A Year of Blessings!

It's my fourth week of P90X3 & Body Beast hybrid, and I realized in disbelief that as the beginning of November, this week officially marks one YEAR since I joined my first Bombshell Fitness Challenge Group, and ordered Turbo Fire and Shakeology. I was terrified at the thought of putting down that money on an at-home fitness program and some weird powder beverage I had never heard of, especially as a broke preschool teacher. But, there was just something inside me saying that it was what I needed. I had people telling me I would never finish the program, and that Shakeology was stupid, but in reality- it was one of the best things to ever happen to me! I am so thankful I invested in something I was so skeptical about.

Not only am I now in the best shape that I have ever been, but that seemingly small decision ended up completely changing my life! Beachbody coaching is now a business for me. I get to earn money by helping change the lives of others like my coach did for me a year ago- finding a program that fit my needs and that I would love, finding the right Shakeoloy flavor for me, and then giving me the accountability and fun support I needed to finish the program in my challenge group. Sometimes it's hard to believe that this is my "job"- doing something that I am so passionate about, and that is so much fun, and I get to literally watch people transform their lives! Not to mention, that as an active duty military family, it is totally free. How many businesses can you begin for FREE!? Pure craziness!!!!

So now, a year later:

The Workouts

Oh man, I have been LOVING the mixture of P90X3 and Body Beast more than ANYTHING! I have typically been using P90X3 workouts for an added mixture of cardio, and using Body Beast workouts the majority of the time for lifting sequences. Because of how fast-paced Body Beast is, I'm thinking it already gives me the cardio balance I need, because I am huffing, puffing, and dripping sweat the entire video! However, sometimes our bodies just need a break from pumping iron, so I enjoy P90X3 for MMX, Yoga, Pilates, Agility X, Dynamix, Isometrix, and lots of other great workouts.

I might be a bit of a freak, but having sore muscles is one of my favorite things in this world! There is something about pushing yourself past your limits each workout... lifting a muscle group until it feels like you are about to bust through your shirt and can barely move your arms or legs anymore. Then, the next day, the pain of the work you accomplished and just knowing the definition of muscle that will soon be there!

Of course, with harder weightlifting exercises comes more of an importance of nourishing your body correctly. Before, I would always workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. With Body Beast, I have been drinking a protein shake or eating a protein bar prior to exercising, and then immediately either drinking my Shakeology for breakfast, or having a different protein supplement directly afterwards. I know how much strain I am putting on my muscles with this program, so I want to make sure that I am properly feeding them to repair the tears and help them grow stronger and bigger with each workout!

I am also SO SO close to a pull-up... I am waiting for the day that I can post my first real pull-up on here!

The Meal Plan

I have started to pay more attention to my carb intake than any other food group, because I want to skip the "bulk" stage of Body Beast straight to the "cutting" stage, since my wedding is only two weeks away! No bulking necessary for me right now!

I am trying to consume 2g of protein per pound of body weight, and only about 1g of carbohydrates per pound of body weight. Of course, some days are better than others. Like, last night (Saturday is ALWAYS my cheat night), I probably ate my body weight in blueberry biscuits and sausage and biscuit casserole at a pot luck party... BUT today I will use that to my advantage with heavier workouts and more carb cutting than before! I want these muscles to be out and about more than ever in my wedding dress.

Stephen has been enjoying eating healthier too, and with our hectic lifestyles, I've been enjoying making super easy, big meals and snacks for us to pick on throughout the week and that I can easily pack for him when he goes to work!

Basil Pesto Chicken and fresh steamed broccoli

Celery slices with fresh canned chicken mixed with red pepper hummus

Cucumber slices with mustard and garlic hummus

Steamed mixed veggies- sometimes, frozen is the only way to get them in, and that's ok!

Ready made pot roast from Walmart. Throw it in a crock pot with some water, and you have a healthy family meal!

"Skinny" Taco Salad: ground lean turkey with homemade taco seasoning, mixed with lettuce, plain greek yogurt for sour cream replacement, shredded cheddar cheese. Delicious!

Healthy breaded chicken from Team Beachbody recipe book!

The Business

October is over, and with that comes the end of the Fall Classic, a little fun competition between us coaches! My coach Carmel and I were on a team together, and ended up coming out winning two tier prizes for our accomplishments! Our accomplishments were really just a reflection of how many lives we changed this past month, so it's incredibly rewarding and inspiring to be congratulated and rewarded on something we love to do. We are getting a really neat Team Beachbody shirt and stadium bag!

I am so looking forward to helping those that really want to push through the holidays to a better lifestyle. As I mentioned before, although it may seem crazy to try to start a health and fitness journey around the holiday season, this is the time that I started last year, and it was the best decision I could have ever made. YOU CAN DO THIS! I remember traveling to Pompano Beach, Florida for the holidays and getting my challenge group posts done in the hotel, and squeezing in my workouts in the little floor space there, as well!

Hotel workouts with my niece last Thanksgiving in the hotel!

Luckily for you guys, the most AMAZING program is on a MAJOR sale with Shakeology for this month only, and it is absolutely PERFECT for holiday travels!

You may have heard me rave about PiYo before, and for good reason! It is extremely low impact, but still HIGH intensity! Meaning... no, you won't be jumping up and down and all around, you won't even need one single weight to finish this program. You will use your body and your body only to get you in incredible shape. PiYo, like its name suggests, is a mixture of pilates and yoga inpsired moves- meaning it's not exactly pilates and yoga, but you will get that amazing, relaxing feel to it that you get from those sequences. However, you will be sweating so much without barely leaving the floor that you don't even know how Chalene Johnson is doing that to you!

Take my word, it is incredible. And for right now, you can the PiYo Challenge Pack, an entire month's worth of Shakeology (your nutrient dense meal replacement shake) and the PiYo program for only $140! That's a savings of well over $50, guys!!! Just think... a month of meals and a program to keep forever, for about the same cost of only two months of a gym membership or one month of Crossfit. Does it get much better than that?! I think not!

To get in on this amazing deal and join my upcoming free challenge group, apply below and I cannot WAIT to work with you!!!


With love,

Fill out my online form.

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P90X3 Week 3, and a little something NEW!

"BY FAILING TO PREPARE, YOU ARE PREPARING TO FAIL!" -Benjamin Franklin

The Meal Plan

Image from declutterhome.com

I'm going to start off  by saying that this week has been FILLED with so many foodie temptations, and I have given in a few too many times. From my Pure Romance party, to nights out with friends, junk food has been slowly creeping back into my everyday routine and filling my fridge and pantries. Therefore, I took today to literally throw away ALL of the junk food that was in my house! If there wasn't much left, it was trashed. If there was, I distributed it to Stephen, his work, and other friends. But, I HAD to make sure it was gone. That's the first thing I do every time I decide that I need a fresh start- the bad must go out for the good to come in! Plus, I am the worst with food temptations and I have virtually no self control whatsoever, haha! So I know if it's in the house, no matter how good my intentions are, I will probably fail.

I am also usually a sucker for buying the super high sodium flavor packets for any recipe, so I'm going to try to turn a new leaf and really follow either the seasoning recipes from the 21 Day Fix meal plan book, or ones that I find online! I found this recipe for taco seasoning yesterday, and it was honestly delicious!

Taco Seasoning Recipe

1 tablespoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

*If you want it without any spice, remove the red pepper flakes!*

The Workouts

On my yoga day, (of all workouts days, right? lol) I really injured my neck. It was the rolling from boat to plow move that did it for me. I'm learning I just need to stay away from plow because that was not the first time I have hurt my neck from pulling it during that move! Anyway, it was pretty painful to do much, so I resorted to more weight lifting exercises (that didn't involve a ton of running and jumping around).

Image from howdoigetfit.com

I whipped out the one program I have yet to do more than a few workouts from, this week:
 BODY BEAST! (which is actually on a BIG sale right now). I have absolutely LOVED it so far. If you are like me, and more of a weight-lifting kinda gal or guy and not much of a cardio lover, you would definitely love this program.

If you check out these results, you can see that Body Beast + Shakeology does amazing things for men AND women!

Image from teambeachbody.com

My workout schedule for this week looked like this:

Monday: P90X3 Synergistics X & Dynamix X

Tuesday: P90X3 Yoga X and Cold Start

Wednesday: my rest day from neck injury

Thursday: Body Beast Back/Biceps

Friday: P90X Plyometrics X (an extra in the Body Beast program- I actually really loved it this time around!)

Saturday: Body Beast Abs/21 Day Fix Yoga

Sunday: Body Beast Shoulders/21 Day Fix 10 Minute Fix for Abs

I know my schedule was pretty all over the place, but I did really enjoy waking up each morning, sorting through my DVD's, and picking out the workout that I was really in the mood to do. I'm starting to rack up enough workouts to be able to do that, lol! And, honestly, nothing is better than rolling out of bed, heading downstairs, doing a little work, and getting an incredible workout on my living room floor with my own personal trainer. Next week, I just need to make sure I get a bit more cardio in there! Plyo and Synergistics were really the only ones with a cardio mix to them.

3 Day Refresh: Round 2!

Our wedding is three weeks out, so I'm going to start doing a bit of carb cutting, more intense workouts, and throwing in a 3 Day Refresh closer to the day! I'm actually doing a FREE 3-DAY REFRESH GIVEAWAY! So if you're interested in finding out more about that, GO TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE, follow the rules, and your name will be added to the pool of contestants! If you'd like to go ahead and purchase the Refresh yourself, read more about it HERE and purchase HERE.

The Business

In my business, I am more thankful than ever that I will get to have our wedding day off and week for the honeymoon to cruise through Jamaica and Haiti, without having to beg for the days off from my boss... because, well, I AM my own boss! We are having an upcoming 21 Day Smart Start for NEW Beachbody Coaches in just a couple of weeks! If you would like to start YOUR journey to financial, physical, and family FREEDOM, apply below and I will contact you right away!

With love,

Fill out my online form.

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Cheeseburger Rice

Want to enjoy the delicious taste of a cheeseburger without all of the extra fat and calorie content?! Try this recipe out! It is so easy and quick to throw together, and is ready in a matter of minutes. It will probably be consumed by you and your family in about the same amount of time as well! ;)

Cheeseburger Rice

Ingredients:

-1 lb. lean ground turkey

-2/3 cup sugar free ketchup

-1 tablespoon mustard

-2 cups MINUTE brown rice, uncooked

-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

-1 3/4 cups water

Preparation:

-Brown ground turkey in large skillet on medium-high heat and drain,

-Add water, ketchup, and mustard; bring to a boil

-Stir in brown rice. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.

Enjoy! For you 21 Day Fix lovers, this will be 1 YELLOW, 1 RED, 1/2 BLUE, 1 TSP.

How I FINALLY Kicked My Bad Eating Habits!

Something you may not know about me, is that I have a slight addiction to bad foods. I am not being sarcastic, but totally serious. Honestly, I'm sure about 90% of American children and adults do as well, without us even realizing it. The addicting chemicals in delicious fast foods surrounds us everywhere we turn. Don't lie- you know you can't mistake the smell of McDonald's, even if you just ordered a coke from them and it's sitting on the table! Their smell is just there, and it's there for a reason. They know exactly what they are doing when they make their foods, and it is literally addicting. That is why it is so hard for us, especially adults who have been surrounded by these addicting foods for years, to finally kick the habit.

How many of you, like me, have looked in the mirror horrified at your reflection, and said to yourself, "Ok. This is it SERIOUSLY this time! Tomorrow I'm waking up, eating totally clean, and never eating sugar again!" only to wake up and grab a Starbucks frappuccino and brownie on your way to work? Yeah. Me too. Been there done that at least 100 times. So, what helped me finally kick the bad habit?

There were a few things that played into that fact:

DEDICATION. PERSISTENCE. SHAKEOLOGY. MY FUTURE. MY BODY. MY RELATIONSHIPS.

So, let's start with Dedication & Persistence. Folks, beginning to eat clean is not a walk in the park. In fact, it's not even timed miles in the park, for crying out loud. It is the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But you know what? It was also the most rewarding. There are going to be nights that you are on your knees crying to the sky, "WHY OH WHY CAN'T I JUST HAVE ONE PIECE OF PIZZA!?!? Just one piece won't be too bad, right!?" WRONG. One piece of pizza compounded over time is bad news. Say NO. DO NOT eat that one piece when you are fresh on your journey to clean eating. I'm not saying to never eat pizza again. I am saying that when you are in the beginning of your walk to true health and fitness, which starts with your diet, do yourself a favor, say no, and feel CONFIDENT about it. Who cares what people think? Who cares if they tell you you will never succeed with this and you are bound to give up? Who cares if people are jealous of your new lifestyle choice? It's because of who THEY are and the choices THEY are making, not you! The longer you hold out and say no to temptations, the MUCH easier it will become.

It was also all about finding healthy foods and recipes that I truly loved. Eating clean does not have to mean giving up good tasting foods and forcing down disgusting ones! If you cannot stand brussel sprouts, don't think you have to shove them down just because they're healthy. Rather, find your favorite veggies and ways to season them, and chow down on that instead. Hide some spinach in your shakes. Do what you gotta do to succeed. Soon, your tastebuds will change and I swear to you, you will barely be able to tolerate sweets any more. The addiction will be over, and you will be well on your way to a new life of health. And abs. :)

Shakeology. Shakeology is my BFF for real. I am not joking you when I say this: the first morning that I drank Shakeology for breakfast after getting it in my Turbo Fire Challenge Pack, my cravings for sweets (my biggest weakness) were GONE! Shakeology was really the beginning to my everything for being able to eat clean. It was literally satisfying the voids that I had in my life that I used to fill with unhealthy foods. You see, our bodies are more malnourished for nutrients than we realize. There are so many vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, etc. that our bodies are not receiving in day to day life. When we crave hot fudge sundaes and ooey gooey fatty cheese pizza, it is not because our bodies need those foods. In fact, our bodies need something else- but our brains are so addicted to our easy, yummy fast foods and quick fixes, that those foods are automatically what we revert to. However, when I started drinking Shakeology and actually receiving the nutrients that my body biologically needed, my brain turned off those switches for the bad foods, because it was finally fulfilled, for the first time, like.... EVER. Now, when I crave foods, it is real, whole foods that will serve a purpose and nourish my body, not sabotage it.

Does this mean I eat perfectly every single day and I'm just an eat clean angel sent from above? Absolutely not! In fact, this past week of mine was awful... which is why I was even more motivated to get back to it and write this post! I do still get cravings sometimes, and I do purposefully give in to them once a week! I give myself a cheat meal once a weekend to be able to let loose, and it's really (in my opinion) better for our bodies to feed them some bad every once in awhile. I think it keeps them guessing and get a little more revved up! Also, in case cravings had been particularly bad, I remind myself to hold out until that cheat meal. It helps me know that there's a finish line and time and place to be bad, which is NOT every day!

My Body, My Relationships, & My Family. I hear this phrase a lot: "just eat the damn cupcake" because this is our one life here on earth and we might as well indulge. I have to disagree. Like I said, I give myself times and places to eat "that damn cupcake," but if that was every chance I had, and my excuse was because "this was my one life to live," I would be living an extremely agonizing and miserable life for how unhealthy I know I would be, and how little I would be able to enjoy day to day activities. Our bodies are not meant to process those sugars that way. In fact, one cupcake probably holds more sugars than our recommended serving for the ENTIRE day! Do I judge others that want to eat all of the cupcakes they come across in a day? Not at all, but I ask to not have the same judgement back when I choose not to. I am doing it for my body today, and particularly for the future. I had no idea how good my body was meant to feel, until I truly started eating better and treating it the way it was supposed to be treated with daily exercise.

Which brings me to my family and relationships. I want to get in the best shape of my life that I can now, for my future. I know that may sound a little strange, but I want to have beliefs so firm in my life, that I will pass them to my future children without the blink of an eye. I want be able to bounce back from pregnancies more easily. I want to stay healthy and energized for my marriage and my family. I want to prevent illnesses as much as I can and failed bones, organs, and muscles as much as I can. I want to be that awesome old lady that is still doing her morning walks and yoga and can remember all of her great grandchildren's names.

That is why I do what I do and eat the way that I do. It was a long, hard road for me, and I now want to be able to pass on what I learned to those around me. I want to help them in their journeys, and help hold myself accountable as well!

It will not be easy, but it will be so worth it. I spent years not appreciating what I saw in the mirror, and that is such a dreadful way to live. I am not proud that I ever had negative thoughts, and still do when I see myself, but I am striving to put an end to that every day. I don't do what I do to be skinny, I do what I do to be healthy and fit and be so damn proud of myself at the end of every day, that I know I tried my best in the end!

Losing those first few pounds is priceless. Feeling light and energized has no words. Seeing those first traces of abs for the first time... there is nothing else like it in the world!

Want more help on the track to a fitter, healthier you? Join me as I continue my own journey each and every day!

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Tony Horton's Sticky Bars

This goes down as one of my FAVORITE snacks EVER! It's full of complex carbs, healthy fats, natural sugars and ingredients... oh man, just so mouth watering. If you love peanut butter and bananas like me, you will LOVE these sticky bars straight from the man himself! #TonyHorton

I did make one little tweak that you won't find if you look up his original recipe, and that's the type of granola. Tony recommends an unsweetened plain granola. When I first went out for the ingredients to make these yummy bars myself, I couldn't find any such granola, and picked Bear Naked's Blueberry Granola. Can I just say: "best decision ever"?! It gave it a little kick that I don't think I'd want to go without now!

So, here are the exact ingredients and steps I used when making them!

Tony Horton's Sticky Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup Bear Naked Blueberry granola
1/2 cup crunchy all natural peanut butter
1/2 banana
wax paper or aluminum foil



Preparation:

-Mix and mash granola, peanut butter, and banana in a bowl until mixed well.
-Spoon mixture onto wax paper or aluminum foil, and roll into a "log" shape.
-Stick in freezer for at least 2 hours.
-Remove from freezer and slice into pieces!

Enjoy as a post workout snack, or healthy snack on the go!

WARNING: You may just become addicted. 



With love,

Cheesy Chicken Fajitas

So, this recipe goes down as one of the most simple, delicious, and loved ones in my household! It's your perfect mixture of lean protein, fresh veggies, and a healthy dose of dairy and carbs! I think we all love the recipes that allow us to indulge in our favorite foods, and are sneakily healthy, right?!

If you are doing 21 Day Fix, and keep it to the ingredients as listed, this will count as 1 RED, 1 GREEN, 1/2 BLUE, 1 YELLOW!

Cheesy Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-1 1/2 clove garlic, minced
-1 large green and/or red pepper, cut into thin strips
-1 onion, sliced
-2 cups reduced fat Four Cheese Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
-6 whole wheat tortilla wraps

Preparation:

-Pour olive oil onto non stick cooking pan. Add chicken and garlic; cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink
-Add green pepper, red pepper, and onion strips; cook 4-5 minutes or until crispy
-Place 1/6 chicken, pepper, and onion mixture onto each whole wheat tortilla and sprinkle with cheese.

*Add favorite garments as desired: guacamole, salsa, lettuce, tomato, you name it!

With love.

Not So "Healthy" Health Foods!

Hey everyone! Today I want to talk about foods that may seem healthy, but are really not! One of the best things I ever started doing was paying closer attention to the labels of foods I was about to buy and consume- I  never realized the possible dangers of some of the foods I was eating, that were claiming to be "healthy!" (i.e. granola bars full of processed sugars and hydrogenated oils)

Before the list of "not so healthy 'health' foods," here are guidelines I always try to go by when grocery shoppnig:

1) READ THE INGREDIENTS! If the list of ingredients is longer than the intro to the novel you're reading, it's probably not a product that should be stored in your pantry. The rule of thumb is that the shorter the list of ingredients, the better. Or, if the list is fairly long, but they are all whole food ingredients that you recognize, then that's good too!

2) SHOP THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE! One of my challengers started the 21 Day Fix with me a couple of days ago. She messaged me so excited saying, "I just had a HUGE realization! Most of the foods we need to be eating are all around the outside walls of the store, and barely on the aisles in the center." I was ecstatic, because that is exactly right! There are very few items that should be consumed throughout the center aisles.

The staples I get to store my pantry usually only involve: long grain brown rice, whole wheat bread/tortillas/English muffins, plain oatmeal, plain yogurt, herbs and spices, natural peanut butter, honey, and all fruit jam, and the occasional frozen veggies (fresh are ALWAYS better, but frozen is better than nothing). Most everything else you need should be around the perimeter of the store: fresh lean meats, fresh raw veggies, eggs, fresh fruits, lean cheeses, deli sliced sandwich meats, almond/skim milk... you get the picture! :)

3) DON'T LET THE LABELS FOOL YOU! So many fast food chains and labeled grocery store items claim to be "sugar free," "fat free," "whole grain," etcetera etcetera. It can be infuriating to think that we are making the healthiest choices possible, when really these marketers are totally FOOLING us into buying their seemingly healthy product, that is really cheaply made and full of unwanted chemicals that are not made to be ingested into our bodies. This isn't to say that I don't sometimes choose the options that are lower in fat, as long as that doesn't mean ingredients in the product are being replaced by even worse unnatural ingredients, or that the low fat content isn't being made up for by loads of sugar and carbs.

Not So Healthy "Health" Foods to Avoid

(and safer alternatives)

• Yogurt: I already try to stay away from dairy as it is, but yogurt does have some really great health benefits. However, most commercially made yogurts are full of sugar! The ones that claim to be "sugar free" are then full of other unhealthy processed sugars. Try to stick with unsweetened yogurts and sweeten them yourselves with  honey, a little stevia, and some berries. I love Fage plain yogurt!
• Dried Fruit: I used to think I was making a healthy alternative by chomping on some dried pineapple and mango, but it was amazingly and sickly sweet for a reason. Again, this option is loaded with sugars, as well as oil and sulfur. Not to mention that they stack on the calories SO easily. It's crazy how many calories such a small amount consists of! There are some healthier options, though- I enjoy the unsweetened, unsulfured craisin options!
• Granola: like mentioned above, a lot of companies throw "gluten free," "low fat," and "organic" on a box to make us think we are making great choices with their products. However, low fat can mean being loaded with unnatural and harmful oils, sugar, and lots a' calories. I really enjoy making recipes like Tony Horton's Sticky Bars instead!
• Frozen Dinners/Canned Soups: I wanted to group both of these together because they are both so loved for the same thing- convenience, but both not good choices because of the same thing: SODIUM. Loads and loads of sodium! Even the "low sodium" soups typically have 400mg or more of sodium. I highly suggest steaming your own veggies and cooking your lean ground turkey for soups and chilis, and trying meal prepping for the week if time for cooking is not on your side!
• Wheat/Whole Grain Bread (AND crackers): I used to group "whole wheat" and "whole grain" breads all into the same category. I figured the darker the bread, and the more seeds and grainy looking they looked, the healthier. But then I found out that they are NOT all created equal AT ALL! In fact, no matter what that bread looks like, unless it says "100% Whole Wheat," I repeat.... 100%!!!! Then it is faux branding! Any other bread is hardly any better than white bread, which immediately turns into sugar=fat in your body. Check these choices for hydrogenated oil, as well!
• Fruit Cocktail/Fruit Juices: No matter how many "real fruits" it's made out of, it's still LOADED with sugars. Stick with water as much as you can, and eat real fruits as much as possible.
• Protein/Meal Bars: I still consume these all the time, don't get me wrong, but they are definitely NOT all made equally! Make sure you really read the labels on these- some claiming to be "protein bars" have 5g of protein and 13g of sugar. Ummm negative. Keep on eye on those ingredient lists, and try to keep it below 200-220 calories and less than 8-9g of sugar. Rule of thumb: protein bars should NEVER have more sugar than protein!
• Sushi: Again, I love the stuff and eat it regularly. However, so many people (including me in the past) think eating sushi is automatically healthy. Unfortunately, that's not the case. A "Crispy Shrimp Roll" laid out is literally a heap of white rice, fried shrimp with even more fried toppings, and usually a bunch of mayonnaise and fat based sauces. Those rolls are also easily 800+ calories! Opt for the basic California Roll, or those rolls that have fresh or raw seafood, brown rice, and a higher content of veggies and avocado.
• Cereal: One unfortunate thing I've noticed over time is that some of the cereals claiming to be the healthiest, have even more sugar than Reese's Puffs! It's ridiculous when you really check the labels. If you just can't give up that yummy cereal, try for those that have lower than 200 calories and 12g of sugar a serving- Kashi Go Lean is a great choice!

These are the guidelines I try my best to follow each time I head to the store and shop for Stephen and I. I hoped I helped someone else reading this, too! :)

With love,

Breaded Parmesan Tilapia

Alright you guys, this fish is RIDICULOUSLY yummy!!!

I'm always striving to fit more healthy seafood into my diet (let's get those omega 3's!!!), but it can be a little difficult for me to find the right seasoning or way to cook the fish for me to really enjoy it. I used to revert to fat-filled, creamy sauces and other options that totally took away from the nutrients of the fish!

When I found this recipe, I altered it to make it as healthy as possible! It is delicious. Just the right concoction of protein, carbs, and healthy fats! Try it and LOVE it. :)

Breaded Parmesan Tilapia

Recipe slightly altered from Spend with Pennies

Ingredients Needed:

-7-8 tilapia fillets, fresh or thawed

-2 eggs

-1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

-2 tbsps. water

-2 tbsps. butter or margarine

-1 tbsp. olive oil

**For a healthier option, replace butter and olive oil with Safflower Oil!

*For tilapia coating:

-1 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs

-1/2 cup fat free or low fat grated Parmesan cheese

-salt and pepper seasoned to taste

Preparation:

In one bowl, combine eggs, water, and dijon mustard. Mix well and set aside.

In another bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Preheat your frying pan or griddle to high, and melt your olive oil and butter,

Dip each tilapia fillet into your mustard mixture, and then into your bread crumb mixture, making sure to completely cover the fish with bread crumbs. Place the fish onto your frying pan and cook on each side for 3 minutes. Cover fish with inverted pan to make them extra crispy!

Serve hot and ENJOY your breaded deliciousness without all of the extra calories and fat!

With love,

Amanda Corry

21 Day Fix: Round 1!

So, here's the thing about the 21 Day Fix.

We all want to get fit, and thin, and toned, FAST. We don't want to have to workout for hours a day and deprive ourselves of delicious foods, only to consume 1,000 calories a day. In fact, we'd rather be eating ALL DAY; we'd rather have our entire meal plans totally spread out for us, almost like having little color-coated containers for each food group that we could just fill that would show us the EXACT portions of what we need to eat for the food group.

Oh wait...

21 Day Fix does ALL of those things!!!!!

21 days of only 30 minute workouts. Color-coated tupperware containers for each food group. A certain number of those containers per day depending on YOUR personal body. Fill the container with a food from that group, and eat. Seriously start eating probably more than you EVER have before, and LOSE WEIGHT.

How about then losing up to 15 pounds in those 21 days? Yeah. Of course that would vary by person and body type, but I promise, you WILL get phenomenal results if you follow the meal plan and workout videos.

I am a soon to be bride, and with the results I have seen so far from this program, I am ecstatic to begin it ASAP! If you are ready, do this program with me in my upcoming online fitness challenge group for extra support and accountability! Lord knows I'll need it!

Are you in?! Because, honestly, why WOULDN'T you be?! Get it here now and I will contact you with how to start the program together! :)

With love,

Sweet & Sour Meatballs Recipe

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my FIRST blog post of many, in which I will be sharing nutritional tips, favorite recipes, success stories, my incredible BOMBSQUAD Fitness Team, and the breathtakingly amazing experiences that Beachbody coaching has done for me and my family in just the last few months!

So, as many of you know, I am a soon to be Air Force wife (woot woot!). Having been southern born and raised, I have always wanted to make it a point to have healthy, hearty dinners be a staple in my household for my current family and future children.

My fiance, Stephen, just got back from a long deployment to Afghanistan, so I ESPECIALLY wanted to make sure he had a hot, delicious, homemade meal waiting for him right when he got home (since I'm sure the chow hall wasn't too accommodating to his taste buds!).

I wanted to share one of my FAVORITE recipes straight from the Team Beachbody Recipe Book that is healthy, full of protein, and 100% man approved! I have always been a huge meatball fan, but finding a healthy recipe for them was tough, so you can imagine my excitement when I came upon this turkey meatball recipe!

Whether it's for the next get-together, Superbowl Party, or passed around the dinner table, rest assured that these bad boys WILL be a hit to whoever you decide to share them with!

Sweet & Sour Turkey Meatballs

You will need:

Meatballs:

1 lb. lean ground turkey (or bag of frozen turkey meatballs)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, drained

1/2 cup green onions

1 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 tsp. ginger

Sauce:

3/4 cup reduced-sodium, low-fat chicken broth

1/3 cup chili sauce

3 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine meatball ingredients in a med. bowl and mix well. Line a baking sheet with foil, shape meatballs, and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 mins. or until thoroughly cooked.

Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Place over med-high heat stirring occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil, then stir on low heat for another minute, or until the sauce thickens. Pour over meatballs, and gently toss to coat meatballs.

And you are DONE! I enjoy serving mine with a serving of brown rice and fresh green beans. :)

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Amanda Corry