Workout Review: TurboFire Fire 45

Quick update:  Just finished up week 2 of TurboFire. I can tell my technique is already getting better, and I am really enjoying this program.  I came down with some kind of illness yesterday, and am still feeling pretty crappy, so I will make this post short.  Here is a review of Fire 45, and the information for my next challenge group!

Fire 45 Review:

This workout was very similar to Fire 30 in format.  There were 4 different sequences with 3 fire drills mixed in between them.  I thought the sequences in this workout were a little harder than the Fire 30 and Fire 55 EZ workouts.  There was a lot more kicking in this workout, and my kick technique, I found out, is pretty poor, so there is room for improvement there.  Great music as always.  The cool down was short, but you are also expected to complete stretch 10 after this workout to get a complete stretch.  I've said this before, and I'll say it again: don't skip the stretch!  Your body will definitely need it after this workout!  I usually like my workouts to be around 30 minutes, but time flew by during this workout, so I didn't mind it being a little longer.  There is some jumping as well as a short set of burpees. Both can be modified easily if you don't like to jump.  I love how easy it is to follow the modifier in the TurboFire workouts (I don't like jumping), and you will still be working up a sweat if you follow her the entire time, so no worries there!  Overall, tougher sequences, but a great, fun workout.  I would suggest picking "new to class" if this is your first time through the workout.

21 Day Fix Challenge Groups starting 1/19 and 1/26!

We just wrapped up Week 1 of our 21 Day Fix Accountability Group and my challengers are LOSING so many pounds and inches we’ve lost count!  Don’t you want to be part of it?  Isn’t it TIME for you to COMMIT your LIFE to getting/staying healthy and reaching your fitness goals?

This is not about vanity; this is about SAVING YOUR LIFE.  This is about being here to see your kids graduate, walk your daughters down the aisle, retire and enjoy life with your spouse.  This is about the QUALITY of your life. Having the energy to do the things you want to do.  YOU are responsible for making that happen and only you can make the decision to invest in yourself.  Your health and happiness are PRICELESS and are the best GIFT you can give yourself.

I have challenge groups starting 1/19 and 1/26.  These are the last two groups in January and the program is ON SALE this month!

Click this link to get the sale price---> 

Http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCP21D160?referringRepID=499028

The program includes:
*Color containers for portion control and food macros
*A month of Shakeology (the HEALTHIEST MEAL OF THE DAY!)
*Shakeology Blender Cup
*30 min daily workouts (suitable for all fitness levels)
*Private FB group with personal coaching, meal plans, instruction, and encouragement
*A free t-shirt and a chance to win at least $500 cash for submitting your results
TODAY is your day.  Let’s DO THIS!

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Workout Review: TurboFire Fire 55 EZ

It's sweaty Saturday people and I am fresh off of my day's workout, TurboFire's Fire 55 EZ.  Of course by fresh, I mean I am sitting here in a puddle of my own sweat writing this review. 

Fire 55 EZ:

I think I have found my new favorite workout!  It's been awhile since I've done a cardio workout longer than 30 minutes. Before starting TurboFire, I did 2 rounds of 21 Day Fix and before that was PiYo.  I could definitely tell that my body is conditioned for the shorter workouts, but I was having so much fun that I didn't mind.  The music was awesome in this workout and included several cardio mixes of songs I have in my own library.  The sequences were quick to pick up and flowed really well.  There was more of a focus on core work in this workout than the other workouts so far in the schedule.  There is very little jumping and only 2 fire drills (HIIT Intervals).  Overall, a little long, but really fun and a great cardio workout!  

The month of January is a really busy month!  Currently, I have a 21 Day Fix Challenge Group that I am co-coaching with my team that is in preseason.  We just started our January Fitness Challenge, New Year, New Rear (a squat challenge).  Monday starts my 30-day Anything Goes Beachbody Challenge Group for my clients who are doing any program other than 21 Day Fix, and we have 2 more 21 Day Fix Groups starting the following 2 Mondays!  Wow! So many people are ready to change their lives and I am so happy to be a part of it! There are still spots in both 21 Day Fix challenge groups later in the month and in the Anything Goes Group starting on Monday.  If you are interested in joining one of my challenge groups and facing your New Year's Resolutions head-on, please fill out the form at the end of this post!  All of my challengers receive daily support, motivation, and accountability in a private Facebook group and one-on-one check-ins weekly (or more) with me, your personal coach. I can help you with meal planning as well! All of my coaching services are completely free! It can't get better than that!

My first 5-day clean eating group just rapped up yesterday, and it was a success!  I received awesome feedback from my participants, and I am totally pumped to be running another clean eating challenge starting January 19th!  For this challenge, a meal plan, grocery guide, recipes, and workouts are provided for 5 days for free with an option to purchase 5 days of Shakology to drink during the challenge for $25.  This is a great way to try before you buy a full month supply! For more information about how to join this group, fill out the form below! 

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Clean Eating

Well, its the day after Christmas, and I don't know about you, but I allowed myself a cheat day yesterday, and I'm feeling kinda sluggish today.  I have been pounding out the water today to rehydrate and help flush out all the excess salt from yesterday's indulgences, and I'm starting to feel better!  After all the heavy food yesterday, I was just craving a salad, something light and clean to fuel my body.  Do you ever just crave something healthy after a cheat meal/day?  I have the feeling that I'm not alone in this, so I am going to host a 5-day Clean Eating Challenge Group that starts on Monday, December 29th.  I wanted anyone and everyone who needs a holiday detox or wants to know more about clean eating to be able to participate in this group, so I made it FREE and open to everyone! Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/317084685161986

I took yesterday completely off, so that I could celebrate Christmas with my little family with no distractions.  The only time I had my phone on me was to take pictures of my little girl enjoying her new toys.  It felt really good to unplug for a day, but today I woke up pumped and ready to get back at it! I've got the Clean Eating Group starting Monday, a Beachbody Challenge Group starting the following Monday, January 5th, and I'm planning out our free monthly fit challenge too!

Tonight, I was researching clean eating "rules" and found a wide variety out there.  Some guidelines were super strict, others were labelled "for beginners".  I took all of what I found and created a list of 10 guidelines that we will be following in our 5-day challenge:

Tomorrow I will be finalizing our Meal Plan and Grocery List and posting it to the group. There is still time to join us.  We would love to have you! Click on the link provided above and join! 

If you are interested in participating in one of my future challenge groups, please fill out the form below: 

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The December Challenge Group Results are in!

Happy Tuesday y'all!  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! Can you believe it? This month has absolutely flown by.  I really feel like since I had my daughter, time passes so much more quickly than it did before.  Or maybe it's just a sign I'm getting older. Either way,  this month has gone crazy fast!  

My 21-Day Challenge Group finished up on Sunday, and my ladies did AMAZING!  Even with the craziness of the holidays, everyone lost pounds and inches and are going into the holiday healthier and stronger!  We had a great time and will be taking a super short break for Christmas and then the next Challenge group will start just after the first of the year!  I am having so much fun coaching my challengers.  Being a coach is such a rewarding job! I've gotten some great feedback from my challengers lately that has me smiling from ear to ear and totally jazzed up for the New Year!  We've got great things in store for January, February, and March so stay tuned!

Today was Day 2 of TurboFire. I am so sore!  Yesterday I completed Fire 30 and today was my first ever HIIT workout, HIIT 15.  Have you ever done a HIIT workout? HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training.  It's the type of workout where you go as hard as you can for a short period of time (in this case it was 30-45 seconds), take a short break, and then repeat.  It's a really effective way to workout, but should be used in moderation. You've got to make sure to allow enough time in between HIIT workouts to let your body recover, so you don't injure yourself.  A HIIT workout, when done correctly, creates, what Chalene Johnson calls, the afterburn effect.  What she means is that HIIT workouts significantly increase your metabolism in a short period of time and then your body maintains that higher metabolism for a longer time after your workout than in a normal cardio session.  An increased metabolism equals more calories burned every minute, and we all know we've got to burn more calories than we are consuming to lose weight.

My Polar heart rate monitor bit the dust yesterday, I've been looking for a new activity tracker for awhile -- one that I can wear 24/7 and tracks everything, including my sleep.  I was hoping to get one for Christmas, but I think I want to go with the new FitBit that's coming out after the first of the year, the Charge HR.  I've never fully understood how the activity trackers, including all the previous FitBits could be accurate without monitoring your heartrate, so I was really excited to see that the new FitBit was going to incorporate a heart rate monitor (using your wrist, so no annoying band around your chest!).  What activity tracker do you all use?  I'd be interested to hear what you like and don't like about the different options out there!

 

You Are What You Eat!

I'm sure you've heard the saying "You are what you eat". You've probably heard it so many times that it's lost all meaning to you.  

I know I didn't put much stock into that saying for a very long time. It wasn't until I started to clean up my eating habits that I realized that this over-used saying holds true.  It goes right along with the saying "eat like crap, feel like crap". Something I am experiencing today. 

I'm going to be real with y'all and confess that I've slipped up here and there during the last couple weeks for various reasons and those slip ups are starting to add up.  Today, I woke up feeling, well for lack of a better description, like crap.  I know it's because I've been consuming too much processed, carb-y/sugary foods.  Christmas is about a week away, and I know that I will be faced with many more temptations and opportunities to stray from my eating plan.  I will be doing my best to get through the holidays with as little indulgence as possible, taking it one day at a time.  I know I'm not alone in this food struggle this time of year, so I wanted to share with you that you are not alone and offer up an opportunity to start fresh after Christmas.  

To get myself back on track and to help anyone interested in starting on their New Year's Resolutions early, I will be hosting a FREE 5-day Clean Eating Challenge.  I will be providing you with a 5-day clean eating menu, grocery list, and recipes, along with daily motivation and encouragement.  We will all commit to eating as clean as possible, exercising daily, and check-in with the group for accountability. For people who want to take their eating plan a step further, I will also be offering up a 5-day supply of Shakeology for $20 with your choice of flavors.  This would be a great opportunity to try different flavors before you purchase a month supply!  Shakeology, while encouraged because it is AWESOME, is completely optional.  The group itself is totally free!

Interested in joining us? Fill out the form below!

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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 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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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. 

21 Day Fix Challenge Pack

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Monday Motivation, 21 Day Fix Day 7/8, and Results of the First Week

Motivation Monday

I just got off a team call with my Beachbody team and I am feeling inspired.  The call was about going from selfish to selfless in this business.  I did not become a Beachbody Coach for the money, though I knew the potential was there.  I became a Beachbody Coach to help others experience and achieve success with their health and fitness goals.  Here is one of many little nuggets of inspiration I took away from our team call:

I feel absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to combine my love of fitness with my desire to help others achieve their goals, all while being about to be at home with my daughter.  Team Beachbody is a fantastic business to work for.  They provide all the tools you need to be an effective coach.  I am lucky to be a part of the top team in our organization and have found a wealth of knowledge and support from my fellow coaches.  I could keep going about all the awesome perks of being a coach with Beachbody, there are so many, but I will leave it this.  If becoming a Beachbody Coach sounds like something you might be interested in doing, or you just want to get more information, leave a comment or message me on facebook -----> here.

Days 7 & 8 of the 21 Day Fix

Yesterday, was another busy day. We started out going to dog agility training as a family because we wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather we are having here in NC.  My daughter got to run around and get her wiggles out, while my husband worked the pup.  Afterwards we came home and enjoyed a relaxing Sunday of family and football.  I was craving red meat all day, so I indulged and had a lean burger for lunch and steak for dinner.  I stayed within my proper portion sizes, but the food was so dense, that it left me feeling too full. Blech.  I did save a yellow (carb) serving so I could have a small treat.

Meal Plan:

• Breakfast: hashbrowns and an egg (1y,1r,1tsp)
• Lunch: Cheese burger and salad (1r,1b,1y,3g,1o,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes (2p)
• Dinner: Steak and green beans (2r,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple (1p)
• Dessert: Dark chocolate (1y)

Today started out late for a normal weekday.  My husband is on call for work, so he was up nearly all night working, and I don't sleep well alone anymore, so neither of us got restful sleep.  Couldn't workout in the morning, but I did get in my Total Body Cardio Fix this evening.  I'm taking a rest day from PiYo simply because I didn't have enough time today to get it in, and I'd rather get an extra hour of sleep than squeeze in another workout.  I will be back at it tomorrow.  This is my last week of PiYo!  

Meal Plan:

• Breakfast: Hashbrowns and an egg (1y,1r,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple (1p)
• Lunch: Cheese burger and salad (2r,1b,1y,3g,1o,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes (2p)
• Dinner: Steak and green beans (1r,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Peanutbutter and dark chocolate (1tsp, 1y)

21 Day Fix Week 1 Results

I am super excited to share that in my first week of the 21 Day Fix, I have lost 3 pounds and 5 inches!  I couldn't be happier with my results so far, and I can't wait to see how much more I can lose in the next 2 weeks!  If you would like to join my next challenge group, message me on facebook ------> here.

If you are looking for more fitness tips and tricks or healthy recipes, I post both daily on my health and fitness Facebook group. I also run free challenge groups each month in addition to 30 and 60 day Beachbody challenge groups.  Join us!  We are up to over 300 members!  Click this link ------> Achieving a Fitter Life with Heather Hope

Motivation Monday and Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix

Hey y'all!  Let me start with today's Motivation Monday pic. Better late than never, right?

This quote really hit home for me.  When I was overweight, I thought everything would be so much easier once I was fit.  Getting there required more focus and discipline than I had ever put into anything else.  Little did I know, once I reached my goals, I would have to work nearly as hard to keep me there. Now, I'm not saying that you can never slip up or have a cheat day, I most certainly did, but I had to dig deep to bounce back from my mistakes that I had along the way.  This journey is not an easy one, but, having been there once before, I can say without any doubt, the results are worth the effort you are putting in.

Today was my first day of a new program, 21 Day Fix. This is a Beachbody program that incorporates healthy eating using color coded containers to guide your portion sizing with an exercise program that consists of 30 minute workouts, 7 days a week.

  

The coolest part of this program, is that I am participating in my first Facebook Challenge Group. Challenge groups are a great way to stay accountable and provide a place where we can connect with others who are going through the same journey we are.  The challenge groups are free to join once you have the program your group will be using, so you can join for as many rounds of your program as you would like to do, without any additional cost.  Once I have participated in this challenge group, I will be coaching my own groups once a month using the 21 Day Fix Program.  I will also coach challenge groups periodically that utilize the other Beachbody Programs like P90X3, T25, and PiYo.  I can't wait!

Day 1 of 21 Day Fix went as follows:

First, I started my morning with PiYo Sweat before my toddler woke up.  I'm currently in week 7 of 8 of the PiYo Program.  I normally wouldn't overlap programs, but I wanted to get a jump start on my first challenge group, so I could start helping others in my own hosted groups.   I am loving my PiYo workouts.  This program incorporates the fundamentals of both Pilates and Yoga in a fast-flow, low impact workout.  My flexibility has improved tremendously since starting this program, and my body is definitely changing, but more on that once I finish the program and post my before/after photo and results.

After my first workout, I ate breakfast, got my daughter up, and fed her breakfast  We played and ate lunch before her nap. Once she was down, I did my Fix Workout.  Today was Total Body Cardio Fix.  Wow was that a workout!  It totally kicked my butt, and I am feeling it everywhere tonight.  After workout #2, I had a snack. My daughter woke up a short time late and we played until my husband came home. Then was dinner and bed time for the babe and time to focus on my coaching.  We had a fantastic team call tonight on blogging.  I learned a bunch and plan to incorporate much of what we talked about into this blog in the coming weeks.  

Meal Plan Day 1:  I am on the 1500-1799 calorie eating plan

• Breakfast: Cereal and 1/2 cup 1% milk -- (2 1/2y)
• Snack: Yogurt (made w/2% milk) -- (1r)
• Lunch: Leftover tortellini and green beans -- (1r,1/2y,1b,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple -- (2p)
• Dinner: Large Salad w/dressing and 2 scrambled eggs -- (3g,1o,2r,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes -- (1p)

I was a little hungry after my second workout, but after drinking some water, I felt better.  This is totally a doable plan.  I love the flexibility, and spreading out the food throughout the day kept my energy levels up despite doing double workouts.  I could get used to this!