Personal Development

I am falling more and more in love...
...with Personal Development.

I know I sound like that freaky lady that consistently reads self help books one after another, battling my way through life, trying to be the best I can be. And yes, I have become that crazy lady. I'm diving head first into a pool full of personal development.
--> However, rather than reading self help books, my personal development books are a little different.
I'm reading books on
1. How to enhance myself, not help myself.
2. How to enrich my self, not make myself rich.
3. How to make myself better, not become someone else.
4. How to bloom where I'm planted, not plant myself elsewhere.
5. How to...well you get the picture!


I'm not self-helping, I'm self-enhancing.
I always hated the term "self-help". I mean, yeah, it looks like you are awesome because you have the initiative to help yourself, but it also makes you look kinda sad...like "My life isn't that great, I'm depressed about (insert subject here), I'm trying to read a book about it to help myself."

My mother was one of those self-help people. She was constantly reading books! My personal favorite books of hers was titled, "How to Have a Better Kid by Friday" and it had this 5 day plan of discipline and structure to have better kids. HAHAHAHAHA, I still laugh out loud at that title! Like we were terrible children or something...haha But anyways, she had multiple books on finances, motherhood, wife life, and just plain out being positive ("The Power of a Positive Mom"). I'm not saying any of these books are bad - they stretched my mom, allowed her to grow, and changed her. I just didn't like the point she had to get to to start reading them. On days when she felt she wasn't positive enough, on days when she felt she wasn't a good mom or a good wife, on days when money was really tight and we didn't know how to pay the bills, on her lowest of lows, she turned to these books.

...I hated personal development and self help books for this very reason. I didn't want to be at my lowest of lows. I didn't want to feel sad enough, depressed enough about something in order to decide that I was ready to help myself. I didn't want to personally develop myself because that meant that I felt like I had something I needed to work on and work on badly.

However, coaching has been changing my brain about personal development. You don't have to be at a low point! You don't have to be at a high point! You could be completely mediocre in life, things are normal, life seems fine, and you could always use an empowering book to inspire you on!

I caved and bought a few recommended reads from my coach friends. "You are a BadAss" and "You're Made for a God-sized Dream". I purposefully bought them at the time I did because I was/am happy with life, I feel content, and I know that I'm not currently in my lowest of lows.

So, in the end, I'm falling in love with personal development because I've come to accept that I always have room to grow and be awesome! I think you should come to terms with that too.. :)


*DISCLAIMER** I am NOT saying that you shouldn't read these in your lowest of lows! I highly recommend it! I'm simply stating that I didn't want to be at that point to have to read them, and I realized I didn't have to be! :)

Shake it Off!

I wanted to make a post about Shakeology because I feel so strongly about it and I used to despise it. I can only imagine that some of you are either confused, repulsed, or think you can't afford it.. and I want to let you know that I sympathize. I was there!

To begin, Shakeology is a meal replacement shake that Beachbody sells. Because clean eating means you have six small meals a day, I make Shakeology (paired with a fruit, veggie, or yogurt) one of my small meals, typically breakfast. This crazy shake is more than just a shake. IT IS JAMPACKED with amazingness and boasts over 70 fruits and vegetables in one tiny shake. I personally love it!

Benefits:
1. Reduce hunger and food cravings
2. Steady blood sugar
3. Lower cholesterol levels
4. Support brain function - more alert, less anxiety
5. Healthier skin, hair, and nails
6. Build and repair muscles
7. Increase energy
8. Boost immune system
9. Improve digestion and regularity

...and so much more!

What is in Shakeology?

There are a few things I realized though, in my early Shakeology days, to help boost the benefits.

What I Realized
1. Consistency is the key! If you aren't drinking this every day then you aren't going to see any benefits and it's going to become just another shake for you
2. Be Creative! Find recipes - there are a ton - especially pinterest. You can mix and match, try different flavors. My goal is to try more flavors more often, but my go to is chocolate shake with a tablespoon of peanut butter and almond milk. YUMM.
3. Sign up as a coach! Even if you don't want to coach, signing up as a coach gives you a financial benefit and you'll end up saving $30 on your Shakeology each month.

Before you even start making excuses, check out this blog that puts to rest all of the Shakeology Myths, Shakeology Myths Debunked.


1. What Shakeology Has Done/Is Doing For Me
Everyone always reaches that plateau point in life, especially with weightloss. For me, I started at a plateau. I couldn't shake any weight off...not at all. I felt like I was barely eating anything and I'd be gaining weight each and every day. I was so frustrated. Even though I had owned Shakeology for a few months, I hadn't been drinking it consistently. When I started drinking it consistently, my weight just started dropping. I was fuller and less hungry. I haven't been sick once this year! (knock on wood..) I know it's only February but in the teacher world, this is amazing. 2015 has been my healthiest year yet! And...if I would have pictures I would show you, but my skin has less blemishes than ever before, my nails are long AND strong, and my hair has grown almost a full two inches. It's insane the benefits I'm seeing.

2. How Shakeology Has Affected Me Financially
Shakeology can be an expense..it's almost like paying another bill. It's $130.00 a month, if you sign up as a coach it's only $99.00 a month but you also have to pay a coaches fee of $15.00 a month for website usage. To me, this seemed tragic. I had no idea how we were going to be able to afford this each month, and as a coach, I knew I needed to be the product of the product and that I needed to start drinking Shakeology. One month, I sucked it up and started using it. I sold two challenge packs that included Shakeology and that commission has covered my cost of Shakeology ever since! Although, you can sign up to be a coach without coaching or selling anything, it does have it's own benefits and now I consider my Shakeology to be basically free! Jared has started drinking it too, so we might have to order a second bag!
---I also considered how much I spent on sodas, milkshakes, or fluffy starbucks drinks that were full of calories each month. I guarantee the total went WAY over $100. This photo helped me think about it in that perspective as well. Instead of my large Coke with my supersized meal at McDonalds, I was filling my body with something good and I was saving money (and my health) in the long run.

I'm a firm believer in holistic wellness - affecting my mind, my body, my spirit, everything! Shakeology is one way for me to tackle the body aspect of my health and wellness.

Shakeology also now comes in sample packs - please don't hesitate to ask me for some! It's definitely worth a shot!

How to Eat Clean on a Budget

With Jared and I being just married and me with a large amount of debt hanging over my head, our budget was, is, and will be tight for awhile. We felt like it was so much cheaper and faster to eat frozen foods - chicken nuggets, pizza, fries, wings, and lots of meat and potatoes.

WE WERE WRONG.

We began the 21 day fix with dread, because the first week Jared had to go to the grocery store 3 times for more fruits and vegetables. We spent over $250 the first week for just the two of us...HOW WERE WE SUPPOSED TO EAT HEALTHY WHEN IT WAS THIS EXPENSIVE?!

Then, I made it my mission. I made it my mission to buy more ingredients rather than single items (fruits and vegetables make this hard but I'll explain that later). I made it my mission to cut our grocery bill in half if not more! I made it my mission to eat clean and eat clean on a budget that we could afford! So...I went to the grocery store.

Now, you have to realize that I have a love of racing, I love timing myself, seeing how long it takes for me to do things, etc. And normally, my grocery shopping trip can be done in a half hour and I love that! However, this time around I knew I needed to look at prices and really compare in order to make our bill go down. The shopping trip where I discovered how to eat clean on a budget, took me two hours...mainly because it was hard to find things! But now, since then, I'm able to go grocery shopping in my 30 minute time period and get all clean eating foods!

Here are a few things (there's probably more that I can't remember right now..) that I did to allow us to eat clean and on a budget at our local Food Lion grocery store.

1. Fruits and Veggies - Jared and I loved having blueberries and raspberries in our fruit containers...but we each needed 4 fruit containers a day and that meant we would go through 1 box of blueberries and 1 box of rasperries EVERY SINGLE DAY. That's like 8 bucks right there...for our "snacks". And if you look at it weekly, that puts us at $56 already! So, now, I buy a big bag of apples and a big bag of oranges. When you buy them in a bag you get a better price. They typically last us two weeks and we get 1 apple as a snack and 1 orange as a snack each day! I also will only allow myself to get two containers of strawberries when there is a sale going on. Strawberries tend to be the less expensive fruit. We often grab a bag of grapes, carrots, and celery as well. It's been working out great. I now spend $25 on all of our fruit for two entire weeks!
2. Meat - Jared and I love ground beef  and if prepared correctly it can be perfect for clean eating. We also love fish like salmon. Can you say EXPENSIVE?! So, I switch to ground turkey (tastes exactly the same but even better for you) and we use tilapia instead of salmon. We also switched to turkey bacon (that's the only kind of clean eating bacon) but it saves us money as well! A typically pound of ground beef is between 6 and 7 dollars. Ground turkey by the pound is usually $3 or $4! Saving saving saving.
3. Ingredients - Main Dishes - The 2nd week of the 21 day fix, I was already tired of making what felt like "2" suppers because I felt like I could only prepare Jared's food first then mine to get correct portion sizes. BUT, on pinterest, they had these amazing recipes for more than one person that worked for the 21 day fix (and other clean eating things too!) and it told you the portion size and what containers you were using. I was able to make big meals that we could then have leftovers for. Instead of buying multiple items to make main dishes, I bought a few things and made multiple main dishes. This has worked out amazingly! And cut our cost down as well!
4. Bread - Tortillas - We used to use Sara Lee Sandwich wheat thins (healthy enough) which were $3.99 for 8. With both of us packing lunches we were going through definitely 10 a week, if not more for the weekends. Putting us at two packs and costing $8 alone for bread. The 21 day fix calls for Tortillas so we switched over. Tortillas are 99 cents for a pack of 8. NOW, I buy 3-4 packs a week (we use Tortillas for snack time as well) and spend only $3-$4. They last us typically a week and a half, depending on snack choices.
5. Make a plan - In our house, as we run out of things or as we need things we just add them to the list on the fridge. We need toothpaste? Write it down. Zeus needs some kitty food? Write it down. It's become this sort of thing so we always know what we need when we need it and I'm able to go get when I get my groceries.Every Saturday (or Sunday..depending on my busy life!) I sit down with Jared and we make a meal plan for the week. This is detailed down to our snacks. Now, this plan is completely flexible and we have never completely followed it to a T. We often change it around and switch things back and forth depending on how our day goes and if we are eating with other people. But - it helps us keep a frame of reference of what we have to eat for the week! I print these off and then take them shopping. I now have a plan and my fridge list and I'm not straying from it at all. If it's not on my list, I don't buy it! I'm serious, even if I think I need it, I refuse to buy it, I know I'll survive!
6. Brands - this brings me to my last tip. I don't know what grocery store you use, I really like Food Lion for this reason, but your store probably has similar perks. We are MVP members at Food Lion and they cater our coupons to us. I can go online before I go shopping and load my card with the specific coupons that I want. In the mail each month I get a flyer filled with coupons of things I buy (they can see what I buy often through my MVP card) AND they have their own brand of things that gives MVP members a discount. I know it looks like a knock-off but is it really that different? Go for the cheaper option, look for the cheaper (and still healthy) brand! You'll save money big!


Our first week of the 21 day fix, I think we spent $260 on food and we were cleaned out by Saturday. On week two of the 21 day fix, I spent $90 and we still had food leftover. It takes some planning, it takes time to figure out what you'll eat, how much you'll eat, and if you'll even like it. Consider these things before you go shopping! Keep in mind our grocery trip is more than just food, but it's also our pet stuff, cleaning supplies, toiletries, bathroom stuff, the whole 9 yards!

In reality, you can definitely eat clean on a budget! It takes some hunting, some scouring, and a grocery shopping trip that seems to take hours. Once you know where everything is, it helps so much more! The rumor is that the healthy foods tend to be on the outside of the grocery store, around the edges, and I'd have to agree! Look there first!

If you need ideas, I literally just typed clean eating into Pinterest, and look what came up! The images in this post are all from a pinterest page!

The 21 Day Fix Review

 On this post, Jared and I are going to share our opinions on the 21 day fix..consider it an insider review of how it really goes down, what it's really like, and how you'll really feel!

Jared and I blogged EACH day of our entire 21 day fix journey. So, if you'd like a day to day breakdown, you can definitely check out my previous blogs in February for an exclusive look at what it's like. I tagged those posts down below for you to click on later. However, this post will be largely an overall view of the Fix and what it can do for you. I'll also be posting my before and after pics so you can see how much it changes your body!

FIRST: Our results
 --> Jared lost 16. 2 pounds and 23 inches
--> Me - I lost 12.2 pounds and 11 inches

Obviously, we saw amazing results in 21 days!  It took a lot of getting used too but once Week 1 was down it became a normal routine. That would be my first piece of advice - consistency, dedication, and planning are the 3 things you need to do in order to make this successful. Jared and I think this quite possibly the most amazing program out their on the market. (oh, they made an extreme one too by the way..like extreme.) It will COMPLETELY CHANGE the way you eat, it will COMPLETELY CHANGE the way you look at food, the way you prepare food, and the decisions you make before you insert food in your mouths. I think the thing we love the most is that we can still follow our plan (making tweaks here and there if we want to go out) and we can pair this with whatever workout we want to do! This ensures that we are clean eating AND working out. To help you: below I've answered a lot of questions (mostly ones that I had before I started the program)

How much does it cost?
      The 21 Day Fix program itself costs $60.00 and comes with the nutrition containers and the workout DVDs. You can get the Challenge Pack (with Shakeology - normally $130 alone) for $140. Honestly, worth it for the life changing effects it'll bring for you. If you need to know more about Shakeology (which I recommend TO ANYONE!) you can check out my page here.

What were the results?
  Obviously you saw our inches and pounds lost below. But check out my pics! (Jared refused pics but I wish he wouldn't have, because he looks awesome..and super hott, but I'm biased.)

It's day to say but in those before pictures on the left, I looked almost pregnant. I felt extremely bloated all of the time! My after pictures show WAY less bloat. Am I where I want to be? Heck no! I've got a ways to go! BUT...seeing visual progress is always helpful, also having my pants continuously fall down because I've lost so much weight is EXTREMELY annoying and inspiring at the same time.

How does it work?
  You'll get a book with easy to follow instructions. I will be making a YouTube video that describes exactly how it works and how to set it up. Breakdown...1) do a math equation to figure out your calorie needs 2) correspond that to the chart to find out how many of each colored container you get 3)look at the lists of food that go into each container 4)decide what you like and make a plan on how you'll spread out your containers throughout the day 5)make a meal plan calendar (you can see mine on my blog posts tagged below) 6)Your meal plan calendar acts as your grocery list!
See my video on YouTube in a few days for extra help!

Was it easy?
  Honestly? No! I mean, would changing the entire way you eat be easy? Heck no! But it got easier each day and by week 3 it was a breeze. The first 3 days were the hardest days that I ever had to deal with food and nutrition wise, but after that it became more of a habit. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit and that's why this program is 21 days. Habits are hard to form and hard to break! So it wasn't easy, but it got better!

What was preparation like/where do I even begin?
  This was kinda answered in the "How does it work"/YouTube video area. However, the best place to begin is in the math equation! It's in the directions book, this helps determine what you need and how much. The Saturday before I started the 21 Day Fix (I started on a Monday) I sat down and calculated our containers. This took me double the time because I was doing it for me AND Jared. I spent about an hour calculating, looking at containers, trying to find foods that Jared liked, planning it all out. Once you spend the time and plan this hour, the rest of your planning will take 5 minutes! No lie! It's always that first ice breaker that takes the longest and then you'll be a pro.


How did you go shopping and make food?
  I just took our meal plan calendar! I did NOT buy anything else than what was on our meal plan. Even if I thought I needed it! Our first week, we kinda went overboard and spent WAY TOO MUCH money on fruits and veggies. But after our first week, we figured it out and we were able to determine how much and what we liked to eat most. After the first week, I researched a bunch of meals on pinterest so instead of making individual things, I was able to make whole meals that would last us two suppers. That saved us money too!

How much time did this take?
  So, on average, I planned every Saturday morning for 5 to 10 minutes. I went grocery shopping each week and that took a 1/2 hour. Each morning, I'd pack my lunch and snacks which took maybe 15 minutes, probably less. Then suppers never took more than 40 minutes, which is normal for me! There was a 30 minutes workout too for each day I mean...that's what...9.5 hours a week. and 1 hour and 30 minutes a day. not even. :) It's easy! You probably spend more time (and money) eating the way you do now!

If you'd like to see details, go here for Week 1
or to this post for Week 2
and finally to this post for Week 3!! and our final results :)

I am not a morning person...

I used to brag about how much I love the morning. There is so much that can be done before 9 am that leaves a day full of possibilities (and typically my possibilities meant crafts, home improvement projects, painting, or other random ideas that popped in my head).

I was a decent morning person, full of energy - ready to kickstart the day - the whole 9 yards. This past summer, without an alarm, I'd get up at 5:30 AM, get a workout in, clean the house, do some laundry, and have an amazing day filled with accomplishments and lists that had been checked and crossed. I felt phenomenal. I was getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep and kicking butt, for lack of a better term.

Then, I got married. Then my responsibilities doubled.  Now I had to get up (later than I normally did, 6:30 to 6:45 AM), pack my lunch, try to look pretty, prepare supper for the evening, maybe get a load of laundry in (unlikely), trip over cat toys...etc, etc. I'd come home and be exhausted because this was my first big girl job after all! I'd get dinner ready and then you could probably call me worthless because that's how tired I was. And my oh-so-truthful husband shattered what I thought had been truth to be proven to lies.

I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person.

or..at least most of the time I'm not.

Jared likes to put it this way...I'm a morning person if I get to wake myself up, but if the alarm goes off I am not a morning person. You can ask him and he'll tell you embellished tales of him trying to wake me up on school mornings. He'll say that he had to hit me with pillows, drag of the covers, drag me out of bed. He had to lay on top of me, whistle in my ear, tickle me because I couldn't defend myself from my lack of strength in the morning. He'll tell you all of those...truths. None of those are lies, all truths.

I guess it all boils down to responsibility and what I HAVE to do. Because I HAVE to be up and ready for school, I hate it. But this summer, when I didn't HAVE to but I WANTED to, I was up before it was light out and running as the sun rose. Oh what a life...

I'm sure you all can relate. And if you are a morning person, maybe evening's feel like death sometimes and you are ready to crawl into your comfy cozy bed by 7:30 PM. I get it - because that's what I did last night! :) However, there's something about kickstarting your day that changes the whole course of your day!

When people workout in the morning - they are more likely to finish a workout, they feel more energized for the day, they feel ready! Does it take time from sleep? yes! but that means we have to go to bed earlier. Honestly, Jared and I are still working out in the evenings, but that's because our schedules for working are cray cray to the max. I promise you though, as soon as our schedules get back on track, we will be morning people for sure!

I am in NO WAY trying to make you switch up your routine, if morning workouts just don't work for you - but evening ones do, rock it! You Do You! I'm just saying all the good things that can happen out of exercising in the morning. Exercise produces endorphins and endorphins make you happy! Why not work out in the morning (and get it out of the way!) and then be happy all day?! :)

So, let's raise a cup of coffee to those morning workout warriors and hope that someday (very soon) we will all be among the ranks! (I have a dream, that one day work will start in mid morning and everyone will workout before the day begins.)

The 21 Day Fix Week 3 - The Final Results!

We are rounding third base and almost at home plate! WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR OUR RESULTS! We have more energy, I have no bloat, and we have both seen scale and non-scale victories so it's time to really see our final results and compare it to the beginning. After all, it's only 21 days - anyone can do this! And it truly does take 21 days to form a habit, 21 days to make something consistent, I think Jared and I have it down. I also made a whole plan for the rest of the year too as far as fitness goes :)
Here is a sample of my new plan for Week 3. I've been changing things up, especially suppers to help us feel fuller and keep our bodies guessing.

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Eggs Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives	Eggs Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives	Eggs Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives
Snack	Shakeology Fruit	Shakeology Fruit	Shakeology Fruit
Lunch	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat Fruit ½  Blue
Snack	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips
Dinner	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue	BURGERS 1 Red 1 Yellow 1 Green 1 Blue	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue
Snack	Oatmeal	Fruit Oatmeal	Fruit Vegetable Oatmeal

Day 15:
Feelings: Not hungry, but we definitely feel kinda off. Jared felt a little bit sick in his tummy earlier this morning and I just felt off after lunch. I REALLY hope we aren't getting sick, because honestly, I want to finish the strongest that we possibly can.
Body Update: I didn't see any changes on the scale today, but no weight gain is perfectly fine with me! Jared was the exact same too. We think it's because Sunday's workout of Yoga isn't super intense so we aren't working off as much! Who's to say?! All I know is that tonight, Total Body Cardio killed us and we have fingers crossed for results tomorrow!
Jared Quote: "Frog crunches make me look like a woman giving birth."

Day 16:
Feelings: I was super tired last night, but today I feel more energized. I'm hoping, truly hoping, to lose 15 pounds out of this deal! Only 4ish more to go. Jared is hoping to lose 20 and he has about 4 more to go as well! And we happen to have 5 days left. I think if anything, we are feeling more determined to lose weight than ever!
Body Update: I'm down some more weight again - *happy dance*, Jared gained a few tenths of a pound but he think it might be some muscle building since his weights are heavier! We feel like this is more normal, our new normal.  I like it. However, Jared insists that as soon as he can eat normal food he's going to have a burger with two donuts for buns.... hahaha oh dear! He is a challenge for sure!
Jared Quote: "I lied to you, I did eat a brownie today. But I can't lie to Autumn."

Day 17:
Feelings: I've been kinda irritable lately, but I'm a girl so you can't really pin that on any certain thing. LOLZ. Jared seems to be his normal self...avoiding veggies as much as possible. :) Also, today is my Mama's birthday so I always like to get in the birthday spirit. This weekend is Valentine's day and there's so much love in the air - especially as we pick up our new puppy!  <3 AHH. I'm just happy, happy, happy.
Body Update: I'm pooping more again - who's really to say why! Jared and I are both feeling fine. We feel "normal" now which I'm assuming wouldn't be normal if you asked us 17 days ago. It's getting harder to describe to you how our bodies are because now it doesn't feel different. Eating less but more times a day just seems to make sense!
Jared Quote: "Gio's antics aren't as entertaining the third time."

Day 18:
Feelings: We went out to eat tonight. That's right! You can go out and eat healthy and remain on the 21 day fix. True story! It was fabulous and if you are trying to eat healthy, I recommend Applebee's or other chain restaurants that have low calorie menus. What we ordered was 21 day fix approved! AND DELICIOUS!
Body Update: Jared and I skipped our workout today. WHATT. Because we are only human, we were exhausted, and we had to do our taxes and lots of shopping. BUT, we will double up tomorrow! We promise! It's important to listen to your body, to let it rest, to take breaks. But you can't just never get back into it! Rest days are simply 1 day or 2 or 3, but no more...With only three days left of our 21 day fix, we are going to go out strong!
Jared Quote: There isn't one. After a solid 17 days of quotes, Jared is burnt out...or not funny anymore..Who's to say? ;) We'll see what he has to say tomorrow! `

Day 19:
Feelings: At this point, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Tomorrow and Sunday are pretty busy days and we are only hoping things can go smoothly! Especially with a church meal on Sunday..eep! We almost skipped our workout tonight (see what skipping last night did to us?!) because it's so cold outside (and in ) and we just wanted to go to bed. But we did it! And we are completing more and more of what we couldn't before and that feeling can be only be described in one word: progress.
Body Update: Jared and I stepped on the scale this morning! I'm done .6 of a pound and he was about the same. Instead of seeing drastic drops in weight like we had earlier, we are now seeing slower progress.  I'm assuming it's because our bodies are still trying to figure out this system. Hah! Little do our bodies know, this meal plan is permanent! I'm also seeing crazy definition in my arms, shoulders, and calves. Like awesome muscles I didn't even know I was working! I'm excited!
Jared Quote: (about the "music on" version of the workout) "I feel like I'm in a strip tease." *proceeds to shake his butt while doing windmills.


Day 20:
Feelings: We can see the end in sight and that's making it so much harder to stick to our diet plan! Especially with such fun stuff today - a college visit, valentine's day, all of the above!
Body Update: I'm fitting into pants I haven't been able to wear for a while and the pants I currently wear are so huge I don't need to button or unbutton them in order to take them on or off! I FEEL AWESOME! And I also have amazing definition like we talked about yesterday. :)
Jared Quote: After realizing tomorrow is our last day..."On Monday, I'm going to eat a burger with two donuts for buns." Nice try, buddy, nice try.

Day 21:
Feelings: We nailed our workout. I think our biggest feeling is confidence at this point, because we able to complete the whole workout and complete it strongly! Also, we got a puppy today and it's amazing so we are kinda just blissfully happy.

Body Update: We are feeling good! I'm down 1.8 pounds even after cheating a little bit yesterday. This is simply because I drink Shakeology! I KNOW IT!!! I can't wait to weigh in tomorrow and measure our results. You guys don't understand the anticipation I have, mainly because I know you all will be BLOWN AWAY and want to do this too and you should! Our bodies have never felt this "clean" before.
Jared Quote: "Free at last, we are free at last".

I hope this blog really really helps you see the changes in us and in our bodies as we made it through the 3 weeks! It's kinda cool to go back and see the progression of our thoughts too...First to only about food and now I hardly think about food, except for how awesome the meals are when I'm eating them!

WEEK 3 RESULTS:
Jared: lost 1.2 pounds and 4 inches
Alyssa: lost 2.8 pounds and 3.75 inches


THE FINAL RESULTS: It seems like Jared and I have been waiting for this day for weeks (3 weeks to be exact!) The final results are here and I am so excited to share them with you. We waited until the morning of Day #22 because then our results would be the most accurate after completing the full 21 days.

Jared: In total, Jared lost 16.2 pounds and 23 inches in just 21 days!
Alyssa: In total, Alyssa lost 12.2 pounds and 11.25 inches in just 21 days!

Jared's goal was to lose 20 pounds and he came so close! My goal was to lose 10 and then once I surpassed that goal, my goal was 15. WE FEEL AWESOME! Before and after pics of me to come :) Jared didn't want pics!

So now the question remains...what's our plan for after this?!
OUR GAME PLAN FOR AFTER:

We are going to keep following the diet plan (for the most part) and then if we want to eat out on the weekends, we'll be able to adjust our diet and caloric intake! Our next plan is to begin T-25 (well, atleast that's my plan...I'm not quite sure about Jared ;) ) Here's to another workout, a clean eating diet, and more health and wellness!

Make time to Make You!

AHHH...This is probably the #1 excuse out there that I get all the time (right up there with the money issue) and it's..."But I don't have time..."


STOP. NO. DON'T SAY THAT. Because that's a terrible rut to get yourself in and then try to get yourself out of. It's so important to make time for yourself and taking care of your body. Saying you don't have time is like saying you don't have time to shower, you don't have time to brush your teeth, fix your hair, or you don't have time to go to the bathroom.

It's not true! Maybe deep down you know that it's not true, or maybe you really just think it's true. You've got busy kids, you've got a husband, a demanding job, you truly don't feel as if you could add it into your life! I promise you - you can. I did it! I was planning a wedding, babysitting, fixing a house, moving to a new town, and trying to find a new job and I did it!

Well, in this post I'm going to list the things I did to *add* time to my life - rather, what I changed to make things go smoother and work better! I promise you that you have time to make yourself healthy. You have time to cook healthier meals. You have time to spend 25 -30 minutes a day sweating it out to give yourself exercise.

WHAT I DID:
1. I got up a little earlier - was this hard? At first, yes! But then I realized it wasn't so bad and it became such a habit. I got up at 5:30, worked out, showered, and I was ready for the day!
2. I prioritized my TV time - I realized that I was saying I didn't have time when in reality I was spending 3 or 4 hours in the evening after supper watching TV. Instead, after dinner, I'd clean up my food and dishes right away, prep the meals for the next day, and make a to-do list for the next day as well. This way, I still had 2.5 hours of TV time left. And if I missed my morning workout - I could do it now! Take a look at the little minutes of time that get wasted by doing absolutely nothing productive. Organize all that time - you'll have a lot left over :)
3. I made lists! - I made lists of everything, what I was going to eat, what I needed to do that day (in priority order of course), what needed done for the week, and what I was looking at from a monthly schedule point. With lists, I wasn't wasting any 5 minutes of time! I could get everything done, workout, and STILL HAVE TIME to relax. Especially now as a teacher - when a lot of my day is taken up!

4. Multitask!! - Who knew that you could drink your Shakeology and get ready at the same time?! I always blow dry and style my hair while eating my breakfast! It saves me ten minutes! I often check my emails/social media while I start the shower so my water can warm up instead of just standing there for 5 minutes waiting. I make my lunches and all my snacks at the same time. When I'm watching TV, I workout! That way I don't feel bad about missing my favorite Friends  reruns but I'm also getting a workout in. Ladies, let's be real, sometimes our husbands just get in the way! When Jared pops in for a shower or if he's watching one of his manly sports shows, this is the time where I am able to plan for the next day, prep for the next days meals. Food prep took me 45 minutes an evening our first week of clean eating, I can now do it in 5 minutes! You will get used to this, it will take some time, but it will become easy for you - I swear!
5. Make it a priority - I told myself my workout and clean eating was something I had too, just as much as showering, peeing, brushing my teeth. When you make things something taht has to happen it'll make it easier for it to happen. I'm not a morning person, so if I don't make it up in the morning, then I make it a priority to happen at night!
6. I gave myself  a time limit! - Laundry needed done? I'd pop a load in and immediately start my workout. The load lasted 30 minutes in the washer, just like my workout time! I knew my workout was over once the timer went off. I'd pop it in the dryer and then food prep for 30 minutes until the clothes were dry. YOU CAN DO THIS!
7. I included my husband  -  First, it's so much easier to workout and eat clean when everyone you live with is doing it with you. Second, having him participating gave him the right to help me out. Not only did we PLAN our workout time together, but he helps to prepare food and get things ready if I'm busy doing other housework or teacher stuff. I know not everyone is married, but most of us don't live alone! Have your roommate cut up veggies while you do the laundry, have your husband entertain the kids for 25 minutes while you squeeze a workout in! Get people involved, remain accountable, and you will have time!


All of these things sound hard. And annoying. Believe me, I know. And when I gave my coach excuses, she dished all of this right back at me. She is insane and gets up at 4:30 AM!!! AHHH! However, I promise, if you spend a Sunday afternoon revaluating your time, you'll do it! I still get 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, I workout, I plan and prepare food each day, I have a full time job as a teacher, and I run my own Beachbody business. YOU CAN DO THIS!

It all comes down to how bad do you want?! Are you ready to go through another summer angry at what you didn't do during the winter in order to wear a swimsuit and feel comfortable? Are you ready to continue to feel bloated? If you want it badly enough, you will make time. All I can do is help you along the way! This lady has a great blog about how she made exercise a habit, you can find it right here called How I Made Exercise a Habit

          

My Why

Often, as soon as you make a goal or a decision, you have a reason for doing so...

In the Beachbody world we call this your "Why". What is your why? Why are you doing this? Why are you choosing to spend time every evening/all day/in the morning dedicating yourself to wellness, health, and fitness, and changing people's lives? Once you sign up as a coach, you'll be asked your why. (sidenote: I think this is a practice we should do FOR EVERYTHING.)

In the beginning, my "why" was a standard one. I wanted to be healthy and fit. But recently, I was asked again about what my "why" was and I thought about it, I dug deeper, and I got to the heart of the matter.

My WHY was rooted with the fact that I'd be helping people change their lives and I knew that in helping people, I would be challenged to do the same thing for myself. I would be challenged to eat healthy, to workout every day, to look for new ways to take care of myself, to remain positive, to be an example. When I became a leader, a coach, it meant that I had to walk this same journey with you all and it meant there was no backing down.

 Rereading that paragraph, it looks a bit selfish - but it's truthful! My why is personal, it's my reasoning, and it makes sense to me.

 

It meant that on those days that I didn't want to work out, on those days that I didn't want to eat healthy - I was going to! I was going to do it for you guys because maybe those days you felt the same and you needed an example.

This brings me back to my coach, Jessica. Jessica and I met when I was a practicum teaching student in her classroom. We clicked instantly. After pulling a few strings, we were able to get paired up and she was my cooperating teacher while I taught in her Kindergarten classroom. SHE IS AN AMAZING TEACHER, someone I aspire to be daily. I loved every minute with her and her class and we both cried on my last day at the end of February. I remember her saying, " I feel like I'm breaking up with someone.." hahahaha! I can't believe it's been a year that I've been in that wonderful room and been with Jessica!

Anyways, Jessica became someone I came to with teaching questions, life advice, and someone I trusted. I remember talking to her about how crazy similar our lives were - both the oldest of three girls, OCD and organization to the max, etc. I trusted her completely (and still do!) After I left her classroom, I started seeing some of her posts on Facebook around April. Apparently she had started a workout program in March and was seeing amazing results. In fact, I got to celebrate with her a couple of months ago when she reached 30 pounds lost! I must've commented on one of her things about getting ready for my upcoming wedding. Immediately she messaged me! She was starting a challenge group and she wanted me in. She answered all of my crazy questions and I joined.

BEST TEN WEEKS EVER! I lost 13 inches on my body, gained amazing friendships from my fellow challenge group ladies, and I felt empowered. I felt strong, I felt able. I had a new energy and a new positive outlook. She asked if I wanted to coach...what?! me?! One more thing to had to my newly married, just graduated, don't have a job yet, plate?

I said yes. :) (After some conversation with Jared of course) I remember telling Jared..."If I am encouraging people to workout, it'll make me workout too!" I guess that must've worked, or maybe it was my incessant whining, but he let me join!

So, recap: Shout out to Jessica - the best woman out there. We are in contact every day! And without her, I wouldn't have established my why.

Recently, I've been even more empowered. As some of you are seeing my successes and my progress, you've been messaging me, commenting, asking me questions -and this is what spurs me on! That fact that my life is making a difference in others, challenging others, making you think, making you question...making you change :) My WHY is because I'm changed by leading you all just as much as you are changed by being led.

The 21 Day Fix - Week 2

So, Jared wanted a little more variety throughout this second week, especially as we started getting the hang of our eating plan and figuring out how it works. So, during week 1 (after he voiced these concerns to me) I set straight to planning, pinteresting, and researching. AS IT TURNS OUT, Pinterest has a crazy amount of 21 day fix meals that ARE AMAZING AND AWESOME. It just takes some preparation and planning in order to figure out what containers you are using during that meal. So this week - my goal is to cook a delicious meal each night (that's different!) and that utilizes our containers differently. We are also going to try to switch up our snacks and lunches to make things better too. (I'm fine with the same thing every day, Jared is not...ay ay ay. ) Below is a new sampling of my weekly eating plan - with the new foods added!

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology
Snack	Eggs 10 Olives Green Peppers	Eggs 10 Olives Green Peppers	Eggs 10 Olives Green Peppers	Eggs 10 Olives Green Peppers	Eggs 10 Olives Green Peppers
Lunch	1 Tortilla Lettuce Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Meat Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Meat Fruit ½ Cheese	1 Tortilla Lettuce Meat Fruit
Snack	Cinnamon Chips Fruit	Cinnamon Chips Fruit	Cinnamon Chips Fruit	Cinnamon Chips Fruit	Cinnamon Chips Fruit
Dinner	ENCHILADA SOUP 2 green 2 Reds 1 Purple 1 Yellow	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue	QUINOA TACO BAKE 1 Red 1 Yellow 1 Green 1 Blue	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue	QUINOA TACO BAKE 1 Red 1 Yellow 1 Green 1 Blue
Snack		Fruit	Fruit Vegetable	Fruit	Fruit Vegetable

Day 8
Feelings: We are beginning week 2, not hungry, and we approached the day! After successfully handling a church meal, a birthday party, and the Super Bowl, we approached today like it was easy peasy lemon squeezy! We are super excited.

Body Update: Today was Total Body Cardio! Jared and I both think we were wayy wayy wayy better at the workout this time around. We feel stronger! (But we might be sorer tomorrow...we got new weights...) In other news, I'm trying new 21 day fix recipes (see calendar above!) that are more Supper friendly. Tonight is Chicken Enchilada Soup which can be done in a slow cooker for you busy moms!
Jared Quote: "I'm not a quote machine..."

Day 9
Feelings: Today was upper fix and our arms are jello! Thanks new weights :) We don't even think about food anymore, it's become normal! I'm hoping that after these 21 days it will be so habitual we won't even think about it that much at all and we'll be able to see the weight continue to drop! Tonight I made Quinoa Taco Bake (on the recipe page - 21 day fix approved..duh!) AND IT WAS DELICIOUS! I'm so glad we'll get another dinner out of this because it honestly was so yummy! And filling! I also got my new book, "You are a Badass" and I'm super excited to start reading it. My goal is to really focus on personal development in multiple areas of my life!

Body Update: Jared has seen an 11.5 lb weight loss so far! HOLY COW! I've seen about 6 pounds gone! We aren't hungry anymore so we barely finish our extra snacks that we are supposed to eat. I need to drink more water...I'm not drinking enough and it's not flushing my system out as well.
Jared Quote...."Anyone could do pushups for a minute if they weighed 90 lbs." (talking to the tiny, fit lady on the screen.. ;) )

Day 10
Feelings: I AM FEELING FABULOUS! I haven't been not bloated in a long time and to be not bloated and not heavy feeling for the past 10 days has been amazing. Jared and I can feel our bodies training themselves to eat less, we aren't even hungry and we can barely finish/sometimes don't finish at all what we are supposed to eat daily. It's insanity!
Body Update: We upped our weights, but we aren't sore! Good news! Drinking more water, peeing more often, and flushing our systems out has helped ALOT. I recommend water! At this point yesterday, I was upset because the scale didn't move and I had been so used to it moving at least a smidge. This morning it moved 2 pounds - 2 more pounds down! Making my total 8 pounds gone in 10 days! AHHHHH. (I say this for two reasons. 1) Just because you don't see it on the scale, doesn't mean it's happening. and 2) don't let the scale determine your motivation)
Jared Quote: Autumn (the 21 day fix lady who wears crop tops) was telling to us to keep in mind that clean eating is just as important as exercise. "Well you can keep in mind it's okay to wear a normal shirt."

Day 11
Feelings: My headaches have finally left - after 11 days of headaches around lunch time, I was headacheless today! I'm hoping that was the sugar and processed stuff all leaving my body and my body trying to deal with a new diet and new system. My body is going to do amazing things, I just have to give it time! I feel more energized during the evenings after school. Just like some of my teacher friends and I said today, "Teaching is hard." and it makes us SO tired.
Body Update: We feel normal and feel pretty good as far as bodies go. We are definitely getting stronger! I'm just DYING for Day 21 - not to eat, but so I can see my amazing results! Jared is seeing some phenomenal results too and I can tell he's liking it.
Jared Quote: "Pilates makes me sleepy."

Day 12
Feelings: I'm not hungry at all and I can say that I haven't been bloated since we started this. For the first time in a long long time, I feel good, my stomach isn't upset, and I'm full of energy. (Thanks Shakeology!)
Body Update: I'm down another pound this morning! Who knew?! :) Jared is probably losing a lot of weight too,  but we'll find out for sure at our weigh in on Sunday! AHH. So pumped for everything - but mainly excited for our total results.
Jared Quote: talking to Zeus..."If you're going to get back to that sleek 8 pound body Zeus, you're going to have to work."... Zeus is currently 10 pounds.





Day 13
Feelings: Today was hard and busy and stressful as our youth group was hosting a Valentine's dinner and I had to get ready for that AND prep our meals since we couldn't eat there. It's getting easier and easier to say no to things, and Jared and I are barely eating our snacks anymore because we AREN'T hungry.. I can't believe I just said that, but it's true! I think I'm starting to crave water.
Body Update: I'm down another few tenths of a pound putting me closer to my goal and allowing me to cross off another number on my weight chart!!! YAY FOR SUCCESS AND YAY FOR PROGRESS! We did our Dirty 30 workout today and we felt great. It went fast and we were able to do WAY more than I thought we'd ever be able too. This means two things, we are improving! and next week will be amazing! Jared and I decided we want to keep doing this...just be able to make it a lifestyle change. I almost want to purchase the Extreme version because it's so awesome! We might do that before we go to the beach this summer :)
Jared Quote: (talking to Autumn, our fitness lady.) "No you push harder, Fall. Get it? I call her Fall cause her name is Autumn."

Day 14
Feelings: Yoga today. We hate Yoga....it feels like we aren't doing anything but stretching for a whole 30 minutes and that IS NOT FUN! hah.
Body Update: feeling great :)
Jared Quote: (on finding out I tried to edit his quotes) "You can't censor me, don't tread on me!" -.- this man.

Stats:
Alyssa: Down 4 pounds and 3.75 inches...Totals so far: 9.4 pounds and 7.5 inches!
Jared: Down 8.2 pounds and 4 inches...... Totals so far: 15 pounds!!!!! and 11. 5 inches!