Monday, January 25, 2016

My 21 Day Fix Extreme results


3 weeks ago I decided to embark on a journey… one I knew would challenge me. A journey I knew would require hard work and dedication. A journey that would give me EXACTLY what I was looking for.
3 weeks ago I started The 21 Day Fix Extreme. I decided to do this because I needed something that was really going to get me out of the rut I have been in. I needed something that would give me a good challenge and give me the results I was looking for. This program did JUST THAT! I could not be happier with the results I got from doing this program. I still have a long ways to go and there is still a ton of improvement to be made, but in just 3 short weeks I was able to finally break out of this funk I was in and get back on track.

Before I get to good part… you know those before and afters that everyone is always looking out for.. let me back up a little bit and tell you my story.
HELLO!!! That's me 8 months ago, 1 day before my beautiful daughter decided to make her debut into the world. My whole pregnancy I was so good about working out and eating right. Yes I gave into my cravings and did not deny myself anything. I worked out everyday and made sure I was eating good food.

My daughter came flying into the world… I mean within 2 hours of checking into the hospital I was pushing and she arrived before midnight on May 2! I remember my husband speeding to the hospital from my brother in laws wedding, dodging traffic and running red lights because I kept telling him I felt like I needed to push! I was 7cm dilated when we checked in and pushed maybe 30 minutes before Ava arrived!

4 days later and I remember being so sore! I did have a 2nd degree tear and adjusting to being a new mommy was hard! The sleepless nights, learning to breastfeed, your body adjusting back… it is a lot!!!


When I was finally cleared to start working out I remember being so excited and I couldn't wait to get back to it. I took it slow and eased back into things with The 21 Day Fix. Things were going awesome until I got mastitis and had to back away and let my body heal and rest. It was rough!


2 months later and we are getting ready for a big move. Traveling with a 2 month old is never ideal, but we got through it and now have some amazing memories to look back on.
This is where things got a little tricky for me….
A new baby, a big move, moving into a home that needed some serious TLC and getting used to my husbands new work schedule was a big adjustment for me. It took a toll on me physically and emotionally. So the last thing I was worried about was eating right and working out. I was also dealing with eating and breastfeeding…
Mama's who breastfeed… I don't know about you but breastfeeding made me a hungry monster! I craved sugar like I have never craved it before! It was like I could not get enough. And in a way food started to become a comfort.

I was falling into a nasty rut. One that was reeking havoc on my body. I was tired, I was drained, I was moody, I was feeling like not myself, I was not happy with the way I started to look, I was angry for letting myself slip for so long. I would start to get back on track and then fall off… it became a nasty cycle. I would do good then fall  back into that rut.

One day it was like something literally just hit me. Hey Tash! Wake up… you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Pick yourself up and get to work! You see… as a Beachbody coach, I help keep others accountable. I help them reach their goals. I help them see that its okay to fall off the wagon. Everyone needs help. Every needs accountability and support. 

 I am not perfect. I am human. I slip up sometimes and you know what? Thats okay! But looking at my daughter one day I realized something. I NEED to start setting a good example for her. I need to be healthy for her. She depends on me so much. She needs me. I want to be healthy and fit for her. This journey wasn't about me anymore. I have someone else who I am doing this for. I watched fellow coaches and friends post about getting their workouts in and eating right. They were busy mamas too. And I thought… You know what? I CAN do this! I WILL do this!!!


I put myself in my own challenge group with a group of other ladies. It was just what I needed.



My first week into The Extreme was hard. After months of being inconsistent it was a lot harder than I thought. It was HARDER than The 21 Day Fix. I struggled with the workouts, I was out of breathe. I wanted to give up. I wanted to stop early… but I didn't. I wanted results more!!!

You guys… it took me 8 months!!! 8 months to stay consistent. 8 months of falling off, falling on. This is me telling you… no matter what.. DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Stick with it no matter how hard, no matter what you are going through. You will get there!!

I hated the way I was feeling, the way I was looking. All that bad food was making me tired, weighing me down and holding me back. Missing those workouts put me in terrible moods. Did you know a workout can be a mood booster? Seriously! Mornings after my workout, it made me feel amazing and put me in a great mood for the rest of the day. 


A week into working out and eating clean I was feeling GREAT! I showed up every morning for that 30 minute workout and followed the eating plan EXACTLY! No cheating! I ate all my containers, eliminated sugar and dairy and my body was loving it! It was performing at its best! 



AHHHH….. you guys! I am so excited to share my results with you. It is my hope that I can inspire AT LEAST 1 person out there! Get up, get moving and give it your best! You don't have to be perfect. You won't be perfect. You will struggle, you will want to give up, you will fall off. But all that matters is you stick with it. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it. Because you can! I am here to tell YOU CAN! If I can do it… so can you! You need to do this for you! Do your body a favor, it will thank you in the long run. 

A few things I want to point out about The 21 Day Fix Extreme: 
This program is harder! The 21 Day Fix Extreme is a step up from the regular 21 Day Fix
* There is still a modifier you can follow along with but it is a faster pace and a bit more challenging. 

* As far as nutrition goes, it is the same container system but again, more strict. Goodbye waffles! I followed the nutrition along the lines of what is laid out in the book for what Autumn goes by. So that meant no dairy. Yes… you read that right.. no cheese :( It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! 

* The workouts are different because in The Extreme there are no breaks! It is go, go, go! Its much faster paced. You can still pause when you need to though. 

I still did this program breastfeeding! I calculated which calorie bracket I would be in and then added 500 extra calories for breastfeeding. So that put me in the 1800-2000 calorie bracket. And there were days I was still hungry and I did not let myself go hungry.. I ate! I had a few extra green containers here and there. It did not make a difference in my milk supply at all. 
You should check with your doctor before starting any workout program and if you have any questions .

SO….. thank you for reading my story and following along! Now the moment you have been waiting for… here are those before and after pictures ;) 







Starting weight: 119.9
After weight: 115.2

I lost a total of 5.5 inches. 
I feel better 
I feel amazing 
I am stronger 
I have more energy 
I am happy 
I am healthy 



Enjoy your journey. Make it fun! Find someone to share this with. Someone who will help hold you accountable and push you to be better every single day. Find what drives you and pushes you. Show up everyday and do your best! If you fall down, dust yourself off and get back up again! Just keep going. 
If you need someone to help hold you accountable, I am here! Join a challenge group and get everything you need to succeed! 





Sunday, January 24, 2016

Homemade Almond Milk

I have seen so many posts about homemade Almond Milk and I have even browsed Pinterest and pinned many pins to remind myself to try it someday. Well that day came today. Actually, it started last night when I was making my grocery list and planning out meals for the week. I had almond milk on my list and remembered I had a big thing of raw almonds sitting in my cupboard. 24 hours later… I have some delicious, creamy, fresh almond milk.
I will never buy it again!

It is so easy and so delicious!
So here is what you need:
1 cup raw almonds
4 cups water
Cheese cloth
Vanilla or dates to sweeten if you wish.

Start by soaking 1 cup of almonds in 4 cups of water for 24 hours

Then drain your almonds and rinse them well. Place them in a blender with 4 cups of filtered water and blend on high.
Place your cheese cloth over a big bowl or a mason jar and pour the milk slowly. To get all the milk out you will have to give it a little squeeze once in a while. You will be left with a lot of pulp that you can just toss out or save to use in your oatmeal, smoothies yogurt, cookies or whatever you want :)





It is so good you guys! You can get as creative as you want with making this. Adding vanilla bean, cinnamon, dates, sea salt. Whatever you feel like experimenting with. I will be adding some dates to my next batch! We drink a lot of almond milk around here. I use it in oatmeal, in my shakes, to drink plain or I add a little splash in my coffee mornings. 

You can google or check Pinterest for lots of different ways to make almond milk too!