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Because I'm a total sucker for Valentines day, Im excited to share with you some last minute ideas sure to surprise the lucky lady in your life.  

Quit Counting Calories

It's funny to sit here and reflect on everything I "use" to know about health and fitness before my coaching days.  I was probably like a lot of you.  I can remember so clearly sitting in health class even from the time I was in the third grade learning about the food pyramid and even years later being fed the idea that "calories in and calories out" reflected weight loss or gain.  Even shortly after I was married I discovered the My Fitness Pal app and would use that sucker to track EVERYTHING I ate and every bit of exercise I did, trying to get those numbers to match perfectly so they would surly equate to some kind of weight loss.  But honestly, all it made me do was run miles around the neighborhood while never really experiencing true results.

A couple of years went by and I would cycle in and out of this silly routine until FINALLY taking a chance on the oh so popular 21 Day Fix program from Beachbody.  And then FINALLY things started to make so much more sense.  You see this program focuses so much on nutrition and portion control that once I ditched my old mentality of constantly worrying about calories, change was finally taking place.  Following the simple eating plan of color coded containers, I was able to better balance my daily nutrition while re-training my brain to look at food differently.  And to be honest the hard part for me was that it felt like too much food.  So when I replaced carb and sugar loaded foods with my veggies and proteins and quit running myself ragged on the treadmill, I was finally feeling full and satisfied and results started happening.  

So if this concept of counting containers vs. calories is new to you, allow me to give you a little demonstration of what it should look like exactly. 

I give you one of my favorite meals to have on the run. The Chick-Fil-A Grilled Market Salad coming in at over 400 calories.  Now over all its really not that huge of a calorie count but I was surprised when I decided to measure things out with my containers what I found.

Overall Chick-Fil-A was pretty spot on with portion control with the exception of the leafy greens and the dressing.  When I portioned everything out according to what I've learned thus far it was amazing to see.

And then it was more fun for me to put this sucker back together and see what my favorite on the go salad should look like. Like I mentioned before Chick-Fil-A was pretty spot on.  I was left over with about a cup of greens and maybe 1/4 of the packet of dressing.  In the end it was plenty of food.  I felt full and satisfied with a healthy on the fly lunch.  I invite you to come learn more about portion control containers in a live Facebook event on Thursday February 9th at 1:00 MST. Its easy to join, just go like my page Lauren Mair Pretty Strong and turn on your notifications.  I'd love to see some friendly faces and will be excited to answer all your questions!  And trust me I always make this event worth your time (hint hint----a giveaway).  Sp join me to find out how! 

So Sick of Shakeology

Almost 3 years you guys!!!!  Thats how long I have been a member of this amazing Team Beachbody coaching family, and for the last year of that relationship I all but gave up on their key tool for weight loss and overall health and wellness.  Shakeology... have you ever heard of it? haha, I guarantee you follow at least 2-3 people thru Facebook and Instagram, probably coaches, kissing and loving on their "healthiest meal of the day."  I too was super pumped about the nutrients this drink carried, along with the grams of protein and the reputation that Beachbody has for truly doing their homework and only using super foods and the farms they are grown on that meet their standards of quality.  Im nervous that you may be reading this with a tone of sarcasm, I promise you I'm not being sarcastic!  This is true, all of it.  I tried my first bag knowing that if I didn't like it I could return it (and with what that thing cost me I made sure I could return it haha).  I don't know if it was a good or bad thing that i ended up loving the product and continued to receive shipments of it every month.  Meaning that our grocery budget had to be played with a little so we could make it work, but I'm glad my will found a way!  I was even inducted into a special cool kids only kind of club that celebrated those who drank the thing for a whole year.... Ya I'm 365er!

But back in September as I hosted a challenge group (fancy group for others wanting to workout and drink their shake) drinking that thing 5 days a week almost killed me.  I mean to the point where if I had to blend up one more serving of vegan chocolate shake for breakfast I was gonna puke!  And dang it, I finished that group by the skin of my teeth, cashed in my winning check and washed my hands of it.  

SO WHY???  WHY WAS I HATING THIS AMAZING, NOT CHEAP,  HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS TOOL, MOOD BALANCER, ENERGY GIVER, APPETITE SUPPRESSER, SOURCE FOR EVERY NUTRIENT YOU EVER NEED TO GET YOU THRU YOUR BUSY, CRAZY HECTIC DAY???

WHAT GIVES?

The benefits of this shake never really did quit working for me.  One cannot read that label on the back of the bag and shake their heads at it.  Its PURE nutritious gold people!!!! And it's delivered in one scoop, with added water or almond milk, a little ice and really anything else you want to jazz it up with.  Its always been enough to fill me up.  It's always been enough to keep me "regular" and its always been enough to help me maintain a healthy weight.

It really all came down to one last reason.... and that being the silliest, excuse of all mankind.  It was the TASTE!!!!!!  I said it before, the vegan chocolate shake was going to kill me with its nutritious, powdery goodness.  Even thinking about it makes me turn my nose up at.  I was experiencing a real live "too much of a good thing" dilemma.  The same things happen to me when I'm stuck in the same workout routine.  Variety you guys, is the key to keeping it consistent.

When i was ready to re-commit to myself for 2017 that meant re-committing to a shake that i knew and already experienced to help get me to where i wanted to be.  I no longer belong to chocolate shake land, but have moved onto the many different and delicious flavors offered by Beachbody.  Lesson learned, do not allow monotony or the lack of variety in your lives keep you from getting to where you want to go.  We MUST shake up our workout, do things that scare us, get comfortable being uncomfortable and continue to always be trying new things in order to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.




 

Non Scale VICTORY!!!!

Doing a happy dance this Monday morning in my bathroom, not because of the stupid (unpredictable) scale that taunts me, but because I whipped out my measuring tape and to my utter surprise discovered I am 2 weeks into my Masters Hammer and Chisel program and DOWN 3 inches in my waist!!!!!!

Can I get a high five over here???  So what does that look like?  Its been early morning workouts, saying NO WAY to sugar and soda and being committed not to this program itself, but to me! Something wonderful has been happening in that my workouts which were once very easily put off due to sleeping in, are now becoming apart of a morning ritual that i cannot start my day without!  It is becoming a learned habit to set that alarm and get my booty moving first thing.

It is also a wonderful reminder that victories in your journey are not dependent on that scale alone!!  Im only down 4 pounds since i started, its a 4 pounds i'll gladly take but to be honest I don't really have a lot of weight to loose to begin with.  And I don't really want to "loose weight".  My major goal in starting was to just feel better in my tight jeans, and tone out my arms and tummy.  I am well on my way especially heading into week 3!

My week 2 Meal plan, still working on building muscle before I switch things up next week to lean out baby!!!

Healthy Dinners On The C H E A P!

One of the biggest objections I hear during my time with challengers on their health and fitness journeys are how hard it is on their budget when they make the switch to clean un-processed eating.  Its a fair argument and honestly I agree.  It takes loads of time to plan, prep and shop ads, specials and even price match in order to feed our families, while providing the best nutritious meals to help them grow and keep them strong and healthy.  I cannot argue with that. Its hard and it takes creativity to keep things flavorful and fun and sometimes it means weekly shopping trips instead of the 1-2 time a month that obviously is much more convenient.  But give yourself some credit here.  Nothing worth having ever cam easy including keeping a healthy diet on a health budget.  It takes discipline, and hard work and with time it totally gets  easier.

On weeks where things feel tighter than usual I turn to a handful of quick, super easy and super cheap meals I keep in my back pocket to make our dollar stretch a little further while also keeping it clean and healthy.  

1 lb. Chicken breasts or tenders

1 tbsp Avocado oil

1 Lemon

2 tbsp. Italian dressing Mix to coat chicken (don't add the sugar)

Frozen organic veggies (Favorite is a giant bag from Costco, it will last us several easy meals)

- Heat oil in pan over med/high heat.  

- Coat chicken in lemon juice and italian dressing mix.  

- Cook chicken in oil until browned.  

- Cook veggies by steaming or roasting in oven with salt band pepper.

 1 lb. Chicken breast

 Juice of 4 limes for marinade

 1 tsp. Minced garlic

 Salt and pepper to taste

 3-4 Sliced bell peppers

 Sliced onion

Whole wheat tortillas OR butter lettuce

- Marinate chicken in juice of 3 limes, minced garlic and salt and pepper for 30 minutes

- Cook chicken on high heat until browned.  

- Remove chicken and finely slice.

- Sauté veggies until tender in separate larger pan.  

- Add chicken to veggies and finish with Juice of 1 lime.  

- Serve in a warmed tortilla or leaf of butter lettuce. 

1 Box whole wheat pasta

1 Can italian diced tomatoes (drained)

3-4 Cups fresh baby spinach

Italian turkey sausage 

1-2 Handfuls shredded mozzarella cheese

- Slice sausage and cook until browned over med/high heat

- Boil pasta in a large pot until al dente. 

- Drain pasta then return to pot and add can of diced tomatoes spinach, cooked sausage.

- Cook down until spinach has wilted and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. 

3 Pounds??? I'll Take it!!!

Week one ya'll in one word was AMAZING!!!!  But naturally with anything new I get that super excited feeling.  I think you could call it adrenaline but for me its my new starts butterflies.  Its partially why I have labeled myself a chronic goal started, but seldom goal finisher.  I get distracted easily by those new starts feels, and so ya, week one was amazing! My goal for myself this week?  Don't cave on the soda, and pack a lunch.

Im really no different from a lot of you.  The holidays hit me hard in the sweets and treats department.  I continued to exercise regularly like I typically do, but boy I got lazy with my nutrition.  Would you believe me if I admitted to frequenting the convenient store across the street form my salon on a daily basis for a 32oz Coke and bag of my favorite Cheetos or Salt and Vinegar Chips?  I know you feel me.  It was cheap, easy and honestly would be enough to get me through my 8 hour day of being on my feet.

It was no wonder that stepping on the scale and seeing that I probably weighed the heaviest in my whole 7 year marriage kinda brought me down.  But it really wan't that number alone.  My jeans were mega tight and I was tiered, like ALL THE TIME!  Something inside me just woke up again.  I knew this Health Bet that Beachbody was sponsoring might be the kind of accountability and reward i know i needed to whip everything back into shape.  Im hanging with the funniest and coolest ladies and friends I have and they are keeping me on track. So much so that I'm dancing in my bedroom in the mornings over a silly 3 lbs. weight loss! Ya'll can talk that up to being "water weight" but already my tummy feels flatter and my jeans feel easier to slide into.

So JUST TO RECAP---- Cutting all the soda and "most of the sugar" out of my week, working out everyday and packing my lunch has given me 3 lbs. of weight loss, easier fitting jeans, more energy and a whole lot to be excited about, perhaps enough to keep me at it for another week.

This is a sample of what we ate at out house this week.  And just a little insight into what i've planned for myself.  This program gives you options of meal plans based on your goals including building muscle, maintaing your weight or leaning out.  IF all goes as planned, Im taking the next two weeks to eat up and build more muscle, then switch to a leaner meal plane to shred off anything lingering that i don't want haha.  Please leave questions below or comment over on my insta, @laurenmair.

Next weeks goals: NO SUGAR TILL SATURDAY, and read everyday out of this new book i started called Staring With Why.

Favorite Prepping Practices

Tomorrow kicks off the second EVER Health Bet put on by health and fitness giant Team Beachbody.    Its an amazing commitment from this company to help those of us who require a little monetary motivation to get at it and finish the programs we set out to do.  So my weekend has been mostly spent pouring over favorite recipe books, compiling meal ideas and grocery lists all in prep to earn myself a little paycheck while leaning up a little.

Here is a little sneak peak into my favorite prepping practices to make for a fail proof week!

*Side Note- Our daily meals revolves around Beachbody's container system.
Click Here to lean more about counting containers and NOT calories.

1. Meal planning with Carrie Elle Planners

Hands down, cute journals and planners make for way more fun when meal planning.  The Meal Planner and 21 Day Fix Wellness Day Journal from this website are two of my favorite tools when mapping out what my week will look like nutrition wise. 

2. Schedule your workouts 

My workouts go one by one into my phones calendar with an alarm to remind me its time to get after it.  Workouts need to be scheduled, give them a name AND a time for everyday of the week.  Take it a step further and do some homework and find out how long each workout is so you can plan accordingly.  

3. Put that meal plan where you can see it! 

Typing out and printing our weeks dinner plan makes my life so easy.  We slap this sucker on our fridge so both my husband and i are on the same page for dinner nights. This helps keep us accountable for times where we are feeling weak and want to resort to doing takeout.  

*Side Note- Meal planning for me mostly looks like the above image.  Things get too complicated and too stressful when i try to plan out the week down to every last snack.  I want more flexibility than committing to a banana for lunch on a Friday when its a Sunday.  Thats where my Daily meal journal  comes into play each morning.  I take into consideration whats for dinner then plan my containers around that.

Fixing It Extreme >>> My 21 Day Fix Extreme Review

As a graduate of its little sister program, 21 Day Fix I've gotta say 21 Day Fix EXTREME is totally my jam!  More intense workouts, more intense eating plan and way more intense results.  We're talking a weighted cardio, whole body workout designed by a former bikini competitor.  For me, I'm someone who is already active and had goals of leaning out and toning up.  This was a quick 21 days that seriously tested me and got me the results I was after.  So lets lay it out and give you a full review of what to expect when signing onto this 21 day program. 

Who is it for?

- Anyone wanting to loose extra weight while toning up.

- Anyone with little time to shape up for upcoming events like a wedding, vacation or reunion.

-Anyone who needs help dialing in nutrition and learning better portion control habits. 

What does the challenge pack include?

- 6 workouts with a bonus workout gifted from your personally sponsored FREE coach (all only 30 minutes). 

- Simple to follow portion control eating guide. 

- Count down to competition eating guide (way more dialed in to give you extreme results).

- Portion control color coded containers to measure food.

- Step by step guide of how to use the containers and measure your success. 

- 30 Days of a nutrient dense meal replacement shake to help achieve results.

- Shakeology shaker Cup.

- Free 30 day membership to Beachbody On Demand streaming service to access your 21 Day Fix Extreme program and hundreds of others.

-FREE support from your personally sponsored Team Beachody coach (ME!) who will mentor you thru your program.

Have On Hand: 

- Set of heavy and light weights (I range from 7 lbs.-12 lbs.)

- A resistance band

The greatest thing this program did for me was give me the confidence that I CAN DO HARD THINGS like say NO to sugar.  Nutrition is definitely the hardest part for me in any program and i will credit this system along with support form others doing this program right along side me in helping me curb off sugar and junk food in the name of achieving my goals.  As a big fan of this program i want to work with you in deciding if this program would be something for you.  Please contact me thru the "Let's Talk" tab at the top of the blog and we will be in touch shortly.

Before: August 1,  2016            After August 29, 2016

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Muffin Berry Breakfast Bowl

I am the self professed simple (yet delicious) breakfast queen.  Its hands down my favorite meal of the day and I'm all about making it quick and simple, especially on mornings where I ain't got time.  I know I'm not alone in that and I think thats why I got so many questions about this breakfast bowl i snapped a picture of on my Instagram. You asked people and so I share... my Muffin Berry Breakfast Bowl!

These muffins are an incredible creations from my dear friend over at Itsmesidnee.com.  She did the hard work of trial and error and came up with this household staple for us, her Banana Oat Muffins.

Banana Oat Muffins

2 1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup plain greek yogurt

2 eggs

1/2 cup raw natural honey

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon (or 1/2 cinnamon 1/2 nutmeg)

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed OR vanilla shakeology 

2 ripe bananas

**Mix together in a blender (trust me, blender only).  Fill coated muffin tins with 1/4 cup mixture and bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes.  

** If you are a a container counter, mark 2 small muffins as a yellow

To assemble the bowl, break up two muffins and drizzle with almond butter and top with fresh berries.  Not much more to it than that!  

GET PAID to get fit in September!

As many of you know i run monthly support and accountability groups that are health, fitness and wellness based as a free service to those of you who ready to take on their own health!  And by far the MOST exciting group i've EVER been privileged to host is going down.... LIKE FOR REAL starting September, 5th and you need to be apart of it!

I think we can all agree the summer has been one to die for! We ate our hearts out at the fair and the amusement/water parks.  We played with our families on campouts and reunions, slept in and stayed out all night.  Its the stuff summers should be made of, but the air is getting cooler and those kiddies are back in school which means its time to get back at it and take control of our health again.  Sometimes though we need that little extra motivation to get us back in the saddle again.  I've been there too and Beachbody wants to thicken the pot a little and give you that extra push to get your booty up off the couch and get at it!  They have created the Beachbody Health Bet and are allowing ME as a coach to bring along my friends who are ready to take on their health and fitness by PAYING them to do so!

What is the health bet?
Its a $1-3 Million pool that Beachbody created from their own pockets as a reward to those who do weekly workouts AND who commit to staying on top of clean eating and super foods in the month of September.  The pot started with a generous $1 Million and they are adding $5 per challenge pack sold during the month of August.  The pot will cap off at $3 Million.  Whats a challenge pack?  The basic tools for success in your journey to health and fitness.  Its a favorite workout program, nutrition guide and 30 days of the dense superfood nutrient shake, Shakeology.  This giant pool of money will be distributed equally to those those who committed to the 4 week challenge and completed it all by simply doing their at home workouts and drinking their shake.... Thats all to it folks!

Space is limited in the group, so to be considered please fill out this APPLICATION.  We will be in touch shortly and get you going on the right foot for your journey, and get you paid!

To to sum it up:

1. Take back your health in the month of September.
2. Transform your body with at home workouts.
3. Simplify your nutrition with a dense superfood nutrient shake.
4. Look and feel amazing while getting support. 
5. MAKE MONEY!!!! 

Anyone can join!  Past, Present, Future Challengers.  

What do you have to loose?

For added info watch this and also learn how to win a little prize for being the first to fill out the health bet application..... Watch to learn more!

Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Making it thru 21 days of sugar free treats is by far the hardest part of the 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme programs, at least if you are a real human being who admits to more than on occasion eating dessert for breakfast.  

But something I'm learning while on this journey of cleaning up my diet and ditching the junk and sugar, is that there are 100% real ways to make REAL delicious treats that are free from the harmful chemicals and addicting properties like that white grainy stuff... SUGAR!

If you own or are planning on owning any programs that follow Autumn Calabrese's container system grabbing a copy of her Fixate cookbook is something everyone should think about! Im talking if you struggle with meal planning or prepping because of "complicated" ingredient lists AND THEN adding container counts in with all that... do yourself a favor and take most of the work out of it with this book.  Might I also mentioned that in July at Team Beachbody's largest coaching event... 

A FIXATE COOKING SHOW WAS ANNOUNCED TO LAUNCH THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 19TH!!!

YOU GUYS THIS IS HUGE!  More recipes, more container counts, everything kid approved by Autumns adorable son and all available thru your Team Beachbody's on demand service.  Its something for everyone, and going to be a valuable tool in moving more people toward their goal of health and wellness in a more delicious way.

Okay now onto way you're really here!  I give you a sneak peak into a favorite recipe from Autumn Calabrese cookbook Fixate with my own little spin on it.  

Peanut Butter Dream Bars: 
Serving: 1 square bar 1 Yellow 2 1/2 tsp

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups  all-natural Smooth peanut butter 
• 1/4 cup  crushed peanuts
• 1/2 cup  raw honey
• 2 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp.  baking soda, gluten-free

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Lightly coat 8x8 inch baking pan with spray.  Set aside.

Combine peanut butter, honey, extract, eggs, and baking soda in a large bowl; mix well until thick.

Evenly spread batter into prepared pan.  Smooth with spatula and top with crushed peanuts.

Bake for 20-23 minutes. 

Allow bars to continue to cook while cooling in pan.

Cut and serve! 

Sunshine and Summertime

Our long awaited San Diego trip was over all too soon.  We had the best time seeing Taylor Swift in concert and staying in a beautiful condo right on the beach.  I really would trade these high mountain tops in Utah for the rolling ocean waves and warm sand.  We were doing pretty well at filling all our free time, but while at church on Sunday Andy turned to me and asked, "Do you want to go to Disneyland tomorrow?" Is that even a question?  So we added a little quick unplanned trip to the happiest place on earth.

We feel very grateful for a summer filled with new experiences and are even more grateful to have Andy home from working on the Oakland Temple.  And now that he is home we've got a lot a work to get done on this new house of ours!