Vanilla Shakeology Ice Cream

One of my favorite things about Shakeology: while it's the healthiest, most nutritious meal of the day, it's also the key ingredient to making a plethora of guilt free sweets and treats! If you could make ice cream that tastes amazing, is made from all healthy, natural ingredients, and would only aid in your weight loss- wouldn't you do it!?

Well, here you go! Don't waste your whole day's calories on Coldstone or Marble Slab anymore, because this ice cream is AMAZING!

Let me also note that I'm sure this recipe would also be delicious with Strawberry or Chocolate Shakeology, as well! 

Vanilla Shakeology Ice Cream

What you'll need:

-2 scoops vanilla Shakeology

-2 frozen bananas (easier if broken into pieces before frozen)

-1 cup skim or almond milk

-2 tbsps. all natural peanut butter (try crunchy if you like a crunch in your ice cream!)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor; Blend until smooth. Eat and store the rest in the freezer for when your sweet tooth hits!

21 Day Fix approved: 1 RED, 1 YELLOW, I PURPLE, 1 TBSP.

With love,

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,

How to Earn FREE Stuff as A Beachbody Coach!

Sometimes it's a little hard to believe that the business I have created through Beachbody coaching, and the perks that come along with it, is even REAL!

It's an incredible opportunity that is here for us coaches who love their products, use them all the time, and want to share that with other people. Not to mention the fact that it barely costs anything to start this business (and is totally FREE for active duty military or military spouses), and you constantly are getting free money and rewards back for the work you have put in! So virtually, any dime that you do spend, you totally get back PLUS some.

So, here's a little background information about myself. When I first decided I wanted to be a Beachbody coach, I was totally broke. Like... my paycheck from my Pre-K teaching job was barely enough to pay the bills and have a little bit of fun afterwards. But, I took the plunge into coaching, because I had already lost about 10 pounds from the first program I ever tried (TurboFire!), and was in love with Shakeology and had found a way to make it work in my budget each month. I thought well, then why not get discounts on these products that I love and help others with their health and fitness in the process?! At first, it started out as some really amazing supplemental income to my Pre-K teaching job.

My first month's pay as a coach!

For the first time, I could go out shopping with my girlfriends on the weekend without sweating it. I could switch from Walmart make-up to MAC (one of the most exciting moments of my life!!! Seriously!). After about 5 months, I was even able to pretty much meet my Pre-K teaching pay, and got to leave my full time job to fulfill my dreams of Beachbody coaching from home.

So every day, I put hard work and effort in, but I get to do all of it from my house. On my couch. In my PJ's. Maybe watching my favorite movie in the background... kidding. Point blank though, with some sacrifices of time in the mornings before work and after work, I've been able to begin to build a life that I am in total control of. I am in control of who I work with, when I work, and how much I get paid. I am willing to suffer through a few years of sacrificing now, so that I will never have to sacrifice again in the future!

This morning was really exciting for me. I was getting a little stressed out with some wedding planning, trying to get all of my invitations in order, when I noticed a package sitting outside of my back patio door that I hadn't realized was there before (UPS sometimes likes to surprise me by leaving packages at the back of my house). When I opened it, it was some free prizes I had won back in July just for helping a few friends get back on track with their health and fitness. You see, Beachbody has a little rewards system for their coaches called "Success Club." In Success Club, you can get Success Club 5 (SC5) Or Success Club 10 (SC10). Both of them mean that you have a whole month to help just a few people in your life get back to health with Beachbody programs, which is NOT hard to do, and is the basis of our job as Beachbody coaches anyway, right?! So each time you help someone, you get a few points, and those points end up equaling free gifts and MONEY each and every single month!

For July, it was this adorable ombre PiYo tank and Team Beachbody camelbak backpack! I am STOKED. I don't even know how much this stuff costs itself, but I know it's obviously more than the FREE coaching fees I have per month just to make more money with my business!

Here's the best part: I got this e-mail this morning letting me know that I have saved up $970 for my entirely paid for Beachbody Success Club trip to Cancun, Mexico this coming April! Remember how I said those points end up being free money? That's right. Just since I started coaching in March, I have racked up $970 in totally free money towards a trip that Stephen and I will get to go to for free, staying in THIS resort:

Moon Palace Cancun, Mexico: Paid for Beachbody Success Club Trip!

Now, I say all of this not to brag and not just because of how excited I am. I mainly talk about these things because of how fantastically easy they are to do, and that ANYONE... I mean anyone can do this! You don't have to be in incredible shape. You don't have to have a degree in network marketing. You don't need anything at all, except the desire to help others and yourself become healthy and fit, while making lifelong friends in the process.

So, here's a little Beachbody coaching equation:

Sign up as a coach + help a few friends get in shape every month = paychecks every week, free rewards, free money towards paid Beachbody trips for you and your family to go on.

I am blown away every day by this incredible company and everything that they stand for. In return, I am always looking for people to join my team with me! The only thing more fun than getting to reap these benefits, is having incredible people to share the excitingness with!

To chat more about what Beachbody coaching entails, and to see if it's a great fit for you, apply here and we will be in touch!

 -->http://tinyurl.com/mnblpt7

With love,

Which Path Are You Going to Take?

Making big changes to our lives can be really scary. I think the scariest part about the change isn't the change itself, but rather our fear of failing and what everyone around us will think. It becomes easier to just sit back and remain what we are, with a far off dream of what we want to be and what we want to accomplish just floating softly in the back of our minds. We start thinking of the time it will take to get there, the things we must give up, the people we may lose along the way that have different priorities and goals than us, and the inevitable fear of failure.

I just want to say that I've felt all of those emotions, and have been through all of those obstacles. For me, I have experienced this and more in my decision to become the fittest, healthiest version of myself, and to begin my own business as an online health and wellness coach. I knew it was going to be a big, scary, hairy change and goal. I knew I was going to be judged. I knew I was going to have to give a lot of things up to reach my goals. I knew I was probably going to lose the respect of some people along the way. What I didn't realize, was how trying it would truly be. What I also didn't realize, is that every single person that has knocked me down, made fun of me, told me what I was doing was stupid. told me "I don't care about your progress and Shakeology, why do you have to post it for everyone to see?!" -that those people, the ones who continue to stay negative and just plain mean, are FULL of their own self hatred. The negativity they are portraying onto me, and onto you, is a reflection of THEM, NOT of the wonderful things that YOU are doing and that YOU are trying to accomplish!

It took so long for me to realize that, and so many painful nights of tears and embarrassment. Was what I was doing truly that stupid? Am I really annoying everyone around me? Do people not really care?

But, you know what conclusion I have come to now? That that is ok. I can't please everyone. I can't make everyone see how happy I am and how amazing my journey has been. But I CAN help SOMEONE! I can help the people who care to listen, who are ready to change their lives too, who are happy for those around them and open to positivity and love in their lives. For each person I have lost in my journey to my dreams, I have gained 10 more beautiful ones in my life.

Not everyone is going to care for you. Not everyone is going to have your back. But are we going to let the one mean, hurtful comment overshadow the HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS of beautiful, meaningful, thankful comments we have gotten from the ones who truly matter?

When I first started my weight loss journey with at home fitness programs, I had friends telling me that they knew me, and I'd never finish the program. I'd never drink my shakes every day. It would be cool for a few weeks, and then I'd drop off. I had friends that were mad at me when I said "no" to our lunch dates to Chili's, or our drinking nights to the local bar, or our ice cream dates... not because they were mad at me, but because they had different goals and were mad at themselves in the process. I have learned that as painful as giving those things up, that if those people can't support me and understand my life changes, then that's ok. I had to do what was right for me, and I am the only one I need to ever prove anything to, after all.

And you know what? I finished that program. And have now completed many more. Each program has meant something so incredible to me at that point in my life. Each program I did was what I needed at that time, and has brought me closer to my goals than I have ever imagined. They were more than just "silly fitness programs." They were what have brought me my confidence, happiness, laughter, self worth, and love for fitness again. Maybe that will annoy some people when I want to share my passion with them. Maybe some people will not understand. But that is ok with me now. I appreciate and love the support from each and every single person I have received it from. I LOVE watching people on their own health and fitness journeys, whether it's with me or not! I love watching the training that some are doing at their gym for the next show they're entering, or the way people are training for their next big marathons. It may not be what I'm doing, but I'm so happy and proud for them. I know the hard work and dedication it takes, and I understand the hurt of the naysayers that they must endure.

But what's more beautiful than anything- is their ability to outshine that negativity and prove everyone around them wrong, and prove themselves right. Watching them finish their shows and their marathons- there is nothing like it.

That's part of what I try to do. I share my progress, how I looked and felt before Beachbody programs, in the hopes that I can connect with someone that feels the way I feel, and has felt the way I felt. I want to show them that they can do this- they can make those changes in their lives, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. It will be hard, but it can be done, and with the support of our fitness challenge groups- you will have a community that understands and has the same goals as you.

So, what I hope someone can take away from this post, is to live your life, as who you TRULY are, unapologetically. Scream it from the rooftops! Have huge scary dreams that seem INSANE- so embarrassing that you don't even want to tell anyone about them! Then, after that, GO AFTER THEM. Reach those goals. Walk past the haters with your head held high, and don't let ANYONE knock you down. They're not really trying to knock you down, but build themselves up on top of the foundation of their self doubt and hatred. 

We have so little time on this earth. Are we going to spend it shrinking in the shadows, scraping by day by day with the absolute minimum, keeping our hopes and dreams to the side? Or are we going to fearlessly step out into the spotlight, let our passions steer our lives, and NEVER GIVE UP for anything or anyone?

I know which path I'm going for.... and ain't nobody stopping me.

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.

Beachbody Coaching: The job that works FOR military spouses!

"Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from." -Seth Godin

As a future Air Force wife, when Stephen and I got together and started talking more and more about marriage, I began to wonder what sort of career path would be the smartest choice for me to take. I wanted a job that would make it easy to get time off for the unexpected days he has to deploy, or the unexpected days he comes BACK from a deployment. I wanted to be able to jump in the car to be the one to take him to the airport or pick him back up. I wanted a job that could work well for both of our schedules, to be able to spend time with him on his random days off, or spend more time with him on the days leading up to him being gone for months at a time. I wanted a job that was mobile, that I could take with me no matter where we go.... whether it be across the U.S., or even in another country! Or whether or not we may have to move every few years, a job that wouldn't cause me to have to constantly start all the way over, transfer to another location, or be months without a job while I'm searching for the perfect place and trying to build up my resume.

Of course, this type of job description sounds a little too good to be true, right? I couldn't imagine a job existing in which my schedule was entirely up to me.... if I wanted to work all day, I could work all day, and my PAY would directly reflect the WORK I put in (no limits!). If I wanted to have a last minute day off, or heck, three days off, it was all in my hands. If we had to move around all over the world, possibly pretty frequently, it wouldn't hurt my business at all... in fact, it would probably help!

When I first moved in with Stephen, it was tough for me. I graduated with a degree in Family & Child Sciences, and had a passion for teaching. I picked up a job at the local preschool, working from about 7am-4pm Monday through Friday. It was hard. If we didn't have weeks or months in advance of time to know when Stephen was leaving for a TDY or deployment, I could pretty much kiss having that day off goodbye. When he would be coming home, as many of you know, it can be next to impossible to predict the exact day he's coming back to try to get off of work. And then, if you do get a day off and it ends up that he comes home the next day instead (from whatever random complications), you not only don't get to have the actual day off now, but the day you did get off ended up being one that resulted in a loss of money and your sanity for sitting at the house alone. Husbandless and now even more broke.

All of that changed when the opportunity for Beachbody coaching came along. It was during his second deployment that I became very serious about getting in shape. It had been previously really hard for me, as I was working 40+ hours a week, planning for a wedding, and trying to spend time with all of my loved ones inbetween. It was easy to just want to sleep in longer and lay around when I got home from work, often turning to unhealthy foods that were fast and satisfied my feelings of stress and unhappiness for the work week ahead. But, I changed. I ordered an at home fitness program through my Beachbody coach, threw out all of the bad foods from my pantry, and started fresh. I lost almost 10 pounds in the process, and immediately wanted to share my success with others.

At first, I had said "absolutely not!" to the coaching opportunity. I was insanely busy, and didn't think I had nearly enough time to start a business around everything else in my schedule. However, it was something I was so passionate about. Like... more than anything ever before! I saw huge potential for it, and decided to give it a try. I mean heck, what did I have to lose? I started building my online coaching business at home, in my PJ's, on my coach, for just about 1-2 hours a day. Seriously, that is it! I would post the things I needed to post in the morning before work, post something on my lunch break, and catch up a little bit when I got home from work. Before I knew it, I was making practically as much as my Pre-K teaching job.

And you know what? The week before Stephen got back from his deployment, I got to leave my full-time teaching job. I got to spend that whole week at home with Stephen. I got FREEDOM for my life- for OUR lives.

Now for the best part: If you are an active duty military member, or a SPOUSE (*ahem* me lol) of an active duty military member, you can coach as a Beachbody coach for TOTALLY 100% FREE. Yes, FREE! I literally started an entire business from home, doing what I love and helping others get in amazing shape, a totally limitless financial opportunity.... for ZERO DOLLARS! I mean, even if you aren't a military member, it only costs you $39.95 to sign up and $15/month, so even then, what do you have to lose?! Not to mention ---> a ton of killer discounts, free prizes every month (clothes/workout gear/cute totes/etc.), and getting to choose WHO you work with.

When I started coaching, my first passion was to help anyone and everyone that I could get into the best healthy and happy state of their lives. Now, I want to do that AND spread the knowledge of this business opportunity to as many people as possible... ESPECIALLY you military members and spouses! I know the gut wrenching feeling of not being able to spend time with your other half when they are about to leave. I know that awful feeling of being stuck at work all day the day after they got home from a deployment. I know the fear of walking away from the people you love so much at your current job when you get orders to PCS, and the fear of not being able to get another job.

What if you knew you had the opportunity to change all of that? What if you had the opportunity to put your family, your money, your schedule, into your own hands? What if a few months of sacrifice meant a whole lifetime of freedom and happiness?

I want to share every single step that I have taken to get where I am today- to have the means to be a future stay at home mom because I'm making enough to help support our family, and to have all of the vacation time in the world that I need. I want to share this with YOU!

Apply here to join my team and possibly be in my next coach training group to get you to the freedom that you and your family deserves! -->http://tinyurl.com/mnblpt7

Or, want to join a fitness support group? Start getting in the best shape of your life in a fun, supportive environment to see if coaching is for you! -->http://tinyurl.com/o3955n5


With love,

Unexpected Lifestyle Choices That Lead to Weight Gain

There may be little choices that you make each day that are leading to weight gain, and you don't even know it! Sometimes, weight gain may be so much more than just exercise and diet, but let's explore some of the unexpected lifestyle choices that could be reasons for your increase in weight, or reasons that your body is less able to shed the unwanted weight!

-Going to sleep super late: not only would this probably lead to getting less sleep throughout the night, which can cause weight gain in itself, but there is also a higher likelihood that you are in turn eating more throughout the night! Watching TV late at night is another factor in possible weight gain, since late night TV watchers tend to mindlessly munch on snacks without realizing how much they're really taking in! Try easing into going to sleep earlier by 10-15 minutes each night, and if you do indulge in some late night TV, portion out your snacks instead of grabbing the whole bag of chips, or sip on some water or tea!

-Having your fridge and pantry be too full: this may sound a little strange, but in this case, too much of a good thing may really be a bad thing! Even if it's lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meats, if we have so much food in our fridge that we don't know where to start, we will probably feel pressured to eat much more than necessary each day to assure that our fresh foods don't go bad! Instead, try planning out your meals and getting only what's necessary for the week ahead! That way, you will have everything portioned out and not feel overwhelmed to eat more than you need to.

-Being stressed: Just to stress you out even more, being stressed all the time can make our brains send off all different kinds of hormones and stress adaptors, causing us to turn to coping mechanisms that are not so healthy! Ever felt bad about someone making you feel bad, and you wanted to turn away from exercise, and turn to all of the pasta and brownies? Moral of the story: DITCH the negative nancies in your life, and cling on to the positive pollies! Ain't NOBODY got time for someone who's always down and bringing you down with them!

-Your body is missing certain nutrients: this is why I am so strongly against diets that try to force you out of certain food groups, like "no carb" diets or "sugar free" diets. Our bodies NEED all of those nutrients! It's not necessarily about eating less than you are right now, but eating right. Being low in certain vitamins and nutrients causes our bodies to weaken our immune and metabolism systems, causing us to feel weak, low in energy, and more likely to turn to caffeine and sweets to help that. Point blank: eat ALL of your foods, and eat them right! If you find that you have a hard time getting all of your nutrients and vitamins in, I have always turned to Shakeology, because on busy days, I can be the same way. It helps me rest assured that I have ALL of my daily goodies in!

-Traveling for work/Vacations: it's a no brainer that vacations can lead to weight gain, because, well, vacations mean vacation FOOD! But if you're constantly on the road for work, or a vacation-holic, try to think ahead by packing lots of your own healthy snacks, and making smarter decisions at the restaurants you are eating at. You can still enjoy your juicy cheeseburger, just try taking off one of the buns, and ordering their fresh steamed veggies instead of fries. That's a solid 1,000 calorie save just in those 2 decisions! Don't let a 5 day vacation or work stay ruin a month's worth of hard work!

-Eating with bigger plates: When we eat meals with really large plates, sometimes we can feel that we didn't eat enough when our food doesn't cover the plate, even if our portions were actually correct- our minds have a funny way of doing that! Try eating on a smaller plate. Your food will probably cover the whole thing plus some, and it'll have you feeling more full and satisfied at the end of it!

-Eating too fast: Sometimes we are in such a rush, or we are so hungry that we scarf down whatever meal we have. That's one of the reasons I always try to eat many small meals throughout the day, because I have always eaten way too fast! That way, I will never get so starving that I eat badly or too much. But if you do get to that point, just slow down! The faster we scarf our food down, the longer it takes for our bodies to register what we have just consumed. Therefore, we fill our bellies up way too full before it would've realized how full it was- causing our stomachs to stretch out a little more each time we overeat.

As you can see, a healthy lifestyle can be SO much more than diet and exercise alone! If you have been making lifestyle changes by daily exercise and a healthier diet, and still not seeing the results you want, try some of these tactics out and let me know how it goes!

With love,