Roasted Brussel Sprouts

 

Set aside your pre-conceived notions on this one!  We had roasted brussel sprouts with our dinner a couple of times this week.  My husband had left-overs in his lunch the other day and surprised me by saying that the roasted sprouts were even better cold!  Really?  I will have to try that one for myself!  My five year old son is all about anything that I am prepping.  So he snagged three sprouts this afternoon and gleefully ate them raw.  Oh my!  The kids did not love them at dinner this evening.  They had helped with the prep and became a bit overly-enthusiastic with the pepper grinder.  Oops!  The flavor was fine for us adults.  What really made these taste quite good was the dousing of fresh lemon juice just after they came out of the oven.  I know, I know.  Fresh lemon juice is my go-to accent around here.  It really does a lot for a variety of dishes and there is nothing negative about using it!  

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Preheat oven to 375

Place your brussel sprouts on a baking sheet.  I love my Stoneware from Pampered Chef!

Slice each sprout in half.

Mist with olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Use a spatula to gently turn and toss your sprouts.  Place them back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, cooking until lightly browned.  

Juice two lemons and pour the juice over your sprouts.  Allow them to soak for a couple of minutes and then serve!

The Ghost of Summers Past and Future

This might be difficult to read.  It was unsettling for me to experience yesterday.  Even sitting down to write about this stirs many emotions for me.  Yesterday we were at the park.  This is not unlike many other days!  But what happened yesterday is going to stick with me for a long, long time.  I was playing with the kids and we were also taking turns talking with my out-of-town mom by passing around my phone.  "Grandma! Now we are going to go down the slide!  See, you are going with me!  Wheeee!" (Kylee is too cute with her enthusiasm and desire to share life with those she loves!) Nathan was asking me to help him swing HIGH into the sky.  During which he was singing over and over, "Everything is Awesome"; a tribute to the Lego movie which we had seen at the theater earlier in the day.  I really wanted to capture this on video but Kylee had the phone and was having too much fun "with" Grandma on the slide.  As I looked around the park, there were a few families present and also a summer camp care program.  We were at the park during the late afternoon.  It was too nice of a day to not get out there and enjoy it!  Eventually the parents and grandparents of the campers began to arrive.  I watched as a grandparent got out of the car slowly and began to make their way over to the clipboard area.  This individual was quite overweight and clearly this was taking a toll on their body and ability to function in everyday life.  Of course this is not an uncommon sight today and I think of friends in the medical field who spend so much time treating problems that could have been prevented through a more healthy lifestyle.  I am NOT saying this in any sort of judgement.  Rather this is a self-reflective thing.  That could have been me one day, had I continued on the path that I was on one year ago.  

At this point Nathan was having fun jumping over an old drain grate.  He was running and taking a flying leap to the other side and wanted me to join him.  We held hands and ran and jumped and laughed together.  It is a new thing for me to have the physical confidence to be able to do something like this!  That may sound kind of goofy but is so true.  I was quite klutzy and just plain uncoordinated in the past.  My body would not do what my mind was telling it should happen!  NOT that I have now morphed into a circus tightrope walker, but I have come a LONG way and this really does play out in what I am able to do in everyday life!

Kylee was playing with a little girl who was a year younger than her.  This little girl was the last camper who remained for the day.  They were chatty and cute with one another.  The conversation was what I have come to expect of girls that age.  When you get an opportunity to eavesdrop, it just makes you smile!  The little girl's mom pulled up and got out of the car.  Instantly I saw myself and where I was last summer.  This was juxtaposed against the flying leaps that Nathan and I were making over the old drain grate.  Kylee ran over to us as the little girl's mom was motioning to her to head that way.  Kylee exclaimed, "Mom!  Let's show them our trick!!"  I was clueless as to what "our trick" was, but I said "okay!".  I asked Kylee what we were going to do for this trick?  She said that she would climb on my back and I would run all around with her up there and make crazy turns and bounce her around for a ride.  Oh right, "our trick".  :)  I had not known that this was how she regarded that experience!  So up she went and we did it.  But I had to hold back the tears.  I could see something in the eyes of the other mom.  This kind of "trick" was not a current option for her.  Just like me last summer and the summers past.  I did not have the strength, energy, balance or confidence to do something like this in prior years.  There were LOTS of other fun things that I did with my kids and of course they are fine to go through life without doing "our trick".  But it sure is fun to be able to do things with them this summer that I was never able to do with them in past years.       

If you are reading this and can relate, I can help you with making some changes to improve your health!  This is about so much more more than just "looking good".  It really is about being able to do things that you were unable to do before.  It is also about making changes that will really benefit your health in the long run.  You may not be at 230 pounds like I was last summer, but you may still feel as though you are lacking in energy and strength.  Yesterday was eye opening for me.  It really felt like one of those experiences where you are getting a look at your past and your potential future.  It made me so thankful to be where I am right now.  It was also motivation to continue onward with this journey!

Flexibility!

I am beginning my fourth week of PiYo here.  This program is unique and I am liking the benefits that I have already found through approaching my fitness through PiYo.  When I think of PiYo, one of the first words that comes to mind is flexibility!  You may have heard the life saying, “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.”  This of course applies to many areas of life and it has always made me smile!  This could be because flexibility has not always been my best thing.  We are talking physically and figuratively on this one!  I was never the Twister champ. :)  As much as I am a fun-loving person, stubbornness is right up there and I know that I can be overly idealistic at times. 

My life flexibility is frequently stretched daily.  I think that many of us can relate to that!  Being a mom is like boot-camp for flexibility training.  When I think back over the past eight years, I would certainly be much more uptight if not for these two kids who have rearranged my life. 

 

Many of have heard that it is important to "warm up" in order to not injure ourselves while working out.  I am thinking of life right now and how if I am not "warmed up" for my day, it is not going to be good.  How do I warm up for life?  I spend some time reading my Bible each morning and take a few moments to reflect on what I have found there.  I ask the Lord to please shape me and allow my life to align with HIS plans for my day.  If I do not do these things, I am going into my day COLD.  Flexibility is increased when we are warmed up and are pushing ourselves to reach beyond our current range.  I am feeling that in life these days. 

Here is a song that has always reset my focus.  This is what enables me to reach beyond where I am right now.  Without this, I am so rigid.  I have found music to be key in shaping where I place my thoughts throughout the day. 

 

I have definitely felt a significant improvement in my physical flexibility since starting with PiYo.  If you are intrigued by the idea that you could become more flexible yourself, contact me for details!

Here are some of the benefits of increased flexibility:

    * as listed on livestrong.com:

Less Back Pain

Tight muscles in the back and lower body can cause back pain, and improving your flexibility can help prevent and treat that pain. “Yoga Journal” explains that when the hamstrings are tight, they pull the pelvis down and create more pressure for the lower back. Plus, there is less stress on the spine when the hip flexors and pelvic muscles are flexible. Flexibility can also ease tension and soreness in muscles to relieve pain in the back and other areas of the body.

Increased Range of Motion

If your muscles are tight, they can cause a reduced range of motion throughout your body. This can give you trouble with everyday activities such as reaching overhead to take a dish out of the cupboard. Becoming more flexible can make these types of activities, as well as exercising, easier. It improves the range of motion throughout the body to help the body move more easily.

Injury Prevention

You are more prone to injury of the muscles, as well as tendons and ligaments, if you are not flexible, explains “Yoga Journal.” The tendons around the muscles stiffen when you do not stretch and keep them flexible. Having tight muscles gives you a reduced range of motion, so it is easier to go past that range of motion and injure yourself. Likewise, if you improve your flexibility, you increase your range of motion and lower your risk of an injury to the muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Improved Circulation

Tension in the muscles affects circulation, which can prevent nutrients and oxygen from properly moving through the body. When the muscles are more flexible, they relax and create improved circulation. The act of stretching also encourages circulation by helping blood move to the muscles and joints.

Less Stress and Better Posture

Flexibility can improve your posture because tight muscles affect your spine’s alignment. Flexible muscles also have less tension, so you can feel less stress than you would with a tight and tense body, according to the American Council on Exercise .

Eating Clean on a Budget

Grocery shopping is expensive!  I think that many of us would agree with that statement.  Whether you are shopping for yourself of a family of six, more often than not we wind up feeling as though our cart full of groceries costs SO much!  As we stand there and ponder it all, we wonder what we would even remove from the cart?  Most people I know are not buying lots of superfluous luxury items while at the grocery store!  Even shopping for the essentials, bringing them home and finding a spot for everything is a major production.  Parents may feel as though you are attempting to accomplish all of this with hostile prisoners who have been in tow for the entire experience.  And then the thought of making something that resembles a wholesome dinner after the project of acquiring all of these items seems as attainable as planning a family trip to the moon!

As a Beachbody coach, it is not uncommon for me to hear that someone wishes that they "could afford to eat more healthy".  I am thinking back to this time last summer.  That was a couple of months before I got started with clean eating, Shakeology and daily workouts.  Most people would say that I was cooking a fair amount of "healthy food".  Looking back now, I can see all of the holes in our diet and how I was missing the mark enough to cause a negative impact on myself and my family.  What can I say?  I was doing a decent job at that point with what the knowledge base that I was working with at that time!

  

So how much more do I spend on groceries now compared to last year at this time?  Let's include going out to eat, take-out meals and stopping for convenience foods when the kids (and me!) "were starving".  We will also factor in my own monthly cost of Shakeology.  Here is the crazy part!!!!  Our spending in this area has increased slightly but not significantly.  I will be the first to say that our current lifestyle does require some planning.  This has now become second nature.  There is still a day (perhaps once a month rather than once a week!) where we will grab a pizza for dinner.  Something that is different this year is that LOTS of fresh veggies accompany that pizza.  

I do not buy "all organic".  We do use some organic produce.  Most "pantry/non-perishable" items that I use happen to be found in "Nature's Marketplace" which is the organic section of Wegmans.  To be honest, we do not incorporate very many foods that are not fresh.  When I first began eating clean, I heard the advice to shop the perimeter of the store.  This is so true!  The perimeter of the store (produce, meats, cold cases) is where you are going to find the majority of your clean eating foods.  

How do I make all of this realistic?  The idea of eating clean as family?  The first things that come to mind are keep it simple and plan ahead.  Remember that food is your fuel.  This does not mean that it can not taste good!  As you make a change to clean eating, you will discover a new-found deliciousness that exists in all sorts of whole foods.  Your taste-buds were just too confused to recognize it in the past!  Food holds an emotional connection for many of us.  Our idea of what tastes good is tied closely to our memories and past preferences.  It is time to break that cycle and begin a new chapter!

Here are some of my tips for eating clean on a budget:

1) Meal plan!  Begin by taking a look at your calorie target.  Which categories of foods should you be eating when?  How many servings?  What is a serving size for that category anyways?  As a coach, I can help you with all of this!  Meal planning sounds like a no-brainer.  BUT if you are not planning the "right" snacks and meals, you are still going to be hungry!  This is going to cause you to reach for less-healthy foods.  This will in turn raise your grocery costs over the course of the week.  It is possible to be full, satisfied and healthy on a modest budget!  Your menu plan may not be the most glamorous thing ever, but it will serve its purpose and you will become healthy by eating this way.  Over time, you will retrain yourself that life is not all about the food!

2) Make a list based on your meal plan.  Do a bit of research in your own town to know which items cost less at certain stores.  Let's take Silk Almond Milk as an example.  I always buy my Almond Milk at Sam's Club.  They sell a three pack of the half-gallons for just under $8.  Compared to $3.69 for a single half-gallon at Wegmans, this is a GREAT deal!  You can also save money by shopping at local farmer's markets, joining a CSA or growing your own veggies!

3) Come home and have a time built into your schedule where you will do your food prep.  We have all had that dreadful feeling where our produce goes bad before we can use it.  Write your meal plan in a way that you will use your most perishable produce items on your first days.  Save your more "sturdy" produce for later in the week!

4) When leaving the house, pack a snack!!  Pack a snack for yourself and your kids and whoever else will be driving with you!!  I can not tell you you much this simple step is $ in the bank for us!!  We make SO MANY LESS stops to feed the "starving" people.  This is saving us a ton of money each month.  PLUS, we have replaced what would have been some pretty junky food with a healthy and balanced snack!

5) Back to #1 and the meal planning and portion sizes... you probably do not really "need" as much food as you are accustomed to being served.  Eating less is going to cut your grocery budget!  One idea is to begin serving your meals on a smaller plate.  I have done that here and it has been very helpful!  

I realize that this is a big topic and is not something that can be fully explored in a single blog entry!  Please feel free to ask me any questions.  If you would like to learn more about how to make some healthy changes in your own life, I am here for you as a coach! 

Coaching as a Real Business??

Mornings are a busy and exciting time here in my business! I also spend some time most evenings working on a few details that relate to my coaching business.  Here and there I manage to squeeze in 30 minutes during the afternoon.  I have been working on being "fully present" with whatever I am doing.  My children are age 5 and 7 and I am a homeschooling mom.  This keeps me busy!  I really, really enjoy having the outlet of my own business.  It is a bonus to be able to do whatever I like with it!

I have had several questions lately on "how" this all works and "what exactly do you do" as a coach? I earn commission from my personal sales and then work daily to support my customers as they take steps towards their own goals. I encourage my team and spend time with my down-line coaches on how to make the most of their business. It really is a team thing and we challenge one another with new ideas. There are team bonuses that relate to the success of our team.

I enjoy being able to work from home!! This is a "real business" and you can take it in whichever direction best suits you! We will have a coaching apprentice program beginning in early August. Let me know if this might be a fit for you??

Here is a snapshot of what I was up to one morning earlier this week...

1) I am in the midst of several challenge groups and am posting regularly there. I also provide individual support to those in the groups! Current groups include:

SUMMER Challenge: A general group where we have a variety of workouts going. I am sharing this group with Coach Molly Avondet who is a member of my team. We take turns posting there and both of us have customers in that group.

PiYo Challenge: We are on Day 15 of 60 there and everyone in that group is doing PiYo together!! I am really enjoying that group and it feels like home right now as I am also in the midst of the PiYo program myself!

Refresh Your Summer: Today is DAY ONE in this 30 Day Clean eating group. I will be rotating daily coach posts with Molly and also Amy Mauk who is another coach on our team. We each have customers in that group and are so excited to see what the next 30 days will hold for them!

Summer SIZZLE: This group is in preseason this week and kicks off with Day One on Monday the 28th. Kara Simpkins is a coach on my team and she is leading preseason week there.  Molly and I also have some customers there and the three of us will be leading this group together!

2) I am a member of several groups that relate to my team. We have a smaller team page where my sister Rachel Fledderman and I communicate with the coaches on our teams. There are a dozen or so of us there. I am also part of large team group that Melanie Mitro leads. There are currently 1,948 of us there! A place that helps me to see the next phase and the bigger picture is "Melanie's Rising Stars", which is our Diamond and Above group for our team. These groups are all on-going and are an excellent resource with lots of ideas. They are also a great place to get to know other coaches. I am meeting some fantastic people through Team Beachbody!!

3) I am a participant in a couple of training/mentorship groups that Melanie is leading. This is where I set goals and make plans and contemplate which direction to take with my own business. The support is unlimited and it is great to connect with others who are at a similar place in their business. I love the "team" environment and really enjoy hearing from others as we encourage one another to move forward together!

4) I enjoy plugging in personally with my own workouts here at home, making new recipes, blogging about my everyday life and keeping a feel for how this lifestyle has a ripple effect. It is great to be continually learning and growing myself!

Challenger Spotlight: Rebecca Beam (#1 in Series)

Hello!  Thank you for stopping by my blog.  This evening I am putting together the first in a new series.  I will be spotlighting a challenge group participant on a regular basis.  These entries are not necessarily the unveiling of a dramatic before/after that has already taken place for an individual.  Tonight I am so happy to be able to share with you Rebecca Beam and her own story of what has brought her to this point in her fitness and nutrition journey.  Rebecca is just a couple of weeks into her first ever Challenge Group!  She is a member of my PiYo group and it is so nice to have her there.  As you read through her story below, you will see how spending time with people like Rebecca is a great perk of coaching!  We first met at church several years ago while attending a membership class.  I have enjoyed getting to know more of Rebecca in recent days as we are both homeschooling moms.  She is a wealth of information and perspective!  Rebecca is the director of our local "Classical Conversations" homeschooling campus and I will be taking on a new role as a tutor there this fall.  So I am looking forward to spending time with this nifty woman through a variety of our growing shared connections.  Here we go!  Meet Rebecca Beam!

"Being a native Floridian, it was quite an adjustment to relocate to Girard, PA just over 6 years ago when my husband, Justin, took a job at his family’s business.  I never dreamed of living in a place where shorts and flip flops were not everyday attire.  That’s what love will do to you, though.  I am now the proud owner of a Columbia Parka and a pair of Sorel Snow Boots.

As a former cancer patient, I was once informed that it would be highly improbable to have children due to complications from treatment.  How very blessed we are by our very gracious God to enjoy the gifts of Madison Karis, Michael Kenneth, and Matthew Knox.  Yes, all MKB.  WWhy?  Because that’s how we roll.  It is truly a joy to be their parents as we strive to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  God is good! 

All rights belong to Lauren Harris 

https://www.facebook.com/outofthedustphotography

After Madison was born, I left work at Coral Ridge Ministries Media to become a stay at home Mom.  I loved spending time at home with our precious baby girl.  When she was about 9 months old, I was grocery shopping and experienced an incredible wave of nausea as I passed the fresh seafood stand.  “This is a very special and explicit brand of nausea,” I thought to myself.  Off to the pregnancy test aisle I went.  Sure enough, blessings again as we would soon meet our son, Michael.  The weight came and went with each pregnancy in normal fashion.  In fact, nursing worked SO well with getting rid of baby weight that I thought I’d just enjoy myself a bit more while pregnant with our third baby, and enjoy myself, I did!  Only this time, nursing didn’t budge the weight.  If anything, it held on to it like a vise grip.  Six months after Matthew was born, I was still in maternity clothes and panicking.  

My mother gently informed me that I needed to get out of maternity clothes, bite the bullet, and buy big girl sizes until I could get rid of the weight.  She paid for me to go to Weight Watchers and after a year, the weight was gone.  I enjoyed WW but as I was learning more about healthy eating and exercise, I knew something was missing.  My food choices weren’t always the best and most nutritious.  I still felt tired and lethargic at times.

The days were getting busier as I became a homeschooling mom and then the director of Erie Classical Conversations (a homeschooling community).  I love what I do, but it can be quite stressful and busy, day in and day out.  The weekends were about relaxing and enjoying picnics in the summer and rich, fattening comfort foods in the alien-like winters.The weight was creeping back on and I knew I needed to make a sustainable change.  

I met Jeanette at our church, First Alliance, a couple of years ago but really got to know her as she, too, became a homeschooling mom and joined Erie CC.  I had watched her amazing transformation and started to follow her progress  through Facebook.  I started to read about the PiYo Challenge and became instantly intrigued.  I could barely touch my toes so I knew stretching and strength training exercises would be great.  I was definitely concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do the exercises, but with Jeanette’s coaching and encouragement, as well as being a part of a wonderful group of gals all suffering…I mean, doing this together, it has been a wonderful experience.  I love the accountability of the group, as well as the tips and recipes that we all share.    

It has been surprising to me how quickly I have been able to improve my strength and flexibility.  The most surprising part of the challenge, though, has been a new-found love for Shakeology.  An acquaintance of mine had asked me to try it last February.  I had a terrible first impression and thought I would never like or drink it again.  Jeanette encouraged me to try it again, only this time with a different recipe.  Now, I look forward to having my Shakeology every morning after my PiYo workout and I feel amazing.  Between Shakeology and the PiYo Clean Eating Plan, I am losing weight and feeling energized throughout the day! 

I am looking forward to completing this 60 day challenge with awesome results and starting a new workout plan/challenge next.  I can’t say enough about what a difference itmakes to have an encouraging coach and a great team behind you in the journey to better health.  Anyone can do it.  Feel better today!"

Rebecca’s Favorite Shakeology Recipe:

1 scoop Strawberry Shakeology

7 oz. almond milk

6 oz. water

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ cup fresh strawberries

Juice of one lime

Ice

Clean Blondie Bars

This evening we made a recipe that I have seen floating around lately.  I had heard from others that it is quite good but we actually had to make it here before I could fully believe that.  They were right!  This is delicious!!!  You can NOT taste the chickpeas.  Really and truly.  These bars are gooey and wonderful.  Since this recipe is made without eggs you really do not have to worry at all if you would like to enjoy them on the slightly under-cooked end of the spectrum.  They are not the least bit dry or coarse.

I did have to pick up some chocolate chips while out shopping at Wegmans earlier this afternoon.  That is the one ingredient in this recipe that I would not normally keep in the house!  I used the mini-chips for this recipe.  The kids just seem to find them delightful.  My strategy is to purchase my chocolate chips from the bulk section.  This way I am able to just bring home less than a cup of chips and not have to worry about having the rest of the bag sitting around here unattended.  That would be dangerous!!  

Here is my own slight twist on this recipe which I have seen in several places.

Clean Blondie Bars

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup natural almond butter (you could also use PB)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350.  I baked these in my 8" round stoneware baker from Pampered Chef. I did not need to prepare the surface in any way.  

In a food processor (my Ninja), combine everything but the chocolate chips.  Process until the batter is smooth.  Fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  

Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are golden.  The bars may appear undercooked but they will be delicious!  Cool pan on wire rack for 20-30 minutes.  Enjoy!!!

Starting PiYo Week Three

Good morning!  I am about to begin Week Three of PiYo!  It is neat to be leading  a Challenge Group where two dozen of us are all working together with this recently released program.  These workouts are low-impact yet yield some great results.  We will see the intensity turn up a few more notches with this week's schedule!  Looking ahead to beyond week three we will find that Define: Upper Body and Define: Lower Body will no longer be present in the rotation that is recommended for PiYo.  Of course if you are having a day where you do not quite feel up to par, either of these two more basic workouts could be substituted in place of one of the more advanced routines which is on the calendar.  I trust Beachbody's top-notch approach to fitness and also the quality and knowledge that trainer Chalene Johnson brings to any of her programs.  For those who came to PiYo already quite fit, the suggested rotation of weeks one and two may have felt a bit light?  I personally began to introduce some of the later-scheduled routines in order to familiarize myself as a coach and also to challenge myself as an individual.  Beginning with week three, I will now be following the schedule exactly as it is written!  I am looking forward to checking out my own 60 Day results at the conclusion of my first round of PiYo.  I am also excited to celebrate with so many others who are also on this adventure with me!

The image below shows one of the moves that was extremely challenging for me during my first week.  I am becoming stronger and more adept with this one.  While doing the "Drench" workout yesterday, I was happy to feel my body catching up with my mental can-do determination when it comes to this move.

I am completely hooked on this program.  For those of us (ME!!) who are not fans of traditional cardio, this is really just plain incredible!  Others who typically gravitate towards more intense programs like T-25 and Insanity are finding a valuable change of approach through PiYo.  It is so good to do something that our bodies crave.  

Becoming better aligned, more flexible and stronger all over makes everyday life that much more enjoyable!  Chalene says several times that her goal is to make everything easier for us.  I can see how this is true!  Whether I am squatting down to fish a missing shoe out of the depths of the closet, leaning over too much doll-paraphernalia to tuck my daughter in at night or reaching as far as possible to reach around the track while playing trains with my son, PiYo is making a difference for me!  Flexibility certainly has advantages in everyday life.  My husband is also enjoying this new phase of mine.  :)  I am currently in my mid-30's and somehow I am feeling younger than I have felt in years!  Clean eating has a lot to do with this.  My daily Shakeology and PiYo are definitely significant factors as well.  I am thankful to be on this journey!

Does Muscle Really Weigh More than Fat?

I have heard so many times throughout my life that "muscle weighs more than fat".  This was one of those things that was hard for me to really grasp?  I mean, isn't a pound of one thing going to weigh the same as a pound of something else??  If you have a pound of sand and a pound of feathers, obviously the feathers will be higher in volume but they would still both weigh a pound each if that is your unit of measurement.  A more easily understood statement regarding fat and muscle is to say that a pound of muscle takes up LESS space than a pound of fat.

This takes us back to the idea of measuring progress in ways other than just stepping on our scale.  It is helpful to take into consideration the fit of our clothes.  That is generally a quick indicator!  When beginning a new program or phase, it is best to take your measurements of your chest, waist, hips, thigh, calf, and upper arm.  Although it may not feel so great at the time, make a point to snap those "before" photos.  Before you know it, you will have an "after" and looking at your own progress is encouraging as you continue to press on in your fitness journey.  The fit of your clothes, measurements, and photos will give you a much more complete picture of your progress.  

The scale does not tell the entire story!  This is especially true when you are burning fat and building muscle.  The woman shown in the photograph below weighed in at 130 pounds for both of these images. But what a change in her shape!  Good thing she was not only looking at her scale while rating her progress.

If you are interested in making some changes in your own life, let's go for it!  You will find that it is through your simple everyday decisions and actions that you make progress.  The tricky part is that these are the areas where it is also the easiest to lose ground!  So often we do well in the big moments where we really have to focus on which way to go next.  Think about it.  If you were faced with an entire pan of brownies and were asked if you plan to eat them all today, most of us would say no way!  But take those brownies over the course of four days and we may very well be capable of eating them all.  Making choices in the everyday is where it can all become a bit blurry.  This is where a challenge group can be very helpful!  Contact me for more information on one of my upcoming groups!

 

Coach Corner: Molly Avondet (#1 in Series)

Hello!  This evening I am beginning the first in a series of posts where I will spotlight one of the coaches on my team!  For tonight I have asked Molly Avondet to share some of her own story.  Molly was the first coach to join my team and this actually happened while I was still pretty new to all of this myself!  I first met Molly three years ago.  She was new to town and I was getting her set up to join our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.  From the minute that she and I began talking, I knew that I LOVED this girl!  Talk about a burst of sunshine!  Molly had moved here from Florida and literally brought a warmth with her and this easily extended to everyone she met.  Fast forward a few years and you can see why I was THRILLED to have Molly as the first coach on my growing team.  I knew that with her as an active encourager of others, they would make enjoyable progress on their own fitness journey!!  Molly and I have now run quite a few challenge groups together and this has been great for both of us.  Here she is! 

Tell us about yourself...

I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio and I currently live in Erie, PA. We moved here for my husband's job, a little over three years ago.  I am married to my best friend and better half, Chris.  We have been together for 13 (going on 14) years, and married for seven, although I often feel like we are still dating!  We have date nights often, most of them just being on our patio or on the couch while the boys are sleeping.  We have two boys Finn 3 and Gavin 2, and they are busy!  I am beyond grateful for these three beautiful boys in my life.  I also cherish my time spent with family and friends!  I love nothing more than to laugh and make memories with them!  I am a strong believer that laughter is key to a happy and healthy life!  Before being a mom, I was an early childhood teacher.  I taught preschool in Rhode Island, and first grade in Florida.   I absolutely loved teaching, and I gave it my all, but after Finn was born I became a stay at home mom. Being a stay at home mom is not as easy as I once thought, but a job I wouldn't trade for the world!!! 

What prompted you to get started with this lifestyle change yourself?  Why did you become a coach?

I have had an interest in nutrition and exercise for many years, even before kids, but what I thought was healthy then wasn’t as healthy as I had once thought.  I would focus on low fat, or low calorie foods instead of whole, fresh, low sugar, all natural ingredients.  After Finn was born the baby weight came off fast from stress (but I wasn't toned).  He was born premature so we spent the first couple weeks living in the hospital. I started to focus more on nutrition, knowing that I wanted to provide only the best for this new  and amazing little guy in my life and boy did I learn a lot!  I read a lot about nutrition and did my homework with labels!  We found out we were pregnant with Gavin one week after Finn’s first birthday. I continued to stay active and did my boot camp class at the gym until I was 5 months pregnant, but eventually had to stop due to complications, yet again related to preterm birth.  After Gavin was born healthy and chubby, I didn’t have much time to go to the gym, so I started running again when I could fit it in.  No matter how much I ran though, I just couldn’t tone up the way I wanted to.  I thought I was eating healthy too, so I just couldn’t understand it all.  Why could I not tone up????  In the meantime I kept seeing things on my newsfeed about Beachbody and the 21 Day Fix which was a new workout program.  I decided to give it a try, what did I have to lose?!  After a couple weeks of doing the workouts and drinking Shakeology, I was in love! The 21 Day Fix worked, and I learned although I was eating healthy...I was still over eating those healthy foods!  I knew I wanted to share this experience with others.  I loved it that much! I was a believer, and I wanted others to feel as good as I did.   I became a coach shortly after, and I have never looked back since!  It is one of the best and most rewarding decisions I have ever made!  

What has been the biggest surprise so far?  What do you find most rewarding about coaching?

These programs WORK!  They define your body and produce lean muscle!  The programs are spelled out for you, so there is nothing left to the imagination.  You follow the program, YOU GET RESULTS!  It really is that simple!  No tricks or gimmicks!  It has also been nice to actually see definition in my arms!  Coaching in challenge groups has  been so rewarding!  I am a believer, and I am giver, so I truly believe in each and everyone of my challengers. I believe they can attain their goals with a little hard work, and dedication!  They are the ones that deserve to get all of the credit for their hard work, not me.  I am just their personal cheerleader along the way, and you better believe I am rooting for them!  I want everyone to succeed and reach their goals, because I want everyone to have confidence and feel good! Especially women, because we are just so hard on ourselves sometimes.    

Where do you hope to go from here? 
I will continue coaching, because If I am coaching, I am helping people!  I hope to continue to build my team, so we can continue to inspire others to be the best version of them while also working with an AMAZING organization, Beachbody!  Everyone deserves to feel good about them themselves, and it is truly amazing what exercise does for the mind and body.  I am a firm believer in leading by example, so I practice what I preach.  It is important to me that I create a healthy lifestyle for my family, and I love helping others do the same! I have learned from my mom from an early age to always help others.  This has been a value that has been instilled in me, and I find so much gratification seeing other people laugh and smile. I am ready and will continue to help others SHINE! 

Any suggestions for those who are on the fence about jumping in themselves?

We often let fear get in the way of our dreams because we are afraid to fail.  Who doesn’t want to be healthy?!  Transitioning to a healthy lifestyle is not just for people that are looking to lose weight.  It is for everyone!  We only have one body, so it is our job to take care of it the best we can!  Face your fears, conquer them and get ready to live a lifestyle you deserve.  I recently heard the saying, FAIL FORWARD, and it really sank in.  We are all going to fail at times, but as long as we are failing forward instead of failing backwards, we are moving forward and learning from those failures to be a better us.    

Clean Berry Crisp

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by to check out this recipe.  This one is brand-new and I just put it together for the first time here at home earlier this evening.  We are LOVING the fresh berries that are available during this time of the year.  Every once in a while I do still feel like baking something!  I used to bake quite often.  Back in those days my crisp topping still contained oatmeal like it does today but there were also some hefty amounts of butter and sugar!  We do still use butter here but in great moderation.  We no longer bake with regular white sugar or good old brown sugar.  In the past 10 months since making the switch to clean eating, I have made two recipes (one time each!) with organic cane sugar.  But for the most part we do all of our sweetening with raw honey and pure maple syrup.

Clean Berry Crisp

    * Makes 3-4 Servings

3.5 Cups of Berries (I had 3 cups of raspberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries this evening)

1.5 Cups of Quick Oats (You could use old-fashioned)

1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons of Raw Honey

Place berries in the bottom of a 1 Quart baking dish.  I used my Pampered Chef Stoneware and did not need to prepare the surface in any way.

Combine your oats and cinnamon.  Stir in the coconut oil.  Our kitchen was warm enough today that although the coconut oil appeared to be somewhat solid in the container, it quickly "melted" into a easy-to-mix consistency once I began stirring it into the oats.  Soften your raw honey in the microwave until it becomes a liquid.  Add this honey to your other ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Sprinkle your topping over the berries.

Bake at 350 for 14-16 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy!!