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?

What Coaching is Not

Talking about something I am passionate is incredibly easy. I could talk on subjects I am passionate for hours, if given the breath and time. I won't be doing that to you today, but I do want to share a new aspect of my passion with you to help you understand what it is that I do!

Many of you know by now that I am a Beachbody coach. I own my own coaching business, and honestly, love it more than I ever thought I could. It fits my goals, my personality, my passion, and my purpose to speak life and worth into others, all while empowering myself and others to make a difference in their physical health and fitness.

Honestly, most unexpected and coolest job ever.

But let's shout out the elephant in the room. When most people find out that someone is involved with coaching, consulting, distributing, or anything else related with Multi Level Marketing, direct sales or network marketing, we bristle. We search for the nearest exit and create our strategy to get there as fast as possible.

It makes us uncomfortable because its unconventional. And because there have honestly been some not so honest companies in the past that have burned people.

I want to take a moment today on my blog to tell you a few things that Beachbody coaches are NOT, and maybe answer some of your questions along the way! My heart always in coaching is to SHARE. I'm not out to sell everyone, I honestly love helping people find something that works because it has made a huge difference in my life.

Okay, let's dive in.

1. Beachbody is not a pyramid scheme. Those are in fact, illegal. Pyramid schemes are scams that involve no trading of goods or services. Clearly with Beachbody, you get both. Our commission as coaches does not come solely from signing people up.

2. It's not a get rich quick scheme. This is one that trips up people a lot. In our minds we can know that, but sometimes we have the expectation (whether self imposed or someone dishonestly told us) that we will make millions overnight. This is a business, and it does take time, and hard work to grow.

3. It is not something that just happens. Speaking of hard work, you do have to put in effort. I know I have made the mistake in the past of thinking things would just happen. I put in all kinds of effort to make pretty binders, create posters, but I came drasticly short when it came to action, so I inevitably failed. With Beachbody, because I am passionate about helping others, it has been easy to take action. But you better believe I put in work, effort and heart into my business every day.

4. Coaching is not all about sales. At least it is not for me. Of course there are people in every business that can become the "bad apples." But believe me when I tell you, I am NOT a salesperson. But I absolutely love sharing my story, my journey, my results. Coaching is about helping people find something that works for them, and walking through that journey with them. 

There you have it, just a very few points about what a Beachbody coach is not. I hope through that you can get even a little clearer picture about my work as a coach. It is something that I have become very passionate about, because there is such a great opportunity to help change people's lives.

It's not about the money, a sale, or the programs. It's truly about helping people become more in their own lives. Personally, when I began focusing on my health and fitness, I grew in every area of my life. And that is why I share, and why I want others to be able to experience the incredible freedom and results from making simple changes for their own health benefit in their lives.

Now let's hear from you! What questions do you have about Beachbody coaching? 

What the Heck Am I Doing?

Over the past year you may have noticed that I've been posting a lot of stuff about health and fitness. You may have noticed that I've been posting lots of healthier recipes. And that I take a lot of "sweaty selfies" after I workout.

Am I really just that selfie loving that I want to show you the sweat on my head and update you on what I'm eating? Sorry, but NO! There actually is a much deeper purpose behind it.

It's because I want to share and encourage and inspire and MOTIVATE.

You see, just a little over a year ago, I was sitting in a really unhealthy place. I was eating whatever I wanted, not doing anything active really, and just feeling really "blah" about my health. I knew something was wrong, and I knew that I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin. I knew that if I didn't make a change, that my health was going to deteriorate very quickly.

As a new bride, that was the last thing I wanted! I wanted to look forward to a long, full, healthy life with my wonderful husband, keep up with him, have adventures with him, and then be able to raise a healthy family together.

If I stayed like I was, it would not have been possible. I was living in denial, and I had to get out. So, I made the HUGE leap of faith for me and decided to start working out. Zach worked out with me and kept me accountable for ten whole weeks and I finished a workout program for the first time EVER.

What I decided to do next was big, and is the reason why I have been posting so much about health and fitness and sharing this journey in life with you. I became a coach for Beachbody so that I can help others know that this is possible and that there is hope.

I know just how hard it is to get started, believe me. So when I saw there was a chance to help others over that big hurdle and get them going on their journey and help them get results, I jumped on it! The financial reward from it is just the frosting on the cake.

My true passion is helping others. Every sweaty workout picture, every recipe, every motivational quote I post, every little tid bit I share about marriage, life, and this crazy journey, is to help YOU, dear friend. To let you know that you are not alone, and that you can do this.

I absolutely love what I do for my job as a health and fitness coach. I love being surrounded by inspiring people, and being able to in turn pour into others and help others. I'm not out to sell, I'm out to share and help, and I know that this is a cry of my heart that will be enduring for quite a while.

Every month I lead one to two exclusive, private, online health and fitness groups to help keep others motivated and accountable to their health and fitness goals. My job is to match you up with a program that works for you and will actually get you results. That is my passion. To show you an avenue that you can take to reach your goals and feel your best.

So be on the lookout and know that everything I share, and everything that I post, is not to build myself up or to say "look at me." The cry of my heart truly is to share this journey with you. To invite you in and walk side by side with you. Because Lord knows that going it alone is so hard. Know that you have a friend in me, and it is my passion in life to help you.

BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes

Since summer is still in swing and it's still incredibly hot in Georgia, I've been craving some barbecue lately! Now when you think of typical BBQ fare, you think ribs, brisket, maybe some fried okra (if you're in the south), some greens (also in the south) and some Mac and cheese.

Now while all these are pretty delicious, we can't eat those all the time unless we are looking for a heart attack before the age of 30. But I still love BBQ! So I decided to experiment a bit and create a healthier version to satisfy my BBQ craving for the summer. 

The good thing about this recipe is thy it is a base and you can dress it up or down according to your taste and your families tastes.

BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes 

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

-4 medium sized sweet potatoes

-2 larger chicken breasts or 3 smaller 

-2 medium onions

-1 Tbsp olive oil (or cooking oil of choice) 

-Organic BBQ sauce (to make sure you're not getting overloaded with sodium or sugar)

- Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning (or your chicken seasoning of choice) to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bake your sweet potatoes about 45-60 minutes, or until tender and cooked through.

3. While potatoes cook, you can prepare the chicken. 

4. In large skillet, heat your cooking oil on medium high heat.

5. Slice your onions into thin slices and add to hot oil, cooking until they start to become translucent. Lower the heat to medium, let cook for 5 minutes uncovered, stirring every so often.

6. Coat chicken lightly with your seasoning and add on top of the onions. Cover your skillet and let the chicken cook through (about 7 minutes per side). 

7. After the chicken is cooked, remove from onions onto cutting board and shred with two forks.

8. Keep onions cooking until they start to caramelize a bit and turn yellow.

9. Return chicken to pan and mix with the onions.

10. Add your BBQ sauce, usually about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup, depending on how "saucy" you like it.

11. Remove your potatoes and split open, divide BBQ chicken evenly among the potatoes.

12. Dig in and enjoy! 

Some variations you could do: serve with a side salad or steamed spinach, or garlic roasted broccoli. 

You could also "twice bake" them by scooping out part of the potato, mix it with the chicken, spoon back into potatoes and bake through. 

There are so many options and possibilities! Get creative and enjoy this last bit of summer before its gone! 

What's your favorite BBQ chicken recipe? 

Zucchini Burgers

There’s just something about summer that makes you want to eat a good burger, isn’t there? Something about the grill and outdoor eating environment just screams summertime fun. Well, Zach and I don’t have a grill, or really anywhere to eat outdoors at our apartment, so we revamped our burger experience last week!

Since beginning my journey to eating healthier, I have found that I am craving vegetables more than I was before, so I have been trying to find creative ways to eat more veggies. Let me tell you, these zucchini burgers hit the nail on the head!

They are super simple and really versatile to what you want to include in them. Take stock of your fridge and into consideration of what your family enjoys, and make it your own! Think of this as a base recipe to play around with and experiment yourself.

Here we go!

Zucchini Burgers

Ingredients (makes about 8 patties)

2 medium sized zucchini        

3 to 4 eggs (just depends on the consistency)

½ cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

½ an onion, finely minced

½ cup of mushrooms, finely chopped

½ cup red bell peppers, finely chopped

½ cup feta cheese

2 tsp garlic powder (more if you like garlic like I do)

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp cumin

Salt to taste

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Use the largest holes on a grater and grate all of the zucchini. Place in a bowl, cover with a paper towel and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

-Use this time to chop/mince all of your other veggies. This is where you can get creative. If you like green peppers, or cucumbers, or whatever…experiment!

-Take off the paper towel and add your veggies and mix throughout.

-Add in your eggs. You want it to be sticky so they will bind together, but not too much. Start with 3, then add the bread crumbs. If it’s falling apart, add the fourth egg. If it’s too runny, add more bread crumbs.

-Add in your cheese (you can also use shredded pepper jack or any other cheese. We had feta and I love that, so that’s what we used!) and your seasonings to your taste.

-Mix so it is all incorporated, then begin forming them into patties. I made ours a little smaller than the palm of my hand. Place on a greased baking sheet, making sure they have space in between.

-Cook for about 30 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides, turning half way through.

-Enjoy on whole wheat slider buns, regular sized buns, Ezekiel bread, or just by themselves!

If you want a great sauce to put on top that’s not going to kill your clean eating, mix up some plain greek yogurt with mustard, garlic powder and paprika, and spread on the bun. Yum!

Do You Love Your Job?

"Ugh. It's Monday. Back to the grindstone."

"I can't wait until Friday."

"I can't wait until it's the weekend and I can get out of work."

"I feel stuck."

These are common sentiments passed around the workplace these days. I myself have shared in saying them more than once in my working career. Work can be tedious, especially if your heart isn't in it. 

I have been blessed with so many job opportunities thus far in my life. From working in preschools, to leading youth, to being a barista, to traveling the world and helping others, I've worked up a diverse résumé to say the least.

I love to work, to know that I have purpose and meaning in the world. Now sometimes, my current job and my hearts longing don't always match up. Sometimes I wish I could be doing something else, but find contentment through Christ and find ways to enjoy the work I'm blessed with.

But sometimes, God lines up my hearts longings and my work and it makes my heart come truly alive. Coaching with Beachbody had been that for me in this season. It was unexpected, but exactly what I needed.

Here are three reasons I absolutely love being a coach:

1. I get to speak worth and value into people's lives every single day, and help them define and reach their health goals. How incredibly cool is that?! I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me. 

God gave me a special desire to speak into people's lives and speak their true worth to them. Beachbody is an avenue where I get to do that every day with my challengers, and the clients I coach.

And I get to inspire others to dream big for themselves, and make a practical plan of how to achieve their goals! 

2. It has motivated me ten fold to keep going in my own journey. Because I am leading by example and sharing my own journey with those I coach, I have the unique opportunity to both motivate and be motivated.

Being a coach has kept me going strong on my own personal health transformation, and I know that this is just the beginning.

3. It has created the opportunity to create financial freedom for my family. While my husband and I certainly are not there yet, it is amazing to know that with doing something that I absolutely love, we will one day (and it should be sooner than we thought) be able to pay off all of our debt. 

We dream constantly about the opportunity in front of us, that is available through hard, consistent work. And it is exciting. To know that we can get out of debt, one day buy a home, provide for our family and also meet the needs of others is overwhelming and incredible.

These are only a small number of the reasons that I love my job as a Beachbody Coach. God truly lined it up perfectly in my life so that I can fulfill his calling on my life to reach out and help others in a unique way. 

It is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. Even if there was no money involved in it, I would do it. It means that much to me to help others, because I know what it has meant in my life. 

If you've ever wondered about coaching, or being one of my challengers, please reach out and contact me! I would love to find out a way to help you define your goals and reach them. 

Let's hear from you now! What's your favorite part of your job?