Upper Body Move of the Week: Tricep Switchkicks

I first did the exercise with Shaun T in Insanity Max 30, and I couldn't BELIEVE how my fatigued my triceps were by the end.  As usual, with my upper body exercises, there are other aspects to this.  Cardio and core will make a play in this move, as well!  But a little cardio never hurt, right?! : ) 

• Begin in a bridge position with your hands facing your heels.
• Shift your weight to your right foot, while simultaneously kicking your left foot in the air.
• Alternate sides. 
• Keep your arm straight and your core tight! 
• 3 sets of 20 on each leg should do the trick!

Check out the video for a visual demonstration and a modified version! 

Core Move of the Week: Windshield Wipers

This exercise is sure to help deal with those pesky love-handles!  Windshield Wipers are an exercise I learned at the University of Florida where I was an All-American pole-vaulter.  They target your obliques big time!

• Laying flat on the floor, with arms in a "T" position at your sides, raise your legs straight in the air.
• Slowly, keeping your shoulders on the ground and your legs together, lower your legs to the fingertips of your right hand.
• Slowly bring them back up to center.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

3 sets of 6-8 repetitions should have your obliques on FIRE! :0

Coaching Concerns: Do I Have to Be a Fitness Expert?

Most people do not think they are qualified to be Beachbody coaches because they are not experts or personal trainers or don't know much about nutrition.  Watch the video to find out why that doesn't matter! 

A Year of Shakeology

I have been drinking Shakeology for almost a year now and have made a shake nearly every single day.  This sounds so cliché, but I literally don’t know what I ate before Shakeology.  I have come to depend on it so entirely for one of my main meals, that some days I am at a complete loss as to what I would eat for that particular meal if I didn’t have Shakeology.  I know for certain, it would probably be a whole lot less nutritious.  If I had to guess, it would be another peanut butter and jelly sandwich or bowl of cheerios.  Yikes. 

Everyone wants to know what is IN Shakeology, but I prefer to talk first about what is NOT in Shakeology.

• ·      No artificial sweeteners
• ·      No artificial colors
• ·      No soy
• ·      No artificial stimulants
• ·      No artificial flavors

Okay, so what IS in Shakeology?

• ·      70 superfoods including wheat grass, chia seed, goji berries, and maca root
• ·      Stevia: a whole, plant based, natural sweetener
• ·      Most of Shakeology’s ingredients are imported from their countries of origin.

So all of these facts and figures may not mean much to you, and I don’t blame you.  But what I haven’t told you is what Shakeology has done for me, personally, and why I love it so much.

So why do I love Shakeology?

•   It is a NOT just a protein shake, but a TRUE dense, nutritious meal replacement shake.

•   It is not a "lose weight quick" gimmick.  You WILL lose weight if you replace a meal with it, but there is nothing in it that will make you lose weight.  

•   One shake is like eating five plates of salad!  It has the equivalent of approximately 9-11 vegetable servings in each shake,

•   I am a busy mom, and most of my nutrition comes from half-eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and stale goldfish.  I LOVE drinking my Shakeology knowing that whatever else I ate that day, I had an easy and healthy choice in my shake.  

•   It has definitely curbed my post-dinner sweet tooth.

•   It keeps me full for AT LEAST three hours.  

•   The chocolate, strawberry, and greenberry flavors are

DELICIOUS!  The only flavor I do not like at all is vanilla. 

Shakeology has also been known to aid digestive issues and improve immune systems.  I will drink Shakeology until I'm 80 because that is how long I will need a consistent source of whole food vitamins and superfoods.  I don't claim it as a miracle drink and neither does Beachbody.  That's WHY I love it.  Shakeology is just a ridiculously healthy, dense, and very convenient meal replacement option.  

I am the first to admit that there are other shakes and smoothies out there that are less expensive than Shakeology.  But make sure you aren’t comparing apples to oranges.  People are too quick to only look at the carbs, proteins, and fats, without paying attention to the  actual ingredients they are about to consume.  Most healthy meals will range from $3-$7, and Shakeology comes to about $4.30 per shake.  Shakeology is actually not expensive at all depending on how you use it, and how much you value the quality of the shake you are ingesting. 

21 Day Fix Diary: Day 8 (Video)

I made it through one week of the 21 Day Fix and I am super proud of myself, and really buying in to Autumn Calabrese and this whole program!  Check out the video for my full review, thoughts, struggles, and victories of the past week! 

21 Day Fix Diary: Day 8

I made it through ONE WEEK of the 21 Day Fix!  I know I am a Beachbody coach, and I know I am supposed to be super disciplined, blah, blah blah.  But I do NOT like restricting myself when it comes to eating.  I am the type of person who would prefer to work out really hard and then eat whatever I want.  

Unfortunately, that rarely produces the kind of results you need.  Physically, it may work for a short time, but eventually bad nutrition will catch up with you.  As they say, you can't out work a bad diet.  And besides your physical appearance, it's just not HEALTHY to indulge in whatever you want whenever you want.  

And isn't that what it's all about?  A well rounded, healthy, balanced lifestyle?  That should always be the goal...though the perks of a six-pack come swimsuit season don't hurt either!

I made it through week one with only 1 cheat meal and very few "little cheats" along the way.  In some ways, I can't believe it!  The week went by pretty quickly.  For me, I noticed that up until about 2 or 3 o'clock, I felt really good.  As a matter of fact, my nutrition plan is very similar to how I used to eat BEFORE I started the 21 Day Fix. 

But come late afternoon, after a long day with the kids, I am ready to eat.  I want to eat my handfuls of pretzels as a late afternoon snack, I want a double portion at dinner, and I want my late night sweet snack.  

Those have been my biggest struggles.  I have had to be diligent about spacing out each meal, so that I have enough left over for the end of the day.  And it's really worked!  

Okay, so I'm not going to lie, there are times when I have been legitimately hungry.  Not bored, not thirsty, not emotional, JUST hungry.  In those cases, I have snuck myself an extra fruit (purple).  

I lost 3.5 pounds, seemingly plateauing at 115 pounds.  I don't have any reason to want to dip lower than that, so starting this week I am going to bump myself up to the next calorie bracket which will allow me one more veggie (green), fruit (purple), carb (yellow), and 2 more tsp (oil, nut butters).  

This week will also be a tough week in terms of scheduled cheating.  I have a Bible study potluck tonight, date night on Friday night, and Easter dinner on Sunday!  My plan as of now, is to do my absolute best those days with my first few meals, and then let myself indulge, but REASONABLY.  I can't make any promises though!  It will certainly be interesting to see where I am at at the end of week two.  

I am LOVING the workouts.  This workout plan is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  It is challenging, but not miserable.  I finally caved and bought two sets of dumbbells (5lbs and 10lbs), and I am really enjoying using weights again as part of my workouts.  I know my body will respond well, and I am excited to see and feel the difference!

In some ways, two weeks feels like a long time to keep this up, but with my scheduled cheats and upping my calories bracket, I KNOW I can do it.  Overall, this plan is very do-able.  Some days it feels really hard, but some days it feels really easy.  

Below are some pictures of meals and my food log!  

Buffalo Chicken Pita
Whole Wheat Pita (1 Yellow)
Chicken (1 Red)
Hot Sauce (Free)
Shredded Cheddar (1 Blue)

Spinach (1 Green)
Cucumbers and Tomatoes (1 Green)
Chicken (1 Red)
Creamy Herb Dressing (1/2 Orange)
Balsamic Vinegar (Free)

Packed lunch and snack for the day!

Lower Body Move of the Week: Single Leg Squats

This week's exercise is an old friend of mine!  We were first introduced at the University of Florida where I was an All-American pole-vaulter.  

For the single-leg squat, you are going to need a chair, an ottoman, a coffee table, or some other object around knee-heighth.  Holding dumbbells in each hand are optional! 

• Place your left foot shoelaces down on your chair.
• Lunge out with your right foot until you are a comfortable distance away from the chair.
• Bending your right knee, lower your body down (not forward) until your knee is at 90 degrees.  Be sure your knee does not come in front of your toe. 
• Slowly raise your body back up.
• Repeat for 6-8 repetitions and then switch legs.

Depending on your skill level, three sets of six to eight repetitions will be a great way to tone up your hamstrings, quads, and butt!