Beachbody On Demand - Now Available

One thing many people don't know is that when you join Team Beachbody, there are two options for membership. The free account and the Club Membership. Most people opt for the free account and why wouldn't you? You get access to your coach (me!) and can contact me at the click of a button, access to the message boards in case you have a question or need some help from other team members, and you can use the supergym to log and track your workouts. I always tell my customers that the biggest benefit to the Club membership is the access to custom meal planning and recipes. BUT if you are like me, you may enjoy perusing Pinterest and cookbooks and coming up with a meal plan for the week. If that is the case there really isn't that much more to the Club membership besides the 10% discount on products. If you order supplements or things regularly, the discount may be worth it (but when that is the case, discount coaching typically is the most bang for your buck there.) Truthfully, I never really encouraged joining with the Club membership because I didn't see the benefit. 

Well that has all changed with the rollout of Beachbody On Demand. 

What does Beachbody on Demand Even Mean?

It means that Club membership that was kind of blah before is now worth it's weight in awesome. Now any workout that is in the Beachbody Member Library is available to stream to any of your devices. All you need is an internet connection. 

The digital versions of the program guides and workout calendars are also available. 

And the programs available for streaming in the Member Library aren't just the old workouts no one loves or uses or has never heard of (because that would be tricky and mean) but includes some of the biggest workouts available like P90X and Insanity. It also has two of my very favorite programs, TurboFire and Chalean Extreme. (No more having to pack those when I travel. Yay!)

Plus it offers a sneak peek into some of the newest programs Beachbody has to offer through the New and Noteworthy section so you can check them out BEFORE you commit. Curious about the new 21 Day Fix Extreme or PiYO? There are sample workouts there for you to try.  

There will also be a Purchased Programs section available soon. This will give you digital access to programs you have already purchased through TeamBeachody.com or Beachbody.com as they become available digitally. So there really is no need to pack all those discs anymore (unless you are headed to somewhere without internet connection.) 

Is Beachbody on Demand for me?

• If you are on the fence about a program and like to try it before you buy it, the Club membership might be for you. 

• Or if are you like me and you have a little bit of workout ADD and want to be able to switch it up between programs 

• If you are someone who travels a lot and doesn't want the hassle of packing a program to bring along (or have to make the decision about WHICH program to bring!)

• Or you want to be able to switch between programs to help keep your body guessing and maintain results 

How Much Does it Cost?

For what Beachbody is providing through the Member Library, I would expect the cost of this to be quite a bit. But the breakdown of this is about  $2.99 a week. This is billed quarterly for a total of $38.87. Your membership can also be canceled or changed at anytime so you aren't locked in for any set period. There are no contracts.  Plus you get all the additional Club membership benefits: the customizable meal planning (including printable grocery lists), celebrity trainer chats, access to me as your coach and my support groups, AND 10% off all Beachbody products including Shakeology. 

AND this month there is an extra special way to try the new On Demand feature, through a challenge pack. This will give you a month's supply of Shakeology (a $129.95 value) and THREE months worth of Beachbody on Demand (a $38.87 value) for $140.00. If you currently drink Shakeology or have been wanting to try it, this is definitely the way to go. 

How Do I Sign Up? 

Easy. If you have a free Team Beachbody account, log in and go to the Beachbody on Demand tab and select upgrade. 

If you don't have an account, no worries. You can sign up for one here. 

And always feel free to contact me with any questions! 

Molly's 21 Day Fix Transformation

I decided I wanted to start doing a new series that features REAL people. My people. My coaches and challengers who have worked their tails off to change their lifestyles and achieve some pretty impressive transformations.

I know there are lots of articles and things out there that show you how to "fake" a transformation picture when it comes to weight loss. And that just makes me so sad (and angry and annoyed but the rollercoaster of emotions is the name of the game at 33 weeks pregnant.) We should be celebrating people's hard work and dedication to make their live's better not trying to fake something to get social media attention or sales. It is just terrible to take advantage of people especially preying on their weakness and insecurity. It is THOSE posts that really inspired me to make this as REAL as possible. Not using pics with professional lighting and celebrating the people I have walked this journey side by side, talking about their reasons, their struggles and how to keep going. (Because there are struggles everyday. Cake may be one of them.)

Now I firmly believe that transformations are WAY more than just the picture of what happens in someone's physical appearance. There is a shift in our attitude, the way we think and the way we feel. Some people are naturally small (and I may hate them a little bit...kidding!) but not healthy. Some people have a lot of weight to lose but are generally healthier than others. We ALL have our different struggles and this isn't a place to judge but to encourage and inspire.

So this is Molly's story:

"Since college I have always been about 150 no matter what changes I made to my diet. In my eyes I wasn't 'fat' but I was uncomfortable and lacked confidence. I found out I was pregnant with my first son in May of 2012 and my starting weight was 150, by the time he was 6 months old I was down to 140 without diet or exercise- just by not eating cookies and milk (my weakness) and I'm sure nursing also helped. I was happier with my body but I was tired all the time!!

When he was 9 months old we found out I was pregnant with our second son!  By the end of my pregnancy I was almost 195 and had a tough time walking or doing any sort of activity. I knew I was pregnant but my weight gain was excessive and all I wanted to do was eat. Once he entered the world I knew I needed to do something to lose the weight. 

I heard about Shakeology and saw amazing transformations of people who I am friends with on Facebook. So I decide to take part in a 7 day shakeology and clean eating group to see what it was all about. Clean eating was something I had never heard of before and really this whole realm of  nutrition and fitness was foreign to me. I decided to get the 21 day fix and sign up as a coach. I was still a little skeptical but it didn't take long for me to become a firm believer it the whole system through Beachbody. Once I discover a recipe that I loved with my Shakeology I was unstoppable! I love the workouts and how not only my body but my mind was changing. 

I have always had back pain ever since I was in my teens, and have been seeing chiropractor for a very long time but working out changed all of that and I was virtually pain free and only need to see a chiropractor once a month as apposed to 3-4 times! My craving dropped significantly and I notice that my mind was clearer and I felt happier and less tired and frazzled all the time! I'm 21 short days I lost 14 lbs and 13 1/4 inches of my body! Since I joined Beachbody on September 27, 2014,  I have lost 32 pounds and I am happy to say I am back down to 150! I still have a way to go until I reach my goal weight and the body I want but with the different workout programs shakeology and the challenge groups I know I will get there very soon."

You can follow Molly and her story on Facebook 

I you have any questions or want to learn more about the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme please feel free to comment below or contact me on Facebook. 

Why I am Super Excited to Get Extreme

So today I had a little bit of the can't-sleep-super-excited-ness going on. Because finally (FINALLY!!!) the 21 Day Fix Extreme is available. Whoo hoo! I can not wait to get my hands on this. (Even if I can't actually do it for another month or three. Welcome to the middle of the third trimester, when just getting out of bed and putting on your shoes can be really hard.)

But the reality is that the next five weeks are going to FLY by and this baby is coming whether I am ready or not and the typical six week waiting period for exercise post baby is going to be a total blur. With B I remember writing down the details of every feeding, nap, diaper change, medication (for me not her) and anything else that required me to remember something that happened at a certain time with a certain amount. That little system was a lifesaver because I'm not sure I remembered my name during those weeks (let alone the last time I took a pain pill or changed the baby.)

SO...ordering a new program and coming up with meal plans aren't going to happen post baby (at least for a while). That can be HARD. Especially when you are trying to meal plan with a whole new set of rules. It took me a good 3-4 weeks to get my 21 Day Fix meal planning to run smoothly. And quite frankly, I am not going to have the energy or the patience to go through that again.

My make it happen plan? Having those things ready to go so when May gets here, I can hit the ground running. I am planning on getting my meal plans and grocery lists ready to go. I may have to start with the 21 Day Fix workouts but I will be following the Extreme meal plan from the get go. Having a baby in the spring does have the unfortunate downside of summer being right around the corner so I want to be as ready as I can be.

What exactly is the Fix Extreme? 

It's amazing to think that a year ago Beachbody launched one of the most successful at home workout programs of all time,  The 21 Day Fix.  30 minute workouts (with modifications) were paired with an absolute fool proof container and portion system and the RESULTS did not lie. 

With the 21 Day Fix Extreme, Autumn is back with a brand new set of moves and is taking the meal plan to the next level! 

The goal with the 21 Day Fix Extreme is to create killer results, more muscle tone, definition, tightened up nutrition plan and advanced moves. This worked is truly meant to get you shredded. Autumn actually shares her competition meal plan with you to help you finally lose those pesky pounds that many of us hold. (I for one am super excited to try the countdown to competition plan!) 

At the beginning of January, I was able to attend a Beachbody event here in Pittsburgh, meet Autumn and get to hear her talk about the Fix Extreme live (which was really cool.) We even got to do a live Fix Extreme workout with Autumn and let me tell you....it was no joke and isn't something I would recommend for beginners (especially when the Fix is so great!) But if you're like me and need to start out with a major challenge (because I am the girl who went from the couch to doing Insanity as her first workout in many years) and go ALL IN to really commit to a change, the Fix Extreme might be the ticket.

I was also super geeked to find out that EVERY workout uses weights or resistance. (I LOVE LOVE LOVE weights.) 

The Fix Extreme is still 21 days. 7 days a week. (I like to double up a day and still take a day off. I just tack yoga on a morning I have the extra time, like Saturdays.) The seven workouts include: Plyo Fix Extreme, Upper Fix Extreme, Lower Fix Extreme, Pilates Fix Extreme, Cardio Fix Extreme, Dirty 30 Fix Extreme and Yoga Fix Extreme. Plus when you order through a coach you get a bonus workout. 

And you still get the awesome portion control containers that make meal planning a little tricky at first but once you get the hang of it I swear it will change the way you look at food. I used to look at food and evaluate it in my head as healthy or not BUT the big piece I was missing was making sure I was balancing my food groups. Sure fruit and complex carbs are good for you but if that is all you are eating....you probably aren't getting the results you want. At least that was my problem. I did great choosing clean and healthy foods but not balancing them....the green and red containers (veggies and protein) were a lot harder to fill for me than my purples and yellows (fruits and complex carbs). Planning so I had all of these in balance made a HUGE difference in my nutrition and results. 

To take the meal plan up a notch, there are no "treats" allowed on the Fix Extreme. No allowances for wine or chocolate this time (unless you are drinking chocolate Shakeology!) BUT if you want the best results possible this is going to get you there. You can do anything for 21 days. I know I am planning on going Extreme with the meal plan for the first 21 days and then adding back in a glass of wine or two for the second round. Life is all about balance after all. 

Ready to get Extreme? 

The Fix Extreme is available now! You can check it out here 

And if you want to be a part of my Fixin' in February group fill out the application below. You get to do YOUR choice. Dust off your copy of the 21 Day Fix and rock that or choose to go Extreme. Either way you will get my 1:1 support, meal plans, recipes, shopping tips and a crash course on clean eating to make the most of the 21 Days. 

And as always if you need any help reaching your health and fitness goals I would love to be a part of your journey! Contact me on Facebook or click here to make me your FREE coach. 

Fill out my online form.

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Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I have posted this dressing recipe before in conjunction with other recipes like my Quinoa Asparagus Salad but it really is good enough to have a post of it's own. I found myself tired of digging through other posts just to find this little gem so here it is....standing alone and easy to find.

I eat this on everything from salads to fish to tacos. I am slightly obsessed with the cilantro lime combination and this is like summer in a bowl (which truthfully I need a dose of during the lovely gray Pittsburgh winters.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (I juiced 2 1/2 limes)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (I use Annie'S Naturals Organic Horseradish Mustard)
1-2 tablespoons honey to taste (I prefer to use raw honey.)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
A large handful of fresh cilantro

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and blend.

And then try not to drink it right from the blender cup.

Turkey Quinoa Enchilada Bake with Homemade Enchilada Sauce (in a slow cooker!)

It is one of my 2015 goals to start running a free group every month on Facebook. One that will focus on health in various ways. Providing support and meal planning and sharing recipes and other things I have learned so far on this journey to being the healthiest, awesomest me I can be.

So to kick it all off, this month I am doing a Rock your Crock group. It is a ten day crash course on clean eating with the focus being on crock pot meals....because (as I have admitted many times in the past) I am a lazy cook and the crock pot is my dream come true.

Walking in the door late from coaching cheer practice or a busy day out and about, it is nice to have dinner ready to go. And with so many of the recipes being of the dump in the crock pot and turn it on variety, it has really become my very favorite appliance.

So today I am bringing you a really yummy recipe that fit the bill for my I want Mexican food cravings. I wouldn't say it is a "true" crock pot recipe as you can't really throw it all together and leave the house for the entire day (it only took 2 hours for mine to be done) BUT there is something to be said for the fact that you don't' even have to turn on the oven. And what I can do with the 2-3 hours it is in the crock pot vs the 30-40 minutes it is in the oven. But it is nice to have a quicker option in case you need to get dinner on the table faster.

Because I do think this would also make an awesome casserole. I would probably bake it at 350 for 30-45 minutes, add the cheese and then bake until the cheese is melted. I would also make sure the quinoa is cooked first, eliminating the extra water.

For this recipe I also made my own enchilada sauce. I had no idea what was in enchilada sauce and how to make it but after about 30 seconds of research I found tons of recipes. And they were so easy. So easy. Add this to the list of things I will probably never buy again because the homemade version is easier and better. Plus in the way I always tend to do things fashion, I was missing some of the ingredients so I subbed what was in my fridge and things still turned out pretty great. You've got to love when that happens.

So here is what I did:


1 lb ground turkey (or you can skip this to make it vegetarian friendly)
1 can rinsed black beans
1 can corn (or you can use frozen corn - about 1 cup)
1 1/2 cups rinsed quinoa
1 sweet bell pepper
2 cups fresh salsa
1/2 large onion (red or sweet) minced
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried cilantro
1 go of homemade enchilada sauce (or 1 can)

Plus any toppings you like. For us this included limes, shredded cheese, avocado and fresh cilantro. You may want to add plain greek yogurt (a great protein packed sub for sour cream), minced green onion or anything else you like in or on your enchiladas.

** optional add ins: chili powder, small diced jalapeno, chilis

You can also add some spicy. I can't do spicy and I like to make my meals preschooler friendly so I allow my husband to add his own spicy-ness level which works out really well for us.


First melt about a teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet and brown the turkey. (I seasoned with a little salt and pepper.)

Then put everything into the crock pot. Turn it onto high. Cook for 2-3 hours or until all the liquid is gone and the turkey is cooked through.


Easy Peasy.

I served mine over a mixed green salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette (which is pretty much my favorite dressing of all time.) And it was awesome.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

This was one of those things I had no idea I could make at home. (Kind of like mayonnaise) and once I actually made it, my mind was blown. First it was super easy. And second it tastes so much better. So this enchilada sauce is getting added to the list of things I will never actually buy again.

Another reason making my own is totally worth it? I can also control things like the spicy level and the flavor (which when you live in a house divided over how spicy food should be....this is an awesome thing.) I can make it mild enough that my preschooler and I can eat it and my hubby can add his extra spicy to his hearts content.

When I decided to try this out, I was doing so because I was working with what was in my fridge. So I made a few tweaks and it all worked out really great.

This is what I did:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup brown rice flour *
16 oz fresh mild salsa **
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of chili powder (adjust to the level of spicy you like)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a saucepan until melted. Whisk in the flour until combined.

Stir in salsa (or tomatoes), water, spices and syrup (so all the remaining ingredients). Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 10 minutes).


And that's it. Super easy.




* I used brown rice flour to make this gluten free (and because I had it on hand.) If you are not avoiding gluten feel free to use all-purpose flour

**This is a perfect example of using what I had in my fridge. I really want to try this again using roasted tomatoes and onions from my farm share this summer.

Shakeology and Pregnancy: The great Vitamin A debate

The biggest question I have received since I made my pregnancy public (at least for those who don't see me everyday and kind of figured it out) is "What are you doing about your shakes?"

And that question plagued me the minute I saw two little lines pop up on the pregnancy test. So I put my advanced English degree to use and started doing research. I started with my friend Katy who I knew drank shakeo during her second pregnancy. I asked her how she approached her doctor and her doctor's response. I wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed when I headed to my first appointment.

The other thing I really wanted to figure out WHY some doctors were clearing it as totally fine and
others were telling women to hold off and not drink it during pregnancy.  Was it that some doctors aren't familiar with the product and ALL the ingredients and really didn't have the time to dig into it so they were saying no just in case? Or were there real issues to be concerned about and maybe these doctors knew more about that. Because dealing with certain herbs and other ingredients we don't normally use can be tricky. Studies aren't done on pregnant women so when there is a question and no one really knows the answer, everyone aires on the side of caution....which makes sense.

BUT if shakeology was so good for me daily before, why shouldn't it be amazing for me during pregnancy?

And should I wait until my doctor's appointment to see if they are cleared or keep taking them until I can talk to my doctor?

So many questions....so many possible answers and reasons. Seriously....motherhood starts the minute you pee on a stick and it says pregnant. And it doesn't get any easier.

So I dug in and this is what I found:

When I asked my previously pregnant colleagues, those that had doctors that said no to shakeology during pregnancy did so due to the levels of Vitamin A. And for good reason....too much vitamin A has been linked to birth defects like cleft lip, cleft palate,  hydrocephalus (water on the brain) or major heart malformations.  (For more information on Vitamin A and the study done at the Boston University School of Medicine click here.) 

BUT there is a difference in the type of vitamin A you are getting (which the above article also states.) Vitamin A from animal sources (liver is the biggest source and is not recommended to eat during pregnancy but it is also found in fish oil, fish and seafood, dairy and fortified cereal.) and preformed vitamin A (which your body uses directly and is also known as retinol) is responsible for the birth defects while vitamin A derived from carotenoids (which your body converts to vitamin A and includes beta carotene) is not....so you can munch carrots and other vitamin A rich fruits and veggies to your hearts content. 

With all the scary problems listed above why not avoid vitamin A altogether? Well it is kind of important for mom and baby. It helps with embryonic growth (source). It's important for mom because it helps with tissue repair (important post partum!) and also supports vision and a healthy immune system.

So what kind of vitamin A is in shakeology? 

The whey blends of shakeology (Chocolate, Vanilla, Greenberry and Strawberry) are fortified which makes it easy to list all the vitamin amounts. (Yay consistency!) Chocolate, Greenberry and Strawberry all contain 5,000 IU of vitamin A sourced from beta-carotene and Vanilla has 500 IU. This is only so it doesn't cause issues in the coloration due to it being derived from beta-carotene (which is what makes carrots and pumpkins orange.)

Below is the nutritional label from chocolate shakeology. I circled the vitamin A content in pink so it was easy to find.

But I drink vegan shakeology and it isn't fortified....

And I do. I don't do well with diary so I drink the vegan formula which made this whole thing a lot trickier.

Well it did and only at first.

The reason that vegan shakeology does not have the vitamins and minerals listed on the packaging is because those are derived from whole foods. Which, was one of the reasons I loved the vegan formula so much in the first place.

Just because there aren't added vitamins, doesn't mean there aren't any vitamins at all. I have been drinking vegan shakeology for almost two years and have noticed many benefits, one being that I don't get sick as often as I used to.

So what did my* doctor say....

She pretty much told me all I need to do is add a folate supplement (or folic acid, I chose to take folate because it is the natural form of folic acid. Folate is what is found in food where folic acid is the synthetic version. I found a pretty reputable brand on Amazon that wasn't very expensive.)

She also told me that since I had issues with prenatals making me sick during my last pregnancy, Shakeology may even be a better option for me than a prenatal would. I really had to play with when to take my prenatal last time. It would make me extremely nauseous. This time I didn't have that issue at all. I made sure I took my shake everyday. I did make it more of a snack though instead of having
it as a meal replacement. I found that I was hungrier (I mean growing a whole new person does require a lot of energy and this way I was getting the extra calories I needed for a healthy pregnancy.)


Interested in talking to your doctor about Shakeology? Here is a great resource to get the conversation started. Click here to download.



* This was MY doctor's opinion for MY pregnancy. Everyone is different and has different circumstances which make all of our pregnancies different. If you are curious about Vitamin A in pregnancy, Shakeology during pregnancy or have any pregnancy questions you need to talk to YOUR doctor(s). They know your history and what will be best for you and your growing family. I am not a doctor and this post is just strictly for sharing my experience.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/07/us/study-links-excess-vitamin-a-and-birth-defects.html

http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/Sources_of_Vitamin_A

http://www.babycenter.com/0_vitamin-a-in-your-pregnancy-diet_675.bc?page=1

https://faq.shakeology.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8902/~/lower-levels-of-vitamin-a-in-vanilla-shakeology