Why Should You Up Your Water Intake?

We all know how important water is to rid our bodies of impurities and such, but I've found out the hard way that it is beneficial in more ways than one. Most people are sipping on soft drinks and energy drinks all day, which we know these drinks are harmful to our bodies, they are addictive, and they take a toll on our teeth.

Personally, I have always been a water drinker but I am a huge fan of coffee (which is dehydrating, defeating the purpose of hydrating with water). Until I started keeping track of how much water I was drinking, I assumed I was getting enough. I figured I was following the 6 8oz glasses a day rule, but I wasn't even doing that.

In reality, we should be consuming at least half of our body weight in ounces of water. I'm going to guess you are probably not getting that much.

If you are anything like I was before you realize you might not be drinking that exact amount but you are drinking plenty. 

Annnnd if you are, You're probably wrong.

A few reasons you might want to start sipping more:

Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue – Tired? Groggy? Stop, put the coffee down. Lets think about this one, considering that our brains are made mostly of water, making sure you are hydrated will actually help you think, focus, and concentrate. keeping your brain happy and hydrated will reward you with alertness
Ever wonder why you crash so hard 2 hours after coffee? when the caffeine runs out you are actually even more tired than you were. This could relate to the fact that instead of treating the problem, you treated the symptom. Be nice to your brain, go for the water instead.

Relieves Headaches and Migraines - Now, many of us get headaches or migraines for a number of reasons. Some are related to a health condition some are actually caused by dehydration. Think back to the last hangover you had, pounding headache and omg SO thirsty! Right?? at least for me that is the case. And the reason for me is alcohol is dehydrating. So If you must go out and have a few, try alternating with water. You will feel much better come morning. I actually had a headache all morning today, and no I wasn't out drinking on a Wednesday. I was visiting my cousins newest addition at the hospital. And I hadn't had any water at all, I woke up with that familiar thirsty feeling, but as soon as I had finished a bottle it started to subside. So, save yourself the headache and just stay hydrated. If you're already there, then try some water before reaching for the Ibuprofen.

Aids In Weight Loss - Scientists reported that by drinking 16oz of water prior to eating can help suppress your appetite and therefor, supporting your weight loss efforts. Drinking water fills your stomach and reduces the urge to eat more than you need. As a bonus, it helps to increase the rate at which your body burns fat while assisting in breaking down and eliminating fat cells.
And the biggest one here, most of the time you are feeling hungry you probably aren't. Chances are good that you are probably thirsty! Yep, the feeling of having a dry mouth and throat comes after that feeling. If you are dry mouth thirsty? You are already dehydrated.


There are so many that I haven't listed, like the skin, digestion, and mood benefits that come from drinking more of the good stuff. And its as close to free as you are going to get. So do yourself a favor and drink up!

Meal Prepping Like a BOSS

A Beginner's Guide to Meal Prepping

With fall semester already into week 3, my life is back to BUSY, as I'm sure yours is too, whether it be getting the kids back to school, yourself back into the swing of things, or coming off of your summer hang over, you're probably looking for a way to make things easier, healthier, and faster.

Well not only will meal planning and prepping do ALL of those but if done right, it can save you lots of money.

Setting aside time (yes you'll need some of the good stuff, TIME) to plan and prep your meals will save you from grabbing unhealthy things, quick meals from the store or drive-thru, and it will save time from cooking a boat load during the week. So I am going to take a little time out of my schedule to share with you how I meal prep to save time and money

So what is meal prepping? For those of you who don't know the term, it is planning and packing as much as you are able to do for the week ahead. For me I plan all of my meals, but my veggies, cook my chicken, hard boil my eggs, package all my lunches, and snacks so that they are just grab and go!


Note: Please remember, I am not a nutritionist or dietician. I am a Coach leading by example, helping people follow what works best for me and my body.


HOW TO:
- Pick one day as your "plan and prep" day
I grocery shop on this day as well. For a lot of people Sunday is their plan and prep day, myself included.

I like to start by planning my meals for the week following a guideline like the 21 day fix meal plan, (since doing PiYo, I upped my veggie portion and healthy fats to follow the program)

I personally start out with 4 Servings of Protein, 2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of grains/secondary vegetables (I just refer to these as carbs for simplicity), 4 servings of vegetables, 4 healthy fats

So a typical day for me would look like:

Meal 1: Protein + Fruit
Meal 2: Protein + Fruit + Healthy Fat
Meal 3: Protein + Carb + Vegetable + Healthy Fat
Meal 4: 2 Vegetable + Healthy Fat
Meal 5: Protein + Carb + Vegetable  + Healthy Fat

- Protein options that I usually eat (I have put a * next to my favorites, but please note these are examples!)
          - Shakeology** (MY GO TO)
          - Eggs*
          - Cottage Cheese
          - Chicken Breasts* Boneless, Skinless
          - Ground Turkey* – 93% lean or higher
          - Turkey Breast
          - Fish or Shrimp– Salmon,* Tilapia, Tuna*
          - Greek Yogurt*
          - LEAN Red Meats (only once per week)
                  - Ground beef 90% lean or higher
                  - Steak
- Other options to note: tofu, tempeh are great sources of protein too! I just do not personally eat them often)

- Carb options (Breads, grains, secondary veggies): Go for whole grain, complex carbohydrates, READ your label, the less ingredients the better generally. This can get us in trouble when we arent paying attention!

Again, I have put a * next to my favorites
          - Steal cut oats
          - Whole grain tortillas
          - Quinoa*— you can add whatever flavors/spices of dish to quinoa to boost flavor
          - Sweet potato*
          - Brown rice*
          - Whole grain pasta
          - Potato
          - Rice: Jasmine*, Basmati*, Wild Grain*, Etc.
          - Buckwheat
          - Amaranth
          - Ezekiel bread* (in the frozen section)
          - Whole grain Pita*
          - Whole grain English muffins
          - Spaghetti Squash*
          - Peas
          - Corn

(there are other options as well but I just gave a simple list, common things that most people will eat)

- Vegetables: Thing variety! change it up, don't get bored!

          - Spinach*
          - Green Beans*
          - Mushrooms
          - Asparagus*
          - Broccoli*
          - Cauliflower*
          - Cucumber*
          - Romaine lettuce
          - Green*, Red, Yellow, Orange Peppers
          - Zucchini*
          - Kale*
          - Carrots*
          - Tomatoes*
Healthy Fats:
          - Avocado*
          -Nut butters* (CAREFUL! no sugar or very little if you must. READ LABELS)
                   - Peanut
                   - Almond
                   - Cashew
          - Coconut oil*
          - Hummus*
          - Olive oil (extra virgin)
          - Nuts (raw unsalted)
          - Cheese (some consider this in the carb category)
          - Milk (some consider this in the carb category)
Fruits:
          - Apple (look for the smaller ones or large green ones
          - Apricot*
          - Banana* (watch these, half is a serving!)
          - Berries:
                   - Strawberries*
                   - Blueberries*
                   - Blackberries*
                   - Raspberries*
          - Cherries*
          - Figs
          - Grapefruit
          - Kiwi
          - Mango*
          - Melons
          - Nectarine
          - Orange
          - Peach*
          - Pineapple*


Okay! now that you know the kind of foods that you want to be eating start looking at the sale ads!

Whats on sale? Is chicken BOGO? great, plan to have chicken a few times this week! Is tuna on sale? well that would be good for lunch right?

Pull out what is on sale, and place it into your meal plan where you want to have it. For example, rosemary chicken Monday, lemon pepper chicken Wednesday, ect.

I write mine for Monday - Friday and the weekends I fend for myself and do a pretty good job.

Check to make sure you have all the ingredients for all recipes before hand!
Then, make your list!! When grocery shopping do your best to stay on the outside perimeter of the store. This is where the fresh food is, without the preservatives....

PREP

When I get home I peel, chop, and cut all of my raw veggies for the week that I will put in lunch or to have as a snack. I package them up so they are grab and go. It takes nothing but a few minutes to cook them up when I need them but do what works best for you! (Healthy choices are easier to make when they're ready to be eaten!)

Pro Tip!!! Add a paper towel into your salads and veggies to keep them from turning brown :-) change it out once a day for best results. 

Obviously I repeat the process for any fruit that requires cutting to be eaten and I portion everything into containers or bags.

Prep your protein/meals (see below)         

         - Make specific meals to eat and prepare things such as sauce you will be using, and choose what you will be alternating left overs

         - Remember, you can make items to store in the freezer and eat at a later time

         - Make your meat "basic" to be used in a variety of ways through out the week, and label each if if it is cooked to go with a meal. 

    

You can take prepping as far as you want to the more time you block out, the more I recommend doing!

You can cook enough protein, veggies, starches to eat for the week. By keeping these items basic, it will make them more versatile to use during the week. its much easier to add veggies and combine in your sauce to make separate meals. However, some people choose to cook two meals to generate enough meals to alternate for the week (five days of dinners). I will make things in the crock-pot, like my easy crock-pot turkey chilli, and refrigerate and freeze for more meals.

Easy things to grab for a snack like my favorite: Greek Yogurt with Peanut Butter

MEAT PREP: I do this in a few ways, If I am having spaghetti or clean meatball "subs" I will make ground beef/ ground turkey meatballs and freeze or refrigerate for a later date. 

I love making veggie burgers and homemade turkey burgers to freeze for a later date. (Ill often do this and feed everyone, then freeze the extras)

- Crockpot freezer meals! Wonderful idea and as you become more advanced you will plow through prepping. Giving you more time to throw these together, like a roast carrots and potatoes. add seasoning, spices, throw in your crock-pot with water, turn it on and GO. 

Best advice, cookas much of your protein that you would like to have for the week

- Grill and bake chicken in bulk with a variety of seasonings or clean breading to switch up the flavor during the week

----Use your crockpot!  Makes enough of a dish to have for the entire week :-)

- brown or saute' ground beef/ground turkey with a little bit of garlic powder pack it for later

(eat as is through out the week or create dishes with it such as tacos, beef and peppers, etc.)

- Hard boil enough eggs for the week as a lunch option or go to protein based snack (THIS IS A MUST FOR ME! I put the eggs on, and cook around them while they boil :-) 

Always Remember do what works best for you! I like to just grab my lunch and snacks, throw them in my bag and head for work with my shakeology in hand. You might like to pack the night before. Share with me what works best for you, I am always taking recommendations to make this easier and faster, but this is my current method! 

Good Luck :-)! 

Myth Busting Female Fitness Strength Training

Myth Busting Female Fitness Strength Training

Okay, there are SO many misconceptions about women and weights. I want to address the two I think are most common. In reality adding weights into your fitness routine will build muscle, give tone, definition, strength, and assist in giving you those rapid results you want. 

Myth #1 Resistance Training Makes Women Bulky and Manly Looking

Now its no surprise to me that this is still the most common misconception about strength training. Weight lifting, or even body weight resistance training, in addition to basic cardio exercise will not make women big and bulky. 

Yes, there are women body builders, but let me tell you that is an art to them. they are pushing their bodies to extreme limits and have very very little body fat. They BUILD which is actually an entire process of intentionally bulking and cutting with food, then they add in the weights which will make their muscles larger. (its much more complicated than this lol, my point is that this is not the norm!) They have extreme tone and definition, without fat...
Why though? because muscle burns fat. 

Excess fat makes women bulky, period.

Of course many women are hesitant to lift weights at first because of this myth, but after a few weeks they begin to see the benefits from strength training. Lifting weights will not only help women build the body they desire, but it also will give them a boost of self confidence. I admit without shame that I love my shoulders and my arms. I work hard on them and they are not bulky. They make me want to wear tank tops and dresses that show them off. They are my favorite feature about myself. :-)

Myth #2  Cardio is Best Way to Lose Fat and Look Toned

FALSE. False False False False False. 

You can use the weight of your body for resistance, weights are NOT required. but I will repeat myself, MUSCLE BURNS FAT. Your results will show faster if you add some resistance to your routine. 

Cardio without any strength training will burn up your muscle mass, you'll end up like a string bean or worse. You know that body type that's kinda 'skinny-fat'? You see them all the time. Men/women with very skinny arms and legs but big bellies and thighs. That is what you get when your body weight is low but body fat is high. its like over stuffing a doll with cotton, it has to go somewhere. 

Cardio is very harsh on the body. It takes what it needs first from your muscles (it's faster and easier) before it starts burning body fat. Last I checked it burns about 40% fat and 60% muscles mass.

Best way to stop that from happening? Let your muscles recover. Grow them and your body will leave them alone, if you're using them your body wont burn them as fuel. 

In reality, the only way to look TONED is to lose body fat and build muscle. And adding strength training into your routine will get you those results. period. 

Im functioning under the "fit look". That is what I want and so do most women. We don't desire to look fragile, we desire to look toned and sexy. Resistance baby, resistance will get you there.  

Mock Mashed Potatoes! SAY WHAT?!

YEP you read that right, Mock Mashed potatoes! This is a clean eating version of all that creamy goodness we love. You know, that comfort food mama makes with every meal. well, take out the potatoes, unnecessary added american cheese, and milk. Yeah I know what you're thinking, UGH what is left butter pepper and salt (maybe a few other add-ins)?

Yep that's all that's left. So, add some cauliflower and have a ball. I'm telling you it tastes just like mashed potatoes and really doesn't have that cauliflower smell that everyone has a complaint about.

Don't worry I am not going to ignore your butter objections here either. However, butter gets a real bad rap and is perfectly fine for you in moderation. Ill be real about this, butter does indeed contain saturated fat. (Not as much as we actually think and at least 30% of the fat in butter is monounsaturated, the same “heart-healthy” fat found in olive oil.).

Some saturated fat is not only necessary in our diet (our bodies make the stuff believe it or not) I recommend against removing healthy traditional foods like butter, eggs and avocados from our diet just because they contain some saturated fat. We all know about the good HDL cholesterol and the bad LDL cholesterol. There are subtypes to both actually, and butter actually raises both HDL and the harmless LDLa much more than it raises the not-so-harmless LDLb. SO, if it raises your cholesterol at all, it will wind up raising the good fractions way more than the bad fractions. There’s really no need to avoid butter based solely on its saturated fat content.

Now I'm not saying to go crazy with the stuff. But adding a little into your food isn't going to tank your clean eating life style.

Now, for the good stuff!

Ingredients:

5-7 Large cauliflower florets
2 Tsp Butter
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese
1 Small clove fresh pressed garlic
Dash of Pink Himalayan Salt
Black pepper to taste

Boil the cauliflower until a fork can be inserted but it's still firm.  Drain in a colander, and put the sprouts into a food processor (I used my nutri-bullet and it worked just fine) Add the butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and blend until your desired consistency.

Feel free to add Greek yogurt for a sour cream baked potato taste, chives, parsley, or whatever else your little heart desires. Food should be fun, flavorful and enjoyable!

21 Day Fix Week 2 Wrap Up

First off, Let me apologize for the dwindleing ammount of blog posts. Problem here is that.... I am BUSY. So, sometimes I have to set priorities for things that must be done first, and unfortunately the blog gets pushed way off. I do figure that at writing one a week, you all will still see the benefits of how the 21 Day Fix is changing my life! I am learning a TON about my eating, and I am getting so much tone and definition.

Now on to the good stuff.... No smoke and mirrors, I am not perfect and I am doing this program to the best of my ability. I am seeing GREAT results and cannot wait to share them NEXT WEEK! wow its been a fast 3 weeks. I"

So, lets start with the positive of my week 2... I am seeing and FEELING results, I am NOT hungry, and I am NOT tired one bit. I am not craving sweets (and week two would have been the week for that as a lot of us LOVE our chocolate during that 'time'.... but I had my shakeology and it really really worked for curbing my cravings for sweets). And one last big positive to note, I am learning how to enjoy the things I love in moderation.

Then, there is the not so positive...... I missed a couple workouts so far in two weeks...I missed one cardio workout, and I missed yoga on this past Sunday. All I had were excuses, good ones for the one day, but excuses none the less. Weekends are SO hard!

I started the week off great, other than one missed work out on thursday (I picked my friends puppy up from the vet, and then the puppy threw up in my car. I took the opportunity to make her a greeting card.

I had to scrub the seats and really focus when I got home because I had a paper due.) The food last week was good, but started to get boring so I knew to amp it up for week three. You can only eat so much of one thing before you get bored and then you start missing meals. I missed a red container last week just once. For me, only missing one is pretty good, I will get so busy and actually forget to fuel my body... But I had chicken and Brussel sprouts a lot...

And I ran out of shakeology before I got my next shipment. Let me tell you that you DO NOT WANT TO RUN OUT

I could feel a difference, I'm a little sluggish and sleepy, with some tummy troubles :(

And then the weekend came.....

And I had a REAL OMG! moment.... I put on my "GOAL" shorts from the end of last summer....and I felt like they looked and felt AMAZING. I wasn’t embarrassed of my legs, I actually felt CONFIDENT. For the first time, I was okay with shorts weather, and shorts that came above my fingertips. Good feelings people!!!

The weekends and I have a REAL love/hate relationship. I get to spend time with my love, pups, family, friends, ect! but FOOOOOOD UGH its EVERYWHERE

But my friend and fellow coach bucked down and went to get the skinny on everything Beachbody at Super Saturday! This is Beachbody's quarterly meeting and I wouldn't miss it

So it didn’t surprise me when Jared and I said we were getting pizza on Saturday, so I planned for pizza not having YELLOW all day. However, I agreed to this KNOWING that my family was making a HUGE southern style breakfast Sunday morning.

Oh yes. We know how to do it right.... sausage gravy, biscuits, grits, eggs, fruit, ECT....

But, I used my containers, ate in moderation, skipped the bacon and went so light on the gravy.... I had my fruit, and was extremely satisfied. 

Wellll it was sunny on Sunday.... and sunny warm 80 degree weather brings out the summer loving girl in me. So, I put on my bikini and put my tanning lotion on... but then I remembered I had that mango margarita slush in the freezer... darn there went my yellow container, and my blue too...and shoot....I am positive I am not allowed any tequila, and I added a little more....

A small glass, A little enjoyment but DAMN IT I wanted to do the program right.

SO, I meal prepped LIKE A BOSS for week 3. Finishing SO strong…and then I am going to do it AGAIN. YES, another round!

I am learning healthy habits. I am learning  the best way to resist bad food is to have food ready....

Doubles week started this week. I started with a 3 mile run on Monday and I did the cardio fix. I was short on time with fitting my run in. SO I replaced Pilates. My girls in the group agreed that they thought this was more than OK and encouraged me. I have to give them a lot of credit. They keep pushing me and pushing themselves. Couldn’t have asked for a better mini challenge group!! But ultimately it is up to me to get the work done

JOIN ME for my next round of the fix! You will not regret it. GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE got… and then just a LITTLE BIT MORE!

Contact me:

www.beachbodycoach.com/Missybm10

Melissa.molnor@gmail.com

www.Facebook.com/missy.molnor

First Round of the 21 Day Fix is OVER!!!!

First off, I will say YES I am well aware that the fix should have ended LAST week. I decided to push through and finish it out with my challengers lol not a huge difference, I only lost one pound in the extra few days, considering I was sick this past Sunday, and the Sunday before was Easter, and I kinda gave myself a "cheat day"  

So, Week 3! 

Hard hard hard week! I wanted so badly to stay comitted to doubles week! I got MOST of my double workouts done. although there were days where I was happy just to take the time for one. The only hard part was that I had to find the time TWICE during the day. Which for me, can become difficult. Balancing work, school, coaching, and finding time to spend with my family, sweetheart, and friends it becomes overwhelming at times.

But I fit into this size 4 dress! And it's too big! 

I was getting to the point where I was killing with my food.... and then I'm freaking out because Easter was coming, and my Aunt is the best cook ever. I'm not even kidding, she can ROCK the kitchen. So I decided that if I worked REALLY hard, I could actually have ham on easter. 

There are always a few ways to handle this situation. Some people say to bring a healthy dish, and to stay away from certain things. YES do that, because your body will be happier, and its always nice to bring something! However, I do NOT believe in depriving yourself of amazing food that you dont eat every day. So yea, throw in a greeen of veggies, and a purple of fruit.... but if your family makes GREAT cheesy potatoes? FILL UP A BLUE AND EAT IT. If its Easter and the meat choices add up to just ham? and you actually like that salty sweet taste? yep! eat it.... in MODERATION.....and I did.


and then I gained two pounds from water because of ham lol it was gone in a day. I dont regret a thing. I fought the urge to eat all of my little brothers chocolate like a boss! 

My boyfriends family makes amazing pasta salad, -_- ate that too. I'm sure that didn't help lol 

But the positives!!! The weight loss, the energy! The feeling of not being embarrassed to buy a new bikini because mine are all TOO BIG 

I even did my very first photo shoot 

Not to forget that my sweetie, and my friends are joining me on my 25th birthday to conquer mud on the mountain at seven springs in less than two weeks!!!!!

 
Round one of the 21 Day Fix is over. I couldnt be ANY happier with my progress! I have toned a lot and I am ready for bikini shopping!

Down 12 pounds total from this program!! WOW! I'm even amazed because it was just EASY!

 and I'm proud to say that thanks to shakeology and amazing brachbody programs I am 62 pounds lighter and a whole lot stronger!!

To learn more about the 21 day fix, my free challenge groups, or any other Beachbody products please contact me at Melissa.molnor@gmail.com

Or visit my website

Www.beachbodycoach.com/missybm10

Ps sleeping in your work out gear gets you motivated for your am workout.... 

Stay classy, and stay tuned for round two! Started today ;) 

21 Day Fix Weekend Wrap up!!!

What a challenge it was staying on task all weekend long! The problem I ran into? How do you plan out what food you are going to be introduced to on a weekend? What if you MIGHT want a glass of wine later but you're not sure? Well, it was hard, but I figured out how to deal in my own way.

Friday I started off KILLING IT all day, I started with breakfast with my mom and her friend. I oped for one slice of multi-grain bread (no butter) two scrambled eggs (no butter) and one slice of cheese. Score! I beat the restaurant at its game! Ringing in at one red, one yellow, and one blue! The rest of the day went as planned and I opted for a small glass of wine at my bestie's house later that night. I had one yellow left, and you are allowed to swap a yellow for a glass :)

I cleaned the house like a boss and added some weights for some extra calorie burning power!! 

I got my workout in right before I left because I cleaned allll day and OMG it was NO JOKE. I had just enough time for a quick shower and out the door I went!

And I didn't have too much planned for the rest of the weekend just relaxing with my sweetie and my Ebook! So we watched my friend's dog Lilly Saturday :-) I made sure to get my workout in before I arrived.. Shaun T caught me doing the fix instead of INSANITY 

But after that hard workout I was starved and...duhn duhn duhn! She made Lasagna for me!! but :-) I planned it out and MY GOODNESS it was SO much food! two yellows and the serving size is a green container so it was a huge piece! I added a side of fresh steamed broccoli (GREEN) and was really full after. So, that was a cheat! but an allowed cheat!

and SUNDAY hardest day YET. My friends son turned one and I sure couldn't miss it! but there was so much good food.... but seeing as her and her husband are both beachbody coaches, I didn't feel the slightest bit odd pulling out my containers and filling the green with salad and raw veggies (GREEN) or when I demolished my sandwich (RED) and ate the turkey, I decided against the cheese on it, so I left it on the plate. I put a few spoonfuls of  these amazing cheesy potatoes and I counted it as a yellow....

but CAKE, the most amazing looking cake... yep! I had a small piece. but the problem came later when I made my "everything that is left from the week chicken stew" because it had rice! 

so, sunday I went over. I walked the dogs and went for a run.... Yoga, was for Sunday and I missed it :(!

But I made up for it today :-)! and I meal prepped and didnt miss not one container today!!

weigh in?? even with the slip ups.... I'm down 5 pounds! and my arms are looking SO toned. I'm SO ready to face week two! BRING IT AUTUMN C!


If you want more information on the 21 day fix, or any beachbody program contact me! summer slim-down challenge to start end of April!!!!

http://21df.combo.domain.extension/