Thirsty Thursday, shakeology style!

Love coffee? Me too!

I scoop chocolate shakeo
1 cup of chilled coffee
mint extract
4 oz unsweetened coconut milk
And an ice cube or 2
Perfection.

Tasty Tuesday

Today is Tuesday! Ready for a recipe???

the other day I had a bunch of vegetables in the house... so....

I cut up
a red pepper
a green pepper
a small onion
a summer squash
and
a few small zucchinis

I made a dressing of balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Mixed the vegetables with it.
Grilled them in a foil packet on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

I then placed a bed of spinach at the bottom of a bowl, put some vegetables on top, and topped that off with some feta cheese! It was amazing! :)

Happy Tuesday!

Watch this Wednesday!

So, in case you missed it before, I am doing TURBO JAM! I love it, I am awful at it right now which is hilarious. But I seriously love it! I get to dance, and kick box, and workout. Chalene Johnson is kind of a role model for me. She is amazing. I will tell you more about that later. Anyways. Go watch and see what Turbo Jam is all about!
Want to know more? Ask!

 http://www.teambeachbody.com/showcase/-/bcp/10121615001/247801?referringRepId=247801

Tasty Tuesday!

I am human, I love sweet treats! I mostly get my chocolate fix from my shake! Sometimes, I really like to have a brownie or cookie though. I had a big zucchini just sitting around, so I was going to make zucchini bread. Until I happened upon a recipe I couldn't resist.
Zucchini brownies!!!!!!

They are pretty healthy, and mighty delicious!
If you only have whole wheat all purpose flour, just take away 2 tablespoons from what is required in the recipe. Also, don't pack the flour!!!

http://www.theyummylife.com/Zucchini_Brownies

Delicious!

On those days

For the most part, I have been doing well. Energy, motivation, excited... I am moving forward. But once in a while, I suddenly feel miserable. No energy, I don't care, I want to curl up in a ball and sleep for hours. On those days, I reach out. It is hard, but I do. I ask for that extra push. I know I need it. When I do ask, I get the push I need. I am held accountable.
 The last time it happened, a friend told me to get up and workout. Push myself to do it. Not only that, because I could easily have lied and said "yea, I worked out..." But she made me post a picture on the group. It is hard to fake that feeling after working out. after pushing through something, after reaching a goal. That is not easy to fake. Was I 100% happy? No. But I did it, I posted my picture. I showered and went to bed. Woke up in the morning good as new!
   When we want something enough, and others know we want it. They will support us. So shout it to the world. Shout to the world what it is that you want to achieve. Someone will stand with you, someone will support you. Someone will push you when you need it most. Just ask!

New Workout!

Ok two things.
1. The burn it up part of Slim in 6 is pretty exciting, and intense!
2. I can now do side plank rotations! A whole set!

Ok, I lied, 3 things!

3. My turbo jam came today!!!!!!!
SO EXCITED TO TRY IT!

Seriously, you should be excited about working out. It is awesome stuff!

Why?

Why?
Why do we do what we do?
That's what we need to ask ourselves.
If we don't know why, then what is the purpose?
The why is vital.
The why is what pushes us.
Motivates us.
Carries us forward.
Why do we exercise?
Why do we try to eat healthy?
Why are we after the dreams we are reaching for?
Have a conversation with yourself.
Write it down.
Write down your whys.
Then, on the days when you want to throw the towel in.
The days you want to walk away.
Look at it.
Remind yourself of the value in your goals,
Your dreams.
Remember why.

Fit Friday

I am not going to lie. I am a little bit bored with my workout program. For anyone that knows me, you know I like doing different things. Getting trapped in a routine is boring and frustrating to me1 Some days, it is the reason I don't really feel like working out. But I do it anyways. Because the reward is tremendous!
  When I am making more money, I play to go into turbo jam or t25. I am pretty excited about this! In the meantime I will stick to what I have, because I know it is working. I may be bored with the routine, but the result brings excitement. finishing the workout able to do more push ups or more crunches, that is where my excitement comes from! It does make it easier not having to focus on how they dp the move as much. There are perks! And again, the reward is amazing!!!

Thirsty Thursday: Shakeology Style!

Today is when I normally share a shakeology recipe. Today? Today I shall share the newness of shakeology. The newest shake that has entered our lives

VANILLA!!!!!

I mean quite honestly I am not a huge vanilla fan, but I am SO excited to try it!

So, go watch this!

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/Klane2437?bctid=2451014901001

Watch This!

It's Wednesday! You know what that means? Here is a video! Todays video is about Shaun T's focus t25!!! 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week. That is the workout! A lot of people I know take an hour and a half to exercise their whole body. Ready to do it in 25 minutes?

http://youtu.be/3---j0igJpQ

What was on my mind today

Everyone has a story.
Your life, your journey as a person, that is your story. We all have ups and downs. Conflicts, whether with others, or within ourselves. Our story, our journey is being molded, it is happening each and everyday. Through our journey, we develop character, personality, perception, thoughts, goals, and dreams. 
Everyone has a unique story. Nobody's journey is exactly the same.
So what has brought you to where you are? Is it one thing? Is it everything? Everything ties together somehow, doesn't it?
A domino effect. a ripple.
You think to yourself, well if that hadn't have happened... whether good or bad, it would have changed the course of your journey in such an extreme way.
Sometimes, it is necessary to stop and think about this story.
This story that is yours.
How would you share it with people?
How could you possibly explain to them who you are without explaining all of those ripples? Every domino that fell.
Have you ever played dominos? It seems so easy, just match the dots. But when you think about it, when you really pay attention. You see how the dots, they are all connected, just so.
I would play by myself when I was little, connecting the dominos to make a giraffe. I don't know why a giraffe, it was just how I always did it. I would do it until I used every single domino. If there was one left that would not result in the creation of a giraffe, I started over. They all had to connect correctly.
Your dominos, your story, it all connects. It is creating something wonderful. It is creating you. It is making you the person you are becoming every day.
Embrace your story.
Read your story.
Know that your story is valuable.
It is beautiful.
It is only yours.
If you are unhappy with how your story is going?
Change it.
Put that domino somewhere else.
Get a different one.
Try again.
Try until you feel it is connecting just so.
Shaping up to be the life you want.
The life you deserve.
This is your story.
Get writing.

Thirsty Thursday: Shakeology Style!

So, I got adventurous and brave!
I added something different to my shake the other day.
Are you ready?
MANGO!

Yes. I did it.

So the recipe is, Strawberries, mangos, water, and a splash of milk!

Amazing!

Watch this!

For anyone still wondering what exactly shakeology is, watch this!

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/Klane2437?bctid=73854917001

Tasty Tuesday

In case you haven't figured it out, I don't eat much meat. I eat chicken maybe once or twice a week. Usually if someone else makes it. I am just not a fan of red meat, and I don't like touching raw meat. It grosses me out. So here is a healthy delicious recipe for:

Vegetarian sloppy joes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup zucchini, fresh, sliced
• 1/2 cup onion, green, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup kidney beans, cooked
• 15 ounces canned tomatoes, diced, no added salt
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Preparation

• Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add vegetables, beans, tomatoes, barbecue sauce and chili powder and bring mixture to a boil, stirring well.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
• Serve vegetarian sloppy joe on whole wheat buns.

Serves : 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes or less

 

It was so easy to make, and so good!

Little by little

Sometimes, we try so incredibly hard to reach a goal. We put in a lot of time and effort, and then wait. Waiting is hard. You feel as if you are putting every ounce of energy into this goal and still, you see no progress. But then suddenly! Something small happens, a comment is made, someone notices your efforts, your shorts fit a little better, your shirt is not as tight. Suddenly, you KNOW that everything you are doing is worth it! Little by little, a little becomes a lot. It is true in all that we do. School, work, health, business... life itself!
 Working hard is a requirement to success. Nothing comes easy or without effort. Everything happens in time. Instantaneous gratification is not realistic when it comes to reaching a goal. but when you reach it, it was worth all of the sweat and tears. All of the struggles. It was worth it. Because finally it happened. Little by little, a little becomes a lot.

Your Best is Enough

     Everyone has those days where they feel low or feel like a failure. Those days where they just don’t feel good enough. As if they won’t ever accomplish their goals or reach any of their dreams. Everyone feels like that sometimes. It is okay though. We have days where we just don’t care and we just do whatever. That is our best for that day, and that is more than ok. So you ate a cheeseburger and fries. So you ate half a thing of ice cream. So you didn’t exercise three days in a row. So you didn’t do the dishes today. It is okay! Some days are just like that. You can’t beat yourself up over it. You just have to tell yourself you will try harder. But don’t just tell yourself that, do it! It is okay to feel bad. But don’t make it a habit!

Lately, I have been feeling low. But I am still trying. Still trudging forward. Still hoping for the best. Still doing my best. Even if my best isn’t that much that day. Every day is a new day. I have to remind myself of that. Every day is a new day to take chances, try harder, do better. Every day is a new day for your dreams to come true. You can do this! You so can!

Fit Friday

I love seeing how I improve. I love watching my progress. I went from barely being able to do the start it up on slim in 6. to doing it like a pro and moving along easily! I can now do lunges and crunches pretty well. Still working on push ups. I love seeing my body becoming more tone. I like feeling good, feeling like I can accomplish more! I hope I can help other people find joy in it as well!

Tasty Tuesday!

So, along with my Shakeology and working out, I am trying to eat better too! Beachbody provides a free 30 day meal planner! It is awesome. So here is one of my FAVORITE recipes so far!

Lemony Asparagus and Penne Pasta
Prep Time: 5 minutes or less
Total Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces asparagus spears, fresh or frozen
• 8 ounces pasta, penne rigate, uncooked
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, low-fat
• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth, low sodium
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, low-fat
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped 

Preparation

 

• Bring a large covered saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Wash and trim asparagus and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, adding the asparagus about 3 minutes before the pasta is done.
• Drain pasta and asparagus in a colander, cool under cold running water, and drain again. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vegetable broth, oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and pepper.
• Add the pasta and asparagus to the dressing, and toss to coat well. Sprinkle cheese and onions over pasta mixture.
• Divide among 4 plates and serve with a calorie-free beverage.

It is seriously awesome :)

Excuses

     I have been giving myself excuses for almost a week now as to why I have failed to work out. I have been drinking my Shakeology and eating mostly healthy, but not exercising. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I was getting certified as a CPST (child passenger safety technician). We also had no a/c, and the house gets extremely hot. My brother in law was finally able to fix the a/c yesterday.
      I have been tired, lazy, and just having no desire to work out. So, I haven't. But that changes. right now. It is about 10:10pm. It is stormy and rainy. I am tired. But I am going to work out. I need this. So, here I go. No more excuses. Excuses do not help you reach a goal. Here we go!

Thirsty Thursday - Shake-o style!

OK second favorite recipe! Are you ready for this?

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 cup of chilled coffee
A couple of splashes of milk or choice of liquid
several ice cubes
AND
Fresh mint leaves!!!!

Oh. So. Delicious.

One day I will get a decent picture before it is all gone!

Watch this!

It is that time of the week! Here is another video about Shakeology.
This is what doctors, 100 doctors, are saying about shakeology. So many of them USE it along with recommending it to their patients. It can help with SO many issues! Watch the video :)

http://www.teambeachbody.com/showcase/-/bcp/637865717001/247801?referringRepId=247801

If you want to know more, leave a comment!

Perfection is Not a Requirement!

     So, you know those times when you want to try something new, but all you keep thinking is how much you are going to SUCK at it? Yea, that. that is what holds me back quite often. But you have to realize that you are human! You can only do so much! It doesn't matter how much you love something, how excited you are, you WILL make mistakes. So you just have to jump in, committing to do THE BEST YOU CAN!
   The people in the world that expect perfection are highly delusional and must live in an EXTREMELY stressful world. Quite honestly, I feel sad for them. Do they enjoy the lives they live? If they are spending all of their time trying to perfect everything, how can they enjoy it?
   Anyways. So I started my Shake-o and workout 2 weeks ago, and already I have had cheat meals and failed to exercise. This weekend, we had pizza Saturday night, and I ate left over pizza on Sunday! Then? I didn't work out Saturday, Sunday, or today! Does that make me a failure? Should I tell myself I suck and I need to give up now? NO! It just means I try harder.
   This is MY journey, no one else's If they want to judge me, then let them. I don't care what they think. I can make this as easy or hard as I want. Sure, my results may happen a little slower. So what? I am doing this for no one else but myself. I never expected to be perfect, nor would I want to be. If this was supposed to be that easy, wouldn't everybody be thin and healthy?

So, get off the road to perfection, and jump on track to happy! Don't just run through the journey to the goal. Take your time, make mistakes, live, and be happy!

Connections

Isn't it funny how everything in life connects? How your emotional health effects your physical health, how they are a vicious cycle? How your self esteem effects your confidence, which is effected by your emotional health. It all just twists around and around. Since I have changed to a healthy lifestyle, I feel better both physically and emotionally. Today, I put on a skirt that normally hugs my waist all funky and I use it to hide the fat. Today there was hardly any fat. This made me feel good, this gave me confidence, boosting my self esteem, which in turn, helped me at a job interview! I am feeling good about myself! I hope I can inspire others to take charge of themselves and make those good choices for themselves. I hope I can help others see how awesome they are! And help them realize they deserve happiness and love. especially to love themselves.

Fit Friday!

     I will admit that working out every day is not the easiest or most convenient thing. You have to make it a priority. Some days are just so jam-packed that you don't think you could possibly have the energy by the time you get home. That is when I would work out first thing in the morning. I decided if I wanted to reach my goals there couldn't be any excuses.
     Today, our a/c stopped working. Our house gets SO hot. Even with windows open, it was still 88 degrees in the house. The humidity was ridiculous. I had NO desire to work out today. But now, the sun has gone down and the house has cooled off. So as soon as I am done with this post, I will be working out! No excuses!
     Things don't just happen without any effort. We have to work towards what we want. That is why they are called goals. We start at one end and have to get all the way across the field to reach that goal. There will be struggles and trials and things we don't foresee happening. You have to work through them. When you finally reach that goal, it will be completely worth it! You will have accomplished something great!

With that, I am off to work out!

Thirsty Thursday! Shakeology Style!

I am not the savviest when it comes to recipes. So for now, I have been trying out all of the recipes for Shakeology that are on the website. Some of them I absolutely love. So far, my favorite one is this:

Chocolate Banana Nutter 1 serving of Chocolate Shakeology 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter 1 medium banana 1 cup water I add a tsp of honey in it too! It is DELICIOUS! In time, I will get daring. I will mix it up. I will do my own thing. But for now?

Calories: 350 Protein: 22 g Carbs: 47 g Fat: 9 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Calories from Fat: 80

Watch This!

On Wednesday, I will post a video I want to share.
Todays video is pretty much amazing.
It is about Shakeology and where they get the ingredients for it. They use only the highest quality ingredients.

So, watch the video:

http://www.teambeachbody.com/showcase/-/bcp/637719395001/247801?referringRepId=247801

Isn't it absolutely amazing what goes into each package?  Each glass?
So much work goes into it. But so much support to small farmers everywhere.
I love it.

My Goals

When you make a big decision, you generally have a goal, a vision for the results you desire. I have a few that all correlate with each other.

My first goal is to get fit - I want to lose a little weight, yes. Our scale is a little busted, but generally I weigh in somewhere between 137 and 140. On a rough day? Even more than that. I am not comfortable with that. My goal is 125. But more than lose weight, I want to eat healthy and get better about exercise!

Second goal -  I want to get all of the nutrients and supplements that my body needs. I have never liked red meat, fish, or pork. I would take 2 hours to eat my dinner because I did not want to eat the meat. I got sneakier as I got older and managed to throw it away some nights. So, when I was 14, I decided to make a decision for myself. I decided to stop eating those things. Other than one minor slip up of bacon ending up on a sandwich at a restaurant and another time with hamburger in my pasta... I have not eaten red meat or pork in 11 years. For a long time, I was not very good at replacing the protein and other nutrients I needed. When I went into college, I learned about all of the things I needed. I started taking different things. At one point I was taking 7 different vitamins and supplements a night. Ridiculous. So, now with Shakeology, I am getting everything I need!


    My 3rd goal is my most personal goal. But it really is important, and somehow, I feel a lot of people probably have the same issue. I have terrible self-esteem, a poor self-image. A lot of this is because I struggle with depression. Major depression and a bit of an anxiety disorder is what I have been diagnosed with a few times since the age of 12. It has gotten pretty bad on some occasions throughout the last 13 years. I have been on medication for it a couple of times, but I just don't like it. The biggest reason? It made me gain weight. I kept trying to lose it, but it just didn't work. So not only was I feeling super depressed, but I was looking in the mirror and so unhappy with what I saw. When you are depressed, your motivation to do much of anything (never mind exercise) is rather limited.
    Anyways. If you read my last post about beginning my journey (catch up here), then you know how I found out I would be getting laid off a few weeks before it happened. I spent time looking for a job, and somehow (though I knew nothing of the business opportunity at the time) kept getting sucked into the beach body website. I was starting to feel depressed about things going on. I was a little concerned. I didn't want to head down that road again. That is when I got proactive and joined beach body! I needed something for me to keep me going. I needed to keep focused and motivated. Not only that, but it has already been building my self-confidence. I am already feeling better about sharing my body. Not because I look good (because I don't yet), but because I know positive changes are happening. THAT gives me confidence.. A brighter future for myself.

My last goal involves others. I want others to know that they can be happy. They can be happy with themselves. Love yourself first before you can truly love others. Everyone deserves happiness. Everyone deserves respect. We need to respect ourselves, respect our bodies. I am still just beginning this journey myself. I have a long way to go. But it is worth it. I am worth it.

Beginning a New Journey!

     I dig through my clothes, looking for the perfect shirt. the loose fitting pink one. It’s the one I NEED today. I can’t find it anywhere. I need to hurry up. I know that no other shirt will look right with these pants. They hug in all of the wrong places, and so do my shirts. I am not comfortable with my fat hanging out of my pants, or my shirt tightly hugging all of my bumps. I change my pants and grab a loose fitting shirt. I look in the mirror, not happy, but it will do.

This is probably what most people go through each morning when getting dressed.

I am tired of it. In fact, I got SO tired of it, that I decided to make a change.

     I had seen a lot of friends posting on Facebook about how they were losing weight, getting fit, and eating healthy. Day in and day out, I saw their posts and I was envious of their will power, but did not feel I had enough of my own. A couple of friends and their posts caught my eye. They were drinking extremely healthy shakes and doing workouts at home. I wanted that. I looked into it and found out they were following a Beach body challenge pack program. I looked into it. a lot. I am always really skeptical about those things.

But honestly?
How can you be skeptical about 70 of the highest quality nutrients and supplements making up a shake?
How can you question other peoples progress?

You can’t.

I got really excited and wanted to do it so bad!

Then I saw the price. My heart sank.
So much more than I could afford.

So, I continued looking on in envy.

  In the beginning of May, I found out I would be getting laid off from my job at the end of the month.

I started looking for another job, and continued reading their posts with envy.

Then one of my friends doing shakeology told me about the business opportunity with beach body.
Become a coach? Me?

I was so excited about the possibility. but still hesitated.

Finally, a week before getting laid off, I made a choice.

I jumped in head first, no idea WHAT I was getting into.

But I was excited!

I signed up on a Tuesday, got my stuff on that Friday, and jumped into it all on Monday!

I have been doing Shakeology and Slim in 6 for a week now and I feel great!

I have energy.
I have motivation.
I have goals!
And I have progress.

Follow me along on the journey!