Bucket List Races...to be continued

Crater Lake Marathon @ Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, 
Saturday, August 12th, 2017 

Vail HillClimb @ Vail, Colorado 
July 8, 2017 

GoldenLeaf Half Marathon @ Snowmass Village to Aspen, Colorado 
September 24, 2016

Stone Cat Marathon @ Willowdale State Forest, Ipswitch, MA 
November 5, 2016 

Loon Mountain Race @ Loon Mountain Resort, Lincoln, New Hampshire
July 2, 2017

IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant Training: January to Race Day

What an incredible year! 2016 was definitely the "Year of Reviving Abby." I learned the hard way that when you stop exercising and eating well, your body SHOWS you. :-)

I actually thought that 2015 would be my year. I had an awesome career year (#1 salesperson of the year! That's a MAJOR accomplishment and I'm very proud). However, I was still 15 pounds overweight and I didn't have my body back yet.

I was ready to make a change.

I started the year as a Beachbody Coach and followed the #21DayFix workouts and nutrition plan religiously along with my challengers. That's a lot of leg days and arm days! Facebook is funny because it reminds you what you posted a year ago and I can see how much progress I've made. After about 9 months of doing those HIIT and strength workouts, I realized that I could do more. I signed up for a couple of trail runs. One was 7 miles. Then I got to thinking... if I can do 7 miles, then I can probably do 13.1. Then I thought, if I do do 13.1 miles... then what comes next? A marathon? Well, if I can do a marathon, I may as well do an IRONMAN! You see that logic? :-)

In true Abby fashion, as soon as I make a decision to do something I go full force. I signed up for IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant, signed with my triathlon coach QT2 to help develop a training program for a full-time working mom, and bought a triathlon bike (holy crap did I really just do that!?!?). 

After doing IRONMAN Arizona in 2010, I NEVER thought I'd submit myself to this level of competition again. But, things evolve and it's our nature to test ourselves. I started building base mid August and I've ramped from about 4 hours a week to my current stage which is 8 hours a week. My current routine is split between swim, bike, run, and my fav #21dayfix workouts. 

Starting in January I'll be ramping up from about 10 hours a week to my peak weeks in July of 18-20 hours a week. At the beginning of each training block we can submit a new schedule based on our availability. Here's what I requested:

Monday 

• 1 hour bike in morning
• 1 hour in afternoon of spin class, run, or lift

Tuesday 

• 1 hour swim in morning
• 1 hour in afternoon of spin class, run, or lift (I can increase this afternoon session to max 1.5 hours during peak times but prefer to keep it at one hour until I really need to ramp up)

Wednesday 

• 1 hour bike in morning
• 1 hour in afternoon of spin class, run, or lift (I can increase this afternoon session to max 1.5 hours during peak times but prefer to keep it at one hour until I really need to ramp up)

Thursday 

• 1 hour swim in morning
• 1 hour run in afternoon

Friday 

• long ride/run brick – any amount of time needed

Saturday 

• shorter ride/run brick – any amount of time needed

Sunday 

• swim – any amount of time needed (I can add some kind of running during peak times but would prefer to keep this at swim-only for the first few months)

Follow me on Insta @ ironman.mom or on my like page on FB!
 

2017 Race Schedule

IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant August 20, 2017

• 2.4 mile swim
• 112 mile bike
• 26.2 mile run

Farm to Fork Fondo Vermont July 16, 2017

• 93 miles
• 6,574 feet of climbing
• 7 Aid Stations at local farms
• 4 timed sections
• Two dirt road sections, rolling, navigable by road bike

Patriot 70.3 June 17, 2017

• 1.2 mile swim
• 56 mile ride
• 13.1 mile bike

Singer Island Half Marathon March 18, 2017 
time 2:17

Pick Your Poison - my meatless experiment gone awry

Oh, HEY ;) It's been a while. I've been busy figuring out my new IRONMAN training, how to eat for the additional output, testing a plant-based eating (which I did for 2 months and recently halted), working, taking care of the kiddos, and Beachbody coaching.

The combination of exercising more and subsequently being more hungry, compounded by this time of year (Halloween and all things sweet) has thrown me through a loop. To boot, as I started ramping up my training I also went meat-less. Let's just say that an excellent intention didn't go as planned.

What I didn't expect was that I started reaching for foods that were meat-less, but also less nutritious. Eating vegan doesn't have to be this hard, but the fact that most restaurants lack great vegan options makes it difficult. I found myself ordering pasta, chips, and things that I wouldn't consider ideal - but hey, they weren't meat!

theres another part to this story though, I started giving myself the freedom to eat more junk BECAUSE of the additional training. All of the habits that I had done such a good job breaking since becoming a Beachbody coach started creeping their way back into my life. I didn't like that.

It became a bit of pick your poison - meat or sugar?

I found myself in this position where I had actually GAINED weight despite training like a crazy person. They say you can't outrun a bad diet.. and I think I've proved that.

All of these changes got me thinking - I've never felt as confident as when I was strictly following the 21 Day Fix diet. There's a big confidence boost associated with knowing you're doing the right thing to create results. There's just no faking it, the diet works.

All of this couldn't come at a better time. Yesterday kicked off my first challenge group in a while. At least the first one that I've been mentally tuned into. We're completing the Core de Force workout program by Beachbody that just launched this month. Day 2 and I'm already feeling lighter in spirit.

I will definitely post before and after pics for you. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can stay in this positive mental state, because THAT is the one thing that I've found to really determine consistent success.

Follow my everyday progress at
https://m.facebook.com/getrockinfit/

Sample 21 Day Fix Meal Plan

Wrapping your head around how to construct your meals while following the 21 Day Fix can be a challenge at first. Once you figure out a few things that you like and how to balance it with your schedule, it gets a lot easier! Below is a super easy grab and go meal plan that I follow on days that I go to work.

Before I leave for work I blend my Shakeology and my green smoothie, separately :-), and throw those in a bag along with a Siggi's greek yogurt. On top of that, I have oats that I keep at my desk. For the greek yogurt & oats combo, I simply measure one yellow container and dump it into a bowl and mix with the yogurt. For lunch, I buy a salad! How easy is that? There's a great Mediterranean place next door and I can see exactly what goes into the salad. I skip the dressing but I do have them add the hot sauce and tahini sauce :-)

I eat my carbs by lunch time and taper off to just protein and healthy fat (cheese) at night. Everything is portioned by using the 21 Day Fix containers at the lowest calorie bracket.

Sample 21 Day Fix Meal Plan

7:30am cafe late Shakeology, 1/2 banana, 1 tsp peanut butter, ice, water, blended in a Ninja

10am 1/2 cup oats mixed with Siggi's greek yogurt

(workout)

12pm I buy a salad! Dark leafy greens, cucumber, tomato, parmesan flakes, olives, onions, carrots, red pepper, tabbouleh; and a side of rice and chicken shawarma

3pm green smoothie (made from home and stored in a fridge at work) lotsa spinach, mango, 1/2 banana, pineapple, coconut water

6:30pm chicken & cheese

I hope this helps! Feel free to follow me on my Get Rockin Fit Facebook Page for more ideas and motivation!

What to do when you're STILL HUNGRY

Hey all! I've been struggling to eat in my calorie bracket, which is the 1,200-1,499 range. I realized that with a couple of tweaks, I could feel full!

Here's what I did.

I was packing a huge salad for lunch, which I still believe is absolutely key because the nutrients in a salad are great for fighting and preventing disease. But, I usually workout around 11am so even if I eat all the veggies in the world I was still hungry.

Mentally, I decided to eat in a higher food bracket. What this means is eating more healthy whole foods and less junk.

Then I decided to bulk up my lunch. I am packing leftovers from dinner. For example, today I brought meatloaf, rice pilaf and roasted cauliflower. I'm packing 1 container each of red, yellow, and green. Adding this to my lunch has made all the difference!

Ironically, by mentally telling myself I can eat more and actually eating more for lunch... I'm more satisfied and by dinner time. In the end, I'm actually still eating within my original calorie bracket!

Just shifting foods around based on what time I'm working out and to match my own daily rhythm can make a huge difference.

Below is what I have planned for today. What I actually consume may vary a bit. I may add almonds during the day or something additional for dinner depending on how I'm feeling. I'm still light on protein but that's something I'm working on :-) Hopefully this gives you another idea on how to plan your day.

Meal Plan for 21 Day Fix calorie bracket 1,200-1,499

• 7:30am medium coffee with 2 creams (Dunkin' Donuts style)
• 9am apple with cheese (1 purple, 1/2 blue)
• workout
• 12pm dark leafy green salad with beets, yellow bell pepper, onion, carrots (2 greens); meatloaf leftovers with rice pilaf and roasted cauliflower (2 red, 1 yellow, 1 green)
• 3pm strawberries, Siggi's strawberry yogurt, oats (1 purple, 1 red, 1 yellow)
• 6pm Shakeology (1 red), banana (1 purple), water, ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (1 orange)
• Water, Water, Water!! (and more coffee, coffee, coffee :-)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 3 Green 2.5 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1/2 Blue 1 Orange

Follow my journey here! https://www.facebook.com/getrockinfit

Why Being a Coach is Awesome

If you've been following my health and fitness journey you know that I've lost over 50 pounds, twice, after having kids. Let me tell you, it didn't come easy.

Having been an athlete my whole life, my mentality had always been that I needed to run long distances to maintain my weight. Our boys are 14 months apart so in the beginning their naps took up almost the entire day. It was nearly impossible to get out of the house, let alone workout.

My boys were born in 2013 and 2014. In my head 2015 was going to me "my year". By the end of the summer I had increased my running to 7 miles but I still wasn't losing weight. November creeped in and I knew I had to get down to business. At the time I was 139 pounds and would have been happy with any weight under 130. 

I found 21 Day Fix and started drinking Shakeology. Within 2 weeks I lost 6 pounds. Within 2-3 months I lost 15 pounds. I felt like I had cleansed my body of all that fat and sour grapes that I had been holding on to. I feel so strongly about the balanced approach that worked so well for me that I created *Get Rockin' Fit*  to inspire other moms who need that tiny nudge to get headed in the right direction again... because that's what I needed and I was lucky enough to have a friend do that for me.

One of the first things people ask me, is how do I have the time!? Being a wifey, full time working mom of two beautiful boys, Jack and Bo, time is of the essence. When I started to "take back" a little time for myself, my chaotic world became a bit more clear :-) I'm the happiest I've ever been. It took re-establishing life balance after having kids.  

Here's the part that is just crazy awesome...

My business gives me the structure and platform to be the best version of myself. Since becoming a coach I'm more positive, I'm a better friend, and I believe in my own ability to dream big and go after those goals.

Please feel free to send me a note, share my posts, and ask anything!

follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/getrockinfit 

friend request me here: https://www.facebook.com/abigailportercoyle

21 Day Fix for Breast Feeding Mamas

Hey mama! Congrats on your little bundle and for choosing a healthy and balanced health and fitness lifestyle!

To get started with the 21 Day Fix, first determine your calorie level and daily container count.

For Breast Feeding Mamas:


1. Multiply your current weight in pounds x 11. This number is your Caloric Baseline.

2. Add 400 to your Caloric Baseline. The 400 represents the number of calories you are burning by working out.

3. Add 500 which represents the calories you are burning by breast feeding. (do not add the additional 500 if you are not breast feeding).

The resulting number is to maintain your weight. Given the work that you are already doing by adding the 21 Day Fix workouts and breastfeeding, start the program at the maintenance calorie bracket.

After 2 weeks, reassess and if you are feeling good, take the maintenance number and subtract 750.

Note: If your Caloric Target is less than 1,200, round up to 1,200. If it’s more than 2,300, round down to 2,300. If you are trying to gain weight, add 750 instead of subtracting 750.

Refer to your meal plan guide in the 21 Day Fix to determine the number of containers that you need.

https://www.facebook.com/getrockinfit

Beachbody Coaching: Day to Day

My friend asked me what I really do as a Beachbody coach. It's such a great question because everyone probably does it differently. How a coach spends their time really depends on what they want to do with the opportunity.

My goal is to build a business that allows me the flexibility to work from home and spend more time with my family. What does that really mean? My income goals are to hit a $100K per year run rate; then $300K, then $1M per year. For so many people those numbers probably sound out of this world. For top performers, those numbers are very real.*

Most people become a Beachbody coach simply for the discount, which is 25% off anything they buy such as Shakeology or the programs. For people who drink Shakeology each month, and even with the $15/mo coach fee, this makes the total Shakeology purchase about $15 dollars cheaper. It's a no brainer.

Then, there are people who recognize the opportunity to build a business. That is where it starts to get fun. That said, a person can coach passively or full-on. I'm doing it full-on.

So what do I do as a Beachbody coach?

First, I work towards my own health and fitness goals. I do the workouts, I follow the meal plan, I drink Shakeology daily. Then, I share what I'm doing on social media as a way to inspire other people. If my coach hadn't shared what she was doing, I never would have known about it! People connect with me because they might also be busy moms, working full time, commuting 2 hours a day, having a tough time finding time to do something for themselves... or they may want to lose the baby weight, kick bad eating habits, or because they also see the coaching potential and want to build an online health and fitness business. The reasons run the gamut.

This all started for me because I wanted to finally shed the last of my baby weight. I started the 21 Day Fix in November 2015 and had such awesome results that I started telling everyone about it! I lost 15 pounds in 2-3 months and loved it so much that I decided to become a Beachbody coach and help other people do the same.

I connect people through my private Facebook accountability groups where everyone is following a Beachbody program and working towards their own health and fitness goals. I'm always thinking of ways to motivate and help them through the program so that they get amazing results. I post daily and rally people to do the same. It creates a really fun and positive environment. Plus my challengers post the funniest stuff and it just cracks me up. The group energy really fills up my cup and helps me stay on track with my own goals. It's a pretty sweet and symbiotic relationship.

On top of that, there are people who feel the same way I do about the programs and community and want to be a part of it. It's all really simple - a coach is a customer who has had great results and who wants to share it with others. For the people who want more, I provide training so that they can do what I do.

I'm always listening to training or reading books like "You're a Badass" to keep the positive energy flowing. Being the best version of myself is paramount. It helps me be a better mom, wife, a better friend and coach, and in general a better person!

It's a work-from-wherever, on your own time type gig that offers a freedom that is hard to find. It's not a get rich quick or pyramid scheme (those are illegal). It takes time to build the business and for those who persevere and have the desire, skill, and vision - they can be successful.

If you want to learn more about Beachbody coaching, I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. Connect with me through FB https://www.facebook.com/abigailportercoyle or here https://www.facebook.com/getrockinfit.

*Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches' actual incomes. Statement of Independent Coach Earnings, http://tbbcoa.ch/TBB_SOICE.

My Beachbody Coach Income First 5 Months

I'm so excited to share my Beachbody coaching income for my first 5 months in the business. I started my first round of 21 Day Fix on Nov 1, 2015 and became a coach a couple of weeks later. I'm really proud that I can show revenue for the first month that I was in the business. I'm competitive though so I don't want to count it as a full month :-)

If you're reading this post, you're probably like "what the heck do Beachbody coaches get paid!?" That's exactly why I'm writing it! I appreciate that the world of Beachbody coaching can be a bit of a black box. Corporate jobs, teaching jobs, doctor jobs, lawyer jobs etc. are well known but direct marketing like Beachbody, a business that is primarily run on social media, is a little less transparent. My goal is to give you a view into the business so that you can make the best decisions for you and your family if coaching is right for you.

Here's why I am excited about the earning potential - The income is residual. Meaning, the work I do today will continue to pay me later. Monthly income can go from $40 a week to $12,000 a week. Technically, it can get a lot larger than that by opening up another business center.

March was an exciting month for me because I got my first team bonus. That means that I'm helping other people succeed, which is a major goal of mine.

Comp Plan Basics:

- Coaches get a 25% discount on all products. The fee to be a coach is $15.95/mo. Many people sign up to be a coach just to get the Shakeology discount which reduces the all in cost to $115/mo (that includes the coach fee) vs $130/mo. Anyone can become a coach to get the discount without actually "coaching."

- Coaches get paid 25% on any product that is purchased through their websites.

- Coaches make a team bonus for helping their own personally sponsored coaches succeed.

I never pictured myself as a Beachbody Coach. But when I lost 15 pounds in 2-3 months and got my BK (before kids) body back I was so thrilled that I was telling everyone about it. Somewhere in the back of my head I knew that I could get paid to do that! Now I run monthly challenge groups and help other people achieve their weight loss goals. I also mentor people, who like me, see the larger income opportunity to develop their own business.

Feel free to reach out to me! I hope this gives you a window into our world :-) I'm an open book and happy to help you succeed! Like my page or send me a personal message here: https://www.facebook.com/getrockinfit  

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. Statement of Independent Coach Earnings, http://tbbcoa.ch/TBB_SOICE

Beachbody Coaching Backstage Pass: Day 1

Today my team kicked off a backstage pass to learning about Beachbody coaching. I loved the first post, which simply asked everyone to tell us a little more about themselves. This business is all about relationships and it's important to get to know each other! I went ahead and answered the questions myself and I realized that the reasons I'm excited about coaching and also what some of my initial fears were might be the same as someone else's. Here's a little sneak peak into my thought process on coaching:

Your name: Abba daba doo… just kidding it’s Abby.

A little about home life (married, kids, pets, etc): I’ve been married to Pat for less than 3 years (I have an easy way to remember… Jack was 6 months old when we got married!) My boys are 3 and 2. We do have a dog (Zion) but luckily my dad walks him almost every day for us!

Do you work full time and if yes, do you love what you do? I work full time selling IT research. I'm very lucky that I do like what I do, but I do NOT like being away from the family so much. I’m working towards being a WFH mom instead of a commute 2 hours a day mom.

What about coaching excites you? Coaching has helped me in so many ways. Running challenge groups and being the person that people look to for inspiration has helped me stay accountable to my own journey. I’m also MUCH more positive. Coaching is all about being the best version of yourself. And, I’m setting a good example for everyone in my family. My husband is struggling to allow himself the time to workout. He sees me working out and I think that gives him “permission” to do the same for himself.

The other side that really interests me is the income potential. I've maxed out on earning potential at my current job. This is not a get rich quick business... it's something you need to go in to knowing you'll be around in a couple of years. Considering the extremely low risk of $15 / month to be a coach I can definitely agree to staying on board for the long term! Plus, I'm making money and I've seen my income increase each month. Income in residual which means that the work you do today will continue to pay off and grow like a ramp up. Conversely, in my day to day sales job I work towards quarterly and yearly quotas. Each year on January 1st my year "starts over" which means I start from scratch. The difference with Beachbody is that the work I do today will continue to pay off years from now.

In what other business can you be the best version of yourself, help others, and enable yourself to stay at home with your kids? 

What about coaching makes you skeptical? It’s easy to get caught up in all the negative reviews online. I had to figure out for myself what is a pyramid scheme to prove to myself that this isn’t one. I think the hardest part was just getting over the “what other people might think." Then I started to be look around and I found that many of my friends have successful social media and direct marketing businesses. That helped me overcome some of my fears. Now I don’t look back!  

If you like what you see, follow me at Get Rockin' Fit - Abigail Porter Coyle!

Lunch for Less Than $1 Day

Everyone thinks that eating healthy is expensive. I actually think that the expensive part comes from buying too much and not really using it.

Before starting the 21 Day Fix, I always bought lunch out and usually spent $11-$12 every day. Actually making my food at home and bringing it with me to work was a totally new concept for me. Now that I've completed 5 rounds of the 21 Day Fix I'm starting to get a better handle on what food works for me.

For example, a staple of my day is having a huge salad at lunch. My view on veggies comes from reading Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Basically, the more veggies and the more varied the colors the better.

I'm also an "easier is better" type when it comes to food. Some of the things I eat every day are Siggi's yogurt (which counts as a "red" container, ie. protein), Shakeology after my workouts (another red container), berries (purple), and some kind of a snack. This week for my snack I'll have a turkey and cheese wrap. After that, it comes down to having a few good things around like apples, peanut butter, almonds and nuts, and having a healthy dinner.

Now that I have some of the basics down with meal prep, I'm working on getting more efficient at the grocery store. I have a running contest with myself to spend as little as possible. The ground rules are to buy only what we are going to consume that week.

Keep in mind, I'm not counting dinner out, my dunkin donuts coffee that I have every morning, etc. Each week is different because sometimes there are left overs and sometimes we have to restock on basics. My first week I spent $120 and today I spend $114.

Here's what's crazy, I found that my lunch costs less than $1 a day.

Lunch Total $4.89 = less than $1 / day
- large bag of pre cut kale $2.50
- shredded carrots $1.89
- chickpeas $.67

I do put other things in my salad including olive oil to massage the kale, balsamic, and shredded almonds... but those are all things that you buy once and they last a while so I'm not including them in the total.

So what the heck else did I buy for the other $109? First, the rest of my own daily items:

- 5 siggi's yogurts (I eat one a day)
- strawberries and blackberries (I cut and divide and create 5 containers which I bring to work)
- turkey and cheese wraps (a great late afternoon snack)

Dinner
- meatloaf and baked beans
- grilled chicken and rice pilaf
- quesadillas with mushroom, onion, peppers and refried beans

My original goal was to cut the weekly grocery list to about $100 per week. I think I've done pretty well at $114. It will be interesting to continue to track this since I know it'll change each week. Wish me luck!

If you like what you see follow me at Get Rockin' Fit - Abigail Porter Coyle.

About Me!

Heyo!

You may have stumbled across my blog randomly SO I wanted to give you a little more info on WHO I AM.

Firstly, I am a wife to an incredible man named Pat and a mama to two boys under 3 years old, Jack & Bo (the crime fighting duo).

Before I was a mom I lived the life of freedom! I’m from Boston and have lived in Jackson Hole Wyoming, Denver, and Boulder. I got to workout whenever I wanted, I completed the Arizona Ironman in 2010, and skied best mountains in the world!

All the while my clock was ticking and I got supremely lucky to find my hubby! Our love story was fast and furious and within a year of meeting we found our little Jack was in the making! In January 2013, out came our little love, along with an additional 50 lbs on my bod! Oopsies, then we got pregnant again when Jack was only 5 months old with Bo J Again, the weight piled on.

After two back to back pregnancies I realized my entire body, lifestyle, and mind had shifted. I was weak sauce. Not only that, I was working full time, chasing around my boys (or should I say, picking up the spaghetti off the floor!), and commuting into Boston an hour each way. I wanted to get back in shape but I always thought that I had to run, bike, or swim for hours to get there! Given my new life, that just wasn’t going to work for me.

I slowly ramped up my running again to 7 miles. This was a huge victory considering I spent a full year only running 1-2 miles at a time (a far cry from my former Ironman ability). I was pumped! But wait, here I was running but I wasn’t losing the weight!! I just couldn’t figure out how to get in shape.

 Then, I discovered 21 Day Fix and Beachbody – a health a fitness program that fit in MY schedule. I lost 15 pounds in two months, gained a whole lot of confidence, and stopped eating those dang mints at work!

I felt so strongly about sharing what I learned that I started Team Rockin' Fit and now I'm a coach that helps other busy moms, pregnant ladies, and gents lose their "baby weight." The crazy side bene is that my team actually helps ME stay the course too!

My mantra is balance – family, work, health. I’m striving towards my best yet and also talking to people who are where I was and helping them re-gain control of their health, fitness, and financial well-being. I specifically love helping other people who are stuck in a rut or simply lost in the day-to-day of being a new parent and just plain busy!

IT IS MY MISSION to help people see their potential AND LIVE IT!!!!

If you connect with me and my message PLEASE reach out! I would LOVE to connect and learn more about YOU!!!!!

PLEASE feel free to send me a friend request, click "FOLLOW" https://www.facebook.com/abigailportercoyle or send me a private message.

Believe, because what you dream is possible!

- Abby

**If you are interested in finding out more about my health and fitness challenges or joining my team just shoot me a private message!

21 Day Fix for Vegetarians and Vegans

Below are a couple of 21 Day Fix meal plan ideas for vegetarians and vegans. I developed these plans by combining the suggestions from the Beachbody blog and also Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Furhman.

The portions suggested by the Beachbody blog for the 1,200-1,499 calorie range, contain 5 greens, 3 reds, 3 yellow a, 1 yellow b, 1 purple, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 2 tsp. per day. The blog explains that "this menu includes more yellow containers, but differentiates between whole grains that are essential to a vegan diet (yellow a) and tubers and more processed carbohydrates (yellow b)."

Dr. Joel Furhman suggests eating 1 pound of raw veggies, 1 pound of cooked veggies, 4 pieces of fruit, and 1 cup of beans each day. For carbo whole foods like sweet potatoes and quinoa, he says to include these in your daily diet, but to limit to one serving per day (less than a fist size).

In my meatless container calculations below, I'm counting beans as "red" containers because they are high in protein. Based on the Beachbody blog post above, I believe beans would be considered a "yellow b," although I am still doing more research on this.

Monday (Vegan)

• 6:30am green dream smoothie like the one at Whole Foods, recipe below (1-2 greens, 1 purple)
• 7:30am black coffee
• 9:30am toasted English muffin with peanut butter (2 yellows, 1 orange) OR rolled oats & soy or almond milk (1 yellow)
• 12:30pm dark leafy greens such as kale plus lots of veggies; cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots (3 greens); garbanzo beans (1 red), balsamic vinegar, pepper, spices.
• 3pm Shakeology (1 red), banana (1 purple), water, ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (1 orange)
• 6:30pm three bean veggie chili (1-2 red, 1 green)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 5 Green 2 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1 Orange

Sunday (Vegetarian)

• 7am apple (1 purple)
• 7:30am black coffee
• 10am green dream smoothie (1-2 greens, 1-2 purple, 1/2 orange)
• 11am veggie omelet: 2 eggs, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cheese (1 red, 1/2 green, 1/2 blue)
• 2pm Ezekial English Muffin with hummus and tomato (2 yellow, 1/4 blue, 1/4 green)
• 7:30pm three bean chili (1 red, 1/4 green)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 3 Green 3 Purple 2 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1/2 Orange

Green Dream Smoothie Recipe

• Spinach - handful
• Kale - handful
• Mango - a few big chunks
• Pineapple - 1 long slice
• Banana - 1/2
• Coconut Water - 1/2 to 1 cup
• Chia seeds or flax seeds - 1 spoonful

If you would like to learn more about joining my next challenge group or the coaching opportunity please tell me more about your goals so I can best support you..

5 Day Meal Plan with Grocery List

Hey y'all! I've completed 4 rounds of the 21 Day Fix. So far I've lost 15 pounds and I've gained a lot of strength (and confidence!). The exercise of putting together a 5 day meal plan was a bit eye-opening for me. I realized that I've been generalizing quite a bit. However, those small changes (to breakfast for example) really alters the number or carbs and proteins for the day. The ideas below offer slightly different daily plans but the container totals are the same. I hope that these help you to develop a plan that works best for you! Here we go:

Monday

• 7:30am black coffee
• 9:30am toasted English muffin with peanut butter (2 yellows, 1 orange)
• 12:30pm dark leafy greens such as kale plus lots of veggies; cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots (3 greens); chicken (1 red), balsamic vinegar, pepper, spices.
• 3pm chicken parmesan with cheese (1 red, 1/2 blue) red sauce
• 6:30pm chicken (1 red), veggies (1 green)
• 7pm Shakeology (1 red), banana (1 purple), water, ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (1 orange)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 4 Green 2 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1 Orange

Tuesday

• 6:30am Shakeology (1 red), banana (1 purple), water, ice
• 7:30am black coffee
• 9:30am rolled oats & soy or almond milk (1 yellow); fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries (1 purple), 6 raw almonds (1/2 blue)
• 12:30pm turkey wrap (1 yellow, 1 red); and a dark leafy green salad (2 greens). think of this as half wrap and half salad
• 3pm meatballs (1 red) red sauce; apple (1 purple)
• 6:30pm chicken (1 red), veggies (1 green)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 3 Green 2 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1 Orange

Wednesday

• 7:30am black coffee
• 9:30am rolled oats & soy or almond milk (1 yellow); fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries (1 purple), 2 eggs (1 red)
• 12:30pm dark leafy greens such as kale plus lots of veggies; cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots (3 greens); chicken (1 red), balsamic vinegar, pepper, spices.
• 3pm Shakeology (1 red), banana (1 purple), water, ice, peanut butter (1 orange); 12 raw almonds (1 blue)
• 6:30pm three bean meat chili with veggies (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 4 Green 2 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1 Orange

Thursday

• 6:30am Shakeology (1 red), banana (1 purple), water, ice, peanut butter (1 orange)
• 7:30am black coffee
• 9:30am rolled oats & soy or almond milk (1 yellow); 12 raw almonds (1 blue)
• 12:30pm dark leafy greens such as kale plus lots of veggies; cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots (3 greens); chicken (1 red), balsamic vinegar, pepper, spices.
• 3pm greek yogurt (1 red), with fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries (1 purple)
• 6:30pm taco night, ground beef (1 red) with taco seasoning, beans (1 yellow), onion and peppers (1 green)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 4 Green 2 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1 Orange

Friday

• 7:30am black coffee
• 9:30am green smoothie with kale, blueberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup soy milk, 2 dates, 1/2 avocado, chia seeds (1 green, 1 purple, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue, 1/2 orange)
• 12:30pm 1/2 turkey wrap (1 red, 1 yellow), with dark leafy green salad (2 green)
• 3pm Shakeology, 1 banana, ice, water (1 red, 1 purple), peanut butter (1 orange)
• 7:30pm date night: choose a meal with a protein, veggie, and starch (2 reds, 1 green, 1 yellow)

21 Day Fix Container Totals: 4 Green 2 Purple 4 Red 2 Yellow 1 Blue 1 Orange

Grocery List

• rolled oats
• soy or almond milk
• raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, apples
• kale, cucumber, baby tomatoes, shredded carrots, asparagus or broccoli, onions, bell peppers, pre-washed dark green lettuce, avocado
• chicken breasts
• mozzarella cheese
• red sauce (for meatballs and chicken parm)
• Shakeology
• peanut butter
• 1 pound deli slices of turkey
• ground beef (enough for meatballs, 3 bean chili, and taco night) 
• raw almonds (non-salted, non-roasted)
• wraps
• garbanzo beans, black beans, red kidney beans
• pitted dates
• chia seeds

3 Months in: my experience being a Beachbody Coach!

I'm three months in to being a Beachbody coach and this experience has exceeded my expectations.

Here's the skinny:

First, coaching is not being a fitness trainer, it's not being the best at this whole process. It's about helping other people (and yourself) be healthier and the make the best choices we can each day. Everyone needs a little of that in their life!

When I started the 21 Day Fix, a new energy filled my whole being. I've always been an athlete but for the last 3 years (ever since having kids) I could not figure out how to make time to workout. On top of that, I had developed some really poor eating habits. This was the FIRST thing I did that helped me start working out and kick bad habits.

I noticed right away that I was telling my friends about this because I was SO excited. Immediately after starting the program I was losing weight, eating healthier, and feeling good about myself. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I could be making $$$ just by sharing my experience. Hmmm... money is something I can get behind.

I became a coach almost immediately because I saw the opportunity. My coach makes $1500+ a month (after 1 year) and her coach makes $400K/year (after 2.5 years). That said, not everyone makes that kind of loot. However, I truly believe that if someone else can do something, I sure as hell can too.



Back up a sec, when I first signed up to be a coach my mind wasn't even on-point for this whole gig. I was a friggin' recluse. I wasn't sharing much on FB, I wasn't interacting much with my friends. I quickly learned that to be successful at this business you have to put out positive vibes.

In the last few months, my mind has switched from someone I wasn't (but someone I was stuck being) to my old self: confident, friendly, happy.

This is major, and I am not kidding when I say that I owe that transformation to being a coach.
On top of that, being a coach helps me stay accountable to being healthy. This is so important, especially since we can control our susceptibility of disease simply with what we put in our mouths.

Today, I checked my bank account to see how much money I've made so far. Mind you, I'm doing this to build an income that will be legit in the next year or two. I do this on top of my full-time job, this is not get rich quick, it's an income that gets incrementally higher as you progress. Anyway, can you believe that I've made $753.22 so far!?! I can't!

Long and short, this is a very cool opportunity for people who want to stay healthy, help other people, and make dough. If you want to learn more, shoot me a message and I'd be happy to share more!

By the way, there is incredible training on my team (and I'm no stranger to business - I was #1 at my corporate job this year)! This is an incredible community to be a part of.

"Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches' actual incomes."

Best Date Night Restaurants on the North Shore of Boston

Recommended by the Hamilton Wenham Mother's Club (which is not your average gathering of gals. We're pretty cool.)


Hamilton

15 Walnut - Hamilton

Black Cow - Hamilton

Beverly Farms

Hale Street Tavern - Beverly Farms

Manchester By the Sea

Foreign Affairs Wine Bar and Bistro - Manchester By the Sea 

Salem

Turner's Seafood and Grill - Melrose and Salem

Sea Level Oyster Bar - Salem

Essex

The Farm Bar and Grille - Essex

Ipswitch

Hart House - Ipswitch

Ithaki - Ipswich

Salt - Ipswich

Newburyport 

Mission Oak Grill - Newburyport

Brine Oyster - Newburyport

Ceia - Newburyport

Glocester

Short and Main - Glocester 

Duckworths - Glocester

The Causeway - Glocester

Franklin - Gloucester

Middleton

Maggie's Farm - Middleton

Beverly

Barrel House - Beverly

Fusion Andina - Beverly

Toscana - Beverly  

If you have a restaurant that is worthy of this list, please contact me!