Because of #MBF....

I mooned my dad in the ocean on vacation.

When I was rushing around packing for a VERY last minute invite to a house my parents were renting in Florida, I had concerns that my bikini might fit me different from my actual (planned) family vacation 3 weeks before. But anytime a wave hit, I had to hold on to my bottoms. Eek!!

I mean, your bikini bottoms being too big is not a terrible problem to have...

It is 3 weeks between these pictures.

The week we got home from FL in July, I committed to #MBF with my online group that I run & the day I finished it, I left (again, on a whim) to stay with my parents.

I feel damn good, too!
But this is a “new” different kind of good.

And it is not about the scale.
That changed 1 pound between these 2 pics.
If I relied on that alone on this journey, I would be screwed.

It is a new found confidence because I am…
✨lifting heavier
✨gaining core strength
✨challenging myself on a whole new level
✨losing body fat that would NOT budge before
✨seeing changes in my body that are new to me…

All w/ my workouts at home that were 35 min & under.
And of course, superfoods daily + tightening the leash on my nutrition without depriving myself of LIFE.
Ya know, dinner out, drinks, dessert. Balance.

Here is the thing - 35 minutes is DOABLE.
Especially w/ life being ALL over for many of us right now.

We are all just busy moms/dads trying to work, “teach” our kids & keep our heads above water…

We are all in this together.

In order to show up as the parent I need to be for my kids right now, I can’t lose focus on ME FIRST.
Yep. You read that right. It is ok & actually a must to make time for yourself.
To workout.
To make SIMPLE healthy meals.
To pick up a good book or listen to a podcast to get yo’ mind right.

If you are running on E, mama, you MUST fill your own tank back up so you can keep driving the crazy train we are on!

In my group, we focus on ALL of that while keeping you accountable to your goals.

I am enrolling NOW for my 9/7 virtual group! I will be doing another round of #MBF W/ YOU.
Message me STAT if you are interested! I don’t do this often but I am actually going to offer a special gift to the first 5 people to sign up for allowing me to be your coach on this journey. 💕

(See below for more info on #MBF OR fill out this form so we can chat about you, your goals and the requirements for the group!)

Now you may be asking…what is #MBF?

It is quite possibly one of the best workout programs I have done yet. Click this link to watch a video and learn more. You can even try the sample workout before committing!

PS -If you want to see a story other than mine, Nicole is absolutely amazing! Watch here.

Healthier BBQ Chicken Pizza (CPK Style)

One of the amazing things about each new program is that there are new recipes to try out! 

Of course, I always end up modifying recipes to: 
1) use products I love that can easily replace something I don't want to use, i.e. pita vs my favorite pizza crust
2) make it easier! The original recipe is from Core De Force, it uses whole wheat pita as the crust and they make their own BBQ sauce...ain't nobody got time for that! My Trader Joe's sauce is perfect for a BBQ Chicken Pizza! 

PS - I love when people are all like, "I am on this diet and I am SO HUNGRY all the time! I can't eat anything good! I have to eat some bar for breakfast that doesn't fill me up, then for lunch, I have a shake filled with artificial ingredients and it cost me like $300+"....and I am over here like, oh poor you, this pizza is eff'n amazing, I will eat some for you. ;) 

What You Need (1 Serving):

1 whole grain crust (or whole wheat pita)
2 Tbsp. bbq sauce (try to find one without a bunch of extra "junk" in it)
2 Tbsp. cheddar (recipe calls for mozzarella, but I prefer cheddar) 
1/3 chopped cooked chicken breast
2 Tbsp. chopped red onion (I only use 1 Tbsp...onions aren't my friend)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (or the amazing freeze dried stuff you can find near the veggies/salads in the grocery store, love those)

Preparation: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 (one of these days I will figure out how to do the whole fahrenheit thing on my blog).
2. Place crust on a baking sheet, top with bbq sauce, cheese, chicken & onion.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
4. Sprinkle w/ cilantro, slice & ENJOY! 

 

I could eat this right now...

For my Fix family:  2 yellow, 1/2 red 1/2 blue 1/2 purple

A much needed refresh...

Oh my goodness, can we talk about summer bloat? Is that even a real thing?! Because if not, it should be.  I didn't eat like a complete asshole ALL summer but I had my fair share of fun...and yeah, I felt the aftermath of it. 

I got together with a group of ladies from my challenge group and we all 4 did the Refresh together! It is a 3 day cleanse (no, not a liquid diet) to get your body over a plateau, lose a few pounds or to kick some bad habits you may have picked up (like ice cream and beer?)...

I remember the first time I did it, I was SCARED shitless. No meat for 3 days?! 5 small meals...how would I survive?! So we kept pushing it off and pushing it off....AND we ended up doing it during the weekend when we were bored and watching Food Network all weekend, I don't suggest that. ;) But by day 2 I was feeling less bloated and had way more energy. The past 2 times I have done this, day 2 has always been the day where I feel hungrier but oddly enough this time, day 1 was my hardest! After I got past day 1, the rest was much easier! 

Also, as usual, I get hungry around bedtime but I take a sip of water or two, brush it off and go to bed! 

My days look like this (and yes, I keep the same schedule all 3 days):

7:00-7:15am - Wakeup (no workout during the refresh) & drink 8-10 oz of water to get things going!

8:00am: Breakfast, Shakeology w/ 10oz of water + a banana (blended in is my choice).

9:15am: Morning Green Tea, 8oz

10:45am: Mid Morning Fiber Sweep (no, I swear you don't run to the bathroom or shit yourself)...I will say however, if you are like me and have texture issues, this one needs to be COLD, so lots of ice and drink it through a straw quickly. :) It tends to thicken if you let it sit, so it is to be drank immediately. Some people like the taste, texture, etc. but I almost threw up the first time because I didn't make it right for my taste buds. ;) Don't be scared though, it isn't that bad, especially if I have done this 3x now! 

12:15pm-1:00pm: Lunch, I had tomatoes w/ smashed avocado on them.  I do make my lunch last around 30-45 min, I spread it out and eat slowly.  Around 12:30, I will have my apple. Then right at 1 or so, I drink my Vanilla Refresh which is a really tasty high protein shake! 

3:00pm-ish: Afternoon snack of carrots + peanut butter (supposed to be almond butter but my son is allergic so I don't keep it in the house)...

4:15pm: I have a raspberry herbal tea (optional)

6:00pm: Dinner!!! The best stir fry ever (recipe below).  Then around 6:30 or 6:45 I have my Vanilla Refresh again.  

Go to bed, wake up, repeat for 3 days!

You will feel more energized, have less bloat, hopefully kicked a bad habit or too PLUS the scale will be down, which is never something I get mad about...

I am down 2.9lbs and 2.5 inches this time around!

My after pictures are subpar though because I tried to do them myself at 5:30am with my phone on a tripod and my phone was totally crooked so I look crooked....yeah, that didn't work out so good! 
 

Veggie Stir Fry (1 Serving) 

1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup fresh green beans
1/2 cup fresh sliced carrots
1/2 cup fresh sliced red bell pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp organic veggie broth

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add in garlic and ginger.
2. Cooking, stirring frequently 1-2 minutes.
3. Add veggies, salt, and broth.
4. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until veggies are tender-crisp.

Enjoy!! 

I cut all of my veggies on day 1 and put them into tupperware. I also grated my ginger, that way the majority of my meal was ready to cook when it was lunch time. 

Hammer & Chisel, Round 2, Week 2

I did it (AGAIN) I made it through not one, but TWO entire weeks without my kids food, without Girl Scout Cookies AND no wine! I was tempted though, do not get me wrong....there was a lot of self talk going on in the evenings. 

Struggles: It is still a challenge for me that I have 44 days left without treats or wine. I am starting to tell myself that after 21 days, I will allow myself one treat and then get back on the wagon for another 21 days.  It sort of helps me feel better...but do I really want to do that? Should I do that? I mean, I know I shouldn't...but I am all about setting smaller short term goals and that is why I LOVE 21 Day Fix.  But don't get me wrong, I love these workouts, I am just struggling more mentally with the strict meal plan! 

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Here is a look at some of my food from week 2, it was all yummy! Again, people seem to think you have to starve yourself to get results. This is far from true! 

Most of these recipes are on my blog...they are totally worth making too!

Workouts: Well, we didn't miss a workout. I am however skipping any of the days where we are supposed to add on the 10 minutes abs. My chiropractor told me I have diastasis recti and I am really trying not to make it worse! Workouts are still not my problem area. I have gotten myself into the habit of getting up and getting it done.  

Just a peek into our workouts last week!

Performance Line: I am seriously obsessed.  I LOVE our Energize, Hydrate and Recover.  I seriously look forward to using it each day to enhance my workout, improve my recovery and in turn, improve my results because I can push myself harder! I do like the Recharge, I really think it has helped my muscles recover even more by using both the Recover (immediately post workout) and the Recharge (before bed) however, I am having a hard time with the texture! I read that a lot of post workouts have a thicker texture, but my gag reflex isn't a fan...just saying! I chug it anyways, if I drink it fast, it isn't as bad, plus the actual taste is REALLY good! 
**Update: If you use the Recharge, mix it with 10oz of water, totally fixes the texture issues I was having. Gag reflux = no longer a problem! Glad I solved that! **

Have I told you about our performance line yet? I was NEVER a girl who used supplements before. I didn't want anything that made me feel jittery or shaky. And I didn't want to put a bunch of crap in my body if I didn't know where it was from...so it is a good thing Beachbody and our Scientific Advisory Board developed this line with that in mind.

The board consists of Sports Medicine Dr's, Nutritionists, Botanical Scientists & a Microbiologist with a background in food safety! I can bet you that the supplements you go grab from your local store do not have the level of detail and science behind them that went into creating our line. 

Yep, only safe, effective ingredients from nature, that means no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives in our products! Beachbody wants to make sure you are maximizing your performance and getting results in the healthiest way possible!

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Last round of Hammer & Chisel I used our Energize and Recover. Now I am using the entire line minus the creatine.  The Energize helps me push harder, do more reps and gives me that "get shit done" feeling. :) I didn't use Hydrate during my workouts before, just water and I can tell a 100% difference. I don't wear out as easily because the Hydrate is designed to account for the loss of electrolytes and water lost during my workouts therefore it has improved how effective my workouts are, I can tell that I am not tiring out halfway through because of dehydration.  The Recover has totally reduced my muscle soreness immediately after a workout but the Recharge before beds helps my muscles recover overnight when my body is in the most optimal state for recovery.  It is amazing how different I feel this round using all 4 of these combined.  You can truly tell they were designed to work together in the most effective way so you can get the best results possible.  I mean, can you tell how much I love it? I have AT LEAST two of each supplements on my shelves in my pantry. #issues 

Hammer & Chisel, Round 2, Week 1

I had these high intentions of blogging about my 60 day Hammer & Chisel journey DAILY...but let's be real, ain't nobody got time for that....

So I have changed my goal to WEEKLY. I mean, I can handle that, right?

Here was my week 1 Meal Plan:

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Week 1 before Chi trip.

I did it! I made it through ONE entire week without my kids food, without Girl Scout Cookies AND no wine! Phew. We even threw in a random travel day and I am proud of my choices. I edited my original meal plan (above) to fit in the one thing I knew I couldn't do without if we were going to Chi, deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's....now, usually I would also say a chocolate cake shake from Portillo's but I knew there was no chance of working that into my meal plan, so I put on my big girl panties, had a mental talk with myself & dealt with my mouth watering each time we passed a Portillo's....and yes, it seems like there is one on every corner in the burbs of Chi.  

Anyways, when life hands you a curveball, you roll with it and I think I handled it pretty well with my modified plan! 

Struggles: I can tell you that while I may have not touched my kids food, not drank wine or had ice cream, it wasn't easy. This is proving to be challenging for me mentally, but I have to stop and remind myself that I want results more than I want a thin mint or a glass of wine...although both sound really good right now. :) 

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Week 1 with modified meal plan for our random one night trip to Chi! 

I mean, here is a glance at the food I GET TO eat. It is amazing. People seem to think you have to starve yourself to get results. This is far from true! 

Most of these recipes are on my blog...they are totally worth making too! Especially the meatballs and the buffalo chicken pizza (or wraps). 

Workouts: Even with a travel day, we didn't miss a workout. Honestly, this isn't my problem area. I have gotten myself into the habit of getting up...well, setting my alarm for 5am and getting in a early morning workout.  I know that if I get up and get it done early that I can get in my shower and a little bit of work before the kids are up, it just helps jumpstart my day.  And, I can tell you that if I wait until later in the day, I am REALLY good at making up excuses as to why I don't have time to get it done.  Or, I don't push my hardest if I do workout late in the day. Saturday was an exception to the rule for me though, we got home around 8pm at night from our 4.5 hour drive, I was determined to not miss a day, so I drank my Energize and got it done! 

I also decided to up the anti this time around, I am not just using Energize and Recover, I am also using our Hydrate and Recharge.  You guys, I am in love with our Performance Line. I seriously look forward to using it each day to enhance my workout, improve my recovery and in turn, improve my results because I can push myself harder! 

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Round 1

Round 1 Results....I figured there is no better place to share these results than here, that way I can look back and see how far I've come once I finish round 2! Right!? And I guess, I will share Aaron's too, even though he drank way more beer than me, didn't even plan his meals and still managed to get abs! #men

Down 4 inches, the most being in my thighs, which you will NOT hear me complain about. I can also see a difference in the pictures from day 1 to day 60 in my stomach! 

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"Damn Daniel...." I'm just saying, look at those abs.

But what you can't see in pictures is the strength I gained, the confidence that I am capable of doing a program that I was originally scared to do!  I also need to get a shot on my calves for you all to, not going to lie, I am a little proud of how good they look. :) 

Now for the kicker, I went out and bought a TWO PIECE for my before (good-bye)/after pictures this round. Yep, you read that right. I have not purchased one of those since the summer before I got pregnant with Mason....does that mean I am ready to wear one to the pool, no...but that does mean I am growing more and more comfortable in my own skin each day and that is one of my biggest goals on my journey to a healthier me. <3

Stay tuned for more!