Why I Love the 21 Day Fix

It seems like I have spent the majority of my teen and adult life obsessing over my weight. Name a diet I have tried it. From Weight Watchers to the Whole 30, My Fitness Pal to IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros). You would think that for as many diets as I have tried that I would be at my goal weight by now! But even though I lost weight with many of those diets I inevitably gained it all back PLUS some after I went back to normal eating.

When I started the 21 Day Fix I was honestly a little bit skeptical about it. I thought it would simply be another diet where I would feel deprived and want to go back to “normal” eating as soon as possible. Instead, what I found was that the 21 Day Fix meal plan is one that I can see myself following for LIFE.

I LOVE that the program focuses on real, clean foods and portion control of these foods. It is a common misconception that if you are eating healthy food that you can eat as much as you want. Um nope. Peanut or almond butter is “healthy” but eating half of a jar in one sitting is NOT healthy!

 I pretty much already knew what foods I should be eating, but I found out that it is possible to eat too much healthy food! I also realized that I was not eating enough vegetables or protein and way too many carbs and fruit.

A common question that I get regarding the Fix is “What CAN you eat?” My answer? Pretty much all healthy foods, but in the correct portions. When you order you will receive a set of color coded containers. Each container represents a certain food group. For example red is for protein, yellow is for carbs, purple is for veggies, etc.

You will be allotted a certain number of containers per a day depending on your goals. What you chose to eat is up to you! As long as it is on the meal plan list and it fits in your container you can eat it!

Here are some examples of meals that I ate during my first round of the 21 Day Fix:

It is also important to note that you ARE allowed treats on occasion such as wine or chocolate and there are also guidelines provided for when you go out to eat! I honestly did not feel deprived during the 21 Days because I knew that if I wanted a treat I could have it. Because of that, I found myself not wanting treats as often…which is a huge accomplishment for a girl with a huge sweet tooth!

Another FAQ is “Do you recommend the 21 Day Fix?” UM yes! Not just because I am a coach, but I truly think that this has been a life-changing program for me. I have struggled with disordered eating habits since I was a teen and never felt confident or proud of my body. In 21 days I was able to develop new, healthy eating habits. Never once did I want to binge, have a major cheat meal or skip a workout. It is true what they say:

This program is for women who need to lose between 5-50+ pounds. It is also for women who may be at their goal weight but want to develop a healthy, well balanced meal plan.

I have not felt this proud of my body in a LONG time. Sure, I’m not where I want to be quite yet, but because of the 21 Day Fix I am confident that I WILL get there.

If this sounds like a program that would help you reach your goals you can click here if you are a NEW customer. The links to the 21 Day Fix packages on are the right hand side in blue boxes. If you order this way make sure to email me and let me know so that I can add you to the next online group! You can also email me (shelleyd23@gmail.com)-- I am more than happy to answer any remaining questions or help you order. By ordering through me you will receive your 30 min at home workout DVDs, workout schedule, meal plan, containers, a bonus workout and access to my monthly virtual boot camps.

Blueberry & Oatmeal Muffins

This morning I woke up wanting oatmeal and/or blueberry muffins. It is WAY too hot here (106!) so I decided to combine the two and was very happy with the outcome! The result of my cravings are moist, healthy and gluten free muffins. I hate when I am ready to make healthy recipes and then realize I can't because it calls for a gazillion ingredients that I have never heard of before! As a result I will try my best to use as "normal" of ingredients as possible in my recipes so that everyone can enjoy healthy food. These muffins make a great breakfast or snack on the go and would be a great recipe to share with your little ones. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 mashed bananas

2 eggs

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup greek yogurt (I used plain)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp baking powder

3-4 packets of stevia (this is optional if you like really sweet muffins, I did not use stevia)

Topping:

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 packet of stevia

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon coconut sugar (could sub brown sugar)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. 

2. Mash bananas, then add eggs, greek yogurt and applesauce. Stir until combined.

3. Next, add cinnamon, baking powder and stevia. Stir until mixed.

4. Add oatmeal and stir until oats are covered in banana mixture, then fold in blueberries. 

5. Pour batter into silicon muffin liners.

6. In a separate small bowl mix together walnuts, stevia, cinnamon and coconut sugar. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of mixture on top  of each muffin. 

7. Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops of muffins begin to turn a golden brown. 

Healthier Deviled Eggs

I LOVE hard boiled eggs as a protein-filled snack--especially with Dijon mustard and sriracha! But today I thought I would make them a little more fancy and make them deviled style (that's grammatically correct, right?!) Did you know that according to the official deviled egg website, the term "deviled" has been around since 1786 and refers to a spicy or heavily seasoned food? You learn something new every day! :)

Traditionally deviled eggs are usually made with a lot of mayo. To lighten these up I used plain Greek yogurt instead-- my favorite mayo sub! As a result these are a guilt-free, protein-packed snack that could also easily be doubled or tripled to make a healthy appetizer for a BBQ or party!

I know some people may be put off by the fact that this recipe uses the yolks, but did you know that egg yolks contain some of the most important vitamins and nutrients in the egg? If you don't eat the yolk you are missing out on most of the vitamins and minerals that eggs have to offer. The myth that egg yolks are bad for you because of their high cholesterol has been debunked; factors such as saturated and trans fat play a much larger role in cardiovascular disease. Like many things, eaten in moderation, egg yolks are good for you and beneficial to your health!

Ingredients:

2 hard boiled eggs 

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

1-2 teaspoons Sriracha

Dash of: black pepper, garlic powder & dill

1. Slice eggs in half and remove yolks. 

2. Place the yolks in a small bowl. Add the greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, sriracha and spices. 

3. Mix/mash together until combined. 

4. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of mixture into each egg white. 

5. Top with dill (or paprika) for garnish. 

(This recipe is for one serving, but can easily be doubled or tripled depending on your needs!) 

Enjoy! :) 

155 calories: 15 P, 10 F, 2 C

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

I decided to make a blog tonight at around 9 pm. I say “I decided” like it was a spur of the moment decision, but in reality it was anything but that. I’ve wanted to create my own health and fitness blog since the moment I discovered that such a thing existed. But creating a healthy lifestyle blog, putting my life out there for everyone to see is SCARY. I always told myself—“Wait until you are in shape, or ____ pounds, or size ____”. But tonight, after I created my account with Blogger, I laid in bed for hours thinking of ideas that I could write posts about, recipes that I could make, tips and tricks that I could share and I decided that now, at 1 am, was as good of a time as any to finally start my blog. No, I may not have a perfect body and sure, I occasionally eat more chocolate/ice cream/quest bars than I should, but I DO have advice, inspiration, motivation, recipes, tips, ideas, workouts, and so much more to share with you. My number one hope and dream for this blog is to share my real journey balancing health, fitness, happiness and life with you, in hopes that some of you will be inspired to be healthier or happier as a result.  

I heard this quote recently and it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I have so many ideas, dreams and goals that I want to accomplish and it is time to stop holding back from achieving them. I am the only thing standing in my way and the last thing I want is to live a life of regret. Here's to the beginning of many new beginnings and adventures!