Plan for Success- My Meal Prep Tips

Here's the deal... if you don't set yourself up for success you're going to struggle. It's the HARD TRUTH!

Every Sunday morning I'm in the kitchen prepping my meals for the week. It takes me about two hours each Sunday but saves even more time for me during the week.


Meal prep is SO important when trying to live a healthy lifestyle. It makes it harder to stay on track if you don't plan ahead.

Here are some of my best personal meal prep tips!

• create a menu for yourself. Break it down like this so it's EASY
• Day 1-
• Breakfast-
• Snack-
• Lunch-
• Snack-
• Dinner-
• Day 2-
• Breakfast-
• Snack-
• Lunch-
• Snack-
• Dinner-
• ETC...

• Create a grocery list. Be sure to include all necessary spices.
• Remember PORTION CONTROL!! Look into getting portion control Tupperware like the ones I have in my pictures. I have the 21 Day Fix colored containers and the black portioned meal plates from Amazon.com
• Repeat meals as often as you can without getting tired of them
• Buy in bulk
• Multitask! Stay safe...but try to cook a couple things at once. IE. chicken in the oven, turkey bacon and egg whites cooking on the stove, and broccoli in the steamer.
• Wash dishes as you go so the mess isn't as big at the end.
• If you have an infant like me.... WEAR them while you prep! It's the easiest way to get it done with NO EXCUSES!
• STICK TO THE PLAN!!

I hope this is helpful for you! Once you prep your meals a few weeks in a row, just like anything else that you do for a few weeks (It takes 21 days to create a habit), it'll become a part of your routine. You'll get better at it and you'll become a pro in no time!!

My Famous Roasted Turkey Breast

This is my all-time favorite turkey recipe! I find that I am actually better at roasting turkey than I am at cooking any kind of chicken!!

I love the Thanksgiving feeling that I get when I roast a turkey for dinner. It comes out so juicy and delicious and I just had to share my recipe with you all! It is so incredibly easy.

 

Ingredients-

 

Roasting Bag
Roasting Pan
Aluminum foil
Meat thermometer

 

Boneless Turkey Breast (3-5 lbs)

1 gallon of water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Apple Juice
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

 

1 tsp olive oil
garlic powder

 

How-to:

 

• In roasting bag, combine thawed turkey breast, water, apple juice, salt, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and brine in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
• After turkey is brined, remove turkey from bag and pat dry with papertowel.
• Place turkey in roasting pan and brush with olive oil.
• Sprinkle with garlic powder.
• Roast for 1.5 hours.
• Create an aluminum foil tent over turkey and roast for 30 more minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.

 

Let turkey sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

 

Enjoy that juicy deliciousness!! =D

 

10 Tips for a Fit Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Even through the aches, pains, and the discomforts of my growing belly and gaining weight, I have found it in myself to stay true to my fitness routine and love myself and my body no matter how much weight I have gained. (20 LBS already and I'm only at 28 weeks)

 

I promised myself two things when I found out that I was pregnant this time.

1. I would take more pictures of my pregnant belly than I did my last pregnancy.
2. I would stick to a fit lifestyle throughout the duration of the pregnancy.

Two incredibly simple things. Or so I thought. I haven't had many bad cravings, but I have been so lazy about cooking. So it has been tough to stick to my promises but, so far, I've been able to live a fit lifestyle. I have continued my workouts through Beachbody and my competition coaches, and I have kept a clean diet for the most part.

 

I must say..... I feel absolutely incredible. I am in my third trimester and I feel wonderful. Yes, I still feel the aches and pains but I look forward to my workouts and stretches every day because they make me feel so good!

Here are a few tips that have helped me throughout this pregnancy:

1.  Have a plan- It's hard to live a fit lifestyle without a nutrition and workout plan! If you don't have one, get one! If you want to talk about my specific plan and how I have kept my fit lifestyle up, just send me an email or comment below!
2. Keep only healthy and nutritious foods in the house- this is a no-brainer! You can't eat bad foods if they are nowhere in sight!
3. Work out at the same time every day- I work out after work and have made it a part of my daily routine so my body expects it every day.
4. Drink Shakeology first thing in the morning- I cannot even begin to describe how beneficial Shakeology has been for this pregnancy. It gives me so much energy early in the day, keeps the sweet tooth cravings at bay, and has provided extra nutrients for my sweet baby boy.
5.  Bring nutritious snacks to work.
6. ALWAYS keep a water bottle on hand.
7. Walk!! I have a desk job at the moment and I have found that it helps me get through the day to take walks around my building.
8. Find an accountability partner- As a Beachbody coach, I run online fitness accountability groups to help hold myself and my amazing challengers accountable for our nutrition and workouts. This has helped me stay on track so far!
9. Think about how much easier labor and recovery will be- This one is HUGE for me. Studies have shown that the better shape you're in during your pregnancy, the easier labor and recovery will be.
10. STICK TO IT!- Don't give in to the lazy temptations. Yes that couch looks mighty comfy, but you won't regret getting your workout in.

Always remember to know your limits. I had to begin modifying exercises early on in my pregnancy. Things like planks and pushups are incredibly uncomfortable to me and I cut them out of my workouts. I keep my workouts low impact and do not lift too heavy. This is not an excuse to slack off, though! Push yourself...just know when to relax and lower the weights. =D


I hope these tips help a few mammas-to-be out there. If you have any questions about my daily routine, let's chat!!

Wonders of Water: Infused Water

Wonders of Water: Infused Water

Let's be honest. H2O gets BORING drinking glass after glass unless you are already used to it. I've asked multiple people about their fitness and nutrition goals and most of them have told me that one goal is to drink more water!!

 Drinking water naturally boosts your metabolism.... what does this mean? Drinking water helps you LOSE WEIGHT!!!

Some people feel the need to use Mio or Crystal Light in their water to make it taste better but where are the nutrients in that?! That's right! There are none!


Why not add fruits and veggies to your water for an extra boost of vitamins and minerals, and a natural way to detox!

Benefits of drinking infused water

Lose weight

Boosts your metabolism.

Fills you up so you don’t eat as much junk.

Naturally helps your body release fat cells.

Keeps food moving through your system.

Flushes toxins from your system.

Improves your mood.

Reduces muscle fatigue while working out.

Helps you recuperate faster from a workout.

Keeps your organs healthy while you’re sweating.

Keeps you from feeling groggy.

Here are some great H2O tips

• Drink a large glass of water before every meal
• Drink your first glass within 15 minutes of waking up
• Buy a travel infused water bottle to keep with you at all times (you're more likely to drink water if it's in front of you at all times)
• Instead of snacking on junk food, drink a full glass of water and wait about 10 minutes to see if you're still in the mood to snack (most times you aren't!)
• Always bring a water bottle to the gym 

Off-scale Victories: Don't Always Trust the Scale

Focus on What Really Matters:

Off-scale Victories

This is one of my favorite topics. It's been heavy on my mind for the past couple days for a few reasons...


1-I'm pregnant and will only be getting bigger so I HAVE to focus on off-scale victories
2- Even though it's everyone's first instinct to judge progress via the number on the scale, it truly is MORE important to focus on these victories. ...

 I do know for a fact that, if you're putting any kind of effort into your own fitness journey, you've accomplished at least one if not many more off-scale victories.

What I mean by this???

• you're stronger
• you've held strong to your diet
• you've gone up in weights
• you can fit into those old jeans
• you've stopped modifying the workouts
• you've stopped taking extra breaks in the workouts
• others have seen change in you
• you've built confidence
• you've lost INCHES!
• you've inspired someone else
• you've motivated everyone in this group
• you've become someone that others can go to for advice about fitness because they see you working so hard

-YOU DID THIS. I can't do any of these things for you.

...

It's been your choice to start your journey and to push your hardest.... and that, my friends, is an off-scale victory.

...

Weight fluctuates throughout the day. The number on the scale can change with every sip of water you take. Focus on the FACTS.

Fit Pregnancy: Why I Do What I Do

FIT PREGNANCY: Why I Do What I Do.

24 Weeks Pregnant and Counting

As you may know by now, I'm pregnant! Very very pregnant. This will be our second son and we are so excited!!

With my first pregnancy, I was lazy. I ate what I wanted and wouldn't even think about working out. Especially towards the end! Walking was the most I'd do. I'd kill a bag of powdered or chocolate donuts within days, and binge watch the Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars on Netflix. (Don't laugh....those are actually amazing shows!)

This time... I promised myself right when I found that I was pregnant this time that I would not go down that road again. I vowed to stick to my fitness routine and be someone that other pregnant ladies can look up to and come to for advice.

Thus far, I've gained 10 lbs of baby weight and am feeling AMAZING. I get my workouts in every day, and stick to a healthy diet...for the most part. =)  I drink my Shakeology and have so much energy it blows my mind!!

I started the ChaLean Extreme program at the beginning of this month after completing 2 rounds of the 21 Day Fix, and let me tell you.... I absolutely LOVE this program. Chalene Johnson is amazing and this program is by far my favorite out of the many that I've completed. Even the cardio workouts are a blast! I look forward to my workouts every day.

I'll be honest, there are times when I get down on myself because I am gaining weight. Yes I know it's a great thing and being pregnant is a beautiful thing, but no one likes to see the number on that scale rise and rise and rise.

The wonderful thing is, though pregnancy changes a woman's body SO MUCH, I will have the chance to earn my body back. I know that once I have the opportunity after I have this beautiful baby, I will take advantage of it and push myself beyond my limits to hopefully compete in a bikini competition.

I have so many huge goals set for myself, and keeping a fit pregnancy will do nothing but help me accomplish them. Why did I type this long blog post? What's the point?

I am doing this told hold myself accountable. By sharing my goals with all of you wonderful people, I am committing to this goal.

Here are some things that I am doing throughout my pregnancy to ensure that I stay fit.

• Complete my daily workouts (DUH)
• Drink Shakeology
• Run Challenge groups that not only help my challengers, but keep me accountable, too
• Walk the long way to the restroom at work
• Reach my daily H2O intake goal
• Bring healthy snacks to work (I'm right down the hall from the snack bar so if I don't bring snacks...I'm more apt to snack on unhealthy treats
• Random exercises throughout the day at work to keep myself active (I have a desk job)
• Take my son on rides around the block in his little red wagon

Sharing my Favorite Ab Circuit!

Getting Into a Good Ab Routine

Among many other muscle groups, abs are at the top of my favorites list for training! I love working abs. I love having abs. I love sharing my routine with others so that they can build abs.

Unlike some muscle groups, you can train abs almost daily. I do not recommend training them if you are incredibly sore, but I train them AT LEAST every other day. Sometimes 4-5 times a week if I'm not sore. It has worked incredibly well for me in the past.

Yes those abs in the pictures are mine. =D

I'm going to share my all-time favorite ab workout with you.

>>>>Check it out!!! <<<<

This is a 3 round circuit. Do not rest more than 5-10 seconds between exercises. (You get a rest at the end of each round!)


20 Weighted Russian twists (each side)
20 leg pull-ins
20 flutter kicks (each leg) with a 10 second hold at the end
20 reverse crunches
20 side to side heel touches (each side)
20 one-legged V-ups (10 each leg)
1 minute elbow plank

Rest 1 minute
...

Repeat!!

...

Rest 1 minute

...

Repeat!!

...

YOU MADE IT!!






This is an intense workout, but once you get used to it, it becomes an easy routine to add to the end of your workouts.








**Disclaimer** Everyone's bodies are different. This routine may not have the same results for you as it had for me. Do not overwork yourself. If you are too sore, take a rest day or two!!