7 Day Sneak Peak Into Coaching - Starting May 25th

Starting May 25th - I will be opening a CLOSED and PRIVATE group on Facebook for 7 days.  During this 7 days, I will put everything on the table as to what I do as a Beachbody coach.

This is a totally FREE and no obligation informative session.  I will post each morning about what we do as coaches and all of the aspects and we can discuss and I'll answer any questions you may have.

Being a Beachbody Coach has completely changed my life and in the best of ways.  I found Beachbody when I joined a challenge group I saw posted online.  I was overweight, unhealthy and looking for anything that could change me.  Little did I know 35 lbs later I would be helping others do the same thing.

Being a Beachbody Coach isn't for everybody, but it there are no requirements to become a Beachbody Coach.  You do no have to be a network marketing guru.  You do not have to be to your goal fitness level.  You do not have to be a nutritionist.  All you have to do is want to sincerely help others.

E-mail me today to save your spot in my 7 Day Sneak Peek Into Coaching group.  Space is limited so act FAST!

Oats, Oats, and MORE OATS!

If you have been following me - I eat oats almost every single morning.  I love oats.  The reason I love oats and I eat them first thing in the morning is because they give lasting energy for my body that will continue through the morning.

I know a lot of people who go straight for the instant pre-packaged oats.  These are ok in a pinch,but I do not suggest eating these daily.  Here are my reasons:

1) They are processed - they have been milled to be able to cook quickly which in turn means they will digest quickly, not giving you the ultimate energy you are looking for.

2) Added ingredients - all those sweet great tasting flavors, come with a cost of added sugars and chemicals.  

With all that said, these are the oats I buy:

Organic Steel Cut Oats are ideal.  You can buy them from most grocery stores.  They take about half an hour to cook on the stove top.  I know many people don't have that kind of time to waste in the morning making breakfast.  I personally start my oats on medium heat and walk away to do my make-up and hair and come back and they are almost fully cooked.  I know, that's not safe.  That's how I get it done though.  

Also, you can make your oats ahead of time and they will stay good for about 3 days.  So feel free to prep some up however you like and have them ready when you are.

Many people can't get their oats to taste good because of the missing "added ingredients".  I simply add fruits, cinnamon, nuts and sometimes a drizzle of honey.  

Here is a collaboration of oat recipes that I have put together.  (I will add on to these as I find more good recipes to try)  I haven't tried all of these but they are recipes that are clean eating or can be simply modified for clean eating:

Banana Nut Oats

Strawberry & PB Oats

Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal

Strawberry Banana Steel Cut Oats With Chia Seeds

Steel Cut Oats with Blueberries and Walnuts

Overnight Oat Recipes

Though I haven't tried any Overnight Oats - these can be a real time saver.  

Here is a basic recipe/ratio:

Make Ahead Steel Cut Oats

This is the basic overnight oat recipe - when you are ready to eat you heat them up and add your fresh fixings to them.  You can make this on a Sunday and have oats all week with minimal effort.

10 Days In! To a Healthier Sugar Free ME!

I am officially on DAY 10 of being SUGAR FREE!  I'm excited to say this was easier than my first time going sugar free.  The first time I had withdrawls, low energy, headaches, and I was basically a complete bitch the first 2 weeks!  This time it's been a little easier.  However, there is a BIG difference.

The first time I went sugar free, I went into it from hardcore crappy eating and eating sweets daily (as well as my precious Diet DP) to absolutely nothing.  It was hard, but it had changed my life to be more conscious of what I was eating.  This time I wasn't as addicted to things before I decided to start.  When I decided to go sugar free, I had been gathering a pool of recent actions that kind of came to a big problem in my road.  When I was around sugar, I would over indulge and I would do it without realizing it.  For example, at a staff meeting last month there was a big tray of donut holes from a local donut shop.  During the meeting I found myself going back for 1-2 more every few minutes.  Before I knew it, I'm pretty sure I had 15 donut holes!  No I wasn't doing this daily however I did notice it was occurring more often than it should.  I decided NO MORE!  I'm quitting sugar, no more cravings and I will not give in to temptations!

So here I am, DAY 10 of being sugar free and I feel fantastic.  My skin is clearer, I have more energy, and I even feel healthier!

Here is what you can expect once you get through the official withdrawal of going without sugar.

Your sugar cravings will be pretty much gone! You know that 2-3 pm slump when that vending machine is calling your name and all you want is a Snickers?? I do!  That isn't there anymore.  You may still have a bit of an afternoon slump, but go get a hot tea or a coffee instead!  Don't add sugar though!

Your headaches and exhaustion will completely go away - This is one of the worst withdrawals from quitting sugar, but just stick it out and you will feel so much better!

Your moodiness will subside.  You will feel great!

You will have a more focused mental state.

Also - the benefits of going sugar free is of course the POUNDS that you will drop!  You will notice your jeans fitting better and the next thing you know you'll need to go shopping!

If you think going sugar-free is for you and you'd love to finally get away from one of the most addicting substances in our lives today, let's do it together!

I am hosting a sugar-free focus group starting June 1st!  You, along with a handful of other women with like goals, will fight your demon together in a month long group.  Going at these things alone is the hardest thing to do, we will be doing it together!  We work our way into cutting out sugar and processed foods, introduce meal prepping and some physical activity.  This group is going to be amazing and change lives in so many ways!  If you are interested, feel free to e-mail me.

You can also read about my groups here as well as fill out an application to be considered in my next group!  Challenge Groups

21 Day Fix EXTREME - My meal plan... this week

Since doing the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme, I totally think in containers when planning out my food for the day or week.  For those who have no clue what I'm talking about - 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme are programs with 30 minute daily workouts and they come with really awesome portion control color coded containers for your food.  The geek in me loves being able to be organized that way.

I don't count calories and I have everything memorized as to what is what and how much I can have each day.  No points for me!  Thanks but no thanks!

This week I didn't meal prep (whoops!), however I had some food left from late last week I could manipulate into my plan.  A couple extra grilled chicken breasts, some veggies, and even a couple fish filets.  Even without meal prepping (which I highly recommend), I've stayed on point with my nutrition.

Since I am following the countdown to competition plan, I have a meal prep list of what I should eat each day from my meal prep from last week.  It's been hanging around my kitchen, so each more morning I see it.  When I'm packing my bag for work, I see what I should be taking.

While making my breakfast, which is normally steel cut oats of some concoction and egg whites with veggies (1 yellow, 1 green, 1 red, 1 tsp, and sometimes 1 purple), I work on packing the rest of my food for the day.

This morning I grabbed a chicken breast, steamed up some brussel sprouts and rolled a sweet potato in a paper towel.  That was my lunch, I'm serious!

I had my Shakeo blended with spinach and strawberries for a morning snack (don't tell the hubby, his was the same), and I have a plan to have 2 small organic gala apples and a tsp of almond/cashew butter.  I rarely plan out dinner, but I have items on hand that are ready to be cooked at all times.  Tilapia, chicken breasts, asparagus, broccoli... the list goes on.  When you have a stocked kitchen it's easy to make good choices.

I'm actually OUT of any prepped food, so I'll be prepping up some tilapia, chicken and veggies to get me through the rest of the week.  No big deal.  :)

This week with the countdown to competition plan, I go two days with only one carb in the morning and no fruits, then I get to add those back in for a day and redo the cycle.  For me this is mindless since I do have this list to look at each morning.  For this week, I didn't plan or prep my food, but I knew how to stick to plan so far.  This is a total lifestyle change and not a short term diet.  Lifestyle changes become habits, which is obviously happening even with my lack of prepping.  However, next week I'm totally meal prepping everything on Sunday.  I love how I feel I have it all together when I have it all together.

Clean Eating Taco Tuesday!

(Almost) Every Tuesday is taco night in our home.  Oh how I used to love a fluffy flour tortilla stuffed full of meat, cheese and sour cream.  However, that's not quite acceptable to me now days.  Since I have changed my life style, flour tortillas, greasy meats, and lots of dairy is not on my list of foods I eat.  BUT - that doesn't mean we skip out on taco night.

Though my husband and daughter still eat their yummy tortillas stuffed with sin, I fix myself something a little more healthy.  We have switched to extra lean ground beef for our meat.  I also use a home made taco seasoning - bypassing any MSG or extra sodium.
Here is the link for the recipe - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/

Then I have THREE options -

I can pile on the meat, tomato, onion, a sprinkle of cheese and maybe some diced avocado onto 4 romaine hearts.

OR

I can make a taco salad with the same ingredients.

I do add salsa sometimes and I use the organic salsa from Aldi's.  Reminder: always read your labels!

The third option - which I LOVE is a Taco Bowl.

You take about 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1/3 cup of your lean taco meat, and any type of veggies.  I like to use bell peppers.  You can find bell pepper strips in the frozen section when make a really easy ingredient to add to a lot of meals without all the chopping and prepping.  Sprinkle of cheese, a little salsa, then combine and it's amazing!

Join a Challenge Group

First - What is a Challenge Group?  What does it involve?  Is it a competition?  

If you have never been in one of my challenge groups you probably have NO idea what to expect.

I have challenge groups each month.  Each group is a PRIVATE Facebook group.  These groups are made up of women with like minded goals and focus.  Each person is different and has different goals, however each of us does have a goal to accomplish and that's why we are seeking support in our journey.

I began joining challenge groups at the beginning of my journey and without the support and guidance of the group and my coach, I would not have accomplished what I have.  I believe these groups kept me accountable to keep up with my journey.  I have also made lifelong friends through these groups.

Here is what happens in a Challenge Group - 

We start off the group with a pre-gaming session that helps prepare us for the weeks ahead.  We mentally prepare as well physically prepare.

We introduce ourselves and get to know one another.  The connection and support you get from the group as a whole is super inspirational.

You get guidance and a place to ask questions about what you should or should not do during your fitness journey.

We have a few assignments a week.  These assignments can be about nutrition, fitness or even something a little more deep.  We work on the inside in these groups as well as the outside.  This isn't just a physical transformation you should be working on but also a personal transformation.

Here is what DOES NOT happen in a Challenge Group - 

Whining or complaining.  We are all on this journey and we are all sacrificing things.

Competing with one another.  This is more for support.  When I say challenge, it's a challenge for yourself, not between each other.  You should challenge yourself to be better than you were before.

Negativity of any sort is not tolerated.  Period.

How do you get involved with a Challenge Group?

Fill out this simple application.

Then watch for my e-mail :)