BEACHBODY BLACK FRIDAY SALE

Seriously,  these are amazing deals!  They WILL sell out so you better order quick.  It starts tonight (Tuesday). If you're a coach these deals are really awesome!!!
Black Friday Sales

Body Beast Progress Update

As many of you know, I am currently doing the program Body Beast.  I've NEVER had upper body strength, so let me tell you, this program has been TOUGH!  I've been pushed to my limit and I'll be damned if my body doesn't change after this!  The funny thing about it though is that I've come to love it.  I was worried about not having enough equipment, but you can really get a great workout with a limited amount.

I hate showing these pictures, but I know you all want to see REAL pictures of how this program can change your body.  I know it can be hard to trust the infomercials :)  So anyways, here is where I started.

I just completed my first 3 weeks, the BUILD phase.  In this phase I've had to eat.... A LOT.  I'm building my muscle so that requires me to eat more so that my muscles can repair themselves after my workouts.  I've had to really trust the process and stay away from that dang scale! LOL.

So after 3 weeks, I've maintained my weight (yes I finally got on the scale), and I've lost an couple inches in my waist, and hips (yay!!!).  I was really surprised to find that I already am seeing changes, but I'm very happy about it.

I'm now onto the  BULK phase for the next 3 weeks...wish me luck! :)

If you would like to join me in doing this program (which I HIGHLY recommend), then send me a facebook message! www.facebook.com/katie.blank1

What's Normal Anyways?

I know you all probably all see the fitness posts and maybe they irritate you, but let me give you a little insight as to what my days are really like and maybe you can see my point of view better.

Here's the thing, I'm just like you...Normal! Well normal in the sense that I struggle with eating healthy all the time and with wanting to workout daily. I can't tell you how many times I've started a workout program in the past and quit. It wasn't until I gained a lot of weight (65lbs) with my second pregnancy that I really stuck to working out. In some ways, I'm really glad I gained that weight because I'm not sure I'd be living a healthy lifestyle today if I hadn't.  That's not the only reason I'm glad though.

Some of you know this, but I've struggled with anxiety for the past six years. I don't mean the "I get nervous sometimes" kind, but the "out of nowhere, I can't breathe, complete panic attack kind."   If you're thinking, what?? Really?? It's because I've learned how to deal with it. And I mean, I've really learned how to deal with it. There was a time when I literally could not leave the apartment I lived in. WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE. I couldn't be around anyone besides my mom. I lost a job I loved, lost friends and really lost my life. I felt horrible 24/7 and wasn't even sure I could really live again. The sad part is when I told a couple of "friends" what was going on with me they literally abandoned me. That's when I learned what true friendship was. That's also when I learned that I didn't really have that many true friends.  Yeah I know. Poor me poor me, blah blah blah. I'm telling you this so that you can get a real picture of me. The real me.

Honestly, this is very difficult for me to talk about because I don't like people looking at me as if I'm crazy, or not "normal".  I had learned many techniques to help me live a more normal life, but it wasn't until this past year that I found an outlet for everything. I truly feel like myself again and here is how it happened. I was going on with life, but I still felt like I had this void that I couldn't quite fill.

After gaining so much weight, I started a workout program, ChaLean Extreme. I was determined to lose my baby weight! I was COMMITTED. I was DETERMINED. I had DRIVE. I was struggling with post partum depression and I started noticing that my workouts were relieving a lot of my problems. I went on to do P90X3 and I was in what I call a challenge group to help keep me on track. While in this group I was surrounded by so much love and positivity. I had so much encouragement and I couldn't help but feel close with those participating. By this time I had created a habit of working out and I was actually getting to a point where I couldn't not workout. I noticed a change in me from being surrounded with these positive people. The workouts got my endorphins going and tamed the anxiety, but the group and beachbody coaches I was surrounded by changed my thinking. Instead of giving into depression and anxiety, I was dealing with it. I was fueling my body with nutrition (thank you Shakeology) and I was fueling my mind with positive thoughts.

I never understood the power of surrounding yourself with good people until I became a coach. I originally wanted to try coaching to help others lose weight and to keep myself working out, but now I don't know that I could give up some if the people I've met. It's a place where I'm surrounded by positivity and encouragement. No judging or competition. Just good people trying to help others.

Through working out and feeding my mind positive thoughts, I feel normal. I am normal. I love life again. Beachbody has filled this void I had. I can concentrate on something good for me. It's a healthy outlet. I know not everyone struggles with anxiety, but I do believe a lot of people struggle with having a void in their life that they can't quite fill. Beachbody has changed everything for me.


This is why I post about my workouts and healthy lifestyle. It's not because I'm bragging that I worked out, or am trying to let everyone know I'm fit (trust me I have a long way to go before I say I'm super fit). I just want to reach that one person who needs help in some way. That one person who is inspired to change. I have this amazing opportunity to share how you can make your life more fulfilling and healthy so how could I not share?!  It's not about the money or the "sale". It's about the chance to change a life.

Contact me if you want that change. I'm here because I truly want to help! Katiesblank@gmail.com.

Chocolate chip cookies

I have the biggest sweet tooth so these babies help me out a lot!

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 1/2 cups instant oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 /2 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup stevia

Mix all ingredients very well. Lightly spray Cookie sheet. I put tablespoon size drops of cookie batter on the cookie sheet. Then I take a fork and press the cookie down.

BBQ Chicken Chili

I love regular chili, but sometimes it's nice to change it up. This recipe is simple and won't break the bank.

What you need:
2tsp sea salt
2Tbsp chili powder
2 cloves of minced garlic
12 oz Can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup all natural BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2tsp pepper
1lb shredded cooked chicken
Can of kidney beans
Can of cannelli beans
1/4 cup diced onions
1/2 cup of chopped red peppers (or pepper of choice)
2Tbsp coconut oil

I've put approx. Measurements on the seasonings. I honestly change the amount every time depending on what I think it needs.

Instructions:
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt your coconut oil. Add onions and peppers. Cook until they are soft (5 min.).  Add in chili powder, garlic, pepper, salt. Cook over medium low for a few minutes. At this point I like to use a medium-large pot. I pour the tomatoes, bbq sauce, honey, chicken and beans in over medium heat. Then add in everything from the sauce pan. Cook for about 7-10 minutes over medium heat. Add spices to your liking and enjoy!

Introducing P90

Tony Horton has done it again!   He has come out with a new workout program for those of you who find P90X just a little to high impact.  Want to know the best part?  You can still get extreme results!  The transformations are astounding with this program!



 P90 is in Tony's words, "Straightforward. Fundamental. Doable."

The workouts are easy to follow.  Nothing crazy!  Sometimes you just want SIMPLE. 

P90 is great, because it's designed to work for EVERYONE! Anyone can do this!  With several cardio blasting, resistance and sculpting workouts, you're sure to change you body in the best way. It's broken up into three phases, A, B and C. 

Can I lose a substantial amount of weight with this program?
YES!  Absolutely!  Just because the workout is simple doesn't mean it's easy.  It's still very much a workout!  

Can I get my abs back with this program?
Uh Heck Yeah!  With THREE Ab ripper workouts (around 15min) that are sure make your abs BURN.

When can I get this program?
You can get it through a coach in just three days!  Fill out my contact form or message me on Facebook if you're interested.  

How The Space Cadet Mom Functions

If you know me, then you know that I can be a total space cadet.  I have every intention of doing everything I say I'm going to do...I just get distracted and forget.  After having my second child, it seemed like I had 24/7 baby brain.  It was worse than it had ever been!  I forgot to pay bills (something I NEVER do!) and I was double booking appts.  I just couldn't seem to remember anything!  It was embarrassing and made me feel really stupid.

The last couple of months I have been working on a system to keep me on track.  I have had to find what works best for me and my family.  It's taken some trial and error, but I finally found a system that works for me.  I don't know that it will work for you, but I wanted to share my system anyways.

First things first.  A clean house helps keep a clear mind.  Having a three year old tornado and a 10 month old makes it very difficult to keep things clean.  There are always toys everywhere! I'm not a mom who tells her child she can only have one toy at a time, and I won't kid myself into believing that I will ever be that way.  I do not have a designated play room in my house, so the toys are spread out all over our family room.  Honestly, I used to be so embarrassed by this, but I think you have to learn how to not care what other people think.  I've tried to organize the toys by having a variety of containers for certain toys, but the organization takes forever and it just doesn't work for me!  If that works for you, then that is amazing.  Keep it up.  I am using several containers for toys, but I'm not so knit picky about what goes in what container.  Instead, I have a large toy box for larger toys and a few small containers for smaller toys.  It's easy to just throw the toys in each container.  I try to keep girly stuff in one and animals in another ( you get the picture ), but if they get mixed up then, who cares.  The stuff is off the floor and that is what matters. 

I have devised a DAILY cleaning schedule for myself that actually really works.  Unless you are Supermom, you just can't do everything in one day.  It's easy if you get yourself in a habit of doing certain things on certain days, and it really keeps your house pretty clean.  There are things that you need to do daily, like clean the kitchen counters and pick up toys, but other things you can schedule into your week.  For example, Mondays are floor days for me.  Generally I do have to sweep up my house daily due to the kids dropping crumbs everywhere, but on Mondays I really concentrate on it and I mop EVERY floor that is not carpet.  I have posted my schedule below. 

Like a lot of things, you can have every intention of keeping up with a cleaning schedule, but you just fall off schedule because you forget or you're tired.  I have downloaded To Do Tasks on my Android, and it has made my life so much more orderly!  I put EVERYTHING in there.  I schedule out my days and a little alarm goes off every time I have something I need to be doing.  I have an alarm for Laundry that goes off every day at 7:25AM.  That way I remember to put the laundry in the wash daily, so that I don't end up with piles to do at the end of the week.  If I have an appt. I put it in there.  If I have a bill to pay, I put it in there. I have my whole day planned and put in my To Do app.  I have an example of my day below.  By doing this, I am able to have designated time for work, cleaning, and play time with my kids.  It makes my day go so much smoother! 

Another thing I've done is make a board where I have dinners for the week listed, a calendar, and a place for bills.  For bills, I take sticky notes and write the bill on it and when it's due.  I stick it on the board and when I pay it, I just take it off the board.  Having a visual really helps me see what I need to do.  I love it!  I have a few other little things that I've learned to do and will be sharing them in my FREE 7 day group about keeping your life in order (or more so than it was! haha).  If you are a naturally organized Supermom, then this probably isn't helpful for you.  I happen to be super spacey and distract able so I have to really focus to keep things in order.  If you are like me, then I hope this helps! If you want to join my 7 day group just friend me and ask to join! I'm hoping it can be a great place for moms to post good advice as well. Facebook Group

Want to lose 15lbs in 21 days?

I have ranted and raved about this program before, and I'm going to do it again.  I can not say enough good things about this program!  21 Day Fix has helped people transform their bodies over and over again.  It keeps things simple, and healthy!  Let me explain how this program works.

First, there are seven thirty minute workouts, a 10 minute ab fix, and when you get it through me you will also get another 30 minute workout.  So that is a total of NINE workouts in this program.

Second, you will receive several different colored containers.  Each container is a different size and color.  You will receive a food program booklet which explains what foods you can put in each container.  Depending on how many calories you are allowed, you will be given a number for how many containers you can have each day.  By doing this, your eating is made simple.  You don't have to count calories...Yay! I can't tell you how much I hate counting calories!  It's beyond annoying.

So you will have your eating plan and a workout schedule for 21 days.  You can seriously lose up to 15lbs doing this program in just 3 weeks!  I've watched people do this and have great success.  If you need help sticking to the program....well that's what I'm here for!  In all honesty, I have done so many programs and this one is my top choice.  I love that the workouts are short and effective.  It's doable for ANYONE.  There is a great modifier for beginners, so don't worry if you're really out of shape :)

I HIGHLY recommend this program!  And let's be honest here, who doesn't like a sale???

The challenge pack is normally $160 (Shakeology and 21 Day Fix), but it's $140 this month only!

21 Day Fix

September Challenge!

Every month I try to run a challenge group so that everyone has a chance to join when it is convenient to them.  September 2nd will be the kickoff for my next group.  For those of you who do not know what a challenge group is, let me explain.

A challenge group is a group of people who have COMMITTED to starting a workout program of their choice and following a clean eating diet.  The group keeps in touch by joining a closed Facebook group that I create.  Challengers are required to check in every single day!  This keeps you accountable for your workouts and eating!  I  (and my team) provide support and motivation for you, so that you don't give up!  Everyone starts together, and we all finish together.  I do everything I can so that you don't quit!  Everyone can share recipes and meal plans as well.

Do you have to pay for me to "coach" you?
Nope!  My coaching is FREE.  You are responsible for getting your program of choice (challenge pack) through me.  After you get your Beachbody program, I will add you into my group.

What do I need for a challenge group?
You will need to get what is called a CHALLENGE PACK.  This is a workout program AND Shakeology.  You choose the program and pick what flavor of Shakeology you would like.

What is Shakeology?
Shakeology is an ALL NATURAL nutrient dense meal replacement shake.  It is whole foods, dried and ground for easy digestion.  There are over 70 ingredients which each have amazing benefits for your body. You get natural proteins, Antioxidant superfoods, Adaptogens, Pre and Pro-biotics and Phytonutrient Super-Greens.  With ingredients like spinach, quinoa, Pea protein, Camu-Camu, Yacon root, Pea fiber, and Kamut grass, you will feel more energetic and healthy than before. 

How do you get a program through me?
CLICK HERE for a direct link to my website.  That's all you have to do!

What if I have no idea what program to choose?
Fill out my form  and I will contact you.  We can see what your needs are and I can set you in the right direction.  I've done a lot of the programs myself and can give you honest advice on all of them. 

Not sure if you're ready to commit?
That's ok.  You can create a FREE beachbody account that will allow you to get good information and start thinking about workouts and clean eating.  Just go here for Free Membership. 

I can't wait for my next group to start!  I have seen real transformations in people!  I'm a big believer in hard work and eating right to meet your fitness goals.  I don't believe in diet pills or fad diets.  I think if you want something you have to work hard for it!  If you want to make a change and share your journey with others than please contact me and I'll show you how you can make a change and impact others lives! There is a place where you can contact me on my home page.  I hope to see you in my next challenge group!

August Specials!

I hate making anything that is "sales" related, but Beachbody has so many great deals this month that I can't not tell you about them!   If you've been waiting to change your lifestyle, now  is the time to jump in and invest in yourself.  If you need that accountability to go along with your program, then there are challenge groups starting August 11th and the first Monday in September. 

Ok, so what are the deals this month?

1.  Body Beast!  Right now you can get the program for $39.90! This price is AMAZING! You can also get the challenge pack for just $140!  Remember, a challenge pack includes Shakeology ($130 value) AND Body Beast.  Check out the transformations from this program below.



2. PIYO - FREE SHIPPING on PIYO right now! 

3.  Brazilian Butt Lift - Get the program by itself for just $39.90!  I love this program!  It works your whole body, but focuses more on your butt.  It's tough and I love it! 


4.  FOCUS T25 - This is one of the most popular programs! The Challenge Pack is available for $180, regular retail price $205. You can get the body you want in just 25 minutes a day!  According to the CEO of Beachbody, this program will probably not go on sale again until 2015.

5.  The 10-Minute Trainer® Challenge Pack (available in English and Spanish) is available for $160, regular retail price $180.  Short on time?  You have no excuses not to workout with this program!  You only need to give 10 minutes a day!  Everybody has time for that!


Like I said before, I hate talking about prices and anything "sales", but how could I not let you all know about the deals going on now?!  CLICK HERE to shop for these programs :)  Contact me if you have questions about a program or just want more details.  I can always set you up in a challenge group with me so that you get that accountability and motivation that most of us need to succeed! 

30 Day Clean Eating Challenge

I haven't had a blog post in a while and I don't have a good excuse as to why.  I may be into fitness and healthy, but like everybody else, I'm human.  I lost my focus and fell off track.  I was doing my workouts here and there, but not consistently.  I don't even want to talk about how bad my eating has been!  It's like I'm pregnant again...but I'm not...seriously, I'm not.

I've had this knot in my stomach for a while now.  Guilt has been building in me, but it's not from how bad I've been eating.  It's from how I've slacked in feeding my own child healthy foods.  Here I am, a Beachbody coach AND a very involved mother who loves her girls!  I have no excuse for choosing unhealthy foods to feed my 3 year old.  Absolutely no excuse.  I buy the food and I have the power to choose what she eats.

I am guilty of feeding my daughter Mac N Cheese serveral times a week.  This is not ok!  A bigger problem that I've had is people around us who feed my child (my other baby is 9 months old so I don't have to worry too much about her yet) unhealthy foods.  NO CHILD NEEDS COOKIES AND CAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Let me repeat that.  NO CHILD NEEDS COOKIES AND CAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

 August is a new month.  I am committing to being a good example for my children.  I WILL make healthy clean choices 100% of the time for me and my children.  I WILL NOT let others feed my children unhealthy foods every day.  I WILL NOT care what others think of my choice to eat clean.  I won't let others make me feel bad for feeding my children healthy foods.  If I have to sound mean to get people to know how serious I am about this, I will.  You have been warned!  We hear about child obesity all the time, but what are we doing to stop it?  I won't allow my children to become victims of this. 

I am going to be a good example.  By doing this, I will be a better, healthier me.  We all win!  I challenge all of you to do the same.  I think my biggest challenge of all is getting my husband on board.  I love him and wish he would see the value in eating healthy.  Wish me luck on that one!

On a side note, I'm starting to read the Grain Brain.  I've had a hard time thinking straight lately and I'm hoping that starting this will clear my head!  It follows clean eating, but has more guidelines.  I'll blog about that one another time.  Right now I just want to focus on clean eating!

Challenge Groups and Cost

About 7 months ago, my husband and I were throwing around the idea of getting into better shape.  I still had weight to lose from having my daughter, and he was just wanting something new to do.  We came across an ad for P90X3 and thought, "This looks like it might work".  We knew we couldn't devote an hour a day for a workout, so we loved the fact that each workout was exactly 30 minutes.  We saw pictures of transformations and I know we both took a minute to fantasize looking like one of them.  Who doesn't want to look and feel great?

So after a couple weeks of pondering over whether or not we should try it, we decided that we needed the lifestyle change and if we wanted it bad enough, we could find a way to buy it.  Cost is an issue most people bring up.  I've learned that if there is a will, there is a way.  You have to WANT to change.  You have to be COMMITTED.

If someone told you that they had a way for you to lose weight, look toned, feel amazing and look great, how much money would you pay?  Really think about it.  How many times have you spent money on something that didn't give you the results you wanted?  How much have you spent over the years on "Diet Pills" and "Nutrition Bars" that claim to be healthy for you?  How many of you have bought a treadmill or some exercise equipment that you never use?  Maybe you have a treadmill that you get on 30 minutes a day, but you aren't seeing those results that you really want.  Now, how much did you spend on that exercise equipment?

Kurt and I made that decision to change the healthy way...the only real way to be healthy and fit (hard work and nutrition).  We bought P90X3 and Shakeology.  I'll be honest, when we bought Shakeology, I had no idea how much it would help me.  I didn't understand that it was not just some protein shake.  The nutrition in it is crazy!  The benefits of drinking it are undeniable....I could write all day about how much I love it and why, but I'll leave it for another day.

After purchasing what I now know to be called a challenge pack (Shakeology and a workout program), my coach asked me if I would be interested in joining a challenge group.  At the time, I really had no idea what a challenge group even was.  I just said sure and had no idea what to expect.  So she added me to a closed Facebook group with other people doing the same program.  The first week our group leader asked us to sign a paper that said that we were committed to the program and that we were to check in every single day to the group.  I thought, "What the hell did I just get myself into?"  I almost backed out...almost.  I ended up signing and telling myself, "I guess I'm in this for real!"  Through the challenge group, I was held ACCOUNTABLE for drinking my Shakeology and doing the workouts.  At this time I still didn't understand the benefits of Shakeology so I was kind of confused as to why it mattered whether or not I drank it.  You have no idea how grateful I am now that my group leader pushed me to drink it everyday.
I was also pushed to talk about my workout and how I did each day.  I know for a fact that I would not have kept up with the program had I not been in this group.  I had so many days that I just didn't feel like doing anything.  The sole reason I worked out some days was because when I checked in the group I didn't want to have to tell anyone that I didn't stick to the program.  I didn't want to feel like a failure. There were other people in there giving it their all and keeping up with it, so I wanted to do it too.  I'll be forever thankful that I was placed in that group.  The changes in me were amazing.  Not only physically, but mentally.  When I was down, there was always someone to pick me back up and help me.  When I needed motivation and support, I had a whole group right there every step of the way. 

When the challenge group ended, I was honestly shocked at my results.  I had actually met my goal weight and I looked better than I thought I would.  I was on a high that I'd never been on before.  I had worked for my results and I couldn't have been more proud.  I owe this feeling to my challenge group.  It changed me more than I could have ever imagined.

My particular program with Shakeology was one of the more expensive programs.  Don't let price scare you.  You will spend more money on countless wasteful things that are "cheaper" and not effective.  With the money I spent, I lost ALL my baby weight! I gained self-respect, self-confidence, self-esteem and I got back to being ME.  A BETTER me!!!  So would I pay it again?  ABSOLUTELY! 

You are investing in yourself!  You are worth it.  In my challenge groups, I will show you why your investment was worth it and help you reach your goals.  Support is such a valuable asset to your success.  Join a challenge group and get those results that you've been wanting.  Do it the healthy way!  Learn how to eat clean and how to plan your meals.  Learn how to incorporate health into your life! You won't regret it! If you really want a change, you'll make it happen!

With that said, my next challenge group starts August 4th. Fill out this form below if you're interested in joining!


Fill out my form!

What is Clean Eating?

After I had my second child, I looked for ways to lose weight.  I had seen so many posts from other people about clean eating.  I thought, "What the heck is clean eating?" It's really pretty simple and easy to follow.  The best part about it is that it's a lifestyle change, not a fad diet.

So What is clean eating?
Clean eating is eating foods as close to their natural state as possible.  For example, instead of eating white rice you would choose 100% whole grain rice or quinoa.  You want to cut out all processed foods and foods filled with preservatives.  Clean eating is full of all natural and fresh foods. You want to stay away from refined flours and sugars.  Artificial sweeteners are not natural, therefore, they are not clean foods. 

How do I know if packaged foods are ok to eat?
Check the ingredient list.  If there is a long list of foods that I can not pronounce, chances are it's processed and not clean.  Go for Organic fruits and vegetables.  Any foods that are in packages or cans, make sure that there isn't a long list of ingredients. NO PRESERVATIVES!

Here are some examples of clean foods (Keep in mind that this is just a short list for example purposes)
Quinoa
Organic apples
Organic bananas
Organic berries
Spinach
Lettuce
Brown Rice
Dark chocolate
Plain non-fat greek yogurt
Agave Nectar
Honey
All Natural Applesauce
Shakeology (Click here to Try Shakeology)

Pretty much all fruits and vegetables :)  If you can get organic ones, then that's better for you!

Can I eat Meat?
YES!  You should always incorporate protein in your diet!  Try to choose meats that are lean and free of chemicals and hormones.

Do I need to count my calories?
Nope!  It's not realistic to think you're going to count calories for the rest of your life.  Clean eating is meant to be a lifestyle change, so focus on eating "clean" foods and you will lose weight and you will become healthier.

Three Day Refresh

Who needs to detox after July 4th? Who went a little overboard with drinking and eating? I know I did! I love cookouts with friends and family, but they leave me feeling bloated and tired! All that yummy food has definitely caught up with me! I've been slow and sluggish all day. If this describes you too, then you may want to look into doing this three day refresh. It's also good for those of you who want to jumpstart your weight loss.

What is Three Day Refresh?
This is a 3 day program designed to help you kick start your healthy eating habits. It will fuel your body with high protein shakes, nutrient dense Shakeology, and other digestive drinks. You will have clean foods to eat, like fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.

Why is this better than liquid fasts?
A lot of liquid fasts, like juicing, are high in sugar and low in protein, leaving you tired and more prone to "crashing". Three day refresh will help energize you, get rid of that bloat and leave you feeling refreshed!

So whether you're looking to lose weight or just want to detox and start eating healthier, this may be for you! If you are at a plateau in your weight loss, use this to help break it!

Try Three Day Refresh

21 Day Ab and Squat Challenge

You want an ab and Squat Challenge? Well here is my 21 Day Challenge! Are you up for it?
Challenge yourself more by doing each workout 2-3X

Ab Exercises

I've always wanted to have nice abs!  Who doesn't?  I've come up with a 21 Day Ab and Squat challenge that anyone can do.  You can do it anywhere at anytime (at your own risk of course!).  For those of you doing the challenge, here is how you do some of the moves.

Frog Crunches are like regular crunches, except you keep your feet and knees turned out. For regular frog crunches, keep feet and knees in the same position, and just place on floor.  For advanced, extended your legs out in front of you after each crunch.

Standing side crunches with weight...Ignore the crazy eyes from the camera flash!

 

Crunches

Flutters

Bicycles

 

Full Body Crunches

I had just done a really hard workout when I took these pictures so I couldn't lower my legs very far in the second picture.  To make it harder, lower them!

 

Strawberry Shake

This is so simple! Few ingredients and great taste!

You need 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3/4 scoop strawberry Shakeology
1 medium banana
3 frozen strawberries

Put everything in a blender and voila!

21 Day Fix Rockstar Challenger

I want to give a huge shout out to one of my rockstar challengers, Lauren. She has done incredible with 21 Day Fix so far. Lauren is an eighth grade English teacher who was hoping to lose a little bit of weight and tone up before her wedding in July. After just 21 days, she has lost 9.5lbs and a total of 9 inches! This is amazing! I can't wait to see her changes after her second round of 21 day fix.

Lauren's fiance has also had amazing results after just 21 days! Take a look at that difference!

What I love most about this is the fact that these are REAL people and REAL results!  21 Day Fix is an amazing program that teaches you how to portion your foods and what foods are best to eat. It also includes several 30 minute workouts that will kick your butt! It's one of my favorite programs, and will work for people who are beginners to more advanced in fitness.

These could be your results! Stop holding off and change your life today! Let me help you! click here to start today!

Strawberry Avocado Salad

I had this awesome salad at Applebee's! It's really tasty and not bad for you!

Romaine lettuce
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 avocado sliced
3 to 4 oz grilled chicken, sliced into strips
1TBsp pine nuts (optional)

I use an organic all natural balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. Check back for my clean strawberry dressing that I'm going to be making!

Here's a picture of the salad from Applebee's! So easy to make at home :)

Avocado Eggs

As everyone knows, I love recipes that require little ingredients, are easy to make and healthy! I call this one my healthy fats breakfast.

So you are going to need one medium to large avocado and two eggs. You are going to cut the avocado in half and then scoop the avocado insides out, until you have a thin ring around the edges. Then crack an egg into each half. I add a little sea salt, pepper to taste.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. I like to add fresh cilantro to mine. You can add any spice to it for flavor. I've seen people add paprika, hot sauce, and even Turkey bacon. Yum!

Fruit or Vegetable?

Let's play a game!  It's called fruit or vegetable.  I'll write the name of the produce, and you take a guess!  Ready?

1.  Tomato
2. Cucumber
3. Spinach
4. Squash
5. Potatoes
6. Avacado
7. Beans
8. Corn Kernels
9. Olive Peppers
10.  Peapods
11. Sunflower Seeds
12. Nuts
13. Grains
14. Pumpkin
15. Cauliflower

Got your answers ready? 

Would it surprise you to know that only three of these are technically speaking vegetables? It surprised me!  If I'm being honest, I never knew that nuts, grains, seeds and beans were actually fruits!  Want to know which ones are vegetables?  Spinach, potatoes and cauliflower! 

A fruit is "technically" any part of a plant that develops from a flower. The rest of the plant is a vegetable.

I'm just posting this because I thought it was interesting.  When you are trying to eat a balanced diet, do not count avocados, seeds, nuts and grains as your fruit servings.  I count them as a separate category ( category for grains and another for healthy fats etc.). 


 

SUGAR...I Wish You Would Just Disappear!

When you're having a craving for something sweet, read this! I've always had a sweet tooth, but sugar is so bad for you!  Here are 6 good reasons to just stay away.

1. It rots your teeth. Who likes going to the dentist? I sure don't! Keep eating and drinking (yes you drink sugar too) sugar and it's a sure easy to find yourself at the dentist office with a bad tooth ache.  Just envision yourself with big fat ugly, black rotten teeth. Uck! When you're giving your children sugary foods, your giving their teeth reasons to rot!

2. Sugar leads to weight gain.  That's right, you heard me!  When you eat sugar, your body may burn some for energy, but for most of it ends up being stored as fat.   When you consume a lot of sugar, insulin is released to handle the overload.  The more sugar in your bloodstream, the more insulin is released.  Insulin takes this sugar (now glucose) and stores it in your liver and muscles and your fat cells!  Of course, it's much more indepth than this, but for sake of making this short just know that it turns to fat!  Who wants that?

3.  Sugar contributes to many diseases.  When too much sugar gets stored in our liver, we can develop Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. This disease is very much associated with many metabolic diseases.  Stay away from my liver sugar!  Just stay away!

4.  Sugar has been associated with cancer. Someone with cancer has uncontrolled growth of cells.  The cells multiply and can not be controlled.  Insulin plays a large role in this multiplication of cells.  It is believed by many scientists now that when your insulin levels are constantly raised from sugar consumption, metabolic issues occur leading to inflammation which in turn lead to cancer.  People with high levels of sugar are more likely to get cancer than those who do not have high levels.

5.  High sugar diets can lead you to feel hungrier than lower sugar diets.  People with higher sugar diets have less activity in the satiety center of their brains.  In turn, this leads them to feel hungrier. 

6.  Sugar is addicting!  I really don't believe in eating anything that is addicting.  You need a balanced diet.  If you're addicted to eating sugar, you will have a harder time having a balanced diet...just my opinion.

Salads!

Spinach and Kale chicken salad

I buy a bag of mixed spinach and kale.  If they don't have that at the store then you can use just spinach of buy them separate and mix together.

A small handful of No sugar added dried cranberries

A small handful of sliced almonds

6oz cooked chicken breast, sliced into strips

Feta cheese

clean, washed mushrooms

Sliced green peppers (optional)

1 Tbsp of balsalmic vinegrette or dressing of choice

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Here is the hungry girls salad!!!! The first is lettuce, steak, goat cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions. The second is turkey bacon, egg slices, tomatoes, avocado, chicken and blu cheese. Who says a salad has to be boring?!

Stuffed Chicken and rice

Stuffed Chicken and Rice

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Feta cheese (one small container)
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• dried cranberries
• Whole grain brown rice
• Mrs. Dash for chicken
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• Orange slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix the feta cheese, almonds and dried cranberries in a small bowl. Slice the chicken breasts in half, not cutting all the way through. Stuff each chicken breast with the mixture and fold each piece back over.  Use a toothpick to help keep it closed if you need to.  Garnish each chicken breast with orange slices and Mrs. Dash for seasoning.  Rub the coconut oil in a baking pan and then place chicken on it.  Cook for 35-45 min, until chicken has reached 175degrees F.  Serve over a bed of cooked, brown rice.

Meatloaf

BEST MEATLOAF I'VE EVER HAD!  I'm completely serious!  My husband pretty much hates healthy cooking, but he loved this meatloaf!  I got this recipe from the book "The 21 Day Sugar Detox".  Delicious!

So here is what you need:
For the Sauce:
7 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilatro
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste

For the Meatloaf:
1Tbsp coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 carrots, grated
1 bell pepper, any color (I used yellow), finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef (leanest you can find)

So you can either use one large meatloaf pan, or two mini pans.  Whichever you prefer.  I used one large pan.  Preheat your oven to 375' F.  Line your pan with parchment paper.
First you are going to want to make the sauce.  In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine tomato paste, water, bell pepper, cilantro, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the sauce does not burn.  The sauce should be thick.

In a medium skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium to low heat.  Add the onion and cook until the edges begin to brown.  Add in the garlic and stir. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked onion and garlic, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper, carrots, bell pepper, and cilantro.  Mix it well!  Add eggs and ground beef to the mixture with your hands and combine well.

Place the meatloaf in the pan.  Spoon about 1/2 cup the sauce mixture over the meatloaf.  Use the rest as dipping sauce after it's cooked.   Bake the meatloaf for 60 to 70 minutes.  Internal temp should reach 160'F.   Enjoy!!!