The 21 day Fix EXTREME Week 1 Results

Day #1
Today was fine until after lunch. I thought I was going to freak out if I didn't have a piece of chocolate and if I have to eat fish one more time, I might throw up. But seriously, I ate fish and I downed my broccoli and now I'm sitting here, sleepy, exhausted, and refreshed from my workout. WHOWEE, that's a toughy. I can tell this program is going to kick my bootayyyy...and I'm more than ready for the results! Basically, I'm pretty much just gassy. But I'm down two pounds from this morning! (I know...why are you weighing yourself Alyssa?! - but I was curious) Here's Day 1's video blog...I think I'm too funny.

Day #2 & Day #3 & Day #4
These few days were really weird. My tummy was super rumbly and Jared always thought I was farting but in reality my tummy was just upset. I'm sleeping SO WELL. The best sleep I've had in a long, long, long, time. They say this comes from feeding your body the correct nutrients. Hah! who knew?! I also have been tired, but I have a crazy energy to keep going..weird. These days always tend to be the make or break days. I'm feeling torn between wanting to continue and wanting to stop this whole bologna and eat whatever I want. but I have goals! I allowed myself a few cheats (it's Memorial Day people!!!) but I made sure to stick to the 80/20 rule. I'm down 3.8 pounds as of today - and the progress encourages me to go further. THE WORKOUTS ARE SO HARD! AHH. Hoping to really get into the flow of them as the weeks progress. And I'm hoping to see more and more progress. 

Day #5 & Day #6 & Day #7
Let's be real. Totally didn't stick to the meal plan...at all. Another reminder that I'm human. and that sometimes we slip up.. The biggest and most bestest thing about this situation? I'm ready to jump back on the clean eating bandwagon tomorrow. Like legit. and seriously. Because I know these last 14 days are going to fly by, and I WANT RESULTS. The workouts aren't necessarily getting harder - but, I LOVE that I'm sweating more. I feel I can complete MORE of the workout without stumbling around. The first few workouts were kinda complicated! I know next week will be different though, since it won't be the first time around. 

ALOT of people are wondering what my meal plan looks like!

If you are following the VERY STRICT Countdown to Competition plan (a supplement of the 21 day fix extreme...my meal plan is found here at the, Countdown to Competition Meal Plan.

Here are my results from Week 1:
Inches lost: 3.25 inches ALL AROUND! (This speaks volumes..take a look at my pics!)
Pounds lost: 1.6 pounds (this would've been WAY more if I had stuck to my meal plan. I'm coming for ya week 2!)
Photos:

A Grocery Guide

If there was an award for fastest grocery shopper, it would be my life goal to get that award.

....kidding, but seriously. I just hate grocery shopping! And when I started clean eating, it took longer and it made my normal 20 minute trip almost an hour trying to find things, bagging fresh vegetables, etc. I HATED IT.

I made it a priority to find the best way possible to still eat clean, cut my trip in half, and slash my grocery bill to a low (super low) cost.

I wanted to share a few of my grocery shopping tips - in another blog post I shared my exact grocery list! Here are my tips for keeping your grocery bill low and for getting it done fast!

1. Come Prepared - When I go to the grocery store, I look like I'm prepped to take on the DMV - paperwork galore....but seriously, it works I have my purse that snugly holds my grocery store MVP card and my credit card. I have a small stack of papers in my hand - THIS IS IMPORTANT! Obviously, I always make a grocery list - duh. Who doesn't? My husband and I even have this system where we have a magnetic notepad on the fridge and anytime we run out of something or think of something we need, we write it on the list. This keeps me from wasting 20 minutes of thinking of things I need before I even leave for the grocery store. Anyways, my purse also holds some coupons. I don't go searching for coupons, but if I find them, I keep them. It holds my meal plan too! I plan meals out each week - down to the snacks. I never write anything on the list that I don't need (I'm trying to cut spending here people!)
                                     1a. Meal Plan - I meal plan down to the detail. Snacks, breakfasts, even what we pack in our lunches. Maintaining this organization is what keeps me sane and helps make grocery shopping easier.
                                     1b. Coupons/cards - our store, Food Lion, caters coupons to your latest purchases. And since I buy a lot of the same stuff each week, I have coupons for those things! OR. I try really hard to find good deals by buying the Food Lion brand of things instead of the typical name brand stuff...it still tastes just as good.
                                     1c. Grocery List - We have our grocery list on a magnet list on the fridge. Because we typically need more than just food at the grocery store (aka cleaning supplies, dog food, etc.) we add this stuff to the list as we run out of it, or if Jared has any special food requests he puts i there. Time saver!

2. Go where you need - I avoid the frozen food aisles, the candy, the chips, the soda aisles (and sometimes even the baking aisle if I have all ingredients I need). I go exactly where I need to go (and thanks to my handy dandy grocery list that correlates with my meal plan) I'm good! It took some time for us to figure out how fast we eat cucumbers or how many pounds of ground turkey we go through, but now that we've got it down, I know what I need &
when I need it.

3. Keep it Simple! Keep it fresh, keep it clean and you will be good to go!

The 21 Day Fix: Round 2: Week 2 Results

Okay, real talk: My birthday made me go crazy and insane and my nutrition has been off for Friday and Saturday. I brought it back on track on Sunday and I feel better and have lost the weight I gained over my birthday celebration times, but it definitely messed up my results from the 21 day fix, week 2.

I want to be real with you guys, I want to be honest with ya'll. Because I am human, we do "mess up" and we do have cheat days and celebrations! Which means that this weeks results aren't what I wanted them to be because I took two days to celebrate and eat whatever I wanted.

However - I am back on track and excited to continue to lose weight! Despite what the scale is saying - I'm not gaining, but I'm not losing a lot either - my clothes are freaking huge! And loose! and kinda baggy! and it's evident that I'm losing weight - even when the scale doesn't move.

I was cleaning out my closet earlier this weekend and I found 3 pairs of shorts with tags on. Long story short, I bought these shorts last summer without trying them on, I got them a size bigger than I normally wore (last summer), and I just bought them and left. When I got home, I couldn't even get them above my thighs...it was devastating. These were bigger than normal (this just shows you how much weight I had gained and how bloated I was!)

Anyway, fast forward to my closet clean-out a few days ago. I pulled them on, they went over my butt, and fit around my waist. But I can't button them. I've still got some more to lose to get those suckers buttoned, but gosh darn it, I'm seeing progress and that keeps me pushing forward! Rather than put those shorts in my donation clothing pile, I folded them back up and put them in my closet, knowing they will be right there for me when I reach my goal. I AM SO EXCITED for this coming week, for the future ahead, and the extra time I'll have this summer to buckle down and whip myself into shape.

I can't wait for sunny days filled with clean eating ideas, meal prepping, grocery shopping, exercise, being outside with Daisy, and simply taking care of me! Right now, things are crazy - aren't they always? But I'm still making time for exercise!

Some people think it's selfish to take time to better yourself out of the day. But if you can't be the best version of yourself, how are you able to help anyone else?? (thoughts to think about :) )

The 21 Day Fix: Round 2: Week 1 Results

GUYS GUYS GUYS. I'm starting Round 2 of the 21 day fix! We have maintained our weight from the first round, and now we have more goals set and we are ready to meet them! Last time I blogged about our 21 day fix experience, I divided it up into sections for each day...instead..
I thought I'd just post one huge blog about my experience throughout the week and my total results!

This week was ROUGH. Not only was it a holiday week but I didn't realize how much I had let myself have small cheats here or there on a normal week, so sticking to the routine this week was hard. I even had a roadtrip to VA for a job interview but I packed my stuff!

I always enjoy clean eating & making it creative so my food-loving husband enjoys them too  :) and then he doesn't feel like he is "chewing water" or so he says. Anyways, if you are ever, ever, EVER, in need of ideas, please check out my Pinterest page, It's So Yum board. :) MOST recipes are clean eating, except for the ones near the bottom of the page...that was when I wasn't cooking healthy. Everything that is clean eating should say clean eating.

Easter happened through this week and for the first holiday in a LONG time, I'm not stuffed, I'm not sleepy, I'm not tired or bloated or disgusting. I don't need to break out my sweatpants. I ate a plate full and that was it. AND I WASN'T HUNGRY! I will consider this an extremely huge success Day 7/21. :) And going strong!

HAPPY EASTER! Daisy says "Hi!" too!

Tomorrow morning I will weigh in to get my most accurate weight results for all of y'all. It's going to be a great next two weeks. My birthday is this coming Friday and my goal is to be 10 pounds down from my starting weight of this Round. So far, (not counting the weigh in for tomorrow) I'm down around 4 pounds. I'm hoping to reach 10 pounds by Friday for my birthday!!! HERE WE GO.

Tomorrow morning - I'm also starting a 3 day refresh program! Beachbody sells these and gives you everything you need. It's three days, cleans out your system, and gets you pumped! 3 pounds of weightloss a month - do this for a year and you'll be down 36 pounds! :) I'm doing one a month from here on out! I'll make a blog about that too!

I'm starting to see numbers on the scale that I've never seen before...and that, in and of itself, is amazing.


Monday AM Weigh In:
So...yesterday, the scale said amazing things...but today...this said that I had actually only lost like 1 pound. I'm going to go with...I didn't poop yet. and that scales are stupid. However, my clothes are saying otherwise. It looks like I might need all new pants really soon. I heard back from one of my challenge group participants and she's down 5 pounds already, another lady was down 6 pounds on Friday! :) WHAT AN AMAZING PROGRAM.

Hi, I'm Alyssa and I'm an emotional eater

Taking a moment to be completely vulnerable, honest, and open with you all again. Because the support from you is overwhelming as I am in the midst of this get healthy journey!

This week was a huge slap in the face. Hah! I was supposed to start the 21 day fix again - and I did - kinda. I ate clean Monday and Tuesday. But I had a cold and had no energy and was exhausted so I didn't work out. On Wednesday, I totally broke my clean eating streak and this continued all the way into Friday evening...

I'm so lame.

But I realized one important thing throughout this week and it's that I'm an emotional eater. Not just any emotion - all emotions!

Something good happened? Let's go out to eat to celebrate!
I'm extremely tired? Let's get McDonalds
Stressed out a bit? Enjoy a snickers candy bar!
Worried about the future? take 2 servings of everything
Period not arriving yet again? You deserve two cans of soda
Frustrated with my students? Grab a cookie from the faculty room
Really excited about a potential job interview? Eat half a pizza by yourself

All of these things happened this week! Thankfully my eating was clean 80% of the day, so I haven't gained any weight (Thanks Shakeology!) But I realized something so important...I let me emotions dictate how and what and when I eat instead of listening to my body. As women, our emotions are consistently on a roller coaster (not to stereotype, but that's honestly just how we work.) Jared and I have discovered how emotions affects men and women differently simply by being married.

When something goes wrong at work, Jared leaves it at work, comes home, and doesn't worry about it. If I couldn't find the right outfit in the morning before school, I bring that to school, share it with every faculty member and some students, come over, aggravated, and take it out on dinner where I probably make a feast because, "I've had a bad day." Men tend to compartmentalize their emotions into sections of their day, where we tend to smear our emotions into our entire day (which can be both good and bad!)

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest because I realized how much of an emotional eater I am! It's like, finally...a reason...that makes so much sense for why it's so easy for me to cheat on a meal plan. MY EMOTIONS!

So, my 21 day fix challenge group is starting on Monday and I have some amazing women in it and I plan on starting OVER with them again.

 Is it fun to say that I failed this week? No, but I'm failing forward! Is it reassuring to say I'll try again? Kinda, not really. But I have goals and did this 21 day fix before, so I know I can do it again! Jared will be on board with me and we'll kick some major couple booty! And I'm going to continue to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start again.

In the mean time...I'm kinda depressed because it's cold out, so I'm going to go eat pancakes covered in syrup.

kidding... ;)

(not kidding, it's the maple festival! But I'm going to eat pancakes because it's the Maple Festival, not because I'm sad that it's snowing at the end of March) But..on track tomorrow!

Food, Glorious Food.

I LOVE FOOD. and I'm pretty sure most people do. My focus used to be on exercise. I would let myself eat whatever I wanted and then say, "well...I just run for 5 more minutes." or "I'll do 10 more crunches" trying to cancel out those calories that I didn't need in the first place!

Ever since the 21 day fix - which let's be real, you have all followed my journey with Jared on that one! My eating has been forever changed. NO LIE. That sounds like such an exaggeration but it's not, it's seriously been changed for the better (even Jared too!) and we couldn't be happier. We haven't gained a single ounce even though we've been off the 21 day fix for a month now! We are training our bodies and that's the most important thing.

Anyways, like I said, exercise used to be my focus. I was so concerned on fitting it in during those 25 minutes a day. But now - I've totally got that down pat and I wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I'm dialing in on my nutrition. There's this crazy thing that losing weight/toning up/being healthy is 80% food and 20% exercise, they also say that you need to eat healthy 80% of the time and then allow yourself to indulge 20% of the time. We call this the 80/20 rule :) I think it's a pretty great rule! And this is essentially what Jared and I have been doing for the past month - since we completed the 21 day fix.

BUT NOW - I'm hosting my first ever "7 day Clean Eating Challenge". I've made a calendar, invited people, and have set up a meal plan for eating 6 small meals for 7 days. This is a great introduction into clean eating and how it works - and how full you can be on 6 small meals. Why are six small meals important? Because it keeps your metabolism working! It honestly helps it to speed up, you are never hungry, and then you never overload your metabolism when you have a big meal...because you don't have a big meal! I can feel a difference - no lie. (Also, I'm learning about this stuff as I go. I have no idea about anything and I'm no expert, believe me...8 months ago I had no clue! - but I like to pass on things when I learn them to all of you.)

Back to the challenge...I have over 60 women in my group who are changing their lives today, because today is day 1! I'm so excited to hear about their results when the time comes on Day 7! They are slowly realizing how simple and easy clean eating is, and how different it is from their normal eating. Today is only day 1 but we have had so much dedication, so many questions, and so much support for one another along this journey.

Until I post our amazing blog on Day 7, I wanted to share this photo with you.

The left picture is from my wedding day on July 12, 2014. I felt like the most beautiful princess in the world (like a Bride is supposed too.. :) ) The right picture was literally taken right now! In both of these pictures I weigh the exact same. To a T. Only difference? (minus the spray tan of course...hahahahaha) is that I'm now a clean eater! Look - the puffiness is gone out of my face completely! My skin has cleared up A TON (which is hard to see in the pictures) and I (meaning my body) look completely different. You would never guess I weigh the same amount.

So, this goes to say...that clean eating does amazing things for your body and the scale is clearly just a number! Have questions about clean eating??? Message me! I'll help you out and get you started :)

Collegiate Level: How to Stay Healthy, Have Fun, and Remain Sane in College without Breaking the Bank

So! Most people (definitely speaking for myself here) gain weight in college. My freshman year of college, my roommates and I were really dedicated to working out and I actually maintained my weight -which is great!

BUT. Later on I gained weight, especially as my work load got heavier and my life got busier.

So, I thought..."Why not help people (especially my friends and readers who are in college) learn how to prevent that inevitable weight gain??"

There are multiple reasons you gain weight in college. It's a new environment, stress, you have a more flexible schedule and more down time to eat extra snacks, you stay up WAY later than normal and obviously are hungry far past supper, the caf food might not be the greatest thing nutrition wise for ya, being social means eating, etc....

I'm here with some great tips that I came up with to help you stay healthy, still have fun, and remain sane while in college!

1. DRINK WATER. Invest in a water bottle and take it with you everywhere. Yes, you will pee more. But it keeps you fuller longer. And if you can, replace your sodas with water. Try to keep those sugary and calorie filled drinks out of your system. (You will need coffee ;) )
2. 6 SMALL MEALS - I wish I would've known this in college. Instead of gorging myself on those three meals of endless buffets in the cafeteria, I would snack (healthy!) and small throughout the day and keep my metabolism working! Almonds, fruit, veggies - these things are affordable for college students and easy to store in back packs! Limit yourself to one plate at breakfast, lunch, and supper, knowing you have snacks in between. This will help with the dreaded buffet...
3. PLAN - College can be overwhelming, but amazing. It's like high school with a work load times 10. If you keep organized, plan well, and get your work done in a timely manner, you'll be less likely to stress and less likely to stress eat. However, we all have those late night papers that we wait on and procrastinate on! But do your best!
4. LATE NIGHT SNACKING - this was probably my biggest problem! I would eat dinner around 5:30, but stay up until midnight! 6 hours later and I'm obviously hungry! DUH! you are going to be and you are allowed to be...HOWEVER, instead of picking up popcorn or chocolate and a soda, I should've been grabbing an apple or an orange. Keep your snacks healthy and I promise you will remain the same!
5. WORKING OUT/EXERCISE - this was hard for me. SUPER HARD. Freshman year, I worked out every day! Sophomore year, I worked out some, Junior/Senior year - kinda, but not really until I got engaged and it kinda fizzled out anyways. But I can't stress enough how important 25 minutes of even just walking around the track changed my mood. I'd jump on an elliptical for 25 minutes, do some reading for class, or even watch Netflix like I would've done in my room anyways. Take advantage of that free membership! My grades were up when I'd exercise more because I was able to think clearer and get rid of that stress! It's so important and so healthy for you! You are going to veg out when you come back from class anyway, just do some mindless exercise to keep your body working great.
6. SOCIAL TIMES - often, social times are accompanied with food...of the greasy variety. Pizza, McDonalds, wings, etc. The list goes on..and college towns literally make their living from college students gaining weight and going all out on food! THIS IS WHAT I RECOMMEND!! Sometimes, you won't be able to avoid the social times with food, but other times, you can help yourself! 1. Eat before you go so you aren't hungry 2. Plan social events that don't require food...nail painting party, arts and crafts, mattress wrestling, anything you want to do! - make that the time to be social :)


College takes such a toll on you on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, social. This is such a pivotal time in your life and it's so important to remain healthy and still care about your body! I'm still dealing with all of these today as I encountered my first year of teaching and my first year of marriage in one! Same things...stress, different routine, social time, late night snacking and movies...it's tough stuff! Follow these tips and I'm sure you'll do great! :)

My Clean Kitchen

If you would've entered my kitchen 2 months ago, you probably would've been shocked.
It seemed normal to me, I swear. And maybe for some of you, this is your normal. It was my normal! And it had been my normal for 21 years!

But here is what my kitchen looked like....

1. The pantry was filled with cans of vegetables and soup, popcorn, chips, snack boxes of chip bags, crunchy bars, crackers. Boxes full of cake mixes and brownies mixes that I made almost weekly. WE HAD TONS OF SNACKS.
2. The window ledge had a huge sack of potatoes and lots of Sara Lee Bread Thins
3. Our freezer was STOCKED with frozen packages of french fries, tater tots, chicken nuggets, and pizzas.
4. Our garbage can was full of fast food bags and trash. Burger wrappers, fry containers, and soda cups were thrown in the trash and stacking up rapidly. We ate at a fast food place at least once a week.
5. Our fridge, ohhhh our fridge. hahahahahhaha, I'm seriously laughing out loud just thinking about what our fridge looked like before...hahahahah I can't stop laughing. Let's start with the door of the fridge...The top was FULL of butter. I bought 2 or three boxes of butter a week because I used so much butter in all of our cooking. We also had the LARGE size of all the thick and creamy dressings, sauces, and more. We had a ton of whip cream and ice cream toppings, our fridge door was complete junk. I used a lot of fruit and veggies in my cooking so that filled the bottom drawers. Our fridge was filled with Soda, Peach Tea, Iced Tea, and Milk. We rarely drank any water because we had plenty of other drinks to drink. We ate cheese and meat ALL DAY in everything. So our deli drawer was filled to the brim with pepperoni, salami, turkey, chicken, and 4 different types of cheese sliced. Our grocery bill was $200. And I thought that was good...


When I was preparing for the 21 day fix, I knew we wouldn't be able to eat like we always did. This probably wasn't the best way to get rid of the food, but rather than throwing it out, we basically gorged ourselves on food the night before we started! We ate and drank as much as we could to get rid of as much as we could.

What my kitchen looks like now....
1. The pantry is basically empty! I have lots of rice and quinoa, healthy flours and sugars, and a few vegetable cans left over from before (but I have yet to use them!) I use this space now to store extras. We have our olive jars and our peanut butter there too!
2. The window ledge has become the resting ground for our onions, just a small amount of potatoes, and all of our tortillas. We replaced our bread with tortillas!
3. Our freezer is simply full of meat (ground turkey and chicken, the healthy kind!) that I buy and don't use right away, so we want to save!
4. Our garbage can still fills up so much! But it's mainly with the meat packaging materials, or small bags of vegetables that I buy.
5. Our fridge... no butter! We use olive oil on everything now. We still have our dressings, but it's a slow process. All we have to drink is almond milk and water! Veggies and fruits stock the drawers and all of the shelves! Our meat and cheese for our sandwiches is limited and low sodium.

...and I spent $60 on groceries yesterday!


i thought I'd include a short snippet of my typical grocery list. Some of these I buy each week, some of them I buy every other week, just depending on how much it we eat :)

My typical grocery shopping list
1. bag of apples
2. bag of oranges
3. 2 cartons of strawberries
4. 1 bag of baby carrots
5. 1 head of lettuce
6. 1 container of minced garlic
7. turkey bacon
8. container of turkey lunch meat, low sodium
9. 1 bag of shredded mexican style cheese
10. 1 container of vanilla greek yogurt
11. 4 packs of 8 wheat tortillas
12. 2 packaged of 1 lb. ground turkey
13. 1 package of boneless skinless chicken breast
14. 2 Almond Milks
15. 1 jar of Organic peanut butter
16. 1 package of 18 eggs
17. 2 cucumbers
18. three green peppers
19. 2 tomatoes
20. almonds


THAT'S IT! AND I SPEND $60!

So, if you are trying to make your kitchen a clean eating kitchen, then I hope this list helps you out! It's a process and it takes time. YOU GOT THIS!

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 :)

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