Coach Success Story - Challenger to Emerald in a Few Short Months!

Meet Kristen Johnson! Kristen is a Beachbody Coach and a member of my team, the #2 ranked Dream Team!! I've spent quite a bit of time chatting with Kristen over the past couple weeks and really gotten to know her and understand her WHY. WHY she is passionate about health and fitness, WHY she wants to be a Beachbody coach and WHY she thinks this opportunity can help her family to have an amazing future!! Not only has she had great success in her own challenge group but she has already started to pay it forward! She is inviting others to get healthy and fit in her challenge groups and she is also helping other coaches just like herself start on a road to financial freedom! But I'll let her tell you in her own words....

I'm a wife, busy mom of 3 and full time employee. Kids range from 4,10 & 13. They are all active in clubs, sports, church and music. I find myself chauffeuring them to different schools as well as their multiple activities.

I found out my friend Karissa was holding a Challenge Group from a post her husband had on fb and started asking her questions. I decided to participate in her October CG and loved the daily interactions and challenges given. After a short time you begin to bond with the ladies and feel like a member of a secret club. Everyone is supportive and truly cares if you had a good day or bad day on your fitness journey. That comradery was infectious and I found myself quickly wanting to give back to the group. I noticed the more active I was in the posts the more support and accountability I had. I couldn't believe the results I was seeing from ladies on BB programs so again I started asking questions. I decided to try T25 and signed up as a discount coach.

December came around and I started thinking that maybe I wanted more for myself and my family. But I wasn't quite sure what that was. First thing I did was post to the ladies to see if anyone had an idea for a career that allowed me flexibility with my family, recognition and opportunity to workout during the day and get paid. Diane shot back first that I could always be a BB Coach. That got me thinking maybe I could. I followed the steps for my certificate and was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time to join the coach apprenticeship program starting January 6. About mid January I started feeling more like a coach and started promoting myself and BB. By early Feb I was Emerald and should be at least SC5 by month end.

My goal is to go full time as BB Coach and am confident with the support that I have behind me I can.
I feel that the coaches truly want each other to succeed. There isn't cutthroat maneuvers or jealousy. Support is all around and the BB site is easy to navigate and offers everything I could possibly need to succeed as a BB coach and grow my business. I've been very impressed and find it easy to talk about BB and their programs because I believe in it. I have seen what can come from it and I am sold"

I can totally see a fire in her eyes and I KNOW that this girl is headed to the top! She is an amazing student, taking all that she has learned and applying it to grow her business. She is kind, thoughtful and has a great sense of humor! Watch out for her name in the near future!!

If you are sitting here reading this and are feeling a little tug that you might be interested in more information on becoming a coach on the #2 ranked Dream Team I would love to set up a time to chat! Please shoot me a friend request on Facebook so we can meet and fill out the Coaching application below.

21 Day Fix Week 1 & T25 Week 6 Review with Meal Plans

Lots of big changes going on over here! We just finished our fist week of T25 Beta and we LOVE it. Its a much faster pace than the Alpha phase and we are getting more comfortable with the moves. I feel like this is going to be where the magic happens! This is where the results of our effort are really going to shine!! At the end of week 6 my Hubby and I are down a combined 26 pounds!! And I'm going to brag for a second and say we STILL haven't missed a workout yet!!

And the other big change we threw in this week was the 21 Day Fix program!! The 21 Day Fix is a program focused on eating healthy, portion controlled meals along with exercise. The challenge pack comes with the portion controlled containers as well as the DVD workouts but since we were well into T25 we decided to combine them and get the best of both worlds!!

We kept the meals pretty simple for the first go around. I wanted to make sure that I really understood the  program, how it worked, what foods were ok and not ok, etc. This meal plan is not too much different than how we normally eat as a family to begin with but I could tell that the portions were a little smaller than we had been eating. Not so small that we were starving, in fact I was pleasantly surprised at how I was satisfied after each meal and stayed full till the next one. PLUS we got to have Oatmeal Chocolate chip cookies!!! And let me tell you they are kid tested AND hubby approved!!

Our 21 Day Fix pilot group kicked off this week as well and they are such a GREAT group of women!! They are all so encouraging, supportive of one another and have really started forming some great friendships. This group TOTALLY reminds me of my very first group and one of the main reasons I succeeded and have chosen to pay it forward as a Coach!! Giving others the support and motivation and watching them THRIVE is the BEST feeling in the world!! With that being said, I am just over the moon as I am seeing AMAZING results come in today! I also want to give a shout out to my hubby who is down 4 pounds this week too!!

So week 1 is officially behind us and tonight I'm heading to the store to prep for week 2!! If you are interested in joining us for our next 21 Day Fix challenge group, we are starting March 3rd. This is the LAST week for free shipping so dont delay!! If you would like to be considered, please fill out this application below and I will get back to you!

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Morsels and Toasted Pecans

When I first started the 21 Day Fix I was pretty excited about the fact that we could still have treats! I'm all about moderation, I personally feel that if we COMPLETELY eliminate a certain food or food group from our diet that it will just be a disaster waiting to happen. It wont last and a serious binge will be in full force!

I just couldn't wait to get these babies in the oven!!My whole house smelled amazing and I couldn't wait for my hubby to get home so we could try them! I can also say that they are kid tested AND approved!!


Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Morsels and Toasted Pecans (Container equivalent per serving - One Yellow Container)

*Nonstick cooking spray
*1 Cup old fashioned rolled oats
*1 tsp ground cinnamon
*1/4 tsp sea salt
*1 cup unsweetened applesauce
*1/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
*1/4 chopped raw pecans, toasted


1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Lightly coat baking sheet with spray. Set aside
3. Combine oats, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl
4. add applesauce, morsels, and pecans; mix well.
5. Drop by heaping Tbsp onto prepared baking sheet; flatten with a spatula
6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until firm.

For more healthy and tasty recipes like this send me a friend request on Facebook or Like Healthy Girl Fitness!!

Beachbody Coach 2 Week Trial of the Dream Team

Have you EVER CONSIDERED becoming a Beachbody Coach but you literally have no idea what a Coach does or how to be successful at it?  Are you afraid of failure or investing your time and energy into starting a business that you are not sure if you are going to like?  Well this is the ticket you have been waiting for!!!

Now you can try out coaching before you become a coach.  Starting Monday February 24, 2014 (yes I know that is THIS Monday) I am accepting 5 individuals who are seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY considering becoming a coach. You will be accepted into a 2 week trial of my coach apprenticeship program.  I will teach you the basics of coaching and give you a snapshot of what you can expect to learn and implement as a coach on the Dream Team.  You will be added to our online accountability group and I will mentor you 1:1 and in a group setting for the next 14 days.  Then at that point you can decide if Beachbody Coaching is for you.

So the two weeks will include access to my closed facebook support group.

Daily suggested activities to help you start and grow your business.

Access to team trainings, webinars, teaching tools, documents and more.

1:1 contact with me as your coach and 2 weekly group calls.

Setting goals and prioritizing your day.

Setting up your Beachbody Power Hour

How to Start a Challenge Group

How to Earn

How to get enrolled:

Complete the Dream Team Coach Application Fill out my form!

Go to my site and create a customer account, this will assign me as your coach. Assign me as your coach here.
(You cannot have a coach that you currently work with or you cannot already be a coach).

Send me a friend request to facebook  at www.facebook.com/melinda.besianiz

You will be contacted by me within the next 12 hours with additional information on how to get started.

The Dream Team is currently the #2 Team in the Organization.  I am currently a Diamond Team Beachbody Coach. We currently have the 2nd fastest growing team in the company and we continue to be power houses in leading by example. As a team our focus is truly helping other people reach their goals but doing so in a way that respects family life, home work life balance and fun.

My goal is to help give interested individuals who are passionate about helping others achieve their health and fitness goals a way to solidify your decision as to whether or not this is right for you!!

I wouldn't wait long, I expect this to fill up fast!!!

21 Day Fix Menu and Meal Prep

It's here!! It's really, REALLY here!! I was SO excited to get my 21 Day Fix challenge pack and rip open the box. I knew the gist of the program but I was ready to dive in and learn the info inside and out!

I LOVE food! There I said it and it's on the table!! Who doesn't right?!?! But like most people I also struggle with portion control. Even if its a big bowl of steamed veggies or spinach salad with nothing but healthy goodness on it, you CAN eat too much! So I was ready to get my hands on those pretty little containers and start filling them. With this program, planning is going to be KEY to success. Since you're only allowed a certain number of each container each day its crucial that you figure out what you are going to eat ahead of time so that when dinner rolls around you're not standing there trying to figure out what you have left or how you can make a meal.

My hubby and I are doing this together so we sat down and created a meal plan based on each of our blocks. For the most part we are eating the same thing, he just gets to eat a little bit more, LUCKY!! hehehe But what I love the most about this program is that you can eat foods you like! You can even have wine and chocolate if you plan for it! So here is what we came up with for our weekly meal plan. We shopped on Sunday and prepped for the ENTIRE week. Yes it took a couple hours, yes my kitchen was a disaster but now for the whole week all of the meal prep is done. We literally just grab our meals, heat them up and eat!

70 meals (snacks and main meals) prepped for the week for two people!!

At first when I saw all of this put back in the fridge I was a little overwhelmed...it was a TON of food and I was a little full the first day. But now that we're well into day two and we are getting into a nice little routine I can say that it's actually the perfect amount of food and the right combination of different food groups. The little containers can be a little deceiving and look a little weird when you go to eat so I highly recommend portioning it out and then putting it on your plate so its a little prettier and more desirable. But hey if you eat out of the containers that totally works too!! Check out a few of our day one meals and my day 1 accountability pic....Cant wait to do the side by side for day 21!!!

So there it is folks, we're off and running. I'll check back in on Sunday with our results and give some more feedback on the program! If this looks like something you're interested in learning more about I invite you to check THIS out for all the details! And due to popular demand, our pilot group sold out so we have opened a second challenge group starting March 3rd if you're ready to join us I would love to have you! Please fill out the application below and shoot me a friend request on Facebook so we can chat an get you all set up!

T25 Week 4 Review with 5 Day Fast Track Meal Plan

   We made it!! We finished the 4th week of T25 Alpha phase and we are LOVING it!! I can definitely say that when we work together on something, my hubby and I are a force to be reckoned with!! We have not missed a workout since day one and occasionally we've thrown in an extra workout to keep us on track. I can PROUDLY say we have lost a combined 20 pounds in 4 weeks!

Now that we are pretty comfortable in the moves it can be easy to just "go through the motions" instead of continuing to push ourselves farther and harder. So this week we really focused on form. As we go through each move we've been encouraging each other not to stop early, push harder and do more reps.

We also chose to follow the T25 5 Day Fast Track meal plan this week. This meal plan is included in the program challenge pack. It's an 1,100 calorie a day plan that contains a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. You may be a little hungry for the next 5 days. That is totally normal. Remember just because your body wants food doesn't always mean you need food. However, if you are feeling low on energy, lagging in your workouts, or having trouble concentrating you may benefit from a few more calories. You can do this by doubling up on one or both of your daily snacks.  This is a little lower than normal for us but we were aiming to push past a plateau and it WORKED!!! Check it out, the recipes were very tasty!!

Day 1

Breakfast:  Raspberry Protein Smoothie

1 cup non fat milk (almond milk)

1/3 c fresh or frozen raspberries

1 scoop shakeology any flavor

1 tbsp flaxseeds

1 cup ice (I like less ice so I do just a few pieces)

Blend!!!!!

Am Snack:  Sweet Citrus Yogurt

1/2 c non fat plain yogurt with 2 tsp raw honey and 1 tsp finely grated grapefruit peel.

Lunch:  Chicken and spinach salad

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 medium cucumber, sliced               

1/2 c sliced mushrooms

1 medium carrot, shredded

1 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 oz cooked chicken breast, boneless skinless sliced.

Place spinach, cucumber, mushrooms, and carrot in a large bowl and serve with dressing and chicken.

PM Snack:  Turkey Goat Cheese and avocado roll

2 slices of low sodium nitrate free lean turkey breast, spread with 1 tbsp soft goat cheese, topped with 1/2 tsp chopped raw walnuts and 2 thin slices of avocado and rolled up.

I also like to have this Turkey, Avocado, Pepper roll, SO tasty!!

Dinner: Grilled Fish Tacos with cabbage citrus slaw

I made a few changes to this recipe that you can find here!

Day 2
Breakfast:  Silky Almond Smoothie
1/2 c nonfat milk
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk                        
1/4 cup water
1 scoop shakeology, any flavor
1 tbsp all natural almond butter
1 cup ice
Blend

Snack:
1 cup red or green grapes

Lunch: Avocado Veggie Burger
1 veggie burger patty
1 whole grain hamburger bun1 veggie burger patty

1 whole grain hamburger bun
1/8 medium ripe avocado, mashed
1 tbsp prepared salsa- I like the black bean and corn salsa from Giant Eagle
1/4 medium apple sliced
Preheat grill or broiler. Grill patty on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes.  Place on bun with avocado, salsa and top of bun.
Serve with apples on the side.

PM Snack:
1 large hard boiled egg, cut in half, drizzled with 1/2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with 1 dash of ground black pepper.        

Dinner: Chicken in foil
1 4oz chicken breast, boneless and skinless
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 medium new potato, sliced
1/4 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 fresh thyme sprig

Preheat oven to 375. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place potato slices on a piece of aluminum foil. Top with chicken, bell pepper, onion and thyme; fold foil over and seal edges securely to form a pouch.  Place on a bake sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.

Day 3
Breakfast: Yogo Berry Blast Shakeology
1 cup water
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
1 scoop shakeology any flavor
1/2 c ice and blend

Am Snack: quinoa snack:  

1/3 c cooked quinoa topped with 2 tbsp coconut milk and 4 sliced medium strawberries.

Lunch:
2 large hard boiled eggs, cut in half, yolks removed and reserved.  4 tsp greek yogurt plain, 1 tsp mustard; 1 green onion finely chopped, sea salt and pepper to taste and paprika
Combine egg yolks, greek yogurt, mustard and green onion in bowl and mix til smooth.
Season with salt and pepper and fill eggs and enjoy

PM Snack
1 lage whole grain wheat cracker topped with 1/2 tsp prepared mustard; 1 slice of low sodium nitrate free chicken breast, and 1 slice of swiss cheese.

Dinner:  Lemon Dill Halibut
1 6 oz raw halibut filet
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1 dash sea salt
1 fresh dill sprig, finely chopped
1/2 up whole wheat couscous, hot
lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Brush both sides of halibut with oil.  Place on baking pan.  Sprinkle halibut with lemon pepper, salt and dill.
Bake for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until halibut flakes.
Serve with couscous.

Day 4
Breakfast:  Morning Delight Smoothie
1 cup 100% orange juice
1/3 medium banana, cut into chunks
1 scoop Shakeology any flavor
1 cup ice
Place in blender and blend

Am Snack
Cinnamon Ricotta berries
1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese topped with 1/4 cup fresh or frozen berries.  1 tsp slivered almonds, and 1 dash ground cinnamon.

Lunch:
4 oz raw lean top sirloin steak
2 cups fresh arugula
10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 c canned drained artichoke hearts
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat grill or broiler to high
Grill or broil sirloin for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or to desired doneness. Remove sirloin from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Place arugula, tomatoes, and artichokes in a large bowl. Drizzle with EVOO and vinegar and toss!
Place Sirloin on top and serve.

Snack:  Tuna and celery boat. 
1 medium celery stalk filled with 2 oz drained solid white tuna and drizzled with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil.

Dinner:  Roasted Tofu with Veggies
1 lb firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
5 cloves garlic, chopped
12 oz green beans, trimmed
1 cup medium mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
3 medium red potatoes, cut into quarters.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
all purpose seasoning blend, salt free.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place tofu, garlic, green beans, mushrooms, onion, and potatoes in a glass baking dish; drizzle with oil and soy sauce.
Sprinkle with seasoning blend if desired and toss well
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring every 20 minutes.
One serving equals 1/4 of recipe.  Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Day 5                                                                       

Breakfast: Peanut Butter cup Shakeology
1/2 cup water
1/2 unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp all natural peanut butter
1 scoop Shakeology, any flavor
1/3 medium banana, cut into chunks
1/2 cup ice
Place all in blender and blend.

AM Snack
1/2 cantaloupe or 1 1/2 cups cubed honeydew or 1 1/2 cups cubed watermelon.

Lunch:
2 slices whole grain bread
2 tsp prepared pesto sauce
1/4 medium avocado, sliced
2 oz low sodium, nitrate free, lean turkey breast, deli sliced
1/4 medium cucumber, sliced
1 slice medium tomato
1 thin slice medium red tomato
2 romain lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
Top one slice of bread with pesto sauce, avocado, turkey, cucumber, tomato, onion, lettuce, and second slice of bread.

PM snack:
Tuna and celery boat.  1 medium celery stalk filled with 2 oz drained solid white tuna and drizzled with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil.

Dinner: Chef Salad
2 cups romain lettuce chopped                                  

1 oz low sodium lean turkey breast chopped
1 oz lean ham chopped
1 oz mozzarella cheese
medium tomato chopped
1/8 medium avocado, diced
5 medium black olives
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Place all ingredients together and drizzle with dressing.

If you don't have a Beachbody coach or would like to be in my upcoming challenge group for continued support and motivation please contact me below!!

Make me your coach

Do you want to be in my next challenge group please complete this application----->

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!!