Food Journal Adventure

"Nothing changes until you change it. You must be prepared to do something you have never done."

This quote is so true! I know in my life, sometimes change can be a hard thing. When we attempt something new, or outside of our comfort zone, it can be a challenge. But it might also be the key to lasting change, and that makes it all worth it!

As my health and fitness journey progresses, I am always researching and looking for new tools and resources that might help along the way. Not quick fixes or crash diets or short term things, but habits and routines that can be established for long term results and change.

And I want to invite you into one of my latest experiments with a new tool, that I feel may be very beneficial in my journey, and maybe yours too!

And this tool...food journals!

I have done this a few times, but never quite stuck with it. But the benefits have been and are really great! When you first start tracking your food, it can be surprising! Little bites here and there you forget about normally end up adding up in the end.

In an effort to make sure I am staying on track with my nutrition and to see a break down of my daily macro nutrients, I have decided to start a food journal and track everything that goes in for my duration of doing the P90X3 program.

Before I did this with a pen and paper, but I decided this time to try MyFitnessPal because it shows the break down of each food and the specific nutrients in each food.

If you want to join me in tracking your food for a short season, or just dabble in it, here are some tips that I am noticing off the bat that will help you on your way!

1. Decide how you will track it. Whether a notebook you can take with you, or using an app like MyFitnessPal, decide on ONE way to track and stick to it.

2. Create your meal plan. This is something that will help you overall with having healthy options to choose from, and can help you save money because you will use the food you buy!

3. Stay on top of your tracking! Right when you eat a meal, before or after, WRITE IT DOWN. If you wait too long, you may forget those little things you ate. Write it down immediately.

4. Set a timer for yourself to remind you to go over the food you tracked for the day. Make sure you got everything!

5. Have grace for yourself. If you go over or under, or have a cheat day, don't sweat it and do not give up. Be honest with yourself and keep going. Don't let it be the end all, be all.

I am excited to start tracking my food and macro nutrients on a regular basis and see the results from that. Am I going to have a great occasionally? Absolutely! Find what works for you and keeps you healthy. But I do challenge you to try new things to see what works for you! So, if you are interested, join me in doing a food journal, and let me know you are! I would love to swap ideas and brainstorm.

Who else does a food journal? Did it work for you, or did you find something else that worked better? Share your thoughts below! 

Learning From Difficulty

Hard to believe that it's May already! April went by so fast and I feel like I'm learning even more new things about my health and fitness journey than ever before.

To be honest, April was hard at some points because I felt like I waas't far among in my journey as I should be. I work out at least 6 days a week and have been eating healthy, but the results come slow. And I KNOW that is normal, but for whatever reason there were a few days that I felt that discouragement creep in.

Those old feelings of "what's the point" and "no one will know if I slip up." Have you ever felt that way? I know that I am not alone in this.

I changed my mind and changed my mind again.

I'm going to do the 21Day Fix Extreme. Well, maybe I'll go back to T25, the program I started with and lost a good but of weight with (this was after I felt discouraged), and finally I decided I wanted something new.

I was discouraged and then distracted by too many decisions and changing my mind. I kept working out, but I wasn't as focused and I felt scattered.

I want to share all of this with you to remind you that I'm the same as you. I have good days and hard days. I feel those discouragements you feel. I know how hard this journey can be.

This month though, is different, and I want to share some of my big take aways after April.

1. Decide and commit. Whatever program you are in, decide to that one and stick to it for that amount of time. Whether 21 days, or 90. Do yourself a favor and pick one and stick to it.

2. Make a clear and uncluttered calendar. I don't know about you, but I am a visual person, and I like things to be organized. If things are in disarray, it is harder for me to focus. Make your plan, then write it clearly on your calendar with a place to mark off. Give yourself room for accomplishment.

3. Don't overwhelm yourself. Don't try to do too much at once, or nothing will work. It is easy to get burned out or overwhelmed if there is too much change at once. Take it one day at a time.

4. Get accountable. I am so thankful for my challenge group ladies because it gives me s place to be accountable to and hero's me stay on track.

5. Don't give up. Even when discouragement comes, do not give up. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other, move forward.

Those are some big lessons I leaned again in April. And even though there are hard days, I am thankful for them because if gives me an opportunity to help others who struggle with the same things I have or do struggle with.

You are not alone, and you can do this. If you want some direction for your own faith and fitness, and a group of remarkable ladies to be accountable to and motivated by, contact me for more information about our upcoming exclusive group this month to get you ready for summer and get you feeling fantastic no matter where you are in your health and fitness.

Sunday Funday (3 Tips for a Productive Week)

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week. As is Monday! But both for different reasons. Mondays are the fresh start, the new beginning, the starting line. You have the chance to set the pace and tone for the week on Mondays.

Sundays? That's the cap of the week. The cherry on the sundae, icing on the cake. It's a chance for me to simultaneously look back at the week, see what worked, and what didn't, as well as look ahead and prepare myself for success in the week to come.

It's a day that I love to use to plan and prepare while I relax. It leaves me refreshed and peaceful instead of scrambling on a Monday morning. And I want to share with you some of my top tips on how I use Sundays to plan ahead!

1. I write down 3 things that need to happen each day of the week. I generally break down my big goals into manageable daily goals, and distribute these throughout the week. Things like meal planning, blogging, and business goals make it onto my daily goals. They can be big or small, but keeping it to three helps me accomplish them and stay on track!

2. I schedule out my workouts. Life can vary week to week, and while I love a consistent routine, sometimes that isn't always possible. So I look ahead at what the week holds and make sure that I have planned out when and what workouts I will do for the upcoming week.

3. Meal prep! This is one that really helps out. Whether I can get all of my meals prepped or not, at least knowing what meals we will be having and getting my vegetables prepped helps a ton! If I have a healthy option available to eat on the go, I'm much more likely to choose that than the unhealthy option. Get as much of your vegetables and fresh produce ready as you can! You can even batch cook chicken and ground turkey to use in recipes throughout the week.

While there are a lot more tips that I could give you on how to use your Sunday to your advantage and prep for the week ahead, I will keep it to these top three! Spending even a little bit of time looking ahead at your week, or even the next few days can ease the stress of the upcoming week and help you break bigger tasks into manageable pieces.

How do you use your Sunday? Do you do any preparations of your own on the weekend? I would love to hear what works for you!

Turkey and Veggie Soup

Summer is quickly approaching and that means soon warmer weather will be the normal. But, as we have experienced this past week in Atlanta, we can still have a few cold days left before the heat fully arrives.

What does that weather mean? One last chance for a hearty soup before the cool soups make their appearance on the dinner table.

This last week I experimented with the ingredients I had around the house to make our hearty turkey and veggie soup. The great thing about this recipe is that it can definitely be made to what YOU have in your kitchen and what YOU like.

But for a base recipe, here is what we used!

Ingredients

1lb ground turkey

2 tsp cooking oil or butter

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 sweet potato, cubed

4 cups raw kale, chopped

1 cup baby carrots

4 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp basil

1 basil leaf

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

Directions

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven) over medium high heat, heat up your cooking oil or butter 

2. Add you chopped onions, sautee until soft and translucent. Add your garlic in and cook for one minute. 

3. Add in the chopped green peppers, and potatoes.

4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. 

5. Add kale, bay leaf and diced tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. Let cook for about 10 minutes, covered. 

6. As that cooks, brown your turkey with all of the seasonings mentioned above added in with it.

7. After turkey is browned, add to soup, mix and cover. 

8. Let cook over medium low, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes. 

9. Garnish with cheese and plain Greek yogurt if desired! 

Enjoy these last few days of warm soup weather before the fall. This is an easy and yummy way to get veggies in! Experiment with what you have and make it fun. 

What's your favorite soup? 

5 Healthy Lunch Ideas

Let's talk about lunch time. That sometimes skipped over meal, or the meal that we forget to pack so we end up  eating a less than nutrious meal and paying extra for it. But it doesn't have to be that way! There are so many great lunch options that you can prepare at home either the night before, or prep them all at the beginning of the week!

This saves you time, money, and helps ensure that you are getting good nutrition for the whole day, which helps you be more productive and healthy.

If you are in a lunch rut, or just need some new ideas for your lunch time to spice things up, here are some fantastic recipes and ideas that I found on Pinterest (one of my favorite resources). Be sure to follow me on Pinterest and save these on your own page as well!

1. Grilled Chicken Veggie Bowls
Grilled chicken and veggie bowls are a fantastic option for a whole week of lunches. It is cheaper and easier to prepare in bulk, and you can vary things just a little so that you don't get bored of your food! Memberships to places like Sam's Club or Costco are great for the food supplies for these and save you money too.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283586107762465326/

2. Mason Jar Salad

These beautiful salads have been super popular lately, especially in their fun container option using a mason jar. Its hard to prep a salad for lunch sometimes because things get soggy. But this idea actually helps keep everything crisp because of the way the salad. Give these a try to pep up your lunch time salads! 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283586107762465350/

3. Avocado and Turkey Wrap

Or any kind of wrap, really! Wraps are a fun way to pack your lunch and vary things up. You can batch cook your ingredients, and have them ready to go for the week. Wraps offer a lot of variety and personalization options too! 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283586107762465358/

(Image from Pinterest and blog linked on Pinterest)

4. Traveling Lunch Noodles

For an Asian twist on your lunch, try this beefed up noodle lunch option! Turn boring noodles into a fun lunch packed with veggies and other things you love. I also love how they packed these! 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283586107762465373/

5. The classic (or not so classic) healthy lunch sandwich!

Here is an array of healthy sandwich ideas for you to bring to work with you. The sandwhich is such a classic lunch option, bit it can absolutely be jazzed up and kept healthy as well! These are some fantastic recipes to check out and try if you like a good sammy. 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283586107762465382/

There are five great lunch options that you can try for your work week this week. Do your prep work, it will save you time and money! I love to prepare as much for the week as much as possible so that lunch can be a grab and go and stay healthy! 

What is your favorite healthy lunch option? 

Need a Fresh Start?

New Years always starts on such a high note. Everyone and their mother are setting goals and resolutions, bound and determined to actually keep them this year. I know, because I have been there so many times, too. Made resolutions, broken them. Remade resolutions, and had to again, restart them. It can be discouraging and disheartening.

I want you to know though, it's okay to have a fresh start. You are allowed to start over. And you can start over and SUCCEED.

Something great that I have heard and keep in my mind is "if you're tired of starting over, stop quitting." So go ahead, take that leap of faith, start over and commit to sticking with it.

I know that I have had to start over with my fitness in many ways on this journe . Whether intentionally starting a new day over after a rougher day before, or beginning a workout program again, or redoing a program and giving it 110% of my effort, or even starting a new nutrition plan again and eating cleaner.

I have been through it. And more importantly, I know how difficult it can be, especially if you are going in on your own, or no one is keeping you accountable. It can be easy to stop and say "no one will know." But then you're right back where you started.

That is exactly where I was last January before I started focusing for real on my health. Of course I still have had to refocus since starting, but I have not gone back to my old unhealthy habits of not working out and not watching what I eat. Before I started, I was a serial quitter. Doing something for two weeks and hanging up the towel.

A fresh start was exactly what I needed. And what made me stick with it was accountability and motivation. That is why I am so passionate about leading the accountability groups that I do every month. It is my way to pay it forward and help others begin THEIR fresh start and establish healthy habits in their life.

My group this month is putting an extra special focus on just that. Making this our fresh start and establishing those healthy habits in our lives. Another really exciting part of this group is going to be a Biblical perspective on taking care of our bodies and how we can find balance in our lives while moving towards health overall.

If you haven't ever heard about my groups, have no fear! Here is a basic outline of what this group (and most of my groups are like):

-We begin April 20, and go for 30 days
-There are ten spaces available in my group (I like to keep it small to keep it close knit)
-Our group is held via a closed online Facebook group, so you can participate from anywhere in the country
-Daily motivational posts and tips from me, your personal and group coach.
-You check in daily and rate how your workout, nutrition and water intake was to keep you accountable.
-I help you meal plan and get recipe ideas that fit your life
-I help you find the perfect workout program for your fitness level, goals and preferences.
-You commit to working out and eating healthy for 30 days
- You participate in our group and find encouragement and community
-We will also have a few contests and prizes for this group!
-When you finish your workout program and submit your results, you get a free T-shirt (who doesn't like free??)
-Personal access to me and weekly check ins to see how things are going

And that is just the overview! Really this format has been the thing to keep me on track for over a year, which has never happened before ever in my life. Its a big deal to me to be able to find something that works. And maybe an online group isn't your thing, BUT I know what is working for me, and I can't NOT share it and lead others who need accountability just like I did.

So if you are interested at all, please message me, email, comment, however you want to reach out to me, and I can give you more information.

You can also invite yourself and add yourself to my group event on Facebook here .

Are you ready for a fresh start, too? Join us! 

3 Tips to Help Get More Focus

Time. Seriously, is there anything in the world that we want more of but use worse than time? I would argue that there are little things. Especially in our culture these days. We talk a big talk, scheduling our calendars until they are overflowing, always stating that things are "busy and good" when people ask us how we are (I am guilty of this too, by the way!).

In a culture that is captured by screens and constantly on the go and getting things done, it's time to get something new. FOCUS. Distraction free, real, genuine, productive FOCUS.

Let me tell you, it can be hard to come by. Like I said, our schedules are full. Add in five thousand notifications of every one of our phone apps dinging constantly, text messages and emails being received, a running grocery list bouncing through our head, an alarm clock blaring for some reason, the TV mumbling in the background, music playing from our computer.....stressed out yet?

I mean, really narrow in your mind what it feels like to have all of these going on in your life all at once. I know for me, it's stressful. I like moments of peace and quiet, I like my inbox to be sorted and replied to, and I like some organization and clarity.

But a lot of times, my life feels like the other paragraph, garbled, over saturated with notifications and noises and distractions. So lately, something that I have been trying to do is get more focus in my life. Real focus, like no distractions, no dinging, no notifications, no multi tasking, no noise, just concentrated focus.

While it takes effort, the times that I have gotten it right, it is so helpful, and definitely has increased my peace and productivity. I want to share the three top tips that I have from that with you to encourage you and challenge you to maybe try some of these on your own!

1. Work in 45 minute spurts without distraction, and then take a 15 minute break. Studies are showing now that people who work with this sort of schedule, and have focused work with no distractions and then take a 15 minute break are more productive. I have been trying this method and it helps keep me from mentally burning out or sidetracking and losing time. When you enter into this 45 minute/15 minute model, get yourself away from distractions. No scrolling, no multi tasking, just focus in and get it done. Then take an active 15 minute break. Walk around, start at nature, doodle, get away from screens and take a break.

2. Turn your phone on silent, put it in another room, or even put it on airplane mode! It may seem unnatural at first, and you might try to check your phone for notifications, but DON'T. While you are on your 45 minutes of working, make sure that your phone is on silent. So many times it can just be habit to pick up our phones and check, but then get sucked into scrolling and responding and getting distracted.

3. Don't look at your phone after the first hour you are awake, or the last hour before you go to bed. This one has been a challenge, but also very rewarding for me. It used to be that after I woke up, I would scroll through my newsfeed for a little bit and then get to work or do my quiet time. But, time can sometimes slip by way too fast doing this. We get caught up. Same goes for at night! Even more importantly at night, taking time away from screens for the last hour that you are awake will help your body prepare for rest better, thus allowing you to sleep better!

Do you do any of these tips already? Which ones help you focus in the best?

5 Benefits of Warm Lemon Water

When you think of lemons, we usually go to images of cool, refreshing lemonade, vibrant decoration, refreshing aroma, and the like. Maybe even just that slice of something to perk up our water at restaurants, or the subject of some hilarious baby videos of them chomping on a lemon and experiencing the tang for the first time.

Whatever image or thoughts you have about lemons, I want to bring a new one to your attention...warm lemon water in the morning!

I have been doing this over the past year and love it! I haven't been as consistent as I would like (read that it has not been consistently every day), but you can bet if I have lemons in my fridge, I'm making warm lemon water in the morning.

On top of lemons being a powerhouse of vitamin c and antioxidants like most citrus fruits, there are numerous other health benefits to squeezing some fresh lemon in warm water in the morning! Some of my top favorites are these...

1. It's a refreshing and energizing start to your day. Think about it. When we want something to smell fresh and clean, lemon is a go to option. Well that natural zesty scent can add a pep to your step in the morning when you start out your day that way!

2. It promotes good oral health. Yup, it's good for your mouth! Know that awful morning breath when you wake up? Warm lemon water can help with that! Lemons eliminate mouth bacteria responsible for bad breath. It is also a natural bleaching agent! Just be sure to brush your teeth after drinking so you don't damage your enamel over time.

3. It's the age old cold buster! Any time you feel that tickle in the back of your throat, honey lemon water is your new best friend. 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp lemon juice in warm water will help you feel better sooner! It helps kill off excess mucus, honey helps sooth the throat, and it also has anti viral properties and the vitamin C boosts your immune system. Before running for a prescription, try this trusted remedy first!

4. It can help get you in a good mood! Vitamin c is a known stress reducer, and the smell of lemon also has shown to help minimize anxiety and depression. Start your day on the right foot and soak in some lemon water and the inviting scent, too!

5. It helps you maintain your bodies proper pH balance! Our bodies have a oh balancr, and based on what we are eating, it can be in good condition or bad. If its in bad condition, that can lead to more serious issues like arthritis, digestive problems and skin diseases to name a few. When your pH balance is in check, it helps your body absorb nutrients better, and keep your health at an overall better level. Lemon water is a great way to getting your gut back in good working order because it addresses one of the roots, your pH level!

I could go on and on with more benefits of drinking warm lemon water in the morning, weight loss aid, heart health, eye health, and so on. But I think you get the picture! Drinking warm lemon water is extremely beneficial for your body!

My favorite way to enjoy it? Boil up some water on the stove, squeeze half a lemon into a cup (I also leave the lemon in), pour hot water over it and enjoy! Adding honey also gives you some great benefits as well! You can also add some cayenne pepper to help rev up the metabolism.

Do you drink warm lemon water at all? Or what is your preference of drink in the morning?

21 Day Fix Extreme Review

Today is my last day of my first official round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme! So, in celebration of that, I wanted to bring you my official review of the program! This is my fourth Beachbody program, and i must say, they set the bar high, and I love it. My other programs are T25, the original 21 Day Fix, and Les Mills Combat! The 21 Day Fix sets have been fantastic, so let's go ahead and dive into the review!

Here are some specifics about the program, in case you were curious.

21 Day Fix Extreme

Length of program: 21 days, but can be repeated as many times as you want.
How many days do you work out: 7 days a week, one of which is yoga (love it!)
How long are the workouts: 30 minutes
How many workouts are included in the program: 8 full 30 minute workouts, and a ten minute ab
Equipment needed: set of light and heavy free weights and a resistance band
Fitness level needed: You need to have a base level of fitness. If you have completed any other Beachbody program you should be good
Nutrition aspect: portion control containers and an extremely doable eating plan
Helps with: losing that last ten pounds, toning up, getting extreme, getting fit for an upcoming event, and getting healthier!

Alright, so now you have some of the bare basics of the 21DFX (21 Day Fix Extreme) program down. Let's get into the nitty gritty.

Pros: 
-I loved this program even more than the original 21 Day Fix. Specifically I loved the challenge that the workouts gave me.
-I really enjoyed using my weights in most every workout. I feel like it really gave me a lot of great strength training.
-I can do more push ups on my toes now than ever before! For reference, before I started my journey last year I couldn't do a single push up on my toes. After this program I got past 15!
-The eating plan is absolutely doable and sustainable. You do not go hungry with this!
-The principles of the eating plan really nourish your body and give you a good balanced diet. You aren't skipping out whole food categories, and you aren't depriving yourself.
-You have the option of doing the "countdown to competition" eating plan, which is a super clean eating plan to help give you maximum results! I didn't do it this round, but plan on it in the future!
- As with the last program, I love the 30 minute workout length, it's perfect for me.
- I like that they have a modifier on the screen and I could easily follow along if I needed to modify a move.
-I feel like I gained a lot of energy and more over all body strength doing this program!
- Planning ahead and using the eating plan really helps you to succeed with this program.
-I love that it is a 21 day program. It helps you establish a good healthy habit, and gives you a quick win, AND because it is NOT a crash diet, you can continue on with it!

Cons:
-You eat a lot of protein, (or red containers), especially if you do the countdown to competition. It's not bad, but I personally struggle with my red containers anyway, there's only so much chicken and fish I want to eat in a day. But, it is healthy!
-It's not so much a con, but a challenge that I worked through. There is a plyo workout that includes a lot of jumping. I definitely grew in strength but boy did it challenge me!
-It was an extremely comical "con" but I definitely had to get used to using a resistance band for the pilates workout. I wouldn't say it's a con, more something you have to get used to and be careful not to snap yourself in the face with the band while changing positions.
- Not personally a con for me, but I know for others it can be a challenge when you start out to meal plan. If it's something you are not used to doing, it can take time, BUT it is absolutely worth it, and I love helping people through that process.

Overall thoughts about my experience with 21DFX
As I stated before, I really enjoyed this program. If you haven't been doing a higher intensity program or working out at all in a while, I would suggest doing the 21 Day Fix as a god start up point. But people who have been working out can absolutely jump in on this. It is a fantastic program and has taught me so much about nutrition and how key and critical it is to overall health.

Nutrition brings about 80% of your results, so it really is that important. With the 21DFX (and the original) you are focusing on eating clean and nourishing your body with foods that fuel you. That in turn helps you gain more momentum on the fitness side of things and helps you just shred out your physique! I have become more and more aware of just how important nutrition is and I want to shout that from the rooftops.

Using the 21DFX helps you learn those principles and gives you a great foundation to continue that on past the 21 days, and also gives you great workouts that are doable and build your energy and strength. This program is a 10++ in my book!

Who wants to join in another round of the 21DFX with me and get some results of your own?? I have several groups starting soon, so if you are curious at all, or want more information, please don't hesitate to ask or reach out for more information! I would love to help any way I can.

Who is ready to get Extreme?? Stay tuned for my results too!

Ready For a Challenge

March has been a stretching month for me so far. It has been a struggle to be in between seasons, to be honest. I am craving warm sunshine on a daily basis, only to be met with a lot of clouds lately. You wouldn't think that would have that big of an effect on my attitude and motivation, but it has. This desert girl needs her sun!

But the struggle has been more than the physical change of seasons. It is as if my spirit is also in a transition as well, and I can't quite put my finger on it. In spite of the struggle, I am also finding new ways to be intentional about motivating myself, and encouraging others along the way too.

I know that I can't be the only one fighting the winter blues, ready for the warmth of the spring sun and the welcoming change of seasons. So, I am putting out a challenge. For myself, and for you. The question is, will you join in and find the motivation for yourself this month as we brace to enter the spring?

Many of you know that I lead monthly accountability groups online to help people with their health and fitness. It has been such a blessing in my life, let me tell you! To see others come alive the way I have experienced it too, through improving our health and fitness. It is absolutely priceless. Especially as we shed our winter layers, I know it can be hard to try and refit into clothes that may have gotten tight over the holidays and cold winter months.

But you know what? It doesn't have to be that way. I know I want to feel confident and comfortable in all my clothes and in my own skin this summer and spring, and I want the same for you too!

So here is my challenge, are you ready?

March 23rd I will be launching my second 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group! The first group has been a huge hit, and it has been a blessing to work with the ladies in the group and help them reach some of their health and fitness goals the past month. I'm ready to start again with a new group of ladies! This will be a 30 day group that uses the brand new and amazing program, the 21 Day Fix Extreme. We will meal plan (which I help with the process), do daily 30 minute workouts, fuel our bodies with dense nutrition, and keep each other accountable.

The accountability and motivation is the biggest part for me! Accountability has been the absolute key to keeping me on track for the past year. Without it, I know that I would have failed long ago and given up and quit. But I don't want you to quit, I want to see all of my clients succeed!

You can check out all the details and get even more information by adding yourself to the event I created for the Test Group here. https://www.facebook.com/events/409663255860113/

My second challenge will begin the following week, on March 30th. It will also be another 30 day group, but our focus will be using a brand new tool that Beachbody just launched...Beachbody On Demand! I am pumped about this tool, because it is something that we have been asking for for a while, and Beachbody has delivered.

Beachbody On Demand is like Netflix for your workouts. They created a catalog of some of their most popular, top of the line workout programs (the WHOLE program!), and you get complete access to it, 24/7, from anywhere that you have an internet connection. That means you can workout when you travel, you can workout if you don't have a DVD player, and it means that there is no excuse. The technology and availability and value in this is incredible.

Like the 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group, we will also be keeping each other accountable every day for 30 days, making sure we stay on track and reach our goals! I help with meal planning, picking the right program to fit your goals, and keeping you accountable along the way. More details coming soon about it, so keep your eyes open!

So, are you ready to shed the winter pounds and feel confident, radiant and comfortable in your own skin this spring and summer? Perfection isn't the goal, progress is, and I promise you it is worth it. When you have more energy to play with your family, to do life with those you love, and you feel comfortable while you are doing it? It's absolutely priceless. I know from experience and I want you to feel that too.

Let me help you stay motivated and accountable this month! Please reach out to me if you have any questions at all, or want more information. I would love to help you in any way that I can! So, who is up for the challenge?

Motivate Your March

March.

Not quite winter, not quite spring. The weather can be extremely bi-polar (at least in the south), where we swing from a beautiful almost 70 degrees and then plunge into an ice storm, literally. Add in the lovely Daylight Savings Time change to the mix and you have one awkward cocktail mixture.

March can sort of be like the awkward phase of middle school. Not in elementary school, but not junior high yet. Awkward.

I don't know about you, but I was struggling last week. I was sleepy after the time change (and still am), I am yearning for consistent nice weather so Zach and I can hike and play outadie. I'm ready for it to be light all day long. March so far, has been an in between seasons. And last week, I was dreading that. Truly dreading.

But God gave me a new perspective, and revealed to me the deeper issues that I needed to address in my life. Therefore I am determined to use this in between season and beyond to get motivated, sharpen my confidence, and be a light.

I know that I am not the only one who has to feel this way. There is nothing new under the sun. So, as I embark on this "motivate your March," I want to bring you along.

Here is what I am focusing on and working on this month, and why.

1. Setting attainable and realistic goals for myself. I am dreaming big, but I am also allowing myself to set goals for "quick wins", too, to help keep me motivated.

2. Making a consistent effort to get dressed professionally every day. I am not a fashionista. I love comfy clothes. But, I know that for myself, if I sit in my PJs all day (which there is nothing wrong with that), I will not feel as motivated. So I am raiding my own closet and putting on clothes I haven't worn in a while and doing it up!

3. Exercising every day. I already do this, but I am putting a particular emphasis on it. Exercise gives me a lot of great energy and confidence through the whole day!

4. Writing out personal affirmations. This can be hard. Positive self talk can seem awkward, and make can make you feel uncomfortable at first. But it helps! Speak positively about who you are and your goals and write it down daily.

5. Do something three times a week that brings me joy. This could be reading a fiction book, making a piece of art, or even cooking for me. I want to dive into the things that enrich my life.

So why am I going to do these things the rest of this month? I am going to put intentional effort into my life. Life is too precious not to. Too precious to get caught up, too precious not to slow down and enjoy the process.

#motivateyourmarch, here I come. And I would love for YOU to join with me. If you feel like you want to ignite a fire in your heart this month and find confidence and motivation, join me in this challenge for the remainder of this month!

I will be documenting my journey over these next weeks and sharing it via Instagram and Facebook, and most likely a blog or two as well. Each day I will feature at least one aspect of this #motivateyourmarch.

Let me know that you are joining in by tagging me @sarahfcason on Instagram and tagging your photo with #motivateyourmarch, or tagging me at Sarah Cason on Facebook. Be sure to follow along and find some joy and inspiration for your month too!

Who's with me?

21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan

By now you have probably seen me talk about the new program, the 21 Day Fix Extreme. I have been previewing the workouts and love them, they are challenging me and pushing me to my core mentally and physically, which I love. I have also been getting into the meal plan for the 21 Day Fix as well!

Like it's predecessor, the 21 Day Fix Extreme uses portion control containers to help you maximize your nutrition and get the best results possible. Plus it is an incredibly sustainable and healthy way to eat all around, because you are nourishing your body with what it needs- key nutrients and food groups!

I began my exclusive 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group this week, and we are all working on preparing our meal plans for these 21 days. I can't even convey just how excited I am to go through this program with this group of incredible ladies. I can't wait to see our results at the end of this 21 days together!

For those of you that are new to the 21 Day Fix and the 21 Day Fix Extreme, or you just want ideas, I wanted to share my own meal plan for these 21 days with you! Your meal plan does not have to look like mine, this is just what I enjoy eating and what works for our family with budget and time!

Take a look and feel free to pull any recipes or ideas you like from it! I have included the container count below each meal for my "fellow fixers" reference as to what the whole day looks like in containers!

And as always, if you have any questions, want ideas, want to know what the 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme is all about, please do not hesitate to ask! I plan on also leading a second exclusive 21 Day Fix test group in the middle of March, so keep your eyes peeled for more information on that, or contact me to find out the details!

Happy meal planning!

Hitting the Wall

It happens to all of us. In a lot of different areas of life, too. Sometimes it is easy to spot, other times it comes upon us gradually, and then we find ourselves with it smack dab in front of our face, and looming up above us.

The proverbial "wall."

We all hit it at one point or another and in different ways. It can be in your job, in learning, in relationships, and especially in health and fitness.

Here's the rub, though. Hitting a wall is not the end of the world. Is it not an excuse to call it quits. Hitting a wall simply means we need to try something new and break through it.

Yes, hitting a wall is hard. There is no denying that. I can't count how many walls I have hit in so many different areas of my life over the years. But the key I have found, especially as we are talking today with health and fitness, is to keep going.

I have been on this journey for a year now. It blows my mind. And while I have absolutely been consistent (for the first time ever with fitness), I have still had my ups and downs, and hit my share of walls.

I hit a wall when I first started because I was working out, but not eating right. So I stopped, changed it up and got us eating right. I hit plateaus and walls with my fitness. I hit a wall when I realized I was still eating out of boredom and emotions. I hit a wall and opened my eyes when I was eating way too many carbs for my own good in one day.

Has this stopped me? No. My advice? Realize what's happening, and move on. I want to share a few more tips with you today too, but I want to first make sure you know that you are not alone when you hit a wall. It is normal and happens to all of us! What dictates your success or failure is what you do when you get to that wall.

So. You're here with the rest of us, and you've hit that wall. Now what? That bag of potato chips and that batch of brownies are looking like a might fine option right now aren't they? Well stick with me just a little bit more.

1. Recognize that you hit a wall. Admitting that you have is OKAY. Good, even. Admit it to yourself, and...

2. MOVE ON. I heard a really great analogy that has since stuck with me. When you blow a tire, or it goes flat, what do you do? Do you go around and slash all three other tires because one has failed? No. You replace the one. Same thing when you hit a wall. You replace it and move on. How do you do that?

3. Physically go somewhere new. It doesn't have to be far, it could be somewhere you have been before. But get out of your normal physical space and go somewhere new. There is something that can shift inside when you take yourself to a new place.

4. Change things up. DO something new. It could be a one time hike you take with your family, or taking a new way home from work, or finding a new recipe to cook. Doing something new can help push you past the wall.

5. Change up your workout routine. When you hit a wall in fitness, it is good to give yourself a new challenge. Whether you change it only for a week, or a whole new program, give your body a reboot with a fresh challenge. This is huge!

6. Refresh. Take a day just for yourself. Spend time UNPLUGGED from technology. Go outside, go to a coffee shop, go wherever gives you rest and refreshes you. Just make intentional time for you.

7. Reevaluate. Whether this is during your refresh time or not, take a few minutes to look back at what led you to the wall. What routines you were doing that may have just been going through the motions. See if you can brainstorm ways to spice the routine up!

8. Complement yourself. In a discouraging time where you have hit a wall, it can be hard to be nice to yourself. But you really need to be! Take a piece of paper and write down five complements to yourself about your journey that you are proud of accomplishing, and that you love about yourself.

9. Make a plan. With all these steps, use your ideas on how to switch up your routine and make a plan to make it happen! You can plan a week or month in advance, but set your goal and make a plan on how you will spice up your routine for this period of time.

10. Stay positive and don't give up. Lastly, but possibly most important for this whole process is to keep positive and don't quit or give up. Sometimes it can take going through these steps several times before you break through. But keep at it, keep going, and never, ever, give up.

I hope these steps and tips have encouraged your heart. For those of you stuck in a rut or have hit a wall, hang in there. Give these a try, what do you have to lose except the wall?

What's one way you help get yourself up when you hit a wall?

Portioning 21 Day Fix Recipes

For those of you who know about the 21 Day Fix and the 21 Day Fix Extreme programs, you probably know that sometimes meal prep can get tricky if you are making anything that is "mixed." Today I wanted to share some of my tips on how to navigate those tricky waters found in meal preparations and counting your containers!

(My tasty spaghetti squash burrito bowl is a "mixed" recipe with a lot of different containers present!)

Say for example, you want to make soup, or even healthy versions of lasagna, or jambalaya. Trying to portion them out, and make the recipe can be difficult, and you want to make sure that you are still counting your containers correctly so you can stay on track. Let me tell you, it's pretty simple and easy, and you can enjoy an even wider variety of recipes when you learn how to do it!

Let's take a healthy version of jambalaya for example!

To start, you want to first determine how many servings you are going to make for the entire recipe. For this jambalaya, let's say it's four servings.

To review: Step 1, determine how many servings you will have. 

For each recipe that you are looking at, you want to notice the key ingredients and what container they coordinate to in the 21 Day Fix. In our jambalaya (I haven't actually made this, it's just what is in my head, mind you) we will have brown rice (yellow container), onions, red bell peppers and green bell peppers, and tomatoes (green container), turkey sausage (red container), tomato sauce (purple) and your seasonings (no container, free food).

Step 2, figure out from the ingredients what containers are included. 

Next, convert your recipe to fit the containers, or figure out how many containers the recipe calls for. Let's say for this recipe, you are making it on your own, so you will create your own container count. Say we want one yellow container per serving. That means you will need four yellow containers of rice for the whole recipe. Green, because there are a lot of veggies, you could do two green containers per serving, which mean you need eight green containers of veggies total. Continue that with your other ingredients as well.

If you already have a recipe, you can follow that recipe and measure out the portions with your containers and take note of how many there are, and divide it by the total servings you have!

Step 3, Fit your recipe to the containers.

Your last step is to cook, enjoy and mark down your containers! It may seem a bit confusing at first to figure out the containers for "mixed" recipes. Sometimes it seems simpler to just eat a red container of baked chicken, a yellow of mashed sweet potatoes, and a green of broccoli. But then other times, you really crave a good recipe.

And the great thing about the 21 Day Fix and the 21 Day Fix Extreme is you can absolutely do that, and get creative with your cooking and recipes! They can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them. Give yourself time, you will get the hang out it.

Just take these steps and transfer them to any other recipe you want! Just make sure the ingredients you are using are included on your list of foods you can eat. Things like soup are fantastic, you measure out your proteins, veggies, and the like and eat up! Chili is another great recipe you can do with the 21 Day Fix and divide up in portions as well.

If you have any questions about how to divide up certain recipes, or clean them up, please do not hesitate to reach out and ask me! I would love to help you navigate those recipes and come up with a simple and helpful solution for you.

What's your favorite "mixed" 21 Day Fix recipe? Share below!

Here's one of my favorite...ground turkey enchiladas...21 Day Fix approved!

Post Valentine's Day Tips

Valentine's Day has now come and gone for another year, leaving many a sugar coma in its wake. Roses, chocolates, candy hearts, chocolate fondue. For many, maybe too much of the sugar and rich foods that we normally don't have as much of throughout the year.

Coming out of a holiday weekend can make or break your health and fitness routine. It can go one of two ways. You can move past the holiday and whatever you may have indulged in. You pick up and move on, move towards your goals. Or, you can give up on your goals and continue to indulge in the sugars and treats. Either way, the small choices you make, especially this week, can make a big difference!

I want to share a few tips on how to get back on track quick. These steps are easy to do, and easy not to do. But they will help you get on the fast track back to a routine towards health and your goals!

1. Drink your water!! Hydrating after a weekend of sugar and rich foods is crucial! This will help flush your body and balance if out and get back into the swing of things. Aim to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces every day! If you are really ambitious, try for a gallon!

2. Get rid of the temptation! If you have extra candy or chocolate, give it away, put it in the freezer, get it out of site and out of mind. Clean house and set yourself up for success.

3. Eat your fruit and veggies! Focus on getting in your fruits and veggies every day. Build your nutrients into your diet and make sure that you are getting things into your body that will nourish it!

There you have it, just a few ways that you can quickly get yourself back on track this week! Just because you indulged this weekend doesn't mean you have to throw in the towel. Just pick yourself up, and move on! This journey is all about balance.

So find the balance this week and rock the rest of February! Who else is getting back on track this week?

One Year of Fitness

Wow. It has been one year since I decided to get on track with my health and fitness.

One year since I came to the realization that my health was only getting worse, and that I had to face the facts and do something about it. That meant working out and eating better, which were two really foreign things in my life at the time.

What a difference one year can make!

Over thirty pounds lost, countless inches also lost, energy gained, friends gained, and my life and health given back. And the best part? It's not even close to being over. This is a journey, and I'm in it for the long haul.

Getting starting on your journey to health can be a scary thing. It's overwhelming to think of all the changes you have to make, it's intimidating trying to figure out what's going to work for your body. It's scary trying to imagine how you will do a workout when you feel afraid of being out of breath.

But one thing I can tell you from this past year, is that it is absolutely and completely worth it. So I want to share my top five lessons from this past year of getting in to health and fitness, and encourage those of you that may just have started, are on the fence about your health, or even those that have been maintaining their health for a long time.

1. You are not alone. I think one of the big things that I came to realize is that I am not alone in my struggle. It can feel like it sometimes, because it's our tendency to compare our journey to others that are farther along than we are. But you are not alone. Reach out to those around you, and share your story. You might be surprised at what you find out!

2. Get accountability. This ties into my first point. I would never have stuck with this if I didn't have the accountability of my husband for my first program, and then the accountability of my challengers the rest of the year. This has been the absolute KEY to keeping me on track for an entire year (more than I have ever consistently worked out for in my life). Staying accountable to someone helps you stay with it longer, and eventually, it becomes a habit!

3. Create a space in your schedule for your health. Don't just leave it up to chance to figure out when you are going to fit your workouts in for the week, or wing it at the grocery store. Planning is crucial to getting your foundation started in health and fitness, and in helping you stick with it. So many times we find excuses about our schedule and time. But we make time for what is important to us, so write down your workout schedule and your meal planning times in your calendar, and guard that time.

4. It's so much more than the physical journey.  This was a big lesson this year. As I began to work on my health and fitness, and I started seeing results, I noticed that because I had more energy in general, I was putting more into every area of my life. My marriage, my friendships, my faith, my creative pursuits, everything. When you get your health in line, that discipline starts to spill over into other areas of your life and in the best way possible!

5. Progress, not perfection. Another huge lesson. My weight was not gained overnight. It was the result of bad eating and exercise habits that I had built over YEARS. So will all of that weight come off overnight? NO! And neither will yours. You have to stay consistent, and you have to take it one day at a time. Look at the progress you make all along the way, and focus on the little victories along with the big. It's those little wins that add up over time and before you know it, you see a whole new healthy version of you in the mirror!

No matter where you are at in your journey, I want to tell you that you can do this. If I can stick with this for a whole year now- the girl who never worked out, was the chronic quitter with anything health related, and the girl who had almost resigned herself to just staying in the bad health that she was- you can do this. Trust me.

Is it easy? No. Are there hard days? Absolutely.

But is it worth it? EVERY TIME.

Take it one day at a time, stay consistent, and make time for your health. I promise you, it is worth it.
I would love to hear what your greatest lesson from health and fitness has been so far in your life! Be sure to leave your comment below!

Exclusive 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group

Extreme. All in. Dedicated. Committed.

All these words come to mind when I think about this new program that I am about to start officially at the end of this month, the 21 Day Fix Extreme. Now I went over a few of the differences between the programs in this blog post, so if you want to know the difference between the 21 Day Fix and the Extreme version, check that out.

I have been previewing and doing the workouts the past few days and all I can say is man, this is about to blow everything out of the water for me, and I can't wait to go all in and get my results. I am all in with this for 21 days, and committed to making it happen.

The workouts are absolutely more intense, but it leaves you with such an incredible sense of accomplishment when you are done. Today I did Plyo, which I already tend to be nervous about any Plyo workout because jumping is a challenge for me still. But I gave it my all, my legs are now rubber, but I feel amazing knowing that I gave it my all and finished it!

So, starting on February 23rd, I am opening up an exclusive 21 Day Fix Extreme test group to a maximum of ten ladies.

What this will look like...
A 30 day challenge and support group to keep you accountable. We will be using a closed online Facebook group as our platform to check in.

Our first week will be preparation for our 21 day journey. Getting our meal plans figured out, shopping, prepping, etc. We will share recipes and ideas for our meal plans and work out schedules. We will also begin drinking Shakeology to make sure our bodies are filled with good nutrition before jumping in!

March 2nd, we will all officially begin our workouts, meal plan, and GO ALL IN.

There will be daily posts made by me to help keep us all motivated, accountable and informed. I post recipes, tips and motivation.

Every night we are all required to check in with the group to share how our day went! This is absolutely key. Account ability has made ALL the difference in my fitness journey, and I fight for my challengers to keep going, because I know there are hard days. But we stay accountable no matter what.

We go all in for 21 days. When you stay consistent and follow the plans you lay, you will see results. That's what I absolutely love about all the Beachbody programs, they give you real results. I have seen that time and time again in my own life, and in others.

It just takes guts and commitment from you to go for it. And that's why I am leading this test group! -To take YOU from start to finish, so it's not just one more DVD on the shelf, but something that gets you results in your life.

What are the requirements?
-You must be a lady! Sorry guys, but this time the group is just for ladies.
-You need to have a base line of fitness (if you have done any of the other Beachbody programs before you should be fine)
-You're ready to shed some layers and tone up!
-Be able to commit to the whole 30 days with us
-Have a willingness to learn
-A strong desire to change and see results
-Commit to the eating plan (correct portion sizes and healthy clean eating, it's NOT a crash diet)
-Commit to the daily 30 minute workouts
-Be committed to checking in with our accountability group

What you get...
-A complete fitness and nutrition package, with a month's supply of Shakeology, your complete set of workouts
-An in depth nutrition guide that lays out the eating plan
-Your set of color coordinated containers for perfect portion sizes and portability.
-A Shakeology shaker cup for your nutrition on the go
-Countdown to Competition specific eating plan guide (for maximum results)
-Access to our exclusive test group
-Daily motivational posts
-Personal accountability check ins with me as your coach
-One on one check ins and access to me for any questions you have
-Group accountability and encouragement as we all daily check in and share
-Support every step of the way
-A chance to win $500 or more with the Beachbody Challenge when you submit your results at the end of our challenge to the Team Beachbody site.
-A FREE T shirt when you complete the program and submit your results to the site.

So, if getting extreme, focusing in and taking the step to change your life sounds like something you want to do, please reach out to me. I would love to see if this is a good fit for you and offer you a spot in our exclusive test group!

Since there are only a maximum of 10 spots, be sure to let me know as soon as possible if you want in. You can reach me through my contact info on this blog, or find me on Facebook and message me there!

Let's get extreme, y'all!