A relaxing weekend with family

So considering family was here all weekend I didn't do all that bad with my eating. I did however eat way too much and had a few treats. But that's life! We can't get discouraged on every small setback or we will never get ahead.

So anyway I'm geared up and ready to go for tomorrow! I do way better eating the same foods for days in a row and only changing up one meal a day. At least until I get used to not eating all the chocolate and sweets that I love to eat. I probably could live off of them if it wouldn't make me sick haha. So for these next two weeks I will eat the same thing for the entire day and switch up foods for my dinner. Then slowly ill mix up the rest of my meals. That's just what works best for me.

 As for working out, ill be doing some Chalean Extreme. I was doing PiYo (which I loved) but I pulled a muscle in my back while cleaning and think its best to give myself a break for a couple weeks until my back heals up. Ill focus on exercises that are less strenuous on my back. I do have to admit... I missed lifting weights so I'm pumped to be doing it again!!!

Measuring Progress In Your Weight Loss Journey

How do you measure your own progress throughout your journey without a scale???

First thing I will tell you is to take BEFORE pictures! Just do it! It can be very intimidating and embarrassing (at least it was for me), but I can assure you that you will be so glad that you took them.  I bet you that in as little as 3 weeks you will be able to see a noticeable difference just by comparing the two photos. Honestly, you never have to look at that picture again, but just make sure you take them! Shove them in your drawer, leave them in the bottom of your purse, just stash them away...The day will most likely come where maybe...just maybe when your confidence is soaring and you are feeling brave, you are going to want to compare where you are now with where you had started.  Plus!! It helps that you have a chance at winning $500 just by submitting your before/after photo to Beachbody after completing one of their workout programs. Sweet! Right?!?



Another good way to measure progress is to be sure to do your measurements!! I don't really like doing this myself, but I do! I know that it will show how far I have come, so I suck it up and just get it over with! I find it fascinating when the number on the scale does not move, but my measurements get smaller. Just another exciting way of tracking how far we have come!



How do you feel?? Do you feel stronger, more alert, more active, less moody, craving unhealthy foods less, do your skin look better, are you sleeping more soundly, are you using heavier weights, do you feel stronger ??? This list could go on and on! Since everyone is an individual, only you can look back and see what has really changed in your journey. This is why it is SO important  to reflect every once in awhile on how far you actually have come!

I hope you realize now that there are many other ways to track progress other than pounds on a scale. My next challenge/fitness group will be starting at the end of June and there is only a few spots left! contact me now to chat about starting  your very own journey with support, motivation & fun!!! 

Getting Back in the Game

Getting Back in the Game

 

 

After the release of the "21 Day Fix" program, I came to a standstill. I let my emotions take over and determine what I ate, when I worked how and how I felt. If you are anything like me, you may have felt this way before. Discouraged, upset and distracted. For some reason I just could NOT get into the groove of things. I would do a couple workouts and then just stop. Then I would start eating whatever I felt like...which lead to me just feeling worse. I knew I had to do something, but what? I knew what I was supposed to be doing, so why couldn't I just do it? Things were going well in my life. Work was good, family was good..so what was different??..then it hit me. My thought process was kind of on the negative side. Thinking things like "At least this program is 21 days" or "When this is over, I'm going to eat whatever I want". I definitely want to make this whole experience a positive LIFESTYLE change, not "just for now" change.

Anyway, I had to think of something to do, something that would change my thoughts, my outlook on life, and have a positive impact. So I turned to God. I've always had a relationship with God for as long as I could remember, but I knew  I needed to devote more time to Him, really talk to Him and start building a closer relationship with Him.  I ordered "The purpose Driven Life" book off of amazon and anxiously awaited its arrival. All I can say is WOW this book is awesome. It helped to rekindle my relationship with Jesus and see everything in a totally different way. I now look at situations and think "Would the Lord be proud of me for doing this, acting this way, thinking this". For me, this is a much happier way to live. I feel more alive when I'm with my family and excited to wake up in the mornings and see what the day shall bring!

 

 

So this was my "ah-ha" moment.  LIFE IS A GIFT. We must treat it that way. I plan to take advantage of every moment that God has planned for me. I have struggled with food addiction for so long that I know that I cannot do it alone. I pray about it every morning. I am on day 14 of the 21 day fix and couldn't be happier with my results! So far I have lost 8 lbs and cannot wait to share with you next week what the end results are! I feel more energized, my skin has cleared up, I can stay outside in the heat playing with the kids without feeling sick, I feel full & satisfied after eating & most importantly I feel GOOD about myself for the first time in a long time!!

I know what its like to mess up on a "diet", to start and then give up, to think you could never do that, to not feel good about yourself. But, you don't have to feel that way. Not anymore! I want you to come join my team! To work with me one-on-one and have unlimited support. We can do this together! We can end this trend and work towards a healthy, happier brand new you!! I would love to hear from you with comments, questions, suggestions, anything!! Contact me anytime! I would looove to chat! Or find me on facebook!!!

What is all the hype about the "21 Day Fix"???

I am SUPER pumped for this new workout routine to be released!!! Why? Because one my my biggest struggles with weight loss is portion control. I can plan healthy meals and cook them, but then I want to eat so much of it!!! Do you ever feel like that??

This 21 day program gives you a nutrition guide that comes with portion controlled containers! How cool is that! It takes the guess work out and makes it so much easier!! Plus you get 30 minute workouts (perfect for squeezing into a busy day), and unlimited support and accountability from me! 

You can do more than one round and have amazing results!! Especially with the right support!

I am starting an exclusive 21 DAY FIX TEST GROUP on February 17th!  This is for anyone who wants to stay motivated, committed and follow through with the program. The only cost is that of the challenge pack which will come with everything you need. The nutrition guide, all the workouts, free shipping & I will support you along the way and be there through every step. I believe you can do this! We will get through together!

To be part of the TEST group sign up for a free account which will make me your free Beachobody coach and I will send you all the details. Or, contact me anytime at savko.christine@gmail.com. This program is going to be EPIC!! We will learn how to correctly portion our healthy foods, do short (but effective!) workouts and have fun!!!

Week 3 Brazil Butt Lift Progress Update

This month is flying by!  I can feel the weather getting warmer each day which makes me super excited for summer!! I pretty much have a routine now, and I look forward to getting up each day and getting my workout in. This is what this weeks schedule looks like:

The Workouts

Sunday-Rest

Monday-Sculpt

Tuesday-Cardio Axe & Bum Bum

Wednesday-Sculpt

Thursday-Cardio Axe & Bum Bum

Friday-Sculpt

Saturday-Hight and Tight & Tummy Tuck

First thing I do when I wake up is drink my shakeology (usually my fav...Choc shake with 1/2 a banana and 1 tbs PB with skim milk).  Then I clean up the house a bit while sipping on my E&E (which is an all natural energy booster).

 Honestly, this has been so helpful!! Since working night shift, I find that when I have my shake then E&E I am full of energy within the next 30-60 mins! We all know I need all the energy I can get to keep up with my little man!!!(YES! that is Shakeology in his bottle! He will steal it from my glass if I don't give him his own lol)

Physical changes I have seen  in the last 17 days: My belly feels and looks smaller, I can feel myself getting stronger with each workout, I now fit into scrubs TWO sizes smaller for work!!!

One of the greatest feelings is when people notice all your hard work and effort. I cant tell you how wonderful it feels to hear people say "wow, you can really tell you have lost weight". Hard work does pay off!!!! 

In the last 17 days I have lost 10.3 lbs and feel amazing. I can finally see a difference when I look in the mirror and put on my clothes. My confidence is increasing and I am so thankful I stuck with it!

I attribute my success in larger part to the challenge groups that I belong to on Facebook. Honestly, they keep me motivated, excited, accountable and when I'm having a rough day, I know there are other people one click away to get me through. We share pictures of us after we workout for accountability, celebrate each others successes (every single one! even the simple things like "My pants feel less tight today"), share recipes & most importantly of all... we make each other stronger. We are a team, we care about one another and whether we succeed or fall short, we will be right there together. 

There is something so special about our challenge groups that I almost cant put it into words. Its PRICELESS when you get back your confidence, self-esteem and become stronger inside & out, you are becoming a BETTER you! 

My next Challenge group starts on February 3rd. I would love nothing more than for you to join us!! What are you waiting for?? The time is now, and I promise we will work side by side and reach your goals. We will walk through the storms and come out the other side stronger!! Email me at savko.christine@gmail.com  to see how to become involved with our groups!  I would love to talk with you!!!

Strength Training to lose fat!?!

Strength Training and Lifting Weights

Muscles are an amazing part of our bodies! They constantly burn calories and fight fat even after you are done working out! It is recommended to add some kind of strength training into your workout routine 2-3 times a week. When this is done on a consistent basis, you will begin to see changes.  Muscles take up less space than fat, and the benefits are crazy!

Strength training:

Make bones stronger--by increasing bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and making you less susceptible to fractures.

Help Control weight--Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, therefore making your metabolic rate higher. The more toned you are, the easier it will be to control your weight.

Boost your stamina--You wont get tired as easily. Things you do on a daily basis will slowly start to feel      easier as you do them. Ex...not feeling out of breath or have tired legs after walking up the stairs.

Help manage chronic conditions-- By decreasing some of the signs and symptoms of conditions such back pain, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and obesity

Sleep Improvement- It has been found that those with more muscle mass tend to fall asleep more quickly, 

   awaken less, and sleep longer. 

Confession time!! Just a few years back I never did any type of strength training. I was the girl who would go to the gym and do an hour of cardio. I just never knew! But over the last few weeks, I have seen the benefits of adding in some lifting into my routine. I can feel myself getting stronger each day. One of the reasons that I love Brazil Butt Lift so much is that they incorporate strength training right into the schedule! To be honest, I have learned to the the "burn". 

I hope you learned something you can apply to your life by reading this. I would love to hear from you, contact me anytime and I would love to chat!!! 

Brazil Butt Lift

So I decided that I needed something new & exciting to do this holiday season. I want to try and focus on something healthy and good for me rather than all the baked goods and holiday treats. I don't want to slack off and gain a bunch of weight over the holidays, just to have to lose it again in the new year. All that work put in and in just a few weeks it can all be destroyed. Seriously, how many of us go to multiple Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners??? It can be easy to get off track, but we gotta stay strong this season!!!

It always exciting to start a new Beachbody program....so I went searching for one and found this!!!

 My midsection has always been a "problem area" for me. Especially after having my first baby last year.....I swear my hips have widened so much!!! This program is designed to slim your thighs, reduce your hip size & saddlebag area all without bulking up your thighs too much! One of the things that I am looking forward to is that this program has music in it! I love music while working out....it makes the time go faster! Plus, its fun!!

So what comes with the program????
-6 workouts on 3 dvds
-Booty makeover guide
-Booty makeover calender
-Bootylicious Fat-burning food guide
-Triangular training workout cards
-Measurement tracker and tape measure

Plus....
-6 day supermodel slim-down plan
-Booty strength band
-Bum Bum Rapido workout
-Leandro's secret weapon 20-min workout
-FREE online support

I'm super excited to start this program and cant wait for it to arrive in the mail!!! If you have any questions or want to do it with me you can email me directly anytime at savko.christine@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!!!

Super Nutritious Green Smoothie

Super Nutritous Green Smoothie

Up until recently I was never one to make my own smoothies. I had no idea where to start, what to mix together or how much. Then one day I saw this recipe posted on facebook and thought I would give it a try. I'm so glad I did!!! So here it is....

2 cups kale
2 cups spinach
1 green apple
1cup frozen pineapple
8 oz water to blend

Chop up spinach, kale and apple. Mix all ingredients in blender and enjoy!!!!
It's very healthy and tastes so good! I have one at least 3 times a week. It makes a perfect and quick snack! Even my 1 year old son loves it!!! Hope you enjoy!!

Clean Eating Snack Ideas

As a mom of 2 things can get very busy! I'm always looking for quick healthy snacks for me and the kids! One of the problems I had was that the kids would always get hungry when we would be out in the car traveling from place to place or just running errands... It was so much easier just to stop at a fast food place. But.... Now I don't do that anymore!

I found a medium sized insulated bag that I fill with small containers of pre cut snacks. Watermelon, pears, oranges and yogurt is what I mostly pack in it. That has always been enough to hold over the kids and I until we get home to make a real meal!!!
So here are some ideas.....

Clean eating snacks

*1 cut apple with 1tbs of natural peanut butter
*1 cut apple and 14 raw unsaltes almonds
*1 cup baby carrots 1-2tbs hummus
*2 plain brown rice cakes with 1-2 tbs of natural peanut butter
*1 cup strawberries and a handful of raw unsalted cashews
*Shakeology
*2 cups celery with 1-2 tbs natural peanut butter
*1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup blueberries
*1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup berries (drizzle of agave nectar to add sweetness)
*1/2 sliced Banana on top of whole wheat bread with 1tbs natural peanut butter-- my favorite!!!!

I hope this face you some good ideas for some quick healthy snacks! Feel free to comment with any other healthy suggestions!!!!

Ever Thought of Becoming A Beachbody Coach?

Ever thought "What is a Beachbody Coach all about?" I certainly have. I joined as a Beachbody coach back in Feb 2013 after joining a free challenge group and ending up losing 10 pounds that month!! At first, I'll be honest, I joined just for the 25% discount on Shakeology. I was involved in several more challenge groups where I basically just watched everyone else's success. I couldn't figure out why the same wasn't happening for me. So after 4 months ( I cant believe it took me that ling!) I sat down one night and took a look at what I was doing. I was working out whenever I felt like it and eating healthy only "most days" and most important I was not drinking Shakeology daily. Duh! No wonder I was not seeing results!

A day or so later I received a message from my coach. She asked how everything was going and I was honest and told her I was struggling and was way off track. She responded with something so simple... But it was exactly what I needed! She simply said "I really hope you get on track..I really think this will be great for you". That was my "Ah ha!" moment. I knew she believed in me which meant so much! Since then, I have been running small challenge groups (been actively involved in them), eating clean, working out, drinking Shakeology and doing it CONSISTENTLY!!! I'm down 22 pounds and have formed meaningful lasting relationships with others:-) I have more energy than I ever have. That's a big deal for be because I work night shift and have a 1 year old so I need to keep up with him!

My whole point for telling my story is to let you know that everyone struggles & everyone needs support. That's what Beachbody coaching is all about! Working with others and supporting one another to work towards your goals! If this sounds anything like you I would love to hear from you! We will work as a team to reach your goals! You won't be disappointed!!

Eat Clean Support Group

So I have been eating clean for a few months now. It has taken time and patience, along with they desire to really want to learn how to eat healthier. I can truly say this, I have noticed amazing changes in my food cravings, energy and weight loss! I would love to continue learning how to eat clean and share the knowledge I already have with you! It's always more fun with a group of people exited about the same thing.

I am going to start my Facebook support group on November 4th. If you are interested please message me on facebook or shoot me a quick Email! 

Lets learn together and grow together! Lets be an example for others to look up to! Our kids, neighbors, co-workers, spouses, parents... Everyone! We all deserve to be putting the best of the best into our bodies and feel the greatest we ever have!!!!

Lets do this!!

Do "Consistency" and "Diet" Belong in the Same Sentence??

Ok so first of all.... If you call what your doing a "diet", your most likely going to think of it that way.  "Diets" only tend to last for awhile, or end up being something you decide to do when you need to drop a few pounds for a wedding, date, vacation...etc....

What I have realized is that when you finally commit to learning about eating healthy, it has to become a lifestyle change to actually work. You kind of have to look at food and how you react to it in a totally different way. Food isn't here to make us happy. Although I know a lot of times we may use it as comfort:-) Food is here to fuel our body's and give us the energy to get up every day and go out and be the best we can!!

Nowadays, everything is for convince. People tend not to like spending large amounts of time on anything... The faster the better. I think we need to slow down for a minute and look at a few things that can help us improve our healthy eating habits!

1. Develop an eating plan for the week!

I started making meal plans a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, they save me so much time!! No searching through the cupboards, wondering what I'm going to eat and when. It's all layed out for you!  I include breakfast (within 1 hour of waking), snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. If you we're counting... That's 6 small meals a day! Eating every few hours sends a signal to your metabolism to speed up. The more often you eat, the more often your metabolism increases and burns fat!!

2.Keep it Interesting!

Look up new recipes... or ask around for them! Most people love to share a new discovery of a wonderful healthy recipe!! I have to admit, I kind of like eating the same thing day after day, I know what to expect that way. But, since I started trying 1 new recipe a week, I have broadened my horizon on what I eat! Variety is always good!!

3.Designate a cheat meal!

By doing this, it is already planned out, not spur of the moment. Include it in your weekly meal plan!   That way we know its coming and we can use it as motivation to eat well until our cheat meal. For me, it keeps me from going crazy. Sometimes you have to just slip up a bit and grab something that may not be that healthy. Ya know what!?  That's completely ok!!! The important thing is that you don't let a cheat meal turn into a cheat day, then cheat weekend, then before you know it, it will be a cheat week!! If you ever feel like you messed up on your healthy eating just brush yourself off! Get up! And keep moving forward! No one was ever successful at anything with set backs.

4. Surround yourself with like minded others

Support groups were one of the main reasons that I have been able to continue to eat healthy and lose weight. Ya know why? Chances are whatever you are feeling, someone else had that same feeling at one time to. They can tell you how they got through it. We keep each other motivated about life in general and hold each other accountable. We share recipes and tips! When we set goals... We all work together to help all of us reach them! It's truly amazing!  If this sounds like something you would be interested in I would love to work with you!! You can contact me and I would absolutely love to talk to you about how we can reach your goals!!!

5. CONSISTENCY

You need to be consistent if you want to see any type of results. You wouldn't just go to work 2 out of 5 days a week and expect to get paid for 5 days would you? You get out if this what you put in. Yes, it can be difficult and I promise you will have bad days. But that is why we have support groups. You aren't alone in this. We are all working towards the same goal... Being healthy!!!

What is this whole "Clean Eating" thing??

So when I started paying attention to what I was eating, I decided to follow "clean eating". I didn't know what the heck that was. But I knew I could learn. So I researched it. It turned out to be very simple in fact. "Clean eating" is mostly about eating "real" foods. Ya know.. Things without artificial flavoring, artificial coloring and sugar substitutes. The less the ingredient list the better!


 Seemed easy enough! But I very quickly learned that changing the way I ate would be a process. I wasn't one of those people out there that could just turn my diet completely around all at one time. So I did it slowly and learned a few things along the way...

 1. Try switching one food out each week ( I started by switching to whole grain pasta, quinoa, and barley instead of white pasta and white rice) This way you get used to eating healthier and its not as much of a shock.

 2. You may not like everything you try, but don't get discouraged! Play around with new recipes. (I found very quickly that I was not a fan of quinoa... But I finally found a stir fry recipe that I loved!) Trying several new recipes a week was too overwhelming for me. Plus I didn't have all the ingredients in the cupboards. So I decided to try 1 new recipe a week.

 3.Always stock up on fresh or frozen fruits and veggies! There are so many different fruits and veggies out there! Not until I took the time to look did I realize what I was missing out on. Things as simple as blackberries, watermelon and pineapple were things I overlooked before while shopping because my cart was filled with other unhealthy food

 4.Lastly I learned to shop on the perimeters of the grocery store. Did you ever notice that most fresh foods are on the outskirts??


I didn't! Now, not all the food you will need is on the outskirts but alot of it is:-

I hope you learned something from this! I'm still continuing to learn every day and will continue to share with you on my journey!!!

My new lifestyle change

A few months ago, I was a totally different person. Unhappy, depressed, stuffing my face with whatever I could find and overweight. Today, I still am overweight, but losing the pounds fast! I'm active, happy and think carefully about what I put into my body. A friend asked me to join a Facebook "challenge" group back in March. It consisted drinking Shakeology, doing a fitness program from Beachbody, and participating in a closed facebook group. For those of you who may not be familiar with private groups (I wasn't at all), there's private groups on facebook where only certain people are involved (whoever creates the group will "add" the member), and everyone can interact and support one another there.

Now I thought that was cool. Where else could I get motivation and support while trying to lose weight! So I joined! I'm going to be honest. I kind of "watched" for the first few groups I was in. Didn't post everyday a what workout I did, how I felt or what I ate. As I think back now that's probably because I wasn't doing what I said I would. I wasn't working out  consistently, or making healthy food choices.  But after awhile of watching everyone and seeing how great everyone's results were, I decided it was time to make a change!

Now, by this time it was July... Better late than never right!! I started drinking Shakeology daily, doing my workouts and paying attention to what I ate(most of the time). I couldn't believe it! In the first 2 months I lost 15 lbs!!! I was so exited! I knew I could do better so now I'm currently learning to "eat clean". It's all a learning process, but I have a feeling it will be worth it in the end. I would love to work with you and reach your goals!!! Feel free to email Savko.christine@gmail.com with any questions!