21 Day Fix: Nearing the end...

It's pretty hard to believe my challengers and I only have 3 more days left in this round of the 21 Day Fix. It's incredible how fast time flies by! I have noticed such a big difference in my core, especially, from this round which tends to happen because it helps me keep my nutrition so on point. I have also really noticed a lot more definition just everywhere: legs, arms, shoulders, back. I'm excited to get some real pictures at the end of the 21 days!

I hardcore meal prepped mid last week, so I ate very repetitively over the last few days! Therefore, I saved everyone the trouble and just posted once or twice when eating the same meals, lol!

I think the MOST important part about being able to stick to a meal plan and your fitness journey as a whole is picking things that you love- meals and workouts that you actually enjoy. I hate cardio, so I'm not going to go buy Insanity and expect to stick with it. That's just not realistic. I DO love weightlifting and having a mixture of exercises to do, so P90X3, 21 Day Fix, and Body Beast have been right up my ally!

As for food, I do not force myself to eat certain things just because they are healthy. Through trial and error, I have found some staple foods and meals that I love and don't get tired of, and I stick with them. There is nothing wrong with making the same few meals over and over. In fact, most athletes do that because they don't have to guess their macros/micros, they remember the nutritional value, and they like. Easy as that. Unless you need constant variety, just choose the things you love and let it lead you to your results!

Here's some of what I enjoyed over the last few days...

See?! I'm so basic and boring with my food! Hahah. But, I LOVE turkey meatballs and I LOVE green beans. So why not?! They're pretty good together, too. Frozen food also saves me, I don't tend to eat a whole lot, so instead of spending lots of money on super fresh stuff just for it to go back, I resort to frozen things in bulk. It is still full of nutrients so no worries there! It saves me sooo much money and time!

If you haven't been able to tell, I love chips. And cheese. And I really enjoy using one of my yellow containers and my blue containers on them together a lot of days. I'm sure you are also starting to understand why I choose Mexican food as my cheat meal most times... :D

So, this happened. Chocolate Shakeology Pancakes! <-check a="" and="" ate="" batch="" big="" delicious="" for="" free="" guilt="" i="" made="" of="" off="" out="" re="" recipe="" rest="" td="" that="" the="" them="" they="" totally="" week.="">

Sooooo melt in your mouth good.

Morning routine! Preworkout, and if I need it, a packet of Shakeo. Sometimes I need a little bit of something in my stomach before a hardcore workout! Shakeo is always the way to go!

Leg day almost done!!! I LOVE these workouts so much. Enjoying your exercises it of utmost importance.

Yes, that would be my chocolate pancakes with peanut butter on top. Sold yet?! And a cup of Earl Grey with honey, stevia, and a touch of almond milk. Noms.

Preworkout before exercise time... Mornings are only my friends after this stuff! Haha!

Thankfully it was yoga day. Notice I am still in my PJ's. That's why working out at home is the BEST.

Jesse was not thrilled it was already exercise time again. He tends to think when we go upstairs it means play time... he is mistaken!

This was one of the big meals I prepped. It is so easy and yummy. Grilled chicken, red potatoes, and green beans in rows with italian seasoning tossed over all of it. I baked it for 45 mins at 375 degrees. I also enjoyed some bubbly with it. :)

And of course... one thing that NEVER fails is having my big Shakeology breakfast EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I attribute SO much of my fitness success to it and I will never stop! I have drank it every single day since November 2013 and I will continue to go strong!



Next online BIKINI READY challenge group starts THIS Monday! Ahhhh! So sad to have my current amazing group end, but every month I am always SO excited to help new ladies, and even those who want to come back for more! If you'd like to join us, just fill out the form below and I cannot WAIT to help you get ready for the summer. They are a blast and the only thing better than starting a new fitness journey, is starting it with others for support. :)

-->APPLY HERE for Fitness and FUN!!



With love,

Amanda James

21 Day Fix: Days 8-12! Halfway DONE!

I'm going to go ahead and apologize for being a HUGE slacker, yet again, on food pics! Haha this week has consisted of so many lunch dates with sweet friends that I honestly forget to take a picture in the moment, although I included the ones I remembered to or the leftovers afterwards!

It's been a hectic week, but a really great one. I've also been listening to a lot of personal development and trainings from other coaches, and have started to make some big business changes for myself. I'm really excited about them, and it's really more just about time management and figuring out the things I NEED to be spending my time doing, so that for other times I can be having the freedom I've been working so hard for the last year.

Being a Beachbody coach, to me, is all about doing what I love, but also building a life of freedom for myself. I left my 8-5 job for a reason, and it was NOT to be working at my house from 7am-10pm! It usually doesn't really feel like "work," but I was spending so much unnecessary time on things and I'm excited to put an end to it, especially because my husband is coming home (soon) so I want to have this new plan in place by the time he is here! That way, when I'm spending time with him, I'm really just spending time with him (not mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, messaging people back, etc). There will be a time and a place for those things and I so appreciate the patience that I know my customers and team will have with me. It means the world, and that's another reason it's important to me... I want to lead by example and show me team just how easily we can make an incredible income by just doing our "Power Hour" each day and having the rest of the day to spend doing the things we need to do for ourselves, our family, and our friends. I am so blessed.

Without further adieu, here is the past week for you!

MONDAY

Total Body Cardio Fix Day! To the right would be the Move of the Day (#MOTD)- Weighted Surrenders! This workout is killer, man! But such a great start to the week!

I was soooo excited to see this beauty waiting on my doorstep... I think Shakeology shipping day is every Beachbody lover's favorite day!!!! I definitely enjoyed some chocolatey goodness for breakfast with chilled coffee mixed in! Mmmm.
(1 Red, 1 Purple, 1 Green, 1 Tsp)

I ran errands left and right this day, so had a Kashi bar as a snack on the go! That's one thing I ALWAYS have- some healthy snacks in my purse! No. matter. what. Getting hungry and stuck around town is one of the worst things ever- talk about temptation to go get take out!
(1/2 Yellow, 1/2 Orange)

I met my sweet friend for lunch at Zoe's in Destin, and it was AMAZING! I got half of a pimento cheese sandwich and a big Greek salad. I didn't eat all of the bread pictured here... don't worry! Haha! Although my carbs were definitely DONE for the day! I also had some of her hummus shown below!
(1.5 Yellow, 2 Green, 1 Blue)

TUESDAY

Upper Fix Day! I filmed myself doing push ups because I know I need to work on my form. I'll be working on going lower and making sure to keep my head in line with my spine! I have a bad habit of looking down the whole time.

Post workout shake! Chocolate Shakeo, spinach, skim ricotta cheese, apples. PB. :)
(1.5 Red, 2 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Tsp)

Afternoon snack! Corn Tortilla Chips and a piece of pepper jack cheese!
(1 Yellow, 1 Blue)

For dinner was brown rice, black beans, and a fried egg on top. I know it sounds weird, but just TRUST me! lol
(1 Yellow, 1 Red)

See... Jesse wanted some too!

I was bad about posting my last shake and other snack this day, but I definitely finished out my portions!


WEDNESDAY

Lower Fix Day! I added a little bit of extra calf raises at the end! Try doing weighted calf raises at all 3 of these angles for 30 seconds each: toes facing forward, toes facing out (like a ballerina), and toes facing in! You will definitely feel the burn!

Best workout shake! Red, white, and blue prettiness!
1 scoop chocolate Shakeo, spinach, fresh berries, Greek yogurt, PB!
(1.5 Red, 1 Green, 2 Purple, 1 Tsp)

Another lunch with a sweet friend! We went to Fusion Bistro, which is a really healthy, fresh little restaurant here in Fort Walton Beach. This was just part of my leftovers, but I should have gotten a full picture! It was FULL of veggies. I got the veggie stir fry with added tofu, a ginger salad, and a size of zucchini. I probably had TOO many veggies this day, if that's even possible! Haha.
(1 Red, 3 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Orange)

Night snack was a piece of whole wheat bread with some Zoe's pimento cheese on it. Mmm!
(1 Yellow, 1 Blue)

THUSRDAY: I woke up out for the count and was the whole day. I really injured my neck from Wednesday's workout somehow, or maybe sometime before that, but Thursday is Pilate's which requires a lot of neck action! Holding planks, doing lots of sit ups, etc. So I took a break this day.

FRIDAY (Today!)

My neck is still pretty bad, but I still did my Cardio Fix! #MOTD is "Ups and Downs." Start in a plank position and go down to sphinx and back up to plank, alternating between starting with your right and left arm for 30 seconds each! Killer for the whole body! I definitely need to get my neck checked out today!

Relaxing with some personal development this morning. Just thought it was picture worthy. :) I'm reading Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership and it is phenomenal!

Post workout shake and work time!

That's all for me today and possibly the rest of the weekend. It's time for some relaxation and friends! I hope everyone has an amazing weekend! I have some pretty incredible groups coming up, including our new Fitness Challenge to be bikini READY for the Summer! Click below to apply to be in it today and we'll go over details! Can't wait!!!!

With love,

Amanda James

21 Day Fix Day 4!

21 Day Fix Day 4: Pilates Day!

Thursday was one of those days in which I woke up and every ounce in my being wanted to stay in bed and not work out. Are we noticing a trend here?! ;) It's such a common misconception that since I'm a Beachbody coach and preach on exercising and eating well that I actually want to all the time, and that is just so false! I have bad days and weeks just like everyone else. I guess the difference is that I lived in darkness for so long- hating my body, hating how I felt, and making up excuses day in and day out of why I didn't want to start my journey back into health. When I finally found the mindset and tools I needed to get started and stay consistent once and for all, I don't let myself fall back into those dark holes anymore. I recognize that just because there are days I wake up and don't feel like exercising, doesn't mean I actually shouldn't exercise on those days. There's a difference between your body physically telling you you need a break, and just flat out feeling lazy, lol. Exercising and eating healthy has become such a habit to me, that it would be VERY hard to break me of it at this point. Sure I take rest days and cheat meals, but it's not what it used to be. 

Point blank... I got my work out in. And like always, I felt like a million bucks afterwards. We need to sweat and get our heart rates up every day! It's what we were meant to do and how we were meant to feel! I encourage you to join me and reach out if you ever need any help on starting. Starting can be the hardest part. But once you do, I'll bet you'll be hooked and on your way to a new you!

Yesterday was a bit too many smoothies and not enough cool meals to show you guys, so I'm going to do better! Already making a salad for lunch today! Haha. As always, I'm putting real, raw fruits and veggies in my smoothies though. I am just always on the go and trying to work to help my challengers and coaches, so sometimes the meals that I can slurp down are the easiest!

I woke up to a grumbling tummy, so a protein shake was on the menu!
A scoop of whey vanilla protein, scoop of powdered PB2, and ice.
{1 Red, 1/2 Tsp}

Pilates Fix and 4th workout DONE! It was nice to lengthen and strengthen my sore limbs for 30 minutes! One of our active recovery days in the 21 Day Fix series.

Post workout smoothie! This was a big ole guy because I tend to not eat til later in the day, by accident!
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology, 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, lots of spinach, mixed frozen fruit, PB, unsweetened cocoa powder!
{1.5 Red, 2 Green, 1.5 Purple, 1 Tsp}

For lunch, it was a bit of leftover egg salad on a whole wheat wrap with sriracha drizzle and a piece of cheese!
{1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Blue}

I stocked up on food and had to show off my glorious goodies... this coming week I have so many options!
*Maybe turkey burgers, spaghetti squash lasagna, grilled italian chicken, potatoes, and beans... so many possibilites!*

To finish off my carbs for the night, I tried to replicate a delicious Columbian dish I used to get all the time at Super Perros in Tallahassee! That was our Seminole hot spot. :)
Rice, black beans, with a fried egg on top! Don't worry- I didn't eat all of this! lol
{1 Yellow, 1/2 Red}

Since I only had half a protein left for the day but lots of veggies and fruits, I just did half a scoop of my Shakeo but added some more cocoa powder to it, since it's a freebie!
1/2 scoop Chocolate Shakeology, spinach, fresh berries, 1/2 tsp PB, ice!
{1/2 Red, 2 Greens, 1.5 Purple, 1/2 Tsp}

I only had a few bites of the cookie dough flavor, but I had to share this with whoever is following me on this health journey! Guilt free ice cream stuff. Lactose free, gluten free, and 150 calories for the ENTIRE pint of cookie shake, and 300 for the cookie dough! Such a win for the sweet tooth!

That's all from me today, so I hope everyone has a blessed Friday! Enjoy one cheat meal this weekend and don't let the rest of the time ruin your hard work from this past week!

With love,

Amanda James

21 Day Fix Day 3: Gotta love LEG day!

Yesterday was so refreshing!

 While I still didn't have my full appetite back yet, I got to have an incredible dinner with an incredible friend, so that made it much easier to get all of my containers in! I swear blogging everything has been the best way to hold myself accountable this go round, as well as the ladies in my online support group with me!

Wednesday is Lower Fix day, or leg day, and that video is tough you guys! I've always been kind of whimpy when it comes to my legs. They're the biggest muscle group, so the hardest to work out and for my body, the hardest to get the definition that I want. But, over time and with consistency of really pushing myself out of my comfort zone and working hard, I have become pretty proud of the stems!

Again, the video is only 30 minutes, so there are seriously no excuses. It was another day of plugging the headphones in and kicking booty til the end! 

I've been all work, work, work lately outside of exercising, so I got a little bit of "me" time and it was nice to spend the evening with a friend who so sweetly cooked us a 21 Day Fix approved meal, as she is in a challenge group with me and doing the program with me! Surround yourself with people that will left you up and support you, y'all. I have such an amazing group of friends and fellow military spouses here, I am so thankful! Our pups got to play together, too! I also got to talk to two of my best friends from afar, one in south FL and the other currently living in Spain. I love the sense of comfort that they bring no matter how far apart we are, or how long it's been since we have talked!

Here's to wishing everyone an amazing Thursday! It is sunny and warm here, so an impromptu day to the beach may be in order! Workout and Shakeology are done, what more could a girl ask for?!

Still definitely have a "white girl booty"... but I'm doing my best to get it better! Haha. It takes time and dedication, that's for sure! 

Post workout shake- my favorite daily tradition!
1 Scoop Chocolate Shakeology, organic spinach, frozen assorted fruits (mango, pineapple, berries), 1 tsp. natural PB
{1 Red, 2 Green, 2 Purple, 1 Tsp} <-i already="" because="" big="" calories="" catch="" day="" eat="" first="" going="" had="" i="" in="" it="" knew="" late="" much="" on="" pretty="" shake="" so="" stuffed="" t="" td="" the="" this="" time="" to="" today="" up="" wasn="">

I copied Tuesday's lunch, again! And I swear I didn't eat all of that PB! haha
Egg salad sandwich with celery and PB.
{1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Green, 1 Tsp}

I got hungry later for a snack and had a piece of Munster cheese and maybe like 3 tortilla chips, so I didn't even count the yellow. Or MAYBE I went a half over for the day- ha! But it was leg day, so whatevs. ;) [most people carb load on leg day!]
{1/2 Blue, maybe 1/2 Yellow}

A little something sweet to hold me over for dinner... Shakeology cake! I cut out the peanut butter since I had already had so much already! And I could only eat about half of it, and I saved the rest for today.
{1 Red}

Dinner with Mackenzie! So many noms! Pesto mozzarella grilled chicken with peas and quinoa! and then a fresh kiwi for dessert, Don't worry, we split what was pictured! lol
{1 Red, 1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Purple}

As always, stay Happy & Healthy, friends!

Amanda James

Day 2 of 21: Upper Fix and Daily Struggles

So, yesterday was a little rough for me when it came to my diet. Probably not in the way that most people would expect (wanting sweets, wanting to eat more, etc) but actually the opposite. I was having a rough day and stress and anxiety usually suppress my appetite instead of the other way around. So I kind of had to force feed myself to get all of my containers in, even on the lowest calorie bracket! lol. That's one reason I'm thankful for Shakeology. Even when I don't have an appetite, I swear it's the only thing I crave and I've said that before through our moving process and other stressful times over the last couple of years of drinking it. Not to mention it has all the daily nutrient goodies I need, so I'm glad I am still filling up my body with those superfoods and veggies even if I can't get them in the whole food form I typically need.

Just being a little vulnerable here... Being married to a man in the military has it's super tough times, and yesterday was one of them. I just miss him so much. I calculated it and by next month, we will have been together for 37 months, and he will have been gone 19 of them. Just writing that out breaks my heart. But I am so so proud of him and the hard work that he does and I am thankful that every time he leaves and comes back, it's like we get to have a honeymoon all over again. I just hope and pray that one day it slows down. I am also so thankful that he has always pushed me to be the best that I can be and go for my dreams, including starting a successful business from home. If I didn't have my Beachbody coaching business and family, I seriously don't know what I would do. When he is gone, you guys are my heart and soul and I am so thankful for you and every person that has trusted in me to help you through your fitness journey. From the bottom of my heart, I love each and every one of you and you keep me going while he is gone!

Anyway, yesterday was just a bummer day as it's already hard with him being gone so much as it is, but I found out his coming home is probably going to be extended a couple weeks longer than usual. He won't get to make my sister's wedding and possibly not my birthday, but... I still wouldn't choose any other life. I'd rather live this lifestyle with him than any other without him!

But back to fitness... I was super happy yesterday was Upper Fix day! It's one of my favorite workouts ever. I've always loved working out my upper body more and I'm not exactly sure why. I just tend to get way faster, visible results in my arms and shoulders, so naturally I enjoy working them out a lot! My legs are getting better, but we will talk about that tomorrow. ;)

Upper Fix consists of every part of the upper body: back, biceps, triceps, chest, abs, shoulders. I think that's why it's so effective too, since it hits everything and multiple muscle groups at a time! My abs are definitely screaming today!

So here's the best I could do at my diet... probably boring, but you know what, I got all I needed in and that's all that counts!

Another English Breakfast tea with Stevia morning for me! I even added a bit of coconut oil in as a creamer, and just because I know how amazing it is for our bodies. Honestly, I just need to get more preworkout... haha!

Upper Fix DONE! I know I'm not looking too cute, but that's the best part about working out at home! I'm seriously in my PJ's here and just rolled out of bed to do this workout, and didn't care what anyone was thinking about me. Even though I ended up posting the picture on a public blog for the world to see.... #whoops

s

Post workout Shakeology smoothie! Yes I know Shakeology is already full of fruits and veggies, but I like to add more because I can be really bad about getting in my whole food form, like I mentioned before. I'm one of those people that will realize I haven't eaten all day at 3pm. I know- I definitely used to NOT be. I used to be the person that was wondering when the next time I could eat would be!!! That's what Shakeology does. Curbs cravings for bad foods a LOT and just keeps me super full. But that's why I pack in the super healthy stuff into it when I can, too!
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology, organic spinach, mixed frozen fruit, natural PB
{1 Red, 2 Greens, 1 Purple, 1 Tsp}

                      

#ShakeologySelfie... haha it was so yummy!

I'm a MAJOR egg salad fan! I had a ton of eggs and celery I needed to eat, so this happened. I try to keep my egg salad pretty basic. I look up different 21 Day Fix approved recipes on Pinterest whenever I can, so this was just kind of a random concoction of different seasonings and I did put a tiny bit of organic olive oil based mayo in there, but not a lot!

Celery with PB, 1 slice whole wheat bread with egg salad{1 Green, 2 Tsps (went a little overboard with the PB yesterday... oops. But Autumn says it's ok to go over a tsp. sometimes!), 1 Yellow, 1 Red}

Afternoon snack. Grapes and unsalted peanuts I had lying around!
{1 Purple, 1 Orange}

It was Cinco de Mayo so how could I not have some healthy burritos?! I just used some ground beef I had already made with some homemade taco seasoning and baked some of the burritos with cheese on top for a few minutes! It was DELICIOUS. I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and some homemade guacamole too (mashed avocado with a bit of pink himalayan salt){1 Yellow, 1.5 Red, 1 Green, 1 Blue}

And last meal of the day for me, my dessert Shakeology, as usual!
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology with ice and some PB2 this time to not go overboard, and a little unsweetened cocoa powder to make it taste like brownie batter.
{1 Red}

Staying strong and thinking today will be a much better day! I have lots of errands to run so I'm thinking being out and about will be good for me. Blessed and humbled that I have the opportunity to stay inside if I need a day off, or go out and about throughout the week if I need to. I owe it all to God, the good days and bad days, for all of the blessings I am still provided with in this beautiful life!

Stay happy and healthy.

With love,

Amanda James