I am not by nature a meal planner/prepper even though I encourage my clients to do so—yep, I went there!
Truth is, my biggest struggle is the food! I LOVE all things sugar and carbs and it takes me great discipline to stay on track with a healthy, clean eating plan that has little to none of those things in it.
So when I go "all in" and fully commit to a fitness program and eating plan it requires me to do things I don't normally do. In this case, it was meal prepping.
In order to make it a bit more fun, I snagged the Instant Pot on Amazon when it was on sale for Prime Day along with ordering some Bento Boxes to make my food look like the professionals.
With these items, it seemed as though I could conquer the WORLD, or at least the food prep world. Even though when I started out I was COMPLETELY unorganized. I hadn't nailed down exactly what I was going to eat each day, but I had purchased plenty of options to fit into the Shift Shop eating plan so it was just a matter of portioning things out.
So, with Google in hand, I put my new Instant Pot to work cooking sweet potatoes, eggs, and broccoli.
Sweet Potatoes - Will warn you that the 2 that were on the smaller size became MUSH, but the 2 true medium sized ones came out perfect!
Broccoli - pretty basic, but I didn't know how long to cook. Remember I JUST got my Instant Pot!
The only other recipe I used to make my meal was for sweet potato chips!
If you're dying to know what I made, here we go!
Keep in mind I am in the "A" plan for the Shift Shop, which for week 1 is 3 veggies, 2 fruits, 4 proteins, 2 carbs, 2 teaspoon, 1 healthy fat, and 1 seeds and dressing.
To make it easier I started with 4 days worth, but doubled up two different menus, as in I eat the same thing Monday and Wednesday and eat another option Tuesday and Thursday.
Monday/Wednesday Meals
Breakfast: 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup frozen spinach, 1 cup water and Chocolate Shakeology.
Snack: 3/4 Cup 2% plain yogurt with a few blueberries and strawberries.
Lunch/Afternoon Snacks: 1 cup lettuce, 1/2 cup cut up strawberries and blueberries combined, 1/4 cup feta, 1 tablespoon oil based dressing along with 2 hard boiled eggs and 1/2 cup grapes, sweet potato chips from 1 medium potato.
Dinner: 1 serving of grilled chicken, 1 cup cooked broccoli, 1/2 large sweet potato with cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of butter.
(The other allotted teaspoon I account for extra virgin olive oil I used for cooking my chicken and sweet potato chips in.)
Tuesday/Thursday Meals
Breakfast: 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup frozen spinach, 1 cup water and Chocolate Shakeology. (I seriously love it that much! If you want to try it for yourself feel free to contact me through my email at the top of the blog :-) )
Snack: 3/4 cup 2% plain yogurt with a few blueberries and strawberries. (Mostly the same because I want to use up the yogurt before it goes bad ;-) )
Lunch/Afternoon Snacks: 1 cup lettuce, 1/2 cup black beans, 1 serving grilled chicken, 1 tablespoon oil based dressing, 1/4 avocado (not pictured because I like it fresh), along with 1 cup of grapes.
Dinner: 1 serving of grilled steak, 1 cup sauteed zucchini, 1/2 large sweet potato with cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of butter.
(The other allotted teaspoon I accounted for on my steak before grilling and when I sauteed the zucchini.)
And there you have it! It's not too fancy, but all the meals are full of flavor and super yummy!
I also went ahead and made my husband these same meals (with his permission of course). In order to make it easy for us to grab food from the fridge, I used a dry erase marker and wrote on the top of each lid: name, meal, and day.
My plan is to do the next 3-4 days of prep on Thursday to round out the week. I may or may not pick two new meals for those days just to change things up. If I do new ones you better believe I'll share it with you!
So there you have it, my easy, simple, but delicious meal prep for Shift Shop. Having those cute containers to pull out of the fridge today really helped me stay on track 100% for day one.
If you have any questions about my meal prepping game, the Shift Shop program, or any of the recipes or links I shared above feel free to comment below or contact me <3
I always get excited when Beachbody announces a new fitness program, but this one I'm especially
excited for! It's called Shift Shop and was created by NASM certified trainer Chris Downing. He's put together a 3-week rapid rebuild program that will give you quick results and help you rebuild your body and reinvent your life.
One of the things that impressed and stood out to me about Chris is his ability to motivate and inspire you to leave it all on the floor. It doesn't matter if you are at the peak of your fitness journey and want to push a little harder or if you are just starting out, you can always reinvent and become a better version of yourself.
Not only is Chris inspiring, but you can tell he genuinely cares about you, your results, your journey, and your success. I got the awesome privilege to do two of his workouts when I went on the Beachbody Success Trip to Punta Cana in April. I fell in love with this program immediately! Here is a little video from one of the workouts there. Sorry for the poor quality, my phone got killed and I salvaged this from Facebook :-(
If you are familiar with Chalene Johnson and love how she is always so inspiring and uplifting, you are gonna love Chris. He's like her male clone ;-) He has the ability to make you believe in yourself and that you can do anything. It's that belief that will help you crush this program and get your results. So, what exactly is the Shift Shop Workout?
•It is a 3-week rapid rebuild program, which means instead of repeating the exact same workouts from week to week, you'll progress through a series of increasingly challenging routines. •It is for anyone who wants to ramp up their fitness to the next level FAST! •It starts with basic 25 minute workouts and increases to advanced 45 minute routines, all while honoring your nutrition for optimal results because we all know how important nutrition is. •It is a great program for all fitness levels. If you have a lot of weight to lose, shift shop will be your on-ramp to fitness. If you have spent time away from your regular routine, Chris will lead you through a fitness tune-up. •The workouts are 25-45 minutes a day, 6 days a week for 3 weeks. •There is a workout modifier in every workout, so anyone can do this. •It will be officially available on July 12, 2017, so make sure you get on my list to stay up to date on the latest release information.
I will be hosting a Shift Shop Virtual Fit Camp starting on July 24! If you want to get my personal mentoring, coaching, support, and be a part of our awesome fit fam and one of the first to try out this program please fill out my online form.
I've been on the hunt recently for food that Toby can eat on his own, as he's proven very independent
when it comes to eating. I'm by no means a perfect mom but I do try to give him wholesome food when I can. Last week I was gifted a dozen avocados from my landlords uncle, and so I went on a mission to find a good recipe to use them in.
I cam across this Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins at Baby Foode and adapted it to make it work for us. Blueberry & Avocado Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flower
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 ripe organic avocado, seeded and peeled (I used 1 1/2 because they were on the small side)
1/3 cup organic coconut sugar (original recipe called for 1/2 cup of organic raw sugar)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup plain whole fat yogurt [I used Fage]
1 pint or 1 1/4 cup organic blueberries (I used frozen)
Heat oven to 375 and spray or line a regular or mini muffin tin.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, scoop out avocado, discarding seed, and beat until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in egg until completely combined. Add vanilla, yogurt and cinnamon and blend well.
Pour in the flour mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon into muffin tin, filling 3/4 way to the top.
Bake for 15 minutes for mini muffins (check to be sure they are done mine took longer) or 25-30 minutes for regular muffins, or until toothpick domes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transitioning to rack.
Makes 36 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins. Store in air-tight container on counter for 1 week (I stored in the fridge due to how quickly food spoils here in HI)
*I did notice my batter seemed to be pretty thick and upon doing a little research it looks like it may be due to the coconut sugar as it absorbs a lot of water. They still came out fine, just an fyi :-)
Toby loves them, he is able to eat them fine with only 2 teeth and the only downside is the mess he makes ;-)
Let me know if you try these for yourself or your little one and how you liked it!
I've heard it said, "Couples who sweat together stay together." I'm not sure if that's totally true—and
honestly I can think of some other factors that may be more important to keep a marriage alive and thriving—BUT I did come up with 5 reasons you should consider working out with your spouse.
Here they are in no particular order
1. Help In The Kitchen
I can tell you from personal experience if you and your spouse aren't on the same eating plan it's tough to stay strong. I do best when I keep my pantry and fridge free of foods I'm not eating as they just become a huge temptation in moments of weakness. In order to do that though you need to have your spouse on board with your eating plan.
Since they say diet is 80% of your results having a partner to help you will greatly increase your results and ability to stick with it, plus it saves time preparing more than one meal. One way to get my hubby on board was to utilize the Fixate cookbook along with the recipes found on Beachbody On Demand. (Think Netflix for workouts). There are lots of yummy desert recipes that we have both enjoyed as a treat including cake with chocolate frosting, peanut butter chocolate balls and peanut butter bars.
2. Checking Your Form
Working out alone at home is great. I love that I don't have to pack up and get to the gym, figure out childcare or what I'm going to wear. One thing I have found difficult though is checking my form without the assistance of mirrored walls like many gyms have. When I learn a new move I have a hard time figuring out if I'm doing it right, which is important in order to protect your back and also maximize your results.
When Jake is around it's easy for me to be able to ask him if my back is straight, if I'm doing it the same way as in the video, and he let's me know when I start sagging towards the end of my plank. In return I can do the same for him.
3. Sticking With It
Do you ever have those days where you just don't feel like it? Where you convince yourself that you've "worked hard this week" and you "deserve a day of rest?" When no one is expecting you to workout at a certain time, meet them at the gym or see you in class it's easy to make excuses.
My first method of remedying that are the online accountability groups that I host, but having Jake to workout with me is an added push. If I'm not feeling up to it I know he'll encourage me to stick with my goals and do it. When he wants to stay in bed and skip out I can drag him to join me ;-) 4. The Next Generation
It's important to me to set a good example to my kiddos of what healthy habits are including working out, eating healthy food to fuel our bodies and making activity a fun part of our life. While doing this alone would probably be a good example, how much better is it for them to see mom AND dad doing this?
Being healthy and fit isn't just about looking good in a swimsuit in the summer or for special occasion, for me it's a lifestyle! Having a partner that also demonstrates this healthy lifestyle will make it the normal thing for kids instead of one option.
5. Together Is Better
Let's face it, life is busy! It's easy to get caught up in the busyness and not make time for your spouse. If one of you is already working out but the other isn't then that's time you have to spend apart. If you choose to workout together you gain more time together.
Working out together means opportunities to encourage and push one another, to remind each other of your goals, to support and help motivate one another on your journey together!
Do you workout with your partner? If not would you like to?
I am super excited to be able to announce a brand new at-home fitness program by Beachbody! The best part is that it's launching in just a couple weeks on October 31!
Core De Force is a 30 day total body transformation program that will help you get the body you've been wanting. One of the things I love about this program is that there is NO equipment. Just YOU! Core De Force is an MMA inspired program which includes 3 minute “rounds” where you will get boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, knee-elbow combinations, body weight training and cardio spikes that will help you lose belly fat and get ripped.
If you can focus on hitting it hard for 3 minutes at a time before you know it the workout will be over.
I got a chance to check out a sneak peek of this workout at the beginning of the month and it's so much fun and yet leaves you dripping in sweat. While doing the workout I noticed that it really does focus on your entire core which will help you get your midsection defined, which always seems to be the trouble spot for us ladies especially after recently having a baby!
Keep reading to find out all the details of this program and how you can rock your goals this holiday season. I am going to be hosting a private test group for people who are ready to join me in this 30 day program and I can't wait to see the results we are going to get.
First off, what the heck is Core De Force?!?!
Core De Force is your 30 day program that can help you achieve a total body transformation. This workout was created by Joel Freeman and Jericho McMatthews. It is the ultimate mixed martial arts-inspired workout that is going to help you get rid of the belly fat, lean out, build muscle and shred your body from head to toe without any equipment.
I'll be honest that when I tried the sneak peek I was a bit worried. I have NO background in mixed martial arts, boxing or anything like that, so I was super thankful to find out that in every workout there is a “learn it & work it” section that breaks down the moves so that you can learn them before you do the workout. So, if you are new to the MMA style exercises like I was this will give you confidence to go right in and kick some butt.
Another bonus for those of us that struggle with keeping time or a beat is that Core De Force doesn't have a rhythm that you have to keep up! Like all of our workouts there are modifiers in every single workout so if you are a beginner or just new to this type of exercise you won't get left behind. If you are more advanced, have experience, or even as you get familiar with the program, you will be able to challenge yourself more to get the results you are looking for.
Another bonus is that there is no workout equipment! I've been doing a program lately that requires a bench press, bands and lots of weights which would be hard to drag all around New England for the month of November, so this program is perfect!
Who should consider doing Core De Force?!?!
EVERYONE of course ;-) Whether you are at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level in your fitness you can do this workout. It may not look pretty at the beginning, but it still burns calories and you will catch on before you know it. Follow the modifier if you need to and work your way up to the advanced moves.
Core De Force has an emphasis of working your core from every angle, which will help you whittle it down, tone it up and maximize your results in one of our biggest trouble spots.
How about an eating plan?
The nutrition plan is simple, filled with clean eating and measurable to make it easy to follow. Your results will either be empowered by your choice to follow this plan and fuel your body or hindered by your lack of commitment. I would challenge you to go all in and follow this plan in order to maximize your results.
For those of you who are familiar with the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan, this plan follows the portion fix too, but you will not receive another set of containers unless you want them! You will get a list of foods for each category, how much to eat of category and it's easy to track. I'll be helping you figure this out and offering tools to set you up for success in my Exclusive Test Group!
Core De Force Test Group Participant
Core De Force Test Group Participant
How long are these workouts anyway?
All the workouts in this program range from 30-45ish minutes in length and you workout 6 days a week with a stretch on the 7th. The workout program is only 30 days in length and comes with a calendar to follow for the best results for your effort.
There are 8 workouts included in the program:
MMA Speed: Upper body and core focused boxing influenced workout. (27 minutes)
MMA Shred: Muay Thai inspired elbow and kicks for total body shred. (37 minutes)
MMA Power: Uses explosive and defensive style movements in this fast paced cardio conditioning workout (47 minutes)
MMA Plyo: Core De Force is an MMA style home fitness program that will transform your entire body in 30 days. When you combine boxing, Muay Thai and plyometrics in one workout you get a huge calorie burn and RESULTS. (47 minutes)
Power Sculpt: Total body burner that uses explosive power and interval training to lean and sculpt. (37 minutes)
Dynamic Strength: Low on impact but high on intensity. (47 minutes)
Active Recovery: Recharge for the week ahead with this rest day that focuses on form and technique to help fight fatigue and sore muscles. (21 minutes)
Core De Force Relief: A quick 5 minutes stretch before bed session. (5 minutes)
Team Beachbody Exclusive MMA Mashup: All the best Core De Force moves in one workout. (26 minutes) (Only available when you order through a coach like me!)
Core Kinetics: A unique core workout inspired by Mixed Martial Arts movements.
5 minute Core on the Floor: The ultimate core finisher, 5 minute challenging plank movements that gets your abs on fire.
If you want to bump your order to the deluxe version you'll get these 3 additional workouts:
Agility Strength: combines fast footwork drills with body weight resistance to help improve coordination and blast major calories. (9 rounds- 37 minutes).
Agility Power: Grab your agility ladder and rip through multifunctional training that ignites every muscle and helps shred fat for serious definition (6 rounds-27 minutes).
MMA Kick Butt: This workout is meant to target your legs and butt with nonstop mix of powerful kicks and calorie burning conditioning spikes (9 rounds- 37 minutes).
Ok, so when can I get this workout?!?!
Core De Force will become available on October 31 to customers of Team Beachbody coaches. If you don't already have a coach you are working with than make sure to sign up with me so you can get a hold of this program right away and receive my help and support throughout the 30 days. Here is your link to create your Free Team Beachbody Account. Make sure to contact me via Facebook or email to be a part of my Exlusive Test Group!
What's this going to cost me?!?!
Core De Force can be purchased in several ways. The one that I always recommend first is the Core De Force Challenge Pack because it comes with everything you need to be successful with this program. You will receive the entire Core De Force workout program, calendar to follow, nutrition guide, program manual, 30 day supply of Shakeology in your choice of flavor(s), discounted price on the program and shipping AND it gives you access into my Exclusive Test Group where I will help you with the nutrition plan, share recipes, motivation, accountability, tips and support on a daily basis so that you complete this program instead of letting it collect dust on the shelf
The Challenge Pack is on SALE for $140 and is available starting October 31 through November 2016.
How will I get the best results?
I'm glad you asked! The most important part of this whole program is joining my group so you aren't going at it alone. I've had too many friends, and sometimes myself at times, fail to finish a program or stay on track because life happens. They don't have anyone checking in on them. They get discouraged or lose motivation. Don't let your good intentions go to waste because you don't set yourself up to succeed!
Join my test group via an app where you can log your workout and Shakeology each day - optimal accountability. You will be able to see the other participants post their own workouts and shakes along with questions, support and encouragement. There will be a daily pinned post with a word of encouragement, a tip, recipe or challenge that will help you keep on track. Don't attempt to go it alone and end up missing out on the results you could be getting. Let's do this together! Sound good? OK
Here's a few more details about the qualifications to join my group!
In my Test Group I am going to be requiring that each person commit to participating for the entire 30 days of the program starting on the 7th of November. You also must have ME as your assigned coach. AKA you cannot already be working with another coach or be a coach yourself.
On top of committing to the fitness program you will need to commit to drinking Shakeology in order to join my group. You will get the best results when you utilize this superfood shake to fuel your workouts and recovery!
You will be making a commitment to participate daily in the My Challenge Tracker App. I will have you log your workouts, your daily food activity and provide you with tools, tips and recipes to help you get to your goals.
You must be willing to give this your best! I can't promise it will be easy but I promise it will be worth it in the end when you see the results you can achieve in just 30 days!!
When Jake and I were engaged we discussed when would be a good time to start a family. We both came to the table thinking two years sounded good. So that was the plan. We were both young, had no major health issues, and we didn't think it would take long to conceive.
Unfortunately we were wrong.
Three years after getting married? Still no baby. A friend of mine shared that a doctor had recommended she go on a gluten free and dairy free diet in order to help conceive. I had no reason to think this would work for me, but I wanted to feel like I was doing something to help the process, so it was worth a shot.
My gluten free/dairy free diet lasted two weeks. lol! It was Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory that did me in. We took a tour with some friends and the free ice cream at the end was too much to resist. Oh well. I figured I'd start the gluten/dairy free diet again the next month. Maybe then we'd get pregnant.
Here we were at the end of September, which is the lead-up to Jake's birthday on October 2. In our family we don't celebrate birthDAYs; we celebrate birthWEEKs! The birthday boy or girl gets a week of special attention—little gifts here and there, fun activities, special meals, and such.
Well, this particular year I FAILED! Like big time. On Monday night of his birthday week I apologized for not planning anything. He was a little disappointed.
So that night as I was praying I could only think of one way to make up for his birthday week. One thing that might put me back into my husband's good graces—if I found out we were expecting. So I prayed that I would be pregnant, and that if I was I would remember to take a pregnancy test in the morning.
Keep in mind I had NO reason to believe I would be. I hadn't had any symptoms or anything, it was more of a wish than a real possibility.
The next morning I remembered to take the test. It had two lines. I had never had two lines before. This must be some mistake. So I took another one. And then another. They all had two lines. According to these tests I was pregnant!
Now to figure out how to tell Jake.
I knew it would be a big surprise after having tried for a year, so I spent two days planning it all while keeping the whole thing a secret. Yikes, how did I even do that?
Since we were planning to move to Maui in just a few months I thought I would take him on a trip down memory lane to special places from when we were dating.
Our church, where he first asked me out.
The local pizza place where we used to share a plate of spaghetti almost every week.
The bench where we had a serious conversation about whether we wanted to "get serious" about our relationship.
Our final stop was at Harvey's Lake in Barnet, VT, the place where we first hung out, where he first told me he loved me, and where he proposed.
It only made sense that this be the place where I told him we were pregnant.
I parked in the lot and had him put my scarf over his eyes. He waited in the car while I went out to the lake shore and set up his camera and tripod, along with the pink and blue balloons I had purchased earlier that day. Then I led him out there and, well... the rest is on camera...
I know oatmeal is good for you, especially when you are breastfeeding... But I'll be honest, I don't
care for it very much. However, recently while getting lost on Pinterest I came across a recipe that sounded like it would be yummy! So I tried it out, and this gurl really liked it! So here it is :-)
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Serves 1
Container Equivalents (per serving): 1 Yellow, 1/4 Purple Ingredients:
1 cup water
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup pumpkin puree
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1. In a small saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the oats and lower the heat to medium-high, cook covered for about 5-8 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed into the oatmeal.
2. Stir pumpkin into the oatmeal and then add in the maple syrup and spices.
