WEEKEND CHALLENGE- Think Before you Eat!

It's time for the WEEKEND CHALLENGE! Every week we post a challenge for the weekend!

Our challenge for this weekend is to think before you eat! This sounds simple, but this will be tough since it's a holiday weekend!

So this weekend when you are out partying with your family and friends, think about what you are eating before you eat it. This will stop you from eating too many unhealthy things!

Most people say, "Oh it's the weekend, I don't need to eat healthy." or "It's a holiday, it doesn't matter on the holidays!"

Well, it does matter! You need to live, and you need to enjoy the weekends and the holidays, but eat smaller portions and think about things before you eat them. Some things are just not worth the calories!

Have a great holiday weekend!!

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A Day in the Life: Road Trip

Post by Shannon

Last week we went on a road trip to Arizona. It was a very long road trip (12 1/2 hours). When you are on a long road trip it's so easy to eat junk food!

This is not good when you are trying to eat healthy and be fit.

So I have to confess that on the way there I didn't do very well...

I ate doughnuts, lot of crackers and one and a half slices of pie. I felt so sick afterwards because I've been doing so good the past few months!

The problem was our little girls were crying a lot, and I turned to junk food. The other problem was that it was "Free Pie Wednesday" at the restaurant we went to! Not good. Patrick didn't want all of his pie so I ate half of his! Even more bad.

So on the way home, I decided to do better and pack healthy snacks! I packed grapes, strawberries, apples, oranges, healthier crackers, carrots, etc. This time when I felt the urge to eat bad, I grabbed the healthy snacks instead. Much better! :)

I realized I was eating because I was bored not because I was hungry. I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of sitting in the car for hours. I get car sick easily, and so I turn to the snacks in the car to help me along.

It's much better when you are prepared!

So if you are going to take a road trip in the near future, make sure to prepare yourself with LOTS of healthy snacks! Also, bring water! When you get the urge to snack, drink water instead! It will fill you up, and you will eat less snacks. :)

A Day in the Life: Eating 5 Times a Day

Post by Shannon

I attribute my weight loss success to three things:

- Eating five times a day

- Doing a workout I love everyday

- Drinking Shakeology daily

These things are all very important to help you succeed!

When I tell people I've been eating five times a day, they say, "How can you do that? I'm way too busy to eat five times a day!"

Well, to tell you the truth, it was a big adjustment at first! The key to doing this is PLANNING!!

STEPS TO EATING FIVE TIMES A DAY:

Step #1- Plan your meals and snacks eat week.

Step #2-  Go grocery shopping so you have everything available when you are ready to eat!

Step #3- Throw out MOST of the junk food in your house (cookies, cakes, doughnuts, candy, etc.)

Step #4- Notice I said MOST, but not ALL? This is because you need to allow yourself treats! Allowing yourself treats is so important because you won't crave the treats as much and eat a whole cake because you feel deprived!!

Step #5- Determine how many calories you need each day by going to this site:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
Step #6- Take that number and divide by five. Eat about (it doesn't have to be exact) that many calories five times a day.

Step #7- Start eating every three hours.

Step #8- Notice what you eat. Write it down. Every little thing. Even if it's just a bite.
Step #9- Look at what you ate at the end of the day to see what you are eating. 

Step #10- Keep trying each day! If you don't do it one day, try again the next day!

Here is a picture of what your plate should look like:

NEED MOTIVATION?

Join a Challenge Group! You'll get the support you need to do this!! Email us at GolladayFit@gmail.com to join!

Recipe Wednesday: Raspberry Vinaigrette Salmon and Pasta!

It's Recipe Wednesday! Every Wednesday we post a new healthy recipe! This one is so good! We made it last night! Yum!

Disclaimer:  I tested this recipe with two kids. Our 2 1/2 year old tried it, but wasn't a huge fan. We gave it to our 18 month old niece, and she LOVED it! She even ate the zucchini! The most important thing to do with kids is to continually introduce healthy foods to them. It's hard, especially when they're picky, but keep offering them healthy choices. It will pay off!

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salmon (from Better Homes & Gardens Low Calorie Magazine) and Barilla Whole Grain Penne with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes (from the back of the Barilla pasta box)

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salmon

Ingredients

8-10 oz fresh or frozen skinless, boneless salmon fillet or other fish fillet

2 Teaspoons of Raspberry Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Raspberry vinegar

Olive Oil

Honey mustard

Sugar

Garlic

Black pepper

Directions

1- Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Measure thickness of fish. Brush with 2 teaspoons of raspberry vinaigrette until ready to use. 

2- Preheat broiler. Place fish on the greased unheated rack of broiler pan; tuck under thin edges. Broil 4 inches from heat 4 to 6 min. per 1/2 inch thickness of fish or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once if 1 inch thick.

Rapberry Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 raspberry vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey mustard, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 minced clove garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Barilla Whole Grain Penne with Zucchini & Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 box Barilla whole grain penne

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

4 small zucchini, cut into half moons

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

4 basil leaves, cut into strips

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes until slightly yellow in color. 

3. Add zucchini and saute for 4-5 minutes until lightly brown in color. Then add tomatoes and saute for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and toss with sauce.

5. Stir in basil and cheese then serve.

Visit www.BarillaUS.com for more Barilla recipes.

A Day in the Life- My Life is on a Diet

Post by Shannon
Ok. Just so you know I'm going to get a little bit personal in this post...

To be honest, life has not been easy for me for the past year and a half. I won't go into too much detail, but my life has been out of balance. Way out of balance actually.

The picture of me above is when I was about 8 months pregnant. I had a difficult pregnancy with our last baby. I had INTENSE headaches every day. They got so bad sometimes I couldn't do anything except lay down. It was rough because I was working for three companies (about 30-40 hours a week) up until the day I had our baby. I am a public relations / marketing professional, and I need to be able to think to do my job. This is hard when you have intense headaches, and you can't take very many medications when you're pregnant.

Anyway, that was one struggle I faced for 9 months...

Since our baby was born, we've faced other struggles with Patrick's job, trying to get into MBA school, getting our baby to stop crying ALL day...

Like I said I won't go into too much detail.

So I've been on this quest to lose weight and get in shape. This journey has helped me handle my stress to be able to cope with these problems we've been facing and stay positive.

So I've lost a lot of weight, and I feel great! The problem is, my life still hasn't been in balance.

This past weekend I went to a meeting for Beachbody Coaches. The presenter said how she was so happy because her life was in balance, and her relationships were the best they've ever been.

I thought about that a lot this past weekend. I've had my life in balance most of my life until the past year and a half. I was always a go to bed early, wake up early, read motivational books, be involved in my community / church, do three jobs at a time, train for 1/2 marathons and marathons, always on the go type of person. I seemed to have it all figured out until the past year and a half.

On Monday I listened to the National Beachbody Coach call, and they talked about reading a motivational book each morning when you wake up to help you be a better person.

I've always read motivational books throughout my life, but not regularly lately. After this call, I realized what I need to do.

Until this morning when I was reading my book, I didn't know what to call it. Now I do, I'm putting my life on a diet!

I talked to Patrick last night and we decided to go to bed by 10 and wake up at 6. Our plan is to first, get our baby to sleep through the night, then get our lives in balance by waking up each morning, drinking our Shakeology while reading our scriptures and a motivational book for 30 min., then workout for 40-60 min. each morning.

We started today, and we were successful!! We went to bed by 10:15 last night. Our baby only woke up once (AWESOME!!), and we woke up at 6:30. We read for 30 min. while drinking our Shakeology, and then I did a Turbo Fire workout, and he did a P90X2 workout all before 8:00 a.m.! Yay!!

I started reading this book, PUSH by Chalene Jonson, over a month ago, but didn't get very far. I started over today, and I'm so excited to read it and finish it! I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who'd like to get their life in balance!

In the beginning it talks about putting your life on a diet. I love that! My life definitely needs to go on a diet! I agree with her when she says that you can't just do something quick to fix your life, it has to be a lasting change. That's what I'm going to do.

The thing is that happiness comes when your life is in balance. When it is centered around the things in your life that matter most whether it's your faith, your family, etc. That's when you are truly happy.

Getting married, becoming a millionaire, losing weight, having kids, etc. make your life better, but they don't MAKE you happy. Like I said, happiness comes when your life is in balance and centered around the things that matter most to you.

It's Weigh in Day! Let's Focus on Nutrition!

It's Weigh In Day! How did you do?

This was a tough week! There were SO MANY treats around!! I don't know about you, but we weren't able to resist!

I ate WAY too many sweets! Ahh! Gummy sharks, gummy bears, gummy peaches, key lime pie, and peeps! Talk about sugar OVERLOAD!

I haven't had sugary sweets for weeks. A friend and I gave them up for about six weeks. I did pretty well, and I felt great! Easter was the day we planned to break the deal and eat sweets. I was excited to eat my favorite treats (gummy anything!). The only bad part was eating WAY too many!

After today I decided to go back off of sugary sweets as part of my regular routine. I might have one here and there, but I felt so much better when I didn't have them!

Good luck with Weigh In Day! Don't forget to email us your progress at GolladayFit@gmail.com!

NEED MOTIVATION?

Join our Facebook Community! It is a private group on Facebook for people who need motivation and support to reach their health and fitness goals! We'd love to have you join! Email us at GolladayFit@gmail.com to join!

Recipe Wednesday: Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce & Toasted Garlic Potatoes

It's Recipe Wednesday!

You're going to love this one! It was taken from Beachbody's Meal Planner. It is so good! We had it for dinner last week, and we loved it! We added a strawberry spinach salad with raspberry vinaigrette too.

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes or less
Total Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds chicken breast, boneless/skinless, raw
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons spread, buttery, low-fat
1 1/3 cups chicken broth, fat-free, low-sodium
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Preparation
Cut chicken breast into 1-inch pieces; season with pepper. Set aside.
Melt spread in a medium skillet. Brown chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons of broth, if necessary, to prevent sticking.
Add mushrooms, remaining broth, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Add chopped onions and sour cream to the chicken mixture. Cook a few minutes more until hot.
Serve each person a 7 oz. piece of chicken with equally divided sauce.
Tossed Vegetable Salad

Toasted Garlic Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-45 min. minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients
6 potatoes, raw
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup onions, chopped

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cut potato into uniformly sized chunks. Place in bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, pepper and onion. Place on baking sheet in single layer.
Bake potatoes for approximately 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are golden and tender.
Serve each person equally divided roast potatoes with their dinner.

A Day in the Life- Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition

Post by Shannon


They say it is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

I totally agree!

I didn't start seeing amazing results until I focused on my nutrition every day.

I used to think exercise was the most important. In college I ran 5 miles a day, did aerobics 5 times a week, took ice skating lessons, a mountain biking class and more!

Basically, I didn't want to gain the "Freshman 15!" So I did everything I could to stop those unwanted pounds from coming.

It worked, but I was always "on the go" trying to get all of my workouts in!

Little did I know that if I just focused on my eating and added 30-60 min. of exercise a day, I'd be fine!

I like this picture. It shows you how your plate should be balanced (1/2 fruits and veggies and the other 1/2 grains and protein).

It is important to get a balanced diet each day. You don't want to cut anything out of your diet.

The mistake most people make is they drop their calories, lose weight, and then go back to eating like they were before and gain the weight back. Sometimes they even gain more back!

The moral of the story is to make this a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Make it a change you can do forever. It isn't a "diet".

So, that means you need to allow yourself a treat once in a while. A first I gave myself three treats a week. Yes, three REAL treats a week (cake, ice cream, cookies, etc.), and I still lost weight!

This also means that you shouldn't cut ANYTHING out of your diet unless you choose to for other reasons.

Most people cut out carbs. The truth is you NEED carbs to fuel your body for your workouts. Do you think you could run a 1/2 marathon if you cut out carbs? NO!! You need carbs to give you energy and make you full.

So our focus in April is on nutrition and eating 5 times a day. It seems like this is the area everyone struggles with the most. So we are going to help!

Need Motivation?

Join our Facebook Community for support and accountability! You don't need to be doing a Beachbody workout to join!

All you need to do is:

1- Create your FREE Beachbody Profile to track your workouts. You can track any type of workout here not just Beachbody's workouts. (Skip this step if you already have a profile)

Click on this link to create a profile:
 https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=127339

PRODUCT REVIEW: BEACHBODY'S MEAL PLANNER

Post by Shannon

Every Thursday we review a Beachbody product or workout. Today's review is Beachbody's Meal Planner!

I LOVE this meal planner!! It is so easy to use! All you do it make your goals (slim down, lose weight, get toned, etc.), it will tell you how many calories you need each day, and then it creates a customized meal plan to help you reach your goals! 

It's awesome! It gives you five meals a day for three weeks at a time. It even gives you a grocery list! It makes it so easy to eat healthy. The meals aren't hard either. This is good because I'm NOT a pro chef! They have ingredients I've actually HEARD of, and they don't take me long to make. They taste amazing too. I feel like I'm at a restaurant when I'm eating them! This is perfect for us! 

Here are a couple of my favorite meals from this week (I took these pictures):

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Garlic Toasted Potatoes and Spinach Strawberry Salad

Sweet Pepper Pork Chops with leftover potatoes and Blueberry Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette 

Two thumbs up for the Beachbody Meal Planner! It's AWESOME!!

If you'd like to get this meal planner, all you need to do is upgrade your free Beachbody Membership to the Club Membership ($2.99 a week, which is $38.95 a quarter). You also SAVE 10% on ALL Beachbody products with this membership! AWESOME! :)

Here is a link to create your Club Membership if you don't have a Beachbody account:

https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/club?referringRepId=127339

QUESTIONS? 
Email us at GolladayFit@gmail.com

WEEKEND CHALLENGE- Think about what you eat!

Ready for the WEEKEND Challenge?

Each weekend we have a different challenge! This weekend's challenge is to think about what you eat before you eat it. If you think about it first, you might think twice about eating it. It is easy to rush around throughout the day without thinking about what you are eating.

So this weekend, take a second to think about your food choices. Is it healthy or not? Is my portion too big or too small?

It is important to eat five small meals throughout the day to help you have more energy and lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Here are a few ideas of what to eat more of and what to eat less of.

Eat more:

-Nuts (a small handful of almonds or walnuts)
-Fruits
-Dark green vegetables
-Fish
-Lean ground turkey
-Brown rice
-Wheat bread
-Berries
-Oatmeal

Eat less or avoid:

-White bread
-Doughnuts
-Cookies
-Cakes
-Cream sauces
-Ice cream
-Fast food
-Fried foods (french fries)

Let us know how it goes! Have a great weekend!!

Recipe Wednesday: Baked Ziti

It is important not to feel deprived while you are losing weight. If you love pasta, find a healthier recipe! Find an eating plan that you can stick with forever. If you don't find something you can do long-term, you'll gain the weight back. 

This is for all of you pasta lovers! 

BAKED ZITI- Taken from the Biggest Loser Cookbook

What you'll need:

-Olive oil spray

- 1 (14 1/2 oz) box fiber enriched ziti or penne rigate (Ronzoni Smart Taste is a good one)

- 1 (15 oz) container fat-free ricotta cheese

- 2 large egg whites

- 8 oz. (4 cups) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

- salt to taste

- ground pepper to taste

- crushed red pepper flakes to taste

- Main Event Marinara Sauce or 3 1/2 cups of a low-fat, low-sodium marinara sauce

- 2 Tbsp. grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat over to 450 F Lightly mist a 13" x 9" x 2" ceramic or glass baking dish with the olive oil spray.

Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente. drain.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.

Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 cup sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle mozzarella and the parmesan over the top.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon among 8 bowls and serve.

Per serving: 350 calories, 22 g protein, 57 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 429 mg sodium.

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Facebook.com/GolladayFit

WEEKEND CHALLENGE- Sleep 8 hours!

This is our daughter when she was 3 months old. :)

Each weekend we have a WEEKEND CHALLENGE to help everyone to make little changes in their lives to help them be healthy and fit.

This WEEKEND'S CHALLENGE is to sleep 8 hours each night this weekend. My husband and I have been struggling with this one lately! We have a 2 1/2 year old and a 7 month old, and our baby isn't very good at sleeping at night!

So we are giving you this challenge, and us, to sleep at least 8 hours a night each night this weekend. It counts even if the hours aren't continuous! :)

Most people don't get enough sleep. Look at the chart below to see how much sleep you and your children need each night.

Let us know how it goes!

NEED MOTIVATION?

Join our fitness community! We have a GolladayFit Community on Facebook that is a private community for people to talk about their workouts, goals, challenges, and more! We'd love to have you join. 

All you need to do is:

1- Create your FREE Beachbody Profile. (Skip this step if you already have one) Click on this link to create a profile:  https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=127339

2- Send us an email to join at GolladayFit@gmail.com.

Recipe Wednesday: Tex Mex Salad

This salad is so good! We made it last night for dinner, and we loved it! I didn't get my own picture of it this time, but this one shows you how good it looks! It's so easy to make too. Enjoy!

Tex Mex Salad from the Dr. Oz Show

This salad is loaded with healthy fats and proteins that can help you lose weight. And the decadent sour cream topping is a nice source for diary. Substituting dairy for other heavier foods in your diet can help you lose weight in your upper body – but don’t overdo it. Make sure to keep a reasonable daily calorie amount.

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

3 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup corn (frozen/defrosted or canned)

1/2 cup black beans

1/4 cup red onions, sliced into half moons

1/4 avocado, cut cross wise into thin slices

1/2 cup salsa

1 tbsp low-fat sour cream 

Directions

Combine and mix all ingredients except the sour cream in a bowl, then top it off with the sour cream.

WEEKEND CHALLENGE- The Grocery List!

Each weekend we have a WEEKEND CHALLENGE!

This weekend's challenge is to create a grocery list that includes some of these items. I think these are "must haves" for your kitchen. I could add a lot more to this list, but these are some of the basics that you need. Choose the things that you like from this list. You don't want to get things you won't eat!

Dairy:
1% or Skim Milk
Cottage Cheese
Omega 3 Eggs
Plain Yogurt
String Cheese Sticks

Fish:
Halibut
Salmon

Fruits & Veggies:

Dark Green Veggies
Frozen Berries (Costco has great deals on these)
Click link to see a list:  Fruits & Veggies in Season in the Winter

Grains:
Whole Wheat Torillias
Multi Grain Bread
Triscuit Crackers
Whole Wheat Pasta

Meats:
Chicken
Lean Ground Turkey
Turkey Slices for Wraps

Misc.:
Honey
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Regular Vinaigrette Dressing
Natural Peanut Butter (No sugar added)
Reusable Water Bottles
Shakeology
Salsa

Nuts:
Almonds
Walnuts

Need more suggestions or tips? Email us at GolladayFit@gmail.com.

A Day in the Life: Eating is the Hardest Part

Post by Shannon

Most of the people I've talked to are struggling with their eating. That is the hardest part for me too. I love the exercise, but it's hard to stay focused on eating well everyday.

This is a picture of me last week. This little one (she's six months old) kept finding ways to hurt herself when I was trying to cook dinner. I finally decided to strap her to me in this backpack so she wouldn't get hurt anymore! 

It's one thing to struggle with eating well, and it's another thing to be able to actually make the food you need to eat with one kid holding onto your leg and the other strapped to you in a backpack! :)

Anyway, it is possible to eat well. It just takes a lot of planning and patience (if you have kids!).

Here are some tips:

-Plan out your meals each week so you know what you are going to make.

-Go grocery shopping once a week to get everything on your menu.

-Make sure the kids are occupied when you need to make dinner.

-Make large quantities of food so you can freeze some and use it for later.

-Put things in zip lock bags or tupperware dishes so you can get them quickly if you need to.

-Get lots of great recipes so you don't get bored with the things your are eating.

-Take it one day at a time. If you slip up, try again the next day.

-Keep the big picture in mind. When I started this journey back in Sept., I couldn't see this far ahead to think I'd actually be wearing size 8 jeans by Feb., but it happened!

-Use a crock pot!! You can make things in the morning or when the kids are sleeping. So great!

-Don't give up!

Need more help?! Email me at GolladayFit@gmail.com anytime!

WEEKEND CHALLENGE- Plan Your Weekly Meals

Every weekend we have a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This weekend's challenge is to get a blank calendar and plan out your meals. Post all of the meals that you are going to have that week, and then write out a shopping list of all of the things you need to buy to make them. 

We like to do this every Saturday. We make one grocery shopping trip on Saturday so we don't have to go during the week. 

Find a good day that works for you to go shopping once a week to get everything you need. Schedule your meals before you go to make sure you buy all of the ingredients you need.

In the long run, this will save you a lot of time, you will eat healthier, and you will know what you are going to eat every day. 

We like using this method. Once in a while we have to make an extra trip to the store, but usually we just go once a week.

Enjoy your weekend!!

NEED MOTIVATION?
JOIN A CHALLENGE GROUP!

Each challenge group has a max of eight people per group. It is a private group on Facebook where you will get support to do your workouts and eat well each day. You will be paired with a workout buddy, and have fun getting healthy and fit!

Email us at GolladayFit@gmail.com or send us a Facebook message to sign up!

A Day in the Life- Then & Now

Post by Shannon

Pictures are the best way to see our progress. I like to look at photos to see how far I've come. There has been a big difference in my weight loss progress from my first baby to my second.

I don't share this to boast about my progress. It wasn't an easy journey. It definitely took a lot of dedication and self motivation.

After we had our first baby, I went walking or running for an hour a day almost every day for six months. In the first six months I lost about 34 pounds. I still had about 25 more to go. I didn't really focus on my eating at that time. You can see the pictures here.

A couple weeks after having our baby in 2009:

6 months after:

Six months after she was born I began the P90X program. I did it for 90 days. Then I did Insanity for 60. I was able to run a half marathon 11 months after our baby was born.

This is me 11 1/2 months after she was born. I was able to lose about 60 pounds from the time she was born until this photo. I also went from about 34% body fat to 24%. I was so happy with my progress after I started doing P90X and Insanity.

This time I started eating 5-6 meals a day and doing Insanity as soon as I was cleared to exercise.  In the first six months after having our baby, I lost about 50 pounds and don't have much more to lose (I started about 10 pounds lower before I got pregnant).  I went from 33% body fat to 27.8%. 

This is 9 days after having our baby in 2011:

This was about 6 months after in Feb. 2012:

I am grateful for Beachbody's programs because they've helped me reach my goals faster and have helped me do the things I love (like running) better.

WEEKEND CHALLENGE- Eat five times a day!

Each week we have a WEEKEND CHALLENGE to do something to get fit and healthy. This week the challenge is to eat five times a day. Add a snack between your meals. Try it for the weekend.

The thing that people struggle with the most is nutrition. Most people I talk to are able to workout at least 4 to 5 times a week, but they struggle with nutrition. Nutrition is HUGE when losing weight and getting healthy. If you don't focus on this, it will be pretty much impossible to get to your ideal weight.

I didn't realize how important this was until I changed my eating habits. When I switched from eating three meals a day to five small ones, the weight started to come off. It also gave me energy and helped sped up my metabolism. I was able to lose more fat, and I felt great!

Doing this one small thing will help you get closer to your goals. 

Have a great weekend! Let us know how it goes!

Comment below or email us at GolladayFit@gmail.com for more information!

A Day in the Life- Eating 5 to 6 Times a Day

Post by Shannon


Eating five to six times a day has helped me lose weight so much faster than just eating three times a day. When I first heard about this, I thought I'd be eating way too many calories. I also thought it would be too hard to do this with a family, but it wasn't as hard as I thought.

And, the more I did it, the better results I got.

 Here is an example of things I like to eat throughout my day.

Breakfast:  Chocolate Shakeology with a banana and frozen strawberries

Snack:  Plain yogurt with apple slices, honey and chopped walnuts

Lunch:  Peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat bread, a spinach salad with tomato slices and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack:  5-10 almonds and a string cheese

Dinner:  (See photo above) Whole wheat pasta with veggies and parmesan cheese toasted on sour dough bread. Visit this page to see the recipe for Whole Wheat Penne Primavera 

I use lots of zip lock bags and tupperware to carry snacks with me when I'm out of my house. It just takes a little extra planning, but the results are worth it!

Questions? Feel free to leave comments here or on our Facebook page:  Facebook.com/GolladayFit

Recipe Wednesday: Turbo Fire Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Pancakes!

Post by Shannon

It's Recipe Wednesday!

I have to say that Turbo Fire's Meal Planner is my favorite so far. I love these recipes! We tried the Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Pancakes the other day and gave them to our 2-year-old. Watch the video to see how she liked them! Scroll down to see the recipe.

Here is the recipe:

Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Pancakes

Makes 4 Servings

1 egg
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup flour (you can use 1/2 c. white flour and 1/2 c. wheat flour instead)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2 1/2 Tbsp. honey
Nonstick butter-flavored cooking spray

Combine egg, yogurt, oil and 1 Tbsp. honey in blender until smooth. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and griddle with nonstick butter-flavored cooking spray. Heat on medium. Ladle mixture onto griddle to make 8 small pancakes. Cook pancakes for just under 2 minutes each side.

*Note- the dough is really thick. You can add more yogurt to make it thinner.

Top each 2-pancake serving with sliced apples and drizzle with remainder of honey.

Nutrition Information Per Serving
Calories:  267 / Protein:  7 g / Carbs:  51 g / Total Fat:  5 g / Fiber 2.5 g

Serve with 1/2 cup 1% or 2% cottage cheese