Banana Shakeology ICE CREAM!

I am a major LOVER of frozen yogurt. In fact, my closest confidants in life are well aware of my secret desire to own and operate a frozen yogurt cafe. I genuinely LOVE the stuff. Particularly, the healthful varieties--probiotics, all natural ingredients, etc. Although this recipe is NOT frozen yogurt OR ice cream, it has the exact same consistency--without any of the guilt!

I wish that I could take credit for this recipe--but I can't. Desperate to find a healthy option for my after dinner desires for something cold and sweet--I found this one with a simple google search for "shakeology desserts." It's so fantastic that I had to include it on my personal blog. But--the credit goes to "anitagetfit.com."

Hope you enjoy! Check this out:

Ingredients:

4 – 5 ripe bananas

All natural peanut butter or try PB2 from the health foods store.

1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology 

You will want to first chop your bananas and then freeze them. After about two hours you will want to blend them up in a food processor. It will look like pebbles at first and then it will form into a creamy ice cream texture. Then you will want to add your shakeology and peanut butter to taste. Try and opt for the most natural peanut butter out there. This will make about 3 servings.

T25 Accountability and Support with the Summer Slim Down Challenge!

Summer is right around the corner and I swear that the months are just flying by!   I feel like just yesterday I was planning for Christmas and now we are planning for the beach and vacations. Now that I am pregnant with my second child, I remember very vividly the anxiety I had just after having my first one on June 2nd--the start of summer season. Ugh. I had JUST undergone an unexpected cesarean section, not to mention endured a 42 week long pregnancy--and I felt so insecure about my body. Not to mention, sluggish from being awake all night long with a newborn. 

For some, this may seem petty. I was certainly not ungrateful for the blessings that a miraculous new child brought to my husband and I. However, as someone who has ALWAYS been a huge health and fitness enthusiast--(not to mention, a total multi-tasking busy body--GO GO GO) let's just say that the adjustment to tired, overweight, recovering, stay-at-home mom was a COMPLETELY SHOCKING adjustment. At times, it was very depressing--isolating--frustrating--and scary. So, at the start of the summer season in the Hamptons--you can imagine how I felt about trying to get into a bathing suit. I knew that I had to make a change for myself and for my family. Being miserable, lethargic  and moody was not benefitting anyone. I joined a Beachbody Challenge group.

Below you can see my day 1 photo!  If you have ever taken before pictures before you know that feeling.  Literally looking at yourself in the absolute worst light ever and pointing out your flaws and making yourself completely vulnerable is really humbling.  My husband helped me to take the photos. And then---I deleted them. That's right. I completely destroyed my "REAL" day one photos. So, unfortunately, all that I have to show is the one that I am sharing below. 

Luckily, I did stick to the program that I committed to. The ah-ha moment came when I started taking progress pictures along the way or "selfies" as we all know them!  This is when I realized that my body was changing way more than my eyes could see when looking in the mirror.  It wasn't until I was completely done with Turbofire and I compared day 1 to day 90 and I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I mean, I had been watching the scale go down. I had felt my maternity clothes becoming baggy, and I found myself back in pre-pregnancy jeans. People were constantly remarking at how fit I looked. But still, I didn't really SEE IT. Suddenly, in the photos, the change was drastic and mind blowing.  THE CHALLENGE GROUP WORKED! The most annoying part? These photos don't even do my transformation the justice that it deserves, because I didn't take the transformation photos seriously. Lesson learned. Overall, I lost a total of 36 pounds and MANY inches. 

It was at that moment that I realized I had found my "THING" my "soul mate" workout and the system of not only weight loss but proper nutrition that I could stick with for the rest of my life. In honor of my personal journey and transformation I am hosting a "Summer Slim Down Challenge," because that is what my very very first group was called and I am going to be giving you the SAME support, GUIDANCE, and INSPIRATION that I was given when I started. 

Asking for help is hard, admitting that what you are doing isn't working or that you are stuck in your fitness and nutrition is a hard pill to swallow. But, MOM to MOM, WOMAN TO WOMAN, let me help you!  Not only do I have the personal experience, but I am also a Health Educator, Counselor, and Fitness Instructor.   I have a chid and a husband, I work full time, I am the maid, the cook, the boo-boo kisser, the mentor, supporter and the coach!  I am able to give you real life support because I have been there, done that!  I am armed with a variety of tricks and tips for meal planning, simplifying recipes, and keeping your diet CLEAN. Best of all, I can help you to incorporate it into a lifestyle that the ENTIRE FAMILY can benefit from and enjoy!

My job and my goal as a coach is to help you make this a lifestyle change for good. This is not a crash diet!  In this challenge group--not only will you finish with MIND-BLOWING RESULTS, but you will CONTINUE on your journey long afterwards..

WE ARE MAKING NEW, HEALTHY HABITS. This is the OFFICIAL invite to my SUMMER SLIM DOWN CHALLENGE starting on April 21st!  You will finish this challenge on June 23rd! 10 weeks to a totally new you!  

So, here is the scoop!!!  This month T25 is on promotion which means that they have discounted the price about $90 for the challenge pack.  Plus, T25 is by far the most effective workout I have seen.  Yes you can actually get great results in 25 minutes a day 5 days a week. Trust me, you jump right in, you get started, you work hard and you get results.  Shaun T has great modifications so no matter what your ability level is you can do this workout!  

So T25 is the program of choice, because lets face it we don't have hours to spend in the gym and we have to get on with life.  So this totally fits our lifestyle!

You will need to be committed to replacing 1 meal a day with Shakeology, until you reach your goal weight.  I understand that many people raise an eyebrow to the idea of a "shake" for a meal replacement--I get it. I used to be one of those people. But, you will LOVE Shakeology! This is NOT your typical protein shake--and it CERTAINLY doesn't taste like one. Promise.  Shakeology is a meal replacement with the proper carb to protein ratio, keeping you full without a problem--until your next snack or meal. Further, it is the only product that I have ever used that GENUINE CURBS CRAVINGS for sweets. Seriously, even in pregnancy, it completely demolished cravings and satisfied me.
 Some of us have difficulty finding time to eat! Although I've never been one of these people, I can tell you that Shakeology will also help with this. Not only is it so easy to toss into your shaker cup and hit the road--but it has NINE SERVINGS OF PRODUCE in it! How many fast meals can you grab on the go that will offer THAT!!??
Chock full of probiotics, antioxidants, and super foods---it will make you feel like superwoman and completely demolish belly bloat. Trust me on this---you'll LOVE the Shakeology. I've NEVER HAD a challenger who didn't. Ever. 

So now what?!  What can you expect?!  When you sign up for my challenge group you don't just get a bag of Shakeology and a fitness program!  You get "ME"!  LOL, well you get a lot!  I run private online support groups--where no one but the members of the group can see what is being posted. Then, I have an entire week before we start and I call it "Pre-Season" and this is where we plan and prep.  I help you write goals, we do pics and measurements, we talk about meal planning in depth and I guide you in the right direction to be ready for day 1! 

Then, each week you get a motivational Monday video from myself OR the #2 Beachbody Coach in the company. Also,  a daily post with either tips, tricks, recipes, accountability to keep you on track.  Each day you log in, read the daily post, log your accountability stats and you stay focused on your journey.  There will be ups and downs, days you want to quit, or days that you feel like the progress isn't happening fast enough. That is why I am here!   I will help you stay focused and accountable so this program doesn't become something else you buy, have good intentions and then life get in the way and never finish.  This time it's different!

So, are you ready?!  April 21st starts day 1 of workouts!  Are you in?  If you want more information please email me or fill out the "contact me" pop up to the right!

Pregnancy and the 21 Day Fix? You Betcha!

Let me just stop and take a moment to reflect on how HORRIBLE my eating habits have been for the past month. 

It all started when I went to the Florida Keys to visit my Dad. Talk about amazing food---tropical delight! I let everything slide and ate whatever I wanted, right down to the Key Lime Pie! And truthfully, I didn't feel badly about it. I mean, vacation is vacation--right? Not to mention, I'm pregnant! Gotta have a little bit of enjoyment. Upon returning to Long Island, I would get back on track. Not a problem.

Except, it HAS BEEN A PROBLEM! I can't seem to get back on track! Here's the thing.....I am not a person who struggles with exercise--or even poor food choices. Generally speaking, I look forward to daily movement and I naturally gravitate towards clean, nourishing foods. The problem is that I don't always listen to GENUINE hunger cues---and I eat mindlessly. Picture this---digging into boxes, bags, grabbing handfuls of this and spoonfuls of that. Complete emotional BINGE EATING. That's me. Granted---I'll be spooning cottage cheese and grabbing handfuls of Kashi cereal---but nevertheless, it's completely mindless and unrelated to a physical NEED for food! And nighttime!!?? THE WORST! I really need to get this on track....

But I know what you're thinking. Realistically, I'm pregnant. Who cares if I gain weight, right? I mean, I'm SUPPOSED TO gain weight....

Umm… me?!!!

Yes. I'm pregnant. But, does that mean that the next few months are an all-out double-fisting-meatballs free for all!!?? No.

NO. NO. NO.

SO MANY PEOPLE fall into this trap. And, I'm not going there. It's the "I'll get back on track after I have the baby" mindset. Have you any idea how DIFFICULT a set up that is? To form poor eating habits and sustain them over the course of MONTHS....pack on extra, non-baby related pounds, undergo a major surgery (c-section for me, folks), and bring home a BRAND NEW HUMAN BEING---only to have to revamp my entire nutrition and exercise regimen? Ummmm....NO. It's no wonder why so many people fail at losing the baby weight with this mindset. Any mother knows....once the baby is here.....it's ALL ABOUT BABY. There's no time to focus on my menu planning, fitness, and weight loss. Come on! I have to HIT THE GROUND RUNNING! 

And, that means addressing the issue RIGHT NOW.

Fortunately, my pregnancy thus far has been extremely healthy. As I've already said---I am a very active and fit mama--and I enjoy eating healthfully. For the first 20 weeks, my weight gain has been slow and steady--the doctors are pleased. But in the past few weeks, I cannot seem to get a handle on the mindless munching. Everything sends me rushing to the pantry---stressed about work? Pantry. Trying to decide on nursery ideas? Pantry. Not getting along with a family member? Pantry. Anticipating an exciting visit with friends? Pantry. 

You get the point. Suddenly, the weight is coming on faster than usual. My digestive system is not---errrrrrrrr----functioning well. I feel sluggish. And, worst of all--at the end of the day, I have NO IDEA what I actually ate! Does that make sense? I mean, I have no concept of my usual 6 "mini-meals" every day. Suddenly, my day has been a cluster of frantic trips to the pantry and fridge to grab and pop something into my mouth. It's kind of humiliating to put this out there---but, it's the truth.

And now, in recent days, I see that my face is starting to fill out. My arms are losing tone. My pants are tighter around the thighs---UGH! Let's just say, "it's not baby, folks!" I have to get back on track.

The loss of planning/organization in my diet is what lead me to do the 21 Day Fix while pregnant. While the program is a diet and exercise plan, it's main focus is helping folks deal with portion control. Basically, it's screaming my name! I have been doing some of the workouts on my own, but thought the nutrition portion should best be left until post-baby. This is not an appropriate time to restrict calories... 

21 Day Fix Program

Except I need to take a look at PROPER nourishment for myself and this baby. 

Therefore, tomorrow I will be diving in to this awesome program! 

So how does it work, especially considering I'm pregnant? When you purchase the program, you are given an exercise schedule to match up with the dvds that you received. You're also given an eating plan that tells you how many containers you can eat per day based on your caloric needs. The containers are color-coded which makes meal planning super easy. 

21 Day Fix Containers

After calculating how many calories I should be eating a day, I figured out how many containers I get. It really is WAY less intense than it sounds.  For the program, I get to eat between 1800-2099 calories a day. That's right, loads of HEALTHY calories to help this tiny human grow! 

This means:

5 Green containers

3 Purple containers

5 Red containers

4 Yellow containers

1 Blue container

1 Orange container

5 Teaspoons (for oils, peanut butter, etc)

That is a LOT of food folks!! Plus, it's all nutritious… something the tiny human will thank me for!

I made my weekly meal plan to help break it down even more.

*Menu from Katie Graue

You might notice this doesn't follow the allotment to a T. While I do get 3 Yellow containers a day, one is to limit their milk intake to three times a week. The tiny human has me going through about a gallon a week, so I had to be realistic. I am knocking it down and replacing some with water, but I want that daily milk intake. If my body says I need it, I'm going to listen! That's why I'm mixing it with my Shakeology every day.  The orange containers are dressings, nuts, etc. Three times a week, you are allowed to replace them with something small and sweet, like chocolate covered raisins. Since the tiny human has intensified my sweet tooth, I'm allowing a small daily snack to keep myself at bay. I would much rather allow myself a small splurge than go nuts and eat a pint of ice cream.  I am also not eating all of my teaspoons, as I usually never cook in oil. 

So there you have it. That's how a pregnant lady plans on doing the 21 Day Fix! I will also add that most of the exercises will have to be modified, as I cannot do any ab work. If it calls for me to lay on my belly, I'll do some yoga stretching instead. That should help me in a few more months!

Just to avoid confusing/criticism, I am NOT doing this program to lose weight! I am doing this program to get myself back on track, watch my portions, limit my sweets, and eat more veggies! What I've put on is what I will have to deal with until post-tiny human. However, if I can keep it from spiraling out of control, I'm sure as heck going to try. And, of course, I have the support of my doctors on this journey. 

I would love for you to join me! If you'd like to see the program, email me or check out the challenge pack here. I have 21 DAY FIX ongoing regularly--and I'd love for us to support one another!

Shamrock Shakeology!

Shamrock Shakeology

Shamrock Shakeology!

So for those of you that actually know me, you know that I am not a Greenberry Shakeology fan!  It happens to be my husband's favorite--but, I just don't enjoy it at all. I much prefer chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.  So, I stumbled upon this recipe recently and thought, "well, I love Shamrock Shakes, so I will give it a try again..."

I didn't have high hopes,  but it was really good!  I totally enjoyed it!  Now, it's not the exact same as a shamrock shake from McDonald's but I would rather not sabotage my hard work and the insane amount of calories and fat.  Aside from that, it would make me feel pretty gnarly.... it also doesn't make me feel good about myself when I eat garbage. With this Shamrock Shakeology, though,  I don't feel like I was depriving myself of anything!

So I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!  If you don't have any Greenberry Shakeology and would like to try it you can paypal me $5 as a gift to cedarcove4@gmail.com or email me and I will get the single serving packet out to you asap!!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Skim, Rice, Almond or Soy Milk
• handful of ice
• splash of peppermint extract or some mint water
• 1 tsp all natural pb or 1 TBSP PB2
• 2 tbsp vanilla sugar free instant pudding mix 
• 1 packet of Greenberry Shakeology
• Blend and enjoy!!!

Chocolate Bananas Foster Shakeology

Saw this recipe on my monthly Shakeology calendar….HAD TO TRY IT! So, so delicious! Enjoy! No special occasion required!

Strawberry Lemonade Shakeology!

Bring a bit of Summer to your home….no matter what the season!!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein balls (adapted from Chalene Johnson's recipe)

 INGREDIENTS:

8 Tablespoons PB2 (low fat, high protein powdered peanut butter - details below)

3 Tablespoons Natural Peanut butter (w/flax seeds is the best!)

½ Cup Chocolate Shakeology

3 Tablespoons Honey

½ Cup Quick Oats

DIRECTIONS:

 Mix PB2 with water until it’s a paste like consistency. Mix all ingredients, including the PB2 mixture together in a mixing bowl. It make take some time to blend all of the ingredients together. If it's too sticky, sprinkle in additional Shakeology, so that it's a pretty dry/crumbly texture.

Next - Roll mixture into small individual balls (about a ping-pong ball size) and place on a wax sheet. Makes about 12 balls, 1 ounce each. Put in freezer until firm.

NUTRITION: (serving size 1 ball)

 Calories: 80 

 Carbs: 10g

 Fat: 2g

 Protein: 7g 

Salted Caramel Shakeology

Happy Valentine's Day! Of course, this recipe doesn't have to be reserved ONLY for February 14th. You know what they say....EVERY DAY should be Valentine's Day, right? NO argument here!

PB & J Shakeology

I LOVE Peanut Butter and Jelly!!! 
So naturally, I was very excited to find this recipe……try it with strawberries (fresh or frozen), too!

Cinnamon Bun Shakeology

This one is courtesy of MY Coach, Melanie Mitro...it's her absolute favorite, and I love it, too! Enjoy!