Day After Day

It seems crazy that we have already made it to November!  Just yesterday, I was getting the kids school supplies in order and reeling from a wild summer.  The days march on by whether we are using them wisely or not, I guess. That brings me to the point of today's post.  All of these days that pass are a tool for us, as new start and a way to find success.  It is with each new day that we have a choice to make.  Lately, my choices have consisted of staying true to my workouts, but truly missing the mark with my eating.  It has a way of piling up and suddenly I have found myself totally addicted to the sugary junk that I had gained victory over only a few months ago.

I look at each day as a gift that God gives us and it is up to us how we are going to glorify Him with it.  Although, health and fitness is just a small piece of the puzzle of life, I know it matters.  God has given us our bodies and we are to treat them as the temples that there are.  If you question if good health matters, ask someone who doesn't have it.  I have gone back and forth with myself wondering if all of the time and effort I have put into my coaching with Beachbody and the posts and even the workouts and worrying about what I eat is really important or just superficial and vain.  My conclusion has been this; while some people do it all for vanity, I have chosen to look at it differently.  Yes, I want to look good in my favorite jeans and see that baby belly get a bit smaller, but I also want to keep myself in check.  I don't do all of this just for a size on my clothes or a nice comment from a friend.  I do it because I do think it glorifies God to take care of myself.  Those times when I become lazy and stagnant in my sweats just leaves me with a feeling of unrest. (Even though I was getting plenty!)  I get the same feeling when I don't take care of my house the way I should or I let the dishes get out of control.  I am not being a good steward of the blessing God has bestowed on me.

It is in those moments that I cannot feel at peace with my Lord until I do what I need to to be in complete obedience with Him.   It is right there in Proverbs 31 for me to read and remind myself of what I am capable of and what I must strive for each and every day.  And yes, it says ..."her arms are strong for her tasks" v.17b.  This doesn't necessarily mean I have to be a body builder momma, my husband would really not enjoy that.  But, I do need to keep myself healthy and able to do the things that are required and needed of me from my family.  I tell you this, there is no greater joy on this earth for me than taking care of my home and my family.  It is what I am here to do and I praise God everyday that I get to do it.  It isn't glamorous or rewarded with great fanfare, but it is the best job in the world.  I can't think of a better reason to take care of myself!

So as the days continue to pass with each sunrise and sunset, think about why you are or aren't taking care of yourself.  How do you feel and what can you do about it?  I am just a mom who is striving to be her best and I would love to help you on your journey as well.  I don't have all of the answers, but I just keep learning as I go.  If you would like to be part of my next challenge group to create new habits or harvest the ones you have already created, fill out the application below and let me walk through your journey with you.

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Chocolate Protein Granola

I think it's about high time for another great recipe!  I found this one on Ripped Recipes, but modified it slightly.  It looked amazing and it truly delivered.  It is really hard to find a protein bar that doesn't have a bunch of added junk in them, even cereal has a lot of "strange" ingredients sometimes. 

These were meant to be bars, but mine ended up a little dryer and crunchier, so I just called it granola.  It is FABULOUS! 

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup Honey
*1 egg
*1 Tbsp cinnamon
*1 Tbsp cocoa powder
*1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
*3/4 cup shredded coconut
*2 cups rolled oats

Directions:
Mix 2 cups of rolled oats and 1/2 cup shredded coconut (I toasted it in the oven for a few minutes to give it a toasted taste), 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology, drizzled unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix 1 egg, 1/4 cup of honey.  Start pouring in the dry mixture little by little until all of it is moist.  Toss back onto cookie sheet and spray with olive oil.  Pack it down and put in oven for about 20 minutes at 350.  Keep an eye on it, it will harden and burn quickly.  After about 15 minutes, sprinkle the remaining coconut on top and bake for the last 5 minutes.  Let cool. 
*Hint - the longer you bake it, the crunchier it gets!  It all depends on your crunch preference.   I ate mine out of the jar, but you could sprinkle it on top of some Greek yogurt and YUMMY in the TUMMY! 

It's Not ALL Bad

I have made a few posts in the past with my "before" and "after" pictures that mostly I can see a difference in.  While it is true that I have never had a real problem with being terribly overweight, I have had three babies and had to work to get back to feeling like myself after each one.  I am proud of the fact that I am in better shape now than I was in high school.  All of that being said, I had to step back and look at this whole "transformation" thing from a different perspective. 

My husband saw this picture that I posted on Facebook awhile back and was really upset by it.  At first I thought he was just being critical until he explained.....he has seen all of my posts and grand excitement about being down this many pounds and so many inches and he is very happy for me.  What upset him about this picture in particular was the fact that he liked me just the way I was in ALL of the pictures!  He said I have always been his cute little wife and it never mattered to him what the tape measure or the scale or the size of my jeans said. 

I think it is worth noting that sometimes we are our own worst critics and our loved ones that see us everyday don't care if we went up or down a size, they just love us because of who we are.  I really appreciated my husband's kind words and admiration about what I considered my "before" pictures as well as what I see as my "after".  He is thrilled with the progress and dedication I have made to making myself a healthy and fit momma mostly because it makes me happy.  The truth be told, "If momma is happy, so is everybody else!" 

So, I say, keep going and setting goals for yourself, but don't discount the fact that you are loved just the way you are!

Sweet Tooth Sally

If you are like me, you have a sweet tooth.  Sometimes I just can't help myself.  Unfortunately, that does not lend itself to helping me on my fitness journey.  After LOTS of searching and experimenting, I have come up with a list of 5 snacks to curb that sweet tooth without blowing all of my hard work. 

1. Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

These are easy and quick and you can make just enough to enjoy without going overboard.

2. Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

 Just slice up a banana, dunk in dark chocolate and place on wax paper in the freezer....yummy!

3. Fresh Fruit

 Sometimes a sweet piece of juicy fruit is all it takes...you can also try freezing your grapes!  They make a great and refreshing snack.


4. Dark Chocolate - more that 70% cacao

The great thing about this is that you only need a tiny amount to really feel fulfilled when a craving hits.

5. Chocolate Milk

This is also a great post workout drink.


These are just some of my favorites that I indulge myself with occasionally.  It is next to impossible to stay on track with a "diet" that doesn't allow for some treats now and then.  These are not a regular part of my meal plan, but it is nice to know that I can have something sweet without derailing my progress entirely.  (Funny how all but one are involving chocolate!)  Happy sweet tooth snacking!

"Everything in moderation." 

If you would like more help getting yourself on the right track with diet and exercise, fill out the application below and I will walk beside you in your own journey!

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Falling Into Fitness

With the wonderful world of PiYo under my belt, it was time to decide what would be next.  I love switching things up and need the variety to keep me going.  I have done some of  the craziest "hybrid" workout programs you can imagine.  But now that school is back in session and life is starting to resemble somewhat of a routine again, I can really sink my teeth (or my squat) into a good schedule again.  This past summer has brought me to moments of realization. 

I was always busy running around, doing something and had more cheats than I can count, but I had a saving grace on my side.  Because I have been working on building muscle and have kept working out at LEAST 3 times a week, I have maintained my results.  I haven't seen the scale or the measuring tape move down by any means, but it hasn't move UP either!!!  I have gotten my metabolism kicked into high gear through my consistent hard work and even though I haven't been the poster child for health and fitness these last couple of months, it has kept me burning calories.  There is no doubt that life tries to get in the way of our progress....so much so that we may start to justify the skipped workout (or three) and the full week of indulgences.  We can talk ourselves out of seeing the purpose and the reasons why we started in the first place.

  But, we have to realize how far we have come and how hard we have worked and most importantly, how good we feel about the progress we've already made.  Believe me, I have had those moments of doubt lately.  It is natural to want to revert back to our old ways of life and just be comfortably uncomfortable.  But, I have done that before and regretted it terribly!  Nope, not this time folks.  I have held onto the progress I have made so far....a loss of over 25 inches....and I am NOT going to stop now.  I have had a goal in mind for myself for longer than I can remember and it is happening.  This chick is not going to give up...not because I am busy or sick or injured.....not this time! (On a side note, I did injure my shoulder scrubbing grout at work for over 2 hours yesterday....grrr, can't even life my arm!)  Anyway, this girl is serious, and even though I have to take it easy on the shoulder, I am in the game....for real!  I am back doing the 21 Day Fix.

 It is AWESOME and just what I need.  Those containers are back out on the counter and I have my plan in place.  It is definitely true that nothing feels quite like being healthy!  I am here doing it and wanting my friends to join me.

 Whatever your fitness of choice is, join me in my Fall Into Fitness accountability group.  I love sharing my journey with those around me and I love fall! We will share clean and healthy fall recipes and we will keep each other in check and inspired.








 Fill out the application below or message me and we will get you in to the closed group on Facebook because together we are better!

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It Is A Life Changer!

To say that Beachbody has changed my life would be an understatement.  As a stay at home mom, going to the gym has never been a good fit for me. 

The main reason always being the cost, but as a close second would come having to leave the kids to go get my workout in.  Those two reasons being big enough ones, I have only joined a gym once.  It was actually very exciting for me at first, but found that with the way it was set up, I never saw any real results. So, being a visual person, those infomercials that would show up every now and then for P90X or Slim In 6 would just lure me in.  When I finally took the plunge and actually bought the Slim In 6 I would complain about how hard the workouts were, but I would do them.  I also got some great results!  Yahoo.  As they say, the rest is history.  I have found my groove with the workouts....I hope so after 10 years of doing them (on and off).

 Fast forward to today.  I am now a Team Beachbody Coach on the company's #1 team and am not only accountable to myself and my team everyday, but to my challengers, both current and potential.

It is an amazing feeling to help and inspire others around me.  I don't care who you are, I just want to inspire even 1 person to get on the road to health and fitness.  There are few choices I can make on a daily basis that make me feel the sense of satisfaction I get from eating right and exercising every day.  Am I perfect?  No way!  Do I mess up?  ALL THE TIME!  But, I keep going.  Just because I fall off the wagon a little bit here and there doesn't mean I set it on fire and walk away!  I am human, and so are all of you.  I

am also not a fitness or health expert.  What I am is a woman who cares about her health and future and that of those around her.  Looking at all of those Beachbody transformations made me see that it was possible for me too.  That is what has kept me going, even if it has been watching from the sidelines until a few months ago.  Those people you see on those infomercials ARE real people.  I even know some of them now!  I figured, if they can do it, so can I.

I am still on my journey, but am loving having some company along the way.  And now as a coach, I am supplementing our family's budget as well. It doesn't get much better than that.   If you would like to join me in a challenge group or learn more about being a coach, fill out the application below.  You will never regret making the decision to help yourself and potentially change    the lives of those around you in the process.

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PiYo - Week 4 and 5 Revisited!

Everybody always says that vacations are the death of their health and fitness goals.  Maybe that is true for all of us to some degree, but it doesn't have to totally shatter our dreams of reaching them.  I just returned from a journey to the midwest to visit my grandmother. 

She lives in my hometown and doesn't have wifi, let alone a computer. (Truth be told, she doesn't even have a microwave or an ice maker!)  I had no laptop with me either.  That left me with a choice.  I could have just said I was going to have to take the entire vacation off.  Instead, I went armed with as much success as I could pack.  My Shakeology packets, lots of bottled water, healthy and convenient snacks and, of course, my PiYo dvds.  While I knew she didn't have a way for me to play them (no dvd player), I had the boys bring the PS3.  I never did use that, but ended up sneaking away each day for the first week to my dad's air conditioned RV!  Aside from being a little cramped for room, it worked out marvelously.  I made up my own schedule because of time and space, but I did it.  It was awesome!  Then my dad left for Wisconsin........ this left me with only the house to workout in.  Now, I am not one to look for excuses as to why I can't workout, but let me just say it was next to impossible.  Grandma's house is also quite small and there were people sleeping in literally every room.  There was nowhere to go.  I say all of this to tell you that I will be repeating my weeks 4 and 5.  I did technically do week 4, but not to its full extent.  As for the food?  Did I mention I was at my grandma's?  She is a typical grandma and isn't happy unless she if feeding us.  Plus, I had to have some of the best pizza on the planet....twice!

So, yes, I indulged in areas that I normally don't, but I enjoyed it and am now ready to get back on track.  I want to get everything out of this program that I possible can and I am loving every minute of it.  So, here's to a fresh start week 4.  I am with you all the way.  My schedule for the week looks like this:




 Monday - Sweat
Tuesday - Core
Wednesday - Buns
Thursday - Drench
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Strength Intervals
Sunday - Sweat

Even though we had been gone for just shy of two weeks, I managed to put a pretty good menu together with very little prep necessary and only a short trip to the grocery store until payday!

Meal Planner

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Work Out	Strength Intervals	Sweat	Core	Buns	Drench	Rest	Sweat
Breakfast	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee
Snack	Apple & Cashews	Apple w/ PB	Cottage Cheese & Blueberries	Apple & Cashews	Apple & Cheese Stick	Apple w/PB	Cottage Cheese & Blueberries
Lunch	Black Beans & Brown Rice w/ veggies	All natural marinara w/ lean ground beef and brown rice noodles	Grilled Pork Chops, Oven Roasted Potatoes and salad	Mexican Lasagna and salad	Turkey chili on small baked potato w/ veggies	Pork Roast w/ carrots, onions and potatoes w/ steamed green beans	Natural PB/ Sugar Free Jelly on Ezekiel Bread, veggies
Snack	Cheese stick & carrots	Veggies & Hummus	Cherries & Cheese Stick	greek yogurt w/ berries and honey	Veggies & Hummus	Greek Yogurt w/ berries & honey	Veggies & Hummus
Dinner	All natural marinara w/ lean ground beef and brown rice noodles	Grilled Pork Chops, Oven Roasted Potatoes and salad	Mexican Lasagna and salad	Supper night at church (cheat meal)	Pork Roast w/ carrots, onions and potatoes w/ steamed green beans	Lean Burgers (no bun), topped with roasted jalapeno salsa & grilled zucchini	Pita Pizzas & salad
						Grocery day!!!

PiYo Week 4

 The good news is that even after a two week long period without my usual eating plan and workout I came home still feeling good in my clothes and my fingers didn't even swell up on our 16 hour road trip back home.  This may seem silly, but this was the first time that I have traveled and not had sausages for fingers and toes by the time I reached my destination!  Yeah!

This girl is ready to rock PiYo and be back on track!  I am starting my next challenge group on August 18th....who's ready to rock it with me?!?

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Balancing Act

In January I decided that I didn't like the way I was feeling.  Outwardly, I was starting to not fit in my clothes and had no muscle definition left from my previous success.  Inwardly, I was just plain

miserable, depressed and well, blah.  With my decision to begin my transformation for good this time I needed a plan that I could live with.  I have discovered the art of a balanced diet.  I don't like to use the work "diet", but it is defined as "ones usual food and drink."  The balancing act breaks down to 90/10 and a lot of times 80/20.  I try to make clean and healthy choices 80-90% of the time and allow for things that may not be in my ideal plan for the other 10-20%.  I used to be an all or nothing kind of gal, but I had to change that if I wanted to see progress and still live my life to what I thought was enjoyable.  Yes, I know that my previous post was about really getting down to the nitty gritty and stripping all of the fluff and extras away.  I will be putting that into practice in the very near future.  However, this summer has made me a even bigger believer in the art of balanced living.  We have had so much activity and I have had so many reasons to overeat and just throw in the towel all together.  But, I have not given myself permission to do that.  Instead, I have stayed on track with my plan to the best of my abilities and had treats and such when I felt it wouldn't ruin my whole day.  I have stuck to my good habits that I have developed like drinking my Shakeology every day and drinking enough water.  But the fact is that this

summer I have enjoyed things like cotton candy, funnel cake, hamburgers, fries, soda, ice cream and chocolate cake.  Did I eat all of this in one day?  NO WAY, I didn't even eat all of this in the same week!  Did I eat a huge bag, an entire cake or the whole 2-liter bottle full?  Once again I say, NO WAY!  I shared or just had a couple bites or chose a small portion.  All of the rest of my food for the day was on track and you know what, I have even made progress along the way.

That scale has moved in the downward direction as has the tape measure.  I have to say, I have been a little surprised myself.  Along with the eating, I do have to add that I have only missed a couple of workouts here and there.  Coaching challenge groups and having the accountability has pushed me to get up and get my workout in. I don't want to disappoint my challengers or my coach anymore than I want to go backwards with my progress!  Remember, this transformation thing only works if you are willing to not only eat well, but make a commitment to working out nearly every day as well.  Now, why am I writing this?  I wanted to share with everyone that you can have your cake and eat it too....just don't eat the whole cake!

If you would like to change your life and develop habits that will get you through those tempting summer vacations and moments when you just don't feel like you can do it anymore, fill out the application below and I will get you started on your own transformation story!

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My PiYo Journey - Week 3

I can't believe week 3 is over already.  It has been a whirlwind of PiYo and summer fun for me this past week.  With family visiting, every day and almost every moment of those days have been FULL!  I have faithfully gotten my workouts in even with all of the craziness.  Something to be proud of.  It has made a difference to my success that the workouts aren't terribly long.  I can get them in, even after being up late the night before and before rushing off to the next family filled day.  This week my workouts looked like this:

 - Monday - Define: Upper Body
 - Tuesday - Buns
 - Wednesday - Core
 - Thursday - Define: Lower Body
 - Friday - Rest
 - Saturday - Sweat
 - Sunday - Strength Intervals

The Strength Intervals was a new workout this week and I got up to do it at 7:00am after being up and at the amusement park the night before until 1:00am.  I just popped it in and had no choice but to bring my game!  It did feel great to get moving and it made my whole day feel better, even though I was exhausted.

This program has proven to be a favorite.  I am truly loving how I am still seeing results without having to try to kill myself.  With all of the family in town it probably goes without saying that the meal plan has been blown to smithereens but I am doing the best I can.  In fact, I snuck a measurement in before it was time this month because I was thinking things looked smaller....AND I WAS RIGHT!  I will give the full report next week on my week 4 post, but things are definitely still changing.  So exciting and rewarding, I can't even tell you!!!

Meal Planner

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Work Out	Strength Intervals	Sweat	Core	Buns	Lower Body	Rest	Sweat
Breakfast	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee	Shakeology Coffee
Snack	Apple & Cashews	Apple w/ PB	Cottage Cheese & Blueberries	Apple & Cashews	Apple & Cheese Stick	Apple w/PB	Cottage Cheese & Blueberries
Lunch	Black Beans & Brown Rice w/ veggies	Black Beans & Brown Rice w/ veggies	Brown Rice Pasta w/ground beef and marinara & veggies	Brown Rice Pasta w/ground beef and marinara & veggies	Brown Rice Pasta w/ground beef and marinara & veggies	White Chili & veggies	Natural PB/ Sugar Free Jelly on Ezekiel Bread, veggies
Snack	Cheese stick & Nectarine	Veggies & Hummus	Cherries & Cheese Stick	Veggies & Hummus	Veggies & Hummus	Greek Yogurt w/ berries & honey	Veggies & Hummus
Dinner	Taco Salad	Rotisserie Chicken, Salad, & Fruit	Chicken Enchiladas & Salad	Hamburger (no bun), salad & fresh guac.	Pulled Pork, cucumber salad & strawberry lettuce salad	Total Cheat Meal!	Popcorn, apples, veggies, watermelon
Snack

PiYo Week 3

This meal plan was definitely a general idea of what to eat.  This past week was spent packing lunches, meeting up with people, eating out and on and on.  In the past 7 days we have gone to the lake, the zoo, had a princess party, family pictures, the amusement park, the pool, a family reunion and the park!  Oh, did I mention all of these activities were with 12 kids and at least 5 adults and sometimes more?! It is surprising to me that I even managed to keep my head on straight, but I did it and that's because I had somewhat of a plan.  Thank goodness!

I am ready to ROCK week 4.  All I can say is, "Thank you, Chalene Johnson for being so good at what you do!"  I love her and her workouts and I just can't say it enough.

To join my next challenge and see how rewarding it truly is to see results even in the midst of busyness and fun, fill out the application below.

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