Tag Archives: shakeology

March 10, 2015 · 10:10 PM

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology Ice Cream

Chocolate Shakeology PB Ice Cream

Ice cream. Once upon a time it was my favorite thing to eat. Then I realized a lot of the bloating and digestive issues I had were because of dairy issues and I had to break off our relationship.

Sigh…

Then, one day while grocery shopping I found Lactaid ice cream and we were reunited and happy together.

Yay!

That is until the 21 Day Fix came along and broke us up again.

Boo.

Since I started the 21 Day Fix Extreme a week ago, I was missing that sweet treat that I typically craved in the evening. Giving up those “treats” is tough, especially when they were already healthy. Yes, I could have my Shakeology at night and I did a few times, but it just wasn’t what I was craving. I wanted ice cream!

{Fun Fact: I tend to crave ice cream when it’s cold out. I’m totally weird, I know.}

Tonight I remembered a while back I had experimented with ice cream and decided to try making it with my Shakeology!

The result was yumtastic and it’s simple to do. I decided to try a Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology Ice Cream, but I have plenty of ideas for other flavors.

 1 scoop of Chocolate Shakeology
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp natural PB
1 cup of ice

Blend it all together, freeze until it firms up and enjoy!

This totally satisfied my ice cream craving with zero guilt whatsoever!

It also fit my container counts which made it even better. This tallies up as 1 RED, 4tsps (add less peanut butter if you don’t have that many available) and 1/2  YELLOW since I only used 8 ozs of unsweetened almond milk.

You could absolutely turn this into flavor Shakeology you normally like to blend up. If you are not following the 6pm no yellow, no purple container rule (which I kinda broke by using almond milk, but I was afraid this would turn out like a sorbet with just water) you could use a frozen banana in this so it will be creamier.

Some flavors I plan to try:
All of the Girl Scout Cookie flavors I posted the other day. (This is basically the Tagalongs flavor)
Chocolate Covered Strawberry
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana
Mocha Fudge (add strong coffee and a splash of almond milk)

Currently I only have chocolate on hand and you could use any protein powder for this. There are some great flavors on the market too, like cake Batter, Fudge Brownie, Mint Chip and Cinnamon Roll, which would make flavoring even easier!

Have you ever turned your Shakeology or other protein into ice cream? If so, what flavor combo did you use?

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March 5, 2015 · 2:35 PM

Girl Scout Cookie Inspired Smoothies

Girl Scout Cookie Inspired Smoothies
It’s that time of year! The Girl Scout mafia is out pedaling their sweet treats that none of us can resist. You know, the ones that come in colorful boxes that seem to get smaller each year but the price gets higher?

Yes, I know I sound bitter…it’s how an addict sounds when they’re trying to resist temptation.

At this current time in my life, I have to avoid these tempting morsels because I am doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme and there is no container for them. Wouldn’t it be great if the color of the box the cookie came in dictated which container you could count these sweet delights as?

  • Tagalongs in Red
  • Samoa’s in Purple
  • Thin Mint’s in Green

A girl can dream, right?

Sadly, that is not the case and I have 2.5 weeks until I can shove my face full have a taste of my favorites.

Until then, I will satisfy my cravings for them with these Girl Scout Cookie Inspired Smoothies using Shakeology!

Tagalongs Shakeology

Samoa Shakeology

Thin Mint Shakeology
These recipes have really been satisfying my Girl Scout cookie cravings without feeling guilty.

I truly have the worlds biggest sweet tooth, which is why I love Shakeology so much. It truly helps me to keep it under control, while getting lots of the nutrients I would be missing if I was just shoveling cookies into my face all day.

If you don’t use Shakeology, these recipes can absolutely be made with any protein power…not just Shakeology. The flavor will vary based on the brand you use, so you may have to adjust things a little.

Want to bump up the nutritional value of these even more? Add a handful of baby spinach to them. It won’t alter the taste but it will up the goodness!

I know there are a lot more Girl Scout flavors but these are the only ones I’ve messed with. Honestly, these are the only Girl Scout cookies I really like, so I haven’t tried to mess with the others.

If you have any healthy shake recipes for any cookie flavors not shown here, please share them in the comments!

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September 21, 2013 · 9:45 AM

Ready. Aim. Focused.

It seems I found my groove so well, that I haven’t had time to sit down and write.

Wow!

The past two weeks have been quite the whirl wind. The kids went back to school, so we started a new routine. I made lots of small changes to my fitness and nutrition, which are yielding big results, and I’ve been working on lots of personal development, which feels amazing.

With the kids back in school, my day starts a lot earlier and it allows me to get my Focus T25 workouts in bright and early. This week I started the Beta phase of the program and I absolutely love it. I’m not sure if it’s because all of the workouts are new for this month, because there are weights involved or if it is because I was doing Alpha for so long, but I’m honestly enjoying the change. My favorite so far is Speed 2.0. I can feel everything engaging, I get a good sweat going and I didn’t clock watch at all when I did that one. I know…it’s a 25 minutes program, but I do catch myself clock watching at times. I find I look for the halfway mark and the 5 minute mark, but I didn’t do that with Speed 2.0, I was actually shocked when it was over.

This week was a rest week for Body Beast with the hybrid Mike is doing, so I just followed my regular T25 schedule. I’m looking forward to new workouts with Body Beast next week, too. I’m sure there will be lots of soreness in my future!

Meal prepping has continued to be a life saver for me. I slacked a little with it this week and it resulted in us ordering pizza last night. We used to order pizza every Friday night… it was tradition, but we hadn’t done it in the past month and I didn’t have anything ready to toss together for dinner so I said why not. I had no idea I would gorge myself as soon as it entered the house. I ended up feeling tired and sluggish after eating it, which is something I never noticed before, but I guess with the nutritional changes I’ve made over the past few weeks, my body rejected the amount I forced it to consume.

MyFitnessPal has also become part of my routine again. We were challenged as part of the accountability group I am in for Focust T25, to track AND post screen captures of our food intake daily. It really made me think twice before I grabbed a cookie, handful of almonds or an extra scoop of rice. For the most part, it just helped me to tweak the types of food I was eating. It also helped me to ensure I was hitting my daily caloric goal, because I didn’t realize I was under most days, before I started tracking. The small task of logging my meals showed not only on the scale the past two weeks, but in my measurements (You all know I feel about the scale by itself.) so if you have been stuck and you’re getting frustrated by a lack of results, make sure you take the time to journal your food!

The other thing I have been spending a lot of time on is Personal Development. It’s one of those things that I’ve been told to do, as a coach, but I allowed everything else to come first and I never had time. Sound familiar? Because that’s the excuse I hear all the time, from people who want my help getting healthier, but haven’t committed yet. Ironic, isn’t it? Well… I realized the irony, I made changes, and I committed. I’ve been reading a minimum of 10 pages per day (my current book of choice is The Compound Effect), I watch or listen to at least 15 minutes of inspiring video or audio a day (so easy to do while running errands in the car or I pop ear buds in while I fold laundry), I’ve made a digital dream board which I plan on printing and hanging where I can see it daily and I’ve set goals for myself.

I could kick myself for not starting this sooner, but I can’t change the past, so I’ve just been focused on my daily tasks and enjoying the feeling it brings.

obstacles

Lastly, many of you who have been following my blog from the beginning, know that Shakeology has been a staple in my diet for years. Lately, I’ve had a lot of people messaging me on Facebook, asking questions about it as well as the programs I’ve done, so I’ve organized 7 Day Shakeology Challenges over on Facebook. I am so excited by the positive response it has received! If you have ever wanted to try Shakeology, need to jump start healthy habits and gain energy without sugary energy drinks and tons of coffee, stop by my page or comment below for more details! I’ll also be starting some program based challenges soon!

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January 10, 2012 · 7:21 PM

Hello Mojo!

Today marked Day 5 of the 30 Day Shred and I gotta say…I think I found my mojo!

It’s amazing how much your mindset can change in just 5 days.

Before I started the shred I was angry at myself for falling off the workout track. On Day 1 of the shred, I was disappointed in myself because my cardio was lacking and fatigue set it quickly. Today, on Day 5, I could feel things returning to normal.

This morning, I woke up and craved the endorphin rush of a workout. I wanted to get it done early so it wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle of a hectic day. I even made a game plan for the days I have work so I wouldn’t set myself up for failure.

It feels good to be sore again, dammit!

I can also feel the positive shift in my eating since doing the Shakeology Cleanse last week. My sweets cravings are under control and when my sweet tooth does kick in, I look for fruit or a small cup of chocolate almond milk in lieu of a bowl of ice cream or cookies.

After almost 2 months of slacking, I’m looking forward to the next 25 days of the shred and getting myself back on the path to health.

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January 4, 2012 · 8:05 AM

Shakeology Cleanse 2012 – Day 3 and Results

Well…it’s official…I’m DONE with the cleanse!

Yesterday was day 3 and I changed things up a bit. My husband was off from work and wanted to go out for lunch so I had my salad and grilled protein then, instead of for dinner. I actually felt better doing it this way and had even more energy throughout the day than I did waiting until dinner time to finally have some real food.

My morning started off like usual. Glass of water, iced coffee (black of course) and a shake. Lunch was a grilled chicken fajita salad and water. I did indulge in some fresh chips and salsa, I have zero guilt about this as they are my favorite and it’s not everyday that I get to have them. Dinner was another shake as was dessert for the night.

I definitely slacked on my water intake yesterday and I think it showed on the scale this morning with only a 1 pound loss, although I have ZERO complaints about my results from this cleanse. I can honestly say my sweets cravings are almost gone, my impulse urges to eat have diminished and I don’t feel as bloated and gross as I did on Sunday after the holiday cookie/food binge that took place this year.

My final results are as follows:

I lost a total of 6.5 pounds, half an inch lost 2″ above the belly button, 3 inches lost at the belly button and 1 inch lost 2″ below the belly button for a total of 4.5 inches lost.

I plan on sticking with two shakes a day for the rest of the week and then settling in a new workout routine on Monday.

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January 3, 2012 · 8:14 AM

Shakeology Cleanse 2012 – Day 2

I know I’m a little late on this blog and I had full intentions on doing it last night but I had something come up.

Yesterday was Day 2 of my cleanse and it honestly wasn’t that bad. I woke up and headed for the scale to see what impact Day 1 would have on the number. I was down just about a pound and somewhat disappointed because the first time I did this, I lost 2lbs the first day. I quickly got over it and realized a pound is a pound and got my day started. To my surprise, when I took my measurements, I was down on all three numbers! This further proves that the scale does not tell the whole truth.

Meal one was a glass of water, iced coffee and a chocolate Shakeology. I was very full after this and had to force myself to have “lunch” today. I drank a ton of water again which resulted in me spending most of my day in the bathroom, but I think my body just adjusted quickly to what was going on. I was very hungry around dinner time but once I was around food, my appetite went away so my meal was actually very small.

While I didn’t do a workout today, I had plenty of energy and didn’t feel as tired as I did on day one.

I’ll admit, I totally forgot to drink my two cups of green tea and I might have had a teeny, tiny piece of Entenmann’s Ultimate Crumb Cake, which my husband brought home the night before not realizing I had started the cleanse. However, upon stepping on the scale this morning, that teeny, tiny piece of cake didn’t matter anymore as I lost 4lbs! Crazy right?! I also went down again on all three of my measurements!

Day 3 has already kicked off for me and I’m sipping my first shake of the day as I type this. Hopefully if time permits, I’ll have another blog post tonight…if not, Day 3 and my results will be a joint blog tomorrow.

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January 1, 2012 · 9:17 PM

Shakeology Cleanse 2012 – Day 1

I woke up this morning and decided to move my Shakeology cleanse start date up one day.

If you do not know what Shakeology is or what the Shakeology cleanse is, please click here. You can also check out my first experience with the cleanse and see what my results were.

I am not sure why I decided to do this and as the day progressed, I regretted the move more and more.

You see, it’s Sunday, and Sunday equals beer, pizza, some form of salty snack in a bag and usually some ice-cream during the 8pm game. Not the ideal health food, but hey, I like certain things and I understand that I’m holding my progress by indulging in them. Don’t judge me.

I started my cleanse with my usual cup of iced black coffee, a glass of water and then my first of three chocolate Shakeology shakes. I felt great after this meal and I was grateful I slept late because it meant a shorter day and hopefully less hunger.

Shortly after this meal, I went into my fridge and remember there was a whole entire pizza pie in there. PIZZA! If you know me, you know my love of pizza. I was officially miserable and tried to avoid the fridge for the rest of the day.

I busied myself with a 20 minute workout on the stationary bike, taking down all of the Christmas decorations both inside and outside of the house and watching football. The problem with watching football was that it made me want pizza….sigh…it was like the book “If You Give A Mouse a Cookie”…and an obvious sign that I was once again hooked on foods I shouldn’t be hooked on.

I decided the cravings meant it was time for lunch so I prepared my second shake of the day and I had a banana with it. It was good…but it wasn’t pizza. Can you say one track mind?

In between shakes I drank tons of water which meant I went to pee about a million times. At least it gave me something to complain about besides the fact that there was pizza in my fridge. *sigh*

Dinner time meant food. REAL FOOD! I prepared a pork roast, steamed veggies and potatoes for the family. I had my green tea at this time along with a large helping of steam broccoli and lean pork, a long with some spinach. It was heavenly, mostly because I couldn’t sip it through a straw.

As for shake number three? I’m currently sipping it as I write this pity party blog. It’s another chocolate shake (I loathe the greenberry stuff) and I added some frozen black cherries to it.

Be sure to keep out for my blog tomorrow! I will report any weight loss, if there is any as well as any measurement changes.

If you have done the Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse before or if you are doing it now, I would love to hear about your experience.

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December 30, 2011 · 9:06 PM

So Long 2011!

I have never been so happy to say goodbye to a year as I am to say goodbye to 2011.

This past year has been a downward spiral for me.

I started off really strong with Round 3 of P90X, meeting Tony Horton and plans of studying to become a personal trainer. I am ending this year with sporadic workouts that I can count on one hand over the past 60 days, no personal trainer certification and a feeling of failure.

I’m not sure what happened, where I went wrong or what caused me to derail in the manner I did. All I know is that I have the power to correct it. I just have to get my head cleared and focused.

I am heading into 2012 with hope and determination. I am hopeful that I will find my passion for fitness again and I’m determined to get myself back on track.

My plan as of right now, is to do a Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse (which sucks and I’m gonna blog each horrid day of it) starting January 2 and then settle into a 3 day a week workout routine. I don’t want to jump in a commit to a 90 Day program right away. I need to ease back into the disciplined mindset and take baby steps like I did when I first began this journey.

So, farewell 2011….you sucked and I won’t miss you at all. There were very few good moments to you and you will not be missed.

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November 3, 2010 · 9:36 PM

I Can Do This! I Think?

During my long and winding journey to the new me, I’ve discovered that you not only become physically stronger, but you also become mentally stronger. As a matter of fact, you have to become mentally stronger before you can become physically stronger. If the mind is weak, it simply won’t let you reach your goals.

Most of the journey is one about choices. You have to decide what to eat everyday. You have to decide to push play, or to put on your running shoes and hit the pavement. It’s all about choice.

Everyday when you wake up, you have to face a whole day of choices. Should I eat the Poptart that is taunting me from the cabinet or have a Shakeology and start my day off right? I have an hour to spare. Should I do my workout now or watch TV, tweet or see what’s new on Facebook? All of these choices add up and in the beginning they are not easy to make. As time goes by and you fall into a groove they become easier, especially as you see results.

Every now and then, something will trip you up. In my case, it was Insanity month 2…..the Max workouts. For all of month 1 and even before I started doing Insanity, all I ever heard was how hard the Max workouts were. I had never even popped a Max workout DVD in to check it out and I was scared. I would listen to others talk about it and psych myself out before I even knew what Shaun T was going to ask of me.

Monday started month 2 of Insanity, and I faced my 1st Max workout late in the afternoon, after work. All day I read about my #insanecrew’s experience with Max Interval Circuit and how hard it was. I of course became nervous and already had it set in my head that I wouldn’t be able to finish this workout….I mean who can stand a 64min Insanity workout?!

As I stood there in my living room, nervous, the workout began and I was thrust into a new warm-up and whole new routine……man was it hard! I barely made it through some of the moves and I skipped over or modified a few but I finished. I quickly grabbed my iPod and tweeted a big FUCK YOU to Shaun T. That workout left me feeling broken. My confidence was shot, I was mad and my poor performance left me feeling disappointed in myself. I was stronger than that, wasn’t I?

I went into Day 2, Max Interval Plyo, with the same feelings. I was nervous but thankful that this workout would be shorter than the previous one. As I was doing the warm-up I felt more confident because I knew what to expect. I also reminded myself that I could do this….and if I couldn’t, I would do my absolute best and forget the rest. The workout wasn’t pretty, but I made it through and rewarded myself with a nice, cold, yummy, Results and Recovery Drink!

Today was Day 3 and I had to Dig Deep! I promised myself before leaving for work that I would not procrastinate. I would go home and start my workout right away. I would not worry about it, I would not look at the screen and say “I can’t do THAT!”, I would simply go with the flow and push myself to a new, greater level. Max Cardio Conditioning was my redemption workout! I pressed play, I dug deep and I felt great when it was over. I didn’t skip or modify anything. I kept a good pace and I kept telling myself throughout the workout “You can do this!” Don’t get me wrong, I took my breaks, but I jumped back in and finished everything out.

If there is one thing I have learned over the past year, it’s that most of the battle is mind over matter. When it comes to a program like Insanity, your mental strength will truly be tested. I believe that Insanity is 90% mental strength. You build a new confidence in yourself and realize what amazing things your body is capable of. As a side effect or reward, you gain increased cardiovascular strength, muscle tone and if you’re lucky, a nice set of abs.

I know the next few weeks are going to be a challenge, but it’s a challenge I’m up for and actually looking  forward to. I’m an amazing person, capable of amazing things and Shaun T is going to show me just how strong I can be…both mentally and physically.

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October 27, 2010 · 10:27 AM

Here Come the Holidays!


It’s that time of year again. We kick it off with the sweet bite sized treats of Halloween, follow it with too much turkey and stuffing, add in some cookies, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and then end it with the dreaded stepping on the scale and shaking our heads in disgust. Yup….it’s the holiday season kick off, but if you make a few changes now, it doesn’t have to end in tears while standing on a scale in your birthday suit come January!

This weekend is Halloween, which means you most likely have many bags of bite sized treats taunting you. They seem innocent as they are tiny, however many of us don’t stop at one treat…we stop when the bag is empty. This year I did things a little different, I haven’t purchased any Halloween treats yet. I plan on going to pick them up on Saturday so I am not tempted to dip into the bag of little progress sabotagers. I am human, therefore I will indulge in a few pieces here and there, but they will be earned treats and they will be rationed into daily “rewards” for myself. I also plan on picking up a small bag of Hershey Dark Chocolate Miniatures as I enjoy them and they are a “healthy” option to the peanut butter cup or Butterfinger if I truly feel the need for the sweet treat.

Next up on the  holiday list is Thanksgiving, which to me is one of the hardest food holidays. Many families indulge in a nice breakfast while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Food preparations often start the night before if you will be cooking for many guests. There is a lot of tasting involved during the cooking processes as well, which leads to MANY unaccounted for calories. Add in the football games which means chips & dip, appetizers and a few beers and  you have most likely taken in more than your daily allotted calories before the actual meal is even served!

Ways to ease the calories here is to try to stick to your normal healthy breakfast (for me, it’s Shakeology), snack on raw veggies instead of taking spoonfuls of mashed potatoes every time you pass the pot on the stove, drink lots of water and bank some of your calories so you can enjoy Grandma’s favorite holiday recipes that you look forward to all year.  Another great idea is to also have healthier steamed or roasted veggie options along with the traditional decadent holiday favorites.

As soon as the table is cleared, the pants are unbuttoned and you’ve taken your tryptophan siesta on the couch the reality of Christmas hits you. Many people wake up and brave the stores and malls for Black Friday deals. This usually results in grabbing a cup of coffee at 3am as you run out of the door with your flyers and lists in hand, to go fight people for items you really don’t need because they are a “good deal” (totally off topic, but true). After the mayhem a Dunkin Donuts run is usually in order followed by a nap and leftovers from the night before. Healthy? I think not!

If you feel the need to run out at 3am to wait in line, why not plan your meals as well as your deal catching strategies? It’s not hard to grab a protein bar, toss some fruit into your bag or even stop and sit at a diner with your shopping partner for healthier option to the glazed donut.

From here on, it’s baking cookies and other sweets, office parties, family get togethers and lots of time spent at the mall. It’s easy to get run down and opt for some drive-thru on the way home. This is when you need to be most focused and here are some things I plan of doing this holiday season:

  • Plan out your meals. If you shop in advance and have a plan you are less likely to stop for that greasy cheeseburger!
  • Bust out the crock-pot so it can do the work for you while you are out and about. There is nothing like coming home to a healthy meal that is waiting to be served.
  • Don’t waste time looking for a parking spot right up front. Park further away and walk briskly. It will help to get your heart rate up a little and give you an energy boost.
  • Keep healthy snacks handy on those long shopping days. I try to always have a Cliff bar and a piece of fruit in my bag so I’m not tempted to get Auntie Ann’s or Mrs. Fields while at the mall.
  • If you are already following a workout regimen stick to it! I know we run short on time around the holidays but you will feel better if you do. Sticking to it will also help you make wiser food choices and it helps to reduce stress!
  • Limit alcohol intake at holiday parties. Alcohol is just empty calories and adds up fast.
  • Eat a healthy meal BEFORE going to holiday parties. By doing this you won’t be starving when you arrive and you will be less likely to pop every bites sized hors d’oeuvre into your mouth as they come around.
  • Drink you water! This is one of the most important tips for any day of the year. People mistake dehydration for hunger all the time. If you consistently drink water you will feel full and consume fewer calories throughout the day.

Now I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy yourself  during the holidays. I’m just asking that you be smart about it. Have a few treats that you only get this time of year. There’s no reason to skip your favorites, just remember moderation. Part of the holidays is eating foods that you normally wouldn’t with friends and family that you may not normally see. Denying yourself any of these treats will only backfire on you later. Try to limit the splurges to the actual holiday itself and pass on the leftovers. If you goof up, it’s not the end of the world. Just climb back on the wagon and hold on for dear life. The 8 weeks will be over before you know it and hopefully the Kleenex will not be needed on January 1st when you step on the scale.

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