How do you do your shakeo?

Every weekday morning I wake up at 4:25 AM. Sometimes even before my alarm.  I am a 'special' kind of person that gets excited for her workout.  Beachbody has so many to choose from and they all do different things for my attitude and body.  The most exciting part of my morning is determining which flavor Shakeology I'm going to have and what I am going to add to it to make it that much more wonderful.

One of my favorite is the chocolate shakeology with 1 cup of almond milk, 2 cups of ice and my favorite coffee! Starting off my day with my cup of coffee and shakeology...BOOM!

When I became a coach with Beachbody (not fitness nor nutritional but motivational and inspirational) I had a lot of folks getting excited about the workouts but not really understanding how to 'use' the shakeology.

Shakeology is best after you workout however can be used as a meal replacement or a snack during your day.  It is filled with all the vitamins and minerals you need as well as jam packed full of super foods that block cravings and bring that glow back to my face after a hard workout.  

It is one of the best 'shakes' I have had. I don't call it a protein shake because while it does contain protein, either Whey or Vegan, it is so much more! 

Some pointers...

1. Do not simply put a scoop of Shakeology in water and try to stir it...it's clumps.

2. Use a mixer cup or better yet, a blender.

3. Add ice to make it into a cold smoothie.

4. Almond milk is a great substitute for cows milk and only has 30 calories per 8 oz.

5. Don't be scared to get creative...add fruit, graham crackers, coffee, maple syrup*

*Try to remember that even though Shakeology is 140 calories, whatever you add into it also adds to the calories...my whole goal is to add things that enhance the flavor but doesn't add unnecessary calories.

Example: PB2 is a great substitute for peanut butter, 85% less the calories! 

Check out this video I created showing a creative recipe I heard about and had to try along with the best way to mix up your shakeology.

[Excuse my wide eyed expression here :)] 

Enjoy! Please comment and share you favorite Shakeology recipe! 

~Learn more about Shakeology here

~Consider joining a winning team, mine :) 

Keeping the local farms in mind

Winter seemed so long, not only because we had a ton of snow in New Hampshire or that it was incredibly cold but also because the fresh fruits and vegetables from my local CSA aren't arriving weekly. Every Wednesday is like my birthday because my husband walks in the house with a bag of fresh local grown fruits and veggies from our local CSA.

Well...it is back! The Spring Share has started and the loot was amazing on the first week!

We signed up for a single serving share and received bokchoy, lettuce, spring mix, spinach, radishes, rutabaga, kale and even a dill plant [not pictured]

I got busy making our first CSA meal.  I decided to take some mushrooms we had and saute them with red onions and garlic, then adding in the bokchoy until tender and serving with 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Delicious. Fresh bokchoy is an amazing experience.  I typically only taste this flavor is Chinese vegetable dishes.

I sliced the radishes on the mandolin to prepare them to be grabbed quickly and added as salad toppers. The kale was next...I have always wanted to try kale chips.

I decided to go with flavored kale chips, spicy.  I took the spines out and broke the leaves up into chip sized portions, placed it all in a large bowl and added 2 tbsp of EVOO, salt, also adding ground red pepper and cumin. Tossed it all together with tongs and baked in batches on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 14 to 20 minutes until they were crispy.  I loved them! Such a low calorie, healthy snack.

Now you might ask why do we choose to participate in our local CSA instead of buying from the grocery stores produce section...first, freshness! If you think you have been eating fresh tomatoes for example...ha, try your local CSA's tomatoes [mind blown]

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) brings the community and farmers together to share in a mutually beneficial relationship. CSA is a food subscription service that provides you with a weekly supply of high-quality, locally grown, great tasting, and seasonally fresh food at an affordable price. Members purchase a share at the beginning of the season, which gives local farmers important early support for seeds, greenhouse and farm supplies, and labor.

The above is as explained on my local CSA's website. Local Harvest CSA in New Hampshire...check them out. The variety from season to season is also rewarding. You get a lot of lettuce and leafy greens but who doesn't love a great salad in the summer time, I use Pinterest to find fun recipes to try to keep using the veggies I get in unique ways. Check out my CSA Recipe Ideas board to see what I have so far. You can choose to follow my board and let me help you gather recipes too.

So do you CSA?

7 Day Challenge with Chalene

I found this challenge that we can do over and over again.  It is for 7 days and for true success you should buddy up with friends and others with the same goals.  I would love to start a challenge group for this.  Would you be interested in staying accountable for 7 days and complete this challenge with us? The best part, it was created by one of Beachbody's amazing coaches, Chalene Johnson! 

Here are the details that Chalene lays out: 

1. Enter your email address on the challenge page.

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2. Check your inbox for my instructions including the workout suggestions, suggested meal planning and the guidelines in an easy to understand email

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3. Every workout can be done at home and with minimal or zero equipment.

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4. The key is accountability!! Don't invite someone to do this with you who might let you off the hook! Invite your friend who you KNOW will kick butt and keep you TRUE!

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For 7 DAYS you will Eat Clean and Train Lean. Workouts and featured recipes will be posted here daily. 

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*Workout ideas posted here

*mix and match workouts

*modify to meet your needs

*workouts can be broken up

*focus primarily on intensity

*1 hr of exercise everyday

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View the original Post by Chalene Johnson herself, which includes a video showing what sorts of exercises she will be sharing with us. #Chalene7Day

Who's up for this 7 day challenge?  I would like to put all folks that are interested in doing this take part in my Facebook Challenge Group so we can keep accountable together and I will also be posting Charlene's posts on the Challenge page so we all are doing the same activities at the same time.  Visit my #iworkout Facebook group and LIKE it to get additional tips and motivation/inspiration about fitness and healthy eating.  Comment on this post or on the #iworkout Facebook page to let me know you are interested and I will add you to my Private #ChallengeAccepted Facebook group. 

I have already signed up and here is a sneak peek: 

Let's do this! 

Popular Fitness Question...How do I get flat abs?

I know it's the question that I ask myself all the time...How do I get flat abs? How do I get my stomach to be sleek and flat and looking great in a bathing suit? 

I have done a combination of 6 Beachbody products over the last 4 years. 

[P90X, Insanity, Asylum, T25, P90X3 and 21 Day Fix]

I have lost and gained back several pounds and have just recently realized in the last 6 months the importance of diet and nutrient. With this golden gem I have been able to really cut down and keep the weight off even in between programs.   

The last thing to go is your fat reserves that usually sit on your thighs, upper arms and stomach.  I have recently lost several inches on my thighs and my arms are starting to go now, I have huge hopes that my stomach is next. I will be starting TurboFire at the end of June to help melt off the rest with some awesome dance cardio with Charlene! 

This video helps put it into perspective.  

You look better than you think you do.  Good thought to keep in mind.

Here are some of my latest before and after pictures. 

I have come a long way but am definitely still a work in progress and am driven by seeing my results and determined to hit my stretch weight goal.  I started 4 years ago at approx 250 lbs and today I am sitting at 171 lbs.  With a year in there where I struggled to stay on program and sat between 185 and 199, never hitting over 200 because I made that my ceiling.  I promised myself after getting under 200 lbs that I would never see that number on my scale again.  Well, let me tell you this, I have decided to change my ceiling.  My ceiling is now 180 and that ceiling will be reduced my 5 lbs for every 5 lbs I lose.  

It's all a mind game...keep goals and stretch goals in the front of your mind, better yet, write them down, post them on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror and every day work on them.  No excuses.  #iworkout

I know that I can get my stomach to be flat and my abs to be defined.  I have people that doubt me, they doubt that my skin will shrink back...all I have to say is #ChallengeAccepted! I know that my skin may not totally fit to my body as it once did when I was in my 20s but I also know that it can be better than it is! Who's with me! Let's win the battle of our own bulge! Let's stay accountable and say goodbye to our belly fat.  It won't be easy, it actually will be the most difficult thing that we will do on our transformation journey but we have each other as a support system!