S'more desserts please

Hi. I'm Erica and I LOVE food!! I love all sorts, from all different countries, and all different flavors!

That's one thing I LOVE about C! Is that he loves food as much as I do! We love trying new places to eat, love eating foods from different cultures, and we both LOOOOVVVVEEE sweets!

Tiramisu 

On our honeymoon, we basically ate our way through the resort! From delicious eggs Benedict breakfast with homemade pastries (the chocolate one is the BEST!), to a HUGE award winning cheeseburger at lunch! Then there was snack time! Lol yes, they left a snack box in our room every day around 2pm for us to snack on! 

Oh and the desserts!! They were AMAZING!! Banana Splits, Tiramisu, homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches!

Let's not forget about dinner!! 4 course meal every. single. night! Plus all the delicious drinks! I think by the time we left we each gained at least 5lbs! No joke! 

To get to dinner you have to walk two flights of stairs. Night one, no problem at all! Last night, couldn't breath! hahaha

The point is we love food and we enjoyed every moment of our honeymoon! However, I can't KEEP eating like this! So after the fourth of July and I splurge and multiple s'mores I am hosting a 5 day online group! No sweets for 5 days and learning about healthier sugar/sweet alternatives!! 

I could REALLY use the support! So if you want to join me and go 5 days with no sugar to detox yourself from the holiday weekend or just summer treats in general, if you want to support the ladies who are participating, or if you want to learn more about how sugar effects the body and what we can do to still have sweets but make them healthier, click the link here or comment on my post! 

Click here for more info

I hope you ALL enjoy your holiday weekend! Having some cheat meals once in awhile is totally fine so don't feel guilty! But when your ready to commit and be held accountable let me know! I could use your help!!

Links: Weekly Wrap Up Bianna Mix it Monday Carylee 

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

THIS! This is one of my FAVORITE recipes!!

How many of you love to snack on your children's chicken nuggets?? Or lets face, some of us don't have kids yet we still enjoy a good chicken nugget meal! 

This recipe was inspired by my LOVE for chicken nuggets! Super simple and really yummy! 

Ingredients:

2-3 Chicken Breast cut into pieces 

1 cup Almond Flour

Seasoning (I use Cajun but you can use Italian or whatever you would like!)

2 eggs 

1 cup honey

1/4 cup hot sauce 

1 TBS garlic powder

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425

2. Spray cookie sheet with oil or use parchment paper 

3. In a bowl scramble eggs. Place almond flour and seasoning in a separate bowl. Take chicken pieces and dip into eggs, then roll into flour mix, and place on cookie sheet. ***Let extra egg drip off chicken before place into flour AND let chicken sit for 30 minutes after coated to let the coating soak into the chicken, this will prevent the coating from falling off later**** 

4. Bake chicken for 30 minutes or until center is done. 

5. While chicken is cooking, place honey, hot sauce, and garlic powder in sauce pan. Bring to a boil then take the sauce off of the heat

6. When chicken is done, take it out of the oven and place oven to BROIL. Place each piece of chicken into the sauce till coated and then back onto the pan.

7. Broil coated chicken for 5 minutes

8. Then Enjoy!! Pour any extra sauce on top if you wish ;)

Salads or Sugar??

Week one of Core De Force is officially over! You guys, I am LOVING this workout!! This workout is perfect if you are looking to tone up your abs and butt!!

My core has felt the pain ALL week, GOOD pain that is! Its definitely working! If you follow me on facebook, you know my GOAL, is flat tummy for my honeymoon! So folks, we are 97 days away! Its time to GO! 

Most people don't realize how important nutrition is! People think, "Hey, I workout everyday! Yet, I am not seeing results!"

I was there! I didn't get it! I would run 2-3 miles, lift weights, spend over 1 hour in the gym, and tone up nothing! Lose maybe an ounce! It was the WORST feeling! 

Why the trouble???  I wasn't focusing was what I was eating! I thought I was eating healthy or "clean" as they called it! I thought by getting a salad at a fastfood place was SO much better for me then getting my normal burger! SPOILER some salads have more SUGAR and FAT then burgers! They can even be more calories!!

Southwest Chicken salad at Mcdonalds

LOOK AT THE SODIUM!!! 1070 MG! Chicken nuggets are actually one the healthiest options in terms of calories, fat, protein/carb ratio, and sodium! 

Power salad at Wendys! Seems legit! Sounds healthy! Too bad its 450 calories with once again, 1070 mg of sodium!!! 

The point is, every day I thought I was eating healthy. Every day I though I was making such a good choice and NOTHING was working! I was spending $5-9 a day on a salad I thought was helping my body when really it was being packed with sodium and sugar! 

The problem was I wasn't doing research. I didn't know what truly was healthy or not! This why Shakeology changed EVERYTHING for me! 

This isn't a protein shake, its not a vitamin shake, its not a weight loss shakes, its ALL of it!! It combines everything your body needs and its only $4.77 a day! 

People complain about the price ALL the time! I get it! Its a lot of money to pay up front. But when I lay this shake info down to the "healthy" meals I was eating and I see the difference. The shake wins. When I compare the price, the shake wins! Its cheaper than the salad that provides me with LESS nutritional value! 

Regardless if you are a shake person or not, do your research before you think something is healthy! Figure out what your putting in your body! If you need help, you can email me with ANY questions! I am happy to do the research! Also, if you are interested in trying the shakes let me know! 30 day money back guarantee, even on an EMPTY bag! You can drink the ENTIRE thing and decide it didn't work for you, send your empty bag back, and get a full refund :) Thats how much I believe in this stuff! 

Linking up with Bianna, weekly wrap up , Carylee, Lauren, Tuesday Talks 

Shakeology Ingredients: Konjac

So if you don't know by now, I am a HUGE Shakeology fan! There are so many great health benefits to it!

One of the TOP ones for me was being able to get off my blood pressure medicine! I had been on it since age 21 due to genetics! This nutrients and natural ingredients in this drink as supplemented the chemicals I had to take daily, and that my friends is a huge WIN! 

It also keeps everything moving, if you know what I mean! 

However, I always get asked TWO major questions:

What's in it?

How much? 

So I want to make a series of blog post breaking it down for you! Lets talk about exactly what is in it! And I will SHOW you how great of deal this drink truly is!

Ingredient:

KONJAC

Where does it come from?

Found mostly in China. Can be found in either a flour or jelly form. 

How it works:

Used for weight loss and/or dietary fiber. Konjac is the BEST source of fiber for your body, it contains over 40% soluble fiber. Konjac is also a natural source to make you feel full due to its ability to absorb water and expand through the digestive tract. 

Health Benefits:

Constipation due to its high fiber, Hyper/Hypoglycemia due to its ability to absorb water and slow down the digestive process which allows for the carbohydrates to be better digested and stability blood sugar, Diabetes due to its ability to regulate blood sugar, high cholesterol due to the ability to move bile acids out of the body through the digestive system, and high blood pressure. 

Cost

$3-$20 for 100 capsules and $18 for a 500 gram bag

This ingredient, which can be very costly if purchasing on its own, can be found right in shakeology! Which can individual packet cost under $5 plus has 69 other nutrients!!! 

I couldn't run a mile without dying!

This is it! 30 days of core work!!

If you haven't figured it out, I LOVE working out! I really enjoy the benefits! However, it wasn't always that way. 

3 years ago I was just out of college. I lived a typical college life. Going out on the weekends, eating lots of fastfood and pizza and all other kinds of junk. I moved home for the summer between end of the school year and the semester before I student taught. 

I weighed almost 200lbs and I felt completely lost. You see, in high school I was very active! I played basketball, I ran track, I was always doing something. In college that ended. I tried going to the gym but it was a roller coaster! Some of the time I did great, then there would be months of never going.

I will never forget that day with my mom and sister. We were planning on running a mile, no big deal my mom and sister thought. In fact, I thought it would be fine! In high school, I could run in 7-8min mile! I thought it would be easy! But I couldn't do it. 

You guys I literally couldn't breath. It took me 15 minutes to get through the mile and that included walking half the time. My sister and mom passed me and asked if I was okay. Through the tears I said yes, but deep inside I was SO ashamed. They kept going and I just walked thinking to myself, how did I get here? How did I get to this place? How can I physically not even jog a mile!?

Most importantly I thought, how do I fix this? 

Fast forward 3 years later here I am! 25+lbs lighter, 3 pant sizes smaller, and a whole lot of confidence! I ran a half marathon, I completed 5 different workout programs, and now I am focusing on the part of my body that I have ALWAYS hidden......my stomach! 

In 3.5 months I am getting married and my goals is a flat tummy! I have NEVER worn a bikini, even in high school I still didn't have a flat stomach, and more than anything I want to be on my honeymoon rocking my bikini! 

So I am doing 3 rounds of Core Da Force, a boxing workout that focuses on cardio and your core! The program is 30 days long and I plan on doing it through 3 times. I CAN"T WAIT! I can't wait to work towards a goal! 

I want to bring 5 people on this journey with me! No matter where you are starting! If you have been working out for months but need a change of pace or if you are me 3 years ago and can't even DREAM of running a mile! I want to help! 

Follow my journey and updates here! 

What are your health and fitness goals!?

Linking up with: Bianna, Weeklywrap, Carylee, Lauren, TrendyandTidy,  Tuesdaytalks

Crockpot Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken

This recipe is QUICK, its Whole 30 and Paleo approved, and its TASTY!! 

I found similar recipe online that required the chicken and sauce to be made in a pan. However, I just don't have the time this week! So yesterday I thought, why not make a few changes and throw it all in the crockpot! 

I was so happy I did! I got home from work, my house smelt amazing, and dinner was ready! Seriously, if I could make ALL meals in a crockpot I would! That item is KEY in my kitchen! 

Ingredients:

- 4 Chicken Thighs (You can use any type of chicken)

- 1 can of Sun-dried Tomatoes  

- 1 1/2 cup Chicken Broth or Stock

- 1/2 Onion Chopped

- 2 Garlic Cloves 

- 1 cup canned Coconut Cream 

- Italian Seasoning

Directions:

- In crockpot put in Chicken Broth, chopped onion, garlic, and Sun-dried tomatoes. 

- Place the chicken on top and season with Italian Seasoning (Do not use coconut cream until the end)

- Cook on low for 6 hours

- When you get home, take chicken out and put in coconut cream to the juices. Mix together and place chicken back in. 

- ENJOY! 

Treat yo Self!!!

Ever have those weeks where you just KICK A**??? The whole check list is completed, laundry done, kids where they need to be, dinner made, work done and BAM! You rocked your day! Or week even!

Those days are the best! 

You get in the car to go pick the kids up from practice/schools/friends wherever they may be and you drive past your favorite ice cream place? (insert any place that serves favorite food). You start thinking, "Man, a caramel truffle ice cream cone sounds delicious!" 

Then you tell yourself, "You know what, I DESERVE this!" And you pull in! 

Now, I think ice cream cones are A-Okay! In fact, I love them!! But how many times do we reward ourselves with food??

"I ran a mile today" = Pizza

"I completed my checklist" = Soda

"I went through the entire day without spewing a bad word to anyone" = entire bottle of wine

These things are okay in moderation! The thing is, sometimes we find ANY justification to eat what we want! Literally, I told myself last week "I did my job today, I am getting an ice cream!" Hahaha what?? Of course I did my job! I HAVE to! 

My suggestion is this, we are not dogs! We shouldn't ALWAYS reward ourselves with food! Food is meant to be enjoyed yes! But, its not meant to be a reward for every. little. thing. we. do. 

Here are some suggestions! 

If you reached your goal, treat yourself to a new top, pants, shoes, purse, whatever it may be! This is a long lasting reward, something you can enjoy over and over again! Set a goal and treat yo self! 

I LOVE a good massage! Recently, I went down a pant size from a 10 to an 8! Instead of running to get 5 pints of Ben and Jerry's I booked myself a massage and it felt amazing! I can't wait to hit my next goal and go again! 

Go on a walk, get out of the house, maybe even a girls night or weekend! Reward yourself with some time spent just on you

Maybe you never take naps? Or you never sleep in? Well scratch that! You deserve it! Take some extra zzzz's as a reward!

Go get your nails done, or maybe buy yourself that color you have been eyeing at the drug store! Maybe you are have been wanting to change your hair style!? 

The point is, there are SO many ways to tell yourself, JOB WELL DONE! In fact, a lot of these ways will make you FEEL better afterward! So sure, get an ice cream every once and awhile and go ahead and have that slice of pizza! But treat yo self with ways that make you feel yo self!

Linking up with: Simply, weeklywrap, Tuesday talks

The GOOD stuff...I mean sleep!

I hope you all had a much better weekend then me!! I was feeling pooped and under the weather! There was a nastyvirus going around school that I caught! Last for over 5 days of fever,  aughing, sneezing, and even a little vomiting! THE WORST!

Anyway, last Mondaywe talked about the importance of sleep! I love hearing from you readers! One thing I didn't cover is sleep while being a mom, because I am not one yet! So all you mommy can chime in from personal experience of HOW to get more sleep! 

So we know the importance of sleep but what are some tips to actually get more sleep!? 

Routine

Try to get to sleep at the same tim every night and wake up around the same time in the morning! This will get your body in a routine to know THIS IS SLEEP TIME! For mommies, this could be impossible! I have heard of sleep schedules for your baby and that would help mommy get some rest as well! Moms, do sleep schedules help!? 

Exercise

If you body is active during the day it will sleep better at night! 30 minutes of exercise will allow for deeper and longer rest! 

Caffeine, sugar, alcohol

Limit your intake of these things during the day! Especially right before bed time! These chemicals affect the way in which your body is able to sleep! 

Electronics

I am SO awful at this! Try to turn off your cell phone, computer, tv before bed! A book is a great way to get to sleep! The electronics stimulate your brain and it actually harder to fall asleep with those devices! 

Restful Environment

Studies have shown a clean room helps your sleep better! Even though you are resting and you can't see anything, your mind knows what the room looks like it! It knows if it has laundry to put away, clothes to fold, shoes to put back! Do yourself a favor and create a restful environment! Your body will thank you! 

Any other good tips!? 

Linking up with Bianna, Carylee, Lauren, Sarah

Pass me the zzzz's

I hope you all had such a great weekend! I definitely did! My fiancé and I were able to spend the weekend together :) I took him to Dave and Busters Saturday as his Valentines gift! I felt bad for winning at all the games, but someone has to do it ;) 

Just kidding! He did beat me a few times! We spent the evening downtown Indy at an Italian restaurant where I had my cheat meal of the week consisting of the most delicious crab cheese dip I had ever had! I had steak and he had the most AMAZING almond crusted sea scallops :) I kinda wanted to trade haha 

One thing I noticed though was how TIRED I was! We had such a great time celebrating, but by Sunday my body was like GIVE ME REST!! I have a love/hate relationship with sleep! 

I LOVE sleeping! I just love being all cozy under the covers and the fact I am not aware of what my mind is doing! However, I hate that I get nothing done when I am sleeping! Maybe its just me since I tend to have a crazy weird relationships with work and the need to be busy, so sometimes I feel like I just don't have the time to dedicate 6-8 hours to one spot in my bed!  

Sleep is actually a KEY part of our daily health! It is SO important to get enough of it and most of us do not! Sorry sleep, we have other fish to fry rather than being knocked out, drooling, and dreaming! 

But here are a FEW reminders (that I pretty much have to always tell myself) of why sleep is important: 

 Health

It lessens your chance of falling ill or suffering from long term health disease such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. 

Reduces Stress 

You are asleep! Nothing to worry about and allows for your body to re-engergize itself to take on the worries of the next day! 

Improves your Memory 

When you are sleeping, your body has the ability to organize and retain the information you took in that day. It is literally good to "sleep on it!"

Reduces Weight

When your body does not get enough rest there is a hormone imbalance that occurs creating a larger appetite! I don't know about you but if I stay up later than I normally do, I usually tend to want to snack and I often eat more calories than I should! 

Ease the aches and pains

Your body actually uses the time you are resting as the chance to heal and repair its wears and tears of the day! 

Better Mood 

Your mood will increase, you will feel better, and you will be much more less irritated!  

These are just a few benefits, there are so many more! So next time you feel like hitting snooze, GO FOR IT! You need the sleep! Next Monday I will talk about HOW MUCH sleep we need and how to sleep better! 

Do you have any personal stories of how sleep has benefited you!? 

Linking up with Biana and Carylee, Lauren Sarah, On the Edge, Stephanie 

Korean Beef

I love me some good Asian/Chinese food! Before I focused on my nutrition I would get Chinese takeout at least once a week. That usually consisted of soup, rice, crab cheese, and sweet and sour chicken.

Although all that still sounds AMAZING! It was not fueling my booed properly! My mom and I found a Korean Beef recipe that we decided to change and make our own! 

Its pretty simple, takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook, and taste AMAZING! 

Ingredients:

1 lb Beef (Sirloin tips sliced or I used Venison steak) 

Ghee or Coconut Oil 

2 Red Bell Peppers sliced

1 Sweet Onion sliced

4 cloves garlic

2 TBS Red Pepper Flakes

1 Cup Coconut milk/fat (found in a can in asian food aisle) 

1TBS Ginger 

1/4 cup soy sauce (For Whole 30 use Coconut aminos as substitute) 

Salt

Pepper

Cauliflower Rice 

Directions:

1. Slice the beef into thin slices and set aside. Place 2 chopped garlic cloves in a pan with Ghee or coconut oil. Place the beef and pan and fry four about 3 minutes on each side. Make sure to do just one layer at a time :) Set cooked beef aside. 

2. Clean out pan and place a TBS of Ghee, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, red bell peppers, and onions in pan. Fry for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables cook down. 

3. Add to the pan 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 cup of coconut fat with a little bit of coconut milk, red pepper flakes, ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil with the vegetables. 

4. Add the beef into the sauces and veggies, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes. 

5. To cook the cauliflower rice I found it was easiest to mix with a little coconut oil and place on a cookie sheet. I let it roast in the oven at 275 for about 12 minutes :) 

6. Plate the rice and meet mixture and ENJOY! 

Linking up with Emily

Beer! Wine! Coffee! Water?

I LOVE me a good drink! Especially with the super bowl yesterday, I wanted a little of everything! 

My go to is a nice glass of white wine! I love a Sauvignon Blanc---Kim Crawford to be exact! Have you tried this stuff?? Its the bees knees! 

How about a good margarita? Sangria? I promise I'm not an alcoholic, so how about a good ole iced cafe latte?? 

These are my GO TO drinks! I love them all! And you know what I hate (okay use to hate) WATER!! 

Its just so....plain. Sure its refreshing, but so is an iced late or a cold margarita! So why should I drink the stuff? Everyone always says to drink lots, well how much is lots??

I used to drink 1-2 glasses of water a day. No joke! I thought drinking an entire glass within 4-5 hours was a LOT of water! I just didn't like it at all!! So I get it, its plain, its boring, its no glass of wine or coffee! 

When I started focusing on my nutrition I became educated about how much water I should drink and why I should drink it! 

But how did I do this? How did I adjust myself from drinking 2 glasses a day to 72-80 ounces a day?? 

1. Make it fun! I bought myself some cool water bottles to get excited about water! Water glasses are boring! Wine glasses, margarita glasses, and starbucks cups are not! So make it fun!

Awesome water bottle tracker! 

2. Track it! You can buy a water bottle that tracks it for you or get an app like Myfitness Pal or Lose it! 

3. Drink an entire glass in the morning before you have anything else! I always start my day with water before I even allow myself to have coffee, this ensures I get at least 12-24 ounces (depending on your glass size) of water before I even start my day! 

4. Drink a glass of water before a meal or going out. Sometimes hunger is actually confused for thirst! 

What tips can you share!? 

Linking up with Biana, Sarah, Carlee

Coconut Lime Chicken

This is by FAR the best Whole 30 dish I have made! I seriously am in LOVE! I found the Recipe over at A Saucy Kitchen but modified it a little to fit my taste buds! 

The final product is sweet! I paired it with some roasted asparagus from Trader Joes! It was delicious! 

This dish is Whole 30 approved, Paleo, and basically for everyone who enjoys a sweet chicken dish! 

I also love the fact it called for FRESH ingredients! I love cilantro, lime, and onion! It almost looks like a salsa! 

Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts 
1 cup Cilantro
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onion
3 TBS Chopped Garlic
1/4 Tsp Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute (Or any other mix of seasonings)
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
3 TBS Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk Fat 

Directions:
1. Heat pan at a medium heat and coat with Ghee (A clarified butter) or Coconut Oil (Olive Oil works as well). 
2. Salt, Pepper, and Season the pieces of chicken. Place them in the heated pan and let them sear for 5 minutes on each side. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
3. Add chopped garlic and onion to the pan and saute until the onion gets transparent color. Add in the chicken stock, pepper flakes, and cilantro. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add coconut fat to the mixture and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 additional minutes.
4. Add chicken back to the sauce pan and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes. 
5. Plate chicken with a veggie or rice!  

Loving your Flaws

Transformation is more than just PHYSICAL! 


I have gained more than just being fit, stronger, and in shape! I have done more than just lose weight!

The girl on the left would NEVER wear bright pink lipstick! She didn't have the confidence! She lacked self-esteem, she lacked discipline and motivation. She smiled and was generally happy, but she lacked joy in herself. She didn't believe she was worthy. She felt ugly compared to others. 

The girl on the right worked hard! She became disciplined, motivated, confident, and learned to LOVE her body including all of its flaws! She realized that being "skinny" wasn't what would make her happy! Loving herself, her body, her flaws---you know, the big booty, the thighs that jiggle, and that little gut in her stomach that just doesn't go away. They make her who she is!

February 13th I am starting my FREE love yourself series! Its a two week group where women encourage and uplift each other. Where we learn how to love ALL of ourselves! In a society full of negativity, let's learn to treasure who we are no matter where we are in our journey!

ALL are welcome, no strings attached! Just a way to bring some light in a dark society! 

Linking up with Going the Distance and Anne & Erin 

I'll have ONE piece of lettuce

Drum roll please...........

12 lbs lost people! I honestly am pumped! I may have cheated and weighed myself 3 days before the end of the Whole 30 but I couldn't take it. I noticed my waist had slimmed down, my legs were smaller, and my face was showing some structure! 

I didn't expect it to be that much but once I saw the number I was shocked! 

So what was key?? Did I deprive myself??

Yes, I ate the above EVERY. DAY.  JUST KIDDING!!!! How awful would that be! I mean I love shrimp, potatoes, and asparagus but seriously people!

So how do I trick my brain into eating less? I wish I could say I had the will power to just stop when I am full! I wish I could just eat ONE brownie and be done, or have ONE piece of chicken and not go back for more, but I just don't have that much self control!

So I play mind games to keep my portion sizes small! Here are my top 2 tricks!

Trick #1 Grab Half

Grab half of what you normally eat! So if you are out to eat and you get a sandwich and chips, eat half and wrap the rest up for later (and probably put it in the trunk of your car because if you are like me the back seat isn't far enough away lol). This trick is KEY to cutting down over eating.

Once you grab half, eat it, and if you still feel like you could eat your hand, drink 8oz of water and wait 10 minutes. Let your mind catch up to your stomach.

Trick #2 Use the Small Plates

Have you ever noticed that dinner plates are large enough to feed a family in Africa??? Seriously, they are HUGE! And being the wonderful food loving people we are, we fill that bad boy up! Obviously we were taught to "finish everything on our plates," so we eat it all! That is just too much food for the average person to consume! So you know those smaller salad plates, use those! That way when you fill it up, you trick your mind and can clean the plate being guilt free!

Portion sizes are key people and its so hard when you LOVE food like I do but I promise these tips work! Try it out for a week and let me know what you think!

Any other trick and tips for portion control???

12lbs smaller and still eating LOTS of food :) Please ignore the lack of make up ;)

Linking up with Biana , Stephanie , and #spreadthekidness

New Years Resolutions

Every year people make resolutions. Every year 70% of people quit in January. Why is this? And how many times have we fallen into that 70%? Are intentions are always pure, we always want to succeed. But life gets busy and excuses are made and its easier to stop then to stick with it. 

How do we make this year different? How do we actually succeed? How do we ensure that our busy lives do not get in the way of our goal? How AWESOME would we feel if we reached it!? 

The thing that is MOST important to sticking with your resolutions is accountability! Having someone EVERY DAY checking in with you for a quick second to make sure that you are doing or will do what you need to reach your goal is critical to success. 

My main resolutions this year are the following:

1) To get fit and toned! All I want for christmas 2016 is toned arms and a flat stomach :) 

2) Healthy! I want off my blood pressure medicine!

3) Save, save, save!

How will I get there!? The accountability groups I run! I run 30 day accountability groups for people with fitness goals in mind! I also can help people find a workout and nutrition plan that best fits them! Every. Day. I check in my with challengers. We motivate each other to get our work out in, to make good choices, and the main rule is that we only indulge 20% of the time! 

Its not a diet. We can eat anything! If its in moderation. 

The workout plan is made for you. JUST FOLLOW IT! 

We get daily motivation and tips to help us to live a healthier lifestyle! 

No monthly gym membership!

Just workout 30 minutes in your own home!

Participate month after month! 

My last group lost a total of 26lbs between 6 people! 

Who's in? who is going to stick with their resolutions this year!?

The Tough Stuff

The holidays can be the HARDEST time for people to set and maintain fitness goals! Even I am REALLY struggling right now! Thank goodness for my challengers and challenge group because they are the ONLY thing holding me accountable! 

All I want in my life is some fried food and cookies!! haha but I saw this the other day and truer words could not be spoken:

Not that fitness is a competition, but I am a competitive person, so every time I don'twant to go to the gym for those 30 minutes or I want to stop for some french fries I just think about all the people who ARE doing it, and how I am bettering my body! 

The struggle is real! However, there is no need to wait till January 1st! You can start now! Even if its just breakfast, or a snack, or walking for 20 minutes! Anytime you do something you haven't been doing, you are making progress! You are making a better, healthier, and happier you :) 

What do you struggle with!?

FRIED FOOD! SWEETS!! HELP! 

My Fitness and Health Journey--it aint easy!

Time for a little interview about me! 

Beachbody is a health and fitness program. It combines a pre-made fitness proram with a nutrition plan. The goal is to eat clean 80% of the time and workout 5 times a week depending on your program. All you have to do is follow what they tell you! 

I got started in Beachbody a few years ago when I did the Isanity program! I lost 19lbs in that program. I then did the T-25 program! The results were seriously amazing. 

The problem was that I did the fitness program, I stuck with the nutriton, but I quickly came up with many excuses to go back to my old habits! To head back through the drive through and to skip workouts! I had NO accountability! Clearly the program works! I just wasn't holding myself accountable! 

I wanted to be healthy again, I wanted to be that girl in the picture at top! The one who put in the 30 minutes a day to workout and ate healthy 80% of the time! I wanted to get off my blood pressure medicine, I didn't want to follow in my family's footsteps of heart issues! I wanted to be an EXAMPLE! I never was the healthy girl, I never was the fit and skinny girl, I just wanted to look in the mirror and be proud of what I saw! This is MY body! Its my responsibility to take care of it! I had to make a change! I had to get back to that girl and I knew that the ONLY program that worked for me was Beachbody. I tried gym memberships, weight watchers, classes, etc. This was it! This was easy to fit in my schedule and it worked! 

Like I said before, the program worked, I just didn't have the accountability! My friend Krista got me set up on a program called Bodybeast. She started something called a challenge group. This was a group on Facebook that I checked into daily. She also posted some awesome tips, recipes, and health tricks to keep me on track! Everyday I posted how I did with my eating, water intake, and workout! It truly motivated me! I knew that everyday I had to post so I wanted to make sure I could say that I completed everything I had to! Yes, there are days where I don't do it, I am human, but this group gave me the accountability to finish what I started, to reach my goals! 

This was my result! 

Once I saw these results I wanted to help others reach their goals! This seriously was because I stuck to a 30 minute workout 6 days a week, ate clean 80% of the time, and had a coach that kept me accountable! All I did was purchase this workout, made an investment in my health and well being, and BAM I knew I wanted to help other people do this! I wanted to get other people to their goals! Since then I have had even more progress! I also reached Emerald which means I have other people who coach under me! 

If you want help reaching your goals, my coaching is FREE! I want to inspire others, I want to help you reach your goals! I will work with you to find a program that works for you! I can help you get results! I know how it feels to constantly try to diet, try a new workout, THIS IS NOT A DIET! It changed my life! Now my JOB is to inspire you and help you change yours :) 

Contact me by commenting below or email me for questions! I have some amazing challengers with amazing results!