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.
I am down 6 pounds & 9.5 inches. Considering the fact that we were traveling for 6 out of the 21 days, I think I did pretty well.
Of course my nutrition COULD have been 100%, but honestly for me that isn't realistic. I am a pretty clean eater most of the time, but I have learned that I cannot restrict myself because I have issues with binge eating & I am totally an emotional eater. So ya, I had a burger, 3 slices of pizza (could have eaten WAY more), some cookies & beer. And a few nights a week I have 1-2 small squares of dark chocolate.
Most of all, even having the above foods, this round has helped me get back into a portion control groove. I keep a note in my iPhone for my daily portion amounts in each category. I check them off as I eat. Using the "colored container" system is so much faster & funner than reading the packages, getting out measuring spoons or cups. I have all my containers sitting right on my counter & I just grab, fill & dump (on my plate).
I KNOW that portion control & food prep is one of the biggest problems that people have when trying to lose weight & eat better. It comes sometimes from sheer laziness (I know because I battle it too) & from being uneducated in what is healthy & nutrition in general. The 21 Day Fix is truly the key to helping people be successful at all of the above. The workouts are only 30 minutes & completely modifiable. Heck, there is plenty that I modify & still get a great workout. You can easily use the containers with any other fitness routine that you may have too. Even when I am not following the 21 Day Fix workouts, I still use the containers DAILY! I actually feel weird not using them or checking them off my list. I have taken them to a restaurant & portioned out my food & took the rest home.
I have helped several people start with this program since it's release in February & I have seen people make changes & accomplish goals that they never though possible. It's like this program has opened a door to an entirely new world for them. The simplicity of this program makes people HAPPY too!!! I'll be honest, there are some programs that are just complicated for people to follow & it is very frustrating (I know because I have been there too!) & that is why some give up so easily. They think that being healthy is just too hard. It really isn't. The hardest part is getting started, and that's why there are people like me out there willing to put in the time & effort to help others.
Back in 2010 when I first ordered P90X, I never even knew about Team Beachbody Coaches. Man, I WISH I WOULD HAVE!!! When we got our package we picked the schedule, did all our measurements, pics & fit test, but I looked at the nutrition guide & laughed! I thought they (Tony Horton & Beachbody) were crazy for wanting me to eat all that food. I just knew that if I ate the same as I was it would be fine! Well when we took our 60 day progress pics & there was ZERO change I just knew that program was a joke. Only "Fit" people could get results. I truly had no idea that my nutrition was the problem. I wish I had a coach then to help me because at that point we just quit doing the program. It wasn't until 2 years later that I picked it back up with the help of a coach & learned exactly why the nutrition was so important. Alas, I got actual results!!
If you think that the 21 Day Fix could be the answer for you, don't hesitate to ask about it. Give it a try. What do you have to lose? Honestly, EVERYONE NEEDS this program in their life!!
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!
When the Beachbody Ultimate Reset came out in 2012 & I watched everyday for 21 days as my friends & fellow coaches went through their first round, I knew I needed to do this. I told Tom all about it & his reaction to me was that we would NEVER go Vegan! Well, I knew chances were we would not stay vegan, but I wanted to try the detox for several reasons, weight loss wasn't really one of them either. I was desperate to change my relationship with FOOD! I needed some extreme structure to help me out. In all my efforts to eat clean etc, I still needed to make some bigger changes.
After seeing people results & hearing about their experiences, it took me a few months but hubby finally agreed to do it with me. We are a team. There was no way that I would want to do it alone, besides it's way more cost effective if we are eating the same foods.
So I made the purchase of two Ultimate Reset kits & we read all the materials & started our plan of prepping & packing food. Since he was working the graveyard shift we needed to prep & pack all of his food. We were up for the challenge!
The end results were Tom kicking his 2-3 per night Energy drink habit. Currently it's been 14 months since he has had one. We both dropped our cholesterol in a major way & shed some unwanted body fat as well. Check out the pics for details on weight loss & cholesterol numbers. We also picked up some great habits & recipes that we eat on a regular basis.
We did another round in January 2014 just to Reset our bodies & start off the new year in a great way! This time around the prep was much faster & easier since we were familiar with the process already.
We have decided this is something we would do once per year.
Right now the Beachbody Ultimate Reset challenge pack is on sale for a great price!! There is a HUGE support group starting on April 16th. This group will include Carl & Isabel Daikeler as well! When you purchase a Challenge Pack & join a support group full of people doing the same program as yourself you benefit in so many ways. Questions being answered 24/7, experiences being shared constantly, support of one another, motivation to stay strong. People who join a challenge/support group have a much higher success rate!
If you are interested in joining this group & making some big changes in your health, let me know & we can talk details to see if this is a good fit for you!
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??
I jump for freakin JOY!!! Seriously, this mommy of 2 little ones & part time Real Estate agent kicked some serious booty! She told me that she modified a lot of the moves so she wanted to do another ROUND before she moved on. I love that! It will be a whole new experience for her the second time around & I have no doubt that she will ROCK IT!
I love bragging about my challengers because these are people I watch daily with their struggles & victories. We are not perfect every day, NOBODY IS! And being able to share that & learn from it is invaluable. I can relate to these people on so many levels. Another part of this that makes my heart smile is that I did NOT know this woman prior to this. She found me via my Team Beachbody Profile & she reached out to me. Something about me connected with her on an intimate level & I was able to help her reach a goal. We have chatted over the phone several times & I feel as if I saw her on the street we would just pick up like great friends who haven't seen each other in a while.
I never thought that I would connect with so many complete strangers that would seek me out & choose me to be their coach. This kind of journey, especially for women, is very deep seeded & most of us do not want to put it all out there for the world to see & I get that because I have been there. I was TERRIFIED when my coach told me to step out of my comfort zone & post my pics on social media. But, I did it. I do not regret it because I have helped so many people since then!
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.
I became a Beachbody coach on April 20th, 2012. I signed up just for the discount on Shakeology, since my husband & I would both be drinking it. I had purchased one bag to try & within 10 days of drinking it for breakfast everyday, I asked my husband what his take was on it. Of course, like most men, he said he didn't really notice a difference. When I asked him if he was craving a cheeseburger, he said "No". This was very unusual for him, as he could eat a cheeseburger at any given time. They were his favorite food. I instantly noticed my sugar cravings were just about gone. I mean not 100% because I still want & enjoy sweets but prior to trying Shakeology I would just hear someone say chocolate & I would run to the store & get some brownies or chocolate ice cream. I also noticed that my IBS symptoms were reduced. I had been seeing my doctor for about 3 years regarding my IBS issues & she always recommended I go buy expensive OTC Pro-biotics & add in a fiber laxative. Well that didn't help me either & frankly I was really tired of dealing with it. I became "regular" & this helped me tremendously. I also noticed I was starting to have more energy. I don't mean that I spent all day cleaning because I had so much energy, I mean I wasn't dragging ass in the afternoons. I was keeping up with the kiddos all day & sleeping better at night. I am sure that this can also be attributed to my efforts in daily exercise & eating cleaner. It's a combination of efforts that gave me the result.
About 30 days after I started drinking Shakeology & doing P90X, my coach told me to be sure & take my pics & measurement so I could compare & see my progress. Well, I had a very noticeable change so I posted them on Facebook. I got a lot of responses, praise & questions to what I was doing. I had NO intentions of "Working the Business", mind you. I started just telling people what I was doing & answering questions & it dawned on me that there really was something to be had with this coaching stuff. So I started to ask questions & do my research & learn. Slowly but surely I began Coaching. It started with my friends & some family at first. I got the hang of how to help others just by showing them what I was doing. In all my attempts in life to lose weight, I never had the motivational support as this has provided me. As I carried on & spent all my extra time trying to learn everything I could, I came to realize that I had started to grow as a person myself. I had heard the recommendation of reading Personal Development books a few times & honestly I thought, "I don't need that. That is for people who are not like me". Um, boy was I WRONG!! I started reading & it dawned on me that you are never too old or young or smart or educated to keep learning. I was starting to really get that Beachbody wants people to be successful. They stand true to the motto of helping others live happy & fulfilling lives. No matter if you are a coach or a customer.
To now reflect on what I accomplished as a person & coach in 2013 just blows me away. My marriage has truly become stronger. I feel more confident as a mother & wife & woman. Not just because of my physical transformation, but because I have grown on the inside as well. My husband & I worked very hard to eliminate a hindering credit card debt that had been following us for 6 years. When I signed up to be a coach, we could NOT afford it. We had one income, a brand new baby & a lot of debt. When I made that final payment in October of 2013, I was in tears. It was as if a chapter of our lives was over. The struggles we had that lead us to that point were gone. No longer present in our lives. Just a distant memory. I built a solid foundation to my team. I went to my first Summit & walked on stage in front of 3,000+ coaches as a 1 Start Diamond Coach. That was AMAZING!!! I got to meet other Top Coaches & Beachbody Challenge winners. I got to meet coaches from my team that I had gotten to know over the previous year via Facebook. It was the most surreal feeling. Having my husband by my side topped it off. I have continued on the path of helping people lose weight, get in shape, eliminate debt, earn extra income for many reasons & it has to be the most rewarding thing I have every experienced.
There are days that I wake up so excited & anxious to log into my challenge groups to see what is going on. Who ate what, who needs help, who crushed a goal. I want people to experience the same things that I did when I started. Nobody should have to do it alone. It took me time to really get fitness embedded into my day, my head, my life. I was never athletic so the thought of working out EVERYDAY was not an easy pill for me to swallow. I still get lazy, I still try to get out of a workout but a key factor for me is finding the workouts that I enjoy. Then I look forward to it & I feel on top of the world when I am done. And YES, I still splurge on my eating, I am human & female after all.
At this point in my Coaching career, if that is what you want to call it, which is 21 months, I have created an income that has allowed us to not only pay off debt but it has allowed me to stay home. Although I was a SAHM prior to Beachbody, I was to the point where I was looking for work, just before I had my daughter, to line up for after her birth. I was scouring the want ads & applying for jobs I new I would hate. I even ventured into looking at Direct Sales, but to be completely honest, I did not want to work the hours that were convenient for OTHER people, the people hosting the parties. I did not want to be selling the same make up, jewelry, candles or kitchen ware to my friends & family over & over again. I knew that wasn't a good road for me to go down. So to say that I am now in Direct Sales is funny to me, because it sure as hell doesn't feel like it. Stumbling upon this opportunity has been a complete blessing. It has changed the course of my life in so many ways. I cannot be more thankful for this opportunity. If it's knockin', you should probably open the damn door!
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