fitness

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Hammer & Chisel, Round 2, Week 1

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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:

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. :) 

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! 

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! 

"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! 

Tis the season...

I apologize for the 10 day break in posting but you know how it goes....tis the season for being super BUSY! And when I say super busy, I mean forgetting to do a post on my new blog.  Haha. Oops. Fail! 

I really have been super preoccupied with my business and Christmas shopping though! My last challenge group just ended on Sunday so now it is time to prep for the next one on Jan 4th!

You are probably thinking, that is great but what is a challenge group? Well in case you didn't read the about me section, I am an online health and fitness coach.  April 2016 will mark my 1 year anniversary in the coaching biz.  Time flies when you are having fun and actually enjoy what you do!! Anyways, I digress.  So an online challenge group provides MANY different things but a few of them are:

  • Support
  • Encouragement to stay on track 
  • Peer motivation 
  • Accountability to help you meet your goals and see results 
  • Plus extra 1:1 support from me
  • They are in a private group via Facebook, no one sees our posts except the people within the group itself 

In my groups, I also like to provide my meal plan each week to help my challengers get ideas for their meals and I share recipes along other nutrition or fitness related tips.  And of course, prizes for participation are a must! I have to say, I have been super lucky in my 9 months of hosting challenge groups to have the best challengers! They are driven and keep each other on track, it is just so inspirational to be a part of such a great community or people who all are working towards their goals! 

For the challenge group, typically you would work with me to find a workout program that best fits your needs and then the flavor of Shakeology you will replace one meal a day with in order to maximize results.  Commitment and Shakeology are required to be in my groups! Why commitment?  Because I can only work with the willing.  If you don't want to do the work to get the results you are wishing for, I can't force you or do it for you. I wish I could...but my magic wand isn't that magical.  

And Shakeology is required for many reasons, here are a few:

  • It is high in protein 
  • It contains essential amino acids, phytonutrients, antioxidants, digestive enzymes & prebiotics as well as probiotics to help provide you with valuable nutrition your body needs
  • It is made with 100% whole foods
  • It does not contain soy or artificial flavors 
  • It will rock your socks off - no lie 

Plus, the best thing about my groups is if you buy the challenge pack (which is your fitness program + 1 month of Shakeology) and you aren't satisfied, you can get your money back! Crazy, right? So you basically have nothing to lose when you hop on the wagon!  Except the weight you have saying you wish would go away...I am just saying, don't pretend you haven't been complaining about it but haven't done anything to fix it! I haven't had one person who was committed not see results, including myself!

So what is a typical day like in a challenge group?  In the morning I like to get everyone fired up with a motivational quote! Then I will post a recipe, fitness or nutrition tip in the afternoon. And in the evening, everyone in the group will check in with how their day went as far as nutrition, exercise and water! A lot of the time I like to run my groups with a point based system, so whoever earns the most points will get a prize.  Some of the ways to earn points are to share quotes, sweaty selfies, recipes, etc.  It is so simple and yet it is the best way to stay accountable on your journey! 

The next group I am doing last 21 days and is filling up fast but if you want more info or are interested, contact me (about me --> contact me).  In the meantime, keep doing what you do and whatever that is, make it great. <3 

 

Here are some reviews from my December group:

"You know I love it & I'd be lost without it! I make no bones about it...my challenge groups are 95% of my success...the rest is just brute force and ignorance." - Nichole

"Ashley Molitor, thank you for encouraging me to join this group & stay with it.  I stuck with it for the first two weeks & started to fade out this last week.  This was extremely challenging given the time of year & all of the temptations surrounding us.  You all did an amazing job & have inspired me to be more mindful of my diet/exercise.  Even after fading during the last week, I'm down 8 pounds. This journey is definitely not over...." - Steve

"I love the support that you & the other challengers give.  Accountability is huge for me. I don't want to be the one to let anyone down, especially myself." - Lisa

"The support from the group has meant a lot to me. Some days I wanted to give up but everyone was always there to reassure me!" - Allison 

Welcome To My Blog!

Hello world! My name is Ashley & I am new to this whole blogging thing but I plan on figuring it out as I go.

I am a stay at home mom and entrepreneur so get ready for blog posts about balancing motherhood and a business! Plus, I LOVE food! Finding healthy and clean recipes is something that is super important to me! But so is going out to eat and experiencing new places, it is all about finding that balance in life, right?!  And wine, how I love wine! Oh and we can't forget dessert. I said, life is about balance, right? 

Traveling is also something I enjoy! Whether it is with my kids, my husband, family or friends, traveling is always something that brings about so many memories and you can bet I will be sharing them here! 

If you want to know more, about me, my transformation, my coaching business, etc., then just check out the About Me section of the blog! Some pages are still under construction but will be up and running shortly. I will post an update as I finish each section.