HAMMER & CHISEL JOURNEY - Day Four

Day 4 in Ham & Cheeez is a REST DAY!!! THANK GOD! I can't begin to explain how much I needed a day of rest and recover. Thank you Autumn & Sagi - you know what's up!

I'm going to share what I ate since I still ate food even though I didn't work out haha! ALSO ... even though it was a rest day, it didn't mean a CHEAT day. We are literally going through this program without a single cheat - in it 100%!! Scratch that. 101%. Success comes from doing 1% more so that is what I plan to keep doing!

So instead of talking about my workout, I want to talk about 10 things that I've learned so far.

1. I can do HARD things

This seems to be an on-going theme for my journey but being the girl that ALWAYS makes excuses and always finds a reason why I can't be the one who does it, this is a BIG one. I learned that I AM capable of doing things that are hard. I am capable of pushing myself just a little bit further - getting just a BIT deeper into a squat - I CAN do that pull up - and I can do one more push up. Stop with the bullshit you keep telling yourself as to WHY you can't do it just because it's hard. Push through it anyway, I promise you'll be so proud of yourself after!

2. It really is ALL about mindset

Those excuses that I was talking about - yeah. It was all in my head. My body is capable of SO MUCH MORE than I allow it to do. I tell myself "Autumn, you can't do that push up or that pull up ... why even try?!" Like excuse me, why try?! BECAUSE ... I will surprise myself, I will be able to do it and even if I can't I WILL get better. We create these pointless and dumb ideas in our head that we can't do something just because it's challenging and where does it get us? No where!!!! This applies to food too!! I am the PICKIEST eater (lived on chicken fingers and KD my whole life) and eating healthy IS a struggle for me, it's something that I am learning to just get over and do anyway. We are so wired to view food as pleasure and a form of entertainment and don't get me wrong - it can be but food isn't designed for that. Food is designed as fuel. Just like a car - you're not going to give it bullshit gas and have it die on you, you're going to give it the good shit so it gets you where you have to go. Your body is the SAME damn thing. You LIVE in it!!!! WHY are we polluting it?! WHY are we giving it chemicals - high sugars - bad fats - preservatives - crazy amounts of sodium because it's "more fun"!? It IS a tough mindset change. It's my biggest struggle right now but KNOW that if you're reading this, it CAN BE DONE!! Do not for a second count yourself out even if you've tried before. Yes, it's hard but it's not impossible. Just eat the damn carrot.

3. My body responds quickly - THANK YA!
I've learned that through this process my body responds to clean eating and the program very quickly! That is not the same for everyone but in my case, it is. It's AWESOME I am not going to lie but Derek even reminded me today that it won't always be that way so I have to keep working hard and boy is he ever right! If your body is taking longer know that is totally okay as well - don't get too caught up in my journey or others journey's! It's great to follow along for inspiration BUT you have different genes, a different make-up, and are on a different journey than me or someone else. Comparing yourself is the QUICKEST way to fail because it leads you to give up on yourself and the only way to fail is to GIVE UP!!! Focus on being better than you were yesterday - compare yourself against yourself. That's it!

4. Support is KEY

My support through this journey is first and foremost my boyfriend, Derek. He is a personal trainer with Goodlife and normally he would just workout at the gym but he decided to go all in on this program WITH me at home! I can't begin to explain how much that means to me! It's such a great way for us to bond and push each other! If you CAN workout with your spouse -- DO IT!! He keeps me motivated and reminds me to get my containers in, tells me how proud of me he is and doesn't let me give up. Knowing I don't have to worry about the extra temptations he COULD be having around me, makes the biggest difference! Then of course, I have all the amazing ladies in our online Support and Accountability group who are all doing H&C as well in our test group! They have ALL been so damn supportive and sharing their journey's - food intake - sweaty selfies - middle of their workout videos - supporting one another with positive and uplifting comments - sharing all their delicious food for the day with recipes and inspiration for us if we want to change it up with our meal plans and SO much more!! THEY make the difference!!! Also, by sharing this with all of YOU - it is also keeping me extremely accountable and supported to not give up! :)

If you're finding yourself in a situation with no support to get through those workouts and there is lack of support at home as well (it's super common), PLEASE reach out to a coach who can help you in  their group so you do not go through this alone! 

5. It doesn't feel so hard when you make it fun

Derek and I decided to make daily videos to share on my page on Facebook as well as I decided to blog my whole journey. THAT makes it fun!! Of course there are days where it doesn't matter what I do, it's just not fun hahaha but I MADE sure I found ways to make it more fun!!! I don't want to fall off or get bored so by doing the extra things to keep me accountable, I won't! :) Also, my group also always keeps me entertained! Never a dull moment - I am seriously loving it! Find ways to MAKE IT FUN! Challenge yourself, plug into a group, create a reward system, make videos - find what works for YOU! :) 

6. Portion control is genius

HONEST -----> I have USED the portion control containers before but never followed them for a full program. Like I said, I'm lazy by nature. I made excuses and just didn't stick to it. I USED them and loved them - I just never put forth my full effort. Told you I'm far from perfect haha! Anyway, Derek and I are using them for this program and they are actually A LOT of fun and super easy!!!!! Derek is always coming home from work or texting me "I LOVE THESE CONTAINERS!! They are SO much FUN!! "HAHA!!! You get A LOT of food in each day with them and it's kind of like playing with blocks and figuring out the combinations you can make! I have absolutely no complaints. Everyone needs them in their life. Simple. Genius and Effective! 

7. It's okay to do the best you can

Not every day will be a GREAT day. You will struggle through some workouts or miss a couple containers when you wake up late BUT know that it's okay to do the best you can! That's exactly what I have been reminding MYSELF! It hasn't been a PERFECT week but it's been a great week and I'm giving myself some leeway in trying to figure this all out and create habits. I'm doing the absolute best that I can be, so don't be hard on yourself if it's not perfect! Breathe and know you're doing GREAT! 

8. Room to improve is not a bad thing

I think too often we get caught up in not being perfect, like I mentioned above. I learned that even though I may only be doing my push ups on my knees today, by the end I probably won't be! Having room to improve is a really good thing. They're off the scale victories & those should be celebrated!

9. Don't stress about anything past today

I bet you're guilty of this too. Thinking about the other 20 minutes left in your 25 minute workout or that you have 56 days left in your program rather than you've already accomplished 4! It's really easy to overwhelm ourselves by looking TOO far ahead. Success comes much easier when we just focus on TODAY - THIS moment - THIS workout -THIS meal! That makes it a lot less intimidating and without even realizing it, day 60 is already here! The time passes anyway - enjoy the process and take it a step at a time! :)

10. Eating clean is MUCH cheaper than skin products

You know how you spent $100 at Sephora today on 2 skin products to help your breakouts or complexion? Do you also know that you can clear both those up just by eating the right foods?! YUP! It's true - you can kill 2 birds with one stone. My skin has cleared up SO MUCH since I cut out all the crap! No sugar. No extra sodium. Nothing but clean whole foods! I haven't worn make up in 5 days and I feel GREAT! Put that money back in your pocket and go eat clean! 

SO DAY 4 HEY?! I was pretty pumped this morning when my Energize showed up!!!! I have gone a MONTH without it and it's basically like my coffee! I don't drink coffee so this is what keeps ME going! Plus, it's all natural and gives me so much energy. I used to drink 3 large redbulls a day so I will GLADY replace it with this - tastes so much better than that junk too! 

Lunch! I had half a chicken wrap with one blue container of cheese dipped in hot sauce and then raw carrots and cantaloupe on the side! SUPER random but we are eating very weird meals just to get our containers in and that's okay with me!

  

Supper! I had chicken with wild rice and green beans with hot sauce! It was super vibrant and tasty!! :) I LOVE not waking up and feeling shitty!!! 

Day 4 is behind us and I think it was a total success! Onward we go! :) Rest day is DONE till next Thursday!

-- Coach Autumn XO

HAMMER & CHISEL JOURNEY - Day Three

3 days in and I am getting the swing of things now. Starting a fitness journey is TOUGH! I've been a coach for 16 months and working out fairly consistent this entire time BUT that doesn't mean it was an easy peasy transition into this program and lifestyle. I am human - surprised hey?! So, I make mistakes, fall off and SPOILER ALERT---> never truly followed my meal plan 100%. I lived a 80/20 balance and believed in all my favourites in moderation (which I still do) and I am a condiment queen so even though I'd eat healthy I'd find myself squeezing mayo or sauces onto things that I just shouldn't have been. Through this program I made a promise to myself to follow my meal plan to a T - no cheats for 60 days and no putting garbage into me of any kind! Why do that when I believe in a 80/20 lifestyle? Well, because this year I am being fearless. That doesn't mean just jumping off of a building or getting a crazy new do. It means that I am fearless in challenging myself and I NEED to be challenged. I give up easily and I make too many mistakes sometimes with my laziness. I need to prove to myself that I CAN do hard things and that for 60 days I can say goodbye to junk and condiments and just fuel my body with what it needs. My body deserves 60 days of that - I deserve to know that I CAN do it! And I am. It may only be day 3 and I may have had some mad cravings (more due to the convenience of eating unhealthy) but I also have never felt better!!! My results ALREADY are insane!!!!!!!!! I wish I could show you but you'll have to wait a bit longer! :) 

Now, some people may read this and say - "Well, why be so strict on yourself? Live a little!" Which is a fair statement and let me just share again that I DO usually live a little hahaha - maybe sometimes too much. I do believe that in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle it's important to still indulge now and again and to eat your favourites in moderation because eating 100% healthy every day for the rest of your life isn't very realistic. But I also believe that we are capable of getting rid of it as well! There was a time where fast food restaurants didn't exist and when chemicals weren't pumped into all of our foods. There was a time that a "treat" meal meant an expensive piece of meat or vibrant veggies! I believe we CAN go back to that. I BELIEVE that with some hard work and challenging ourselves and working at it one day at a time we can change our mindsets, taste buds, what our body loves and get rid of all the crap that we put in our bodies! I believe we can take a stand against companies that cause us and our families cancer because of the preservatives, chemicals and junk they put in their foods by changing our habits and saying "NO" to it instead! Isn't THAT what loving ourselves really is? Treating our bodies properly?!

I don't know. Maybe I'm out to lunch but that's how I feel. I don't believe in starving yourself or restricting yourself to be skinny but I do believe in making better choices to be stronger and live longer and healthier! So, I am currently challenging myself to do JUST that! :)

Plus - I will be able to indulge on my trip - that is my reward! :)

So how did day 3 go?! That's probably why you're here reading anyway right?!

WELL! My entire body is hurting (and I love it) - I'm beginning to figure out how to get all of my containers in a day (still need to work on proper timing) and I am feeling so great! I don't wake up groggy and gross from the food I ate the night before. I have a lot more alertness and drive to be productive! My bloat has significantly decreased, actually it's completely gone. Other than a bit of cravings late at night, I'm doing really well with viewing food as fuel! I am getting stronger through my workouts and today I actually dropped the excuses and just DID it!! So overall - day 3 was a success!!

Workout of the day: Iso Strength Chisel (I believe.. maybe I'm making it up)
Length: 25 minutes
Focus: 10 reps with 10 second holds X3 sets each!
It was CHALLENGING!!!!! Those holds really test you but also are what give you the results! I have room to improve for sure and couldn't hold the push ups so I did forearm planks instead for those holds but it worked your entire body! It was my favourite out of the 3 days! But BARF on the chin ups and holds - WHAT IS THAT!!!

Since my meal plan is pretty repetitive for days, I'm trying to just update you on things you may have not seen me eat yet! Who wants to see the same thing over and over again haha?!



Snack: 1 purple container of Grapes & 1 orange container of pumpkin seeds!

Supper: Was a tad random ... I had a bunch of left over containers so, I just made it work! I had what was left of the spaghetti squash with hot sauce for a green & a ancient grain organic bread sandwich with gmo-free, gluten-free, fat-free, and free of all the other junk and chemicals turkey and 1 blue container of cheese and then I used Parmesan Olive Oil (from Oliv) on the side as a dip! I LOVE DIP! Derek also had tomato juice as a purple so I used some of that for my sandwich as well! 

I wanted to share this photo that I made of all the food the ladies in our Hammer and Chisel test group have been sharing! This proves that there is NO "dieting" with what we do! It's ALL about real whole foods - no added salts and sugars - proper portions and eating clean, NOT starving!! These plates are vibrant and FULL! :) 

If you want to get FUN updates like this, follow me on snapchat: autumnbensette

This is my boyfriend Derek mid workout hahaha - I had to capture his pain! If you don't like foul language, then it's probably best to not watch this!

This is our chin up bar and where we do this portion of our exercises in our apartment. It's not a lot of room and clearly he is a bit tall but we make it work! After this he had to hold it for 10 seconds -- GROSS! 

That is ALL for today! :) Thank you so much for following and joining us on this journey. If you feel this would help anyone, please feel free to share! And don't forget to head over to : https://www.facebook.com/autumnbensettebbcoach/ to check out our daily video! :)

-- Coach Autumn XO

HAMMER & CHISEL JOURNEY - Day TWO!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! Can I be honest?! I am FREAKING sore!!!! I barely rolled out of bed this morning - but that's a great thing! It means that it's working!!

This program is pushing me to my limits & it's exactly what I needed. Since becoming a full-time coach and working at home, I had NO clue how fast my days would fly by and I would sometimes forget to completely eat or drink a drop of water. Only setting my own progress back! Since starting this program - I'm being forced into routine, into drinking enough water each day, to finishing my containers, and to say NO to crap!!!!

What is motivating me right now?!

HONESTLY, it's our Cruise! March 12th we are headed on our FIRST Success Club trip thanks to a lot of hard work earning it and Beachbody covering almost all the costs! We are headed to Florida, Haiti & Jamaica for 5 days! I have NEVER been on a hot vacation because it's something that just never fit in my budget and now since becoming a coach I am able to travel at barely ANY cost to myself which is HUGE! I am so extremely grateful for this opportunity & I want to enjoy it and get the most out of it I possibly can! If I feel uncomfortable & hide away the entire trip because I don't feel confident, I won't enjoy it the way that I should! SO - I am taking these 60 days to bust my ass with NO looking back. Just going for it!

So, you're probably wondering how day two went? It WENT!

We did Hammer Plyometrics. I hate jumping. I hate it. It makes me want to die and barf. Which I almost did. It wasn't pretty! Let me tell you though, I'm feeling it! SO - it did what it was supposed to! The workouts are really focused on light weights - if any! Everything was in 30 second increments and two rounds! Even though it was only 20 minutes, it didn't matter. It was HARD & it just proves that you don't need to spend hours in a gym to get results - you just have to put in the work!

My breakfast was the same as day one! So, I won't share that - instead I will share my snack! :)

Chocolate Shakeology! I am a creature of habit and my go-to recipe is:
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Few splashes of water
4 large ice cubes
1 whole banana

I'm a picky eater AND I can't swallow pills, so thanks to Shakeology I am getting in ALL my daily vitamins, minerals and superfoods I need to keep my body functioning the best that it can, build my immune system up, strengthen my hair, nails and skin, boost my energy, and give my body what it needs so I'm not craving all the other sugar and crap! It is my secret weapon!!



For lunch I had a turkey wrap! We found turkey that is FREE of ALL the junk most processed meats have from Costco! It's in a ancient grain wrap (half is 1 yellow so I had a full one to get in 2), 1 green container of spinach, 1 blue container of cheese & an orange container of the Mediterranean dip I posted from day one! It tasted pretty unreal! I love that just because you eat healthy - doesn't mean you have to lose flavour and enjoyment!





Post workout I had a red of the Recover Protein from the Beachbody Performance Line! It is ALL natural and it tastes SO damn good!! I have never had one that tasted this delicious in my life. I love knowing I'm not putting junk in my body and giving it EXACTLY what it needs to let my muscles grow and recover!



My supper was also the same as day one - SO I didn't share that again but it was just as delicious as the day before!! I LOVE spaghetti squash and chicken with hot sauce!

I had a left over container and I really wanted a late night snack so I had GRAPES! :) MMM! I overfilled it by a couple I think and I could tell because I had a hard time finishing them all but they were great, completely killed my sweet tooth and saved me from making a bad choice and falling off my plan! :)




The toughest thing that I have been dealing with I think are how hard the workouts are and reminding myself to eat enough in a day. I suppose maybe more than anything it's the habits that I'm working to create that are difficult! BUT that also doesn't mean it can't be done, it just takes work! I'm so proud of myself and of Derek for pushing through it and not giving up!

Don't forget to head over to my 'LIKE'page to catch up on our daily VLOG! :)




-- Autumn XO 

HAMMER & CHISEL - Day One

I bet by now you've seen PLENTY of people on your news feed begin this new program called Hammer and Chisel, and I am right there with them embarking on this 60 day journey. I decided to run a test group for this program (it's an online support and accountability group where my team and our challengers connect - we share our sweaty selfies - meal plans - recipes - motivation - videos - checkins - daily food intake - measurements and MORE! It's a safe place for us come and support each other while we CRUSH this program!) because I know we ALL can use extra motivation to get through the 60 days!

Hammer and Chisel is created by Autumn Calabrese (21 Day Fix & 21 Day Fix Extreme) & Sagi Kalev (Body Beast). They came together to create a whole NEW program  - taking it up about 10 notches. It's main focus is Strength - Stability and Power to give you unbelievable results and change your body composition like crazy. All these workouts can be done right at home and are 40 minutes and under! Talk about getting ripped while living a busy lifestyle - that is why I LOVE these programs so much and why I fell in love with it! It's SIMPLE & time-efficient!! Completely takes away the guess work AND puts time back into your day (good-bye 2 hour long gym sessions)!



What we needed:
- A bench (we got a Bowflex incline bench from Flaman Fitness for $225 on sale regular $299!) 
- 2 Sets of adjustable weights from Canadian Tire (they were $40 each and each dumbbell can go up to 40 pounds since we bought 2 packs) Most other weights were giving us quotes of upwards to $600! 
- A chin up Bar (Canadian tire)
- Stability Ball (got it free) 

PREP

I have decided to make my meal plan week by week! I am also notorious for forgetting to eat all day or getting stressed if it's over complicated and then not eating at all. Awful - I know. SO, I decided to keep it simple and eat the same thing for a few days in a row! This may change as I continue on but especially to begin, I wanted to keep it as easy as I could so I stay on track! 

* Please feel free to use this if it will work for you! * 

Our First week Shopping Trip!

In my meal plan, I used a Hammer and Chisel dressing - this is the one that I used out of the nutrition guide (minus the tomatoes - we didn't have those haha)

My BEFORE photos! They are definitely a bit worse than I thought they would be. The holiday's got to me! It HAPPENED! I can't hide from it! BUT Derek and I will be heading on a vacation to Cruise Florida, Jamaica and Haiti thanks to Beachbody in March SO there is no going back - these 60 days ARE happening!

Starting Measurements:

Chest - 32.5 

R. Arm - 10.25

L. Arm - 10.25

Waist - 32.5

Hips - 36.5

R. Thigh - 21

L. Thigh - 21

Weight - 126 LBS

DAY ONE
The day started off STRONG! I woke up, dove right into personal development for over an hour to really work on growing who I am as a person - my mind and as a leader. I ate this delicious breakfast and practiced PiYo Live! 

Unfortunately as Derek came home a bit later from work the day took a bit of a turn - our kitten, Phil has been recently peeing on EVERYTHING of Derek's and around him. It's sporadic and we don't overly know why it's happening but he did it while he was on the phone with a client while I wasn't around - had no idea what was happening and then it turned into a big clean up and everyone frazzled. My workout got pushed back which meant so did my lunch and everything else! 

Needless to say, Day one didn't go exactly as planned, but that's life right?! Did it mean I gave up?! NOPE! We dealt with the mess - I talked Derek off a ledge and we got our workout on. 

It was HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first day was Balance Chisel where you definitely focus on stability - lower weights - proper form - plyometrics - and basically die. It was 40 minutes in length and thank god for that!! 

Close to the end Derek had to run his head under the water HAHA and then ended up like so ... 

He decided to try to come back and finish and ended up throwing up for about 5 minutes and had a bath! LOL Being that he's a personal trainer - I LOVE seeing him challenged!!!

MYSELF - I struggled! I had a bad right hip so some of the stability workouts I did have to modify as they gave me pain. I did MOST of everything as best as I could and as many reps as needed BUT I did have to do a few less on some. Honestly,  I'm not proud of that but I know that I'm only going to keep getting better! Did I feel like barfing - absolutely! BUT I HATEEEE puking so I did everything I could to make sure I didn't hahah!

Overall - It was a GREAT workout!! Workouts should be challenging otherwise results WON'T happen! I'm already so excited for day TWO!!


DAY ONE SUPPER:

I absolutely LOVED this!!! It's chicken, spaghetti squash and carrots! I love that this filled me up - didn't leave me feeling stuffed and gross but still satisfied. Spaghetti Squash acts like a carb but is a VEGGIE - how NEAT right?! I can't wait to have it again!!!


Day One is OFFICIALLY in the books!

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Confessions of a Beachbody Coach - 5 Common Misconceptions of being a Coach

Time to get REAL here!!!

Becoming a Beachbody Coach doesn't give you magical powers & no Fairy Godmothers sprinkles dust over us to make us be on point day in and day out! Sorry if I burst your bubble but that's simply NOT how it works!

Us Coaches, take A LOT of time working on ourselves & you better believe we fall and have to get back up just as much as the next person! I don't know how many times I have approached women about joining our movement to make an impact in the lives of others and I get reasons WHY they think they don't 'fit' the criteria!

1. We NEVER miss a workout

...... say what?! I hear so often "I have trouble sticking to my program - I feel like I have to be consistent before I coach". I FEEL YA SISTA!!! There are months where I yo-yo, start a program, stop it, then decide to JUST do the workouts I feel like doing and skip the ones I don't enjoy. There have been months where I don't work out at all! GOSH -- when I first began coaching I NEVER even had tried out a program before!!! Now that is some CRAZY talk, am I right?! How the HECK can I be a coach if I am not on point every single day?!

Well ... let ME tell you! It's not about being PERFECT! Coaching is NOT about never missing a day - falling off track or always being motivated! It's about getting back up each time you fall! We stress the importance of honesty till we are BLUE in the face! If you fall off - SHARE THAT because guess what?! There is someone out there who WILL thank you for being REAL! They will be able to relate to your struggles and see you are HUMAN just like them!

Being a coach means being real and raw - not perfect! We use our challenge groups for support and accountability just as much as our challengers do and without them and without being a Coach I probably would have given up on my journey a LONG time ago! This is the ONE consistent push in my life that keeps me going - keeps pushing me to be better - continues to pick me up each time I fall down! I will NOT give up on myself because I have challengers and other women watching me and I owe it to the both of us to continue working at being my best self! 

2. You have to be an Instagram Model with them 6 pack of ABS! 

Honestly, I don't know if I will EVER have abs! Would I like to?! Sure - they'd be neat to have, but I won't lose sleep over it if they never appear! WHY?! Because I love living a flexible 80/20 life and abs require a lot more than that!

Being a coach is NOT about being perfect! I cannot stress that enough!!!!! I can't speak for other coaches but the coaches that I WANT on my team to inspire OTHER women - are women who have struggled OR ARE struggling. I want to grow with women who are REAL and RELATABLE! The women that in my eyes are the perfect coach - are the ones who have room to improve (be that in mind, body or spirit)! No, you do not have to go through 3 rounds of the 21 Day Fix and have a KILLER transformation in order to inspire others! Guess what inspires others?! TRANSPARENCY!!!!! Being completely open about your journey and your struggles - the ups and the downs! We are here to support women just like us through THEIR journey, and share with them about how we understand because we have been or are in their shoes! We create a community and a sisterhood within our challenge groups and in our teams that keep us going when the going gets tough!

To ME --- This video showcases EXACTLY what it means to be a great coach! To make someone FEEL something! To be transparent about who you are so you can inspire others! To help others see that they are beautiful as they are and to give them the tools for their confidence to emerge and radiance to shine! 

If you continue to grow as a coach and you end up with abs or do already have them - GREAT!!! That also doesn't mean you won't inspire other people or be able to connect with them! We all have room for growth in some area of our lives BUT they aren't necessary to influence others!

3. We have no other commitments, jobs or kids - you MUST have hours of free time

I think the number one excuse I receive about not feeling like their able to coach is that they are busy! They have a full time job, are in school or have kids! Do you think that all of us 300,000+ coaches have no jobs, kids, responsibilities, commitments, families, school or priorities?! We ALL do!!!!!!! That's the cold hard truth!

When I first began coaching, I was working in Bridal season for a decor rental company full-time where my boss just had a baby and wasn't in the store as much as usual & there was only 2 of us in the store so i had A LOT on my plate as well as set ups on the weekend, full-time University classes AND I was going through an extremely tough family crisis that turned our worlds upside down. I was in a situation that would turn most people away from coaching. In my situation - everyone else would say they aren't "ready". I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I had never been in a challenge group before, heard of a Beachbody Coach (other than from MY coach) and had never done an at-home fitness program! ALL I knew was that my life was in shambles, I was unhappy, I needed something for ME, I needed balance and I needed something positive to uplift my spirits!

That is EXACTLY what I got when I pushed the "sign up" button! It gave me the ability to find balance in the crazy times of my life. Coaching allowed me to make sure I made MYSELF a priority even though I was busy and it also showed me that even though I was busy - it didn't mean I didn't have time! Being healthy, confident and happy gave me the positivity and mindset I needed to push through what was happening with my family. All I needed was an hour a day - even split up if need be - to help others make the same positive changes in their lives TOO!

That's it! ONE hour! If we stop Facebook scrolling or laying in bed pushing the alarm 100 times - we would find that extra hour and give ourselves opportunities we never dreamed of being possible!

4. We have it ALL figured out! 

I think by this point I have made it pretty clear that we are all hot messes! None of us really have it ALL figured out! We learn as we go, we have ups and downs in our lives because just like you - we are human! We have fights with our spouses, we have other priorities, our jobs get crazy, we have family crisis's and guess what?! That's okay! Totally okay! Melanie Mitro - Top 2014 Coach was labelled at Summit by Corporate as a HOT MESS - even with a song! All we ever ask - is to continue with working towards being your best self every day, for yourself, for your family and for those who you are helping!

I know that I had NOTHING figured out when I joined - but joining has helped me to learn to figure it out! It has given me the support - training - encouragement and ability to keep growing and learning what works for me in my life and how I can continue to be my best self! I can say with 100% honesty that I would not be where I am emotionally, physically or mentally in my life if I decided to pass up this opportunity!

Given - I will and do still have days where I cry, I feel lost, emotional, my boyfriend and I get into a fight or my world feels like crumbling because my anxiety gets the best of me and I feel completely out of sorts! I take a moment - or 10 moments and I dive into what I know - personal development - and I get back on the horse, pick myself up, turn to my community of other women and KEEP GOING!!!

You do NOT have to have it all figured out to be a coach - I just want you to be exactly who YOU are and be ready to surrender to being your best self through the process!

After a year of HARD work I am NOW a full-time coach, but when I started, I wasn't! I was just like YOU!!!! If you take a peek at most of the coaches in this company, even the TOP coaches - they have kids, other interests, priorities - some even have other BUSINESSES to run! So - know that it is OKAY to have other things going on in your life, no one expects you to have an open calendar! We ask you because we know deep in our hearts, you can reach the lives of others and you can help change them!

 5. We NEVER cheat on our meal plans

Before we began coaching and our journey with Beachbody - we already had bad habits, probably ate crappy foods and enjoyed them! I know I am definitely one of them! Just because I began coaching doesn't mean I all of a sudden I LOVE healthy foods and never have temptations to eat fast food!

GOSH --- Last NIGHT I even had McDonald's!!! That's hard to admit as a coach - which is probably WHY you think we never cheat, it's tough to share that when we have people looking up to us - BUT let me tell you - whether you see it or not, know that we DO cheat! We fall off of our meal plans whether that's for a day or a week! Once I got back from Summit in Nashville - it took the LONGEST time for me to get it together! That doesn't mean I should quit coaching or even that I am a bad coach! It just means that I have to keep trying each day to do better! Again, when we share that and be real and honest about our struggles, more people can relate and see we are JUST like THEM!

So my response to everyone that says "But I struggle with staying on my meal plan, how can I be a good coach" is "ME TOO! That's what will make you a GREAT coach - you have room to grow and that means you're not an alien from another planet! You will keep learning what works for you and it will give you extra accountability to stay on track as much as possible!"

THERE YA HAVE IT! We're just like YOU! Know that you have the ability to change the lives of the ones you love - the people you have fallen out of contact with over the years and people you've never even met! You have the ability to change your OWN life!!!! Don't get wrapped up in the thoughts that you have can never miss a workout, you have to have abs, you can't have other priorities in your life, you have to have it all figured out and your nutrition has to be 100% on point - we love you for who you are and will always welcome you in with open arms and give you the tools to improve in any area of your life that you'd like!

XO -- so much love!

Autumn

Grocery Essentials

Starting a lifestyle change journey is TOUGH! Mainly because learning WHAT to eat is easier said than done! Annnnnddd being real - nutrition IS part of our lifestyle change journey - if anything it makes up 80% of it! (Fitness and working out isn't the whole thing ... SHOCKER!! I know!)

My boyfriend who is now a Personal Trainer - was a chef for 10 years SO as much as I hate to admit it - I rely on him to do most of the cooking! Okay... stoves scare the crap out of me! I said it!!! But he is a phenomenal cook and I appreciate him making sure we stay on track with our meals while I would take that time after working my full-time job to work on my coaching business!

BUT ... I decided it's time to put my big girl pants on and become MORE independent! SO - I went grocery shopping for one of the first times on my own! Although I didn't pick up everything that we normally do - I wanted to share the essentials that I did pick up because these are typical items that we always have in our fridge or in our home!

OF COURSE .... BANANAS! There is NO question about that! I love eating bananas - I love putting them into my Chocolate Shakeology fresh AND frozen and they can be used to make at home icecream/frozen yogurt! When we don't have them ... I feel a bit lost! <3 Nanas - you complete me!

I LOVE me some carrots!! They are BY FAR my favourite veggie - always have been!! I have to say - the BEST way they are cooked is on the BBQ with fresh dill and potatoes! BUT - I will eat them ANY WAY! Make sure when you buy them - they look like THESE! Stay far away from the little ones that are all the same shape and size (the perfect snacking carrots we usually ate as kids or now give to kids) because those are processed through a factory and coated in chemicals! BARF!! If you can get to a farmers market - support local AND get your hands on the yummiest and best carrots - DO IT! 

Almonds are a GREAT snack but I picked these up because I made Almond Crusted Chicken, which was VERY simple, all you need is about 1 cup of toasted almonds (put them in the oven for about 10 minutes), 1 clove of garlic and a few tbps of olive oil! Throw all that into a food processor and then you have a gluten free and delicious crust to put onto your chicken! :) I love baking with almonds as well - you really can't go wrong having these on hand!

That brings me to Chicken - OF COURSE! There is SO much you can do with chicken so it is a staple in our house! We also love to buy lean ground turkey (Costco always has it in bulk for the best price) - those 2 proteins we can do almost anything with from stir fry's to lettuce wraps, salads, you name it! Derek LOVES seafood but I'm not a fan - it really freaks me out SO for now, we don't keep that in the house but perhaps one day I'll be daring and give it more of a try! 

Garlic adds so much flavour - AND I needed it for my chicken and Zucchini recipes but we love to have garlic in the house! Never know when you may need it! :) 

DANG! My picture is sideways BUT this is what we always get for cheese! We LOVE cheese and it's pretty difficult to find a healthy cheese hahaha but we just make sure to portion it out according to the 21 Day Fix meal plan and we are good to go! :)

I am not the HUGEST fan of Greek Yogurt but I do use it as a substitute for Sour Cream AND I know Derek loves it especially with some trail mix as a snack SO we always have this on hand! This is our preferred brand as well!

Speaking of said Trail Mix - this is what he gets! You can purchase this from Superstore in the bulk section BUT I know you can also get this at Costco! It has all the good stuff in here - not that unhealthy trail mix in the chip aisle ;)

We love pasta!! YELLOWS (you 21 day fixers will feel me ;) ) I prefer brown rice pasta over regular and whole wheat pasta! This one is Organic but we love the texture and the way it cooks compared to other bands! We switch it up between different pastas BUT we always keep them in the house!

Pineapple - well, for me, I'm the girl that prefers it on a ham and pineapple pizza rather than fresh as a fruit BUT Derek (are you catching on that he's the one that eats EVERYTHING and I'm miss. picky?! HAHA) loves it on it's own! It's also great to throw into a stir fry or on a pita pizza! :) 

Gots to have us some Spinach! This is the brand we have been buying lately! This is great as a side - make it into a salad or throw it into a wrap so we keep this in the fridge because you never know when you may need some! 

Okay - Strawberries are UP there on my FAVE fruit next to bananas! They remind me of summer and are just so dang tasty! They can be put into salads, Shakeology, as a snack on its own - the opportunities are ENDLESS! 

OKAY SO .... This is the first time I've actually tried Zucchini and I was pleasantly surprised!! I made the baked parmesan, oregano, thyme, lemon peel, sea salt, pepper and garlic baked Zucchini from the FIXATE cookbook and it was delicious! I didn't expect it to be so juicy and yummy!! We will most likely be making this a staple to keep in the house at all times now as well!

We usually opt for multi-grain or whole wheat pitas BUT we decided to try these guys out for a change so this is the only one I got to show you at the moment BUT even when you do go looking for multi-grain or whole wheat wraps, make sure to check the ingredients and nutritional facts and compare the two! You want lower calories - lower sugars - lower sodium and fats FOR SURE! I love these for pizzas, they can be made into taco shells, tortilla chips for nachos or hummus or for lunch with chicken, turkey or your protein of choice! I just love them - so much variety!

Celery! Keep that plate full of green!! We usually use it in stir fry's, home made soups, in turkey wrap mixtures, or they're even great on their own as a snack!

Cottage cheese is Derek's thing FOR SURE! It's a great source of protein so he adds it to quinoa, eats it as a snack or as a side dish with a meal - add in some pepper, spices and even some green onion!

I used to only eat lean ground beef and I thought ground turkey was just the strangest thing! NOW it is probably my favourite meat source next to chicken! It's way less greasy, it tastes amazing and it works on all the same dishes! We use it for wraps, in quinoa, for tacos, on pizzas, you name it - it can be in it! LOVE!

Peppers!!! I won't lie - I won't eat these on their own! I've tried to love them so many times, and I just don't love the texture and it took me until this year to eat them without picking them out of foods! I love them in so many different dishes now!

Okay! This is the first time we've bought these, so, I don't have a review on them YET! We would get the regular ramen noodles for stir fry's but I'd much rather use rice noodles and are MUCH better for you! We got them at Costco! If you have had them - comment below and share your reviews and recipes you enjoy them with!

Romaine lettuce is something we usually always have in our fridge! Salads, sandwiches and lettuce wraps oh my! These make the perfect wrap for lettuce wraps - a much healthier way to enjoy a wrap and it's seriously so delicious! I used to see these and think it was the strangest thing and once I tried them - I was OBSESSED! If you're a newbie to the lettuce wrap world - hop on this train!

Turkey Bacon is ESSENTIAL for Sunday morning Breaky!!! Again, I thought this was the weirdest thing! I think I was against anything that wasn't chicken haha! Don't get me wrong, I still like me a couple strips of bacon on special occassions but this is a much more guilt-free way of enjoying bacon and it tastes SO good!!! We always keep this stuff around for sure!

This is what our load at Costco usually looks like! There are a few other snacks in there as well! :) We always have Almond Milk on hand for our Shakeology. We tried out the BOOM Chicka POP Puffs - so far SO good! ;) I love cantaloupe so we made sure not to forget it!

We definitely eat MORE than what is posted here and I will continue to update this list but I wanted to share this to help anyone out who is struggling in the grocery store or to help those who are just starting on their lifestyle change and have no clue where to start! These are the items (shopping on my own) that I knew to get SO I know we always have them on hand!

I hope this helped and keep checking back because it WILL grow!!

XO