3 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Quick Oats

2 ripe bananas

1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Extra ad-ins: raisins, or dark chocolate chips.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan so the cookies will not stick. 
• Break banana & place into food processor w/ quick oats and cinnamon. Blend until it makes a smooth batter-like mixture.
• Spoon out the batter into cookie shapes onto baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes

Let cool before serving.

Makes 8 medium size cookies 

ENJOY! 

My Why

Why am I a Beachbody Coach??

Well, as any 1st time mom will tell you.... my life changed overnight. You are not your #1 priority anymore. This little angel comes into the world and they become your life. Greatest blessing in the world.

Something hard for me to admit, but I feel I need to share is that I went into depression for the first month or so after giving birth. I didn't have postpartum depression, so it wasn't that severe. Depression was there though. I thought my life was over. It was hard to go to the bathroom, take a shower, eat, & I survived on no sleep. It was rough. When I talked to other moms though I realized that a lot of moms felt the same. It was normal. I was NORMAL! Big sigh of relief there...nobody had ever shared that with me. I thought I was coming home with my bundle of joy and going to the happiest I had ever been. Not the case. Plus, I was healing from a c-section which is not fun at all. Soreness, tiredness, healing and learning to care for a baby was the hardest, most selfless thing I have ever had to do. 

After 3 months had passed (and I was starting to get more sleep & adjust to this whole new world of mine) I became accustomed to this whole "mommy" title. I began to fall in love with it and embrace it as part of who I was. However, I knew I was meant to do even more. I have a very independent, strong identity. I didn't want that part of me to disappear. I wanted to go forward with my passions and still have "me", just a different version of it.  I was very uncomfortable with how I looked. I was 30lbs overweight from before I had my baby. I didn't want to leave the house at all. I use to be confident in my body (not that it was perfect), but I felt confident in clothes and good about myself. My confidence was gone...zilch...nada. So what did my independent, strong self do?? I decided to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. The longer I sat there sad and not socializing, the longer I was wasting time & not being able to show my daughter the true me. 

I was signed up as a Beachbody coach and getting Shakeology throughout my pregnancy at a discount price. But when I got pregnant I honestly didn't have the energy to put into building any sort of business. So I was purely a "discount" coach. The launch of a new program 21 Day Fix was coming out. It intrigued me. It taught portion control with containers, I could pick what I wanted to eat, eat little cheats here and there, & the workouts were only 30 min a day. BRING IT ON!! I just had a baby and had no time to go to the gym or workout for an hour a day. This was PERFECT! So I ordered it and also decided that I was done being at home and not contributing to my family the way I wanted to.  I was ready to actually "COACH." I mean, if I was going to use the products and get results...coaching would help me keep accountable to my workouts and healthy eating. So I wanted to do it for accountability reasons, as well s financial reasons. I knew in my mind that I would follow it 100% and get results. I believed in everything Beachbody develops because my husband and I have done programs throughout the years.

Why not take full advantage and help others while I am on my journey? Even if I earned a few hundred extra dollars it would be worth it. And we all need a fitness buddy right?? Makes it more fun!

So August 2013 I took the challenge. After 3 rounds I got the most amazing results!! I am now still working on my body but I am at a place I am happy at. And...drumroll please....I lost 35 pounds! So 5 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight! Now I am on a mission to tone.

You can check out my video of my before/after results by clicking on the pic : )

3 rounds of 21 Day Fix w/ Shakeology

It was hard at first for me to put my story out there. To share my pics or even make a video. I was scared and embarrassed. But as soon as people started responding the fear and embarrassment went away. People began asking for help. People began relating to me and we got to share our stories and struggles with each other. I began to build so many relationships with people & help people change their lives. I got to see numerous people lose weight, gain confidence, & believe in themselves. My 1st year anniversary as a coach just passed. I started working just 5 hours a week and now work 15 (since I quit my job) We were able to pay off all of our credit cards, open a savings account where my checks go into weekly, remodel our basement and put in a home gym, and I get to be home with my daughter, Ella. Even better then my success the first year is that I was able to help about 50 people start their own business as a coach in the first year. I saw them pay off debt, start savings accounts, pay off student loans, afford vacations and things for their family, save for a house.... and my best friend quit her corporate job & is now coaching and home with her kids! I mean that is the most incredible feeling in the world to know that I am doing something I love, setting an example for my child, & helping others do the same thing. This year I was able to quit my job after 10 months of coaching because I made double what I was making there each month. This was a HUGE blessing to me

because this meant I could stay home with Ella and watch her grow up. I am happy to say now that I am a Stay at Home Mom. I get to wake up each morning and receive tons of hugs and kisses from my daughter. We go on weekly field trips together, cook together & bond. God has blessed me in such an incredible way & I only feel fair to repay it by helping others have the freedom in their life that I have gained to make a choice to stay at work or at home, to have my checks go to a savings account each week, to be able to feel amazing about myself on the inside and outside, & to be able to have part of myself back while being the most wonderful mom in the world. My passion for helping others achieve a life they dream of by having the physical and financial freedom to choose to do what they want with. I want people to feel AMAZING about themselves. I especially identify with moms who have felt they were meant to do something incredible, but want to still be a working mom or stay at home with their children. Or those who are done with feeling discouraged and upset with their weight. They want to feel incredible about themselves, they want to feel great going out to try on & buy new clothes, and they want to love how they look in photos. 

If you are finished with feeling the way you do then I want to talk to you. I want to hear about your passions, dreams, and goals. I want to know what you want to change and how. I want to help. I will coach you through this for free. All I ask is that you give it your all and dedicate 100% to this because YOU DESERVE THIS! that is the one thing I hope you will always keep in your head, even when the going gets tough. 

I hope my story inspires you. I hope you go after YOUR dreams & your PASSION. I hope you live the life you & your family deserve to live. You are WORTH IT! The best advice I can give anyone starting on any journey is to come up with a WHY that you have an emotional connection to. My WHY is my family. My husband & daughter. They are my life. I coach because not only is it something that gives me an identity I am proud of, but for them! They deserve it! My daughter deserves all the energy of a happy, healthy mommy. They deserve for us to have family time together and no 2nd jobs to pay for bills. My daughter will have a college fund because of Beachboy. We will have a new house because of my job as a coach. We will have the freedom to go on vacations or spend more quality time together because of this. And when it gets tough or I have those bad days, I go back to my WHY and I get through it. Success comes from getting through those tough times, failures or setbacks. 

Success is connected with action. You keep moving. You don't quit. You stay consistent. You see results.

Who Is This Chick??

You're probably thinking..."Who is this Chick?"

So here is the inside scoop....

I'm from Chicago. Love it here!! I'm a mom, wife & entrepreneur. Love to read, independent, constant learner, enjoy dancing, interior design, photography, lattes, cooking, reading, fitness & nutrition. Oh.. and can't forget...I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mexican food! I can be quiet at times, but look closely and you will find a girl who is passionate, inspiring, full of energy. I dance with my daughter in the house a minimum of once a day, love parties & socializing, love to inspire & come up with tons of creative ideas!   

In a nutshell, I am the girl next door, who after giving birth, taught herself to: cook, eat clean, lose weight, start my own business from home, be a stay at home mom & incredible wife to my hubby.  I was on a journey to find myself & define myself as a mom & now HERE I AM!!             

     WORLD GET READY FOR ME!

Why I am Here:

I started blogging as a way to meet others and share my passions with the world! Over time I have found many blogs that I have connected with. I have learned how to create amazing recipes, tips on pregnancy & motherhood, design ideas, DIY stuff, inspiration & business training. That's it! I fell in LOVE! I wanted to share my journey with my fitness & my business. I want to share with others how they can too can lose weight & prepare easy, healthy meals for them and their family. I want people to KNOW why they should eat healthy. Not just to lose weight, but for the health benefits & to set an example to their children. I want to create a life of freedom by helping others make a simple decision to start their own business alongside me or to just take the steps towards making back their health & body!

This blog is for those who feel they were born with a BIGGER purpose in life! For those who want to be a part of a community of people aspiring to be more & feel GREAT about themselves. For those who want to be inspired & learn how they can take CONTROL of their lives & their health. You were BORN to be EXCEPTIONAL. You were born to be GREAT. 

What I am Working On....

Right now I am working on this blog to fill it with family recipes that are good for you, to educate people on the benefits of specific food & share a bit of what I do for those who want to be a part of it. 


I also am working on developing myself as a leader, learning some photography (just for fun), & working on my nutrition & fitness even more. I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

I want this blog to IMPACT people in a huge way. I want women to be able to ENVISION their future & their wants in life. So many times as a wife or a mom, we put ourselves in the backseat while we take care of others. I am here to tell you that YOU are so WORTH taking care of! That you can still be an incredible spouse, mother, friend & still take care of YOU! I am living proof that it can be done. I want to MAKE that happen for YOU!

How I Lost 3 lbs in 3 Days

How I Lost 3 lbs in 3 Days

So super excited to talk to you all about the new fitness journey I have taken on this week! P90! 

Now, I have done P90X and some other Beachbody extreme fitness programs...so I actually thought P90 would be a walk in the park. Um....nope! It isn't as intense and the moves are very basic so far. However, I am so happy they are basic. Let's me concentrate on my form and get down to business. Te modifier is great if you need him. If not, there is someone showing you a moderate version and advanced version of the moves as well. All Sculpt DVDs are done with a resistance band or weights. Let me tell you...I have done pull-ups. I SUCK & it isn't pretty. I didn't think the resistance bands would work well for me for doing pull-ups and such. I WAS WRONG. My back and arms were sore the next day!! Best thing ever.....I lost 3 lbs so far. Bye bye belly fat. Not going to miss ya!

P90 is coming!!! Are you as excited as I am??? I have completed P90X and P90X3 before and they are both tough. So to be able to do something a little more my pace, but that gives AMAZING results gets me excited!!! I will definitely be doing this with my challenge group in October. the workouts consist of weight training & cardio. They will be 25-45 min long for 6 days a week. Perfect for all of us busy people.

Haven't heard of it yet?? Come take a look!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A CHALLENGE GROUP?

Private Facebook page set up for those participating
Team support & motivation 
Meal ideas 
Your coach (ME) to support you all 90 days through the program

If you would like to participate in our October Challenge group on Facebook please ADD ME on Facebook or go to MY SITE to order the challenge pack so I can be assigned as your coach and I will send you a message. 

21 Day Fix - Week 3 Meal Plan

21 Day Fix - Week 3

Week 3 meal plan is a little repetitive, but it is the food I like. Plus very easy non-cook meals or those meals that are little time to prepare.  Results don't always have to come from hours in the kitchen!