Meal Planning Tips - 21 Day Fix

For me, meal planning when I first started the 21 Day Fix was the biggest hurdle.  It's hard work to think out portion sizes and the right amounts for the whole day!  My first day I tried winging it.  Needless to say, I failed by lunch time.  I finally took time to sit down and created meal plans for an entire month.  Pinterest is a HUGE help and there are tons of 21 DFX recipes available.  The first step is to figure out what your box count will be for the start of the program.  Once you know your count, I like to put it across the top of my spreadsheet so I know what my goal is each day.  I've provided links to all of my meal plans and corresponding recipes for each week on the links section of the blog, and below as well.  As you can see, I ALWAYS start my day off with Shakeology.  It's nutrient dense and full of super foods that kill my cravings and give my body the good stuff it needs to run efficiently, lose weight, and feel great.

Hope this helps you get a kick-start!

Recipes week 1
Recipes week 2
Recipes week 3
Recipes week 4

Meal Plan week 1
Meal Plan week 2
Meal Plan week 3
Meal Plan week 4

Exercise Program Review - 21 Day Fix Extreme

I love love love the 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts.  They are challenging, strength building, and only take 30 minutes!  Within a couple of days of beginning the workouts I feel stronger, tighter, and more fit.  No other program hits my body the way this one does (in a good way!).  The great thing is that it has cardio elements but isn't exhausting.  There are 7 workouts, one for each day of the week.  Each workout targets a different part of your body using different methods.  The challenge pack also comes with the eating plan and containers.  These are focused on teaching you the right types of food to eat, in the correct proportions, and how to think of food as fuel vs. pleasure.  I'm the first to admit that I'm not perfect on the food front.  My body burns energy a bit differently, so I've had to adjust it to work best for me.  But I think so differently about food now, don't binge like I used to, and spend time each Sunday afternoon prepping our food for the week.  It's been a phenomenally impactful, positive change for me and my family. I have lots of meal plans and recipes that I'll be posting down the road, so check back!  There's more information in the image below if you're interested in learning more.

https://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/meal-prep-ideas

Jingle the Jiggle Challenge

String beans.  Twig arms.  Sticks.  I used to say I couldn't get big arms even by rubbing cheeseburgers on them!  I've always had willowy arms, which honestly isn't the most horrible thing in the world.  Believe me, I'm not complaining.  This was never a problem, until I had kids.  Aka, a 10lb newborn and a 30lb toddler, both of who wanted to be carried at the same time.  Yeah, that just wasn't happening.  One of the most shocking, yet rewarding, things of this journey is the strength I've built in my arms and back.  I HAVE arms now!  The first time I did Upper Fix Extreme on the 21 Day Fix was the worst.  I hated it.  But it's become my absolute favorite workout.  Every day I become stronger because every workout target my entire body and generally require holding weights.  Never in my life did I think having my suit jacket arms and shoulders get tight would be a good thing.  I love that I can easily pick up my kids and play with them without straining.  And yes, they still both like to be carried at the same time - except now they're both over 30lbs! 

Do you want to see results like this?  Are you struggling in your journey?  Or have you not tapped into something you thought was possible?  We're kicking off a challenge group in time for the holidays.  These groups have been the ultimate motivation for me, and a key to my ability to stick with my programs.  They hold me accountable, and the support of other people working through their own journeys is inspirational.  It MAKES me want to work out after a long day, or to eat healthy or try new foods based on the recipes they share.  The group starts 12/5, so message me now if you want to learn more!  I'm also doing a 3 Day Refresh cleanse group coming up, with limited spots.  Get ready for the holidays and don't be one of the statistics who gains 5 lbs!

The Cravings Battle

I am human.  I have cravings.  Probably more so than others.  Or at least I'm worse at controlling them than other people.  Basically if a thought crosses my mind (and it frequently does), I eat it.  This is especially apparent when I'm stressed, which unfortunately happens often.  But today I'm winning that battle.  Today, I want Chipotle so badly.  It's been a rough start to the week, and I'm starving for some reason (I blame the cold weather).  But I'm putting myself first over my brain, and going home to have a salad instead.  I'm far from perfect in my eating, but I'm slowly gaining control over my cravings and learning how to say "yes" to healthy habits and food that is actually good for my body, not just to calm stress down but leaves me feeling junky.

It's all a process, and my accountability groups help out!  Interested in accountability groups?  Let me know and we can connect!  Being part of an accountability group has made a huge difference for me, and I'd love to help you make that difference too.

Product Review: Shakeology

Shakes for meals.  When I first heard of this all I could think of was my childhood best friend's mom's shakes in a can.  I mean, is that really good for us?  I tend to think of myself as health conscious about what I put in my and my family's bodies.  But after researching the content of Shakeology, hearing how it provides so many nutrients to your diet, and can be used to cut cravings and boost energy, I decided to give it a try. 

Now, I'm frugal.  The price was a little tough to take the first time I saw it.  So I gave myself one month (or 3 weeks, so I had time to cancel) to try it out.  And let me tell you, it took exactly 4 days to sell me on it.  That's it.  Here's why:

1. I don't spend money on coffee.  Shakeology is less than $4 a day, which costs less than a latte at Starbucks. 
2. I was finding "energy" to get through the day by eating endless candy.  Shakeology > candy on every.single.level. 
3. I truly had energy again.  Like before-kids-I-slept-9-hours energy.  At 3pm.  On a work day.  After dealing with two screaming toddlers by myself in the morning. 

The biggest shock to me - I apparently crave chocolate and crap because of stress - not because my BODY wants it!  I went from eating a giant bag (not fun size, not check-out aisle size) of M&M's a day to hardly wanting it.  Yep, I was eating for mental reasons not physical.  In fact, after a few months of eating well and doing Shakeology I actually felt sick from eating junk food.  Wow.  I've even become ok skipping my daily vitamin because I get so many good nutrients from this shake!  And there are so many flavors, and each type comes with multiple recipe options. Plus, you can cook with it!  It's fun and super easy to shake up your flavors any time you want a change. 

Best part: my kids LOVE it.  They cry endlessly if I ever skip a day.  It's their incentive to get out the door in the morning.  They get a small cup with my shake each morning, and I feel good knowing my picky eaters are getting something decent and full of nutrients. 

INTERESTED: ORDER HERE!

BeachBody Coaching Experience

It has been a LONG time since I took a few minutes to sit down and blog.  Part of it is because I work full time, have two very active children, a household to run, and just a lot of "life" stuff in general.  The other part is that, while I had a pretty good stretch of healthy habits for a while, the whole "having kids" thing really threw me off track.  It's funny how that can happen to us, women in particular. 

When my youngest was turning 1 about a year ago, I realized how unhappy I was.  I'd lost my essence, my sense of self.  The past 4 years had been spent either pregnant or nursing, eating whatever I felt like.  I was very lucky after my first was born and couldn't keep weight on (I know, amazing right??), but after the second was born I really struggled with weight.  Having been fairly thin and active my whole life, this was a shock to my core.  I no longer had time or the will to work out, I was hungry and wanted to eat like I had the past four years and eat whatever I felt like, and I just felt gross.  My clothes didn't fit well.  I didn't have any energy.  I was tired.  I felt frumpy.  None of these things were good for my self esteem. 

Then one of my classmates started posting pics of her workouts and I was amazed at how good she looked, even after kids.  Like better than she did even in high school!  We reconnected and she told me all about Shakeology and BeachBody.  While I thought the name was silly, I was curious and tried out a challenge pack.  After a few days on Shakeology, my cravings for junk nearly disappeared and I had energy all day.  I felt great!  It was like a light clicked on, and I realized having the nutrients my body needed plus the workouts and the accountability groups to keep me focused was just what I needed.

The biggest thing I've regained over my journey the past year was my sense of self.  Taking 30 minutes a day to focus on me, on getting strong, and feeling good, made such a difference mentally.  I had no idea how badly I needed it until I was in the midst of the program.  I'm so much stronger than I ever have been before, or realized was possible.  I can keep up with my crazy kids, have energy to be "present" with them in the evenings after a long day of work and working out, and my clothes feel great. 

To be honest, I abhor when people try to sell me stuff.  My decision to become a coach stemmed from my passion for the results I've seen, and a desire to help others.  So many of my friends are in the same boat as I was last year, wanting something different for our lives but not knowing how to achieve it.  I love sharing my story and really listening to understand each person's lifestyle and goals, to help them figure out the program that will fit with their life and help them achieve the results they want.  For me, this isn't about selling a product.  It's about matching people with the program that will help them feel like the best version of themselves.  If you want to talk more, feel free to reach out to me!  Or if you just feel like checking things out on your own, there are a couple links below that you can peruse at your leisure. 

Check back regularly.  I'm going to begin posting reviews of all the workout programs I've tried, along with tips to succeed and recipes.  If you have anything you'd like to see more of, let me know!

http://www.shakeology.com/gtiemeier

www.beachbodycoach.com/GTIEMEIER

Toddler food stock up

Ever since T was born I've been OBSESSED with her eating and nutrition.  We aren't super healthy eaters, so I wasn't expecting to stress about every detail from day 1.  Remember when I cut dairy for 8 months in a bid to get her to stop screaming for hours at a time from gas?  Or when I spent months buying organic produce and blending all her baby food?  Well I've relaxed a tad, what with daycare giving them things like goldfish crackers and go gurt for snacks (ugh is that really food??).  But as a busy working mom I like to maximize dinner time and have some fast things on hand that I know are good for her.  Days go way too fast, between getting up at the crack of dark, long commutes, packed days, and never-enough time with my sweet toddler.  Add to that I have a work trip coming up and suddenly my anxiety over leaving her with enough ready-to-eat food returned.  

So this week I pulled up some of my favorites from my blog and from Pinterest, and set to work stocking the freezer.  It definitely takes planning and time, but its so worth dedicating a few hours to have a freezer full to last a couple of months.  On the docket: multiple types of her favorite meatballs, toddler muffins, and frozen steamed cauliflower.  The girl CANNOT get enough cauliflower (I know, right?).  Tuesday night I whipped together the muffins.  While she hasn't touched them yet (such a picky eater and slow to warm up to new things) they smell and look amazing, and I might just eat them myself!  Recipe and pics to come later.  

Meatballs are a staple for her.  I make a big batch every couple of months to store in the freezer.  They are super convenient to pull out on weekends or evenings that we get stuck in traffic or delayed, or have a doctor appointment.  We have had our fair share of those this winter!!!  Lately she has been eating up to 5 in a sitting, so I was flat out.  Earlier this week I make some baked squash and chopped it up for meatballs, storing it in the fridge.  Tonight I de-stemmed a bunch of spinach and used the baby bullet to purée it.  Flashback!  I split the meat into two portions and used two packets of rice, so I could make two types of meatballs.  I'm a little nervous about her reaction to the squash, because it hasn't been something she's loved in the past.  So I took small portions and tested different seasonings.  We shall see how that goes!  

Finally tonight I chopped a head of cauliflower and steamed it, freezing it in ice cube trays.  There's nothing nicer than pulling that out when she refuses everything else for dinner.  The pieces are perfect sized for her to eat, and it only takes 30 seconds to heat up.  

Hopefully after all that work my hubby and spitfire can survive 4 days alone!