Beasting up to become a stage-worthy beauty

Now, before anyone starts worrying about my self-confidence because of how I phrased that title... Don't worry. It's taken a long time and I still have my shakey moments but on the whole, I'm pretty confident in my physical appearance and even my physique. That being said, my next challenge and goal for myself is going to require a level of confidence I haven't had to gather before. What started as a joke now has a workout schedule, meal plan, and timeline... That's right - I'm preparing for my first ever Physique Competition (assuming they hold it again next year - for now, I'm assuming they will!). Sparkly bikini has yet to be acquired.

Those who have known me for a long time can tell you that I'm not one for bikinis and when I do wear them (that's even only been the past few years!), I'm super conscious of how I move and I'm constantly adjusting my suit. Parading around on a stage in a show suit is going to be a whole new level outside of my comfort zone but hey, that's where amazing things happen!

As of yesterday, my accountability partner and I started a hybrid that he (I can't take credit here!) cleverly named "Bulk BeasT25". Anyone familiar with the Beachbody program line-up will quickly - and accurately - deduce that this will be a blend of the bulk cycle of Body Beast and workouts from ShaunT's (yes, of Insanity!) awesome program Focus T25. I'm also going to be cleaning up my eating habits and continuing one super healthy, nutrient rich, Shakeology per day (at least) ... and I should work on sleeping more regularly too because my body is going to need the recovery.

I'll log my progress, adjustments, and thoughts as we go through this and share it with you here. Feel free to ask questions and I'll be sure to cover them! Oh, and before you ask, yes - this will be all natural - no insulin, steroids, or other artificial performance enhancing drugs. No judgement but that's just not for me!

In order to show progress, I suppose we need to know my starting point, huh?

As of Sunday, October 20.
Weight: 176 lbs
Body Fat %: 27.6%
Waist:  34.75 inches
Chest: 40.75 inches
L Arm: 12 inches
R Arm: 12.25 inches
Hips: 42.25 inches
L Thigh: 24.5 inches
R Thigh: 24.5 inches

Starting pictures

Ready for 2013?

The cookies have been eaten, the presents unwrapped...time to get ready for the new year! We all have different goals and New Years Resolutions for 2013 but I'm going to be running 3 challenges in January because I'm not going to let anything stop me and I want to invite you to join me!

Feel free to participate in more than one of these challenges - this is about helping you achieve YOUR goals!

Shake It Off - starts January 2nd and is about changing just one meal each day to improve your health. DEADLINE TO SIGN UP IS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29 so don't delay!! Yes, this is a Shakeology challenge!

Healthy New Year - starts January 7th and is a Biggest Loser type challenge. Fitness, nutrition, and accountability. We're gonna rock this! I have only 2 spots left and the deadling to sign up is DECEMBER 31!

PUSH - starts January 1st and is about achieving your wildest goals. I have been using Chalene's system all year and am loving the results I'm seeing but everyone can use a refresher course. I have some big goals for this year and will be kicking them off by doing this 30 day program again. Join me!

No matter your goals, I'm here to help! Email me at gabriella@addictedwithgabriella.com or message me on Facebook at fb.com/addictedwithgabriella and we'll make your dreams come true.

Have I mentioned that Shakeology is amazing?

But don't just take my word for it.... check it out!

Red light...Green light! #PUSH

So I'm reading Chalene Johnson's book Push (as I'm sure you're more than well aware) and on Day 17, our homework is to create a tiered system for our food. The idea is that of our usual foods, what we eat can be put in three buckets: red, yellow, and green. It's as simple as it sounds - green is "enjoy! this is good for you!", yellow is "good but be careful not to over do it" and red is "stop and think before you eat this".

As I was writing this all down, I realized what a great thought-provoking exercise it is so I thought I'd share it with you. Consider doing this yourself and take an honest look at your eating habits...and while you're at it, be sure to check out Chalene's book at www.pushjumpstart.com

Remember - these are items I eat / am tempted to eat regularly and I've put them in buckets based on my needs. This list is going to be "live"...I'll keep making changes to it as I think of things and add different foods to my eating routine. Your lists might be different...you may need or want to move things around. But thinking about what you eat will change HOW you eat and that is KEY to living a healthy lifestyle!

Red:
cupcakes / cakes / cookies
ice cream
whipped cream
Hungarian sausage / salami
chips / carb snack foods
candy
garlic bread
soda (this is one that needs work for me!)
breakfast sausage
bacon
full / non-low-fat dairy

Yellow:
low fat dairy (unless separately listed)
peanut butter
canned veggies
canned fruit
cheese
crackers
whole wheat bread
dark chocolate
alcohol / beer / wine
butter
potatoes
jam / jelly
juice
whole wheat pancakes / waffles
rice
steak
sweet potatoes

Green:
fresh veggies
cashews
almonds
dried plums
tea
greek yogurt
low fat cottage cheese
eggs
fresh fruit
black coffee
fish - especially canned tuna
oatmeal
fresh herbs
salt free seasonings
lean meat (chicken, tukey, and beef mainly)
PB2
Shakeology

Shakeology and the Glycemic Index

My daddy has diabetes, his mom had diabetes, my blood sugar is high...not high enough to be diabetic but high enough that I check it once in a while and keep an eye on what I eat. So I have to tell you that I personally was so excited when Beachbody announced that Shakeology was certified low glycemic index!

Not sure what this means?


Here's why the glycemic index (GI) is important:
Foods with a high-GI (above 70) include white bread, pretzels, French fries, and most processed foods.
High-GI foods cause the body to produce higher levels of insulin but sometimes too much. This gives you an energy burst, known as a “sugar rush.” It feels good at first, but then your blood sugar drops rapidly to
lower than normal levels, known as a “crash.” Eating these foods triggers a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, which:

• Encourages your body to store fat 
• Creates a cycle of hunger pangs and feeling unsatisfied
• Causes an energy crash that leaves you irritated and tired
• Can lead to high blood pressure, fluid retention, and diabetes

Foods with a low-GI (under 55) include spinach, oatmeal, peanuts, and Shakeology. Eating low-GI foods is a smart way to avoid the “sugar rush and sugar crash” cycle. And they’re good for you because they stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels. Consuming these foods helps stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, which:

• Increases levels of glycogen, a hormone that causes body fat to be burned
• Gives you a feeling of satisfied hunger
• Helps balance moods
• Reduces the risk of heart disease, helps control diabetes, and positively affects the aging process

So while drinking Shakeology may not completely prevent you from ever having diabetes (and remember to always talk to your doctor if you have special food allergies or nutritional needs - here's a great letter to take to your doctor if you have questions: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/uploads/fckeditor/mdbody/File/downloads/shakeology_dr_letter.pdf) - the low glycemic index is further good news for your wellness journey. 

Sure - there are natural alternatives and some fruits and veggies that have a low GI....but you might be surprised (as I was) to see the information in the table below. 

There's a lot more information but I'm sure you're tired of reading by now....so check out this video for more great information!

Is it your time?

If you've been waiting for a sign that it's time to change your life....or waiting for the right program...or waiting for the support...or waiting to figure out why you're waiting to make a change...this is your sign, your program, your support... it's time....

As many of you know, there have been fitness & weightloss challenges in the past and they have all been VERY SUCCESSFUL in many ways, however, I feel that, in some ways, because of the large number of participants in the challenges, people have been slipping through the cracks... It's been a little TOO EASY for people to go back to their old ways and go unnoticed... and as a coach, THAT KILLS ME! I want to see you guys CHANGE... not just physically, but I want to see your confidence levels rise, I want to see you start to believe in what is possible for yourself again... and I want to see you become STRONGER, inside & out!

SO, I have decided to run a NEW kind of challenge... This challenge group would only have 5 MEMBERS... They would ALL be doing a workout program, STARTING ON THE SAME DAY... THEY WOULD ALL BE REPLACING ONE MEAL A DAY WITH SHAKEOLOGY (& yes, if you do not have Shakeology, that would mean you would have to be willing to invest in it... because if I am going to invest my time in working with you one on one... I need to know that you are willing to invest in your own health first!)

Because each member will have a different starting weight and goals, we will also be using the Beachbody Club membership to customize a meal plan specific to YOUR goals to get you the BEST possible results! Even better... By being a CLUB member you will actually SAVE 10% on ALL of your Beachbody purchases!!!

If you have not already, you will need to officially sign up to have me as your coach by going to MY site  and registering to join Team Beachbody!

TOGETHER we will BEGIN OUR JOURNEY. Checking in EVERYDAY, without exception!

I will be giving these 5 my cell phone number for anytime support and you BETTER BELIEVE I will be calling YOU if you don't check in!

This IS a commitment... ON MY PART and YOURS... Hence why I said that the people selected would NEED TO BE READY to SERIOUSLY change their lives! But I do believe it could be something that will not only make me a better coach for having gone through it... but will leave 5 people COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED at the end!!!

If you would like to be considered and are willing to make ALL the commitments above, then... what are you waiting for?!?! Email me, RIGHT NOW and tell me that you want in this group!!! (put "I'm ready" in the subject line please!) Don't delay - challenge packets will be available to order Novemeber 1st and we'll be starting together soon after that!

I'll be sending out an email on Sunday with information to those who have requested it but remember, I am only taking 5 people in this challenge! Quit waiting - your destiny is yours to take!

 

Make it COUNT!

#addicted2acure Shakeology and Breast Cancer

So this took a little research but so totally worth it. I preach about the benefits of Shakeology allllll the time. I love the stuff. I feel more energized, my stomach and "insides" feel better...not to mention it's an easy, no-thought-involved, healthy option for at least 1 meal each day.

As you all know, October is breast cancer awareness month and Team Addicted is doing their part with our Addicted2aCure fundraising and awareness program (to donate, click on the image below please!). One of the ways you can help contribute is by placing an order through one of our participating Team Addicted coaches - like me! 100% of my profits from home direct Shakeology orders and 50% of all other orders will be going straight to Susan G. Komen as part of our fundraising efforts.

Ok so what do those two paragraphs have to do with each other? Well it turns out that a number of the TOP breast cancer prevention foods and vitamins are in Shakeology! Surprised? I'm not... check it out (click to see it larger):

So what am I telling you? This stuff just keeps getting better! Now my favorite healthy, easy, no-thought-involved meal also helps ward off breast cancer!

Cheers to your health!

I can't wait for this!!!!!

I shouldn't even be writing anything here....no additional words are needed....except one: "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"

Special Coaching incentive...only from me!!

In case you haven't noticed....I love being a Beachbody coach and maybe not for the reasons you think. Yes, the little extra spending money is fun. Yes the incredible 25% discount on everything Beachbody is..well...incredible. But for me, corporate Beachbody, and the vast majority of the coaches,this business is about more.

This past weekend I had a blast at the 2nd largest Warrior Dash ever which was held in Michigan and imaginemy excitement when i saw a Beachbody tent! Excited, I pointed it out to my cheerleader / photog /support crew of the day....and not to mention amazing friend (a fellow coach!), Kristy, and we immediately ran over to say hi. We weren't at all surprised to see the top Michigan coach there with his team. We exchanged hellos and hugs and off I went to race!!! After I got cleaned up, we went back over and learned that he wasn't really "working" it that day (granted...to me, coaching never feels like work!). Instead he was there as support for his team. Yes, his business is stronger for his team being stronger but that was not his reason for being there. He was there to pay it forward..to support his team and help them like others had supported him. He didn't take home a single email address, phone number, or name despite the number of people he talked to or how many questions he answered. As I listened to him explain this, i realized I wasn't at all surprised....this is the culture of Team Beachbody! Further proof of thatwas standing by my side...my dear friend who is also a loving wife and mother of 2 adorable boys who, upon learning I lost my running buddies, dropped everything and went to Flint with me Friday night to be at the race with me first thing Saturday morning!

I had no idea how supportive and incredible of a network I was joining when I signed up to coach. I just knew that i would be saving money on my Shakeology by signing up. The $40 to start coaching and $15 each month to keep up my websites was a no brainer for me...and the friends and positive, supercharged network of over 60,000 coaches? Priceless.

I want to pay it forward and sharein this with you...this gift of wellness and support and chance to build your own business if you choose to work it. That's why this weekend I want to offer you a special welcome to the team. If you sign up as a coach with me and start on Shakeology Home Direct (a key to the biz you'll learn as we get you going) I'll help you get started with some products that will help you get started in your better wellness journey.

- Just for signing up, you will earn the President's Challenge PALA and I'll give you the lapel pin to display with pride.
- As an active coach, you'll recieve your first pin from Beachbody.
- I'll get you get up with our team's shirt to wear with pride and start conversations!
- PB2 for your Shakeology....a great mix in!!
- The Team Beachbody "End the Trend" t-shirt so everyone knows you are part of the solution to our country's fastest growing epidemic...obesity!

As anyone who joins me in this journey to be well and help others do the same, you'll be part of he largest and most respected teams in Team Beachbody - Platinum Presenters. Check out our website at www.platinumpresenters.com where, once you're signed up, you'll be eligible to full access to that site where top coaches provide training, documents, webinars, advice, and guidance for free. And did I mention the 25% discount on everything Beachbody including Shakeology???

Think about it. Ask questions. But don't delay. I want to get you started on this amazing path as soon as possible so this special offer closes at midnight on Sunday the 7th.

Help me End The Trend!! Let's make tomorrow better for all of us and reverse all the negative effects that our entire country will continue to feel if we don't start to sweat, eat, and repeat to be well!!

Monday Accountability: Marine Corps Marathon Training Week 3

Ugh...I have not been looking forward to writing this blog since I woke up this morning but I need to be honest with myself and that in part means not hiding from writing these posts on Mondays.

Last week

This was the week of the month where I'm tired and could sleep 18 hours a day (yes, this happens once a month). I was able to get in about half my workouts and my diet stayed somewhat in tact but I could definitely do better...which I was going to do this weekend while catching up on sleep and workouts.

I was quickly reminded on Saturday that there are some things in life more important than counting calories, tracking workouts, and logging miles. I'm not saying I ever really lose sight of this but there are times when I become so absorbed, so devoted to a plan - like this marathon training plan - that I put everything else aside to make it happen. I was doing that for the past couple weeks until Saturday. I was cleaning my apartment (because a messy apartment leaves me stressed and unfocused and my goal was to get that done this weekend...a nice organizing deep clean) when I got an update about a family member that had me dropping everything and driving to Wisconsin. A five hour drive is nothing when you consider it means being there with your family through a difficult time. I am glad to say that my aunt is doing much better and looks to be out of the worst of her post-major-heart-surgery journey and I am very glad I was able to go up and help take care of her. I spent Sunday with my sister taking care of my cousin's kids (so he could be with his mom) which we did by getting them out of the hospital and taking them to the zoo for the day. Distraction was the name of the game considering their grandma was in the ICU and they didn't get to see her at all.

I'm glad I took the time to both listen to my body and spend time with my family this week but that does mean I have some catching up to do. Today is about recovering in terms of sleep and then the rest of this week will be getting in those missed workouts and paying attention to my nutrition.

Current / Goal Stats:

Weight: 159 / goal is to be under 150
Body Fat:  26.8% / want to be around 22%

Nutrition Plan:

Using my calories burned information from last week, a target of an average 300 calories / day deficit, and a 65/25/10% carbs/protein/fat breakdown of my calories, my daily goals are:

Total calories: 1674- 2024
Carbs (g): 272-329
Protein (g): 105-127
Fat (g): 17-23

Workout Plan:

I'll be sticking mostly with the plan I posted here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_SDKxVAXee6ZmNmZDBlMjktNTQyZi00MTZlLWI2YTQtZTlhMTllZjllNDY3&hl=en_US but I need to fit in the missed workouts so here's the plan to do so:

Monday: Work and sleep. That's the plan for today. I'm behind on sleep given my weekend and I know I need rest to effectively workout. I'm making one drive thru drugstore stop on my way home and then it's to bed with me.

Tuesday:
Morning: (workout from the 17th) 40 min EZ run and ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 3
Evening: (scheduled workout) 45 minutes of cross training (probably TurboFire) and push ups and pull ups to fatigue

Wednesday:
Morning: (scheduled workout) 40-60 minutes of speed work - tempo runs, fartleks and strides - and ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 2
Evening: (workout from the 18th) 60 minutes at marathon pace and push ups and pull ups to fatigue

Thursday:
Morning: (workout from the 20th) 30 minute EZ run and ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 1
Evening: (workout from the evening of the 16th) 40-60 minutes of speedwork

Friday:
Back to the normal schedule!
30 minute EZ run and ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 3

Saturday: 6 miles at marathon pace and push ups to fatigue (I'll be in Ann Arbor with my sister so I won't have my pull up bar...hmmm maybe I'll pack it with me!)
Super Saturday event in Toledo! I am so looking forward to this post-Summit meet up and hopefully tasting the NEW Shakeology flavor! Tropical! (look for more info on this later!)

Sunday: A much needed day of rest!!

To keep up with this very packed schedule, my preworkout and recovery drinks will be crucial. I'll do recovery drinks after strength and speed training and on days I'm doing both, I'll split the drink between the workouts. I'll also need to keep drinking my water and sleeping plenty to make sure that I give my body the recovery it needs! This is do-able for a week but DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING I RECOMMEND FOR A NORMAL PLAN. Yes - it's that important I felt I needed the caps lock button there. This is not a good "usual" plan...solely using this for catch-up and I'll be back on track next week. I'll be sure to be as efficient as possible with my time this week...I need to be!

Monday accountability: Marine Corps Marathon training Week 2

Last week:

Monday: did 100% of the workout plan and stuck to the Shakeology cleanse!

Tuesday: did 100% of the workout plan and again stuck to the cleanse! Lost 7 lbs since Monday's weigh in but most of it was apparently water weight.

Wednesday: did most of the workout plan - got my ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 2 in the morning but only did about 40 minutes of the planned 60 minutes of speed training...had to cut short due to the heat. Better safe than sorry though, right? Stuck to the Shakeology cleanse again but weighed in 5 lbs heavier than the day before (which is why I knew so much of the weight loss was water weight!)

Thursday: Easy to stick to this day - it's rest and stretching day! Did some nice, long, relaxing stretches and rested for a while before some late night volleyball games (that helped me feel better about missing out on 20 minutes of running the day before). Back to normal eating! That was nice too! Weighed in 2 lbs lighter than the day before so my total weight loss during the Shakeology cleanse was about 4 lbs! Not bad for 3 days!!

Friday: Did both of my workouts (ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 3 and 40 minute run) in the morning but my run got cut short again...thanks to thunder and lightening. I love running in the rain but I draw the line at lightening...kinda scary. Stuck pretty well to my nutrition plan but I know I wasn't perfect.

Saturday: I got to spend the weekend with my man and we decided to do the run Sunday and rest on Saturday instead. Fine by me! Ate alright but could do better.

Sunday: So apparently we're both bad at waking up in the morning...we didn't get to our run until the hottest part of the day so we did a little over 3.5 miles instead of the full 4. Can't be too upset though because I know I did what I could and I'll get better as the training goes on and the temperatures go down.

Current / Goal Stats:

Weight: 159 / goal is to be under 150
Body Fat: Still sticking at 27.6% grrr.../ want to be around 22%

Nutrition Plan:
Using my calories burned information from last week, a target of an average 300 calories / day deficit, and a 65/25/10% carbs/protein/fat breakdown of my calories, my daily goals are:

Total calories: 1845 - 2195
Carbs (g): 300-357
Protein (g): 115-137
Fat (g): 18-24

The fat part is tricky but I'm finding lots of new veggies to try and am learning to get super creative with egg white omelets. Might get boring after a while but I'm not thinking about that yet!

Workout Plan:
Still sticking to the training calendar found at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_SDKxVAXee6ZmNmZDBlMjktNTQyZi00MTZlLWI2YTQtZTlhMTllZjllNDY3&hl=en_US because I believe it will work. It felt good last week so why fix what's not broken?

Yup...another cleanse

In case you haven't noticed, I love the way a good Shakeology cleanse helps me feel and after two weeks of vacation - and vacation food - I figured it was time for another cleanse. I went grocery shopping on Sunday night when I got back into town to get the fruits I need to make this happen. I started yesterday morning and I'll continue through Wednesday evening. This will probably be my last cleanse for a while given my nutritional needs while training for my marathon but Shakeology will definitely be a regular part of my diet.

Here's the plan:


1. Drink a shake for each of your three daily meals using water instead of milk to mix it (you can use almond milk or similar for 1-2 of these shakes if you need but avoid if you can). Add fruit to 1-2 of these shakes.

2. Flush your body by drinking plenty of water! Drink at least 3-4 liters of water per day. Eliminate any sport drinks, soda, alcoholic, caffeinated, and high sugar drinks. One cup of tea or coffee is allowed without added sugar or creamer.

3. Eat a light dinner (I actually normally do this for lunch as that's usually my biggest meal of the day) consisting of a salad with 4 ounces of white protein (fish or poultry) with a small amount of salad dressing that is light in calories (vinaigrette, olive oil, etc).

4. Fruit makes a good snack and a couple pieces of fruit each day are encouraged.

5. Repeat for three days.

I started on Monday morning at 162 pounds and I'll weigh in again on Thursday morning to note the change. Looking forward to seeing the results again!

My usual grocery list for a cleanse might come in handy for you too and let me know if you would like more information on Shakeology, where you can find it or how amazingly good it is for you! Here's my usual grocery list:
- 1-2 bags prepared salad greens
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 2 bags of grilled white meat chicken or a package of tofu
- balsamic vinaigrette
- 9 pieces of fruit (I went with apples, nectarines, and apricots this time)
- Carrots
- Unsweetened almond milk (35 calories / 8 oz)

That's about it. Keep watching - I'll let you know how it goes. :-)

Shakeology cleanse

So as I mentioned yesterday, I'm starting this week with a Shakeology cleanse to "start clean" and hopefully break this plateau! I didn't do perfect on this yesterday but I'm still seeing results! The cleanse is fairly straight forward:

Shakeology cleanse directions:

1. Drink a shake for each of your three daily meals using water instead of milk to mix it. Add fruit to 1-2 of these shakes.

2. Flush your body by drinking plenty of water! Drink at least 3-4 liters of water per day. Eliminate any sport drinks, soda, alcoholic, caffeinated, and high sugar drinks. One cup of tea or coffee is allowed without added sugar or creamer.

3. Eat a light dinner (I actually normally do this for lunch as that's usually my biggest meal of the day) consisting of a salad with 4 ounces of white protein (fish or poultry) with a small amount of salad dressing that is light in calories (vinaigarette, olive oil, etc).

4. Repeat for three days.

This week I'm only doing a two day cleanse as my travel arrangements and weekend plans made a 3 day program near impossible. Two days can still have a good effect though so don't let missing that one day deter you from trying this!

I started yesterday at 160 lbs and 26.1% body fat. As of this morning, my weight is 157and I'm not checking for expecting my body fat to change much as the purpose of a cleanse is to rid your body of the toxins that build up in our systems as a result of the not-so-clean foods we all eat on a regular basis.
As I'm traveling tonight and will not have my scale on Wednesday morning, I can't promise that I'll be able to provide a final weight for this cleanse (trust me...I wish I could!) but I'll do my best to find a scale and get a final number. After the cleanse, I'll stick to my usual plan of eating healthy and controlled portions to meet my nutritional guidelines.

I'd love to help you try this!!

Shakeology and the Glycemic Index

I talk about (and enjoy!) Shakeology a LOT. Like all the time. I drink Shakeology nearly everyday and I love trying new combinations of add-ins for my breakfast treat...or dinner...or whenever I drink it! I definitely do have a sweet tooth and I like getting my chocolate fix but for me, Shakeology is about a lot more than that...it's about my health and wellness.

This shake makes is easy for me to be sure I'm getting a nutritious, filling meal that doesn't take a ton of grocery shopping (which I hate) or time (which none of us have!). Being a coach means I get 25% off too which isn't bad but shoot me an email or click the "Are you addicted?" tab for more information about that. The biggest thing though for me is knowing what a healthy choice this is! I'm not diabetic but my dad and grandmother are / were and after a borderline blood sugar test myself, I know I need to be careful. Imagine my excitement when I found out that Shakeology is certified low glycemic index!!

Check out this video for more info, email me with questions (gabriellah99@beachbody.com) and check out my Shakeology website for the science, nutrition info, recipes, and ordering information (http://tiny.cc/GetShakeology). Let me know what you think!

Are you CRAZY about getting in shape? You need the Asylum!

This will be my post-marathon-winter blues program which I'll be starting mid-November...can't wait! As an added bonus, anyone who orders the Asylum from me by the end of April, will receive 3 packets of Shakeology, a Shakeology shaker cup (great for on the go) and a sheet of recipes at no charge to you! Just go to http://tiny.cc/CoachG to order and email me at gabriellah99@beachbody.com so I can confirm that your order went through and get your information so I can send you your Shakeology care package!

Shakeology ROTW - 11/22/10

Sorry I missed last week! Here's this week's recipe thanks to my good friend - Kristy!

 Recipe - Pumpkin Pie Shakeology

It's back!! My favorite Shakeology Recipe of all time and perfect for the fall season! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

1 c. almond, soy, rice or low-fat milk
1 scoop Shakeology
1/2 c. canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg ice to taste

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information (with low-fat milk): Calories: 284 Protein: 27 g Fiber: 7 g Carbs: 40 g Fat Total: 3.5 g Saturated Fat: 2 g

Last week's SROTW

I'll start archiving the Shakeology Recipe of the Week so you can always see past recipes. Just use the Shakeology label to get all posts about this AWESOME shake!

From 10/18/10

Chocolate covered strawberries
- 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
- 6 frozen whole strawberries
- 1 cup almond milk
- ice to taste

Blend well and enjoy!

Shakeology Recipe of the Week

I (heart) Shakeology. It's easy to make, super healthy, and absolutely delish! Haven't tried it yet? Keep an eye out for my next Shakeology cleanse by following this blog! If you've tried it and love it, please order from http://www.shakeology.com/GabriellaH99 and I recommend the home direct program :-).

I like experimenting with my shakes so I'll post my favorite recipe of the week here each Sunday.

This week's tastes like dessert but more often than not, I have it for breakfast!

Peanut Butter Cup of Health
- 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
- 2 tbsp PB2 or natural peanut butter (I recommend the PB2 for far fewer calories and a lot less fat!)
- 1 cup almond milk / nonfat milk / soy milk
- ice to taste

Blend well and enjoy!

Healthy 40 Holidays Program kicks off 10.10.10!

Last year I went into the holidays nervous but later realized that because I had established a good base for myself in terms of healthy choices and lots of activity, I gained very little weight, didn't over eat, and focused on spending time with loved ones instead of eating. I'd like to help you prepare the same way! Details about the challenge are below and you can follow the links to sign up! Let me know if you have any questions!

Healthy 40 (for the) Holidays is a 40 day wellness event with challenges, support and tips to help us all revive or create a healthy lifestyle before holiday sweets and treats get us off track!

The Basic Program details:
- Join Beachbody at http://tiny.cc/CoachG and click "join". Club membership is recommended but not required for this program.
- $25 to join
- Get 6 Shakeology packets ($24 value)!
- Get a Shakeology shaker bottle!
- EXCLUSIVE access to the H40H blog which will include recipes, tips, discussions, challenges, etc. to help you with your journey!
- Support from Gabriella as well as others in the program - having the right support network is KEY to developing the wellness lifestyle.

To get the most of the program, bump up to Go Getter status!
GoGetters Program details:
- Join Beachbody at http://tiny.cc/CoachG and click "join". Club membership is recommended but not required for this program.
- Program fee ($25) is waived!
- Order 30 days of Shakeology and / or 1 Beachbody program from http://tiny.cc/CoachG.
- Get a Shakeology shaker bottle!
- EXCLUSIVE access to the H40H blog which will include recipes, tips, discussions, challenges, etc. to help you with your journey!
- Support from Gabriella as well as others in the program - having the right support network is KEY to developing the wellness lifestyle.

Steps to sign up:
- Go to http://tiny.cc/CoachG and sign up for your free Beachbody profile. Club membership is not required ($38.87 billed quarterly) but is recommended because it gets you customized meal plans and access to exclusive content on the Beachbody site.
- Then, go to http://tiny.cc/H40H to sign up for this program. Make sure to include your Beachbody user name.
- Look for an email confirmation and next steps in the program!

*Already a Beachbody coach? Feel free to join the event on Facebook and help support! Just shoot me an email and let me know that you've joined, you're already a coach, and I'll send you an invite to the H40H blog!

Past few weeks...

So I've apparently been terrible at posting lately. Sorry! I'll be honest, I've fallen off the wagon a bit. I'm not working out as consistently and I'm not great about my eating (not binging on bad food, just not caring as much). I've been a little overwhelmed by a lot of things going on but that's no excuse. I have to get myself back on track! So if I haven't been working out, what have I been doing?

Football.

It's college football season and during this most wonderful time of the year, I spend weekends in Ann Arbor or in front of the TV to watch my beloved boys in Blue.

Between my love for Michigan Football and my little sister in the Drumline, the weekends are gone for the next few months. Sorry folks..just the way it's going to be! Since my last real "update" post on August 25th, my sister turned 20 and made the Stepshow of the Michigan Marching Band Drumline (a really big deal! Check out my videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/gabika0799 to see her in action), my company has announced that we're moving to Chicago (well the suburbs but close enough), I've had some big things happen in my personal life (I'll spare you the details there) and I took 12 minutes off my 10K time and felt great about it. Oh and Michigan Football has gotten off to an awesome 2-0 start with wins over UConn and ND.

As far as my health goes, I did a Shakeology cleanse for a few days but didn't see a major change. I think it's because I didn't stick to the plan as well as I could have so I'll try again here soon. My workouts have fallen apart some but with a wedding in November and a very fitted bridesmaid dress, I know I need to get back on that. I am very happy with my great 10K and want to find another one to run soon so I can work on taking off even more time! If you'd like to get back on track too, please let me know. I'm more than happy to help and sometimes the key to getting on track is just to have someone you know is supporting you every step of the way!

So of course I've been taking pictures the past weeks...here are a few of my favorites!

U-M vs. UConn (30-10 win for Michigan!) 9.4.10
Sky writer before the game


My little sister focused and ready to go


Flyover B-25 Mitchell during the rededication ceremony


Handoff and RUN!!!


New NCAA attendance record (we broke we set on Nov 21, 2003 at the game vs. OSU which we won 35-21 - that attendance was 112,118)


The Big House


Salmon Chase 10K 9.11.10
My really cool race shirt


Reminders of the big game later that day were everywhere!


There was silence as we ran by the flag during the race. Never forget.


My mom's award winning banner hanging near our post race tent! So cool to see her work on display!




U-M vs. Notre Dame (28-24 Michigan Victory!!) 9.11.10
Me before the game


They put me in nosebleed seats....


Victory walk after the game


The next morning's headline


Sorry...still need to upload pictures from my camera so not a lot of game day shots from Saturday.

Next week will bring a packed update as well! I have two weddings to attend this week!! Can't wait to see old friends whom I've missed so much!

Hope you have a great day and week ahead of you too!