Week Two- 21 Day Fix Extreme

First, I'm sorry for not updating you sooner! My weeks are just flying by! ANYWAY- my second week of 21 Day Fix Extreme has been moving along quite well! This time my legs weren't as sore but my upper body was. Its so crazy how different moods going into your workout can change how hard you workout. This week I really struggled with staying positive and motivated. I started to workout with the hubby again and it was like a breath of fresh air. Sometimes we just need to change up our routine to keep moving forward. 

Here's a little sneak peek of my week--

MONDAY

New Day.
New Week. 
New Start 💕

No matter what happened over the weekend/ in the past, you have the opportunity to change it today. Don't let another day, week, month slip by with saying *tomorrow, I'll start*. 

There is no tomorrow- only today.

 TUESDAY

Above all else, you have to believe in yourself. 

Believe that you are strong.
Believe that you are worth it.
Believe that you are capable. 

Think with your head & lead with your heart.

It first starts with you.
Take a chance. Believe in yourself. Trust your heart.

 WEDNESDAY

"You will always harvest what you plant"
Galatians 6:7
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That's the secret 👆🏼
Whatever you put out into this world will come back to you. You reap the harvest of your actions, mindset and beliefs. 
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Morning workout with the hubby 💕
Almost half way done with my program!! 🎀

#morningdevotion #morningworkout#reapwhatyousow

 FRIDAY

Two words ->> LEG. DAY. 
😥😭
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Holy MOLY!!! After the first round my legs were on 🔥!!! Then I had to complete 3 more rounds after that!! OUCH and OUCH!! 
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So happy I'm done with that!! Now to stretch like crazy so I don't get too sore or cramp up! 💪🏼
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Happy Friday Friends 💟

Late Night Thoughts...

Girl to girl, can we just talk about this for a second. 

How many  of us get so caught up in becoming the person everyone else wants us to be that we forget that its OUR life. Not theirs. We make life decisions based off of what our parents think or how we assume our friends will react. We crave to be liked and loved by everyone. Its a vicious cycle truly. You could go your entire life not understanding who you are or what you want. Everything gets so clouded when we allow others to influence our heart. 

Its time to take that back. To not worry about what others think. Its time to do what we know is right in our heart and forget the rest. The people who love you, the ride or die friends, they will never leave you based off of a decision you make with your heart. 

And if they do, that's their issue. You cannot be responsible for how they react and you can't pay your bills with their opinions either. 

Girl, sometimes you just have to do whats right for you and allow your faith to show you the way. 

Its your story. Its your life. You only get one try. 

Follow your intuition. Follow your heart. Follow your faith.

A New Beginning...A New Start

Day One:

Whooooa baby-- totally had to push pass my shaking legs and the voice in my head screaming to stop.

Today's workout, Plyo Extreme, ripped apart my lower half. It's was weighted lunges, squats, side jumps, burpees, and planks.

And to think this is just the beginning 😪 

But I'm so ready for this next season of my fitness to get ready for the MMA workouts, Core De Force.

>> hardcore workouts / countdown to competition meal plan. <<

Day Two:

You know that it's a good workout when you feel sore BEFORE you go to bed.

Yep, that was me yesterday! Plyo ripped my legs a part!!! I had to strength extra well this morning!!

Day two was Upper!
3 rounds. 4 exercises. Repeat 2X.
It was a great mixture of exercises that worked different muscles & even threw in a little legs! OUCH!

**When you are tired, remember where you want to be in 21 days**
👆🏼holding onto that for sure!!👆🏼

#coachlife #day2 #getitdone

The Nutrition Part: 

The part of this that I am super stoked about is the Count Down to Competition plan. This is by far be the MOST challenging part of this but I'm so ready to take it!

The Count Down to Comp. plan isn't a lifestyle plan by any means but its a way to challenge your system and really let the workouts WORK!!! You pack in the greens and protein with a little carbs! You do two days on, one day on the regular lifestyle plan. 

The first two days went something like this...

Morning: Vanilla Shakeology with 2 tsp. peanut butter

Snack 1: 8 egg whites

Lunch: Baked Chicken Breast with Steamed Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans 

Snack 2: Chicken and Broccoli 

Dinner: Baked Cod with Asparagus

Snack 3: Baked Chicken

Turkey & Cheddar Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Turkey and Cheddar Stuffed Zucchini Boats 
(Serves: 4 servings)

21 Day Fix container amounts:
1 1/4 green (zucchini, onion, green pepper)
1/2 red (turkey)
1 blue (cheese)
1 teaspoon (olive oil)
Ingredients: 
2 zucchini (4 green)
½ pound ground turkey (1 red)
 ½ green pepper (1/2 green)
½ onion (1/2 green)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 blue)
4 teaspoons olive oil
Optional toppings: basil and paprika

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slice zucchini evenly in half. Scoop out the insides with a spoon, leaving a thin layer of the "meat" for structure. Add the scooped out "meat" into a bowl and set aside for later
3. Place the zucchini boats on a foil lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, prepare your filling- 
1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, your ground turkey, and your turkey sausage (casing removed)
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Break apart with your spoon and brown (about 5 minutes)
4. When the meat is brown, remove to a plate and set aside In the same pan, add 2 more teaspoons of olive oil and your onion, green pepper, and garlic - Season with salt and pepper - Cook until veggies have softened (about 3 minutes) - Add the turkey back in with the veggies along with the zucchini meat you set aside earlier, tomato paste, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined - season to taste with salt and pepper Turn off the heat and add most of your cheese - set some aside to sprinkle on top of the stuffed zucchini boats - stir until totally combined

Assembly: 
1. Divide the filling into four sections (it is easiest to just section it up in your pan)
2. Stuff each zucchini boat with the filling - pressing it down if it is too heaping
3. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over each stuffed zucchini, and bake for 10 minutes 4. Remove from the oven and serve!

Transformations from Country Heat!

Dancing to Country Music. 30 minutes per day 6X per week. Simple Nutrition. Daily Support. Community style accountability.
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5 women have submitted their transformations and together they lost 26 pounds & 33 inches combined!!
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One challenger LOST 11 inches.
Another 10 pounds.
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IN.THIRTY. DAYS.
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GUYS- this WORKS. Clearly ;)
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Here is what I've got for you--
**Sept 19th. 30 day challenge.
You. Me. & other women working on our health TOGETHER.
No one gets left behind. 
No one gives up.
No one judges.
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You will get:
+1:1 Coaching from Me
+30 min workouts that fit YOUR STYLE.
+Simple nutrition plan (none of that cutting out food groups which I HATE! Its NOT a lifestyle if you have to cut out food groups.)
+Meal plans and recipes. 
+Fitness community
+Lifetime SUPPORT even after challenge is over.
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Ladies, now is YOUR time. Be selfish for 30 minutes before you kiddos wake up. You can do this. You can feel your best without stressing yourself to the max.
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I'm here to help! To be a part of our next Challenge simply fill out the application below and I will be in touch!

Its Monday... Again!

HAPPY MONDAY!!

I woke up today in the worst of moods. I was cranky that things weren't going my way AND the fact that my alarm was so quiet that I didn't even hear it going off for a full 9 minutes! Either I was really tired OR I need to change the tone I used! I hate days like this. I wish I could just press the restart button and try again.

But this is life right? Totally not happening. So I decided to do the next best thing- focus on myself.

When I say focus on myself I don't mean that I ignore my kids and husband and peace out on the whole mother gig. It means that before I serve anyone else, I try to get myself right. Waking up 9 minutes late I knew I had a decision to make. Run the day or the day will run ME. 

So instead of crawling back into bed and trying to press the restart (which by the way would have only ruined my morning even further) I rug myself into the kitchen, downed Energize, and walked out to the garage to press play.

Number #1- Working out wakes me up and pumps life back into me. Some days I just have to workout FIRST even though my routine typically is a devotional while my pre-workout is still kicking in.

After day 29 of my workout, Country Heat: Trail Ride, I was feeling more awake but my mind was still so negative. I don't know why I go straight to "I'm not good enough" and "I'll never reach my goals" but I do. Its like a cemented in belief of myself that I'm struggling to rid myself of. The ONLY way I've found to combat that is to turn my focus towards God instead of on me. I may not be strong right now but HE is and that's all I need.

Number #2- Morning devotionals remind me who my creator is and that He sent me here for a purpose and it WASN'T to be negative, mad, or hateful toward myself or anyone else. Today, I read about how He is The One and The Only God. In the end praying for others, remembering the many things I'm thankful for and realizing how all powerful my God truly is- lifts my mind to a different level.

Those TWO things are what I do to "focus on me" and get my day started right. I've found that waking up at 5, when the whole house is still sleeping, gives me this calm and happiness when the kids wake up in not so good moods. Working on myself is a life long journey and it took me for what seemed like forever to find my perfect combo in the morning. I will say that it doesn't ALWAYS lift my mood. If I don't give it my all by stopping the thoughts, focusing on doing the exercises, listening to what the trainer is saying, and truly reading into God word and praying- its like I never even did it. Your mindset is your most powerful tool and its not easily changed. I know I have to WORK for it and some days its easier than others.

Now that the girls are in school, I cooked and prepped a weeks worth of Lunches, Owen and I are headed outside for a little park playdate together. Check back in later for my LAST week of Country Heat meal plan AND how to prepped our lunches for this week!


OX

Jaclyn

Meal Planning and Grocery Lists

**Meal Planning and Grocery Lists**

"Failing to PLAN is PLANNING to FAIL"

Here is something to think about... would you start your day, leave on vacation or show up to a job interview without a plan? No, probably not. I used to eat on the go and was constantly stopped at fast food restaurant... guess where that got me? 40lbs heavier and feeling awful about what I looked like, not to mention my skin was HORRIBLE from all the grease and processed "food".

So I want you to think of meal planning and prep as your PLAN for a HEALTHY BODY! Your biggest obstacle is going to be managing your time so that getting fit and healthy doesn't complete with the rest of your commitments. We all have busy lives but that doesn't mean that they have to be unhealthy ones.

Believe it or not, prioritizing and planning ahead actually make life EASIER! Not to mention, it will set you up for success in the long term! I know it seems time consuming and not necessary BUT I promise that it’s worth it! By having everything ready and packed will be less stressful than leaving your meal choices up to chance. (We all know how awful our decisions can be if we are hungry!)

If you are on the go a lot, keep snacks on hand; raw almonds, low-fat string cheese, chopped veggies, fruit, rice cakes, hummus ect. You can keep little ziplock baggies almonds in your car so you ALWAYS have something to grab. ((TIP: Get yourself a small cooler to keep your snacks fresh or to take yogurts and other refrigerated items.

Healthy Grocery Shopping List Guide

Proteins
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish (mahi mahi, cod, halibut, and on occasion salmon and sea bass)
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Buffalo steak (lean) 

Egg Whites or Eggs
Rib eye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% Lean Ground Round)
Extra Lean Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)



Complex Carbs
 Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal (watch sugar, less than 6 grams)
Brown Rice
Ezekiel Bread (frozen healthy section)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Pasta (Whole Wheat, Ezekiel brand – watch serving, very dense)
Rice (jasmine, basmati, Arborio, wild, brown)
Potatoes (red, baking)
Kashi Low Sugar Cereals (less than 6 grams of sugar)
Whole Wheat Pita
Corn Tortillas
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Rice Cakes (lightly salted only)


Vegetables

(Fresh first, frozen second, canned last choice)
Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Celery
Mushrooms
Cabbage
Sprouts
Cucumber
Onions
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Squash
Spaghetti Squash


Fruit

Berries (blueberries and raspberries)
Lemons or Limes
Melons (not watermelon)
Grapefruit
Apples
Dates
Grapes
Oranges

Eat bananas, strawberries, peaches or plums sparingly (lots of natural sugar)
No dried fruits, including raisins (loaded with sugar)


Healthy Fats
Natural Style or Organic Peanut Butter, even better, Peanut Wonder (Whole Foods Market)
Almond Butter
Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
Hummus

Flaxseed Oil
Avocado


Dairy & Eggs
Eggs
Low or Non-Fat Milk (eat dairy only occasionally)
Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
Plain Greek Yogurt (I like Chobani the best)
Fat-free String Cheese



Beverages
 Bottled Water
Iced Tea (decaf)
Coffee (decaf) (I do have 1 cup of regular coffee in the morning! I use organic Stevia as a sweetener!)
Sparkling Water



Condiments & Misc.

Fat-free Mayonnaise (on occasion)
Ketchup (Heinz One Carb brand only)
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic or Raspberry Vinaigrette
Salsa or Fresh Pico De Gallo
Steak Sauce
Chili Paste
Mustard (yellow or Dijon)
Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc)
Low Sodium fat-free beef or fat-free chicken broth
Tomato sauce, puree, paste (look for low sugar)
Worcestershire Sauce
Fat-free cooking spray
Sugar-free applesauce for baking


Herbs & Spices

Chili powder
Mrs. Dash (all varieties)
McCormick’s (all varieties)
Cinnamon
Allspice
Basil
Bay leaf
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Dill
Ginger
Sage
Rosemary
Paprika
Thyme
Oregano
Curry Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
Marjoram
Tarragon
Dry Mustard

Cumin
Nutmeg
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Black Pepper

How I meal plan:

Every Sunday I sit down and write out my meal plan and grocery list. Then I shop and prepare my snacks and lunches so everything is READY! Each day all I’ll need to do is worry about cooking the breakfast and dinner that I already PLANNED! It makes some time getting a hang of it but once you do it’s SO WORTH IT! A little time in the store and kitchen on Sunday means for the rest of the week you can JUST GRAB AND GO!

To make my MEAL PLAN I follow a very simple technique. I basically just plug in the foods I want into the categories I have laid out for each meal or snack.

On the left are the food groups I am eating for that meal.
On the right is an EXAMPLE of what I would eat for that day. 

By sticking to the same lay out each week, I can make my meal plan quickly without having to put much thought into where exactly I place my foods. The 21 Day Fix taught me much of what I know about meal planning and HOW to place my foods throughout the day so I am not hungry. You can see it is color coded according to what food group it fits into.

To keep my weekly grocery budget under control I tend to eat a lot of the same foods for certain meals. For the week, my breakfast, snacks and lunches all are pretty much the same. I change up the dressings for my salad or have it in a wrap but overall I am using the same foods. Dinner is the main meal that changes each and every night so we have some variety in our diet. Each week I change up the foods I buy so we won't get burnt out. Its work WONDERS so far! 

I get a lot of people telling me that Clean Eating is SO expensive. I can promise you that I actually spend LESS now they I ever have. Check out my post about Clean Eating on a Budget for some useful tips!