Recent Happenings

Sorry about not posting at all this past week.  I was busy getting the house clean and finishing several projects around home as well.  Yesterday the family that we bought the house from came over to see all the remodeling we had done over the last two years so I wanted everything to be as nice as it could be.  Stay tuned, I plan on doing a house tour in the near future.

Our house.  Join me later this week for a peek inside!

In other news, today is the day I am starting Focus T25!  Super excited to see the results this program will bring me.  I tried a couple of the workouts last week and think they are going to be great.  Nonstop action for the whole 25 minutes.  Great workouts!

Instead of following the T25 nutrition plan, I decided to stick with the 21 Day Fix eating plan since I really like it and think it is easy to follow.  Focus T25 provides a good nutrition plan but the one from the 21 Day Fix just seems more user friendly to me.  As I have been doing, I've posted my meal plan for the week below.

If the clean eating chicken salad turns out, I will try to post the recipe and pictures later.  Do you have any great clean eating recipes you can share with me?  I am always looking for new recipes to try and would love to add in some more variety to my meal plan.

How is your exercise and clean eating going?  Do you need any help or accountability?  I would love to help with eating plans or exercise accountability.  Let me know if you want to join me on the journey to becoming healthier and happier.

What's Next !?!?

You  may be wondering what my Beachbody plans are now that I've completed the 21 Day Fix.  Well, after thinking about different options and reading different reviews, I've decided to try out Focus T25.  I have heard so many great things about this program and the results people have been getting.

Shaun T is the trainer and I have never done one of his programs but so many people love him, so I am excited to see how well he can motivate and encourage me during the program.  If you haven't heard of Focus T25, it is a 10 week program broken into 2 parts: Alpha and Beta, which each last 5 weeks.  It is high intensity for 25 minutes but there are modifications available if or when you need them.  Also, this program is only five days so you do have 2 days to rest.  If you follow the nutrition and exercise plan, you WILL get results!!

Shaun T

I have ordered my Focus T25 and hope to start next week.  I plan on following the workout program guidelines.  But, I think I am going to continue following the eating plan from the 21 Day Fix since it is easy to follow and I don't need to count calories, just containers.  But we'll see what the nutrition guide for T25 looks like when it arrives.

Do you want to get in shape for summer or need a new workout to keep you motivated?  If you are interested in trying Focus T25 or any other Beachbody program, let me know!  I would love to help you in your fitness and nutrition.  Contact me and I will help in anyway I can.  I would love to have others join me and together we can complete Focus T25.  Plus, don't forget, the Focus T25 challenge pack is on sale through the end of April and includes a month worth of Shakeology, for only $180.

21 Day Fix Results!!

My first round of the 21 Day Fix is complete and overall I am satisfied with my results.  I lost 4 pounds and 2.5 inches!!  Not bad for 21 days.  I don't think the pictures necessarily portray the difference that I can see which makes me kind of sad.  But, I love the fact that my husband stated he noticed a change.  He thought it looked like I had lost some weight and that my butt was firmer or more lifted looking.

Honestly, I was hoping for bigger numbers but I know I have plenty of room for improvement as far as clean eating goes.  I stuck to the eating plan about 75% of the time but feel that if I had been even more committed, my results may have been better.  I also don't think going on a road trip and eating too many sweets just a couple days before I took my final measurements did me a favor.  Oh well, that is just how life works. Every day is a new day!

Even if I was hoping for slightly better results, I am happy to have the weight and inches off my body.  I am not going to gain them back and plan to continue on my transformation with Focus T25 in the near future. Numbers aren't everything and I am slowly starting to ingrain that in my mind.  I can totally tell that I am more muscular and gaining definition in my body.  Love that!!  Plus, it seems like my clothes are fitting better.  I am looking forward to showing off my more toned body in shorts soon.

Have you completed the 21 Day Fix or another program and have results you would love to share?  Let me know how you did and any tips you have for being successful while completing a program.

21 Day Fix Week 3 Review

I have officially completed the 21 Day Fix program!   I am happy to be able to say that I completed this program and feel that I have really learned a lot about clean eating and portion control.  I am definitely in better shape and feel more toned than just 3 weeks ago.

Week 3 didn't go quite as smoothly as I would have liked, but that is just how life works sometimes.  I made a meal plan but I don't know if I even stuck to what was planned for dinner once.  Unfortunately that is typical for my husband and I.  He gets busy and plans need to change. Plus I am picky and sometimes what I had planned for dinner just doesn't sound good that day.  But, I did my best to stay stick to the appropriate containers and feel that for the most part it went well.  I am going to continue making meal plans and want to get better at sticking to the meal plan.  It is important to me that I stay as close to correct container and portion amounts as possible.  But, I know plans will change and I want to be able to make healthy choices on the go as well.

Week 3 Meal Plan

After Friday and Saturday of this past week, I know I still have some improvements to be made.  I was on the road for 20 hours with my husband as we drove to Wisconsin and then back home.  I packed some healthy snacks but definitely didn't stick to the meal plan well at all.  It's hard to be on the road all day and not get tired or feel like you want some junk food to snack on.  So I did give in some, but tried to keep things in moderation.  Still need to work on my sweet tooth and I still have a hard time saying no to treats but I am determined to improve on this in the future.

As far as working out went, week 3 had double workouts scheduled for Monday through Saturday.  I skipped my workout on Friday since I was on the road from 5 am till 9 pm and just counted this as a rest day instead of doing the yoga fix on Sunday.  I did doubles every other day though and felt that is went pretty well.  The 21 Day Fix program guide recommends splitting the workouts up which is what I did all but Tuesday.  Tuesday I had to work so when I got home after my 13 hours at work I still had 2 workouts to do.  I did the two workouts but it wasn't easy.  Splitting the workouts up the rest of the time went well.  I had enough energy to complete them and really liked knowing that I was getting a great workout in for the day.  What an improvement from the first week!

I continue to drink Shakeology everyday and really look forward to that every morning.  It is refreshing, good-tasting, and a great way to start my day.  Shakeology is something I plan on continuing with even now that I am done with the 21 Day Fix.  I want to continue being a product of the product!

Overall, I am really excited with how the program worked out for me.  It set me on the right pathway to clean eating and a lifestyle change that I am committed to.  The workouts were great and I think they would be challenging regardless of whether you are a beginner or have been working out for a while.  If you have any questions about the program, contact me.  I love to answer any questions or get you started on you own 21 Day Fix!

Check back tomorrow for my final results!!

21 Day Fix Week 2 Review

Week 2 of the 21 Day Fix is done and I'm already several days into week 3.  Sorry about the delay in the review but I have been busy with work for the last 4 days.  Anyways, week 2 went great!

I feel like the workouts went better and I was able to make it through them without getting quite so worn out. Plus, I wasn't sore this week which made life a lot easier.  But, I could still tell that I got a really good workout.  My body felt like it was just on the verge of being sore but wan't actually sore, if that makes any sense.;)  Modifications are still my friend for several exercises but I am okay with that.  I just want to be able to say I did my best and completed each workout.

The eating plan went pretty well too.  I can tell I am getting a good grip on how much of each type of food I am suppose to get a day.  There were a couple days where I had to change my plans for dinner because my husband's plans changed but I was able to adjust pretty well on the fly.  I was able to look at my meal plan for the day and see which container colors I had left and then choose something for dinner that would still fill the required containers.

Week 2 Meal Plan

I do still have some cravings for pop and chocolate but most of my other sugary cravings are gone.  I gave in to the chocolate cravings a couple times and had some dark chocolate chips but I am still motivated to really get the cravings under control.   I also gave in and had a little bit of pop one day but that is still vastly improved from having a couple of cans a day like I had been doing.  Moderation is key and that is what I am aiming to maintain.  Honestly, I don't think that I will ever completely give up pop since that is really the only think I drink other than water.  I have never been a coffee or tea drinker and I really don't like beer or wine either.  So I figure an occasional pop will be a treat that I allow myself.  What is your cheat that you can't give up?

Clean eating is getting pretty easy but I am still interested in reading and learning more about what is considered clean.  In the long run I think I will want to incorporate a little more variety into my menu but still maintain clean eating as much as possible.

April 4, 2014

I am seeing results from all my hard work with clean eating and regular exercise.  My arms are definitely more muscular and defined.  I also feel like I am less bloated.  Clothes seem to be fitting fitting a little better and I am feeling happier with how I look overall.  Can't wait to finish this last week and take my after pictures to compare the results!!

If you are thinking about starting a new workout plan and want to get your nutrition under control as well, I can't recommend the 21 Day Fix highly enough!!  I am seriously in love with the program and how it is helping me create a healthy and permanent lifestyle change.  If you have any questions or concerns, I would love to answer them for you.  Ask away!

21 Day Fix Week 3 Meal Plan

I can't believe I will be starting week 3 of the 21 Day Fix in just a couple days!  I work this weekend so I wrote up my meal plan today so it will be ready for Monday.  I am definitely getting a hang of meal planning. I probably only spent 30 minutes creating my meal plan this time.  I am pretty familiar with what is and isn't in the allowed foods list and am also becoming more familiar with what and how I like to eat.  I like simple and non-complicated foods and don't want to spend much time putting together my meals.  Every now and then I am willing to spend more time and effort in cooking a meal but it will always be for dinner when I am cooking for more than just myself.

One thing I have seen posted about a lot on different Beachbody coach websites is "Beast Meatloaf" from the Body Beast program.  Body Beast is a 90-day program that focuses on building muscle, if you are not familiar with it.  I'm not normally a meatloaf fan but am looking for something different to include in my meal plan.  I have read some great reviews and decided to give it a try and include in my meal plan at the end of the week.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  Let me know if you are interested in the recipe.

Although this is my last week of official meal planning since the 21 Day Fix program will be complete, I do plan on continuing with the use of the containers.  I am going to try to do my best to continue with the meal plan, but it is so hard for my husband and I to stick with the meal plan since we eat dinner at a different time every night and often change our evening plans daily due to what my husband needs to accomplish on our farm.  But, I am committed to this lifestyle change and and will do my best to stay accountable to clean eating and correct portions.

One other thing I think I will try to incorporate more of is smoothies in the afternoon which will help me get in a protein, fruit, and veggie while also giving me some variety.  A smoothie seems like a great way for me to incorporate greek yogurt ( red-protein) since I don't like it otherwise but can't taste it this way.  I can also include some spinach which helps me get a green container.  I have found that I often struggle to get 3 green and 4 red containers everyday but this seems like it will be a great solution.  If summer weather ever comes to Michigan, something cool and refreshing to drink in the afternoon will be welcome. :)

Let me know if you have questions about clean eating or portion amounts.  I'm no expert but I have learned a lot during this program and would love to get you started in the right direction.  Questions about 21 Day Fix? Contact me and I will help anyway I can!  I would love to offer free coaching advice on you journey to health and wellness.

21 Day Fix Week 1 Review

21 Day Fix trainer Autumn Calabrese

Week 1 of the 21 Day Fix is complete!  Overall I think it went really well although there is some room for improvement.  It's hard to change your habits in just a week and there were definitely a few slip-ups over the week.  But again, I feel like it was a great start since I plan on making this a lifestyle change.

As far as the working out went, holy cow, I guess I was more out of shape than I realized.  30 minutes doesn't sound like a long time but you still get a really good workout in.  I can really appreciate how each exercise has a modifier available as well.  I certainly needed to use a few of them.  I always seems to have a difficult time with push-ups and planks ad used modifiers much of the time with these.  But, I'm hopeful with continued practice they will get better.  If you have any push-up or plank tips I would love to hear them!

Day 1 workout: the total body cardio fix was a great whole body workout.  I woke up the next day not actually feeling that sore and thought I had escaped the typical soreness of a new workout, but as the day wore on I got more and more sore.  Tuesday was upper fix which I did okay with.  I was so thankful that I didn't have to do too many leg movements since I was extremely sore by the time I exercised after I got home from work.  If I thought I was sore Tuesday evening, I was wrong.... Wednesday morning the soreness really hit.  I was sore to the point where, anytime I wanted to sit down, I had to brace myself to make it bearable when my legs touched the chair.  Needless to say, the lower fix workout that day was rough but I completed it as best as I could.  Fortunately the soreness slowly eased up and today I am able to move around as normal.  But I'm interested in seeing how my body responds to starting the workouts over again today.

Thursday's workout was Pilates fix.  I'm not really familiar with doing Pilates and need to work on some of the movements.  Friday's workout was cardio fix and Saturday was Dirty 30.  Yesterday, I did the yoga fix.  Like Pilates, I only have limited experience with yoga.  Personally, it is a little slower pace than I like but then again I have to remind myself that it is suppose to be an active recovery day which does seem to describe the workout well.  I will stick with the yoga fix for the next 2 weeks as scheduled, put don't necessarily know if yoga is something I can see myself doing often.

Following the eating plan went better than I would have expected.  I basically stuck to my plan with a couple of minor changes.  One thing that made the week difficult was the fact that it was my birthday last week and naturally we went out to dinner to celebrate.  I stuck with relatively healthy options including a salad and turkey sandwich but did allow myself to cheat and had a chocolate cupcake that came with dinner.  I knew I was going to allow myself dessert and tried to be especially careful earlier in the day while eating.  I also told myself that this is not going to become a pattern but is rather a one-time cheat since it was my birthday.  I also had some pop that day which I had been craving the rest of the week but had not given but since I knew this would be my one cheat day I decided to splurge.  Maybe not the best decision, but I enjoyed the food and and now good for a while without feeling the need for junk food.

Week 1 Meal Plan

Other than my birthday meal, I have pretty much eaten the appropriate containers each day and have been pretty satisfied with the amount of food I have available to eat.  My husband is even doing pretty good with checking in with me about what containers I have left to eat so he can plan dinner when it is his turn to cook.

To be completely honest, I still have cravings for junk food, but I have been able to resist most of them.  I really do think that Shakeology is helping with the sweet tooth I have.  Shakeology gives me a dose of chocolate everyday and is enough sweetness to curb my cravings.  I know that eventually the cravings will subside somewhat but I expect it to always be a challenge.  I will consciously have to tell myself that the small pleasure I get from eating the sweets isn't worth the work it would take to erase it from my body. There will be times I will give in because I don't want to totally deprive my body but moderation is the key!

Wow, that turned into a long and wordy post!  But I do hope it gave you a better understanding of how the 21 Day Fix went this first week for me.  Do you have any specific questions about week one?  Have you done 21 Day Fix before or do you think you want to try it?  Let me know if I can be of any help to you!

In case you were wondering, I don't plan on checking my measurements until the end of the 21 days so stay tuned for results in 2 weeks.

21 Day Fix Week 2 Meal Plan

Stay tuned for the 21 Day Fix week 1 update, it will be up soon.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share my week 2 meal plan with you.  Meal planning went easier this time but still took me close to an hour.  Part of my problem is that I like variety but am also picky and don't like about half of the allowed foods so I have to try to get creative with what I eat.  Plus, I'm also kind of lazy at times when it comes to cooking and have no desire to make a meal for myself and then have to make something different for my husband.  I know my husband gets sick of rice after a while so I try to space it out and think about what else fits in the yellow containers that he would enjoy.  These considerations make it harder and more time-consuming for me during the planning stage but saves me work later on in the week.

I have to remind myself that this is only a 21 day program, and I can do anything for 21 days.  Although, I do know that I want to continue incorporating much of the eating plan in my diet from here out.  Once the program gets finished I will probably add in some foods that I am avoiding now, in moderation of course.  I'd hate to reverse the improvements being earned from this program.  Therefore, for the time being, I am trying to stick as closely to the plan and approved foods list as possible.  I want the best results possible!

A suggestion I have for you is to write your meal plan out either on paper or in a table on your computer and print it out. Then, post your completed plan on your refrigerator or somewhere easily visible in your kitchen. It will be easy to reference if you question what you are suppose to be eating and it will also help keep you accountable for your foods.  If I am tempted and walk towards the refrigerator, I will see my meal plan and that helps prevent me from snacking on something I shouldn't.  I am motivated to stick to the plan!

I'd love to hear any questions or comments you may have regarding clean eating or meal planning.  I'm still learning and know I have room for improvement.  But hey, it's a start and is certainly better than the junk food I had been eating.  Anybody have any success stories they want to share regarding clean eating and fitness?

21 Day Fix Week 1 Meal Plan

A major part of the 21 Day Fix is clean eating.  Included with the program is an eating plan book that breaks down what is and isn't allowed during the 21 days.  It tells you how many of each container you can have and also what foods go in which container.  I really like how the eating plan breaks down acceptable foods and then lists the  best foods at the top and the less healthy but still good for you foods at the bottom.  Each color container has numerous options, so even someone picky like me can still find enough options and have variety.

In order to succeed in clean eating, I really think you need to create a meal plan for the week.  Sure, creating a meal plan takes time; it probably took me a good hour to create my fist week's plan.  But, by creating a meal plan for the week you know you'll get in the appropriate containers each day.  After spending time up front, the rest of the week should go much smoother.   Below is my week one meal plan.

I created my meal plan in a spreadsheet so that I could modify it in the future if needed or wanted.  It would be just as simple, and maybe less time consuming if you just wrote it on paper and used colored markers or highlighters to indicate the container color.

I plan on really trying to stick to my meal plan, but I completely realize that things come up and plans change. My husband is a farmer and if the weather is nice he wants to be outside.  I might end up with dinner later than I was planning or I could need to eat on the go.  At least I will know that I need to fit in certain containers for the meal and can adjust accordingly.  A lot of people like to use tally sheets or some sort of mobile tally app to keep a running total of which containers they have used for the day.  I can totally see how that can make things easier to keep of if you are on the go and away from home for much of the day.  Below is a sample tally sheet which is presented in the 21 Day Fix eating plan book.

I don't expect to be perfect in the meal plan, nor do I claim to be a nutritionist or fitness expert with all the answers.  I'm still learning just like most of you.  But, I do think that creating a meal plan is setting me up for success!  As the weeks go by, understanding correct portion sizes and how different foods are classified will become so much easier I'm sure.  Being healthy isn't always easy but it's worth the effort.

I encourage you to really examine your diet.  Are you eating clean or is your diet filled with convenience foods that are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories?  Don't get me wrong, I love my sweets and totally expect to have cravings for food that I am not allowed to have.  I love pop but it's not allowed and has so much sugar, so I'm going to give it up.  Do you need support or motivation to make a change?  Leave me a comment or email me, I would love to help you make a positive change too!

21 Day Fix

My 21 Day Fix has arrived!!!  I've been rather impatiently waiting for this program to arrive for 3 weeks.  Beachbody just couldn't keep up with the demand and it had been on back-order for while but it finally came earlier today.  I have heard so many positive things about this program and am excited to try it myself.  The program claims that you can lose up to 15 lbs in 21 days!

The 21 Day Fix focuses on clean eating with  a 30 minutes workout a day.  There are color coded containers that foods get classified into.  Yellow for carbs, red for protein, green for veggies, purple for fruits, blue for healthy fats, and orange for seeds/dressings.  The containers help take the guesswork out of portion sizes.  For the most part, if it fits in the container you can eat it.  I won't lie, at first when I saw the containers they seemed pretty small.  But, most people that have used them say you get more food then you think.  I guess I'll find out soon.  I ordered a challenge pack which includes Shakeology.  Shakeology can replace one meal a day and counts as 1 red container.

There is a formula in the eating plan book which helps determine your calorie target.  Once you determine  your calorie target, you find the calorie range you fit into.  Then, each calorie range brakes down how many of each container you can have a day.  I am in the lowest calorie range (1,200-1,499) so I get 3 green, 2 purple, 4 red, 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 2 teaspoons (nut butters and oils).  The eating plan book lists foods that are allowed for this program which makes things more simple.  Still, it is kind of intimidating and will take some time and practice to figure everything out.

I am excited to start this program and become better at clean eating and learning proper portion size.  I'm guessing most of my portions are much larger than they should be.  The other part of the program is working out 30 minutes a day.  Honestly, I haven't been very good at working out on a regular basis lately but this program is going to kick my butt back in gear and set me on the path to becoming more fit.  I love how you only need to work out for 30 minutes because that short amount of time is totally doable regardless of how busy I am on a particular day.

I plan on starting this program on Monday, March 24.  In the meantime, I'll work on getting use to eating clean and creating a meal plan to help ensure I get the appropriate amount or each container on a daily basis.  I'll probably try out some of the workouts too.  Leave me a comment if you have questions or would like to join me during my 21 Day Fix transformation.  I would love to help you start your transformation as well!  I'll try to post updates on a regular basis to let you know how things are going with the 21 Day Fix.