PiYo

One of the reasons I'm so excited about Beachbody On Demand is that it has so many programs that have been on my "to do" list but never actually got around to trying (mostly because I'm obsessed with Tony Horton and love all things p90x). Since I only have just over 2 weeks left on this round of p90x, I figured I would try some workouts and decide what program to do next.

I had p90x yoga on my schedule today so I thought I would try PiYo. PiYo is a combo of Pilates and yoga where you use dynamic movements instead of holding poses.  Think yoga for people who find yoga boring.  It combines stretching and strength movements to give a killer workout.

I was already familiar with Chalene, the trainer, from her awesome TurboFire workouts (so FUN!!) so I knew she would be motivational.

The PiYo workout currently available On a Demand is the 38 minute Sweat workout. Now let me tell you, I totally underestimated this workout! I'm sure it was a combo of me being a total newbie who didn't know the moves and my arms being exhausted from my hardcore arm workout yesterday, but I found this workout hard!!! By the end I was covered in sweat and even had to modify the tricep pushups!

Overall I thought the workout was fun and I would definitely like to do the whole program.  Normally I'm a weights girl, but I liked how PiYo uses bodyweight and it's totally low impact.  That is perfect for somebody who needs to rest their body from all of the high impact workouts.  I think it might be something I do later on in the year.

The entire PiYo program is not On Demand, only the sample workout I described above.  However, if you are interested, a PiYo challenge pack and one of my challenge groups really could be ideal for you!

If you have any doubt that this is a great workout, here's me afterwards:  sweaty and dead tired on my mat!

Vegan jambalaya

This is a big hit whenever I make it. Meat eater & toddler approved!

Ingredients:

16 ounces smoked vegan sausage, cut into 2-inch slices

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped (I subbed diced bok choy due to allergies)

28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth

1 tablespoon miso paste

1/2 tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup rice, uncooked

Directions:

Add all but rice to crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Boil rice separately. Add rice.

Interested in Coaching?

Did you know that there are three different kinds of Beachbody coach? 

🔹discount coach - just interested in the discount on amazing products

🔹hobby coach - wants to help people get fit while making a little extra cash each month for bills or concert tickets

🔹business coach - looking to help people get in shape while turning coaching into a full time career

Which one are you?

My team is holding a no obligation coaching sneak peak next week so if anyone is interested send me an email: Lauren.madara@gmail.com

3 Day Refresh Review

I did the 3 Day Refresh after the holidays and meant to write a review but kept putting the idea aside.  I figured with the Refresh Challenge Pack being on sale this month, it's a good a time as any to do my review!

So over the holidays I decided to take a week off from working out.  My body was feeling like it needed a rest after going so hard with workouts for the previous 14 months.  My mom was coming to visit us, so I thought that would be the perfect time to take a vacation from my workouts.  During that time we also ate out a ton, visited breweries and had a bunch of Christmas chocolate.  Ugh.  I felt gross when the week was over and so I decided to order the Refresh.

What is the 3 Day Refresh?

It's 3 days (obviously) of small meals of veggies, fruit and healthy fats.  It also involves drinking Shakeology each morning (but I do that anyway - healthiest meal of the day!), vanilla protein shakes and a drink called a fiber sweep.  No dairy, coffee or alcohol.  You can drink 1 cup of green tea per day and a couple cups of herbal tea.  You do only light workouts during that time since calorie intake is pretty low.  It's great for getting back on track after a vacation/holiday, for getting bikini ready before a trip or just to jump start weight loss before you begin a fitness program.

I found the refresh to be easy & exciting on day 1 (Yay!  I'm getting back on track!) but day 2 was a challenge (I'm hungry!  I have a headache!).  The no coffee, dairy or alcohol part was hard for me. I also prefer my ShakeO with almond milk but had to drink it blended with just water on the Refresh.  I added in a half an avocado on day 2 because my body was telling me it needed more food.

The vanilla protein shakes were okay.  You have two each day and the first one you can blend with fruit.  The second one you just mix it with water so that one wasn't as good.  I had read that the fiber sweep was gross but I really didn't think so.  The consistency wasn't the best, but I thought the taste was fine.

Overall the Refresh was more of a mental challenge for me than anything else.  After the 3 days my stomach bloat was gone and I really felt like I was back on track with my healthy eating after coming off the tracks slightly over Christmas.

Some people do the Refresh each month, but I think that's a bit of an overkill.  For me, I would definitely do it again before a beach vacation or after the holidays next year!

The Refresh plus 30 days of Shakeology Challenge Pack is really a great way to kick start weight loss!  It will have you on track and ready to start a fitness program!

Beachbody On Demand

I seriously cannot contain my excitement for the brand new Beachbody On Demand!  I always travel with my computer, DVD player and stack of DVDs.  Now I will be able to get my workouts right on my phone!  Ahhh!  So amazing!!!  It makes working out while traveling so easy!  Plus it pretty much eliminates any excuses!

Don't know what program you want to do?  On Demand makes it so you can get a taste of a wide variety of programs.  Want to try p90x?  Do it!  Find out it's not for you?  That's fine, try another program!  How amazing is that?!  Yes, you can still buy the DVDs to have forever, but this allows you to try more programs without the commitment of actually owning them.

So what is On Demand?

With a Team Beachbody Club membership, members will be able to stream some of Beachbody's best programs 24/7.  The programs currently available are: P90X, P90X2, P90X3, Insanity, TurboFire, Brazil Butt Lift, Ten Minute Trainer, ChaLEAN Extreme, Insanity: The Asylum Vol 1, Tony One-on-One (vol 1), and Hip Hop Abs.

You will also be able to stream sample workouts from a few programs such as:  21 Day Fix: Total Body Cardio, 21 Day Fix Extreme: Plyo, Body Beast: Chest/Tri, PiYo: Sweat, Insanity Max:30: Sweat Int., P90: Sculpt A, Slim in 6: Start it Up, Focus T25: Alpha Cardio.

By the end of March you will also be able to stream 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme and T25 in their entirety with the purchase of those DVDs.

Personally, I have been debating doing PiYo or Body Beast and now I can try a workout from each to see what I like best!

Now that On Demand has arrived, we will be offering On Demand Challenge Packs.  These packs include, 90 days of On Demand access, 30 days of Shakeology, me as your coach and your participation in our private Facebook group, which serves to motivate and inspire all of the challengers.  On Demand also comes free for a month with the purchase of another Challenge Pack, such as one of our Challenge Pack specials of the month:  TurboFire, T25 or the 3 Day Refresh.

Please send me a message if you are interested in trying out the future of fitness right as it starts!!

Broccoli Casserole

This was very easy to make & the whole family enjoyed it! 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

4 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock, or water

2 tbsp pesto sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cornstarch

2 cups fresh organic spinach

12 oz skim mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

12 oz fresh broccoli florets

3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400F.

2) In a 9x13 baking rectangular dish place the quinoa and green onions. 

3) In a large mixing bowl, with a wire whisk, mix the vegetable stock, pesto, corn starch and salt. Heat mixture until boil. 

4) Add the vegetable stock to the quinoa followed by the spinach, parmesan and 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

5) While baking, place the broccoli in a large bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. 

6) Take the casserole out of the oven and mix in the broccoli. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the quinoa and broccoli and place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

Overcoming obstacles and loving your body for what it can do

Over the weekend while at dinner, my brother-in-law turned to me and said, "You're a runner, right?" I had to reply "No, I used to be, but not anymore."

Ever since high school, running was something I loved to do.  I enjoyed going on a nice, long run and working through any problems I might have had.  It made me happy and it challenged me.  A complication after having my son left me unable to run.  For me this was, and still is, absolutely devastating.  I spent weeks crying about it, thinking how it wasn't fair and searching message boards for answers.  I started physical therapy and was frustrated with what my body could not do.

After a couple of months of physical therapy I was given the all clear to work out.  I decided to go back to my favorite Beachbody program:  p90x.  At first it was very frustrating.  Not only was I still carrying around a ton of baby weight, but I there was so much I could not do.  I couldn't jump or work my abs.  It was difficult and humbling to realize that my body could not do everything.

As the weeks went by with p90x, I became stronger and I started to appreciate my body for what it could do instead of being angry about what it could not do.  No, I couldn't run or do what I did before, but I could slowly make progress in other areas.  My weights got heavier.  I could do a few more pushups or do a yoga pose that I struggled with before.

To this day I still modify every workout I do.  I still wish I could run.  But I learned that things could always be worse.  I appreciate my body now.  This challenge has totally shifted my mindset about my body.  I am no longer interested in being super skinny and fitting into tiny jeans.  Instead, I want to be strong.  Now, after 16 months of doing the various p90x programs (including x2 & x3), I am stronger than I have ever been in my life!  Even though I am not who I was before, I think I am a better version of myself.  In all areas.

It's not about being a certain size.  It's about being strong, healthy and appreciative of your body.  That was a hard lesson for me to learn, but I am so glad that I did.