The 21 Day Fix

Week 1 - 21 Day Fix

I was so excited to start the 21 Day Fix, I decided the best time to start was with a Mommy 21 Day Fix Support Group.. After completing 10 weeks of Focus T25, I thought this would be a walk in the park! I wasn't able to start the Fix Workouts with the group because of pneumonia, I started a week later...

 

When I got my package in the mail, I thought "huh, maybe this will be a challenge?!" The containers were smaller than I imagined and the workouts looked intense, especially the last week of doubles... I was excited to start the challenge!

Day 1 - I pushed play, and I see cute little Autumn talk about 60 second workouts with a break in between and honestly I thought "are you kidding me? I just finished T25, 25 minutes of non stop pushing yourself to the limit and now I am going to be taking break!!?" HAHA boy was I wrong... It was such an intense workout! I felt it all day and was so sore getting out of bed the next morning! I totally under estimated the program! And in that moment I realized, that this was going to be awesome!                

 

I enjoyed the workouts, and the food - it was actually more food than I was eating prior to starting the Fix so I was pleasantly surprised! The workouts were challenging, I felt sore and oddly energized at the same time!

 

Week 1 food looked like this :

 

No time to cook - that's okay! Pick up a roasting chicken!

Made yummy and filling Stuffed Peppers!

My favorite! Chicken Stir Fry.. Simple and easy.. have everything ready to go on prep day and just toss it together in olive oil!

Quick and easy lunch... Pretty much a daily meal! Aubrey and I had a great time making them and would add chicken and veggies to change it up!

 

 

 

 

Think you can't go out to eat? WRONG!!! I love Chipotle, and thought I would have to give it up... NOPE! I just had to modify it - no sour cream and I asked for everything next to each other so I could measure it out!

 

Well how did I do on week 1 - I lost 3.2 pounds and 1.5 inches! YAY! So excited for week 2! This has been so much fun to do with my Mommy Support Group! Who wants to join me for Round 2?

CLICK HERE!

Looking back at the last 90 days....

Im not sure if I thought these last 90 days went quickly or not... haha... When I think back to the day I

took my before photos, and I look at the girl in those photos, it seems like forever ago... So much has changed... I've lost almost 40 pounds, over 40 inches, Aubrey turned 4, Kate is sleeping through the night, laughing, cooing, jumping in her bouncer, rolling over, and I've been becoming more and more successful in coaching.. That is a lot of changes in 90 days...

As much as my body has changed over this time, I think I personally have grown more... I have learned so much about myself, I have become so much stronger mentally.. I feel like I am starting to get a "I am woman, hear my roar" kinda attitude which is fun... As much as I never wanted my weight to hold me back, it still did... I thought people would just look at me and say "wow, she gained a lot of weight" but I couldn't blame them for that because I did gain a lot of weight.

Looking back on these last 90 days, I see how much as changed inside and out and it makes me really excited for the next 90 days... The possibilities seem endless... My goals for the next 90 days physically are to expand my coaching and team, reach my goal weight, be able to do a real push up (I am soo close) and to start building a wardrobe! I feel like I haven't had one in years! I feel so proud of all I have accomplished these last 90 days, I thought the personal transformation would never have one and I thought the physical one would take 2 years (seriously, I calculated how much weight I wanted to shred and divided into average weight loss in a week and it was going to look like 18 months - 2 years). I don't think I would have been able to do this without the support of my coach, challenge groups and my team... We push each other to be better in every way and I am so thankful for them!

I am grateful for the leap of faith I took, it was something I never would've done but I was desperate for help and it ended up to be one of the best decisions of my life... I am grateful for the fabulous programs that helped me surpass my 15,30,60, and 90 day goals... I have lost most of my weight and inches with T25, then went on to complete 2 weeks of Les Mills Pump, I had to take some time off due to pneumonia and I am now doing the 21 day fix with my Hot Mom Group. When I complete the fix, I am excited to really go outside of my comfort zone and do PiYo (this will be such an amazing challenge for a girl who still can't touch her toes!)

Thank you all who have been on this journey with me thus far.... See how I can help you!


 

21 Day Fix Stuffed Peppers

21 Day Fix Stuffed Peppers!!!

Absolutely delish!

 

What you need:

2 Bell Peppers

1 Yellow container of brown rice
1/2 Yellow container of black beans, (canned) rinsed and drained
1/2 Yellow container of frozen corn
2 Red containers of browned low fat ground turkey or beef, seasoned with 21 Day Fix Southwestern Seasoning
1 Green container of petite diced tomatoes (no sugar added, read the ingredients.  Should only contain tomatoes and ascorbic acid) - I used fresh Roma Tomatoes
1 Purple container of organic canned tomato sauce
1 Blue container of your favorite cheese

1/2 green onions (Chopped, can use in pepper or I like adding mine to the finished/cooked pepper from some crunch!)

What you need to do:

1.  Brown ground meat and season with Southwest seasoning.  Set aside to cool.
2. Drain and rinse black beans.
3. Portion out diced tomatoes, corn, and tomato sauce, and cheese.
4.  Combine in large bowl meat, tomatoes, corn,

rice/quinoa, beans, and sauce.
5.  Cut caps off of peppers and pull out ribs and core.  Rinse excess seeds out.
6. Stuff peppers with filling.
7. Sprinkle with cheese.
8.  Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes - Cheese should be melted and filling should be heated all the way through.
9. Top with onion if desired

Enjoy!  Each Pepper = 2 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Blue, 1/2 Purple

Peanut Butter Fudge

Making Vanilla Shakeo taste like Chocolate when you feel like switching it up!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CHOCOLATE SHAKEO RECIPE!!!

Avoiding T,L,B (tastes, licks and bites)!!!

As a mom, I think this is one of the hardest things to master...
Fluffy pancakes, "oh whats one bite?",


Does this look like you? HAHA

mac and cheese - take a bite to make sure it isn't too hot and "just a taste of ice cream". These tastes, licks and bites can really add up... Oh or how about the few bites, your kiddo didn't finish - do you find yourself shoveling that into your mouth too? Basically, the story of my life - well my old life!

So how do you avoid these T,L,Bs??? Besides the obvious - extreme will power!

Here are a few tips!




- Stay hydrated - The benefits of water are incredible, and in many cases if you’re feeling hungry, a big glass of water can do the trick. Quenching your thirst will often help your cravings to quickly disappear and will hydrate you. Double bonus!

- Chew gum - Fresh breath and will make you think before you put food into your mouth! Is it worth it to spit this gum out and a handful of chips? Nope! Another Double Bonus!!

- Have veggies cut up and fruit available for easy snacking - Here’s a great little test to try on yourself – if you’re not ravenous enough to snack on those veggies or grab a piece of fruit, you’re probably not really hungry!

- Travel with snacks - Take healthy snacks with you on the go so when the urge strikes you, you don’t hit the local fast food joint for a quick fix. I keep rice cakes in my car, diaper bag, work bag - this way when I am hungry I don't just run through the drive thru!

- Don’t skip meals -  Eating proper meals at regular intervals throughout the day helps to keep you fuller longer, naturally ridding you of those between-meal munchies.

- Beware of portions - When you’re having meals or healthy snacks, be aware of portion sizes. Eating too much or too little can certainly cause you to feel hungry between main meals. Keep it balanced and your snacking will naturally lessen. Also when you are snacking, don't sit down with a bag of snacks, decide what a portion is, put it in a bowl and put the rest away! When you are mindlessly eating in front of the TV, it gives you a tendency to overeat without even knowing it!

- Get active: If you’re feeling hungry, try going for a walk – and not to the refrigerator or cupboard! If you’re at the office, take a stroll to speak to a colleague or get a breath of fresh air outside. If you’re at home, walk away from the kitchen and get outside or choose another task to focus on inside. Either way, change what you’re doing and you’d be amazed at how quickly your unnecessary snacking needs disappear.

- Avoid the midnight munchies: Once the kids are in bed, and you’ve had your well-portioned, fiber-rich dinner, don’t snack anymore. Mindless munchies are often worst at night, so take control and just say no to those late night cravings!

21 Day Fix Oatmeal Chicken

What you need:                

- 1 yellow of oatmeal
- 1 blue of Parmesan cheese                                     

- garlic powder
- 2 chicken breasts
- extra virgin olive oil

 

How to make it:                             

- foil baking sheet
- spray with olive oil
- bread chicken with oatmeal
- place on baking sheet
- sprinkle each breast with 1/2 container of cheese
- sprinkle garlic powder
- spray top with olive oil

Bake at 350 for 30 min and then broil on low for 5-10 min.

What does it cost you on the FIX:

- 1/2 yellow
- 1 red
- 1/2 blue
- One teaspoon

Banana Bread Shako

What can Shakeology do for you?!?

I will admit, when my coach suggested to me to drink Shakeology I was skeptical ... It is expensive, but with the bottom of the bag guarantee, I figured I had nothing to lose. And then at least I could say 'I tried'... Day 1 - I thought it was tasty but the texture was weird for me (if you know me, you know I have real texture issues). But I liked the energy it gave me and I was full for a really long time. Within a few times tweeking the recipe, I perfected the texture and I FELL IN LOVE!

Shakeology took away my cravings all day... I drank Shakeology for breakfast and by the evening I was not even tempted by my usual cereal and ice cream in bed... Shakeology gave me the energy to keep up with my daughters (even while getting up with an infant twice a night)... Shakeology kept me full and focused... I can't imagine not starting my day without it!

Watch this video on Shakeology!

What is in Shakeology?

Shakeology is so incredibly healthy, there's no other single food item out there that can supply you with all the nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and minerals in the amounts you need the way one delicious shake can.

More than 70 super-nutritious ingredients.

• Proteins, Vitamins, and Minerals – to help reduce hunger andfood cravings.
• Antioxidants and Phytonutrients – to help detoxify and protect the body against free radical damage.
• Adaptogen Herbs – to help increase energy and combat stress.
• Prebiotics, Probiotics, Fiber, and Digestive Enzymes – to aid digestion and promote regularity.

Proteins, Vitamins, and minerals:

Studies show protein for breakfast can help prevent afternoon cravings for sweets. But who's got time to cook eggs? Shakeology's nourishing protein blend includes superfoods like sacha inchi and flax, rich in fiber to help control your appetite.

Plus, Shakeology can help:
• Build and repair muscles
• Promote ideal blood sugar levels
• Support brain function to help promote alert thinking and a positive mood
• Promote healthy skin, hair, and nails

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients:
The superfoods in Shakeology go beyond meeting basic nutritional needs. Sourced from around the world, antioxidants like camu-camu and phytonutrients like moringa work to detoxify your body, support the immune system, and may even help slow down aging.

Protect your body from free radical damage.

Plus, Shakeology can help:

• Promote a strong immune system
• Promote your body's natural inflammatory response
• Promote an ideal alkaline state

Adaptogen Herbs

Among the powerful superfoods in Shakeology are adaptogens—plants like maca root—that adapt themselves to harsh conditions, and therefore carry highly concentrated nutrients that can help provide energy to assist your body in coping with stress.

The secret weapon for increasing energy and endurance.

Plus, Shakeology can help:

• Protect the body from stress

• Support endocrine and hormone balance and a strong immune system

• Support brain function to help promote alert thinking and a positive mood

• Support a healthy libido

 

Prebiotics, Probiotics, Fiber, and Digestive Enzymes

Shakeology is packed with fiber, natural prebiotics, and probiotics, like yacon root and bacillus coagulans, that increase the presence of "good bacteria" in your intestines to improve digestion and keep you "regular."

Shed toxins built up from years of eating processed foods.

Plus, Shakeology can help:

• Support a healthy intestinal tract
• Aid in digestion
• Promote regularity
• Increase the absorption of nutrients

Can you save $ using Shakeology?

Dollar for dollar, Shakeology is the probably the world's greatest value in nutrition. How else can you get the nutritional equivalent of $41 of fruits and vegetables in a single glass?

 

 

When to drink Shakeology:

For BREAKFAST – Since it helps curb food cravings, you'll be less hungry throughout the day.
Before or after WORKOUTS – It gives you extra energy to power through, and protein to help your muscles recover.
ANYTIME! – It takes less than a minute to toss Shakeology and water into your shaker cup, so you won't slow down your day!

WHY is there NO comparison to Shakeology??

• Formula? 70+ of the healthiest ingredients from whole-food sources. Advantage: Shakeology.
• Sweeteners? No artificial sweeteners, flavors, fillers, or additives of any kind. Advantage: Shakeology.
• Taste? Delicious Shakeology in 5 mouthwatering flavors (vs. artificially flavored competition). Advantage: Shakeology.

I do believe Shakeology, played a huge role in how I have been so successful with my weight loss. I have had challengers that have done programs with and without Shakeology and the ones that use Shakeology have better results and are happier than the ones who did not use the Shakes.

Click here if you want to try Shakeology!

Interested in a Challenge Group?

- Click here if you want to see what Challenge Groups are available (Shakeology + Home work out program)

- Click here to apply to get into a Challenge Group

 

Greek Yogurt Mac n Cheese

Every now and then I love to have a high protein meal that is meatless! I craved Mac 'n Cheese, but struggled thinking how I could make it "clean"... but HELLO I found it!!!

What you need:

- 8oz (2c) whole wheat pasta
- 8oz (2c) shredded sharp cheddar
- 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
- 2 c fresh spinach
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder

What to do:
- Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions.
- Place spinach leaves in the bottom of the strainer, and pour the pasta over top to drain and wilt the spinach
- Save 1/2c of the pasta water
- Return the cooked macaroni and wilted spinach to the pot
- Add about 1/4 c of the pasta water to the pot, and stir in cheese until melted.
- Stir in the greek yogurt, onion and garlic powder until smooth
- Stir in remaining pasta water, to thin if needed.

How I lost 30 pounds in 60 days...

It may seem obvious - workout, eat clean foods, drink water, drink Shakeology daily... and that is pretty much all I did.. but I have some tips I learned a long the way to get me there!

Eating real food...

- Clean out your pantry!! That Hamburger Helper in the back of your pantry is not doing anyone any favors... Clean you pantry out of all the things you might be tempted by! As a parent, it wasn't easy and did have to keep some snacks for Aubrey... And at Easter time, I made her hide all her candy in her room so I wouldn't eat it - I knew I would never go in her room at night and risk waking her up to get to a kit-kat! What sane mom would??
- Prep is KEY!! When it was first recommended to me to do a meal prep day for the week - I thought that sounded gross, like I would be eating left overs all week... But, I embraced meal prep and now I LOVE IT! It takes away all the excuses of why I can't eat clean!! Dan goes grocery shopping every 2 weeks and once a week we prep. Grill full of chicken, pot full of brown rice, veggies all cut, snacks portioned out! So if I am running around with the girls all day, and I look at the clock and it is 630 I can have dinner on the table in 5-10 minutes! Prep is also nice on the pocket book... After awhile, I learned what I needed and how much I needed on the grocery list... Week 1 I eat a lot of berries, salad, bananas and Week 2 I eat more apples, pineapple, carrots and frozen veggies (things that have a longer shelf life.) Frozen veggies are almost as good as fresh - they are usually picked and frozen at the peak of freshness and are a great alternative financially and if you are like me and only shop twice a month.

- Don't get caught up in "I don't like fish"... Guess what? ME EITHER... I don't like fish, eggs, avocado, sweet potatoes, ect... That does not mean I can't succeed at this... Yes, I eat a lot of the same foods (chicken, brown rice, peppers, sugar snapped peas, ect), but I have learned to take these same core ingredients and make it work!
- Do not STARVE! If you throw your body into starvation mode, you will ruin your metabolism and your body will hold onto whatever calories you do eat... I practiced zig-zag dieting which helps burn calories and keeps your metabolism guessing... And the best part is, its okay to have a cheat meal - WHY? Because your body isn't expecting it! This method is used a lot to help break a plateau but I find it easy to follow and I am hoping using this practice, I won't plateau.... So for example, I will eat 1200 calories on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then Thursday I will eat 1600 then Friday is 1400... Saturday and Sunday are 1400-1600 depending on what I am doing... If I have a 'bad' eating day, I will turn around and really watch what I eat for a day or two and eating 1200 really lean calories and reduce or elimate carbs the next day or two.. ALL CALORIES ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY - always remember that! And never eat less than 1200 calories in a day!!!

 

Pushing PLAY...

I think we can all agree that time is valuable - whether you have 10 kids and 10 jobs or no kids and no job we all value our time. So when you push play - be the best athlete you can be in that time... If your workout is 20 minutes or an hour you are using your time anyways so make the most of it... We all have bad days, or days we aren't feeling it... but push play, follow the program and be the best you can be everytime! You will not regret it!

Go Public...

I did not realize the impact going public with my weight loss would have! Once I started posting about it and talking about it, I found so many people supporting me, and then joining me and WATCHING ME... People wanted to know what I was doing, I felt like everywhere I went people wanted to see what I would eat at a wedding, graduation, picnic, restaurant, ect... I felt like people were saying "will she go to the dessert table?" "will she eat a hot dog?" so it was like an extra set of eyes on me! Because lets face it, what you eat in private is what you wear in public!

Taking those dreaded BEFORE PHOTOS....

I hadn't looked at myself like that in years.... I set up the tripod and set the timer, took the first photo and looked at the preview on the camera to make sure the zoom and everything was okay and I literally almost fell to the floor... I was overwhelmed with "how did this happen", "this is too much to change", "this is going to take forever"... I was soooo ------- sad.... I had abused my body, I let it go... I studied those photos, and I put them in my phone and I looked at them daily... and when I didn't feel like pushing play I thought about them, and when I wanted to eat ice cream I thought of them and how I felt in that moment... and nothing could taste as good as getting fit would feel... So take them, study them, remind yourself of how you felt in that moment... You can't change what you can't acknowledge, acknowledge that what you see isn't healthy...

Day 1 to Day 60
T25 & Shakeology
Clean eating and Challenge Group

Surround yourself with support - challenge groups are great way to get support from peers and coaches! At your fingertips 24/7, we love to hear how you are doing, what you are struggling with, and your victories... If you stick with us, we WILL REACH OUR GOALS TOGETHER! I will do anything to help you reach your goals! I have taken my challengers measurements and photos for them, I have helped that write a grocery list, I have let them look at my pantry, I have had them in my home to try shakes... Let's do this together :) If you are ready, I am here!

Why measurements are so important!

Ever start a workout program and find that after a few weeks of exercise the scale doesn’t budge or actually goes up? Don’t stress, this is a common occurrence and brings up the question if muscle weighs more than fat. One pound equals 16 ounces no matter what the substance, so one pound of fat is equal to one pound of muscle.... SO what is the difference?! IT IS DENSITY!


Muscle tissue is more dense than fat , not heavier, so think about what a pound of apples would look like next to a pound of marshmallows, the marshmallows will take up much more space. Because a pound of muscle is smaller in size than a pound of fat... FAT TAKES UP 4 TIMES MORE SPACE THAN MUSCLE TISSUE!!! It’s possible to look and feel trimmer even if weight remains the same. 
Not only can more muscle be better for appearances, it’s also better for the body. Whereas excess body fat can contribute to serious health conditions like stroke, coronary disease, and diabetes, extra muscle mass can contribute to good health and a longer life.

Does This Fat Make Me Look Fat? UMM... yes!

So how can 150 pounds be a size 8 and a size 12? A person weighing 150 pounds with 20% fat will look smaller than a person at 150 pounds with 35% fat.  They weigh the same, yet the composition is different.  Because muscle is denser than fat, the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller. The pounds might not be changing but the oh so important ratio of muscle to fat may. With this in mind, it might be time to put the scale aside and measure weight loss with 'before and after' photos, measurements or simply trying on those old skinny jeans.