Working Out With A Partner aka Miracles DO Happen

I've never been so happy before during my workout.

Here's why:

For the past 5 days, I've been working out with my husband! <3 This has been so thrilling for me, mostly because the past two years have gone something like this...

Me: Will you work out with me?
Hubby: No.
Me: Why not? Please?!
Hubby: No. Because I don't want to.
Me: Why not?!
Hubby: Because I just don't. 

This was a vicious cycle that kept repeating itself. Every few weeks or so I would ask. Every few weeks or so his response was usually the same.

Then one day, the heavens opened, unicorns and rainbows appeared, and the conversation changed! My begging and pleading hadn't worked, but something had changed his mind and my hubby committed to first completing a 21 day reset (gentle cleanse) with me and then working out for 21 days doing the 21 Day Fix workout.

It. Was. A. Miracle.

And so, for the past 5 days, we've not only been consistently working out together...but we've been getting up at 5:30am to do it! We decided that we were going to commit to early morning workouts so that NOTHING would stand in our way. So far, so good!

I'll update you at the end of the 3 weeks with our results, but for now, here's how our 5 days have looked when we've finished:

3 Day Refresh Results

My 3 Day Refresh results are in and I'm SO EXCITED! These are great results. In just 3 days I was able to lose weight, gain some energy AND lose some inches! Woohoo! I was expecting only half the results that I did get, so this was a crazy surprise. The best part: it wasn't hard at all to stick with it! I was able to eat real food while doing a cleanse! Crazy right? But possible! If I can do it, so can you.

Check out this video for my results and my experience during the 3 Day Refresh:

And of course, some more info. about the Refresh:

If you're interested in trying the 3 Day Refresh out for yourself, feel free to ORDER HERE or contact me via Facebook or email (use the tabs at the top of this page) or comment below :) I would love to add you to my next challenge group and help you start seeing results in just 3 days! Like I said, if a busy mom of two like me can do this (all while still cooking and feeding her family and running around as usual), so can you! 

Clean Eating Chicken & Veggies

Roast Brussel sprouts (halfed), red bell peppers (cut into bites), and baby carrots tossed in EVOO and sprinkled with tumeric, black pepper, garlic powder & ground ginger on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes. 

In the meantime, marinate chicken breast in EVOO and roasted garlic and herb seasoning such as this one below or make your own:

Bake (I like to elevate mine by taking a cooling rack and setting it over top of a baking sheet and placing the chicken on the rack so it cooks evenly- be sure to spray with non-stick cooking spray of you choose this method!) at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. 

This yields an easy, clean dinner that's delicious! Note: I prefer to use organic ingredients as much as possible, especially for my veggies! 

My Ultimate Reset: Week 1

Week one of the Ultimate Reset has been great! I have been on this journey with my husband and today is day 7. I must confess, my husband is doing the full-on reset and I am doing a modified version. Since I am still breastfeeding, I cannot take the supplements. Detoxing will release toxins into my breastmilk (yuck) and so I can’t nurse Sophia AND take the pills. I will do the reset WITH supplements once she is done nursing. For now, I am sticking to the exact schedule as far as food and water intake and following all other instructions. I believe it is still working to rid my body of the junk that has been building up and I am leaving behind bad habits, which is my ultimate goal. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ***Let’s talk SCHEDULE: The Ultimate Reset is demanding! Plain and simple- you need time each night (or a whole day on Sunday) to prep your meals for the week. The recipes are easy, but they are complicated because they require multiple steps and a lot of chopping veggies and fruits and measuring things. You have to be precise on the reset and you can’t “eyeball” your measurements. This is a change for me since I’m so used to just dumping stuff in and then tasting as I go when I cook. In addition to the food prep, you need to be able to set yourself up for success. My husband and I set our phone alarms to go off when we need to drink water (and he needs to take the supplements). These are precise times because certain supplements need to be taken a half hour before a meal, two hours after a meal, etc. You also need to make sure you are getting in enough water each day- about a gallon for me a day! And, the water needs to be DISTILLED water! I found gallons of distilled water at Target for 88 cents a piece, so that’s not bad since I need 21 of them and my hubby needs more PLUS we need some for cooking! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ***Let’s talk FOOD: You will eat strange foods. Period. You may or may not have heard of all of the foods on the grocery list they provide- but be open-minded and give them a shot! I am now a fan of so many new foods and I now have an arsenal of recipes that I plan to make regularly even after our reset is over. My husband, who grew up a meat-and-potatoes guy, is also surprised at how many of the recipes he likes. I am now a huge fan of tempeh and plan to incorporate it into my dishes beyond the reset. I will also be adding in a “meatless Monday” to my life after the reset because that will give me a chance to eat my favorite dishes from this program regularly. Here’s a pic of some of the food I’ve been eating this week:

I also want to share my favorite dressing recipe and my favorite recipe from week 1. Check them out!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ***Let’s talk MOTIVATION: Believe you can and you will! You CAN do this and you can be successful. If my husband can stick to this, without cheating (even on his BIRTHDAY!), then so can you! No excuses. This is going to be so great for our health, we already feel so AMAZING, I am going to be raving about this for a while. That is motivation enough! Trust me ;) However, if that’s not enough, Beachbody provides an Ultimate Reset private Facebook group for all participants to help each other with questions and encouragement. You also can sign up for daily emails explaining information about the phase you are in and get support through the online portal they’ve created. It’s literally AMAZING support! PLUS, there are plenty of YouTube videos to help with questions, reset cooking tips, etc. These are GOLD! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Let’s talk CONFESSION: Bless and release. It’s a good motto to have...and during the reset you need to let go of any anxiety and negative feelings you are holding onto towards yourself and others. Also, if you slip up (it happens- I slipped and had a bite of a cookie and a sliver of birthday cake), you can’t freak out and beat yourself up about it. I felt bad, but I realized that what’s done is done and I need to move forward. I am pledging to no more slip-ups from here on out and I KNOW I will succeed because of the support I’m getting and the determination I have. Also, I have to say, I have lost my taste for those treats anyway. When I ate the sliver of cake, the aftertaste was HORRIBLE. It tasted like CHEMICALS! I could immediately tell it was highly processed and full of preservatives and toxins and I DO NOT want that going into my body ever again. In fact, after the reset I will probably be making my own desserts from here on out and only using clean ingredients (the blog Chocolate-Covered Katie has some great recipes for this if you want to check it out!) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Let’s talk about YOU! If you think this is something you want to try because you want to experience these benefits, feel free to find me on Facebook and shoot me a message, or email me, or just order now HERE! I would love to help you through this amazing experience!

My Grocery Staples and Upcoming Reset

My husband, Brian, and I are planning to start Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset on Friday. If you haven’t heard of this program, you are missing out on something serious for your nutrition! The Reset is a way to detox your body without starvation (I can think of a few other detox/cleanses that require you to eat literally nothing for days...this isn’t the same thing!). It is a three-week long program and it’s intense because it requires that you eat at certain times, drink distilled water at certain times and also take supplements at certain times to reset your body back to it’s natural, “factory” settings (<-- haha). While some people might find this to be crazy (I mean, what’s the point, right?), I find it to be exciting. I am excited for the benefits of this program- I am basically promised better sleep, better eating habits moving forward, possible weight-loss during the reset, and increased health among other benefits. My current eating habits aren’t too far off from the foods that I will be eating during the reset, other than the fact that I normally will allow myself a treat (none for the three weeks of the reset!) and I eat meat (on the reset, I won’t be after the first week). This will be something new for me, but I am looking forward to how I am going to feel once I am eating vegan. I have a suspicion that I will feel a lot better. Here’s a look at my current grocery list staples that I always seem to get:

A lot of these items will be allowed to stay on my list during the reset, so I’m excited about this! I also know that I will be adding new items to my list like seaweed, so that will be something different- but I am open to change and experiencing new things! Here’s to hoping that my reset shopping experience goes well tomorrow and prep equally well on Thursday. I will keep you updated and blog about my reset experience during my 21 days.

30 Days of X3

When I think about posting my transformations...any pictures of myself, really, that show a lot of skin, I cringe a little on the inside. Has anyone ever felt afraid of stuff like this? I know I should be proud but also, I'm a little shy and a little bit modest when it comes to this stuff so putting my whole body out there...that's scary! 30 days ago, I started P90X3. I also decided that I was going to do the 21 Day Fix at the same time. Double workouts. Focused on nutrition (which I ended up slipping up on more than I care to admit...chocaholic right here and I need help! Even Shakeology, which usually helps, wasn't cutting it. I blame it on the breastfeeding...). I finished the first month of X3 AND finished the 21 Day Fix. I did not lose any weight. It was really disappointing and I felt really upset. I started beating myself up (almost literally) for not being more disciplined with my food choices. I felt ashamed...I wanted to hide in a closet. Then... I took my 30 day pictures. The pictures I had been dreading. I wanted to avoid them, but decided it was time to be held accountable. WOW! Am I glad I did! I am excited to share with you all my results. While the number on the scale didn't budge, my inches did and so did my definition! I am proud to say that I can now see more muscles. Don't let the scale define you. I almost forgot that lesson. Now, I have proof that it's a lesson I never want to forget. Sooooo without further adieu, my 30 day results:

My plan for the next 30 days of X3 is to conquer it head on and have no regrets. I also plan to do T25 in the evenings and X3 in the mornings. I admit, I miss T25 and Shaun T. too much to just not do T25 right now. It's my favorite program...my soul mate program HAHA and I cannot live without it. If you can relate, I'd love to know! Feel free to share these results or any of the posts on my blog with a friend that might want to hear about it. Keep smiling and keep pushing play. Have a wonderful evening.

April Showers...lead to SUMMER TIME!

April showers bring May Flowers...and May quickly turns to June and SUMMER TIME! I plan on getting into a bikini for the first time in a long time this summer. What about you? Are you ready to get toned and trim for summer? It's not that far away. I mean, it's already April 2nd!!! Crazy, right?! Where does the time go?

This month, Beachbody has released not one, but TWO amazing programs on sale. Focus T25 (my soulmate program for sure! I love it so much! Loved my results, loved the small amount of time it required, LOVED LOVED LOVED it!) is one of the challenge packs on sale. Originally $205, the sale price is $180. They are selling it at the introductory price, which is AMAZING. Also, as you all know, 100% of my profits are going to benefit The Chemo Bag (a non-profit that provides gift bags to cancer patients receiving chemotherapy). What does that mean for your challenge pack order? What will you get??

You will get: Focus T25 workouts, meal plan, resistance bands, Shakeology in flavor of your choosing, FREE 30-day club membership (includes a meal planner!), FREE spot in my next challenge group, entry into Beachbody challenge upon completion (can win $100,000 grand prize! or smaller prizes of $500). PLUS $60 will be donated to The Chemo Bag. Your price for all of this? $180! Plus, you'll only pay $2 super-saver shipping. Sweet deal? Yes, yes it is!

The second challenge pack that's on sale is Brazil Butt Lift. This challenge pack includes: Brazil Butt Lift workouts, meal plan, Shakeology in flavor of your choosing, FREE 30-day club membership (includes a meal planner!), FREE spot in my next challenge group, entry into Beachbody challenge upon completion (can win $100,000 grand prize! or smaller prizes of $500). PLUS $40 will be donated to The Chemo Bag. Your price for all of this? $140! Plus, you'll only pay $2 super-saver shipping.

BONUS Challenge Pack! Not into working out but still want to get healthier? This one is for you! The Ultimate Reset Challenge Pack. This includes: The Ultimate Reset meal plan dvds & supplements, Shakeology flavor of your choosing, FREE 30-day club membership. PLUS $90 will be donated to The Chemo Bag!!! Your price for all of this? $275. Plus, you'll still only pay $2 super-saver shipping.

My recommendation: as always, I recommend T25. I achieved AMAZING results with this program and I will stand by it 100%. Results do not lie! If you want help getting into shape for summer and just feeling better about yourself, let me help you. Join my challenge and let's do this!

Check out my results! -------------------->

The Chemo Bag Fundraiser

I am fortunate to be able to pair up with an amazing group! The Chemo Bag is committed to providing gift bags to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. I feel so blessed to be able to support them in their mission.

For the rest of this month, and ALL of April, I will be donating ALL PROCEEDS to The Chemo Bag. What does that mean? That means that for every challenge pack sold, for every Shakeology order sold, for every piece of equipment sold, The Chemo Bag will receive my earnings. Not me. I am not keeping a dime.

If you’ve been thinking about ordering an at-home fitness program, I encourage you to do it NOW! You can support your own health and fitness while supporting others. What an amazing opportunity you have to bless our community here in the Lehigh Valley. Please join me and raise awareness for this cause.

I invite each and every one of you to reach out to me about programs and joining a challenge group. If you have questions, now’s the time to ask. I can even tell you how much will be donated from your individual sale. Additionally, please SHARE this information to as many people you know. That way, the word gets out and hopefully we can do more!

My goal is $1,000. I would love to blow this goal out of the water!

You can shop on my website at: Shop Here! Proceeds benefit The Chemo Bag

New Year’s Resolutions Revisited!

LONG POST ALERT!!! Bear with me, as I am about to bear my soul. Many thanks in advance ;)

Picture this: New Year’s Eve 2013. I’m about to ring in the new year and I have to make some resolutions. I want to make a resolution that I will stick to. Something that I won’t give up on after a month (like usual) but also something that is a BIG goal. I want to make 2014 count. Sound familiar? Most of us wind up with similar feelings around the beginning of a new year. Hopes are high and people are feeling refreshed; ready to take action with their lives. I am no different. I set some big goals for myself in 2014. It’s almost the end of the first quarter of the year, and I’m ready to do some self-reflection to see where I stand on meeting the goals I set just three months ago. 

 

My Dream Board for 2014

Goal #1- Personal Development: I set a goal for myself to read more personal development. If I’m not willing to grow myself, then what’s the point? So far, I am not happy with what I’ve been doing in this department. I have only completed a total of 4 books this year for this category. I need to do better. I am pledging myself to a minimum of 10 minutes per day. No matter what! Starting today.

Goal #2- Go on a vacation: This is something that I KNOW my family needs. I booked a vacation- the success club trip to Mexico in March of 2015. I know it’s far away, but I’m slowing paying for it and I am excited to attend this trip. My girls are going to love the resort! I also booked my hotel for our coach summit in Vegas this June. I am psyched. Even though this is technically a “business trip,” I still think it counts as a vacation because I plan on having some FUN with my Beachbody Family!!!

Goal #3- Do the 3 vital behaviors every day. Some days, I admit, I am slacking in this. I am a product of the product (I drink my Shakeology & complete my daily workouts). They are considered non-negotiable with me. I do not always complete my personal development. I do not always invite people. I need to do better. I vow to do better!

Goal #4- Build muscle & tone/Create defined abs. I am well on my way to achieving this! I am getting some great results with X3 and the 21 Day Fix. I finished ChaLean Extreme, which helped. I am doing this right! I also plan on adding T25 back into my schedule. 

Goal #5- Lose 5 more pounds. I have not done such a great job in this. I confess, my nutrition is not always what it should be and I have more cheat meals than I would like to admit. I commit to doing better!

Goal #6- Eat Clean. Right now, I’m at about a 75% clean diet. I will be upping this to 85/90%. I feel better when I eat clean, so I’m just going to go for it!

Goal #7- Lead by example. I believe I am trying to do this for my team, but I pledge to do better and lead from the front. 

Goal #8- Date nights once a month. This has not happened yet, and I NEED to make this a priority. I will do this! I believe it’s important for my marriage and my sanity. 

Goal #9- Start a fit club. I have attempted to start one at my church, but they turned me down because I am moving. I felt defeated, and gave up on this goal. Now that I am revisiting it, I do not want to take no for an answer. I have made a new plan to look for a different location for fit club. Also, I will attend the fit club in Allentown and check it out- that way I can see how it’s supposed to be run and I can get ideas for when I find my own location. Never give up on a goal! 

Goal #10- Spend time with my girls. This is seriously my favorite goal. I love my daughters and I love seeing them laughing and smiling. It melts my heart. I have been spending a lot of quality time with them, and I plan to do more. Once it gets nice out, I plan to go for runs/walks and the park with them a lot. I also plan on spending more quality time away from television/iPads/iPhones, etc. I think it’s so important for their development to stay away from all of the gizmos and gadgets and just have time to be kids. I cannot wait to help them do more of that!

Goal #11- Read the Bible daily/attend church weekly. I have been pretty faithful when it comes to this goal. I just completed day 321 and I couldn’t be happier. I am going to add to this goal and say that if I miss a church service for any reason, I will go back and listen to the podcast. I don’t want to miss a message, because I know it’s important for my soul! Also, I think that my pastor has the ability to motivate and encourage. He also has the ability to say exactly what I need to hear every week. It’s uncanny and also a blessing. Why would I want to miss out on that?

Goal #12- SC5 every month. No excuses. So far, so good in this department! I am not going to take no for an answer here!!!

Goal #13- Move into a nice, dream home in Texas. This one, I don’t have much control over. I am (not so) patiently waiting for my house in Pennsylvania to sell. Until then, this goal is on HOLD. 

Goal #14- Get to Ruby and then Diamond status. I am pledging to learn more about how to motivate and encourage my team to be leaders. I am pledging to find business builders and then help them to learn this business so they can achieve their goals/wants/desires. Only then will I see success with this goal. 

Goal #15- Financial Freedom! Pay off debt! I am going to start working more on this. One bill at a time. One loan at a time. One payment at a time until it’s done! 

I will create my own destiny. Setting goals, re-evaluating them periodically, and pushing to meet them will guarantee my success. She believed she could, and so she did! <---that will be me!!! 

*If you want to know how to create a dream board, or if you want help defining your goals and setting smaller goals to help you reach the big ones, message me. I’d love to help! 

XOXO,

Stephanie

Spring Fever, 21 Day Fix/P90X3 Updates, and My Confession

Today we finally had some warmer weather. The warm weather makes me want to jump for joy! I can sense that I will be able to run outside sometime in the near future. Running is something that I’ve been missing. I have a double stroller ready to go and I cannot wait to get back on the trail.

Aside from running, I’ve been making some progress in my new programs. One week complete for the 21 Day Fix AND P90X3. I am happy to be seeing the number move on the scale, even if it’s only a little bit. I was up recently, due to the fact that I had been justifying WAY TOO MANY cheat meals which turned into cheat days...you get the picture. Too much junk food was allowed due to all of these circumstances I swore were out of my control. I was not home a lot recently, and so I justified eating junk. What should I have done instead? I should have packed healthy foods for me and my family and not made any excuses. This is my confession. I will move forward and continue to do what I should have been doing all along.

21 Day Fix Update:

The 21 Day Fix is a really great program. The workouts are intense, but there is a modifier in case you need one in the beginning (I used the modifier for some of the moves and I still felt the burn!). I am LOVING the portion-control container system. It’s definitely something that I know I can continue to use, even after my 21 days are up. Also, it’s something that can be done while eating out, which is also a really big bonus in my opinion.

P90X3 Update:

Tony Horton is NO JOKE. He brings it in intensity for X3, however it is completely reasonable and does have a modifier if any beginner wants to take a crack at it. I am getting used to the workouts, some of which are really difficult for me. One workout, called The Challenge, is 30 minutes of pushups and pullups. That’s it! Various types of these bad boys...it’s difficult but I definitely need to practice both of these since they are my weakness. I recommend choosing a low number to start! 

Additionally, one thing I really love is Tony’s sense of humor. He makes working out seem less like a mundane task and it’s something that I find enjoyable. Plus, I never know what’s going to come out of his mouth next. 

Week One Totals:

Even though I was HORRIBLE with following the nutrition plan for the 21 Day Fix this week (I cheated at least once per day, which I hate to admit but I need to confess so that I never do it again), I still lost 2 pounds. I cannot wait to finish my last 2 weeks and see how many inches and pounds drop off now that I am going to be perfect with my nutrition. (Thankfully, the plan allows me to have chocolate and wine so those cheats are allowed!)

Banana-Coconut Cream Pie Shakeology

Here it is! The much anticipated Banana-Coconut Cream Pie Shakeology recipe that I mentioned on Instagram earlier today!!! 

Banana-Coconut Cream Pie Shakeology

1/2 packet of Vanilla Shakeology

2 tbsp. Coconut Cream  instant Jell-O Pudding

8-10 oz. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze 

Frozen Banana (I used approx. 6 slices or half a banana frozen)

Ice

Blend all together and enjoy :)

*This is the first vanilla Shakeology recipe that I’ve tried and liked. All the other ones I’ve hated, so that must be saying something! I believe the missing ingredient for me was the instant pudding. I’m glad I didn’t give up trying to find one that I liked since Shakeology is so good for me and I love all the other flavors! Persistence paid off today!