Days 5-7: The 21 Day Fix Weekend Struggle!

This weekend was an absolute whirlwind! 

I am proud to say, however, that I stayed true to the workouts and meals except for a couple of slip ups: my sister's bridal shower was on Saturday and I had a little cup of dessert, and I didn't make it back home until late with a pretty gnarly migraine last night, so I didn't get to do my happy yoga. However, today's Total Body Cardio Fix got done and I'm about to double up with yoga after I drink my Shakeo! I am NOT letting myself or anyone else down. :)

I also wasn't very good about taking pictures of my meals this weekend.  I hate it since I try to really share everything with you guys, but it was actually nice to have some moments when I was lost in the presence of family, friends, and food- enough to forget!

Friday was Cardio Fix, and the cardio days are always the most difficult for me. I don't know what it is... cardio and I just don't get along. But I always plug my headphones in, slurp down some preworkout, and get the 30 minutes over with. And, of course, feel AMAZING afterwards. I know the benefits from the inside out are so much more important than my complaining and not wanting to do it, so it always gets done! Luckily they only come around twice a week!

Saturday was rough, because I went to sleep very late Friday night and had to get up very very early Saturday morning to get my workout in, get some work done, and drive from Mary Esther, FL to Mexico Beach, FL while dropping my dog off at my parent's house. But, I was really proud of myself that I finished Dirty 30 strong that morning- NO excuses! Dirty 30 is pretty brutal, but a lot of people's favorites, including mine! 

I am really looking forward to making up for Sunday's yoga. This is one of my favorite yoga videos. It's so relaxing and I could honestly almost fall asleep every time. It's also just very stretchy and flowy. It's not filled with super tough moves that make you sweat bullets. Now, I love advanced yoga as well, but for the week we go through with 21 Day Fix videos... I always look forward to this easy yoga day!
FRIDAY

I tried my best to start waking up early... I really did! This is one of the worst habits I have picked up since working at home: going to sleep late and waking up late. It just gives me anxiety and makes me feel lazy even if I worked hard the whole day after I woke up! lol. It's one things I'm really trying to shift and fix, just to give myself more peace.

However... this new preworkout I found is BOMB. It wakes me right up. Probably not great for my heart haha. But really, if you're not used to caffeine, definitely start with 1/2 a scoop. This is one I just stumbled upon at Walmart, and it's even 0 calories! I don't know how since it tastes pretty good and really works, so I'm going to have to look more into it... #whenitstoogoodtobetrue #itsprobablybad

Dreaded Cardio Fix that made me feel SO GOOD afterwards. I'm sure you can just tell by the look on my face! High 5 for Day 5 done!

I guess I forgot to take a picture of my Shakeology, but I remember this was lunch! One of my faves: craisin, sliced almond, feta cheese salad on romaine lettuce and homemade balsamic dressing.
2 greens, 1/2 purple, 1 blue, 1 orange

For dinner, I made stuffed peppers! Mmmm mmm. I just had one this night, though.
Each pepper was stuffed with brown rice, black beans, and lean ground turkey browned in homemade taco seasoning.
1 Green, 1 Red, 1.5 Yellow

Somehow the rest of my day went missing... I'm telling you, whirlwind weekend! lol

SATURDAY

Saturday I woke up on barely any sleep for Day 6 Dirty 30, but I DID IT! Super proud hehe. Here's one of my favorite moves, although one of the hardest! Side planks with leg lifts are SO good for the gunk on our midsection, sides, and glutes, it's not even funny! Try 30 seconds on each side.

Post workout shake and tea for the drive! This tea has become a favorite now, too. Earl Grey with a tab of honey, almond milk, and Stevia. My cheap, not even close, rendition of London Fog but it's still delicious!

Shakeology was 1 scoop chocolate, spinach, mixed fresh berries, & PB.
1 Red, 2 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Tsp

And of course, I had to pack my personal development and Shakeology for the weekend away!!! Keeping the mind and body sharp, even during travel!

I thought I would include this because I'm fairly positive anyone following my blog hasn't seen me in anything but sweaty workout selfies... haha! Here's me with makeup- it exists!

It was a GORGEOUS day for a bridal shower on the beach!

For lunch we had breaded chicken breasts, salad, crescent rolls, and really yummy pudding stuff for dessert. I had one chicken breast, a huge salad, 1 roll, and a bit of pudding.

My beautiful sissy and I. She will be Mrs. Le on June 20!

Ok so I've been hearing all the rave about Quest bars and had to get some myself. I may get a lot of hate for this, but I was honestly NOT a fan. The cookies & cream one was ok. I can just never get on bored with the taste of protein bars. Yuck.

SUNDAY

So this was naughty, but I'm just being honest! We totally had Micky D's for breakfast. It was really sweet though, because this used to be a family tradition. Growing up, every Sunday morning my dad would wake us up to their little pancake and sausage meals before we all went to church. We LOVED it. Of course as we got older, he stopped because it's just really unhealthy lol... but for him to have surprised us with it as we were all together again for Mother's Day, it was REALLY sweet. I just had 1 pancake and 1 sausage so...
1 Yellow, 1 Red

Before we did some boating, I got my Shakeo in!
1 scoop chocolate with strawberries and ice. "Chocolate Covered Strawberry"
1 Red, 1 Purple

The view from my parents' dock. So beautiful. I will always miss my childhood home!

My niece Lizzy and I about to get out exercise on! Jet ski time!

She loved that darn raft! lol. Too cute, huh?

My pup, Jesse James, and I heading back home after church, lunch, and Mother's Day fun. For lunch, we had gone to Chili's and I got shrimp and chicken fajitas. The tortillas were super small and I ate 2 of them. I ate all my veggies and protein, so it counted as a couple of containers each, I'm sure!
1 Yellow, 1.5 Green, 1.5 Red

I got home way later STARVING and ate my other stuffed pepper! I added fresh pico de gallo to the top and plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow (totally went over yellows today, UGH), 1/2 Purple

I'm also super excited for things going on business wise for my team and I! We are growing strong, people are leaving their full time jobs and able to spend more time with their families to coach full time, and it's just been a huge blessing.

There are two groups I have coming up that I would really love to extend an offer to anyone interested to join us!

On May 18th, I am starting a 5 Day Sneak Peak into Beachbody Coaching group. It is free and purely informational to see if coaching could be the right fit for you. If you have been in a sneak peak with me before, this one will probably be a bit different. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and making all of the posts and videos myself for the topics so yeah, I'm a bit nervous but really excited to share everything with you guys. If you'd like to join us, just click on the picture here and it should send you to our Facebook page where you can just click "join group" and I'll approve you!

On May 25th, I'm starting two new online fitness challenge groups! This picture shows the special one I am running this month for military spouses only! I am getting serious with my fitness while Stephen is deployed and I know so many others want to do the same. However, I'm also starting  a group for anyone else interested, so please ANYONE feel free to click the picture below and fill out the application, and I will be right in touch with you about the details!

I hope everyone has a blessed and safe Monday! Remember to breathe and let's get through this week, strong!


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

21 Day Fix: BACK in FULL Force!!!

So, I'm pretty stoked. 

Since it is officially the month of May, that also means it's OFFICIALLY getting dangerously close to my husband getting back from his deployment! :) I am beyond excited but that also means, needing to get my booty into gear and tip top shape to welcome his arrival!

As most of you that have continued to follow my Facebook and Instagram know, I have still been eating clean and exercising very regularly, but I haven't been following a super strict workout schedule or meal plan. I pretty much always try to go by 21 Day Fix guidelines, but when I don't follow something full force, I let cheats slip here and there a bit too much.

Therefore, to hold myself extra accountable, and also give everyone an honest feel of what it's like to go through the 21 Day Fix program, I'm going to document my meals and workouts here for everyone! Posts will likely be short and sweet, but you will get the idea and hopefully understand why everyone loves this program so dang much and almost ALWAYS gets incredible results!

So today, as Day 1 of my journey, was Total Body Cardio Fix as the workout! Yep, we all get to start each Monday with this... "pleasant" workout. lol! I only say it like that because I'm not the biggest cardio fan, and it's also cardio with weights which is even more tough... but my gosh, does it get every part of your body! And it's only 30 minutes, so who can really complain that much?!

I personally plug my headphones in with my favorite music and the workouts FLY by. I'm very thankful for that! In and out and on with my day!

I'm on the 1,200-1,499 calorie bracket plan (the lowest one- yep, you don't get below 1,200 calories around here!) so here's my food for that! This is NO starvation plan and I seriously feel like I'm eating all day. Lots of people on calorie brackets above this have a hard time even consuming all of the food they're supposed to in a day, so I can assure you... you won't be hungry if you're eating the correct foods on this plan and drinking plenty of water!

Sometimes I wake up SO starving and have to get a little preworkout snack while I'm getting some work done!
1 slice of whole wheat toast with 1 tsp. of all natural peanut butter
{1 Yellow, 1 Tsp.}

Stoked to be done with Day 1 workout: Total Body Cardio Fix! 30 minutes of cardio with weights- a crazy full body exercise!

Mid morning tea! English Breakfast with a bit of Stevia. Total freebie, thank goodness!

Post workout snack!
Brown rice with some grilled chicken wings marinated in herbs & seasonings.
{1 Yellow, 1 Red}

This salad was DELICIOUS! I'm going to be munching off of it for a couple of days!
Spring mix with feta cheese, organic craisins, sliced almonds, and homemade balsamic dressing.
{2 Greens, 1 Blue, 1/2 Purple, 1 Orange}

Dinner is served!
Turkey meatballs and steamed broccoli with a tiny bit of homemade salsa.
{1 Red, 1 Green, 1/2 Purple}

Needed a little something sweet... :)
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology, handful of frozen mixed berries, a tiny bit of plain Greek yogurt, and ice!
{1 Red, 1 Purple}

And another shake a few hours later- I always have to have it for dessert, and it's typically the only thing that appeals to me late at night!
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology, 1 tsp. peanut butter, tiny bit of ricotta cheese, handful of spinach, and ice!
{1 Red, 1 Green, 1 Tsp.}

And the magical system itself! These containers are what keep me sane, and know that I am PERFECTLY portioning out my food every time! And the worksheets help me cross of containers throughout the day as well! I just love it.

As you can see, even on the lowest calorie bracket, I am by no means robbing myself of any food group or any amount of food at all! There's no calorie counting, nothing. I still get carbs, cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, wine, you name it! It's just all about the right portion sizes. Just like any other aspect of life- balance is key!

If this is something that interests you, and you'd like to hear more about it, please never hesitate to email me or fill out this application form to join our next 21 Day Fix online fitness group!

I'm out to finish out DAY 2!

With love,

Amanda James

Reese's Cup

Next time you are dying to get your hands on a gas station Reese's Bar or a pint of ice-cream that is SURE to put a dent in your progress, be strong for a few more minutes and make this recipe at home! You will wonder how in the world it's full of phytonutrients, vegetables, and antioxidants, and it will immediately kill those cravings for sure! This tastes and smells so much like a peanut butter pie, it's ridiculous!

Not only would this be a great late night sweet treat, but it is LOADED with protein for an awesome post workout shake as well!

Reese's Shakeology Recipe

Image from traineatgain.com

What You'll Need:
-1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology (or Chocolate Vegan)
-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (my favorite brand is Fage- 20g protein per cup and NO added sugars!)
-1/3 cup fat free ricotta cheese
-2 tbsps. all natural peanut butter
-handful of ice

Preparation:
Shake together and ENJOY!


With love,

Amanda James