NPC Figure Competition Prep- 9 Weeks til Show day!

9 WEEKS TIL SHOW TIME- NPC FIGURE

Time is moving too fast!! I remember starting this knowing I had over 20 weeks to prepare which was plenty of time to prep, but now that I hit 10 weeks, Im freaking now just a bit... Even more because Im down to single digits!!! #9weeeks!!!! EEEEK!! LOL

Since I didn't post much about week 10, I am including it in here! 

I stayed on track and worked by buns off!! :)

One of the most important things I need to focus on right now is posing.. Its a lot tougher than I thought and knowing that I will be standing up there for who knows how long makes me more nervous! My body literally is SHAKING like crazy when I hold my poses for 30 seconds! So I have a game plan for my workouts this week to help me get more comfortable with posing and get the poses to where I show my muscles off the best! 

Here is my workout schedule for the week:

Monday- 

AM- 30 minutes cardio- Plyos

Afternoon BACK day, 20 minutes posing and 30 min cardio post workout

Tuesday-

AM- Cardio T25 Speed 2.0, 20 min posing

Afternoon- LEG day, 30 min cardio post workout

Wednesday-

AM Cardio BODY BEAST cardio 

Afternoon- Shoulders, 20 min posing, 30 min high incline on treadmill at 3.0 MPH

Thursday-

AM Cardio T25 Speed 1.0, 20 min posing

Afternoon- Plyos and 30 minutes of cardio

Friday

AM Cardio- Fast pace walking outside with son and dog (stroller gives extra resistance :)), 20 min posing

Afternoon- 30 min cardio (plyo)

Saturday

AM Cardio- BODY BEAST Cardio

Afternoon- Back Day, 20 min Posing, 30 min high incline post workout

Sunday

AM- T25 Ript' Circuit, 20 min posing

Afternoon- 30 min high incline walking at 3 MPH

Man cakes on the go!

This was a day before 9 weeks out officially!

As I am prepping for my show, I have been traveling pretty frequently back and forth to my mothers house to visit my family! So 5 hours in the car each weekend and being away from your home definitely requires some planning and prepping!! I am so excited to say I have been ON POINT with my nutrition since my last post where I broke down! I think that was exactly what I needed to do! 

So I have been keeping extra healthy snacks everywhere so when I am on the go, I have no excuse to give into temptation or put anything bad in my mouth! I got my extra man cakes- yes I eat them cold too, and plenty of chicken and cold sweet potatoes to go around!! Its crazy how use to this you get.. When I tell people 21 days to get into a habit.. ITS SOOO TRUE if you stick with it and don't give into anything! 

Since being away, I made some pretty awesome choices and it just comes to show that you do not have to make bad choices even at a restaurant! I had to go into my favorite restaurant where I have my cheat meals- RED ROBIN! Yes!! I went in and overcame every doubt I had about not eating healthy there..  Lots of broccoli, chicken, salmon and sweet potato! 

It's SHAKEOLOGY TIME!

So thankfully, I haven't had my Shakeology taken away from me yet!! I have been drinking it since I started my fitness journey and it is always a perfect way to get in my vitamins and minerals and extra nutrients to fuel my body and give it a good kick in the butt! 

I found a new favorite recipe that is absolutely AMAZING!! So when I'm craving chocolate and oatmeal cookies, what better way to eating them without the guilt?? OH YEA!! Check out my Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie recipe!! 

As I have been playing around, I always hear people talking about hating veggies and how to get them in without gagging... So heres my thing.   I love veggies now, but I know where you guys who don't are coming from because that was men at one point in my life.  

It wasn't until I started eating clean that my taste buds changed and my body craved more of what I was giving it! Same thing when you eat fast food, pizza, chips, and pop... You notice you crave more of that right?!? 

Its all a mind game and taking that 21 days to focus on YOU and get all those processed foods and chemicals out of your system and your body will work in ways you never thought it could!!

Success- I see the numbers 128 on the scale!! Pretty crazy since I am always above 130.. on another note, the fat is leaving me! I still keep picturing these Figure competitors especially when I'm practicing my posing and it is still so hard to picture myself with that body since I never had it at the point before.. But I guess you have to believe in order to reach it right?!?! :) 

OK happy dance my tummy is toning!!!

On to continue another great week and counting down until I can get my suit for my show!!! WOOHOOO!! Reality is hitting in!! Better go hit the gym for Leg day!! :)

Healthy Tips 101: Living A Healthy Lifestyle!

It seems like there is so much to do to create that healthy lifestyle, but in reality, if you can just follow a few tips and be consistent for even 21 days, it will become a habit and second nature to you! Yes, 21 days is all it takes to create a habit! 

I have found when starting my own journey, that when you set goals for yourself and put a date to when you want to reach those goals, you are more likely to succeed.  When you put a dead line on your goals, you are showing importance and will make them a priority!

So, what are the first steps to creating this healthy lifestyle??

#1.  Set Goals and put a date on it! Make them realistic and attainable so you are able to reach them without getting frustrated that they seem so far away! 

* TIP Setting lots of small goals will help you feel more accomplished and like you are begin successful throughout your journey!

#2. Find an accountability partner- finding a family member or friend who wants to join you is a great way to stay on top of your regimen! Help each and give support to one another, especially when those obstacles come around and get in the way of your goals! If you have that extra support, you are more likely to follow through and succeed!

#3. Have A WHY- Your WHY to get started on this journey should be important enough that any obstacle will not effect you during your fitness journey. For me, my kids are a why for me.  Having them grow up with healthy habits will prevent obesity and making the right choices when they become independent! Also, I am doing this for myself so I can feel confident about myself and I want to be able to put any outfit in my closet on and not have to change 100 times because I do not feel comfortable! Im sure you women know what I mean by this lol!

#4.  Find a workout regimen that works for YOU- As a mother of 2 young boys, its not always easy to just get up and go to the gym whenever I am able, so I use home workout programs to reach my goals! I don't have to drag my kids out of bed or find a sitter while Im working out.. BONUS- they join me in my workouts and see how mommy is getting healthy! 

Its amazing how the results come when you have a program telling you exactly what to do and take less breaks! These programs even come with a nutrition guide to help you get 100% results you are looking for! Yes, there are programs out there for EVERYONE!

I have finished programs such as T25 (25 minute workouts that include 5 weeks of cardio and 5 weeks of cardio with weights. Modifications are great and can be fore beginners or advanced athletes), P90X3 (30 minute workouts that include a variety of exercises from cardio, kickboxing, weight training, yoga, and more), PiYo (Pilates and yoga into faster pace movements that will improve your strength, flexibility, and definition.  This program also is great for people with knee or back problems- it is low impact and not hard on your body).  Turbo Fire is another program I used that is high intense cardio dancing that is fun and up beat! Chalene Johnson is the creator and is so motivating and keeps you going strong throughout these 20-55 minute workouts!  21 Day Fix is a great program that has 30 minute workouts and a variety of exercises (cardio, cardio with weights, upper focus, lower focus, yoga, pilates, and plyo) that will build your strength and tighten your entire body! Great modifications to all these workouts! This program is also portion control focused and has an amazing meal plan that include color coded containers for your food!

#5. Don't forget nutrition is key! Nutrition is 80% of your results, so if you workout and eat unhealthy, you may notice yourself stuck in the same place and not reaching your goals!

1 big help with my nutrition I have had was incorporating Shakeology into my nutrition regimen.  Shakeology is a health shake meal replacement that I use in place of either my breakfast, lunch, or evening meal to help with my cravings, energy, and bloating! It is NOT a protein shake, as it has many health benefits and high quality nutrients to naturally improve many aspects to your body and health!

This is one of my favorite videos that show what you are really getting out of every shake... It the nutrients that you do not get from every day foods you eat to make such big changes to your lifestyle!

Instead of fast food, this has become my fast food for half the price! It comes to my door every month so I do not have to even waste gas on getting these 30 extra meals a month!

#6.  Prepare to succeed! How do you prepare to succeed? Well, for me, I set myself up for success every week by meal planning! I take 1 day a week to plan my entire week out.  There is no more making excuses for not having my food handy, or not knowing what to eat because I make a meal plan and prep my food and it is already in separate containers and ready to go!

Check out how I meal prep for the week!

Here are some food choices that are on my grocery list!

**TIP** Shopping at the grocery store on the outside parameters are where I find all my healthy and natural foods that are not processed and full of chemicals!! 

#7. Eat every 3 hours- Why is it so important to eat every 3 hours? Our body is just like a fire... in order to keep it going, you have to feed it.  If you don't give a fire fuel it will burn out right?? If you do not give your body healthy foods, it will also burn out and will use muscle as energy and store fat. Here is a great picture to show you what I mean!

 #8. Drink Water- If at all possible, drink water!! So many reasons and benefits to water!!!

**TIP** how to know how much water you should drink daily- Take your weight and divide by 2 and turn that number into ounces! That is how much water in ounces you should drink!

Example.  I weight 130 lbs.  Divide 130 by 2 and get 65.  I should drink 65 ounces of water daily!

#9. Stay Motivated- Some people may ask, how the heck do I do that?

I have found keeping motivational quotes and pictures that I want to look like on my phone helps so if I am out and about and having an urge to give into temptation, I pull out my phone and look at these motivational quotes and pictures!  

These are also kept on my fridge where I can see before again, giving into temptation!! 

One of the best ways I have found motivation and support is my challenge groups I hold on Facebook! They are a closed group where I work 1:1 with my challengers to give them daily support, motivation, and accountability to help them reach their goals! These groups are what got me started on my own journey and I couldn't be where I am without them! 

My groups are 60 days long and I run them every month!  If you are interested in getting this motivation and support daily, please fill out my application below for a spot in my next group!

#10. Positive Attitude- Yes, keeping a positive attitude about your journey and believing in yourself will go a long way! If you don't believe in yourself, how are you going to get there? 

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BEACHBODY SUMMIT 2014- Vegas

BEACHBODY SUMMIT IN VEGAS!

Who ever thought a training for work could be so much fun?! This tells you right here, us Beachbody coaches have so much to be thankful for!  We are seriously treated like gold!! I cannot remember the last time my nursing job was so appreciative of their workers, so this was taken to a new level!!

Summit was at Vegas this year and was from Thursday to Sunday.  I went Tuesday to have a little relaxing and shopping before all the good stuff started!! 

Signed the "Never Give Up" Wall!!

Nothing beats a morning workout with my girls!

Jeremy Redd from corporate photo bombing my pic ;) 

Yup, this is what I ate while I was in Vegas... you can say Im disciplined!

We stayed at the MGM signature hotel and it was a beautiful view!!

Kaileigh, Me, & Jaclyn getting a little sun!  

Eggs at the pool, YUP I did it!!

Walking around Vegas!!

Wednesday was our first big day! We had an Elite celebration and I was in awe when I got to the reception/cocktail party! We had first chance to purchase from the CORE which is the store with all the Beachbody swag!! I was able to bring a guest with me, so I chose my cousin Michael, who was my very first diamond! This was seriously the most memorable night for me... I remember walking in and seeing that star with my name on it, and then Tony Horton was standing right there!! I was handed a gift and asked to sign my star! Nothing like feeling like a celebrity for a day right?!?  It was so nice to get pictures with everyone and just meet people you see all the time on Facebook, but never have the opportunity to talk face to face!

Signing my first Elite star!

Autumn Calabrese with 21 day Fix

Sagi with Body Beast

Leandro from Brazil Butt Lift

Chalene Johnson from Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme, and PiYo

My cousin and diamond coach Michael and I

 OK I must say it was pretty awesome walking into the Elite part and CORE to see my transformation on a wall!! 

I got my own star!!!!!! EEEK!!!! lol I may never get over this!!

My coach Melanie (#1 coach in the company) and one of my amazing success partners Katy!

ok obviously getting a spray tan was not a good idea!! BAHAHA

Thursday, I took a leap of faith and put myself in a Beachbody Classic Bikini Competition!! As scary as it was, I know I need the experience since I am prepping for a FIGURE NPC show in Oct and I need to learn some posing! 

Although I didn't make it to top 20, I learned a lot and had so much fun!! Its not about winning, its about being better than you were yesterday!! I am 18 weeks out from my show and I am confident, this is going to help me with my experience!!! I am showing my progress from losing 40 lbs and 40 inches since having my second child and going through my Beachbody transformation!! I have done this ALL just by home DVD programs and drinking Shakeology!! GO ME!!!!

It didn't matter how busy we were, this girl was with me to work out and run around Vegas like crazy people!!  We ran for 45 min up and down steps, in and out of crowds, and this was the best workout I had outside!!!! So much fun!!

Thursday night was our Studs and sequin party by the pool!! It was a great night and was able to spend lots of time with my coaches and friends!

my date to the party- One of my diamonds Andrea! 

I have been waiting forever to have this picture- MY BEACHBODY FAMILY! MY 2 cousins Melanie and Michael and sister in law Lauren! Love that my family is a part of Beachbody with me and we are promotion such a health lifestyle for our kids and other family members!!

Kaileigh, Andrea and I

My two cousins Michael and Melanie!

My sister in law and diamond coach Lauren and I with Autumn Calabrese from 21 day Fix

Melinda and I

Giving baby a little good luck rub!! ;)

They even had fireworks for us!! What a perfect way to end a great night!!

 Friday I had an opportunity to meet all the celebrity trainers with Beachbody who have made such a huge impact on not only my life, but my family and friends as well! It was so awesome to have time to actually see how they are in person! PS. They are just the same as they are in their videos!! ;)

In line for pics with my girls!!

Chalene Johnson and I

Shaun T and I

Tony Horton and I- Oh yea, we are pretty awesome together!

 One of my favorite sessions at summit was Daren Hardy, writer of Compound Effect which was my first Personal Development book I ever read! How awesome it was to actually see him in person!!
He actually was even more impressive than in his book and his book is amazing!!
He talks about failure and how you cannot let failure be a characteristic of who you are... Failure happens to everyone, even the most successful people! His childhood was full of failures, but that was only a perfect way to create who he is today- a successful person!  Turning failure into fun is how you over come your obstacles and weaknesses and turn them into strengths that one day you can look back and say "I DID IT" and "IM STRONGER BECAUSE OF THAT!"

I had to get a pic with my team and Shaun T!

Friday afternoon, I had the opportunity to share my PiYo results and transformation with beach body by having an interview and photo shoot to possible be in an infomercial for PiYo workout! How awesome would it be to see myself on TV?!?! AHHH!!! 

Some of My yummy meal while in Vegas- Salmon and steamed veggies!

Friday evening was our Star Diamond reception.  I actually had a contest for my coaches for whoever earned the most success club points in a two week period would earn a date with me to the party! My coach Michael won! It was so awesome walking into Chalene calling us over for a pic! 

Mel, Val, Alyssa, and I partying it up at the Star Diamond Reception!

 Saturday was another general session for all the coaches! We had lots of recognition and people on stage talking about their success as a coach and their stories behind their journey! It was so inspiring and really makes you think that anything is possible if you want something bad enough!
 Saturday morning, I was on stage for the first time in front of over 9,000 people to be recognized as an Elite coach! This is seriously an amazing feeling!! Hard work truly pays off!!

On stage to be recognized as a7 star diamond coach!

One of the best perks of being Elite was having my own seats saved for me with my name on it! Each general session, I was able to have a guest to enjoy VIP seating! I was able to take turns with my coaches who came with me! 

Alisha sat with me for our last general session! What a great experience!

This Summit experience was something that will stick with me forever!! Not only having my own team there was so special to me, but just seeing all the success and knowledge that was provided to me to help my business was so fulfilling! I am so thrilled to now utilize what was given to me into our coach basics trainings, and challenge groups to help my customers get the most of their journey so everyone can be successful at their goals!!
Its time to bring it up a notch and really expand our success to everyone, everywhere!!

If you have thought of becoming a health and fitness coach and love helping others while bringing home an income for your family, please fill out my coach application for a spot in my next coach basics training where you learn how to grow a successful business with my team FOREVER FIT!!

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