BIG NEWS: What I've Been Working On...

I've been a little distracted and haven't posted lately. Why? Because I've been working!!!

There's some BIG changes coming.

1. This website is moving to a new domain! 

http://www.kristensosborne.blogspot.com is becoming...

www.fitfiercefight.com

I've been working on getting ALL of my posts moved over and am slowing changing all of the links inside my posts as well as the Pinterest links which send so many of you here. It's not completely finished yet, but it's live and functioning. 

When I've got all of the links done, you will get automatically redirected from this site to the new one. For now, BOTH are active. I'll only be posting new articles and updates on my new site, so make the move now! 

2. I'm branching out of my comfort zone and into the faith arena!

God and I had this weird conversation where I asked Him what my purpose in life was. 

While I didn't get a BIG answer, I did get a clear message that I need to start writing devotions and blending my faith into my fitness, teaching people about true transformation through Him. 

Wooooaaah.... That is way outside of my comfort zone. I immediately told God that was a bad idea. I'm not qualified. I don't have time. My hair hurts. And God, sounding kind of sassy in my head, retorted: "Well, YOU ASKED."

Can't argue with that. So, I've been doing a lot of reading the Bible and a lot of writing! 

September 8 is the big kickoff for my Faith and Fitness 21 Day Challenge. I run my challenge groups on Facebook, so jump over there to take part. It's open to EVERYONE. 

My 3-Day Refresh Results and Final Review

Straight to the point of the matter...

It works. I was definitely feeling a pooch coming on. I hold weight in my stomach. I always have. And weight tends to come back to the last place it was comfortable, kind of like an old barfly. 

My 3-Day Refresh Review: Day 3

I MADE IT! Look!!! The box is empty!

My third day went much better than the first two. I actually have a ton of energy right now. But let's start from the beginning...

Wait! If you haven't read the first two days, make sure to go to my Day 1 Review and Day 2 Review first!

6:45am - Wakeup, Water, and Workout

My 3-Day Refresh Review: Day 2

I know the day isn't over yet, but I'm proud that I've gotten this far. I don't see how people do extreme restriction diets. No wonder so many fall off the wagon and feel like failures. Knowing that this has an end, and having everything set out so exactly for me is what's making this a success thus far.


Hold up! If you missed Day 1, read my Day 1 Review of the 3 Day Refresh before going further! 

7:15am - Wake-up Water 

I slept late. And haven't worked out. But I don't feel bad about it, and here's why. First, I don't get rest days very often. Most of the time, I'm doing something active, if not a complete planned workout, every single day. The idea of the Refresh is to allow your body to heal. I wanted to sleep and didn't feel the energy to get in a workout. That is what my body needs. Listening to your body is SO important. 

8:30am - Breakfast

My 3-Day Refresh Review : Day 1

 Day 1 Review of the 3-Day Refresh

The 3 Day Refresh is a cleanse program created by Beachbody to eliminate bloat, clean out your digestive system, and cleanse your body of toxins and junk. Some people use it to jumpstart a healthy habit with a bang. Others use it to drop a couple pounds before a big event.

I am using it for the former reason. This summer has been fun, with amazing vacations, fantastic food, and memories with good friends. But I can feel a couple extra pounds hanging on my midsection where I tend to gain weight. I'm also a smaller person now, so a couple pounds shows pretty quickly. While I'm at a point where I can eat what I want within reason...well, the 'reason' part of that kind of flew out the window during the past couple months! 

So let's REFRESH!

5:45am - Wakeup Water

The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” - John 10:10

St. Irenaeus was an early Christian (think 125 AD!) who had direct contact with the contemporaries of the Apostles. He was highly educated and eventually became the Bishop of Lyons (modern-day France) where he wrote prolifically. In his “Adversus Haereses” or “Against Heresies,” he set forth many of the principles that the Christian faith is based upon today. One of his most profound quotes from this work is, 

“The glory of God is man fully alive.” 

While everyday life now is obviously different than the first century of Christianity, St. Irenaeus speaks to those of us who are denying our own purpose, ignoring our own health, and focusing solely on the needs of others.

God wants us to LIVE. He gave us this beautiful gift of human life, resplendent in its mysteries and magic that we see so readily as children. He delights in our delight with His creation. A golden sunrise, a frost-etched leaf, a baby’s smooth cheek - He gives us wonders to discover and enjoy. 

And that same Creator has given us these incredibly intricate and wondrous bodies, delicate and resilient at the same time. Just as He wants us to enjoy His beautiful creations in nature, He means for us to use, enjoy, and take care of our personal creation - our own bodies. Although we are made perfect and in the image of God, the material world in which we live can affect our health and physical appearance, placing barriers between us and the life God is giving us. 

To be fully alive is to use your body, God's creation, to its fullest potential. Each breach, each movement is a prayer of thanks for the vessel we are given. 

What is holding you back from being fully alive? 

Quick and Healthy Crockpot Italian Turkey Sausage and Peppers - Periscope Video!

Another Periscope for you! There's going to be a lot of these! I love this platform. Just remember that I'm answering questions and comments that can't be seen when you save these. So hop on Periscope and catch them live!




Recipe Ingredients:

- 5-6 Italian Turkey Sausages
- 3-4 bell/sweet peppers, sliced
- onion, sliced (optional)
- 2 medium chopped tomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes)
- 2-3 cups of pureed tomatoes or pre-made marinara sauce (just look for one with no added sugar)
- salt and pepper
- garlic or garlic powder
- Italian herbs

Throw it all in and stew for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Serve over whole wheat pasta, spaghetti squash, or crusty bread. Or just eat on it's own! It's delicious!

Check out my other recipes!

Periscope Fitness Tip of the Day: Chest Fly Variations

If you haven't discovered Periscope, go download the app!!! It's SO COOL. It's a live broadcasting app where the broadcaster can see your written comments live and interact with all of the people watching their scope. The potential uses for it are limitless.

I've started a Fitness Tip of the Day Periscope providing fitness tips and home exercises. For those who don't want to download Periscope (it can eat your data, so only use it on wi-fi), I'll be posting them on my blog as well. The scopes are made to disappear after 24 hours, but you can use a service like katch.me to save them for people to watch. So, here ya go!!!

Note: Saving your broadcast to post elsewhere doesn't save the comments, so when I'm staring at the screen and answering random questions, that's because someone has commented or asked a question. Jump on Periscope for the full experience!

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. 

I'm BACK! And I need to detox...

Europe was amazing! I'm going to have a huge wrap up post about it coming up where I detail our trip and show a bunch of pictures, but I'm trying to catch up on work emails first (stinkin' priorities). 

In the meantime, I need to detox from all the croissants, chocolate, and cream I consumed. I need a reset for my healthy food taste buds. I was planning on doing the 3 Day Refresh program from Beachbody but got lazy and forgot to order it for my return. I'm still wanting to do it, but I'm going to run a back-to-school Refresh group in August. So stay tuned for that. 

I decided to try an old school (I.e. Pre-Refresh) Shakeology cleanse. I've got some extra Shakeo from being gone and have the servings to spare for it. After looking at the various plans that coaches in the past had made for it, I tweaked it for me and came up with this... 

I added some healthy fats and a little more fiber than some of the other plans. I know the Refresh program is the best cleanse/detox, but I'm excited to try this one for now. 

Has anyone else done something like this before? What were your results?

Travel Blogging in Belgium and Paris

I'm going to Europe! Josh and I get on our plane and finally have our grand adventure we have been planning for YEARS. I'm still kind of in disbelief. I got the suitcases down from the attic last night, and it's starting to seem real. 

I know this blog is usually focused on healthy recipes, fitness, and personal growth, but it's also a little about my life! Part of personal growth is making time for the things and people you love. So I want to temporarily turn this into a bit of a travel blog. 

Planning The Trip

I'm a planner. I love planning, organizing, making schedules, making lists, brainstorming, etc. It's the best. Preparation can be really fun since it is all part of the excitement. Kind of like Christmas season leading up to the actual holiday. Here's how the planning has gone so far...

Tour Group or Solo?

We aren't doing any sort of tour. It's all arranged by us and planned by us. This kind of travel isn't for everyone. Some need a set itinerary with arrangements made for them. It's easier, more relaxing. However, you have less freedom than planning it yourself. And you may be shoved into a bus with a bunch of strangers for your entire trip. (Could be your next best friends, could be the most annoying people you'll ever meet.) pros and cons to both. I LOVE planning my own travel and doing things off the cuff. So no group tour for us. 

If you're doing it on your own, start well ahead and buy a multi-part folder envelope. 

This is how you stay organized. Put all of your tickets, maps, arrangement, bookings, etc. in this one folder. Arrange it in rough chronological order, or in any other way where you can readily find stuff when you need it. 

Packing

The most important part of the planning process, right ladies? I'm a list maker. I have a written list but have also been using Wunderlist, a free app, for my lists lately. 

This list stretches on... It is likely to be way too much clothing. I'm planning on laying it out on the bed, and counting my outfits. I can probably take a pair of pants and a couple of the shirts out of the mix. My mother's sage advice to "just take everything" only works if you're driving. Weight and bag limits on flights unfortunately make decision necessary. Think basics in coordinating colors. I'm a black and white personal myself. 

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UPDATE: I ended up taking out a couple pairs of pants and adding in a few dresses. Dresses are easy for me. No thinking about matching! And you look put together when it's really a lazier way to get dressed. It also had to do witting the following...

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Anticipate the Climate

As I check the weather on the Weather Channel's 10 day forecast (always do this), I'm realizing that it's going to be warmer than I originally thought. I may be able to take out a pair of flats in lieu of my flat sandals. The biggest thing to remember when packing for a trip to a metropolitan location (this would not apply to treks in Nepal or trips to the Amazon obviously) is that you can always buy something there if you need it. Try to anticipate the weather, but if a freak weather pattern arrives, you just ask the locals where to find cheap clothes or shoes. 

Cramming it all in:

Travel space bags are your best friend. Honestly, they don't compress summer clothes that much space-wise, but they keep things from sliding around and make it easier to arrange/rearrange as you packs. If you're traveling in winter, they are a MUST as they will squish the fluff and air out of your coats and sweaters to make it possible for you to fit it all in. 

And what is that orange thing?

That would be my jiu jitsu gi. One of the fun parts about being a Gracie Barra team member is getting to drop in on schools all over the world. We are all planning to roll with the GB in Anderlecht, outside of Brussels, as well as GB Paris. It makes traveling all that more fun as we are part of this huge community and meet others wherever we go. 

And I put my belt in my carryon. I couldn't let it out of my sight. Weird? Maybe.