Vegan Fix Approved Meal Plan Made Simple!

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!!!!!!!!

Ok, I've gotta brag on myself a bit today because our Health Bet Challenge Kicks off Tomorrow, for once I am all prepped for the ENTIRE WEEK.... AND it only took me an hour & a half to do it all!!! 
I was too excited about all of the simple meal plans & grocery lists I found to make it so much EASIER for our group members to stay on track with their nutrition this month that I decided to try one out myself! 


In all honesty, I HATE COOKING & PREPPING!  I've always wanted to be one of those girls who had beautiful meal prep photos...but to be perfectly honest......I usually stick to my boring salmon and broccoli and then kick myself mid week for not prepping!!!! THIS right here is a rare moment and so I had to document it!!


For anyone doing using the Fix container system - this falls into the 1,200-1,499 calorie bracket and this particular plan is VEGAN - Yep, trying all kinds of new things this week-- but there are TONS more non-vegan plans to follow as well.


Here's the FULL MENU with container equivalents if you wanna try it too & if you're looking for more support on your journey this year, reach out & let's do it together!!




Breakfast-- 1 cup cooked oatmeal with ¼ large banana, 2 tsp. chia seeds, and ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (free) (2 yellow a, ½ purple, ½ orange)


Meal 2 (Snack): 1 cup celery stalks with 2 tsp. peanut butter


Meal 3 (Lunch M/W/F): 2 6-inch corn tortillas, ¾ cup refried beans, 1 cup shredded lettuce, ¼ cup fresh salsa (free), ¼ avocado (1 yellow b, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue)


Meal 3 (Lunch Tue/Thur): 1 slice sprouted whole grain bread, ¾ cup white beans (mashed after measuring), ½ cup sliced cucumber, ¼ avocado, balsamic vinegar (free) (1 yellow b, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue)


Meal 4 (Post-Workout): 1 scoop Shakeology (I use Chocolate most often) with ½ cup blueberries (1 red, ½ purple)


Meal 5 (Dinner M/W/F): ¾ cup firm tofu, 1 cup broccoli slaw (or cabbage), ½ cup chopped broccoli, ½ cup raw spinach sautéed in 1½ tsp. sesame seed oil. Drizzled with reduced-sodium soy sauce (free). Served over ½ cup cooked quinoa (1 red, 3 green, ½ orange, 1 yellow)


Meal 5 (Dinner Tue/Thur): ¾ cup cooked lentils wrapped in 1 cup lettuce leaves with ½ cup cooked quinoa, ½ cup sliced red onion (I didn't use), ½ cup chopped red (or green) bell peppers, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, drizzled with 1 Tbsp. Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette (I used lemon vinaigrette) (1 red, 1 yellow a, 3 green, ½ orange)


I'm curious, how many of you struggle with nutrition and prepping like I do?
I'm looking for some foodie accountability buddies this year so I can make this more of a regular!! 

Email me if you're looking for support and accountability! I have a new Accountability group kicking off soon!
SaraFitCoach@gmail.com



Meal plan credit: https://www.teambeachbody.com/teambeachbodyblog/nutrition/vegan-meal-prep-for-21-day-fix

Hammer & Chisel Day 1 Review!

Hammer  & Chisel Day 1 Review- Chisel Balance

My First impression??.......I WILL feel this tomorrow!!!!! :)

Today was the official DAY 1 of my new workout program, Hammer & Chisel. I've previewed about 4 of these workouts before I officially received it in the mail but I decided to Officially start on a Monday so that I'll be on the calendar! 

This 60 day workout program was created by Autumn Calabrese, the 21 Day Fix creator, and Sagi Kalev, from Body Beast! These 2 masters joined forces for this one and he's bringing the "Hammer" while she provides the "Chisel". 

It's the perfect all around resistance training program! And it's also great for couples to do together :)

One of the other BONUSES  is that it INCLUDES the 21 Day Fix containers system...which is a color-coded, perfectly portioned meal plan system where you don't have to ever count calories!...if your food fits, you eat it! 

So today was the first of the Chisel Series, Chisel Balance....and boy did Autumn test mine!! It was only about 39 mins (Most are 30 mins) which is one of my favorite parts of this program and it definitely got the job done!

 I honestly feel that completing the 21 Day Fix Extreme was great prep for this workout but it was still a challenge!

This one used light-medium weights and gave some of the staple weight training moves (like rows, hamstring curls, and squats) the added challenge of balance moves combined! 

Now, many people are asking me about the equipment needed for this workout program:

-Yes you do need weights!
 I happen to have 3-20lbs of free weights at home. My husband made this investment 2 Christmas ago for me and I can honestly say they've gotten their use! 

- You do NOT need a Bench you CAN use a Stability ball or just the floor!
I just got my bench today, however, because I  found a great deal on one on Sports Authority online and found a great promo code so I got the Bowflex Selectech 3.1 bench (had to put it together today, which was like the pre-workout! But I managed it! lol) 

--I have also seen that they use a pull up bar in a couple workouts...but not in today's! 
I personally do NOT have a pull up bar, I use a resistance band and door attachment instead which they also show the move this way :)


My overall thoughts???

DAMN! No...but in all reality, I was very impressed with the moves in this workout! They were moves I'd never done before, they used multiple body parts at once, including balance moves which are great for the core, and I still felt like I could do them without having to hit pause too many times!

I'm VERY excited for what's to come!! I'm pretty sure I'll be feeling this one tomorrow so I tried out the Performance Line Post Workout Recovery tonight to see if this helps my DOMS! (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)....I'll have to do a review on that if it helps!! 

If you are looking for some great pre and post workout supplements, I'd love to chat with you more about the 100% all natural ingredients line I'm using now! 

I'm newer to supplements, as I never liked artificial ingredients and flavorings...but these are LEGIT! 


Ok, so who is this program PERFECT FOR??:
-Those who have been working out already
 -21 Day Fix grads!
-Body Beast grads
-P90X grads
-GYM RATS!!! This workout is very "Gym-like" and you can STREAM it and bring it along! It'll give you some cool moves to show off with!

I maybe wouldn't suggest starting out with this one, unless you like a challenge...but all moves can be modified and you CAN start with light weights to make it more beginner friendly! 

Oh and my husband was pretty impressed when I showed him this video from today's workout....so ladies, you and your man can do this one together! 

Want to try it for yourself? I'm hosting an elite TEST GROUP in 2016...This will be an online group for those of us taking this challenge to support each other and stay accountable to our goals!!

Email me:   SaraFitCoach@gmail.com  

Also, Fill out my Application Below  so that I can get to know you and your goals better and I'll be in touch :)





         



       

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Zucchini Turkey Burgers!

I found this recipe at SkinnyTaste.com and I had to try it!...I'm not a great cook so I was VERY surprised how good these turned out! They are super easy and make for a great meal prep meal for dinners and lunches :)

Ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey

1 zucchini (grated)

1 Tbsp of chopped red onion

1/4 Cup of whole wheat or low sodium bread crumbs

1 Clove garlic (grated)

Pinch of sea salt (optional)

Pinch of pepper

*I tried adding Cilantro the 2nd time I made these :) Spice it up!

Tomato Salad:

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped red onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

Splash of balsamic vinegar

*cubed mozzarella bites optional 

Directions:

-Grate the Zucchini and Garlic ----Ok funny confession --- First time I peeled my entire zucchini because I didn't read the directions correctly...didn't come out so well...oh my novice chef skills!

Trust me, Grate it- it's better!!

-Chop red onion

-Mix in bread crumbs, pepper, salt, chopped onion in a large bowel and mix

-Make into 5-6 small patties on a large plate and flatten out

-Heat a skillet or large pan on the stove to medium heat and spray with non-stick spray ( I use Coconut Oil Spray)

-Place about 3 patties in the skillet and cook 4-5 mins on each side

-You can make the Tomato Salad for the top like I did using chopped red onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. 

-Or you can simply add whole wheat bun, ketchup, or sliced avocados :) 

ENJOY!!

Nutrition info from SkinnnyTastes.com:

(I didn't use salt so sodium may vary) 

Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 burger • Old Pts: 3 • Weight Watchers Points+: 4

Calories: 161 • Fat: 7 g • Protein: 18 g • Carbs: 4.5 g • Fiber: 1 g • Sugar: 1 g

Sodium: 385 mg • Cholesterol: 65 mg

Meal Prep Sundays!

If you FAIL to Plan.....You Plan to FAIL!

One of the MOST important steps to set yourself up for a healthy week ahead is to prepare your meals on Sunday!

My husband and I prepare most of our lunches and dinners for our week on Sunday and this ensures that we will make healthier choices during the busy week!

If you're trying to eat cleaner and stick to your goals, you CANNOT leave your meal choices up to chance! Picture this...you're leaving work at after a BUSY day and you're STARVING! You are much more likely to grab something unhealthy in your fridge, to snack, or pick up something less healthy on the way home! If you already have a great healthy meal prepared, you are SET!! 

Meal prepping takes just a little planning. Whenever works best for you, either during the week ahead or maybe Saturday, plan out some things you can make in bulk so that you can eat them during the week.

We do all of our grocery shopping either Saturday or Sunday afternoon (My Grocery List). Then Sunday evening, we both make our meals for the week ahead (lunches and dinners mostly) and put them into containers already ready to pack for lunch or reheat for dinner. 

Not only does this ensure a healthy meal plan, it helps with portion control and mostly....it saves you valuable TIME!! 

One of the #1 secrets to successful healthy eating is sticking to the similar daily meal plans. This does not mean you cannot add in variety to your meals! There's always ways to "spice" up your proteins differently or to add in different vegetables and/or brown rice to your dish. 

So get ready to add in Meal Prep Sundays to your week! 

Extra Tip - make cooking your meals a fun bonding experience with your loved ones to get the family involved!