5 Tips to Drink More Water

Water. 

We all know it's good for us and better than juices and soda, but why is it so hard to drink?

I go by the rule of thumb to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Sometimes I drink a little less, sometimes I drink a little bit more. I've reached the point now where I can gauge, based on how I'm feeling, if I should drink more or less water.

But water is BORING. It is no fun. But it sure does beat additives and chemicals and uneccessary added sugar.

Here's how to get more of that H2O goodness in, based on tried and true tips from yours truly, ex-water hater:

Infuse it.

Try some slices of lemon or lime. Try some sliced berries. Try some herbs. There are dozens of magical combinations of ingredients that can infuse water to make it taste more exciting than...well, plain water.

Get a fancy water bottle.

Buy a water bottle you don't mind carrying around with you all day. Sip from it throughout the day. At your desk, at red lights in your car, while doing the laundry. If it's with you at all times, you'll be more likely to take advantage of it. Another added benefit of your water bottle is that you can figure out how many times you need to drink and refill it each day to hit your target about of water intake per day based on how many ounces it holds. My Shakeology shaker cup is a lifesaver for me. I bring it to work in the AM full of Shakeology, clean it out when I'm done, and then I'll toss in a lemon wedge and fill it with water for the rest of the day. I know if I refill my cup with water and finish it four times, I am on the right track.

Set a reminder in your phone. 

So basic. Set reminders in your phone to go off at regular intervals throughout the day. Haven't drank xx ounces by then? Time to step it up.

Drink a glass of water as soon as your wake up, before each meal, and after using the rest room.

These cues will help you rehydrate when you either need it or in order to help digestion (like before meals).

Set a goal and track your progress each day. 

Compete against yourself. I am competitive. I don't like to lose, especially against myself. Write down, in ounces, how much water you've had to drink each day. If it's no where near your target, challenge yourself the next day to beat the previous day's intake until you've reached my target.

Those are my top five tips! Now I'm curious--how do you make sure you drink enough water? Got a favorite way to dress up your water? 

30 Days of Gratitude in April

Something exciting has been happening in my life lately.

A simple little act that literally takes five minutes, and incorporating it into my daily routine has profoundly made an impact.

What is this simple, tiny, act?

Gratitude.

Every morning, I wake up, make my coffee, sit quietly, and meditate on all the reasons I have to be grateful. Less focus on the crappy, more focus on what's better, and an all-around happier self. It takes me only five minutes, but it truly sets a tone for my day.

My family.
My day job.
This job, the one where I get to help people set goals and change their lives.
My friends.
Our home.
My health.

Seriously, there is SO much to be thankful for, I couldn't even list it all here.

And then I had an idea.

What if I could spread this amazing feeling to others? Help others see the best parts of their lives?

So I put some pen to paper, and planned out this 30-day challenge to allow people to practice this amazingly simple act that can change so much. I call it a challenge, and while it might be for some, my goal is to bring realization that life is beautiful and while it might not SEEM like we have a lot to be grateful for, you can find gratitude daily.

It'll take place in a private Facebook group, but you are more than welcome to share publicly on your own social media feeds (maaaaybe there will even be a hashtag?!).

Each day for 30 days we'll focus on one word or concept. You can reflect on it, share it with the group, journal it, write about it, take a photo...however you choose to express your gratitude each day, do that.  Do what makes you happy, but always take a few minutes to reflect.

This is a group challenge, but it can be completely personal as well. If you don't feel comfortable sharing, I respect that, but my ultimate goal is to raise up the amazing things in our lives because those are the things that deserve our attention. I look forward to learning things about others, what makes them tick, what makes them happy--what brings JOY.

My joy might not be your joy, but that's the beauty of focusing on these things.

This 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge will start on April 1 and continue for the duration of the month.

If you are interested, please fill out this form and I will reach out to you via email.

I can't wait to find the joy in our lives together. This is going to be amazing.

14-Day Clean Eating Challenge Group

We are officially in the last week of the Guns, Buns, and Abs Challenge, and I've had a few questions on "What's next?"

I've got some really cool stuff planned through the month of June, which I am SO excited about. For starters, I am going to start running Clean Eating Challenge Groups every other month. On the "other" month, we will be doing some sort of longer fitness or other kind of challenge.

All of this on top of my Premiere Boot Camps! We will be busy, busy, busy...but I LOVE it!

Starting Monday, March 9, my next clean eating Challenge Group will begin.

This is a FREE challenge (except for the cost of food, of course!). I want to be able to reach anyone who is looking to change their eating habits for the better. Getting back to the basics is sometimes the most important step in creating change and good habits.

The group will take place in a private Facebook Group. I will share some of my resources for recipes, food lists, and cooking tips. I strive to make this a positive group setting where you will find support and accountability,

Each group member will eat clean for the 14 day duration of the challenge, drink plenty of water, check in with a summary of what you've been eating for the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks), get at least seven hours of sleep, and contribute to conversation, recipe sharing, and provide support to other challengers in the group. We are all at different stages and levels in our journeys. If you are already practicing a clean eating lifestyle, you might be able to help someone who is just starting out! That's what these groups are all about.

For more information, please fill out the form below, and I will send you the information on how to join us for the next 14 days! Registration for this Challenge Group will end on March 6 to allow everyone to get situated and start preparing.



**I am not a nutritionist or a registered dietitian, but I do like sharing with others what has worked for me. I can provide suggestions on what to eat, replacements for certain things, and some tips on meal planning, but please know that I am not an expert. You should always talk with a nutritionist or registered dietitian to get customized information on what is best for you.**

Beachbody On Demand is Here!

I can't believe I am just NOW announcing this news!

Starting TODAY you can join the Team Beachbody Club and get instant online access to over $1000 worth of workouts through Beachbody On Demand.

Yes, I really just said $1000.

So, what is the Team Beachbody Club? It's a paid online subscription service, billed quarterly, that gives you access to all kinds of amazing resources--meal plans, VIP interviews with trainers, fitness & nutrition advice, a FREE coach (which would be me!), AND a 10% discount on all Team Beachbody purchases--including Shakeology.

And if that's not enough--now you get unlimited instant online access to these programs (and a few more), that can be streamed on any laptop, desktop, tablet, or mobile device with high speed internet INCLUDING corresponding program schedules and nutrition plans:

PLUS you'll get sneak peeks of newer release programs like 21 Day Fix Extreme, Focus T25, Insanity Max: 30, PiYo, and P90. This is a great way to try out newer programs before making the commitment to order it on DVD. New workouts will be added monthly, so with a Team Beachbody Club membership, you have access to a HUGE library of workouts and resources to help you reach your goals.

What is really awesome about this is that you can BUNDLE it with Shakeology for its own Challenge Pack. Basically, you pay for Shakeology and get a 90-day trial of the Team Beachbody Club Membership, including On Demand streaming for $10.

Mind = blown.

So, if you're not sure which program is right for you, or travel often, or want to try new things before purchasing a whole program on DVD, or don't want to be bogged down by DVDs, or want to do your workouts while you're at the gym from your phone...this is for YOU.

This is going to be an absolute game changer for so many people. And it is an exclusive purchase ONLY through a Coach (hey, that's me!), so if you are interested, I suggest you fill out the form below ASAP!

Okay, now that I've gotten all my excitement about Beachbody On Demand out of the way, I have a couple more announcements & housekeeping:

For the month of March my soulmate program, Focus T25, is on sale with Shakeology! It is some weird amazing coincidence that this program would go on sale during the month of my one-year anniversary of pushing play for the first time ever.

If you love Chalene Johnson, you'll LOVE Turbo Fire, which is also on sale this month with Shakeology.

And and and...if you are looking for a short, simple cleanse to fast-track weight loss, kick-start healthy eating, and get a clean break from bad eating habits, then the 3-Day Refresh is also on sale with Shakeology this month!

For details about Team Beachbody On Demand, or any of the three offers outlined above, please fill in the form below and I will reach out to you!

Egg & Veggie "Muffins"

I'd just like to preface this post with a quick warning: I am certainly not a food blogger. Nine times out of 10 I do my meal prep at night, so lighting is horrible my pictures of food are not pretty. But then again, I remind myself that I AM NOT a food blogger, and my goal is function over fashion here.

Just promise me we'll still be friends, okay?

Breakfast is several things to me. It is first and foremost my favorite meal of the day, so much so that sometimes we'll also have breakfast for dinner one night a week. Secondly, it is the hardest meal of the day for me to eat, for a couple reasons: rarely am I hungry enough to eat first in the morning (unless I work out as soon as I wake up and then OMG it is game on), and on weekdays I just don't have time to prepare a nice, hot, nutritious breakfast. From the time I wake up to the time I get to work, I am literally going non-stop. Thankfully I do have Shakeology to get me over that hurdle, but for my mid-morning meal I still like something that FEELS like a traditional breakfast meal.

That's where these egg & veggie "muffins" come in. I am all about convenience, all about preparing ahead, and all about eating yummy food. So these are like a win-win-win.

The best part is that they are SUPER easy to make ahead and freeze. AND you can customize them based on what kind of veggies you like--and just like that it occurred me to that I should totally add cooked & crumbled turkey bacon to these bad boys. I feel like that would be life-changing.

Anyway, I digress. Onto the recipe!

Here is what you'll need:

Veggies of choice
2 cups egg whites (or feel free to substitute whole eggs)
1 whole egg
Cheese (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)
Oil spray
Muffin tin

Whisk together your egg whites and whole egg. Season with salt and pepper.

Here are the veggies I used for this particular batch. Red and green pepper, white and red onion, mushrooms, and garlic.

I saute everything in a pan with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil to get the flavors mixed together, seasoned with salt and pepper.

...and then I had a ton of spinach to use, so I threw a couple handfuls of that in just before I was finished and let that wilt down.

Spoon the veggies into your prepared muffin tin.

Pour the eggs over top of the veggies. Add a pinch of cheese to the top of each muffin and a drop or two of your favorite hot sauce if you like some heat (I do!). 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until eggs are set.

These usually pop right out of the tin with no problem. I set them aside to cool, and then portion two "muffins" into a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer.

The night before I know I'll need them, I take a bag out of the freezer and put it into the fridge to thaw overnight, and then pop them in the microwave for a minute or two until heated. You *can* reheat these from frozen, but you'll get a lot of water off of them on your plate.

I usually will eat two with one slice of sprouted-grain toast or a half of a sweet potato. For my 21 Day Fixers, you've got red, green, yellow, blue, and a tsp. covered, depending on what you add to these, how many you eat, etc.

With a little planning and a little prep-work, it is TOTALLY do-able to ensure that you are having a healthy, satisfying meal each morning.

And with that, I'm curious...what's your favorite breakfast food?