21 Days, Happy September and Happy Birthday to Me!

September has always been kind of a big deal in my house.

The end of summer. The start of a new school year (including new school supplies!) AND it's my birthday month. Yay!

The number 21 is also kind of awesome. Not only is it my birthday day but it has been instilled in my head by many of the bosses I have had that it takes 21 days to make a habit. 21 days....3 weeks...to the breaking of old habits and the starting of bright and shiny new ones. I don't know if I necessarily agree with that mantra but I do know that awesome things can happen in 21 days.

In March, we launched a little program called the 21 Day Fix. It kind of exploded. It was the program everyone seemed to want to get their hands on and for good reason.

And imagine my excitement when I found out it is on sale for the month of September.

Because it isn't just a workout program. It is a foolproof nutrition program. Portion sized containers. No measuring. No counting calories. If it fits in the container, you eat it. Easy.  (For more info on the 21 Day Fix click here.) The containers. I LOVE the containers.

So to celebrate this month and this awesome program I am going to be hosting a brand new health and fitness accountability group starting September 29th.


PLUS if you sign up with me as your free coach this month you will be entered to win one of my favorite, super awesome, can't live without it, 30 day supply of awesomeness. And yes it is that good.

Moms, Margaritas and the Official Start of Summer

May is here and while we survived the national day of drinking margaritas and eating tacos pretending we might actually know what Cinco De Mayo signifies, there are so many more things to come. Mothers' Day, the opening of pools, barbecues, warm summer nights with lighting brought to you by the glow of lightning bugs....Summer is my favorite time of year. Cheer camp, sunshine all day, nights where it is warm enough to sit outside, the fact that it stays light out until nine o'clock!  I could keep going and going.....

But there are also some things about summer that can be scary....bathing suits, shorts, short skirts, ice cream and let's be honest when we talk about the food choices at most summer get togethers. It is typically not filled with the best options when it comes to your waistline. But there is a way to navigate these summer parties unscathed (and trust me, your shorts will thank you) and it all boils down to holding yourself accountable.

Over the last year, I have found the best way to hold myself accountable is to get into a challenge group! Everyone involved keeps me in check. We hold each other to what we promised and that is helping eachother reach our goals.  Friendships have been formed and some of the ladies from my very first challenge group are still there, keeping me in check.

I totally didn't believe in the power of an online group to do much of anything (other than annoy me) but I needed something. And much to my chagrin, it worked. I not only found the key to my success but some pretty cool people along the way. (To read more about challenge groups click here.)

So this is what I have happening for May (and early June)

May 19th Clean Eating Bootcamp:

I am starting a FREE clean eating bootcamp. Yes this is totally free but I need your dedication and participation for 21 Days. You need to commit to showing up and I will give you:

• Meal planning strategies
• Recipes
• Eating out strategies
• Support and accountability

Shakeology is not required for the group but I highly recommend it. It is the one meal I don't have to think about everyday. It gives me the energy I need to keep up with my kiddo and I know my body is getting the nutrition it needs. It makes my life just that much simpler. (And simple is good.) To read more about how shakeology has impacted my life and dietary habits click here.

To join this group sign up for a free account here and request membership to the group! 

June 2nd  60 Day Summer Slim Down Challenge:

This is going to be more of a traditional challenge group. We will eat clean. We will workout. We will get some killer results. 

So this is what you get:

• Meal planning strategies
• Recipes
• Eating out strategies
• Support and accountability
• Daily motivation
• One on one support from me (I will not let you slip through the cracks!)
• Results

If you show up every day and give it all you've got I promise you that you will see real results. Both on the scale and off the scale. 

Shakeology is a requirement for this group. Why is it required? Because not only is it the one thing I don't have to think about and plan during hectic and crazy mornings. It is totally portable (I always bring it on vacation with me...one less meal to buy!) and fast. It gives me the nutrition I need, helps control my cravings and really keeps me on track. You can read more about why I drink shakeology daily here.

To reserve your spot in either of these groups fill out the application here.

Happy May! 

Road Trip! (I wish! -- I mean cross country airline trip with LOTS of baggage)

We travel. A lot. When your husband works on the opposite side of the country from which you live and you refuse to give up something you love that pays you in hugs and kisses (and not really your pocketbook,) maintaining a relationship is left to skype, phone calls and lots of air travel.

Now that I am obsessed with not eating things like GMO's and food that isn't "real," it puts a whole new spin on how hard it is to travel. Especially when you tend to pack heavy and your entorauge through the airport includes a toddler and two dogs.

While we have perfected getting through ticketing and security (we can totally beat any well traveled businessman, toddler & carry on terrier included - which I think is hilarious because everyone avoids getting behind us in line. Ha! Jokes on you. I rock security. I also have similar feelings to the nasty looks I get when boarding a plane with my child. I get all my kid has probably traveled more than you dude save your looks for the rookie parent travelers.)

One thing I know about air travel is it is unpredictable. Just when you get used to everything being delayed and running to try and catch your connecting flight, everything is on time or early and you actually have extra time to seek out something yummy (and as healthy as you can find in an airport- good luck!) to eat.

Either way, when we stop I have two priorities - a potty break for B (which is sometimes a change as we are in the middle moving to the end *fingers crossed* of potty training) and a potty break for the little dog. (She will chews holes in her carrier if she doesn't get a potty break. Keeping her claws and teeth of of the mesh that holds her in the bag for the entirety of a 4+ hour flight - not fun for my back or my scratched up hands or the drunk lady on the 9 a.m. flight who accused me of abusing and suffocating my dog since I had my hand in her bag the entire time. But that is another-get-me-fired-up-story.)

I have found these two potty breaks take presidence and whatever we have time for after is great. In case there is no time left at all, I have a nice list of go to airplane (or car) friendly snacks I love to pack.

Quartered strawberries in a few small tupperware containers
Blueberries in small tupperware containers
An apple or two
Clementines
Sugar snap peas
Carrot chips or sticks (B still needs them small) or baby carrots

And small baggies of:

Almonds
Cashews
Raisins
Dried Apple Rings (make sure all fruit is no sugar added)
Shakeology packets

All super easy and nothing requires cooking or baking on top of trying to get your life packed into a suitcase (or 6. Okay, maybe 8.) That is what I need when we are making our yearly trek to wherever John is working. I have enough to worry about with trying to get the dogs' healthy travel certificates and making sure I don't forget whatever stuffed animal has the coveted favorite-B-can't-sleep-without-it spot. (Forgetting that is a melt down on a plane stuffed with angry travelers waiting to happen.) I try to keep it simple with things I can partition into snack size baggies or small tupperware containers. I can just pass out the snacks when we are on the plane and not get sucked into buying one of those overpriced snack boxes full of processed goodies. I also vary the fruit to what is in season (or on sale.) If it is a winter trip, you will not find me buying strawberries and blueberries.

Happy Travels!

No Looking Back - The Clean Eating Challenge

So Clean Eating. I've been talking about it a lot. I've been doing it (with some ups and downs) for almost 3 months and have had some amazing results. I have found that I have more energy. That the "rules" are easy to follow. I don't feel deprived. I love having a plan. And on those days I falter or feel like taking an entire bag of Ghiradelli chocolates to the face, I have my challenge group to fall back on. (Or report to depending on the day and the role I assigned them for that day.) Some days they are my police and some days they are my cheerleaders. And yes, most of them are strangers.

What?

Seriously.

Who is this person that has invaded my body and is talking about people online like they are real and able to do something as crazy as keep me in check and motivate me to be better? Who would've thought? It actually works. (To read more about my personal challenge group experience click here.)

So what exactly is a challenge group?

For this challenge, I am running a 30 day Clean Eating Challenge group. So you commit to me for 30 days. For these 30 days we are going to drink Shakeology every day and we are going to eat clean.

I am going to give you recipes. I am going to check in with you every day to see how you are doing, what you need and give you the support you need to meet your goals. Whether your goals are to start clean eating or to take your clean eating to the next level, we are going to cover that. Together. I am going to be right there beside you rocking some clean eating meals and snacks.

And it isn't going to be just me. There are going to be people you probably don't know in this group and they are going to be working toward the same goals you are. You can ask each other questions and benefit from what others have learned. All of this right there in a convenient, closed Facebook group. (So no one can see what you are posting in there each day, I swear.)

We are going to drink Shakeology - which is one thing I never really knew I needed until I had it in my life - as a meal replacement every day. (I like mine for lunch.) It will help keep you full, keep your cravings in check and make you feel awesome in all sorts of different ways.  And believe me when I say I didn't believe any of this stuff until I tried it. There are all sorts of buzzwords around Shakeology like super foods and the healthiest meal of the day. The marketing alone was enough to make me a skeptic. But I gave it a shot and this stuff seriously rocks. (Read about my experience with Shakeology here.)

We are going to check every day and post two things. If you had your shake and how your clean eating is going by rating it from 1-5 for the day. There will be ups and downs. There will be super awesome days and some cheat days. There will always be support, encouragement and tips on how to do it better tomorrow.

What is going to happen as a result of all this clean eating? More energy, more sparkle and feeling great on the inside and out. That whole foggy, tired I need a nap in the afternoon feeling will be lifted. (To read more about clean eating and the rules we will follow click here.)

So we are going to talk clean eating, share recipes and keep each other on track. We can do this. Together. Nothing is impossible especially when we are in it together. I will not let you fail.

My next challenge group is starting on July 15th and I can't wait! Message me for more details!