Tuesday, February 17, 2015

21 Day Fix Extreme: Day 2!

Today was #UpperFixExtreme, and boy did I work EVERY.SINGLE.MUSCLE in my upper body. The thing I love about the #21DayFix (Regular and Extreme) workouts is that Autumn has a way of kickin' your BOOTY without you really even realizing it until the end of the workout---FACEDOWN--on the floor--in the fetal position--crying! :P

I was DRENCHED in sweat after this workout and didn't even realize it. That's MY KIND of workout! Loved every minute of it and I cant wait for tomorrow's workout! This workout requires you to use light weights, heavy weights and a resistance band--and it really shakes things up a bit--so you are constantly working and constantly moving!

Here's a little preview of the Upper Fix Extreme!



I survived ALL 6 meals yesterday. I've ALWAYS had a hard time getting in all the food that I'm realistically suppose to be eating. The meal plan makes things a lot more IDIOT proof--but lets face it--there is a LOT of food in this meal plan. Going strong today so far. I did ALMOST give in when I passed McDonald's on the way home from Target today. Seriously LOVE Target! I went to get HEAVIER weights! After yesterday's workout, I realized I sometimes needed a little bit more of a challenge! Any who...2 hours later I come out with weights and MANY more items that I don't need. Target ALWAYS does that to me :P

Meal break down for today so far:

Breakfast: Vegan Chocolate Shakeology (with almond milk)
1 Red, 1 Yellow

Snack: Carrots and Hummus (my GO-TO snack!)
1 Green, 1/2 Blue

1 Red, 2 Green, 1/2 Blue, 1 Teaspoon




Snack: Oatmeal, Pineapple, Raspberries and Edamame with Almond Milk
1 Yellow, 2 Purple, 1 Orange



I have 2 more meals to go! If you need help with any recipe ideas, check out my clean eating page!

Check back tomorrow for my Day 3 Review of the 21 Day Fix Extreme!


Monday, February 16, 2015

Strawberry Shortcake Shakeology

I honestly was never a big fan of strawberry shortcake--until I fell IN LOVE with this recipe! It is definitely now one of my go to's! Super easy too! If you're following the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan, this accounts for 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Green and 1 Purple!


Ingredients:
1. 1 scoop Vanilla OR strawberry Shakeology
2. 1 cup of Strawberries
3. 1 cup of greens (I use spinach! Strawberries mask the taste)
4. 8-16 ounces Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (depending on your thickness preference)
5. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
6. Ice (optional)

21 Day Fix Extreme: Day 1

Having just completed Insanity Max:30, I honestly thought that 21 Day Fix Extreme would be no big deal. Well boy was I wrong. I'm only on Day 1, and I can already tell that this will be a NEW level of Extreme for me.

Today was Plyo Fix Extreme, aka LOTS of jumping. I've never really been a big fan of jumping but to get things you've never had, you have to do things you've never done. Every single part of my lower body is ON FIRE. I was out of breath VERY early on during this workout. I am SUPER stoked about using weights again! I didnt realize how much I missed using weights. New FAV? Severely underestimated this program, and I guess I'm going to have to pay the price. It will TOTALLY be worth it if I get even a FRACTION of the results I got with Insanity Max:30!

Here is a little preview of Plyo Fix Extreme! 



As far as the meal plan goes.....phewwww! There is so much food I don't even know what to do with it all. I will be following the regular meal plan until the last 3 days where I will be utilizing the countdown to competition meal plan. Planning it out--I'm going to have to consume 9-10 protein servings on those days. Lots of food x15! Not sure if I can handle that much food! We will surely see!

This is what I've had to eat so far today:

Breakfast: Spinach eggs, Strawberries/Pineapple with Turkey Sausage
2 Red, 1& 1/2 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Teaspoon


Snack: Carrots and Hummus
1 Blue, 1 Green


1 Red, 1 Purple, 1 yellow, 1 Green

I have 2-3 more meals to go still! If you need help with any recipe ideas, check out my clean eating page!

Check back tomorrow for my Day 2 Review of the 21 Day Fix Extreme!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Results and Review of Insanity Max:30

I am OFFICIALLY done with the 60 Day #InsanityMax30 program created by Shaun T! Woot!

The MAIN thing I learned from this program is that my body is literally capable of ANYTHING. Completing this ENTIRE program was probably one of the HARDEST things I've completed in my life SO FAR! It was also one of the most REWARDING! There were SO MANY times I wanted to throw in the towel and find some reason to quit {{and some days I did, especially in the last 30 days}} but I DUG deep and remembered why I started! I came out the other side a better ME! Being able to PULL through and find the INNER strength to get through this entire program showed me a little something about myself that I didn't know was there! This program pushes you and your body farther than you've ever thought possible--and I am THANKFUL for even my bad days within the last 60 days!


While the program is only 30 minutes and requires NO equipment(love that!), it will be the hardest 30 minutes of your LIFE. The concept of this program is to go as hard as you possibly can for as long as you possibly can before you take a break. That time when you stop to take a break is considered your "max out" time. The goal is to at least double your max out time between the first workout and the last workout. I went from barely making it 7 minutes to almost 20 minutes without taking a break. Being able to make it that far is a MAJOR feat in my book.


Month 1:


This is more about getting your body prepared for month 2, because the REAL battle starts in month 2.
I LOVED month 1. I had so much fun with the workouts. I never really feel like I've worked out unless I can't breathe afterwards, so this workout was PERFECT for that!


Month 2:


Month 2 is where you will really want to quit. Your body is ready and willing to do the work but it's your mind you have to convince. You think working through the burn is the hardest thing to push through...you're wrong. The real fight is in your mind. You won't truly understand until you've been through it. 


I literally HATED the second month. I won't lie to you, I was thinking about every excuse possible to not complete this program. Apparently cardio isn't as much "my thing" as I had thought--at least not this kind of cardio. I felt like I was dying on more than one occasion. I'm all for pushing my limits but this was CRAZY. Maybe I'll try the second month over again when I'm closer to my goal weight. 


NOTE:


For those of you that are considerably overweight--don't let the intensity of this workout scare you off. I'm 200+ pounds and still able to jump around with the best of them. No shame in having to modify either. I modified for MOST of this program. Being able to say that I did this workout everyday was a HUGE accomplishment for me--it will be for you too!


Here are the before and after shots!



Results:

Weight: -27lbs
BMI: -3% Body Fat
Total inches loss: -18.5 inches


Breakdown of Inches:
Chest: -3.5inches
Waist: -5inches
Hips: -3inches
Thighs: L -1.5inches R -2 inches
Triceps: L -1inch R -.75inches
Calves: L -1.25inches R -.5inches

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Clean and Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta

If you're anything like me, you like your COMFORT foods. My typical comfort foods are FULL of pasta and CHEESE! Two things that when combined together in excess can be both delicious and terribly sinful. So I've been on the hunt for a recipe that will satisfy my comfort food craving without COMPLETELY derailing all my hard work. 

Here is what I made, and its #21dayfixapproved! It was ABSOLUTELY delicious!

{{Clean and Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta}}




Makes 4-6 servings
21 Day Fix portions: 1 yellow, 1 green, 1/2 red, 1/3 blue


Ingredients:
  • ½ box whole wheat or whole grain pasta (I recommend a thicker noodle)
  • 2 links lean turkey or chicken sausage (I prefer hot, but you can use sweet sausage too. I recommend Target "Simply Balanced" brand hot Italian chicken sausage)
  • 1½ green containers baby portobella mushrooms
  • ½ green container sun-dried tomatoes (tip: buy the ones that come in the zipper bag, not the kind in a jar soaking in oil...I found these in the produce section)
  • 1½  green containers kale
  • 1½ green container spinach leaves
  • ½ cup shredded Italian blend cheese (I used sargento; kraft has a nice one too; or you could grate your own Parmesan and mozzarella alternatively)
  • 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
  • ⅓ cup organic milk

Directions:
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions (Important: right before draining the noodles, save a ladel-full of hot, starchy cooking water-you will need that later for the sauce!)
  2. In a skillet, saute all vegetables. Season with pepper, garlic and onion powder, and italian seasoning. Once tender, remove from pan, and cover with foil to keep warm.
  3. Remove the sausage from its casings and brown the meat in the skillet. Once cooked, remove from pan and drain any excess grease from the meat
  4. In the same skillet, add the flour to the pan drippings and whisk to form a roux. (Note: you may need to add a teaspoon or so of EVOO depending on how much pan drippings you have.)
  5. Gradually stir in milk and followed by the reserved starchy cooking water
  6. Reduce heat, stirring slowly, and allow sauce to thicken.
  7. Stir in shredded cheese using a figure-8 motion until the cheese dissolves into the sauce
  8. Adjust sauce seasonings to taste, adding in garlic and onion powder and pepper to taste. Also, if the sauce gets too thick and pasty, add more milk or cooking water- you want this to have an nice creamy consistency
  9. Add the noodles, sausage, and vegetables to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
  10. Use your green container (or 1 cup measuring cup) to portion out each serving. Enjoy!


BONUS:


  • If you’re not a fan of sausage, try this with diced chicken breast or even lean ground turkey (seasoned with garlic and onion powder, Italian seasoning, and a little red pepper flake)

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The Coaching Opportunity!

NO one likes to talk about $$$$$

But lets be REAL---We could ALL use more of it right?

Becoming a Beachbody Coach has helped me turn my life around in SO many ways--emotionally, physically and financially. I'll forever be grateful for the opportunity--BUT I'm sure you're ALL wondering if this opportunity is even LEGIT.

I had my doubts at first--like EVERYONE else. I watched people claim to pay this off or that off and was skeptical--could they really be making that much of a difference financially?

YESSSSSS!!!!

Here's the breakdown of what I've been able to do with my income from Beachbody SO FAR in just a FEW months:

*Covered cost of #shakeology each month
*Paid off debt totaling $1500.00
*Paid car insurance 2x
*Paid car payment 2x
*Paid phone bill 2x
*Bought recognition/achievement gifts for challengers & coaches

That's a LOT of $$$$$ that I didn't have laying around before.

Why am I telling you all this? Because you can do this TOO!

I'm looking for 5 people who want to change their LIVES! Want to stop living paycheck to paycheck--want to stop ignoring those debt collectors calls--want to eventually get out of the RED entirely--and want to start LIVING the lives they were MEANT to live!

My Team is offering a 5 Day Sneak Peek into Coaching next Monday {{February 9th}} to go over what we do as coaches and how so many people have been able to change their financial {{&& emotional/physical well being}} circumstances! 

I want you to be there! You've got NOTHING to lose because its 100% FREE, and 100% NO OBLIGATIONS! It's for information purposes ONLY!

Message me or comment below if you want in!

#lifebydesign #girlboss #entrepreneur #whynotyou #itsnottoolate #whodoesntwanttobedebtfreee #debtfree #financiallystable #hatedebtcollectors #letsdothis #coacheschangelives #coach #boldandbeautifulfitness

Thursday, January 15, 2015

About Me!

Hey there! 

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my page. Let me first tell you a little bit about myself and how I ended up here. My name is Ali Weinmann, I'm 25 years old with no children nor am I married. I do however have a FUR BABY, he is a HUGE part of my life ♥

I have been over weight most of my life--So I HATED myself and my body. When I say I hated myself--I wasn't exaggerating. My self talk was ATROCIOUS, I CONSTANTLY set myself up for failure in MOST areas of my life and I INDIRECTLY didn't feel like I was "thin" enough to get the things in my life that I though would make me happy. Sound familiar?


I've done SO MANY things to lose weight over the years, and while several things have worked--I always end up gaining the weight back. Little did I know at the time--I was an EMOTIONAL eater. Every SINGLE emotion {{Good and Bad}} made me want to eat! Which is probably a BIG part of why I would ALWAYS gain the weight back.  In the beginning of 2014 I began seeing several of my friends lose weight during some online challenge group, and honestly I thought it was another gimmick. I held off for a while, but in April of 2014 I decided to take a chance with T25, Shakeology and the online health and fitness challenge that was being offered. Why not, right? WORST case scenario--I'm no worse off than I am now.

I started this AMAZING journey in April and starting seeing AMAZING results, but in May I injured myself {{from a combination of my job and incorrectly performing a workout}} causing me to A. be out of work and B. I couldn't work out my right arm AT ALL--I could BARELY get dressed! Not being able to do NORMAL functions with my DOMINANT arm made me depressed so I began to slip back into a LOT of my old habits. The MOMENTUM I had created quickly slipped away. This went on for months--my coach reaching out to me AGAIN and AGAIN asking how I was doing. The ONLY thing that came to mind was SHAME and FAILURE--so I continue to make excuses or would EVEN ignore the questions. Hiding from the world seemed easier at the time. I hated myself--hated what I was allowing myself to become. 

My family and I went to Stone Harbor that Summer on Vacation--had a BLAST! But AFTER we got home--all these INCREDIBLY disgusting pictures of me from the vacation started to surface on Facebook. I LITERALLY hid in my room and cried. It took me almost a month to shake that feeling of SHEER disgust. It was around that time that my coach tried ONE more time to see how I was doing--I don't know if it was the timing or if I was just ready--but I spilled my guts. I laid EVERYTHING on the carpet expecting my coach to RUN for the hills. Instead--I got NOTHING but encouragement and understanding. That's all it took--I was getting BACK in the game.

So now it's October 2014, and BASICALLY I am STARTING over. That's okay! At least I'm doing it, right? This time around I'm DETERMINED to do things differently. I DIVED into a Challenge Group FULL force--I gave this whole Challenge Group thing a REAL chance! It was a TOTALLY different experience than ANYTHING I had ever tried before. While I knew a lot of the proper eating techniques already, it was helpful to RELEARN them in a MOTIVATING environment. We went over things like proper portion control, how to eat balanced meals, how important it is to have a prep day at least once a week to make sure you are prepared with healthy food choices all week long and so much more! The group had many other individuals that were JUST LIKE ME, or had similar goals. They all just needed a conducive, motivating environment that also offered accountability. The great thing about the group was everyone was ENCOURAGING each other! To say it was life changing is an understatement, It was EXACTLY what I needed and then some! 

Fast forward to Present Day---January 15th and I am 60lbs down since the beginning of October. The key to my success so far? I actually USED the tools that were provided in Challenge Group! A BIG aspect of a Challenge group is LEARNING to strengthen your MIND while trying to perfect your body--so I ALSO starting reading personal development books. I look back and don't even recognize that girl RIDDLED with self-hate--I am FEARLESS now. I've now completed several programs--21 Day Fix, PiYo, T25 and now I am just finishing up with Insanity Max:30. Just out my review and results with Insanity Max:30 HERE!

It's an amazing feeling to look in the mirror and love the person that you are BECOMING! I also decided to become a Beachbody Coach because of all the people I was inspiring--not to mention I love the products and the amazing results I've had so far! I wanted to share my successes with others and help them to achieve their health and fitness goals too! I am STILL a work in progress--but if just ONE person can SEE that they're not ALONE in this and find my story encouraging--then all the heartache will be WORTH IT! I have learned so much over the last 3 months and I just HAD to share! I have TRULY find my passion--My calling! Exercising and eating clean has become a HUGE part of my life! My family is even beginning to eat clean with me and they feel great!

Check out the picture of my Transformation so far below!

Check back for updates on my fitness journey!