31 Days of Fitness- Day 6

It's Day 6, you guys are doing awesome! You can recap on days 1-5 here, if you missed any, it's bonus time! Add in any missed workouts with today's workout.

Day 6: I've got two workouts for you today, you can choose between the two! Comment in our group with which one you completed!

Workout:

Most of the women that I work with are moms, like me. People tend to gravitate to others that are like themselves when looking for workout partners, accountability partners, coaches and friends. This one is for the mommies!

Workout Option 1: Playground Workout. Take your kids to the park and squeeze in this short circuit while they are playing!

Workout Option 2: Act like a toddler! For 30 minutes, hang out with your kiddo and act just like them! Wow, that's a good workout burn!

Fit Tip:

I did lead into this one a bit with the recap above. While I totally believe in resting when your body needs it, and I rest 1-2 days a week, try your best NOT to SKIP a day that you had originally planned to workout. Are you the type that makes excuses for yourself? No shaming here because that's totally me!

But did you know, Team Beachbody tells us skipping just one workout can initiate a downward spiral, increasing your odds of skipping another one by 61 percent, according to British researchers. The solution: Think smaller. Instead of trying to carve out time for one long workout, do two or three short ones. “In so doing, you’ll boost motivation, eliminate ‘too busy’ as an excuse, and accelerate both muscle building and fat loss,” says Chad Waterbury M.S., a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist. Click here for mini-workouts you can do anywhere.


Recipe:

Let's talk side dishes. You can bake a perfect chicken breast, but adding a not-so-lean side dish will just ruin the whole idea! Instead, make a hearty, GREEN, side dish that will satisfy your hunger and your tastebuds.

A side side for your already perfected chicken: Roasted Green Beans

An entire meal: Chicken, Roasted Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes

31 Days of Fitness- Day 5

The Fitness Challenge continues! Join our FREE FACEBOOK GROUP HERE!

Day 5: Sexy Shoulders, Calorie talk, and some Chili that will make any man happy as a clam!

Workout:

Autumn Calabrese brings you SEXY SHOULDERS. Women, you are NOT going to bulk up!!! Repeat that outloud if you are having trouble believing it. Now, grab some weights. Yep, some weights. If you don't have free weights (dumbbells) that's okay, grab two of something that is lying around the house. 2 small water jugs, 2 bags of chocolate chips (haha), heavy books, 2 fatty cats, etc.



As a rule of thumb, I don't want you lifting anything lighter than your purse, for beginners, I always recommend 5 pounds, for more intermediate/advanced 8-12 pounds.

Here's your circuit, I would love for you to do this circuit 2-3 times! Push yourself. If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. http://youtu.be/JAzVhaNsBXY

Fit Tip:

“A few high-calorie meals during the holidays are not going to sabotage your fitness goals,” says trainer and Look Great Naked author Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, adding that people get too caught up in the minutia of weight loss (e.g., how many calories they burn in a single workout, or how many they consume in a single meal). A better strategy: Focus on how many calories you burn during the course of a week, not each day. “As long as your diet is dialed in 80 percent of the time, you can cut yourself some slack during the other 20 percent,” he says. -Via TeamBeachbody Blog



I usually practice an 80/20 or 90/10 strategy with clean eating and nutrition. If my goal is weight maintenance, 80/20 works great for me! But if my goal is weight loss or building muscle, I need a cleaner diet. Just be aware of your goals when deciding which ratio you'll use.

Recipe:

Beef Chili

31 Days of Fitness- Day 4

It's Day 4, you're rocking my socks off so far!

To recap, go here!

Today, we are talking about working out with friends... we'll get to that. But I have to wonder if any of you are like me and don't have the time to get out of the house WITH a friend? I've got my kids and I work from home, there isn't a whole lot of ME-TIME left. But, I still need accountability and support, so I turned to a VIRTUAL workout group! A friend said "workout with me through facebook, we'll hold each other accountable and it will be great." She introduced 21 day fix to me, and I was a MAJOR skeptic. But I tried it, mostly because I was so afraid of offending her! I joined a Facebook 21 Day fix group with her as my virtual coach, and I LOVED IT! And bonus, I hit some major goals! I have a challenge just like this, a virtual group for 21 Day Fix, that is starting on January 11th. You can learn more about my challenge here, and you can RSVP to the Facebook event page here <-- and get a sneak peek of my personal results! The group is similar to this one, with over 100 people just like you reaching goals and supporting and encouraging each other. And you workout on YOUR time! Isn't that great?! Okay, today's workout!
Workout:

Piyo Tricep Dips



This is one of my favorite moves from Piyo, with Chalene Johnson. <---- If you don't know about Piyo, you're missing out! Click the link for more info. This is a total body workout, Chalene breaks it into steps for you. Go at your own pace. I would love to see you guys do these Tricep dips for a solid minute at each of the two steps that Chalene describes, one with the tap behind the heel, and one extending the leg out, as shown in the video. Fit Tip:

What's the one thing that you will really miss now that the holidays have passed? I'll bet it's the get togethers with your friends and family. It seems that it's so difficult to get together throughout the year, but at the holidays, we always MAKE the time, amIright? Now that the holiday is over, make a commitment to get together with friends for a workout. Not only does exercising with a buddy boost motivation and exercise adherence, but it can also help you exercise 24 percent longer, according to a recent study at Michigan State University. Can’t find a partner? Sign up for a free Team Beachbody account and get support from ME as your Coach and connect with thousands of Team Beachbody members! Talk about accountability!



Recipe:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

31 Days of Fitness- Day 3

This series is 3 fold! We've got a Workout of the Day, a Fit Tip, and a Recipe coming at you for each day! You can also post questions in our private Facebook group! CLICK TO JOIN!

Day 3: A little more intensity today. Don't bail out on me!

Workout:

10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 mountain climbers
<< rest 30 seconds >>
10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 mountain climbers
<< rest 30 seconds >>
10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 mountain climbers

Truly, when I say go at your own pace during the exercises, I mean it! You can go as slow as molasses on a winter day (as my mother used to say) but keep moving. Mountain climbers are so horrific for me, I go slow! You can too. The only workout you'll regret is the one you didn't do, it's not a race.

Ever wonder why men are all about the burpees? Or why you'll see burpees on every football field, in every workout video, and why women who burpee for fun (ha) are truly the most in shape women you'll find? Here's some burpee stats you may not have known!

The Beachbody blog tells us that “the burpee is the quintessential total-body conditioning move,” says Andy Speer, C.S.C.S., owner of Soho Strength Lab in Manhattan. “You get an upper and lower body burn, eccentric and concentric muscle stimuli, mobility work, a core stability challenge, and a cardiovascular pump — it’s like packing an entire workout into a single exercise.” Science agrees: 30 seconds of burpees is just as effective as an all out sprint when it comes to boosting all aspects of fitness, according to a recent study at the University of Georgia. But don’t stop there. “See how many you can do in 5 minutes,” says Speer. In each minute, work for 40 seconds, and rest for 20 seconds (exercise instructions below). “Really attack 40 second work periods, and each time you do the challenge — I recommend every week — try to do more reps,” says Speer. “Not only is this an excellent test of total body fitness, but it’s an excellent mini workout in itself.” In short, it’s the perfect do-anywhere, anytime sweat session for when friends, families, feasts, and other holiday festivities conspire to keep you from working out.

Burpee: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Lower your body and place your hands on the floor. Kick your legs back into a push-up position, perform a push-up, and then quickly reverse the move, bringing your feet back to your hands. Jump up. Begin your next rep as soon as you land. So bonus time?!?! Yes, I think so. Take the Burpee Blitz Challenge and add an additional one minute of burpees to your workout today!

Fit Tip:

Do you ever wonder why in the heck you've hit a standstill with weight loss or getting fit? It could really be a matter of simple food choices. A lean body needs lean foods, and making small changes can add up to big differences.

I've seen many nutrition faux pas, something that you THINK is healthy may actually be hindering your progress. I've narrowed down a list to the foods I see most often. Try some of these simple substitutions to really dial in your nutrition plan!

This for That Fitness Tips!

Recipe:

Okay so, you've been working hard! How about a CROCK POT MEAL to make your life simple?!? This one you may have seen me rave about already, because it is truly a family favorite of ours! And I always recommend it because it's delicious, simple, and fool-proof. If you mess this one up, cooking may not be for you... hehehe!

Crock Pot Fajitas

Enjoy!

XOXO

31 Days of Fitness- Day 2

This series is 3 fold! We've got a Workout of the Day, a Fit Tip, and a Recipe coming at you for each day! You can also post questions in our private Facebook group! CLICK TO JOIN!

Day 2: A little more intensity today. You got this!

Workout:

10 minutes of DEDICATED ab work! If you have 21 Day Fix, do the 10 Min Ab workout that's available at the end of each disc. If you don't have it, no worries! Here are some workouts to fuel you.

--Backyard Abs with ME! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGKjQx_6T-U
--Simple Ab Workout with Autumn Calabrese http://youtu.be/P9tiRnxBlO8

Once you've completed the challenge, be sure to post in our Facebook group that you are done so we can cheer you on!

Fit Tip: This one comes to you from Team Beachbody!

Go ahead and indulge your cravings. Take a break from working out. Have a great holiday! But it is super important to take ONE DAY! Return to your normal nutrition and exercise program the next morning. A review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the longer it takes you to re-focus on fitness, the more your enthusiasm for it will dim, and the harder it will be for you to get back on track. In short, a day off won’t hurt you, but a week or two off can derail your progress toward your goals. It can also inflate your waist size, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The researchers found that just two weeks of inactivity can increase belly fat by seven percent. Eeeeek!


Recipe:
I know, you're still in holiday mode, even though I just explained above why it's important to get back to your regular routine. But here you go, a sweet treat snack that is delicious, will satisfy some leftover cravings, and fuel your body with some superfoods while you're at it!

Chocolate Superfood Bites Recipe found here! Enjoy!

XOXO

31 Days of Fitness- Day 1

This series is 3 fold! We've got a Workout of the Day, a Fit Tip, and a Recipe coming at you for each day! You can also post questions in our private Facebook group! CLICK TO JOIN!

Day 1: Are you ready to rock?

Workout: Time for a little warm-up! We'll increase intensity as the month progresses, so be sure to do EVERY day!

10 jumping jacks, 10 crunches, 10 squats

Once you've completed the challenge, be sure to post in our Facebook group that you are done so we can cheer you on!

Fit Tip: This one comes to you from Team Beachbody!

“One of the biggest mistakes people make is to ‘save up’ for a large holiday meal,” says Rebecca Rick, M.S., RDN, a sports dietitian at eNRG Performance in Littleton, Colorado. The strategy usually backfires because you will likely over-compensate for the calories you didn’t consume earlier in the day. A large holiday meal can contain enough calories for THREE days! So saving up a thousand calories throughout the day will leave you starving throughout the day, feeling sluggish, and then end up with a picture of you grazing the dessert table and gorging yourself on prime rib, consuming more than your 800 calorie "allotment" you may have "saved up."

A better plan: “Eat normally, then have a small meal before you meet up with everyone,” says Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, author of Look Great Naked. In a Spanish research study, it was found that people who ate a small snack before dinner but after lunch were 36% less likely to be obese than those who didn't.

Which type of small meals are best? I prefer something with greens and protein. Greens because you may not find that at your big holiday dinner, and protein because it will be filling and give you energy. You'll have a small snack that has the nutrients, fiber, and protein to curb your hunger, says Schoenfeld. Try a super simple spinach and chicken salad, or my favorite Strawberry salad using 1 cup of mixed greens and 1/2 cup of grilled chicken. Another easy peasy option is this avocado toast with tomatoes snack!

I hope you enjoyed the warm up workout, fit tip for that holiday party this evening, and snack recipes to Eat Before You Go Out!

XOXO

Getting Pregnant

Since getting pregnant with my second, it's been on my heart to think about those that struggle with infertility. With my first daughter, my husband and I got a little *surprise* as she was totally unexpected. You never realize how many people get pregnant while taking birth control until it happens to you! Not really "happened to me," she's a total welcomed blessing! But it was truly shocking. When my husband and I FINALLY (as all the family says) decided it was time for our second, I thought it was going to be a piece of cake! First try right?!? I mean we conceived the first without even trying, truly this must be easy when you're actually trying? Right? Wrong.

It took us 4 months to conceive our second. And trust me friends, I KNOW that this is by no means a "long time." Anything under a year is totally normal. And some of your have been trying for multiple years. But wow, each time that test read negative or I started my period, the disappointment was tangible. It was downright painful.

So to those who have been trying for so very long, my prayer for you is that God blesses you with a baby this Christmas. I can't imagine waiting longer than my brief four months. So for you superstars, you are amazing. You are strong.