Get Fit by Fall!

My next accountability group starts July 21 and it's going to run for 60 days instead of the usual 30! This will take us into the fall so that we can develop healthy habits before all of the food filled holidays begin!

So what does an accountability group look like?

• I post daily daily. This includes inspiration, challenges, ideas, discussion starters, recipes, meal plans, and my own setbacks and victories.
• If you are having a hard time, post to the group! There is always someone there to push you a little harder or give you some encouragement.
• Excited about a victory? Post that, too! We celebrate every accomplishments and I really like to focus on non-scale victories. Things like clothes fitting better, losing inches, feeling more confident, and being able to do exercises that you couldn't do before. We celebrate it all!
• For this group, you can do any Beachbody program that you want! It's a mixed group and we will all focus on clean eating. I have access to information about all of our programs and I can help you with any questions that you may have. 
• Studies show that having a strong support group helps you to stay on track with your program and helps you to see better results. That's actually why Beachbody created the coaching program. They wanted their customers to have the support that they needed to help them succeed! 

Don't forget PiYo and the 3 Day Refresh Challenge Packs are on special this month. You buy a 30 day supply of Shakeology and you get the program for free!

Oh and I had to share this because p90x3 has made me actually like Tony!

Organization and Healthy Eating

When I got my last challenge group together for an in person meeting, we were discussing how the 21 Day Fix works. My mom is in this group and she said "It's like the old Weight Watchers saying 'Fail to plan and plan to fail". This is so true, no matter what health or fitness program you are using. A runner can't just decide to train for a marathon without a solid plan - usually one that lasts months!

So, my mom went out and got super organized! And let me tell you - it's paying off! She has lost 5.5 pounds in two weeks and she is loving the program. It makes me feel great to be helping someone that I love to get healthy.

My mom is super crafty, so she made a neat notebook to keep all of her 21 Day Fix materials together in one place!

This has her shopping lists, recipes, meal plans, portion sizes, and her daily tallies all organized

This notebook is going to make things easier for her as time goes by as well. If she is having a hard time coming up with ideas, she will have an entire resource at her fingertips! It's almost like she is writing her own 21 Day Fix cookbook!

Along the same lines of being organized, she has her daily snacks and lunch all packed the night before. That way she can just grab and go in the morning! I find that this is a huge part of staying on track with this plan. If you aren't prepared, it's way to easy to grab the first thing available. And we all know that this isn't usually the healthiest option!

I have a new challenge group starting up July 20 to help everyone get fit by fall! This group will last 60 days rather than the typical 30 to help us develop healthy habits before life gets hectic again. Contact me at thejessicacsmith@gmail.com if you are interested!

What I Ate Today

Breakfast:

2 scrambled eggs, diced veggies, 1 vegetarian sausage patty, coffee with coconut oil

2 red, 1 green, 1 tsp

Snack:

2 pieces of lemon drop melon

1 purple

Lunch:

1 eggless salad sandwich (it's a whole sandwich, halves are stacked), tossed salad with balsamic vinegar

1 red, 2 yellow, 2 green, 1 orange

Snack:

Chocolate Shakeology made with 1/2 of a banana and a few frozen strawberries

1 red, 1 purple

Dinner:

Grilled mushroom pizzas, quinoa, and broccoli

3 green, 1 purple (tomato sauce), 1 yellow, 1 blue, 2 tsp 

So, today I took a look at what I was eating, and how it actually added up calorie wise as compared to what the program says it should be. I actually went over by 1 red and 1 green today. According to the program, I am in the 1500-1799 calorie range. That is because I'm not trying to actually lose any weight. However, when I added all of this food up, even with the extras, I was only at 1365 calories. I have a feeling that this is because I am a vegetarian and the plant sources of protein are lower in calories. I did get 95 grams of protein today, though! That's a lot for me. This was also enough food to keep me full and satisfied. So, I'm not complaining! 

I also did the 10 minute ab fix for the first time today. I am going to be sore tomorrow! My goal is to do that every night for the next two weeks. It's only 10 minutes, so I have no excuses! 

p90x3 and Shakeology: First Month's Results

Maybe this post should actually be titled "Why didn't I start this program sooner?"

The month flew by. I was surprised when I realized that I was about to start my second block. In this program, each month the routine changes. This helps to keep your muscles guessing so that you don't get too used to the exercises.

I always tell my clients that they NEED to take a before picture. I'm about to show you why...

The picture on the left was my before shot. The one on the right was taken on Saturday. When I took the picture my first thought was "Damn it! Nothing has changed!" but holy cow, was I wrong! I've lost 5 1/2 inches and my core is so much stronger! The crazy part is that there is only a 1.5 pound difference between the two shots. If I was only looking at the scale, I would have given up. Also, if I had only taken the second picture, I would have been so frustrated! So, always remember to do this step! It sounds silly but this is huge and it's what got me out of bed this morning!

I also would like to add that I really am enjoying the p90x3 program. I tried the original p90x and I hated it! The workouts were too long, I was about to die half way through, and I wanted to jump through the screen and kill Tony Horton. The new program is only 30 minutes a day. You wouldn't think that you could accomplish much in that amount of time, but you obviously can. Oh and Tony has seemed to calm down in his old age (he is in his early 50s!!).

I can't wait to see what the next two months bring!

What's for Dinner?

We used a new kitchen tool for dinner tonight to make a super easy and quick meal! My mom got me a "Vegetti" for mother's day that turns vegetables into noodles. We used 4 zucchini in it tonight. All you do is twist the vegetable in the Vegetti!

We had a bowl full of noodles in just a few minutes with less than half of the calories! We sauteed these noodles with a bag of frozen vegetables. Then we added some fat free ricotta cheese, a little pasta sauce, a little mozzarella, and some garlic for a sauce. 

This picture isn't the prettiest, but it was really yummy! The recipe counts as 2 green, 1 red, and 1 blue in 21 Day Fix language. 

Reis thought that playing with the noodles was fun!

Chai Latte Shakeology Recipe

One of my favorite smoothie recipes is for a chai latte flavor. Since switching to Shakeology, this recipe got a heck of a lot easier! I don't have to add extras like flax seed and vanilla. This recipe makes two servings.

3 cups of almond milk

2 tsp of freshly grated ginger

1 tsp of cinnamon

2 scoops of vanilla shakeology

3 frozen bananas

1/4 tsp cardamom

pinch of nutmeg

Blend well and enjoy immediately!

If you are looking for a Beachbody coach or to order some Shakeology, you can find me at:

www.myshakeology.com/jesscsmith

www.beachbodycoach.com/jesscsmith

How I Found my Way to Coaching

My name is Jessica and I'm a health and fitness information addict.

There, I said it! My husband is shocked whenever I pick up a book that isn't health related. Our family is also vegetarian. So, I want to make sure that we are eating as healthy as possible. We don't want to live on potato chips and Oreos just because they don't contain animal products.

I also have a history with negative self image and disordered eating (not an eating disorder). Basically, I've tried every diet there is and I've beat myself up when I fell off of the wagon or didn't see immediate results. I've come a really long way from those days! The birth of my son, Reis (13 months), definitely helped with this. I learned how amazing the human body is and how to fuel it properly while pregnant. I haven't beat myself up since and it feels great!

I first learned about Beachbody coaching quite a while ago, but thought that I could never do it. Then, a few months ago, I caught up with an old classmate on Facebook who is a Beachbody coach. That is when I was really able to see what it's all about. I loved the positive energy and interactions she was having. We began chatting and I was convinced that this was something that I needed to do! At the very least, I'd get a Shakeology discount!

I've started doing p90x3 with Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan. I'm loving all of it, but especially the fix! It's helping me to learn even more how to eat properly and in what portion sizes. Sometimes I'm amazed at the amount of food I can eat! That's because it's whole food and not processed junk like I was turning to before.

In the 3 weeks since I've started, I'm down 5.5 inches. I haven't lost any pounds, but I'm not trying to, either. I'm also learning a ton through the personal development information that Beachbody provides. It's even helped me in my day job (I work in healthcare administration).

These are a few questions you should ask yourself to see if coaching would be a good fit for you:
-Do you enjoy helping people? (This one is huge, because your heart has to be in it!)
-Do you enjoy working out?
-Do you hate working out and need extra motivation?
-Do you like meeting new people?
-Are you looking to make a lifestyle change?
-Are you passionate about health and fitness?
-Could you benefit from an extra paycheck?

My team is having a "Sneak Peak" into coaching on our facebook page June 9 - June 12, 2014. I can invite up to 4 people to be a fly on the wall! You can browse all of our documents and chate with other coaches. This is an excellent opportunity if you are on the fence. Come see what it's all about! Email me at thejessicacsmith@gmail.com if you are intersted!