Shakeology Christmas Recipes!

6 Months of Beachbody

The last 6 months has truly changed my life. If you would have told me 6 months ago if I'd be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed you. I took it one day, one pound, one meal, one goal at a time. I could not have done it without the support of my coach, Sommer, and Team Beachbody and Team Courage.

But more importantly, I could not have done it if I didn't believe in myself. I told myself every day that I deserved it. I deserved to be happy with my body and I deserved to be healthier. I needed to put myself first for a while because I'd be a happier person, a happier mom, a happier wife.

I knew that what I saw in the mirror was not who I was. Looking at these before pictures when I first started back in late April was hard. I couldn't face who I'd become. That wasn't me. That wasn't what I saw when I looked in the mirror.

Now when I look at them, I can't even remember that person in the picture. I honestly did start to tear up making this collage. In my mind, that wasn't me. I know pictures don't lie though. I'm glad I took those pictures because it really does show how far I've come and it's something I can always look back to when I need motivation. Without them, I might have not seen the progress I had been making and now I wouldn't have been able to see what I had accomplished.

I hope my success will inspire others to get started on living a healthier life. You can't imagine how much happier you'll be when the outside finally matches the inside. :)

How healthy is your shake?

P90X super-trainer Tony Horton takes you inside the bag and through the 70 ingredients of his go-to health shake—Shakeology! Also featuring Darin Olien, Dr. Mark Cheng, and other renowned doctors. Awesome video and talks more in depth about some of the ingredients.

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

Recently, I've been feeling a little off track with eating right because September has been a little crazy. I went out of town to Reno with my husband for the Tailhook convention (a mini-vaca for us) and having my son's 1st birthday caused me to get a little off track with my weight loss. 

So to get me back on track and cleanse my body of the toxins those weekends accumulated (*cough, cough - alcohol, In and Out, birthday cake* -- hey, I'm not perfect!) I decided to team up with a fellow 90 day challenger and friend of mine to do the Shakeology 3 day cleanse. I'll write up a full review and results from it once it's complete, but I wanted to tell you what it is. 

This is from my coach on how to do the cleanse and why.

Turns out, the Shakeology detox is more of a performance-oriented program. While it is calorie restrictive, it is also nutrient dense so that you will have the proper fuel for your workouts. The average American would have to eat twice the calories to get the same nutrients you will on the Shakeology cleanse. That is awesome!

The true goal of this 3-day cleanse is to rid our bodies of toxins and junk that we all have floating around in our systems and regulate hydration levels so your body can function more efficiently. The weight loss that people are experiencing is definitely an added bonus…I lost 6lbs my first time through:)

Remember, this isn’t a quick fix, but we all do get off track sometimes and some just need that little jump-start to get started in the right direction.  It’s amazing how the more junk you eat the more you crave it.  This is a safe way to reset your mind, reset your body and refocus on living and eating healthy. 

So, here’s the plan…for only 3 days

Start your day with a cup of green tea. If coffee is the deal breaker than drink it. However, leave out all cream and sugar

• Breakfast: In a blender, combine: Shakeology with water and ice. (adding a 1/2 cup of fruit is optional).  If you are using a shaker cup, leave out the ice and add as much cold water till you've reached your desired consistency:)  I recommend starting off with a cup and go from there.
• Snack: 1 piece of fruit.
• Lunch: In a blender, combine: Shakeology with water and ice only followed by a cup of green tea.  Again, if you are using a shaker cup, leave out the ice and add as much cold water until you've reached your desired consistency:)  I recommend starting off with a cup and go from there.
• Snack: In a blender, combine: Shakeology with water and ice only. Sometimes I like to save this snack for after dinner!  If you are using a shaker cup, leave out the ice and add as much cold water until you've reached your desired consistency:)  I recommend starting off with a cup and go from there.
• Dinner: 4 oz of grilled white fish or poultry with a dinner salad loaded with veggies. Use 2 oz of dressing but stick with the olive oil or balsamic vinegar dressing.

Experiences of the Shakeology Cleanse Test group

Positive Results

• Weight Loss
• Reduced belly bloat
• Renewed energy
• Break through plateau, boost metabolism

Possible Negative Results

• Headaches or light-headedness (add a small piece of fruit if you experience this)
• Lack of energy (my energy usually lacks the first day and sky rockets the day 2 and 3)
• Hunger
• No weight loss…concentrate on inches

Shakeology Cleanse FAQ’s

How many calories will I be getting a day?

• 800-1200 calories per day

How often can I do the Shakeology Cleanse?

Ideally you shouldn’t do the cleanse more than once every 3 months or so. Remember, it’s not a quick fix to an unhealthy lifestyle. It is to help you regroup and get you back on track or help you break through a plateau 

Can I still do my workouts during the Shakeology Cleanse?

• Light to moderate exercise should be okay. Listen to your body
• I try to do mine during a recovery week or before I start another round or a new program

Baby Weight GONE!

Baby weight is GONE!! Whoo hoo!!

Way back at the beginning of February, I started paying attention to my weight again and focusing on losing the rest of my baby weight. I lost 18lbs of it by pretty much doing nothing, except giving birth, feeding the baby, and doing normal new mom stuff. I was at 178 and my pre-pregnancy weight was 160 so I needed to lose the second half -- 18lbs.

At the time, I was training for a half marathon. I also started to really watch what I was eating again; really paying attention to nutrition and portion sizes. 8lbs came off pretty easily.

However, by the beginning of April, I seemed to be at a plateau. Stuck at 170. Running wasn't enough anymore. That is when I started looking into Beachbody and decided to start Slim in 6, Shakeology and focusing even more about what I was eating.

If you are reading this, you probably know my Slim in 6 results so I won't go into all that here (Slim in 6 Results and Review). With this new combo of weight training, running and a good diet, the rest of the weight just seemed to come off even easier.

I found this nifty way of tracking weight loss from Pinterest when I started. It's a great visual and I put the containers right in my pantry so it's always staring me in the face to make good decisions! Every Monday, I would weigh myself and if I was down a pound, a marble got moved.

Now, for my next weight loss goal -- 10lbs, 150. I added 10 more marbles to the Pounds to go jar. If your wondering why I left the 18 still in the "Pounds Lost" it's because I earned those! I want a reminder of how far I've come when I finally reach my ultimate goal weight.

Do you use any kind of system like the jars when you are trying to lose weight?

Slim in 6 - Day 2

I had plans yesterday for a 4 mile run, but life had other plans. We had someone coming over to look at our dryer vent and another vent we heard animals in. Of course he took longer than quoted, so I was only able to do 2 miles. However, 2 miles is better than 0 miles!

I was moderately sore from my first day of Slim in 6. I didn't really feel how sore my abs were until I was doing the abs segment last night. Feeling good about this program so far!

I also did the Slim & Limber routine to stretch out my legs from my run earlier.

Slim in 6 & Shakeology - Day 1

I just received my first Beachbody program, Slim in 6, and my first bag of Shakeology and let me tell you, I can't wait to get started!

Honestly, I was a little nervous about the Shakeology. I decided I wanted to try it with just milk and a little ice so I could see if I liked it plain like that. Well, it turned out pretty frothy which I didn't like although it did taste like chocolate. I think it was too much milk. I started looking up the recipes for the chocolate flavor on the Shakeology website and I'm making a list for the grocery store tomorrow!

My first day with Slim in 6 was great. It was definitely challenging on my arms and abs and I got a pretty good sweat going! Because I'm in pretty good running shape, I didn't get winded which made me feel good. I can definitely see this getting harder and I think I made a good decision on a program that I can pair with my running.