Chicken Breast with Feta and Artichoke

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14188347_10154417515860102_2883133869719641584_o-1Found this on the teambeachbody.com website, tried it and LOVED it!

Total Time:

1 hr. 28 min. Prep Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 18 min.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano, divided use 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, divided use 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. ground black pepper 8 (4-oz. each) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 oz.) 1 medium tomato, chopped ½ cup canned artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, reconstituted in hot water for 10 minutes, drained Nonstick cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Combine yogurt, garlic, 2 Tbsp. oregano, 1 Tbsp. parsley, lemon juice, and pepper in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.

2. Place chicken in a glass dish. Top with yogurt mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator, covered, turning once, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

3. Preheat grill or broiler on high.

4. Combine cheese, tomato, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, remaining 1 Tbsp. oregano, and 1 remaining Tbsp. parsley in a large bowl; mix well. Set aside.

5. Grill or broil chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle. Set aside.

6. Heat oven 350° F.

7. Place chicken on a baking pan lightly coated with spray. Top each piece with 1 rounded Tbsp. of cheese mixture. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.

How to make meal prep more FUN!

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Don’t dread meal prep! It doesn’t have to be all “sweatin’ in the kitchen” for 5 hours of awful! I went from being like “UGH! Do I have to?” when it was meal prep day to  “alright, let’s do this thing!

What’s different? Weeeeell I came up with some things to make it more FUN!

  1. First, plan smart – think meals that will make enough for multiple days, non-cook snacks that are quick to prep, and things that have ingredients in common. This will keep your prep time to a minimum.
  2. Next, make sure you have your meal plan and recipes easily accessible. I hang my weekly meal plan right on the cabinet where I can see it not only when meal prepping but every day when packing my lunches too!
  3. Have a lot of cute, matching Tupperware on hand so you’ll know it will look really pretty when you’re done! (this could be more for those type A personalities but I do look forward to that finished product with each day laid out in a nice matching row like I always see in pics from people who are way more talented than me on social media LOL)
  4. Crack open a bottle of wine and pour a glass! It’s 21 Day Fix approved, I swear!
  5. Turn on some tunes! I like to turn on Pandora on my TV. My station is a crazy fun mix of 90’s alternative and Brittany Spears stuff LOL
  6. Ask your significant other and/or kids to join in and cook together! (now, I admit this one could backfire, in which case, I say plan your prep time when they’ll be out of the house!)
  7. Just relax! Don’t think about anything else you have to do. Enjoy this process and remember that when you’re done, you’ll be set up for success the rest of the week!

 

Top Tips for Morning Workouts

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Everyone who knows me has heard me say “morning workouts are where consistency is made!”
 
20160716_070540A lot of my challengers HATE the idea of morning workouts but see the value of it as they begin their fitness journeys. There is just too much that can go wrong during a day and end up causing you not to do it. I myself will come up with 24987 reasons not to do it by the end of the day if I wait. When you get it done first thing in the morning, you won’t have any excuses to knock you off track.
 
Plus, you’ll feel more awake, more energized, and more ready for your day after getting your blood flowing!
 
1. Plan ahead: Know what workout you’ll do, lay out your workout clothes or even wear them to bed the night before (that’s what I do!), have your workout space set up, have any equipment ready;
 
2. Go to bed earlier. Do I need to explain that one? Getting enough sleep is crucial not just to having energy to workout in the morning but also for having energy all day. If you’re getting up earlier, you’ll be losing sleep if you don’t counteract that by going to bed earlier. Simple math!
 
3. Have a friend or group for accountability, whether it’s in person or virtual. It’s no surprise that being accountable to other people is helpful in staying on track. Studies show better results in those who aren’t alone on their journey. I host monthly virtual accountability groups and you’re always welcome to join if you don’t have one of your own. Simply message me in the comments below if you’d like details!

How to go out to eat and stay on track

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“Wait, does being “healthy” mean I can’t go out to eat? I really like going out to eat!”

“I’m going out tonight. How do I not ruin all my progress?”

These are some of the common questions I get from my newest members of my monthly health and fitness challenge groups. I used to wonder the same thing but over time have amassed a fool-proof plan for going out to eat without throwing your goals to the curb.

  1. 13483158_10154219735510102_3083876128096263551_o

    Egg White Omelet with Spinach and Feta and a Side of Fruit

    Choose a restaurant with healthy options.

  2. Check out the menu BEFORE going and choose what you’ll have after investigating the nutritional content (avoid fried food, be aware of high sodium content, no creamy sauces).
  3. Have a small snack before leaving so you won’t be starving . This way, you can avoid the pre-meal chips or rolls that some restaurants bring out.
  4. If available, ask for egg whites for omelets or other egg dishes.
  5. Ask  your server for your cooked veggies to be plain, no butter or seasoning (restaurants soak them in butter and salt but they don’t need all that to be good y’all!).
  6. Ask for dressings to be on the side if you order salad.
  7. Don’t clean your plate. Restaurants always give you more than a regular serving size and you won’t need it!
  8. If you order dessert, stick to mini desserts or be sure to share with the whole table.
  9. For drinks, have a glass of wine or ask if there’s a “skinny” version of your favorite cocktail, such as the skinny margarita.

Any more tips that you’ve found that work for you? Share in the comments! I’m always looking for more!

Taking A Risk

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So I had this dream. Not like “I have a dream” as in some big dream for society or anything grand like that. My dream was just for me. My dream was for my own family. My dream was out of my reach, or so I thought.

When I began as a Beachbody coach, I created a vision board with goals and dreams I’d like to achieve/make real (if you’ve never done this, I highly recommend you google it and make one!). I keep it hanging where I can see it every day. I spend time every day simply visualizing these things at the time they’ve really happened. Still though, I felt they were very far away. I had created a real plan to actually reach them but they seemed currently out of reach.

One of those dreams was to live on the beach, right were I could hear the waves from my bedroom, walk out and watch the pelicans diving in, be amazed by storms and lightening  over the ocean, go for evening walks on the beach, watch the sunrise, and well, you get the point. It was my dream. It was something that brought a smile to my face just thinking about it. I didn’t think I could have it though, at least not any time soon.

Then, one day, on a whim, my husband and I stopped at an open house for a beachfront condo that was for sale. We laughed as we went in and made a bet on who would have the closest guess as to the exorbitant price it would cost. We were surprised to find that it actually was less than we thought. In fact, it wasn’t much more than the cost of our current house. Then we looked a little deeper and found that there were lots of places available that actually were in our price range. The caveat was they were smaller, much smaller than our 2000 sq ft, 4 bedroom house in a perfect little family neighborhood. Buuut this was my DREAM. It was actually within my reach. Would we be able to downsize so significantly? Would that be practical? How would it affect our children?

My husband loved the idea. We talked about the pros and cons for awhile but not long. We basically decided one thing. We decided that right now, in this moment, this dream was within our reach and the circumstances surrounding it were perfectly aligned. We didn’t know if that would ever happen again in our lives. Maybe it would but maybe it wouldn’t. So we went for it.

Just like that. We called our real estate agents, LB Realty, and said we wanted to sell our house and move to a condo on the beach. We literally sold it in a week from the day we put it on the market, sold half of our stuff along with it, and rented a 2 bedroom beachfront condo.

RLR_2519Every day, I wake up to the sound of the ocean waves.

Every morning, I sit outside and drink my Shakeology as I watch the sunrise.

Every day, I workout next to a window overlooking the ocean.

Every day, my girls and I go in the pool.

We go for family walks on the beach 3 or 4 nights a week.

We watch lightning storms, pelicans, crabs, surfers, and hunt for turtles.

It is literally my dream come true. Is it completely perfect? No. The girls are somewhere between loving and hating sharing a room. There’s a bit of an ant problem. Salt makes things rust easy and get weird, like sliding glass doors for instance. The sun’s light/heat coming into the windows from the  between 8 am and 12 pm is INTENSE lol

None of that compares to the good though.

We took a risk. While some family members and friends called us crazy, many actually said living on the beach was their dream too. All I have to say is that the cliche “you only live once” is true. If you have dreams, don’t let them just exist in your sleep. Make them happen. Go after them. Make them real. Take a risk. Take a leap of faith.

If you don’t, what good does it do? If you die tomorrow, will you have lived a life you loved or will you have simply settled, just gotten by, told yourself you “didn’t need that to be happy?” I believe we all not only deserve to have our dreams come true but we all have the capacity to make them happen. We are all born with the same 24 hours in a day. We all have the choice to spend an hour either doing something to take us towards our goals or just watching tv. The choice is yours. What will you decide?

Just an Intro

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Helping people find their happy through fitness and freedom is my PASSION!

I am wife, mom of two beautiful baby girls, webmaster, and Beachbody coach. I began my personal journey with Beachbody in the summer of 2014 when I became officially DONE with being overweight, tired and lacking self confidence. I had gained weight from 2 pregnancies and my body was paying the price. I started with Focus T25 and lost 13 lbs and 3 pant sizes in 2 months! It was AMAZING and I was in LOVE. In early 2015 I became a coach to help others find the same success and life changing happiness that I found with these programs.

Now, I personally mentor 5 to 10 new women each month on their fitness journey. I provide support and guidance as they begin to change their lives or simply step up their previous health regimen. If you’re ready to make a positive change in your life, contact me today.

Additionally, I offer a private mentorship program for women who are looking for fulfillment and freedom in their lives. Are you a hard-working, driven individual who enjoys helping others and wants to LIVE YOUR DREAMS? If so, I want you to join my team! If owning your own business, working from home, making your own hours, and having fun the whole time sounds like something you’d love, contact me for more information!