A day in "the life"

She did it again.  Erin over at Living in Yellow is the blog master.

She Instagram'ed (what? that's a word) this weekend that she was going to have a day in the life link up where you take a picture an hour or so to show you:

 A day in the glamorous life I lead!

Insanity! Almost done with my 60 days!

I have a few Beachbody Challenge groups going on now! So I do daily posts and checks ins! Offer motivation, tips and accountability! Fitness + Nutrition + Support = Success

Wouldn't you?

Cook breakfast, make a bottle, feed the dog, make coffee ect. ect. ect. (p.s. I was trialing Enfamil A.R. because its thickened with rice starch and supposed to help spitting up .... It was a no go for Avas sensitive stomach. Back to Similiac Sensitive!)

I've expressed my obsession love for Lennon & Maisy and I absolutely love their cover on "I won't give up". One day I discovered it helps Ava fall asleep. Boom.

Mmmhmmm....

SANTA! I KNOW HIM!

You know you do it too.

This was probably the best day of Nates life ...

I'm just going to throw it out there that Shakeology is an awesome wine flu recovery drink...if one were to of drank wine the night before....just saying...

Nate could not be bothered to be in the family photo op. My brother had reserved tables for 30 people and they ended up just putting us in a private room. WIN! I'm not sure if it was more in their favor or ours.

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up! I was having a moment realizing she was turning 7 months the next day. How how how does it go so quick?!?

 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AN "AVERAGE" DAY. THIS WAS A SATURDAY. INSERT PICTURES OF A CRAZY TODDLER, CRUISING BABY, SMOOTHIE COVERED TOY STORY TOYS, CRYING BABY, TESTY TODDLER,  POOP ON THE FLOOR (YES AGAIN)...OH WAIT THAT WAS TODAY.

 

XO-SP

The Healthiest Meal of the Day

Hello girls and boys (?)!!!

So if we're friends on Facebook or if you "like" my BetterYou Fitness page...you know I talk about Shakeology alot. I try not to be annoying but I can't help sharing something I really like. That's not so bad is it?

 

So lets do a lil FAQ sesh shall we?

Q: What is this Shakeology "stuff"?

·        A: Shakeology is a shake that you can use as a meal replacement or as a snack. Its all natural and helps with energy, weight loss, mood, regulating digestion, curbs cravings, helps your skin hair nails..its awesomeness in a glass. Over 100 doctors have recommended this shake. And my son takes mine all of the time. That's optional though ;)
 

 

Q: How does it work??
 

A: This patent-pending daily nutritional shake helps your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. A proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics helps your body progressively eliminate the toxins that build up over time from eating today's highly processed foods.

At the same time, whole-food ingredients deliver the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to curb cravings, allowing your body to shed stored fat while the more than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke.

 

 

 

Q: So when do I drink it?
 

A: I will have it for breakfast after my workout. It's a great start to my day and it helps repair my muscles. I'll have it for lunch sometimes and it usually holds me over for a few hours! I will also have one before a party or get together where I know there will be tempting apps or desserts to help control my cravings. Worked like a charm this past weekend! I've tried to "eat" before to feel full and that may work for some people but I always ended up eating what I saw anyway. This truly helped those cravings. Its crazy.

Q: OK well how much does it cost?

A: This is ultimately what you want to know right? When I tell people $120- about $4/day, everything I just explained doesn't seem as important anymore. And I can understand that. But Shakeology isn't an added cost-you're simply supplementing that $120 you would spend on snacks, cereal, lunch meat or take out for something BETTER and HEALTHIER for you. Aren't you worth it?

 In January 2012 there was a report that people spend $3,000 a year on coffee & lunch. That is $250 a month! Also if you HATE veggies, what better way than to get all of these vital nutrients Shakeology delivers?

(P.S. Ask me for ways you can save $) 

Q: What flavors are there and what do I mix it with?

There is Chocolate, Vegan Chocolate, Greenberry and Vegan Tropical Strawberry. There are literally SO many recipes. Some ingredients you can choose from are: water, almond milk, 1 or 2% milk, peanut butter, frozen fruit, coffee, bananas, OJ..I could go on and on!

Q: How many calories are in it?

This is a good question and it depends on what recipe you use and what flavor Shakeology you use. For example if I add a banana and 2% milk with my tropical strawberry it is 387 calories. Alone with water it is 160. Chocolate with water is 150.

Q: Can I drink it while pregnant or breastfeeding?

For all my mommas out there- FIRST talk to your doctor!! Tell them what I explained above regarding what it is and what is in it. If you're pregnant I would think there may be too many nutrients in it for the lil growing bebe so hold off. If you are breastfeeding, I've read it may give your baby gas but other moms have been fine! There is whey protein in it which is derived from milk so be aware of that. Regardless, don't pay attention to those who are drinking it found on the internet, and tell your doctor the the list of ingredients. A printable version of a letter and ingredients can be found here: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/uploads/fckeditor/mdbody/File/downloads/shakeology_dr_letter.pdf

Q: Alright, well what if I don't like it?
Beachbody is so confident that you will love your results and the way you feel with Shakeology that they offer a "bottom of the bag" guarantee. If you don't like it, you can return the bag -EMPTY- and get your money back (minus s&h)

There is so much more I could cover...but I'm going to let the cats take it from here:

I hope this has been helpful in answering questions you may have about Shakeology!! If you have any more questions PLEASE message me. If you to read more about it, see success stories or have decided you want to try it click HERE.

XO-SP

Lets connect:
www.beachbodycoach.com/sarahephillips
www.myshakeology.com/sarahephillips
www.facebook.com/betteryoufitness

FLASH FRIDAY!

Not that kind of flash, put your shirts down!!

With it being the week anniversary of Black Friday I decided to have a FLASH sale!

I always get asked if Shakeology goes on sale and I found out that the answer is NO because it's just that amazing and it doesn't HAVE to go on sale! But I know that the holidays are rough, its hard to fight the cravings, the desserts, the sweet treats so I want to arm you with the best possible tools to make good decisions. In the hustle and bustle of the season please let me help you STAY on track!!!

 

The first 3 people to purchase Shakeology Home Direct (30 day supply) through me will get the entire shipment with $20 cash back!!!!


So don't delay, log into www.myshakeology.com/sarahephillips and get your Shakeology on Home Direct today!

Have questions??!! Well message me and I can walk you through the details so you feel comfortable with what you are getting!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

XO-SP

HELLO CYBER MONDAY

Well, Hello again :-)

No you're not seeing things. This is my SECOND post today!!

I wanted to share with those of you who may not be my friend on the ol' Facebook that Beachbody is having a cyber sale. This means you get to workout on the CHEAP!!

Who remembers overeating this weekend?! Who remembers I became a Beachbody Coach and can HELP you get in better shape and LIVE healthier!!

I knooow you're buying stuff for yourself anyway, so treat yourself and your BODY to a healthier lifestyle!! I want to get you started on feelin gooood

http://teambeachbody.com/shop/holidayoffer?referringRepId=199503

For real, don't regret not taking advantage of these deals come New Years!!

XO-SP

Up in the AM, workin' on my Fitness

Hellooo there! How you doin'? (Wendy Williams, anyone?)

Today I started my forever long goal of waking up early to work out! I aimed for 5 which meant 5:30am, which meant until I got Ava fed and back down. BUT I finished Insanity Max Cardio Circuit before my son and sun were up!! Heyyy now! OH and I showered too! Can this be real??

I've felt so good today, just from that one little move. Normally at this time I'd be stressing about fitting it in and showering when Nate went down for a nap. Instead, it's out of the way and I even got more things crossed off of my list than I normally would by now.

I figured I'd list for you benefits of making yourself get up early to get that workout in and checked off for the day.

 

• Working out early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours = burning calories allll dayyyy
• Energizes you for the day! It also makes you feel good about accomplishing something already before the day even starts!
• Over time your body will get used to waking up at that time and will prepare itself for waking and exercising even before your eyes open
• It will regulate your appetite for the rest of the day causing you to eat less and choose healthy options
• It is a fool proof way to ensure other things don't overtake your fitness goals. Especially a hectic family life (HELLO, ME!) It's done and out of the way. Despite your best intentions, anything can happen the rest of the day causing you to skip exercise for "lack of time"
• And possibly my favorite- exercising before breakfast will effectively force your body to burn stored fat!!

I know for some people working out in the AM isn't a possibility. But if you can I highly suggest it!!

XO-SP

reference

Day of thanks

I tried to be a little more clever than making the title happy thanksgiving! But...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon here and just tell you some things I'm thankful for. Of course we all know that we should be thankful everyday for things that we have but it's good to have a day to reflect on those things!

I think the most obvious thing is my little family that has evolved over the last 3 years.

Nathan Liam.

He literally cracks up daily. His funny faces, his fake pouting, his smarts, monkey ways, when he says "mom mom momma moooom mommmmyyyy" (yes like Stewey haha), the bond him and Matt have..

...the words that he say that are multiplying by the day, the hug and kisses he gives and his love for his little sister that is growing everyday is amazing.

Ava Grace.

She loves him too. She watches his every move (this may be a defense mechanism?). She is only 6 months but she is the sweetest little thing ever. Her face truly brightens my day and she is my little BFF! Her eyes & smile could light up a room.

I'm so grateful to be able to experience having a son and a daughter.

I'm thankful for Matt and everything he does for our family. He works so hard and so much so that I can stay home with them. He always has our best interest in mind. Our life may not be perfect, but it's perfect for us!

And oh yes, Julie. She really is my shadow and loves me more than I know!

I'm so so very thankful for our parents, families and friends who are there for us at the drop of a hat, who make us laugh and for the memories we have made.

 

 

I'm so thankful to of had my Nanny & PopPop in my life. They were amazing, loving, caring people and will be missed so very much. We love you!

I'm thankful for all of our service men and women. Especially my little brother!

I'm thankful to have a house that survived and was barely touched by hurricane Sandy. Speaking of her, I'm thankful to of had those times at the Jersey shore. Memories can not be wiped out!

 

 

I'm thankful for age being on my side...I pretty much look the same since 1st grade.

I'm thankful for most recently being able to share with others what I know and keep learning about health and fitness. I'm finally beginning to do what I love and can't wait to see where this journey takes me. I'm thankful or the support I receive from the other Beachbody coaches which is truly amazing and inspiring!

 

And last but not least, I'm grateful I don't have to cook the turkey I can focus on a few glasses of wine instead ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

XO-SP

Turkeve

Hey everyone! I've been slacking on the ol bloggy blog here. I've been so busy lately especially with getting a start with Beachbody! I even have to catch up on reading my favorite blogs- can you imagine?!

I'm making two desserts for my family Thanksgiving tomorrow. One is a pumpkin cobbler (I'm gonna have to have a bite of that one) and Pumpkin Fluff Dip! This has only 4 ingredients . Are you ready for it?!
16 oz cool whip
Small instant vanilla pudding packet
1 can pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Then you can use cinnamon graham crackers to dip. Hello! How awesome.

I'm gonna even try and get fancy and put it in a pumpkin?!?

XO-SP

My "Why"...

{Warning: this is a really long post! But I tried to add in a lot of pictures to entertain you along the way!}

They may not say it, but everyone wants to know your "what" and  "why". Why do you workout? Why do you do that workout as oppose to that workout? What motivates you? Why did you end up becoming a Beachbody Coach?

You didn't ask (ok actually my coach asked) but I'm going to give you my WHY.

If you know me, you know I've been interested in getting into the fitness industry for awhile. I worked as a personal trainer and even attempted to get my NASM certificate, but did not pass. I felt pretty defeated by that. But it did not stop be from reading, researching, working out, and attempting a healthy diet. I may not be certified, but I know alot of "stuff". And I always want to pass that information onto my family, friends, strangers. I always want to help them get better. So a little less than a year ago I created a BetterYou health and fitness Facebook page. I love posting helpful workouts, recipes, tips, pushing them to work hard, and give motivation. And I love connecting to other moms and other people who are doing the same workout as me.

Rewind to childhood. I'm not one of those stories who can say "I always had a weight issue". We were active kids growing up. I did Irish dancing and we were always told to go "play outside".



can you spot me?



Fast forward to the drinking days. Going out, having fun and partying was what my friends and I did. The drinking definitely showed in my weight. At one point in my life it got a little too much. And one particular day it really got to be too much. It was memorial day weekend and my friends and I wanted to celebrate early. This early celebration ended up with me falling and ending up in the hospital. It was not good and pretty scary.

I'm pretty good at cropping my pictures so I hardly have any full body ones

BUT. After that I really re-evaluated my life. I moved back home (I really didn't have a choice in this even at 21),  I started going to the gym more and wanting to be healthier.  I still went out with friends and had fun... But something sparked inside of me. I decided I wanted to become a personal trainer and started to take classes. I worked for a personal training/physical therapy business and loved it.

Even after failing my NASM exam I have always had this passion in the back of my head. I haven't always been on the best workout routine, I still don't always eat like I should. But I have been better at attempting my mostly clean eating lifestyle. Some of the proudest moments are when my  two year old wants a banana (naaana) or an apple (bapple) and "works out" with me.

drinking my green smoothie

Now rewind again. Enter Matt. We started dating in the fall of 2009 and he introduced me to P90X. He had already completed it once and loved it. We said we were going to start it in the New Year. I was really excited to start this program and get in really great shape. (we've all seen the infomercial, there'so denying its credibility)

 Well, before we could get started I became pregnant with our first child within the first few months of us dating. My pregnancy was really easy compared to other people.

my sister and I :)

 

 

I was excited to start working out after giving birth. I had a c-section so had to wait a little while. I had gained about 28 pounds and got back to my pre pregnancy weight fairly quickly but fat definitely distributes differently after having a baby! Add a c-section into it and its a whole different game. If you had one, you know what I mean! I started P90X but didn't finish it. I wasn't pushing myself past the "sore' days. I did run and do my own workout though and at about 7-8 months post partum I was here:



not bad but still have the mommy cliff! Yup, that's what I call it

We found out we were having another baby about a month after Nate turned one. This pregnancy was NOT so easy. I was exhausted. Getting sick, alot. I lost 10 pounds within the first few months. I was at the weight that I wanted to be NOT pregnant. I eventually ended up gaining the same weight as with Nathan, but still got sick until the end.

I was put on moderate bed rest because my blood pressure was alarmingly high. It didn't go down even on that. Ava Grace arrived on May 9, 2012 three weeks early, by emergency c-section... healthy and beautiful!

Again, I was ready to get back into the groove of things and get my body back. I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly but continued to have elevated blood pressure for awhile after. I started walking and when I was ready I incorporated Les Mills Pump. I really liked that workout, but I was a little overwhelmed by a now jealous toddler and somewhat colicky newborn. I eventually ended up doing a little program swap with my sister in law. I got Insanity and she got Pump.

And I fell in love! It's a hard workout. I've never sweat more in my life (in just the warm up, people). I've never pushed myself more in my life. It's awesome. I've had really great results so far. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I finish a work out. I've also stopped and started again due to some long vacations over the summer and most recently the death of my grandfather and cousin.

BUT I am pushing play and more motivated then ever. I'm giving my workout my all (hello suicide drills? push up jacks) I've really focused on what I'm eating, trying to eat clean most of the time. I want to set a good example for my kids. I'm not at my goal weight or "look" yet but I've made so much progress. I still have my coffee creamer, I still have cheat meals, I still love my wine. I'm a real person. You can't deprive yourself.

When I started Insanity I joined the Beachbody website. I recorded my measurements, goals, and workouts. This was an awesome tool. I also kept the thought of becoming a coach in the back of my mind. I finally started really discussing it with a coach (I stumbled upon her blog awhile ago, thank God!)  and decided it would be the perfect thing for me. I was already supporting and helping people as it was, so why not?! (And if I could then make a little money from sharing what I already love, it would just be a bonus!)

I got my Shakeology yesterday and it is going to be the perfect addition to my diet and a key to my results. I'm pretty pumped to see what is ahead the next few months.

I'm so excited to start this journey. I've been a different kind of happy this last week, feeling like I found my niche and what I've been trying to get to. The Beachbody community is seriously such a supportive, caring, and motivated group of people. In just a few days I already feel a part of something great.

  I have many goals to reach ahead of me and am so ready to go full force!

last month pumpkin picking

Thank you guys for "listening". And thank you to my family & friends who have been there for me throughout everything, good & bad. Love you all!

XO-SP