T25 Before and After, Final Results!!

WE DID IT!!! We officially finished our first round of T25 and we feel GREAT!! I can honestly say that it has been a WHILE since I completed a program from start to finish all the way through!! As a Beachbody coach I have a whole library of programs, so I do workout every day but tend to mix up my routine. And this just CONFIRMS that Beachbody knows what they are doing!! When you stick to the program it delivers amazing results and I know we both are seeing muscles we haven't seen for a long time!! We enjoyed this first round so much that we are ready to start round 2!!

So how did we do?!?!? Take a look...

Ruben is down 25 pounds and down two pant sizes! I am SUPER proud of his hard work and dedication. This is a guy who would NOT do an early morning workout for anything and is now pushing ME to start early and get it done! This is also a guy who has made MAJOR strides in his eating habits. When dining out he is making healthy choices, swapping fries for salads and opting for grilled chicken and turkey burgers vs heavy, hearty, high calorie dishes!! We worked together every Sunday to plan and prep our meals for the week. We laid out a plan that was not only family friendly but also things that would be easy to prep and save us time throughout the week. We portioned out snacks, packed lunches and batch cooked protein for our dinners. During the second phase of T25 we started using 21 Day Fix meal plan which incorporates portion controlled meal planning and it was SO easy to follow. We literally filled our containers and went on our way. No measuring, weighing our counting calories!! Check out some of our meal plans!!

After round one of T25 I am down 15 pounds and at least one pant size. Because I pretty much live in yoga pants I don't know exactly what size I was! Guess that's a hazard of the job lol. I was very excited to start to see abs!! I have a ways to go but this program was perfect for our busy lifestyle. 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Everyone has time for that!! I love that this program pushes you and then when you think you cant push anymore it changes it up and you start working on a different body part! I am very much looking forward to round 2 and the results that are to come!

We also had to do a little bit of traveling during this time but we made no skips in our routine. We always brought our workouts, resistance bands and a cooler packed with all of our food. We easily could have taken a few days off here and there but we were committed to our success and results. Sure it takes a little more planning, prep and thought to make sure you have everything you need. Meals, shakeology, blenders, programs, etc but in no time it just becomes second nature and a lifestyle change!!

For the month of April, 2014 the T25 challenge pack is on a HUGE sale. They are taking $90 off the price of this 10 week program!! And coincidentally summer is just about 10 weeks away!! Have you got 25 minutes a day to commit to your health and fitness? Would you like to tone up a bit before you have to pull out those shorts, tanks and bikinis this summer? Well I invite YOU to join us!! Our next accountability group is starting on April 21st, the day after your Easter feasts and the day you start on your new lifestyle of health and fitness!! You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!! Are you ready?

If so fill out the application below and lets chat!! If you have any questions or would like more info please shoot me a friend request on Facebook!!

Grilled Fish Tacos with Cabbage Citrus Slaw - T25 Fast Track Meal Plan

Grilled Fish Tacos with Cabbage Citrus Slaw

This week we are on week 4 of T25 Alpha and we decided to step it up a notch by doing the 5 Day Fast Track plan that comes with the program. We also are following this plan in preparation for the new 21 Day Fix program that we'll be starting in the next week or two!

I have not been a huge fish fan but have started really playing with how it is prepared and this one was a hit for sure!!  It is low on calories, delicious and filling! ONE serving is three tacos...I was a happy girl :) Hubby isn't quite as impressed as I am with the fish so I made his with grilled chicken instead. If you're leery of fish like I was, don't be!! These fish tacos are delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (1 serving)
6oz raw talapia, washed, patted dry

1/4 tsp salt (I skipped this step)
3 (4 inch) corn tortillas
3/4 cup shredded cabbage (what I bought also includes shredded carrots)
6 fresh cilantro sprigs
2 TBS fresh lime juice
1 dash cayenne pepper, optional (I used Mrs. Dash salt free Chipotle seasoning)
1/4 avocado, cut into 6 slices

Directions:
1. Marinade fish morning of so it can marinate all day. I just used 1/2 a lime squeezed in and a few generous shakes of the chipotle seasoning in a zip lock bag.

2. Preheat broiler to high.

3. Remove fish (chicken) from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Broil the fish 3-5 minutes on each side or until it flakes easily when tested with a fork. Set aside. Chicken will take a bit longer, cook until no longer pink inside.

4. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to warm.


5. Place tortillas on a serving plate. Top each tortilla with 1/3 fish, cabbage and cilantro. Season with lime juice and cayenne (if desired). Top with two avocado slices. We also topped with a little fresh salsa :)

For more recipes like this check out my Healthy Girl Fitness page on Facebook!!

T25 Week 2 Review - Couples Edition

We just officially finished week 2 of T25 and are LOVING the results! We are down a combined 14 pounds since day 1! We have gotten in a good groove with our routine and our eating habits and are kicking some serious booty in the results department!! This go around we have both committed to an early morning workout. They are quick, focused and to the point. We give 110% effort and have been continuously gaining greater calorie burn and improvements in stamina.

We were out of town on Monday and I brought the wrong disk but we didn't let that stop us! We popped in the one I had (Speed 1.0) and crushed it. I absolutely love these quick 25 minute workouts because we can literally be house guests somewhere and get in our full workout in so fast before anyone else is even up, including our son!!

This week we both concentrated on form and pushing past our stats. So we buckled down and pushed past our daily calorie burn each day and we had some non-scales to be pretty proud of!! Ruben has not missed a workout the entire two weeks and I was able to keep up with Scott in the Cardio video on the Alt High Speed Knee workout. If you're not familiar with that move its high knees, FAST for almost a minute. Doesn't sound so hard until you're into the meat of it and you can't breathe!! But hey, I survived and my abs were feeling it for a couple days!! Win-win!! To catch more of our workouts this week check out my YouTube Channel and subscribe to get the latest progress updates from our journey!!

If you've been following me you know for the most part I stick to routine in my meal plan. I know what works, I know what will get me results and I am a creature of habit. So here goes...

I will say that I did stray a few times from the meal plan to try a couple new recipes which I'll share here and it was DEFINITELY worth it!! These clean eating recipes were such a hit and definitely family friendly!! They'll be added in on future plans for sure!

Thursday night I had my weekly Beachbody Cup Team call and I had literally 30 minutes to scarf down dinner before I logged on. Let me tell you, I didnt even need that much time!! This Margarita Spaghetti Squash was to-die-for!! It was the perfect texture, perfect flavor and it was a hit all around!! My son loved his "teddy squash" too!! Click the picture for the recipe :)

Another hit this week was the Chocolate Protein Mug Cake! I've seen this around now for a while and always something I wanted to do so I whipped this up and had it for breakfast one morning! You can read all about my experience by clicking the picture where you'll also find the recipe!!

So now it is on to Week 3 of T25 Couples Edition! Stay tuned for more of our journey and my top tips!!!
If you are looking for support in your own personal journey and don't currently have a Beachbody Coach, then contact me to get into a support group for continued support, accountability, meal planning and motivation!!!

Salsa Boats

Last week I tried some new snacks on my meal plan and these Salsa Boats, from the T25 cook book, are off-the-hook good!! I know, it's nothing fancy or necessarily different but I think the combination of the Dijon mustard and the salsa just set my taste buds on fire! In fact I even swapped out some of my regularly planned snacks for this throughout the week! I found that if you're looking for a smoother texture you can just mix/mash it more, but the pieces of yolk didn't bother me.

Makes 1 serving

2 large hard-boiled eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh salsa

* Cut eggs in half and remove yolks
* Combine egg yolks with mustard in a small bowl and mix well
* Spoon egg yolk mixture evenly into egg white halves
* Top each egg half with salsa

Enjoy!!

Calories - 151
Fat - 10 grams
Fiber - 0
Protein - 13 grams

T25 Chalean Extreme Hybrid Week 3

I can say that I'm honestly loving this hybrid! This week I was feeling more comfortable with the T25 moves and getting good form and I continued to up my weights a little more as well. I am trying to get back to my early morning workouts and this week I did really well. For me it is just something that I like to get done and off my plate. I feel guilty with it hanging over my head all day worrying and wondering when I'm going to fit it in.

Daily Post-Workout Accountability Picture for our T25 Challenge group

This weeks schedule was a little different...I'm really trying to find a way to work both programs in a way that works best for me and I think I found that. So I'll be trying this for the remainder of the hybrid.

Monday -Total Body Circuit / Push Circuit 1
Tuesday - Speed 1.0 / CLX rest
Wednesday - Lower Focus / Push Circuit 2
Thursday - Cardio / Burn Intervals
Friday - Total Body & Ab Intervals / Push Circuit 3
Saturday - CLX Burn it off
Sunday - REST

 I got away from tracking my food a little bit and my weight seems to be at a plateau this week so I'm going to go back to My Fitness Pal (mrsbez1 if you'd like to friend me) and start really logging it and measuring my portions to see if I can push past this. I also plan to change my breakfast next week to veggies and egg whites and cut out the oatmeal for a little while. But I am happy with the results I'm seeing in my midsection. I kept my food pretty simple and made larger batches for left overs so it was easy to reheat and eat through the week. I tried some REALLY good new recipes this week! The Sweet & Sour Meatballs from the Thin Kitchen (beachbody free gift) cook book were to die for and the Mushroom Chicken is always a family favorite!!

 Are you making sure you drink enough water each day? I know once the day gets going sometimes it's hard to remember so do something that works for YOU!! I suggest to my challengers to set a timerr on your phone, leave 4 water bottles out on the counter or even make yourself a note. Just get it in!! For me I found these tumbler cups work best. It holds 20 ounces and j can keep refilling it. I put 5 little post-it tabs on the counter and each time I finish the cup I throw one away. By the time I go to bed they all have to be gone!! I only need 75 ounces but I shoot for 100...hey it can't hurt right?!?!

I also enjoyed my Birthday Cake Vanilla Shakeology out by the pool on Sunday while I worked on my weekly goals. This recipe was AH-MAZING!!

Birthday Cake Vanilla Shakeology
1 Scoop Vanilla Shakeology 
1 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 tsp imitation butter extract
1 Tbsp non fat cheesecake pudding mix
Ice 
Top with sprinkles!! 






So that's it folks!! Over all I feel like it was a really good week! I was able to stay on track with my food and workouts, drank lots of water, had lots of YUMMY shakes and have results to show for it!!

If you are wanting to start a on a health and fitness journey of your own and would like a little help, support and motivation, I would love to chat! My last challenge group of the month is starting July 29th and we would love to have you!! Please contact me today so we can get you set up on a plan that works for you!!

T25 Week 2 REWIND!!

Yup, you read that right!! I'm about to get real right now, be candid and lay it on the line, show you that I'm HUMAN and that even I make mistakes and need a little kick in the pants from time to time. Here we go...

So I started week 2 of my T25, Chalean Extreme hybrid last Monday. I felt great, I pushed hard, ate clean and thought it was going to be a great week. Well shortly after my morning workout we discovered that my husband's ankle was swollen and black and blue, so off he went for x-rays and discovered a pretty bad sprain. I told myself that even though I was losing my workout buddy (we were SO stoked to be doing this as a team) I would continue on this journey strong and keep the spirit alive for him when he was ready to return. 

 So Tuesday rolled around and I was definitely bummed he couldn't work out with me and those ugly little excuses started to roll right in like a freight train. I can't believe I actually uttered the words "well I'll just make today my rest day and workout on Saturday", but I did. And I skipped my workout and went on with my day. For the most part I ate clean and stuck to my meal plan although I could have used some more water.

Wednesday came and I felt better. I actually knocked out TWO workouts, T25 and Chalean Extreme, I had my fire back. I turned up the music, had my son dancing next to me and I was pumped!! I sat there at the end of my workout trying to truly soak up that AMAZING feeling I was experiencing so that next time I didn't want to work out I could dig deep and remember how great I always feel when it's done.

Thursday, the 4th of July, came and I was confident that I would make good decisions even though it was going to be my cheat meal. I woke up early and did my workout before we headed out of town, made my 4th of July Shakeology and again I felt great about my decision to rise and shine! I started my day off with my normal pro-oats breakfast and brought some healthy snacks (apple/almonds and tuna packets). My brother-in-law and sister-in-law did some amazing BBQ and fresh summer salads so I knew I this cheat meal wasn't going to be so bad after all. I wouldn't be left feeling guilty for the choices I had made. My down fall was helping to clean up...not the cleaning up the kitchen part, but the "oh I didn't try this earlier, let me try a bite of that, oh this looks good" So after all was said and done my little nibbles in the kitchen probably added up to anther meal in itself...EKKK!!! THIS my friends is where I feel very guilty and was the start of my downward spiral...I'll spare all the details but Friday, Saturday and Sunday consisted of no workouts, fairly good eating, I had my daily Shakeology, but didn't stick to a meal plan at all and definitely felt sluggish. I have conditioned my body to expect certain things to make it thrive, regular workouts, Shakeology, clean eating, no processed or very carb heavy foods and I didn't deliver. I have no one to blame but myself, but this pity party is OVER!!!

Today my husband is back to work, and we have a new schedule we all have to stick to. For me this means getting up at 5am whether I like it or not. Getting in that workout and starting the day off right with a healthy breakfast. I've decided to take this story and give it a happy ending. That means that I will start week 2 T25/Chalean Extreme over again today. That I will not beat myself up. That I will prove its ok to make mistakes and fall off the wagon BUT you have to dust yourself off and GET BACK ON!! I have prepared my meal plan for the week. Shopped, cooked and prepped my meals and I'm ready to take this week head on. 

To hold myself accountable I will post here that my morning weigh in was 154.3. If you've been following my journey you know last week I weighed in at 153.2 and you may be thinking "WAIT...you're freaking out over ONE POUND?" But folks, you KNOW it's not about that pound. I am NOT a scale fan, its about my lifestyle choices that I'm unhappy. It's about not being the example of health and fitness that I aim to be. So it's time to turn the page and get this week on the road. Follow my progress at Healthy Girl Fitness and, stay tuned for an AWESOME week!!