Beachbody on Demand

I'm so excited for Beachbody's newest workout program option to be launched on Monday. Are you the type who has workout ADD? It seems like you always want to do more than one program. Maybe on Monday you want to do the 21 Day Fix and then on Tuesday you think you want to do Piyo. On Wednesday you want to do P90X2. Now you can.

Starting Monday with the purchase of your club membership you will get access to Beachbody on Demand. This will allow you to stream workouts where ever you are right on your computer. Do you like taking your workout to the gym? Well no you can. Travel a lot? No problem all different types of workouts are available right at a few clicks of a button. Plus you'll get all the digital versions of the program guides and workout calendars so you can start seeing results today.


The best part bout it is that for the month of March you can get Beachbody on Demand and one month of Shakeology on sale as a Challenge Pack. This will allow you to jump start your fitness goals. This gives you access to the club membership tools and Beachbody on demand for three months. After three months you'd pay the quarterly fee to continue having access to these features.

With the Club membership you have access to a customizable meal planner. You also get access to trainer tips. videos, VIP chat rooms, recipes, nutrition tools and blogs. Now it will include Beachbody on Demand too. To keep it fresh the workouts will be updated monthly. You'll never run out of options.

Now you may be wondering what workouts are included. At launch there will be:

• P90X base and deluxe kits
• P90X2 base and deluxe kits
• P90X3 Base and Deluxe Kids
• P90X one on one volume 1
• Insanity Base and Deluxe Kits
• Insanity:  The Asylum Volume 1
• Turbofire
• Brazil Butt Lift Base and Deluxe Kits
• ChaLean Extreme
• 10 Minute Trainer
• Hip Hop Abs

Also included is a one workout "sneak peak" from some of the newer programs:

• 21 Day Fix Total Body Cardio Fix
• 21 Day Fix Extreme Plyo Fix Extreme
• Piyo sweat
• Focus T25 Alpha Cardio
• Insanity Max 30 Sweat Intervals
• Body Beast Build Chest and Tris
• P90 Sculpt

Does this sound like something you may be interested in? I have a challenge group starting preseason on Monday March 2nd. We will start workouts on Monday March 9th. This would be a perfect option for this group. This will be a 30 day group. You pick the workout (I can help you with this). You commit to replacing one meal a day with Shakeology. I teach you portion control, give you meal plans, recipes, tips and help you in your journey. Together we can get your body ready for Spring and warmer weather clothes. Sounds awesome Right?

I'm looking forward to helping you reach you workout goals. Either send me an email pittdrum98@gmail.com or fill out the contact form on my blog and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Let's get started today!  

Month One with Four

I cannot believe D is one month old today. Where did the month go? Everyone said to me that once you have 2 kids the rest get easier. I never believed this until now. It has been the easiest transition for us yet. This may be a skewed perception though as we went from 1 to 3 overnight so 3to 4 doesn't seem like a big deal at all.

A is such a great big sister. She loves holding D. She kisses and hugs her whenever she gets a chance. She is most likely to be seen trying to burp her or make her quit crying. I'm so lucky to have an older child this time around.

B is more of the lover. She will want to bounce the baby but has no patience so it looks like she is going to give her whip lash. She is the first one to jump up when you ask for something because she will do anything to get D to stop crying.

C is still surprising me. She doesn't want to hold her baby sister. She loves her and gives her kisses but isn't as affectionate like the other two. After a month she finally held her last night. She is also doing things to act out because she is no longer the youngest. I know it will get better soon.

D is a great baby and is pretty laid back. We do have a period of time from about 8-10 where she will just want to eat and eat and eat. If you put her down before she is full she will just scream. This has been the hardest adjustment for us as this was Brian and I's time together. We know that this is only a season but it is hard knowing Brian went back to work this week.

She is growing. In one month she is 2 pounds over her birth weight. We had to pull out the 0-3 month clothes as the newborn size didn't fit her.

She is also strong. She can already hold her head up and loves tummy time.

I'm so thankful for my morning Shakeology. There are many days I couldn't get through without it. It is so easy to make. I can make it and drink it one handed while nursing. Then I have energy for the rest of the day. I also know that at least one meal I'm getting all the nutrients I need.

I also resumed working out last week. It felt good to start working out again. I love getting my body moving. It also helps me get my energy up when I really want to hide in the afternoon.

All in all month one has been awesome. I loved having three weeks with Brian at home. It was nice to reconnect as a couple. I also enjoyed just holding D and not having to worry about laundry, cooking, etc. I'm so lucky my husband can do that and help me in that way. Week one solo with four girls was awesome. Besides picking A up late from PERK one day and dropping her off late another it went real well. I'm excited to see what month two will bring. I'm so blessed.

Roasted Carrots

This morning I decided to try something new for my MOPS meeting and decided to make Roasted Carrots. I usually roast broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts but have never tried carrots. I really needed something quick and easy as I didn't have much time. I also didn't have many options and we had two bags of carrots so I knew I needed to do something with them. The ladies at my table loved them.

Ingredients:
6 cups Baby Carrots
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix Olive Oil, Honey and spices together in a small bowl.
3. Coat the carrots in the oil, honey, spice mixture.
4. Place on a cookie sheet. Make sure there are none overlapping.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

If you are on the 21 Day Fix and eat one cup of these they count for one green container and one tsp. I hope you enjoy these as much as my MOPS ladies did. Have a blessed day!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

I didn't feel real well this weekend and decided to make the girls a special breakfast. Here was what I came up with. Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal. B loved it so much she had three bowls full. I'll definitely make this one again.

Ingredients:
7 cups pureed pumpkin
3 cups oats (I used steel cut variety)
1/2 cup almond milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/8 cup honey
2 Tbsp. Molasses
2 Tbsp. mashed banana

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix all ingredients into a large bowl.
3. Pour all ingredients into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

One serving is approximately two cups. If you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan this counts for 1 Purple, One Yellow, 1/3 Red, and 2 tsp. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did.

Ready for Week 2

I am so excited for week 2. It is the second week in my Pick Your Fix group and it is the first week in my Busy Moms group. IT is so much fun to see the interaction in these two groups. I love helping new challengers and seeing their own "ah ha" moments.

I'm hoping week 2 for me is better than week 1. During week 1 I struggled with nutrition. I am hoping that during week 2 I can get my nutrition in check. I also only did six out of the seven workouts because of my cold. My goal is to get all seven completed this week.

Here is my schedule for the week:

 

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Week 2 21 Day Fix 2015

I also wanted to show you a fun picture I shared with my Busy Moms group. Here was my sleep record from Friday night from my Fitbit:

Yes you read that right I slept for less than 2 hours! I was awake 10 times. No wonder I cannot kick this cold.
It is time to get serious. Bring it week 2. Here is my mantra for the week:

 

21 Day Fix Week 1

I'm so excited to be working out again and back to my favorite workout the 21 Day Fix. This week I did great on doing the workouts but my nutrition wasn't great. We still have way too many treats in the house.

Monday was Total Body Cardio Fix. I used 5 lb weights. I had to modify the cross country skiers, but otherwise did the entire workout without modifications. I was a lot slower than I used to be but I have to start somewhere. Three weeks of no activity has really hurt me. I'm sore as I write this but I'm glad I'm sore. it feels great.

My food was good today until dinner. A friend brought us sloppy Joes and corn casserole. She also made brownies. The brownies were made with baby food in place of the oil and water. They were so good so I ate a small one.

Tuesday was Upper Body. I used 5 and 8 pound weights. I wasn't as sore as my first round of the fix this time. I remember my first round on day 2 I could barely walk up the stairs or sit down on the toilet my quads and hamstrings were so sore. This time it isn't as bad. I had to modify the pushups and do them on my knees. I also had to put my knees down on the forearm plank 45 seconds in, but then I got right back up and finished the 60 seconds. Autumn says you need to push past the mental and that was me today.

Food wise I did good until I had one of those brownies. I'm only human and the chocolate was calling me from my lack of sleep.

This morning was rough. I didn't want to work out. I had a long night last night and really just wanted to sleep but I pushed through and made myself push play. I was so glad I did. Lower body was so good. It helped stretch everything back out. It felt so good to move. I felt so energized after my workout.

a friend brought mac and cheese tonight. plus another friend had brought us chicken parmesan and roasted broccoli. Needless to say I ate too much. I'm struggling as I'm starting to get sick and am really tired.

Thursday brought plates. I needed the stretch today. It felt so good lengthening everything back out. The side series in this workout is s killer. My butt was on fire. I loved every minute though.

I did better on my nutrition today. I stayed within my containers. I was proud of myself. My eye is Real infected and I am really sick.

Today was Cardio Fix. I really felt yucky but decided to press play anyways. It was hard to push myself through this workout as it is really had to breath. I keep coughing and my throat is really sore. I'm extremely stuffy but I got it done. I had to modify the forearm plank series St the end. I did the hold on my feet but had to do the hop drop on my knees. not bad for three weeks after having baby number four.

My nutrition was good until dinner. We ordered pizza as neither of us felt like cooking. I ate way too much.

Saturday morning brought with it both eyes infected, a sore throat, phlegm producing cough and a really stuffy nose. I also had a migraine. There was no way I could press play today. I had to finally listen to my body and tale a rest day. It sucked as I really wanted to make this round s good one nut if I don't get better I'm no good to anyone.

I also had a hard nutrition day as family brought KFC for dinner. I kept my proportions but know I know I had way too much salt. I couldn't get enough water.

Sunday was Yoga Fix time. I need the stretch so I pushed play. It felt do good. I'm feeling s little better. I'm hoping week two is better. I'm really hoping I'll feel better soon. Hope everyone had a great week.

Ways to keep the weight lose going

So I think we've all started a work put program and for the first few month things are awesome. We are losing weight and/or inches. We are feeling great. We are proud. People are starting to notice our progress. Our clothes fit better. We maybe even had to pull out a smaller size.

Then one day we step on the scale and see we've plateaued. We are doing everything the same and are wondering why we cannot lose those last few pounds.

Here are some ideas of how to keep the weight loss moving.

First maybe you should consider changing your workout. Try a different workout that works other muscles groups. Try something new. For me when I saw results slow with the 21 Day Fix I switched to Piyo. It used different muscles and was different in style and helped me loss more.

Don't want to invest in a new program? Try pushing yourself harder during your workout. Increase the weight. Increase your number of reps. Push yourself to where that last rep is so challenging you fell like you couldn't do one more.

My next tip is my down fall. Cheat meals! Cut out all cheats and treats till your next weigh in. You should only be weighing in when starting or finishing a new program. If you want to weigh in more often then no more than once a month. You don't need to be a slave to the scale. Cut out all cheats and treats till that time.

Drink more water. Most of the time you may think you are hungry but you are actually thirsty instead. Make sure you are drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water. Also try drinking some hot lemon water. It will detox your body. It has many health benefits.

Limit your carbs. In the 21 day fix most categories have only 1-3 servings carbs. Limit these further to 1 or 2 servings a day. Maybe exchange a carb for a veggie if you are still hungry as the veggie will keep you fuller than the carb.

Don't eat fruit after 2pm. fruit has a lot of natural sugar. This natural sugar varies from fruit to fruit. For example pineapple has a lot of natural sugar. So try to not eat fruit after 2PM.

Lastly you can increase your protein and veggie. If you have a dairy or fruit snack switch it our for a veggie and protein. You need to get enough protein in your diet. Not getting enough will actually cause weight loss to stop.

Above all make sure you are eating enough! Some people starve themselves. They restrict their calories so much their bodies go into starvation mode and then they quit losing weight. So always make sure you are eating enough.

I hope these tips help you to continue your weight loss journey. I hope you have a blessed day.

Starting Again

So as of tomorrow I can finally work out again. I'm starting a day early as I feel great and 24 hours isn't going to make a difference. I'm going to be doing the 21 Day Fix. I had thrown around the idea of starting with the 21 Day Fix Extreme but  decided to do a round of the original Fix before moving on to extreme as I don't want to hurt myself right as I finally aloud to work out again.

Here is my workout scheduled for the week:

I will be adding the Ab video everyday as I know I need to tone up that area after having baby # 4.

Here was me three weeks ago and 38 weeks pregnant:

 Here is my pictures from this morning and where I am starting this round:

The last three weeks have been really rough. The lack of sleep is getting to me. With the first baby it is really easy to sleep when the baby sleeps. Now with the forth it is hard to sleep when the baby sleeps as I have three other little girls wanting my attention.

It has also been a tough three weeks as the three older girls have all been sick. They have been up multiple times a night.  I've been doing a lot of snacking as I'm tired and need to keep going!

Here is the weight I'm starting out at:

I'm starting out 5 pounds heavier than I did last April when I started this journey. This is a win since after babies 2 and 3 I was well over 200 pounds after delivery.

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Week 1 Meal Plan
As you can see I have a couple of wild card days as a friend is bringing us some meals. I know this round my food is going to be the hardest part as I am always hungry. My three week old is having two two hour long feeding sessions and is also eating every two hours. I'm hoping by adding the extra categories I can keep my snacking down to a minimum.

I'm excited to see what the next 21 days bring. I'm also excited as my Pick Your Fix group started workouts today and my Busy Moms group started preseason. I'm so glad to have the accountability this round. I also kicked of my clean eating course with my downline coach Sandra. I'm excited to teach people the basics of clean eating. This is such a fun month and I'm excited to be where I am today! I'm excited to start today and I'll keep you updated on my progress. I hope everyone has a blessed day.

Lent Experiment

What if for 40 days we added something instead of gave up something. What if for Lent instead of picking something to fast from we did something to enhance other's lives. Today is valentine's Day and I keep thinking about God's love and how we can show God's love to others. The Lenten season ends with the ultimate act of love. Jesus died on the cross so our sins were forgiven. Then he rose from the dead so we can spend eternal life with God.

In Karen Ehman's book Keep it Shut she proposed one idea like this. She said she bought notecards and wrote encouragement to people all 40 days of lent. She one day she wrote a thank you to the garbage man. Another day she may have picked the janitor. If you prayed about it I bet God would bring someone to mind each day that needed some extra encouragement.

Another idea especially if you have kids it to do something nice for your neighbors every day.  Maybe they could help you bake cookies for the neighbors. They could create cards for the neighbors. You could help shovel snow, pick up leave, clean up yards. Think about how much better your neighborhood would be.

At Christmas time you always see Small Acts of Kindness Advent calendars. What if we did something similar for Lent. One day you tape change to a vending machine. Another day you can take food to the fire station. Call your local animal shelter and see what they need and take that to them. Here is one example we did at Christmas.

Just think if we each did this for 40 days. If we focused on others instead of ourselves. If we showed gratitude instead of complaining about what we don’t have. I think we would be changed. We would also change others. Maybe someone would feel appreciated or loved when they normally don’t. Who is in with me?

Frozen Silly Putty

Today the girls needed some kind of activity. We have been in the house a lot lately. Because of the new baby we haven't even gotten in the car to take A to school. I had found a blog that talked about making Frozen silly putty (http://pagingfunmums.com/2014/06/13/frozen-silly-putty/). I decided to try it since we had all the ingredients.

The girls had a ton of fun making it and the science was cool!

Ingredients
1 147 mL bottle clear Elmer's glue
147 MLS water
blue food coloring
blue glitter
1/2 tsp. borax
1/2 cup hot water

Directions
1. Pour glue into a bowl
2. Add equal amount of water to glue and stir well.
3. Add a few drops of food coloring and stir well.
4. Add glitter and stir well.
5. In a separate cup add the borax to the 1/2 cup hot water.
6. Now add the borax water to the glue mixture and watch the science happen.

We had so much fun making stuff. I think next time we will add less borax as it was to viscous. They didn't want to quit playing with it. We made a huge mess and enjoyed every moment.

And this is what D thought of it all:

I hope your kids enjoy this as much as mine did.

Reading Books

I often get asked how I can read so many books in the course of a year. Most people cannot believe I can read at least four books a month with three children under 5 in the house. Two of these are usually bible studies. The other two are usually personal development. I also usually read one fun book a month. Then I have my devotional readings that I do each morning. So how do I do it?

I make my devotional time a priority each morning. This may mean getting up 15-30 minutes earlier. It may mean that I read my devotionals out loud to the girls because they got up early. It may mean that at nap time I spend the first part of it with God before I work on my business stuff or work out. I may mean that I do it with my husband in the evening and we discuss and pray together. This is my one nonnegotiable in a day. I will spend time with God. It is usually first thing in the morning but let's face it life can be unpredictable and sometimes I have to put it in a different spot in my day.

My second thing I do is my personal development. I want to be the best I can be for both my family and my challengers of my Beachbody business. Most books have on average 12 chapters. I make it a priority to read one chapter  a day. Sometimes I break the chapter into sections and read one section in the morning while the girls are still sleeping and after my devotional. A second section in the afternoon while they are napping. A third section while I'm waiting for dinner to cook. Then finish off the chapter after I get the girls in bed. Others times I read the entire chapter in one sitting. Again I tailor this to my day depending on what the girls moods are like and what else I have planned for the day.

I also use this same formula for my bible study books. I just try to read when I can and make it a priority to finish a chapter a day. This means in a month I can finish two personal development books and two bible studies. I sometimes don't get to the bible study book and that's ok. I have a built in cushion as most books are only 12 chapters and there are usually 30 days in a month. This gives me 6 extra days to play with.

Lastly are my fun books. These only come out when everything else on my to do list is done. These usually come out at about 9:30 when all my work is done, the girls are completely asleep and I finished all my other reading I wanted to get done for the day. This is my way to unwind before bed. This is my rest. Someday I don’t get to my fun book at all. Other days I read 30 minutes. Yet others I read two pages and fall asleep on the couch. The blessing of these books are that they are purely there for relaxation and recreation so it doesn't matter how much I read or how long it takes me to read.

I hope these ideas inspire some of you to read more. I'm always looking for new personal development books and bible studies to read. So leave me a comment and let me know what you are reading right now or any good books that you think I should read. Have a blessed day everyone.

Sausage Spinach Soup Recipe

 I have been absolutely obsessed with my crock pot lately. I love how easy it is to throw everything in it, turn it on and walk away. Then come back in a few hours later and have a delicious nutritious meal to feed my family. I love leaving and then coming home to the smell of a home cooked meal. This was a new creation for me. I really was hungry for sausage and spinach turnovers but didn't want to ruin my clean eating with all the dough and cheese required to make them so I decided to make something up.

 Ingredients:

2 lbs. sausage
1 bunch leeks (about 3 good sized)
1 family pack peeled and cubed butternut squash
3 cloves garlic
2 small packages sliced mushroom
2 frozen bags of spinach (you could probably substitute kale here but I didn't have any in the fridge)
4 -8 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Poultry seasoning

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in a medium sauce pan with garlic and spices
2. Add leeks and mushrooms to the sausage and cook until leeks are translucent and mushrooms are cooked down
3. Put this mixture into the crock pot.
4. Add the frozen spinach and butternut squash.
5.  Add the chicken broth. Put enough to cover everything you have in the crock pot.
6. Cook 4-6 hours on low.
7. Enjoy!

This made enough that we had it for dinner one night and then I froze the rest for when the baby comes. I'm excited to defrost the leftovers and have it again. Hope everyone has a blessed day.