Vanilla Shakeology Energy Balls

Got Shakeology? Oh YUM. I think my afternoon coffee fix just found a new friend! These are super healthy and took about 2 minutes to whip up. If you're feeling like they need a little more, you could definitely add chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, cocoa powder, etc. Endless possibilities!

Vanilla Shakeology Energy Balls

(Makes 15 servings, 1 ball each)
Total time: 15 mins

1 ½ scoops Vanilla Shakeology
½ cup almond flour
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup all-natural almond butter (I used all natural PB because that's what I have!)
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup sliced raw almonds (I left these out)

Combine Shakeology, almond flour, and oats in a medium bowl; mix well. Add almond butter and almond milk; mix well with a rubber spatula or hands until it forms a think batter. Roll mixture into fifteen balls, each about 1-inch in size. Roll balls in almonds if using.

Could be slightly addictive...you've been warned!  I made a 1/2 batch and will keep them in the freezer for single serving sweet fixes.  :)

21 Day Fix snack option!

I love to eat!  And I can eat a lot!  So even though I eat really healthy foods, you can still eat TOO much of a good thing.  Measuring is always a great way to keep yourself in check and to keep yourself HONEST.  We all know that it gets to be way too easy to have bites here and there and before you know it, you've probably already eaten most of a portion size.  I know, because I am guilty of this too!

That's just one thing I love about the 21 Day Fix program.  This is down to the basics of measuring your foods and knowing exactly what a REAL portion looks like.  Do you have to always measure your lettuce and celery?  Mmmm, probably not but measuring things like fruit and yogurt?  Never a bad idea!  So here I had a typical snack which was chopped up strawberries and Greek yogurt.  Two super healthy options but also easy to keep eating and eating and eating.  Guess work taken out by measuring!  I can cross off one fruit (purple container) and one red (protein container) from my list for the day.  Easy!

21 Day Fix - Official First Day!

Today is the official first day of the 21 Day Fix...for me and for my challengers! I'm excited to see the results we'll get even just after this first week. Today's workout was Total Cardio Fix and wow. I will for sure be sore tomorrow! Simple, effective moves that had my heart pumping all 30 minutes. Everyone has time for 30 minutes! I really felt like every muscle in my body was worked...and pretty sure that's about how I'll feel tomorrow! I used 5 and 8 pound weights today and that was plenty for me.

FOOD! Sticking with my meal plan and it's so helpful to have it already planned out ahead of time. It's like my own personal cheat-sheet that tells me what I can eat! I've done the homework and it will only get easier each week to know what exactly I can eat to stay on track and see the results I'm after. For breakfast I had my usual Vegan Chocolate Shakeology and used about 6 oz of cold coffee, ice, 4 oz of unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 banana. 21 Day Fix approved and that scratches off one red (protein) and one purple (fruit) for the day. Per the Fix guidelines, I'm also counting my daily 4 oz of almond milk as one yellow. Now, If I was concerned about "wasting" a yellow container in my Shakeology I would certainly just use all coffee or use water instead. I might try that later this week if I feel like I need to chew more calories rather than drink them. All a learning process!

Lunch is pictured below and it was filling and yummy. Going Meatless Monday today! Firm Tofu (red), garbanzo beans (yellow), avocado (blue) and broccoli and roasted cabbage (green). I was actually surprised when I put it all on the plate how much food it actually was. And I still have plenty of containers for an afternoon snack and a full dinner. This is not meant to be a starvation diet and it certainly doesn't feel like one! If you're like me and you suffer from portion distortion, this program is simple and effective and does the trick. If it fits in the container, you can eat it!

 Here is what my lunch looked like today:

So simple turkey chili!

This recipe (really, it's hardly a recipe!) is adapted from the book BrokeAss Gourmet by Gabi Moskowitz.  First of all, don't you just love that name?  I have made a few of her recipes and I love how simple they are but always really tasty.  She calls her chili "Ridiculously Easy Black bean - Turkey Chili"  You can find her full site here: brokeassgourmet.com

What I love about this super easy dump it all in recipe is that there is no chopping of anything!  Of course you could chop up extra onion or cilantro to top it off.  :)  The other thing I love is that this is not a saucy chili.  If you like your chili with more of a liquid base, you might want to add in another can of tomatoes.  

This turned out with the perfect amount of spice!  You could substitute a mild pico de gallo and that would decrease the heat, or bump it up with some hot sauce!  This was family approved, although the almost 6 year old is always kind of picky and she wouldn't taste it.  More for us!

INGREDIENTS

▪ 1 lb lean ground turkey 

▪ 1 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine - this is in the picture, but I ended up leaving it out.  Glad I did!)

 ▪ 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (with or without chiles)

 ▪ 1 4 oz can diced green chiles

▪ 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained 

▪ 1 12-oz. container pico de gallo (refrigerated kind)

▪ 1 tsp cumin 

▪ 1 tsp chili powder 

▪ salt and pepper to taste

Here is your EASY line-up!  

RECIPE SERVES 6-8

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook ground turkey and allow to brown, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes.

2. Add beans, pico de gallo, chiles, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If chili becomes too thick while cooking, add a little water or broth.  

3. Serve hot, as is or garnished with shredded cheese, cilantro, chopped onions, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, etc.  I would say chips too, but you're not here for that type of chili recipe, right?  Right!  ;)

        Big ole pot, ready to dig in!  Really tasty, FAST and very healthy!  You could play around with this in endless ways!

Finished bowl, ready to go!  I'm not a big cheese or dairy person so topping this with

        avocado is just right for me.  And surprise!  I plopped mine over spaghetti squash.  Portion this into 4-6 glass dishes for easy lunches for the week!

21 Day Fix workout review - "Dirty 30"

I'm not totally sure why this workout is called "dirty 30" but let me tell you, it left me sore the next morning!  Like the other Fix workouts, the moves are super simple and Autumn really emphasizes proper form and technique.  I used 5 pound dumbbells for all sets and that was PLENTY!  For being so simple, I kind of went through the workout thinking, "well, this isn't that great.  Not my favorite workout."  Holy schmoly and holy sore body.  Put your trust into Autumn and know that although the moves are simple, they are extremely effective.  Embrace the rest periods and push through the exercises.  Lots of upper body, lower body and CORE work here.  These moves work!!

Introduction to Shakeology!

Hi!  You've made it here and get ready to watch my very first YouTube?  How excited are you??!!  :)

I may not be an expert YouTuber-er, but I'm glad you're here and I'm glad you have an interest in taking charge of your health and fitness!  Shakeology has been a key factor in helping me to achieve my goals.  As I mention in the video, I was NOT a shake person at all.  Um, no thanks!  I drink water, coffee, tea, wine...that's about it.  So I completely understand any hesitation from someone if they don't think of a shake as a meal.  What I have found is that my body craves it!  I know that sounds crazy, but it's true!  I used to eat a bowl of either oatmeal or Greek yogurt and berries for breakfast every morning.  Healthy?  Yes!  But over time I found that as much as I love oatmeal, it might not love me so much.  Even with eating whole-grain oats with nothing else in them, my cravings would kick in and I found I kept wanting more and more.  I never felt that satisfied full feeling.  Stick to the ribs?  For me, more like stick to my belly!  I just want to keep eating and eating!!  Greek yogurt is another really healthy choice - it's loaded with protein.  I can still eat a smaller serving as a snack but I started to find that a full serving of dairy wasn't doing my belly any favors.  I've always been a little sensitive to dairy so I'm not surprised that the yogurt would cause some unwanted grumbling action.

Shakeology has really been like the missing piece of the puzzle.  By introducing Shakeology into my diet and fitness program, I have increased energy, my belly is happy, my cravings have been reduced and I am on the road to a six pack.  Try it and get ready to experience some great changes in your body!!