How to Meal Prep - 21 Day Fix Example

 Meal planning and prepping is essential for success. Why, because when you are not prepared or have to grab something in a hurry - you are prone to go to the drive-thru or eat junk food. I usually meal prep on Sundays and will plan out meals for myself and my husband (when he is up to it - he is a picky eater!).  The number one excuse I hear from people who are adverse to eating clean is, that it is expensive and time consuming. Well, I am here to show you that with just a few hours of your weekend you can prepare great meals that will allow you more time with your family and friends throughout the week.



The first step, before I do any of the shopping, is to fill out a meal plan and make a shopping list. Going to the store with a list is essential if you are watching your wallet. When I go without a plan and list in hand I find that I spend a lot more money, because I just grab a lot of things that sound good but don't necessarily equate to meals. Another tip to save money at the store is to make sure you eat before you go. When I shop hungry I put a lot more snacks and junk food in the cart!

Here is my meal plan for this coming week. I will be doing the 21 Day Fix and a workout hybrid with P90X3:

It took me about 45 minutes to plan out my meals and figure out the recipes that I wanted to make. For those of you who cook often, you know that this step can vary in time depending on how much research goes into deciding the meals. When you are planning for a family, this can get tricky - but what I have heard my challengers say is that they have been cooking their families the same food and found that they eat and enjoy it more than they would have ever thought. 

I opt to go to Sprouts or Whole Foods (when my budget allows) because they have a lot of fresh produce and good meat selection. Today, I went to Sprouts - I love to shop in their bulk section for my nuts and to use the freshly ground nut butters they also have. This is perfect when you are planning out for one week and do not need a $7-$10 bag of nuts or an entire jar of nut butter. It's great for someone who is cooking for 1 or 2. 

Grocery List:

8 Eggs

Nitrite Free Turkey Slices

Ezekiel 12 Inch Tortillas

Loose Spinach

3 Peppers (assorted colors)

1.5 lbs of Ground Turkey (99% FF)

Brown Rice

1 Sweet Onion

1 Garlic

1 Head of Cabbage

1 16 oz can diced Tomatoes

1 Can Tomato Paste

1 Cantaloupe

Strawberries

Watermelon

Blueberries

Cashews

Almonds

Grilled Chicken

Quinoa Pasta

EVOO

Coconut Oil

Greek Yogurt

Sweet Potatoes

Cucumber

Grated Parmesan

Almond Milk

Peanut Butter

TOTAL COST: $49.57

Total time spent at store: 30 minutes

I like to put two meals that require cooking on my meal plan and two that are simple - that I can throw together in about 10 minutes, so it does not need to be cooked now. This week I needed to make pasta with grilled chicken and a cabbage dish with ground turkey. I put some of the cooked ground turkey to the side, to use on my sweet potato lunch. I used a lot of the same veggies in both dishes so it was a lot simpler. I also bought the pre-minced garlic and the pre-shredded bag of cabbage to save on cutting time. I cut up the cantaloupe and divided out the nuts as well. I also opted to make a quick cucumber salad that would be a good addition to my sweet potato meal. To cook both meals simultaneously and clean up took me about an hours time. 

Then I portioned out the meals into tupperware containers, so that I can just grab them and go.  

Now, all I have to do is open my fridge and all of my lunches and dinners are ready for me to eat or make in less than 10 minutes. 

So,  total time spent including prepping and shopping was 2 1/2 hours and I spent just under $50. Now, I have almost all of my meals readily available to me, which will be HUGE for my success at following the plan this week. 

So, let me breakdown the cost:

$50 in groceries

+ 

$28 in Shakeology for the week 

= $78. 

$78

Divided by

21 meals

= $3.71 a meal

The cost of each meal is only $3.71 - for natural, whole, healthy foods that are nutritious. Not a double cheeseburger, fries and a drink that would run me more money and add no health or value to my body. 

So, what's your excuse? I have challengers who have small children, large families, who work full-time and have very busy lives - just like the rest of us. They have made this lifestyle a habit, incorporated it into their homes and families and are seeing the benefits! Not only are they healthier, their families are eating healthier, they are losing weight, inches and are able to devote time to working out and exercising, because all the meals are planned ahead. If you are scared of the time and money that clean-eating takes - don't be! You can make this work for any budget and any lifestyle. If you are interested in joining a Clean-Eating Challenge Group, send me a message via the Contact Me Tab at the bottom of this page. 

Happy Sunday! Happy Planning!

21 Day Fix Week 2 Progress

When it comes to figuring out what the best plan of action is for you in regard to your health, it is important to remember that you are unique, so your plan has to be unique. Too often people compare themselves to others that often have unrealistic results and expectations. 


I had an appointment with my therapist today and she asked me a question that stumped me. She asked me what the difference is between expectations and expectancy. After thinking for a minute or so I fumbled over some words, but really had no idea. Expectations are opinions or ideas that you place on yourself or others as to what path you believe they should or should not be on. Expectancy is a term that involves doing your best with what you have or with what situation you have been dealt. Everyone is different and unique, you cannot compare your results or expectations to those you see in others. It is easy to get frustrated when you're results are not comparable to someone else's. Your body may let go of weight at a slower or faster rate, or it may hold onto weight for weeks before you start seeing results. The important thing to think about is how you feel, what you are learning about nutrition and that you are never alone in those struggles.

Challengers showed up with some amazing numbers and results Week 1, which is typical in any new health and nutrition plan. Some challengers began being discouraged in Week 2, because they did not see as big of a difference in their weight and measurements. However, there were a lot of non-scale victories that occurred this week. Here is some direct feedback from challengers in the Test Group:

- 'I have more energy and more desire to workout and eat healthier than I ever had previously. I would also like to thank all you ladies for making me accountable and everyone constantly giving each other support. It means a ton especially when my mom found out today what I was doing and rolled her eyes and basically said that I was wasting my time. I'm using the next two weeks to jump start a continuous lifestyle to prove her wrong.'

- 'Not hungry and have plenty of energy to get through my day'

- 'Still learning how my body reacts to "good" food, little carbs and Shakeology. But it's more than I have been doing and I'm feeling great!'

- 'Feel good, I'm toning, I don't have digestive issues anymore, it's awesome  woohoo'

- 'I felt really busy taking time for all my meals and doing the workout. I feel amazing that I stuck with everything today. One huge accomplishment for me is that I have eliminated creamer in my coffee for the past two days. Never thought I could give that up woot!!!'

- 'Fit into a size 4 again today! It's been about 5 years and 7 months since that happened'

- 'I am really tempted to jump on the scale. But I won't. I have been clean eating for a week. My pants fit loose now. I followed my meal plan to a T. I am not snacking anymore. I have not had sugar (except the one in fruits) in 3 weeks! I feel full of energy. I love the workouts. So, that is a huge progress for me. I really do not need the number on the scale.'

- 'Today was a great day! Had my 3 year olds birthday party and all I ate was the fruit cup which I made with grapes, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries and a veggie cup with carrots, broccoli, and celery! I tried on some old pants before the party and I fit back into my size 6! Everyone was complimenting me on the wt I've lost! I'm 7 lbs under pre-pregnancy wt and my newest is only 4 1/2 months old! Thank you'

- 'I'm sleeping better, I've got more energy throughout the day, I'm not craving the carbs at night and even my boyfriend has noticed my waist is shrinking and my face is thinner! Ladies if you feel discouraged, don't give up! I never thought I'd get results and feel good while getting healthy!'

- 'My belt had to cinch tighter and my shirts are baggy around my mid section.'

-'Finally a program that works and makes me keep with it!'

The challengers continue to lose weight and inches as we round our way into the final week of this program. 21 Days really does fly by so quickly! I am so proud of the my challengers and what they have accomplished, here a few of the results so far - I do not want to share them all because we are almost to the finale!!!

- One female challenger started at 134.5 lbs and is now at 128.6 = 5.9 LBS LOST


- One female challenger, fell off the wagon by got back on this week, she has lost 2 lbs this week and her clothes are fitting looser. 


- Another female challenger has lost 7 lbs 

- A husband and wife who are doing this together have lost a total of 15 lbs! The female has lost 4, and the male has lost 11 lbs!

- A female challenger just this week alone - not including her loss from last week:

LOST 1 1/2 inches on hips!
LOST 2 inches on waist!
LOST 1 1/2 inches on chest!
WOWZA

This last challenger has blown me away with her results. She has hypothyroid, has been eating healthy and working out since the birth of her last child a year and a half ago and was very frustrated at the lack of progress she was seeing. She is a busy mom and has to cook for herself and extended family every night. I spoke with her today and since starting this program just 2 weeks ago she is....

DOWN 6 LBS!!
DOWN 7 INCHES!!
INCREDIBLE!



I am astounded at the determination and consistency of the challengers. All of their hard work is paying off. They push 'play' and get their workouts in for 30 minutes a day and follow the program and are seeing amazing results! 

I am going to be starting another test group program in mid-March, if you are interested in joining please you the contact tab at the bottom of the page. I would love to help you reach your fitness goals!

Cannot wait to share the final results next week!!!! 

Happy Sunday. Godspeed!

21 Day Fix Week 1 - AMAZING Results

Challengers are 1/3 of the way through the 21 Day Fix and I am truly astounded with the results so far. Before I get into the specifics on weight loss and measurements, let me review what the program is about a little bit.

The program consists of 7 workouts that you repeat 3 times for a total of 21 days. The program includes color coded containers that you associate with a specific food group. This takes the guess work out of ensuring you are eating the correct portions and getting the right among of protein, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits. At first, the task seemed a little tedious to come up with a meal plan, but it was really quite simple. Below is a sample meal plan from one of my challengers, she is consuming between 1500 to 1800 calories a day on this program. She has really come up with a simple plan and easy way to map out her meals. Click on the image below to see it larger:

Workouts:
7 workouts on 2 DVDs (VHS not available)


Dirty 30 workout**


Total Body Cardio Fix


Upper Fix


Lower Fix


Pilates Fix


Cardio Fix


Yoga Fix

All of the challengers have described the feeling after the workouts as sheer muscle exhaustion, 'jell-o arms' or jell-o legs :). The workouts are fast paced and really target one muscle group at a time to produce effective results. 

For more information, what this quick video:

  

Now onto the RESULTS - let me start by saying two of my challengers struggle with hypothyroidism and have been stagnant with their weight loss for a very long time. The challengers are a variety of ages and at different points in their fitness. Each video has a modifier and since its only 30 minutes it is totally doable. 

Female, age 28 - 
Day 7
3 LBS LOST!
3 INCHES LOST!
She has hypothyroid and has struggled with getting weight off since her second child, but has been able to stay on track and accountable and is doing fantastic so far!
Female, age 36 -7 day weight and measurement stats: 

Starting weight: 189
Day 7: 181
8 LBS LOST!
Measurements: 

LOST 2 INCHES IN ARMS
LOST 1 INCH IN CHEST
LOST 1.5 IN WAIST
LOST 1 INCH IN HIPS
LOST 3 INCHES IN HIPS

8.5 TOTAL INCHES LOST!
One challenger said

'I jumped on the scale this morning to find myself down 3.7 LBS after 5 workouts/days. Yippie!'

Female, age 42:
13 days on the program
LOST 2.5 INCHES ON CHEST 
LOST 2.5 INCHES ON WAIST
LOST 2.5 INCHES ON HIPS
7 LBS LOST!
7 INCHES LOST!


Last but not least, is Nicole. She is 29 years old and was diagnosed with hypothyroid and has been struggling with her weight since. She is lethargic and before 21 Day Fix had been working out everyday and eating well, she had lost 4 pounds in a matter of 8 weeks before starting this program. She is now on day 7 of the fix and here are are her results so far:

Starting Weight: 107.2lbs
7 Day Weight: 166
LOST 4.2 LBS!

LOST 1.5 INCHES WAIST
LOST 1 INCH ON ARMS
LOST 1 INCH ON LEGS
LOST 1 INCH ON CHEST
LOST 1 INCHE ON CHEST
5.5 INCHES LOST TOTAL!!!

She lost more weight and inches in 7 days on The Fix then in 2 months trying other food plans, she has been persistent and stuck to the plan. She was the one who created the meal plan posted earlier in this blog. She is really inspiring and I cannot wait to continue to share her results. She is determined and motivated ~ NICE WORK NICOLE!

Thinking about buying The 21 Day Fix? February is a great month to do it, 1. because it is on sale - $70 savings, 2. because this month is the Beachbody cup and it would mean a lot to myself and my team if you decided to take the leap this month. Take a look at the flipogram below to learn more about Shakeology, the Fix and the Beachbody cup :). To order Click Here!!

Thyroid Issues Anyone???

I am not a doctor or nutritionist, however, I watched my mom struggle first hand with hypothyroidism and I wanted to write an encouraging post for those who may be living with this. She struggled for years, yes years to get diagnosed. One would assume once you are diagnosed that you can get out the streamers and balloons and have a party, because there is a medication you can take that will make it all better......WRONG. This was just the beginning of her journey that included  countless doctors visits, dieting, exercise, and all of this was not easy on the wallet either. It was emotionally draining - no matter how hard she worked she did not see the scale budge. But, there is hope!

My mom tried several diets - low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, etc, etc but everything really started to click for her when she began eating whole, natural foods along with her Weight Watchers program. When she cut out processed foods - I am talking about the low-fat, sugar free type foods she really saw the weight start to come off.  Now she has incorporated Shakeology into her daily routine and is even doing P90X3 along with me! 

There are certain foods you can focus on and otherS you can avoid that may help mitigate your thyroid issues. First let me get into the typical symptoms of a hypothyroid:

- weak, tired, sluggish
- depression
- dry skin
- brittle nails
- heavy menstrual cycle

Now, if you have a thyroid that is on the brink of being diagnosed, a little sluggish or if you have been diagnosed, here are some foods you can try incorporating into your daily food:

Foods rich in Vitamin A:

Cooked carrots
Cooked sweet potatoes
Mangos
Cooked squash
Cantaloupe
Tuna Fish
Sweet mini peppers

Foods rich in Iodine:

Himalayan Sea Salt
Potatoes
Kelp
Kombu
Cranberries
Yogurt
Strawberries

Also, it has been suggested that if you have thyroid issues you should avoid large quantities of cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and collard greens. 

My mom's journey is truly an inspiration, after 3 plus years of trying to get her weight under control the clean eating and exercise really started to click. She is now down 55+ pounds and still going strong. It was not quick or easy, but it is attainable. Everyone's body is different and finding the right calorie intake, combination of foods and exercise is key to seeing results. So, don't give up, keep fighting, keep tailoring your diet, change up your exercise and eventually you will find what clicks!

Before:                                                                     After:

    

                                             

Happy Thursday everyone!