Spring into Fitness - March Meltdown 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge

Spring into Fitness -March Meltdown 

5 Day Clean Eating Challenge

Hey friends! It's almost that time again... Spring Break!! YAY!! Warm, sun, beaches, fun!!! Can you believe it? Are you Spring Break ready???  And with Spring fast approaching it is time to melt off some of those extra winter lbs we all tend to collect in the long cold winter months I know I need to buckle down on my nutrition to feel good in my cute summer clothes.... How about you? 

Are you ready to rock some cute summer clothes?? SoooOo to jump start my Beach Ready Bod I am running another clean eating group for extra accountibility and support and I am extending an invitation to you all to join me! It is a FREE 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge and get ready for Spring Break!  These groups are so much fun and great for anyone who loves clean eating, is new to clean eating, wants to jump start their health and nutrition goals, is looking for a life style change is maybe just was some extra support/ motivation/accountability!

I will provide you with a FREE:
Grocery List
Daily Menus
Support
Accountability
Coaching
and MORE!!

To join----> Just click this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/848788525229684/ or reach out below :) 

I'd love for you to join my next 5 day group so we can work together to reach our goals! 

Power Protein Egg Cups

Mornings can be tough. Especially as a busy family, There are a hundred things to do to before rushing out the door, and often my breakfast is an afterthought. It’s tempting to reach for a breakfast bar, grab a “healthy” muffin at the coffee counter (it has blueberries in it, so it counts, right?), or worse, skip breakfast altogether.

That’s where these protein-packed egg cups come in. The simple recipes for these grab-and-go mini-omelets make enough for a week’s worth of breakfasts. Trust me they are super easy and delish! Perfect for us busy momma who are wanting a healthy breakfast while on the go! Got extra? Store them in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave.

Power Protein Egg Cups
Start your morning off strong with this low-fat, high-protein egg cup recipe with turkey bacon, shredded chicken, and sweet onions and peppers.

Total Time: 35 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.
Yield: Makes 6 servings, 2 egg cups each

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
16 large egg whites (2 cups)
Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
2 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped
3 oz. cooked shredded chicken breast
2 cups chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped onion

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare twelve muffin cups by coating with spray. Set aside.
3. Combine almond milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; whisk to blend. Set aside.
4. Evenly divide turkey bacon, chicken, bell peppers, and onion between prepared muffin cups.
5. Evenly pour egg white mixture over turkey bacon mixture.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of egg cups comes out clean, and eggs are set.

For My Fixers this recipe is 1 Red and 1 Green Container

Recipe Courtesy of beachbody.com

My Transformation Inside and Out

This is my favorite #transformationtuesday story so far!! Why is it my favorite? Well because it is ours heart emoticon. Mine and my husbands. We have been together for almost 14 years and through out all those years we have been on an amazing journey called life.... It wasn't always fun, easy or full of grace and believe me there have been lots of trials, hardships, and learning experiences but we have gotten through them all TOGETHER. We are better together!
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The picture on the left was us- 4 years ago. The picture of the right is us a couple months ago, CELEBRATING life!
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Can you you see the difference between us from then to now? Some are really obvious, some are on the surface and yet others are extremely skin deep. I am sure you see the weight loss, maybe the better skin and whiter/ straighter teeth, changes in our hair smile emoticon Well Mine at least! lol! but what you can't see in the old us is how we were struggling, suffering from extreme exhaustion, fear, unhappiness. How we felt like we were just surviving day to day.
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Two years ago I hit a breaking point with my own personal reflection in the mirror and my own unhappiness. That low time led to me to seek to change for the first time in what seemed like forever. That is how I found Beachbody, Since then I have learned to take better care of me, to make healthier foods for my family and for us to eat proper portions, Drinks less wine frown emoticon and even Exercise. It is amazing how much better I feel!! Those changes flowed over to my husband and my children. I love that we are teaching our children to be healthy all by example!
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Of course we we still have rough days and life is still busy with 3 little blessings to chase after BUT now we are now stronger, healthier, happier and it is not just on the surface but Mentally, Emotionally, Physically, Financially, and Spiritually!
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Are all wonderful improvements results of a shake called Shakeology? or even an at home workout? No, of course not. BUT It was that leap of faith which led me to take a chance on myself, step out of comfort zone and join Beachbody. I can not share all of the wonderful opportunities our family now has nor care I share how deeply wonderful it feels to help other amazing women get better , stronger, and healthier ...
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Oh and Shakeology and those effective at home workouts are life changing TOOLS that I use to help change me from the inside out. Yep! Better skin, a smaller waistline and a lower number on the scale are a few of the perks BUT what is most important for you to see here in our #transformationstory is the deeper changes!! Personal growth, Passion, CONFIDENCE, HAPPINESS, JOY, LIVING life rather than just Surviving it!

YOU too Can experience this transformation! If you don't jump out of bed on Monday morning excited about the possibilities and the opportunities the new week will bring you and your family, lets's chat!
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I can help you design a life that allows you to be excited about Monday vs counting down the days til Friday!!! Don't limit yourself...Opportunity is knocking but will you answer!?!

21 Day Fix Fixate Stuffed Peppers

As a busy family easy to prep on a weeknight is super important in our house and this tasty 21 Day Fix  Approved Stuffed Pepper recipe delivers! (especially so if you brown the turkey and veggies the night before as I did), delicious and totally easy to reheat the next day at work! 

Ingredients: 

4 bell peppers ( Get big ones!) 1 lbs package 93% lean ground turkey breast or ground chicken 1 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes - no salt added2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and chopped
5 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp each of each, cumin, garlic powder, 
1/4- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to add heat if desired)
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup tomato sauce (look for lower sugar/salt option if possible) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. 

2.Cook quinoa according to package instructions (if using brown rice I use the Trader Joe's packets of frozen brown rice and LOVE it! Super convenient and especially so if the family isn't converted to brown rice as is true of mine!)

3. Dice the onion and garlic. Cut the peppers in half, remove seeds, set aside for later use.  

4. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add ground turkey and seasonings, cook until no longer pink.

5. Add in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, quinoa, beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook; stirring occasionally until heated through (about 3-5 minutes)

6. Fill each pepper half with 1/2 cup of the mixture. Once filled place into baking dish. Lightly cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until tender; remove foil and top each pepper with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bale for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

7. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and hot sauce if desired.

Each pepper 1/2 is one serving. 

Colored container equivalents per serving are : 1 Green/1 Yellow/1 Red/ 1/2 Blue

21 Day Fix Turkey Chili

My family LOVES Chili...pretty much all types of the hearty stuff! Something about it warms you from the inside out. It is comfort food and it taste great!  I could even eat it in the summer months when it's not so cool outside!  So when Autumn Calabrese released her brand new Fixate cookbook and I saw that there was a chili recipe in it we had to try it out! I love the chance to try out any new chili recipe and this one was no different! AND... it is a GREAT one and plus it's 21 Day Fix Approved!!!  SooOo It is Even better! 

My family loved this so much that we had NO leftovers...I was kinda thinking I would have some for lunch the next day but well my family scarfed it all up and cleaned out the pot! Lesson learned, Next time I'll be making a double batch!! 

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

1 medium onion

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)

2 (15 oz) cans black beans (or pinto beans) drained, rinsed

1 (15 oz) can all-natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added

12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish; optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat
2. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink
3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute
4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; gently bio, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Serve warm, sprinkle with cilantro.

Container Equivalents:

1 Green

1 Red

1 Yellow

This recipe is perfect to use in CROCKPOTS...or you can make ahead of time and place in a freezer ziplock bag (gallon size after it's cooled) and freeze for later...great for meal prep!!

(recipe from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Nutrition Guide)

Sharing is Caring! Share this blog post and recipes with a friend who you think would enjoy it! Also if you make this recipe and post a pic on Instagram @jennamerson, Facebook or Twitter… tag me in it and use #jennamerson

The Master's Hammer & Chisel Coming December 1st

What is The Master’s Hammer and Chisel™? 

I am going to be the first one to tell you that this program is going to be a GAME CHANGER!!!  I haven't been this excited  about a program since the 21 Day Fix Launched almost 2 years ago!  I literally counted down the hours until I could purchase it. Now that it is ordered, and because I have Beachbody On Demand I get to access the workouts, the nutrition guide and program manual even before it arrives at my front door.  So if you are just as excited as I am make sure you get the challenge pack which comes with 30 days of On Demand so you can access it right away too!!! 

I am totally ready to get hammered and chiseled for the new year!  HECK, if I can stick to this program in December and have all of you for accountability and support we WON'T be setting New Year's Resolutions to get in shape! We are going to be rocking our NEW 
RESULTS! 

ARE YOU IN!?!?!
I'm kicking off my EXCLUSIVE HAMMER AND CHISEL TEST GROUP next week Starting December 14th ~ You gotta make sure you are included!  Hit me up for the details:  Complete the form for more information! Ready to order? Order Hammer and Chisel Challenge Pack Here

So lets talk about the details!  Yup, I'm about to get all technical on you, but I know that having all the facts helps me so much and hopefully it helps you too!  HERE YOU GO!

For the first time ever, trainers Sagi Kalev and Autumn Calabrese have teamed up to create an expert program designed to help you craft a powerful, perfectly defined body. The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is an innovative resistance training system that incorporates three muscle-sculpting phases—Stabilization, Strength, and Power—or SSP Training. This is how Sagi and Autumn help you efficiently build, chisel, and refine a masterpiece physique in just 60 days.

About your Trainers 
Co-creators Sagi Kalev and Autumn Calabrese are experts when it comes to incredible physical transformations. Sagi has been crowned Mr. Israel— twice—and is a Master Professional Personal Trainer, IFBB Pro, member of the IFBB Propta Hall of Fame, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist. Autumn Calabrese is a celebrity trainer, best-selling author, and working mom who has held certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA), and has competed at the national level in various bikini competitions.

What makes The Master’s Hammer and Chisel incredibly effective and unique? 

• The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is built on the three phases of SSP Training— Stabilization, Strength, and Power. Other workouts only focus on one or two phases, which might give you decent results. But The Master’s Hammer and Chisel program incorporates all three methods to help you relentlessly chip away fat and carve every muscle for a strong, visually stunning body in 60 days.

• 12 brand-new, 30- to 40-minute workouts that combine Sagi and Autumn’s proven techniques for 60 days of hardcore resistance training.

• Sagi and Autumn make eating for your goals simple. That’s why they included their easy-to-follow and completely customizable nutrition plan, along with 7 portion-control containers that show you how to portion out the right amount of food to help you reach your unique fitness goals.

• Flexible nutrition that allows you to lean out, sculpt and maintain, or build muscle.

• Includes options to adapt certain exercises if you have limited access to equipment. BONUS!

• Includes a modifier who demonstrates some moves at a lower intensity.

Vanilla Yogurt Bowl

This is no ordinary bowl of yogurt! We amped up the nutrition with a scoop of Vanilla Shakeology and topped it with fresh strawberries, bananas, and sliced almonds. It’s a great way to fuel your morning workout, or as a satisfying snack anytime.

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
4 medium strawberries, chopped
½ medium banana, chopped
1 tsp. sliced raw almonds

Preparation:
1. Combine yogurt and Shakeology in a small bowl; mix well.
2. Divide yogurt mixture evenly into two medium serving bowls.
3. Top each bowl evenly with strawberries, banana, and almonds.