Mocha Caramel Shakeology

I am not a huge coffee fan and honestly, I've never had a cup of coffee... but I get a lot of requests for Starbuck's like Shakes... I made this bad boy the other day and it was AAAAMMAAZZZING! Plus my Shakeology recipe is less calories, less money, healthier, more protein and packed with dense super foods! You are welcome :)

These are a Few of My Favorite Things....

One of my favorite Oprah shows was when she did her annual "Oprah's Favorite Things" Annual Christmas Special... Although I have never purchased or owned a single one of her favorite things it was a fun episode and I loved watching the crowd go wild... Although this will be slightly less exciting (and much less expensive lol) I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things... And in true holiday spirit, I wanted to do a little give away!!!

 

My Favorite Fit Mom Things:

• Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor
• There are a ton of heart rate monitors and fitness bracelets out there... I love this one because it is affordable and easy to use... I don't need anything fancy or for it to link to my phone... I just like beating my calorie burns and it is a way to help me push myself.
• Victoria Secret's Yoga Pants
• Need I say more? I basically live in these! They are comfy, hold up great, and come in 3 lengths which is great for other tall momma's like me!
• ASICS Women's GEL-Craze TR Cross-Training Shoe
• When I first started on my fitness journey, I had an old pair of running shoes that I used to train in. My knees were killing me and I felt like I would get an injury in my ankles, so I started working out in my bare feet - but as the new year approaches I am planning live workouts, the first of which at a first class resort in Pittsburgh and I am pretty sure a bare foot workout would be frowned upon. I love these shoes! They give me the perfect amount of support and cushion. My knees feel so much better and my ankles don't feel like they are slipping - plus they are super cute!
• Knockout by Victoria’s Secret Front-Close Sport Bra
• A front zip reveals structured cups that clip together for a maximum-support sport bra that’s easy to put on and take off. Perfect for running, boxing and high-impact workouts, all in Body-Wick fabric that keeps you cool and dry. And again - super cute!
• Beachbody's E&E
• Being a busy mom and night shift nurse, sometimes I don't have the energy to do an intense workout - and then tah-dah Energy and Endurance! It is formulated to help improve energy, endurance, strength and focus to help you maximize your workout! It has helped me burn more calories during the same workout! And no artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or high risk/untested ingredients.
• High Impact Jumping Mat
• My knees never get a break - between working as a nurse, sitting on the floor playing with the girls and high impact workouts - my poor knees can get pretty sore! I love, love, love this jumping mat! I feel like it saves my knees and my carpet (since I workout in the living room on my shag carpet)

So how do I win one?

• Each qualifying purchase in January 2015 will put your name into a simple drawling.
• If you refer a friend that makes a qualifying purchase your name will go in twice (or more!).
• For every 5 purchases, I will pull a name!
• For example, if 5 purchases are made - one winner
• 10 purchases - 2 winners
• And so on and so on - giving you a 20% chance of winning! (refer one friend and that chance of winning doubles!)

Plus you get the amazing support of my challenge groups! I help you pick your program, I help you meal plan and succeed! To join my next challenge group and for your chance to win, apply here!

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Insanity Max:30 Week 1 Review

 

After 2 rounds of T25, a little bit of Les Mils Pump, a little bit of TurboFire and 2 rounds of the 21 Day Fix, I needed to do something a little bit different as my weight loss has slowed down. I was losing weight at a very steady rate since April, but with a little lax in my diet and not being overly challenged in my workouts it had slowed and some weeks even stalled... Then like magic Insanity Max:30 was announced and I knew it would be my next challenge!

 

 

What my OCD brain loved was the nutrition plan - no guessing! Here is a list of foods, here is how much you can eat in a day, and here is a recipe book - how perfect! Everything from breakfast, to Shakeology recipes, to dressings!

Meal planning and prep is always key for me! My young girls demand a lot of my time and attention, we are on the go a lot of times and I work nights and evenings... so having a plan and having it ready to go at a moments notice helps me keep myself in check!

 

 

The fun part about taking on this 60 day challenge is that I am doing the program side by side with my exclusive test group!

Day 1 - Cardio Challenge

Cardio Challenge is the "fit test" of the program... Phew! Not easy and honestly I was a little disappointed with myself! The program has scheduled breaks (30 seconds about every 5 minutes) and I had to take 5 breaks on top of that!!! I got my heart rate up as high as I ever have and my highest calorie burn in 30 minutes which is amazing to me because I took so many breaks! I felt amazing (and thirsty!) when it was completed!! I instantly knew that this program would be what I needed to re-jump start my weight loss!





Dinner Day 1 - yum!

Day 2 - Tabata Power!

I really enjoyed this workout - I love pushing my body and using my body to train my body. Tabata training is an intense 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off... I thought to myself - "only 20 seconds ha I can do that" whoa it was intense! Had a great sweat going and felt amazing - although I am not sure how I am going to wash my hair.

 

  

Day 3

Today was supposed to be Sweat Intervals - I worked night shift the night before and I was getting ready for a second 12 hour night shift... I got up early to do my workout - only to find my girls begging for mommy time... Aubrey wanted a game of Chutes and Ladders and Kate wanted to play peek-a-boo - and I just couldn't pass it up! Especially after not seeing them all day - So they win (and so did I) - Rest day today and Sweat intervals will be made up for on Saturday!

Day 4 - Tabata Power

Ummm yeah - that didn't get easier

 

Day 5 - Friday Fight

Holy Crap! First of all, I was disappointed to find out that there weren't as many breaks - this really was a challenge between mind and body! It really pushed me past limits I ever imagined... whoa! The time went so fast, I was so focused on learning the new moves and convincing myself not to give up...

 

Saturday - Making up that missed Sweat Interval workout!

This was my favorite workout - it was a great mix of cardio and strength building! I added in 10 minute Ab attack since the girls were actually behaving for me lol - OMGsh! I thought the 21 Day Fix 10 minute Fix for Abs was a killer, this was unlike anything I could've imagined! I loved it! My body is so sore and I can see and feel it changing!!

 

PUMPED FOR WEEK 2 - even though it is the holidays and we will be busy and temptations will be high - I got this! More than ever I want this for myself... Shaun T said something in one of his pre-workout speeches that really motivated me - it's about me, in these 30 minutes its about me - getting me in the best physical condition.. I am so ready to be the best version of myself!!!

 

 

Resolutions to Results

Is it because you can get a cheaper rate on a gym membership? Or maybe because you've gained an extra ten holiday pounds on top of the ten pounds you wanted to drop anyways? But a study conducted by the University of Scranton found that in 2014, the number one New Year's resolution amon Americans was to lose weight. It beat out "getting more organized", "spending less money" and "enjoying life to the fullest" - yes, that is right, losing weight came before living life to the fullest...

Yet, the same survey revealed that only 8 percent of people are ever successful in achieving their resolutions, and only 46 percent of people maintain efforts towards their goal past six months after making a vow... How discouraging is it to know that even before you make that resolution, your chances of being successful is less than 10 percent???? And on top of that, your chances of maintaining you goals is less than half??? OUCH!

A recent Consumer Health and Fitness Index poll conducted by interactive fitness company Blue Goji found that while 52 percent of the 2,652 participants polled said that losing weight and exercising was a top concern for 2015, more than two-thirds said that they didn't maintain the health goals they had set in 2014.

So what the heck is holding so many people back from reaching these goals that they set for themselves year after year?

• Honestly I think it is a lack of thought and planning than most of us would probably like to admit. Put simply, whether you're aiming to lose weight, increase your fitness or even if you have a goal that's completely unrelated, you can't just make the decision that you're going to change and expect it to happen overnight.

You need a plan of action.

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I too, have vowed for many New Year's to drop those unwanted baby and holiday pounds, but like so many others my efforts failed and I belonged to the 8 percent... In 2014, I vowed that after the birth of my second daughter I would once and for all drop these unwanted, unhealthy pounds.. But how??? How was I going to make this year different? How was I going to beat the odds? My plans in the past included salad after salad and trips to the gym - but now with two kids I had to turn to in home fitness programs... I started my journey with T25 in a challenge group with my fabulous coach - 25 minutes a day, accountability, support, motivation, clean eating recipes, meal planning help... The challenge group took out all of guess work - if I followed the steps and knew my results would be fabulous - and as you know, they were!

 

 

Do something different this year!!! Join my next challenge group starting Jan 5th! Let me and my team of amazing coaches help you get your the results you've been wanting for all these years! Let's face it, if you do the same thing you did last year - chances are, you will get the same results you got in 2014... Let's do this together!

I am looking for 10 people who are ready to get serious about their weight loss! Who is ready???

Fill out my online form.

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Garlic Mushroom Quinoa

 

This was my first time having quinoa, I had to see what all the hype was about! I am addicted!

 

What you need:

• 1 c quinoa
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound of mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan

What you need to do:

1. In a large saucepan, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa and cook according to package directions
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat - add mushrooms, garlic and thyme... cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes
3. Salt and pepper to taste
4. Stir in quinoa until well combined.
5. Garnish with Parmesan
6. Enjoy!

Streak Free Floor Cleaner

So you might be thinking - "this has nothing to do with health or fitness"... but it most certainly does... when I set out on my health and fitness journey, I was determined to "clean up" all aspects of my life... Clean food, working out, healthier cleaning products, organic foods, clean up my finances and mind...

So one of the issues I had in my house were my beautiful dark hard wood floors... they look spectacular but they are the biggest pain! They show EVERYTHING!!! Traditional floor cleaner left them streaky with a residue and it drove me crazy! I kept saying "I need to make my own cleaner and try that" but I was consistently lazy with it until one day I needed to clean the floors and I was all out of floor cleaner! Then tah-dah - my streak free floor cleaner was invented! 4 simple ingredients and warning it doesn't smell pretty so if you have some essential oils I would recommend adding a drop or two! You can smell the cleaner as you are using the product, but afterwards you do not smell it!!!

 

 

What you need:

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 drops of dish soap

What you need to do:

1. Add the above ingredients together and stir
2. Add to a spray bottle
3. Use a swifer like mop and attach a micro-fiber towel head to it
4. Spray directly to floors and go over the area with the mop
5. Allow to dry and like magic you have beautiful streak free floors without the chemicals and residue of traditional floor cleaners!
6. Enjoy!!!!

Mashed Red Potatoes!

I love mashed potatoes, especially in the winter - growing up I ate mashed potatoes like most of you did - yellow potatoes, peeled, boiled, butter, milk, salt (and when my dad made them he always added sour cream and cream cheese)... Potatoes are a great, clean side if made well - another reason I love potatoes - perfect for my frugal budget!!! So as I embraced a healthier lifestyle, I knew I had to clean up one of my favorite side dishes... and tah-dah! One pot, no peeling, 30 minutes - right up my alley!

What you need:

• Bag of red potatoes
• organic butter
• fresh chopped chives or freeze dried chives
• garlic salt

What you need to do:

1. Wash potatoes
2. Cube potatoes
3. Put them in a large pot, fill with water just covering potatoes
4. Place over high flame, once boiling - turn on medium and cover - cook until potatoes are soft, usually 20-30 minutes
5. Strain potatoes
6. Hand mash, add butter (I add 1 tbsp. per 4 potatoes), add in garlic salt and chives to taste
7. I topped mine with freshly grated Colby Jack Cheese
8. Serve and Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chai Shakeology

I know it is winter time, and I should be thinking all things Christmas - but I can not get over pumpkin season just quite yet!!! Not going to lie, I may or may not have topped it with cool whip! Enjoy!

Insanity Max 30 - Preview!!!

I am sooo pumped for this new program - as you all know, I love love love Shaun T and I think this program will be a lot of fun! Insanity is just too long for me, and I need something more now that I am just about finished with my second round of T25... It is all about getting better than you were last time and beating you max out time!

Insanity Max 30 - Preview!

So what is Insanity Max???

INSANITY MAX:30 is the challenging new 30-minute, in-home workout program from Shaun T, creator of INSANITY and Focus T25. Shaun T has developed 150 new cardio and strength moves that will make you push harder and dig deeper than ever before to get the best body of your life in just 60 days. INSANITY MAX:30 will be the hardest 30 minutes of the day and you need to be ready to MAX OUT. It's not about "getting through" all 30 minutes, it's about going as hard as possible, for as long as possible, until becoming "MAXED OUT" (until taking a break). No equipment needed… just push to the MAX for INSANE results in just 60 days.  It may not be Tonia, but yes - there is a modifier to help you keep it low impact while you are learning the moves! I always try to challenge myself and beat my calorie burn, and this program is going to have me challenging myself in a whole new way - be beating my "Max Out Time" so what is maxing out? Maxing out is when you go hard as long as you can, and when you need a break - you take one. Write down that time, and that is your max out time! Every time you do that workout, your goal is to beat that time... I love this!!! It constantly pushes you to be better than you were last time! Such a fun spin on a challenging workout - eeekkk can you tell I am excited??? The first workout is a cardio workout and a fit test so you can see how far you can go and how long. Here’s the format for that workout: Warm-up Quick Break 3 Exercises at 30 Seconds Each (3 Rounds of each for 4.5 Minutes) 30 Second Break Repeat for 5 Rounds Total More details to come!!! So who wants to get insane results and max out with me??? Exclusive group starts Dec 8th and space is limited! 1 on 1 coaching, support, recipes, daily motivation, and accountability all in a closed Facebook group with coaches and other challengers doing Insanity Max 30 just like you!!!

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