12 Tips for Buying Healthy Food on a Budget (AND FREE 21 DAY FIX SHOPPING LIST AND MENUS)

Yes. A couple avocados do cost more than a super-size bag of cheesy poofs. Healthy food can be more expensive than processed food. But it doesn't have to be. Before I show you the math, let me ask:

Green Tea Matcha and Honey Shakeology Mug Cake

Yep, it's green. And kinda weird. But you may have fallen in love with matcha just like I have.

Matcha is whole green tea leaves ground to a fine powder. They use it at Starbucks for their green tea lattes. It doesn't have sugar in it naturally though. Starbucks adds all that. 

Matcha has a number of health benefits. The amino acid L-theanine helps you focus without jitters. There is natural caffeine in it, but the kind that will give you a longer lasting and more measured energy. There are tons of antioxidants in it and basically all the stuff in green tea x100 because you're eating the whole leaf. 

Here's my recipe for my matcha mug cake...

My Fitness Journey with the 21 Day Fix and Beachbody

My Fitness Journey

It's easy to look at someone and think they have it all together. Think they have it figured out. You compare yourself to them and feel like your own goals are simply unattainable. But what we see is often the 'highlight' reel of someone else's life. It's them at their best. How many selfies do you take and delete before uber-editing and posting the perfect one? See??? I wasn't always fit. This life is NEW to me. And I'm still stumbling. I want you to know where I came from. Know that it's an everyday struggle against emotional eating and confidence issues. Know that if I can do it, so can you. 

Open-Face Egg and Spinach Sandwich

Quick and easy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I think I've mentioned before that I'm kind of obsessed with eggs. The egg people should sponsor me. Just saying.

What Equipment Do You Need for the 21 Day Fix?

This is part of the 21 Day Fix Basics series. If you're just getting started with the 21 Day Fix or are curious as to what you would need if you did it, here's your answer...

What Equipment Do You Need for the 21 Day Fix?

The best part (at least for me) about the Beachbody programs is that they can be done from your own living room, basement, extra bedroom, etc. Case in point, me in my living room...

So let's start with the obvious...

How do I watch it? 

Beachbody Coach Summit 2015 - The Best Part of Beachbody Coaching

Like any business, there are frustrating low parts to being Beachbody coach. Being told 'No' for the 15th time that week, feeling like no one is interested in this amazing opportunity you're trying to share, talking when you feel like no one is really listening. Yes, there are low points. 

But then there are the high points that make up for all of it. Having a friend tell you they are wearing their pre-pregnancy pants again. Seeing a family member understand healthy eating and knowing it's going to lengthen the years that you have with them. And going to Beachbody Coach Summit. 

21 Day Fix and Extreme Full and Half Marathon Training Plans

You asked, and you shall receive. In response to my post on my own training plan for my full marathon on November 8 (read it here), I got several requests for plans involving half marathons or the 21 Day Fix Extreme program.

So....VOILA! Here is ALL FOUR, along with tips that I have provided for the adapting the eating plan to your training...

Eating Plan Tips...

Half Marathon Eating Plan Tips:

* Eat an extra yellow container (a quality one like quinoa or sweet potato) the night before your long runs over 5 miles. Eat 2 extra high quality yellows for two days before the big race. ‘Carbing up’ shouldn’t be taken to excess. It can hinder more than help if you’ve got too much in your stomach.

* Don’t bother to count the race fuel you take in (race gels, etc.) during your long runs. As long as you aren’t taking them excessively, you will be burning off whatever you take in. If this is your first half, you may get super excited about all this, but don’t get too eager about the race gels. You probably don’t need one until about 1 hour in. And then every 30-45 minutes past that. Make sure to test the gel/fuel you will eat for your race BEFORE your actual race. Some of it causes stomach cramps for some people. You do not want to discover that you’re one of them on race day. Porta-potties + stomach cramps = personal hell.

* Bump up one calorie level in your Fix eating plan, just for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, after week 7. Bump up earlier if you are getting ravenously hungry or feeling drained. You shouldn’t need the extra calories Monday through Thursday.

* If you need electrolytes, try electrolyte pills, tablets, NUUN tablets, or pink Himalayan sea salt as potential alternatives to sugary sports drinks. All-natural coconut water (count it as a yellow) also works well. 

Full Marathon Eating Plan Tips: 

* Eat an extra yellow container (a quality one like quinoa or sweet potato) the night before your long runs over 6 miles. Eat 2 extra high quality yellows for three days before the big race. ‘Carbing up’ shouldn’t be taken to excess. It can hinder more than help if you’ve got too much in your stomach.

* Don’t bother to count the race fuel you take in (race gels, etc.) during your long runs. As long as you aren’t taking them excessively, you will be burning off whatever you take in. If this is your first long race, you may get super excited about all this, but don’t get too eager about the race gels. You probably don’t need one until about 1 hour in. And then every 30-45 minutes past that. Make sure to test the gel/fuel you will eat for your race BEFORE your actual race. Some of it causes stomach cramps for some people. You do not want to discover that you’re one of them on race day. Porta-potties + stomach cramps = personal hell.

* Bump up one calorie level in your Fix eating plan after week 6. Bump up earlier if you are getting ravenously hungry or feeling drained.

* If you need electrolytes, try electrolyte pills, tablets, NUUN tablets, or pink Himalayan sea salt as potential alternatives to sugary sports drinks. All-natural coconut water (count it as a yellow) also works well.  

JOIN OUR TRAINING! 

If you're ready to run this with me, I'm training for a late fall race on November 8 in Pensacola, Florida. You don't have to be running the same race or even on the exact same date, but if it's close enough in time frame, then you need to join us! Connect with me on Facebook and let's get together!

21 Day Fix Marathon Hybrid Training Schedule

It's Ashlee's fault.

I've run a full marathon before. I finished it. It rained, nay...GUSHED on me the entire time. I'm glad I did it, but I really wasn't hot to do another one. I knew I probably needed to since the my only one was completed in such miserable conditions, but I was reluctant. Half marathons are definitely my long distance of choice. Long enough to be a challenge that you need to train for. Short enough that I don't get bored and/or think I'm going to die on the course. 

But there are those people who could ask you to bury a body, and you'd simply grab a shovel. So, my bestie Ashlee and I are going to be running a full marathon on November 8 in Pensacola. She's done the half marathon version of that race before and reported it as having great course support. So we're in. 

But I don't want to stop lifting . . .

I've had such awesome results and a great experience doing my morning weight-lifting workouts for the 21 Day Fix. I don't want to stop. I also don't really know if I have time to run more than 3 days a week. That's part of the reason I started the whole 30-minute home workout journey.

So I started searching for a 3 day a week marathon training program. Runner's World had an article about training just 3 days a week that I had seen before. (Check it out here if you want.) I liked the idea as it incorporated cross-training and had you running less. This past spring, I kind of did that by accident while running several half marathon races. And it worked well. I didn't have to be out pounding the pavement like I used to, but I felt even stronger and didn't suffer in my performance whatsoever. (Not that I'm super fast. At all.) I read up on the basic concepts and started drafting what you see below...

To address some things up front:

CIZE On My Vacation to Belgium and France

As I've written about recently, my husband and I went on a dream trip to Europe, starting in Belgium and ending up in Paris. We went to Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, saw the 200th anniversary battlefield reenactments at Waterloo, took the train to France, walked ALL over Paris, and even saw the Palace at Versailles. It was fantastic! Exhausting, but everything we had hoped for.

Before leaving, I had gotten into the preview workout for Beachbody's newest program, CIZE by ShaunT. It comes out on July 20! But there's a preview workout on Beachbody On Demand. It's called "You Got This," and features Bruno Mars' song "Treasure." I am NOT a professional dancer. I had some ballet lessons growing up, but that was a long time ago. This stuff is FUN, though, and it's a great workout.

I danced my way across Europe...



Have you tried CIZE yet? What did you think?

Motivation Mayday and Down Weeks

Let's be honest. Even those of us who get real super excited about things have down times. And THAT IS OKAY. 

Who stays at their peak all the time? No one. And it would probably be quite annoying after a while too, because it's not real. 

Lows and dips are normal, to be expected, and good for us. It should be a time to get refocused. If you've lost motivation and momentum, why? What changed? Or what needs to change? 

I've spent the past week doing a lot of sleeping, sneezing, snorting, hacking, and generally being miserable thanks to a nasty cold given to me by my husband. I lead reminded of s couple things during this time: 

1. If you feel like you might be able to workout, even just Pilates or a walk, do it. The adrenaline will make you feel better. 

2. If you can't imagine even getting off the couch because you're so sick, then don't! You're body needs sleep. Listen to your body. 

3. Off weeks are necessary to regroup. They aren't lost time. It's very useful and can launch you into your next 

phase. 

But don't let the sick downtime stretch into lethargy and complacency. Make plans. Watch inspirational YouTube videos. List out your goals. Read some personal development. And when you feel well again, you'll be ready to hit the ground running.