21 Day Fix Review

Before:

After:

I know I know, you're hearing about 21 Day Fix from everyone you know. But let me tell you there's a reason! It's amazing! Anyone who knows me knows I am not one to push myself. I didn't like to sweat, I didn't really enjoy feeling sore. But, somethings got to give right! I am blessed with being naturally skinny. I don't have to work that hard to stay thin but toned that's a whole different story, and after having two babies my body needed some serious toning. So as I've said before I decided to give  21 Day Fix a shot!

And I went all in! I followed the meal plan, drank shakeology and did the workouts for 21 days straight! I was most worried about the fact that I couldn't have my coffee creamer and any white sugar. Those of you that know me, know I am a sugarholic. But after just 21 short days I don't even crave it! Shakeology curbs all my sugar cravings and my coffee is just as delicious with coconut milk or almond milk and honey.  My family is loving the healthier way of eating and I feel better about what's going into all of our bodies. 

And the workouts, I am slightly obsessed! They are my 30 minutes of me time everyday. I wake up and get them done before the kids get up and then we all start our day off on the right foot. I go to bed looking forward to my workout the next day. I am even learning to love the burn because it means my body is toning!

I am beyond excited to continue my healthy lifestyle and would love to have you join me! If you're interested email me, AmandaLynn85@gmail.com

Pasta Fagioli - 21 Day Fix Edition

Me again, and I am sorry about the constant overposting about 21 Day Fix but I have to say I am just loving every second of it.
 Like I have said before the meal plan is confusing but there are so many different resources out there to help and if you just stick with it and muddle through I promise it does get easier.  Also use the resources your coach gives you and remember that your coach is your greatest resource, because they have been through the program and they know the ins and outs.  One thing I have found to be really helpful is to keep the Food List in plain sight somewhere in the house.  I have it posted on my cookbook easel on my kitchen counter that way it is always easily accessible as I am looking for food, planning meals, etc.

Also, I found these amazing colored plastic sandwich bags at Target which are the same colors as the 21 Day Fix containers and I try to pack my snacks in those bags so I never have to think about what color, the snack I am eating counts towards.

Also Pinterest has been a life saver, so many people have posted delicious 21 Day fix appropriate recipes for everything under the sun.  This time of year soup is one of my favorite meals, such a great comfort food and so yummy! And bonus the leftovers are amazing, sometimes better than the first time I ate it!    So, as I was searching yesterday I came across a few different recipes for Pasta Fagioli Soup but both recipes left something to be desired, so I adapted the recipes to fit my needs and the compilation of both recipes is below...
So delicious, everyone I shared it with thought I had ordered it from a restaurant, simple delicious, healthy food!
The key ingredient is homemade marinara sauce, which is super easy and convenient to have on hand for a variety of other recipes.  I put the remainder in mason jars, froze a couple and threw a couple in the fridge for later this week (english muffin pizzas and spaghetti squash with meatballs).

Homemade Marina Sauce



A Dash of Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, Finely chopped
A Dash of Italian Seasoning
4-5 cloves of garlic, diced
1 - 2 Bay Leaves
1 28oz. Can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 28 oz. Can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 6oz. can of Tomato pasted

Heat olive oil in a large pan (I like to use my dutch oven but any pan will work)
Add onion and garlic at low heat and allow to sweat and become translucent, do not brown
Add Italian Seasoning and saute for a couple minutes
Add Tomato paste, mix well, increase heat to medium low and allow to caramelize for 8 - 10 minutes
Add crushed tomatoes and whole peeled tomatoes and bay leaf
Simmer for 45 minutes
Set aside 2 cups & 2 Tbsp for the soup and freeze or refrigerate the remainder.

Pasta Fagioli Soup



2 cups uncooked whole grain pasta (I used corkscrew noodles but you could use whatever you have on hand, macaroni would work great)
A Dash of Olive Oil
3 Carrots, thinly sliced
3 Celery Stalks, thinly sliced
4 Cloves of Garlic, diced
5 cups of Chicken Broth
2 cups of Fresh Green Beans, Washed and Trimmed
1 Can of Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of Fresh Marina Sauce (recipe above)
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 - 2 cups of spinach
Black Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese for topping

Cook pasta according the directions, drain and toss with 2 Tbsp of Marinara Sauce to keep from sticking together.  Set aside.
Heat oil in a large pan (I used my dutch oven from above, you don't even have to rinse it after making the marinara sauce, just gives some extra flavor).
Add carrots and celery, cook until soft
Add garlic, cook until sauté for 2 -3 minutes
Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium
Add Green Beans, allow to gently boil for 5 - 10 minutes
Add Cannelini Beans, Marinara Sauce and Tomato Paste, continue gently boiling for 8 - 10 minutes
Season with black pepper
Add, pasta  and spinach, cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until spinach is wilted into the soup.  Serve with topped with parmesan cheese

Enjoy!

21 Day Fix Servings:
1 Green
1 Yellow



Adapted from: Beach Body Pasta Fagioli Soup & The Foodie And The Fix Pasta Fagioli Soup

Meal Planning - 21 Day Fix

So as most of you know from my last post I am currently on the 2nd day (Upper Fix) of Week 2 of my 1st ever 21 Day Fix.  I am definitely sore but I found today's Upper Fix much easier than last weeks, even though it is the exact same workout.  Quoting Autumn "The workouts don't get easier you get stronger" and she's totally right.  After only one week of exercises I already feel stronger, which is total motivation to keep going!
Anyways I wanted to share my meal plan from last week in hopes of helping those who are still staring at their colored containers in a quandary, which I must say I would still be doing if not for the help of my amazing Beachbody coach, Giselle @ My Healthy Happy Home.  Also she's starting a new challenge group of 21 Day Fix on January 25th so if you've been interested and afraid to take the leap do it!  Giselle is awesome and will give you all the resources you need to be successful! 
Now on to meal planning.  I found the most amazing excel sheet to plan meals from Days to Fitness, so helpful in planning and remembering how many containers of each color I need to eat throughout the day!  I highly recommend heading over to their site and downloading a copy for all your meal planning needs!
I think one of the best ways to be successful is definitely meal planning.  Plan ahead and know what you are eating everyday.  Prep food at least a day ahead of time so you have food that is 21 Day fix approved easy to grab so you don't give into cravings.  If possible try to plan meals that are family friendly so you are not having to make separate meals for your family that you may be tempted to munch on =)

Day	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Meal 1    (breakfast)	Yogurt-Fruit Smoothie Protein Powder	Eggs & Banana Pancakes	Eggs with bacon and spinach	Overnight Oats	Green Monster Pancakes with Fruit	Scrambled Eggs & Sausage	Green Monster Pancakes with Fruit
Meal 2      (morning snack)	Banana with Plain Yogurt	Apple Chips	Cocoa Almond Butter Smoothie	Mixed Fruits with Mixed Nuts	Almonds	Mango Protein Shake	Vanilla Latte Shakeology
Meal 3         (lunch)	Avacado Quesadilla	Chicken Salad	Sausage Quinoia with Spinach & Tomatoes over lettuce with avocado	Rustic Turkey & Veggie Soup	Egg Salad Sandwich on Whole Wheat English Muffin	Chipotle Burrito Bowl	Turkey Burger with Avocado
Meal 4     (afternoon snack)	Apple Chips	Baby Carrotts	Pistachios & Carrotts	Mix Fruits Plain Yogurt	Strawberries & Apple	Greek Yogurt	Stawberry Shakeology
Meal 5        (dinner)	Broccolli, Cheddar wrapped Chicken	Sausage with tomotoes, spinach and quinoa	Rustic Turkey & Veggie Soup	Grilled Salmon   Boiled Potatoes Green Salad	Grilled Chicken, Veggies & Brown Rice	BBQ Chicken Grilled Veggies Green Salad	Turkey Taco Salad

Here are the links to the recipes that I used this week, thank you pinterest for helping make so much information available all in one place!

Egg Salad Sandwich

Chicken Avocado Quesadilla

Rustic Turkey Veggie Soup

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Burritto Bowls

Hope you enjoy!  Talk to you all very soon!

21 Day Fix

So it's been awhile since I've blogged, 2 years to be more precise!  It's amazing how having kiddos can take up all your "free time".  But I wouldn't want it any other way!
Today though as I was meal planning I started thinking about my blog and how I used to find time to blog almost daily and I missed writing.
So I thought I'd tell you a little bit about the newest thing I started participating in.

21 Day Fix

I know that we've all heard about it and most of us probably know at least one person who's done it, the posts have flooded my Facebook news feed.  So, when Giselle @ My Healthy Happy Home, someone I had always looked up to while teaching, asked me to join her accountability group starting at the after the 1st of the year, I decided why not give it a try? I mean I'd been wanting to get back to working out.  But, I kept coming up with excuses and not having enough time (more like not finding enough time).   So I went online and ordered my 21 Day fix along with 30 days of Shakeology and a free 30 days of Beachbody on Demand.  Of course as luck would have it my box did not arrive on time and was somehow lost in the mail.  Luckily for me Giselle is awesome and made sure I had all the resources necessary to begin the program without my box.  AND when I called BeachBody their customer service was AMAZING!  They shipped out a new box, expedited shipping and included a sample of their vegan Shakeology all at no extra cost to me.  Major Points for customer service!
But I digress, the workout is NOT easy, so far though, it's been worth it.  I've only been at it for one week today and I ALREADY see results.  The workouts are done at home following a DVD or on demand and each one is 30 minutes.  They are hard, but they are short enough that you know you can get through it!  The workouts consist of numerous sets of exercises, all exercises are 60 seconds with a 20 second break in between.  60 Seconds, you can do anything for 60 seconds right?!?  Sometimes it doesn't quite feel like it AND I must say Autumn that is leading the workouts is pretty motivating, I swear sometimes she urges "you" on at just the time when I am ready to give up!  You do a different video everyday for 7 days and then you start over with the same videos the next week.  Two days are active recovery days (Pilates and Yoga) and BOY did I LOVE those days!  They came at just the right times!

However, the exercise is only part of the program. The other part of the program is an eating plan.  Basically it's about eating healthy, fruits, vegetables, protein and a small amount of carbs. To be honest it's really confusing at first.  There are all these different colored containers that you have to use those to measure out the amount of food you can eat for the day.  At first I stared at the containers not even knowing where to begin.  But once again Giselle came to the rescue with recipes and sample meal plans.  And of course there is always pinterest!  One week in and I am feeling pretty confident in the meal planning and not quite as confused by the colorful containers.  I do feel healthier though, no white sugar or white bread and I feel like it is creating a healthier lifestyle not only for me but for my family!  A couple things that have helped me succeed thus far is to meal plan, write down a plan for the week of every meal and every snack you plan to eat.  I find it easiest to make extras of whatever we have for dinner to eat the next day at lunch, two birds one stone.  Also I make sure to always pack 21 fix appropriate snacks when I know I am going to be out and about to ensure I won't be tempted to stray from the diet due to hunger.  I'll post some of my favorite recipes later, there have been quite a few!

Bottom line coming from someone who does not like to push themself when exercising, I look forward to working out every morning!  Stay tuned for more updates!

Baby Item Must Have's

Ok so I know I am not expert and this is my 1st baby but I thought I'd make a list of the top 10 things we have found the most useful since Miss Peyton was born:

1. A place for baby to sleep before they go into their own room.  We ended up just getting a pack n' play with an infant bassinet insert so that it can be used for vacations now that Peyton is in her big girl crib.

2. Burp Cloths, LOTS & LOTS of burp cloths.  The first couple months I kept one in every room in the house and quite a few in the diaper bag.  My favorite were the plain white cloth diapers from Target.  Easy to wash and soft on babies skin.

3. ZIP footie jammies.  Who on earth knows why but it is so hard to find jammies that zip and they are the best.  It is not so much fun to unsnap a million and half snaps every time you need to change a diaper, which especially in the beginning is a LOT.

4. A Good Carseat, since we kinda live in the middle of nowhere we spend a lot of time in the car and therefore Peyton spends a lot of time in her carseat.  We have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, expensive but I believe worth every penny.

5.  A cuddle blanket.  Our favorite has been the Aden & Anais muslin swaddle.  When P was really little it made a great swaddle blanket and now that she's older it's the perfect cuddle blanket.   They sell the brand at Target & Babies r Us but they aren't the muslin ones and are nowhere near as soft.

6. A Stroller, not only do I like to constantly be on the go, I also enjoy walking and jogging, so we invested in a nice jogging stroller and we have not been sorry yet.  We call it Peyton's Cadillac.  We have The BOB.  We of course had the infant car seat adapter for the BOB so that we could use it as a travel system.

7.  Pacifiers, I know everyone has their opinion on these but I would not have my sanity without them.  I personally believe the best pacifiers on the market are the wubbanubs.

8.  A Baby Carrier, when baby is fussy or simply wants to be held and you have things you have to get done, this will be a life saver!  The moby was great when P was little but as she got bigger and wanted to move around a little more we found the Ergo has been wonderful!


9.  A diaper bag.  I would highly suggest one that zips closed.  I love my coach diaper bag but it doesn't close and we have lost a headband or two.


10. Socks, you don't want little one's feet to get cold.  The only ones I have found to stay on are Trumpette.  They are a little pricey but they are adorable and stay on which is huge!

What did you find the most useful for your little one?

The Miracle of Life

WOW!  I have become a terrible blogger.  It's amazing how one tiny little baby can change your entire life, for the better of course.  I am so lucky to be able to stay home with my little munchkin.  She's growing and changing right before my eyes and it's hard to believe that a little less than nine short months ago she was in my belly.  

Life really is a miracle and I remember that everyday when I look into her beautiful hazel eyes.  I can't even believe how much she has changed since the day she was born.

She is so much fun!  She's a great crawler now and she pulls herself up on EVERYTHING!  Her new favorite thing is pulling herself up on the bookshelf and pulling every book off the shelf and throwing it on the floor.  It's quite funny.  Although it probably won't continue to be funny...

 My precious little munchkin.  I am so lucky to be her mom!  

Growing SO fast

My oh my, my poor neglected blog.  It's hard to believe but even with being home full time there are not enough hours in the day to do everything I would like to do.  BUT I must say I am LOVING being a mom.  Everyone always tells you it is the best job in the world and I always knew that was true but I had no idea the overwhelming emotions that you feel on a daily basis for this tiny person.  And I know people tell you that time flies but I swear it is going faster EVERY single day.  I still can't believe that our little miracle, Miss Peyton Lynn has been in our lives for over 3 months now.  I can't even remember what my life was like before her.  Just wanted to share a quick update of how much she has grown!

She's smiling on a daily basis now and has the most adorable giggle you've ever heard.

I'll try for a more detailed update later but I better run so many things to do while she's napping, something she's still not a huge fan of doing =).