Thursday, April 30, 2015
What is Shakeology?
This is a question I come across quite frequently. And there are 2 ways for me to answer this.
Here is the technical answer:
- Shakeology is more than a protein shake or a meal replacement shake. It's a delicious, nutrient-dense, superfood-packed protein shake. It's made with all of the healthy foods you should be eating every day, but usually don't have time to or have access to. It's the perfect combination of proteins, phytonutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics. Plus, it contains many rare ingredients, including adaptogens, camu-camu, and maca root - things we can't get from an ordinary diet. So whether you use Shakeology for weight loss, or drink it to optimize your health, this powerful and delicious shake is Your Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition®.
Here is my personal, unadulterated, from experience answer:
- For me personally, Shakeology has changed so many things in my life. Before drinking Shakeology I had a ton of cravings that I had absolutely no control over - chocolate being the biggest one. Not only that, I was having a lot of anxiety and unexplained dizziness. But when I started working out and including Shakeology in my daily nutrition my anxiety went down and my dizziness went away. And if you have any problem at all in the "going to the bathroom" department, Shakeology will help you with that. That's a fact Jack. It keeps you regular, that's for sure. But like I said, this is my personal experience. (*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.) Shakeology made it easier for me to get the nutrition my body was so desperately in need of. Combined with exercise and changing the foods I was eating, I was able to become a much healthier and happier version of myself. It's the one meal of the day that's a no-brainer for me. I have a hard enough time planning other meals. Having my shake for lunch is the easiest and healthiest meal of my day. And it's also too delicious to be called a meal. It really should be called dessert ;).
So go on, get you some of that! It's delicious, nutritious, and it gets rid of the junk in the trunk. Who doesn't want that? TMI? Maybe, but I try my best to Keep It Real!
You're welcome ;)
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
21 Day Fix Meal Plan for 1500 - 1799
21 Day Fix Meal Plan for 1200 - 1499
Monday, April 13, 2015
Focus T25
What is Focus T25?
- Workouts that you can do at home designed to give you an hour's results in only 25 minutes a day.
- Workout program designed by fitness expert and former track star Shaun T - who brought you Insanity, Insanity Asylum, and Insanity Max:30.
- Fast-paced routines that are jam-packed with dynamic, hi-intensity moves designed for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
Who is Focus T25 for?
- Busy people who want to work out less time but still get great results.
- Those who enjoy a high-intensity, no-nonsense program that makes every minute count.
- Men and women who want to work out just 25 minutes a day to get in the best shape of their lives.
What do people love most about Focus T25?
- Even those with incredibly tight schedules can always find 25 minutes a day to work out.
- Major studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise can be just as effective at burning fat and even more efficient than 60 minutes of exercise.
- There's always a modifier on screen, so literally anyone at any fitness level can GET IT DONE with Focus T25.
So those are the basics of T25. Now it's time for the nitty gritty - my personal experience. I am currently in week 4 of my 3rd round of T25. My very first experience with T25 was a year ago, when I became a Beachbody Coach. I went from couch to T25. It was quite an adjustment, but I had a challenge group full of people motivating me and pushing me to work hard every day. I have done other programs in between my rounds of T25 and will have reviews of those programs as well.
Let's start with my BEFORE pics:
The above pics show you my Week 1 and Week 3 results from my first round of T25. So, the program definitely works. And I can guarantee that I probably modified 80% of the moves those first 3 weeks. I actually modified most of the moves my entire first round. Truth be told, when you give birth to two children, jumping up and down can cause a little bit of a problem. All of you moms out there know what I mean. It causes a bit of a leakage problem. There, I said it. It's true. So it took me a while to get to where I didn't have to modify those jumps.
Here are the results from the 10 weeks of Round 1:
My final stats at the end of Round 1 were: Down 11 lbs and 14".
By the time I started my Second round of T25, I had done some 21Day Fix and Piyo in between. Don't get me wrong, I love those two programs as well, but I really do great with T25 and find myself sticking to the routine better.
Here are my results from Day 1 of my First Round to the end of my Second Round:
All in all, I have lost 20lbs and 20" with Focus T25 and Shakeology. If you have any questions about this program, please message me or comment below.
~ Coach Brandy
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Clean Eating Basics
It is very important when exercising and trying to lose weight that you eat 6 small meals per day. This helps you to keep your blood sugar levels steady. It also helps you maintain muscle mass and fuel your body for your daily activities.
I recommend that anyone who is trying to lose weight or get healthy, buy and read Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Recharged book. It is a valuable resource for clean eating. I bought it after having a few friends and fellow coaches recommend it to me and I'm so glad I did. She really explains the entire history and science behind eating clean and why you should pair your foods strategically together to get the results that you want. You don't have to go out and buy all of the things that she mentions in the book because some of them are difficult to find. However, her basic principles are great.
Tosca's Main Principles of Clean Eating are as follows:
- Eat more - 6 small meals a day!
- Each meal is 2.5 -3 hours apart
- Here's what it looks like:
- 7:00 am - breakfast
- 10:00 am - snack
- 1:00 pm - lunch
- 4:00 pm - snack
- 7:00 pm - dinner
- 10:00 pm - snack
- Make this work for you. Adjust the times as needed but DO NOT go more than 3 hours without eating! You want that metabolism to stay high! For example, my typical day is as follows: 8:00 am breakfast, 11:00 am lunch, 2:00 pm snack, 5:00 pm dinner, 7:00 pm snack, 9:00 pm snack. This is so that it fits my family's schedule. Let's face it, when the kids are hungry, that's when we eat. And mine are like clockwork.
- Eat breakfast EVERY DAY!
- It's preferable to eat within an hour of waking up. It starts your metabolism and gets your body ready for the activities you have to do during the day.
- Eat a lean protein and a complex carb at every meal - 6 servings of each!
- There is a HUGE difference between a simple carb and a complex carb.
- Eat enough HEALTHY fats!
- Almonds, avocados,cashews, cold-water fish, flaxseed, hazlenut oil, nut butters, olive oil, pecans, pumpkin seed oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and many more.
- Drink plenty of WATER!
- A good rule is to drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. Example: a 150 lb person *should* be drinking 75 ounces of water each day.
- Carry a cooler packed with clean eats!
- That way, you are NEVER without your good food! No Excuses!
- Depend on fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains for complex carbs!
- Simple carbs = WHITE foods (think white flour and white sugar). Fruit is also a simple carb but a good one because it has fiber that speed up digestion.
- Complex carbs = amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgar, cream of wheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, wheat germ, whole grain pasta, bananas, carrots, chickpeas, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes, split peas, lentils, yams, artichokes, asparagus, betts, greens, watercress, zucchini, apples, berries, citrus fruits, dried fruits (in moderation - no added sugar), grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, lychee, mango, melons, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, pears, plums, pomegranate, and many more.
- Stick to proper portion sizes!
- Proper portion of protein = what you can fit in the palm of one hand.
- Carbs from fruit and veggies = what you can fit into two cupped hands.
- Starchy complex carbs = what you can fit in one cupped hand.
- Healthy fats = a scant handful of nuts (ex - 14 almonds), or 1-2 tablespoons of a healthy oil.
So now that you have the principles, what does a meal plan look like? I try to drink a big glass of water with each small meal. Here's what I typically pick my meals from:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal of some type, with fruit
- Shakeology
- Protein waffles
- Eggs with sliced turkey and diced tomatoes
Snack #1
- Apple and 1 tbsp of nut butter
- Plain, non-fat greek yogurt with fruit
- Apple and string cheese
Lunch
- Shakeology
- Grilled chicken salad with carrots (and any other veggies you want) w/1 tsp Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar
- Chicken breast wrap
Snack #2
- Carrots and hummus
- Sliced turkey with 1/4 pita
- Sliced Bell peppers and hummus
- Whole wheat tortilla or wrap w/1 tbsp nut butter and 1/2 banana
Dinner
- Salsa Chicken
- Grilled Steak w/veggies
- Baked Chicken w/roasted potatoes and carrots
- Grilled Chicken w/veggies
- Poor Man's Stir Fry
Snack #3
- No-bake Shakeology cookies
- Apple and cheese stick
- Shakeology
All of the snacks are interchangeable. Please feel free to take a look at my Recipes page for more ideas :)
- Each meal is 2.5 -3 hours apart
- Here's what it looks like:
- 7:00 am - breakfast
- 10:00 am - snack
- 1:00 pm - lunch
- 4:00 pm - snack
- 7:00 pm - dinner
- 10:00 pm - snack
- Make this work for you. Adjust the times as needed but DO NOT go more than 3 hours without eating! You want that metabolism to stay high! For example, my typical day is as follows: 8:00 am breakfast, 11:00 am lunch, 2:00 pm snack, 5:00 pm dinner, 7:00 pm snack, 9:00 pm snack. This is so that it fits my family's schedule. Let's face it, when the kids are hungry, that's when we eat. And mine are like clockwork.
- It's preferable to eat within an hour of waking up. It starts your metabolism and gets your body ready for the activities you have to do during the day.
- There is a HUGE difference between a simple carb and a complex carb.
- Almonds, avocados,cashews, cold-water fish, flaxseed, hazlenut oil, nut butters, olive oil, pecans, pumpkin seed oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and many more.
- A good rule is to drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. Example: a 150 lb person *should* be drinking 75 ounces of water each day.
- That way, you are NEVER without your good food! No Excuses!
- Simple carbs = WHITE foods (think white flour and white sugar). Fruit is also a simple carb but a good one because it has fiber that speed up digestion.
- Complex carbs = amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgar, cream of wheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, wheat germ, whole grain pasta, bananas, carrots, chickpeas, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes, split peas, lentils, yams, artichokes, asparagus, betts, greens, watercress, zucchini, apples, berries, citrus fruits, dried fruits (in moderation - no added sugar), grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, lychee, mango, melons, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, pears, plums, pomegranate, and many more.
- Proper portion of protein = what you can fit in the palm of one hand.
- Carbs from fruit and veggies = what you can fit into two cupped hands.
- Starchy complex carbs = what you can fit in one cupped hand.
- Healthy fats = a scant handful of nuts (ex - 14 almonds), or 1-2 tablespoons of a healthy oil.
- Oatmeal of some type, with fruit
- Shakeology
- Protein waffles
- Eggs with sliced turkey and diced tomatoes
Snack #1
- Apple and 1 tbsp of nut butter
- Plain, non-fat greek yogurt with fruit
- Apple and string cheese
Lunch
- Shakeology
- Grilled chicken salad with carrots (and any other veggies you want) w/1 tsp Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar
- Chicken breast wrap
Snack #2
- Carrots and hummus
- Sliced turkey with 1/4 pita
- Sliced Bell peppers and hummus
- Whole wheat tortilla or wrap w/1 tbsp nut butter and 1/2 banana
Dinner
- Salsa Chicken
- Grilled Steak w/veggies
- Baked Chicken w/roasted potatoes and carrots
- Grilled Chicken w/veggies
- Poor Man's Stir Fry
Snack #3
- No-bake Shakeology cookies
- Apple and cheese stick
- Shakeology
All of the snacks are interchangeable. Please feel free to take a look at my Recipes page for more ideas :)
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
This is a very simple treat that could be served for Breakfast or as a Snack. It's so simple that there's really no need to create a recipe other than to show that it is a Fix Approved meal.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup of Nonfat Vanilla Greek Yogurt
- 1 1/4 Cups of Fresh Blueberries
- 2 tbsp of clean granola* - no high fructose corn syrup. I use Bear Naked.
Combine the ingredients and enjoy! For all of you Fixers this equals 1 Red, 1 Purple, and 1 Yellow.
*For the granola, you measure with the Orange container, but you count it as a Yellow.
Like I said, not complicated at all. Just simply delicious.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Poor Man's Stir Fry
Growing up, my mama would make this dish that we referred to as Poor Man's Stir Fry. We called it that because the ingredients were simple and not exotic. It didn't require special sauces or hard to find vegetables. It was something that anyone could make and the ingredients could be found in most people's kitchen.
This dish has become somewhat of a comfort food for me. It's also a dish that my family absolutely loves every time I make it. So I wanted to share it with all of you.
The ingredients are simple:
This dish has become somewhat of a comfort food for me. It's also a dish that my family absolutely loves every time I make it. So I wanted to share it with all of you.
The ingredients are simple:
- 1 lb Lean Ground Meat (beef, turkey) My family prefers beef
- 2 cups Carrots, cut
- 2 cups Green Beans, cut
- 1/2 - 1 tbsp of Minced Garlic
- 1/2 to 1 Medium Onion Diced or 1/2 tbsp of Dehydrated Onion Flakes (my oldest son does not care for the slimy texture of the fresh onions)
- 2 tsp of EVOO
- Black Pepper to taste
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce to taste (sub Raw Coconut Aminos for much less Sodium)
To cook:
Brown your meat on medium with the Onion and Black Pepper. In the meantime, cut your vegetables. I like my carrots and beans close to an inch in length.
Once the meat is cooked through, I transfer it to a bowl and cook the Carrots, Green Beans, and Garlic on medium heat in the EVOO for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. I like for them to be tender, while still having some crunch to them. If you want them more tender, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and put the lid on for 5 more minutes. Be careful not to burn the Garlic.
Once the vegetables are done, you can add the meat back to the pan and add your Sauce to the mixture. You could also leave the sauce out and it can be added to each serving as desired. Mix everything together.
You can serve it over brown rice or quinoa. And feel free to add tomatoes to it or anything else your heart desires. And if you find a variation that you and your family can't live without, let me know! I'm always looking for new ideas.
*** For 21 Day Fixers, a serving with brown rice would be 1 Green, 1 Red, and 1 Yellow ***
Thanks for stopping by!
Brandy
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