Shew! It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks recovering from reconstruction! I have to say that heading back into surgery I was NERVOUS.Mostly nervous of how I was going to feel after and honestly, just afraid it was going to cause me to take 5 steps backwards in my journey. But I have to say, at exactly two weeks post surgery, I feel more determined, positive and motivated then ever!

From the minute I knew what the plan was, I KNEW exactly how I was going to get back into the swing of things. It was such an easy decision because I've been there before. I can't wait to get started back up with the program that I originally started my journey with. PiYo.

You can read more about how I started my journey here, but let me just tell you that this program was PERFECT for me. I was limited on what I could do after treatment. I still had limited range of motion in my arms, very little strength and stamina and had gained 20 lbs during treatment. Well, this time around I don't have those extra 20 lbs, but I am back to needing to work on my range of motion and building my strength back up. And I know this program can do it.

I have a hard time looking back at these pictures, but at the same time, I'm proud of how far I've come! This was after just the first 30 days of PiYo! That's HALF of the program! In those first 30 days I lost 10 lbs and over 9.5 inches! I was amazed!

PiYo was perfect for me because I didn't have to jump. I didn't need weights. I wasn't straining my arms or my joints in any way. It was all low impact and exactly what I needed to start. All I needed was my own body weight and because the moves were all low impact (but still high intensity), it was the perfect combination. I was able to stretch, strengthen and stabilize pretty much every part of my body! Coming from the person that couldn't even carry the vacuum up the steps at the time, that's pretty good!

This is why I am so excited when folks decide to join our team with this program. Because I'm living proof that it WORKS! And it works no matter what your starting point is! If I can start with this program, ANYONE can! I have two more weeks left until I have the full go ahead to jump back into exercising, but you better believe I'll be ready come the beginning of May to pop in my PiYo DVDs. I would love to have some other folks join me too!

Would you give it a try for just 30 days?!

We can do it together with PiYo, Shakeology, AND a FREE 30-day trial membership to the Team Beachbody Club, which will give you the ability to stream your PiYo workouts on your laptop, tablet or phone!


Oh, and did I mention it's on SALE only for the month of April?!?!

Maybe you want to lose weight and burn fat without the high-impact jumps or complex choreography like I did. Maybe you want to just build lean muscle but don't want to lift heavy weights? Maybe you want the results like a more extreme program, but your body just isn't ready for that level yet? Maybe you really like Pilates and Yoga?! Maybe you don't want to have to buy a lot of equipment?!

If any of that sounds like what you are looking for, join me because I'm starting in May too!

Tasty Tuesday!!! Clean Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

It's Tasty Tuesday! 

This has quickly become one of our favorite week night recipes! Its quick, easy, simple ingredients and EVERYONE (including the kids) love it. And it's also great for making a few extra to easily grab and go for lunch the next day! This is a recipe from the new Insanity Max 30 nutrition guide. The suggest topping the burgers with avocado, lettuce and tomato. We also like to top ours with a little fresh cut cilantro! It just adds a little something extra to the flavor of the avocado. The sweet potato fries are a healthy baked version of everyone's favorite side. The sweet potato gives it a slightly different flavor, and the cayenne pepper gives it just the right kick!

Clean Turkey Burgers w/ Sweet Potato Fries

What You'll Need

Turkey Burgers

• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey (we sometimes uses 99% lean turkey)
• 1 tbsp. organic fresh salsa per 7 oz of turkey
• Romaine lettuce 
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced

Sweet Potato Fries

• 2 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions
For the turkey burgers, preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Or preheat a grill or broiler on high). Combine turkey and salsa in a medium bowl; mix well. Once mixed, form into patties of desired size. Bake or grill patties for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle. Serve each patty over lettuce, tomato and avocado (and with some fresh cilantro too!)

For the sweet potato fries, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bake in the over for 30 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes. Bake until all sweet potatoes are cooked thoroughly.

Motivation Monday: Be Stronger Then Your Excuses

There are so many days where I come home from work and just start talking myself out of pushing play. Especially on those days when I got up early to work on coaching activities before work, then head off to my day job and put in a full day, filled with meetings and stress and firedrills. Then it's off to pick up The Squishy from school, and most likely, deal with some sort of meltdown because he didn't nap that day. 

>>>  I could say that I'm too tried from a long day of work.

>>>  I could say that I'll just do it tomorrow.

>>>  I could say that I have laundry or cleaning to do instead.

>>>  I could say that I don't have time. I'm just too busy.

>>>  I could say that I had pizza for lunch, so I might as well throw the whole day away.

>>>  I could find a thousand different excuses. Believe me, I've done it before. For years.

But  I already know what giving up like that feels like. And for once, I want to know what it feels like when I don't give up. I want to know what it feels like when I am finally stronger then my excuses.

Giving Back On World Cancer Day

I honestly had no idea that today was World Cancer Day. When I first heard about it my initial thoughts were something like....

"What the hell? Breast cancer has an entire month. Now cancer needs another day?"

Then I realized what #WorldCancerDay actually meant. It meant raising awareness and taking a proactive approach to the fight against cancer.

Solutions DO exist and they are completely within our reach.

The theme of World Cancer Day is "Not Beyond Us". Meaning that the ultimate solution will exist and is reachable. It's all about cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and care.

• Chose a healthy lifestyle because healthy lifestyles can lower your risk of cancer. 
• Early detection. For many types of cancers, there can be warning signs and symptoms. The benefits of early detection are indisputable.
• Treatment. Everyone should have the right for treatment, and without suffering some finanical hardship because of it.
• Quality of life. Everyone, cancer survivors and their caregivers deserve high quality and compassionate care and support!

So I was thinking about how I could give back, and I decided that since the nutrition changes that we made after I finished treatment made such a big impact on how I felt and how I recovered, that was a a great place for me to start.

Let me tell you, it wasn't an easy switch after treatment! There were things I didn't know about and learned the hard way. There were special circumstances that I had to deal with because of treatment that I never had to worry about before. And I didn't really know who to talk to about it.

I'm not a doctor. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm just a mom who has been through treatment and fumbled my way through, learning as I went. And I want to share what I have learned with others.

So starting on February 23rd, I'm running a completely free, 5-day, clean eating group for survivors! If I can just help one person, or help them to make one small change, it will be worth it.

If you would like to join, or know someone that might benefit from this group, please leave a comment or visit the event page HERE.

Tasty Tuesday!! Bruschetta Chicken

It's Tasty Tuesday!

This was one of our favorite (and quick) recipes that we got from the P90X2 Nutritional Guide! This dinner was a really simple recipe that had a ton of flavor, and with the kiddos, we just didn't give them any of the salsa topping. Its super simple ingredients combined for a really fresh and tasty meal. I bet this would be even better in the summer when tomatoes are at their prime here! We made ours with baked broccoli (which we put a little EVOO, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic and Mommy burnt - so disregard that part) and some brown rice. A quick easy meal for any day of the week! This is also SUPER easy to measure out on the 21 Day Fix meal plan! Enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken

What You'll Need

Salsa Topping

• 6 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Chicken Breast

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions
For the salsa, just combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Voila!

For chicken breast, combine all ingredients in a large ziplock plastic bag. Shake to distribute all the ingredients well, seal, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat over to 350 degrees and remove chicken from bag. Make sure to discard any extra marinade.  Place chicken in glass baking dish and cover with foil and place in oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with salsa on top; garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!!

Motivation Monday: Because I Could

I honestly kind of thought that I was threw all the big "one year anniversaries" back in October. Maybe it was because I was SO afraid of October and worked SO hard to conquer it...

(which I totally did kthanks - October, don't let the door hit you on your way out - just sayin')

...but I really didn't think about many "cancer" anniversaries outside of that and my one year anniversary of being cancer free. Then I realized there was yet another one that kind of creep-ed up on me when I wasn't looking.

January 13th, 2015

I didn't really even realize it until the end of the day, when after work I was REALLY tired. I was hungry. All I wanted to do was to get into my comfy clothes and slippers and curl up on the couch. But I hadn't gotten my workout in that morning. It was just one of those days where the motivation wasn't there.

Until I realized where I was a year ago on that date. I was in bed. Barely able to lift my head off my pillow because I was so sick. 

I couldn't even kiss my babies goodnight. I couldn't sleep next to my husband, because if he rocked the bed too much I would get sick. I was just laying there, basically just wishing the next 5 months of my life away.

And remembering that, was all the motivation I needed to get up and push play on my program.

Why workout that day when I was so tired and hungry? Simply because I could. I would have given anything to just be "tired and hungry" on that date a year ago. I would have given anything to have felt good enough to exercise. It was a feeling that I always took for granted.

But never will again.

Don't take your ability to get up and get moving and get healthy for granted like I did. Because you never know when that choice might not be yours.

Just One Of Those Days...

Tuesday was one of those emotional days that catch you by surprise. 

I got a message early that morning about a young mom, just diagnosed with cancer and she has been in my thoughts ever since that very moment. There are so many things I want to tell her. There are so many things I wish I knew. My mind was racing all day as to what I should or shouldn't say to her. What if I told her the wrong thing? What if I didn't make her feel better? And all those questions that I had no answers to at first, all those terrified feelings of the unknown came rushing back through my mind, and I just couldn't fight them off.

I was so tired on Tuesday night from all those emotions and I honestly just wanted to eat my feelings away or have a glass (or two) of wine. But instead, I decided that's what the old me would have done. So the new me, with my new goals, went downstairs and hit play on my workout to clear mind and just to process everything that happened today. It wasn't until almost the end of the workout when I realized what that one thing would be that I would tell that new mom. 

I'd tell her to clear her mind of "can't". 

I just kept thinking about what it was that got me through those really REALLY tough days. And sure, some of those days it was just the unbelievable support my from family a I broke in half, but most days when I just thought that I just can't do this, I cleared my mind of of that word... "can't".

There will be days where this new mom will think she can't get through this. Just like I thought. But she can. And she will. And she will come out stronger then ever on the other side. 

When you clear your mind of "can't", you can do anything.
 

There will days when she will think she can't get through this. Just like I thought. But she can. And she will. And she will come out stronger then ever on the other side.

When you clear your mind of "can't", you can do anything.

Tasty Tuesday!! Pork and Red Chile Hominy Soup (Pozole Rojo de Puerco)

It's Tasty Tuesday!

This recipe is one of my (Wes) favorite recipes!  I love authentic Mexican food and this is a very hearty rich soup. I have made this with many different varieties of chili powders and all have made for a delicious meal. Varying the type of chili's you use will either add more or reduce the heat depending on what you chose (pasilla, ancho chipotle, Anaheim, etc.) We like to garnish ours with shredded cabbage, avocado and lime wedges. We have also made this with adding black beans (which gives it a whole different taste and flavor, which is equally as good). This recipe is a great meal in and of itself, but can also be used as a good starting point for many other variations. You can essentially add whatever you like, you just need to play around with ingredients! 

We usually save this one for a Sunday evening which is when we like to cook some of the meals that take a little longer then our quick and easy ones during the week!

Pozole Rojo de Puerco (Posole)

 

What You'll Need

• 6 boneless country style pork ribs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch pieces, if using bone in pork, cut into 2 inch squares
• 4 (14 1/2 oz) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbs grapeseed oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 tbs pure ground pasilla or ancho chile
• 1 to 2 tbs seasoned chili powder
• 1 1/2 tbs dried oregano (Mexican variety preferred but not a must)
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 (15 oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup, loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro (I always use more!)
• 1 1/2 tbs masa harina (flour for corn tortillas)
• Finely chopped cabbage
• Diced avocado
• Fresh Lime Wedges

Directions
Put the pork pieces in a medium heavy pan. Add 1 can of the chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook the meat until tender, about 40 mins. Reserve the meat in the broth, off heat. If the pork is on the bone, you may remove the meat from the bone, if desired, when it's cool enough to handle. Reserve the meat and discard the bones.

In a heavy large pot, heat the oil and fry the onion for 2 mins. Add the garlic and cook stirring, until onions and garlic are softened, 2 to 3 mins. Add the carrots, ground chile, seasoned chili powder, oregano, cumin thyme, and salt. Cook stirring, 30 seconds

Add the remaining chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes, cilantro, masa harina, and the reserved pork with it's broth. Bring to a boil, and cook over medium-low heat, covered, 25 mins to blend the flavors. Adjust salt, if needed. Serve the pozole and garnish with shredded cabbage, avocado, and lime wedge. Enjoy!