Archives for September 2016

September 29, 2016 By fitnessfatale 4 Comments

New York Marathon Training Week 9 – Recovery Week

When I trained for my first marathon I used a plan created by the coach of our running club (Vavi Run Club). It called for a recovery week every 4th week which involved a cut back in mileage and intensity and the idea has stuck with me for years. As I mentioned, I’m kind of just making up my own plan at this point and so after three intense weeks of training with long runs all in the 3 hour range, I took it way back last week. I included a tempo run because I was still feeling good and didn’t want to miss out on a week of progress in that regard, but otherwise last week was all about recovery.

I recently purchased a new Beachbody program called Pi-Yo which is a mix of pilates and yoga (no weights involved) because I thought it would be a great compliment to my peak marathon training. I planned to start it last week but ultimately decided to take a full break from any regime. Whatever workouts I got on top of my runs were bonus and I only did them if I felt like it.

Before we get to the recap I wanted to mention that my next 21 Day Fix Challenge Group starts on October 10th! You’ll want to order this weekend to get it in time, so please reach out to me at fitnessfataleblog at gmail.com if you’re interested!

Monday – 6 mile run. My mom was still in town so I took off in the morning while she watched Siena and ran on the trails near our house.

Tuesday – 21 Day Fix Extreme. Mike and I did this workout together during a nap. He had the day off due to being out of town for work over the weekend so we enjoyed the day together. It rained but it was kind of nice to just snuggle up indoors!

Wednesday – 5 mile run. Siena and I headed to the coast for a very humid 5 mile run.

You can see the moisture in the air!

Thursday – 6 mile run with 2 x 2 mile tempo. I’m getting used to the treadmill, especially for speed work. I may even enjoy it more!? It’s nice to just set the pace and zone out and watch Scandal! I guess it’s not helping with my mental toughness and pacing skills but it’s pretty nice!

Friday – 3.1 mile stroller run & 21 Day Fix Yoga. Siena and I did quick run along the coast after our weekly baby sign language and music class at the Encinitas Library. That afternoon I did 21 Day Fix Yoga – it felt amazing!

Trying not to take myself too seriously on Flex Friday

Saturday – 12 miles. I met up with the Seaside Striders again for this run. I have to give it to the coach for always picking routes that I would NEVER do myself. This time we met at the start line of the San Dieguito Half Marathon and ran through the rolling hills of Rancho Santa Fe. Most of it was on road but some was on the bark-lined horse trails. It was a really enjoyable run and I ended up having great conversations with some new friends, as Kelly ended up getting sick around mile 3 and headed home.

That afternoon we headed down to Mission Bay for the wedding of my old college roommate. Mike and I also got married on Mission Bay (different venue) almost three years ago so we got a hotel room at the venue and used it as a mini anniversary getaway. It was really nice and we had a really fun time!

Sunday – REST. This was my first rest day in 28 days and was well deserved! Mike and I spent the morning in Mission Beach enjoying coffee by the water and taking a long walk around town. It was nice to relax and enjoy the view!

Walking on the beach

Weekly Totals:

Mile Run: ~32

Strength Training: 1 hour

Do you give yourself a recovery week? How often?

September 27, 2016 By fitnessfatale 14 Comments

Catching Up With a Virtual Coffee Date

Let’s catch up. The dust has settled (kind of) on my transition from the corporate world to full-time mom with a part-time job. Marathon training is in full swing. Summer is over (wahh!) and the days are much shorter than our last coffee date.

Right now I’m sipping a pretty sad cup of coffee flavored with just a bit of unsweetened almond milk. I just started my one-week sugar detox group my beloved coffee creamer is not allowed (honey, in moderation is, but I don’t have any right now – grocery shopping happening later!). I normally like to live on the principle of “everything in moderation” but it’s always interesting and fun to challenge myself to short bouts of extreme to reset and create awareness of the habits I’ve built. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been generously pouring myself more coffee than normal and using more sweetened coffee creamer than usual as well. I’ve also developed a habit of looking for my favorite gelato on sale at Target and justifying buying two pints every time it is.

I’ve been home with Siena over a month now. Where does time go!? We’re starting to settle into a routine and a groove, but each day is different. The first week or so I was a bit overwhelmed with everything I had on my to-do list and was pretty scatter brained, but things have gotten better. Like any new job, it takes some time to get into a routine and figure it all out. It has been nice to be in pretty much complete control of when I work (actually, Siena has control over a lot of that as well so I can’t say it’s all me!). I work pretty much every day, including the weekends, and most evenings as well. I work just a few hours during the day and the amount of time varies depending on whether or not I decide to get up early to get in my workout or if I do it during her nap. I try not to work at all while Siena is awake besides quickly checking in with my challenge groups or posting to social media. Siena’s two naps in total tend to add up to anywhere from 3-4.5 hours so the range of time I have to get things done varies. Mike’s mom comes once a week on Tuesdays to watch Siena between her two naps so that gives me nearly a full day to get things done, though I always get less done than I think I will. Overall, I’m really loving the new role(s) and every day I’m thankful to have this opportunity to spend so much time with Siena.

Backyard pool time

Every day Siena and I get out of the house at a least once. We are fortunate to have many libraries near us with free activities for infants and toddlers, so there is something to do every day. I’m also lucky to have several friends who either work part time or stay home, so Siena has a lot of friends to meet up with. While it’s still warm, I try to take Siena to the beach at least once a week. She really loves the ocean! We also head to local playgrounds, including one we can easily walk to, Target, Trader Joe’s and go for runs or walks along the coast using the BOB. I just signed her up for gymnastics class on Wednesdays with her friend Emi – she loves to climb so this is the perfect place for her (the membership also includes free open gym four days a week!).

Siena and Charlie at the Solana Beach library

With Kelley, one of the leaders in my Beachbody team, and our kids during a meet up last week

As for my life outside of Siena, I’m working on it! I was invited to a moms night out by a new friend and really enjoyed the time away. When I worked full time I was hesitant to do much without Siena on nights and weekends but now I welcome the break! Mike and I got away this past weekend to attend a wedding which was held in Mission Bay, the same area that our wedding was held three years ago. We decided to make it a little mini-anniversary getaway and stayed at the waterfront hotel and spent some additional time together before and after the wedding. Nana and Boo watched Siena for her second ever night way from both of us.

Coffee with a view during our anniversary overnight trip

Another fun development is that I am currently planning a trip to see Asia during her travels! Her parents have booked their trip to see her in Costa Rica over Christmas, so I am going to try to meet her there in early January. Mike and I are still working on logistics, but I’d probably only go for about five days. Of course Zika is in the back of my mind a little (the affordable flight price definitely reflects the fears of others!) but we are probably going to head to the mountains where mosquitos are less prevalent. And of course we will be taking the recommended time away from baby making after I return. Number two will have to wait a bit. I can’t wait to see my best friend and catch up on life! She is doing so well (read her blog to catch up with her!) and I’m so happy that she made this leap.

As for marathoning, the desire to BQ is back. I know I’m not in shape to do it at New York but I have my sights set on next Spring for another attempt. I’ve wanted to run the Mountains to Beach marathon for a few years now and I’m thinking 2017 will be the perfect opportunity to do it (even though if I wait until Fall of 2017 I will get 5 more minutes since I will be 35 on race day of 2019). I’ve been considering seeking coaching but more on that later.

I’m also having a major itch to race lately! There just really isn’t a good opportunity for me to do so before New York, so there will be no tune up race for me. I had considered running the Long Beach Half next weekend but honestly the logistics are too much. I need my sleep too much. And I also don’t want to spend any time tapering and recovering. I tried searching for a convenient 5k but even that didn’t work out. I usually race every 1-2 months and the itch is real!

In other news, I have not had as much time to listen to podcasts lately but I was really sad to hear that Running on Om had it’s last show! Julia has other interests that she is going to pursue. I was sad to hear it but totally understand. Podcasts are a lot of work without a lot of reward.

For my Big Brother fans (spoiler alert), I was pretty shocked but the winner this year (I thought Paul deserved to win) but thrilled that it was a woman. It was the first time EVER in Big Brother history (18 seasons) that a female has won over a male in the final 2. I hope that the same precedent can be set by Hilary in November (anyone else think that the debate was just hard to watch!?).

Enough politics. That’s what is happening with me.

What’s new with you? Have you ever run Mountains to Beach? Have you been to Arenal in Costa Rica and do you have any recommendations for me? Would you to go Central/South America despite Zika?

September 22, 2016 By fitnessfatale 8 Comments

Siena’s 1 Year Family Photos

Siena will be 1 year old in a week and a half. I can’t believe how quickly time is going (and I keep saying it, I know) and how our baby is turning into a little girl. I’m SO glad that we decided to do family photos before she turned 1. I didn’t love our newborn photos and these ones really made up for that! My cousin, Jaclyn, took the photos – she is truly talented! You can contact Jaclyn at jtfields90 at gmail.com if you’re in the Southern California area and interested in working with her!

The first set was taken on the trails near our house and the second set was taken at the beach, right near our old apartment near Moonlight Beach.

September 21, 2016 By fitnessfatale 7 Comments

New York Marathon Training – Week 8

Last week concluded the last of three tough training weeks and this week will be all about recovery! Before we talk about this week though, let’s recap last week.

Monday – 6.2 mile run with the stroller along the coast, nice and easy.

Tuesday – 10 mile run. I used the time that my mother in law comes to watch Siena to get some “me” time. This run actually started pretty rough – I highly considered turning around after a mile but convinced myself to at least go 1.5 miles before turning around so I could make it at least 3 miles total. I stopped for the bathroom at 1.5 miles and looked at my podcasts – I took it as a sign that there was a new Running on Om podcast featuring my favorite guest, Lauren Fleshman, available. I turned on the podcast and started to run, completing all 10 miles and coming up with my “To Myself One Year Ago” blog post. They were slow but they got done. Afterward I headed to a coffee shop for an acai bowl and blogged. It was a therapeutic session!

Wednesday – 21 Day Fix – Lower Fix and 21 Day Fix – Upper Fix. I did upper fix before Siena was awake and Lower Fix during her nap. Mike left early this morning for a work trip so I just got up with him and got the workout done. It was nice to get it done early!

Thursday – 7 miles with 8 x 800s. This was a great treadmill speed session. I felt really strong during the 800s and even ran my last two faster than the others. I felt strong, determined and even a bit hopeful at the end of this workout. I felt like I was really getting my groove back!

Friday – Dirty 30 Extreme in the morning before Siena was up. It was nice to have the rest of the day to get stuff done during Siena’s naps without worrying about a workout. I need to be better about getting up early to get workouts done.

Feeling strong for Flex Friday

Saturday – 16 mile long run (with 12 on the trails). My mom came in town on Friday to help me and hang out while Mike was away so she stayed home with Siena so I could do this run (thanks Mom!). This was a tough one! It took me a little over 2 hours 50 minutes to run 16 miles. I ran the first 12 on the San Elijo trails and Rancho Santa Fe with a group of friends. The Rancho Santa Fe portion is on horse trails that have a lot of bark – it’s not comfortable! The San Elijo trails have a long portion of loose sand which is also tough. Every time I run on trails I respect ultra marathoners even more! After the group finished 12 miles I finished the remaining miles on my own on the road and it felt so much easier.

Sunday – 21 Day Fix Pilates and Yoga. I did these back to back and it felt amazing. I love the 21 Day Fix Yoga – it’s really restorative and I always feel great afterward.

Beach day with Siena and Grandma!

Weekly Totals:

Miles Run: 39.2
Hours of Strength Training: 2.5

Though I usually aim for five runs per week, I still feel good about this training week even though I fell short of that. Things are falling into place and I feel like my endurance is way up. I also lost my vacation/summer weight and am feeling strong after three solid weeks of 4-5 21 Day Fix workouts per week. I’m looking forward to seeing how the gains I’ve made in the last three weeks play out after I’ve had this recovery week for them to sink in.

The end of this week marked just 7 weeks until race day. I really can’t believe how fast it’s going – the race will be here before we know it. Given that I’ve run three almost 3 (or more) hour runs in the last three weeks, I’m starting to feel ready to go the distance. Now that the endurance is there, I hope to build some race-specific speed in the coming weeks.

Do you like to do long runs on the trails?

September 18, 2016 By fitnessfatale Leave a Comment

What Exactly is a Beachbody Coach?

Beachbody programs have changed my life, starting with P90X in 2011. I believe in these products and despite some fears I’ve had about stepping into this role, I love being a Beachbody Coach. I often get the question – what exactly is a Beachbody Coach? I’m sure there a lot of misconceptions about what a Beachbody Coach is, so I wanted to start this post with the basics.

Definition of a Beachbody Coach

A Beachbody Coach is an independent distributor for Beachbody who not only sells Beachbody products (which include fitness programs like P90X, Insanity, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, PiYo and nutrition supplements such as Shakeology and the Beachbody Performance line featured at Ironman events) but more importantly, supports, inspires, guides and provides accountability to customers in achieving their fitness and health goals.

Experience Needed to Be a Beachbody Coach

You do not need any experience to be a Beachbody coach. You don’t need a degree or certification in health or fitness. You do not need to have a perfect body. You do not need to have an amazing “before and after” transformation. You can be a work in progress. I know this probably causes some eye-rolling – how can you call yourself a coach if you have no credentials!?

If you read the definition of a coach above again, the only thing you need to become a coach is the motivation to help others. Beachbody has paid top fitness trainers like Tony Horton and Autumn Calabrese to put together amazing programs that WORK (not to mention the countless people behind the scenes who work to make these programs). A Beachbody Coach is simply a supporter and resource for people going through these outstanding programs – they help answer questions, can provide daily accountability if needed or wanted, and help guide people through the programs that were designed by top personal trainers in the industry.

What Does a Beachbody Coach Do & Time Commitment

The amount of time you put into your Beachbody business is totally up to you. You don’t have a boss telling you what to do, but you will find that the more time you put into the business, the more you will get back from it, just like anything. You can’t send one email to your friends and family and expect them to all join you. You have to love and live the programs and inspire people to join you.

What you do with your time as a coach is up to you and every coach spends their time differently, but most Beachbody coaches run monthly Challenge Groups (this post explains what a challenge group is). Coaches spend time promoting these groups through email and social media. They also spend time following up with prior customers and building their network. Most coaches are encouraged to have a regular social media presence, but the amount of time you spend on social media is up to you. Like I said, this business is what YOU want it to be.

Beachbody encourages personal development and teamwork. If you are on a great team like mine, your team will provide you with a million different ways to learn and grow, but it’s up to you to choose which opportunities you want to take advantage of (my team has a new coach training, monthly training groups, monthly calls, and weekly recognition, to name a few). I’ve really enjoyed this aspect of Beachbody coaching – it has kept me motivated and excited to keep going.

How Beachbody Coaches Make Money

Commissions on Product Sales. Beachbody coaches earn a commission on sales of products. Every time they run a challenge group, they sell Challenge Packs which earn them a commission. They also sell other programs and supplements and subscriptions to Beachbody on Demand.
Team Volume Bonuses. Beachbody Coaches also earn a commission on the sales of coaches who they sponsor and the coaches under them, which is called team volume. As a coach builds her team, she will earn a larger and large portion of income from the team below her. The growth is exponential – this is why the top coaches make over a million dollars a year. Yes, you read that right! The income potential is pretty incredible.

What It Costs to Be a Beachbody Coach

When you are an Independent Beachbody Coach you are essentially the CEO of your own company. Just like any company, there is an initial investment and monthly costs associated. The good news is that Beachbody makes it incredibly inexpensive for you to run your own company from the comfort of your home with limitless income potential.

The coach enrollment fee is $40 and is waived if you’ve purchased a Challenge Pack. The monthly coaching fee is $15.95. In return you get a two websites to use, the Beachbody Challenge Tracker App (which is amazing and I am now using for all my Challenge Groups instead of Facebook), and most importantly, processing of all your customer’s orders. You NEVER need to hold inventory to be a Beachbody Coach. You do not pay for anyone’s credit card fees. You do not have the liability. It’s an amazing deal. Oh yeah, and you get a discount on all the products!

And in case you’re wondering, there is no obligation when you sign up as a coach. You can cancel at any time for free (the only catch is that you can not sign up to be a coach again for another 6 months).

And as for everyone, all Beachbody products have a 30 day money back guarantee.

Can I Be a Beachbody Coach Just for the Discount?

Yes! If you love Shakeology and drink it every month, the discount you receive on the product is twice the monthly coaching fee so it makes financial sense to become a “Discount Coach.” You don’t even have to tell anyone that you’re a coach or sell a single thing.

How Do I Become a Beachbody Coach?

Whether you want to make a few hundred extra dollars a month to pay off debt, save for a vacation or just buy some new clothes, or you want to build up an income large enough to quit your full time job so you can be home with your children, stop commuting to work or be your own boss, the Beachbody coaching opportunity could be a good fit for you IF you also have a passion for fitness and love helping others. If you’ve read all this and it has sparked some interest for you, please reach out to me at fitnessfataleblog@gmail.com and we can talk through any questions you have. I’m very serious about growing my Beachbody business and am committed to being a great resource and inspiration to the people on my team.

My team is hosting a FREE sneak peek into coaching group starting tomorrow, September 19th. Please reach out to me if you’d like to be added to the group.

Who’s in?

September 14, 2016 By fitnessfatale 10 Comments

To Myself One Year Ago

Dear Nicole,

It’s been almost year since you changed. You became a mother. Your life will never be the same.

Life is no longer all about you. You’ll watch the Olympics and put yourself in the shoes of the cheering and crying mother in the stands instead of the athlete in the pool or on the track. You’ll imagine your daughter’s wedding day, not your own. You’ll try to imagine what it will be like when she leaves you to go away for college one day and the thought of her leaving you will already hurt. When you see mothers mourning the loss of their children on the news, you will cry a tear for them. Your heart will ache at the thought of losing her.

You’ll rock her in your arms when she’s eleven months old and sing her to sleep and cry, wondering how many more moments like this are left. You’ll wonder if this is the last time she’ll need you in that way every time she nurses. You’ll reflect back on the day that you are wishing would come more quickly – the day you give birth to her – and feel pride that you able to stay strong through the pain and deliver naturally, but also wish you had given yourself a little more grace. You’ll want to tell yourself to remember that no matter how your baby is fed, she will be happy if you are happy. You’ll look back at your pregnant body and be proud that you carried such a strong, resilient child inside of you and not care about the extra pounds.

Your marriage will never be the same. Your husband will be a father. He will be your rock during your labor and your intimacy will go to new heights. There will be more love, more pride in the fact that you are a family, but also more compromises and more arguments. You won’t get to spend as much quality time with him as you want but it will make the alone time even more special. You will watch him make her laugh and love him even more than you did before.

You will make sacrifices. Money previously spent on vacations will be spent on diapers and any toy that you think will make her happy. You won’t be able to go to yoga class or go for a run whenever you want. You won’t see a movie in the theater for at least a year. You won’t be able to meet friends for drinks if it’s Tuesday and Mike is working late. Even if Mike is home, you won’t feel like you can be gone too long. You’ll hear yourself saying “no” more than “yes.” You’ll look back at the time before you had her and wonder why you didn’t take advantage of your freedom more. Just like everyone warned, you should have slept more! You’ll be pulled in a million directions and sometimes feel like you’re dropping every ball you’re juggling. You’ll know this is a phase that will pass and simultaneously wish for time to move faster and slower.

You will never smile more. Your daughter will bring you joy that no other human has ever given you. Your marriage will be more resilient. Your life will have more meaning and purpose than it ever has. You will be so incredibly thankful that you are able to be a mother. You’ll be thankful that your daughter is healthy and that you are healthy enough to spend quality time with her. You will appreciate, revere and love your own mother even more.

Nicole of a year go, enjoy these final weeks. Savor the feeling of your daughter kicking inside you. Listen to the sound of a quiet, empty house. Linger over coffee with Mike. Because life will never be the same, but it’s about to get a lot sweeter.

What would you say to yourself a year ago? What would you say to yourself just before a big life transition?

September 13, 2016 By fitnessfatale 5 Comments

New York Marathon Training Week 7

What a week of training I had last week! Dare I say training is getting easier? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that it has been enjoyable. I really loved training last week and even starting plotting my NEXT marathon. You know it’s a good week when that happens.

My goal for the week was to get in five 21 Day Fix workouts and five runs, including a speed workout, mid-week long run and long run. I achieved them all, including my longest run post-baby, a beautiful 20 miler down the coast.

Monday: 8.4 mile run. It was Labor Day and I headed to the beach while Mike stayed home with Siena and ran one of my old favorite routes – from Moonlight Beach to Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach and back.

Monday night we had a wonderful dinner hosted by Mike’s uncle at the beautiful Hotel Del in Coronado. It was a wonderful evening of good food and family!

Tuesday: 21 Day Fix Dirty 30 Extreme and Lower Fix Extreme. I’m not sure putting these two leg-heavy workouts back to back was the smartest idea, but I did it this way knowing that my speed workout was Thursday and my long run was Saturday and I didn’t want heavy legs going into those. By the end of the second workout, my legs were toast. I actually even subbed out some of the lunges in Lower Fix for planks out of fear of not being able to walk the next day (surprisingly, I wasn’t even that sore!).

Beach day Tuesday!

Wednesday: I met up with my new running friend Kelly for a 5 mile trail run in the San Elijo Lagoon before work. I’ve run in the lagoon before but never before work and never on one particular portion that was especially beautiful. I love exploring new areas by foot and I had pretty major runner’s high afterward!

Thursday: 7 mile tempo run (3 x 10 minutes with 3 minute recovery between). I did this on the treadmill while Siena napped. I’ve actually been enjoying my treadmill runs. I turned on Scandal and it was a particularly intense episode (I’m a few seasons behind) and the miles just flew by. That afternoon I was able to also get in Pilates Fix. Pilates is the only 21 Day Fix workout that I’ll do while Siena is awake because I can do it in the living room (as compared to the garage where the weights are set up which is a death trap for a baby) and she’s pretty entertained with my funny moves.

Post Pilates selfie

Friday: Upper Fix Extreme. I got up early and did this at 6 a.m. I didn’t do any other workouts that day and it was nice to be able to get a lot of work done during naps.

I'm doing the Beachbody Health Bet and have to take a photo of my shakeology every day - here's one of my favorite recipes - banana, chocolate shakeology, almond milk and a handful of spinach!

I’m doing the Beachbody Health Bet and one of the requirements is to take a photo of my shakeology every day – here’s one of my favorite recipes – banana, chocolate shakeology, almond milk and a handful of spinach!

Saturday: 20 mile run. Melissa, a blog reader (hi!) who did my June 21 Day Fix Challenge Group, and is also training for the New York Marathon suggested we do some training runs together. We had never met in person but had emailed several times and found we had a lot in common (she has a daughter just a couple of months younger than Siena). Her coach had her only running 15 miles but it ended up working out well since I tend to quiet down in the final miles of a long run while I’m suffering. We met at 6:30 a.m. and ran 15 miles together without a single pause in conversation – the miles just flew by as we talked about running, babies, birth stories and life. I could tell immediately that we are going to be fast friends and I’m already looking forward to more runs together. Times like these really make me thankful that I started this blog and that it has provided me with so many opportunities to connect with new friends.

Next time we will get a photo together!

Sunday: During Siena’s first nap I headed out for a 3.1 mile run/hike on the hilly loop near my house. This was meant to be a recovery run so I purposely walked the steep hill up to the trail and any other steep hill. I even took a couple walk breaks just for fun. The point was to shake out my legs after my long run, not to do any more damage. In the evening after a family pool party at Mike’s parents house, I did 21 Day Fix Yoga. It felt SOOO good to stretch. I really needed the mental break too. I stayed in savasana for extra long.

Weekly Totals:

Miles Run: 43.5
Strength Training: 2.5 hours

While my speed is still lagging, I am seeing big improvements in my endurance. I felt pretty good until about mile 18 of my 20 miler, which is not nothing. I can still remember when a 5 mile run felt really far in those first months after having Siena, so a 20 mile run with 15 miles that flew by is a pretty big improvement. The human body is pretty miraculous and I need to remind myself of how far I’ve come every time I want to beat myself up about being slower than I used to be.

How was your week? Have you ever met someone for the first time and hit it off while running? Do you prefer to do your tempo runs outdoors or on the treadmill?

September 8, 2016 By fitnessfatale 8 Comments

21 Day Fix Nutrition Plan Explained (Including Sample Day)

My results from my June challenge.

21 Day Fix rivals P90X when it comes to my favorite of all the Beachbody Programs, but it has the added bonus of being extremely time-efficient. On top of that, 21 Day Fix (and now several other Beachbody programs) comes with a nutrition plan that is guarantees that you will get your portions under control with use of color-coded containers.

Despite being really effective and easy to follow once you get the hang of it, the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan can be overwhelming at first. I want to help make it easier for you by explaining it in my own way.

What You Can Eat on 21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix is not a diet that eliminates entire food groups. It is not a cleanse. You shouldn’t feel starved – you should feel like you are making healthy, nourishing choices.

A yummy 21 Day Fix approved meal

The 21 Day Fix plan comes with a nutrition guidebook which lists the allowed foods in each food group. The food groups are given a color which corresponds to a colored container that you will receive with your Challenge Pack.

The container colors with some examples of foods you can eat:

Yellow – Carbs (Oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, quinoa, beans, lentils)
Green – Vegetables (Squash, broccoli, etc).
Blue – Healthy Fats (Avocado, nuts, cheese, hummus)
Red – Protein (Chicken, lean beef, lean pork, tempeh, tofu, eggs, 1 scoop of Shakeology, greek yogurt)
Purple – Fruit (Banana, strawberries, grapes, etc).
Orange – Seeds (Pumpkin, etc), and salad dressing
Tsps – Peanut butter or oil (Olive, coconut, etc). You provide your own teaspoon.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, certain foods which normally would be considered carbs can be considered protein, such as quinoa, lentils, and beans.

What You Can’t Eat on 21 Day Fix

Fried foods, ice cream, pastries, candy, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and soda are not included in 21 Day Fix. You may substitute one of your yellow containers for wine. You may drink coffee and tea but no processed creamer (my weakness!).

Calculating Your Container Allocation

Now that you know what you CAN eat, you need to figure out how much you can eat of it. The guidebook comes with a way to calculate your daily calorie intake. However, you will not be counting calories – that is what your containers are for! Your calorie allocation puts you into one of six calorie groups which then tells you the number of each color container you can eat per day.

The calculation if you want to lose weight and life a sedentary lifestyle (like most of us):

Current Weight x 11 = Caloric Baseline

Caloric Baseline + 450 = Caloric Need

Caloric Need – 750 = Calorie Target

For example, if you weigh 150 pounds the calculation is 150 x 11 = 1,650 + 450 = 2,100 – 750 = 1,350. 1,350 calories would put you in bracket one which means you get three veggies, two fruit, four protein, two carbs, one fat, one seed/dressing and two teaspoons. You know exactly how much of each food group to eat each day to get results (see the chart below).

Mapping It Out – 21 Day Fix Tracking Spreadsheet

Once you do 21 Day Fix for a while it will become second nature and you won’t need to map things out as much. But to start, it’s smart to map out generally what you will eat that week so that you can track it. I personally love Excel and I made a spreadsheet to help me keep track of my containers. I am sharing it with you with this google document (this is read only – you can save or download your own copy to use):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13VRHERteiTs3oOCAnAae90ELOX0cWRS-nDjFtsytdeY/edit?usp=sharing

Drinking Shakeology on 21 Day Fix

I add spinach to my Shakeology when I blend it to make sure I get in all my green containers (It’s also really good just mixed with water)!

While Shakeology is by no means a requirement for getting results with 21 Day Fix, I highly recommend it, which is why I ask each challenger to purchase a Challenge Pack, which includes both Shakeology and 21 Day Fix (on sale right now – you basically get the workouts for only $10). Shakeology is more than just a protein shake – it is a nutrient-dense, all natural super food shake. In addition to 16 grams of protein (and very little sugar!), it has 41 superfoods which enhance energy, boost immunity and improve moods. It also helps boost weight loss which will improve your results. I honestly believe in the product (I would NEVER recommend if it I didn’t) and really it deserves an entire post to itself.

Adding Containers for Breastfeeding or Running

If you are highly active on top of your seven 21 Day Fix workouts per week or you are breastfeeding, I recommend bumping yourself up at least one calorie bracket. For example, I fall into the lowest bracket but in order to get the fuel I need for training and breastfeeding, I move to the third calorie bracket (1,800-2,999 calories). I also recommend breastfeeding moms to add one extra blue container (fat).

If you are marathon or half marathon training, don’t be afraid to add a carb or two the day before your long run and never count your mid-run fuel (Gu, etc.) in your calories. In fact, I don’t track containers on long run days at all.

Are Cheat Meals Allowed on 21 Day Fix?

Your results are based on the work you put in. If you want to drop a significant amount of weight, I would not recommend more than one cheat meal for the entire 21 days. You can do it! 21 days will come and go and you will be so proud of the work you put in and have long forgotten about that forgone burger or ice cream. When I lost 8 pounds in the first four weeks of P90X, I only had one cheat meal.

However, if you are looking to tone up and lose a few pounds, one cheat meal a week is fine in my opinion. Technically the guidebook does not mention any cheat meals, but I personally think that it’s easier to be motivated to keep it up long term if you are giving yourself some slack. I have never stuck to the nutrition plan with 21 Day Fix 100% and I have still had great results. That being said, don’t go overboard and if you know that you’re more of a “all or nothing” person, then stick with the plan.

Sample 21 Day Fix Menu

Avocado Toast – 21 Day Fix Approved!

Here’s a sample of what you can eat in the 3rd calorie bracket (1,800-2,099):

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 1 slice whole wheat bread with 2 tsp peanut butter and 1/2 banana

Snack 1: Grapes

Lunch: Green salad with chicken, strawberries, goat cheese and homemade dressing (oil, vinegar, dijon mustard)

Snack 2: Shakeology

Snack 3: Carrots and bell peppers

Dinner: 6 oz salmon baked with lemon, homemade sweet potato fries (2 yellow containers, oven roasted with olive oil and cinnamon), and asparagus (2 portions green)

Dessert: Berries

What would be the most challenging part of following the fix for you? What questions do you have!?

I’d love to have you in my next Challenge Group which starts on September 19th! Please email me at fitnessfataleblog at gmail.com for more information and let’s get started!

September 7, 2016 By fitnessfatale 1 Comment

New York Marathon Training – Week 6

Week 6 started out rough. We drove back from San Francisco in just one day (originally we thought we might get a hotel halfway) and got home late. I slept terribly all week on vacation and was exhausted but luckily since Mike had taken the day off on Monday (and he’s wonderful), he let me sleep in and I got 10 hours of sleep! But I was still lethargic and feeling pretty terrible on Monday.

Our vacation concluded two months of over-indulging and I was feeling it. I’m normally take the 80/20 approach to nutrition – I eat healthy 80% of the time. However, these past couple of months that ratio fell way down and my mood, energy levels and the scale showed it! I had anticipated this a bit and scheduled a 21 Day Fix Challenge Group to start on August 29th, the day we returned from vacation. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect and after a week of eating healthy, avoiding alcohol, getting in my runs and strength training, I feel SO much better. I lost two of the four pounds I put on over the last couple of months and my energy levels are way up.

Here’s how the week turned out:

Monday: Upper Fix Extreme. This was all I had energy for!

Tuesday: 8 mile run. My mother in law came over to watch Siena half day so I had a chance to run on my own (waking up early was not an option – still so tired from vacation). I went for my run at the hottest part of the day, but it was worth it.

Snack time with Siena! Loving staying home with her.

Wednesday: 4.5 mile run with Allison in the morning and Lower Fix (regular) in the afternoon.

Sweaty Selfie post fix workout for my challenge group

Thursday: 6 miles with 6 x 800 intervals on the treadmill. This was a tough workout – I did not feel great and my pace for the 800s was slower than the last time I did it, but I got through it and felt so much better afterward.

Friday: 21 Day Fix Yoga (regular). I took Siena to a baby sign language and music class at the library and went for an hour walk with my friend Shahara afterward and that afternoon during Siena’s nap got in a MUCH needed yoga session. I had actually planned to do Pilates and/or Dirty 30 but decided to save my legs for my long run the next day. I felt 10x better afterward.

Saturday: 19 mile run. I met friends down in Mission Bay for this run. We ran as a group for the first half and the second half the faster runners took off ahead which was fine with me. A new friend I made in the group and I ran side by side, suffering together, for the final miles, without speaking much. Running is funny like that – we are bonded by our misery!

Sunday: 4.5 mile run and 21 Day Fix Pilates Extreme. Mike and I took Siena out on the trails near our house for the first time (we usually head to the coast for stroller runs). Luckily Mike pushed the entire time because this was meant to be a recovery run for me and it was tough for him to get the stroller on some of the sections of the route due to hills and sand (sometimes both). That afternoon during Siena’s nap I got in Pilates Fix. I had hoped to do five Fix workouts this week but was happy with the four I did. My legs felt much better than I expected the day after a 19 mile run – I really think the active recovery helped!

Weekly Totals:

Miles Run: 42
Strength Training: ~2 hours

This was the highest mileage week I’ve had in a long time and it felt pretty good! I’ve pretty much ditched the Hal Higdon plan and am basically making up my own training at this point. I’m trying rot get my long runs to line up with the group who is training for the Marina Corps Marathon (one week before NY). Otherwise, my goal for each week is to do a long run, a mid-week long run (8-10 miles), one speed/tempo/hill workout and two easy runs. The order of workouts changes each week based on how I’m feeling and who I want to run with. I’m finding that it’s taking me longer to recover than it has in the past and I’m not going to push it with two speed workouts per week. I’m considering adding in some strides to a second run during the week but that’s about it. I may add in some race pace miles during the end of my long runs as the race approaches, but that’s TBD! Honestly at this point I don’t even know what race pace is.

How’s your training going? Do you like to follow a plan exactly to change it week to week depending on how you’re feeling?

September 5, 2016 By fitnessfatale 6 Comments

Dear Siena – 11 Months

Dear Siena,

Where has our baby gone? You’re transforming before our eyes into a little girl with a big personality. We knew from your entrance into the world that you like to do things your way and you continue to prove that to us. Your personality is big and beautiful and we love you for it.

Your communication skills have dramatically improved this month and we now feel like we are starting to get each other even more. You’re starting to say more words and your babbling is starting to have even more consistency. In addition to “dada” and “mama” which have been around for a while, you started saying “uh-oh” and “no” this month (I also think you say thank you, but it sounds more like “dee-doo.”). But these words aren’t your main tool of communication – its your body language, grunts, screams and pointing which now have startling consistency and we’ve finally decoded. We can tell what you want more easily now and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that you are picking up on our words, body language and noises as well. Your dad and I talk to you constantly and you are happiest when we’re making eye contact with you. You want to be included in our family and you definitely are.

We can now direct you to do something and you’ll actually do it! For example, we can point to a ball and ask you to bring it to us and you will (most of the time). I can point to a piece of your toy and point to another piece and you will bring stack them. You sign “all done” when you’re finished with your meal (none of the other signs have stuck yet although the only other one that I’ve been really consistent with until recently is “more”). You now point to what you want which makes it easier to help you with what you need.

It’s easiest to get photos when you are stuck somewhere.

You’re increasingly mobile but have yet to take more than one step on your own. You have been cruising like a champ and you can stand without assistance for quite a while (maybe a minute). You let go of objects and stand on your own for a while to test things out but then do a squat to sit back down. You will use anything as a walker – your stand and play piano, your high chair, or a box – and will bolt across the room with it. Anything that can be pushed across the floor is fair game. You’re rarely taking big tumbles anymore and are really sure on your feet. I’m pretty confident that you can walk but it hasn’t quite clicked yet. We’re definitely in for it when you can!

Standing in Carmel

This photo clearly reflects your personality!

Your favorite toys are not toys. You enjoy closing and shutting things – drawers, doors, cabinets. You stand up in front of the glider and rock it back and forth. You love to turn on the portable air conditioning unit in your room and then reach up and feel the cool air before pushing all the other buttons and giggling. You love to pull up onto the toilet or grab the toilet paper and unroll as much as you can when we forget to close the bathroom door. You dart for the refrigerator every time it’s open and pull out the hot sauce or any other object you can get your hands on. Your favorite thing that is actually a toy is the toy house that I bought you on Craig’s List – you love to open and close the door, window and mailbox, especially if your dad or I am on the other side.

What is this magical box full of shiny toys!?

You are starting to throw things and one of our favorite games is throwing a ball back and forth. You also know how to roll a ball back and forth. When we ask for something with an open hand you will put it in our hand. You love to put things inside of other things and then dump them out and start over. You stack blocks, can put together a stacking toy, and love to feel the fuzzy parts of your touch and feel books. You don’t often like to sit still and read but I’ve started reading to you before every nap, even if it means I’m reading to you as you crawl across the room.

Give me the raspberries!!!

My favorite turn of events this month is that you’ve become more cuddly! You never really liked to cuddle, besides when you are nursing, but now you will rest your head on my arm or shoulder when you are tired and even fall asleep in my arms. It melts my heart! Speaking of nursing, we are now down to just nursing morning and night and you get formula during the day. I don’t plan to completely wean until you are ready, so we will see how long we last. Based on our rocky start, I’m pleasantly surprised that we made it this far and I would be thrilled to make it to a year. Our morning sessions go smoothly and we normally cuddle in bed, but you seem to want to party in the evening and it’s more like you’re twerking than nursing.

I love our family (photo taken of our picnic in San Luis Obispo on our road trip)

The most exciting part of this month was that I left my full-time job to be home with you! We’ve only had a week together but we already have gotten a good routine going. You are taking two naps a day now, around 9 a.m. and around 2 p.m., napping in total 3-4.5 hours a day. You still go to bed at 8 p.m. and wake up anywhere between 6 a.m. – 7 a.m. You’re eating three meals and a 1-2 snacks a day, with a new favorite food being greek yogurt. You’re still obsessed with berries, sweet potato, puffs and toast but I try to give you a wide variety of foods. The only meat or fish that you will consistently eat is tuna (mixed with greek yogurt). We will offer you meat when we have it but you rarely eat it. Maybe when we’ll have to wait until you have more teeth (you still just have 3 bottom teeth although I’m convinced the top ones are about to make an appearance but I think I’ve been saying that for months).

Road Tripping!

You went on your second road trip this month, this time up the California coast to visit friends along the way. You had a great time meeting so many babies and kids as well as your mom and dad’s friends. You didn’t sleep great so we all came home pretty exhausted but we had a great time. Your Grandpa and Grandma Woyski visited you at the beginning of the month and you got to see your Nana and Boo, Aunt Claire and Uncle Josh and your Grandma Christy as well. You now get to see your Nana every single week because she comes to watch you one day while I work.

With Grandpa Woyski

One month from now you will be one year old. This year has flown by and I wish I could make time stand still. In the meantime, I’ll just hold you close a little longer.

Love,

Mom