It feels perfect...not being perfect

There is a lot of bondage and self criticism that comes with working out and eating healthy-I know because I have been there. You can become obsessed and feel bad when you fall off the "being good" wagon. If you are like me I often live in extremes. I am an all in or all out kind of person. That is why I always struggled in these areas. I felt like if I ever cheated on my "diet" or missed a workout I was a failure, a bad person.  Ridiculous right? But I am afraid someone, a lot of someones out there deal with this too. That is why I have felt so much freedom the last few years in two things; 1. Following the 80/20 rule and 2. Changing my mindset on why I workout/Eat Healthy. I think this is why a lot of people quit a diet or workout plan-they are just too unrealistic and they cause too much pressure. It doesn't have to be all or nothing though and here is why-

The 80/20 Rule:

 I try to be "good" 80% of the time. This means eating clean and working out 3-5 days a week 80% of the time. I then cheat on my eating clean and miss working out about 20% of the time. I am sure someone out there won't struggle with this. Someone out there may be able to eat healthy and work out all of the time, no problem. But, I don't think that is the reality for most of us. If you go into it knowing you are going to miss a workout day and have that dessert once in a while then you don't look at it as "failing" you look at it as a way of life.  However, you still have to work at this. If you work in an office it can be really common to have temptations everywhere. One co-worker has a dish of candy on their desk, another brings in doughnuts for breakfast to share, and oh wait now it's your other co-workers birthday and there is cake for everyone! If you are sticking to the 80/20 rule you have to make decisions. So, if you already ate the doughnuts for breakfast then you might have to pass on the cake. Otherwise, you aren't being good 80% of the time. Another example-if you skipped working out on Thursday then come Friday you have to push through that laziness/lack of motivation and get your workout on! There is no way around it-people who want to look good and be healthy HAVE to work at it. But, you have to allow yourself to be human-for me that is following the 80/20 rule. It allows me to still enjoy things and have an off day but stick with it most of the time!I don't like the term diet. Eating healthy shouldn't be a quick fix-it should be a lifestyle change. If you make it a lifestyle change and allow cheat times you will have more success with it-same with exercise.

Changing My Mindset:

The first time I really remember thinking about what I ate/working out was in high school. That is when I realized I couldn't eat everything I wanted and I had a tiny cheerleading outfit I had to fit into. I think this is a pretty typical time to think about this. Looking around me everyone had poor eating habits and bad self esteem-that was normal! At that time I worked out for SURVIVAL-it was not fun. Over the past few years my mindset on nutrition/fitness really changed. I finally started publicly admitting that I liked working out (I love the endorphines flowing, the way it helped my anxiety, the stronger it made my body). I also started looking at food differently. I didn't like junk because I realized what it was and the way it made me feel. I no longer wanted to not eat junk because of the fear of it making me fat-I wanted to avoid junk because I didn't like what it did to my body! My thoughts focused from working out and eating well as a pressure that others put on me to working out and eating well because it truly improved MY well being. Working out and eating well made me feel better and in turn makes me a better person in general.

My hope and prayer for anyone reading this is that you can find this freedom that I have found. Bondage to food and exercise can be super depressing. I hope that you find a love for working out and eating healthy because it makes you feel better not because it is one more thing to do and stress about. I hope that you feel perfect...not being perfect!

Love,

Megan

Autumn Calabrese 21 Day Fix-Who is Autumn Calabrese?

Autumn Calabrese 21 Day Fix

 

Who is Autumn Calabrese?

Autumn Calabrese is a celebrity fitness trainer and national-level bikini competitor. A rising star in the fitness community, she's made a name for herself by helping people lose weight and get fit through simple portion control and consistent exercise.

Autumn holds personal training certificates from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA). Her supportive, motivating style has made her a highly sought-after expert among celebrities and the fitness industry.

Building on a foundation of good food choices and exercise habits, Autumn empowers her clients to reach their goals in a healthy, sustainable way. In addition to her celebrity clientele, Autumn is the fitness specialist for ModernMom.com. Her workouts have been featured in C magazine, LA Parent, The Palisadian-Post, and Daily Candy, and on TV shows like Home & Family. With a passionate, entrepreneurial spirit, Autumn is the perfect addition to the Beachbody family of trainers.

 

What is 21 Day Fix?

The 21 Day Fix program takes the guesswork out of weight loss. It's a unique portion-control system combined with easy-to-follow workouts that fit into anyone's busy schedule. Trainer Autumn Calabrese shares her passion for food and fitness as she shows you how to make simple choices that add up to life-changing results.

 



 

Want to be the first to know when 21 Day Fix is available?

Sign up for a free account here.  And send me a message letting me know that you are interested in the 21 Day Fix. The expected release date will be sometime in February.  Demand for this revolutionary system is expected to be sky-high, so sign up now!

 

 

 

Scott's P90X3 Results

P90X3 Testimonial lost 19 lbs in 90 days and got ripped! Check out his story to find out how 30 minutes a day can get you lean and shredded!

P90X3 is the new excuse buster extreme workout program that will get you RIPPED in 30 minutes a day. It's a brand new program from Tony Horton consisting of 16 P90X-style workouts that will once again get you in the best shape of your life in 90 days.

Data shows that most of the benefits from any workout occur within the first 30 minutes. After that, unless you're an elite athlete, it's all diminishing returns. The MUSCLE ACCELERATION SYSTEM in P90X3 is designed to maximize your results in those 30 minutes by utilizing a new periodization structure that will give you P90X-quality results after 90 days by working out half the time.

 

P90X3 will be released on December 10th, 2013.  Sign up for a free account here, to be notified when it releases.   Also, receive a free bonus workout and a P90X3 hat with your order.

Shakeology Survey-It Really Works

Shakeology Really Works

You may have heard the buzz around how Shakeology helps transform people’s health.
Well if you’re wondering if the hype is true, it is. We even put it to the test! A BIG test.

Shakeology Survey results:

Here’s proof from nearly 3,000 daily Shakeology drinkers:*
93% feel healthier since drinking it.
86% report increased energy level.
81% feel it helped reduce their cravings for junk food.
91% said it helped improve their regularity.**
81% said Shakeology kept them full until their next meal.
72% said Shakeology helped them lose weight.
82% reported improved digestion.†
77% feel more alert and focused throughout their day.
74% noticed an improvement in their mood.
92% believe Shakeology is money well spent.
91% agree that Shakeology tastes great!
65% cut back on the amount of caffeinated beverages they consumed daily.
66% noticed their skin/hair/nails looked healthier.
97% believe it’s a smart investment in their health.

 



 

Shakeology really is a great product.  My wife and I searched for years trying to find a great shake that was super healthy and also tasted great.  We finally stumbled upon Shakeology.  To be honest, at first I could've cared less about all the nutritional value.  I was all about taste.  The first time I got a chocolate Shakeology sample packet and mixed it up with Peanut butter.....I was hooked.  I knew it was something that I could drink everyday.  There are a ton of different recipes you can try and also a variety of flavors.

Flavors: Regular Chocolate, Greenberry, Vanilla, Vegan Chocolate, Tropical Strawberry

If you would like to try Shakeology contact us for a free sample.

 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups roasted, cooled, mashed sweet potatoes (from 1 large or 2 small)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes and butter together until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again. Stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.


In another bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mix to the wet mix and gently stir together. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until mixed.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees. Drop large rounded scoops of dough onto the pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and lightly brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.

 



 

Please Share

Why I Workout at Home

Why do I workout at home?

My husband has always loved the Beachbody at home DVD series. He never was a fan of going to the gym waiting around for people to be done using the equipment. I however, always loved a good aerobics class. I liked to go right after work before I got home and grew tired. I liked the social aspect and the accountability. I always said, "if I don't go to the gym then I won't work out".

Things changed drastically after I became a mom. I had already been getting highly irrated about going to the gym. I couldn't believe how stressful it was becoming. I would go to aerobics class and ladies were saving spots for a handful of other ladies who weren't there yet. If I didn't get their super early all of the good hand weights and sizes were taken. Sometimes the instructors would show up late (or not at all!) and the best was the comments I would get from other people working out. Everyone would have a comment about me losing too much or not enough weight (no joke!) Working out was supposed to be a stress reliever but it was starting to create stress! On top of all of that I felt guilty going to the gym after work since I had already left my daughter all day. It took me away from her even longer because I had to drive to and from the gym.

I have always loved Chalene Johnson's workouts. She is always cheerful and talks to the camera like she is right there with me. So, I decided to try her Turbo Fire series. I liked it because it came with a big calendar to follow the routines daily. I didn't really feel like I was working out alone because her energy and support seemed to jump right out at me from the T.V! I began doing the workouts early in the morning before work while everyone else was asleep. Although it wasn't easy at first being a morning person it was nice to have "me" time for once. On Saturdays and Sundays when I wanted to workout at home I would do so while my daughter napped or after she went to bed. It was reassuring to know that if she needed me I was just downstairs in the basement. I no longer had to get annoyed by stuff that happened at the gym. The gym was in my home!

After I had such success with Turbo Fire I decided to do Body Beast with my husband. I would do the workouts in the morning still and he would do them at night. We would encourage each other and talk about the workouts. It connected us. We both loved the workouts and programs so much that we decided to be Beach Body coaches. Now we help motivate others that do the workouts through phone calls, emails, and facebook workout groups. I feel even more accountable and committed than ever! I feel like I have a whole network of positive coaches and friends I am doing the programs with. When I get up early to workout I know that my other Beachbody buddies are working out too...just farther away! I no longer have to worry about if my daughter is okay, what I am wearing or look like, who is going to comment, and if there will be too many people using the machines.  I am also saving A LOT of money. My gym membership was costing me about $400 a year. Even though the DVD series aren't cheap I only pay for them one time I then I get to keep them forever.

Some people love the gym and at one point I did too.  What used to work for you maybe looks completely different now and then And, even more different years from now. The important thing is finding what works for YOU.  If you want to try an at home workout series to see if it is the right fit for you message me or check out my site. I would love to recruit you! ;)

Love,

Megan