of 2 more coming out in the next few months!  For anyone who says that Beachbody is not for them, or there is no way they could complete a program, I can tell you with complete confidence that they just haven't found the program for them.  That's where Beachbody coaches, like myself, come in.  We can help you find the program that fits your current fitness level, lifestyle, and goals best.  Don't have a coach yet? I would love for you to give me the opportunity to help you on your fitness journey.  At the top of this blog page, there is a "click here" button that will take you to the free sign-up.  Fill that out, hit submit, and bam! I'm your coach!  Super simple right?  So no more excuses, stop your dilly dallying and just do it!  I'm here to help, and my services are free!  The only thing holding you back is you!

My table set up at my first vendor event.  So much fun!

Stay tuned for an explanation of the awesomeness that is Shakeology.  I will be sharing with you how it really is the healthiest meal you can consume in your day.  We will talk about the ingredients, how it is made, how it is metabolized and what drinking Shakeology everyday can do to improve your health.  There is so much great info, that I just had to make it it's own post!

It is the start of the weekend, so I wanted to leave you with some inspiration to keep you on track through, what I consider to be, the hardest days to stay committed: Saturday and Sunday.  Remember, results take time.  If it doesn't feel like work, it won't work!  Stay focused, amazing results come to those the are persistent and consistent!

  

Recipe: Turkey and Mushroom Meatloaf & 21 Day Fix Results

I am all about taking my favorite recipes from growing up and making them healthier.  The other night, I decided to take a look at my mother's meatloaf recipe and tweak it to better fit my current eating plan.  I swapped out the hamburger for ground turkey and the bread crumbs and egg with mushrooms. The results were amazing, so much so, that my husband who normally scoffs at my healthy dinners said that he would be okay with me making this again. In other words, he liked it! Let me say, that I leaned up this recipe a bit, but there is still room for making it even leaner if you so choose, especially with regards to the sausage component of the meat loaf.  So here it is, my skinny mama's meatloaf:

I know it might not look appealing like this. I'm not good at taking food photos, but I promise it tastes awesome!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground turkey
1 pound of hot ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Hot, but to make it cleaner, you could use Jimmy Dean natural sausage instead, or a sausage substitute, I believe there is a good one you can find at Trader Joe's)
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1/2 a bell pepper finely chopped (I used red in this recipe, any color is fine)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 button mushrooms or 1 medium sized portobello mushroom chopped.
1/2 a small can of tomato sauce
A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
Black Pepper and Italian Seasoning to taste
1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the ground turkey, sausage, onion, bell pepper, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, 1/2 can of tomato sauce, and pepper and italian seasoning to taste in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Form either 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves and place in a baking dish. (I use a glass square dish)
3. Pour the other half of the tomato sauce over the top and add a bay leaf. (This is optional, depending on how tomato-y you like your meatloaf)
4. Cover with foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 
5.  After 1 hour, remove foil and drain off oil.  Continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 more minutes. (smaller loaves may take less time, check for doneness at 15 minutes).
6. Serve and enjoy!

Served with a side of mashed potatoes. You may be asking where the veggies are.  I had a big salad in a separate bowl. I'm a weirdo and can't eat my salad on a plate. I don't like my foods to mix!

21 Day Fix Results!

I finally had time to take my after photos, or I should say I finally found a time when my husband could take my after photos.  I really need to find a tripod for my iPhone so I can do these myself.  Here you go:

7 pounds and 13 inches in only 3 weeks!

The proof is in the pictures!  I had such fantastic results in the first round that I'm going for a second round to see how much more I can lose.  21 Day Fix is really a great program.  Easy to follow, and super effective for weight loss.  My November challenge group is in there second week right now and doing awesome.  I had one challenger share with me that she lost 4 pounds in just the first week. If you are looking to make a change in your health, why wait until January to make the change?  I will be running one more challenge group in 2014 and it starts December 1st.  The average American gains 5-8 pounds during the holidays.  Commit to this challenge and not only prevent yourself from the holiday gain, but also lose 8-15 pounds before Christmas and look awesome going into the New Year.  The challenge groups I run are small, and I only have 3 spots left in the December group.  If you are at all interested in this challenge group or want any information about the other types of challenge groups I run, please fill out the form below!  

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Motivation Monday and the Final Day of 21 Day Fix

Motivation Monday

A mantra can be a powerful motivational tool.  I developed my own personal mantra when I was training for my first marathon.  I used it whenever I was feeling weak, or needed an extra push.  This came in handy during my long runs and especially during the marathon itself in the final miles.  My mantra: "you are strong, you are motivated, you will do this".  I found this little motivational gem while I was surfing Pinterest this morning:

I find this picture so inspiring!  I hope you do as well.  Take some time in the near future to develop your own mantra.  It doesn't have to be long, eloquent, or even grammatically correct.  It just needs to work for you.  It should be something that lights a fire inside you and helps you push past the wall or whatever is stopping you.  Find your mantra and use it whenever you need to dig deep and find that extra push!


21 Day Fix Progress:

I have officially completed my first round of the 21 Day Fix!  I didn't have a chance to take after pictures today, but it's on my to do list for tomorrow, so be on the look out for my official results!  For the last 3 days of the program, I decided to do the quick fix eating plan.  It is a much stricter plan than the normal fix plan, and is supposed to give you even more drastic results.  I'm going to be completely honest and share with y'all and that the quick fix did not work for me.  Part of why I am a Beachbody Coach is because I believe in the products. I have experienced great success and have helped others get fantastic results using the programs and nutritionals Beachbody offers. I speak very highly of these programs and products because they work, but I am also very open and honest about every aspect of these programs, so if something didn't work for me, I'll share that too.  

The first two and a half weeks of the 21 Day Fix worked great. I was blown away with the results I was getting.  They were as good or better than I had ever seen with other programs I have completed.  Whether it was on the scale, or in the measuring tape, I saw results every single day.  This is great motivation to keep going, so if motivation or consistency has been an issue for you in the past, I highly recommend the 21 Day Fix program.  I firmly believe that I would have continued to see the same level of progress the last three days of the program if I had continued with the normal eating plan.  

I think where I went wrong, was my calorie intake during the quick fix.  I followed the plan as written, but I think for my body, the number of calories I consumed for those three days was just too low.  I didn't gain weight or lose weight at all the last three days of the plan and I felt fatigued and bloated.  My body is exceptionally good at adapting to the situations I put it in.  Seriously, in the event of an apocalyptic disaster, I really think I would be one of the last people standing. I gain muscle quickly when I lift, my flexibility improves right away when I start stretching, and unfortunately, I plateau often when trying to lose weight, so I am constantly changing up my routine and calorie cycling to try to prevent/break those plateaus. I also can go in and out of starvation mode at the drop of a hat, and I totally know when that happens because of how my body feels.  This felt like one of those times.  Now that I know how my body responds to this program, I am eager to do another round and see how much better my results can be in another 21 days.  I had a "cheat meal" for my dinner tonight, and will begin with the plan again starting tomorrow. I'm only 9 pounds away from my pre-preggo weight.  My goal is to get there in one more round of 21 Day Fix.

I do believe the 21 Day Fix is a great program for people of all fitness levels, whether you are just starting out, or this is you second, third, or even fourth program.  The eating plan is solid in its foundation, easy to follow, and flexible.  The workouts are short, only 30 minutes, and very easy to modify up or down to give you the challenge you need to see results.  I will continue to promote this plan and recommend it to those I coach. In fact, I will be starting another 21 Day Fix Challenge Group starting December 1st.  Perfect timing to slim down before the holidays so you can show off your awesome new body to your family and friends. 

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Days 19-20 of the 21 Day Fix and Birthday Fun

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent the day with my little family.  We started the day at our weekly Friday morning playdate.  My husband worked from home so that he could spend the day with us.  After our playdate, we went out to lunch.  Keeping in mind that I am nearing the end of the 21 Day Fix, and wanting the best results I can get, I did the best I could to eat on plan during out outing.  I ended up getting a grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad.  I still had both my carb servings still available, so I ate the sandwich with the bun intact.  A great way to lessen the carb load when you go out to eat is to eat your sandwich or burger open-faced.  Try it sometime, I bet you won't even miss the other half of your bun. For my side-salad, I ordered the dressing on the side.  Always do this.  Restaurants are notorious for over-dressing salads.  I reduce the amount of dressing I use even further by dipping my fork into the dressing before picking up salad rather than pouring dressing over the top of the salad.  Here was my yummy birthday lunch, look at how much dressing they gave me for that little salad!

Eating out can be healthy too! Dressing on the side and an open-faced grilled chicken sandwich

I hit a huge milestone on my birthday.  I can finally get into my pre-preggo jeans!  Now, I've been able to get them on and buttoned for awhile, but yesterday marked the first day in longer than I'd like to admit that I could feel comfortable going out in public while wearing them.  

Woo hoo!  Back into my size 10 pre-preggo jeans! Next goal: get into those 6's and 8's hanging in the closet.

I was one of the unfortunate women who could not lose weight while breast-feeding, so I was stuck for the first 12 months after the birth of my daughter.  I would not trade anything for those 12 months of bonding with my child, but as soon as she was weaned, I got straight to work trying to lose the last bit of baby weight.  At the time, I was teaching Zumba classes and getting back into running.  I taught 4 classes a week and ran 3 days a week, but was hardly making any progress.  After 2 months of this, I felt like I needed to regroup and make a new plan.  My husband's work schedule was changing, so I was not going to be able to keep teaching Zumba in the evenings.  I knew I needed to replace my Zumba workouts with something, so I turned once again to Beachbody.  (I used Beachbody programs to lost weight before I got pregnant).  I had already done 2 rounds of ChaLean Extreme in the past, and although I love the program,  I wanted something new, so I stuck with my girl Chalene Johnson, and purchased PiYo.  PiYo was such a great program.  I just finished up my first round this past Monday, and I was super happy with my results.  My body, which had held on to all my extra fluff for the year I was breastfeeding and then hardly responded to my workouts for 2 months, finally began to change in the ways I wanted.  To help with my meal planning, I started 21 Day Fix almost 3 weeks ago.  This program really kicked my weight loss into high gear.  I can't wait to see my final results on Monday!

I truly believe in Beachbody and their products, so much so, that I became a coach last month to help others achieve their health and fitness goals the same way I have, using the Beachbody programs and products.  I love what I do.  I'm getting paid to workout and help others reach their goals all while being able to stay at home full time with my daughter.  Does this sound like your dream job?  I'd love to share what it is that I do with you.  My team is hosting a sneak peek into Beachbody Coaching next month. It's the perfect opportunity to see what coaching is all about.  Message me or email me with your interest and contact info and I will add you to our group!

  

Days 16-18 of 21 Day Fix and PiYo Results

I normally try to blog every other day, but I missed last night. My apologies!  I blog in the evenings after my little one goes to bed, but last night I was invited to go to an evening fitness class and didn't get back home until late.  The class I attended was something called Gravity Fit Fusion.  Gravity Fit is a high intensity trampoline fitness class.  The Fusion class is a combination of Gravity Fit and Dance Fitness.  It was a blast! It was also a killer calorie burner.  I was dripping in sweat at the end of the class.  If you have a trampoline park anywhere near you, check out their fitness classes.  It was a nice change of pace and so much fun!  

21 Day Fix Progress

I've been struggling to get in all my fruit servings the past couple days.  Given my calorie bracket on the 21 Day Fix, I'm supposed to eat 3 fruit servings a day.  I always get 2 servings in, but I'm really inconsistent when it comes to that third serving.  I only like a few fruits: apples, grapes, bananas, and cantaloupe.  I used to eat watermelon as well, but I found it is way too sugary for me and I don't see as good of results when I eat it.  I may need to start drinking smoothies again in order to get enough fruit in my day.  I've been on Pinterest pinning all sorts of Shakeology recipes to try. Take a look! Yum!

I've been trying to get in double workouts of 21 Day Fix now that I have completed PiYo.  My plan was going great until yesterday, when my daughter decided to start waking up an hour earlier.  She did the same thing today too.  Looks like I'm going to have to get up even earlier if I'm going to get in doubles. Sigh.  

Only 3 days left of my first round of 21 Day Fix, and I am going to do the 3-day quick fix eating plan to finish out the program.  This is a much stricter meal plan than the normal meal plan, where you increase your protein servings and decrease your carb servings. Also, no fruit, no cheese, and no dressings, seeds, or nuts.  We shall see how it goes.

PiYo Results

Alright the results are in!  During my first round of PiYo I lost: 9.6 pounds and a total of 12 inches.  Looking back, I could kick myself for not following the meal plan for the first 6 out of 8 weeks.  I wasn't eating total junk.  I love veggies and lean protein, but I was a bit heavy handed on the carbs and dairy.  I very pleased to have gotten the results I did, but I also know I could have done even better if I had been more disciplined in the kitchen. I am sharing my before and after pictures, knowing that I still have a long way to go to get back to my pre-preggo self, but I cannot expect you to trust me and put yourself out there if I am not willing to the same.  We all start somewhere on this fitness journey and it's okay to be a work in progress! Every pound and every inch gets you one step closer to your goals and should be celebrated!

I loved, loved, LOVED this program.  PiYo takes the principles and exercises of Pilates and Yoga and combines them into a fast flow workout.  The workouts combine strength and stretch exercises to tone, tighten, and increase flexibility.  One of the most unique aspects of this program is that with the exception of burpee sets, the program is entirely low impact. Don't let the low impact fool you though, I can promise your heart will be pumping and you will be dripping with sweat after each workout.  

Does this sound like the program for you?  Message me for more information! PiYo happens to be part of the November Beachbody Promotions.  Let me hook you up!

Days 14-15 of the 21 Day Fix and Week 2 Results

Enjoyed a lazy weekend this past weekend.  Our agility training class was moved to a later time for the winter, so we can now sleep in both days of the weekend.  I'm kind of torn about this.  I get into a routine during the week where I get up early and workout before my daughter wakes up, and I know it would be easier to keep that routine if I didn't sleep in on the weekends, but I'm a girl who really enjoys her sleep.  My husband does too, and he is who makes sure I get up in the mornings on the weekdays. You could call him my accountabili-buddy when it comes to dragging my butt out of bed.  On weekends though, he likes to sleep in even later than I ever would, which makes it really hard to get myself up early enough to get a workout in. I know that consistency is key, and its just a matter of finding the motivation to get myself up, no excuses. 

My eating plan was on point all weekend.  We didn't eat out for the first weekend in I can't even remember how long.  I only got one workout in on Sunday, PiYo Sculpt.  Today, I did get both workouts in, PiYo Drench and 21 Day Fix Cardio Fix.  I am officially done with this round of PiYo!  I will share a review of this program as well as my results from the 8 weeks in my next blog post.  It feels great to see myself through a program from start to finish.  Now my focus is just on 21 Day fix. I will have to do some double days to get caught up on my 21 Day Fix workouts, but I should be able to do that no problem now that I do not have to split my focus on two different programs. 

Yesterday marked the end of week 2 on the 21 Day Fix.  Today I weighed in and took measurements.  I am happy to report that I am another 2.8 pounds down and I have lost an additional 3 inches, bring my 2 week total to 5.6 pounds and 8 inches.  One more week to go!

On Mondays, we have out weekly Bombshell Dynasty Team Call with my fellow Beachbody coaches.  Today the topic was how not to lead with your emotions.  It was a great call, and I left it inspired to put even more of myself into helping others through my coaching business. Beachbody is such a great company to work for, and my team has some of the most successful, supportive, helpful, and kind coaches in the business.  It is from this call that I got the Motivation Monday gem I'm going to share today. Here it is:

How would you approach your life differently if there was no chance of failure?

  

21 Day Fix Days11-13 & Recipe: Fried Rice

The last three days on the plan have gone smoothly.  I'm feeling good, plenty of energy, and I'm getting stronger.  I'm able to do more reps or heavier weights in all of the exercises in the workouts.  I've gotta say, I'm becoming a huge fan of this program!  Interestingly enough, according to the scale, I haven't lost any additional weight this week so far.  I'm pretty sure my measurements have gone down, because I'm feeling thinner and my clothes are fitting looser.  I will be remeasure on Sunday when I do my weekly check-in.  Fingers crossed I see the changes I'm feeling.  I'm not really surprised that my weight has not gone down this week.  I'm back to a weight that I have held for long periods of time in my life and it's not uncommon for our bodies to plateau at weights we have held for a significant period of time.  Our bodies are great at adapting to changing conditions and have a long memory.  As our bodies lose weight and we hit numbers we used to weigh in the past, our bodies say "hey I remember this body composition, I think I'll hang out here for awhile".  At times like this you have two options. Either, you stay the course and outlast your body (this works for some, but not others) or you can shake things up to try to confuse your body (this works for most, but the change in routine can be difficult or stressful).  This time, I'm going to stay the course.  I really think that I can push through this little plateau with the 21 Day Fix.  The plan has different workouts for each day, and I can change up my foods and still stay within the eating plan.  9 more days!

Found on Pinterest, by SparkPeople

I'm still behind on my workouts.  I completed Lower Fix and PiYo Buns on Thursday.  Friday being Halloween, I only had time for one workout so I did PiYo Sweat.  Today was PiYo Core and Pilates Fix.  I am happy to report that I made it through Halloween without eating any candy.  I did save a fun size Milky Way for once I complete my first round of 21 Day Fix. Gotta say I'm pretty proud of my will-power yesterday.  I can remember a time where I could have demolished all of the left over candy in a night or two. This year, I didn't feel at all tempted. It's the little victories that add up to our successes.

I'm not going to continue including my meal plans for each day.  I do have them written down, and if anyone would like to see them as an example comment or message me and I will be happy to provide them!

Recipe: Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 Lean Pork Tenderloin (cubed)
• 1 cup dry Brown Rice (cook before you begin, so this would be about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 Package of Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables, not pre-seasoned (pre-seasoned contains added salt)
• 1 can bamboo shoots
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 2/3 cup frozen peas
• 2-3 eggs (depending on how eggy you like your rice)
• 4 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce (optional)
• Spices to taste: ground ginger, cumin, sriracha, garlic powder, black pepper 

Directions:

1. Put all veggies (frozen, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts) in a wok or large skillet and add 2 tsp of sesame oil.  Saute on high until veggies are fully cooked and lightly browned. Stir in ground ginger, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste.
2. Set vegetables aside, cover with foil to keep warm
3. Put cubed pork loin and 1tbsp sriracha in wok or skillet and cook until golden brown.
4. Add pork to the veggies you already put aside and mix, recover to keep warm.
5. Put rice in wok with 2 tsp sesame oil and fry 3-4 minutes on medium high, stirring constantly.
6. Make a well in the center of the rice.  Add eggs to the well and scramble. 
7. Once egg is cooked, continue to fry rice and eggs for 3 minutes. Add veggies and pork. Stir all ingredients to mix and reheat.
8. Serve and enjoy! Makes 4 servings.