Santa Slim Down!! Let's get busy!

It’s the holidays and every single one of us has the right to indulge and have some fun. Most likely, we’re all gonna put a little extra junk in the trunk. No worries. Eat a cookie, drink some wine. Whatever is your thing, I say go for it. Just remember after the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to that hot body you’ve been working so hard for.

To reduce to post holiday indulgence guilt, I’ve put together a plan to get us back in shape and guilt free. WELCOME TO THE SANTA SLIM DOWN!!!

Starting January 2, we’ll be working out and blasting off all those extra calories we willingly enjoyed at all those holiday parties. This challenge allows us to have fun and enjoy the holidays with our families without counting calories and feeling bad for being a “fat ass”. In this challenge, I’ll have daily workouts as well as workout guides to assist both you and I to losing the holiday chubs.
How does this challenge work? Every day for 12 days starting January 2nd I will post a workout and tips to get moving and ease back into feeling better, it’s up to you to get accountable and get moving! Each day is a new workout. It’s only 12 days, so everyday counts! Out of the 12 days, it’s important to get at least 7 days of high intensity workouts in. On your rest days, keep moving! Take a long brisk walk, 50 situps, 100 jumping jacks. Just get your heart rate up and move! Then check-in and let us know what you did and how you’re feeling!

With working out, this challenge will require a diligent meal plan. Clean eating will be essential in order for our bodies to detox from all the sugar, fats and not so great but delicious foods we’ve all consumed during the holidays. After consumption these foods, our bodies start to feel sluggish and fatigued as your body starts to respond to all the inflammation caused by the holiday crappy yumminess. Through this challenge, workouts and a healthy diet, we’ll start feeling good as new in no time.

Beast is a beast

Now I love weights. I think it's why my journey has been a little long. I stayed with P90X3 so when I changed to cardio, I just wasn't feeling it. At all.  Now you have to do cardio to lose weight and X3 had it mixed in there but I loved the sore muscles after lifting. So I've dabbled and finally I bought Body Beast© and couldn't wait to try it. Today was that day.
I don't have a weight bench so I used a stability ball, which is also working my core. Two birds. One stone. I admit at first I really had no clue what they were doing and I already felt like a wimp holding 5lb weights and doing a program called Body Beast. But I found humility and I lifted. Then I figured it out. With every set you increase and then decrease. 5lbs, 10lbs and then 15lbs. 15lbs, 10lbs and then 5lbs. Doesn't sound like a lot. But say that to my arms and shoulders. They would disagree.
I was a little unsteady at first. I mean I was on a ball. Laying down. I got it though. And the time seemed to go fast, it IS only 30 minutes. But once I figured it out, the time kinda stopped and I was thinking no way can I finish this. But I did. Well I beasted out at 20 minutes. I'm not ashamed. Next time I'll get further.
Let me tell you though, day 1 was tough. I can't even imagine as it goes but I'm going to get better and stronger. That's what will keep me going. But Body Beast is a beast.​​​​

12 Days Post Holiday Challenge

I am just as guilty as everyone when it comes to the holiday "junk".  I love it!! I don't normally even eat sweets but for some reason the holidays come around and that's all I seem to crave.  I not only have to be moderate in my cheat choices but I am a binger so it's a lot of self control, and I won't lie and tell you that it works all the time.  But I do try. So, you and me both will be eating some really great food.  We started Thanksgiving right?  I KNOW I'm not alone in that.  It's half way through December and I'm sure that everyone is still going.  I am.  I make a killer NY cheesecake and the household requests it often.  We're going to get through Christmas and THEN we have to get through the New Year.  But what about after that? What about AFTER the holidays?  I'm sure you're going to make a ton of resolutions ... and perhaps it will be to get fit. Be healthy. Eat better.   I know I will be.  I seem to make these resolutions throughout the year but you know when the New Year comes I'm much more serious about it.  Aren't we all?
Every one of us has the right to indulge and have some fun. Most likely we're ALL going to put some more junk in our trunk.  No worries.  Eat a cookie. Drink some wine. Whatever it is, go for it!  But when the holidays are over, its time to get back on track.  So to reduce the post holiday guilt I have a plan to get us in shape and guilt free.  Welcome to the 12 Days Post Holiday Challenge!
We’ll be working out and blasting off all those extra calories we willingly enjoyed at all those holiday parties. This challenge allows us to have fun and enjoy the holidays with our families without counting calories and feeling bad for being a “fat ass”. In this challenge, I’ll have daily workouts as well as workout guides to assist both you and I to losing the holiday chubs.How does this challenge work? Everyday for the 12 days following Christmas, it’s up to you to get accountable and get moving! Each day is a new workout. It’s only 12 days, so everyday counts! Out of the 12 days, it’s important to get at least 7 days of high intensity workouts in. On your rest days, keep moving! Take a long brisk walk, 50 situps, 100 jumping jacks. Just get your heart rate up and move! Then check-in and let us know what you did and how you’re feeling!With working out, this challenge will require a diligent meal plan. Clean eating will be essential in order for our bodies to detox from all the sugar, fats and not so great but delicious foods we’ve all consumed during the holidays. After consumption these foods, our bodies start to feel sluggish and fatigued as your body starts to respond to all the inflammation caused by the holiday crappy yumminess. Through this challenge, workouts and a healthy diet, we’ll start feeling good as new in no time.I'll be posting this entire challenge right here, every day!  So you can follow along here or through the private Facebook group!  Whatever your heart's desire!  Comment below and let me know you're following the challenge!! Make sure you also sign up for emails to get notifications when I post in the blog!  
I'm really excited to be on this journey WITH you!  We're going to rock this!

21 Day Fix Balsamic Dressing

Have you ever come across a food or sauce that you just love?  Love to the point where you want it on everything?!  This has happened to me with the 21 Day Fix Balsamic Dressing.  IT IS SO GOOD!!!!  Give me some spinach and feta cheese and I could live on this stuff!!

Balsamic Vinaigrette (serves 8)
6T Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 TSP raw honey
2 TSP Dijon Mustard
6 T EVOO

Combine vinegar, lemon juice and honey in a medium bow. Whisk to blend.  Stir in mustard, mix well.  Slowly add oil while whisking, mix well.

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. If it thickens when cold, hold it at room temp for 30 minutes and shake well before using. It’s amazing on salads but also great drizzled over sautéed veggies, steamed fish, grilled chicken or beef.


Make it and let me know what you think!

Do you love it?

Things change ....

Sometimes things happen in our lives that we don't plan for.  At those times we have to make two choices, to either succumb to those changes and go into a dark place or embrace the changes and make the best of it.  I'll be honest.  I usually go to a dark place.  I'm kinda OCD about planning everything in my life and when something happens that I didn't plan for, I have no idea what to do.

This time a huge change in my life happened.  It happened out of nowhere and I was beside myself.  I told my husband the day that my world got shook that I was taking that day to be mad, sad, pissed off, cry and whatever other emotion there was to have that fit and then I was moving forward.

A little background on me ... I have worked since I was 16 years old.  I have depended on another one time and it taught me a lesson the day that I had to leave that situation with my infant daughter and just the clothes on our backs.  I vowed that I would never be there again. Never.  And I wasn't.  I always worked and sometimes I worked two jobs, but I was never going to be without and I was never going to have to say please and is it okay.  Sometimes I struggled and sometimes I had to be bailed out of tough situations but I still did whatever I could to make sure that I was bringing in money.  I had 3 children and I was young and married and one day my life changed.  I lost my job.  I had to go on government assistance for the first time in my life.  I remember standing in that line just sobbing because I couldn't believe I was there.  A year later I lost my home.  At the same time my husband and I divorced.  I was working part-time but still working.  Still holding my own.

This happened about 5 years ago.  I've blossomed, had some life lessons, some tough times but again. I still worked.  This last year has been a struggle for me to work because my fibromyalgia progressed.  I was only recently diagnosed but now I know what my struggle was from.  But I still worked and even though I would come home some days and just not know where the pain was from because there was so much of it, I still kept going.  My current husband and soul mate was having a hard time finding a job.  I was okay with it because he was doing what he could and there were times that I resented him for being able to stay home, but we got through those times.  And I still worked.

Fast forward to today.  I lost my job.  Terminated. Fired. Kicked out of the door. Whatever you want to call it, I don't work there anymore.  This means we have no income.  3 weeks before Christmas and we have nothing.  Devastated.  I cried and cried and my husband kept saying it was going to be okay and I'm just like, HOW? HOW is this going to be okay?!  That's when I told him to just give me today to be a cry baby. Give me today to take deeper breaths.  And he said okay.  Then the phone call came.  The call that gave me more financial freedom than I could know.  Doesn't mean I won't work because I will.  But HE's working.  HE will be leaving our home every day and bringing home an income.  I will stay home with my son, my grandmother and take care of the home and everything that comes with it.  I will be able to further myself in my online business and helping more people.  I will not be tired and sore all the time.  I will not have to lift 50+lbs daily.  I will become a success and I will have the time for it to develop.

I believe that this happened for a reason.  The whole universe thing, God, whatever you want to call it ... it happened.  But mostly I believe it happened because I had a good attitude about it.  I knew just sucking it up wasn't realistic, so I gave myself a day.  For the first time I embraced what could be instead of going into a dark place where there are no opportunities, no solutions and no good things.  Yes, I needed a day but a day is far better than weeks or months.  And this day might have changed my life.  No it did. It has. It will.

The Master's Hammer & Chisel

Finally it's here!!!! This is a milestone program because its the first one that has TWO amazing trainers! Autumn Calabrese (21 day fix) and Sagi Kalev (Body Beast) teamed up and are using their collective experience and knowledge to help you get the body you’ve always dreamed of. This is a workout system that delivers breathtaking, body-changing results in as little as 60 days using a system of resistance training to shape powerful muscle, shed body fat, and build a ripped, statue-perfect physique. This is a game changer of a program!!!


This month the Challenge Pack and the Performance Pack are both on sale!! Because of this UH-MAZING sale, I'm starting a test group on January 4. We're going to show the world what this awesome program can do!!


Do you want to join my group? Do you want more information? Send me an email and let's talk Hammer & Chisel ;)


Either way, thank you so much for your support and joining me on my amazing journey to a new me!



Check out Hammer and Chisel Performance Pack! or the Challenge Pack!

Sausage & Peppers

Sausage & Peppers

Ingredients
Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage Links
Green Pepper
Red Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Orange Pepper
Onion
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

Tortellini (optional)

Directions:
Cut your peppers and onions into bite sized pieces
Throw them into your skillet to begin cooking.
While your peppers are cooking cut up your sausage.
     *TIP: cutting the link while still frozen makes it much easier.
Throw cut up sausage into pan with the peppers.  Cover and cook on medium high heat stirring occasionally.  Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.

Follow the directions to cook your tortellini and use some low sugar and salt free marinara to give this a great Italian feel!


Nutrition Facts: (without tortellini)
     210 calories
     Protein: 21g
     Fat:       10g
     Carbs:   10g
     Sugar:     3g

Nutrition Facts: (with tortellini)
     351 calories
     Protein: 26g
     Fat:       12g
     Carbs:   35g
     Sugar:     6g

21 Day Fix containers: 1/2 red, 1 green (use your yellow for your serving size)  If you're adding the tortellini add a yellow to your day!!!

Day 1! DONE!

Day 1 is in the books!!! Only 20 days left!  It's how I'm trying to look at everything ... hubby and I were working out and he kept saying that we still have 15 minutes left .. 10 minutes left and I kept saying that means that we've been doing it for 15 or 20 minutes.  I pushed myself hard!  I wanted to stop, I really did. But I kept going because of a few things.  One is that its ONLY 30 minutes.  I mean this can seem like a lifetime, but all in all 30 minutes is really not that long.  And the second thing that kept me going was my hubby.  He's actually doing this.  I am SO proud of him.  So I couldn't stop because if I stopped, he would stop.  We finished it. Together.

NOTE: Hubby does not like his picture taken which really sucks for me chronicling everything ;)






So today's food was amazing and I was SO full!  I love eating healthy and planning ahead only makes it that much easier!

Sausage and Peppers!!! Healthy style!

I am always searching for frugal dinners and recipes and also trying to keep them healthy for my family.  It's not always an easy feat.  I LOVE to cook but come on Food Network who has time to make those gourmet meals working full time!? Who has the money to buy the 80 ingredients!?

So I came across something as simple as Sausage & Peppers.  I know, its simple.  I know, its not extravagant.  But whatever!  Everyone in my home loves it and with a little tweaking I was able to make it totally 21-Day Fix APPROVED!

The reason that I love making this is because my hubby eats it.  He's starting this amazing journey working on his nutrition but he has a ways to go!  Which is so okay but he's been eating this before he decided to make the journey .... he had no idea it was good for him!

I use sweet Italian turkey sausage and colored peppers to not only make it healthier but also to make it look appeasing. If you want to add some pasta to it, I recommend using cheese tortellini.

Sausage & Peppers

Ingredients
Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage Links
Green Pepper
Red Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Orange Pepper
Onion
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

Tortellini (optional)

Directions:
Cut your peppers and onions into bite sized pieces
Throw them into your skillet to begin cooking.
While your peppers are cooking cut up your sausage.
     *TIP: cutting the link while still frozen makes it much easier.
Throw cut up sausage into pan with the peppers.  Cover and cook on medium high heat stirring occasionally.  Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.

Follow the directions to cook your tortellini and use some low sugar and salt free marinara to give this a great Italian feel!


Nutrition Facts: (without tortellini)
     210 calories
     Protein: 21g
     Fat:       10g
     Carbs:   10g
     Sugar:     3g

Nutrition Facts: (with tortellini)
     351 calories
     Protein: 26g
     Fat:       12g
     Carbs:   35g
     Sugar:     6g

21 Day Fix containers: 1/2 red, 1 green (use your yellow for your serving size)  If you're adding the tortellini add a yellow to your day!!!

It's time ...

Here it goes.  I've started and I've stopped.  I have so many reasons WHY I need to be on this journey to a healthier and fitter me, but the big reason is ME.  I want to be around for my grandson, I want to do things with my husband and I want to feel awesome!

My journey has been great.  I've learned a lot. I've kicked a lot of ass and then I've fallen.  I thought maybe I was falling because I just didn't have it in me, that this wasn't for me but I know better now. It's about me finding my way.

I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. What is Fibromyaliga ... well I'll tell you what its NOT, it's NOT fun!  I hurt all over and that's on a good day.  I'm tired all the time and not like "oh I worked all day and I need to nap".  If I keep going all day and do not rest for longer periods of time, I am done for the day.  Sometimes for multiple days.  Thanksgiving was a very hard time for me.  I love doing these big holiday meals and I don't ask for help and I don't want any help, but what happened is that it's Sunday and I'm still not sure if I've completely recovered.  I need to recharge for a few days at a time.  So here I am, a Beachbody coach.  I LOVE helping people and I'm trying to be an example for them but it's been hard. It's been a struggle.  But let me tell you, even though working out is hard to get through sometimes just because of how tired I am, I feel so much better.  So now that I have the fibro label I'm using it to move forward.  I'm going to do this and feel better because I have fibromyalgia, it DOES NOT have me.

Join me. Follow me. Love your support and cheerleading even if it's from afar.