Day 13: Cardio Flow

My little cutie and my favorite shakeo recipe.

Back to Cardio Flow today!  Who's excited???  It’s only 30 minutes, so give it all you’ve got then go have a fun, active weekend! You know the moves and know what to expect so I like to turn Autumn down and crank the music up!  If you still need her cues, then listen up! Form is always most important!

Do you know how to integrate Shakeology into your meal plan? Timed-Nutrition takes dedication, so it’s great to know that at least one of my meals — the one I fill with Shakeology— is going to be super-easy, and delicious.  On crazy busy days, I drink two.  I'll have one as a post workout meal (I add spinach to get my veggies in) and then for “Meal #1”. I mix: 1 scoop vegan vanilla or vegan chocolate, 1 purple of berries, 1 C unsweetened almond milk and 1 C ice. Thats 1 red, 1 purple, 1 tsp. ENJOY!

3 Day Refresh - Day 3!

OMGGGGGG how is this the final day already?  I really like the Vanilla Fresh shake and so many ask if they can buy those al-a-carte, but the sad answer is...you can't.  Sorry!  It's only sold as a kit and only has 3 Shakeology packets, the rest are special formulated shakes with plant based protein so you stay full, but still detox.  Let me know if you want to try it and join my next accountability group on April 16th!  I run groups every month if that week doesn't work for you. 

Meals today:
breakfast: vegan vanilla Shakeology w/ blueberries & strawberries
am snack: fiber sweep
lunch: vanilla fresh w/ strawberries, celery & PB
pm snack: tomatoes w/ avocado
dinner: vanilla fresh, spinach salad w/ lemon & olive oil dressing (yes I did this all 3 nights. it's that good)

This was pretty easy and I'M ON VACATION! Most people wouldn't do a clean on vacation and if they did, they wouldn't follow through with it, but when you want a system reset and to change your habits, you just grit your teeth and push through.  Too bad this is so easy that it didn't require teeth gritting, but I was ready just in case :) 

We've talked about sugar cravings and water intake and how important drinking enough water is, but we didn't talk about emotional eating or GRAZING.  I hate that word because I do it all the time and it sounds like you're referring to a cow.  Right?  I mean I'm not in a pasture constantly eating, but it seems that way when I walk around the kitchen nibbling on this, finishing that, tasting this... you get the point.  Do you do this?  Those calories all add up.  Do you know the average Costco shopping trip costs a customer 400+ calories in just those tiny swish containers.  I mean, they are so tiny...how is that possible??  BECAUSE IT ALL ADDS UP! 

So, breaking habits is a huge reason to do the reset.  In 3 days it will be quite evident where you are gaining the extra calories. It might be finishing your kids plate, because really, it's a kids' meal so it's already small, can't hurt?  WRONG!  Or sampling food while cooking and getting almost a meals worth of food before you even plate it and sit down.  Yeah, that's happened in my house once, or ten times.  NOT GREAT!  I hope you reap all the benefits I did because in three days, even if the scale doesn't move, I've had huge take aways, and feel better, more rested, and more focused on FOOD = FUEL, not emotions.  And I want to change how I reward my kids from ice cream and sugary treats, to non-food items.  They are not dogs.  I don't know how that habit started, but I know how it will end.  I feel in control again!

Day 12: Legs

Lean, strong LEGS—here we come!

Today we are doing 3 sets of 10 reps for 50 minutes. HOLY HECK I'm overwhelmed just readying that!!  But we can do tough things right and you have to HUSTLE FOR THAT MUSCLE!  Make sure you track your weights each week so you know where you left off and can try to push yourself at least 2 lbs more every week.  Remember you had 6 days of hour long strength training, you are stronger than you once were, even just a week ago!  

Remember to use Beachbody Performance Recover after each of your workouts. With timed-release protein, carbs, and pomegranate extract, it’s shown to help accelerate muscle recovery and reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness. That’s a good thing on leg day! If you don’t have Recover, let me know and I’ll show you how to get it and you can save money and shipping by bundling it with Energize!  Whoop whoop! 

According to your Timed-Nutrition plan, you’ll be having Recover plus a fruit after your workout. Feel free to enjoy them separately, or blend them together.  Banana or cherries has been a yummy combo with Chocolate Recover.  Let me know if you have other combos you love!

3 Day Refresh- Day 2

Was super excited to have my son join me again fro Day 2 of 3 Day Yoga!  He practiced yoga in Kindergarten back in CA and loves to show me how well he knows the poses.  He also has other names for them like "sitting in chair" is "sitting on the potty going #2" but he's 8 yrs old, all boy and pretty darn cute, so I let it slide. 

I made it out in the rain to get groceries, YAY!  We have variety now :)  We also endured an Urgent Care stop because as we walked in, my 4 yr old tripped and fell on a huge shard of glass that got stuck in his arm and as blood went everywhere, he was crying and my 8 yr old was about to throw up.  I hope you're laughing and saying to yourself "it's always something with little ones, right?" because that's what I said. really....just a grocery store run in the rain.  Why?!  Did I tell you he JUST got his stitches out last night from falling out of the tree and landing on a stick?!  This one.  Sigh.  

Anyways, so far so good.  Still not starving and finding this very doable!  Yay for that.  I'm more than half way through too!  One thing I want to make sure and stress is how much water you need.  DRINK ALL THE WATER! Your body is trying to rest, recover and release toxins so help flush them out with the correct amount of water.  If you get bored, add some lime, lemon, cucumbers or mint to it and it will make it more flavorful.  

Meals today:
breakfast: vegan chocolate Shakeology w/ 1/2 banana
am snack: fiber sweep
lunch: vanilla fresh w/ strawberries, 2 stalks celery w/ PB
pm snack: tomato w/ avocado
dinner: vanilla fresh, spinach salad w lemon & olive oil dressing

Tomorrow is Day 3! I can't believe how fast this is flying by and how great I feel.  Y'all, I even resisted BACON this morning after cooking it for my kids. I mean, that is the true test for me!  Don't even show up with dark chocolate chips or I might have to ask you to leave :) Just. Don't.

Day 11: AAA

Be on your AAA game today! 

Today we're using weights, Beachbody resistance loops, Beachbody strength slides, and a mat. It’s 55 minutes of focus on the hardest ares for most women and we're doing 3 sets of 10 reps.  We can do this and at min 56 we are going to feel on top of the world!  

HYDRATION CHALLENGE: We haven’t talked about drinking enough water yet, but it is SO IMPORTANT!  How much do you drink each day? Here's a calculation to help you figure out what the right number is for you, but basically you want to drink 1/2 your body weight. So, if you weigh 140 pounds you should drink at least 70 ounces of water each day. Lets challenge each other to drink more water!

Being well hydrated is also important to your energy levels and endurance. Dehydration can make you feel tired, rundown, hungry and cause headaches. If you want a good source of hydration during your workouts, try Beachbody Performance Hydrate. It has electrolytes to help replenish what you lose during your workouts and can help improve your endurance better than more sugary sports drinks. It's like a healthy version of Gatorade and my kids drink it for sporting events too.  Our entire family loves this and it's a lemony flavor. 

How to go on vacation without losing all you've worked for!

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Hotel gym post Upper Fix Extreme (30 minutes)

Exercise:

I try to stay on top of exercise when I travel even if it means choosing a shorter program because when you get home, it's much easier to eat right again, but it's harder to get back into an exercise routine.  After 3 straight days of no working out, it's hard as heck for me to start again. And I enjoy exercising ;)  I find it pretty easy to fit something in, whether it's in my hotel room while kids are napping, showering, while they ask the front desk a question, whatever. 

Most places you stay will have gyms, walking paths mapped out, but bring your 80 day obsession loops & sliders, resistance bands, jump rope, frisbee, etc. that are easy to pack and get you moving.  These can be fun with the kids too.  Pack exercise clothes because if you don’t bring it, you definitely won’t do it!  None of these ideas take up a lot of space!

The following programs require NO EQUIPMENT so you don't need the hotel gym, your hotel room is sufficient:

• Insanity Max 30 (cardio / body weight)**
• Focus T25 (cardio / body weight)
• PiYo (barre)
• Core De Force (martial arts)
• Cize (dance)
• Country heat (dance)
• most abs (10-15 min)

Dining out / Road trips:

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Vacation should be relaxing and restful, but you take the vacation, your diet does not. Of course you won't be perfect, but don't bring desserts, chips, etc. from home which add fuel to the fire.  JUST DON'T! I ALWAYS take Energize and Shakeology whenever I leave home; Energize more because I feel sluggish when traveling because I'm not eating my best and need the pick me up (I don't drink coffee, this might not apply to you). I take Shakeology because I believe in it and that it's important for my body every day. I feel worse when I don't eat / drink it, crave more sweets, snack more, I'm not as regular, and it's hard to get enough veggies when traveling so I find it even more important to get those 70 Superfoods in. 

If I can drink Shakeology + exercise, I feel like I'm winning; anything else is a bonus.  Try to make food a PART of the trip, not the PURPOSE.

Stay on your "3 meals and 2 snacks" plan every day. By doing this you regulate your blood sugar which will help your metabolism.  Watch for next months' featured tip on Low vs High GI foods. 

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If you're driving, pack a cooler with these, if possible:  boiled eggs, string cheese, hummus-to-go-packs, cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, carrots, KIND bars, Larabars (STAY TUNED, BEACHBARS LAUNCH IN APRIL), fresh fruit, Greek yogurt tubes (freeze and they double as ice packs), oatmeal balls (pictured), non-buttered popcorn and pumpkin muffins. They are filling and healthy.  Invest in a double walled tumbler (Yeti or the like) and your Shakeology will stay cold for hours so you could even pre-blend your shake and have lunch / breakfast / pre-party snack in the car or hotel (lots of hotels will make your Shakeology for you! Their continental breakfast has everything you need for it!).  **The 1st ingredient in a snack should never be potatoes.  They are just disguising that it’s really a potato chip by calling it “veggie straws” or something.  Read the back of the bag, not the front!

When dining out, tell them you don’t need bread or chips.  The typical restaurant chip is 25 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.  We don’t count calories, but why blow your yellows on that when you could chose wine or other carbs all day long?!  If you are starving at a Mexican restaurant, ask for a corn tortilla (~50 calories instead).

Ask concierge or travel agent for healthy restaurants (mention Paleo as a guide, even if you're not).  Although 21-day fix is not that restrictive, it’s a pretty healthy alternative and most restaurants know what that means. 

Avoid buffets if at all possible, and the free cookies in the lobby (I know they look tasty…reminds me of Otis-Spunkmeyer cookies and I can almost smell them now!)

I try to chose EITHER alcohol OR dessert, and I don't have them every day. I try to omit carbs as much as possible, not because we can't eat them, but they are everywhere so naturally I'll get them in through snacking on kids stuff (yes 😫) or save for an unplanned surprise. 

If I order a salad, I ask for Balsamic vinegar on the side, or olive oil, vinegar and lemon wedges. Restaurants typically don't mind modifications! So far, no one has spit in my food (that I know of).

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I asked them to replace the Sourdough with veggies.  Those tomatoes look way better and I won't crash afterwards from having high GI foods. Portions are always larger at restaurants so make wise choices where you can or split a dish with someone!  You save calories and money! They are willing to work with you, but you have to ASK!

Hotel:

Avoid the mini-bar. It will help your wallet and your waist! Ha!

Think about renting a condo, Air Bnb or VRBO and bring food rather than booking a hotel and eating out for every meal.  Again, gentle on the wallet and waist and allows you to splurge a little more when you really want.
 

Flying:

Drink 1 glass of water for every hour of flight to prevent dehydration and jet lag.  For every 1-hour of travel you lose 1 pint of water.

Cruises:

Fill your plate with 50% vegetables, salad, etc. and only for back for seconds for steamed veggies.  

Ask them to prepare a sack lunch for your day excursions. Boiled eggs and fruit are usually an option.

Ask to order from the Spa Menu, which is smaller portions, and tell them you don’t need to see the dessert menu. (Seeing the choices is all that much more tempting) 

Chose a ship that offers lots of activities.  The average person gains 15 lbs. on a week cruise.  YIKES! Think of coming home to all!  All tan and bloated??!  No thank you.

If you don't ask, you won't receive.  This is your vacation and coming home feeling like crap and sluggish is no fun and harder to get motivated to jump back in.  You are paying for it so gain control of some of your daily choices.  You'll thank yourself at the end :) 

Power Muffins!

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I don't know if you're like me, but if you shop at Costco, then chances are, you might be. Lots of times I have a veggie for dinner in mind and then I change my mind because there's zucchini, spinach or some veggie that 'needs to be eaten stat'. There are multiple ways to make these so feel free to use that veggie that just needs to go ;)  When I made these I did zucchini and carrots, but I've seen broccoli, spinach, carrots, zucchini, and every combination in between.  As long as you're measuring your veggies with your green container, you're staying on track. 

INGREDIENTS:
-¾ C quick oats
-1 large zucchini and 3 medium carrots (use a cheese grater or food processor to grind them up)
-6 eggs
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all together and spoon into a muffin tin.  Makes 12 and 4 are a serving so yields 3 portions.  Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Another variation is to add Shakeology to them.  If you do this, cut the eggs by 2 for every scoop / packet of Shakeology you use. I personally wouldn't add more than one because you lose some of the nutrition in Shakeology when it's heated over 175 degrees so no need to waste it.  But the flavor of vanilla Shakeology is delicious in these.  let me know what you try!!

These are an excellent pre or post workout meal.  If using as "pre-workout meal" then just top with creamy peanut butter or coconut oil and you're good to go.  If you're eating them as a "post-workout meal" then add peanut butter and a fruit on the side.  How easy is this?  And it makes 3 servings so the next two days you can relax knowing you just wake, heat, and eat.  30-90 minutes later you are ready to exercise.  

21 Day Fix & 80 Day Obsession containers: 1R, 1G, 1Y, 1tsp (with nut butter or oil on top)

3 Day Refresh - Day 1

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Have you ever heard of a cleanse where you EAT?  yeah I never had either so when I heard of this, my first reaction was, "no thanks, don't want to be glued to the potty all day! and don't want to drink all my food," but y'all, that is not the case at all!  I've done the 3 Day Refresh probably 10+ times and I've never been restricted to the house or had irregularities.  

I've had a few ask me why I do the refresh if I'm already at my goal weight and here's why...I FEEL GOOD DOING IT!  It's a Vegan diet (so plant based, no eggs, no dairy, no grains, no meat) and my Houston GP recommended I do it every one-two months so my body could REST!  What a concept???  Reward our body for all the hard work it does every day?  Digesting food isn't easy and it's been proven that drinking a shake during the day actually makes it easier to digest your food.

But, regardless of weight, there are habits I want to break.  It only takes one vacation, birthday celebration, binge sugar fest for my taste buds to get excited and crave sugar again. I can avoid salty things easily (except BACON - all the bacon please!!), but sugar is my pitfall.  The refresh is short enough it's doable, but long enough that your tastebuds will react different so I'm trying to break habits and cravings. I'll chat about habits around eating tomorrow with Day 2 post.  If you want to know more about the refresh, I talked about it yesterday or you can purchase it HERE.  

Completed 3 Day Refresh Yoga today and it was an eye-opener. I am so inflexible.  Love that my 8 yr old son ASKED if he could join me?!  I will miss these moments when they return to school in another week :( 

Meals today:
breakfast: vegan vanilla Shakeology w/ blueberries
am snack: fiber sweep
lunch: vanilla fresh w/ PB and 1/2 banana, 2 stalks celery
pm snack: 2 stalks celery w/ PB (can you tell I need to go shopping) 
dinner: vanilla fresh, spinach salad (should have cucumbers, sprouts, pumpkin seeds in it, but I'm on vacation and had to make do) w/ lemon & olive oil dressing

Check out the promo this month!!  Instead of $80, it's only $30 when bundled with a new Shakeology order, but until April 9th, it's only $15 extra!  You will want this for summer, a wedding, pre / post vacation , etc.  Next group starts April 16th!

Day 10: Cardio Core

Here's Courtney's results in just TWO WEEKS y'all!  Stick with it!

Remember, this workout alternates one cardio interval with one HIIT interval and one core move for 35 minutes. You’ll need your Beachbody strength slides for the core work and Beachbody Performance Energize!  I can totally feel the difference on cardio and leg days!

How are you feeling so far? Are you committed to your workouts and nutrition? I want you to make a promise to give it your all every day. This is for YOU, not anyone else. So if you don’t do your very best, you’re only cheating yourself. Who has time for that? Not me and NOT YOU!

3 Day Refresh - starts tomorrow!

Here’s the “skinny” on the 3-Day Refresh (pun intended). It is a gentle detox/cleanse, but you actually get to EAT real food all 3 days and multiple times each day!! You guessed it, that’s not typical with most cleanses; they make you stick to liquids only. But, it’s easier, safer and your results stick. Imagine if you only juiced for 3 days and then had your first normal day - you’d bloat up! Who wants that? Really?? Who wants that? 

Here's how it works: everything you see below (minus the food) is provided...

Breakfast: VEGAN Shakeology (this is a plant based cleanse, do not drink the regular whey formula during these 3 days)
AM Snack: Fiber sweep (no you’re NOT running to the potty, I don’t even notice it)
Lunch: Vanilla Fresh, plus a fruit, veggie, and healthy fat of your choice (you’re given options)
PM Snack: Veggie and heathy fat
Dinner: Vanilla Fresh, plus one of the meals options they provide

Most people aren't starving, and some days I struggled to eat it all, so it's doable for sure. And it’s only THREE DAYS!

They suggest no, or very low impact, exercise during your cleanse. Your body is working hard to release toxins and detox, you don’t want to overwork it. There’s a new Beachbody program, 3-Day Refresh Yoga 🧘🏼‍♀️ which pairs perfectly to this and is free to all BOD subscribers. If you don’t have streaming, we need to fix that!! 

Most people drop 3-6 pounds and keep it off. We do the group as a team challenge, which is really fun and makes it easier.   I lost 4# when I did it and absolutely loved the experience!

Watch for Day 1, 2, and 3 coming soon with results posted on Day 4!

Day 9: Booty

Hello, Booty!

For today’s workout you’re going to need your Beachbody Resistance Loops, a mat, and a chair for balance (those last two are optional). Again, you’ll be doing 3 sets of 10 reps, so be prepared to work hard and feel that booty burn!

Ok lets get real today.  How’s your digestion? Are you regular or constipated?  I noticed in eating more carbs than I was previously used to that I got a tad constipated.  A new nutrition program takes getting used to!  But the amount on energy I feel is UNREAL!  Eating more regularly and eating foods together that are absorbed into my body differently has been a noticeable change for me. 

If you are experiencing any discomfort you might try introducing new foods slowly, especially if you're not used to eating fruits or veggies. Consider eating similar foods for a few days before adding anything new. Also, Shakeology helps support healthy digestion, so be sure you're incorporating it into your day.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Day 8: Total Body Core

It’s a brand-new week! Let’s kick some booty…literally...and abs…and everything else.  This is a full body workout and one of my favorites!

This week the workouts change to 3 sets of 10 reps so we’ll do the entire set of exercises once and then repeat them all twice more.  Since the reps are lower than last week, try to increase your weights a little, plus you had 6 days of other workouts so I bet you're already a little stronger! Try and see, you can always stick with the same weight if you're not ready yet, but PUSH YOURSELF!

You've already done Total Body Core once, so this week really focus on form and the “mind-muscle connection.” That means visualizing which muscle you’re working, and focusing your attention on the movement. Make sure you feel it where Autumn mentions the burn.  If she says her booty is on fire and you're feeling it in your quads then you need to adjust something.  Yes, you're still getting exercise in and burning calories, but this isn't leg day so really focus on working the area she's focusing on.  

A NOTE ABOUT RESISTANCE LOOPS: Make sure you check your loops for tears before each workout, and if you see any throw the loop away and get a new one. Also, have patience with the loops as it's normal for it to take a little time to get them in the right place, so if you have to, pause the workout, adjust the loop, and restart when you’re ready. I had to do this all the time in Round One.  Plus, believe it or not, by Phase 3 you'll be doubling or tripling your bands.  Don't believe me?  Wait and see for yourself.  

2B Mindset is launching May 2nd!!

To say I'm excited about this is a major understatement!  Who wants to STOP counting calories, STOP avoiding certain food groups, STOP stressing about dining out or gaining weight on vacation???  If you said yes to any ONE of these, you will want to join me May 2nd and change your lifestyle FOREVER!!  

We are going to learn how to eat whatever we want, whenever we want and the food groups that work best for us might shift from what we expect.  I just cannot wait!  The transformation stories are so inspiring and I've seen all ages, brand new nursing moms, etc make this work for them and lose the weight they just couldn't before and in a safe, longterm manner. Most said you wouldn't even know they were doing any program by the way they ate and their food triggers were a thing of the past. HELLO!!! Over here please! #EmotionalEater #AnyAndAllEmotions

2B Mindset was created by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein, and it's a practical, simple weight loss solution that Ilana herself used to lose 100 pounds after years of obesity and yo-yo dieting. With Ilana’s advice and real-world experience including her meal and food prep ideas, even tips for conquering emotional eating-you’ll have all the tools you need to live your life, eat food you love…and still lose weight. This is launching in just 4 WEEKS!!!

“Do you feel like dieting is a constant war between your desire to get the lean, healthy body you want…and eating the food you actually enjoy? I know EXACTLY how that feels. Because I used to be 100 pounds heavier. Until it finally hit me that what “diet” really means is deprivation. That was when I realized that any eating program based on deprivation would never work for me.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Ilana Muhlstein. I was 8 years old when my doctor told me I needed to go on a diet. Not knowing what to do, my parents sent me to a weight-loss camp (“FAT CAMP”) every summer.  I’d lose weight, then gain it all back when I returned to school in the fall. I yo-yo dieted through my childhood and teen years, until at my heaviest, I weighed 215 pounds and wore a size 20. Talk about devastating patterns. 

You see, I’ve always loved food and I love to eat large portions. What I needed was a diet that would let me eat and feel satisfied, while still helping me lose weight. There was no diet on the market like that…so I decided to create it myself. I not only invented a solution to solve my own weight problem, so I could lose 100 lbs, I made it my career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist—so I could help anyone lose weight happily and learn how to keep it off for good—with a healthy approach to eating that lets you feel full and satisfied, while arming you with proven strategies that will help you co-exist with food in real-world situations, satisfy cravings, and anticipate setbacks before they happen — so you can WIN the weight-loss struggle every single time.

That’s why I say it’s not a diet. It’s a mindset.

 

Who should consider 2B Mindset?

• Those wanting to lose weight and keep it off for good!
• Those frustrated with the deprivation of traditional diets.
• Those overwhelmed with all the weight-loss products out there and in need of something that really works in a healthy way.
• Those challenged by junk-food cravings or a sweet tooth (H-E-L-L-O!! MEEEEEE).
• Those for whom other diets have not been successful in the past (we are going to change that).

Day 7: Roll & Release

Here’s your much-needed first Rest Day!  How do you feel about this?  Are you feeling "YAHOO" or more like "BOO-HOO"?  It sounds funny to say and I'm not a workout-a-holic, but rest day is hard for me!  I like to stay consistent and it keeps me in check.  When my exercise goes out the door, my nutrition is usually just a few steps behind it.  If you're like me, listen to your body and push past this!  Remember, we are doing a program and to get the intended results, we MUST TRUST THE PROGRAM AND DO THE PROGRAM.  All in, even rest days!

I also want to stress the importance of self-care. You’ll hear Autumn talk about it a lot in during 80 Days Obsession.  Here's why - we are training like an athlete y'all.  We really are!   These are not beginner workouts! You need to stretch, relax, and let your body recover from what you’re putting it through, plus, your muscles will have a chance to lengthen out and be ready for what they next 6 days have in store for them. Autumn created two bonus workouts that you can use anytime (but especially on rest day) which are Roll & Release and Stretch & Release.  You'll need a foam roller for this and at first, it might hurt.  But that's good pain and you're getting all the lactic acid out and increasing circulation to help relieve muscle soreness and restore mobility. Push past any pain and you'll feel better in the long run.  

Easter Egg Fruit Pizza

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A festive Easter egg sugar cookie fruit "pizza" with strawberry cream cheese frosting. You can make it super simple with a sugar cookie mix or make it from scratch.

Ingredients
1 pouch sugar cookie mix (or your favorite FIXATE Cookbook clean recipe)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 TBSP powdered sugar (or stevia to keep it clean)
¼ tsp vanilla
½ cup strawberries, chopped
approx. 3 cups fruit cut into pieces (the picture shows strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

Directions can be found HERE.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

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I'm not trying to be a debbie downer, but at Easter, I feel like sugar becomes the focus very easily!  There are mollies, chocolate and Peeps everywhere.  How gross are those marshmallow things?!?! I try to limit their sugar and focus on the reason for the season.  Yes, we do egg hunts, and sometimes 3-4 in a weekend, but I fill them with tattoos, erasers, and various non-sugary items that make the kids equally happy!  I promise! My kids are not deprived and there's no mis-behaving or sugar crashes an hour later so we all win!  These are a fun way to indulge a little without eating a sugar stick and festive too.  I switched some of the ingredients to keep it clean. 

Ingredients:
2 ½ C quick oats
3 TBSP peanut butter (keep it clean, should be just nuts and maybe salt)
¼ C maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
5 TBSP unsweetened almond milk
¼ C mini chocolate chips, opt (I prefer Dark Chocolate)
Sprinkles for decoration
Plastic eggs, wash first

Directions: 
In a medium bowl mix dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl add maple syrup, vanilla, milk and peanut butter. Stir until mixture has been combined, add the dry ingredient to the large bowl and mix with hands.  Once combined, add chocolate chips. Place in plastic eggs and let set in the fridge for 1 hour. Once done, gently open them from the plastic eggs and decorate with sprinkles.

Happy Easter!! The Lord has Risen Indeed!

Day 5: Leg Day

Leg day! Autumn’s favorite day of the week.  She says that a lot in her videos so if you forget this, she will remind us all.  ;) 

We have 45 minutes on the clock today and we are going to feel it. Grab your dumbbells and have 2 sets so you can figure out what to start with.  Don’t feel likeyou have to go really heavy now. Choose your weights carefully, listen for Autumn's form cues, listen to your body, and don’t overdo it. We still have 75 days of workouts ahead of us! 

Speaking of tomorrow’s workout, we should  talk about Beachbody Performance Recover and Recharge. These are two supplements that can really help with exercise-induced muscle soreness and recovery.

Beachbody Performance Recover is what you drink right after your workout to help replenish your muscles and reduce exercise-induced soreness. It has 20 grams of protein, including branched-chain amino acids to help promote muscle growth, and pomegranate extract, which has been shown to promote muscle recovery.

Beachbody Performance Recharge is what you drink at night before bed to help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). With 20 grams of slow-release protein and tart cherry extract to promote overnight recovery, it helps you wake up ready to crush your next workout. And it’s like having a little dessert before bed!

I posted an article showing when to eat specific types of proteins.  At certain times of the day, or after specific exercises, you'll want to eat / drink fast releasing proteins, while other times you'll benefit more from slow release proteins. I find this so interesting and enjoyed researching and adding to this article found HERE. 

Visit my Shop Page HERE for more info on each of our 5 Performance Line products.  You can bundle them for savings so chat with me before ordering! 

Flourless Carrot Breakfast Cake

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Ingredients
2 C gluten free oat flour (gluten free oats ground into a flour)
1/2 C granulated sweetener of choice (Stevia pref)
1 TBSP baking powder
pinch sea salt
1 small carrot, grated finely
1 C dairy free milk (Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk pref)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 T nut butter, melted (I used almond butter)

For the protein frosting
3 scoops Vanilla Shakeology
1-2 TBSP granulated sweetener of choice (opt)
1-2 TBSP nut butter of choice (optional)
Dairy free milk to form batter
For the coconut butter frosting
4-6 T coconut butter, melted
2 T granulated sweetener of choice
Dairy free milk to thin out

Instructions can be found HERE.  * This breakfast cake is best kept in the fridge, and is freezer friendly too.

Day 4: AAA

Get ready for AAA!

The name of this workout stands for “Abs, Arms, and A**”, and it’s a full-body workout that focuses on these key areas. Hello booty gains!!  It’s ~50 minutes long and uses weights, Beachbody resistance loops, Beachbody strength slides, and a mat.  For week 1, Phase 1, we will do 2 sets of 15 reps.  

This is your first week, you’re pushing yourself hard and eating in a new way. You may be sore. That’s OK! Do some extra stretching or one of Autumn’s bonus self-care workouts—Roll & Release or Stretch & Release if you need it.  You can do these any day, or every day!  Listen to your body!

How do feel about eating around your Workout Block? Some people don’t like to eat too much before a workout; did you know that you can swap Meal Option 1 with your Pre-Workout Meal? Then just eat according to your meal plan for the rest of the day. Meal timing is important to fuel your body, so keep pushing forward!  The only days I find I can't do this swap is on Cardio days because it's too much liquid bouncing around. I thought this timed-nutrition thing would be hard, but I've enjoyed eating breakfast with my kids every day now rather than working out and rushing around to eat after they go to school. 

This is ham & spinach roll ups (1 red, 1 green), toast with peanut butter and 1/2 sliced banana (1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 teaspoon)

Pre-Workout Meal: Scrambled eggs with sautéed spinach and olives, with a side of toast. (1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Orange). Make sure this matches the containers in your plan. If you have a teaspoon in this meal, you can add some ghee or peanut butter to your toast. Or if you get a Purple add a cup of fruit on the side.

Not a fan of savory breakfast? Try baked butternut squash, sprinkled with cinnamon and serve with a side of plain Greek yogurt (2%) topped with 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut and ¼ cup toasted rolled oats (1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 tsp.). If you get a Purple, sprinkle your yogurt with a cup of berries. See how easy that can be?

Post-Workout Meal: Your post-workout meal is similar to your pre-workout meal. In general, it’s Green, Red, Yellow, and a teaspoon. Depending on your plan you may get more of one of the containers. I love 2 eggs cooked with spinach or arugula and then place in a wrap with sliced apple and peanut butter on the side. (1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Purple, 1 Yellow, 1 tsp.

Day 3: Cardio Core

Here comes Cardio Core! I love HIIT (high intensity interval training) programs and if you do too, you'll love today! This is a GREAT fat burner (yes please!).

This workout is tough, but it’s only 40 minutes, so by time you can't do another rep, it's over!  We do one cardio interval, one HIIT interval, then one core move, then repeat that twice before we add the core move.  Then we move on to the next segment in similar fashion until we finish all the cardio and do a round of core work.  This is about 8 minutes long and summarizes all the core moves we previously did.  For a bonus, I try to do the core section TWICE.  If it's a challenge just to finish, do that. If you feel like you have more left, try another round, or add 3 lbs weights to the cardio part.  Don't do heavy weights because you're moving around so fast you'll likely injure yourself.  Your only equipment today is Beachbody strength slides.

BEACHBODY PERFORMANCE TIP: If you take Energize, have you noticed a tingling feeling shortly after you drink it? It can be a normal reaction to Beta Alanine, an amino acid ingredient in Energize. Some people tingle, some don’t. And it often goes away once you start exercising, and with continued, regular use.