I was finally tired enough of being tired.

::::Dusts off Blog::::

Hey guys! Man I've been a bad blogger! Can I start off by saying how busy we'v been?! 

School, sickness, baseball season began, crazy wind/rain storms, birthdays and all kinds of events in between. I am thankful to say we are all healthy now and adjusting to our newly busier schedule.

Before I get into what I wanted to write about today, I wanted to answer a question I've gotten in a few messages... Did I finish 90 Days of Core De Force?

The answer?

YES! YES I DID! 

How was it? How did I do? What results did I get?

All answered here:

Now to what I came here to write about. Being Tired.

I wrote a short post on this a few weeks ago and after speaking to so many friends and challengers afterwards about this, I realized that SO many people have been at that point or are currently in it.

The me on the left was so so tired.

Tired of having no energy.

Tired of being out of breath going up and down the one flight of stairs of my home.

Tired of still only fitting into my maternity jeans 9 months postpartum.

Tired of having no confidence.

Tired of not feeling like "me" anymore.

Tired of my PCOS symptoms getting worse and worse.

Tired of being TIRED of everything.

I was a yo yo dieter for all of my 20's. I looked for and tried any "magic pill' that popped up in store shelves. Thinking "THIS" would be it for me. (I cringe ad admitting this. But it's important to share.)

I was so wrong.

That was when 21 Day Fix came into my life.

Gone were the days of calorie counting, taking diet pills and eating "fat free" frankenfoods.

I learned how to cook healthy, measure out proper portions and not only did it NOT take too much time out of my day, but I started to enjoy it. My family started sitting at the dinner table again to eat together instead of sitting on the couch.

(My Carskey boy eating Fix Approved Fried Rice)

My kids started to roll around and "pretend" to work out with me. We were getting outside more and being more active together.

My daily Shakeology help curbed my sweet tooth and break my years of being a breakfast skipper.

For once in my adult life my metabolism and PCOS symptoms were healing.

30 mins of working out to the dvd's at home a day, eating healthy delicious portion fix approved meals and getting my daily Shakeology in.

There is NO such thing as a magic pill that works for the long term.

My family and I are the healthiest we've ever been. I'm a better wife and Mom for it. I'm a better ME for doing this.

21 Day Fix, Beachbody programs and the Portion Fix container system with Shakeology has helped change my life.

Wherever you are in your journey....

If you are just beginning, in the middle, at a plateau or debating on beginning..

Making that choice to take action, trust the process and put in the hard work will pay off. It can change your life.

From 21 Day Fix... 21 Day Fix Extreme... Hammer and Chisel and now Core De Force I can't image my life now without these programs, my #DreamBigTribe! So incredibly thankful for these ladies.

(Shout out to these amazing ladies that lost a combined over 100 pounds in the month January in our Virtual Gym Challenge!)

There is no perfect time to begin, just the time when you are tired enough of being tired. Each small step you make to live a healthier life will make a difference. Making the decision to commit, daily consistency, keeping your "why" fresh in your mind to fuel your determination will help you get there. 

If you would like to join me in my next group that starts on Monday 2/27 I would love to have you. You can click on the link here to get more info: http://bit.ly/DreamBigTribe

February Virtual Gym is ready to open. Have you RSVP'd?

Our January Virtual Gym is CRUSHING it half way through this challenge! So many inches, pounds lost and confidence gained in Meal Prepping, balancing workouts with day to day life etc. So proud of our Dream Big Tribe Challengers!!

We are having SO much success with this Virtual Gym Concept that we are opening up a group again for February! Week 0 (aka prep week) begins NEXT Monday Jan 30th and our official Day 1 is February 6th!

I'll help you find the program that best fits your needs, and you'll get live workshop training on meal prep, getting organized and more! Best part of this is you get to do this from HOME and you will have an awesome encouraging support system/group to help you stay motivated all month long.

You will be provided with:

⚜Transformation Challenge with incentives - (Weekly Prizes given away!)

⚜24/7 Access to your own private Virtual Gym with a workout plan to follow.

⚜30 Day Nutrition Plan and Shakeology

⚜LIVE Meal Prep Training in our Private Group (starts Mon. Jan 2nd!)

⚜Daily Challenges, Accountability, Fun and Motivation!

Here is a sneak peek of our LIVE FB Workshops coming to this group next week before we start day 1!!!

Are you ready to take action on those goals you've been saying "next monday" too for awhile now? I'm ready to begin with you!

Drop Your Email HERE👉🏻 http://bit.ly/DreamBigTribe and I'll get you the details! *The group is almost FULL. So the time is now if you want to join us! 💜*

Have a blessed day!

Thanksgiving Survival Tips - Enjoy your meal AND stay on track with your goals - 21 Day Fix and Core De Force Approved!

Let's set the stage.. you are in the middle of a round of a program right now... 21 day Fix, Core De Force (like me), or maybe Piyo or Cize, etc. and you're wondering. "How am I going to stay on track and not lose my hard work over Thanksgiving week?"

I have a blog post for that! 

Here are 6 tips I personally will be using this week to stay on track with my health and fitness goals. I hope you find them helpful! 

1. Tracking Portion Control Containers? Save your yellow and blue containers for your Thanksgiving meal. That will go a long way, trust me!

2. Drink your Shakeology 1-2 hours before your meal. You'll get your super foods, daily vitamins, probiotics and and all it's delicious goodness. PLUS it will fill you up and help you not over eat during the meal itself. 

(want the recipe? Check it out HERE)

3. Fill your plate with mostly veggies! Enjoy that turkey, have a little of your favorites to get your fix. But make sure you eat lots of veggies.

4. Have a special dish that is only made once a year? Enjoy it! For me it's my Mother-in-laws stuffing. I look forward to it all year long! Or my Mom's mashed potatoes.. MMMmmmm I can taste them already. The point is, enjoy those special dishes. Just keep them in smaller portions.

5. Workout in the Morning: Yep, you heard me! Get that workout in first thing. You'll thank yourself! Burn off some calories before the big meal, and not miss a workout during the round of your program. Win win!

6. Listen to your body when you're full: Your body will tell you when it's had enough. Don't feel like you have to keep eating for the sake of it being Thanksgiving. You'll save yourself some bloat and a stomach ache later. 

When Thanksgiving is over what's next? Keep going with your program! Haven't started a program yet or looking to switch it up? Join my Core De Force Challenge Group that begins 12/7 :)

Zero Equipment. MMA Style Workouts that will ignited that fire inside you to fight for your health. Don't wait tell Jan 1st. to start on those goals. We'll be ENDING our 30 days just after the New Year. How's that for starting off 2017? Already shedding weight and inches and knocking out goals?

To RSVP and save your spot for our group you can do so here:

Fill out my online form.

There are tons of Wufoo features to help make your forms awesome.

@FaithFarmFit www.Facebook.com/LifeLightUp

Have a blessed day!

                            

My Pantry Favorites: Part 1

I did a Facebook Live today showing some of my favorite pantry items and I thought sharing here would be fun too! 

I plan to do more of these types of posts in the future so I'm only sharing a few things here today. These are definitely some of my top favorites for sure.

 Coconut Aminos: I love this stuff SO much. I used to use Braggs Liquid Aminos, but with my PCOS I have bee trying to cut all soy from my diet.  I LOVE soy sauce so finding an alternative that is tasty and healthy was huge for me. I use this for stir fries and my combination fried rice.

Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar: Oh man where can I start on this awesomeness? Helps prevent flu and other stomach illnesses, reduces acid re-flux and hear burn, good for your hair, skin and gut. I could go on and on and on. I love using Apple Cider Vinegar to "pickle" veggies. Add 1 cup of AC Vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/2 red onion sliced and 1 cucumber peeled and sliced. Store in a mason jar and chill in the fridge. A great "crunchy/tangy" snack when you are craving chips or crackers!

Organic Stoneground Mustard: I love to make "egg salad" with this or even use it to dip chicken sausage in. 

Local Organic Honey: No brand for this one, key word is LOCAL. When you digest local organic honey from your area it will help with allergies! Crazy right? I started eating a few tsps a week of local honey about 2 years ago and was able to stop taking allergy medicine. Check out your Farmer's Market and enjoy! I love using mine in my favorite Shakeology Recipe: Honey Nut Latte.

Homemade Seasoning: The two I have right here are staples in my pantry. The "21 Day Fix Taco Seasoning" from the 21 Day Fix Nutrition Guide and the "Mediterranean Blend" from the Country Heat Nutrition Guide. I use the Taco Seasoning like it's going out of style! It's my go too when making tacos and sometimes even chili.

Want more recipes like this? Or even, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

There are kinds of fun things coming to this blog and my Facebook page this fall! I hope you come back and see what's happening :)

Meal Prep: Instant Pot Edition - Part 2

Good Morning Friends! I have been having all kinds of fun with my Instant Pot. If you have been checking out my Instagram or Snapchat you know I've been cooking a TON with it. I am shocked that so many people have been checking out my first post "Meal Prep: Instant Pot Edition" that I wanted to create a part 2 with more healthy, tasty recipes you can use throughout the week!

All these recipes below will be used as breakfast and lunches for me throughout this week. I'm on my last week of Country Heat and want to make sure I am using my containers 100%. I know the more tasty clean foods I have prepped in my fridge, the more likely I will do just that!

All these took about 90 minutes total to make! As one was cooking I was cutting, prepping the next recipe. I had a good factory line up going and let me tell you my kitchen smelt amazing!

Sweet Potato Hash: 

Ingredients:

3  small sweet potatoes OR 1 large sweet potato (peeled and diced in 1/2 inch chunks)

3/4 cup diced onion

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 zucchini diced

a dash of sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Turn Instant Pot on to "saute" mode. Add evoo, onions and let simmer for a few minutes. Add diced sweet potatoes and mix together. Add seasoning. Close Lid and set manual for 1 minute. When done use a quick release, remove lid and add diced zucchini in. Toss together well and let sit together for a few minutes. Then scoop and serve or place in meal prep storage containers for the week ahead.

21 Day Fix Container Equivalent: 1 yellow,  1/2 Green, 1 Tsp

Oh my gosh wait tell you try doing your Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot. You'll never want to cook them any other way again! Easiest peeled eggs EVER.

Farm fresh eggs from our ranch. So yummy

Easy to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs:

Ingredients:

8 Raw Eggs

1 cup water

Directions:

Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot. Place rack inside and gently place eggs on top. Set steamer timer to 6 minutes. When done, set to natural release (on warm setting) for 6 minutes. Then remove eggs and place in bowl of ice for 6 minutes. Peel with ease and store in your meal prep container for the week,

21 Day Fix Container Equivalent: 2 eggs = 1 Red

(Do you do video chat meal prep with your friends on the opposite coast? I do! lol)

I wasn't sure how this next recipe was going to go. I had to give myself a good pep talk to make this. I wanted to make this to use as breakfasts for the week and took the plunge and went for it. 

I am SO happy with the results...

Feta and Zucchini Frittata:

Ingredients: 

6 eggs

1/2 cup 2% milk (or unsweetened almond milk)

1/2 zucchini, shredded

2 tbsp crumbled feta

a dash of sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Place 1 cup of water at the bottom of the Instant Pot and place rack inside. In the bowl you will cook in add eggs and whisk. Add milk, feta, zucchini, and seasoning. Mix well. Place bowl inside the instant pot on the rack and close the lid. Cook on manual for 20 minutes. When finished turn valve for quick release. Remove dish and slice into 6 pieces. 1 slice per serving. 

21 Day Fix Container Serving: 1 red, 1/2 blue, 1/2 green

BBQ Chicken:

I made this simple, this week. I cooked 2 chicken breasts using my recipe here: I added my favorite all natural BBQ sauce called "Stubbs". It came out delicious!

These Instant Pot recipes were easy, time savers and DELICIOUS! Stay tuned for more clean eating meal prep recipes coming soon.

 In the mean time...

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day,

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

Healthy Homemade Meatballs and Sauce: Instant Pot Edition

I'm gonna get straight to the point with this recipe. It's a modification of my favorite recipe from the Fixate Cookbook and when I tried it out in the Instant Pot for the first time last week I was VERY pleased.

I'm all about keeping it simple, reducing the amount of dishes I have to wash AND eating delicious healthy comfort foods. 

Doesn't that look amazing?! Can you believe that that is 21 Day Fix approved? No need for "diet" food or "processed frozen meals" when you can make something that tastes like this and is actually good for you. Bonus that this doesn't take much time at all.

Wanna know how to make it?

Step #1: Prep Meatball mixture to chill

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/4 cup 2 % milk or unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 lbs organic grass fed beef or organic lean ground turkey (note: we prefer this recipe with beef)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan Salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add bread crumbs and milk. Let it soak while you cut up the rest of the ingredients. Add diced onions, garlic, turkey, eggs parsley, cheese, oregano, salt, pepper into bread crumb mixture and mix well. Cover bowl and place in fridge for 1 hour.

Step #2: The Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (6oz) can organic tomato paste (no salt)

1/8 cup red wine

1 (28oz) can pureed tomatoes (organic, no salt) or you can get canned whole peeled and just blend them before

1 tbsp organic honey or agave nectar

1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Set Instant Pot to saute mode. Add oil and onions and stir frequently for about 3-5 mins. Add Garlic, tomato paste, and stir constantly (don't let paste burn) for about 2 mins. Add wine, cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Then add pureed tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Then switch IP over to "keep warm mode" add basil, mix well and stir occasionally for 20 mins. Then turn off IP until it's time to add the meatballs in and keep the cover on.

Step #3: Time to get cooking!

Take meatball mixture out of the fridge and take lid off instant pot. Give sauce another good stir. Star rolling those meat balls. Use a spoon to scoop the mixture out, roll it and lay them in the sauce mixture inside the instant spot. I start on the outside rim of the pot and do a full circle. Then continue to add meatballs inside the outside circle tell all the space is gone. Cover the lid and set it to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is sealed. Once the pot has pressurized and cooked for 5 minutes put it in "natural release mode" ( set to warm for 10 minutes, then release the valve and remove the lid). 

That's it! Dinner is served! You can poor this meal ball mixture over whole wheat pasta, make open faced meatball sandwiches from the Fixate Cookbook and more! Such and easy recipe that tastes like something you'd get from a Italian restaurant! 

21 Day Fix/Country Heat/Portion Fix Container amounts (per serving): 

2 Greens 1 Red 1/2 Blue (add 1 yellow if you use whole wheat pasta. Make sure you use the container to measure out the portion of the pasta into the bowl and then pour your sauce and meatballs on top.) 2 meatballs = 1 Red Container

Mmmmmm. I like to top mine with a little fresh basil.

So what's the verdict? Well, if you ask myself, my Hubby, my two kids or Nacho Libre they'll tell you...

So what do you think. Will you try them?

Want to see a video of me cooking these? I went on FB Live last night as I was cooking dinner. Check it out:

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day,

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper: Instant Pot Edition

I love Instant Pot, I love Instant Pot, 

Meow Meow Meow Meow...

Did you sing the song in your head?

It's catchy isn't it?

One one of my favorite things to do is take a not so healthy comfort food recipe and convert it to a delicious comforting healthy recipe using organic clean eating ingredients. The next step is to make it something that my kids will eat too. When all of those factors come together,... I may jump for joy. Or do a cartwheel.

I work from home, am beginning a new chapter of Homeschooling my kids and am helping us grow our ranch! So I'm on the go a lot to say the least (ask my fitbit, lol). The Instant Pot and how quickly I can produce yummy, hot, comforting healthy foods has been such a blessing!

I hope you are enjoying these recipes I'm putting on the blog! If you would like MORE recipes like this you can join my new Facebook Group Clean Eats: Instant Pot Edition by clicking the link.

Last night's dinner was another win for the Instant Pot. 4 happy full bellies in our house and I wanted to share the recipe with you! 

This recipe only took 15 minutes to cook and bonus, it's Fix Portion Approved! 

Healthy Hamburger Helper: Instant Pot Edition

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs organic ground beef

2 Cups uncooked whole wheat organic macaroni pasta

1/2 cup diced onion

1 cup shredded cheese

3 TSP "Better than Bouillon" organic Beef Paste

*Note: You can find this paste at most grocery stores right next to the broths. This is SO much better than using bouillon and so much healthier too!)

3 1/2 cups of hot water

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Dry Ingredients:

3 tsp parsley flakes

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp of turmeric (optional)

1/2 tsp celery seed

1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt

1 tsp sucanat (or unbleached sugar)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Directions: 

Turn Instant Pot to "saute" mode. Add EVOO and beef and start to brown beef. While beef is browning add all the dry ingredients into 1 bowl. Add hot water, better than bouillon beef paste and dry ingredients blend together and mix well. 

Continue to stir beef while it cooks and make sure it's crumbled well. Once it has cooked add liquid mixture and uncooked pasta. Put lid on Instant Pot and switch mode to "steam" for 5 minutes. Once this finishes pull the pressure valve for a "quick release" and remove lid. Add cheese and stir well. 

Turn off Instant Pot and serve meal.

Enjoy!

21 Day Fix/Country Heat/Portion Fix Container Equivalent:

1 Red 1 Yellow 1/2  Blue 1 Tsp

*Note I used a Red container to measure out my serving.

Want more recipes like this? Want more recipes like this, meal prep tips and/or to get started with a fitness routine? I would LOVE to be your coach! You can reach out to me by going to my Facebook page by clicking the picture below....

Have a blessed day!