Easy, Clean-eating Breakfast

When you are attempting to lose weight, minding your nutrition is 70% of the battle (or so I've been told). This can be especially difficult when you are short on time-- you fall victim to to "picking something up" somewhere and you'll wind up taking in far more calories and getting off track.

This is a really, really simple, go-to breakfast I make in under 5 minutes. True. Under five.

So what is it? And how do I make it? What do you need?

1. Veggie burger
2. Avocado
3. Lime juice
4. Egg
5. Seasoning of your choice

The bottom is a veggie burger from Dr. Praeger's. I buy mine at Trader Joe's and there are usually several different kinds. This brand is my favorite because it isn't an attempt at fake-tasting meat, it's full veggie and that's what it tastes like.

So throw the veggie burger in the toaster while you cut up the avocado. I throw some lime juice and salt on the avocado so it doesn't brown and has better flavor. At the same time I poach an egg, but you can make it any way you like. I use THIS to poach eggs in the microwave in under a minute. It's also super easy to clean which I love :)

Once everything is cooked to your specifications, tower it up and throw some seasonings on top. I used salt, pepper, cilantro and green onions with a nice dollop of sriracha.

If you want something more substantial, you could put the whole thing inside an english muffin and take it to go! Hope this helps you stay on track.

Why Beachbody Programs Are Worth It

Ok, I'll just admit it. I am immensely cheap. If there is a cheaper way to do it, I will probably do it that way, and I'm pretty proud of that. So at first glance these Beachbody programs seem super expensive, but I'm going to explain why I made the investment in them and maybe it'll help you come to a decision. I will also touch on the "Challenge Packs" specifically towards the end that include Shakeology, and why I finally "bit the bullet" and paid for it.

Infinitely Cheaper Than a Gym Membership

I'm sure at one point or another, we've all bought a gym membership and convinced ourselves that we will use it often enough for it to be worth the money. I'm sure for some people it is. I am not one of the those people. 

When I was in law school I was a member of a rock climbing gym (which was completely awesome by the way-- it was not the gym's fault). I paid around $70 a month and here's the thing…I NEVER WENT. Basically I would just pay for the ability to go to that gym, but never actually go. I had a million excuses, and granted, some of them were decent (like I was crazy busy), but essentially I was just throwing a hefty chunk of money every month at something I honestly never used enough to make it worth it. Sure, that gym was awesome, but not awesome enough to drag me out of my house at night/in the early morning to do a workout-- especially with any consistency. So be TRULY HONEST with yourself about how likely it is that you will actually go, EVERY DAY, to achieve the results you want. 

With Beachbody programs, depending on the one I choose, I pay anywhere from $60-$200 bucks and then I OWN IT. It sits in my house, staring at me until I do it. I don't ever pay for it again. I paid once and I OWN IT. A gym membership is a constant drain for me. 

Infinitely More Convenient Than a Gym Membership

Ahhh, the eternal "I don't have time to workout" argument. We've all said it, some of us still actually believe it. Beachbody makes that a lot harder to believe. Here's the truth: it doesn't take THAT long to get great results from working out. If I have time to watch all of "Breaking Bad," I certainly have the time to do a 30 minute workout. I can even do it at the same time, so nice try at an excuse there!

For me, a gym makes it harder. I have to GO somewhere. I'm barely not lazy enough to do a workout in the first place! The thought of DRIVING across town or looking somewhat presentable is just added fodder for that whole "I don't have time" excuse. Plus I like to go to the gym when fewer people are there so I feel less on display, and then trying to hit that timeframe is a whole other issue! Going to a gym at 11pm as a solo female is not my favorite feeling. And if you want to hit a class-time that's a whole other thing! Some days I really just can't get there at that time, and then I savor that little excuse to avoid doing a workout at all that day. Unacceptable. When it's in my house I can do it whenever I have time. Do it, finish it. It's over before I would even have driven to my gym and I can immediately hop in the shower and be proud of myself for getting it done. Simple. 

Infinitely Better Results

I am not a fitness guru. Sure, I've done a lot of different workouts in my life, but the truth is that when I go to a gym I really have no specific routine and I don't know what to do. I even look stuff up online, but when I actually drag myself in there I just do it half-assedly and stare at the clock the whole time. When I leave, I feel more accomplished about actually "getting to the gym" than I do about putting the work in when I'm there. Truth be told, I don't FEEL like I DID anything. I don't have that great sense of accomplishment that comes from REALLY working out. Like "playing house" when you are little, I feel like I'm "playing gym." 

With Beachbody, 1) the trainers ARE INCREDIBLE. I love them and I have for years. I need that direction on my technique, I need those motivational words, and I need them showing me modifications until I improve. And MAN, do I improve. Quickly! And I owe that to them and their direction. 2) There is a set routine and all I have to do is that routine. Seems simple enough. On my own, however, I completely lose that sense of direction and feel like a poser. But here it is, right in front of me, and all I have to do it copy it. No half-assing it. Just copy it. 3) There will be moves and techniques you have NEVER done and NEVER seen before. I promise that. And the difference is that you will SEE RESULTS. Is that what you want? Results? Well, if you are anything like me, this is the way to do it. You will get them. Guaranteed. 

Perfect For People Who Prefer the Privacy of Their Own Homes to Workout

Along with those results comes some pretty hilarious displays of incompetence at first. There are certain things I will LOOK at and be like…"nope. Can't do that." If I were at a gym, I wouldn't even try so that other people couldn't see me fall on my face. At home, who cares?! 

And as trainer Tony Horton says, "do it ugly." I love that I get to do it ugly, with my hair all crazy and looking disgusting, because yeah, I admit, I'm way too vain to let that happen in public. This way I'm focusing on the moves and accomplishing the work, and not on the people around me or my incompetence. Win, win. 

Why Shakeology is Worth the Price

An added consideration when starting a program is joining a challenge group for accountability. If you do join the group, you have to drink Shakeology along the way, and that's a price in itself. Soon I will do a post about Shakeology specifically, and when I do I will link it HERE. 

I'll be honest, I've dabbled around in Beachbody for years. I was definitely in that first round of p90x when it first came out. I have avoided Shakeology like the plague. It was too expensive for me to even CONSIDER. That much for a protein drink?! You must be drunk...Well, this year I joined a challenge group and FINALLY "bit the bullet" and tried it. I figured I could at least TRY it once. If I didn't like it, I'd cancel it. 

I have officially drank the koolaid. I love Shakeology. 

Here's why:

1) As they say, it is "so much more than a protein drink"-- No really, it is. There is SO MUCH STUFF in it that it's crazy. It is a superfood drink of magical wonder. I have a thyroid condition and it's pretty severe. Over the last few years I have experimented with different supplements to try to support it and feel less fatigued. When I finally invested in Shakeology, it has TREMENDOUSLY supported my thyroid. I'm not sure specifically WHICH part of that supplement is working wonders, but it undeniably is. 

2) When I opened my cabinet of supplements, I realized that EVERY SINGLE ONE of them was in Shakeology. And more! It was the universe's way of laughing at me I think because I'd avoided the expense of Shakeology for years and went out and individually bought several supplements which cost me FAR MORE than buying Shakeology would have in the first place. Some of those supplements are over $50 each for a 30-day supply! I have all of them combined, plus more, plus a MEAL every day for $100. Seems smarter to me. 

3) It's helped me blast off those stubborn pounds. My goal weight is only about ten pounds lighter than I am right now. Getting those off has proven to be VERY ANNOYING. Shakeology has really helped me with that. I don't know why. I don't know how. I just know that it has. And it does. And it will until I reach my goal weight. And then it's just going to be this part of my day that makes me supercharged and feel like a person should :) 

Anyway, I'll end there today.

Contact me if you have any questions! 

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Why Did I Become a Beachbody Coach?

In less than one year I experienced the following things:
- I graduated from law school
- My grandmother passed away, and she was like a second mother to me
- I found out my husband was cheating on me (oh yeah, and I found out immediately before I walked for my graduation. Needless to say, that day was utterly terrible)
- I filed for divorce
- I enrolled for the July CA Bar Exam, then pushed it back because my life was so out of control-- still did the 2 months of prep though, and WHAT FUN THAT IS.
- I broke my nose
- Enrolled for the February CA Bar Exam, did a second round of 2 month prep, and sat for that horrendous 24 hour exam-- the mother of all exams.
- Lost most of my savings account to some weird auto-payment, student loan thing I still don't understand.

I've had a lot going on.

I am approaching the one year anniversary of the beginning of all these things, and as I do I can say proudly that I survived every damn one of them. And not only that, I became more resilient and more centered in who I am than I've ever been. I am a woman with a lot of conviction and, as the days go by, it's only getting stronger. Despite all of the issues I've had over the last year, I decided that I wanted to commit just as much effort to my physical health as all these other areas I'm dealing with. And truly, having the outlet has been extremely beneficial for me.

So why Beachbody? Well, years ago I tried p90x and succeeded for about thirty days. Essentially I'd get in "enough shape" and then quit. Then I'd do it again for a few weeks. Then I'd quit. Then again. Then quit. You get the point. So on one of these random tangents, I was up late and watching fitness motivation videos on youtube and came across Lindsay Matway (who later became my coach). This woman had incredible results and was so inspiring and awesome-- I probably watched this video at least 10 times over the last four years. So using the magic of the internet I contacted her and she became my coach.

Now, I was a crazy lunatic law student drowning in work and stress and self hatred, so by the time I decided to actually do a fitness challenge I was just getting ready to graduate. I applied for one of her challenges, I was excited, and I planned to do it during bar prep and become a DISCIPLINE MACHINE. Then, my marriage exploded.

During those first few weeks I never slept. I stayed up all night frantically researching divorce and what the hell I was going to do. In the midst of all of this, I sent Lindsay an email telling her that I wasn't sure I could continue the challenge, why I hadn't participated much, and what had been going on. I woke up the next morning to a voicemail from her. I remember thinking, "Wow! I don't even know this woman and she took the time to leave me a voicemail from some crazy midnight email!" And she did. And it made a huge difference for me. Even though I didn't know her at all, she took the time to personally call me and tell me that she was sorry for what was happening, that she wanted me to do whatever was best for me, and that she hoped that I would use the time to focus on myself and turn that energy into positive changes.

THAT is the reason I became a coach myself. This is about so much more than fitness. This is about striving to do the things you promised yourself you would do. This is about having discipline and determination even when there isn't a single part of you that cares anymore. This is about conquering your physical health, and thereby your mental and emotional health. And this is about the support you get from a team of people all trying to better themselves right alongside you. The people who take on one of the Beachbody programs have already decided they are willing to put the work in-- they have already decided that it is important to them. Like Lindsay, I want to be that person that tells you what you need to hear in exactly the moment you need to hear it. And like all of my team, I want to show you by example that if you put the effort into yourself, you really can succeed at anything you want.