Congratulations on making it through Day One of our Beachbody Challenge! By the posts on the Facebook group, it looks like most of you are kicking ASS and staying on track with food and getting the workout(s) in. I'm psyched!
I want to talk about goals. I had intended to post this talk as a video in the group, but instead, I posted about stress and its effect on our bodies. Case in point, my back is out. And it had nothing to do with my workout or pushing myself beyond my skill level. It has everything to do with the amount of stress in my life and how I carry that stress. I'm resting today and hoping tomorrow I can do some light Yoga to re-center myself and focus on the WHY instead of the NOW.
Anyway! Goals!
Someone once told me that in order to gain confidence, we have to meet success. With that in mind, I want you think about your goals for this challenge and perhaps re-word them a bit so that they become 100% dialed in and achievable.
Here are some examples:
1) I want to wear my favorite jeans without them digging into my sides.
2) I want to get dressed in something other than yoga pants and a T-shirt on the weekends because I'm worth that effort.
3) I want to complete this 21-Day Challenge. I signed up for it because I need a change and I'm not going to quit.
4) I want to feel better about what I'm putting into my body.
5) I'm going to workout every single day no matter what. Maybe it's not one of the DVD's that came with my program. Maybe it means I go for a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood or I drop in on a local Yoga class or hit up Zumba with a friend. Whatever it is, I'm going to move for 30-minutes a day.
Switch the focus away from how you look and more to how you feel. Switch the mindset from "I can't eat that" to "I choose not to eat that". Switch the focus away from your weight and more to your WHY.
So! NOW tell me your goals for this Challenge. GO.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Week 1: 21 Day Fix: Approved Breakfast Meal Ideas
Here are 5, 21DF Approved, Breakfast Ideas
IDEA 1
Shakeology! But of course! Shakeology tastes great on its own, but why not add a few things to it that make it taste even more awesome? I shared my favorite Shakeology recipe on the Facebook group, but here's another!
Strawberry Shakeology - One red
Frozen Mixed berries - One purple
Water & Ice as desired
Shakeology is awesome in the morning when you're on the go. It keeps you full until snack time, it's a super healthy meal replacement (not just a protein shake!) and it will help you to make better choices for the rest of the day.
IDEA 2
Oatmeal with nut butter and chia seeds
This is a GREAT make-ahead idea (although I rarely ever do make it ahead). The hack to remember is that 1/4 cup of uncooked, dry, quick cooking oats equals one yellow. Measure out your oats the night before, add the milk and let them sit in a bowl in the fridge over night. By morning, the oats are nice and soft. A quick zap in the microwave and boom. Hot, filling, energy infused, oatmeal.
1/4 Cup Quick Cooking oats - One yellow
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (It's only 30 calories, do an extra push-up and don't bother to count it) - Freebie
Chia Seeds - One orange
Nut butter (almond, cashew, peanut - whatever your fancy) - One spoon
IDEA 3
Egg white "omlette" with veggies and goat cheese
I get the little container of organic liquid egg whites from Trader Joe's because it's far easier than cracking eggs. (Guys? This is how lazy I am. This is why I failed over and over and over again at "dieting". Finding things that made this easier quite frankly just eliminated the excuses. This is why I'm sharing it all with you!)
8 Organic Egg Whites - One red
Veggies of your choice (I like peppers, mushrooms, and spinach) - One green*
Goat Cheese crumbles (or feta!) - One blue
*TIP: Don't count your leafy greens. Dice the rest of the veggies and fill the green container with a nice mix and then add to the egg whites.
IDEA 4
Homemade blueberry yogurt
This is a fave, but a little labor intensive and best done the night before. When I first started, the adjustment to plain yogurt was tough. I found it bitter and just generally unpleasant. However, the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt is full of preservatives and garbage, so it's much healthier to have plain. I found a way to make my own fruit yogurt! This will work with any fruit, but blueberry is my fave.
Plain Organic non-fat (or 1%) yogurt - One red
Frozen blueberries (or strawberries, or raspberries, or blackberries - whatever!) - One purple
I dump my purple container of frozen blueberries into a Ziploc steam bag and put it in the microwave for 1.5 minutes. This softens them and makes them easier to blend. Then using my food processor (the little bowl attachment at the top), I add the yogurt and the blueberries and mix until fully blended. Stick the blended, homemade, blueberry yogurt into a tupperware (or even the purple container!) with a lid and you have a grab-and-go meal for the morning.
IDEA 5
Grab-and-go Hard Boiled Eggs
(and yes, you CAN eat the yolks!)
2 Organic, hard-boiled eggs - One red
1/2 banana - One purple
There you go! FIVE breakfast ideas for Week 1 of 21-Day Fix. Happy, and healthy, eating!
IDEA 1
Shakeology! But of course! Shakeology tastes great on its own, but why not add a few things to it that make it taste even more awesome? I shared my favorite Shakeology recipe on the Facebook group, but here's another!
Strawberry Shakeology - One red
Frozen Mixed berries - One purple
Water & Ice as desired
Shakeology is awesome in the morning when you're on the go. It keeps you full until snack time, it's a super healthy meal replacement (not just a protein shake!) and it will help you to make better choices for the rest of the day.
IDEA 2
Oatmeal with nut butter and chia seeds
This is a GREAT make-ahead idea (although I rarely ever do make it ahead). The hack to remember is that 1/4 cup of uncooked, dry, quick cooking oats equals one yellow. Measure out your oats the night before, add the milk and let them sit in a bowl in the fridge over night. By morning, the oats are nice and soft. A quick zap in the microwave and boom. Hot, filling, energy infused, oatmeal.
1/4 Cup Quick Cooking oats - One yellow
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (It's only 30 calories, do an extra push-up and don't bother to count it) - Freebie
Chia Seeds - One orange
Nut butter (almond, cashew, peanut - whatever your fancy) - One spoon
IDEA 3
Egg white "omlette" with veggies and goat cheese
I get the little container of organic liquid egg whites from Trader Joe's because it's far easier than cracking eggs. (Guys? This is how lazy I am. This is why I failed over and over and over again at "dieting". Finding things that made this easier quite frankly just eliminated the excuses. This is why I'm sharing it all with you!)
8 Organic Egg Whites - One red
Veggies of your choice (I like peppers, mushrooms, and spinach) - One green*
Goat Cheese crumbles (or feta!) - One blue
*TIP: Don't count your leafy greens. Dice the rest of the veggies and fill the green container with a nice mix and then add to the egg whites.
IDEA 4
Homemade blueberry yogurt
This is a fave, but a little labor intensive and best done the night before. When I first started, the adjustment to plain yogurt was tough. I found it bitter and just generally unpleasant. However, the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt is full of preservatives and garbage, so it's much healthier to have plain. I found a way to make my own fruit yogurt! This will work with any fruit, but blueberry is my fave.
Plain Organic non-fat (or 1%) yogurt - One red
Frozen blueberries (or strawberries, or raspberries, or blackberries - whatever!) - One purple
I dump my purple container of frozen blueberries into a Ziploc steam bag and put it in the microwave for 1.5 minutes. This softens them and makes them easier to blend. Then using my food processor (the little bowl attachment at the top), I add the yogurt and the blueberries and mix until fully blended. Stick the blended, homemade, blueberry yogurt into a tupperware (or even the purple container!) with a lid and you have a grab-and-go meal for the morning.
IDEA 5
Grab-and-go Hard Boiled Eggs
(and yes, you CAN eat the yolks!)
2 Organic, hard-boiled eggs - One red
1/2 banana - One purple
There you go! FIVE breakfast ideas for Week 1 of 21-Day Fix. Happy, and healthy, eating!
Friday, May 22, 2015
21 Day Fix Shopping List
Here you go! The long awaited shopping list. Since so much of 21DF is clean eating, I didn't want to send you to the store too early knowing that things will spoil before you get a chance to eat them. So shop wisely! I've categorized the list as best I could. You will notice that I'm a huge Trader Joe's fan. If there's one by you, I highly recommend going. Not only because of prices (which are FAB), but because the food is fresh and most of it is organic. When buying organic at the regular grocery, you will find a HUGE increase over non-organic stuff. Sadly this is one reason why people keep eating non organic food and claim it just costs too much to eat healthy. I find that's one big giant (lame) excuse, but I'll save that post for another day. Since you're all here to make changes, here's your first step. Shopping.
RULE #1: Don't go to the grocery store hungry. Suddenly the ice cream aisle will be the only thing you think about. Eat, then shop.
Staples
These items should ALWAYS be in the house. If you run out before your next food shopping date, it'll be worth stopping quickly mid-week to restock. These are must haves to keep the convenience level of this meal plan in check. Should you run out of these quick snacks and grab-and-go items, the temptation to eat ALL OF THE CEREAL IN THE HOUSE DIRECTLY FROM THE BOX will be way too easy. Don't let that happen. Remember, YOU are in control of your success.
Unsweetened Almond Milk (30 calories)
1-doz organic eggs (hard boil 6 of them for easy grab-and-go)
Organic Hummus (try to get plain. Don't get crazy with flavors)
Plain organic greek yogurt (if you absolutely cannot deal with plain, vanilla is okay. No fruit. It's not real fruit!)
Natural Peanut Butter (unsalted is ideal, but gross. You won't die using salted. My favorite is Trader Joes Creamy Valencia)
Organic leafy greens (whichever you prefer - spinach, 50/50 blend, romaine, whatever. This will spoil quickly if you get the bagged kind so be sure to check dates to make sure you can get at least 3 days worth)
ORGANIC Green Apples (please don't even buy non-organic apples)
Fresh lemons
Coconut oil
Organic dark chocolate chips (TraderJoe's are awesome!)
Raw honey (if you can get raw LOCAL honey, bonus.)
Weekly Items
I'll be presenting a few different meal plans and you can go through and pick what you'll be eating. This is not EVERYTHING that's allowed on the plan, so be sure to read your meal plan book when you get it. You won't need everything on this list for week one, but pick enough of it and buy it so you have it to fix your meals for the week. This is where the planning comes in. Depending on the meals you choose for Week 1, you will need:
Meats (Red container):
Boneless, skinless (organic), chicken or turkey breasts
Ground turkey*
Frozen shrimp
White fish
Grass fed ground beef (I recommend staying off red meat for the first 21-days, but if you absolutely MUST have it, be sure it's grass fed and at least 95% lean)
Ham slices
Turkey slices
Canned Tuna
*Trader Joes has frozen burgers - turkey, veggie, chicken - these taste great and heat up quickly. They're a great quick meal that you won't have to think about. Highly recommend!
Veggies (Green container):
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Brussels Sprouts
Beets
Asparagas
Tomatoes
Peppers
Fruits (Purple container):
Frozen berry medley (this is perfect to mix with your Shakeology!)
Cherries
Grapes
Banana
Melon
Strawberries
Carbs (Yellow container):
Quick-cooking oatmeal (in a canister) I have a great hack for this that I'll share in the group this week.
Sweet Potato
Quinoa**
Brown Rice**
Beans
Corn Tortillas 6" (2 of these equal one yellow)
Whole wheat pita
Whole grain bread (1 slice is one yellow)
*Trader Joe's has pre-cooked frozen quinoa and brown rice. There are four packets in each box and 1 packet equals 2 yellows.
Healthy Fats (Blue container)
Avocado
Almonds
Hummus
Feta or Goat cheese
Shredded low moisture mozzarella
Seeds (Orange container)
Pumpkin seeds (raw)
Sunflower seeds (raw)
Sesame seeds (raw)
Seeds are great toppings on salads. You can substitute one orange for one blue so if you prefer to skip the seeds, that's no big deal.
Over the weekend I'll be posting meal ideas for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and snacks - all 21DF approved. You can us this to plan what you'll be eating this coming week! Any questions, you know how to find me!
RULE #1: Don't go to the grocery store hungry. Suddenly the ice cream aisle will be the only thing you think about. Eat, then shop.
Staples
These items should ALWAYS be in the house. If you run out before your next food shopping date, it'll be worth stopping quickly mid-week to restock. These are must haves to keep the convenience level of this meal plan in check. Should you run out of these quick snacks and grab-and-go items, the temptation to eat ALL OF THE CEREAL IN THE HOUSE DIRECTLY FROM THE BOX will be way too easy. Don't let that happen. Remember, YOU are in control of your success.
Unsweetened Almond Milk (30 calories)
1-doz organic eggs (hard boil 6 of them for easy grab-and-go)
Organic Hummus (try to get plain. Don't get crazy with flavors)
Plain organic greek yogurt (if you absolutely cannot deal with plain, vanilla is okay. No fruit. It's not real fruit!)
Natural Peanut Butter (unsalted is ideal, but gross. You won't die using salted. My favorite is Trader Joes Creamy Valencia)
Organic leafy greens (whichever you prefer - spinach, 50/50 blend, romaine, whatever. This will spoil quickly if you get the bagged kind so be sure to check dates to make sure you can get at least 3 days worth)
ORGANIC Green Apples (please don't even buy non-organic apples)
Fresh lemons
Coconut oil
Organic dark chocolate chips (TraderJoe's are awesome!)
Raw honey (if you can get raw LOCAL honey, bonus.)
Weekly Items
I'll be presenting a few different meal plans and you can go through and pick what you'll be eating. This is not EVERYTHING that's allowed on the plan, so be sure to read your meal plan book when you get it. You won't need everything on this list for week one, but pick enough of it and buy it so you have it to fix your meals for the week. This is where the planning comes in. Depending on the meals you choose for Week 1, you will need:
Meats (Red container):
Boneless, skinless (organic), chicken or turkey breasts
Ground turkey*
Frozen shrimp
White fish
Grass fed ground beef (I recommend staying off red meat for the first 21-days, but if you absolutely MUST have it, be sure it's grass fed and at least 95% lean)
Ham slices
Turkey slices
Canned Tuna
*Trader Joes has frozen burgers - turkey, veggie, chicken - these taste great and heat up quickly. They're a great quick meal that you won't have to think about. Highly recommend!
Veggies (Green container):
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Brussels Sprouts
Beets
Asparagas
Tomatoes
Peppers
Fruits (Purple container):
Frozen berry medley (this is perfect to mix with your Shakeology!)
Cherries
Grapes
Banana
Melon
Strawberries
Carbs (Yellow container):
Quick-cooking oatmeal (in a canister) I have a great hack for this that I'll share in the group this week.
Sweet Potato
Quinoa**
Brown Rice**
Beans
Corn Tortillas 6" (2 of these equal one yellow)
Whole wheat pita
Whole grain bread (1 slice is one yellow)
*Trader Joe's has pre-cooked frozen quinoa and brown rice. There are four packets in each box and 1 packet equals 2 yellows.
Healthy Fats (Blue container)
Avocado
Almonds
Hummus
Feta or Goat cheese
Shredded low moisture mozzarella
Seeds (Orange container)
Pumpkin seeds (raw)
Sunflower seeds (raw)
Sesame seeds (raw)
Seeds are great toppings on salads. You can substitute one orange for one blue so if you prefer to skip the seeds, that's no big deal.
Over the weekend I'll be posting meal ideas for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and snacks - all 21DF approved. You can us this to plan what you'll be eating this coming week! Any questions, you know how to find me!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Getting Selfish: The WHY
There's a lot of negativity surrounding the word "selfish". Many things can be construed as "selfish" and the interpretation is very subjective. Some people will say that investing in your health and fitness is selfish. Some people will say that spending time at the gym takes away from time with your family. And in turn, that's selfish. I have a hard time with this on a daily basis. Besides the regular Mom guilt, I'm also a practicing Catholic and THAT comes with a whole array of guilt built right in. Because Jesus was a self-less man and we as Christians are to follow Him and His teachings, once we divert from that ever so slightly, we feel selfish and guilty about it. Overcoming this is a daily battle.
It has to change. I have to change the way I think about my ME time. Getting healthy is more than about how my clothes fit and how toned my arms look. For me, this has been about getting off of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication for the first time in 5-years. It has been about letting my husband (a very talented photographer) take photos of me in my daily life and letting him post them without me freaking out that I look fat. It has been about the skin on the backs of my arms clearing up for the first time since, well, ever. It's been about my confidence level. My ability to stand up straight and carry myself into business meetings like I matter instead of hiding in layers of clothes and long scarves. THIS is more than just weight loss and muscle mass. This makes me feel like I can be a better mother, a better wife, a better person overall. THAT is why.
I want you to think about your WHY and I want you to dig deeper than "For my kids" and "For my family" and "So I can live longer". I want you to, well, if we must use the word, then I want you to Get Selfish! Are there a pair of pants in your closet that you wore years ago and you felt HOT in them? And what you wouldn't give to get back in them and have that feeling again. That confident, untouchable, catcalling, wolf-whistling feeling? THAT's what I want to hear about. We are ALL doing this to change bad habits, to be able to chase our kids around the back yard, to live a longer life, BLAH BLAH. I've heard all that. I KNOW all that. Those are my reasons too - you know, the ones that DON'T make me feel so selfish. Dig deeper.
It has to change. I have to change the way I think about my ME time. Getting healthy is more than about how my clothes fit and how toned my arms look. For me, this has been about getting off of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication for the first time in 5-years. It has been about letting my husband (a very talented photographer) take photos of me in my daily life and letting him post them without me freaking out that I look fat. It has been about the skin on the backs of my arms clearing up for the first time since, well, ever. It's been about my confidence level. My ability to stand up straight and carry myself into business meetings like I matter instead of hiding in layers of clothes and long scarves. THIS is more than just weight loss and muscle mass. This makes me feel like I can be a better mother, a better wife, a better person overall. THAT is why.
I want you to think about your WHY and I want you to dig deeper than "For my kids" and "For my family" and "So I can live longer". I want you to, well, if we must use the word, then I want you to Get Selfish! Are there a pair of pants in your closet that you wore years ago and you felt HOT in them? And what you wouldn't give to get back in them and have that feeling again. That confident, untouchable, catcalling, wolf-whistling feeling? THAT's what I want to hear about. We are ALL doing this to change bad habits, to be able to chase our kids around the back yard, to live a longer life, BLAH BLAH. I've heard all that. I KNOW all that. Those are my reasons too - you know, the ones that DON'T make me feel so selfish. Dig deeper.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
If I Can Do It, You Can Do It
When I decided to finally drop the wall (the wall of excuses, the wall of blame, the wall that basically had me standing on top of it with my fingers in my ears and my eyes screwed shut screaming LA LA LA LA LA at the top of my lungs) a sudden clarity appeared. A clarity about ownership and control. A clarity that came with personal strength and will power. Something that made me see the door open and the light appear.
Eating right has been beaten into my head from a very young age. There was never junk food in my house, but in the 1980's, what we knew about "junk food" was limited. It was basically candy and potato chips. No candy. No potato chips. We've evolved only slightly since to realize that among other things available to me then, Fruit Roll-ups aren't exactly health food and canned cheese, while super fun and entertaining to squirt onto crackers, doesn't contain anything remotely even close to resembling cheese. Still, at that time, these processed foods were balanced out by the fact that more people sat down to dinner every night as a family. My Mom or my Grandmother cooked every night. I remember roast chicken with broccoli and rice, spaghetti and meatballs with a huge salad, burgers with ripe tomatoes (that we grew in the back yard!) on top, and plenty of other meals. I remember my grandma slicing green peppers and shooing me away from the counter because I kept stealing the raw slices and running away. Because of this (and the fact that I never stayed still), I never had issues with my weight as a child or young adult.
Today in 2015, it's just too easy to fail at making good food choices. And to think, we're better off now than we were at the turn of the millennium! The organic, natural food movement has taken a slight hold, but not enough of one. Even fast food restaurants offer low calorie options. But we as a society are busier than ever. We schedule ourselves to the brink of exhaustion, work multiple jobs, enroll the kids in multiple activities, drive here, shlepp there, etc. etc. It's easy to hit the drive-thru between stopping at Target and picking up the kid at school. And I don't know about you, but I will pass over 10 fast-food restaurants while driving from Target to my house. Temptation right there in a red and yellow sign. And! As a bonus! You can probably get something that will hold you over until dinner with the change that's scattered on the floor and in the cup holders of your car.
Discovering Beachbody through my Pilates teacher (See? I was even going to the gym regularly and STILL battling the number on the scale!) and doing just one round of 21-Day Fix changed my life. I have control over food that I've never had before. I no longer suffer from stomach pain and guilt after eating a huge meal. I know how to order in restaurants. I know how to prepare my food at home. I know what I have to bring with me to get through the day. My workouts take on a new meeting. I workout to actually sculpt and change my body -- not to undo whatever the hell I ate. I opened my eyes. I saw how to make the change. Things became clear.
I want to share this with all of you. Over the course of the next 21-Days, I'll be sharing with brutal honesty what my life was like before and after 21 Day Fix. I'll be stressing out with all of you when it comes to not having enough hours in the day. I'll be moaning and groaning about having to fit a workout in. Because it's not easy. If it were easy, the world would be a size 4 and bikini body ripped. But it's possible. With such a small commitment from you - 21 Days - you can change how you relate to food. You can DO THIS. Because if I can do it, YOU CAN.
Eating right has been beaten into my head from a very young age. There was never junk food in my house, but in the 1980's, what we knew about "junk food" was limited. It was basically candy and potato chips. No candy. No potato chips. We've evolved only slightly since to realize that among other things available to me then, Fruit Roll-ups aren't exactly health food and canned cheese, while super fun and entertaining to squirt onto crackers, doesn't contain anything remotely even close to resembling cheese. Still, at that time, these processed foods were balanced out by the fact that more people sat down to dinner every night as a family. My Mom or my Grandmother cooked every night. I remember roast chicken with broccoli and rice, spaghetti and meatballs with a huge salad, burgers with ripe tomatoes (that we grew in the back yard!) on top, and plenty of other meals. I remember my grandma slicing green peppers and shooing me away from the counter because I kept stealing the raw slices and running away. Because of this (and the fact that I never stayed still), I never had issues with my weight as a child or young adult.
Today in 2015, it's just too easy to fail at making good food choices. And to think, we're better off now than we were at the turn of the millennium! The organic, natural food movement has taken a slight hold, but not enough of one. Even fast food restaurants offer low calorie options. But we as a society are busier than ever. We schedule ourselves to the brink of exhaustion, work multiple jobs, enroll the kids in multiple activities, drive here, shlepp there, etc. etc. It's easy to hit the drive-thru between stopping at Target and picking up the kid at school. And I don't know about you, but I will pass over 10 fast-food restaurants while driving from Target to my house. Temptation right there in a red and yellow sign. And! As a bonus! You can probably get something that will hold you over until dinner with the change that's scattered on the floor and in the cup holders of your car.
Discovering Beachbody through my Pilates teacher (See? I was even going to the gym regularly and STILL battling the number on the scale!) and doing just one round of 21-Day Fix changed my life. I have control over food that I've never had before. I no longer suffer from stomach pain and guilt after eating a huge meal. I know how to order in restaurants. I know how to prepare my food at home. I know what I have to bring with me to get through the day. My workouts take on a new meeting. I workout to actually sculpt and change my body -- not to undo whatever the hell I ate. I opened my eyes. I saw how to make the change. Things became clear.
I want to share this with all of you. Over the course of the next 21-Days, I'll be sharing with brutal honesty what my life was like before and after 21 Day Fix. I'll be stressing out with all of you when it comes to not having enough hours in the day. I'll be moaning and groaning about having to fit a workout in. Because it's not easy. If it were easy, the world would be a size 4 and bikini body ripped. But it's possible. With such a small commitment from you - 21 Days - you can change how you relate to food. You can DO THIS. Because if I can do it, YOU CAN.
Monday, May 18, 2015
21 Day Fix Challege Group: Memorial Day 2015
Challenge Group 1
Beachbody Programs:
21 Day Fix
21 Day Fix Extreme
Brazil Butt Lift
Shakeology
Start Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Participants:
Coach: Allyson
Challengers: TBD
Meal Plan:
21 Day Fix
Beachbody Programs:
21 Day Fix
21 Day Fix Extreme
Brazil Butt Lift
Shakeology
Start Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Participants:
Coach: Allyson
Challengers: TBD
Meal Plan:
21 Day Fix
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