My first 2 days of the Ultimate Reset

One of the programs Beachbody offers is the Ultimate Reset.  It is a 3 week detox and total body cleanse.  I have wanted to do it for about a year but to be honest, I was scared.  I have trouble sticking to the 21 Day Fix meal plan without cheating for 3 weeks and this program comes with a very specific meal plan and supplement routine.  

With my coaching trip to Punta Cana in a month and some extra winter fluff I would like to lose I decided to make the leap and try it.  Luckily, Jason is doing it with me and a friend is also doing it so I have lots of support for this journey.  

Day 1 wasn't as bad as I was expecting.  I am tired but I don't know if that is from the reset or just cuz I am always tired haha.  But I didn't really miss my coffee in the morning.  Breakfast was scrambled eggs, spinach and toast which was very filling and I actually wasn't hungry until lunch time.  You do drink a ton of water during this so that was a struggle for me to get all my water in.   For lunch we had greek chicken salads that were HUGE! Literally so much food, neither Jason or I could finish them.  

Then as I was thinking this reset wasn't so bad....the afternoon Power Greens hit!  It is definitely the worst part but if you chug it fast it's not so bad. 

Dinner was again huge!  Baked chicken in a pesto marinade with steamed asparagus and boiled potatoes.  For the second time on the first day Jason asked if this was really a detox because we were eating so much.  

I went to bed feeling pretty good.  I was very proud of myself for making it through day 1. 

Then today.... we started day 2.  I slept so great and woke up feeling good.  Breakfast was oatmeal with blueberries and greek yogurt sweetened with maple syrup. YUM I could eat that every morning.  I started to miss my coffee today, not necessarily the coffee or the caffeine but the warm cup and the routine in the morning. I did start to get a headache in the afternoon which I am not sure if it's from coffee withdrawal.  I normally drank 2-3 cups a day but still it's not anything like what I expected. 

Lunch was another greek chicken salad and I even made them smaller today and Jason and I still couldn't finish them all.  About half way through the afternoon I was chatting with my friend and we were talking about all the water we had to drink...then we discovered that a gallon of water is NOT in fact 64 hours but instead 128 ounces.  I would have sworn that there were 64 ounces in a gallon so I was drinking too much water.  Kind of relieved about that, my bladder will be glad. 

Dinner tonight was a veggie taco.  When I told Jason he only got 1 taco he gave me a very sad look but after we dished them up and saw how much food it was, he again asked if I was reading the recipes right and that was how much we were supposed to get. ...... Yes, dear!  Tonight I still have a dull headache that I think is from the lack of coffee but I can live with it.  I did take 2 short naps today because I was feeling really tired but overall I feel really great!  Loving the Ultimate Reset so far.  I am really missing my Shakeology though :( they say you can have half of one every now and then for a snack so I will be breaking down I'm sure soon and having one.  I also miss my workouts, but we are encouraged to do yoga, stretch or walk during this.  

I will keep you updated on my week 1, week 2 and final progress ! 

Week 1 of my January group

Happy Monday!!!!  

Today I kick off my January challenge group with an amazing group of people who are ready to get healthy.  With the new All-Access pass from Beachbody On Demand I couldn't decide which program I wanted to start with but finally decided on The Masters Chisel - it's a 30 day program adapted from The Masters Hammer & Chisel.  I was missing my weights after doing Core De Force so Im really pumped to get back into it. 

My goals this month are to (1) not miss any workouts!  I am very guilty of letting something get in the way and I miss a day here or there.  and (2) sticking to the meal plan to a T!  again, this is my biggest challenge because I often feel like I earned an extra carb or healthy fat.  The programs are designed to be this way for a reason.  Stick to it Danielle!!  

I have my meal plan done and I woke up this morning and crushed my first workout.  I had good intentions of waking up at 6am and pressing play but somehow that turned into snoozing for an hour.  Honestly, the only reason I woke up that early was because Max was making gagging/puke sounds in the living room and I didn't want dog vomit all over my carpet so I jumped out of bed. 

Thank goodness for energize because I chugged it and by the time I was changed into workout clothes I was awake and ready.  

Here we go!!!!! Stay tuned!!!

Broccoli Mac & Cheese

So eating healthy and homemade Macaroni and Cheese don't typically go together but guess what!

THEY DO! 

This is an adaptation from the FIXATE Cookbook by Autumn Calabrese.  I have been wanting to make this for a long time so I went for it today and used what I had on hand.  (something that I am getting very good at) 

This also made a huge pot so we have leftovers for a few days and with my boyfriends kids coming over I am excited to see if it's a win with them.  

Here is the recipe I used:

4 oz.                     dry whole wheat elbow macaroni (or 3 cups cooked)
4 tsp.                    butter (or coconut oil)
2 tbsp.                  unbleached whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups            unsweetened almond milk
1 1/4 cups            mix of grated Parmesan, pepper jack and mozzarella cheeses
1 16oz bag           frozen broccoli, thawed
1 cup                   chopped baby spinach
1 tsp.                   sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1/2 tsp.                ground black pepper

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Set aside
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute, or until brown (don't let it burn)
4. Slowly whisk in almond milk; cook, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture thickens and there are no lumps.
5. Reduce heat to low.  Add cheese; cook, whisking constantly. for 2 or 3 minutes, or until melted
6. Add broccoli and spinach, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until heated through.
7. Add in macaroni and mix to combine.

Fix containers-
for 1 1/2 cup serving
1 1/2 green
1 yellow
1/2 blue 

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli with Spaghetti Squash

My love for spaghetti squash is very strong.  It's so easy to make and I prefer the taste to regular spaghetti now.  But since we have had squash and red sauce like once a week for the last few weeks I was long overdue for a new recipe.

I found this recipe and tweaked it to make it fit into my Core De Force meal plan.  It was still delicious and made a ton of leftovers.  It was hubby approved and because you can make the filling while the squash cooks it doesn't take much longer than the cooking time for the squash!

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb chicken breast or chicken tenders (I had tenders in the freezer so that's what I used.)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like things
• 2 cups broccoli florets or 1 bag of frozen florets, thawed
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 5oz. container of plain Green Yogurt (or 1/3 cup)
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Spaghetti Squash
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
3. Rub or spray the interior with oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
4. Place the halves cut side down on the baking sheet and roast in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted in the flesh easily.
5. Remove from the oven and let the squash cool until it can be handled.
6. Using a fork scoop out the flesh in long strands and put them in a bowl.
7. Place the skin/shell back on the baking sheet and set aside.
Chicken and Broccoli Filling
8. While spaghetti squash is cooking...
9. Spray a large non-stick skillet with oil and heat over medium high heat.
10. When the skillet is hot add in the chicken, season with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked through.
11. Remove the chicken from the skillet onto a plate.
12. Turn the heat down to medium and add a couple teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet.
13. Swirl the oil to coat the bottom of the skillet then add in the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.
14. Sauté for about a minute then add in the broccoli florets.
15. Season with salt and pepper then add in a couple tablespoons of water (if you are using broccoli that was frozen and it still has some ice on it you don't need to add extra water) and cover with a lid.
16. Let the broccoli steam for about 2 minutes, then uncover and add the chicken back in.
17. Add in the chicken broth and stir everything until smooth and a sauce starts to form.
18. Add in half of the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
19. Remove from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt until combined.
20. Add in spaghetti squash and combine with mixture.
21. Taste for seasoning then put the filling back into the spaghetti squash shells and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
22. Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted then serve.

Mine made 5 servings:

Each serving I counted as

1.5 Green (squash and broccoli)

1.5  (chicken and yogurt) - the yogurt probably doesn't even count since it's such a small amount per serving but I would rather estimate higher than lower. 

1  (Cheese)

My struggle with food

I finished up Country Heat on Tuesday.  I LOVED it, it was so much fun.  I was really skeptical that I would enjoy just dancing for 30 days and not lifting weights but the workouts were fast, and still really worked your legs. I nailed the workouts and was consistent ALL 30 days of the program, but where I bombed was the eating.  That has been a struggle for me since I was a teenager.  The only time I ever really stuck to the meal plans and all the containers was my first round of the 21 Day Fix.

I know I can't be alone in this! I do really good the first week but then I will cave into temptation and overdo my yellow or blue containers and then it seems like I just plunge into a big spiral of bad eating.  This round the last week was a real struggle for me, I feel like I am letting all of my challengers down and most importantly myself.   I am the person who can workout everyday and not lose a pound but I can eat healthy for a week and lost 5 so it makes me even madder at myself that I can't stick to it when it's such a crucial part of my results.

On Monday I am starting the 30 Chisel Program from The Masters Hammer & Chisel.  I am COMMITTING to finish the program from start to finish and successfully follow the meal plan.  I am tired of being mad at myself for cheat days. Do you want to do it with me??  I could use all the support and accountability I can get.

Wanna be my accountability buddy : http://bit.ly/dm87fit

Wanna BET on your Health??

Maybe you're feeling BLAH and uninspired because the stress of changing seasons, adjusting to you OR your kiddos returning to classes, or maybe you just are feeling LAZY AND UNMOTIVATED! {Ain't no shame in that, we've all been there!!!} So, I have an awesome idea for you to keep you motivated starting next month and to win some freaking MONAYYY!!

GET THIS: You need to join me in Beachbody's FIRST EVER - HEALTH BET! Beachbody is putting in $1,000,000 into the pot that you could win JUST for working out and getting results and logging it on our My Challenge Tracker App!!! YESSS, you read that right! BUT keep reading because it gets even better....

So, for every ADDITIONAL Challenge Pack sold (shakeology + a fitness program) they are donating up to $3,000,000 to be split evenly to anyone who posts 3 workout check-ins a week, and 5 pictures of their shakeology a week for FOUR weeks starting September 5th and ending October 2nd.

DUDE, it is so easy, and what's more is that so many people just WON'T do it, but you literally will win SOME amount of money if you just commit to doing it! Maybe it's $100 maybe it's a million lol, but for real, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!

So, to get started with us, you'll just need to either dust off a program OR get a new one with your purchase of Shakeology. You MUST be using Shakeology to join, and what's AWESOME is you can get ALL of the following programs for JUST $10 with your Shakeology this month: T25, Hammer & Chisel, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, PiYo, Cize, Country Heat {BRAND NEW}, Turbo Fire, P90x, P90X3, or 22 Minute Hard Corps! For real, you have NOTHING to lose other than pounds and MONEY to win!

If you're down to join me and win some MOOLAH--- FILL OUT THIS FORM and I will send you the invite, but you MUST have a Beachbody program and 30 days worth of Shakeology to join us! http://bit.ly/dm87fit

This is only open to new customers or if I am ALREADY your coach :).  If you have a different coach please contact them to join their Health Bet Challenge.


Hope to hear from y'all soon! <3


Let's FREAKING BET ON OUR HEALTH TOGETHER NEXT MONTH! I got my eye on the prize, DO YOU!?

Meal Planning Made SIMPLE

Meal planning has never been my strong area.  I didn't understand how people did it, I thought it was something only "fitness competitors who lived on chicken and rice did". Plus it seemed like SOOO MUCH WORK!!  Has anyone else ever been there? 

Let me explain what my weekly grocery store trip looked like "Pre-Beachbody"  -  I would make a list of the normal things I needed for the week like milk, bread and eggs.  Then I would add things we were low and on get the staples like granola bars, snacks and anything else that came to mind.  Then I would go to the store and walk up and down every aisle!  Not shocking, I would get home and have spent twice as much as I planned and have a ton of food.  Most of the time I would think we would eat healthy so I would buy way more produce than we could eat and then I would have to toss it because it would go bad.   (keep in mind I HATE wasting food) 

I just had no game plan, we would get home from the store after spending tons on money and STILL couldn't find anything for dinner because I hadn't actually bought things for meals. 

It was a disaster and this is how I shopped every week!  So embarrassing! 

Now, lets jump to "Post-Beachbody"...   I was desperate for something, anything that would be a quick fix and help me lose weight because, after all, I was the quick fix queen and then when one didn't work I was on the to the next.    So when my coach repeatedly told me the 21 Day Fix wasn't a "diet" but it was a lifestyle change I was like "ya ya ok, we shall see!" haha sorry April!  

Anyway, meal planning was recommended and talked about OVER and OVER and OVER so I decided that I would give it a try and see exactly what it was all about.  Plus I had these cute little color coded tupperware containers now that would make it easier.  

Did it happen overnight? Hell No! I failed...A LOT, but I failed forward and kept trying and getting better because I was actually seeing results for the first time in FOREVER.   Today, 14 months later I make a meal plan EVERY Sunday and then I meal prep because it's a life saver!  So now when I go grocery shopping I have a plan! 

I look at the sales in my area and then find recipes that use the ingredients on sale,  I use an excel spreadsheet to create a template for my meal plan and fill it out for the whole week.  We eat the same thing for a few days, I'm not about to cook every single night. So once the meal plan is done I make my grocery list and then I stick to only the list at the store.  Instead of buying 10 fruit options have have 2 or 3.  It cuts down on waste and we don't eat that much fruit anyway.   Once I get home it's time to start prepping!  All the fruit and veggies get washed and I use my containers to portion everything into ready to grab snack baggies or tupperware containers.  I get everything ready for the week I can and pre-measure it, I am so much less likely to overeat that way. 

Here is this weeks meal plan:

So today I made the taco meal, sliced peppers, and diced my lettuce, tomato and avocado for the tacos also.  The next two days are ready to go! 

I also made half a dozen hard boiled eggs, washed and portioned out my grapes.  I tend to keep it really simple for my meals also.  I just look through the meal guide and pick a protein, grain and veggie.  Our food has tons of flavor and nutrition so we don't ever feel like we are eating like rabbits.  

I checked on Amazon and found these containers so our whole meal can be ready to go in the fridge, we just heat it up and eat. 

Moral of the story, spending a few hours on Sunday (or whatever day works for your schedule) really does save TONS of time and headache during the week.  Meal planning and prepping is KEY to staying on track and once you get into the routine is super easy.   I make sure my challengers have all the support they need because I have been there and know it can be overwhelming.   SO KEEP IT SIMPLE! 

Do you struggle with nutrition, eating or meal planning?  I would love to help you! We have another boot camp starting on September 5th and I will walk you through everything.   Check out more details here --->  https://www.facebook.com/events/327546750912107/

or check me out LIVE tomorrow at 3 PM EST on Facebook :)  (it will be in the event in the above paragraph <3 ) 

   

Zucchini Boats

Tonight's Dinner was Zucchini Boats, I sort of combined a bunch of recipes together and used what I had in the cupboard.  This WHOLE meal cost less than $5.00 total.  Not bad if you are on a budget!

Taco(ish) Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:

2 large zucchinis

1 lb ground turkey

3 cloves garlic

1 can corn

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can black beans

shredded cheese (I used pepperjack)

seasonings - salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, chile powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2.  Brown turkey and garlic until no longer pink and add seasoning
3.  Add corn, beans and tomatoes to meat mixture and turn off heat. 
4.  Cut zucchini length wise and hollow out with a spoon. 
5.  Place zucchini in baking dish or on jelly roll pan and fill each half with meat mixture.
6. Top with shredded cheese
7. Cover with foil
8. Bake for 35 minutes
9. Top with taco sauce if you want extra taco flavors

When it's way too hot to cook.... we grill!

So, lately in my neck of the woods it has been in the upper 80's and low 90's with what seems like 1000% humidity!  When it is that hot it's not even an option to turn on the oven or the stove to make dinner.  

The solution.... grilling out.  

We are usually a turkey burger or hot sausage family but after Jason has had burgers for 5 of the last 6 nights I knew that wasn't going to fly.  I looked in the fridge to see what I had and saw peppers and a squash and immediately though - KABOBS!

These are super simple and don't take any time to cook.  I just cut all the veggies and put them into one bowl, then cubed a steak and pulled the tails off the shrimp and threw them in another bowl with some marinade and then started building.

Try to make sure your veggie chunks and meat chunks are about the same size so everything is done cooking at the same time. 

Ingredient:
1 yellow squash
1 onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper

1 pound of jumbo shrimp (I pulled the tails off before cooking)
2 pounds of quality steak that was about 1" thick

Marinade:
Worcestershire Sauce
Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Onion Powder
Balsamic Vinegar

I just eyeballed the marinade but made about 1/2 cup of it and just stirred the meat around. 

**NOTE: if you use wooden skewers make sure to soak them in water for a long time.  I have (several times) had the skewers catch on fire and char because I didn't soak them long enough.  I think I will be investing in some metal ones for next time. 

I also brushed the kabobs with a small amount of olive oil to make sure they didn't stick to the grill or char as well. 

Grill on medium for about 15 minutes (grilling time will vary depending on size of veggie chunks and how well you like your steak done, just make sure the shrimp is fully cooked) and flip once.  

For 21 Day Fix : (depending on how much you put on each skewer, I did mine the following way) 

2 skewers =
1 red
2 green

Does clean eating really work?

This was a question I always wondered.  My body seems to react much better to my food intake vs. exercise for weight loss.  However, it always seemed like I have to starve myself to get the results I want which we all know isn't healthy.  This past week I participated in a 5 day Clean Eating Challenge.  It was simple - no processed food, no sugar, lots of water and lots of fruits, veggies and lean protein.  

Now, coming off a holiday weekend where I overindulged in margaritas and carb loaded may have helped my results but I was still blown away by how much by body changed in just FIVE days. I didn't get on the scale because I really didn't want to see the number and have it ruin my day or make me feel like I could overindulge so I went by measurements.   In those 5 days I lost a total of 6 inches from my stomach and hips.  Our whole group lost a combined total of 33.5 inches in five days! Most of these results were also with minimal exercise.  

I felt so much better and it was so easy to stick to (for the most part).  I didn't feel starved or deprived, it really made me aware of the choices I was making and the accountability of the group make me want to push through.  

Eating out is always a struggle for me.  I walk in to the restaurant with the best intentions of making healthy choices but it usually goes out the window when I order because I feel it's a "treat" or that I have earned that order of fries.  But, this time I stuck to my guns!  I ordered my usual but opted for no bun and a side of fresh fruit instead of the french fries.  I left feeling full but not that OMG I need to lay down or go jog full (like usual). 

I am getting ready to kick off our July bootcamp on Monday and I am more determined than ever to really stick to the meal plan for 21 days.  I mean, I did it for 5 so I can do it for 21 :)   

Your body really does react to what you put in it, Stay tuned for the latest results!!!

My new pasta obsession!

We are big pasta eaters in my house.  It is so easy and affordable and there are a bazillion ways to make it.  A few months ago a challenger told me about these brown rice/quinoa noodles and I was slightly skeptical.  I mean...pasta is pasta! 

I found these at our local Aldi so I decided to give them a try.  I am happy to say they will now be a staple in my pantry at ALL times.  With only two ingredients : Organic Brown Rice and Organic Quinoa they are very clean and actually taste like real noodles. I will be stocking up next time I go to the store and I can't wait to try them in my pasta salad recipe.   I actually feel like I am not as full and heavy like I am after eating pasta.  

The best part is that they still fit into my meal plan!!  I added spaghetti sauce with limited ingredients, some ground turkey and seasoned up the sauce with garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes for extra yum.  I added some shredded mozzarella on top but forgot to take a pic of that (that's what the blue container is for)

Ingredients:
-1 pound ground turkey or ground turkey sausage

-1 jar spaghetti sauce or marinara (try to find one with as little ingredients as possible)

-1 bag of brown rice/quinoa noodles

-shredded mozzarella (optional)

Directions:
1. Brown meat in skillet and drain any fat
2. Add sauce to skillet and heat through
3. Boil pasta according to bag, drain.
4. Mix cooked pasta into skillet with meat sauce and stir.
5. Serve and sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired.

One serving is 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 red, 1 blue (if using cheese)

Never miss a Monday!

I always do so good when I start a new round of the 21 Day Fix or the 21 Day Fix EXTREME.   I love how much more the extreme workouts challenge me so I try to alternate and mix things up so my body doesn't plateau.    

The first week I am super on the ball with the workouts and the eating but it always seems like sometime during the second week I let myself fall off the wagon and then I can't get back on.  It might start out small as an order of french fries or a margarita (which would be totally fine if that's where it stopped).  I find myself telling me that I earned it so it's fine and that usually turns into another cheat tomorrow and the next day and then a skipped workout here and there.  By the end of the third week I am eating horribly and not working out consistently.  

I have done both programs start to finish at least once consistently and the results are amazing.  The only thing standing in my way is ME and my willpower.  So I am determined to go hard and go strong in July.  It is only 3 weeks and I KNOW I can do it.  I am going to have my challenger keep me super accountable and make sure I check in several times a day with my accountability buddy.    

Wanna do it with us??? 

I will spend the time until July 11th getting myself back on track with other workouts and really watching what I eat.  I know I won't be perfect but as long as I am aware and better than I used to be I will call it a win.  This is a LIFESTYLE and a journey; not a quick fix and a destination.