Patience with Joy (and stepping WAY outside my comfort zone!)

I do a Bible study each week with Community Bible Study and I am a children's teacher so that means I do my study on Wednesdays and on Thursdays I spend my morning with the youth. As part of our Wednesday mornings, everyone is asked to sign up for a week and prepare a devotional around a specific theme.  This year our theme was prayer. We were to read through some prayers in the Bible and prepare something to share.

I have spent quite a few years in this study (not this specific class but with CBS in general) and in the past I always avoided giving my devotion. I would "forget" to sign up or sign up for a day I knew a conflict would arise. I was terrified to share a teeny tiny 3-5 minute devotion when I had no problem getting in front of a group of kids and speaking. I didn't want the grown ups to judge me.

Since this year has been about forcing myself out of my comfort zone. I did it. And it was great. Or my group of 30 some women loved it and told me it was great (yay God for giving me the right words to speak...because I literally threw it together the morning I read it.) And then a month later I was approached about sharing this in an opening on a Thursday morning potentially in front of hundreds of women. Ummm....excuse me?

Luckily, leading up to today, we were traveling and crazy busy. I had no time to get nervous. I was even okay this morning, until I was walking up the steps to the podium (taking deep cleansing breaths on the way.) But,  I did it. Slightly awkwardly towards the end as my voice got a little shaky, I lost my place and kind of just ended.  What are you going to do? It is what it is. So here is what I shared this morning.

Colossians 1: 9-12

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks^[a] to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

For endurance and patience with joy.

And God loves to test my patience.

I shared with the teens over the course of studying Esther that I am not a patient person. I actually had to take a personality assessment when I worked for American Eagle (on the retail side) and scored lowest in patience….which for them was great. I had a high sense of urgency. I would get things done now because waiting around for stuff made me (and still makes me) a little bit (okay a whole lot of) crazy.

 Now I don’t work retail anymore and haven’t for some years but that high sense of urgency hasn’t left me. I want things to happen now. I want to make a plan and carry it out…no time to waste. How productive can I be….how much can I squeeze into a day? If it was feasible I would schedule every hour so that efficiency was maximized. I feel the need to accomplish the things on my to do list and add more to my plate all the time. I need to be important. I need to be needed. I need everyone to know they can count on me to get it done. (And that's a whole other work in progress.)

But God wants me to be patient. And not just patient….patient with joy.

And the irony here is that I married a man whose job is pretty dependent on the weather and what is available. John works for a company that paints bridges. And bridges don’t move. You have to go to them. And we never know where the next job will be…or what state will vote to have it’s funds distributed so that bridge repair and maintenance gets a cut of it. (hint Pennsylvania doesn’t do this often…..) And then we talk about what is available. (and I don’t get to make a plan yet…at least out loud.) And then there are pre-bid meetings. (and no…I don’t get to make a plan yet.) And then there is the bidding process (no plan) and then there is the matter of awarding the job to someone. And even if we don’t get the job, I don’t get to make a plan yet. Because contractors default all the time. Or challenge the bidding process. So a lot of times it gets awarded to the second or third bidder…..it’s a waiting game.

 Patient with joy.

And then….even when we get the job and seems like we are ready to figure out a plan for my life and how we are going to juggle this (moving, staying – some sort of schedule for the year) They go into contract negotiations with the state and the start date gets pushed back.

I usually don’t get to make a plan until a week or two before (and that’s if I am lucky….) because his job often depends on the weather as well.

And even once we have the job, I never really know when he is coming home for the “winter off season” and when he is leaving again because of the weather. He came home exceptionally late this year and just left again (typically he doesn’t leave until mid-March) because unlike here, the weather there is unseasonably warm.

And we are entering the season of bidding new jobs and trying to figure out what may happen in the next year or two.

God still wants me to be patient and patient with joy.

So even though I do not know what the next few months will bring….in reality none of us do. Things happen all the time that can uproot us…jobs are lost, family members are lost, we have to move, or start over in something….change happens. It is an inevitable part of growth and life.

I just have the a little sneak peek over the next hill…the knowledge that it’s definitely coming for us sooner than it does for many others and anticipation that comes with it. And with that anticipation I have to remember to be patient with joy. Enjoy the moments we have in the place that we are. Live in that moment because I don’t know where we will be going next.

A Doubting Spouse and Shakeology (and how I knew I was right the whole time)

I have a pretty awesome husband (don't tell him I said that though... he will never let me live it down! Haha!) around last year at this time he knew I was unhappy. He knew I was struggling with being a stay at home mom, his travel schedule and my weight. So when I bought Insanity and then a few weeks later decided to join a challenge group, he didn't bat an eye (other than to say that I better stick with it.) When he found out that Shakeology was a requirement for the group and what the price point was, he gave me a look and said that I really better stick with it and if it really delivers on all of it's promises then it would be worth it (which I am pretty sure he said to appease me). He knew I needed a change, that I needed something. And it was that decision that has lead me to where I am right now.



Now for him, it took a little longer. He knew I was getting results, working my booty off, eating right and attributing my new Shakeology addiction for the decrease in my stomach problems and asthma symptoms. He really didn't get on board until late July, very late July, like the last few days of July late. Once he started to notice the benefits, he really and truly became my biggest fan (not that he wasn't already, I just think he was sick of hearing me talk about how much I loved everything about what I was doing.) Even now, he won't more than a day or two without a shake. He can feel the difference in his energy levels. It has also reduced his cravings and reduced that mid-afternoon crash he used to get everyday.  For both of us it has aided in weight loss but even more than that it has kept us from getting sick as often. John has lost about 25 pounds. Like many of us, his weight would fluctuate but stay around a certain number, relatively speaking. Now that number is about 15 pounds lower continually. All of this without any added exercise (even though I harp on him about that too. I am really pushing to get him on the P90X3 bandwagon -- I mean 30 minutes, he can totally do that!)

The pictures above and below were taken over a year apart. The reality was that we both were not really all about jumping in front of the camera. But I was that size until I started with Insanity in March of 2013. I just avoided cameras. That may be one of the only family pictures of us from that year. (And how sad is that. Avoiding taking pictures with my daughter because I was unhappy with myself. I am so glad I have learned that lesson and moved forward!) In the picture on the left, I had been on Shakeology for about 6 months and had completed Insanity and Turbofire. John on the other hand had been on Shakeology about 3 months and hadn't added any exercise to his life. (Figures! Men. Sometimes I swear if they breathe differently they lose weight while us ladies are shedding blood, sweat and tears!)

For more information on Shakeology and to hear more about my experience click here. (And trust me it is not all puppies dancing through rainbows.) And always if I can help in anyway please don't hesitate to contact me.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole (and how using what you have can turn into amazing!)

I've been playing a game lately that has really challenged me creatively. It's called use up all the food in your freezer and garage (I have squash hanging out in the garage from my farm share this fall. Thanks to the freezing winter we've had, it has all kept really well! And a ton of soup frozen in my freezer.) I don't want to wait until summer to try and get through this stuff. If we are being honest here, soup in the summer is kind of awful! And I want to make the most of what I have -- less clutter, less storage of stuff. I am adopting a use it up or donate it to someone who can use it mantra this year. And it starts with my freezer (and helps lower my grocery bill!)

Last nights dinner was made with spaghetti squash from the garage, spaghetti sauce from the pantry (yes I use jarred spaghetti sauce - total cheater and a little bit lazy) and some frozen ground beef from a half a cow my mom bought and had butchered this fall. (But you could totally leave out the meat and serve this as a side dish too!) Using-up-what-I-have success! Of course the cheese and other veggies I grabbed at the store. Here's what I did:

SERVINGS: 6

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 lb ground meat (I used ground beef but turkey would work too!)
1 sm onion, chopped

1 tsp dried basil1 tomato, chopped1 pepper, diced1 carrot, shredded1 c feta cheese2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I also reserved a little bit for on top!) 16 ounces tomato sauce1/4 c chopped parsley (used dried)

Directions
1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish and a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the squash, cut side down, on the sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. With a fork, scrape the squash strands into a large bowl.



2. MEANWHILE, warm the oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Cook the ground meat until cooked through. Drain and place cooked meat in bowl. 

3.  Add the onion and basil. (Add a little more oil if necessary.) Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add remaining veggies. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is dry.

4. ADD the feta cheese, mozzarella, parsley, sauce and veggie mixture to the bowl with the squash. Stir to mix. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and bread crumbs.

5. BAKE for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through.

You can also top it with some fresh grated parmesan cheese for a little zing! Yay dinner! 

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!

January 2014 Flash Sale

The promotions this January have been nothing short of awesome. Two HUGE products that are aimed at getting killer results in 30 minutes a day or less. And everyone's got time for that.

Both the T25 and P90X3 challenge packs are on sale for $180 this month....which is a crazy good deal. You not only get the workouts but an entire month of Shakeology included in that price. (Seriously...better than my coach discount!)

Personally, I have been using P90X3. And three weeks in I am in a really deep like with it (not quite love yet...maybe infatuation. I mean it is a little early.) But I am getting some great results. My flexibility has improved. The number of pushups I can do has improved. So some great non-scale victories there! And the Tony Horton cheesy one liners are kept to a minimum. With only 30 minutes there isn't much room to chat. Get in and get out.

Maximum efficiency is something that is really important to me. I don't have all the time in the world to stretch and hold yoga poses (as much as I would like to....well maybe the yoga not so much) with a toddler getting into trouble and two dogs running around beneath my feet (most likely hiding from my toddler who is chasing them with something.) When mom is preoccupied, it turns into crazy town around here. Less time working out, typically means less time she can find to get into a giant mess (that I will have to clean up later!)

I know you're all like, that is great Sara....we know your life is crazy. Mine is too. So what about this flash sale. We already know about the promotional prices and that you are doing X3 and that T25 is only 25 minutes, I mean people have been talking about that for almost 6 months....

So here is what I am going to do for the last week of January 2014 only. Starting January 27th through January 31 EST I am going to give you $30 cashback on ANY challenge pack order and $10 cash back on any Shakeology Home Direct order. All those that are ordered through me as your Beachbody coach of course...which we can totally make that happen right here.

So if you have been eyeing up either T25 or P90X3 this is a great time to try it. (Umm...Shut the front door. A month of Shakeology plus the workout for $150. That's crazy talk.)

Not loving the idea of T25 or P903? There are a ton of other workout programs available. (Hello Turbofire. Love of my life.) So please contact me about what could work for you.

And as always Shakeology has a bottom of the bag guarantee so if you end up less than satisfied, you can totally send that back. So it is pretty much risk free.

Unstuffed Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls over Farro

I was on a mission. I really wanted cabbage rolls but didn't want to deal with actually making them. Steaming the cabbage. Making the filling. Getting it to roll (and stay) together! And I wanted to throw it all in the slow cooker so I could get other things done. (I know. I'm needy.)

And I wanted some meat but not a lot of meat. I am not a huge meat eater. I typically just don't have a taste for it. Blame it on the P90x3 or the heavy lifting I have been doing lately, but I have just been craving it like crazy. All I want to eat is meat or eggs. Or eggs on top of meat. This is so weird for me but I have been really trying to listen to my body and give it what it needs (if only this rational worked for chocolate cupcakes....)

So after searching without really finding what I was looking for, I decided to just combine all the different recipes I perused online. And really how bad could it be? We are pretty much talking cabbage, sauce and a few variations. Kind of hard to screw up.

I also knew I wanted a grain. I had a bag of farro I picked up when I went to visit Bob's Red Mill this summer (I love that place!) that I hadn't done anything yet so I figured it was time. I also looked up some info on the ancient and not mentioned very often grain (since I really had no idea what it was used for and what--if any-- benefits there were to adding it to my diet.) and here are some of the highlights....

It is related to modern wheat and considered to be an ancient grain. It is typically found in Italian cuisine. (Think ancient wheat growing on the Tuscan countryside.)

It has a higher protein and a higher fiber content than it's more popular cousin.

It is high in magnesium and B vitamins. And we don't talk about magnesium much but it is really important to have in our diets. It is typically found in green leafy veggies and nuts and seeds. It may be super important for bone health and density, help control inflammation, and even aid in energy production  (For more magnesium benefits check this out.)

In a 1/2 cup of raw farrow you get:

• 170 calories
• 1.5 g fat
• 34 g carbohydrates
• 5 g dietary fiber
• 6 g of protein
• 2 mg iron
• 4 mg niacin
• 60 mg magnesium
• 2 mg zinc

It is chewy and yummy and really reminds me of barley (which I love.) So it was perfect to make a hearty (and clean) bowl of comfort food for a snowy night.

So here is my recipe for super easy throw it all in the slow cooker and walk away

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls 

1 head of green cabbage coarsely chopped
1 jar marinara sauce
1-2 cups of veggie stock
1 lb ground meat (I used organic free range turkey)
1 package mushrooms
1/2 large sweet onion - diced
sprinkle nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Place a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of the crock pot. Add the raw meat (broken up), mushrooms and onion. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add chopped green cabbage. Pour in the stock and remaining marinara. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Eat over cooked farro (I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Farro) or grain of choice. Follow package directions to cook.

I set a timer and made the farrow about an hour prior to when we wanted to eat so it was all ready at the same time.

It was pretty awesome (and so easy) that this will definitely make the recipe rotation (with or without the meat.)


_________________________________________________________________________________

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/555086-bulgur-vs-farro/
http://www.3fatchicks.com/the-nutritional-value-of-farro/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=75

P90x3 Week Two Meal Plan and Week One Results

I both love and hate starting new workouts. I love the excitement of something new and mixing it up. I love the potential for killer results. I even love how sore I am after starting something new or different from what I was doing. But I also hate starting new workouts. I hate not knowing what each DVD means (especially when they are called things like The Warrior -- what does that even mean except it is a workout for warriors. Maybe I should borrow my daughter's makeshift sword?) I hate not knowing what equipment I will need when. I hate not knowing all the moves and spending the extra time watching what they are doing, sometimes waiting for the modification and then skipping back to try and get the most out of my time doing the workout.

So during week one of P90X3 I followed the classic schedule which is designed to have the traditional balance of
cardio and resistance with muscle confusion. I am crazy sore and feel great but I also feel a little bit lacking in the cardio department (mark that down because this girl hates cardio!) So for week two I am going to switch it up and follow the lean schedule. Now the lean schedule isn't better for weight loss. It is just designed to have a bit more cardio so your results are a more toned look. Both lean and classic can work equally well for weight loss but with lean you target functionality, mobility and cardiovascular fitness instead of muscle hypertrophy (growth of muscle cells.) So after looking into both options further, I am opting to switch to the lean schedule.


Even though I am switching to the lean schedule I am scheduling a doubles day and keeping The Challenge in the rotation. I LOVE it. It is so hard. Essentially for 30 minutes you alternate pull ups and push ups. Since I suck at push ups, I feel this is a personal mountain I need to climb. I want to be an awesome push up doer (and to be able to do them ALL on my toes. But looking at the fact that last year at this time I could barely do five on my knees, I have come a long way! Yay for non-scale victories!)

CVX was another awesome workout (it might be my favorite) that I am so happy to see included in the lean schedule. It cardio with weights. That had me dripping sweat and feeling like I was going to die (in the best way possible!)

And I lost three pounds this week. Whoo hoo!  Even with messing up my meal plan big time due to schedule changes, weather problems, unexpected meetups with friends we haven't seen in forever and all that stuff we like to call life happening. This is a double edged sword for me because I have trouble keeping my eyes from wandering over to the whole "well what would my results be like if I did what I was supposed to do?"

So my big week two goal? Follow my meal plan.

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.