Cize it Up

It's the END OF EXERCISE! Say what? This new program by Shaun T, celebrity fitness trainer and creator of Insanity, is unlike any I've seen. It's a dance style workout, and SO FUN. Let me preface this by telling you that I am the world's worst dancer. Like the worst. I do have fun with dance, cause who wouldn't, but I don't dance in public cause it's just bad. Shaun T's program called CIZE is a hip hop dance style workout program that breaks down dance moves into easy to follow, fun, and simple moves. Anyone can do it, even me! Do I look great doing it, nah, probably not, but that's okay because it's in the comfort of my own home and I laugh my booty off with how fun each workout is!

Check out the video snippet!





The CIZE DVD Package features 6 dance courses, the Eat Up! Meal Plan, Get Started Guide, Weekend Survival Guide, 2 Wall Calendars, 8 Count Abs bonus workout, and Hold Your Own Network Exclusive DVD.

There is also a Cize Deluxe package that gives you all of the above plus some pretty cool extras to help with weight loss and toning! First, the deluxe package includes two extra workouts, made specifically for weight loss and toning. Also, the deluxe package includes 1 pound weighted wrist bands to help tone your body by adding resistance, and burning extra calories, the Deluxe Calendar to help you lose the most weight possible in 30 days, the Lose It Guide, Shaun T's best weight loss tips to zap fat, and the Color Coded Portion Control Containers (you may have seen them in 21 Day Fix). These portion control containers go along with the Eat Up Guide and they are the golden ticket to weight loss!

My favorite is always the Challenge Pack, because it has Shakeology and there's a HUGE bundle discount!

The Challenge Pack also comes with an exclusive Cize Shaker cup and wristband, Shakeology, and a 30 Day Free Trial to TeamBeachbody which includes live streaming of the workouts.

More details for the Challenge pack:

Shakeology with the Challenge Pack: Your first 30-day supply of Shakeology—the superfood protein shake that helps give you energy, reduce cravings, and accelerate your fitness results. It's The Healthiest Meal of the Day.You could spend more than $700 on supplements just to re-create all the healthy ingredients in one bag of Shakeology. But for only about $4 a serving, you can treat your body to the delicious daily superfood protein shake that helps give you energy for your dance routines, reduces junk-food cravings, and may help you achieve your ideal body faster. A nutrient-dense combination of antioxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogens, and many other rare ingredients gives your body nutrients you can't get from a normal diet. 100% vegan option now available.

Team Beachbody trial: A FREE 30-Day Trial Membership in the Team Beachbody Club, so you can start streaming your CIZE workouts, and more than $3,000 in other proven Beachbody workouts, plus find all the support you need to succeed in your challenge. After your 30-Day Trial Membership is up, you will be billed quarterly for Club Membership, which you may cancel at any time.

Plus Super Discount shipping (and SAVE OVER $12) every month.

Details for the DVD workouts:

6 HOT DANCE COURSES ON 3 DVDs

Shaun digs deep into his dance roots to bring you 6 exhilarating, calorie-scorching dance courses, each with fresh moves and music. He breaks down each routine, step-by-step, move-by-move, slowly building up to a full combination. By the end of the program, you'll be totally confident in your incredible dance skills and sexy body!

CRAZY 8s
35 minutes after pushing play, you'll master these hip dance moves. At the end you get to perform the routine to HANDS IN THE AIR, originally recorded by Timbaland.

YOU GOT THIS
Pick up the pace for an intense sweat, with fresh moves and a whole new vibe. You'll put it all together to TREASURE, originally recorded by Bruno Mars.

FULL OUT
You've made it to Level 2 so get ready to get winded and wowed in this over-the-top, all-out, sweaty dance routine set to LOSE MY BREATH, originally recorded by Destiny's Child.

IN THE POCKET
Crank up the energy and the pace. Now you're ready for even more new dance moves created and inspired by professional dancers, all choreographed to PROBLEM, originally recorded by Ariana Grande.

GO FOR IT
Ready to challenge yourself and show off your moves front and center? Before you know it, you'll be performing to PASS THAT DUTCH, originally recorded by Missy Elliott.

LIVIN IN THE 8s
CIZE can teach anyone to dance—any style—any pace—to any type of music. This final course is a completely different dance experience, with an emotional finale routine to Sia's CHANDELIER. Get ready for your music video!

3 tools to help you succeed

GET STARTED GUIDE

This step-by-step guide tells you everything you need to know to get started on the right foot and get your best results possible. You can even track your body transformation to see your progress and watch your dancer's body come to life.

BEGINNER CALENDAR

Use this beginner calendar when you want to go at your own pace. After each workout, you can even rate your dance skills, "backup dancer, " front and center," or "ready for my music video" to track your progress!

EAT UP! MEAL PLAN

With the Eat Up! Meal Plan, losing weight is easy and delicious, and you're in control.

We give you mouthwatering, easy-to-prepare recipes that will give you energy to learn out and dance your butt off. And, for those times you want to incorporate your favorite foods (yes, even chocolate!) we show you the portions to eat to stay on track!

It's not about dieting, starvation, or deprivation. It's about healthy eating, simple portion control, and long-term success.

Plus, these 4 FREE Bonuses!

8 COUNT ABS

Strong abs and core are key for every great dancer. Work your abs on the floor and then perform the ab sequence to HEADSPRUNG, originally recorded by LL Cool J.

WEEKEND SURVIVAL GUIDE

Don't let the weekend ruin all your hard work from the week. Learn the DO's and DON'Ts of a night out on the town, so you can go out and have fun without sabotaging your results!

ADVANCED CALENDAR

We created this calendar to give you a bit more structure so you know which course to do on which day to keep progressing.

24/7 ONLINE SUPPORT

We want you to have everything you need to succeed. Enjoy world-class support, invaluable fitness and nutrition tips, even live chats with Shaun T!

PLUS, you'll get access to my exclusive Fit and Fierce Cize Challenge and Support group so you'll have access to me for help as well as others who are just like you, having fun with this awesome program!

If interested, please fill out a Challenge Group application and I look forward to chatting with you! Let's Cize it Up!

Fill out my online form.

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Dark chocolate avocado brownie cookies

You know the inner most piece of the brownie, the ooey gooey, oh so chewy and moist piece that everyone fights over? Well, unless you're weird and like the crunchy edge part. You've got to try these ooey gooey brownie cookies. This recipe makes 10, but you'll only need one or two, they are super rich. 

Ingredients: 

Ripe flesh of 1 medium avocado

½ cup coconut palm sugar

1 egg

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup dark chocolate chips

1 tbsp water

½ tsp baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350* and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Place avocado flesh and coconut sugar in a medium mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, cream them together. Add egg and beat until well combined. 

Then add cocoa powder beat again, and finally add chocolate chips, beat until well combined. 

In a small dish, dissolve baking soda in water then add to batter and, you guessed it, mix well.

Spoon batter onto baking sheet in cookie form, about 1-2 tablespoons each and keep them about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Remember, they are gooey, so they are going to fall apart in your hand. 

All American Apple Pie

PIE CRUST

From Autumn Calabrese

2 cups coconut flour or blanched almond flour (I used coconut flour)

1/2 cup coconut oil- melted

2 Tablespoons full fat coconut milk cold *Refrigerate at least an hour and mix well before using. 

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

In a large mixing bowl mix all ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Do not over mix.

Press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate.

You can freeze pie crust until ready to bake or fill it right away.

I had these awesome apples from my tree, but any Granny Smith or Fuji, or gala will work great. 

PIE FILLING

5 medium apples- peeled and cut into small chunks 

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tablespoons coconut oil- melted

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

In a large bowl mix apples, lemon juice, spices & coconut oil.

In a large sauce pan mix together coconut sugar and water. Heat over medium heat until sugar melts. Then add the maple syrup. 

Mix in coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir consistently until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and pour Carmel over apples. Mix until apples are fully coated with the Carmel sauce.

Pour into pie crust. 

I topped mine with a wheat pie crust, sliced and criss crossed. I used 1/3 cup coconut sugar and 1/3 cup maple syrup, mixed well and drizzled over the top. 

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  

Strawberry Dessert

Okay so, I served this on my birthday, and I FULLY INTENDED on creating a Clean Eating Style pound cake of sorts. But when my husband asked to take me to lunch on my birthday, I had to make a choice... I chose him over cooking my little heart out! I'll update my recipes soon when I try a cake, but for now, I served this over Angel Food Cake from my local bakery.

Strawberry Shortcake Style Strawberries

I cut about 10 strawberries into quarters and set aside in a large mixing bowl. I then cut about 8 more into quarters and added them to my food processor with 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar and 1 tablespoon of honey. I processed them into a liquid and added it to the mixing bowl, then chilled for 2 hours.

Next, I made some coconut cream mousse. The recipe is here.

When you make the mousse, prep it the same day and chill it for 2 hours max, it will still be creamy, like chocolate whipped cream, versus light and airy like mousse.

Clean Eating Caramel Sauce

Clean Eating Caramel Sauce, Say what?!?! Truly, this is divine. It's more thin than the unhealthy, yet creamy sauce that you are used to, but it's all the flavor without the guilt!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar
1/4 cup of maple syrup (I use grade B)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

First, combine the maple syrup, sugar, and coconut oil into a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn. When the sugar starts to bubble, let it bubble for two minutes, stirring only a couple of times.

Next, gradually stir in the coconut milk and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.

I served mine over ice cream and my Double Chocolate Brownie dessert!

Get them while they are hot!

The Summer is not just the best time for sun and fun, it's also the best time for some amazing fruits that are ripe for the picking, literally!

1. Strawberries: Strawberries are heart healthy! They actually lower the risk of heart disease, according to a study from the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, because they lower cholesterol.

2. Black Raspberries: The antioxidants found in black raspberries have been shown to reduce colon cancer, according to a study published in Nutrition and Cancer. Black raspberries reduced the size of tumors and actually seem to be about 40% more powerful than other berries at cancer prevention.

3. Blueberries: Blueberries crush free radicals and inflammation, we all know this! But the USDA has reported that the fruit can also help brain power by maintaining memory functioning and preventing cognitive degeneration (I think all the moms out there can appreciate this!). Again, for the mamas, women can lower the risk of heart attack by 33% by consuming blueberries daily, and they help with weight control, score!

*Facts derived from an article by Clean Eating Magazine. I had to share with you!

Who wants a CRAFFL?

I never want to be one of those people who just sat back and watched their life go by. I mean, we only get one, make it amazing, silly, rewarding, and fun! Make it yours. 

Working towards your dreams is NOT EASY... there is hard work and sacrifice in the beginning, the short term, in order to experience the freedom and rewards in the long term. I just keep telling myself this! 

Right now, I have two dreams and they are definitely connected. I want to stay home with my son (13) and daughter (4) and not every have to go back to work, and I want to make a difference in other people's lives by inspiring health and fitness. These two dreams go hand in hand because I am lucky enough to have found a way to use my passion for health and my passion for helping others and turn those into a business, a fitness business to help others get healthy! Which then allows me to make some income so that I can continue to stay at home with my little. I am STILL amazed that I get paid to do this. Like how lucky am I that I get paid to help other people feel good about themselves!?!? Incredible. This business is not about the money, but let's face it, we have these dreams and goals, we have to have a vehicle to get there. 

In these two goals though, I am still in the short term. My husband and I make sacrifices every single day so that I can be home with my kids. I have seen some of the success that my mentors have in their own business lives, and I've seen my own success in a short amount of time, the more people I help, the more rewarding my job is. In the short term, you make sacrifices, so that the long term is a CRAFFL (Crazing Ridiculous Amazing Fun Filled Life). That's from Chalene Johnson, I didn't make that one up, but I've totally adopted it as a goal! With one slight change, the R is for REWARDING in my goal plan. 

I feel like I really can't go back to a mundane 9-5 job where I work for someone else's goals, on their terms, on their boring projects that don't help anyone! I want to help people. 

And I want to be my kids' mom!!! Be there for them, cause that's really why I wanted children, to be a mother. 

So I ask you, are your dreams BIG ENOUGH? Do you dream of a CRAFFL?

Blue Cheese Slaw

This is delish by itself or on top of my buffalo chicken sliders. 

I used a pre-cut cabbage slaw blend for the sake of time, hey, it was my birthday after all. You can create your own with shredded carrots, shredded green and red cabbage, about 5 cups. 

About 5 cups of slaw. 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

4 ounces of blue cheese crumbles

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and then serve. 

Chicken Sliders

Chicken sliders, two ways! 

For the buffalo chicken sliders: 

Place 4-5 chicken breast in a slow cooker. Cover with Franks red hot sauce and 1-2 tsp of dried thyme. 

Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Shred with a fork. 

For the BBQ sliders: 

Cook exactly the same but with BBQ sauce and no thyme. 

I served mine with Blue Cheese Slaw on a whole wheat slider size roll. 

Delish! And perfect for party food. 

What is a Good Weight?

As a fitness coach, I often get the question "I'm 5 foot 4 inches, what's a good weight for me?" And the truth is, it's all relative. I can't tell you what a good weight is for you. First of all, weight looks different on different people. I can be 5 foot 4 inches and 115 pounds with absolutely no muscle and look pretty skinny, notice I didn't say "good." Then, on the other hand, I can be 5 foot 4 inches tall and 130 pounds of lean muscle, and look amazing! Body types are all different shapes and sizes. What I really want to talk about is how you FEEL about yourself. Do you feel good? Do you eat healthy? Do you enjoy your life?

For me, the weight I like best is the weight that I can maintain with a healthy lifestyle that I still enjoy! I am pretty confident that I, as well as any one of you, can look like any top fitness model out there. But would that lifestyle be one that you enjoy? Maybe it would. For me, it wouldn't. I enjoy chocolate, I enjoy dessert, I enjoy Mexican food, Italian food, red wine, dark beer, chips and salsa, I enjoy having a date night and splurging a bit! That's the life for me. So I say, my best weight is the weight at which I can achieve a balance between feeling good inside, looking good outside, being in shape, living healthy, and ENJOYING myself.

Strawberry Coconut Truffles

1 cup coconut butter (*see below)
1 and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
3 Tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp honey

Process in a food processor until smooth. Spoon 1 tsp balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze 30-60 minutes. If it's difficult to form, place the mixture in the fridge to harden a bit before spooning it out onto your baking sheet.

In a double boiler, mix 1 cup dark chocolate, 3 Tbsp almond milk, 1 tsp coconut oil.

Working fast, cover the strawberry pieces and then freeze for 10 minutes.

Yum yum.

Makes quite a bit, store in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for one month.

2-3 truffles is one treat yellow on 21 Day Fix

*To make coconut butter, place 2 cups of unsweetened, shredded coconut in your food processor and process until a butter like paste forms. You'll need to scrape down the sides several times.

Coconut Chocolate Mousse

1 can of Coconut Cream (I get mine at Trader Joes)

1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons of coconut sugar

2 tablespoons of honey

*optional- dark chocolate chips for garnish 

The sugar and honey are to taste, so add more if you like! 

Whip with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes and then cover and chill for 1 hour. The mousse will set. Then, Enjoy!!! 

Keeps in the fridge for a few days. 

Fourth of July food!

Totally easy! Totally cute!