Lightly Living

The Shakeology® 3-Day Cleanse

The Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is meant to jump start you in your fitness, break a plateau, or lose pounds fast and effectively in a short amount of time. This is in NO way meant to be a long-term diet or eating plan!

The key is to follow the same regimen all three days.
The Basics:

3 Shakeology shakes per day
2 cups of green tea per day
1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day (optional for those needing extra calories)
1 salad for dinner—can include grilled fish or poultry
No dairy or extra sugars (this includes almond and soy milk)!
Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
Only use low-fat dressings, and go easy on the salt and/or pepper to taste
For maximum results, do NOT use additives

Start: 1 cup of green tea to start the day

Breakfast: Shakeology (water & ice, optional: 1/2 cup fruit)

Snack: 1 piece of fruit (apple, pear, orange, banana mango, etc.)

Lunch: Shakeology (water & ice), 1 cup of green tea to follow

Snack 2: Shakeology (water & ice) – this snack may be eaten before OR after dinner

Dinner: Greens—3 servings of vegetables, plus 4 oz. of grilled white meat (fish or poultry)
2 tablespoons of non-dairy dressing

Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse FAQ

Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
1. How many calories per day?
800 to 1,100 calories per day

2. How often can I do the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse?
Ideally, you should do it once per quarter (every 3 months)
As the seasons change
Before starting a new workout program
When you feel you need help breaking through a plateau.

3. Should/Can I still do my workouts during the Cleanse?
Depends on the individual ! You’ll have less energy than normal, so consider doing it during a recovery week

4. Can I do a 1-day or a 2-day cleanse instead of a 3-day?
Yes! Some people will see results with one or two days
We recommend against continuing the cleanse for more than three days

When I was considering signing up as a Beachbody coach I wondered “is this gig a total scam? It seems WAY too good to be true!” So, I talked my husband into letting me sign up and told him the worst that could happen is that we lose the $39.95 sign up fee. (which is now being waived until the end of 2010…awesome!!) So, I signed up and made no money my first month – which was fine by me. Then I started getting small checks $40 (made back my initial investment!), $20, $30, and it just kept climbing. Around November of last year I quit my job to start working for another company and also started my own consulting business, I say this because I literally have NO time to spend on my Beachbody business, I spend about 2 hours a week on my business and all of that is investing in my coaches – sending them emails, hosting phone calls as well as keeping up with my customers. And now I am making around $400/week. If I was able to invest more time in this business, I can guarantee you I would be making SO much more money – but the beauty of this business is that it is totally what you want it to be!

For me, Beachbody is just something fun I do on the side. It brings in (a nice chunk) of extra money that my husband and I can use for whatever we want because it is above and beyond our salaries, it motivates me to stay in shape, and it has brought AMAZING people in my life.

So, to answer the original questions – is Beachbody Coaching a scam? NO! DEFINITELY not! If you invest a small amount of time in this business you WILL see a financial return!

Did you know that starting TODAY until December 31, 2010 that it is totally FREE to sign up as a Beachbody coach? Yep, that’s right! No sign up fee (it’s usually $39.95) and your first monthly website maintenance payment won’t be til you have been a coach for 30 days. That means you can start your own business for FREE and get a 25% discount on ALL Beachbody products…seriously…it cannot get any better than that!! (and you can cancel at any time)

Beachbody has literally changed my life! It brings it so much extra spending money and has helped me get into the best shape of my life…I love it!!!

So, interested in signing up? Head on over here!

I hear from SO many people that they want to “spot” train their midsection and get abs IMMEDIATELY! I just did a quick Google search for “Get Abs Fast” and “Get Abs in 2 Weeks” and SO many sites came up offering a magic pill, ways to spot train the fat away, or of course, the 5 minutes a day of Ab exercises to get your 6 pack in 2 weeks…what’s my response to this? YEAH RIGHT!

But seriously, are you wanting those abs you see in workout videos or in magazines? Well, they are absolutely attainable but you have to WORK to get them…and you have to work your WHOLE body! Doing 100,000 crunches will not get you a six pack. Running for 2 hours every day or doing crazy amounts of cardio will not get you ripped with a six pack. Here are a few tips to start your journey to not only great abs, but a great BODY!

1. Eat a controlled calorie diet with a balance of carbs, fat, and protein.  Avoid all processed foods-such as white breads, white pastas, and white rice-and replace them with 100% whole wheat products, fresh fruits and vegetables. When eating meat, select lean or low-fat cuts. Also, try to eat frequently throughout the day (five or six times is ideal). A great site to count your calories (as well as carbs, fat, and protein) is The Daily Plate. If you have an iPhone or a Blackberry, there is a LIVESTRONG app that syncs from your phone to the website so you have ZERO excuse not to track your foods!

2. Exercise your WHOLE body. You need to have a mix or cardio AND lifting weights. Now, don’t listen to the lies that lifting heavy weights (especially for women) will have you looking like a body builder…that is NOT TRUE. Lifting heavy weights for low, controlled reps will decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass…IF you are fueling your body with healthy fuels! So try and follow a weight lifting regime for 2-3 days a week, then throw some cardio in on your other days. Need some structure to do this? Check out programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or P90X, they will be SURE to transform your ENTIRE body AND give you the 6 pack you so desire…IF YOU DO IT!

3. Don’t fall for the “get thin quick” gimmicks or any of the crazy machines out there that promise to do the work for you. Do you want to see change in your body? If you do, then you need to do the work! You will see long lasting results if you learn and create healthy habits in your life!

Ok, you have the tools, now are you going to do it? Don’t wait until Monday to start your new program, START TODAY!

Now, I know a lot of you are working really hard to get in shape for summer so you can rock your cute new bathing suit or new board shorts. When you need to lean down quickly, in 4 weeks or less (let’s face it, summer is almost here and who doesn’t want to be lean & ripped!) change up your routine by extending each daily workout by 10min AND add some double workouts to at least 3 days of the week.

Do not try to restrict more calories, just cut out the “empty” calories which aren’t really fueling your body with lasting energy. If you already workout at the gym, add a Beachbody workout from home as your 2nd workout of the day. The Turbo Jam Max Results set includes a great 20-minute workout and many of the ChaLean Extreme workouts are only 30 minutes. And track your workouts and food intake to ensure you have a good balance and are following your plan.

Have an amazing, healthy week, and AS ALWAYS, let me know if I can help you with ANYTHING to help you reach your health and fitness goals!

**Thanks to Jenelle Summers over at Turbo Sister for this AWESOME fitness tip!!**

Ok, this week I want to talk about the “best” time to exercise. There are SOOOO many theories out there…most of which are absolutely lame! I had a friend tell me once that if you didn’t work out in the morning then it’s not really worth it to work out later…riiiiiiiiight.

I feel like MOST of the things we read say “workout in the morning and you will be thinner, yada, yada, yada…” which, it has been proven that morning work out-ers are more consistent with their workouts and tend to make healthier food choices during the day since they started out with a healthy mindset. But, afternoon/evening exercise has been proven to show less injuries and your strength and endurance is increased because your muscles and joints are warmed up from your daily activities.

I guess what I am trying to say is….whatever time works for YOU and your lifestyle is the best time to workout! If you are a morning person by nature, then get up and get it over with. If you are a night owl and mornings just aren’t your thing, workout after you get home from school or work. In my opinion, working out ANY time is the best time! So figure out your schedule, write in your workouts for the week and DO THEM no matter WHAT…no excuses!

There are SO many different theories out there about eating before your workout, especially if you are a morning exerciser. In the past people would say don’t eat AT ALL before your workout so your body will just burn off the fat during your workout, well, PLEASE do not do this! Your body needs fuel! After a nights sleep your muscles are depleted of the glycogen, which is glucose that your muscles store. Your muscles and your brain run off of this glucose, and if you don’t give your body a little bit of fuel before you start your workout, your muscles and brain will not reach their maximum potential…and why would you want to waste your workout that you got up so early for?! If you are like me, you don’t want to waste a lot of calories on a snack that early in the morning, so try a piece of fruit (or even a 1/2 of a piece), or something like a rice cake. Your snack doesn’t have to be a big one, but just put SOMETHING in your body to fuel it through your workout and you won’t regret it!

Good morning! I am going to try and be more consistent with this blog than I am with my other blog…here’s to hoping!

I was at the grocery store last night (good ole’ Kroger…gotta get a shout out in there for my dad!!) and as I was checking out and reviewing the contents of my shopping cart I realized what a HUGE transformation I have had in my life over the past few years! As I was buying my spinach, fruit, high fiber whole grain bread, skim milk, etc…I saw my 2 splurges: weight watchers candy bar ice cream and cool whip light. What a splurge! Now, let me tell you a little bit about my life BEFORE I discovered eating healthy and exercise…

When I was 20 years old I worked at a well known coffee shop…we were allowed to have as many drinks as we wanted during our shift, so I started off with a large, blended chocolate coffee drink with whip…at 4:45 am (500 cals, 17 g fat) What a great start to the day! Then I would have a cheese danish (440 cals, 34 g fat) and another blended drink around 9:00, and then take another drink to go…this time, of course, hold the whip! (So in total, at work I consumed almost 2,000 calories…which I justified by saying I was on my feet so I was burning it off….riiiiiight)

I would leave work and head down to the local burrito store to get a “healthy” lunch of a GIGANTIC burrito with chicken, cheese, rice, beans, chips, queso, etc. and a diet coke, I thought this was a healthy meal because it was fresh! Dang!! I consumed 1130 calories and I thought I was making a wise choice by not getting a burger and fries!

So now, 5 years later, what a RADICAL change…and I feel SO MUCH BETTER! Now when I go to that same coffee shop I get a small, non-fat latte with 1 pump of mocha in it…and guess what, it’s delicious, and only 150 calories! Still a treat, but not killing my calorie intake. Remember that burrito place? Yep! I still go there too! What do I get now? A kid’s burrito with chicken, no rice or cheese, with black beans and LOTS of yummy salsa…sometimes guacamole! Wanna know how many calories that is? 300!!! WHAT?! That is SO AWESOME!

Ok, the point of this blog is to tell you that making healthy choices might seem hard at first, but it is SO do-able and SO worth it with some practice and research. You don’t have to stop going to the places you love, or going out with your friends for dinner, you just have to take some time to figure it all out before you go!

I also can’t stress enough how AWESOME exercise will make you feel. It is a natural endorphin boost and I promise you that once you start, you will get addicted to that feeling. My challenge to you non-workouters is to commit to being active AT LEAST 3 days a week for 30 minutes and see how you feel…then check back with me. If you aren’t sure what to do for your workout, shoot me an email, I would love to help you find a program that WORKS for you.

Ok, this is getting long…have a healthy and happy day today!

I was at the grocery store yesterday and I realized that in our world of processed, junky foods, it is SO HARD to make healthy choices…they are always more expensive! So I thought it would be good to fill you in on some tricks that I use in my life to help me make healthy snack choices every day! Here are some things I always keep stocked at my house: hard boiled eggs (17 calories in white only, 70 in whole egg), low fat string cheese, apple slices, single serving boxes of raisins, low calorie popsicles. Need a salty snack? Baked chips and pretzels are a great low calorie snack, just make sure you are only eating a serving size.

If you are craving a REAL sweet treat and aren’t in the mood for a no-sugar popsicle, there are GREAT options out there. In fact, there is a brand of chocolate out there called Cocoa-Via, it is a delish dark chocolate candy bar that is 100 calories for a good portion, I like to keep those on hand for emergency sweet cravings! Another hard place to go is the movie theater, if you are like me, I HAVE to get a snack when I go to the movies! A great tip to make it a lower calorie experience is to get the childs size popcorn and pass on the butter, this takes it from a snack that is over 1,000 calories, to right around 300…talk about a difference! Another good trick is Junior Mints, although they have NO nutritional value, they are MUCH lower in fat and calories than a lot of other candies out there! So, those are my tips for the week! If you have any questions about your workouts or any products, or just need some encouragement, I am here for YOU! I want you to exceed your fitness goals and become the healthy person you are dreaming to be!

Welcome to the Lightly Living Blog! My goal here is to equip you with tips, articles, and encouragement to aid you in your fitness journey! Check back soon for more updates!