21 Day Fix vs. Chalean Extreme

These are both great programs? But which one is right for you??

21 Day Fix Extreme Review

I have already ordered mine! I am so excited to start this program and take my fitness to the next level!

Spaghetti or Veggetti

So call me weird, but I really wanted a Veggetti for Christmas. Have you heard of them? It's like spaghetti but made out of squash. I didn't know at the time that you could do other things with it, I just wanted it to experiment in the kitchen! I love cooking, and I love clean eating. I gave up white pastas a long time ago, and its hard to find a wheat pasta that doesn't taste gritty. So I wanted to give this thing a try.



So I got one! But now what was I going to do with it... Well I finally got the chance to bust this thing open! Like a typical female, I had to read the instructions first. After reading them cover to cover, I was ready. I had looked up a yummy pasta primavera recipe, and how to cook this yummy pasta substitute.




So here are my thoughts and my yummy recipe.

 I used two "small" zucchini. It's pretty self-explanatory to use. The little recipe book says that it only takes 2-3 minutes to sautee zucchini "noodles" so I set them aside in a bowl. Side-note - I tried to use carrots. It didn't work well. I felt like the carrots were just "smushing," not spiraling.

In one skillet I had a Tbsp of coconut oil heating. I added 2 diced garlic cloves and added it to the hot oil. I added two diced onions, and 4 peeled, sliced carrots. Then I added some organic chicken. and browned it.


I'll admit it, I cheated! I used Newman's Own Alfredo sauce. Normally I am all about making things from scratch - but alfredo sauce is something I can't do. It burns, or is too watery, or has so much garlic it's spicy, or just tastes like milk. So anyway, I dumped the jar of alfredo sauce in the skillet. I let that all blend together. When the family was ready to eat and the table was set, I started the last step.

I added the zucchini noodles to a hot skillet.


Meanwhile, I added some fresh mushrooms, some spinach, and some cherry tomatoes to the alfredo mixture. You have to add the spinach at the last minute because you don't want it to be too wilty. And the tomatoes taste better if they don't lose their firm texture.



So here is the final result! It was a big hit! Even my 90 year old "ol' fashion" grandma liked it!






One of the things you will need to learn about me now is that I don't always use measurements. I take that back - I hardly ever use measurements...! :)

So there it is - my first blog about healthy recipes. I LOVE to cook, so there will be tons more!

I hope you try it, and I hope you like it!

Are you looking for some vegan recipes?? Click below!

Motivation vs. Inspiration

It's still pretty new in the year. People are still sticking with some of their new year resolutions. The difference between people that will stick with it, versus people that will quit, is the difference between motivation and inspiration.

Fitness League New England - Super Saturday event

On my team call tonight, we discussed motivation vs. inspiration. I honestly didn't know the difference. I actually had to look it up.
Motivation is defined as "the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way." That sounds right. Maybe the doctor told you you had to lose a few pounds because your blood pressure was too high. That becomes your motivation. The reason I want to go to the gym is because I want to lose weight and feel great. That is my motivation.

So then what is inspiration? Inspire is defined as "to fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something" or "animate someone with (such a feeling)." An inspiration is the "process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something."

So then I started thinking about myself. If I know what my motivation is, do I know what my inspiration is. What is the feeling that I have that DRIVES my behavior. That sounds so powerful.
A feeling that is so strong enough it can drive you to change your behavior. So if my motivation is my "want" to lose weight and feel great, then what is that POWERFUL thing that drives me.

Well I have a few - I'll start with the easier one to talk about - I want to be in the best shape I can be before I have kids. Let's face it ladies, growing a person, and then raising a person is a lot of work. I do not want to be an overweight, unhealthy, sick, exhausted mother who can't keep up with her kids! I want to be fit, and eat clean, and raise my kids in a healthy house! So I need to start early so that eating clean and working out are habits, not forced new year resolutions!

Second - my self confidence. I know how depressing it is to just wear sweatpants or yoga pants because that is all that fits. I know that feeling you get when you hang on to the pants that are 3 sizes too small because "you WILL get there again," even though they haven't fit for 5 years. I know how embarrassing it is to bend over and literally have your pants split! (it happened to me at work! And I was mortified) I know how painful it is when your husband is giving you a back rub and his hands have to move like a roller coaster over your side rolls. I HATE those feelings! Those negative feelings can trap you, and keep you in this horrible state. Especially if you are an emotional eater, like me (once, I ate an entire box of raw brownie dough - I'm not proud of it). So how do you turn those negative feelings into something that will drive you to change, instead of sucking you down further! You have to dig deep! Deep into those emotions and think about what it would be like if all of those things were different. What if I was confident enough to wear a bikini without a cover-up. How would that make me feel?? What if my husband's hands were like a roller coaster over my 6 pack abs and back muscles? How would that kind of strength and confidence make me feel? I remember how I felt when I fit into those pants that are 3 sizes too small. I remember what it felt like when I could do 10 real pushups! I remember what self-esteem felt like.

Take those negative feelings and promise yourself you will never go back. Think about how you want to feel and use that as your INSPIRATION! In my team, we often call it your "WHY."
Why do you want to change your habits? Why do you want to change your financial situation? Why do you want to get healthy?

So I challenge you to take a few minutes, when its quiet (I know it might be hard for you parents!) and dig deep. Think about what MOTIVATES you, and what INSPIRES you. Write down your WHY. Post it somewhere where you can see it often! Pretty soon, you won't be looking up inspirational pictures, you will become your own inspiration!

Do you need help getting started?? Do you need a planned program and a customized nutrition guide? Click HERE to complete a Challenge Group application!

Beachbody's motto - "Help People Achieve Their Goals to Lead Healthy Fulfilling Lives"

My Transformation Journey - so far...

As I approach my 2 year Beachbody anniversary, I find that a fire has been reignited! I am looking to expand my reach and find more people that will join me on my fitness journey! So I thought it would be appropriate that my first blog be about my journey so far. 

I have always struggled with weight. I thought I was fat when I was a size 6, and before I knew it, I was a size 14. When I graduated from undergrad in 2009, I was 155 and I felt amazing. Unfortunately, I took it for granted. I started working in a restaurant and I gained a lot of weight - FAST!! But then I got engaged, and I was determined to look great on my wedding day. I didn't know what I doing, and I was looking for a quick fix. I took random cardio classes, and cut out all carbs. I should mention - I was in my first year of law school, so I had to battle the extra stress and late nights. I fit in my wedding dress and felt great! I still wasn't "happy" with my body, but it was good enough.

My husband and I had a FABULOUS trip to St. Lucia for our honeymoon. and there was no holding me back from the all-you-can-eat NACHO BAR! WHAT?? I know. I ate my way through all 7 days. I noticed that the pants I wore on the flight there, did not even fit on the flight home. Oh well, it was just a binge right? Well 6 months later, I had gained 30 pounds without even noticing.  Honestly, I probably noticed, but I thought I still had control of it. I didn't know that it had gotten that bad. That nacho bar was just the beginning of very unhealthy eating habits. I also started a very, very unhealthy caffeine addiction. People would comment about how much I drank, but I needed that much. Whenever I started to crash, I just drank more. I would drink coffee until my assignments were done, then I would need a "real drink" to calm me back down so I could sleep! I knew it was bad, but I didn't know otherwise.

My first step was to try juicing and quit caffeine. I made it through the withdrawals, but juicing was getting REALLY expensive. I buying carrots and apples at wholesale stores! And when I started doing more research, it turns out you need to make sure you get the right kinds of nutrients, and not too many of others. It was getting confusing and some of them were kind of gross. I was talking to a friend, and recent law school graduate, and she introduced me to Beachbody. I was afraid of spending that much money on something, when I knew I could just lose the weight like I did last time. But let's think about that - if the weight didn't stay off last time, why would I try to do the same thing again??

"If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done!"

So here it is - my starting picture! I was so upset. Every time I look at this picture, I feel the same pain in the pit in my stomach that I did that night. I cried. My husband was supportive and tried telling me it was ok, but I felt awful. At that point, it didn't matter how busy I was, or what sacrifices I needed to make, I needed to make a change. My coach added me to a challenge group. They were so supportive! No negative comments, daily check-ins, and there were prizes offered to people who worked out the most! I was determined. I decided to start with Insanity - I don't know why I picked such a hard program to start with but again, I was determined!

February 2013

I also started drinking Shakeology. You may have heard of it, but unless you have tried it, you don't know what you are missing! It has 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in each glass - WAIT WHAT!! You mean I don't have to drink beets and ginger anymore?? SCORE! Sign me up!
I started with the Shakeology. First impression - tastes amazing :)
I would mix the chocolate Shakeology with peanut butter and I could not get enough of it!
It didn't take very long before I start noticing some differences. My complexion started improving, my immune system got so much better, AND I had enough energy to get me through a WHOLE day - no crashes! I was sold. I decided then that I would drink Shakeology, even if I had to sacrifice something else.

***Let's talk about finances for a second. I was in my second year of law school. My husband was driving 2 hours each way to support us and was burning out. We brought our laundry to my parents house every weekend so we could do it for free and our grocery budget was about $50 a week. Can you imagine saying to your husband, "hey babe, can I invest in this shake? Oh by the way, it's every month."

Thankfully, I married an amazing man, who is incredibly supportive. He supported me and I kept drinking it. I lost about 10 pounds with Insanity and Shakeology but still wasn't happy - I needed to keep going!

May 2013 - after Insanity
Oct 2013 - after T25

In June 2013, I decided I was going to take my new passion for health/fitness and become a Beachbody "Coach." I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I heard I could make some money. I joined a business challenge group, where, again, there were daily check-ins. But this time it was about the business. I started personal development, setting goals, learned how to stay focused - all skills that were incredibly applicable to law school as well!  I started adding coaches to my team. Including my mom and my husband! We were all transforming our lives together - I wish I could talk about their journies, but I will save that for another day!

 I continued working the business (and school), which in turn, drove me to get better results. I hit my 20 pound weight loss that summer! But more importantly, I was healthier! I trained and ran in a Warrior Dash in Sept 2013 with my husband and I felt awesome!

I used my results to share my passion. I completed 2 rounds of T25, and started sharing my results. I was rewarded with bonuses, and advanced to Diamond rank! (That means my team was growing, and I was making more money! I was helping so many people!)










I graduated from law school in May 2014. During the crazy summer of studying for the bar, I gained back some of the weight. But that is the great thing about this company. I still have my team who supports me. I still have all the tools I need to get back on track. I still have my clients looking to me for guidance and to set an example. And I still have my good health! My blood pressure at my last check up was 117/76. WHAT? That is so great! And seasonal allergies... Oh man did they used to be bad! I was on 4 prescriptions before. After boosting my immune system, I don't take any of that any more. So I gained a few pounds back during an incredibly stressful time. That's ok. I'm still human! And everyday I am working on improving my health, turning unhealthy habits into healthy ones, and sharing my story!

 Beachbody has brought me so many things. Besides the obvious of fantastic programs like T25 and Shakeology; it has also brought me confidence. Just look at the picture below. 15 pounds isn't the only difference between those two photos! That is confidence people. I am starting to feel better about my body! The only way you can let go of your past and change your future, is to love yourself for who you are today! And even though my body is still under construction, I love who I am.

left - January 2013
right - December 2014

"The only way you can let go of your past and change your future is to love yourself for who you are today!"

So here is my goal - I want to share my journey with others, and help them achieve their goals. Life is a journey, you need to live it! Don't just wish it were different. Make the sacrifices to make it the life you want! Trust me, I know it can be hard. But that is why our team is amazing. Our "fitfam" has helped so many people through so many things! And now I am working my butt off (literally) with Insanity Max:30! I still drink Shakeology and still feel great!

I am still on my journey, and there is always room for improvement. I hope you join me on this amazing journey, and decide to help others along the way - it's an indescribable feeling.

Are you interested in joining a Challenge Group?