Starting Round 2 of the 21 Day Fix (with a twist)

In my head I had it all planned out. I had 3 weeks before I went to a conference with my husband. I was going to rock the 3 weeks of the 21 Day Fix without skipping a workout or having a cheat meal (except for maybe a glass of wine---WHICH IS ALLOWED so technically it's not cheating!) I was going to take pics and measurments and get some killer results.

And week one and week two were awesome.

Then I got sick. And then my kiddo got sick. And then I went to Texas to attend a work conference
with my husband (which is kind of code for dressing up, drinking a lot and talking buisness. And then drinking more. There was also a lot of Mexican food late at night since conferences just serve appetizer things that I never feel the need to eat. So we left all the events STARVING -- and yes it is clean eating 101 not to skip meals but friend empeniadas wouldn't have made the cut anyway. There was also a part of the mom in me that wanted to go out to eat at 11 because we could....without having to orchestrate an entire plan of attack for who was going to care for, feed and put our child to bed. So there was that whole novelty idea of freedom. But much like when my poor lab/chow gets loose, I quickly learned that all of that freedom is for someone FAR younger than me and I gladly returned home and spent my final child-less Friday night cleaning out closets and watching my backlogged DVR.)

I am well aware of the excuse trap I fell into the last week of the Fix. Being stronger than our excuses is a huge step in moving any health and wellness journey forward. I can come up with an excuse to allow myself to skip my workouts and eat junk on the spot....and I gave that up a long time ago. But I did let the I can't breathe and breathing when you do cardio is important excuse and the I was up all night cathcing my kid's puke in bucket excuse take me out for a spin.

You live. You learn. You keep going.

So today I began the Fix again. And if there was anything I learned from the first round it was that I don't love lifting semi-heavy wieghts for a minute doing as many reps as I could. I really missed the lift super heavy, max out at 12 (or 8) reps that Chalean Extreme gave me in the fall. I also know that my body responds well to lifting that way. It makes me feel powerful and strong. It motivates the hell out of me.

I spend a few minutes thinking about how I wanted to do the Fix, finish P90X3 and then maybe I could get another round of Chalean Extreme in....and then I remembered in two weeks I am heading across the country again. There is nothing quite as demotivating as moving a bunch of your stuff and jet lag. So I decided that one of the best ways to ensure I was going to keep going was to mix in my favorite strength videos. And if you are working out it should be something you absolutely love doing. While I am getting readjusted to Pacific time, leaving my girls and my youth behind, and rearanging my life once again....I NEED 45 minutes of something I love doing every day. And adding some Chalean Extreme is better than coping with choclate. Or popcorn (I have an addiction.)

Here is what I am doing this week:

I am starting a new 21 Day Fix challenge group the 24th and a general 60 day support group April 7th. 

If you would like to join me in either of these challenges please message me or fill out the application here.

I would love to have you!

21 Days to Awesome

There has been a lot of buzz in the fitness community about the new 21 Day Fix that is being launched by Beachbody in February. And if this thing delivers what it promises, it is going to rock the fitness world. Losing up to 15 pounds in 21 days....crazy talk or is it?

The 21 Day Fix is a 21 day program with trainer Autumn Calabrese that focuses on portion control and exercise. Portion control through tupperware containers. So easy. No weighing portions, no counting calories or points. If it fits you can eat it....within reason.

Who is Autumn Calabrese?

She is a mommy, a celebrity fitness trainer, certified trainer and a national level bikini competitor.  A rising star in the fitness community, she's made a name for herself by helping people lose weight and get fit through simple portion control and consistent exercise. Autumn holds personal training certificates from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA). Her supportive, motivating style has made her a highly sought-after expert among celebrities and the fitness industry.

How did she come up with the 21 Day Fix?

I love this story. She has worked with many clients as a trainer and talked about how often she sees how hard she pushes people in the gym and looks at what they are eating and it doesn't add up. They should be losing more weight. (Ummm...hello I feel like this all the time.) And it wasn't until she went out to lunch with one of her clients and she saw her client eat a huge salad. Autumn got the same thing and ate 1/3 of the salad. Her client ate the entire thing. And in her client's head, she only ate a salad for lunch and something right there clicked. You can overeat on healthy food too. (Story of my life.) I mean how frustrating is it to keep a food journal and look at all the healthy good things you eat and still not see the movement on the scale you want? If you are anything like me it makes you crazy. Crazy to the point of getting your thyroid tested, talking to doctors and wondering all the time, what is wrong with me? I am so excited for this program to come out I can't even stand it. Because let's be honest, who at home is weighing all their food on a food scale or like me are you just guessing at what a portion size is and how many you are eating? And if you are I give you a standing ovation because that is amazing.

Portion Control Containers:

Now there is no container for chocolate cake but there is the built in to have chocolate on occasion...even a glass of WINE! (Yay wine!) Even though I don't think going 21 days without chocolate or wine is a deal breaker, I love that the option is in there. So the tupperware you get with the program is color coded. For example - Fruits may be purple, protein red, carbs yellow etc. and there is a list of foods that fall under each category. The list is going to start with the best choice and end with the least desirable choice. You pick what you want. Measure it with the container and done. There is a calculation that lets you know how many of each container you get per day. I am assuming it will go off of your current weight, goals, gender, activity level much like the other Beachbody program meal plans.

30 Minute Workouts:

I am in love with the 30 minute workout. (And whoever did the research that found we get the most of our workout in the first 30 minutes, I want to kiss you.) Everyone can find time for 30 minutes in their day, whether it means dvr-ing your favorite show until post workout, getting up 30 minutes earlier, or using part of your lunch break, giving up your facebook scrolling in the morning before work....everyone can squeak in 30 minutes somewhere. Look at your schedule. Where can you spare 10 minutes, 15 minutes and then use them to get in a workout? Trust me. It's possible. And the results can be awesome.

I was able to listen to an interview with Autumn this morning and she briefly about what these workouts are going to be. There are going to be 7 workouts included in the Fix. Including: yoga, pilates, cardio, cardio with weights (LOVE!), and weight training. You will need some type of resistance (dumbbells or bands), a mat, and some awesome shoes. There is a modifier and the exercises are designed for any fitness level. So even if you've done Insanity or P90X, you can push yourself here and get results. This workout is not above or beneath anyone. Check out the video below for more info.

So when does all this go down?

The program is available February 3rd. If you want to be added to the list to be one of the first notified when this thing goes live please click here and sign up for a free account with me as your coach. I will be sending out info to all of my peeps as soon as it launches. If you would like to be part of my exclusive test group starting on February 17th please fill out the application here. And as always if you have any questions or need anything at all please leave a comment below or contact me!

P90x3 Week One and Meal Plan

Today is the day of truth....the day that real life comes back and the holidays are OVER. The tree is down. Ornaments and decor is packed away. (My house looks barren!) My family is back to being scattered all over the country and no longer crammed in my little one bathroom house (8 adults and one bathroom -- super scary!) And, for the most part, I am over my post New Year's Eve sickness I caught from my little one. And it's a monday. The first Monday of the New Year and it is time to get it together.

Over the holidays I slacked. (Total confession -- I took a week and a half off. No workouts at all!) I had a few too many dinners out (that were totally worth it -- catching up with friends I haven't seen in forever.) And I enjoyed every minute of it. Isn't that why I am doing all of this. All of the eating real food, working out, being the best me I can be -- so that when it comes down to it I can enjoy an awesome dinner out and a glass of wine (or 3) with friends and family? I think that all of these things that we view as "cheats" are vital to living and enjoying life. Our resolve to stick to our "diet" should not restrict our willingness to live and savor our lives. It should be the exact opposite! I am committing to eating this way and taking care of myself so I am around to enjoy my life and I have the energy to do it. 

But....all things in moderation. I am not willing to throw all my hard work out the window either. I have learned to pick my treats (so much better sounding than a cheat, right?) well. If it isn't something totally amazing, then it so isn't worth it. No more M & M's or Hershey kisses when I am want chocolate...I am going for the good stuff. The rest isn't worth it. I want it to be something I can completely enjoy. I am going to pick my moments and bask in the joy of living. I want to totally savor my life. 

So that is why, instead of focusing on what I could have done better over the past week and a half, I am focusing on what I gained. Mornings spent drinking coffee and talking to my family (as we all wait patiently for our turn in the shower.) Dinners out with friends talking and laughing. Really great things that can't be measured and calculated. 

And while I am not going to dwell, I am going to move forward full force. I am diving into a new program (P90X3) and am super excited about it. I am also going to really focus on meal planning this time....one of my vices. I am a terrible meal planner. But yesterday I put some time into really getting it said so that it will help me later this week. And I am going to share that meal plan because there is nothing like sharing things to keep my accountable (lesson learned!) 

I am also going to be running a new challenge group starting on January 20th. If you would like to join me in a New Year New You challenge or would like more info please fill out the application here. 

Happy New Year! 

Giving back in November - What I plan to do about it

Oh November. The month that the sales world thinks is December. The month that only gets a week where we acknowledge it with a big old turkey and a pumpkin pie and some fake leaves scattered across the table for decoration. It holds the holiday that we only decorate for if we are hosting it, otherwise we get a jump on the decorating for Christmas.

I always loved Thanksgiving. I loved going out on Turkey Eve and waking up slightly hung over to an awesome dinner -- that I could continue to eat all day long. I loved watching the parade in my jammies while the house filled with the smell of that dinner. I loved waiting for the rest of my family to get there only to spend the day laying around, playing cards or hanging out with my relatives.

Things have changed a lot. Now I have to cook. Turkey Eve takes on a whole new meaning (going to bed at the same time as my toddler so I can wake up to get food in the oven.) Working out a tight oven schedule so that everything gets cooked and served warm. It is all exhausting. And as I sit here worried about the stress of it all, there are families all over who are stressing for a completely different reason. They are stressing about being able to feed their families. And it breaks my heart.

We are plagued, like many others in my generation, by the onslaught of student loan payments and other things. But I am blessed in that I have never had to worry about putting food on the table for my child. There was a time that I had to make tough choices. I was going to school full time, working retail (as many hours as they could give me) and had weeks that I spent every last penny I had. I remember having to search the back of the cupboard to eat what I could find until pay day. And I was fortunate I had those old cans of soup or whatnot to find (and my roommates snacks to steal) until payday.

Maybe it was because I remember that feeling that this article touched my heart so much. I never had to Scary Mommy Thanksgiving Challenge and I am eager to be a part of it.
ask for assistance (I hated even the thought of asking for help from family -- I am so stubborn) and I can't imagine what it would even be like to be in that situation. The pride swallowing, the emotions that go with it. But through this article, I found the

So this is what I decided to do --

For every challenge pack purchased from me November 1st through Thanksgiving, I will sponsor a family through the Scary Mommy Thanksgiving Challenge.

What is a challenge pack?

It is a bundle put together through Beachbody that gives you a 30 day supply of Shakeology, a workout program, a 30 trial of the club membership and access to my challenge groups, coaching, meal planning and support.

So you get all the tools you need to succeed and meet your goals before the New Year and a family gets a Thanksgiving dinner. Win. Win.

*UPDATE*

Since I have made my pledge to give back in November, Beachbody has announced it's monthly deals and plans for November as well. It seems as if I am in good company -- so not only am I giving back by helping to feed a family this month, Beachbody is too. For every Challenge Pack, they are giving back $20 and for every Shakeology Home Direct order they are giving back $10.

Plus when you order a challenge pack, they are giving you a $20 coupon back to use towards a future purchase of $30 or more (which is so easy to do.... )

My next challenge starts November 11th.

Message or email me at scyobe@gmail.com for more details. And check out the Scary Mommy Thanksgiving Challenge for more information or to donate!

Happy Rocktober (and pumpkin flavored everything!)

October is here. Time for the nights to start getting colder (and for me to start freezing at Friday night football games) and for everything to officially become pumpkin flavored. Everything. (Sometimes I feel bad for other yummy fall members of the squash family. Like the butternut squash and the acorn squash which are both just as yummy -- if not yummier -- than the pumpkin.)

So other than October being the month where pumpkin should be running through our veins it also means that within the blink of an eye the holidays will be upon us. (And in a house where I am running around like a crazy person 99% of the time this is more like a half a blink.) 53 days until Thanksgiving. 79 days until Christmas. 86 days until New Years. Eeek! Time to start freaking out a little bit. (or a lot!) Christmas shopping, juggling family obligations, fighting about who is hosting what holiday and what they are going to make. (Because if I have to eat anyone's stuffing other than my mom's, there will be words. Hands down the best.) And of course there is the obligatory family photo for on the Christmas cards and the one relative who always had a camera attached to his face (and typically captures photos of me eating. Because honestly, when I am dead and gone that is what I want everyone to see. Me stuffing my face at every family get together.) So I spend much of my holiday dodging the sniper with a camera and buying at least a dozen outfits in an attempt to find one that makes me look the skinniest (because we all know those who get the Christmas cards are those we rarely see and the whole point is for them to know you are thinking of them and that you want them to see how great you look and how cute your kids are.)

So what if we could rock any outfit we choose (and skip the fashion show that happens right before the picture) and actually enjoy the fact that there is someone running around with a camera and embrace the "Me, me! Right here! I am ready for my close up" attitude?


Welcome to the Rocktober challenge!

Here is how it would work -- 

For 60 days I would put you in a closed Facebook group with others trying to achieve the same goal (including me! yay!) We will break our goals down into 30 day and 60 day goals. We will talk about clean eating, meal preparation, meal planning and everything you need to get set up for success. We will measure progress by not just using the scale but by measurements and photos (I know. Super scary but when you think you aren't making any progress it is amazing to see what you actually done in the photos. Believe me. I've been there! (To see the first part of my journey check this out.) We will do this on Day 1, Day 30 and Day 60.

We will post daily in the group and rate our day on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. We will rate our diet and our exercise (basically how hard you brought it!) and whether or not we had our Shakeology.

We will commit to trying out Shakeology for 60 days. I know once I did it, I fell in love with the
energy I had and how great I felt from getting all the nutrients I need. (*Side note* my nails look awesome. Better than when I was on prenatal vitamins. It is my current obsession since I have struggled with weak and peeling nails forever! One of the perks I didn't know I was going to get.) So Shakeology is going to fuel your body (key word fuel) with the vitamins and nutrients you need throughout the day. And there is a 30 day guarantee on Shakeology so if it isn't working for you, we'll talk (and you get your money back.) --For more on my experience Shakeology read this. AND you can totally make pumpkin Shakeology. (It is awesome.)

We will eat clean. (For more info on what that means read this.) But basically just strive to eat real, whole food. No chemicals and no processed food. I will provide you with recipe ideas, meal planning and all the tools that have worked so far for me on this journey.

We will also commit to working out 5-6 days a week. I don't care if you run, walk or lift. Just get that body moving! If you already workout regularly think about stepping up your game. Adding some weight training to your cardio. If you don't have an exercise regimen we can talk about options. If you are interested in trying a Beachbody program, we can talk about that too and get you set up with something that totally works for you. There are so many options outside of P90x and Insanity (which I feel gets all the love) so if hard core intensity isn't for you, we can totally find something that is. I am currently doing TurboFire and am in LOVE with it. It really gives my inner cheerleader some much needed attention. I have found success with the at home programs from BeachBody because they are a killer workout and they all come with a schedule. So I can wake up, get my toddler some breakfast and toss in a movie, look at the schedule, pop in a DVD and press play. I don't have to worry about getting her ready to go to the gym with me or what series of exercises I am going to do that day. I know me and I need that schedule. I get really freaked out if I am going to miss a day and "mess up" the schedule or the order. But whatever works for you, we will make it happen.


Plus I will give you daily motivation, tips and tricks and share all the research I have accrued over the last few months.

If this sounds like something you would love to do contact me! I am going to have TWO groups enrolling this month. One starting October 14th and the other starting October 28th.

And honestly who wouldn't like to meet their New Years resolution before New Years? How amazing would that be?

The Get on Fire Challenge (and may the odds be ever in your favor)

Maybe I just finished reading The Hunger Games
for the billionth time and maybe I am a teensy obsessed with the TurboFire program so what better way to combine my loves than into a group that I might have wanted to call the Girl on Fire challenge but was worried about violating some sort of copyright law?

But I have an obsession. The Hunger Games series consists of books that I never want to leave. Not because it would be such an awesome place to live but I become so invested in the characters and the story that I want it to go on forever. I want to be able to check back in with Katniss. See if they have built back up District 12. See how her kids are growing up. See how that whole new government thing is working out for everyone. (I also feel this way about the Harry Potter series.) I just can't get them out of my head for months after finishing the books -- no matter how many times I have read them.

I also might have a little bit of a girl crush on Jennifer Lawrence (ok a major girl crush.) I mean how awesome is she?

Between my recent rereading of The Hunger Games trilogy, all the leaks and pictures that are starting to circulate to promote the movie version of Catching Fire this November and the fact that I am in the middle of a workout program called TurboFire it seemed to be screaming for me to start a challenge based on something fire-y (or fire-ish -- Girl on Fire-escque? I don't know but now I totally want to make a shirt that says I am a girl on fire. I told you I am obsessed.)

So here is what I am thinking --

• A 90 day Facebook group dedicated to completing the TurboFire program. I don't care where you get it. Borrow it. Buy it. Whatever. Just commit to doing the program for 90 days. We will support each other and get each other through what I like to call the middle of the program slump where the excitement that propels you the first month has worn off and the end seems so far away. (This is where I struggle the most and what I think is the hardest part!)

**Full disclosure -- I am absolutely in love with this program. It is what you could call my soul mate workout. I feel like it was made for me. It is upbeat, fun and motivating. The music is amazing and it channels the cheerleader I used to be and never want to let go of. You can read more about my love affair with TurboFire and what the actual program is all about here. And you can view a video on the program here.

• We will not only support each other with workouts but with clean eating as well. We will be dedicated to eating healthy foods that will fuel our bodies. We can share recipes and I will provide you with a meal planner and lots of ideas and lists for how to grocery shop and what to buy.

• Clean eating can be hard. It is funny but trying to eat 5-6 times a day can be tricky (and you think it would be easy. More food. Yay!) But I tend to get busy and forget and then over indulge later. I developed a planner page that will help you track your meals and plan your day so this doesn't happen. So not only do you get a weekly meal planner but you get a day planner as well so that nothing can be left to chance. 

• Shakeology -- pretty much everyone at this point knows I love shakeology. It has made a huge difference in my life and my diet. I decided not to make Shakeology a requirement for this group but I highly encourage it. It is one meal I don't have to think about (and when I am super lazy sometimes 2 meals.) And it gives me the nutrition I need to get through the day -- the result of that is more energy and I am less likely to give into my cravings and less prone to stealing an ice cream cone from an unsuspecting child who just happens to be walking past me. 

So when will this start and what is going to happen?

We will start pre-season on September 3rd (the day after Labor Day) -- what is pre-season? That means you have a week to get it together. To start shopping for clean foods to stock your pantry (and get rid of the junk!) To take your measurements (and yes pictures!) and all that stuff everyone loathes doing until you see your before and after pictures side by side and are filled with pride at your accomplishments. 

The actually challenge will start September 9th and 90 days later it will end on December 7th -- I mean who doesn't want to be a On Fire for the holidays (hello - photo ops! I don't know about you but I am sick and tired of hiding from the camera when the holidays roll around. Plus all those relatives you don't see except for at the holidays...you know there is some motivation there.)

And yes -- we will have challenges like Thanksgiving to work around but that is one day (or two or three if you are juggling multiple family commitments like I am) but we will work through it. We will schedule our cheats and talk about the best ways to attend a dinner where no one really cares about your commitment to health and tempts you with pumpkin pie. No biggie. We will totally have this under control. And the reality is, you are always going to have challenges to work around. Maybe not a national holiday but birthdays, when your co workers bring donuts to work, weddings, showers, more birthdays. They are always going to be there. The best thing you can do is educate yourself and understand how your body feels when you are giving it the best possible nutrition. I promise you will start to be pickier about your cheats and how they need to be the best possible indulgence or they are so not worth it. 

Plus what makes this even better is there is an awesome promotion going on featuring TurboFire this month. So you have 10 more days to take advantage of this deal. What it does for you is it bundles the TurboFire workout with a 30 day supply of Shakeology - normally this bundle is a discount in and of itself, however this month it is discounted even more. (Check out the how you can save with a challenge pack here. )

Send me a message or an email scyobe@gmail.com for more info or to get enrolled! 

Why I sucked it up and joined a challenge group (And now have to put my foot in my mouth)

What the heck is a challenge group?

Typically that is what I hear (peppered with a tone that reads "you are the mayor of crazytown") when I tell people what I have been up to and involved in the last two months. And a few months ago I would have been the one to roll my eyes and and mock the entire thing. Repeatedly. Because honestly, how are a group of strangers on the internet really going to help me? I have friends. I don't need pretend ones online. How in the hell would this give me any type of accountability or motivation?

But I had been watching some old friends on my Facebook feed talk about these groups and their successes and I reached a point where I figured I had nothing to lose (and yes, I was desperate.) I was working out and counting calories with no changes happening. I was frustrated and angry and decided to put my foot in my mouth when I found that I was indeed wrong about the entire thing.
(And I kept the fact that I joined group a secret for probably a month because I don't like to be wrong. Ever. Ask my husband.)

I sent an email to my friend Katy and asked her if she had any room left in a group she was starting. I didn't really know what I was getting into or what the rules were. Just that she was going to put me into a closed group on Facebook with a bunch of strangers. (And to be honest, I didn't even know what a closed group was. I kept checking my wall to make sure my group posts weren't there for all to see.)

So here are some basics:

A challenge group is a closed group on Facebook. It is either 30, 60 or 90 days. You commit to this group and in doing so commit to trying Shakeology, commit to checking in every day and in some groups commit to doing a fitness program or working out in some way.

When you check in every day you rate your day on 1-5 for your diet, your workout and a yes or no if you had your Shakeology that day.

Some groups are really specific, that all members are completing a certain program together (think Insanity) and are there to complain about Shawn T and pull each other through when you really just don't think you can look at his face anymore.

Some groups are only for clean eating and everyone shares recipes and tips and tricks.

Some groups are super flexible and allow you to do whatever workout you want as long as you workout.

They are all the same in that you participate, set some goals and make it happen.

There were some times I fell off the wagon. Where it would have been easier to quit and not workout and to eat some cake. (Yay cake!) But being in a group like this made me feel like I had to keep going. (Honestly, I probably wouldn't have finished Insanity if it wasn't for my group. After moving across the country and missing 5 days I was so ready to just throw in the towel. But I knew they would know if I quit.) And I enjoyed seeing what everyone was posting and what they were doing. And all the crazies working out 2 times a day made me want to push more.  I was not going to let some stranger get better results than I was. There were times that knowing I would have to post changed what I put in my mouth. If I had pizza for dinner it was totally going to make my food intake for the day go from a 5 to a 3. I know it sounds silly. I really thought so too until I was involved. I mean who would be the wiser if I lied. But if I lied, I would only be cheating myself. And haven't I done that enough already?


So my advice is to get over yourself and join a challenge group. What do you have to lose?





**I am ready to share the love and have new challenge groups starting all the time. Message me for details!