Motivation Monday: Try Something Else

Happy Monday!!

I have been so off the game with this blog which bothers me, but life has been busy! I am going to try really hard to be a more consistent blogger.  I want to help as many people as I can be inspired to get healthy and be active and I can't do that if I am not sharing!

Anyway--back today's post! 

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending an event called Super Sunday.  Beachbody has this event quarterly.  It is a time to meet with coaches in your area to learn how to better yourself to be a more effective coach for your clients and coaches, to learn about new products and to connect with the other coaches in the area, to share how we are impacting the lives of those we are working with. 

Over 100 coaches! 

Team Impact of Central IL

Impact Elite 

Y'all it was an awesome day!! There were so many things I learned but two moments in particular really stood out and gave me chills.

One was this.  At the beginning of our time together, we were asked to stand.  Then our event leader (she was FABULOUS) asked who had lost 10 pounds with Beachbody, 20 pounds..so on and so forth.  People would sit down as they would reach what they had lost.  Finally there were two men standing.  One had lost almost 80 pounds.  The other-- 200 POUNDS, y'all!! In that moment, every other coach stood up to clap for him; to celebrate him.  He was beaming.  It was in that moment that I realized how important it is to make sure I never stop reaching out to other people.  

If he had never been reached out to, never taken that first step, his life would be drastically different.  And yes, I can absolutely apply this to weight loss and helping others, but I took it as so much more.  A challenge to really see people, and find a way to make their day better.  To give someone encouragement, a smile or a kind word.  Can you imagine what our world would be like if everyone lived consciously like that.  It was definitely eye-opening to me!

The second really HUGE moment for me came at the end of our time together.  We were watching a video of our CEO speaking.  He was speaking of a story..a man being interviewed, a pilot.  The reporter asked the pilot what he would do if he had exhausted all options and was heading straight towards a mountain. The pilot responded, "Try something else." The reporter continued to ask the question, thinking the pilot misunderstood (he did say there were no other options) but the pilots response never changed. 

I got chills because I thought of being on a journey (fitness mostly since that was what the day was about).  I thought of how many times people feel like they fail.  They try something and it doesn't work.  Or they don't see the results they want as quick as they want.  Or they miss a workout or have a bad day eating junk.  And they give up.  They think that they have failed.  But the thing is, YOU HAVE NOT FAILED!! Maybe you tried some ridiculous empty promise.  Maybe you didn't give it your best shot. Maybe the workout you tried you simply didn't like so you gave up but the point is--there is something out there that will work for you.  There is a program or workout or form of exercise that you will love.  There is a way to eat healthy that you just need to learn about--that will click with you and you can follow.  There is someone ready to support you, to remind you on the days that aren't so great or when you feel like giving up that you might just need to try something else!

I don't know where you are on your journey to health.  I don't know if you feel like you've given up or tried everything or that nothing will work for you.  But I am here to tell you that I can relate.  I have felt that way too.  And more than ever, I don't want you to continue to believe that lie! I'd love to help you connect to something, Beachbody or not! I'd just love to help you!! Don't give up.  Don't lose hope.  If you have tried something and didn't finish; if you just didn't give it your all, try again! Try something else! When all other options seem to be gone, dig deeper!! 

What's for Dinner? Week 5

Hey everyone! It's Thursday again which means...

Today's post isn't so much a full dinner as it is a side.  Sides are sometimes the hardest thing for  me.  We usually do a simple lean protein on the grill during the summer but keeping my sides healthy, diverse and delicious isn't always my strong suit. 

Asparagus is a vegetable I just love. I love mixed in with other dishes.  I love it alone.  I love how quick and simple it is to prepare.  We just eat it up in this house. So I scoured Pinterest for a bit and came across this picture.  When I tried to click on the link to get a recipe no web page was found. :( But rest, assured, I figured something out! 

Lemon Feta Asparagus

~1 tbsp EVOO

~1 clove garlic, minced

~1 bundle of asparagus, prepped and cut

~juice from fresh lemon (about 2 tbsp)

~feta (use your judgement..we like feta in this house)

In a large skillet, heat your Extra Virgin Olive Oil on medium-high heat.  Add in your garlic and saute until soft.  Add in your asparagus.  Cook about 5 minutes. (I love how the green seems to get even greener!) Add your lemon juice and continue to cook until tender.  I don't like my asparagus too limp. Remove from the pan and place in serving dish. Add desired amount of feta. 

That is it! So stinking simple, so delicious! 

How do you like to use asparagus??

Motivational Monday: Why can't you?

Happy Monday everyone!

This post is a bit different than my typical posts.  I really try to use this blog as a place to motivate and encourage. A place to share my journey of health and fitness. A place to share healthy eating ideas.  I want it to be helpful and inspiring.  I want to show others ways that they can achieve their goals.  And I definitely want to be available to anyone who is wanting some support, some guidance, and a friend on their journey.

Yet, I realize, I am not being 100% transparent.  I, like so many people, went through a period of trying every diet, every gimmick, starting full force with big goals and falling completely flat on my face, not getting back up to try again.  

It is obvious from any of my past posts that Shakeology and at home workouts through Beachbody became my answer.  The two factors that actually got me LASTING results when I had reached a point thinking that nothing out there would.  

But more than that, more than those products, was the people behind the products. I became a coach because I believed in the product and my results.  I knew that, in order for the results to last, for this change to become a lifestyle, that I was going to need some MAJOR accountability.  Enter in, Team Impact.  An amazing, genuine, heartfelt, passionate, crazy group of people all working towards the common goal of helping others find health and fitness.  This group of people helped me stay accountable.  I got over my fear of failing and starting sharing with others {the world wide web..ahem} my story.  

I signed up as a coach eleven  months ago.  I had hopes of helping others.  I had hopes of this lifestyle sticking.  I had {small} hopes of making some income that would allow me to find some fulfillment in my new role as a stay at home mom.  

Can I be totally honest? I got WAY more than I bargained for. I didn't just find some fulfillment.  I had my passion.  I found a calling in my heart of why I am here on Earth.  I found friendships.  I found a way to stay home with my babies, never worrying about leaving them, missing a first anything.  

Y'all--these past months have been a roller coaster! I never imagined what possibilities would open themselves up if I just opened myself up.  I have gone from coach to One Star Qualifying.  I have gone from brand new coach to coach in the top 200 of the company.  I have gone from coach to leader of my team.  

I do not boast in this.  I am nothing without my team.  Without the people who ask me for help and allow me the humbling opportunity of being a support for them.  

What I want to say--is if I can have all that happen, why can't you??

I really am serious! The one thing I have learned this past year, is that this business is for ANYONE who wants it! I have seen so many people, my own coaches included, make it work for them.  

What I am asking is, if you want to help others, if you want to get healthier, if you want to gain some financial freedom--why aren't you coaching?

I am looking for new coaches to add to my team.  I will personally mentor you to help you succeed and reach your goals.  

I almost let this opportunity slip me by.  I said no to the idea because I felt unworthy.  I felt that my story could never help someone else.  How wrong I was! Don't let that be you! I kick myself ever time I think of who I could have been helping sooner if I wouldn't have let fear stop me! 

If you are at all interested in learning more, comment with your email below, find me on Facebook, or shoot me an e-mail! 

What's for Dinner: Week

Happy Thursday! Are you ready to see what's cooking in the kitchen this week?

We have been a grilling family this week! I love the grill! Especially when the weather gets really hot! I just don't want to get my kitchen and house all warm because I am running the oven or stove whipping something up! No thanks; not so fun! So we take a lot of our meals outside.  Another bonus--less kitchen clean up!!!! Can I get an amen??

Today's featured meal is supper simple.  It is actually something I was introduced to in high school.  A group of friends and I made these together one night. It is a really great way to use up veggies, to create a different meal for everyone {without ACTUALLY creating a different meal} and it is really healthy.

Let me introduce you to...

Hobo Dinners {please take no offense to the name, that is what they were introduced to me as. And  no, I don't know why. That is just what my friends called them.}

What is a hobo dinner? It is a hodge podge of deliciousness that is all put together in a foil packet to be grilled.  Are you questioning me? Don't! Just don't.  It is delicious. 

Ingredients:

~1 pound of ground turkey

~1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

~1 tsp garlic powder

~2-3 red potatoes, diced into small chunks

~2-3 carrots, shredded

~1 onion, chopped

~2 cups of corn {I use frozen and just make sure it is thawed}

~Salt and pepper

~Heat your grill to about 375. 

~Mix the first three ingredients together.  Then form them into 4-5 small patties. Place those patties onto large separate sheets of foil that have been sprayed with non-stick spray or have a bit of EVOO on them.  {these sheets will be your grill pouches}

~Next take your potatoes and veggies. Distribute them evenly among each pouch.  

~Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

~Fold your pouch but not so tight that the heat can't circulate in there.  More like a tent.

Grill for 30-40 minutes.

SO SIMPLE right??!? I love this meal.  It has everything I need to call it a meal but if you want, serve a side salad with it to up your veggies.  You can absolutely change it up and add other ingredients.  Think summer squash, bell peppers, mushrooms--- whatever you'd like.  Or if you have a picky eater, you can omit an ingredient from their pouch.  

Go ahead and give it a try! You are going to love it! 

Surviving the heat...and a GIVEAWAY!

Happy Wednesday! 

Summer has officially arrived, just in time for it's calendar appearance.  It has been sweltering here this week.  We've spent our mornings and late afternoons/evening outside. Thank goodness both my boys still nap because I don't think I could do the whole outdoors thing in the heat of the day! Whew!!

With this heat I have totally lost my appetite.  It is just too  hot to eat! I have been eating really small meals, some fresh fruit, some raw vegetables, smaller than normal portions at dinner.  The hardest is mid-day.  We have usually been outside, I've been trying to drown myself in water and I am just not in the mood to eat. 

And that is where my saving grace comes in. Shakeology! 

I am so thankful for this in my life.  I know that may sound silly but before starting Shakeology in 2013, I had so many stomach issues.  Even after having my gallbladder removed they continued.  Shakeology cleared all of that up. It has always been a meal I look forward to but now, instead of having it for breakfast, it is a quick, light lunch that completely satisfies me without making me feel like I ate too big a meal. BONUS: It gives me all the nutrients I {and baby} need. I seriously have had the best pregnancy and  I know that clean eating and exercise play a role in that, along with Shakeo!

Are you intrigued yet? Have you ever wanted to try Shakeology but aren't sure you are going to like it? {That was SO me! I had tried way to many NASTY protein/weightloss shakes} 

Well now is your chance.  I am going to be giving away THREE shakeo sample packets! Each packet will come with one chocolate, one vanilla, and one strawberry packet as well as a Shaker cup! 

How do you enter?? 

First- you must sign up for a free Team Beachbody account.  This account is something I recommend to everyone.  It is a great tool for getting healthier, nutrition tips, workout tips, and so much more! To do that go to www.beachbodycoach.com/bekahmbruce and click JOIN! 

Second- find me on FB and send me a message telling me why you want to try Shakeology! I will be choosing three winners on Sunday evening! I will post the winners Monday morning! 

I am really so so excited to get others connected to a product that has changed my life.  Good luck everyone!!!

I don't have to, I get to

We are in the home stretch friends! Single digits of weeks left in this pregnancy {I will deliver at 39.5 weeks because of a scheduled c-section, although I guess it could be sooner. Prayerfully not}

Third trimester has hit full force! Anyone else recall the third trimester just kicking your butt? It hasn't been that bad honestly.  I just would like to nap by about 3 pm! I also know that getting more than six hours of sleep would be ideal. ;) 

I have been patiently waiting for PiYo to come out.  I want to get into it before baby is born and I know it will be the first program I do when the doc ok's me to resume workouts again.  If you haven't heard about Beachbody's latest program, it is an awesome program inspired by yoga and pilates but is less stationary and holding.  

Pros: 
~Complete body weight exercises- no equipment needed 
~It is for every fitness level.  Beginner or advanced. I love workouts that are made for everyone!!
~All the workouts are between 25-45 minutes. I love that it isn't going to take a huge amount of time. Let's be honest, in a couple of months, I will have even less free time to work with!
~It focuses on strength, flexibility, toning. The way the moves are designed are going to give you a complete workout.  
~I love that is is low-impact, but high intensity.  I am not a fan of jumping all over the place.  Especially after surgery. My body will be craving a workout but I know that I can't just jump into something high-impact.  This will still give me results without giving my body a beating!

If you haven't heard about it, check out this video for a sneak peak.  I am going to be hosting an accountability group beginning in July.  I am really excited about it and have several people already to join! Message me or find me on FB if you are interested.

Ok--enough about PiYo. I am just excited.  The point of this post is the fact that I am ready for something different, something more low-impact.  I can feel a lot of the workouts in my lower body.  I am still using weights and doing some less extensive cardio.  But my hip flexors can really tell when they have been pushed.  I am waking up looking forward to my workouts less and less.  Confession: I have NEVER been one of those people that just love to workout.  I love the feeling once I am started and definitely the after-workout high.  I love the results that come from sticking to a program and eating well.  But those moments when you are about to begin and you think to yourself, "Do I have to work out today?" I am that girl.  So that girl that asks that question, she is getting to be very bossy.  That voice that normally is small and I shove aside, is getting louder.  I think of taking a nap instead of working out. 

But then I remember. I don't have to workout.  I get to workout.  There are so many people who would love to workout, to do any kind of activity to feel better and can't.  I know lots of pregnant people who have reached out said they wish they could be as active as I am but medical conditions are preventing it.  I am not on bed rest.  I don't have a high risk pregnancy.  I don't have a medical condition preventing me from continuing something that I love {even if I don't want to do it all the time}

Being able to be active is a gift.  It's a gift I have to remind myself not to take for granted.  So, with 9.5 weeks, I am going to push onward.  I am going to give it my all.  Not because I have to, but because I can.  I get to.  I would love some extra accountability.  Join me and other for PiYo! See what the craze is all about! :) 

Happy Tuesday! 

What's for Dinner? Week 3

Happy Thursday everyone!!

Since I missed last week, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes with you guys! 

Side note: I had a healthy meal planned out and made..just in the midst of packing and heading home, it was not a night where taking photos of each step seemed practical. It'll be featured later though, I promise, because it was tasty! :) 

This week's menu at the Bruce household was full of really simple meals.  But simple doesn't mean bland and it certainly doesn't mean difficult. 

My first recipe for you is SUPER simple.  We eat a lot of grilled chicken in our house.  I love to find new ways to season or marinade our chicken without adding a lot of ingredients, heavy dressings, or salt.  So when I found this recipe Pinterest I knew I could figure out something similar.  This one didn't have exact measurements so I conjured up my own.

Zesty Chicken Marinade
~3-4 chicken breasts
~1.5 cups apple cider vinegar (I love Bragg's brand)
~2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning blend
**I love Mrs. Dash seasonings because they are really yummy, have no MSG and can be used in lots of recipes. 

I let my chicken marinade in this mix for about 6-8 hours.  Then either bake or grill.  We baked ours since my hubby worked late.  Our house smelled amazing.  AND my whole family chowed! Like even my boys, who have been a bit picky lately, inhaled their servings.  I served ours with fresh green beans.  A super simple, healthy, and delicious meal. 

My next recipe for y'all screams summer.  It is super easy.  A friend on Facebook posted about meal prep and had this dish and I just knew I wanted to try it.  I tweaked it a little because I like a little extra flavor but I am sure she made an awesome dish! Thanks Haley for the inspiration!

Summer Veggie Chicken Salad
~3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
~1 summer squash, diced
~1 zucchini, diced
~1/2 container of cherry tomatoes, halved
~1 tablespoon EVOO
~1.5 tablespoons of Newman's Lite Italian Dressing
~1-2 teaspoons of Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning (I used a pinch more than 1 teaspoon)

While your chicken cooks, dice up those colorful veggies.

Seriously..YUM!

Once your chicken is cooked, dice it up and add it to your veggies.  Then add your oil, dressing and seasoning.  Stir it up and serve! Seriously. That is it.  So stinking simple and yet SO DELICIOUS! I sprinkled a few pinches of Parmesan cheese on mine before eating and it was divine.

You could serve it with something or on it's own.  I toasted some sesame Ezekiel bread, topped it with a little butter.  Perfect, light summer meal. 

I hope you enjoy these dishes as much as my family did! 

Who is watching you?

Biggest. Blog. Fail.  

I am so sorry I have not posted in here for awhile.  We had a death in the family last week and it kept me away until Sunday and then my oldest had the stomach bug.  Not pretty.

But I am back!

I found that one thing that amazes me as a mother is the perceptiveness of children.  I saw it all the time as a teacher.  Kids are such good judges of character.  They can tell authenticity and a genuine spirit. They know if something seems off.  And boy oh  boy are they like sponges.  They soak in so much.  They are constantly watching what we adults are doing, making sure our words and actions  match.  

Hudson amazes me at what he has picked up since my family has really incorporated exercise and healthy eating into our lifestyle.  When he sees me get a box in the mail he asks if it's my shakeology.  When I'm making dinner he asks what vegetable we are having.  When I call them for snack he asks if it's a pantry snack or not. (My kids get two snacks a day typically and one is always fresh and the other is more of a treat like graham crackers, granola bar, fruit leathers, etc)  

At the store when we are grocery shopping he asks if certain foods will make him strong and "healfy".  He asks me if it's time to workout.  The kid is watching me! 

When I first started working out I would try to do my workouts during my kids' nap time.  I generally still do that but some days that doesn't work out do to our schedule and some days it doesn't work because Hudson just doesn't nap that day.  In the beginning I would try to get them distracted so I could go get my sweat on but they would come find me around the corner, want to join.  So I'd pause it, take them back to their activity.  It really interrupted my workout.  Plus it felt mean to constantly say, "Go play! I'm almost done!"  The  more I thought about it, the more I realized how WRONG I was.  I am preaching to everyone to be healthy but yet I am not engaging my kids?! Ummm...hello, Bekah! That makes no sense.

What I learned was that if my boys were awake during a workout, I would let them know I was working out. If they wanted to join we would talk about staying in our space {safety first}.  And then we would just go.  I'd have to look over when they cried, "Look at me, mama!" but I didn't have to stop 100 times.  Sometimes they would last the whole time but typically they would lose interest and go play.  It was so much less of a battle than trying to stop them from joining me.  And I loved that Hudson would show me his muscles after a workout {and Beau would try and imitate}.  

Our kids are watching us.  They are learning from our behaviors. Is what we are showing them positive or negative? More than that, is what they are hearing from us about our bodies and our health positive or negative?

Just the other day Hudson was watching my husband set up his workout and he said, "Grown-ups have to work out so they don't get too big."  I could have dismissed that comment but instead I asked what he meant.  He said. "too big like my belly gets so big after dinner." {sticking is stomach out}  I took that moment to tell him that no one should get too big.  That we have to keep our bodies healthy because God made us to do lots of fun things.  But if we eat good foods we won't get too big and it is good to eat good foods.  

My little boys are my constant reminder to be healthy.  I don't want to miss anything.  And I don't want them growing up to a slew of health problems because I didn't show them, teach them, how to eat well and be active. They are watching me.  I need to be the best example I can be for them.  In both words and actions.

Motivational Monday #2

Happy June everyone! 

I can not believe we are almost halfway through 2014! That is just crazy to me.  

I have a question for you today.  Remember, oh I don't know, back in January when the new year rolled in and you were ready to accomplish some things in 2014, make some changes? How are you doing with that? Did you know that by this point only 44% are still hanging onto their fitness and health goals? 

If you are someone that made a goal and have slipped, or gotten way off track, it doesn't  mean that this year is a wash! Not at all! It means you need to start working hard, retraining your thinking and get back on track to finish out what you began!

That is one reason I offer new accountability groups every month.  There are lots of reasons people quit {or never get started} on those resolutions.  
        You get busy. You are scared. You don't know what to do.  You lose motivation. Things           come up. 


But, when you share your goals with others, when make them known publicly and ask for someone to help keep you motivated and accountable, then you start to find some success.  

I want to challenge you today that if you have given up on your goals or gotten a little off track, start again!!

I would love to offer you some support.  

And to my two accountability groups starting this month, I am so proud of you already! Dig deep! You have all the tools you need to be successful but YOU are the biggest determining factor in your success.  Decide. Commit. And never give up!!