Fixate Cookbook is here!

I know some of you have been looking forward this cookbook like I have. And guess what? It's here, it's here! Autumn Calabrese's new cookbook Fixate came out today and it is jam packed with 101 recipes that are 21 Day Fix Approved. Breakfasts, snacks, appetizers, lunches, and dinners! 

I know personally from doing several rounds of 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme that when using other recipes it can be a little difficult calculation container portions. This makes it simple with over 100 recipes at our fingertips.  

To purchase this awesome cookbook. Click here:

For the rest of July I am offering a awesome special. For anyone that purchase the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack, I will give you a copy of the new cookbook for FREE.

Message me at CoachJennym@gmail.com for more info!

21 Day Fix - Round 3 Results

Today marks day 21 of this round of 21 Day Fix! I can't get over how fast these past few weeks have gone. When I first started this program back in August 2014 I was doing it by myself. I had to resist the junk food in the house... squeeze my work outs in while the kids took naps... I had my slip ups and moments of weakness. But I didn't give up!

Fast forward to now.. what a difference less than a year can be! My Hubby is on day 7 of his own round, my son works out with me sometimes and my daughter makes for an awesome extra 25 pound resistances during planks and push ups. Haha. There is NO junk in my house, we are happier, healthier and doing this TOGETHER. 

Don't give up! Be a light, shine by example.. Joy is contagious! 

To say this is an answered prayer is an understatement. I'm so thankful that our family is making active steps each day to be healthier and encourage each other.

Other people have joined in too! My 21 Day Fix Challenge group is on FIRE! The first 6 days on the program they are already down over 20 pounds combined. That's incredible!

This program works. 30 minutes a day working out, simple easy to follow nutiriton guide with portion control measuring containers, and I replace 1 meal a day with Shakeology. 

This round of 21 Day Fix I upped my weights the last 2 weeks. Man I've been sore! It's been challenging, but in a good way! 

Here are my results from this round of 21 Day Fix:

3 pounds lost

2.25 inches and I went down 1 pant size!

And now... here are my total stats lost since beginning 21 Day Fix and Shakeology 11 months ago:

Since Starting 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme:

Chest: -2 inches

R Arm: -2 inches

L Arm: -2.5 inches

Waist: -5 inches

Hips: -5 inches

Rt Thigh: -3 inches

Lft Thigh: -3 inches

Butt: -3 inches

Total inches Lost: 25.5 inches

Total Weight Lost: 26 pounds

You can read more about it here

Today on day 21 I put on a pair of pants I haven't been able to fit into for two years! 30 min a day work outs, my daily Shakeology, portion control and clean eating. When I started my first round last August I was 6 months postpartum after my 2nd c-section and had no core strength. I couldn't get through 10 seconds of burpees the first time I did Cardio Fix. Now, I can go the whole minute and then some! The physical strength I've gained is worth so much more to me than the # on the scale! I'm ready and excited to begin 21 Day Fix Extreme tomorrow!

Are you looking to get started with a healthier lifestyle? Are you just not sure where to start? Or maybe you know where you want to start but just need someone to give encouragement? I would love to be your coach and help you.

Send me a message at coachjennym@gmail.com or you can sign up at www.beachbodycoach.com/lifelight up and it will automatically make me your coach for free.

Recipe: 21 Day Fix approved "Chicken Fried Rice"

You guys, I think I just made my favorite 21 Day Fix friendly recipe to date. My Hubby is on day 5 of 21 Day Fix and has been doing so well. His favorite take out dish is Chicken Fried rice. So I thought to myself, can I come up with a variation that he'd approve of that tasted delicious and was 21 day fix compliant?

Ok are you ready for it? 

Here it is....

Ingredients: 

2 chicken breasts (chopped into smaller pieces)

2 cups brown rice (cooked)

2 eggs (scramble separately)

1 cup chopped cooked carrots

1 cup chopped yellow pepper (or whatever color you prefer)

1/2 onion (diced)

2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos

1 cup sliced green onions

other seasoning to taste

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions: 

- Take a large skillet pan and heat on high. Spray or add oil to season the pan (I use Trader Joe's Coconut Oil spray)

- Cook chicken and onions together. Once cooked, add yellow peppers and olive oil. Stir frequently. - While these ingredients are cooking, in a separate small pan scramble 2 eggs. Once they are cooked add them to the large pan and then add rest of ingredients. Mix frequently for 3-5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

This recipe makes 4 servings. Each serving equals:

1 Yellow

1 Red

1 Green

1 Orange

Comment below if you've tried this recipe! I'd love to hear from you and what you thought of it!

Basil Garlic Zucchini "Zoodles" Recipe

Making Zucchini noodles (also known as "zoodles") is a great way to incorporate more veggies into your meals and uses less processed foods such as pasta (also they are Gluten Free friendly). Zoodles are so versatile! I use them as spaghetti, stir fries, salads and soups... So many possibilities!

Here is a new recipe I came up with last night. 

Basil Garlic Zoodles:(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 zucchinis

1/4 sweet onion

1 or 2 hand fulls of fresh basil (chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (pressed or finely chopped)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

Directions: 

-Take whatever tool you use to spiral your zucchini (I use the Zoodle Slicer) and make noodles out of both your zucchinis.

- take a medium pan and heat it up on the stove with the olive oil. 

-Once it's hot turn it down to medium and add garlic and onions. 

-Once the onions begin to turn translucent add the zucchini, fresh basil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. 

-Toss frequently (I like to use tongs while cooking these). 

- Takes about 5-7 minutes to cook. Then take off heat immediately (you don't want soggy noodles).

Warning: Your kitchen will smell AMAZING.

You could serve/eat these as is.Or you could add a little marinara on top. Here is how I served them last night for our 21 Day Fix compliant dinner:

(Pesto Chicken Sausage, Basil Garlic noodles with 1/2 cup marinara sauce, and brown rice)

21 Day Fix Portion Tracker: Equaled: 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 purple

Enjoy!

Where do you want to be 1 year from now?

I debated posting this but I decided to go for it. I was scrolling through my timehop app this morning and came across the picture on the left. 

1 year ago today was 6 months postpartum, tired, sluggish and just overall not feeling great. I was coming up on my 29th birthday and vowed that I wasn't going to enter my 30's feeling this way. Shortly after this I started 21 Day Fix. 

Picture on the left is this morning. One year later. I've stuck to my 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts, drink my Shakeology and eliminated a lot of junk from my diet. It has not been easy by any means, but am I glad I've stuck with this? YES. Not only am I healthier, but I am able to take better care of my family and help others. 

So my thought for today is: Don't give up, you didn't get to this point over night. It takes hard work, dedication and making that choice daily to keep going to reach the goals you have. 

Also, I want to say that feeling strong physically is great, but the true strength is from inside... That is the real good stuff! I make the choice daily to live for Jesus, to share His word with truth and grace. My hope and strength comes from Him. "Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3)

Where do you want to be 1 year from now? What are your goals? If I can help you anyway I am hear to support and cheer you on. I would love to be your coach! Comment here or send me a message at CoachJennyM@gmail.com and let's talk about what we can do to help you reach your goals :)

Have a blessed day Everyone!

Quick Fix: My Fitness/Kitchen Tool Essentials (Healthy Edition)

Hi Friends! I've been asked a few times what gadgets/kitchen essentials I use to help work towards my health and fitness goals. 

(Click on the image to open Amazon)

1. The original Zoodle Slicer: I LOVE this thing! It gets used more than most of my kitchen gadgets. I love to make zucchini noodles out of these. It's a great low calorie substitute for regular pasta. You can make spirals out of all sorts of veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.)

(Click on the picture to open Amazon)

2. My Fitbit!: If you are like me and love stats, then this is right up your alley! It tracks your steps, calories burned, sleeping pattern... You can track your food intake, work outs and water intake on the app that automatically syncs with this little band that is on your wrist. I only have to charge it once a week too! Also, it syncs to MyFitnesspal.com app which is where I track my calorie intake and work outs. So I don't have to enter in the info twice. 

(Click on picture to open Amazon)

3. Immersion blender: This is the one I have and I use it multiple times a day. I use it to make my bullet proof coffee (recipe coming soon), mix my Shakeology, and I use it when cooking often. 

(Click picture to open link)

4. My Shakeology Shaker cup: This is great for when I'm working in the office, or out running around and don't have my immersion blender with me. My Hubby also uses this to drink his Shakeology on his way to work in the morning.

5. Bowflex weights: I've had these bad boys for almost 7 years now and they still work just like they did when I first bought them! If you don't have space in your house like me for a big rack of weights, these weights are great to have! The weights range from 5-50 pounds each and they go up in 2.5 increments. Totally recommend these!

(Click on picture to go to Link)

6. 21 Day Fix Portion Control Containers!: These were a game changer for me. For months I was tracking my calories EVERDAY and not losing weight. I was frustrated and didn't know why this wasn't working for me. When I started 21 Day Fix and used these containers to measure my food intake for each meal... that's when everything changed. I lost 11 pounds my first round. I still use these cups everyday to help me make sure I'm eating the proper portion of each food group.

A few other items I recommend having that I don't have a necessary "brand" to share with you...

7. Kitchen Knives: Having a few good knives is a plus! Makes chopping and meal prep so much easier

8. Cutting Board: I have to separate ones I use. One for veggies/fruit, and one for meats.

9. Workout/Yoga Mat: I use just a basic one that I got from Target. I keep it rolled up in my hall closet so I have easy access for my work outs that call for one. I use it a lot when doing Piyo and again on Pilates Fix and Yoga Fix on 21 Day Fix. 

10. Workout Shoes: This is so very important. Make sure you have a good pair of tennis shoes to do your workouts.

I hope this was helpful for you! If you have any questions or would like to join Team Life Light Up you can comment here or send me an email at coachjennym@gmail.com

Have a blessed day!

Jenny

Healthy Eating Fixes: Movie Theater Edition

This weekend my son and I got to have a Mommy and me night out! We've been looking forward to seeing Inside Out for weeks and this weekend we made it happen. Being on day 6 of this round of 21 Day Fix I wanted to make sure I was prepared with healthy snacks so that I wasn't tempted by the deliciousness of Movie Theater Popcorn goodness or nacho cheese. Have you ever noticed how expensive theater food is?! It's ridiculous! So not only was helping my body by bringing clean foods, I was helping my wallet and saving money.

Snacks that we brought:

1. dried apple slices

2. baby carrots

3. Trail mix (raisins, cashews, almonds, coconut and dried cranberries.)

4. Lara Bar

5. Seaweed Crisps

6. Honest Juice Box (for my son)

7. La Croix Sparking Water (for me)

And you know what? We didn't even eat it all! We left the theater with happy hearts from quality time together, and happy bellies from the good fuel we ate!

I use to think that when it was time for Family outings, Birthday Dinners etc, that it was just "throw in the towel" day for eating. But it's really possible to still have fun with those you love, eat, healthy, and give your kids the tools they need to make better eating choices as well! Don't get me wrong, I think it's good to have a splurge meal every once in a while. I think saving those splurges for something you really want (your favorite sushi roll, tacos from your favorite restaurant, etc.) instead of just something random for the sake of "splurging". 

Want a few more ideas of things you can take with you to the Movies?

1. Pop your own Popcorn! I've seen some great recipes on pinterest for popping your own popcorn with just a little coconut oil and salt. Clean, simple and delicious! If you carry a Marry Poppins purse like me you can bring a big bag of it with you, or if you are normal (I kid) and carry a smaller bag, just put a few snack size zip log bags worth of it in there and you'll be good to go.

2. Rice Cakes

3. Fruit: Grapes and sliced apples are great easy portable snacks

4. Kale Chips

5.Sliced Cucumber: I like to slice up a cucumber and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on it. Makes for a nice little crunch snack.

I hope these ideas helped you! Just remember that each step we take making better food choices will bring closer to our goals. This isn't a diet, or a quick fix. This is a lifestyle change to help you and your family be healthy, happier, and able to serve others!