Avocado Zucchini Alfredo with Shrimp

I know many of us really enjoy a big plate of pasta now and then...but if you're anything like me, it always leaves me feeling bloated and heavy afterwards. 

You might have heard of spaghetti squash, but what about zoodles? Using a spiralizer like this one, to prepare your veggies is a nice change, and one you should definitely try if you are looking for a healthier option to swap out the pasta and use something that's a low-carb, low-calorie alternative. Zucchini works really well, but you can also make carrot "ribbons" as well!

This recipe is a variation from the recipe found in the 2B Mindset nutrition course, and has been a favorite with most all of my customers! If you are looking for a fast, simple but delicious dinner with minimal preparation, this one is a must try!

This recipe makes 2 servings, total time: 22 minutes. Cooking time: 7 minutes.

INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 medium ripe avocado, mashed

1/4 c. reduced-fat (2%) plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (divided use)

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder (divided use)

1/2 tsp. Onion Powder (divided use)

1/2 tsp. Greek Seasoning

Nonstick cooking spray

24 raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed (approx. 12 oz.)

4 medium zucchini, spiralized (approx. 4 cups)

4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1/2 c. diced roma tomato

2 tsp. grated parmesan cheese

METHOD:

1. Combine avocado, yogurt, half the pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, and the Greek Seasoning in a medium bowl; combine well and set aside.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet, lightly coated with cooking spray, over medium heat. 

3. Add shrimp, season with remaining seasonings and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. 

4. Add the zucchini; cook stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is firm and opaque, and mixture is heated through. Add in the diced tomatoes during the last minute. Drain excess liquid from skillet. 

5. Stir in avocado mixture. 

6. Evenly divide between two serving plates. Evenly top with grated cheese; serve immediately.

*NOTE: overcooking the zucchini will cause it to be a bit mushy. Take care to stir continuously as it cooks to avoid overcooking. Enjoy! 

If you could benefit from having a free online Health and Wellness Coach for support, and for additional recipes and healthy eating inspiration, contact me HERE. For the 2B Mindset complete course with the complete book of recipes and eating plan, mindset videos, food journal/tracker to help you overcome any challenges with your relationship with food, click HERE.    

Dance Party: CIZE Program Launch

Ladies! Do you love to dance (or wish you could?!)?

Does exercise feel like a chore that you dread?

Would you benefit from joining an online dance, fat-busting fitness community of other women and moms doing the same thing? 

Counting calories and obsessing over the scale is stressful and unnecessary. In this challenge, we don't worry about those details, but we DO have FUN, sweat our fat away by dancing, and use healthy balanced nutrition... on our own schedule, from our own homes! I've been doing these dance-style routine workouts for a few weeks, and I am loving the natural "high" I get following these workouts. This is the first time EVER I have pushed the "REPLAY" button on a workout DVD. Learning the moves is SO much fun, and the included meal plan is SO super simple with amazingly delicious recipes you can't help but WANT to follow it!!!!

If you and someone you know can benefit from working on their fitness goals, but cringes at the thought of "exercising", contact me today and I'll be happy to provide the details of this dance challenge! We are doing to DANCE our way to our goals!

Spots are filling up fast, so don't wait! This is going to be a BLAST!!! Group starts on Monday, August 3rd! 

Click HERE for the application to join:  Dance Party CIZE Launch Participant Application

Summer is HERE! What's on sale at Team Beachbody NOW

As a family of 6, I consider myself to be pretty thrifty, and always am looking out for a good deal. If you're anything like me, you love to bargain shop as well, and finds yourself stocking up for those times when you will need a good gift to use, or use yourself so that you don't have that "mommy guilt" of spending money on ourselves. BUT there are always SO many "other" things that we need, such as using that money towards something that the kids need, or a home improvement project, or that appliance that needs replacing, or growing to your savings, or a million OTHER things to spend money on!!! 

But remember, YOU are important too!! When you take care of yourself, you are a better mom and example to your kids, you have more energy, you will be in a better mood, you will be more confident in your own skin, you will again feel GOOD about going shopping, and like the way your clothes fit you. Please don't put yourself last. Start today, by taking advantage of these EXTREMELY discounted savings on amazing programs by Team Beachbody. 

Starting TODAY, Team Beachbody has released some of their best selling products, apparel, equipment, and supplements on sale, with up to 85% discounted pricing!!! I really hate doing salesy posts like this, but I also would hate for you to miss out, or spend more than you need to!  

Here's the scoop:  These items are limited quantities only, and while supplies last. The good deals will sell out fast, so don't delay!
This JUST started today, so get in while you can for what you want. 

Here's what's up For grabs:

• 10 Minute Trainer 43% off
• Brazil Butt Lift + the Green Band 16% off
• Hip Hop Abs & Dance Party Series DVD 68% off
• Hip Hop Abs Dance Party Series DVD and weighted gloves 57%
• Insanity Deluxe Workouts 49% off
• Insanity The Asylum Volume 1+ Equipment Buddy Kit 53% off
• Les Miss Combat + Combat Gloves (Medium and Large Only) 55% off
• Les Mills Combat Gloves (Medium and Large only) 84% off
• Les Mills Pump 32% off
• Les Mills Pump with no weights or barbells 
• Les Mills Pump Deluxe DVDs 66% off
• P90X Free P90X Plus 53%
• P90X Plus 62% off
• P90X2 and Stability Ball 53% off
• Slim in 6 29% off
• Tai Cheng 43% off

• Squishy Ball 59% off
• Stability Ball +Medicine Ball combo 62% off
• Team Beachbody Apparel Up to 65% off
• Rumbleroller is 16% off
• Ankle Weights 45% off
• The Black Resistance band with the over the door attachment 56% off
• Jump Mat 44% off

Do you need a recommendation? Are you new to some of these options?  First off, if you have Club Membership & On Demand, be sure to check out those programs so that you can preview them (Insanity, P90X, P90X2, etc.) before making the investment. What's On Demand? Click HERE for more information about Club Membership and the many awesome features available to you. 

So what is my own personal recommendation? For sure get Les Mills Combat and Pump if you are even slightly considering it! Both of these programs are going to be discontinued in the Beachbody collection.  Once they're gone, they're gone for good.  The Les Mills is a full body strength training program PERFECT for cross training for runners, or for those who don't want to take the time to lift weights every single day. The program is based on a 3-day per week training schedule, and works your entire body to achieve the results you are wanting! AND it comes with the bar and weights as well!!!

Insanity is another of my all time favorites, as it was my very first ever Beachbody program I ever used. My husband and I did it together of rthe full 60 days of the program, and my strength, endurance, and stamina significantly improved. Our results were INSANE. Completely love it!  You use your own body for resistance, and is one heck of a great cardio program.   

The ankle weights are great to use for every single workout you do, and I use them all the time!  I especially love to use them with Pilates in the 21 Day Fix and P90X3 workouts.  It definitely adds more resistance, and makes the workouts more challenging!

Seriously, every single item on this list is great, and everyone you know can benefit from using at least ONE of these to help them with their health and fitness goals.  Think *gifts for FATHERS DAY, birthday presents, or Christmas presents! Especially the Beachbody Apparel is great for the person who loves the workouts, or is a coach! I am SO stocking up for gifts - with these prices you can't go wrong. 

But honestly it does sell out fast!

To see everything on sale you can use my link:  

Click Here for My Direct Link

*If you already have a team beachbody coach, please contact your coach to help you out. If you do not have a coach, then I am happy to assist you, guide you and help you reach your health and fitness goals!

It's time to kick off Summer In Style!  If you want something more customized hit me up and I would be happy to help you find the right fit for you!

LETS make this your HEALTHIEST SUMMER EVER!!!

Join my *Summer Survival* Accountability Group today!

To apply, click HERE

Success Club Trip 2015 Cancun Mexico

April 14 - 19th, 2015 will go down as one of the many amazing memories for Adam and I. We were fortunate enough to have joined 2000 other Health Coaches on an all-expense paid vacation for both hubby and myself, at the Moon Palace Resort and Spa in Cancun, Mexico. This was the second free vacation I have earned since coaching, which I started on July 30th, 2013. The Team Beachbody Success Club trip is at a different destination every year, with next year being a cruise on the Royal Caribbean to Jamaica and Haiti! I earned this trip for myself and family by meeting certain criteria each month in my business based on how many people I'm helping get started with their health and fitness goals. I was treated like a princess, greeted with gifts and found out that I didn't have to wait in line for registration with the rest of the coaches because of my being a top Elite Coach in 2014 (too bad this was AFTER we waited in line for over an hour)!  This all really just felt like a dream because seriously, I am just a small town farm-girl, who wasn't on social media, had zero followers and a very small network of close family and friends. I started coaching with Beachbody not knowing a THING what I was getting into. My desire to change my family's situation was worth more to me than the fears and doubts I had from within. I really just wanted to inspire and motivate others to a healthier way of living, and in turn, live out my passion for health and fitness by also creating a life to love, a life of freedom, for myself and family.  Less than 2 years later, I'm in Cancun with 2,000 other coaches in a luxury suite, fully stocked with a full fridge and bar!  With this whole experience, something that I've come to realize is this --- Once you become consciously aware of how powerful your thoughts are, and your willingness to change them, you will realize everything in your life is exactly how you ALLOW it to be.  Just imagine what the possibilities could be if you would just let GO and imagine the "what if"!

So I wanted to document my favorite memories from the trip!  There were so many things we did, and over the course of just 5 days. Adam and I flew out of MSP early Wednesday morning so that we would arrive early afternoon. We were greeted with flowers onto the shuttle to take us to Moon Palace Resort. Beachbody doesn't do anything small, the Arena was decked out in huge Team Beachbody swag. Made me so proud to represent a company with such integrity and passion for their mission, to "help people achieve their goals to lead healthy, fulfilling lives". 

We had a bit of a surprise when we got to our room to find it was already inhabited by 2 other guests! Somehow we were given the wrong room key or number. Once we were settled into our amazing room, equipped with a private Jacuzzi tub, balcony with a hammock, view of the ocean and beautiful resort grounds, full bar... we were set to join our friends for the Welcome Reception, dinner hosted on the beach with entertainment and fireworks! Beachbody sure knows how to do it up! Then the next morning was the Celebrity Trainer Question/Answer discussion panel. I learned so much about Tony Horton, Shaun T, and Autumn Calabrese. Where they started with their careers, what their lives were like before being "found" by Beachbody. I am so glad I have this insight - a reminder to us all to stay grounded and humbled...and to always be evolving, changing and improving oneself. 

Thursday evening was an exclusive, invitation only, Elite and Premiere party on the beach! Decorations, dinner, dancing and fun music right on the beach with the top 1% of the company, Shaun T, Autumn and Tony, with all the company executives! Getting to talk with other top coaches about best practices, business strategies, ways to help our teams...that was an invaluable experience!  Success is only fun when you have a team to celebrate it with - next year I will have my team of coaches with me on the cruise to Jamaica!  I am working towards helping them also achieve this same level of success in their businesses. There is no reward or satisfaction in being at the top of the company by yourself. Why not bring along your team and your best friends to experience it with you?  I've always said that my goal is to help my team to experience the same success that I have and that is exactly what is happening. I have seen my team following in my footsteps, and it is my #1 goal to help more and more coaches reach THEIR goals, achieve financial success, earn these trips, and live the life they love.  That's where the magic happens. When one can pay it forward - working as a team unit, to help lift each other up to a higher place than they would have imagined possible. 

I don't know if I'd ever had dinner in the sand - the beach, water, everything was more amazing than I could even try to describe.  I remember the wind being SO STRONG...the ladies with short skirts or pumps were in trouble that night! 

It's also cool to watch Adam (my #1 supporter, and one I owe for being where I am with this business today) make some amazing friends! The wives get together to work, get our tans on, while the boys play and take full advantage of the all-inclusive amenities!   

Each morning there were live workouts with Tony Horton, Shaun T and Autumn Calabrese... LIVE!  Talk about some energy in the room, doing a group workout with hundreds of other people, but to be doing it live with the trainers themselves is something that completely blows my mind every time I have the chance to do this.  It's just such an amazing experience to be surrounded by your friends and other coaches getting our sweat on!  

Saturday was spent poolside with fellow coaches, soaking up the sun, playing beach volleyball, and just enjoying alone time with hubby. Taking vacations like this is something we never would have been able to do before Beachbody and coaching. Although we really missed the kids, having that time together to reconnect and just focus on US was so great!  We enjoyed taking in some Miami Vice's, and Scooby Doo's - don't ask me what's in them, I haven't a CLUE...but I do remember them being really good! 

This was our "hangout" location so us coaches knew where to find eachother throughout the day. This resort was SO large with so many different attractions and things to do. But this bar was pretty central, and close to our room, which made it the perfect meeting place!

The view from our balcony was simply AMAZING - another one of the perks of an Elite coach is to get the best rooms in the resort. As much as I missed the kids, it was really hard to leave and say good bye. I loved every second of this trip, and feel so entirely blessed and thankful to the many people who have entrusted me with their health and fitness goals and to choose me to mentor them with their business. 

I know that this is one amazing trip of many more to come. This one goes down in the books as memorable, inspiring, so beautiful, and definitely one to cherish. 

Farewell friends, until next time!!

Join TEAM FIT4MATION TODAY!  Now Accepting applications, and join us on the S.S. Beachbody Cruise to the Caribbean in 2016!

Team Fit4mation Coaching Application 

What is a Challenge Group?

What would it mean to you if you were GUARANTEED success with your health and fitness goals?  How would that FEEL for you to look in the mirror and be PROUD and happy how you looked?  Are you aware that 80% of people FAIL at what ever weight loss program or lifestyle change they choose within just three weeks? Not because the “program” they chose wasn’t good enough, but because they lacked SUPPORT. Think about how much having accountability does for you at work, school and accomplishing general tasks and goals. So why wouldn't you want that for one of the HARDEST tasks you face….weight loss.

If you join the gym, and you don’t show up on Monday, is the gym calling you asking where you were and did you do well over the weekend? No. Actually, in some cases they are banking that you DON’T return. When you are dealing with stress and wanting to eat, does Lean Cuisine have a forum to hear you out? No. My point is, having an advocate, or health coach that specifically has YOUR best interest in mind, provides you your BEST chance at success. Sure, at the end of the day, YOU are the one doing the work, regardless, but, I am there WITH you.

I am a product of the process. First, you must TRUST the process. It DOES work, if YOU do. I am not a nutritionist, not a personal trainer, nor do I have a degree in the medical profession. But what I AM is your advocate. Your biggest supporter. Your # 1 personal cheerleader. I want YOU to live the healthiest, most fulfilled life now. Fitness and proper nutrition is the corner stone of good health and has proven to prevent major diseases from occurring in the body.When you help yourself, you help your entire family! The ripple effect of the choices YOU make will trickle down to your spouse, kids, and other loved ones. I know for me, a busy wife and mom of 4, my health and that of my family is NUMBER ONE priority! I hope to be able to keep up with my kids when they hit the teenage years, and also as a grandparent (hopefully I have a few years before that happens!)!!

I have different types of support, if you are willing to invest in the right tools. I can provide 1-1 coaching for my clients. I also provide a “general” private support group on Facebook. And lastly, I provide “Challenge Groups”.

REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT YOU ARE SEEKING, MY COACHING SERVICES ARE 100% FREE AND INCLUDED WITH YOUR FREE MEMBERSHIP. To have me as your free coach, click HERE and create your free Team Beachbody Membership! 

Challenge groups are PRIVATE small groups that I run monthly on the Facebook “Group” platform. You get ME, as well as several other successful coaches on my team within a small group of people, very similar to you and your goals. I will help you choose a program BEST suited for you and your needs as well as discuss what meal plan is realistic. You will get 1:1 accountability, exclusive motivation, recipes, small daily assignments, fitness tips, and my weekly meal plans for 30, and up to 60 days! The benefit to the group is that you get a TON of positive feedback, support while you LEARN. There is always someone “there” to answer or hear your questions. You will both teach and learn from others and will be empowered in the process. There are some accountability guidelines to remain in the group, but as long as you continue to try, commit to the program tools and SHOW UP, you will ALWAYS have unconditional support.  As my customer, you have the option to join into as many support groups as you like until you are confident you have the tools and motivation to continue on your own without the accountability. You've LEARNED what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle!!!

I start ONE new challenge group a month. If you are interested in learning more about this platform, how “online accountability” works, how I can personally empower you to succeed and what it takes to qualify, fill out my free consultation form and I will email you to set up a time to speak live.

Isn’t it time for you to take charge of your health and make this investment in YOU?! Please take the time to complete the application below for consideration in my next accountability group. Team Fit4mation Accountability Challenge application

Or if you want to secure your spot in my next challenge, get your Beachbody On Demand All Access 12-month Membership and Shakeology with the Portion Fix meal plan HERE or add on the 3-Day Refresh to your order at a discounted rate HERE and I will reach out to you via email within 24-48 hours. 

My $3700 Week as a Beachbody Health Coach

These last few weeks have me completely #mindblown. Ever have one of those full circle moments, where you just think to yourself... Is this really happening to ME?

18 months ago, my family and I were living pay-check to pay-check... much like a lot of families. We were feeling defeated, stressed, strained {emotionally & financially} and completely spinning our wheels, never seeming to be able to move forward. We were forced with the decision to cash out any retirement funds we had accrued to make payments on our growing debt. When we decided that I would leave my career to stay home and raise our family, I knew it would be a financial strain, and it was worth the sacrifices, BUT it wasn't something we could be doing long term. 8 years on a single income was H A R D. It came to the point where my husband took a job commuting 2 hours each day, working LONG hours. We were on Badgercare, used WIC for food, we didn't have money to donate freely to our church, I felt like a single mom, raising 4 young kids by myself, them rarely seeing their dad at all during the week. Although I was grateful that I was home with the kids, we were missing out on SO MUCH family time. Weekends became the only time for us to be together as a family.

This was not the picture of a life I had envisioned. This was not a life I wanted for my kids. Our marriage was under an enormous amount of turmoil and strain. But I wasn't willing to resort to sending my kids to Daycare to let someone else raise them, just so I could get a "job".

I wanted more for my family, for our kids. I wanted to be able to take them on a vacation without having to CHARGE every penny on a credit card that I knew we wouldn't be able to pay off for a very long time. I was tired of telling my kids that we had to take food out of the cart at the grocery store because we didn't have enough $$ in our checking account to cover the bill. I was TIRED of money fights with my husband. I was sick of him working so far from home, missing out on so much with our kids. I wanted HIM to also live HIS dreams of making his pottery again and do work that he was passionate about. I was depressed that we would tackle home improvement projects to try to make our house a home for our family, only to not be able to afford completing the work required. I wanted to be able to buy NEW clothes for my kids without feeling guilty for not shopping at Goodwill. Date nights were a complete DREAM to me - we couldn't afford a babysitter, let alone a dinner out. I was SICK to see our money disappearing faster than we earned it, completely depleting any cushion we had. We cut our living expenses to the bare minimum to help make ends meet. We cut out any garbage service. No cell phone (yes, I used a trac phone!). We grew most of our food, and preserved it by canning, dehydrating and freezing. Made our own home cleaning products. No satellite TV or high speed internet service. Any way we could, we tried to save money. But even that wasn't enough to change our lives in the way we so desperately needed. We live in the central part of WI, a small rural farming community. I wasn't on any social media, lived a quiet, content life with our family and few close friends. I didn't even KNOW what was possible and available to me.

But what I DID know was that I was done WISHING things would change, but not taking any ACTION. So once I saw the opportunity that was right in the palm of my hand, I decided to take it. How couldn't I???

{Enter Online Health Coach...} I had always been active, a runner, caring about healthy nutrition and lifestyle. Adam and I purchased Insanity and started doing it at home earlier that spring. We both got our butts whooped, and I was blown away by how effective an in-home workout program could be. So when I got in contact with one of Adam's friends on FB who was an Online Health Coach, it just sounded too good to be true. I was ENTIRELY skeptical. I thought it was a "Pyramid Scheme" - what is that, anyway?? haha So I did as much research as I could to find those RED FLAGS. But I couldn't find any, as hard as I tried. I trusted Alyssa, so decided I didn't have a single thing to lose by trying, but I had EVERYTHING to gain!! I had NO IDEA what a coach was, what we did, or even what a group on FB was...didn't know that there was such a thing as Instagram...but what I BELIEVED was that I could do it... I love to help people, and have a passionate for health and fitness!

I'm not saying it was just as easy as that. It didn't happen overnight. There have been many sacrifices (mostly with my sleep and I don't watch TV), and there have been trials, and lessons {SO many lessons}, and there has been growth. But nothing worth having, and nothing INCREDIBLE comes easily. I saw this vision. I saw my family living comfortably for the first time in a LONG time. I saw our family living together as a FAMILY - spending quality time with each other every day. I saw the plan, and I BELIEVED in it.
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So I did it.
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You know I wouldn't post this type of thing for no reason. You all know I don't talk about this stuff - and quite honestly, this is throwing me WAY out of my comfort zone doing so. I have gone back and forth about it for 2 weeks. But sometimes, it's NECESSARY. It took someone showing me how POSSIBLE changing my life and my family's life was for me to understand. And since I am in the business of *paying it forward*, it was laid on my heart today to share this with you. Because on 3/10/15, I basically had my socks knocked off! I can't believe that this is my job and I make crazy good money doing what I LOVE!!
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So by HELPING PEOPLE get healthy and happy, working with my team of coaches to do the SAME, I am SO PROUD to say that as of THIS WEEK, Adam Smrcka and I are entirely, --100%-- credit card/ student loan/ Car payment DEBT FREE!!!!!!!  We were able to take our paycheck from ONE WEEK'S PAY to send off over $3000 to our final remaining debt (other than our mortgage). We are LIBERATED from the financial strain that was holding us down, captive for so long.

So why not you?

What makes you think you can't do this too?

If you want to stop being a wisher and start ACTING, then please join me in this AMAZING opportunity that has landed me as a top Elite Coach in the company in 2014, just after 17 short months as a coach.

Thanks for letting me share with you! Thank you Team Fit4mation,  Beachbody and Carl Daikeler. Because of your integrity, innovation, passion, and commitment, you are helping SO many people change their lives for the better. 

If you would like to apply for a position on my team in my next New Coach Training Academy, please APPLY HERE.

2014 Top Elite Team Beachbody Health Coach

About Me, & My Story

I'm just a small-town wife and mamma of 4 beautiful kids, ages 2-8, living in rural central WI. I am a Christian who grew up in a faith-filled Catholic family, a runner, and health & fitness enthusiast, who loves to surround myself with positivism and those who lift me higher and push myself to be the best version of me I can be! 

When I'm not helping others with their health, fitness, or business goals, I love to read, crochet, garden, RUN (of course!), spend time with extended family, and travel! We love to take day or weekend trips to the water parks or hike the state parks in the area.

Before Health Coaching, I had a career working in Management, coordinating services for people with Developmental Disabilities, throughout 2 counties in WI. Although my career was extremely rewarding, my heart wasn't in it once we had our first child. I left my career behind to raise our growing family. Our little family of 3 soon became 6, and living on one income was H A R D!  Everything in me wanted to help contribute to our family's income. So we grew a ton of our own food during the summer months and I learned how to do home food preservation (freezing, canning, and dehydrating). We even cut out garbage service and cell phones. But the money we saved on groceries wasn't enough to grow our savings or pay off our accumulated debt. We were on ONE tight budget! And not only that, my husband was working a job with a one-hour commute each way, every day. Although it was a good job, he sacrificed SO much. I was basically a single mom. The kids and I NEVER sat down to a family dinner together. He left work early in the morning, and didn't return home until well-after we were in bed. We couldn't afford even the smallest of splurges. The kids would ask for a particular fruit or other food item at the store - and often times I would have to tell them "no" or put it back on the shelf because I was concerned we didn't have enough funds in our account to cover it.  The holidays stressed us out entirely, having to pick and choose who we would be able to buy a gift for...often resorting to hand-made gifts.

So when I first was informed about Online Health Coaching, I was extremely skeptical. It really sounded too good to be true! Like most people, the thought went through my head - is this a pyramid scheme?  Will I really make money doing this? Who would want ME to be their coach? I'm not a professional in this field!....those doubts kept coming. But I realized if I didn't at least try it, I would be in the same exact circumstances (or even worse) down the road. 

So instead, I took a leap, knowing very little about what I would be doing, and learned as I went. I was blessed to have joined the TOP team in the network, and from my mentors, I was taught their systems to success - which I share with my own team of coaches!  In just 17 months from starting, I was able to grow a successful 6-figure business from my kitchen home office, while being present for my kids and family, and achieving the status of growing a top Elite team of coaches with Team Fit4mation in that short amount of time - less than 200 coaches in the network were able to achieve this accomplishment! 

So now what?  My goals for 2015 include helping a minimum of 7 coaches on my team earn $1000+ weekly, by ensuring they duplicate my own proven systems of helping people succeed with their goals. When my team succeeds, we all succeed!  I am so excited for this year!  Do you relate to this story? What are you waiting for! Your only regret will be that you didn't start sooner.  

To learn more, and to apply for a position in my next New Coach Training, please apply here.

Clean Eating Apple Pie Oatmeal

What if I told you that you could have apple pie for breakfast, no sugar, no guilt? That's exactly what I do most mornings, on one form or another! So simple, you can make this up in advance for your entire week, have it all ready to go for those busy rushed mornings!  

I like to make my steel cut oats up in advance in the slow cooker, 6 generous cups of water to 1 1/2 cup steel cut oats cooked on low for about 8 hours. Once they are cooled, I portion them out into containers, 6 servings. 

You then have your oats to do with what you wish! You can also use raw, old-fashioned oatmeal for this recipe if you prefer. 

CLEAN EATING APPLE PIE OATMEAL

(Makes 1 serving)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup uncooked, raw old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup chopped apples (approximately 1 small apple)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Honey  or Pure maple syrup to taste
• 1/2 c. Cottage Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients the night before. Enjoy in the morning cold or warm - your choice!
2. Optional ingredients or variations of this meal are as follows:  *Caramel apple pie (add in caramel extract) *PB and banana soaked oats (in place of the apple, use a banana and 1T PB, omit the allspice) *Some prefer Plain Greek Yogurt in place of the cottage cheese for any of these variations, or you could use half cottage cheese, half yogurt! Be creative, the options are endless!

Note: You can double the spices if you like a strong flavor. Also, the syrup or honey really makes this dish. It’s what brings out the full apple pie flavor. however, you don’t need a lot if your apples are sweet.

About Me!

I'm just a small-town wife and mamma of 4 beautiful kids, ages 2-8, living in rural central WI. I am a runner and health & fitness enthusiast, and love surrounding myself with positivism, and those who lift me higher and push myself to be the best version of me I can be!

When I'm not helping others with their health, fitness, or business goals, I love to read, crochet, garden, RUN (of course!), spend time with extended family, and travel! We love to take day or weekend trips to the water parks or hike the state parks in the area.

Before Health Coaching, I had a career working in Management, coordinating services for people with Developmental Disabilities. Although my career was extremely rewarding, my heart wasn't in it once we had our first child. I left my career behind to raise our growing family. Our little family of 3 soon became 6, and living on one income was H A R D!  Everything in me wanted to help contribute to our family's income. So we grew a ton of our own food during the summer months and I learned how to do home food preservation (freezing, canning, and dehydrating). But the money we saved on groceries wasn't enough to grow our savings or pay off our accumulated debt. We were on ONE tight budget! And not only that, my husband was working a job with a one-hour commute each way, every day. Although it was a good job, he sacrificed SO much. I was basically a single parent. The kids and I NEVER sat down to a family dinner together. He left work early in the morning, and didn't return home until well-after we were in bed. We couldn't afford even the smallest of splurges. The kids would ask for a particular fruit or other food item at the store - and often times I would have to tell them "no" or put it back on the shelf because I was concerned we didn't have enough funds in our account to cover it.  The holidays stressed us out entirely, having to pick and choose who we would be able to buy a gift for...often resorting to hand-made gifts.

So when I first was informed about Online Health Coaching, I was extremely skeptical. It really sounded too good to be true!

I took a leap, knowing very little about what I would be doing, and learned as I went. I was blessed to have joined the TOP team in the network, and from my mentors, I was taught their systems to success - which I share with my own team of coaches!  In just 17 months from starting, I was able to grow a successful 6-figure business from my kitchen home office, while being present for my kids and family.

My goals for 2015 include helping a minimum of 7 coaches on my team earn $1000+ weekly, by ensuring they duplicate my own proven systems of helping people succeed with their goals. When my team succeeds, we all succeed!  I am so excited for this year!  Do you relate to this story? What are you waiting for! Your only regret will be that you didn't start sooner <3

Online Health Coaching Opportunity

How does a small-town farm girl from Central WI go from ZERO social media knowledge or experience, no network of friends, no big dreams or ambitions, stay at home mamma to 4 little ones, to a TOP COACH...5-Star ELITE Online Health Coach, in just 17 months into the business? If I could teach you how I got started, how I continue to grow my successful business by helping others achieve their goals, working from HOME part-time, around my family's schedule, would you be interested? Was I skeptical at first? YOU BET! But once I realized that I had nothing to lose by trying, I went ALL IN, and I am SO glad I did!

What would the extra income do for you? For my family, it has meant SO much! In my first month as coach, I earned $300. In my second month, my income increased to $800. By the 3rd month, I was making a significant contribution to our family's income goals. Now, we are living without the stress of wondering how we will pay our bills, how we will afford our kid's school tuition, or how we will pay that heating bill. I don't have to put food back on the shelf because of not having enough money in our checking account to cover the cost. We didn't have to stress over picking and choosing who we would be able to buy Christmas presents for this year. We are paying off our debt one, by one, by one - and seeing that bright light at the end of the tunnel!

I do NOT have a "recruiting" quota to meet, or pressure to run my business a certain way. I share this opportunity with people because I BELIEVE in it! I know how fulfilling it is to help other people succeed. I know how this has changed my life, and the others who are on our growing team. We finished the year ranked 157 out of over 220,000 teams, as one of the 199 Elite teams in the network. What does that mean? It means I am successfully leading my team to success. My processes to grow a business are duplicatable, and I want nothing more than to see our team grow and continue the positive impact toward helping others to live healthy, confident, and fit!  

For me, a small-town momma of 4, I now have a career that I am passionate about, relieved some of the financial burden from my husband, earning income from home around my family's schedule. I am my own #girlboss, and love the feeling of helping others succeed. Our team is positive, genuine, driven, goal-oriented, and welcoming to any others who feel the same about helping others. If you are waiting for an official invitation, this is it!

Do you know someone who could benefit from learning more about this opportunity? TAG and SHARE this post! To apply, complete the application today! This may be the best decision of your life. Take the leap towards living your life by design! If your'e not happy with your current situation, take the necessary steps to change it!

For consideration, please apply here:

https://marshasmrcka.wufoo.com/forms/coach-apprenticeship-application-copy/

Double Chocolate Snack Cake

I LOVE baking. I learned from the BEST. My mom was one of 18 children, born into a strong faith-centered Catholic family, who knew what it meant to live off of the land. Dairy farmers and gardeners, they made EVERYTHING from scratch. So passed on from generation to generation, I learned at an early age how to cook and bake. So that's a good thing, and a bad thing! But what I love the most is finding recipes that I can adapt and modify to fit our clean eating lifestyle.  Take this snack cake, for instance. The original recipe calls for white flour, sugar, and canola oil. I was curious to see how this would turn out with making a few simple substitutions, and I am pleasantly surprised!

When you're in a pinch, wanting a quick easy dessert, this does the trick!

So here's how:

INGREDIENTS

1 2/3 C. whole wheat flour

3/4 C. honey or agave nectar

1/4 C. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. water

1 C. ground flax meal

1 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. Semisweet chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in an ungreased 8X8 square baking pan. Stir in remaining ingredients until well moistened, except chocolate chips. Sprinkle chips on top. 

Bake 35-40 minutes or until center comes clean with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack, makes 9 servings. Enjoy!!

Health Coaching Job Opportunity

Instead of filling your head with negativity and self doubt, instead think "what if"? 

What if I could meet the CEO of Beachbody, Carl Daikeler? What if I could earn a full-time income working from home? What if I could earn and save enough $ to pay cash for family vacations and that new car we need (had the fortune to do JUST that on Sunday!!)? What if I weren't afraid to have big dreams, and even bigger goals? What if instead of DREADING going back to work on Monday morning, you looked forward to your job? What if instead of needing to report to a boss, you were your OWN boss? What if you were entirely and COMPLETELY fulfilled, in every way, by your job, knowing you were making a positive impact and difference in someone's life? What if...you could be part of the #1 TEAM in ALL of Beachbody?

I'm opening a door for you to do just that...TAKE IT! I'm currently accepting applications for my next Health Coach apprenticeship training. Find out how YOU can duplicate my success with this business, in as little as one year achieving 4-Star Qualifying Diamond Coach rank in my organization well on my way towards FINANCIAL FREEDOM - something I certainly wouldn't have even DREAMED would be possible. Complete the application below if you are self-motivated, compassionate, caring, and have a strong desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others. #fitmomof4 #healthcoach #timetosucceed #earnfromhome #workfromhome #fitspiration #dreambig #achievebig #fitforlife #DreamTeam 

https://marshasmrcka.wufoo.com/forms/coach-apprenticeship-application-copy/

Clean-Eating Baked Chicken Drumsticks

My old go-to recipe for baked drumsticks called for the not-so-clean eating baking mix, so I was on a quest for a much healthier version of our beloved dark meat treat, with all the flavor but without the baking mix. This is what I came up with, and I have to say I don't miss our previous recipe ONE BIT! You can either leave the skins on, or remove them prior to baking. I do find that my family's preference is with the skin on, and removing it just before eating seems to keep the meat moist and juicy.

Clean-Eating Baked Chicken Drumsticks (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
6 chicken drumsticks 
EVOO
Smoked Paprika
garlic powder
salt (I love sea salt)
fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Place drumsticks in a 9x13 baking dish, and rub the drumsticks with enough olive oil to lightly coat them on all sides.  Combine desired amounts of seasoning blend in a small bowl, and sprinkle the drumsticks to lightly coat.
3. Bake drumsticks at 375 degrees for 22 minutes.
4. Flip the drumsticks, sprinkle them again with seasoning blend, and bake at 375 degrees for an additional 23 minutes (so they are in the oven for 45 minutes total) until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear.

The drumsticks are literally that easy.  I just eyeballed the amount of spices to use...just a light sprinkle of each is enough.  You'll just want to make sure that each drumstick gets a sprinkle of each spice.  I left the skins on because they brown beautifully and add extra flavor to the chicken.  My kids love to pick up their own drumstick and go to town!

I served the chicken legs with a simple spinach souffle (and apple slices for the kids), but you could also slice sweet (or russet) potatoes into wedges and add them to the baking dish at the beginning for a one-dish meal.  Just coat the baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil (and you can line your baking dish with foil for easier clean up) and make sure to stir/flip the potato wedges when you flip the drumsticks halfway through the baking time.  Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. This is SO amazing... enjoy!

After School/ On-the-go Healthy Snacks

Perhaps one of the biggest things we all struggle with is finding healthy protein-packed snacks that we can take with us on the go or have handy in case we are away from home for longer than we planned!  When you PLAN ahead, you really can set yourself up to succeed. I often times hear that it costs SO much to eat healthy or "clean". WELL>>>> today, I put that theory to the test. And you know what?! What I discovered is quite the opposite! You pay for convenience, regardless if what you're eating is healthy or not. I even splurged on a few items that I don't usually purchase for my little snack experiment.
So what I bought:
*Dried Cranberries
*Semi-sweet chocolate chips
*Cashews
*Chocolate covered plums
*Cocoa Almonds
*Organic unsweetened coconut flakes

My total came to $26.24. I combined all the ingredients together in a large bowl (it was cheaper to purchase a large bag of the dried cranberries, but I only used about half of the bag) and portioned into 1/2 c. servings, put them in snack-size baggies, and WALLAH! 33 servings, all ready to go! I'm set for awhile. So this came to around $0.80 per serving. I don't normally buy the organic coconut flakes (they were $2.58) or Plum Sweets ($3.28), so when calculated without those 2 items, my cost per serving came down to around $0.68 per serving, and I would also have fewer servings.  Comparable to most other pre-packaged serving size snack items in the stores, but WAY more healthy! A little planning and prep is all it took to have healthy nutritious snacks for me and my family. Perfect for school lunch packs or after school snacks!