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!

Fill out the form below, or comment with your email to get more information!

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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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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!

  

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!