What's This 3 Day Refresh!?

The picture on the right shows a loss of 5 pounds.

Are these results from the latest 90 day fitness program?!

Nope. These are the results from clean eating for just 3 DAYS on the 3 Day Refresh!!!!

As is human nature, we are CONSTANTLY looking for the quickest, easiest way to lose weight. We want it done in the shortest amount of time possible for the smallest amount of work possible.

However, the downside of that is that it is nearly impossible to find something that does this for us and that is HEALTHY and safe.

A Beachbody coach once came up with the notion of the 3 Day Shakeology cleanse, replacing 3 of the major meals a day with Shakeology and snacking around that, and while Beachbody didn't necessarily disapprove of this, they also didn't see Shakeology as suitable for 3 meal replacements.

So as the 3 Day Shakeology cleanse has become more and more wildly popular, Carl Daikeler, CEO of Beachbody, and his team have been working hard to get us a more suitable cleanse that will really meet all of our body's nutritional needs and not rob us of other health requirements.

That's when Carl's wife, Isabelle Daikeler, came up with the 3 Day Refresh.

It was released while all of us coaches were at Coach Summit in Vegas, so I immediately purchased it and have been waiting for the right moment to use it! Let me tell you... It requires EXTREME dedication. But it WORKS. Oh MAN, does it really work.

I'm sure most people's main concern will be keeping the weight off that was lost, since this is only 3 days and not a permanent fix. My answer to that, first and foremost, is that this is to give us a healthy jumpstart on what needs to be a LIFESTYLE! If you do this refresh and then indulge on all of the cheeseburgers and pizza you missed out on the next day, you WILL gain all of it back, and probably plus some. This is to help your mind and body get in the right place to pursue the rest of your health and fitness goals.

I had gotten into a bad spot of skipping workouts and eating too much throughout the day, and not well enough. I was bloated and constantly felt just plain gross. My fiance switched to night shift, and it was hard to keep up with my same sleep, exercise, and eating schedule while trying to work with his new schedule. Point blank, I knew I needed to hit the brakes before this became something permanent! We had one more fatty fat weekend at his parent's house, and I immediately started the 3 Day Refresh when I woke up the next morning!

I had actually JUST been telling my mother-in-law that it made me sad to look back at pictures from when I had finished P90X3 because I just didn't look like that anymore. Well, guess what... 3 days later and I look BETTER! And it was purely my diet. Eating clean. I never worked out one time in these 3 days. It also ended up ending perfectly on the day of our engagement photoshoot! Boom.

So, this is recommended for:
- anyone who needs a jumpstart back into a healthy LIFESTYLE
- anyone who needs a quick fix before a big event, photoshoot, etc.
- anyone who wants to shed those last few annoying pounds the HEALTHY way

I also HIGHLY recommend you doing this over a period of days that you will not be working or doing any intense physical labor. It will be much more difficult if you are in an environment in which you are constantly tempted by foods (or stress that tempts those foods), or if you are exerting a ton of calories exercising or moving furniture or what have you. I was able to exercise the first day, but not the 2nd or 3rd day. You are just not consuming enough calories during this time to lose them all during exercise!

WARNING: You may notice difference in... toilet times. Sorry, but it has to be said! Depending on your body and how much fiber you are already normally taking in, there WILL be differences. I have already been fairly good on my daily fiber intake and vegetable servings. So I had a very good "cleanse," if you will. If you are not used to eating this many veggies or fiber, you may experience a little backing up, but that is normal and will go away! Trust me. Trust me that you must also, MUST MUST MUST drink LOTS OF WATER! At least half of your body weight in ounces. I made sure to drink around 67oz a day. If you don't, the amount of fiber will bloat you and constipate you even worse!

Without further adieu, here are a few clips from the last 3 days:

Day 1

I was STOKED to begin on Day 1, and I really felt amazing all day. It had me energized and feeling much lighter and healthier already. To the left is my breakfast and first shake of the day! 1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology, 1/2 cup of frozen red grapes, cinnamon and stevia to taste, and ice, blended. It was yumy. 

I was happy we were allowed green or black tea or black coffee throughout the 3 days! It's optional, but also better for me to do than cut caffeine out completely, because I can get major caffeine headaches. I also found drinking it really helped when hunger would strike. Every time you consume a beverage or meal, it's split up by at least an hour. Every time it was tea time, it seemed that I was craving some majorly greasy foods, and this ALWAYS satisfied me. You can at least sweeten your tea and coffee with a serving of stevia, as well!

This is my first lunch! The Refresh vanilla shake with 1/2 banana, cinnamon, ice, and stevia, and a serving of a veggie and healthy fat: cucumber and hummus. This had me FULL!

Later afternoon snack (at least an hour after lunch) consisted of another veggie serving from the veggie list, and another healthy fat. One of my all time favorites: celery and PB! Mmmm.

So, for dinner I was pretty boring. I did a bowl of broccoli with the allotted amount of garlic with my vanilla shake! At dinner, you can choose from a list of their dinner recipes, and this time, no fruit in the shake. I think it's harder for our bodies to digest that sugar later at night, and I've always heard to eat your fruits earlier in the day, so that made sense to me. Again, they had much better options for the veggie dinner recipes, but I was lazy. ;)

Day 2

Ok, this is your warning. Day 2 is SO MUCH HARDER than Day 1. I woke up feeling starving and with a slight headache. I woke up saying to myself, "oh my gosh. I can't do this. I'm going to consume EVERYTHING right now." But you know what? I didn't. Because it was my MIND trying to tell my BODY what it could and couldn't do. I was not going to let that happen. I pushed through and felt great.

PUSH THROUGH Day 2 because it WILL be hard, but you CAN do this! This is all about TAKING CONTROL of our minds and bodies and not letting them rule us anymore. We got this.

This was my yummy Vanilla Shakeology with 1/2 banana, cinnamon, and ice. Cinnamon is always in my shakes because it was a "freebee" and could be consumed in unlimited amounts! Other sweeteners were not the case.

You can't tell in my smile, but I'm STILL STRUGGLING! Haha. This Refresh vanilla shake was good, though. The fruit serving for strawberries was 12 medium ones, so it was super berry-filled and delicious! 

I was, again, very boring for my dinner choice. I LOVE green beans though, and was so hungry by the time dinner hit, I just made these bad boys lightly seasoned with sea salt. So delicious. I went to sleep ready to take on the last day!

Day 3

Day 3 started out like any other day, with my favorite vanilla Shakeology shake. However, I was different. My mind and body between Day 2 and 3 did a total 180 degree turn. When I woke up, it was like my body was telling me, "I can get used to this. In fact, I AM used to this. I even like this. Thanks for taking care of me!" ;)

For lunch I decided to change it up a little... with a salad! Hehe. 3 cups of fresh romaine lettuce and a serving of sesame seed dressing. Delish. And somehow, this food became filling.

I ate my snacks throughout the day as repeats of the first couple of days, but as my last Day 3 dinner, I made the vegetable stir fry in the dinner recipes options! It was DELICIOUS. Grilled in vegetable broth, olive oil and garlic... *drool.*

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Overall, my experience was a great one. I was much more energized, and again, this way of eating has really become habit in such a small amount of time. I did not jump up this morning, the first morning I am now free to eat whatever I want, wanting junk. I woke up wanting a simple Shakeology shake, and have really not been ravenous like I was before. I am eating to live, NOT living to eat. I am really thankful for this cleanse. It has honestly changed my life in just 3 days- and I am not being overly dramatic! :)

I plan on doing this once every few months, or anytime I need a little kick in the butt and reminder of what food is supposed to do for us... FUEL OUR BODIES!

If you are wanting to try the 3 Day Refresh for yourself, order here!

-->3 DAY REFRESH

I hope you all have an amazing day,

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

Sometimes I wonder if some part of my family didn't originate somewhere Southwest because I LOVE me some Mexican food!!! I could honestly eat it every day of the week. Unfortunately, it can be pretty loaded up with fats and excessive carbohydrates. So, when I find a healthy Mexican recipe that is good, it STICKS!

These ground turkey enchiladas with vegetarian refried beans are to die for. Totally man approved as well!

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

Recipe adapted from Trainer Momma!

What You'll Need:
-1 lb. lean ground turkey
-1 can vegetarian (or fat free) refried beans
-1 packet low sodium (or homemade) taco seasoning
-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
-1 14 oz. can red enchilada sauce
-8-10 whole wheat tortilla wraps

Preparation:
1) Brown ground turkey in cooking pan; rinse when done and cook with taco seasoning according to directions

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3) In each tortilla wrap, put a spoonful of refried beans and a serving of ground turkey. Sprinkle it with cheddar cheese. Roll each tortilla up side by side in your baking dish.

4) When all of your tortillas are rolled next to each other, pour the red enchilada sauce over the top of all of them and in between them. (Can you say JUICINESS?!)

5) Bake tortillas for 30 mins.

6) When done, sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar cheese and place back in oven for a few mins or until cheese is melted.

I love topping mine with green onions, and serving them with some homemade quacamole and a spoonful of plain greek yogurt to replace sour cream. Plus cut up tomato and lettuce.

Enjoy!!!

Spaghetti Squash Mac 'n Cheese

Ok, not going to lie, I am a BIG sucker for comfort food, ESPECIALLY good ol' macaroni and cheese! A bunch of gooey cheese and delicious carbs, what could be better?! Well, a LOT of things for the waist, actually!

I have continued to look for ways to get the deliciousness of macaroni and cheese without the fatty, carbed-up pasta. Whole grain pasta wasn't quite cutting it for the PiYo meal plan I was trying to abide by, but when I came across this whole spaghetti squash deal... I was sold!

I have actually tried other spaghetti squash recipes and just could not get into it, but this one is DELICIOUS!

Also, if you are doing the PiYo meal plan like me, it is perfect for any meal calling for 2 servings of a secondary veggies, 1 (or 2 depending on broccoli intake) primary veggie(s), and 2 healthy fats!
*If you are interested in PiYo, check out more about it here!

So ENJOY indulging in this seemingly bad, but really so GOOD, southern comfort dish!

Spaghetti Squash Mac 'n Cheese

Recipe slightly adapted from Lizzie Fuhr's Popsugar website!

Ingredients:
-1 medium to large spaghetti squash
-Olive oil spray
-2 cups broccoli
-1 tbsp. margarine or butter (alternatives: vegetable oil, olive oil, Smart Balance butter, ghee)
-1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
-1 cup fat free milk or unsweetened almond milk
-1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
-salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half, and scoop out and eliminate all seeds. Spray the inside of both halves with the olive oil cooking spray, and place them open side up on a foil covered cooking sheet. Cook for about 50 minutes, or until tender.

Remove squash from oven, and when cool enough to handle, scrape flesh, or the "noodles," into a large bowl. Add in the broccoli and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter and whole wheat flour on medium heat. Add milk while stirring quickly. Reduce to low heat and add in cheeses. Stir until cheeses are melted.

Pour cheese sauce over squash and broccoli mixture. Serve and devour. :)

The Power of Loving Oneself

I just began reading Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfections, and it has already spoken to me on so many levels (I also HIGHLY recommend it).

In this generation of rising adults, I have felt such a strong pull for the need to always be doing the best, and being the best, and accomplishing faster than EVERYONE around me. It creates a whirlwind of chaos, fear, anxiety, excitement, yet major self-doubt in the process. I feel that those of us who are rising adults, or just spreading our wings into our first career-oriented job, have the sense that we are just NEVER good enough.

We won't be good enough or worthy of praise until we graduate college, or until we are accomplished in our career field, or until we lose the 20 pounds we gained this last year.

I am tired of this way of thinking and feeling. We ARE good enough, right here and right now.

Life doesn't always go the way we originally planned, and that does not make us any less worthy of love and a sense of belonging in this world.

To me, being successful should not only hold true for those who have been fortunate enough to go through the steps of life in what is considered "socially normal" (i.e. graduate high school, go to college, meet the love of your life, graduate college, start your career, get married, have babies, live happily ever after).

Rather, why not let us all see the success in the abundance of COURAGE in those who have suffered from painful life experiences, that have chosen to grow up, take responsibility, and rise above in the end?

To me, it is not about where you start, it is about where you DECIDE which path your life will take with what you are given. Each day, we make THOUSANDS of seemingly small choices, that all end up creating our habits and ultimately our entire fates.

If you take what you are given and try to be and do your best with it, you are SUCCESSFUL and COURAGEOUS in my eyes.

All of these thoughts have reminded me of the story of my upline Star Diamond coach Lindsay Matway's story, who created the entire Bombshell Dynasty (or the umbrella team that I am under as a Beachbody coach). Linsday dropped out of high school at 16, and made most of her money into her mid-20's as a bartender. She never finished school, never stepped foot into college, and would sometimes try starting new business ideas (she calls herself a "serial entrepreneur"). She felt like she was never good enough for anything and would never amount to anyone truly worthy of love.

As if things couldn't get much tougher, she ended up getting pregnant with her boyfriend of a few months. In the last stages of her pregnancy, her daughter had many health complications, causing her to be born prematurely, and racking up about $400,000 of hospital debt.

Lindsay ended up being a 25 year old (partially) single mother and bartender with $400,000 in debt. She filed bankruptcy and her and the father of her child decided something had to give.

That's when she discovered P90X, and was desperate to get back into shape after having her daughter. Well, she ended up getting in incredible shape, and becoming a coach to help others get in shape. She worked HARD for YEARS and she now has not only paid off all of her debt, but is a MILLIONAIRE and was able to pay off her house with CASH last year!

So, you could say the rest is history, but let's look back for a second here.

Lindsay hit a fork in the road and she had two choices: 1) give up and continue to think of herself as unworthy and keep scraping by with her bartender paychecks and tips, because reaching out and trying something else is too risky, or 2) get RID of the blame and self-hate. Love yourself NOW and see yourself as worthy NOW. Stop giving up and start FIGHTING for something no matter what!

Luckily, she chose the latter. And that is what I have chosen and strive to choose every day. That is what I hope YOU will begin to choose!

Take Lindsay's story and just THINK about how powerful loving ourselves can truly be. Not only has she become financially free, but has been able to live her life by her own design, and has become one of the most inspirational leaders in all of Beachbody, and just for anyone looking to change their lives that have never thought themselves capable, and that they are too far gone for that option.

When we finally realize how much we are capable of in the here and now, and that all of the seemingly small choices we are making now will and DO make an impact- that is when we can really let our light out into the world and create MIRACLES.

Love yourself now, because you are worth it. Take risks. Find your passion and WORK for it. Do what you can right now to get where you want to be... those grueling night classes and 9-5 jobs will be worth what you are fighting for! NEVER GIVE UP!

Basil Pesto Chicken

If you are looking for a low carb, gluten free meal that you can throw together in a matter of minutes for your family or to section out for the rest of the week, this meal is perfect!

It is four simple ingredients, just a few simple steps, and downright DELICIOUS!

When I took my first bite after making it, I was honestly shocked out how GOOD it was! Juicy, melt in your mouth tender, and seasoned to perfection with just the basil pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese- you can totally fool everyone into thinking you spent HOURS on this dish. It doesn't get much better than that!

If you are lactose intolerant, or try to go dairy free in general, try out the Veggie Mozzarella cheese you can get from your local grocery store in the vegan section!

*This recipe is slightly adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen website!

Basil Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:

-8-10 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets

-1/2 cup Basil Pesto Sauce (I got mine from Publix)

-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375F, while trimming any extra fat or tendons from your chicken cutlets. Spray the inside of a 9" x 12" baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of basil pesto along the bottom of your baking dish, and then line your chicken cutlets on top of that. Season them with fresh salt and black pepper as desired, and spread the remaining 1/4 cup of basil pesto on top of the chicken cutlets.

Bake at 375F COVERED WITH FOIL for 25-30 mins, not letting the chicken cook too long. Take the chicken out, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and bake again for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

And VOILA! Your delicious dish is ready to be served.

Enjoy!!!

A Day Full of PiYo!

I am on my second week of Chalene Johnson's brand new program PiYo, and I just really can't say enough great things about it! I decided a few days ago to crack down more than ever, and I feel AMAZING! The meal plan guide, which is one of the things I love most about it (and is probably more crucial than the actual workouts for results), is SO easy to follow. I have posted where I was VERY easily able to fill out my ENTIRE upcoming week's worth of meals, snacks, and my workout schedule! This template is the work of another INCREDIBLE coach Erin Morgan, who I have never actually met, but HAD to give the credit where it's due, because I just love it!

As a 5'7" 135 lb. female looking to lose a couple, I fell into the 1200-1399 calorie bracket. That scared me a teensy bit at first, because I'm just used to consuming more (or what I THINK is more, since I was never really keeping track of my calories anyway). I have to say, though, that it's really been the perfect amount. I also just finished P90X3 which was much more intense and high impact, so my body NEEDED more calories than I do now.

Not to say that PiYo isn't a great workout, because let me tell you... IT IS! (I had to pause for a breather in the Buns video about five times. It was KILLER and my legs were sore for like 3 days afterwards!!) However, some of the videos are shorter and they are all low impact (hallelujah), so our bodies will just not need as much energy as it would for 30 straight minutes of deadlifts and bicep curls.

So here you can see where I have planned out my WHOLE week ahead. To the left, it's difficult to see, but in each calorie bracket you are allotted a certain amount of primary veggies, secondary veggies & grains, fresh fruits, healthy fats, and lean proteins! It also gives extensive lists of what foods are recommended in each food group. This was my favorite part because it's seriously EVERYTHING I already had in my fridge and cabinets! It was SO easy to plan!

Here is what my first FULL day of this week consisted of:


Breakfast: 6:35 am

I ALWAYS start my morning off with some delicious Vanilla Shakeology! My fiance drinks it too, that's why there's two glasses. My breakfast called for 1 Secondary Veggie (the actual Shakeology powder), 1 Lean Protein (my protein filled Greek yogurt) and 1 Primary Veggie (I threw a handful of spinach and kale in there!). It was delicious and EASY!

Mid-Morning Snack: 9:30 am

Ok, so this actually called for 1 Lean Protein and 1 Fresh Fruit, but I was weird and actually craving my fresh acorn squash. So what would have been 1 scoop whey protein powder for my lean protein, ended up being 1 Primary Veggie, and 1 cup of pineapple for my fruit!

Lunch: 12:00 pm

So not to toot my own horn, but I made some pesto basil chicken today and it was BOMB!!! ;) So lunch was 1 Lean Protein and 1 Primary Veggie- my chicken cutlets and some yummy broccoli!

Afternoon Snack: 3:30 pm

1 Fresh Fruit, 1 Primary Veggie, 1 Healthy Fat: 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1 cup of lightly salted cucumber. Delish.

Dinner: 6:30 pm

This may have ended up being slightly more than it was supposed to be, but it was a TOUGH workout this morning (PiYo Strength Intervals for 30 mins), so I'm thinking I can let it slide ;)

1 Lean Protein, 1 Healthy Fat, 1 Secondary Veggie or Grain, 1 Primary Veggie: serving of lean ground turkey, serving of lettuce, my whole wheat wrap, and the cheddar cheese on top for the healthy fat. My extras were the plain greek yogurt (I use as the "sour cream") and guacamole to the side. 

Needless to say, I am going to sleep satisfied and more in love with this program than EVER! The workouts are incredible and can honestly be done at any point in the day. I used to have to only workout right when I got up in the morning, but these workouts are just so easy to fit in anytime. You will sweat, and it will burn, but they are do-able and I manage to do them in about 5 feet of space on my upstairs carpeted floor. You only need your body and possibly a yoga mat if you have no carpet or need extra support for all of the planks and down dogs. ;)

If you are interested in getting those program, contact me TODAY!
E-mail me or Join one of my PiYo Fitness Challenge Groups!

Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this opportunity for the temporary SALE that it is on! (Shakeology lovers... how does this program for $10 sound?!)


I look forward to hearing from you!

My Beachbody Transformation Story

As many of you already know, my life has been COMPLETELY changed forever by Beachbody programs and Beachbody coaching.

I wanted to make this YouTube video as a chance to show what Beachbody has done for me in a three minute nutshell. I would have NEVER imagined just 6 months ago that I could EVER be in the shape that I am now, and that just 3 months ago my life would have brought me to become a coach with this incredible company.

Beachbody coaching has allowed me to leave my Pre-K teaching job and work from home. I now have the ability to make a full-time income without sacrificing time with my family and friends. This is MOST important to me when thinking of my future, and when Stephen and I decide to *GROW* our family of two!

I never wanted to have to work all day and come home exhausted to my children while they were being raised in a daycare. I know that so many women and families must do that to get by, and I have so much respect for them. But when I realized that did NOT have to become my future, I took this business opportunity and worked on it every spare moment I could around my full-time job to get where I am today and CHANGE the course of my life and my future families' lives!

I want to always be present with my husband and my children. I want to always spread my knowledge and passion for what Beachbody programs has done for me with EVERYONE I know around me!

I know some people can get turned off by the word "coach." I did in the beginning, too! I was thinking, "I am no fitness expert, and DEFINITELY not a nutritional expert. How am I supposed to 'coach' others?!" But that is not up to us. As Beachbody coaches, we are people JUST like you who fell in love with a Beachbody program and the results we got from them, and we want to help others find programs to fit their needs so they can get the same successful results. ANYONE can become a Beachbody coach, and ANYONE can make a significant income from it!

In fact, many people sign on as coaches just to get the 25% discount on all of their future orders! Not to mention, military members and their spouses can coach for TOTALLY FREE!

So please enjoy my video, and feel free to comment or e-mail me (a_corry@aol.com) with any questions you may have. My goal is to help YOU find a Beachbody program that will fit your specific health and fitness goals, in as little time as possible from your home. I haven't stepped foot into a gym in over 6 months, and don't plan on having to ever again!

If you think having extra accountability and support from a small group of others going through the same journey sounds like something you'd love, sign up here!

If you think becoming a COACH on my time sounds like a wonderful opportunity and something you would be interested in learning more about, send in an application here!

Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you!

PB&J Oatmeal

I have always been a fan of some warm, hearty oatmeal, but started to wean myself off of the instant already made oatmeal that can be loaded with preservatives, sodium, and sugar. I started to buy the plain oatmeal, knowing it would be the heart-healthiest choice for me, since oatmeal in is itself has SO many healthy properties to it! (lowering the risk of heart disease, as one of them!) My old roommate and I used to experiment around with making delicious oatmeal recipes without busting the waistline, and this has become my FAVORITE recipe by far! Sweet, creamy, filled with protein, and sure to continue your body as a fat-burning machine!

PB&J Oatmeal

You will need:
-1/2 cup plain minute oatmeal
-1 cup water
-1/3 cup of fat free cottage cheese
-1 tbsp. of all natural creamy peanut butter
-1/2 apple cut into slices
-cinnamon to taste
-truvia to taste

Preparation: Mix water and oatmeal in a bowl, and heat according to directions (typically 1:30 in the microwave). Mix cottage cheese, peanut butter, cinnamon, and truvia into oatmeal until evenly distributed. Slice apple and add on top or mix together. Add as much cinnamon as you'd like!

...and ENJOY for any time of the day! :)