Country Heat – Week 4

August 22, 2016August 22, 2016Leave a comment

Week 3 is complete and week 4 of Country Heat starts tomorrow! Follow me on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66) for daily pictures and videos. I would like to take time right now to reflect on week 3 as well as share my workout and nutrition plan for week 4 with you.

Workout:

Country Heat Week 3 Picture

I felt much better in week 3 than week 2. Cold is finally leaving my body and my energy levels are back to normal! This mommy doesn’t miss out on her “ME” time even when sick. My kids joined me more than usual this week and that is OK. I improvised some of the moves in the workouts so that I could have my little man on my hip. Squats are always one of my go to moves for substituting one move for another. I always make sure that my baby is safe (head supported) in my arms when I am doing the workout with him. I do have two baby carriers that I use as an option when he wants to be close to me. There is a ton of dancing and giggles even if the workout wasn’t 100% on point. I’m making progress when my feet are moving! Check out the video below from the workout Wild Goose Chase.

My workout schedule for week 4* looks something like this:

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan. Many of my dinner options are new this week and I will be updating my website with the recipes as I make the meal.

Friday (dinner) and Saturday (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) have not been included on the meal plan for week 4 as we have plans to be with my husband’s family. I accounted for my AM/PM snack ensuring that I have my Shakeology each day. Tips for getting through Friday/Saturday will be shared next week on my website as well as real time in my accountability group. Check out the recipe for Southern Spiced French Toast w/ Bananas & Walnuts; I substituted walnuts for pecans!

If you would like to join my Back to School – Back to You accountability group there is still time. We kick things off TOMORROW – August 22. If you have been thinking about making a change or if you are like me and let the summer fun in the sun get the best of you…do not just give up. The time is now to jump back on the horse and JOIN ME! You always find time for the things you want the most…why not make your health and wellness a priority?!

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

Week 3 Country Heat Pictures

Country Heat – Week 3

August 15, 2016August 15, 2016Leave a comment

Week 2 is a wrap and week 3 of Country Heat started this morning! So stay tuned for all the updates and videos on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66). I would like to take time right now to reflect on week 2 as well as share my workout and nutrition plan for week 3 with you. Remember this is a process of changing old habits and replacing them with new ones. It is not always going to feel seamless!

Workout:

Week 2 was the first time that Dance Conditioning was on my workout schedule. This is a nice mix of dance cardio and traditional moves such as abs, lunges, and bridges. Every routine has me sweating and looking forward to the next! These workouts are my ‘ME’ time and life sure seemed more stressful than usual last week. The added stress did not allow my immune system to stay on point. The result was a cold and very tight neck muscles. I would catch myself often clenching my jaw and it took a few days until I could relax. Here are things I do to combat a cold and to feel like myself again:

I’m looking forward to week 3 and being able to breathe easier during my workouts without this cold! My workout schedule for week 3* looks something like this:

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Here are some tips this week if you are finding it difficult with nutrition/meal preparation:

Carve Time Out To Develop Meal Plan: Pick a day of the week (weekend or week day) to determine the food items that are going to be part of your meal plan broken out into breakfast, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, and dinner. You can find me developing my meal plan on either a Sunday or Monday. The day can fluctuate based on your schedule, but it is important to set time aside each week.
Meal Preparation: There are certain tasks that you can do in advance to make preparing food less time consuming on you. So you developed a meal plan, used the meal plan to make a grocery list, and shopped…now what! There are certain tasks based on your meal plan that can be done in advance for the week ahead.
- Portion out snacks into containers or zip lock bags. This way they are available for a quick grab and go or can easily be placed in a cooler bag for wherever the day takes you.
- Broil chicken or brown ground meat; store in an air tight container.
- Chop vegetables; store in an air tight container together or separate by vegetable type.
Set Goals: Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish this week? These goals should be specific to what you are going through and make the time frame achievable. Be sure that these goals are visible to you! WRITE THEM DOWN! Here are some example goals that I use for my nutrition:
- I will drink 1/2 by body weight in ounces of water this week.
- I will measure my food in the portion control color coded containers this week…let’s face it…we can become relaxed and get off course. Back to the basics helps me refocus.
- I will take 15 minutes every single day to clear my mind this week. I like to break this 15 minutes up into 3 mini mind breaks! I’m not looking at my phone or checking email.

If you would like to join my Back to School – Back to You accountability group there is still time. We kick things off on August 22. If you have been thinking about making a change or if you are like me and let the summer fun in the sun get the best of you…do not just give up. The time is now to jump back on the horse and JOIN ME! You always find time for the things you want the most…why not make your health and wellness a priority?!

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

Beachbody Health Bet Challenge

August 13, 2016August 13, 2016Leave a comment

I’m so excited for my upcoming Back to School – Back to You group that kicks off August 22nd. The first week will be all about preparation (meal planning and getting your fitness program) and workouts will officially start on August 29th. I like to have that first week of the group a time to help everyone prepare and answer any questions related to the start of their journey!

What makes this group even more exciting is that every person who participates in my Back to School – Back to You group using the My Challenge Tracker App (the app is free to download on apple and android) has an opportunity to qualify and automatically win an equal share of $1 million dollars up to $3 million dollars* total prize pool. The pool starts at $1 million; however, can grow up to $3 million as Beachbody adds $5 per challenge pack sold until August 31st to the initial $1 million pool prize.

So How Do You Qualify?

Qualifiers must meet all requirements for each of the 4 qualification weeks.

Week 1 – September 5 – September 11
Week 2 – September 12 – September 18
Week 3 – September 19 – September 25
Week 4 – September 26 – October 2

Qualification 1

You must be a participant in my Back to School – Back to You group on the My Challenge Tracker App by 11:59 PM PT on September 5, 2016. Participants must have a valid First and Last Name, email address, and shipping address associated with their Team Beachbody account by October 2, 2016 in order to be paid out.

Qualification 2

Since you are committed to getting fit…qualification 2 and 3 should be easy! There are 7 Shakeology flavors to choose from and if you have never tried Shakeology before I am here to help you figure out the flavor you like best! I have a lot of recipes to share with you. Here’s the deal…you must log a minimum of 5 Shakeology’s (each accompanied by a Shakeology photo) during each qualification week. All Shakeology’s must be logged by 11:59 PM PT on the last day of each contest week mentioned above.

Qualification 3

Let’s give a SHOUT OUT for those sweaty selfies! Each participant must log a minimum of 3 Beachbody workouts during each qualification week. All workouts must be logged by 11:59 PM PT on the last day of each contest week mentioned above.

Together we are all stronger!

So who is ready to join in on the FUN!

You can win money for checking in daily and logging workouts and Shakeology for the Health Bet Challenge!
I can help you stay accountable to the results you want!
Challenge Tracker App is helpful for not only tracking your workouts and Shakeology, but your measurements and transformation photos as well as it takes you off of Facebook (we all know can be distracting!)

If you are interested in learning more about this upcoming group, please contact me at Melissa@LLHealthyFit.com or fill at the application on my Get Support page. SPACE IS LIMITED so be sure to reserve your spot today!

Back to School/Back to You – Enrollment Open

August 12, 2016August 15, 2016Leave a comment

We see the “Back to School” advertisements every where we look…not to mention I already saw fall decorations. I can never understand why the stores have to rush the seasons and holidays! This feels like life now in general…everything is rushed and before we know it time has passed and we are still wishing for our hopes and dreams to be fulfilled!

With that said…my family is soaking as much time as we can of what summer days are left for our daughter before she starts school in September. We are prepping for our fall routine, which involves a lot of organization between my husband and me. Honestly, being a mom of 2 little ones, the last thing that we want to think about is ourselves right? Items keep being added to the ever growing to-do list and that dry eraser calendar of mine has a lot more tickmarks/colors to help with organization such as school pick up and drop off. I’m blessed to have my husband to balance this with me! So please give yourself a pat on the back if you are doing this all by yourself!

Since starting my journey in January 2015, I have learned that the best thing I can do for myself is to MAKE not FIND the time for myself. I became stubborn about this time. I replaced watching 30 minutes of TV each night with what I call my “ME” time. Don’t worry…not sure where to begin?! Back to the basics my friends…you are a learner and I’m the teacher!

Whether it’s losing weight or maintaining I would love to coach you through your journey. It’s time you invest in yourself!

Please know that anyone can join my group as long as you are NOT currently working with a coach or is a coach.

If I am already your coach (coach ID: 561335) please private message me to be added.

Please complete the application in the link below and I will contact you within 24 hours with all the details.

APPLY HERE: https://llhealthyfit.com/get-support/

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE; FIRST COME FIRST SERVE! Oh by the way, this group will be using the MY CHALLENGE TRACKER MOBILE APP (FREE APP) and will be participating in HEALTH BET.

Together we are stronger.

Crockpot Chicken Chili

August 8, 2016Leave a comment

Meal planning can feel so difficult when my clients first get started; gosh I remember when I started and I dreaded this task. There are many benefits to meal planning/meal preparation especially that it makes the week go smoothly when we know what we are going to eat as a family. So why not make a crockpot meal!

You only need to buy 3 items from the grocery store to make this meal.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

1-2 pounds of chicken breast
1 – 15 ounce can of white beans (or beans of choice)
A packet of McCormick Seasoning (Chili – White Chicken)

Additional ingredients would be if you want to garnish with cheese of choice, green onion, salsa, red hot, or even a little bit of sour cream or Greek yogurt!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Instructions are on the back of the seasoning packet! During meal preparation Sunday, I will boil extra chicken and shred. Then I can easily add the shredded cooked chicken to the crockpot for this recipe and make my buffalo chicken dip for the buffalo chicken bowls. That is two meals taken care of for the week!

Serve warm with cheese on top!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 1 red container, 1 yellow, and 1 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Country Heat – Week 2

August 8, 2016August 15, 2016Leave a comment

Well I officially finished my first week of Country Heat! So here is an honest review of my first week as well as my plan for week 2. Tomorrow starts week 2 so stay tuned for all the updates and videos on my Facebook (fb.com/LLHealthyFit.com) and Instagram (MelissaBrown66).

Workout:

The workout calendar is 6 days a week. There are 2 new workout routines each week to learn; the same workout routine for 2 days in a row and then alternate on days 5 and 6. For week 1, the first workout was Country Swing. I am still shocked at how much I sweat during the workout and was sore in my core and legs. Giddy Up was the second workout and there were some moves such as Wonky Feet that caused me to try and try again! Again, the focus was on my abs and lower body during this workout. The Country Music in the background of the workout makes the time go fast and before I know it…I’m dripping sweat!!

My workout schedule for week 2* looks something like this:

*I follow the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. I love the meal plan because it uses the color coded portion control container system developed by Autumn Calabrese. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Below is my meal plan for the upcoming week if you would like to check out what I will be eating. Meal planning can seem complicated so my best piece of advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and DO NOT OVER THINK. Try your best to not worry about complex recipes as I have found recipes with a few ingredients allow the meal planning process and grocery shopping to go smoother. I’m a big advocate to use what you already have in your pantry or refrigerator before buying more groceries.

Nutrition is extremely important to your success and people often give up on meal planning before even trying. Please take time to read through the nutrition guide that comes with your fitness program rather than jumping into the exercises without ever reading the nutrition guide. If you are finding it difficult or really are not sure how to start, then please ask. There are meal plans on my site that you can look at for guidance and then start substituting food items I have for food items you enjoy (i.e., a vegetable for another vegetable your family will eat). I started meal planning where my dinner options were a piece of chicken breast (1 red), brown rice or quinoa (1 yellow), and green beans (1 green). The more complex you make this process the harder it is to learn how to eat healthy and in the proper portions. Your goal is to eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism up. Your food is your fuel.

I have been asked if I stick to my meal plan 100%. Most often I do stick to my meal plan; however, there are times where I will swap my AM snack and breakfast. This is completely okay! The whole point to this journey is progress not perfection. Let’s make this meal plan happen!!

There are tracking sheets on the Team Beachbody website so that you can check off the boxes when you eat the color coded containers throughout the day. This way you will visually be able to see that you are eating balanced meals throughout the day.

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

Southwest Breakfast Scramble

August 2, 2016August 3, 2016Leave a comment

I’m not one to sit down and eat breakfast in the morning. Shakeology is my go-to for breakfast on the go! You can often find me making breakfast for dinner in our household especially on the nights where it seems impossible to come up with something to cook. Today was different and I’m very happy I decided to try this recipe from the Country Heat nutrition guide that comes with the Country Heat at home fitness program. The fresh salsa and avocado made breakfast savory and refreshing!

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INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

4 large eggs
1-2 TBSP almond milk or milk
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Salt, dash
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 small red potatoes, finely chopped
1-2 TBSP water
1/2 cup fresh tomato salsa
2 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped (*optional)
1/2 medium avocado, sliced

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Combine eggs and almond milk in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Season with chili powder, cumin, and salt.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and potato; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add water; cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until onion is translucent and potato is soft.
Add onion/potato mixture to the egg mixture; stir. Once stirred then add mixture to the skillet; cook slowly over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until eggs are done.
Divide mixture evenly between 2 serving plates.
Top with salsa, cilantro, and avocado.
Enjoy!

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 1 green container, 1 yellow, 1 red, and 1 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Turkey & Sweet Potato Hash over Zoodles

August 2, 2016August 3, 2016Leave a comment

Day 1 of the Country Heat meal plan included the Turkey & Sweet Potato Hash over Zoodles. I have to say that this recipe was enjoyed by my family. It made good use of items from our garden; yellow zucchini and green pepper. I used ground pork instead of turkey for the recipe. I attempt to use what I have in our freezer before buying more ingredients!

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INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt, dash
Pepper, dash
2-3 medium zucchini (*made into zoodles)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, green pepper, and sweet potatoes; cook for 8-10 minutes stirring frequently or until onion is translucent and sweet potato is tender-crisp.
Add turkey; cook for 5 to 6 minutes stirring frequently or until turkey is cooked through and sweet potato is soft.
Add garlic and thyme. Season with salt (optional) and pepper. Cook for approximately 1 minute.
Serve over zucchini zoodles. I cooked the zucchini zoodles (separately) in a medium skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil until tender-crisp; approximately 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy!

This recipe makes 3-4 servings. For the 21 Day Fix, each serving is equivalent to 1 green container, 1 yellow container, 1 red container, and 1 spoon. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

Zucchini Lasagna

July 31, 2016Leave a comment

This time of year we have a lot of zucchini (green and yellow) that is produced from our garden. I first attempted this recipe where a thin layer of ricotta mixture is placed on a slice of zucchini and then rolled up. That didn’t exactly go as planned; the zucchini slices must be very thin for the recipe to work. I decided to make zucchini lasagna instead of zucchini roll-ups! I have to say that this way is less time consuming, a refreshing switch from traditional lasagna, and the zucchini tasted delicious.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

2 (15 oz.) containers ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 TBSP Oregano
1-2 TBSP Parsley
Sea Salt, dash
Pepper, dash
1 jar of marinara
2-3 medium zucchini, sliced approximately 1/8″ thick or smaller
1 cup grated mozzarella

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, egg, garlic, sea salt, and pepper.
Spread a thin layer of marinara into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Place one layer of zucchini in the baking dish and then layer on top of the zucchini the ricotta mixture followed by the marinara. Repeat this step until zucchini and ricotta mixture is used completely up. You might have left over marinara.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake until bubbly. Approximately 30-35 minutes.
Remove foil and bake until golden brown. Approximately 10-15 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

This recipe I will often pair with another vegetable such as green beans. Also, another option is to cook ground meat and simply layer as you add the zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and marinara to the baking dish.

For more tips, support, recipes, meal planning, and other health and wellness assistance, please apply here by completing my get support form!

21 day fix portion for this recipe is 2 green containers, 1/2 red container, 1/2 purple, and 1/2 blue. The color coded containers are available for purchase in my fitness shop.

Country Heat – Week 1

July 31, 2016July 31, 2016Leave a comment

Country Heat is for customers with a beginner or intermediate fitness level who are looking to lose weight and get in shape with a fun, dance cardio workout program paired with an easy portion-control nutrition plan. Each Country Heat workout is 30 minutes or less with no complicated moves. I just wrapped up the 21 Day Fix Extreme program and Country Heat caught my interest as it is a break from lifting weights. I’m blown away how something so fun can leave me dripping in sweat! A bonus is that the workouts are to the hottest country music around! My official launch challenge group starts tomorrow August 1st. Spaces are limited and there is still time to join! The cool thing is that when the Country Heat & Shakeology Challenge Pack is purchased, customers have a free 30 day trial to the club membership so that they can start streaming their Country Heat workouts on Beachbody On Demand. *Please just make sure that I am your coach before you make your purchase.

1. EMAIL me at Melissa@LLHealthyFit.com with your order confirmation # and let me know that you would like to be in the Country Heat Test group.

2. Make sure we are connected on Facebook by messaging me on

3. Lets get this party started! I’m so excited!

Workout:

The workout calendar is 6 days a week. There are 2 new workout routines each week to learn; the same workout routine for 2 days in a row and then alternate on days 5 and 6.

My workout schedule for week 1* looks something like this:

Country Heat - Week 1 Schedule

*I will be following the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar versus the basic.

Nutrition:

In the nutrition guide there is a formula that you can use to figure out your calorie range and your nutrition category. There are 4 different plans to choose from based on your weight and goals. Your food is broken down by 7 groups:

Veggies
Fruits
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Healthy Fats
Seeds & Dressings
Oils & Nut Butters

Country Heat Portion Control Containers.jpeg

The secret to success is in the nutrition!

I love that for each group there is a list of foods along with serving sizes for each food. So your goal is to choose from each list and put together your meals each week! If you are new to meal planning, please do not stress. I am here to help you! I always say to keep it simple, repeat meals that you enjoy, and do not over complicate things. Once you get the hang of the meal planning and preparation then you can start to change up the recipes.

Meal Plan:

Calorie range 1,200 to 1,499 – Plan A per the Country Heat calculation in the nutrition guide that comes with the program. Shakeology comes in 7 different flavors. I alternate usually between two different flavors for my meal plan. Be sure to search my site for recipes to include in your meal plan.

Country Heat - Week 1 Meal Plan

If you do not currently work with a Coach, please make sure to make me your FREE coach here.

Melissa Brown

Living a Life Healthy & Fit

Tag: Weightloss Solution

Country Heat – Week 4

Country Heat – Week 3

Beachbody Health Bet Challenge

Back to School/Back to You – Enrollment Open

Crockpot Chicken Chili

Country Heat – Week 2

Southwest Breakfast Scramble

Turkey & Sweet Potato Hash over Zoodles

Zucchini Lasagna

Country Heat – Week 1