Eating Clean: Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

I have officially given up brown rice!

Okay so I first saw this recipe on Facebook, then on Pinterest. At first I was like um, no there's absolutely no way that will remotely taste the same as the real deal. But I'm not the one to shy away from a challenge in the kitchen (just like here). So I wrote down my ingredients and set off to the store. Y'all...I made this last night and it was UH-MAZE-BALLS! Not even joking, I could have ate the entire batch I made. (Which was about seven portions too many!) So lets get to the fun stuff! 

Ingredients:

*1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

*2 eggs

*1 small head of cauliflower

*1 lb bag of mixed vegetables

*1/2 chopped onion

*3 cloves garlic, minced

*salt & pepper

*3 Tablespoons liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)  

Directions:

1. Combine 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil with eggs in a bowl and whisk to combine, set aside.

2. Chop cauliflower into big chunks then use a food processor with grating attachment (I don't have one of these so I just used a box grater and grated the chunks that way). 

3. Heat the 1 Tablespoon of sesame seed oil in large skillet (or wok) over high heat.

4. Add cauliflower, onion, frozen vegetables and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add garlic, salt and pepper and continue to stir fry for about 30 seconds.

6. Push mixture to the sides of skillet to make a hole in the center and pour egg mixture into the middle and scramble.

7. Add liquid aminos and toss to mix.

8. Serve and enjoy!

PLEASE let me know if you try this and how much you love it!

5 Exercise Myths Debunked!

Tackling Common Myths!

So here's the thing, we live in a world where we no longer have to worry about how we are going to find answers to any question we can possibly have. We literally have the opportunity to google ANYTHING within a matter of seconds in our palms at at time of the day. Technology driven world at its finest! Most of the time this is fantastic news!! However, along with that also comes SO much different information that we are left wondering what is actually valid and what isn't. I know this first hand, I'm currently taking a Intro to Nutrition class right now and in some of my projects I have to go out and research different meal plans and decide whether or not they are an effective treatment for any of my given patients. Let me tell you, there is SO much misinformation out there that will lead you down the wrong path if you aren't careful!

With that said I wanted to take some of wrong information or myths I hear the most often and shed some light and clarification on them! So let's get started!

Myth #1: You only need to do cardio to lose weight.

Y'all, I cannot even begin to count how many times I hear this! It's simply not true! Women will spend hours upon hours walking on a treadmill or using the elliptical with the hopes of shedding some major lbs. The thing about cardio that throws people is yes, you will burn more calories in those moments of exercise BUT what they don't realize is that once you are done, the calorie burning is over as well! Whereas, when you strength train and start building lean muscle, you continue burning calories throughout your entire day! So my best advice is to incorporate both! It's always a good idea to keep your fitness interesting but just remember, strength training is important!!

Which leads me to my number 2 myth..

Myth #2: Women will get bulky and "manly" looking when they lift weights.

This is probably one of the MOST common things I hear on a regular basis and it makes me want to hug these poor women and let them know how very very very wrong they are! I used to be one of those girls too! The big bulky guys over by the weight sets in the gym terrified me and I would keep my happy little booty on the stair climber! So here's the thing, men and women have very different hormone levels. One of them being testosterone, which is what makes men bulk up and women don't! It would literally take HOURS upon HOURS at the gym DAILY, not to mention a TON of specific food preparation for women to bulk the way men do. What does happen when women lift weights is they build strong lean muscle which in turns burns more body fat and calories (even at rest!). 

Myth #3: You can spot reduce fat from certain areas of your body.

That would be the dream wouldn't it? Unfortunately darlings, it just doesn't work that way. :( This is the most common when people talk about wanting flat tummies and these awesome abs. If that was the case I would have a six pack a YEAR ago when I started my fitness journey! Ha! The key to having a flat tummy, a nice round booty, killer cut arms and nice quads is all over body training! You body is going to chose on its own what is going to go first and there is nothing you can do about it! Funny for me, usually the area women start losing weight first is their chest (which actually upsets most!) and as we all know that just simply wasn't the case for me! I worked and worked and shredded and shredded but my chest was a stubborn little biotch. For me, the rest of my body got so much smaller that the size of my chest became more and more uncomfortable so I actually ended up having a surgery to help. (But that is a whole other story for another time!) So the point I am trying to make, just start and keep going and eventually everything is going to fall into place! 

Myth #4: You can out-train a bad diet.

I said it above and I'll say it again, that would definitely be the dream wouldn't it?! Can I get an amen!? Ha! I have said it time and time again. I was THAT girl. I would train HOURS at the gym and then on the way home I would stop at chickfila for their chicken mini breakfast. E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y. I mean obviously, busted ass at the gym so I DESERVED those delicious mini heaven chicken bites! Yeah, I wondered why I didn't see the results I wanted! BUT WHERE ARE MY ABS?! Alissa, they are hiding underneath all those bad eating habits. So here's the thing, eat well, that means real whole-foods. Vegetables, fruits, HEALTHY fats. whole grains. Your nutrition accounts for about 85% of your results. So why on earth would you want to kill yourself going hard at the gym only to completely cancel it out with that greasy burger and fries? Now if you've been following along with me, you know that I LOVE to preach about the 80-20 rule. Eating clean and healthy 80% of the time and indulging in my favorite treats the other 20%, its all about finding a good adequate balance!

Now, for our last myth..

Myth #5: You have to severely restrict your calories to get that goal body of yours.

I keep hearing about all these SERIOUSLY calorie depleted starvation diets that are circling around social media. Just hop on Pinterest or Instagram and you can see a ton of examples. So here's a little inside scoop, these fad diets are NOT healthy!! Or even effective. Sure, you'll lose a few pounds while you're on it but as soon as you start eating normally again they come jump right back on. Not to mention, is it really worth the misery you put yourself through? Not for me! So what is the best way to get your goal body? Filling up on nourishing whole foods! Don't overeat but don't obsess over calories. That just makes for a miserable life. Did you know I don't count a lick of calories and have never on my journey of losing 30+ lbs? Thanks to my handy dandy color codes containers from my homegirl Autumn (from the 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme) I have not had to worry about calorie counting, carb counting, measuring out meat, etc. I have had the ability to learn how to effectively eat a correctly portioned day of meals consistency and ((SHOCKER)) it's been the ONLY thing that has helped me lose weight and KEEP IT OFF! 

If you are interested in finding out more about this program or any other Beachbody program be sure to leave me a comment below or find me on facebook and send me a message here!

Eating Clean: Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya

Serve with Roasted Broccoli and You'll Thank Me! :)

So here's the thing, I have never personally had jambalaya before. Ever. I wasn't even quite sure what it was when I saw this recipe on Pinterest. But the ingredients sounded delicious so I thought I would whip some up! So here is my disclaimer: This stuff is pretty spectacular tasting BUT I have no idea if it actually tastes like jambalaya. Ha! I will say that I made like WAY too much and continue to eat it for a week so, obviously, it was pretty dang good!

So on to the recipe!!

Ingredients:

*20 large pre cooked shrimp

*8 oz precooked chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

*1 low sodium turkey sausage (here's the thing I could NOT find this anywhere so I made my own out of ground turkey, cumin, garlic powder and red chili flakes)

*1 med onion, chopped

*1 large bell pepper, chopped

*1 can low sodium organic stewed tomatoes

*2 TBSP minced garlic

*1 TBSP salt-free Cajun seasoning

*2 cups precooked brown rice/quinoa/couscous

*1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

*1 tsp sea salt and pepper

*organic coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients, and mixed well.

3. Prepare 2 foil pouches. Rub each piece of foil with coconut oil.

4. Divide mixture evenly into each of the pieces of foil and seal.

5. Place into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy the yummy goodness!! If you try this recipe out PLEASE come back and let me know how you like it! For more fitness and health tips come be my friend on Facebook, I'd love to meet you! https://www.facebook.com/alissa.tarner

Eating Clean: Pineapple Turkey Burger & Jicama Fries

So good you won't even need fast food again!

Okay so first things first, can we talk about how FANTASTIC this picture looks? I'm always so envious of these bloggers and picture takers of their food pictures! How do they make them look so great and every single one of mine look like I ran it over with my car before taking a picture? However, THIS one, this one I am proud of!

So let's get on with it! Let me introduce you to the flavor of all flavor, the most amazing thing you'll ever put in your mouth ;) aka this pineapple turkey burger paired with fries. Not just any fries though, potato free fries, these my fries my friends are actually a cut up jicama!

So what's a jicama exactly? Well, its a root vegetable that can be eaten either raw or cooked. For my purposes obviously I baked them. The great thing about them is they are low in calories but yet high in nutrients and fiber. For all my Paleo friends, this is a great alternative!

Did you also know pineapple is really good for bloated tummies? It also aids in digestion! Ladies we all know about that time of the month and how we feel about 1000lbs heavier. I will be keeping some pineapples on hand from now on!

OKAY so on to the good stuff! The recipes!

Pineapple Turkey Burger. (I wanted to also say that the original recipe I found for this was a vegan recipe so it did not actually call for the turkey in the burger but I love my meat so I whipped up a few patties in the oven while I made the onions and pineapple.)

Ingredients:

*Gluten Free Buns

*2 Cups fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

*1 red onion, 1/2 sliced thickly 1/2 finely chopped

*1 TBSP coconut oil

*1/2 Lg avocado

*1 LB ground turkey

*1 egg

*Any seasoning you want for turkey patties

Sauce Ingredients:

*2 TBSP liquid aminos

*Juice from 1 med size orange

*1 TBSP honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine ground turkey, egg, seasonings, 1/2 chopped onion. Form into small balls and place and flatten on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
3. Cook for 20-25 minutes
4. Meanwhile, mix sauce ingredients and combine pineapple chunks to let marinade for 10 minutes.
5. Heat coconut oil in skillet over medium heat, add onions and place lid and let cook for about 5 minutes allowing them to caramelize.
6. Remove onions and place marinated pineapple in same skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
7. Assemble burger with the gluten free bun, turkey patty, pineapple, onion, and sliced avocado.

Jicama Fries:

Ingredients:
*Jicama
*Olive oil
*Preferred Seasonings
*Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Remove skin from jicama and cut into sticks and layer cookie sheet
3. Lighting drizzle olive oil
4. Season to taste. (I used garlic powder, sea salt, and paprika)
5. Bake for 40 mins flipping halfway through.

There you have it! Fantastic dinner! I know it sounds a little crazy and overwhelming but it actually was pretty simple! Please let me know on Facebook or Instagram if you tried this out and let me know how you liked it!!! Please find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alissatarnercoach for more fitness tips, recipes, etc!!! I'd love to meet you! :)

Eating Clean: Sesame Chicken and Quinoa (21 Day Fix Approved!)

Mama and Toddler Approved!

If you know the first thing about me then you know my immense obsession with Chinese food. It's seriously my favorite thing, right next to bread. Also, if you know the first thing about clean eating then you know that Chinese food is like the farthest extreme you can get in the opposite direction. So saying good bye the my beloved was really hard on that Saturday night where I just need me some orange chicken or sweet and sour chicken!

Good news my fellow Chinese lovers! I have found a sesame chicken recipe that will knock your socks off and delight your taste buds AND it's 21 Day Fix approved! You're welcome. You probably want to jump on over to www.gimmesomeoven.com and thank Ali too because that's where I found this gem! 

So you ready for the recipe?!

Ingredients:

*2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
*salt and pepper
*1 Tbsp. olive oil
*3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used Liquid Aminos)
*2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
*2 Tbsp. honey
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1/2 tsp. ground ginger
*1 tsp. cornstarch
*1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
*2 tsp. sesame oil
*1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (I didn't have these on hand so I left them out)

Quinoa Ingreidents:*1 cup dry quinoa*2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Chicken:

1. Season chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and saute for about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.4. While chicken is cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch until combined.
5. When the chicken is cooked through, add the green onions and soy sauce mixture to the pan and stir immediately to coat the chicken. The sauce will thicken quickly.
6. Stir in sesame oil, then remove from heat and serve over cooked quinoa, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Quinoa:
1. Rinse 1 cup of quinoa and add to 2 cups of liquid (water or beef broth) and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes.

This is great to keep in the fridge to eat for lunches during the week, which is what I did and the flavor was there each and every day!! ENJOY!!

Team Pump Coach Spotlight!

Okay, so here is the thing. I am SO dang proud of this girl right here!----->

Amanda originally reached out to me in January about joining my challenge groups. She told me she had been watching my transformation and wanted in!!! She join my New Year's challenge and started the 21 Day Fix coupled with the, oh so yummy, Vegan Chocolate Shakeology!! She was so committed and worked her ass off!! She consistently stayed in my groups for 7 months. The picture above was after her 5th round of the Fix. THIRTY POUNDS!!!! She eventually went onto the 21 Day Fix Extreme because she was ready to amp up her fitness. I'll post below her current transformation...its good y'all LIKE JAW DROPPING GOOD!

At the end of June she reached out to me to tell me that she was ready to take it to the next level. She had become such an avid believer in the Beachbody products and my challenge groups. She wanted to spread the word to any and everyone she could. I immediately signed her up and she seriously jumped both feet first into this coaching world. She started watching as many YouTube videos she could and finding AS MUCH info she could. All before I could even get her in a Coach Basics Training Group!! Girlfriend was on fiiiiiire!!!

In her first month of becoming a coach she achieve Success Club 6! This means she helped three different people start their fitness journey!!! She has seriously been my shinny star and I could NOT be more proud of her! She is on the road to Emerald which is the first promotion in her business!!! Y'all better watch out for this girl because she is going places and she will be at the top soon!!!

As promised, here is the most recent transformation after 5 rounds of the 21 Day Fix and 1 round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme....

EEEEKKKK!!!!!! This girl makes my heart smile so much!!!! Way to go darling!!! 

If you are interested in joining #TeamPump then be sure to fill out the application below and I will contact you ASAP to see if this is a good fit for you!!

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Eating Clean: Margherita Pizza

So good you won't believe its CLEAN!

So I set off to do my meal planning like I always do on Monday. I jumped on Pinterest and started scouring for something that sparked my interest. LOW AND BEHOLD...Margherita Pizza. I love this stuff but I thought NO WAY would I be able to eat it and call it a "clean meal". Well what do you know!? Along with some help from simplecleanfitness.com I tweaked the recipe and made it pretty darn clean (AND TASTY!) So for us 21 Day Fixers you need to mark off a Red, Green, Yellow, AND Blue for this bad boy. Trust me though, its worth it!

Ingredients:

-Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (here's the thing I didn't want to make one huge pizza so I bought personal size crusts AND its Ezekiel crusts so they are WAY healthier for you!)

-Mozzarella Cheese

-Tomato (Sliced)

-Basil Leaves

-Olive Oil

-Tomato Sauce (no sugar added)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450.

2. Spray a pan with non-stick spray and lay your dough out on it.

3. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the dough and brush it all over the top.

4. Spread tomato sauce all over making sure you get to the edges of the crusts.

5. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.

6. Add sliced tomatoes and torn basil leaves and then sprinkle a bit more cheese on top.

7. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Super easy and super yummy!! Try it out and let me know what you think!

Eating Clean: Spinach Dip (Fix Approved!)

MMM #givemealltheyums

Y'ALL....HOLD.THE.PHONE. I have found my soulmate and it resides in this little bowl up there in that picture (that may or may have not been stolen from 2 year old's stash). If you don't know me then you don't know my love of spinach artichoke dip. It's a problem. It was REALLY a problem when I thought for the longest time I could eat ALL the dip I wanted because, duh, spinach. Ha, wrong wrong wrong, those little tricksters!!!

Anyway, moving on. I found this recipe searching through the sea of links, commonly known as Pinterest. Found it, pinned, made it, devoured it!! Okay, so you want the recipe? COME ON DOWN!!!

Healthy Spinach Dip

Ingredients: 

-2 cups of raw spinach

-1 cup greek yogurt

-1/2 tsp garlic (minced)

-1 TBSP of olive oil

-any seasoning you want to add!

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water and a dash of salt to a boil. Add spinach in and let it boil until right when it starts to wilt then remove. About 2-4 minutes.

2. Drain spinach, let it cool, get all excess water out and chop.

3. Saute minced garlic in olive oil for about 1 minute.

4. Add spinach and continue to saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add any extra seasonings you'd like here.

5. Add to the greek yogurt and mix it all up!

6. Refrigerate and enjoy!!

Challenger's 21 Day Fix Results

Hellllllo fit family and friends!! Today I wanted to do something a liiiiittle different. Normally I'm all up in this bloggy blog of mine yacking about my AMAZING transformation from almost a whole entire year ago. Today however, I'm going to talk to you about one of my challengers and her awesome and inspiring transformation.

So a little back story, this little lady right here was actually one of my "free" leads. Which basically means since I am an emerald ranked coach I get "free" customers which are people that signed up to do a beachbody fitness program but don't have a coach. So I got an email one day that she had signed up, I immediately found her on facebook and added her in to my challenge group that was starting up.

She told me that she was a former athlete all through high school but after graduation she got a desk job and just wasn't very active anymore. She was tired of being upset with herself so she signed up for the 21 Day Fix program and was super excited to get started. So with the help of my coaching and the challenge group we got her all set up with a meal plan. She is also a college student working full time so the 30 minute workouts were PERFECT to squeeze in and I helped her put together a pretty rad budget meal plan for the 21 days. So want to see her results??

21 Day Fix Results!

BAAM!! Homegirl rocked the thang!! She lost 2.5" each from her hips and waist and 8.5" total all over! ALL IN 3 THREE WEEKS!! Plus, this was just her first round!!! The way she lit up when she shared these pictures with me is what makes my job and hard work I put into my challengers worth it. People will drag their feet coming up with excuses as to why it won't work for them, you just need to throw them out...because clean eating, working out (for only 30 mins a day whhhhhat?!) it works!!!

If you are interested in hearing more about my challenge groups or joining in for my next one please fill out the application below!! Why shouldn't that next amazing transformation be you?!

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Don't Worry, I'm Back!

Oh, hi there!

Oh my, oh my, oh my. Last post was from the BEGINNING of March! The BEGINNING people!! AH! I'm so sorry to all my lovely friends and followers (if you are even out there anymore). I have been BOMBARDED with life!! So just in case you forgot what my face looks like...its up there! 

So what the heck has been going on? Well, I got buried under school homework trying to finish up the semester for one. Another I've been busy trying to get planning under way to marry this guy next year (4/23/2016!)--->

I've got the prettiest fiance around!

Oh and of course we can't forget my most demanding of my time...this crazy boy--->

That time you're baby's got more swag than you!

Needless to say, I've been a bit overwhelmed! So my poor little ole blog took a backseat to life's crazy! BUT I have successfully finished two of my hardest classes and I only have 3(!) more weeks until I'm officially on summer break for school! Which means, I am back in blogging action!!

Now let me clarify, I might have not had a spare second for blogging but that in NO way means I've been dipping out on my fitness and healthy eating! Matter of fact, I have now finished up ALMOST three rounds of the 21 Day Fix Extreme. Adam and I have quit smoking for almost two entire months! And wait...can you keep a secret?? **I think I'm actually starting to see some baby abs poking through...say whhhhhhat?!**

So the last few weeks I've been doubling up on my workouts trying to get the most bang for my buck since I will be having a surgery done at the beginning of June that will leave me unable to workout for like 6 weeks (sad face!). Now more than ever is my time to make sure my meals are IN CHECK and I need to feel my best going in because I might go a little crazy not being able to workout that long!

Keep on truckin'!

So like that picture up there says, I am destined for some amazing changes because I've sure been in some chaos recently! But I'm back and I'm ready to keep on sharing my fitness journey with you all who take time out of your day to read this little space of mine! Thanks for keeping me at my best!!

Eating Clean: Shakeology Brownies

Chocolate Heaven!

Okay, seriously, I think I have fallen in, EL OH VE EE, LOVE!!! So on the 21 Day Fix Extreme you are not supposed to have any "cheats", such as the wine and chocolate you are allowed to have with the original. Man oh man though, I needed something sweet this week and I could not stop craving it no matter what I tried to do to make it go away. So I set off to Pinterest and low and behold I found this gem of a recipe for Shakeology brownies!

So all you need is a tsp of coconut oil, a scoop of chocolate Shakeology and water. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and add it to the scoop of Shakeo and add some water. Mix until it gets a paste like consistency and form into a brownie on a plate. Good news about this recipe is it requires ZERO cook time! AND ITS 21 DAY FIX EXTREME APPROVED!! It will count as 1 Red and 1 tsp for your containers, but it was completely worth it to me!

**SIDE NOTE** After making this for like the bazillionth time I found out that if you add a decent amount of water to it it becomes more like brownie batter (who doesn't love brownie batter?!) So I've been making that and then using my strawberries to dip them in it. OH.MY.GOSH.SO.GOOD.

So next time you are dying for something sweet try this little trick! Its completely guilt free and completely delicious! 

21 Day Fix Extreme: Week 2 Review

Okay guys so I'm a little late the party! SORRY! I'm almost done with week three and I'm just not getting around to talking about my week two! I've been so busy studying for the two tests I have coming up I haven't had time to make this post! I'll keep it short and sweet for y'all!

Week 2 is going down!!

Let's talk workouts first! If you are familiar with the Fix programs or have read my week 1 review you know the structure of this program is doing seven different workouts (a different one each day) for three weeks. This week went a lot better than the first I'd say. When starting any new program you never know what to expect so your workouts are always a little mixture of trying to do the move while watching what they are doing to make sure you're doing it correctly and second guessing and just now really getting the FULL intention of the moves. So week 2 you know what to expect and it is GAME ON!! 

Oh it burns so good!

Like I said before these workouts...no joke. They are INTENSE but I'm proud to say I can already feel myself getting stronger and maintain the moves longer without having to give myself a little break every so often! And the arm muscles! Y'all I have never had defined arms, never...I am so excited about my arms its not even funny! Oh and don't even get me started on this little booty I've got going whooo thank you Autumn!

Yoga is by far my favorite day of the week!

Look at the face "drop and give me 20!"

Moving on to the nutrition part of the week! I decided to switch up my dinners to try something new. I've preached up and down about how I eat the same thing every single day for breakfast, lunch, and snacks and the switch up the dinners for some excitement. This works for me, it helps my grocery bill and my bank account as well as prepping things ahead of time..There is a blog post to come soon about how I batch prep things for my week so stay tuned!

Week 2: Meal Plan

Sidenote: TRY THE CHICKEN FAJITAS! So good, you can find them here!! You will not be disappointed! Also, I tried out the turkey chili recipe that was in the Extreme booklet you get with your order. Delicious, this a definite staple in my menus from now on. If you want that recipe you'll have to join my challenge group *wink wink* :)

All in all, I am very happy with the way things are going. As I said above I'm almost done with my 3rd and final week and I cannot wait to see the final results. For now, let me leave you with the results as of 14 days into the 21 Day Fix Extreme

You're killing me Smalls!

Like I said, short and sweet! Come back here in the next week or so to hear my final review!!! As always if you are interested in having a little 1:1 coaching and joining one of my online challenge groups fill out the application below and we can chat!

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12 Habits to Form to Make Eating Better Stick!

So its the new year! Happy 2015 everyone!! With the new year its always a the most popular time that people reflect on the past year and start making decisions to better themselves in the coming year. For many of us that means figure out how to stay out of the drive-thrus!!! While I will preach up and down all day long how Shakeology is my number ONE defense about the dreaded fast food lanes because its fast and..SURPRISE, cheaper; I know there are some other things you have to learn to do in order to be successful in eating better! So here's the run down:

1. Set Goals: For some reason this one is the hardest for me. I tend to sit down and take a HUGE chunk out of where my life should go and end up completely overwhelming myself. The key is to take things a little at a time. Your overall goal might be to completely cut sugar out of your diet, but shocking your system and cutting it all out at once is going to make you miserable. Start with the goal of cutting out cokes, or that extra piece of chocolate you have while you're sitting at your desk. Write out a list of the things you want to change and think about the small things you can do that will compound over time to change the way you are eating. Tell people about your goals, post them on the pantry or fridge door so that you constantly reminded and motivated to keep on track! Changing how you eat is a such a mind game so setting small goals and achieving them gives you a sense of satisfaction.

2. Have Realistic Expectations: If you just down right cannot stomach peas, don't decide to eat them for your dinner veggie. Don't push yourself so hard to change that you are completely miserable, that will do no good and you will end up quitting. For example when I'm planning out my meal plans for the Fix I look at the list of foods I'm allowed and I pick out the ones I actually LIKE and then figure out how I can combine them into a solid delicious meal and then SURPRISE I actually still enjoy eating!! I'll be real honest and tell you its going to take a bit of a learning curve and you are going to have speed bumps that knock you off track every now and then but the key is to jump right back on and keep on trucking.

3. Be Proactive: Find the foods you like that are healthy to snack on. Almonds, homemade trail mixes, Shakeology. Bring it with you in the car, work, etc. The best idea is to leave a little "just incase" stash in you car JUST INCASE you get stuck somewhere unexpected and need something to eat! It will keep you out of those fast food lines and keep you guilt free!! Make a plan, go shopping and stick to your plan! And of course make sure its things you actually ENJOY otherwise you are NOT going to be too happy and you'll probably end up giving up within a few days time!

4. Consistency is Key: Most people respond well to consistency. Make a plan and stick to it. Try to eat at around the same times daily and keep to the same portion size and caloric intake.. Your body will recognize this pattern and in turn keep your metabolism burning and your energy levels will stay high. You will feel better, and get in a healthy routine. It is easy to sabotage yourself by grabbing nasty snacks to meet uncontrolled cravings. The time you spend on planning and consistency is a true investment that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

5. Be Flexible: Of course, even the best plans fall short at times. Life can sometimes get the best of all of us. Sometimes your eating routines need to change. Where you can, try to plan ahead for these events and have items on hand you can take with you when you’re in a rush or are eating out. Example: Bag of almonds, protein bars and shakes, fresh fruit. Also educate yourself on nutrition through the internet, books, and magazines. You can use this knowledge to help you improvise and find foods that are compatible with your diet, for example if you are out with friends or stuck with no time to cook. Find items that are less time consuming that you can take with you in a pinch.

6. Don't Be So Hard On Yourself: Nobody is perfect all the time. If you mess up, miss a few meals, or even have a bad couple of days, just pick yourself up and get back on track. You’re doing this for you, and the added stress of not living up to your own expectations can lead to a total diet derailment. Being healthy and eating healthy does not mean you can’t enjoy foods not on your meal plan. So don’t be so hard on yourself. YOU CAN DO IT!


7. Stick With Your Plan: It takes time to develop healthy behaviors. After about a month of eating better consistently, you will have developed a habit. You will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes more effortless and be a normal part of your day to day life.

8. Have Fun: Eating right takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t stress yourself out over small bumps in the road. You have the power to change any negative into a positive, and you have the choice to have a positive outlook regarding any situation you find yourself in. Find fun ways to keep yourself motivated. Get friends and family involved. Set challenges at home, with friends, or at work to start eating healthier. Take the time to cook and try new and interesting recipes. You are making change for the better, so why not make it enjoyable.

9. Give Yourself Praise: You are not a dog so don’t reward yourself with treats. Realize that changing your eating habits can be a daunting task for anyone. Just think how long you have had your current habits and know that changing those habits will not happen overnight, but with time. Congratulate yourself on any healthy changes you make, you deserve the praise. Praise builds confidence and makes you feel good about the healthy choices you are making, and in turn help keep you on your path to betterment.

10. Don't Rush Into This: People always start with the best of intentions and will try and do everything at once. They get overwhelmed and quit before they really even started. Small changes add up and can make a huge difference. Work on one thing at a time and keep adding to it. Before you know it you will have many healthy habits that incorporate together to make a healthy lifestyle and a healthier and happier you.

11. Its About the Journey, Not the Destination: To live a healthy lifestyle is never easy. In order to enjoy this lifestyle with all the ups and downs, we must enjoy the process and the journey on the way to our destination. Once we hit our destination we immediately look to the next mountain top and we either want more, or worst case scenario we think that we have accomplished all we need to and we relax on all of the things that got us there in the first place. Take pride in small victories along the way, they add up.

12. Measure Success and Start New Goals: Making successful changes means measuring your progress towards your goals and recognizing your accomplishments. As you meet short-term goals, you can plan the next steps with more confidence. Constantly re-strategizing your goals takes long-term visualization. That long-term vision needs to be broken down into doable steps.

Eating Clean: Chicken Fajitas

Better than On The Border!

So as you all probably know by now I'm doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme. I'm in my last week of the first round! So to keep things exciting I love trying out new dinner ideas. I have been so shocked over how many yummy things I have found that fit right into the program, but these were BY FAR the best things I have tried yet so I had to share them!! 

21 Day Fix Extreme Chicken Fajitas:

Ingredients:

*1 lb Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts

*1 Large Bell Pepper

*1 Medium Onion

*1 Can Diced Tomatoes

*2 Tomatoes

*2 TBSP EVOO

*2 tsp Chili Powder

*2 tsp Cumin

*1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

*1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

*1/4 tsp Sea Salt

*Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Slice the chicken into strips and place in a greased 13x9 baking dish.

3. In small bowl mix oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt and drizzle mixture over chicken.

4. Slice onion and bell peppers and put into dish with diced tomatoes and sliced tomatoes and stir everything to mix well.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top.

If you are following the Fix meal plans this will account for 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow (if you use a whole wheat tortilla), and 1 blue (if you use cheese).

21 Day Fix Extreme: Week 1 Review

Its Here!!!!

Alright y'all, week 1 is down and in the books and I could NOT be happier with my progress so far!! A little back story, I did the original 21 Day Fix about a year ago when it first came out and I have to this day incorporated the clean portion control nutrition into ALL the other programs I have tried since then including extra added rounds of the Fix. So when I heard that Autumn was bringing out the big dogs with her new Extreme program I was PUMPED!! I ordered it the day it went live and I was pretty much the happiest little camper when it showed up at my front door. 

This program is much like the same idea as the first but much more intense. Again, its a program designed to get you amazing results in 21 days. The nutrition is dialed in on this one, no wine or chocolate this time around! And the workouts, oh the workouts, they are INTENSE!! There is a modifier but even her modifying is much more than a normal modifier. This is a perfect program for someone who has done the 21 Day Fix (original) and is ready to kick it up a notch OR even for people just want a HARDCORE program to use!!

Day 1!

The workouts: There are seven different workouts again that you do for 3 weeks. Whats also a little different this time around is Autumn incorporates the resistance bands in some of the workouts!

You have to grind to shine!

• Plyo Fix Extreme: This is a jumping one, you do weighted plyo moves for 30 seconds with a 30 second break in between. There are 5 rounds with 2 exercises each round, and watch out for that bonus round! Holy ouch were my legs screaming the next day!
• Upper Fix Extreme: I was actually pleasantly surprised with this one. In the original I never really felt like my arms got AS MUCH work on them as I would have liked. This workout is GREAT!! I am already started to get SO much more definition in my arms it is LOVELY!! She works with the idea of drop sets in this one so its a nice change of pace
• Pilates Fix Extreme: You only THOUGHT pilates was an easy day! Try adding resistance bands to the entire workout! I REALLY feel my abs starting to pop with this workout!
• Lower Fix Extreme: I'm going to go ahead and knock myself down a peg or two. I have always been under the assumption I had strong legs, this workout makes me feel like a weakling! haha 
• Cardio Fix Extreme: Why Autumn?! Why would you give me cardio after an intense leg day?! Because she wants you SHREDDED thats why!! Cardio is not my friend so of course I don't exactly love this one but its a necessary evil!
• Dirty 30 Extreme: This is my favorite. It was my favorite in the original as well. Give me weights any day of the week and I'll be your friend!
• Yoga Fix Extreme: I was actually really sore after doing this on Sunday! Its definitely a nice recovery day, but you are still working!

Leg Day!

Dirty 30 Extreme!

The nutrition: Like I said above, this nutrition is DIALED IN!! Still using the same containers but there are no treats with this one! Give up that wine and chocolate, you can do it for 3 weeks!! Of course you'll still get your Shakeology so you can use that as your little "treat" :)

Yummy Shakeo!

Week 1 Meal Plan

Healthy Quinoa Burrito Bowl

All in all, the first week of any new program is always a little sketchy. You are learning all new workouts and moves as well as trying to change up your nutrition and figuring out what works for you!! Like I said, I'm very excited about how well I did with my nutrition the first week and how sore I was after all the workouts!! (I love being sore!) AND dare I say, I actually think I'm getting some definition in my never before seen abs?! SAAAAY WHAAAAAT?!

1 week and already seeing progress!

I'm pumped to see the next weeks progress and to see the FINAL after picture compared to my before!! Also I wanted to share with y'all the video I made the other day about how I have managed to make these containers fit super well into my lifestyle so that I actually enjoy my food and don't feel deprived! Check it out if you so wish to!!

As always, if you are interested in trying out this program or even the original Fix program fill out the application below for my next online challenge group! I'd love to be your coach and mentor you along your fitness journey!!

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