Prepare for Success: Packing Your Meals!

 So first and foremost, I'm not shy about dragging my bag of food with me where ever I go. Or my  48 oz water bottle!  You have to plan for success, and this is how I do it.  A typical day on the 21 Day Fix looks like the above picture.  Excluding breakfast and dinner, I have three snacks and my lunch which carries me thru the day.  

This was not an easy process to begin with, it took some perfecting, even finding the right lunch bag! My favorite is The Lunch Break Thermal one from 31 Gifts! It's big enough for all my food, even my Shakeology cup! Insulated and neat.  Click HERE to see the bag- it can be ordered in a variety of colors!

Then the tupperware/plastic bag combo.  I am pro environment so I want to reduce the amount of plastic I use and do more reusable.  In a pinch I do use plastic bags from time to time.  But its also about finding the right tupperware as well.  My go to has been the reusable Glad containers since they are lightweight and stack neatly.  They make mass production meal prep a tidy snap.

Finally I use my All Day Organizing Tote also from 31 Gifts to condense my lunch, shoes and water so I can carry it in the office.  I always have my laptop bag and files as well.  But I've boiled it down to a science and I swear I don't have to struggle with the process any more.  Once you find a system, use it!  

Hope this helps you figure out a way to make it all work!

Cannoli Desert: Fix Approved Treat

I'm Italian and I LOVE a good Cannoli!  On the Fix this is the next best thing!!

1 Red Container (3/4 C) Part Skim Ricotta

Tsp Vanilla Extract

Tsp 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips

Packet of Stevia to taste!

Mix and ENJOY! 

Counts as 1 Red and 1 Yellow!  Now that's Italian!

Want to mix it up? Maybe without the chocolate chips?  

Add 1 Tsp. of Cocoa

Your Welcome!

3 Day Refresh RESULTS TIME!

So here they are!  My Refresh Results!  I have to say I learned A LOT and definitely will do it again!  This box had the essentials for the plan.  I already had my Shakeology so I purchased the plan without it.  You can however get the complete 3 Day Refresh Complete Kit which includes individual packs of Shakeology. 

This was truly an AMAZING 3 Days!  I cannot believe it went so quickly and was so easy without complication.  I had a slight headache on Day 1 which I attribute to caffeine withdraw.  Otherwise, there was relatively no issues or real hunger.  I found that I really didn't struggle with cravings either until Day 3 which I'll get to.

So Why Refresh?
• You need a clean break from a period of unhealthy eating.
• You used to eat pretty well but have recently fallen off the wagon and need some help getting back on. 
• You want to jump-start healthy eating habits for a new workout program.
• You want to quickly lose a few pounds for an upcoming event.
• You’ve never been a healthy eater, but are ready to kick-start better nutrition for the first time.
• You want your clothes to fit better.
• You want more energy.
• You love food and want to be satisfied while you lose weight and get healthier.
• You’ve tried liquid fasts or other fad diets and they simply don’t work. 

I started out at 135.6 lbs and ended at 133.2 lbs and lost an ENTIRE inch off my waist.  I'd say it was water weight if I wasn't eating all the time and drinking almost a gallon of water a day.    This is NOT a juice fast. You drink nutrient dense shakes three times a day AND eat 5 times a day.  

All foods are whole and vegetable based.  Even the protein you get from the Vanilla Fresh shake is vegetable based. Herbal, or green decaffeinated tea is allowed with Stevia to sweeten.

0. What does one eat and drink while Refreshing?
   
   FILTERED WATER: In addition to the water you use in your shakes and teas, we recommend you drink at least half your body weight in ounces of filtered water each day.
   BREAKFAST: A superfood-packed Shakeology shake, plus one fruit option
   MORNING TEA: 1 cup of unsweetened herbal or green tea
   LATE MORNING: Fiber Sweep, a digestive health drink 
   LUNCH: Vanilla Fresh shake, plus 1 option from the Fruit List, 1 option from the Vegetable List, and 1 option from the Healthy Fats list
   AFTERNOON SNACK: 1 option from Vegetable List, and 1 option from the Healthy Fats list
   AFTERNOON TEA: 1 cup of unsweetened herbal tea (caffeine-free)
   DINNER: Vanilla Fresh shake, 1 option from the Dinner Recipes, and 1 cup of organic vegetable broth (optional)
   EVENING TEA: 1 cup of unsweetened herbal tea (caffeine-free) 

It reduced my cravings significantly and made me very aware of how what I eat for dinner makes me feel in the morning.  I slept well and woke up feeling refreshed and not groggy and hung over.  I don't remember the last time I really slept that well. It definitely tightened up my midsection and I can definitely see the potential in using this program before a big event.  

I definitely eat pretty clean but after this experience I am going to do better when it comes to meal planning,  watching my processed foods and using LESS seasonings and oils.  I am floored that using 1/2 Teaspoon of a healthy fat was enough to flavor my meals!  I just never tried less before.  I could actually taste my food as well.  No it wasn't out of hunger that I was tasting it either! LOL!

In the end, there was one snack that definitely made my mouth water by Day 3…..

My kids Goldfish!  I think it was more the salt on them than anything else.  But I will proudly say I resisted!  For a 3 Day Refresh, you can really accomplish it.  

I will definitely incorporate this into my rotation of healthy living moving forward.  It really is an amazing  experience that I didn't expect.

I am planning to have a Challenge Group (What is a Challenge Group?? ----> CLICK HERE) starting the Monday after Thanksgiving - a great way to Detox after the Holiday and prepare for December!  What better way to prepare for the Holiday parties than to have a PLAN!  That way you can enjoy the parties and avoid the weight gain!  

If you are interested in learning more and taking the next step, then click the picture below and fill out the application.  I'll reach out to you with more information on upcoming groups!

P90X3 Results are in!

6 Months and substantial progress!! This is why I tell my Challengers to TAKE PICTURES! I don't even recognize myself in Day 0!  

P90X3 was 90 days, workouts were 30 minutes a day, 6 Days per week.  Nutrition was 40/30/30 (Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat).  Definitely a challenge but cutting those workouts to 30 minutes a day was key for me.  I'm busy, really busy.  I have a family with two young kids, work full time and have a variety of pets.  This program really fit well into my schedule!

The Fat Loss was KEY!  By volume fat takes up far more space in your body as clearly illustrated in my photos.  Fat doesn't weigh "less"- 5 pounds is 5 pounds.  So when you loose the fat but gain muscle, you may stay the same weight - but still get smaller because you have reduced inches.  My waist measured 33 inches on Day 0 and on Day 180 measured 29 inches! 4 inches from my hips, 3 inches from my thighs, 1 inch from my arms.  Total inch loss of 12,  I'll take it!  

The worst part was getting up early in the morning but as time progressed even that was less of an issue.  As I saw results I kept going.  Trust in the program and it works, being consistent even when I'd slip up here and there.  No one is perfect, you live an learn. 

One of the more valuable pieces of information I learned thru this process was to be CONSISTENT.  That and ACCOUNTABILITY were the most important game changers for me.  I achieved that with accountability in my challenge groups.  Having to post my workout daily helped to keep me motivated.  (What's a Challenge Group? ---> CLICK HERE)

Second most valuable? NUTRITION- 70% of this is about what you put in your mouth folks!  One of the key comments for me is Shakeology.  I absolutely LOVE my Shakeo.  It is the most nutritious meal of my day and my results don't lie.  Reduces cravings and is a meal replacement.  When you eat 5 balanced meals a day to keep your metabolism going, this is a fantastic shortcut to meet my daily needs.  Its  dense enough that I don't take vitamin supplements anymore. Hated taking them anyway!!

Along with that comes meal prep Sunday! The only way you can be successful is to prepare for it.  So every Sunday I cook and make my lunches and snacks for the week.  I have a plan for my dinners as well.  As you can see, everyone gets in the act to help out.  And WHAT could be better than that?  This is a lifestyle change for me and if I can pass that on to the kids than there is nothing better than that!

Last, I had to stop beating myself up and looking backwards.  It doesn't  matter what happened yesterday, what matters is today and what choices you make every day.  Be proud of small wins and celebrate them! Celebrate them in a healthy way, change your mindset.  You cannot succeed if you are your own biggest obstacle and negative force! Should you take an honest look at yourself and evaluate your current situation? ABSOLUTELY!  Everyone has a starting point, I don't care who they are.  We have to take an honest look and start making changes.  It takes work and some dedication. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are you.  

Should you make a choice to change your life by making the decision to choose a plan that is right for you and follow thru this time?  HELL YES!  I'd love to help you!  

If this FT, wife and mom can make it happen I KNOW you can too. All you need to do is Decide, Commit, Succeed! 

If you CLICK the picture below  you can set up your FREE Beach Body Account and I will be your Coach to help you in your fitness journey! 

Day 2 Review of the Refresh

Day 2 is done!  And I am really amazed how good I feel and how satisfied I am.    I definitely have been leaning on my Herbal Tea.  But honestly I feel full and fine.  One thing that this is definitely doing is waking up my taste buses.  Without all that extra butter and salt I really do taste my food more. That is the nice thing about this Refresh.  You actually do eat.  Everything is fresh and minimally cooked. 

I also was able to workout and I didn't feel tired or out of energy.  The Vanilla Fresh is protein rich so even though I'm eating really clean I'm getting needed protein to keep myself feeling full and not weak.  I'm pretty sure the headache I experienced on Day 1 was caffeine withdrawal.  I don't rely on a lot of caffeine so that wasn't such a big hurdle for me.  I also think the water intake also helps alleviate hunger and lack of caffeine.  

Dinner was really delicious as well.  One of the things I find amazing is that with 1/2 Tsp of Coconut oil I'm able to flavor my dinner.  I really didn't believe it was possible.  Sometimes simplifying makes a difference.  I will definitely have that for a take away for sure.  We are so quick to cover our food up with seasonings and sauces.  Sometimes the most simple addition can be really fantastic.  I sleep well, I wake up refreshed, that is truly amazing to me and something I will also work into my daily plan as I decide what do do about dinners moving forward.

So far VERY good!

3 Day Refesh- Day 1 onto Day 2

Well that was not as hard as I thought day one would be!  I honestly think the water consumption is key and I was definatly in the bathroom more than usual. The basic idea for the 3 Day Refresh is you have prescribed drinks during the day, Shakeology, Fiber Sweep, Vanilla Fresh, LOTS of water and vegetable snacks with a balanced fat all thru out the day.  

I will say I had a headache early in the day, but that subsided and it wasn't bad enough to need Tylenol.  I'm convinced thats some caffeine with draw.  The drinks and the food is spaced out well enough that I was always satisfied and not starving.  If I'm honest I was NEVER starving.  But your head plays games with you and you have to remind yourself its only 3 days and this is totally doable for 3 days.  So why not do it right and really evaluate how it makes me feel.

The nice thing about the Refresh is that you DO eat regularly on this plan. But it's plant based and meant to clean up or "Reset" your nutrition. Eg. Post a holiday food binge or post vacation. Even before you begin a workout program to clean up your diet. 

Herbal tea or Green Tea was my friend during the day. And I have to say with all the water and non caffeinated tea I thought I'd miss my coffee more. I got over that hump about 2/3's into my day.  I use Stevia, a natural calorie free sweetener but sparingly.  

I also thought I'd miss my roast chicken more too. I'm not gonna say I'd turn down a juicy burger once this is done!  But I do feel really good!  The Vanilla Fresh drink is high protein so I don't feel like I'm missing anything during this three days. 

At the end of the day I really enjoyed my dinner. It took more doing because on the Refresh all your ingredients are fresh so there is a little more prep that goes into your meals.  

I will tel you I slept like a ROCK and I woke up feeling good and not "hung over" like I normally do when I eat too many of the wrong kind of carbs. EG. High glycemic carbohydrates (pasta) dinner before bed. 

This program is definitely making me appreciate how food affects me. It's true when they say food can be the most potent form of poison or the best medicine. 

So I'm up now and going to PRESS PLAY With some P90X3 Yoga.  On to day 2!! 

3 Day Refresh! It's going down!

So this is my Day 1 of the 3 Day Refresh!  I've never tried it before but I hear GREAT things about it.  Meal prep was last night and was it different!! Lots of veggies and healthy fats- I love my veggies so I think this will agree with me.  What you see in the picture below is mainly my lunches.  I'll make my dinners daily as they are fresh vegetables too.  I'll blog daily to let you know how I'm doing and what my like/dislikes are.

Just the Lunches and Snacks!

My water intake is usually around 70 oz. per day but I'll try to increase that to one gallon a day during the refresh.  What you don't see in the picture is the Shakeology- that's a key feature to the program as well.  This program is not mean to starve you as with other "juice fasts" its mean to re-set you maybe … post a Halloween/Thanksgiving binge?  Or just before starting a new fitness program and you want to really clean up your nutrition before hand.  

I'm excited for day one!  This is my recovery week from P90X3 and next week I start 21 Day Fix so BRING IT!

What's your Plan for the Holidays?