If You Want To Test Your Will Power... Try A Cleanse

3 Day Shakeology Cleanse Recap 

Well all I can say is that was really, really hard. My willpower was truly tested over the course of the last 3 days. I had gotten off track with my nutrition during the last few weeks. My extra snacking was becoming more often, I was hitting the drive- thru at Starbucks a few times a week. Basically, I was starting to slip a little from my typical disciplined habits into my old ways that I had worked so hard to change. I knew I needed to take some time and focus back on the foods I am fueling my body with. I had done the Shakeology Cleanse in the spring and found results so I decided I was going to go for it again. I planned to start on a Sunday and end on a Tuesday. I found that hands down this is much easier to do if you are working, extremely busy or distracted. I was feeling doomed when I was home and the pantry was tempting me. My advice – keep yourself away from food as much as you can unless you want to be miserable.

Here is how I went about it:

7:00 am - Breakfast: Shakeology with banana in it

9:00 am – 8 oz of green tea and an apple

11:00 am – Shakeology

2:20 – Shakeology

5:30 - Large salad (3 cups of greens and 1 grilled chicken breast cut up) Non – diary dressing

8:00 pm – 8 oz of green tea

In addition to this I drank 60+ ounces of water each day. You would want to strive to drink half your weight in ounces plus some!

You would repeat this each day for 3 days.  I still worked out each day while doing it. I made sure to get it in early in the morning so I had the energy for it. I felt fatigued by the end of each day. Here are some recaps from the journey.

Sunday

I think Sunday was the easiest day for me. I did some aerobic activity that morning and spent most of the day traveling for a few hours in the car. I had my green tea and apple in the car. That afternoon I went to a party at a friend’s house and struggled a bit to not want to eat the healthy snacks she had. Went for an iced green tea and held strong. My salad never tasted so great! It felt good to eat by dinnertime!

Monday

Started Monday morning off with 30 minutes of cardio from the 21 day fix. It really got me hungry right away. My shakes were able to ward of the hunger pains for the most part that day. I about cracked twice at work. 2 different groups that I was working with had pizza delivered in. It felt painful turning it down, but I didn’t cave. After dinner that night I broke and had 12 pita chips (yes I know it’s only 12 but it was still a cheat). Green tea was my saving grace that night. I was kind of grumpy by the end of the day. Knowing you still had one more day to go was a bit discouraging, but I was determined to finish what I started and make it happen the next day.

Tuesday

The scale was showing a 2 lb loss so far. I was hoping for more right away, but I need to remember that I am thin to begin with and it takes a ton of work for me to lose any weight because I am mostly all muscle now. My body fat percentage how really dropped since I started this journey seven months ago. Tuesday felt better during the day. My body was starting to get used to it. I decided that being able to complete a cleanse is simply a mind game, a hard one at that. Tuesday night I was not able to wait until 5:30 for dinner because I had missed my afternoon shake at work so I came home ready to chew my arm right off! Talk about being ready for dinner! After I ate my salad I waited two hours and had my 9^th and final shake.

"You wouldn't know it but this picture was taken at 4:30 am after only getting 4 hrs of sleep, being hunrgy and havng a million excuses. BUT I pushed play anyways and rocked day 3 even when I didn't feel like it anymore."

Wednesday Morning

It felt good to wake up and know the I was having oatmeal for breakfast today! When I got on the scale I had lost a total of 4 lbs during the time. Not a huge deal, but I do feel lighter and my stomach looks a lot less bloated. Plus I am focused again on my nutrition! 

It felt good to be able to say I did it. It also felt good to be able to cut out my sugar, salt and carb cravings. It was also nice to have the support of my challengers in my challenge groups. Not only did they help hold me accountable but also checked in on me at work and at home. It was nice to have the support!

If you would like to learn more about the cleanse, please send me an email: S.Griffith27@gmail.com I would be happy to talk with you about your goals and plans for the cleanse and well as help get you started.

Greenberry Banana Pineapple Banana Sunrise

Banana Pineapple Sunrise 

Blend and enjoy! This was nice and tropical! 

When Opportunity Knocks... You Take It! - Beachbody Coaching

My Life As A Beachbody Coach…

In life sometimes when something so wonderful has landed on your lap the only right thing to do is to share. So, today I will share with you my journey of how I got started and what I actually do.

I started using the 21 day fix program in February when I was looking to lose a few more lbs and find a healthier approach to the foods I was feeding my family. I cooked often but I would not say they were all that healthy. In fact, my weekly meal plans usually looked like a Pinterest meal every evening, lots of fat and lots of comfort foods. I was reluctant to buy my challenge pack and spend money on the Shakeology. I was worried I would hate it and it would be a waste of money. However, I went for the investment in myself and bought it anyways. THANK GOODNESS I did. This was life changing for me. After completing a round of the 21-day fix I fell in love with the lifestyle and began to share my experience with anyone and everyone who would listen. I was like a walking infomercial for Beachbody, because I wanted everyone to feel as great as I did. That is when my coach suggested that I get into being a “coach” myself. I already have a full time teaching job and was extremely busy with grad school as well as being a wife and mother so my schedule was already very FULL. However I was enjoying this and decided to give the coaching experience a try anyways. After all you make time for what you want and excuses for what you don’t want.

I was enrolled in an online coach-training academy that did not cost me a dime and was given all of the tools that I needed to become my own CEO. The team that I am on is one of the top teams in the entire company and I am also fortunate enough to be mentored by some of the top 10 coaches out of the 200,000+ that are Beachbody coaches. Each day I am surrounded by men and women who want to teach me how to be successful and how to help me change the lives of everyone I come in contact with. I have never met a more positive group of people who are there to support you.

Each week I have optional weekly “coach calls” online that helps me keep up with the current news and happenings in the business. As well as celebrate weekly successes of the team. These weekly calls have become one of my favorite parts of my week. One of the best parts of these meetings is that that happen at night after my son is in bed and my “work day” has ended as a schoolteacher.

As a coach my job means that I host online accountability and support groups to help people learn to eat clean and lose weight. I check in with them daily and help to keep them on track. The other side of my job as a coach is that I mentor my group of leaders who have decided to join me on my team and learn to grow into a top coach. I teach them the ropes of the business and help them to develop their own team.

The beauty of this “job” is that your income potential is limitless. The harder you work, the more money you will make and the more success you will obtain. I went into this hoping to make enough to cover my Shakeology costs per month. That goal has since grown way beyond what I could have imagined and I now make close to my teachers income all while working from home on my computer in the evenings from my pajamas!! Not only is the income fantastic but the company also offers monthly rewards for sales. I have actually earned an all inclusive trip to Mexico for my husband and I this spring because of my hard work. 1 week to be surrounded by many other talented goal driven coaches - yes please! In addition, I have also earned a free ticket to the National Coach Summit this summer in Nashville. It is nice to be rewarded for hard work! I tell you this not to brag but to encourage you to give this a try too!

If you would like to learn more about creating an income for yourself or your family please allow me to mentor you. My background is in business education as well as leadership. Why not let me teach you how to be your own CEO and share my business expertise. If you love helping others and enjoy the health and fitness world, this could be for you. You don’t need to be at your goal weight or even have a business degree, you have just to want to try and give it your best effort. I'll show you the rest!

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

Introducing P90 - Yes it really is for you!

P90 – Yes it really is for you!

I don’t know about you, but I usually associate any P90x workout with a good ass kicking! I am a product of x3 and loved the workouts and the 30 minutes of it but I will say it was intimidating and I was not ready for it until after I had begun my fitness journey. Tony Horton knows how to transform your body and his last decade of programs is proof of the matter. I have exciting news for anyone who wants to give it a try but does not want the intensity of the X – today launches P90. This is a 90-day total body transformation requiring only a very short amount of your time per day. While the workouts are a bit less intense they still promise the typical P90x results! The exciting part is that it is for ANYONE at ANY fitness level.

Check out this video to see if it is something for you 

I will be taking applicants to be in the P90 test group. Please email me if this is a program that you think would be right for you. S.Griffith27@gmail.com

 I will help guide you thru 90 days of your new life transformation while teaching you the essentials of clean healthy eating.

  

There is strength in numbers. Let me connect you with those who have the same goals and desire to live better!

www.beachbodycoach.com/sgriffith27

Search for the P90 Challenge Pack

Chocolate Banana Bread Shakeology

Chocolate Banana Bread Shakeology 

Okay talk about a new favorite! One of my coaches came up with a recipe that was similar to this one, so I decided to modify with what I had at home and it tastes amazing. Give it a try and let me know if you love it too!

Ingredients:
1 scoop of chocolate shakeology
10 oz of water
4 oz of vanilla almond milk
Ice as desired ( I do about 8 oz of ice)
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
10 walnuts
1/8 of vanilla extract
1/8 of banana extract
1/3 cup of rolled oats

Directions
Mix water, almond milk, ice together and dump into the blender
Add in other ingredients and blend for 1 minute.
ENJOY!
This one will really fill you up!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Okay okay lets be honest the recipe you are going to find below is not all that “clean” or all that healthy BUT sometimes you just have to make cookies right?  These were amazing and will now be my go to fall cookie! Super moist – tastes like a mouthful of fall flavors!

Ingredients:

·      1/2 cup unsalted butter

·      1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

·      1/2 cup granulated sugar

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·      ½ can of pumpkin puree

·      1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

·      1/4 teaspoon sea salt

·      1/4 teaspoon baking powder

·      1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·      1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·      1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·      1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

·      1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions·      

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

·       In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft.  Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

·       Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

·       Roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. Slightly flatten the dough balls because the cookies will only slightly spread in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. Keeping them in the oven for longer may dry them out.  Remove from the oven and press a few more chocolate chips onto the tops, if desired.  If you find that your cookies didn't spread much at all, flatten them out when you take them out of the oven.

*Recipe found on Sally’s Baking Addiction.com

Chicken Bacon Avocado Calzones

Chicken Bacon Avocado Calzones

Ready to turn this into a calzone

Ingredients

1 lb frozen wheat pizza crust (thawed)

Creamy Avocado Mayo (see recipe)

1 lb cooked center cut bacon

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts- grilled

Shredded cheddar cheese

Olive oil to drizzle over the calzone

Directions

Preheat the oven to the cooking time required by the pizza crust. See package

Using a large cookie sheet spray it lightly with cooking spray

Lay out pizza crust

Fill with grilled chicken and cooked bacon

Spread fresh avocado mayo over the mixture and them sprinkle with cheese

Pinch the pizza crust together to form a pocket

Drizzle olive oil over crust

Bake until dough is cooked and golden brown (follow directions on the package)

Serves 5

The Finished Product!!! YUMMY!!

Creamy Avocado Mayo

Creamy Avocado Mayo

Ingredients

1 medium avocado

½ lemon juiced

¼ teaspoon of sea salt

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Scoop out the flesh of the avocado into a food processor

Add in lemon juice, sea salt and cayenne pepper

Blend until smooth

Add in ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Blend again until mixed in

Makes about 1 cup

Can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days

I was very excited with how this turned out. It was a close second to mayo! We enjoyed it on a Chicken Backon Avocado Calzone for dinner! YUM!! 

Chicken Avocado Fajitas

Chicken Avocado Fajitas

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces

Pack of whole-wheat flour tortillas

Monterey Jack shredded cheese

1 avocado diced

1 green pepper diced

1 onion diced

Fresh salsa

2 cloves of garlic minced

Sea salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of ground cumin

Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions

Sautee chicken in olive oil

Add in minced garlic

Sprinkle salt, pepper and ground cumin and a dash of cayenne pepper

Add in diced peppers and onions until tender

Add in salsa

Allow to mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes

Warm tortillas in the oven

Spoon mixture onto tortillas and top with cheese, diced avocados and more salsa if you desire

Makes 8 fajitas

Shakeology No Bake Balls

Shakeology No Bake Balls 

These are simple and delicious! Makes about 24 teaspoon size servings

Ingredients 
1 cup of chocolate shakeology
1 cup of natural peanut butter
1 cup of quick cook or old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of honey
Dash of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl until mixed well
Lay out wax paper and round dough into teaspoon size balls packing firmly
Keep in an airtight storage continer in the fridge. Stays fresh for two days. Cover with wax paper to prevent sticking.

21 Day Fix Sale

21 Day Fix - ON SALE FOR SEPTEMBER 

All I can say is HORRAY!!! Beachbody has announced the sale for September and this month they will be featuring the 21 -day fix at its special sale price. This is my FAVORITE program and has been the most effective for my challengers who stick with the program. This is the program that I began with and many of my challengers who have found success have begun with this as well. It truly is a total body focus and teaches you how to tweak behaviors that were deterring you from success in the past.

On September 22 I will be hosting an exclusive accountability and support group for those who are serious about taking control of their nutrition and exercise to complete the 21 -day fix program. I will provide you with motivation, recipes, support and tips to get you thru the entire program with ease. If you have any upcoming wedding, reunion, want to lose some baby weight or simply just want to start fresh this fall please reach out to me about reserving your spot. I would love to help those who are serious about the commitment. Please email me at S.Griffith27@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. Spots will go fast this month! 

If you would love to learn more about the fix check out my blog and pick the 21 -day fix tab for all things fix related.

BECAUSE YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 21 DAYS 

Tips For How Busy Moms Stay On Track 

If someone were to ask me what my secret is to balancing everything that I do, I would attribute it to my organization skills. That is one area that I really am great at. I am a planner. My life has daily to- do lists, weekly meal plans, and weekly lesson plans. Basically I live and die by my calendar.  While this is not for everyone it is what works for me. I would encourage you to give these behaviors a try. You might find that it helps calm the storm of chaos that a busy life brings with it.  Maybe I am the only one who feels like this but as a working mom I feel like I have run a marathon all before I even get to work everyday. Each morning when the alarm goes off it’s a race to get everything accomplished and where I need to be on time.  Below you will find my top 10 working mom secrets to stay organized.

1.     Invest in a cleaning lady – After I had Carter I couldn’t keep up with having a spotless house and balancing a career. I am very particular about our house and I like things clean, spotless to be exact. I was finding that I was sacrificing quality family time to clean up. One of my wiser older mentors told me that cleaning ladies were every workingwoman’s secret. She was right. Mine comes every other Thursday and it is the best money I spend each month. I plan for them to come at the end of the week so my weekend starts out with a clean house.

2.     Each Sunday I plan out all of my outfits – I iron them and even pick out the accessories and shoes. Not only do I get all of my things ready for the week but I also pick out my sons outfits for the week so that our mornings are less chaotic. Often people say isn’t that a pain to have to think that far in advance – yes it is but I sure am happy I did it on a Wednesday morning when I am running behind. It’s the little things you do that set you up for success.

3.     In addition to laying out my clothes and my sons I also lay out my workout clothes for each day. Having them out is a visible reminder that I need to do it before the days starts. After a busy day of teaching, making dinner and bath time the last thing I want to do is come home and exercise. Gotta get it done in the mornings!

4.     After my workout and shower I spend time each morning reading at least 10 pages a day of personal development. What I have found that reading books that focus on positivity and growth are a great way to start the day. If you look at really successful people and ask them what they do differently than the rest of the world you will often hear them say that they devote time each day to personal growth. For me since I am a busy, busy momma I read while I dry my hair each morning. I guess I kill two birds with one stone that way right?

5.     Each Saturday or Sunday we meal plan for the week. While I meal plan I make my grocery list. We shop on Sunday so everything is fresh for the week. This ensures I have all of the ingredients for what I want to make for dinner each night. The list also keeps me from buying things we don’t need. Shopping without a list is an impossible task for us. I usually do some meal prep as well on Sundays so that things are partially prepped for dinners and lunches.

6.     Each night I pack my lunch and my son’s lunch. Not only our lunches but also even our drinks. In the mornings I need to be able to open the fridge and pull out the lunchbox rather than have to pack the lunchbox. I simply don’t have the time. On days that I don’t do it the night before I find myself flustered and grouchy in the morning trying to do that before we have to leave.

7.     My breakfast is not really a breakfast. I start each day with Shakeology – Shakeology is a whole meal replacement. It truly is a super – food. I have been drinking it everyday since February. It is the perfect kick-start to my morning. It gives me lots of energy and does not require more than a minute of my time each morning to blend up. Since I practice clean eating I eat every two hours so around 9:00 am I tend to have a “breakfast like” snack.

8.     At the end of each day I try my best to unplug and remove myself from the digital world. I find that I shot for 30 minutes before I end my day. It really feels like the only time I am at peace and uninterrupted. I spend all of my day being connected – I am constantly talking, emailing, checking in with my challengers on social media, texting. You all know what I mean. We live in a distracted world. It’s nice to take a break and remove myself. 

9.     I focus on being “all there” wherever I am.  At work I try my best to stay off social media, away from my phone and text messages and only focus on my work life. When I am home my focus is on my son and my husband. I truly don’t want bothered with anything during that time. I feel like we get so very little of it I want to treasure the time when I have it.

10. Even down to our shoes we are ready for the day each morning. After all if you are running a marathon each morning you have to start with your shoes.

Clean Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup

Clean Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup 

As I try my hardest to keep the things that I make for my family clean and chemical free I am finding that many of our old favorite recipes call for cream of chicken or cream of mushroom. While I love how quick it is to open a can of Campbells - I find there are too many ingredients that don't quite match our lifestyle, so I decided to make my own and let me just say - wow - this tastes way better! 

When using in recipes, measure out the same quantity called for in canned soup. This recipe makes 3 cups of homemade condensed cream of chicken soup, which is equal to about 2 cans of commercial brands.

To make this into cream of chicken soup for serving alone, use equal parts milk and soup base. Cook in a nonstick saucepan on medium-low heat until evenly hot. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups organic chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

Directions:

1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for 2 minutes.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour.

3. Add the flour/milk mixture to the broth mixture. Continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Recipe found from momswhothink.com

Stuffed Banana Peppers with Chicken and Rice

Stuffed Banana Peppers with Chicken and Yellow Rice 

While the picture does not look all that attractive - they tasted great! 

This summer I grew lots of yummy peppers in my garden but I seemed to have an excess of banana peppers this year – so did my dad. When I was back home this weekend he offered me a big bag of them. I took them home and decided I would try to get creative and make up something we had not had before.  I wanted to stuff them so I set out for a rice and chicken combo. Turned out pretty great! If you have the same banana pepper problem I do this might be a great recipe to put them to use.

Here is what you will need

12 banana peppers – sliced open down the center – seeds removed and washed

Olive Oil

Cooked / shredded chicken

Saffron Rice (Yellow Rice)

Cream of Chicken Soup- I made homemade but you could use canned

Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Boil chicken for about 20 minutes or until cooked

While chicken is cooking clean peppers and drizzle with olive oil

Bake for about 20 minutes uncovered

While peppers are cooking shred cooked chicken into pieces

Prepare saffron yellow rice according to package

If you are going to make your own cream of chicken soup follow that recipe while rice is cooking otherwise once rice has cooked according to package add in cream of chicken soup and shredded chicken.

Mix together and allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes so that flavors can mix together

Stuff peppers with mixture and top with cheddar cheese

Bake for 20 more minutes or until cheese is brown

Enjoy- Serves 4 (3 peppers each)