Losing Weight: Strive For Progress... Not Perfection

If losing weight were easy...EVERYONE WOULD BE DOING IT and I would be out of a job! Seriously! We all know this because we would have lost the weight YEARS ago! All you have to do it just try to get your workouts in and eat right. To make progress you just have to do it. Eat 80/20 so that you allow yourself to still have a treat every now and then and not feel guilty for it. and if you can't exercise 7 days a week Aim for Monday- Friday. Some exercise is better than none! You don't have to be perfect you just have to make progress!

All too often I hear about people going in 100% to their workouts and eating, which is GREAT! But it isn't sustainable for the long term. Why? Because life happens. And often when life happens we fall off the wagon, then if we were pushing really hard and fast and 100% we feel guilty for falling off the wagon, then binge eating happens or a huge break from workouts happen. Then more guilt. The frustration. Then just giving up. Then the cycle begins again. Go in 100% for a short time, fall off, guilt and so forth. IT'S TIME TO CHANGE HOW WE APPROACH LOSING WEIGHT AND THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT TO MAKE THIS TRULY WORK AND BE A LIFELONG CHANGE! It's ok to go 80/20. It's ok to have a candy bar occasionally, or dessert or pasta! It's ok to miss a workout occasionally.  This is about a lifestyle change. A CHANGE FOR LIFE! Which takes TIME. Strive for progress not perfection.

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COMPLETE Collection of Shakeology Ingredients

I talk about Shakeology ALL THE TIME. Why?  Because I love it so much. I started drinking Shakeology July of 2014. My second son was just 2 months old. We also were in the process of putting our first house (other house) up for sale as our tenant stopped paying rent and was evicted. So we were paying 2 mortgages, I wasn't teaching any lessons and we were literally living off of savings to help pay the other mortgage and other bills. It was so stressful and not fun. But...my friend Janet knew I wanted to get back into shape, and be a healthy mom. She suggested Shakeology and gave me a sample to try.

To be honest I didn't like it at first. And I told my friend Janet. But I wanted to get a workout program anyways to do at home because I wasn't going to be making it to the gym any time soon and ended up getting the workout and Shakeology combined to give it a try. She coached me to add in some ingredients to help with the taste and make adjustments to the liquid amounts from 8 oz to 12 oz of milk. When I did that and made my Chocolate Shakeology with peanut butter and 1/2 a cup of ice to get a nice thick shake. I LOVED IT! It took me 3 days to find my perfect recipe (you can view my entire recipe collection here). And within 2 weeks of drinking Shakeology I was not craving fast foods, junk foods, sweets or treats. They just didn't appeal to me, at all! And that is when I knew Shakeology was PRICELESS! I honestly didn't care how much it cost me because I finally found the one thing I needed, something to make my cravings manageable or GONE and it did just that.

Shakeology is $130 which for us is a huge investment, but when I started looking into the ingredients and understanding why my cravings went away I was blown away by how awesome Shakeology really was. And it truly has been an investment in health and wellness! Any questions about Shakeology and deciding which flavor to get? Send me an EMAIL! Let's CHAT! INTERESTED IN GETTING SHAKEOLOGY for yourself? CLICK HERE to order!

So if you are curious about what really is in Shakeology or if it is just too good to be true. Check out all the details on Shakeology for each flavor below! You can click on the picture for a large view.

CHOCOLATE

CAFÉ LATTE

GREENBERRY

 STRAWBERRY

VANILLA

CHOCOLATE VEGAN

TROPICAL STRAWBERRY VEGAN

VANILLA VEGAN 

CAFÉ LATTE VEGAN

INTERESTED IN GETTING SHAKEOLOGY? CLICK HERE to order! Want to pair it with a workout too like I did when I started? Check out the ALL ACCESS PASS BUNDLE where you get access to EVERY SINGLE WORKOUT ever created, plus all bonus and upgraded content. Access to each workouts nutrition, workout calendar, FAQs. Plus you will even get access to any new workout that is released in the year. PLUS you will be part of my EXCLUSIVE group with daily motivation, support and accountability to help you stay on track to reach 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! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

21 Day Fix Approved South-Western Style Egg Cups

A lot of people have a hard time getting in breakfast everyday. I used to be one of them, but now I can not go without my breakfast. And I honestly eat the same thing every day. 2-3 eggs over medium, 1/2 cup oatmeal with flaxseed, half an apple and a big cup of water. But let's jazz it up a bit and try something new

EGG CUPS!

These are easy, and you can make a bunch of them and freeze them for later.
South-western Style Egg Cups
2 egg cups per serving

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray (I love using the coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
12 Large eggs (2 cups)
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
4 medium jalapeños, seeds and veins removed (to take away the heat), chopped
1 cup black beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup finely chopped spinach
3/4 cup finely chopped bell peppers
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions: 
1 Preheat oven to 350 degree F
2. Place 18 muffin cup liners in muffin pans (need 2 trays) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. set aside.
3. Combine almond milk,  eggs, jalapeños, beans, spinach, bell peppers and cheese( if using) in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to blend. Set aside.
4. Evenly pour egg mixture into prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and eggs are set.
6. Sprinkle with cheese, and place in oven for about 1 minute to melt cheese.
7. Enjoy!

21 Day Fix Containers: 1 red, 1 green, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 blue, if using cheese

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How You Really Lose Weight

Shared this message in my EXCLUSIVE GROUP! How many of you think of exercise as the ONLY WAY to lose weight? To change your lifestyle you must first chance how you think of food and exercise! So many people believe that they must exercise to lose weight but that really isn't true. Exercise is GREAT and we do need it. But to truly lose weight, you MUST change what you are eating! 

Food is the way to lose weight. Not exercise. Exercise is to help define, lean and strengthen your body. 

Yes, exercise allows you to burn calories and we know that you must burn 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. But most of us don't count calories every single day. Or live a calorie in calorie out lifestyle. You have to REALIZE that you can not OUT-EXERCISE A BAD DIET! If you learn to eat the right kinds of foods, the right portion of foods then you will lose weight.

Exercise is what allows you to be stronger, defined and lean and really shows off the work of what you have been eating! And it is important.

Too often I hear people kicking butt in their workouts. Getting them in daily and that they want to change. But they don't make the changes necessary to what they are eating to make a big difference. Yes they lose a little weight and some inches but to get the results you really want...start with what you are eating!

I did that for years! Even with my personal trainer. He kicked my butt in the gym, and I worked so hard. I only lost inches but didn't lose any weight. And it was so frustrating. But I honestly didn't change what I was eating enough to make a difference. When I finally did change what I ate, tracked it and kept a food log, the weight literally fell off of me! If you want to lose weight start with what you are eating! Every time! 

Need help with where to start??? Send me an EMAIL. Let's chat about your goals and get you started! I would love to help you achieve 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! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Tips For Traveling With A Baby

This past weekend Elyse and I traveled to Utah for my grandfather's funeral. It was a last minute trip, and a very short trip. We left Friday evening at 6:10pm. Arrived in Utah at 11pm local time (so 1am our time). Funeral and family time was the next day. Then flew out of Utah at 6:10am on Sunday morning.

It was such a short trip and I was concerned about flying with a baby so small. Mason's first flight, he was 9 months old. Collin, he was 5 months. Elyse, 3 months. Here are some tips to help you feel a little more comfortable traveling with your little one.

1) Feed during take off and landing. Each flight I actually didn't feed Elyse until that little "ding, ding" happened overhead. That meant, Elyse was SCREAMING at me to feed her from when we sat down in our seat and for a good 10 minutes of loading and taxi time. And I am sure she scared the CRAP out of every passenger on the plane around us. Don't feel bad about this. My thought process was, let her scream now and then once we get going she will sleep! And it worked!

2) Don't feel bad about nursing your baby. 2 out of the 4 flights, I actually had a seat between me and the other passenger, or even the whole row to myself. That was nice. But the other 2 flights, I was next to at least one person. My last flight. I was sandwiched between two older males. And I personally don't cover to nurse. It is uncomfortable for the baby and I like being able to see her. Next to the men I did put a blanket over my shoulder to create a barrier for privacy to cover any "side boob" but that was it. I tried to be as modest as possible. Let your neighbors know that a nursing mom and leave it at that. You can always ask the flight attendants for a window seat if you want and they can ask if a passenger is willing to trade. I asked for the last flight because I knew I had a middle seat and was told another seat prior to boarding but that seat was actually taken and I didn't care at that point. Don't feel ashamed for having to nurse your baby or feel required to cover to nurse. You have a right to feed in public any way you choose. 

3) DO NOT APOLOGIZE or feel guilty for having your baby on the plane. You and your baby have every right to be on that plane flight as anyone else. Keep in mind that the travel time is only just a fraction of why people are on that flight anyways. It is just for a few hours. People can suck it up!

4) Crying and/or fussiness happens. Just like adults. No one likes to feel confined for long periods of time. Babies are just the same. Staring at the back of a chair or a small area is no fun for anyone. Get creative. I use the sun to refract light through my right and made "sparkles" for Elyse to enjoy! She loved it! Try to entertain as best as you can.

5) Don't get frustrated, because when you get frustrated your baby will feed off of your emotions which can cause them to get more upset. Again, travel time is just a short amount of time for the real reason why you are traveling.

6) Get up and walk around. If you are on a long flight. It is ok to get up and walk down the aisle. Especially if the baby is fussy, this might be the way to calm them down. Change of scenery for the baby might be what they need.

7) Depending on the length of your trip try to stick to your baby's schedule. If you are going on a longer trip. Keep your baby on their schedule, but in the new time zone. So if baby usually naps at 11:30am, do the nap at 11:30 per the time zone you are in. If it is a short trip like ours was. Don't. I let her sleep when she could. She was quite popular with family and got to meet a lot of them. And she put on a beautiful smile for everyone. She was awake more than she usually is. Today already, she is sleeping a lot to recover.

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! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!