I am a mother of 2 girls, wife to a CHP officer & on a mission to build my future from home & share my journey into the world of Health & Fitness!!
I love to sleep! I am NOT a morning person. I am learning how to deal with all the things I cannot control. I have been struck by the depression demon & overcome it many times. I've been overweight. I grew up with bad nutrition habits. I don't like to follow the rules. I am learning to be more spontaneous in life.
The first time I had Chicken & Dumplings I was in my 20's. I was like, "Whoa, where has this been all my life"?
I've searched high & low for cleaner healthier recipes that actually TASTE good. I have made several different ones & tweaked them to my preference each time. I finally found a really good recipe from The Gracious Pantry which you can find by clicking here & I made it. It was pretty darn tasty. The next time I made it I just adapted it to more my liking & here is what I came up with.
Ingredients for Stew
6 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
1 1/2 tsp dry oregano
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 1/2 cups (approx 16oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders cut into bit size chunks
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 large organic yellow onion, chopped
2 cups organic carrots, chopped
2 cups organic celery, chopped
Dumplings
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond, but you can use any kind you like)
Directions for the Dumplings
1. Combine flour, baking soda & salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
2. Pour in oil & milk & mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Turn crock pot to low setting (broth should have been at a boil by this time).
4. Use a spoon to scoop up & round off your dumplings & drop them on top of the stew.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Until chicken & dumplings are cooked.
Since I currently use the 21 Day Fix portion control containers, I measure my servings out in those for my meal. Dumplings=Yellow, Chicken=Red, Veggies & Broth=Green.
Have you heard the news? Chalene Johnson has been working on a NEW program, that is unlike any other program she has created. It will be released after the Team Beachbody Coach Summit 2014 on Monday, June 23, 2014. Want to see a sneak peak? You can also click this link & enter for your chance to WIN a FREE copy of PiYo when it is released!!
I wanted to share this info with you about PiYo because I have first hand seen some AMAZING results come out of the test group. My sponsoring coach, Mindy Hord, was chosen to be part of it & she gave her all & it shows. I have also seen the before & after pics of other test group participants & they had amazing results as well. I am more familiar with Mindy's journey since I followed her from day 1.
Mindy lost a total of 22" and 13 lbs. and lowered her body fat by 5% between April 7 and June 1 with 48 workouts!
Beginning stats: Chest - 37 1/4" Waist - 33" Hips - 35" Left Thigh - 21" Right Thigh - 22" Left Arm - 13" Right Arm - 13" Body fat: 22.6% Ending stats: Chest - 33" Waist - 26" Hips - 32 1/2" Left Thigh - 20" Right Thigh - 20 1/2" Left Arm - 10 1/2" Right Arm - 11" Body Fat - 17.7% We will be starting a BIG support/challenge group on July 7th! I will be participating myself, of course!!! I would love for you to join me! You do NOT have to be in shape to start this program. As always, there will be a modifier so that you can get the best possible workout to your physical ability. There is also a nutrition guide to help you fuel your body with all the right foods. I know that is one of my biggest struggles!
Here is some information I have put together to help you decide if this is the right program for you!
*Are you tired of waking of up feeling like you need a walker just to get from the bed to the bathroom? *Does it seem like you have been suffering from one fitness related injury after another? *Would you like to restore your body, instead of just settling for "this is what getting old must feel like"? *Are you just getting into fitness and want fast results, without risking injury or feeling like you are going to die? *Have you suffered from joint, knee or back problems or recovering from an injury? *Are you constantly being injured or working through injuries? *Are you a total cardio junkie and have hit a plateau? *Do you wish you could work on your flexibility but don't have time to do two types of workout? *Have you tried programs but just cant seem to "change" your body? *Do you hate cardio? *Would you like to be able to customize the format of your workout?
YOUR BODY CRAVES RESTORATION AND FLEXIBILITY!
How many of these benefits sound appealing to you??
- Better posture (less back a pain & you look skinnier when you stand up straight)
- Improved balance and flexibility
- Increased strength
- Stronger core
- Less cellulite
- More peaceful sleep
- Long, lean sexy muscles
- Firmer, tighter butt
- less joint pain
"PiYo gives you hardcore definition, intense calorie burn, and allover strength—without weights, without jumps, and without destroying your body."
—Chalene Johnson, creator of PiYo
On April 13th, 2014 I attended a PiYo certification training. I had NO IDEA what I was about to experience. After learning how & why PiYo was developed I really understood how this will help so many people! Our instructor, Doris Estremera, was pregnant when she taught us! This program is for EVERYONE!!!
I am posing in the "wild thing" on the bottom left, 2nd one in with a gray hat on.
Sweat (35 mins) is a traditional PiYo Workout that is fast paced with body weight strength training and ab work!
An amazing 30 minute Core workout that will hit every muscle in your POWERHOUSE!
PiYo Sculpt (30 mins) uses body weight to generate muscular endurance to stimulate metabolic changes to totally and utterly transform your figure!
Define: Lower Body (25 mins) will shape and tone everything from your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves gently, yet effectively to help you get sleek and lean legs.
This Upper Body focused workout (35 mins) will strengthen and stretch your entire body, while building on the movement patterns you have learned in Align.
Strength Intervals (25 mins): 25 minutes is all you need of this body carving workout!
Ok, there is most of the info I can dig up about PiYo!! I hope you have gained some insight & are considering joining me on July 7th!!
***Just found out that the intro price for the PiYo challenge pack which includes a 30 day supply of Shakeology will be $140 (reg price is going to be $160) HOLY MOLY this is a SMOKIN' DEAL!!!
Want to save on PiYo?
Become a Team Beachbody Coach!
There are many benefits in becoming a Team Beachbody Coach, including saving 25% on your product orders like PiYo™. Whether your passion is helping people get fit, making a little extra money, or being your own boss, becoming a Team Beachbody coach offers unlimited opportunities.
Yesterday Tom & I committed 110% to a second round of the 21 Day Fix. We did a round when it first came out in preparation for our Cruise to Cozmel & Grand Caymen, but I will be honest we were NOT 110% with our nutrition. Why? Because we are HUMAN! My husband started his 5 week vacation & we literally went into "Vacation Mode" until, well... yesterday!
In my 25 months as a Beachbody Coach I have given my all to more than 1 program, hence the fact that I have lost 40+ pounds & built lean muscle & definition. But I will admit that I get side tracked, bored, discouraged, stressed & tempted. It's everywhere! I am a firm believer in taking baby steps in order to be successful over time. Nothing is guaranteed in life but we do hold the power to make the decisions. I help people everyday with these same issues.
I knew that I had gained some weight from the cruise just due to salty foods & lots of beer. I don't really weigh myself much anymore so I didn't have an exact number but I could feel a difference in my body. Anyway, fast forward to yesterday. I got up in the morning & went straight to the bathroom to get on the scale for my "before" stats. I wrote the number into my notepad on my phone & carried on with my morning routine. After waking up hubby we did our pics & measurements, then headed to the garage for Day 1. I had not really worked out in about 2 weeks. We had been training for a Half Marathon & that was part of what threw off our routine & eating too. Anyway, I felt GOOD, I told Tom I was going to push myself 110% & I did! Finished up the 30 minute workout & felt amazing! That evening I sat down at the computer to enter my stats into the goal tracker that is included with a FREE membership to Team Beachbody. I saw that I hadn't even entered stats since the end of January which is when we completed round 2 of the Ultimate Reset. I wanted to cry when I read them compared to what I was entering in. I was 17 pounds heavier. Gained 2 inches in each thigh, 3 inches in my hips & 4 in my waist! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? F*CK was all I could say!
So there it is. My biggest obstacle in my journey so far. I will over come it! I AM 110% dedicated to the 21 Day Fix. It has changed so many lives & it will change mine! Take a peek at some of these amazing results from my customers, friends & coaches.
Crazzzzzzzzy right?!?!?!?!
I have 1 exception already planned, my daughters Bday I will eat 1 cupcake. That is all.
If you are interested in the 21 Day Fix & need help, support, motivation or accountability please don't hesitate to reach out to me. We can do this, together. You can find me on Facebook or shoot me an email at macksmamma@gmail.com. I would love to have you join me!
In today's world there are a ridiculous amount of healthy protein shakes & meal replacements. How do you choose the best one? Well, by doing research & trying them. At least, that is what I did.
*This post is not to bash any other brand nor am I compensated for promoting a specific brand, like a lot of the other "health" bloggers out there!
Let me roll back a few years to when I actually started consuming Protein Shakes daily for weight loss. I was at my then highest pre baby weight of 215 pounds. The job I had at the time exposed me to numerous "high quality" protein foods. I tried every different pre made protein shake that I was exposed to. I based my decisions on calories (was always looking at 150 or less), fat (always looking for 0g), protein (always looking for 15g or higher) & carbs/sugar (always looking for 5g or less). I was never really educate on why. Then I took in the taste factor. I could choke down almost anything if I thought it meant I was going to lose weight. I started buying it in bulk powder & mixing things into my shakes so they would taste better. Veggies, fruits, super foods, sugar free jello packets, sugar free anything! I never REALLY payed attention to the price. Anyway eventually I fell of that wagon after having my first daughter. I gained twice as much weight as I had lost because I thought I could eat whatever I wanted & let me tell you, I COULD EAT!!!
Fast forward to after the birth of my second daughter. I saw my friend, Mindy, post about Shakeology on Facebook. I remembered that I briefly came across Shakeology a few years prior & my first & only thought about it was, it was EXPENSIVE & that I could go buy a tub of whey protein powder for a quarter of the price! Well, I think I even told her that & she said I should at least give it a try as she has felt a huge difference in her health in just the 2 months she had been drinking it, and that Beachbody offered a 30 day Bottom of the Bag guarantee, so if I didn't like it, I could just get my money back. I talked with my hubby & decided to purchase 1 bag to give it a try. I used my almost maxed out credit card to make the purchase & I patiently waited 5 days until it arrive.
I bet the mailman had no idea how that bright green box would forever change the course of my life!!
I excitedly opened up the box, pulled the black bag out read over the recipe calendar that it came with & opened up the bag. The aroma was insanely delicious! It was Chocolate & it smelled like I just stuck my head into a sweetened cocoa powder bag! I was in HEAVEN! But that thought lingered, of how will it taste. So I poured my ingredients into the blender & added a scoop of the aromatic powder, put the lid on & hit blend! In less than one minute I had a silky glass of dense nutrition. Tom & I looked at each other & each took a drink... Oh My Goodness, I was HOOKED!
We each drank a shake a day for about 10 days then I asked my husband how he felt. At first, he said he didn't notice any differences. Then I pointed out the fact that in those 10 days we had not once gotten dessert or even mentioned it. We had not gone out for a burger or Mexican food which was a weekly occurrence. My digestive system had become regular. So at that moment I knew we would continue to drink Shakeology for as long as they made it! I sent Mindy a message informing her that I would be purchasing more & wanted to sign up as a discount coach so we could afford two bags a month. Within 30 days I reevaluated how I felt. At this point I was able to stop drinking the daily fiber laxative I had been taking for 2+ years, I stopped taking a daily multivitamin, sugar cravings we pretty much gone & we had not eaten out as often. I adjusted our monthly food budget to include Shakeology & yes, it was a huge adjustment but so was having another baby & we figured out how to get the money we need for that too!
Here is what a few of my friends have to say about their experience with Shakeology:
Jo,I have been able to cut my blood pressure meds in half! I used to have 3-4 dangerous spikes per week even taking meds twice/day.
Now i only take it in the morning and rarely have any spikes. Nikki, I went from never having breakfast to having something quick, delicious and super HEALTHY! Karolee,Dido with Nikki about breakfast but also totally cut my cravings even during PMS and made me feel AMAZING! Amy, When my daughter and I were sick, it was one of the only things that we could keep down. Anna, Difference in my skin it feels and looks healthier Tammie, Its improved my health! I'm no longer sick every other month and not having to go to the doctors all the time now. Its helped reduce my cravings! Nancy, my blood sugar has gone down and helps with sugar cravings Jesslyn, My downfall for me is my soy mochas. Shakeo has made it so I feel like it's too sweet now. Not a huge candy or sweets person but now when I try eating candy, it kinda makes me feel nauseated. Also I'm trying to be better about ordering sugar free soy peppermint lattes instead of peppermint mochas. Taste better. Gotta make a doctors appointment to see about blood work to check on blood sugar levels and cholesterol. And my rosacea seems to be better and I gave less flare ups from it and less acne.
Monica, I'm more regular, not so boated and gassy, My hair and nails grow way better, I have more energy - no more dozing off at my desk at 3pm. And I just feel better. I didn't even realize how crappy I felt until I started feeling great!
Kristina,
Granted we are all different. We all have different goals. We all have different priorities in life. Since having children & getting older (and wiser) I have really changed my views on my life as a wife, mother, friend & individual. Our health has really come into focus & the need to teach our children about being healthy, active & happy. Now, am I saying that you have to feed your kids Shakeology to make all this possible, no, of course not. But if you want to, then I say go for it. My kids like it & I know that I am providing them with optimum nutrition. Especially when they do not get their daily veggies in! Yes, you can go out and buy lots of different ingredients to make your own, but you will spend hundreds of dollars to do so. I did my research on the ingredients in Shakeology & made the decision for myself. Yes, I still do blend other ingredients into it because I like it that way. I use it as a meal replacement OR an added nutritional supplement. Just depends on my needs for the day.
I hear people everyday give excuses as to why they cannot afford it, yet they constantly eat out at restaurants or spend tons of money on material things that only give them instant gratification. I am not judging their spending but instead of saying you cannot afford it, just say that you don't want to try it! Instead they are constantly trying to get free samples. In fact if you want it for as cheap as possible, the answer is to become a Coach! We pay $3.24 per serving!
Shakeology is NOT a protein shake, it is not even classified as a meal replacement. It is a nutrient dense super food supplement. It was created because Carl Diakeler's wife, Isabelle, told him that he had the diet of a 5th grader! He didn't eat any vegetables but knew that he needed the nutrition that they held, so there began the start of Shakeology.
If you are reading this post & have never tried Shakeology, I challenge you to give it a shot! With a 30 day Bottom of the Bag Guarantee you cannot lose!
I mean, REALLY, what is the number one reason you don't give it a try??
Fear? Fear of Failure? Fear of Rejection? Fear of Change? Fear of Success?
Is it your fitness level? Not to your GOAL weight or fitness level?
Is it money?
Is it time?
Seriously, it's time to get rid of the EXCUSES, because that is all those are!! You are the one standing in your own way!
A Beachbody Coach does NOT have to be in the best shape of their life. There is NO requirement that says this, anywhere! It is an assumption! All you need to be is committed to YOURself, YOUR health & YOUR fitness. Being able to share with other people about your daily struggles & accomplishments is very therapeutic & rewarding at the same time.
A Beachbody Coach does not need to "have" money & by "have" I mean the definition of when people assume you just have expendable cash to purchase the products & resell, as with most every other Direct Sales Business. That is an uneducated ridiculous assumption. There are a very large percentage of successful coaches who scraped their money together to purchase their challenge pack so they could sign up as a coach for FREE. People who used credit cards when they had no money in the bank. People who literally lived in their cars. People who didn't even have a computer at home & had to go next door to the neighbors house to sign up. These people did NOT let the excuses control their lives any longer. I didn't have the time or the money or the confidence when I signed up. Heck I flat out told my coach that I didn't want to promote anything like she did. And guess what? I didn't have to, when I posted about my first 30 days with P90X, people wanted the same results. This company sells itself! There is a reason that Beachbody has the number 1 rated infomercials on T.V.... because they work! This is not a quick fix for you to sell your friends. This is the opportunity that could CHANGE THEIR LIFE! This is the opportunity that could change YOUR LIFE!
Besides the fact that Beachbody offers a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, why wouldn't you want to invest in your health. We all know that America is NOT happy with the new Health Insurance situation, so how about some Preventative care to avoid long term care you cannot afford in the future??
Hi! I just wanted to give an update on the results from my first Test group for the 21 Day Fix.
My experience with round 1 was great! My total weight loss was 4lbs & I lost 4 inches all over. To some, that may not seem like much, but keep in mind that we are all on our own journey. We do not all have the same amount of weight to lose nor do we have the same goals. As for the nutrition, I realized I was eating too many portions of fruit a day, not enough vegetables & too much healthy fats. My nutrition has been a journey in itself! I have done so many "diets" & "ways of eating" but once starting with Beachbody & doing my OWN research with Clean eating & healthier alternatives I have been able to cut out a lot of bad shit. Not to say I don't ever indulge but it's just not as often. So to say that my nutrition is spot on about 85-90% of the time is perfect. Clearly it shows in the results I have obtained over 2 years but now I am looking for that next level of results & the 21 Day Fix is my answer!!! Being able to just fill a colored container with a certain food group & dump it on my plate has been so easy & it has helped me to combine food groups in my meals so that I am getting a little bit of everything & not ending up at dinner with all vegetable portions to eat, lol.
I am currently on round 2 with my husband. He lost about 6lbs in round 1.
Check out what the other challengers in our group are experiencing:
Nikki C: I'm in day 11 of the first round.
I have only lost around 2 lbs I've lost 1.25 off my waist and a little more than .75 off my hips. My "muffin top" is almost completely gone. My shirts skim my tummy. They no longer cling to it I learned that I was eating healthy but my portion sizes were way off Like always I love shakeo but I was mixing it with 12 oz almond milk which I didn't know counted as carbs. Now I drink it with water and it's STILL good!
Rhonda: Just hopped on the scale and another 3 pounds gone! So excited!
Shawn: Today is day 10! I haven't posted an update just because its been a bad week. Not with the program, just with life.. lots of stress. Anyhow...
I am loving the 21 day fix! The containers are great, they are really helping with my portions. Also I am not used to eating during the day so it has helped to have a guide to choosing the right things, now I don't even have to think about it. Getting easier everyday. The workouts are awesome! I have to say my favs are the Upper Fix, Dirty 30 & Yoga. The others are not so easy, but I have done them all and am loving the results. I didn't want to weigh in because I was afraid to be disappointed, but I gave in and I have lost 6 lbs so far
Nichole: Today I put on some clothes I haven't been able to wear in at least a year! Feeling a little emotional!
Julie: Awesome! As of Monday I'm 9 lbs down. Not going to take my measurements again until the last day though. I'm already excited for round 2!
Rhonda: I'm going to share my experience with 21 Day Fix!
I started by reading all the pamphlets and looking at the containers. Figured out how many calories I can consume and so on. This took me a few days to get it together and have somewhat of a routine. The DVD workouts where fun but a workout! I liked the fact that they had a women do the less impact workout. Which I followed most if the time. What I learned in this program was portions and mixing greens, proteins and so on. Even though I was eating salads for dinner, I had a huge salad. Didn't even consider portion before because it was a salad. So, now that I've completed this, im going for round 2! (4lb loss first round)
Jason: It was cool. I am doing another round! I haven't measured my inch loss but I lost a total of 23 lbs. I'm at 220 now! I got the flu on wed and part of thurs so I only did double days mon and tues. Skipped the rest of the week. Today I feel great and will start double days again. My goal is 5 lbs per week for a total of 15 lbs at the end of this round. Let's do this!
If you don't know anything about the 21 Day Fix, check out this video with Trainer Autumn Calabrese.
This program has been a complete game changer for those who have completed at least one round. If you have more interest in my challenge group please don't hesitate to contact me via Facebook, here.
I'll be updating this blog post as the next round of challengers reveals their results. Check back soon.
This morning I am compelled to talk about my Team! I have been a coach for about 21 months. When I joined (for the discount) I had no intentions on making this a full time income. I sat back, made the time EVERY DAY to get my workout in & made better nutritional choices. I watched all these other coaches work the business side & I thought that I could NEVER do what they do. I don't know why, but I just didn't believe that I could. When I was placed in a private group of coaches on Facebook there were about 200 coaches in there. TODAY there are almost 1200 coaches in there!! Talk about EXPLOSIVE growth. The bug eventually bit me & I started to focus on helping others reach their goals. It didn't take long for me to realize that I could reach any goal I put my mind to & that I could help others do the same. That has brought a greater pleasure into my life on a daily basis.
We have Lawyers, Doctor's, Nurses, Insurance agents, Retailers, Law Enforcement, Military, Bookkeepers, Stay at home Mom's, Stay at home Dad's, single parents, grandma's, Personal Trainers. You name it, we have one on the team. It doesn't matter what your goals are, what matters is that you GO AFTER THEM!
I have seen countless coaches be able to LEAVE CORPORATE AMERICA in as little as 1 year, just by working part-time on their Beachbody business. That is INCREDIBLE! I cannot express how happy it makes me to see my coaches get their Shakeology for FREE every month. They are earning extra income for things they could not afford before. Like putting their kids in sports, going on a family vacation, a car payment or even a house payment. I know for me personally we have paid of THOUSANDS in debt & were still able to live our lives the way we wanted. No more sacrificing so much to get ahead. We took family trips without worry & it will only continue to get better. Oh and the trips, did I mention the trips? The trips that Beachbody sets you up with are just PHENOMENAL. I mean what other employer do you know who takes over the BIGGEST CRUISE SHIP in the WORLD?? Yeah, none other than BEACHBODY! That's right we are taking over Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas! The ENTIRE ship! How bad ass is that??? Oh & I earned that trip for FREE. Next year we get an entire All Inclusive Resort in CABO!
The year is 2014! This is going to be an EPIC year! There is no better time than NOW to join. The investment that you will make into a business & your health will pay you back ten fold! Anyone can earn an extra income, anyone can build their own business, anyone can be a BEACHBODY COACH!
I am starting a New Coach training group on February 1st. If you are interested in getting to know more please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.
