Be Unstoppable!

This is going to potentially be information overload day! But, this is something I've wanted to do for a while now! I want to share one of my favorite forms of personal development and information sharing. Podcasting.

On my Resources page, I list a bunch of blogs, websites and materials that I LOVE. And a number of those at the bottom are Podcasts! Today, I'm going to focus on one specifically that is my go-to for some amazing content! But before I get into it, I want to introduce this podcast host a little bit...

Have you heard of Chalene Johnson?  Those of you that have any familiarity with Beachbody may just know her as a fitness expert. She's the trainer in hit fitness programs like TurboFire, ChaLEAN Extreme, and PiYo (All program names are links to the programs themselves). But really she is SO MUCH MORE than that!

Now - let me ask you this. How many of you have heard of "The Chalene Show"? I am an avid listener! So today, I wanted to share with you some of my very favorites of Chalene's podcasts! She covers all sorts of topics - from business building, to personal development, to subjects more in the realm of health and nutrition. Some of these are oldies, but their amazing and I reference them all the time in my challenge groups!

So let's get started on covering my FAVE "The Chalene Show" podcasts!

**Note that ALL of the Podcast Titles in this post are links to that blog post on Chalene Johnson's website**

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:

 I originally had these podcasts ordered in the opposite order, with the fitness and nutrition podcasts first. But that just didn't feel right because frankly personal development is the tipping point in my opinion. Doing personal development is where results come from. It makes you mentally strong and persistent, helps you identify your passions and wants in life so you have direction, and your excuses so that you can navigate obstacles. I do a lot of personal development! Plus...if I order them this way, then I can start off with my absolute favorite Chalene Show podcast...

"Crazy Confidence" (27m 02s): This episode changed my life. Like no joke, I go back to it all the time! I think I've put it as an assignment in ALL of my challenge groups since I've discovered it. This is an amazing podcast.  Confidence is a tremendous problem for everyone! I mean, how often do you have issues with self-confidence, or self-image that hinder you in your life? How often do you feel like you're being judged, only to realize that the judgement was self-invented? Chalene talks about some things you can do to build your confidence, for example...
-Steps to change your inner voice
-How to attract people that lift you up
-How to overcome self-doubt
-How to understand that experience builds confidence, and you have to start by overcoming fears
-Small daily actions to improve confidence

"Introvert or Extrovert?" (29m 12s): I was stoked when I found this episode, because I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be an Introvert or Extrovert! For example, outwardly 75% of people would think that I'm an extrovert. But I'm not! I identify myself as an introvert! Why? Because I get drained, completely exhausted when I'm around large groups of people for an extended period of time! I am an outgoing introvert because I am loud, talkative, and friendly. But I draw my energy and recharge my batteries when I'm alone! That's the big difference! So, in this episode, Chalene addresses...
-the difference between introverts and extroverts
-How that differs from being shy or outgoing
-How to build social confidence and self-awareness
-Among other often tidbits, including her wonderful club which I've recently joined--The Courageous Confidence Club

"Creating Your Best Year Ever" (37m 02s): This one features the awesome Michael Hyatt! What I really enjoyed about this episode was how they tackle the idea of goal-setting! People have this big misconception that based on what they do or who they are that they don't need to set goals, but that's not true! If you want to avoid stagnating in your life, you need to set yourself some goals! In this episode, Chalene and Michael address that misconception and give us strategies for tackling our goals by addressing ways to deal with a goal you're afraid you won't meet, the idea of a PUSH goal (Chalene's 30 day push inspired this subject), and the importance of advancing yourself by pushing outside your comfort zone! It's a goodie! Totally check it out!|


FITNESS, NUTRITION and WEIGHT LOSS:

 "Weekend Weight Loss" (10m 2s): This is a great podcast about ways to really focus on our weight loss OVER THE WEEKEND. The weekend's for me are a struggle. I'm off my schedule, there's social events that tempt me, etc.  Chalene throw's out some awesome tips for things that you can do to really take advantage of your weekend. For example
- Don't drink over the weekend
-15 minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) on two days
-Eat 1 cup of raw veggies before lunch and dinner! 
Check out the podcast for the rest of the tips!


"Breaking a Weight Loss or Fitness Plateau" (25m 42s): How many of you have hit a plateau in an otherwise super successful weight loss journey? It's really frustrating, right? Well, here Chalene gives some VERY simple tips to help you combat that. Some of these tips include -- Looking at your nutrition, changing up your workout routine, sleep more, OR take a week OFF of exercise!

"Sugar Addiction" (36m 10s): Sugar addiction is something I've never heard of before...and the nutrition nerd in me was FREAKING OUT while I was listening to this! She has a sugar addiction and nutrition expert, JJ Virgin on the show as a guest for this one and it's awesome to hear her incredible insight. Some takeaways... - Fruit is NOT the same VEGGIES! Switching them out in your diet will not yield the same results.
- Sugar addiction is a real thing! Fatigue, bloating, and inconsistent energy levels are a side effect of sugar addiction and high sugar intake.
-And sugar is hidden in tons of foods that we think are "safe"... like balsamic vinegar for example

"Sleep Off Your Fat" (22m36s): Keith Harris in the house! I think this is when he starts to show up a log in her podcasts, but anywho. This is one of her longer fit tip episodes, but still super interesting!! We all spend so much time thinking about how our fitness and nutrition affect our waistline, and they do! But we don't spend enough time thinking about how sleep affects us!  In this episode, they discuss sleep topics such as... how much sleep to get, how important consistency in your sleeping patterns is, how to fall asleep faster, the best sleep environments etc!

"Paleo Primal Diet" (40m30s): What a FASCINATING podcast! In this one, Chalene invites Mark Sisson to her show and they talk about the work he does educating people about the "Primal" diet, which is very close to paleo! I love this episode because it addresses a lot of the misconceptions about nutrition! He has some weird daily habits, that I'm admittedly still trying to wrap my brain around. But this is a GOODY! Some of the nuggest of wisdom...
-Most of us are sugar burners...but to be really lean, you have to teach your body to burn FAT!
-Basics of the Primal Diet Lifestyle (rich in healthy fats, low in processed carbs, and high protein)
-Guidelines for the best LEAN protein shakes!


Basically...here's the takeaway...

I podcast to learn. To improve my life and my knowledge about things that I would otherwise be exposed to! And there are lots of podcasts and audiobooks that I listen to on my commute.

But, you know what...

Chalene Johnson is my fave and if I introduce one person to "The Chalene Show" through this word vomit of a post, all this typing will TOTALLY be worth it!!

I was so unbelievably stoked when Beachbody released this program. I've never been much of a yogi...I'm more of a high impact, plyometrics kind of girl.  But when this program came out I knew I needed to try it!

PiYo is a cross between Yoga and Pilates...like if pilates and yoga had a baby it would be PiYo! The idea is that it combines the strength and control aspects of pilates with the stretch and flexibility of yoga. The whole tagline is "No Weights, No Jumps, Just Hardcore Results!"

Low Impact, and High Intensity Results! I feel like you can't beat that when you're one of those people that can't do high impact workouts!

 This 60 day program met a lot of my hopes and shocked me with how intense of a workout it was!

My results weren't super pronounced on a numbers basis...I lost 4 pounds, and only a couple inches total around my waist, hips, legs, & arms. BUT CHECK OUT THOSE ABS!!!! Haha. That was my favorite part!
My results weren't so pronounced in numbers, but I just felt so lean and strong when I finished this program and ever since finishing, I've been super proud and ready to show-off my abs!


For the first time, I really felt like I had ab definition! That was probably my favorite part of the program was how much core strength I got from all of the plank work and yoga poses.

But as I did for my 21 Day Fix Review...I will tell you what I liked, what I didn't like etc. so you can get a big picture outlook on the program!

Dislikes:
The nutrition aspect...
After doing 21 Day Fix, I had really high hopes for the nutrition component of this program. But it was a really weird version of the 21 day fix program.  Instead of breaking things into vegetables, fruits, proteins, starches, healthy fats, and oils....they were broken into like primary vegetables and secondary vegetables which was just harder for me to rationalize and understand I guess. So I mostly used common-sense and the 21 day fix nutrition during the program.

Some of the workouts are a little longer...
The think I grew to love about the last few Beachbody programs I have done is that the workouts were a consistent amount of time! Like, for 21 day fix, they were always 30 minutes. And for Focus T25, they were always 25 minutes! The PiYo workouts are a little inconsistent in their length. Sometimes it was great because they were only 20 minutes, while other times it was a little harder to fit them into my normal schedule because they were closer to 50 minutes!

 LOVES:
Low impact + Modifications.
I mean, this might be obvious, but this workout is low-impact, which is amazing for those of us that have joint issues. My knees only gave me problems when I had gone and done another high impact workout. It was so great to me to know that I could still do PiYo even if my knees were giving me trouble because of the low-impact aspect of this program! Also, I loved that she accommodated those people that maybe new to working out or new to yoga-esque workouts with her permanent modifier, Michelle! I used Michelle's modifications sometimes anyways, because some of those moves you just have to work up to so I really liked that!

THESE WORKOUTS GET YOU SWEATING!!
Every single time I would pop in one of the workouts that was a little bit shorter, I always fooled myself into thinking that it wouldn't be a good workout. False. SO WRONG. All of these workouts were great and an absurdly good workout! Like Sculpt and Buns are deceptive because they're not very long time-wise, but my god do you sweat!! I would sweat as much if not more doing these workouts as I did doing a T25 workout with Shaun T. And Sweat and Drench?? Oh my god. These workouts are amazing! There were times that I was legitimately shocked that Chalene looks so fricken cute at the end of the workout!
Holy CORE STRENGTH!
I mentioned this above...but my core strength and my abs are probably the biggest difference I noticed following this program! I have muscle in my core that I didn't even know should be there after this program! And your shoulders will also get a lot of love too! I'm loving my abs and arm definition following this program!

Holy Crap I'm kinda flexible now!!
This might be a a kind of obvious one, and something you would expect out of a program that has anything to do with yoga, but I definitely feel so much more flexible! Every time I'd go to a down dog I'd notice my heels getting closer and closer to the floor! And for someone like me who claims that I'm only able to touch my toes because my legs are so short, this was HUGE for me!

Chalene - my FAVE!
I love this woman! I learned so much more about her after this program came out--that she's not only a fitness expert, but also an entrepreneur and self-help guru with multiple amazing podcasts and a personal development program called 30 day Push! She's such an amazing supporter to have on this journey--motivating and inspirational and positive! I truly enjoyed her as a trainer! Just the right amount of motivation, balanced with reassurance! And she's VERY funny! She definitely made me laugh my way through some of the workouts!

All in all! I loved this program! Though I don't think it has quite displaced 21 Day Fix as my favorite workout program, this program definitely filled a niche in my workout program library that needed to be filled--something low impact that's easy on my knees and will DEFINITELY get me sweating!

Basically if you...
-Have joint injuries that prevent you from doing most workouts
-Previously didn't like yoga because you "don't like standing still"
-Want something different that will strengthen your core and make the rest of your workouts easier

I highly suggest you try out PiYo! It's one of my new favorites!

I generated this list of tips and tricks for my December Challenge group, and it just seemed like too useful of a list to not share! So, here you go my friends! Try some of these out! And feel free to comment below if you've got any other good tips that have worked for you.

 Don’t skip meals. In an attempt to make room (and save calories) for that Holiday party later, you might skip lunch. But you’ll probably only end up eating more because you’re starving! Some tips? Have a small snack of vegetables before you head out to the party. Or, even better, try eating 4-6 SMALLER but more frequent meals during the day.

Survey party buffets before filling your plate. That way you can be more selective of what foods you have! Have some of your favorites and maybe skip over those snacks that you are less enthusiastic about!

Bring your own healthy dish to a Holiday get together. That way you can be SURE that there is at least something healthy for you to indulge in!
Avoid hovering by the appetizer table. My friend posted this on Facebook the other day and it has stuck with me. A person was observed lingering near an appetizer table two hours before the meal began, and in that two hours over 1200 calories worth of appetizers! Before the meal! So, choose to mingle away from the appetizer table and you’ll save on calories
Chew some gum. Chewing gum actually tricks your body into thinking you’re eating. So, chew some 15 minutes before hitting up the appetizers to cut down on appetizer intake!
Plan to exercise. This might seem obvious but if you don’t PLAN WHEN you’re going to exercise, you’re probably NOT going to exercise! FAIL TO PLAN AND YOU PLAN TO FAIL!
Bring snacks everywhere. Long hours of Christmas shopping means that you WILL inevitably get hungry! So, bring some snacks with you! Apples, carrots, celery, and nuts are all great, portable options!
Treat that meal as your reward. Organize an active activity, like a Holiday Run, OR a group Beachbody workout. Then you can all reward yourself with a delicious meal, WITHOUT the guilt!
Eat slower. One of the biggest reasons why we all overeat is because we’re eating too quickly for our brain to relay the “I’m full” signal, which usually takes about 15-20 minutes. So, eat slower and stop when you’re satisfied, not stuffed!
Hydrate. Have a water bottle with you all the time, and DRINK UP BUTTERCUP! Most of the time we mistake “thirsty” signals for “hungry” signals. So quench that thirst with water, and you’ll avoid overeating too!
Stock your  freezer. Either pre-made or recipes you’ve whipped up and frozen—stocking your freezer full of healthy meals is a GREAT way to ensure healthy eating during the busy holiday season!
Organize fun activities, instead of ones that revolve around eating! Try sledding, snowboarding, skiing, hiking, OR just walking and looking at Christmas lights! Get our and get active!
 BE REALISTIC! You’re probably not going to lose tons of weight over the holidays, but it definitely is realistic to maintain, and maybe even lose a couple if you’re dedicated! Focus on maintaining your healthy lifestyle!


If you're looking for an image of all of these to share, you're in luck! I generated one to share with my family and friends on facebook!

Happy Holidays everyone! I know it's a struggle, but let's try to stay HEALTHY this Holiday Season! 

I really want to talk to you all today about using "self talk." 

Firstly, what is self talk? 

I think of self-talk as your inner voice. I feel like all of us have an inner monologue. Sometimes, it's good! Sometimes your inner voice is full of positive things that make you feel good about yourself and what's going on in your life. Sometimes it's optimistic!  But, self talk can also be really bad and really negative.  Basically, it's the exact opposite. It gets you down, makes you feel crappy about your situation or yourself.  This is never a good thing! We want to try to keep our inner monologue positive or at the very least motivating, not self-deprecating or degrading!

You might be curious as to why I chose the images I did for my banner at the top of the page. Well, because my self-image was so insanely positive in both those images that I just felt personally like they fit this post so well. The first time I wore the maxi dress in the picture of me on the left, I firstly had never been able to wear a maxi dress before. They were all to long or too clingy and I just didn't feel comfortable. I put this dress on and my first thought was "Damn I look good!" That's positive self-talk! Now, let's talk about how you can change your positive self-talk and then, how your can apply it!

How can you change your inner monologue or "self talk"?

1) Listen to what you say before you say it! 
In the same way that we've taught ourselves to think before we speak, think before you, well, THINK! Haha okay that might not make perfect sense, but what I'm trying to say is monitor your internal dialogue! Look for patterns and triggers and learn what things tip you off toward your negative inner monologue starts. That way you can either steer clear of those triggers OR you can anticipate the negative self talk before it happens and alter it!

Stop negative self talk, @Bryce Esch Esch & @Connie Hamon Brzowski Kaelin con & obviously @Diane Haan Lohmeyer Baker!!2) Journalling.

I'm a huge proponent of journaling! I get 90% of my negative emotions out in my journal, that way I can truly evaluate the problem at hand, address it, and hopefully move on! Now, you may think that having a chronicle of all your negative emotions may be a bad thing, but I actually kind that having recorded my mistakes or feelings about certain things keeps me from dwelling on them and actually a) improves my focus, and also b) keeps those negative thoughts and feelings OUT of my internal monologue!

3) SOS Response
I JUST found this image on pinterest! The image I found wasn't linked to a website, so I apologize if this was someone else's content or image that I'm using. I would have linked to your site if that had been available from where I found this image.  This is a fantastic strategy for dealing with negative self-talk! STOP and allow yourself the opportunity to address your thought. OBSERVE what you're saying and how it makes you feel! SHIFT your perspective and response!

 4) Do something positive for yourself!
It's easy to adapt to a more positive way of thinking when you KNOW that you've done something good for yourself! Workout! Get a haircut! Spend two minutes longer on your beauty routine! Where something you feel sexy in! Commit to a week of healthy living! All those things will make you FEEL better and thus you will have a better perspective on yourself!

Next, how "self-talk" be used?


When you're working out:
I don't know about you all, but I've found that one of the dangers of working out by yourself is that you really get in your head during your workout. Now, if you're having a really focused day, that can be a great thing! But, if your motivation is lacking...it can be hard to stay motivated and to keep pushing yourself! That's when I use SELF TALK! When I catch myself going, "I can't, I can't," I will literally say out loud to myself, "YES YOU CAN! Keep pushing!" Sometimes, I will even list off the people that are counting on me OR the reasons why I wanted to do this workout!  OUT LOUD! Always out loud!


To reduce your stress:

Have you ever caught yourself needlessly freaking out over nothing? About school? About your upcoming meeting/wedding/date? How do you usually cope? I know for me it used to be this constant stream of thoughts about the worst case scenario and it would just cause me to freak out more, and sometimes even manifested itself in illness! Instead of perpetuating the cycle, change your thinking and allow your self-talk to enable you and to build up how well you can manage the situation, how capable you are, OR how little it will truly matter in the scheme of your life if things don't work out perfectly. You think you just screwed up that date you just went on? Instead of telling yourself, "Oh my god I'm going to be single forever!!", tell yourself "Oh well if he doesn't get my awkward humor someone else will find it HILARIOUS!" You made a mistake during your presentation at work? That's unfortunate! But instead of running around going "Oh I'm such an idiot! I'm going to get fired!", say to yourself "Well now I know better for next time, and I'll absolutely kill it then!"


Improve your focus.
Sometimes when I get side tracked at work, I'll find myself say "No, no. You don't need to do that now. It's only getting you off track. Stay focused for ____, ____, and ____"


If you don't use self-talk already--start implementing it now! Positive self-talk can legitimately change your life. Not only can it help to improve your self-esteem, but it can draw others to you! Once you adopt a positive, uplifting spirit about yourself, people will be drawn to you because they will want that energy and spirit in their own lives. They will want that positivity to rub off on their own life. Not only will adopting a positive inner monologue and self-talk change your life internally, but it will attract the kind of people that we all want, and you will change other peoples lives as well!

Until next time,



RESOURCES:



What are you saying when you talk to yourself? If your self-talk is not what it should be, you need to read this. | Read more at http://artofabeautifullife.com/man-in-the-arena/

Today I wanted to address something that has been dear to my heart this week. This idea that we have such a skewed perception of ourselves. That sometimes other people see us and everything we have to offer more clearly than we see ourselves.  Naturally you're going to be harder on yourself than someone else will be, but you know what? Sometimes our critiques are misplaced and sometimes our judgement and criticism of ourselves are more unfair than anything else.  

I tell people all the time that I have never been a person that's entirely comfortable with who I am or comfortable with my body. When I was in high school and college, I hated my legs. Like, no joke, HATED them. In college, I had (and still have) a really tall, beautiful friend who I would always joke with about having a leg transplant.  There were so many times when we'd go out together that I'd strategically choose my outfit to show of something about my body that I knew she didn't have.

Add on top of that the fact that I never said what I thought because I was afraid of people judging me for it.  It was a lethal combination. I had NO CONFIDENCE in myself. And you know what - that's FUCKED UP!  I'm sorry for swearing, but it really is! There's nothing worse you can do to yourself and your self esteem than constantly compare yourself to what you think society has deemed ideal!

So, what's motivating this post? I've been asking myself that question since I started writing this post on July 11th. (Yup...it really does take me that long to build a post! Sorry!!)  And it's taken me until now to fully realize what that motivation is.  My motivation is coming from this epiphany that I've had! This realization that since I've started doing Beachbody coaching, I have seen a dramatic and profound shift in my personal perception. A shift that I've only noticed in the past 2-3 weeks!  Like, when someone compliments me, instead of thinking their compliment comes from some manipulative place OR comes from wanting something from me, I genuinely believe it.

This is an excerpt from a message I sent to my friend Kaylie, who is a fellow Beachbody coach:
Confidence issues have been a problem for me my whole life. This might be an over share, but I'm going to tell you something anyway. I'd have boyfriends in the past or guys that I was dating and they'd tell me that I'm beautiful and I legit would not believe them. I would look in the mirror and all I would see was my thick soccer player legs and I would HATE them. I would think I was fat. That I wasn't pretty. And for whatever reason, like 2 weeks ago, I met this guy. Literally a random guy who I gave my number to (and still haven't heard from lol). And at several points throughout the night he told me how hot I was and, for the first time in my life, I caught myself thinking in my head "you're damn right I am!"...I literally did a double take and was just like, wait who is this person? What happened to the girl who's inner voice always used to say "no you're not. He's just trying to get laid"? This is the inner monologue that used to play in my head. And it took 25 years, but things are finally changing. And I'm freaking positive that it's Beachbody that made that mental change for me. Knowing that I'm strong and healthy, and doing the personal development, and having all of YOU wonderful ladies around me has allowed me to make that change!
That's the best I can put into words what I've been feeling lately.  What I've been noticing lately in myself!  This complete and utter shift in mentality.  This newly discovered confidence.

I'm going to share an incredibly personal video with you all that I recorded on Monday.  But, before I do, I want to give you some background on the video.  As part of our personal development and support of each other on my Beachbody team (Team Total Balance - woot woot!!), we do essentially skill building groups where we receive training on Beachbody and also personal development tasks to better understand ourselves and our motivations. One such thing was developing an idea of what our "why" is.  Why are we all doing Beachbody coaching?  Kaylie posted this wonderful video about what her why was, and why she was motivated to help people in pursuing Beachbody and some of the things she said in that video really struck a chord with me.  So, I recorded my own video.

This is deep. Personal. And I'm really putting myself out there. But, I feel like this needs to be shared. And what better place to share it?

I have FOUND my confidence.  

I used to only seek external validation, as I said in the video.  90% of this validation I didn't believe I deserved or I didn't believe it was true.  I used to dress up and workout purely hoping that other people would think I look good. My family, my friends, that cute guy at the bar. But, it's different now.  

I do all this for me - all this waking up at the crack of dawn to workout, reading of personal development books instead of watching movies, eating healthy instead of always eating pizza.  I DO THIS FOR ME! Because it makes me feel so good and so damn confident! A confident I've never felt before! And that in and of itself is so much more important than anything I could ever get from any other person!  I FEEL better about myself. And that's something that is invaluable and it took me this long in my life to realize that self love and self confidence can move mountains.  

So, ask yourself...

Do you judge yourself unfairly? 
Do you rely on other people to validate you? 
Do you believe the compliments people pay
And finally, what are you doing to change that? What makes you feel the most confident, the sexiest, the most sure of yourself?  

DO THAT THING!  LATCH ONTO THAT THING! And fight like hell to make sure that thing stays in your life for the long haul. For me it was Beachbody.  Beachbody gave me that!

We ALL deserve to feel that confidence in ourselves, and it took A LOT for me to find mine! Beachbody helped so much with that. But you know, it's not about the workouts or the fitness or the fact that I feel physcially stronger. It's the fact that for the first time I'm validating myself! 

You deserve to be too. You deserve to find that confidence.  So, give yourself some credit for everything that you have done! Own the praise you receive because people are much more genuine than you think.  And when they take the time to compliment you, they genuinely mean it!  

 Change your mindset. Change your perception. Change your attitude, because you ARE worthwhile and you DO deserve everything that has come to you in your life!  

I want to help you in any way that I can to find that! Message me on Google + or comment below if I can help you find that for yourself!

I love you all! Even though I don't know you, I hope you know that I love you for reading this, and I love you for sharing this exceptionally personal moment with me!  It is RAW and REAL and I'm terrified to publish this post...haha.

But you know what - the things you're scared of are usually the most worthwhile.  
I'm doing a Beachbody coaching apprenticeship right now with my upline coach, and she posted this video this morning. And I don't know why exactly, but it struck a chord. So much so that I HAD to share!  This is powerful stuff.

Listen to the words.

 Watch the images.

 And ask yourself...

 How bad do you want it?

 How far would you go for your dreams?







Let me ask you again...how bad do you want it? How big are you willing to dream?
I've been dying to write this review since the day I got 21 day fix! Now, two rounds later, and I'm happy to say that I'm beyond satisfied with this program and how it turned out!

I'm not saying that everything went perfectly and that it was all sunshine and roses, but the results speak for themself!

 7 pounds...1" off my waist...1" off my hips. Arm and ab definition like I've never had before!

 But, this is a review, so I will tell you what I LOVED, where I struggled, and even what I didn't like! So, here it goes!

Struggles:
Those damn yellow containers....
I really don't  know what else to say. I'm Italian. I like my pasta...and pizza...and garlic bread. And beer. Ya...the yellow containers are really hard for me! I sort of half-assed the food part of the program for the first time through, and didn't really lose a lot of weight. But, pre-challenge group, I really decided that I would fully commit to this the second time around, including the food and that made all the difference in the results. But ya, the yellow ones are definitely the hardest for me.

Also, another struggle for me was getting more creative with my veggies!  I'm very much a salad girl.  That's my favorite way to eat veggies, for sure, but what with only being allowed 1 orange per day, I struggled with how to get my veggies in, because, let's face it, I'm not about to eat a dressing-less salad! So, I had to come up with new strategies for getting my veggies in, since I had to get 3 greens in during the day!  My favorite trick became throwing a hefty handful of chopped spinach into my shakeology for breakfast in the trust me, you can't even taste the spinach once you're done!  Check out my post about green smoothies for tips and recipes ideas!  Then, I would tend to have a big kale salad for lunch. And for my last veggie, I would either have a snack of veggies and hummus (I liked cucumbers, celery or tomatoes), OR I would save up that last veggie for dinner and sautee some veggies into a veggie stir-fry or my favorite Paleo Phad Thai or get another serving of veggies at dinner in one of my many chili recipes!
morning--

 Dislikes:
These are actually very few and far between for me because I was so happy with the eating portion of this program, and the workouts definitely delivered on their promises to get me strong and toned! You definitely feel the burn!  The only thing that I maybe didn't like was the fact that there was a workout everyday for 3 weeks, but I think maybe that's part of the deal when you buy a program designed to deliver big results in 3 weeks!
The recipes are my only other complaint. The food book tells you what to eat and gives you some recipes, but I really never used them. I relied a lot on pinterest, the internet, my challenge group girls, and my coach to give me good recipe ideas.

LOVES:
-Those adorbs little containers!! Need I say more? I'm done with 21 day fix now and I still  use them all the time!
- The modifications in literally every workout! You'll probably need them! I definitely did! The side plank in, I think, Dirty 30 I had to modify up until the very last day I did that workout! Yay for progress!
-The workouts. Seriously. Ass kicking at it's finest! Especially cardio fix! That one is a killer! But don't worry, it's a good kind of ass-kicking!
-Autumn. Seriously, I'm a fan of Autumn. I have always been a big Jillian Michaels fan, and you definitely need the tough love like Jillian gives when you're making a big lifestyle change. But what I liked about Autumn is that she's like a more positive version of Jillian Michaels!  She cracks a couple jokes here and there with her workout buds in the videos and really draws you into the fun too! Plus, I love how much much she pushes them! It motivates me too!
-The Challenge group! Seriously, I wouldn't have had the successes I did without my group! That was my first challenge group, and I'd never thought I'd needed one because I always feel like if you're going to make a lifestyle change, you can't really on other people. You need to motivate yourself.  And I still believe that! But, you're going to have off days. You're going to have moments when you don't understand why you're putting yourself through it! And that's when having a team and a coach that are relying on you to commit with them is a GREAT thing!  When you get in moods like that, you remember that you have these people behind you that want you to succeed too, and they want to be motivated by you, and you eventually want to motivate them too!  That's the benefit a challenge group gives you and it is seriously invaluable!  
So, that's my 21 Day Fix review! If you're looking for a program that's simple, straight-forward, pushes you hard and tests your dedication, but delivers on it's promises in 21 days, then you should definitely try this program out!

Note: I was drinking Shakeology while on this program! Shakeology is meant to enhance your results by providing your body with the nutrition it needs to refuel and replenish after a tough workout!  If you want to know more, check out my post about Shakeology here!

Message me on Facebook or comment here if you want more information or if you want to try the program!
I've recently gotten obsessed with smoothies! My drinking Shakeology definitely has something to do with it, but it's so nice in the morning instead of making some labor intensive or boring breakfast to just through some good ingredients in a blender and whip yourself up a delicious, portable breakfast! Overall, it takes less time for me to make a smoothie purely because I can bring it with me when I travel to lab in the morning!  Having cereal or a yogurt isn't nearly as convenient, especially when I'm trying to rush out in the morning after my workout!

So, I thought I would share what I've found works really well for me for making my morning smoothie, which I even have on the weekends nowadays!  This post in particular is about making a green smoothie! It can me so much trickier to get that nice, smooth texture once you start adding in greens, like spinach! The first few times I made my smoothies, they tasted great, but there were these unsightly and unappetizing chunks and strings of spinach that did everything but add to my enjoyment of drinking my smoothie! So, below I have compiled a lit of things to know to make a really good smoothie! I've also included a recipe that I stole from my upline Beachbody coach! :-)

Things to Know:
-Get a Blender!  The higher power of blender you have, the better your smoothie will be blended! These usually range from $50-$100 and even as much as $400, with the lower power (but still fully functional) blenders costing more in the range from $30-$70.  So if you're not in the market for a new blender, that is totally fine! You'll just need to do some other things to make your smoothie smooth, which I've highlighted below!
-Liquid component first. This allows for the liquid to form a vortex and pull the other, solid ingredients into it so that they can be better combined.  It's a good idea to do this for both low and high powered blenders, but particularly for low powered blenders!
-Chop up your greens! This is especially important if you don't have a higher powered blender (like me!)
-Add your frozen component last! This might be just ice, or maybe you're using frozen fruit! I personally love frozen bananas to add a little bit of creaminess to your smoothie as well as a subtle, tropical flavor!  This is also a good idea because it pushes down your lighter ingredients, like your greens, closer to the blade so that they'll get better combined!
-Lastly, once you've gotten all your ingredients in, pulse the blender a few times before turning it on all the way. I usually use my ice crush button to do this! This starts to get your other ingredients pulled toward the bottom so that they'll get nice and chopped up instead of pushed away from the blender blade!  Once you've done that, start you blender on LOW and then crank it up to HIGH after a bit to really get those last few chunks of ice and greens blended down smooth!

 That's really it! It's super easy! Then throw your shake it a portable container--I love my Shakeology bottle--and voila! You've got a delicious, portable breakfast to start your day off right! :-)

I've included some recipes below (one to start off with, and I plan to add more later!):

 Recipes to Try:

 Greenberry Coffee Kickstart
-1C of drip Coffee (at whatever strength you desire)
-1/2 C of nut milk (I like Almond and coconut milk)
-Handful of chopped spinach (You can use other greens if you wish, but I like spinach because it's softer and it blends well)
-1 scoop of Greenberry Shakeology
-1 tsp of PB2 powdered peanut butter
-7-8 large ice cubes
Blend and Enjoy!

 Berry Delicious ShakeO:
-1.5C of almond milk
-Handful of chopped greens
-1 scoop of Strawberry Shakeology
-a handful of frozen mixed berries - add more of these for a thicker, fruitier shake
-2-3 large ice cubes
Blend and Enjoy!

Other Shakeology/Smoothie Recipes! These ones don't have green but you can totally add greens to them if you desire!

Mocha Frappuccino ShakeO:
-0.75C Almong Milk (I also have been using a delicious Almond-Coconut Milk Blend)
-1C Brewed coffee (refrigerated)
-1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
-Half a frozen banana *Optional, but adds a great creaminess to your smoothie
-1tsp of PB2 powdered peanut butter* Optional
-3-4 ice cubes
** With the colder weather I have been cutting back on the ice in my smoothie. I only add enough to make it a little bit frothy and not like a full-blown smoothie

 Peppermint Mocha Shakeology:
-12 oz of STRONG peppermint tea
-4-6oz of coffee
-a dash of almond milk just to get some creaminess
-Scoop of chocolate shakeology
-4 ice cubes if you desire
Blend and enjoy!

 Chai Tea Latte Shakeology
Same idea as the Peppermint Mocha but a little different
-12 oz of STRONG Chai Tea
-**Optional coffee if desired - I don't think this one needs it**
-4-8 oz of almong milk
-Scoop of VANILLA Shakeology
-4 ice cubes
BLEND AND ENJOY THE DELICIOUSNESS


Happy Blending!


So, I posted this picture on facebook the other day, raving about Shakeology and how much I love it! The result? An outpouring of support and questions from my friends and family! And I figured, who better than to share this with you all?

So first - what is Shakeology?

 Shakeology is nutrient-packed meal replacement shake from Beachbody, the company that has come out with kick-ass workout program after kick-ass workout program! Need some examples - P90X, Insanity, 21 day fix, P90X3, T25!! Need I go on? It's not a protein shake, or a supplement! At least, that's not how I think of it!

What's in Shakeology?
Well for the full breakdown, I'll direct you to the Beachbody Shakeology Nutrition Guide! But, essentially, Shakeology is packed full of:

  • Proteins and Essential Amino Acids
  • Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Digestive Enzymes
  • Adaptogens (herbs from harsh climates that help to promote a strong immune system, increase energy, and protect the body from stress!) 
  • Antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant-based ingredients)
  • 23 Vitamins and Minerals that your body needs for optimal health
I also wanted to add a nutrition review of Shakeology that I just found looked at this website, called Whole Intentions! This one of the more thorough nutritional reviews I've ever seen on Shakeology and addresses what I feel are a lot of peoples concerns when using Shakeology.  

What is my experience with Shakeology?
My experience with Shakeology has been great! I started Shakeology when I started 21 day fix and very quickly noticed, more so than anything else, that I had an increase in my energy level! Shakeology primarily functions as my breakfast, and as such has completely replaced and taken away my need for morning coffee! No more Ms. Don't-Talk-To-Me-Until-I've-Had-My-Coffee! She's gone! Heck, I haven't had any coffee for about a week! That's how good I've felt! And my cravings for junk food and sweets has been reduced considerably (though admittedly I still just flat-out avoid the candy and ice cream aisles at the grocery store!)!

Where can I buy shakeology?
Shakeology is exclusively sold through Beachbody at their shakeology website--shakeology.com. Beachbody doesn't sell through Amazon, though some Beachbody coaches will sell through Amazon, despite contract regulations forbidding them to do so.  I highly suggest that you buy through the Shakeology site to be sure you're getting the product you're paying for! If you want, you can buy it directly from me at my shakeology site! Contact me and I'll give you my direct shakeology link! :-)

How could I possibly afford Shakeology?
This is a big one, and is why I went back in and modified this post.  Shakeology is pricey. This is a big reason why I know a lot of people who are hesitant to pull the trigger and actually go ahead with trying Shakeology.  $130/bag seems steep right.  But, let me put it to you this way.  Shakeology is  meal replacement. It is meant to help you cut back on your grocery bill by providing you with more nutrition in a shake form than you would in a TON of other food!  Also, there are 30 servings in a bag.  So, that comes to $4.33 per serving!  How much do you spend on a cafe lunch every day? Or getting your morning coffee?  If your barista suddenly told you one day that if you gave her $130 she'd cover your morning coffee for the rest of the month, what would you do? You'd probably say no right? Well, it's the same idea! Instead of paying daily for that meal or that coffee, you're paying all at once! And, as I mentioned above, Shakeology may lead to you stopping drinking coffee, like me! And that in and of itself will save you a bundle!

If you're hesitant to try Shakeology, I totally understand! I don't want to force anyone into anything. I merely want to say that this is a great product that I love, and I would love to introduce you to it! If it's not for you, that's totally fine! If you want to try it, that's great! Order a sampler pack for $20! Or better yet, order a bag (and I recommend you order the bag instead of the packets -- more bang for your buck) and if you don't like it, there's a satisfaction guaranteed refund that you're more than entitled to take advantage of!

If you have any other questions - cost, discounts, promotions, benefits, want recipes, or just want more information in general, never hesitate to comment or contact me! :-)
Taralynn McNitt's 1000 Calorie Workout

Today I have to share a workout that I just did that is so killer and such a great workout!


The 1000 calorie workout from my favorite blogger, Taralynn McNitt. But before I get into that I had to share some of my beautiful weekend with you all!




It has been absolutely beautiful the last few days here and I missed out on my workout yesterday. I know I know. I shouldn't have, but I was having so much fun enjoying the outdoors that it just didn't get fit in.  My friends and I went to watch a soccer game downtown! It was beautiful out and the team won, making the afternoon even better. 
After the game, I had softball practice! I am so not a softball player, but I got pestered into joining the team. Needless to say, I can't hit to save my life (such a soccer player....no hand eye coordination!) By the time I got home, I crashed! I'd been out in the sun all day, and it's been a long time since I've done that.
So today, since I had absolutely nothing going on, I decided to tackle this workout challenge. I felt bad having missed my workout yesterday and have been dying to go running, so this seemed like a great option!  
It was fantastic! I mean, it killed me for sure. I probably spent a solid 15 minutes just laying in the middle of my living room when I was done. And the second run was rough because my body was so tired. But it was great!
It gets everything!
Cardio - Check (2 runs, jump roping, walks)
Lower body - Check (Can you say jump squats???)

Upper body - Check (push ups and you hit your arms when you're doing the jump ropes...if your arms don't burn you're doing something wrong...)
Abs - Check! (A good 7 minutes of abs toward the end)

I even had a chance to enjoy the flowers in the nearby neighborhood during one of my walking parts.

And when I got back home afterward (after collapsing on the floor for an extended period of time of course...) I have never been more excited that have by daily Shakeology! I threw in some frozen berries and blended it all up! Yumm! I would've taken a picture, but it was gone too quickly by the time I remembered! I woud've been taking a picture of an empty glass! :-)

Well anyway, this workout was fantastic! And I highly recommend checking it out if you're in need of a real ass-kicking workout! And it's totally do-able! Just run as slow and as much as you need to and take as many breaks as you need! God knows I had to, especially toward the tail end of the workout when my body felt so exhausted! :-)

Let me know what you think!












I am so excited to share this with you!! I am absolute thrilled to announce that today, just now (practically) I received my 21 day fix and shakeology in the mail from Beachbody!! I am so excited to start this new program! I've seen and heard such good things about it and I'm stoked to put it to the test!

It's based on such a good philosophy - healthy diet and exercise, but also something that often gets left out of the mix...portion control. This is something that I (and probably 90% of America/the world) struggle with.  Even the healthiest of meals are detrimental if you eat too much in one sitting.  Another bonus of this program is that, unlike Insanity, the workouts are short and sweet--30 minute workouts!  Much easier for a graduate student to fit in!

So, I'm unbelievably excited to start this program! I'm starting tomorrow and hitting up the grocery store afterwards so I can really load up my refrigerator with tons of healthy goodies! I can't wait to report back in 21 days and let you all know my results and my opinion about this new program!

I wanted to let you all know of a really exciting new development in my life that will allow me to continue the commitments I have made to myself to stay healthy during graduate school.  As of yesterday I am a beachbody coach! My friend Jacki from high school soccer and I have been talking about it for a while now, and I finally decided to pull the trigger. Though I am currently only doing it to get discounts on Beachbody products, I am really excited to see how I can develop this in the future.

Jacki was so sweet and invited me into their "Team Fit Foundation" group:
NEW COACH ALERT!! I am so, so excited to be announcing one of my first coaches, Miss Ellyn! I've known Ellyn for a long time; we played soccer together back in high school on a select team team called Xara and her nickname on the team was Tank.. How badass is that? Now she's... going to school and getting her PhD in Microbiology. Needless to say she's incredibly busy but loves to stay active and is currently getting her love on with some Shaun T and Insanity  WELCOME!! 
Isn't that sweet!?

But I wanted to let you all (whoever you are) about this awesome update that I'm so excited about! If you want any Beachbody information, please let me know! It's gonna be great!

Also ona different note - I'm still struggling with my foot injury, so I've continued to do some low impact exercises. And I was so excited last night because I do 50 push-ups total - 2 sets of 25!!! I've never done that many push ups in a row before!! :-D Feeling so strong and so proud!

Happy and healthy! :-)
Sometimes I feel like I write a blog post just for myself to read in the future. That seems particularly true in reference to two blog posts from the past - Uphill Climb and Listen to your body and Take a Break.

I'm injured again. And as you might know from my previous post - A Health Kick that Lasts - I've been doing amazingly well at fitting in fitness. And some really kick ass fitness at that. I've been doing Insanity, and I'm so in love with this program. I can't even convey how much up my alley this program is. It's a hate love relationship, but I do truly love how it makes me feel.  After each workout, I feel stronger and that I'm really improving myself.




About a week ago, it was finally beautiful outside here after a vastly too prolonged winter (and it snowed again today grrrr....) and I decided instead of my insanity workout, I would go for a run. A busted out a 3mi run for the first time in almost 3 months, and I felt fantastic.  I felt great before, after, and the next morning. But by 24 hours later, I was crippled and hobbling. The bottom outside of my foot was just aching and and on fire. It was a pain in a place I've never experienced before. And I couldn't contain my anger and frustration. Why does this always happen, I would catch myself thinking.  First appendicitis at the tail end of P90X and now this with 2 weeks left in Insanity.

It's been a week, and I've tried to stay on top of my Insanity. I've worked out through pain and discomfort just because I want to finish. I want to complete this program because I've worked so hard for it.

Stubborn and Feisty. A true Taurus.  

 But I'm truly afraid that I'm going to injure myself more and more and more if I keep going, and sometimes its necessary to just do what feels right. Sometimes, as much as it sucks that I wasn't able to commit 100% all the way thorugh to the end, I need to just let my pride go and admit that I'm injured and I need to take a break until this injury gets better. My friends have tried to tell me to take a break, because they can see how much pain I'm in. They know I'm too stubborn for my own good. But they keep telling me that if I don't stop I'm going to have some raging tendonitis for a lot longer after I'm done (we think it's my peroneal tendon).

So here I am again, wrestling with whether or not to tough it out through pain killers, anti-inflammatories, ice packs, and a perpetual limp. I know I should probably just face the facts that I'm going to do more harm than good if I keep struggling through it. But, to have committed to something like this and then have it be out of my control whether or not I complete it, that sucks more than anything else. Knowing that I could have completed it, but can't because of this injury is the worst kind of defeat because its totally out of my control.

But it's not a defeat.
I didn't lose.
I prevailed, if anything.
I didn't give up.
I've been more dedicated to this than any other healthy path I've ever been committed too.
I haven't had a drop of alcohol since March 3rd.

No - I'm not defeated. I'm tough. I'm strong. And I'm proud. No matter what.

I'm very excited to announce that my blog has moved!

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