How to have good things happen to you!

Friday's Food for Thought:

So lately, I have been the happiest I've been in a long time...maybe even ever!  I look at my beautiful family and thank God everyday for blessing me with healthy and happy children, a loving husband who is able to provide for us and give me the opportunity to stay at home with my kids everyday and when I started to feel like I needed something more to fulfill my purpose here, this wonderful coaching opportunity practically fell into my lap! When I heard that all I would have to do is work out, eat healthier and get in great shape again (which I'd been putting off for a while) and help other people do the same... it sounded like a dream come true! And I am LOVING it!

So I've started to see a chain reaction, lately.  As I've become healthier and happier overall, I'm beginning to see other parts of my life fall right into place as well.  I've always wished I had more motivation to get creative in the kitchen and cook new, healthy meals for my family... I have over 100 wonderful recipes pinned on Pinterest, but I had maybe tried cooking 2 of them over the last year.  I've cooked about 5 of them now, just in the past week! I wished my kids and I were on a better schedule and that I could be more organized... and now I have calendars, dry-erase boards, star-charts for the kids... I'm organized! I've been focusing on the good things in my life and the positive changes that I want to happen, and now they are all happening... almost all at once! It's amazing!

And not only are things becoming better for me, but I've noticed that this positive energy is also affecting those who are closest to me!  My husband has quit some of his bad habits and is beginning to workout with me, my sister and her husband have decided to add daily workouts to their schedules and are getting healthier, my mom has made a huge step toward becoming healthier and committed herself to overcoming some huge obstacles in her life and my dad is achieving success in doing what he loves and has been invited to speak at an event this weekend that he's been attending for years, and now he will be sharing his knowledge with some of the best gardeners out there!

So as I've started to really see the positive chain of events happening right before my eyes, I thought about this book that I had read a couple years ago called, The Secret.  I'm sure many of you have heard of it, but it pretty much explains how if you focus your thoughts on negativity, then negative things will happen to you.  But when you focus your energy on positive thoughts and doing good for yourself and others, then you will notice an overwhelming positive chain of events begin to happen.  It seems like a pretty straight-forward concept, right?  I'm sure you've noticed those facebook friends who are constantly posting negative posts on here... doesn't it seem like it's just one bad thing after another happening to these people? They never seem happy do they?  Maybe if those people stop letting the negative things consume them, and start being grateful for the positive things in their life, then they will start to experience more happiness. 

So no matter how tough your day may be... whenever a negative thought starts to creep into your head... chase it off and replace it with a positive thought!  See what a difference this simple change can do for you! Enjoy the life you've been given, be grateful for what you have, don't dwell on what you don't have and be sure to spread the love and pay it forward to others!  If each person that sees this today could just do one small deed for someone else out there today, then we have changed a life! No matter how big or small the deed may be, good karma will find it's way back to you when you need it most! I hope you all have a fabulous Friday!
~Crystal

TODAY's FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

 

 So I've really been thinking about this a lot lately... You know how after the holidays, suddenly EVERYONE wants to diet, go to the gym and make a New Year's Resolution to get healthy and fit? Change their life? Well, my question is... "Why do people feel like they have to wait until January 1st to make this commitment to themselves?" Many of those people lose their motivation within a couple weeks and give in to their old habits again anyways, because they get off track and then get discouraged. So why not make that kind of change TODAY?

 

Think about it!... If you decided to start jogging after work today, or even just add a simple workout regimen to your daily routine NOW, then by the time New Year's is here, you'll feel amazing, look amazing and be able to rock that hot dress you've wished you could pull off for years! And then instead of making a resolution to get in shape, spending tons of money on a gym membership that you don't even know if you'll really use... you will already be ahead of the game! You'll have people asking you what YOU did to get in such great shape and their resolution will be to do what YOU already did!! 

 

I guess that's my thought for the day. So if you're one of those people who has decided that you want to make a change NOW, then DO IT! What are you waiting for? And if you need someone on your ass to push you and help motivate you, then that's my job. So feel free to message me with your fitness/health goals and I can help you start checking them off your list BEFORE the crazy holidays hit! So that's my rant for today... HOPE YOU HAVE A FABULOUS FRIDAY!

My Dream Girl's Room Come True...

So I'm going off track with my fitness posts for a second to show off some of my creativity! As some of you may or may not know... my little princess just turned a year old last month!  And I realized that I hadn't shared her princess themed room, that I finally got around to doing, with you guys!  I love to put a personal touch on just about anything I do, so when it came to decorating her room, I did as many DIY projects as I could think of, without going overboard!

* Painted over our yellow walls and made them *PINK*

* I painted some princess pictures and framed them

* The crib rails were brown before, so I painted them *PINK*

* I painted a wooden sign with her name on it in Disney font 

My little Princess on her 1st Birthday!

Be Stronger Than Your Excuses

Hey guys!! So the weekend is here and chances are, you may be too busy to workout. Now if you'd like to go for a walk or jog around the neighborhood or do a few of your own exercises, I say, GO FOR IT! But it's also a great idea, for those of you who have been working out all week, to take some time to stretch it out and recover those muscles. I am so proud of those of you who have decided to join my health & fitness challenge group! 

There's no pressure to participate, but I know each of you chose to join this challenge, because you have some sort of fitness goal or motivation and I just want to see you achieve whatever that may be! I also understand that life happens and we get "too busy" to workout! It wasn't until recently, that I made daily workouts a PRIORITY for me! I was "too busy" with the 3 kids, and by the time I found 10 or 20 minutes to workout, I was all out of energy and too tired to do anything! But the honest truth is... now that I'm finding time to workout, I have MORE energy!

I choose to take walks around the neighborhood with the kids, while they ride their bikes and play! I choose to pop in my workout DVD and have the kids jump around the room with me, instead of putting on cartoons and sitting like a veg, drinking my coffee while the kids stare blankly at the tv! haha And I know many of you work, have kids, kids sports, etc etc... believe me... I do understand! But you need to do yourself a favor and just find 10 or 20 minutes a day for yourself and for your health and so you can lose that weight you've been wanting to shed, or get that muscle tone you've been dreaming of! Think about it... we now have 9 MONTHS until summer/bikini season! So if you start working out NOW, you'll be rocking that bikini with confidence by June! I love you guys for doing this (or even considering doing this) with me and I hope I can help in some way! Where you guys at? Whose still up for the challenge?  Don't give up!

And for those of you who would like to join one of my monthly challenges, you can APPLY HERE and I will get in touch to help you find a program and meal plan that will help you reach your specific goals! :)

Need a more challenging workout?

Okay, so for those of you who have joined (or still want to join) my free 30 day fitness challenge and are finding some of the exercises a little too easy... this is for you! If you want to make your workout a little more difficult, you can do multiple reps of each exercise that I've listed for the day and/or you can modify them a little bit in order to make them a little more challenging!  (the oblique push-up will get you sweating, for sure!)  Here's a quick video so you can see exactly how to do it!  

Enjoy!

The Football Workout

Just because it's NFL Sunday or Monday night football, doesn't mean you don't have time to workout!  I thought this would be a great way to incorporate some exercise into game day!  You can do it... PUSH YOURSELF! Make a competition out of it with your friends, spouse or just with yourself! Not only will you feel like you've accomplished something by the end of the game, but whether your team wins or loses, you will know that you WON, regardless!  Feel free to share this with friends and family or post this on Facebook or Twitter and see how many of your friends jump on the challenge and join you!  Enjoy and please share and let me know if you took the challenge! 

And just in case you need a refresher on what some of these exercises are:

How to do Burpees, How to do mountain climbers, How to do Tricep Dips, How to do a plank

The 80/20 Rule!

Have you heard of the 80/20 Rule? Well, now you have!

Weight loss is 80% healthy diet and 20% exercise!

This means, that even if you are exercising on a regular basis, you need to try and watch what you're putting into your body throughout the day. It's okay to indulge every now and then, but when you can, try substituting healthy alternatives to your diet. For example, if you normally make yourself milkshakes, try a fruit smoothie with non-fat vanilla yogurt instead, or if you want something that is going to provide you with the vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients to help aid in weight loss, and help build muscle, then Shakeology is a must (and did I mention it comes in either chocolate, vegan chocolate, vanilla, greenberry or tropical strawberry?)

Or if you're a sugar addict (like me), try using a healthy substitute, like Truvia, which is made from stevia, an herb found in Central and South America that is sweeter than regular sugar, has ZERO calories and has no glycemic index, so it won't cause a spike in your blood sugar. And yet, another perk to Shakeology is that it helps reduce sugar and food cravings and also has no glycemic index. Over 100 doctors have recommended this shake for patients, claiming that it has been successful at helping with diabetes, IBS, cardiovascular disease, weight loss, and much more!  If you don't believe me, you can listen to the doctor's themselves, right here!

So here's your educational post for the day!  I hope I can make a difference in someone's life today!

And in case anyone's interested in knowing more about Shakeology, here is more information about the ingredients used in Shakeology and the benefits they provide for you:

Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build muscle and reduce food cravings*

• Help build and repair muscles
• Reduce hunger and food cravings
• Promote healthy skin, hair, and nails
• Chocolate and Greenberry Shakeology include whey protein isolate, an easily absorbable source of high-quality protein that's ideal for building and maintaining lean muscle mass. Tropical Strawberry and Vegan Chocolate include
  high-quality plant proteins from brown rice, pea and other sources. Essential amino acids, found in these proteins, help the body repair muscle tissue and heal wounds; and reduce hunger pangs. The protein in all Shakeology products provides a highly bioavailable source of essential amino acids.

 

Prebiotics, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption*

• Aid digestion
• Support a healthy intestinal tract
• Increase absorption of nutrients
• Shakeology contains many ingredients that are beneficial to the digestive system.
• Prebiotics, natural components of certain plants, help support the "friendly" bacteria in your digestive tract.
• Probiotics are strains of live good bacteria that help with the digestive process. They assist the body in absorbing
  nutrients and minerals, bring an overall balance to the digestive tract, and help support the immune system.
• Digestive enzymes, from sources such as pineapples and papayas, help your body break down food into its individual
  components, making the nutrients easier to absorb.

 

Adaptogens

• Help promote a strong immune system
• Help increase energy
• Help protect the body from stress
• Help balance endocrine hormones and the immune system
• Adaptogens are special herbs that grow in harsh climates and conditions, at high elevations, atop mountains where the soil is rocky and oxygen in the air is thin. Because these plants have to adapt to harsh conditions, they have highly
  concentrated nutrients that can help your body cope with stress, provide energy, and maintain a strong immune system. Shakeology has a total of 9 adaptogens. Which is more than any other shake out there.

 

Antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant-sourced ingredients) may help maintain health*

• Help neutralize harmful free radicals
• Help decrease inflammation
• Help maintain the immune system
• Potentially decrease the risk of degenerative diseases
• Many of Shakeology's fruit and vegetable sources have been chosen for their high concentration of healthy natural substances known as phytonutrients, including flavonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, and catechins. These substances have antioxidant properties, meaning they help neutralize molecules known as free radicals, which damage cells and may contribute to the aging process. In laboratory tests, phytonutrients have shown promise in helping prevent a wide variety of degenerative conditions

 

23 Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for optimal health*

• Get a wide range of essential nutrients
• Get your necessary vitamins every day
• Make up for dietary deficiencies
• Most of us don't get the complete range of essential vitamins and minerals in our daily diets. Some important vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, are water-soluble, meaning they're flushed out of your body after a short time and need to be replenished regularly. Others, like vitamin E, can be difficult to get enough of in food. Shakeology Chocolate and Greenberry provide all these nutrients in an easy-to-take form, so you never have to worry. (Tropical Strawberry and Vegan Chocolate do not have the vitamin and mineral ingredients added.)

 

Join my FREE 30 Day Full Body Fitness Challenge!

So, maybe you aren't ready to commit to a 30 day, 6 week, or 10 week fitness program!  Or maybe you need to skip out on the fast food or trips to Target this month, so you can save a few bucks to afford that fun Hip Hop Abs workout that you saw on television the other night.  Well, whatever your case may be... I can GUARANTEE you have a few minutes, each day, for the next 30 days to complete these simple exercises that can get you started toward a healthier, more fit, version of YOU! I am doing this because I am genuinely in this Beachbody business in order to help people, like you!  If I can make a small difference in just one person's life, then I feel like I have accomplished something and fulfilled a purpose in my life!  So please, feel free to give this a try!

For the month of September, we will be doing full-body workouts, which will work a little bit of everything... the arms, abs, legs and some cardio. I started this yesterday, but since I'm just now posting this to my blog, ignore the days at the top of the page and just start from 1 and continue on each day.  Or if you have what it takes, you can do Friday and Saturday today to catch up. If you aren't able to do the listed amount of an exercise, then just do as many as you can, with good form. On the other hand, if the daily workout is too easy for you and you want more of a challenge, then you can either increase the numbers to what you prefer, or you can do an extra rep of each exercise. Totally up to you! (I also recommend grabbing a notebook or calendar and keeping track of your own personal number of reps, your beginning weight and your waist size. This way you are able to see your improvement over the course of the month) Also, remember to do your best to eat healthy.  This will provide you with the best results!  PLEASE share if you decide to do this workout! I would love any kind of feedback, motivation and inspiration from all of you!