Are You Willing To Bet On Your Results?

May 8th Diet Bet Challenge 

As you may already know, each month I run an online accountability and support group for my clients to help them get results with the programs and meal plans they are following. When they start with me we talk about the habits they currently have, what they want to change and the results that they want to work towards. From there I help them find a fitness and nutrition program that best suits the needs that they have. 

Many find the journey to be easier when they are a challenger in one of my groups. As you may already know it can be easy to buy a workout program and have good intentions, but the follow thru and doing it is a lot harder than you would think. That's where the groups come into play and are helpful for my clients who really need help sticking with it. Each day in the group I post 3 - 4 times a day to help keep them motivated. Some posts are recipes, some fitness tips tricks or motivation. I like to change it up often. We use the Beachbody app called my challenge tracker to not only track progress, but also to interact with one another. Many new friendships are often formed because of these groups. 

This challenge group atmosphere seems to be what helps women stay on the weight loss path compared to when they try to just do a program on their own. Because of these groups I have been lucky enough to coach women on their journey to 60+ lb weigh loss transformations and lots of other transformations in between that number. 

Beginning on May 8th I am going to be adding an extra layer of fun to this months challenge group. We are going to be doing a diet bet as well. The money pot will get split two ways. Prizes will be given to the challenger who interacts the most as well as the challenger who has the biggest overall weight loss and inches transformation. There will be a $20.00 buy in to this prize pot from each challenger. Obviously participation in the prize pot is not a requirement to be in the group however it would be to be eligible for the prize money. The prize money will be awarded on June 4th to the winners. 

Please fill out the application below to be considered for the challenge group. 

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Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

The Best Breakfast In Town...

This is hands down an all time favorite meal at our house. My hubby requests it weekly. I love it too and I love that it is something that I can use for a few days as a breakfast option. It reheats really well and I always have leftovers when I make a big pan full of it. Enjoy this one. I am willing to bet it becomes a household favorite for you.

Ingredients 
2 cups of gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 cups of vanilla almond milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
1 and 1/4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas cut up
1/2 - 1 cup of chocolate chips depending on how much you would like

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with coconut oil.
Combine dry dry ingredients in a separate bowl (oats, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, brown sugar)
In a separate bowl combine almond milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla, banana,egg and choclate chips.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry mix stir it all together.
Pour into the 8x8 pan and bake for 40 minutes uncovered.

ENJOY!!!

A Crash Course In Self Care

Project Me... 30 Days of Self Care 

I have to tell you a little back story about how I went about planning my challenge group theme for this month. Each month I run a free group on social media. I like to add value to my followers as my thank you for their support while I build this business. Last month we did a 5 day crock pot boot camp. I wanted to offer them something fun this month that they felt like the "needed." I did a poll in the group and also on my Facebook page. The theme of "project me" a crash course in self care was really popular among my followers. Many expressed this was something they were struggling with BIG time. I also had a lot of interest in a sugar detox. What I decided to do was go ahead and do my free group around the theme of a detox from sugar and my challenge group around self care. I am excited to be offering something that had so much interest from everyone. 

I am hoping I can offer value to those who join this challenge group by giving them some strategies to make a little time for themselves each day. Of course like all of my monthly challenge groups, we will be focusing on clean eating and exercise to help you get healtheir, but I am planning to take that a step further. Life is hard. Stress is hard. Our expectations that we put upon ourself are often too much. We try to do it all and it leaves us doing everything but nothing well. This month we will take a step back and look at our actions and the stress we are allowing in our life. We will work to elimate some of it. In addition I will be sharing some of my best tips and tricks for self care that I have learned for myself along the way. 

This group will kick off on Monday March 20th. We will do a week of "pre-season" activities to get you ready to rock the challenge group followed by support and accountability in the coming weeks. The group will wrap up on Friday April 14th. We will use the Team Beachbody My Challenge Tracker app as the platform to log your workouts and monitor your progress. I will teach you how to use this. 

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about this months support group. If you are in need of some "self care" help and would like to be considered please fill out the application below and I will be in touch shortly. From here we will work together to determine what fitness program will be best for you and work to do some goal setting for the upcoming challenge together.

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My Top Pregnancy Must Have Items

Mom's To Be Listen Up.... 

I wish that someone handed me a list like this when I was expecting but they didn't. I had to figure out for myself what were some "must have" items for my pregnancy. All of us are different and what floats my boat won't float yours, but these items listed below helped me a lot. I would highly recommend adding some of them to your shopping cart if your gearing up for pregnancy or in the midst of it. 

Peppermint Tea  - Everyone kept telling me to drink ginger tea when I was sick in the beginning, but I just couldn't stomach the ginger no matter how hard I tried. I went for peppermint tea instead. I would drink it first thing in the morning and also in the evenings. My morning sickness was actually more like an all the time sickness for the first 14 weeks. This came in handy when nothing else would work for me. Keep in mind once the baby gets here I will be staying away from peppermint because it dries out your milk supply so don't plan to drink it while breastfeeding. 

Hard Candy - This was my saving grace during the first trimester. I literally ate an entire tin in one day sometimes when the nausea was bad. I loved these ones because they were organic but also because of the sour taste they had. For some reason it really settled my stomach. You can order them from Amazon but to be honest I got mine at Cracker Barrel. They started to know me I was coming in to buy it so often. HA HA. But for real, I ate a lot of tins of this stuff. My favorite flavor was the raspberry and myer lemon. Lots of flavor options to pick from though. 

Beachbody On Demand

I have really enjoyed using Beachbody On Demand as an option during the pregnancy because lets be honest some days I just don't feel like certain workouts. I have been doing a lot of the yoga from the yoga studio, especially in the second and third trimester. During my first trimester I did 21 day fix and also Country Heat. They were perfect for that time in the pregnancy. There are also a few maternity workouts you can do based on the trimester you are in. It's been nice to have options so that I can have a "fit" and healthy pregnancy. I used the meal plans and portion control containers from the programs the entire pregnancy. Working hard to eat clean and stay on track this time around. 

Fetal Heartbeat Monitor 

This one was a struggle for me. I went back and forth about having one. I wanted one, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to find the heartbeat and then FREAK out. Having a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy made me super uneasy and nervous about heartbeats. I had a few in my Amazon cart but then one day a friend dropped hers off to borrow. I was almost afraid to turn the thing on but it ended up being a huge piece of mind for all of the first and some of the second trimester. I would listen to her daily. I haven't used it in awhile now because I feel her move so often, but it was a great piece of mind. Some will tell you not to get it but I say go for it momma. If it makes you feel better, get one. 

Snoogle - Pregnancy Pillow

Okay this one I debated and debated. Around the second trimester I started to struggle with my sleep. I knew I needed a body pillow but was overwhelmed by which one to pick. There were so many to pick from. Popular choice lead me to the SNOOGLE. Let's just say my husband hates it and I am obsessed. It's massive but has helped me get a better nights sleep for a few months now. I hope you have a big bed though because it's going to take up most of it. 

Frozen Dark Cherries - Okay I literally eat these every single day. We cannot keep them in stock at our house. Each night before bed I eat a bowl of frozen dark cherries. At first it was a craving but now has turned into a habit. I feel okay eating them though because of the fiber that they contain and also because cherries can actually help you with sleep. At this stage in the game I could use all the help I can get so cherries it is! Try them! Be sure to get the pitted ones. I buy mine at Wegmans in the freezer section. 

Stretch Mark Prevention 

I know, I know stretch marks are genetic you are either going to get them or your not. I have heard it all but guys I still wanted to do my own prevention JUST IN CASE. I didn't really get very many when I had my son but carrying a girl is a totally different ball game. It's game on with the creams for me. I used the honest belly balm the first trimester and some of the second but around December I switched to the Basq brand. I like it best. I am using the cream and the oil twice a day. Ask me in May if it was worth the effort and money. That's to be determined. I love the smell of it though. I hated the smell of the honest stuff. Yuck! 

Heartburn Tea 

Okay I don't know what it is, but being pregnant gives me heartburn. I never have it unless there is a bun in the oven. When I have it - look out. It's like I ate fire. I had it during both pregnancies really bad. My cure is this heartburn tea. I literally can't live without it. I order mine off of Amazon because it's hit or miss in stores and I can't risk running out of it. If you have ANY heartburn or are worried that you will, snag a box of this stuff. It's gold. 

Belly support (Baby wrap) 

I am ready to learn how to baby wear this time around. I didn't for my first, but think I am going to have to the second time around here. So far I have purchased the solly baby wrap and am planning to get a few ring slings for the newborn phases. I have been having horrible muscle burns near the top of my belly each day the bigger I get. That lead me to learn that you can actually use the wraps as a belly wrap to ease of the of weight and pressure. More to come on that as I am new to it but stay tuned. Regardless get yourself some kind of support brace or band. After about 20 weeks it starts to get really heavy to carry around each day. 

Maternity Clothes 

You will hear mixed opinions on this. Some people brag about how they made it 10 months wearing all of their normal clothes and never bought maternity. I say ummm good for you, but no thanks. I already feel uncomfortable enough, the last thing I want to be doing it trying to squeeze into all of my regular clothes. I have always been a size zero so any belly or "growth" grew me right out of my clothes. Plus I was proud of the bump excited to shop at the maternity stores. Am I sick of "ruched" shirts and stripes? Of course but it's temporary. My advice is to BUY it ALL if you can. The underwear, the pajamas, the bras, the dresses, the leggings, jeans, tops you name it.  If you can swing it get it. I feel so much better in it and honestly will still be in it for a few months after having the baby. I had a lot from my first pregnancy but the seasons were off so I had to do some shopping again this time around. Comfort and confidence is key here. I promise you will get lots of use out of it and when you are done with it you can pass it along to a friend or sell it. I shopped a lot at Motherhood Maternity, Target has some stuff and I also really loved ASOS maternity and PINK BLUSH Maternity if you want to "glam it up." 

Wishing you all the best for your pregnancy! Comment below if you have any great brands or products that I should try that has helped you during pregnancy. 

Disclaimer - nobody paid me to feature these brands on there. I am just spreading the love and sharing what has worked for me so the opinion isn't biased if you were wondering.

Stay tuned for a post in a few short months about what I will be taking in my hospital bag for baby number two. I will also be doing a post about what newborn items I couldn't live without this time around. It's crazy how things change in a few short years. So much new stuff since I did this last time. It's been fun to do some shopping! 

Focus On Food - February Nutrition Challenge

As I near more closely into the thrid trimester of my pregnancy I am focusing hard on my nutrition and a little bit less on my fitness like I had before I was expecting. I am doing yoga and trying to keep my body limber and strong, but my nutrition has been what has been most important to me. When I had my first baby I gained 57 lbs because I ate whatever I felt like it. I treated pregnancy as a pass to go hog wild on junk foods. This time around I have been much more concious about what I was fueling my body with. There are going to be five years between my two children. Over the course of those five years I learned a new way when it came to nutrition. 

I spent the first two years of my son's life reaching for fast food. I could have lived off of potato chips and lattes from the drivethru at Starbucks. I finally woke up one day and said enough was enough. I had to learn to be healthier not just for ME but also because I needed my family to be healthy too. I decided to make a change and joined a challenge group because even though I wanted to be healthy I really needed help. I needed someone to hold me accountable and teach me "how" to actually make it happen. 

Well guess what... it worked for me. Clean eating became the norm and my desire to eat junk food began to diminish. I learned that healthy foods can actually be delicious and that 30 minutes of exercise a day actually made me a less stressed crazy mom. 

I drank Shakeology daily because it actually made me feel better. I stopped craving junk foods and saw a huge change in my digestion. I never realized how much I was lacking in vitamins and minerals until I started to add them in. Shakeology helped make my skin glow and hair and nails grow like a weed. While I will admit I was so skeptical at first, I have hardly missed a day since I started drinking it. I really can say it's worth every penny. 

During the month of February the challenge that I am going to host a challenge will have a HUGE focus on food. I want to share with you what I have learned about what a powerful tool nutrition can be to taking back your life and creating new habits so you can live longer and be stronger. 

Not only will I be teaching you how to meal plan, but also how to fall in love with HEALTHY eating. I promise during this time you will NOT feel like you are on any type of diet. In fact, by the end of the challenge you probably won't event want to return back to your old ways. I will teach you how to manage portion control and tips for keeping up with this lifestyle on a budget. 

In addition to our focus on foods I will also help you to pick a Beachbody fitness program that best suits your goals. After we pick a program you will be added into the challeng group for support and accountability. It's easy to buy a fitness program with good intentions but it's hard to stick with it. That's why having a coach and a support group is the piece that so many are missing. I find those who commit go "ALL IN" as a challenger are the ones who get the best results. 

If this seems like something you are in need of and are ready to join me please fill out the application below. There are a limited number of spots so apply quickly to be considered. We will begin on Monday February 20th, 2017. 

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Total Life Transformation Challenge

Starting on Monday January 23rd, I will be running a month long group for anyone looking for more than just help with weight loss. I am looking to work with a small group of women who are ready for a TOTAL LIFE TRANSFORMATION. We are going to be focusing on creating a life that looks and feels good both on the inside and the outside. 

We will work together to make exercise and clean eating your thing while also working on creating some killer confidence on the inside. One of my favorite things to do is empower women and to help them find the beauty in themselves and their own journey. This group will do just that. 

Many will ask so what is required of me? Your going to be required to show up. For 30 days you will  commit to doing a daily Beachbody workout, to eating clean and following the meal plans, drinking Shakeology and committing to personal growth. Don't worry I will help with all of it and coach you along the way.  

It's time to stop settling for an average life and start designing an extraordinary one. Intersted? Fill out the application below. As promised this group will be small so snag a spot while you can. It's going to be one of my best challenge groups yet. 

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Eating For Two... Second Trimester Meal Plan

Second Trimester Eating 

For those of you who are expecting, I wanted to share my weekly meal plan with you all to give you an idea of what I am eating each week. I will be honest and say I am much more lax about sticking to this than I am when I am not pregnant. Some days I have food aversions and what was planned doesn't sound so appetizing to me so I switch it up. Some days I starving for more than what is planned so I have an additional snack and some days I can't eat all of this. Basically it is my guide to keep me somewhat on track so that I can maintain a healthy weight during this pregnancy. 

You will notice that the meal plan is color coded. That is because I am still following the 21 day fix portion control container system when it comes to eating. In case you are new to this system, below is an image representing what each color is for. After the pregnancy is over I will get back to following the allotted containers more strictly. For now, they are just a guide for to be be sure I am eating enough and not over doing it in a certain area. 

I truly feel so much better this second time around when it comes to the pregnancy. During my first I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and because of that I gained 57 lbs. The doctors were less than thrilled and it was really difficult to get rid of all that weight after the fact even with breastfeeding. This time around I have made a conscious approach to eat healthy, do modified exercise and realize that eating for two does not mean eating 4,000 calories a day. You really should only be adding in an additional 350- 400 calories a day. I am not stressing about it. I am simply enjoying the pregnancy and feeding the baby healthy foods. 

If your expecting and could use some help with your meal planning or incorporating modified exercise into your lifestyle please fill out the application below and I will be in touch within 24 hours.  Or even if your not expecting and would just like some help feel free to also fill this out.

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What's A Girl To Eat When She's Eating For Two?

Second Trimester Healthy Meal Plan 

I would be lying if I didn't say my nutrition habits in my first trimester were a bit of a wash. Did I eat healthy? Yes mostly, but did I also drink ginger ale, live off of crackers a few of those weeks and enjoy some not so healthy meals? Yep I did. I felt awful too because of it. For the last three years I have been fueling my body with very clean foods and for the last four months I have gotten lazy in my habits. During the time when my nutrition matters most I am mad at myself for not trying harder. 

I spent the first three and a half months extremely sick. This pregnancy has been nothing like my first. I am forever grateful though to even be pregnant so I am not complaining about being sick. It did however make eating eating healthy foods a little less appealing. Instead I found myself putting away sleeves of crackers and for some odd reason drinking juice like it was going out of style. (Not my style by the way. Juice is off limits at our house because of all the sugars.) 

Moral of the story is the second trimester has been treating me much nicer and I am finally feeling like ME again. I am craving foods that are better for me and for the baby and I couldn't be happier about that. 

I sat down and did some meal planning for myself and our family and this is what I came up with. 

You will notice my menu is color coded. That is because I am still following the portion control container method that I learned two and a half years ago. I am not measuring anything out and if you follow it strictly you would notice that for my weight I am over and under on a few things, but this is the best I can do right now. Normally I wouldn't pick things like luna bars and there should be a little more proteins and a little less BLUE containers but I call it a win. It's better than crackers and ginger ale. If I feel like eating more I will and if I don't feel like eating whats on the plan I will improvise but I think the effort is what's most important. 

As far as water goes, I mostly am drinking 60+ ounces a day. I try to drink half my weight in ounces. Instead of coffee I have been preferring peppermint tea but somedays I still have a cup of joe. 

Wish me luck as I venture back into intentional eating habits that will be better for me and baby Griffith. 

Are you pregnant as well? Looking for some support getting thru the rest of your pregnancy. Fill out the application below to be considered for my fit Momma challenge group beginning after the holidays. This will be for expecting and new moms only. 

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