Fit and Healthy Pregnancy #3

I can't keep secrets you guys! And the reason why I haven't really blogged in the last 2 weeks is because I had a huge secret that I wanted to tell you about and I wasn't ready to spill the beans quite yet. Well, I am ready now!


BABY #3 IS On Its Way, Again!!!! And with the same due date as my last pregnancy. Weird huh!

To be honest with you, we thought I was broken. My cycles have been so off since the miscarriage. Never regular and all over the place. We didn't think I could get pregnant again. Matt even scheduled a deployment so that we could save some $$ to pay for fertility treatment again, just to get pregnant. Apparently we don't need to do that anymore!

I have been in major denial, sad, angry, confused. I haven't let myself really be happy yet. And that is ok, considering what I went through last year. I didn't even want to share the news this quickly either. What if it happens again? But you know what? Every pregnancy is a miracle. Every pregnancy is a blessing. And I should know as it took us 8 years to get our first positive test after years of trying! So regardless of what happens. I still want to celebrate and honor this and every pregnancy. The main thing I am doing right now is trying to be as healthy as possible for me and the baby. So here we go again! Another fit and healthy pregnancy to share with all of you! Hope you enjoy the journey!

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Celebrate Your Small Victories

If you have been working hard on a new workout plan this month, or started a new workout schedule, CELEBRATE how far you have come this month! We made it! CELEBRATE that fact. That you stuck with your goals and challenge! That is a lot! And that is the step in the right direction to changing your lifestyle. To helping you get stronger physically and mentally. I am hoping that by today you are noticing the difference in your endurance and strength. Can you believe how far you have actually come since you started? Crazy how fast your body actually does adapt. 

It is totally great to celebrate the fact with how far you have come. I celebrate all non scale victories. Take the time to celebrate the small things in your journey. Because all of these little celebrations will add up to huge results and HUGE CELEBRATIONS! Be proud of the fact that you stuck with something. That you did this! So celebrate! Tell all your friends what you accomplished. Tell them that you did a plank for x amount of minutes, or that you ran 1 mile, or that you were able to survive an entire Zumba class, or that you made it through Chisel Agility without feeling like you were going to die. Share with the world because you can help to inspire someone who might be struggling in their journey. You never know who you can inspire. How awesome would it be if your friend told you, ”Because of you I didn’t give up!” Believe me, it will make your day! And you are sharing it forward! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Snow Day Activities For Young Kids

We are officially snowed in! YEP! Thanks a lot Jonas! But we are loving every minute of it. We are trying out some fun snowed in activities to keep the kids occupied and happy, without going over our allotted tablet/tv time. That means getting a little creative. So here are some fun activities we are trying out!

Schedule a Neighborhood Play Date
Go out when everyone is out. We had a fun time sledding in our neighbors yard yesterday with quite a few neighbors we haven't seen in awhile! Mason was quite upset when it was time to say good-bye. That just means he had so much fun! 

Whip up Snow Cones
After playing in the snow with the kids, gather up clean, freshly fallen snow and bring it inside. Divide it into cups and pour lemon juice and a little sugar or some fruit juice over each and you and the kids can enjoy some healthy homemade snow cones. For an even more fun recipe click here.

Build a Living Room Campsite
Kids love when their parents flip normal household routines upside down. Creating a campsite in the living room is the perfect way to take them by surprise! Turn out the lights, wear PJs, bust out the sleeping bags or fun blankets and sit around telling stories. If you don't have a tent, be creative and build a fort using blankets, couch cushions and pillows. Oh and stock up on some marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers for snow day s'mores.

Craft an Indoor Snowman
You don't always have to freeze outside to build a snowman -- be creative and make one using marshmallows, or cotton balls. Outline a snowman on construction paper and trace glue around each circle. Place mini marshmallows or cotton balls onto the glue. Add details with other materials from around the house. Grab scraps of felt for his hat or yarn for his scarf and color in his face with markers or dried food products. When he's dry, the kids can name and hang him up in the house. 

Snow themed Coloring Books
Have a grandparent in another part of the country. Have the kids color snow-themed coloring pages and mail them to the grandparents to let them know that you were thinking of them on your snowy days! Google free printable coloring pages for TONS of options! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

9 Tips To Transitioning Your Family To Clean Eating

Often times it is us mom's who want to change our diet. What is that old saying, when mom is on a diet, we all are! So true. But here is the thing. I remember always fussing and complaining about the change of foods growing up. So here are my 9 tips to help transition your family into eating a more healthy clean diet. 

1) Start slow if you need to. Rather than trying to make a big change all at once or eliminating all their favorite foods, start by adding in the healthy stuff. Before you know it, some of the unhealthy choices are being crowded out. 

2) Make changes to the meals you already enjoy. Clean eating doesn’t mean you can never eat things your kids love like pizza and spaghetti.  Just make healthy swaps. Whole grain pita for the crust, low sugar pizza sauce (or make your own) and loads of veggies.  My kids love spaghetti, so I use whole wheat or brown rice noodles and sauce without added sugar.  Is it completely clean? No, but remember the 80/20 rule. 

3) Encourage your kids to add a fruit or vegetable to every meal. I find if I let them pick something out at the grocery store, they are excited about eating it.  

4) Meal prep on the weekend for the upcoming week. I try to cook a large batch of chicken breasts for the upcoming week in the crockpot, then shred and freeze it.  I am going to start pre-cook lean hamburger and ground turkey. We love Mexican food, so I often cook salsa chicken or baked chicken fajitas so we have meat ready to add to tacos, burritos, salads, etc. I make oatmeal and a large baked omelet so there are healthy breakfast options available to reheat. 

  

5) Add extra veggies to everything. Casseroles are easy to sneak them in, but you can also add them to most sauces, smoothies, meatloaf, etc. 

  

6) To save money, buy things in bulk. Also, since meat is expensive, I often replace half the meat in a recipe with quinoa. It’s still high protein and makes your grocery budget stretch further.  

7) Don’t fall into the trap of making one meal for your family and a separate clean meal for you. I often add something to the meal that I know my family will like even if it’s something I may not eat.  

  

8) Educate yourself and your family as you make these changes so you know WHY you’re doing it. Help them see it’s not just “another new diet,” but a lifelong plan to keep them strong and healthy.  

9) Most important of all. Don’t stress. You’ll get the hang of it, and soon you’ll be surprised how much your family loves it.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

6 Tips To Eat Clean While Eating Out

Here are my tips to eating clean while eating out! It can be so hard,and so tempting to just eat what you want, why not! You are eating out, and we only do that every now and then. So when you are going out, here are my 6 tips to keep me on point for the day! 

1) Find local restaurants that have healthier options. Farm to table restaurants are amazing!

2) It is ok to ask what is used to prepare a meal or what ingredients are used

3) Look online to view menu options and nutritional information and plan ahead

4) Pay attention to portions. Don’t be afraid to eat half of your meal and take the rest home for lunch

5) Ask for healthier options. Most restaurants will be happy to cater to your needs

6) Eat a salad before your main meal, but be cautious of unhealthy dressings. Oil and vinegar dressings are usually a safe bet.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free daily advice, support, motivation, encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Are you following my INSTAGRAM yet? Check out my stories and feed to see how I fit a healthy lifestyle into my busy mom life!

Clean Eating Does Not Have To Be Expensive!

The biggest complaint I have about someone starting to eat clean or organic is: But Isn’t It Expensive?

Eating real whole foods does not have to be expensive! You buy what you can eat and not more. And you make the intention that you ARE going to eat what you buy. I can easily get a haul of fresh fruit and veggies at a really low cost. Shop at smaller stores, like Trader Joe’s. Or go to Costco and freeze what you don't eat in the week. I often hear the excuse that eating healthy is expensive. I do keep some thing at the house to always have and to munch on or use for meals (such as beans $.80/can — chicken breast ~$2/lb — brown rice ~$3/bag — quinoa ~$3/bag — frozen veggies and fruit ~$2/bag) and this stuff normally lasts a while.

Here are a few tips to help keep the cost lower when making that change to buying organic or "clean foods":

• Keep it super simple
• Make a plan
• Buy ingredients that can be used multiple times
• Stock up on staples
• Make your own dressings
• Season and prepare your own food
• Stick to the outer perimeter of the store
• Freeze portions to prevent waste. Freeze fruit and veggies too!
• Try new things
• Drink water…it costs way less than sugary beverages
•  Decide where you will spend the extra money on organic foods. Organic milk, grass fed meats, organic eggs, or organic produce.
• Not everything has to be organic, but generally for produce, if it has a soft exterior it should be organic.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Always Read The Ingredients List

I attended a couple of discussions this past weekend about health and wellness. One thing is very clear. DO NOT GET ALL CAUGHT UP WITH THE FRONT OF BOXES AND SUCH! One of the most overwhelming things out there is going to the store and looking at foods that say, "Whole grains!" "LOW FAT!" "HEALTHY" These are all marketing strategies used to get you to buy what might look healthy on the front. Which is exactly why cereal companies and "health foods" spend so much on on marketing. 

I get it. Eating healthy, or organic foods is more expensive. But here is one thing you can do in the grocery store on a tight budget to ensure that you are getting the best food for you and your family! 

Read The Ingredients, not just the nutrition facts but the INGREDIENTS! 

The ingredients are the most important thing you need to know about your food. Big companies spend MILLION of dollars to advertise their products to you, and there is a lot of false advertising going on! Skip to the labels, calories and nutrition facts and go straight there. No of that matters if you are putting harmful materials into your body. 

Here are my two biggest tips: 

If you don’t recognize it or can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!

Try to stick to food that is in its whole state (ex. fruit/vegetables) or food that has just a few ingredients. Make sure they are ingredients you recognize.

Which one would you choose? 

Avoid anything that is labeled low-fat, fat-free, or diet!

When the fat is taken out of food it becomes “bland” so most fat free, low fat or reduced fat foods are filled with processed fillers, chemicals, or artificial flavors to replace it. These can be harmful to the body.

Take the time to read the ingredients. The more you do it the more familiar you will get with it and it will become easier. Boxed foods are the biggest culprit so make sure to look closely and carefully! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Why You Are Worth It To Work Out

Working out and exercising is HARD! It is hard to find time in our busy everyday lives. And most of the time it involves waking up earlier than you really want to. Or maybe missing watching the newest episode of Once Upon A Time. It is hard! But really, it is worth it. You know it is and that is why when a workout is missed we often regret it.

But honestly, your workout, a 30 minute workout is only 2% of your day. Just 2% of your day! That's it. Then why is it so hard to get it into our lives.

First let's ask why is fitness every single day so important? Anyone who is successful in life is doing a daily workout. Why? Exercising before work gives you a boost of energy for the day and that deserved sense of accomplishment. (forbes.com) It helps to wake your body up. Gets your mind firing faster. And get it going. Even just doing 15 minutes of exercise in the morning will get you set on the right path for the day.

So today to get you stronger from the inside out, look at your daily schedule and see where you can carve out some time to exercise for 30 minutes a day. 30 minutes is ideal to get into that aerobic fat burning state! I want you to schedule the workout in to your calendar just like you would a doctor appointment. It really is that important. Make alarms for it too! Do whatever you have to do to get your workout in!

Need help on what to do for a morning exercise. You can start with the monthly workout challenge! PLANKING! YEA! Who doesn't like a good plank? Check it out here!

Better yet, want to be part of a LIVE group with one on one AND group support? Join my 7 days to a Stronger You. It begins MONDAY! Yep Monday! We are focusing on strengthening our mind and our bodies! Click here to register and you will get a FREE digital copy of my Clean eating guide, and special access into my group with daily motivation and support. Register. Join us! I am so excited to work with you and help 2016 be YOUR YEAR to get your results! PLUS this month my 7 day Meal Plan, AND a special workbook to go along with the training. HOLY CROW that is a ton of stuff! But you know what? I want you to succeed. I want you to get your results. I know what it is like to feel frustrated to start over again. But here is the thing. I am giving you the tools that I am using to lose weight. I have lost 20 pounds now. And I am losing more every month. I am getting fit and healthy because private support groups just like this. So please.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

January Book Club

It's the first Wednesday of the month and you know what that brings...MONTHLY BOOK CLUB! YEA! I am so excited for these books. The first book is a positive uplifting book and the second book is written by the first announced guest speaker at the Beachbody huge coach annual convention this year. I have heard great things about Gary and the book so I wanted to give it a try this month! It is for helping to build your tribe or following on social media! Which book are you going to read this month? Comment below! 

Book 1: 

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale: The Power Of Positive Thinking

In this phenomenal bestseller, “written with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life,” Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life—and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes. You’ll learn how to:

· Believe in yourself and in everything you do
· Build new power and determination
· Develop the power to reach your goals
· Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
· Improve your personal and professional relationships
· Assume control over your circumstances
· Be kind to yourself

Book 2: 

Gary Vaynerchuk: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook is a blueprint to social media marketing strategies that really works. 

When managers and marketers outline their social media strategies, they plan for the “right hook”—their next sale or campaign that’s going to knock out the competition. Even companies committed to jabbing—patiently engaging with customers to build the relationships crucial to successful social media campaigns—want to land the punch that will take down their opponent or their customer’s resistance in one blow. Right hooks convert traffic to sales and easily show results. Except when they don’t.

Thanks to massive change and proliferation in social media platforms, the winning combination of jabs and right hooks is different now. Vaynerchuk shows that while communication is still key, context matters more than ever. It’s not just about developing high-quality content, but developing high-quality content perfectly adapted to specific social media platforms and mobile devices—content tailor-made for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

5 Ways To Stick With Your Resolutions

Here we are 5 days into the new year! How is your resolution going so far? Are you working every single day to make you one step, (big or small) closer to your goal? You got this! Keep going. They are important to you or else you wouldn't have decided to make these changes in your life! And if "Losing Weight" made it on your list, it is the TOP resolution for the New Year! Followed closely by " exercise more" and "improve overall health" Maristpoll

Here are 5 ways to help you stick with those resolutions!

Set Real and obtainable goals: 

Be realistic in your goals. Start with smaller goals that are obtainable rather than larger daunting goals. Like, lose 10 pounds by March. instead of lose 100 pounds by March. It isn't going to happen safely or without medical intervention. You have to be realistic with yourself or else you are just setting yourself up to fail. And no one wants to do that. Another great goal to think about is to slowly increase how many days you are exercising. If on average you exercised 2 days a week, like clock work, bump it up to 3-4 for a challenge. But automatically jumping to 7 days a week might be too much of a leap and can lead to getting burned out pretty quickly. Be realistic in your goals.

Find the time. Or if you have to Make the time: 

If it is important to you, you will make the time for it or find the time in your day that you can fit it in. Make it fit into your schedule and if you have to wake up a little earlier in the morning to get the time you need into your life. You might have to sacrifice browsing Facebook or Instagram but what is going to make you feel better. Looking at people or being that person you want to become!

Share Your Journey:

One of the best things, and scariest things I have ever done, is starting to share my story with all of you. It scared the living daylights out of me for fear of judgement or ridicule. But you know what. I want to help people realize that they can change their lives too. That is what matters. And honestly it took me 17 months as a coach to share my actual weight on social media. I shared my before and after pictures but never, ever put a number to it, until last month and I came out with it. I am currently 235 pounds guys. And you know what is so funny. Now that it is out of the bag, I can't stop mentioning it. I feel like I am providing so many women out there who think they are too heavy or too out of shape or what not an opportunity to show them that NO THEY ARE NOT! We all start somewhere. Share your store. Inspire others. We have a real epidemic on our hands. Obesity. And it requires all of us to work hard to fight it. Be that example to your friends! Post your pictures. Share your story. Share your ups and downs. You never know who you will inspire.

Upgrade Your Eating Habits: 
It is so hard to cut something cold turkey. And often after a few days of no chocolate, chocolate ends up in the house and before you know it. It is GONE! (please tell me I am not the only one that this happens to!) Make small healthy, lasting changes to your diet. ask for veggies or a salad instead of fries. Drink water only with your dinner. Eat only one slice of toast in the morning, then slowly transition to eating oatmeal in the morning. Add more veggies to a smoothie. Or even just make a meatless meal once a week focusing on eating more greens in your diet! Try something new. You never know you might like it, and how it makes you feel!

Make It Exciting:
When you do go to exercise, make it fun and exciting! Start a new workout program. Doing the same old boring stuff means you can get bored sooner and more likely to stop. Try a new workout that challenges you. Hammer and Chisel, 21 Day Fix Extreme, a Cycle class, hot yoga! There are so many things out there to up the anti in your workouts! And make it fun! Also make an end goal for what you are doing to. Like sign up for a specific race that looks awesome, or be able to do 10 military style pushups. Challenge yourself but make it fun and exciting.

Sticking with your goals is only part of the battle. Go back and check out about SMART goals and making sure that each and every one of your goals matches all the categories in the acronym. Your goals are worth it. They matter! You matter! Stick with these and you will stick with your goals!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!