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

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

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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

Strawberry Shakeology Protein Muffins

When I have some extra Shakeology/protein powder around the house, and I'm in the mood for some baking, I love whipping up some healthy concoctions that won't bust the waistline.

With the extra Strawberry Shakeology I had, visions of strawberry pancakes and muffins filled my mind and I had to find a yummy recipe I could make my own with Shakeo! So, this is what I came up with... I even got extra naughty and put some semi-sweet chocolate morsels in there ;) (they're 21 Day Fix approved, ok?!)

Try these babies out when you need a sweet fix the HEALTHY way! They would be great with any flavor of Shakeology.

What You'll Need:

-2-3 scoops of Shakeology (about 1 cup)
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 cup applesauce
-1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
-1 1/2 tbsps. maple syrup
-2 egg whites
-1/2 cup mini or regular chocolate chips (*optional)


Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
-In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (Shakeology, baking soda, cinnamon),
-In a large bowl, mix applesauce, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and egg whites. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and let mixture sit to thicken for a few minutes.

-Pour mixture evenly into muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.
-Let cool and then enjoy!

 With love,

Amanda James

PB&J

I looooove me a a good old fashioned PB&J sammich! However, with following the 21 Day Fix containers/meal plan, a lot of times I don't want to waste 2 out of 3 of my allotted yellow (carb) containers on one sandwich! So, I LOVE that we are able to basically make Shakeology taste like absolutely anything we want to with the right mixture of ingredients!

Chocolate Shakeology has a much more rich, deep chocolate taste, that's very good on it's own, but not always great to mix with a lot of things, in my opinion. Vanilla Shakeology, on the other hand, isn't that great on it's own, but is an amazing base to mix with ANYTHING and is very sweet and flavorful when done so!

This recipe calls for vanilla Shakeo, is sweet and simple, and one of my favorites! Be careful if you share with the kiddos... they may not hand your shake back!

PB&J Smoothie

Image from humusapien.com

What You'll Need:
-1 scoop vanilla Shakeology
-1 handful frozen red grapes
-1 tbsp. peanut or almond butter
-1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup almond milk
*optional: handful of ice to make it frothier
*optional: spinach for some extra greens!

Blend and enjoy your practically carb-less peanut butter and jelly! It doesn't get much better than THAT!

Apple Pie

I think most everyone from the South and up can appreciate a good warm, gooey apple pie! So, why not enjoy the deliciousness of the pie in a milkshake full of veggies, antioxidants, and other nutrients?! I am all about the sweets that won't hinder my health and fitness goals, and this is one of them! But beware, it is SUPER sweet!

Apple Pie Shakeology

Image from pumpkinnspice.com

What You'll Need:

-1 scoop vanilla Shakeology
-1/2 cup almond milk
-1/2 cup water (or 1 whole cup water if you're trying to cut almond milk!)
-1/2 cup whole wheat oats
-1/2 frozen red apple (or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for it to be less sweet)
-1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Blend and enjoy your delicious, healthy dessert!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Frappe

Before I begin, here's a little blurb about myself: being a Beachbody coach does NOT make me free from the delicious food and beverage temptations that everyone else endures! I still feel them- a LOT! However, being a Beachbody coach does make me more inclined to try to find healthy alternatives that won't bust the waistline, and that I can share with others!

So, with that being said, I have wanted those dang Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Frappuccinos and lattes like NO ONE'S business!!!! Haha! What I did discover, though, is how delicious of a pumpkin frappe Shakeology can make with some other delicious, and totally clean ingredients! Now every time I get those temptations, and it's not cheat day, this is what I grab!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Frappe

Image from peanutbutterandpeppers.com

What You'll Need:

-1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
-1 to 2 tbsps. pumpkin puree
-1/3 cup chilled or room temp. coffee
-1/3 cup almond milk
-1/3 cup water
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 tsp. ground cinnamon
-1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and/or nutmeg
-handful of ice cubes
-Stevia to taste

-->Throw it all in a blender, blend, and ENJOY your delicious & totally clean Pumpkin Frappe!

*To purchase your own Shakeology, order HERE!*

Funky Monkey

If you are a huge fan of bananas and peanut butter like me, this will probably be one of your favorite Shakeology recipes! It's simple, full of protein, healthy fats and carbs, and will keep you full for hours!

Funky Monkey Recipe

-1 scoop regular or vegan chocolate Shakeology
-1 tbsp. all natural peanut or almond butter
-1/2 or whole frozen banana, peeled
-1/2 cup slim or almond milk
-1/2 cup water
*optional: handful of ice to make it extra frothy
*optional: have a hard time getting fresh greens in throughout the day? Although Shakeology is full of fruits and veggies in itself, it's never a bad idea to throw in some fresh spinach or kale! It'll be hidden by the wonderful taste of Shakeology.

Blend and drink up your HEALTHIEST meal of the day! Get Shakeology for yourself HERE!

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