A day in the life: My typical clean eating day!

ALOT of people ask me about clean eating, what it is, and how it works! I wanted to give you a sneak peek into my life - what my typical clean eating day looks like!

--I've taken the time to take pictures of everything I eat each and every day. I even documented the times! So this is my schedule of life! :)

6:15 AM - Wake up, scroll phone to wake up, hit snooze four times...
6:30 to 7 - Get ready - I'm pretty low maintenance
7 to 7:30 - pack lunch, prep lunch and AM snack (this doesn't take long at all!!), clean up kitchen, pack up teacher bags, get ready to go!
7:30 - DRINK SHAKEOLOGY!
 7:40-10 - get to school, Teach!

10:00 AM SNACK - typically cottage cheese, and a vegetable like baby carrots or a fruit like raspberries/blueberries
10:15-12:30 Teach
12:30 - LUNCH - Everyday I eat a wheat tortilla, 6 slices of low sodium turkey lunch meat, lettuce, and sprinkle of shredded cheese with an orange
1:00-3:30 - Teach and head home
3:45 - PM SNACK - my favorite snack to make when I get home from school is baked tortilla chips. I put a tortilla on a cookie sheet, sprinkle cinnamon on it, and then bake it at 350 degrees for 7 minutes! Delicious!
4:00-6:00 - check emails, prepare dinner, play with Daisy, watch Friends Reruns on TBS, relaxxxx
6:00 - DINNER - my dinner always consists of some fresh vegetable, some grain (baked potato, cup of quinoa, cup of rice), and some meat - I love my burger recipe I posted earlier, but I also make tacos, chicken enchiladas, baked chicken, etc.
6:30-9 - Workout, shower, do some Beachbody messaging, facebooking, instagramming
9:00 PM SNACK - I love having a cup of fresh fruit before I go to bed! My favorite is strawberries!

"Wait, but Alyssa...you eat 6 times a day??" Yes, why yes I do :) I never go hungry, I'm always full, and I'm boosting my metabolism by keeping it working hard.

I can't stress enough the importance of eating 6 small meals a day, even if you have to hide in the bathroom at work to nibble it down ;) Kidding! Don't rush your food! I don't get a planning period in my morning schedule, I teach straight through from 8:15 to 12:30, however, my students know I'm on track for healthy eating and I can usually take a bite, help a student, take a bite, teach, take a bite, continue on. Do I get to sit down and enjoy my snack? No! haha, but sometimes I have to eat and keep busy!

It's so easy to eat clean! It literally takes one hour, one day to plan everything, decide your schedule, and then from then on, for the rest of your life, it's easy peasy lemon squeezy!! :) If I don't cheat and eat clean, it's easy for me to lose 5 pounds in a week. and Keep.It.Off. Because losing weight is 80% food and 20% exercise. Exercise helps to burn fat and build muscle!

I also can't stress enough the importance of Shakeology and how it's changed my life amazingly! I haven't worked out since the 21 day fix in February (I know..I'm not proud of that...) I just started working out again this week. It's Wednesday - and this morning, I was down two pounds since Monday! BUT! I haven't gained a pound because of Shakeology, if anything I've lost weight! It's true, I really can't believe it how much Shakeology curbs my appetite, and keeps my metabolism going!!

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!