Saturday, November 19, 2016

Holiday Survival Guide

I like to call November and December SURVIVAL MODE when it comes to nutrition and fitness.  This is the time of year when most people make excuses as to why they don’t have the time to workout or why they don’t have the money to eat healthy.  I KNOW for a fact that if you have a strong desire and motivation to DO ANYTHING then you will find a way.  If you are not highly motivated then you will FIND EXCUSES instead!  I hear it all the time.  For the last 3 1/2 years of coaching people to reach their health and fitness goals I see excuses, I see people lose motivation and give up, but I do see people that succeed.  

The characteristics of successful weight loss are this:

1.  A strong driving force or “WHY” to change their nutrition and fitness. You can’t just sorta kinda want to change, you have to REALLY WANT TO CHANGE!  After the novelty of the new program wears off, what is going to keep you going?  It’s internal motivation to change more than you want to stay the same!

2.  Committed.  People that succeed are committed.  They are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful and they are not QUITTERS. They are committed to starting and finishing the fitness program exactly as it is laid out and they will evaluate and tweak their program as they go.  But, once they go in, they go ALL in!

3.  FAITH.  People who succeed have faith!  They believe that without a shadow of a doubt that somehow, some way, they will be successful at this weight loss game.  It’s just that, it's a series of trials, errors and triumphs before you find what works for your body the best.  Those that have faith in the process and believe that I won’t lead you astray succeed.  It is those people that think it's not working fast enough, or that their progress is TOO slow, or that they NEED  MORE cardio or MORE protein and start going off and changing things on their own that get frustrated and FAIL.  The reason is that they didn’t follow the plan!  No one knows better than the trainers and nutritionists that create the program what will work.  So, don’t second guess the program.  It was designed for a very specific reason!

4. Successful people follow the nutrition plan.  Yes, I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear but it’s the truth! The people who have the MOST success are those that really do truly follow the nutrition plan laid out in the program.  If you aim to eat 80% of the time according to your plan you will get results.  If you track your food in a journal, you track your water intake, you allow yourself 1 or 2 treats per week you will make great steady and healthy progress!  You can have your cake and eat it too!


I am on a mission this holiday season to keep people ACCOUNTABLE & MOTIVATED to continue their health and fitness journey.  This time of year I’m not asking you to go 100% strict but what I am asking you is this.  

DO YOU WANT TO END 2016 BETTER THAN YOU STARTED?  DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A REVERSE NEW  YEARS RESOLUTION??? 

Imagine how much more energy you would have to get in your holiday shopping, wrap presents, to visit with friends, to get in those extra work hours, and do everything on your holiday wish list if you ate healthier and exercised 30 minutes each day?  

Did you know that just the simple act of fueling your body with really great nutrient dense food can ALONE boost your energy level and metabolism?  
I know for a fact when I do my workout first thing in the morning that I feel more empowered and strong to take on the day!  I find when I fuel my body with healthy foods I’m not starving or craving unhealthy snacks.

It did not happen over night but through support, accountability and daily motivation I have changed my entire life and then passed it on to my family.  We have never felt better, our kids are learning great habits and we are not stressed about the holiday season.  We are planning a healthy Thanksgiving dinner, some fun get togethers with friends but we are staying accountable to our workouts and we are eating on track 90% of the time.  We know that when our treats happen they are earned and they are in moderation!  It is truly just a shift in mindset of taking it one day at a time and not getting overwhelmed by the big picture!

So that’s the game plan!  I feel that it would be super VALUABLE AND HELPFUL to do the same for YOU!!!

Holiday Survival Guide, Holiday Healthy Recipes, tips for eating at restaurants, Thanksgiving Recipes, Christmas Healthy Recipes, Clean Eating for the holidays, Holiday accountability

I am going to run a 4 week HOLIDAY SURVIVAL guide support group starting on December 5th and running until the end of the year!  

Here is what you can expect from this group:

1.  A health and fitness program to fit your needs in 30 minutes or less each day.

2.  Sample meal plans and recipes to help you stay accountable, to help you with quick easy meals and snacks to fit your lifestyle.

3.  Daily accountability through a closed online support group.

4.  Tips on handling holiday parties, a restaurant guide, traveling tips, healthy alternatives to holiday favorites.

5.  Motivation, Accountability every single day to help you end the year stronger than you started.  

What if you could lose a few pounds this holiday season, rock in the New Year feeling confident and not defeated yet HAVE A REALLY GREAT AND ENJOYABLE HOLIDAY SEASON?  

So what are the requirements to participate in this group, because I know that is what you are thinking!!

1.  You must be a customer of mine on TeamBeachbody, which means that I am assigned as your FREE coach.  If you already have a coach please reach out to the person you work with.  If you do not have an account, then contact me.

2.  You must commit to a  fitness program and nutrition plan in which we will discuss options that are best for you, your ability level, your time constraints and your needs.  

3.  You must commit to checking into the accountability group daily and reporting progress.

Are you in?  Does this sound like something you would like to do???  



I am committed to helping YOU END THE YEAR STRONG!  LETS DO THIS!!!!


Renee Smith
Independent Diamond BeachBody Coach

Shakeology Mug Cake

                  
chocolate-mug-cake

So I am going to just shoot it straight!  I have a killer sweet tooth and I love anything chocolate! I have a hard time passing it up! I was in dire need of something last night so I whipped up this bad boy! It satisfied the need for something sweet and I didn’t kill my healthy eating! I am very aware that when you heat up Shakeology it does take away some of the nutritional value, but I already had my shake for the day so it's ok!  I’m totally cool with it! You have to give this a try!!!

Ingredients

1/4 tsp baking powder
1 scoop Shakeology
1 Tbsp sweetener of your choice {optional}
dash of salt
1 egg
optional mix in: peanut butter, cocoa powder
2 or 3 Tbsp water/milk

Directions

In a mug mix Shakeology, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and sweetener. Next, mix in an egg and 2-3 tablespoons of water/milk. If you want it to be more moist then add a little more water. Mix until dry ingredients are wet. If you’d like to add peanut butter, put one dollop in the center and push it down a bit. Microwave for 90 sec. Personally I do 55 seconds because I like mine a little more gooey on the inside. When it is done the edges will pull from the sides.


 Renee Smith
Independent Diamond BeachBody Coach

Mancakes

                 
Mancakes

Yes I said it right, MANCAKES not pancakes!  I saw this recipe and decided that I just had to give it a try!!

I am hooked and there are so many different ways you can make them!  Today I’m sharing one of our favorites. If you are looking for a way to eat pancakes but keep it clean and not overkill it on the carbs this works great.  It's no secret that I LOVE my carbs but I do try to keep them in check.

You can make them ahead of time, let them cool and then store them for later or you can eat them immediately.  Either way they are delicious.

If you try them, definitely let me know what you think!!!!

Ingredients

Mancakes
1/4 c quick oats
4 egg whites
1/2 c berries or 1/2 of a banana
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Heat pan to medium heat
Combine egg whites, oats, vanilla & cinnamon.  You can blend or put it in a bowl and stir.
Add fruit and pulse blender.
Using a 1/4 cup, pour into pan, cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until edges are firm.
Flip once, let cool and store or eat immediately.




Renee Smith

Independent Diamond BeachBody Coach