Sep 17, 2015

Do You Dream About Being a Stay-At-Home Mom??

I used to cry myself to sleep at night, praying and wishing there was a way for me to be able to be home with my kids. I dreaded leaving them in a stranger's care during the day, and felt like I was working, only to pay for Child Care. When my husband and I decided we just couldn't do it any more, and I left my career to stay home, we were so financially strapped living on one income that life was H A R D. We cut expenses in every single possible place to make it work.

I am thinking about all you MOMS out there who, like me, are wanting to earn an income -- BUT also be able to STAY HOME with your family. As soon as I became a mom, I didn't want to go back to work...but I couldn't afford not to. The 2 months we had our oldest in day care was the hardest 2 months up until that point. I felt trapped, depressed, and all I could think about was when 4:30 rolled around so I could go grab him and bring him home. After leaving my career, living on one income was H A R D. We depleted our entire savings, racked up credit card debt, and were in completely over our heads. 4 kids later, 7 years later, we knew we were done having kids, and it was time for me to start looking at earning an income again. I started searching for a way to make it happen where I could STILL be home with my young children and baby.  I prayed about it, talked it over with my husband, and we found a way!


He was friends with someone on FB who informed me about the coaching opportunity with Beachbody -- to be able to have a home-based business as an Online Health & Fitness Coach. The really crazy thing, is I was even looking for an opportunity to do this very same thing, but prior to this particular day, it didn't lead me to Beachbody. In God's perfect timing, this opportunity presented itself to us. I knew in my heart it was meant to be - THIS was our perfect solution. I quickly learned that not only was it EVERYTHING I had been searching & praying for -- but it encompassed the things I truly LOVED:::


~freedom
~helping others
~fitness & nutrition
~being my own boss
~working from home
~making my own hours
~dressing however I wanted
~earning an unlimited income
~being able to travel whenever I wanted
~making a positive DIFFERENCE in this world

~turning my passion for healthy living into a career


After learning more about it, I decided to go for it.  How could I NOT!? I had found my DREAM JOB. I am now comfortably fulfilling my dream as a stay at home mom to our 4 kids, living out in the rural part of WI, earning a significant income that allows us the lifestyle we only dreamt about.  It's been 2 yrs since I signed up as a coach. I work my home business 1-3 hrs / day, around my kid's busy schedules, online, and on my own schedule. It's helped me to get in the best shape & health of my life, while also allowing me to help motivate others to do the same. The physical, emotional, and financial transformations produced from the incredible people I am blessed to help thru this business is such an incredibly REWARDING part of my job. I get to be present every day for my kids - they grow up SO fast!!! To be able to be present every single day of their lives is PRICELESS. This business has given us financial freedom & the freedom to live our life by design. This company has been the biggest BLESSING I could ever imagine & has completely changed our lives.

I'm looking for positive, like-minded, driven women, ‪#‎mompreneurs‬ & ‪#‎GIRLBOSSES‬ who have big HEARTS, aren't afraid to DREAM BIG & have a deep desire to want to change THEIR LIVES & the lives of OTHERS to join my team.

If this is you -- APPLY HERE & I'll get back get back to you within 24 hours to reserve your spot in my next Online New Coach Training Academy!



Healthy 21 Day Fix-Approved Ice Cream


Because sometimes you just want ice cream!!! Am I right? Well did you know that so often times, when we have those cravings or impulses, we just go to what's there and available - but when you take the time to have some forethought, plan ahead, and do a little bit of preparation, you can indulge and satisfy your craving without sacrificing your fitness goals and waistline?  

I know for me, I get these ideas late at night, like most people. It's easy to just grab a cup of tea and call it good, but I built this "cheat" into my meal plan intentionally so that I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of the foods I really love - such as ice cream and peanut butter, and chocolate! 

As I'm gearing up for my next online fitness challenge, "Sweating for Skinny Jeans", this is a sneak peek to some of the recipes and tips I'll be sharing with my customers to help us drop those 10 pounds FAST!!!  No fatty, sugary ice cream, but this recipe is the BOMB-DIGGITY and my kids don't even know the difference!!! (no joke!)

Ingredients:
Frozen Banana, sliced
2 tsp. natural Peanut Butter ( I love Smucker's All-Natural, chunky is really great in this recipe)
1 T. Almond milk, water, or other liquid

Optional Additions: 
*mini chocolate chips
*1 tsp. Maple Syrup extract (if you like Maple Nut Ice Cream!)

Method: 
1 - Add your frozen banana slices to your Nutri-bullet or Ninja along with the other ingredients except chocolate chips, if using. The liquid is needed to help get the banana whipped up and blended until smooth. 
2 - Place in a bowl, and set in the freezer for about 30 minutes until slightly thickened to Ice Cream consistency. 

Top with mini chocolate chips if you like, grab a spoon, and ENJOY!!!


Sep 13, 2015

10 Top Tips for a Healthier Weekend



So it's the weekend. FINALLY!  Time to sit back, enjoy some relaxation from the busy workweek, enjoy being HOME, and taking some time for yourself and your family.  But what you DON'T want, is to back track every single weekend, only to leave you with regret, remorse, and "starting over" every Monday morning. 

So how DO you keep things moving forward in your health and fitness goals over the weekend? Here are some of my TOP TIPS, tried and true!!

1 - Start your weekend with intention. 
When you know what you want, and DON'T want, you will know what you need to do to keep yourself accountable.  I suggest tracking in a food journal, or use an app. I recommend SparkPeople or My Fitness Pal.  You can also track your activity levels with these tools, or use your Team Beachbody Wowy Supergym to be eligible to win some extra MOOLA - because we can all benefit from having some extra fun money!  

2 - Stay hydrated! 
Because your body often times mis-reads your thirst for hunger, and you want your body to be operating at it's best. There are so many benefits to staying hydrated, such as *maintains the balance of bodily fluids * helping to control calories by making you feel full * helps energize muscles * helps your complexion and skin looking good * helps your kidneys * helps maintain normal bowel function. Aim for half your body weight in ounces daily! So for example, for a 160 pound person, their daily requirement would be 80 ounces of water. 

3 - Use the opportunity for a more open schedule to plan for double workouts, or do something active with the family.  
Be a good example for your kids and family by showing them that our health is priority, and it's easy to fit it in!  Better yet, encourage them to do it with you and show them how much FUN it can be to sweat!

4 - Eat like it's a weekday!  
If you think about it, why change anything up from what you normally do? Follow your meal plan, prep your meals, and eat like you LOVE your BODY! (because you do!!).  Pack snacks for when you're on the go, and follow a schedule just like you would during the week. Your body will thank you!

5 - Stick to your usual sleep schedule. 
Do you have a set bedtime during the work week, and love to stay up late and sleep in on the weekends? Changing your sleep patterns could throw off your schedule (it's hard to eat breakfast when you get up at 11AM!), and could also interfere with weight loss. HELLO late night SNACKING! And it's usually not the healthy kind at 11 PM! Changing your sleep schedule can also make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night which could set you up for a tired Monday. Stick to your norm, and your body will thank you!

6 - Plan to weigh in Monday morning. 
If you need extra help being accountable over the weekend, schedule your weekly weigh-in for Monday mornings. Knowing that you'll step on the scale at the start of the week can help you to stay accountable and be more aware of your weekend choices. I used to do this on Wednesdays, and Saturdays, but that was an easy excuse for me to get lax with my nutrition. Now that I use Mondays to track my weekly progress, I've noticed how much of a difference that one little change can make!

7 - Plan for the week ahead. 
What better way to stay healthy on the weekend than by using your extra time to continue to set yourself up for success? Take a Sunday afternoon or evening to plan your meals, hit the grocery store, and do some big batch cooking for the week ahead, by doing your weekly meal prep. That way, when your busy week gets even busier, you'll already be ahead of the curve and able to stay on track! Don't forget about washing your workout clothes and laying them out for your early morning workouts!  

8 - Order smart when you eat out.  
Date nights happen on the weekends, but that doesn't mean you have to eat poorly and sacrifice all the hard work you put in during the week!  Eat lean cuts of meat, and ask for dressings or sauces on the side so you get some control over excess fat and calories. Plan ahead with where you will be going so you can reference their menu online before going to know exactly what you will be ordering!  Also, ask how the foods are prepared. Instead of sautéing veggies in oil, most restaurants will be happy to prepare them steamed instead to save you fat and calories. 

9 -  Eat before events.  
Enjoy a filling snack to curb appetizer grazing at parties and prevent overeating. My go-to's are a high-protein snack, such as water-packed tuna or salmon, Shakeology, almonds.

10 - Watch portion sizes.
Having a little extra time over the weekend means we have more time to linger…and pile on another helping. Get into the habit of sticking to proper portion sizes for every meal and snack.  I love the nutrition plan with the 21 Day Fix for determining healthy, balanced portions customizable for everyone!  


And lastly, remember who's watching! My 4 kids keep me accountable to my nutrition goals, by simply being. I want to show them what it means to eat healthy balanced meals so that they never have to go through trying to lose weight or suffering from obesity-related, preventable disease. If I wouldn't give it to my kids, I don't eat it either. There's room for everything in moderation, and so many times, we can make a few adjustments to almost anything to make it a healthy option for the whole family. 

Eat like you love your body, and it will love you back!! <3

Sweating for my Skinny Jeans: Online Health Support Group


It's fall!!  My favorite time of the year - jeans, boots, scarves, hats, baggy cardigans.  But if you're like me, it's been MONTHS since I've even looked at my jeans! There's nothing more I love, than a pair of dark denim skinny jeans with a cute pair of pumps or boots. And I know so many of us busy moms totally let the summer get away on us, putting our own health and fitness goals on the back-burner.  So I decided to TURBO CHARGE things for you, and help you get on a good track so you can feel GREAT by Halloween, AWESOME by Thanksgiving, and AMAZING, STUNNING, SEXY and CONFIDENT by Christmas and your New Year's parties!!!

So here's what I'm looking for:  20 women who want to lose 10 lbs. in 30 days ...for a total of 200 lbs. down between all of our group members!

Starting on September 21st, we will meet daily in a closed Facebook group for support and accountability.
You will receive a custom diet plan, one on one nutrition advice, portion control containers, a workout program that gets killer results, a 30 day supply of shakeology (a nutrient dense meal replacement shake that helps keep you on track, energized and eliminates excuses to eating right) a schedule, a support team, and a personal dietitian!
I am going ALL IN with this group and expect every other member to do as well so that we are all each other's BEST accountability partners!!  I'm already down 5 POUNDS in ONE WEEK following this meal plan I'll be sharing with our members, and I am feeling so motivated to keep things going!
We are going to spend 30 days FOCUSED and make some healthy balanced changes in the way you eat, feed your family, work out, and greatly improve your overall health.

We will fine tune your existing routines and create some amazing new habits while saying good-bye to your old bad habits.
If you want to be considered for one of the spots open and receive the application, send me a message, comment below "attending" so I can send you more information and make sure this is a good fit for you, or clink the link below to join us!!!
BIG changes are about to take place- you don't want to miss this one!!

I will be hand-selecting our 20 members. To be considered, please fill out this brief application! This will help me get to know you a bit better, and make sure you're eligible and that this group is a good fit for you and your goals!