How to get out of a nutrition RUT

September 10, 2017September 10, 2017Leave a comment

Tell me if this sounds familiar…

Family visiting…

End of summer trip with friends…

New “back to school” routine…

Amongst the usual birthday parties, new sporting teams, etc…and the routine slips…then

“One dinner out won’t hurt”
“One splurge to celebrate with some fro-yo isn’t the end of the world”
“I won’t meal plan this week, we’ll just wing it”
“A few margaritas just this once won’t make a difference”

The list continues…

And while my goal is to remain in BALANCE in my health and nutrition there comes a time when the scale tips just a little off center…

Needless to say the lack of a summer ROUTINE allowed my nutrition follow suit as the summer days came to a close and on Labor Day we hit the tipping point.

We enjoyed the good food with good friends and had a good time but I was feeling the impact of those not-so-normal food choices! The dip in my energy and trouble keeping my hand out of the cookie jar led me to back to ‘Old Faithful: 3 Day Refresh

Because YES – while I do aim to eat 90% gluten free/dairy free & at least 80% CLEAN (if not more)…sometimes I fall into old habits too! #DidSomeoneSayCereal?

But I have learned this is part of the journey…the key to ongoing PROGRESS & SUCCESS is to keep moving forward and simply JUMP RIGHT BACK in where you left off!

I spent the first part of last week doing a 3-Day plant based cleanse which allowed me to break that sugar cycle, ditch the reliance on starchy carbs and get back to my grain free/dairy free meal plan that I’ve learned WORKS FOR ME!

Here’s an example of what my week looked like:

And with my trusty 3-Day Refresh, a few fellow challengers to help me stay accountable and a reminder that: I CAN DO HARD THINGS…I was able to drop 3 pounds of BLOAT and get my groove back!

I don’t do these OFTEN but when my body needs to detox and cleanse I can feel it – I listen to it – and I never regret the sacrifices to FEEL good again!!! I have found quarterly tends to work best for me!!

You can see how I’m continuing my meal plan this upcoming week

Although we will be traveling this weekend I will pack my shakeology so I know I can stay on track with that and I will make smart choices. The plus side is we are visiting my family who tends to live out a health balance like us so HOPEFULLY we’ll all stay on track TOGETHER!!!

I’m looking for a few women who want to lose 5-10+ pounds and/or who want to end 2017 STRONGER than they started!!
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You will be provided with a customizable meal plan, a fitness routine to follow, daily inspiration/motivation & a private tribe of women who are also working on becoming the best versions of themselves 💗
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ENROLLMENT is open and you can claim your spot by filling out the application in the comments for all the details. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Let’s get STRONGER TOGETHER!

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Planning my 4th and final PIYO week

March 12, 2017Leave a comment

I firmly believe in starting and finishing a workout program but I will quickly admit I have a bit of a workout program ADD.

So to adjust for my own balance I’ve been doing 4 week programs. Its enough for me to find my groove, keep some variety and then move on when I get too “comfortable” with the workouts. This is where the On Demand All Access is CLUTCH!!!

I completed the Masters Chisel program January/February (although my mono/bronchitis/ear infection issues caused the 4 weeks to span almost 7…) and I am in week 4 of 4 with PIYO with Core de Force up next as I countdown to our upcoming vacay to Punta Cana in April!

Here’s the workout outline and meal plan for this week

As you can see…I EAT with this plan…but its about the portions and frequency. I find having 5 smaller meals throughout the day keeps me consistently full and never STARVING nor over stuffed!

I do have some visitors this week which made having a PLAN ever more important.

And that’s exactly what this is – my GAME PLAN for the week. Can it change? Sure. And maybe we’ll swap the chicken and roast or my lunch one of the days but having a plan helps me get my groceries, waste less, and think less when dinner time rolls around!!!

I cook most food in bulk allowing for multiple meals and/or lunches.

Sunday I take some time to prep/chop/portion and do as much as I can.

For example – my peppers are chopped for my eggs, my berries are in one cup containers, the Turkey chili was prepped today, and the roast is already thawing in the crockpot along with a bag of carrots, potatoes and an onion so tomorrow I just pull from the fridge and plug in!

Maybe the cauliflower mash will be fried cauliflower. Turkey chili could easily be swapped for stuffed peppers…but again…its the PLAN that matters.

If you’re not used to meal planning or eating small frequent meals or eating “healthy” – it can be a challenge.

But you’re not alone in this journey!

As a coach I provide support and accountability to my clients to not just get STARTED but make a plan and EXECUTE it as it becomes a habit. Change is never easy but as someone who has been on both sides of this equation I can tell you..CHANGE is WORTH it.

My hopes by sharing this with you is that it inspires YOU to invest in YOU.

To put yourself first (yes YOU – you busy mama putting all your time into everyone else!!!) – and to take action towards your own health & fitness goals!

If you do not currently have a coach and would like to work with me please complete the application below and I’ll be in touch about my next accountability group!

***THERE’S POWER IN NUMBERS***

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21-day fix Success Story_Ann

September 30, 2014Leave a comment

I’m so excited to share my friend and fellow coach’s story with you! Ann and I went to high school together. She had commented on one of my facebook posts about doing the 21-day fix and after chatting a bit and I found out she hadn’t been working with a coach at all. So we hooked up, I sent her some Shakeology samples to try and she joined my challenge group and totally ROCKED it! The results of her hard work are shown below but words cannot express how proud of her I am!!! Way to go girl – this is the beginning of an amazing transformation!!!

21-day fix Success

Meet Ann.

” I was at my heaviest weight ever even after losing my baby weight. I had no energy, I was exhausted, I was completely unhappy and my family relationships and friendships were taking the brunt of it. I saw my now coach’s amazing 21 day Fix transformation results and thought maybe that program could work for me. I had tried other weight loss programs, counted calories, worked out, but nothing clicked and I always gave up. So, I ordered the 21 day fix, committed the time to making myself better and saw a 10 lb weight loss and 10 inch loss in the first 21 days! Then I joined up with my coach and a challenge group, started drinking Shakeology, and lost another 10lbs! I’m so happy, confident, and I feel like ME again. My family says it all when they tell me the old me is back. I love Beachbody so much that I’m now starting on the coaching journey. My coach and support groups were a key to my success.”

PIYO Week 7 Progress Update

August 10, 2014August 11, 2014Leave a comment

Another week down and another week closer to COMPLETING PIYO! I’m so excited about finishing up this entire program. Truth be told, other than the 3-week long 21-day fix (which I LOVED, and did multiple times) – this will be the first workout program I’ve done start to finish! I’ve done all of T25 but I didn’t follow it to a “T” and I didn’t follow the meal plan – so this is a huge accomplishment for me! But I’m not there yet…

Week 7 continues to build on the prior weeks and certainly takes the intensity up a bit.

We’ll start with my meal plan:

I’ll admit, I could totally live on grilled chicken and turkey burgers but this week I felt like I needed to spice things up a bit – so in came quinoa stuffed peppers…and they were a delish! You can find the recipe HERE. I love recipes that I can double up and freeze as well as get at least 2 dinners and a few lunches out of the hard work and this fit my ideal meal perfectly!!!

We also had our 5 year anniversary this week so I may have doubled up on the cheat meals with a Cheesecake Factory trip and a Nakama trip but I did my best!!! I try to eat clean at least 80% of the time but I’ll be honest, once I met my goal weight I became a little more flexible. I still focus on healthy choices, I still focus on proper portions but when I’m out and about I allow myself to enjoy the little things!

The week started off with Sculpt, completed in a new workout tank I scored at Old Navy. There’s just something about some new gear that makes getting up on Monday morning at 5:00 a bit more enticing!

I was lucky to have a workout buddy with me on Tuesday and well a few times this week – we’ll blame it on the moon or something…and while I’m not sure how many push ups he got in on those handles he certainly gave it is all!! I love setting a good example for my kids!! He may not be a good sleeper but his down dog rocks and he can squat with the best of them 🙂 You can’t win them all right?!?!

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Working out with one of my biggest fans

BUNS continues to be a favorite of mine. I like the 30ish minute length and I can FEEL the after effects for days…which is always a nice reminder just how hard you’ve worked!!!!

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PIYO – BUNS

With a late night Buccos baseball game on Thursday that was preceded by a trip to the Cheesecake Factory and an upcoming Hibachi dinner planned for Saturday I couldn’t justify the “rest day” Friday so I dusted off my 21-day fix DVDs and added in a little cardio fix. This was always the workout I found most difficult and although I feel like PIYO is helping me with the strength aspects I was still whooped at the end of it!!! The weekend wrapped up week 7 with Drench Saturday followed by Strength Intervals on Sunday and I know I’ve mentioned it before but every time I start Strength Intervals and see “22” minutes on the clock I think its going to fly by and be a breeze but man is that difficult! A good difficult but difficult nonetheless!!

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PIYO Drench

I’m really happy with the results I’ve seen thus far and cannot wait to take my ending pictures and measurements soon. My weight hasn’t changed but I see more toning and definition in my arms and I feel stronger.

Here’s to week 8!

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Reach for the stars

If you are interested in this program or any other workout program and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING! Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone!

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Stuffed Peppers

August 7, 2014August 7, 20144 Comments

I cannot remember the last time I made stuffed peppers….probably because our grill has been in full force since about April…however I got a craving for them and since they fit perfectly into my PIYO meal plan I figured I’d toss it in as part of WEEK 7.

I’ve always loved stuffed peppers but my old ones were pretty basic and quite boring – a pound of ground beef, 2 cups brown rice and a jar of spaghetti sauce. They were good but not mouth watering. So I decided to add a little spunk! I call these –

Black bean and corn quinoa stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

(okay – I always make ALOT so I can freeze and use later – so if you’d like you can half this recipe – or take my suggestion and freeze some for later!!!)

2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 can black beans, rinsed well
2 cups cooked quinoa (prepared according to directions…I actually made one cup of quinoa and after I added the 2 cups I still had about 2 cups left. We used it for a side later in the week but plan accordingly – you don’t want to waste!!!)
1.5 cups frozen corn
1 can petite diced tomatoes (make sure there are no added ingredients here…you should see tomatoes and ascorbic acid!)
1 large can tomato sauce (same as above – no added ingredients)
1/2 onion
5-6 peppers, color of your choice
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, optional
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 TBS Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti sauce blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cook quinoa according to directions

Remove and discard the tops, seeds and membranes of the peppers and place in baking dish. You can do these whole or in halves…I chose whole peppers

In a skillet over medium heat cook the turkey with diced onion until evenly browned

Drain turkey after cooking is complete and add remaining ingredients

Spoon mixture into peppers and top with cheese if desired

Ready to bake!

Bake for about one hour until peppers are tender

I added a little extra mix around the bottom of the peppers – my hubby appreciated that with a nice slice of bread

Freeze any remaining stuffing or save for leftovers later in the week!

These will also reheat well – we ended up with two dinners and I had one lunch out of this batch!

Leftovers for lunch

Note: My next batch was added into some slightly spicy banana peppers – and they were AMAZING! If you like a little kick try these for sure!

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

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PiYO WEEK 6 Progress

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014Leave a comment

Another week down and another week stronger. I love what this program is doing for my mind and body!

One of my favorite aspects of this program and all of Beachbody’s program’s is that its all about finding what works for you! Last week we had plans to be out of town and I wanted to attend the local yoga studio for some practice outside of my home – so I altered the calendar that came with the program, switched some things around to meet my needs, and made some changes to my meal plan so that I could enjoy my weekend away without going completely off the wagon!

PIYO Calendar Week 6 vs. My Week 6

Thursday’s Sculpt was pushed to Friday….Friday’s rest day was pushed to Saturday…and I swapped Drench for a major sweat session at Yoga Flow for Thursday’s workout. Success in my book!

So finally at week 6 I’m getting a handle of the PiYO meal plan and no longer looking at foods in terms of the 21-day fix container colors! Its been a tough adjustment – but I think I’m there 🙂 The good thing is the two were very similar in terms of types of foods it was just learning how to plan and portion in accordance with the book! In the end its all about clean eating and eating the “right” portions for your body!

PIYO Week 6 Meal Plan

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So fresh and so clean clean

I really enjoyed this simple staple to my week – grilled chicken and grilled zucchini. Both heated up well and bonus – they were kid approved! Well one of my kids approved, the other, we’ll just leave out for now!

Now for the workouts!!!

The week was off with a bang with Drench on Monday. That PiYO flip still gets me but I’m getting there – and getting better with keeping my balance so I don’t go toppling over!!!

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Trying my best to hold my moves just like Chalene

Tuesday I rocked out to Hardcore on the floor. And it wasn’t until I had watched myself on video that I realized I had been doing that move to the right ——–> all wrong!!! I think I’m okay now – I just need to keep practicing!!!

Wednesday was a 30 minute BUNS workout and I’m pretty sure I was still feeling that as the weekend rolled in. A good feeling don’t get me wrong, but man, incredible!

I’m at the point where my workouts are what I look forward to each day. When I can start my day with a workout, followed by my Shakeology to keep me full, satisfied and full of the dense nutrition my body needs and I get in some “me” time while I’m at it – I’m all set for success!!!

Shaping those buns

Those triangle push-ups were not pretty, I modified and could barely push that last one up…but I did them-the best that I could and I know my body will feel it tomorrow!!! If it doesn’t challenge you-it doesn’t change you!

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If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you!

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Following in Mommy’s footsteps

Friday night I enjoyed dinner with one of my bestest friends and her family. We had a delicous clean dinner and just relaxed. But the best part of the night had to be when our kids all rocked the down dog on the deck. Proud mom moment for us both!

The week wrapped up with what I thought was the perfect plan – workout while one kiddo slept and one rested…and well you can see how that worked out for me! I can’t complain though. I know how my kids replicate what they see me do. And yes, Colt may have been in my way more times than not but he’s learning, I’m learning to be more flexible (in more ways than one) and we’re all getting our workout in on our own time – so what if it wasn’t the best of the best – it was done and I enjoyed the company!!!

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Getting my sweat on with one of my biggest fans

If nothing else – I’m learning A LOT. Not only about being active and working out or eating healthy but all about life in general. There’s a compound effect in life. I’m making changes in so many aspects in my life and really focusing on when life give me lemons you better bet I’m making some lemonade!

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BE POSITIVE

If you are interested in PiYO or any other workout program and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING! Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone!

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PiYO WEEK 5 Progress

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014Leave a comment

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Be positive

Whew…week 5 has come and gone and I find myself loving PiYO more and more Every. Single. Day. But I know one thing – its not getting easier – I’m getting stronger! I love the way I feel post workout and I can’t get enough of the motivation provided by Chalene throughout the videos. She often states what a blessing it is to be working out together and she’s right – it is truly a blessing!!!

Time to get this week started!!!

I always make my meal plan up on Sundays and do my grocery shopping on Monday. I hate to take away family time on the weekends when my husband isn’t working plus the grocery store is always so much more crowded on the weekends – so Monday it is!

Here’s my week 5 meal plan:

PIYO WEEK 5 MEAL PLAN

As soon as I got home from the store I whipped up some grilled chicken tenders. I don’t know if its because the chicken was so fresh or what but I was super proud of my first grilling experience. And with a night at PNC park for the Buccos game – these chicken tenders made the perfect car ride dinner along side some veggies and they helped me avoid those ball park temptations! I’ll chalk that up as a win!!

CHICKEN TENDERS

Week 5 went a little something like this:

PIYO WEEK 5 SCHEDULE

And I know I’ve said it before, but the calendar provided in the DVD program is so important! Just when I feel body recovering from the prior days’ workouts I get those muscles stretched and ready to be lengthened and strengthened all over again.

PIYO SCULPT

My core is getting stronger and not only am I feeling the difference I can see the difference!!

PIYO SWEAT

Tuesday night I tried a new quinoa recipe – TOASTED ALMOND AND CRANBERRY QUINOA – and it was a perfect side dish with dinner as well as topping to my lunch salads throughout the week! I used to think clean eating was boring eating but I really enjoy finding fun new recipes that are full of flavor and fit perfectly into my PIYO meal plan. Its a good thing it was a hit – because the one thing I haven’t learned is one cup of quinoa goes a loooooooong way! Luckily my hubby is not a picky eater!!

PIYO CORE

PIYO DRENCH

As Thursday winds down I often think about scrapping that rest day and squeezing in “just a little” workout but as I get used to this 6-day a week program (from my prior 7-day a week 21-day fix program) I find myself savoring that rest day! My alarm still went off at the same time Friday morning but instead of waking up, drinking my E&E and pushing play – I took some time to myself and let my body rest.

PIYO REST DAY

We had a busy weekend with a family reunion Saturday and a softball tournament on Sunday that my husband was playing in but that didn’t stop me from sticking to my goals!

With a 2 hour drive ahead of us I packed up my water bottle, a nice iced green tea and some sugar snap peas for the ride. I also whipped up some Shakeology Nutty No Bake cookies and a Southwestern Quinoa salad to make sure I could still enjoy myself at the reunion without being tempted by a grumbling belly and food choices I knew I’d regret later! And you know what…no one even knew they were eating clean!!! Double bonus!!!

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PIYO TRAVEL DAY

Now, I’ll admit, there were a few bites here and there of some foods that weren’t exactly on my initial plan but I did so much better than prior get togethers and everyone really enjoyed my clean recipes. Success!!

And Sunday was no different…I completed my workout – and yes, that strength interval workout is STILL killing me – and I packed my lunch and my kiddos lunch. No pizza or hot dogs for us 🙂

PIYO STRENGTH INTERVALS

People often ask about snacks that travel and truth is – there’s a lot of things that will stay fresh for a few hours without being refrigerated.

I had a busy week. I was away from home several times between the Baseball game, reunion and softball tournament but there is one thing I did every day – and that is PREPARE! Having my snacks all prepped in advance, able to be grabbed as I run out the door – keeps me on track.

If you are interested in PiYO or any other workout program and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING! Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone!

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Southwestern Quinoa Salad

July 26, 2014July 26, 20145 Comments

Looking for something clean, healthy and full of flavor to take to your next picnic or family gathering?!? Look no further! This dish is your winner! Its loaded with black beans and quinoa to get you protein, mango for some sweetness and a little cilantro and some spices to jazz things up. And besides – it looks very pretty!

My family reunion is today and I wanted to make sure I took something that not only my own family would enjoy but everyone there and I wanted it to be a clean dish. A challenger of mine had shared her version of this recipe in one of my health and fitness accountability groups over Memorial Day weekend and I had been waiting for a good reason to make try it for myself! Quinoa is a common side dish in my house but quite honestly, this one had a lot of chopping involved so I wanted to save it for a special occassion!

I’ll admit it wasn’t one of those “quick and easy throw together in 10 minutes” dishes but it was worth every minute in the kitchen. And thanks to my amazing hubby it really didn’t take too long with us tag teaming it!

So here goes:

Ingredients:

15-ounce can black beans (rinsed very well and drained)
1 cup cooked quinoa (according to package directions)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mango (approximately 1 mango)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
juice from 1 medium lemon
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin

Directions:

Start by cooking the quinoa first (This could also be cooked in advance and refrigerated). While the quinoa was cooking, rinse the black beans, cook the frozen corn, chop the red and jalopeno peppers, chop the mango and cilantro and dice the onion. (I like to save the onion for last because I struggle so bad with my eyes!!)

Add all items – the beans, quinoa, corn, bell pepper, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large mixing bowl.

Next, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl and drizzle it over the mixture and stir well.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(NOTE: This is best when mixed the night before so the flavors have the time to marinate!)

I’ll admit – despite wrapping this up around 11:00pm I had to taste it – it just smelled so good – and it tasted as good as I expected! Hoping the family enjoys it as well!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

And to top it all off – this flavor packed side dish is both PiYO and 21-day fix approved. (I would count this as 1 yellow and 1 tsp – olive oil – even though there’s a bit of purple, green, red!!!)

If you are interested in these or any other workout program and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING! Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone!

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Toasted almond and cranberry quinoa

July 23, 2014July 26, 20141 Comment

I’ve been on a bit of a quinoa kick however after making a double recipe of my quinoa salad a few weeks ago – which lasted over a week – I knew it was time to switch things up! I was inspired by the recipe on the back of my quinoa bag from SAMs club and made a few tweeks to make it my own – and it turned out delicious!!!

I love when I can do an entire dish in one pot! And this is no exception.

I started by toasting 1/2 cup slivered almonds over medium heat until golden.

: Step 1: Toast the almonds until golden brown

Next I added 1 cup of quinoa and roasted about 5 minutes. While this was roasting I boiled 1 1/2 cups of water in the microwave

Step 2: Toast almonds and quinoa: Toasted almonds and quinoa

Once the quinoa and almonds are toasted add the boiling water along with 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, a dash of sea salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon

Step 3: Add boiling water and remaining ingredients: Toasted almond and cranberry quinoa

Bring all contents to a boil and simmer covered until all water is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes

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Step 4: Cook until all liquid is absorbed

Serve alongside your favorite meals – my pick – grilled chicken tenders and grilled summer vegetables (squash, zucchini and onions)

This smelled amazing while cooking and tasted even better! Excited for the leftovers!!!

UPDATE

These leftovers were great cold added to some salmon and grilled veggies and as a topping on a salad.

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21-day fix approved! Talk about a loaded salad…spinach, grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, snap peas, peppers, avocado and blueberries to avoid a dressing with some leftover toasted almond and cranberry quinoa salad for a little twist! Best part was everything was all prepped in my fridge so it took about 3 minutes to pull together!! 2 Greens, 1 red, 1/3 purple, 1/3 yellow, 1 blue

Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Dash of sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Over medium heat, stir and toast the slivered almonds until golden. Add the quinoa and toast a few more minutes until quinoa begins to darken. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, covered, then reduce heat to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve!

NOTE: We enjoyed the leftovers the next day and left them cold – I may have actually liked that better!!!

If you’re interested in learning more about clean eating, join one of my upcoming accountability and support groups!!

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PIYO Progress week 4

July 21, 2014August 20, 20141 Comment

Week 4 is officially in the books…so what are my thoughts??? Well, let’s just say this week brought on a whole new level of intensity! Two new workouts were introduced – Hardcore on the floor and Drench – and for some reason I still just get can’t seem to fathom how that 22 minute Strength Interval workout packs such a punch!

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PiYO DRENCH

Every time I think I have a favorite workout I am introduced to something new but for now – we’re going to say the winner is DRENCH – and yes, it lives up to its name.

I can feel my strength improving even as I do regular daily activities around the house. That 50lb double stroller getting tossed into the back of my SUV seems a bit easier to handle!!! And going up and down and down and up the stairs around the house with a 32lb princess and 23lb little man balanced on my hips seems to come with ease. But its no secret. They’re not changing – I’m getting stronger – AND I LIKE IT!!!!

The workouts have been awesome and I’m really feeling the burn during week 4 – but like any workout regimen, the nutrition is 80% of success!!! I have learned the hard way you can do crunches until you’re blue in the face but without the proper nutrition those abs will remain in hiding!

OH…the meal planning!!!

I have found I have more success when I stick to my favorites! Meal planning is easier, shopping is easier, and I waste less therefore save more $$$ – so what’s to complain about? I like my snacks to be filling and crunchy…and take a little time to eat. I am often grabbing something and heading out to run errands during my morning snack so its usually some raw veggies or an apple – something that can be prepped ahead of time and quickly grabbed!!!

Here’s my week 4 meal plan:

Now for the workouts:

Monday – Sweat

Tuesday – Hardcore on the floor

Wednesday – BUNS

Thursday – Drench

Friday – PiYO rest day (although I did visit my local yoga studio for an awesome hot yoga session with my sister in law who was visiting from out of town)

Saturday – Strength Intervals

Sunday – Sweat

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Week 4, Day 1

Week 4 Day 5

I absolutely love the convenience of working out at home on my own schedule but I also like to take my practice into a yoga studio periodically so I can get some additional guidance and tips from someone else! Friday morning I enjoyed a great class and even got to try out some new moves! I impressed myself being able to hold crow longer than ever before and having the strength to try out some new ones! I see progress in the making!

The week closed out with a Sunday morning SWEAT session and a short cameo by my son, Colt. I love that my children get to see me in action. Children will imitate what they see not what they are told and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure they see me living a healthy happy life!

If you’re interested in PiYO you can create a FREE team beachbody account HERE and fill out the form below for a spot in my next accountability group! Its never too late to get started and you can never have too much support along the way!!!

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Meet Ann.

Black bean and corn quinoa stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

(okay – I always make ALOT so I can freeze and use later – so if you’d like you can half this recipe – or take my suggestion and freeze some for later!!!)

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1 can black beans, rinsed well

2 cups cooked quinoa (prepared according to directions…I actually made one cup of quinoa and after I added the 2 cups I still had about 2 cups left. We used it for a side later in the week but plan accordingly – you don’t want to waste!!!)

1.5 cups frozen corn

1 can petite diced tomatoes (make sure there are no added ingredients here…you should see tomatoes and ascorbic acid!)

1 large can tomato sauce (same as above – no added ingredients)

1/2 onion

5-6 peppers, color of your choice

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, optional

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 TBS Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti sauce blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cook quinoa according to directions

Remove and discard the tops, seeds and membranes of the peppers and place in baking dish. You can do these whole or in halves…I chose whole peppers

In a skillet over medium heat cook the turkey with diced onion until evenly browned

Drain turkey after cooking is complete and add remaining ingredients

Spoon mixture into peppers and top with cheese if desired

Bake for about one hour until peppers are tender

Freeze any remaining stuffing or save for leftovers later in the week!

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

Another week down and another week stronger. I love what this program is doing for my mind and body!

PIYO Calendar Week 6 vs. My Week 6

Thursday’s Sculpt was pushed to Friday….Friday’s rest day was pushed to Saturday…and I swapped Drench for a major sweat session at Yoga Flow for Thursday’s workout. Success in my book!

I really enjoyed this simple staple to my week – grilled chicken and grilled zucchini. Both heated up well and bonus – they were kid approved! Well one of my kids approved, the other, we’ll just leave out for now!

Now for the workouts!!!

The week was off with a bang with Drench on Monday. That PiYO flip still gets me but I’m getting there – and getting better with keeping my balance so I don’t go toppling over!!!

Tuesday I rocked out to Hardcore on the floor. And it wasn’t until I had watched myself on video that I realized I had been doing that move to the right ——–> all wrong!!! I think I’m okay now – I just need to keep practicing!!!

Wednesday was a 30 minute BUNS workout and I’m pretty sure I was still feeling that as the weekend rolled in. A good feeling don’t get me wrong, but man, incredible!

I’m at the point where my workouts are what I look forward to each day. When I can start my day with a workout, followed by my Shakeology to keep me full, satisfied and full of the dense nutrition my body needs and I get in some “me” time while I’m at it – I’m all set for success!!!

Those triangle push-ups were not pretty, I modified and could barely push that last one up…but I did them-the best that I could and I know my body will feel it tomorrow!!! If it doesn’t challenge you-it doesn’t change you!

Time to get this week started!!!

I always make my meal plan up on Sundays and do my grocery shopping on Monday. I hate to take away family time on the weekends when my husband isn’t working plus the grocery store is always so much more crowded on the weekends – so Monday it is!

Here’s my week 5 meal plan:

Week 5 went a little something like this:

And I know I’ve said it before, but the calendar provided in the DVD program is so important! Just when I feel body recovering from the prior days’ workouts I get those muscles stretched and ready to be lengthened and strengthened all over again.

My core is getting stronger and not only am I feeling the difference I can see the difference!!

We had a busy weekend with a family reunion Saturday and a softball tournament on Sunday that my husband was playing in but that didn’t stop me from sticking to my goals!

Now, I’ll admit, there were a few bites here and there of some foods that weren’t exactly on my initial plan but I did so much better than prior get togethers and everyone really enjoyed my clean recipes. Success!!

And Sunday was no different…I completed my workout – and yes, that strength interval workout is STILL killing me – and I packed my lunch and my kiddos lunch. No pizza or hot dogs for us 🙂

People often ask about snacks that travel and truth is – there’s a lot of things that will stay fresh for a few hours without being refrigerated.

I had a busy week. I was away from home several times between the Baseball game, reunion and softball tournament but there is one thing I did every day – and that is PREPARE! Having my snacks all prepped in advance, able to be grabbed as I run out the door – keeps me on track.

I love when I can do an entire dish in one pot! And this is no exception.

I started by toasting 1/2 cup slivered almonds over medium heat until golden.

Next I added 1 cup of quinoa and roasted about 5 minutes. While this was roasting I boiled 1 1/2 cups of water in the microwave

Once the quinoa and almonds are toasted add the boiling water along with 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, a dash of sea salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon

Bring all contents to a boil and simmer covered until all water is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes

Serve alongside your favorite meals – my pick – grilled chicken tenders and grilled summer vegetables (squash, zucchini and onions)

This smelled amazing while cooking and tasted even better! Excited for the leftovers!!!

***UPDATE***

Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Dash of sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

NOTE: We enjoyed the leftovers the next day and left them cold – I may have actually liked that better!!!

If you’re interested in learning more about clean eating, join one of my upcoming accountability and support groups!!

OH…the meal planning!!!

Here’s my week 4 meal plan:

Now for the workouts:

Monday – Sweat

Tuesday – Hardcore on the floor

Wednesday – BUNS

Thursday – Drench

Friday – PiYO rest day (although I did visit my local yoga studio for an awesome hot yoga session with my sister in law who was visiting from out of town)

Saturday – Strength Intervals

Sunday – Sweat

UPDATE