My Adventure with 21 Day Fix

Hello everyone! I hope all of you are well.  And, of course I have a story to tell.

Just this weekend, I completed my 21st day of the 21 Day Fix, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy.  It was probably the hardest thing I've completed to date, and I've done Insanity.  But, this was hard for another reason: I absolutely had to follow the nutrition plan sent.  Why?  Well, unlike Insanity and TurboFire, if you don't follow the nutrition plan, you will get results.....just not as good as what you'd expect, but you will get them.  However, 21 Day Fix is different.  The entire plan is built around eating.  You eat the right foods, in the right portions, at the right times, and well, you are going to have amazing results.  Let me tell you about my adventure with the 21 Day Fix.

Week 1: My first thought was, "Wow, I can only eat that?"  The first 5 days were definitely the hardest for me.  It wasn't that there wasn't enough food, it was because I was burning TOO many calories, if that's even possible.  Some would say: how so?  

Well, let me tell you.  First, I'm in the Army, so we exercise first thing in the morning.  Second, it was during this time that I had taken some Soldiers to the range.  Well, when you are standing around in full gear in 100 degree heat, it will take a toll on you.  Third, I will still coming home and doing Autumn's workouts.  I felt like I was starving.  So, essentially, I was starving.  Not intentionally, but I was new with the program, and there is just so much to learn.  

You have to create new habits, like: measuring your food.  Planning your meals for the next day, and pre-cooking your food.  Planning is the key to success in this program.  It's actually the success to any program, but this one takes extra thought.  Since I am on the 1200-1499 calories a day, I'm only allotted two carbs a day.  Well, if I had milk with my Shakeology, or sushi, then that was a serving of carbs, so many times I would opt for a salad instead of rice or pasta as a side.  That first week, I had sweet potatoes that I put off for 5 days because of this.  

Week 2: Still struggled to find what works best to tote around during my busy schedule.  I opted for boiled eggs and a piece of fruit for breakfast instead of Shakeology, and moved Shakeology to a mid afternoon snack (with water instead of milk).  This allowed me to have my sweet potatoes as a side, instead of a salad, and to enjoy pasta one day for dinner (cause I LOVE carbs!).  I stepped on the scale mid way through (just to check progress), and found that I was down about 4 lbs!  WooHoo!

Week 3: Life got in the way this week.  Yep.  Had a very long Cub Scout meeting, so Pizza was ordered one day.  Got lazy and decided to not cook (hey, that DOES happen....sometimes) so we visited a Mexican restaurant.  And, I took the boys BTS shopping and had mall food, and breakfast out the next day.  What I noticed: even though I had those "life gets in the way moments," I wasn't eating as much.  Food was left on my plate, and I didn't even feel bad.  I also noticed that most foods, if seasoned properly, tastes very good sans salt.  That being said, when we visited the local burger joint because it was late one day, and I didn't want to cook, those burgers, even though very yummy, were very salty.  And, I didn't work out with Autumn most of the week just because of life.  At the end of this week: down another 1.5 pounds.  Not as good as the first half, but still progress.

So, now that I'm in my maintenance week (added a few more calories according to the plan), I'm taking the time to reflect on what went wrong, and what went right in this adventure.

1) I should have planned for extra calories burned on the days that I went to the range.  I had no idea, so I didn't plan.

2) Cheating is OK, but in small quantities.  As you can see, I just let it all go, almost, on the third week.  The 21 Day Fix does allow cheating, but you have to learn how to do it right.  With that being said, there are recipes in the book that allows this.  You'll learn the right way to "cheat" and still get results.

3) There are tons of clean eating recipes out there.  You just have to know what you like, what you might like to try, and just go for it!  

4) Some items, like coconut oil, natural peanut butter, raw honey, pure maple syrup & quinoa are very expensive.  Buy what you can afford and use sparingly.  Olive oil can be expensive, but you don't have to use large amounts.  When all else fails, cooking spray is an awesome alternative.

5) Homemade balsamic vinaigrette is quite yummy.  A little goes a long way, and I've never used an entire serving on my salad.

For the remainder of my maintenance week, I will continue to eat within my limits, and learn new healthy recipes.  I will look up healthy recipes and plan my meals.  I will come up with a better plan for my next round and follow it more closely.

Thank you all for listening/reading....whatever.  If you are interested in obtaining a copy for yourself, please contact me.  $60 isn't too much to learn how to eat healthy, and to change your lifestyle.  I'm sorry, but I will not copy my workouts or measure out the containers so you know how much to eat for two reasons: 1) I'm a very honest person and believe that bootlegging is wrong and 2) it is ILLEGAL!  Additionally, you'll be far more committed to the program if you just purchase the program and to follow it.  I did, and it's working for me.

I've Been Inspired

So, just because I'm not pushing Beachbody products anymore it doesn't mean that I don't come up with a great recipe every now and again.  I'm still concerned about health and fitness, so I'm going to share this very yummy recipe that I've made a few times, and it is definatly kid approved.  I don't have a name for it, so maybe we can come up with one together.  Anyway, get your 12" cast iron ready, cause this dish is delicious.  (Keep in mind that I don't have actual measurements, so you may have to play around a little to get the flavor that you like.)

1 lb of Salmon filet
splash of EVOO
splash of lemon juice
splash of red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
lemon pepper seasoning
paprika
cumin
1 large red pepper
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 large zucchini
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half.
1 box whole grain bow tie or rotini pasta cooked until tender.

Dice all vegetables, set aside.  Heat EVOO in skillet.  Sprinkle Salmon with lemon pepper, and cook skin side down for about 5 minutes.  Flip once and remove skin.  Cook until medium.  Remove from skillet.  Add garlic, onion & red pepper.  Season with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika & lemon pepper.  Cook until onion is transparent.  Add remaining vegetables.  Flake Salmon with fork and add to pan with cooked noodles.  Add splash of lemon juice, red wine vinegar and EVOO.  Add more lemon pepper and salt to taste.  Serve and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serves about 6-8.

This dish is SO filling.  You can serve with a salad and garlic bread if you like.  I would suggest caesar salad.

I hope you experiment with this and enjoy this dish as much as I do.

Until Later!

Melissa

No Ordinary Salad

So, tonight for dinner, I decided to have a completely different salad.  We normally have either a Caesar Salad or a Tossed Salad, and today, I served up a completely different salad and I've accomplished something that parents have been trying to do for years:  I got my kids to willingly eat spinach!  Yep, you read that right, they ate spinach.  And, three of them wanted seconds!  So, here is the recipe.

Spinach-Strawberry Salad

Fresh baby spinach.
Strawberries
Pecans or Walnuts
A splash of Balsamic Vinaigrette  

Toss all into a bowl and serve.

And that, my friends, is how I got my boys to eat spinach.

Enjoy!

Perseverance of a Baby

Hi everyone!  I just watched a video of a friend's baby crawling for the first time.  The baby wanted a toy at the other end of the room.  He grunted, fell on his face, and eventually got up on all fours and crawled to the toy, grabbed it and rolled over.  He never quit.  He saw what he wanted and went after it.  And I thought that's how we all should be when it comes to our fitness goals.  That baby's goal was to get to the green ring.  It doesn't matter what your fitness goal is, you should have the perseverance of a baby.  

Just like the baby had that green ring in sight, you should set your own goals in sight.  Write them down!  And then take that goal, and tape it to a wall, mirror, or put it on the fridge where you will see it every day.  That will be your reminder of what your goal is.  Post it up in several places of your home, so that you never lose sight.

If your goal is a huge goal, like losing 50 pounds or more, break it up into smaller, more reachable goals.  That way, you won't get discouraged when you initially don't make it in the time that you thought you would.  Smaller goals are easier to reach, and keep you motivated.

Don't give up!  Just like the baby in the video, don't give up on your goals.  When you find that you gained weight instead of losing weight, don't get discouraged and give up.  When the baby fell on his face, all that he knew was that he wanted that green ring.  Well, when you gain a pound or two, are you going to give up?  The answer is NO!  Did you know that in a weight loss journey, you will gain weight before you lose?  Do you know why?  If not, then research it.  Find out why you gained 2, 3 or 5 lbs.

And finally, once you reach your goal, just like the momma in the video, your friends and family will be proud of you.  They will congratulate you.  They will share with the world your accomplishments.

So, be like the baby in the video.  Never lose sight.  If you fall down, get back up and keep trying.  And once you get there, celebrate.  Roll over and take a break.  You deserve it!

You CAN afford Shakeology

Ok, so most of you probably think that $129.95/mth is pretty expensive for a meal replacement, but is it?  I've done some homework this morning and I'm going to show you how you CAN afford the healthiest meal of the day, Shakeology.  Here's how it works.

Most working Americans will rush out of their house and grab a fast food breakfast on their way to work.  At lunch, they will have another fast food lunch, and to beat the late afternoon crash, they will have a coffee.  Does this sound familiar?  If it does, then I have good news for you.  First, let's break down the cost per month of these daily purchases.

McDonald's breakfast w/coffee: $2.99
McDonalds Big Mac Lunch: $5.69
Starbucks Coffee: $2.99

If you work 5 days a week, that adds up to $58.35 a week, which is $233.40 a month.  Now, these prices are estimates depending on where you live, and what you actually order, but this is a good average.

Now, let's replace these meals with healthier choices.

Shakeology: $129.95/mth
Bring own lunch & snacks from home: $25/mth
Starbucks K-cup: $23/mth

The total for the healthier options listed above is $177.95 a month, which gives you a saving of $55.45 a month!  Add that up over a year: $665.40!

So, the proof is in the numbers.  You, can afford Shakeology, and save money!  On top of that, you are giving yourself the healthiest meal of the day.  With all the nutrients in Shakeology, there is no need for a multivitamin, a post workout protein shake, or a very unhealthy breakfast.

So, why not give Shakeology a try?  Try it for 30 days risk free.  If you don't like, well, send back your empty bag and get your money back.  What do you have to lose? 

To Order Shakeology, click here!

Why Pay for the Program? Why Not?

Wow, so the month of January is half over.  So many people are taking advantage of a free 30 day gym membership, free Weight Watcher's for 30 days, etc.  Once those 30 days are up, those gyms and other weight loss programs want money to continue in their program. Once you sign up for their program, you pay a monthly fee of $18.95 (Weight Watchers) or more ($79.95/mth for Golds Gym), and you get access for their programs, or to use their workout equipment.  On top of that, if you want a personal trainer or nutritionist, you have to pay extra.   

So, the question that I have to ask is this: why would you pay that monthly fee, or pay for fitness equipment at all if you can get it for free?  For free you ask?  Yes, for free, but is it legal?  Just in the past three days, I had a friend admit that they just purchased a bootleg copy of Focus T25 for $25, and another friend asked me if I had it on digits.  After feeling disgusted that my friends would do this, I thought that what they were doing is illegal.  Copyright infringement is a very expensive crime.  Whether you download music, movies, or any other copyright material, you can be charged a minimum of $750 for each item that you illegally download.  That $20 workout program that you downloaded for free doesn't look too good now, does it?

So, why not do the honest, legal thing, and purchase your Beachbody program.  You not only save money from purchasing a gym membership, nutritionist and personal trainer, but you can get all three from $19.95-119.95, depending on the program.  Also, depending on the program, they come with everything that you need to get started.  I own four programs, have gotten awesome results, and haven't bought anything extra.  You get a DVD workout program that you can use over and over again, a nutrition guide, and a free 30 day membership to all the support of the Beachbody community.  (Once the 30 days expire, your membership is only $2.99/wk.)  Additionally, studies show that if you invest money into a program, you are more committed because you don't want to feel that you are wasting your money.  

So, for a variety of programs to choose from, visit my website to take a look at any program for any budget.  You can get anything from Hip Hop Abs ($19.95) to Focus T25 ($119.95), or the newest addition to the P90X family, P90X3 ($119.95).  If you have questions about any program, contact me.  I am here to help you, and I want to help you get and stay fit.

The New Year's Trap

Hello all.  So, I was in the gym, finishing up my workout and getting ready for the day, when I noticed them.  I noticed the New Year's Resolutions' Moms.  Yep, the moms that come in to work out pre-coffee.  The moms who wrap their bodies in layers of sauna suits to lose weight.  Is that even healthy?

Then, these same moms, who are desperate to lose weight, are the same ones that look at thousands of dollars of gym equipment wondering, "What do I do now?"  They may step on the stair climber, or the elliptical for about twenty minutes, then hit the bench press, or some dumb bells, grab their bottle of water and leave.  The sad thing is, because they are so lost about what to do in the gym, they normally don't last long.  And day by day, their resolutions die.  Each day, they get a little more discouraged, and each day, their hopes and dreams of being thinner and healthier die a little more.   Then one day, their normal life of sitting at home, watching Judge Judy looks even better.  One day, they say out loud, "Next year won't be so hectic."  By March, they've fallen victim to their normal routine of getting the kids back to school, sitting at home, eating Snickers and wondering why they can't lose weight.  In April, they fall victim to a body loss wrap, or a meal suppressant, and then they realize that they can't afford the monthly monetary commitment.

I don't want this to be you.  I don't want you to fall victim to the New Year's Resolution trap.  I want you to commit to a lifestyle change.  I want you to commit to getting healthy, and staying that way.  I want to help you.

For the cost of a day out, whether it's the movies, a day to the park with the kids, or a shopping trip, you can get a Beachbody program.  The best part of any Beachbody program is that you know exactly what you are doing, and how long it's going take.  Most programs do not need additional equipment.  You can recycle the program over and over to achieve the results that you want.  The best part, there will be no driving to the gym, circling the parking lot looking for a space to park, waiting on sweaty gym equipment, and showering with strangers. (Because we all know everyone always wipes down their gym equipment.)

Don't fall into the trap.  Let me help you decided which program is best for you.  Let me help you get onto a path of health and fitness.  Let this year be your year, and let me help you reach your fitness goals.

What do you say?  Is this going to be your year to getting fit and healthy, or are you going to fall into the trap and try again next year?

Make Goals, Not Resolutions

This time of the year, everyone makes resolutions.  They resolve to change things about themselves.  They resolve to lose weight, to save money, to be nicer to each other, and the list goes on and on.  But, as a small business owner, a Soldier, a mom, a homeowner, and a wife, I've made goals to set myself up for a successful 2014!  So, without any further ado, here are my goals for 2014.

1) Get promoted.  Not only as a Soldier, but with Beachbody as well.
2) Graduate college…..finally.
3) Give more to charity.
4) Pay extra payments on my principal.
5) Save a couple thousand dollars, or more.
6) Meet my weight loss/fitness goal.

That's it.  Just six goals.

Not resolutions, but goals.  And why goals?  Because, goals are reachable.  Goals keep you accountable.  You write them down and share them with friends and family.  You mark them off when you are done, and you get a feeling of accomplishment.  That feeling of accomplishment goes a long way to being successful.

So, what are your goals this year?  How are you going to have a successful year?  

Share your goals and be accountable.  Make yourself have a successful year.  No one, but you, can make you successful!

Have a great, successful year!