GAME DAY!

Family, friends, and food – this trio is one of my favorite combos. Add football to the mix and this becomes one of the best days of the year.

Runner up to Thanksgiving Day, Super Bowl Sunday has become the second biggest day for U.S food consumption. Whether you are a serious football fan, or if you are simply looking forward to the commercials and an entertaining half time show, it doesn’t really matter. Come Super Bowl Sunday, the chances that you will be surrounded by an array of hoagie trays, a tower of buffalo wings, and a plethora of chips and dip is close to 100 percent.

After spending the last month trying to make healthy changes for the New Year, you face a common dilemma:  Do you go all in, call the day “a wash”, and wreak havoc on all of the progress you’ve made?
Here are 10 game day strategies that will help us all walk away with a win...

1.  Start the day with a Super Bowl of your own:  Instead of starving yourself all day to save calories, make an effort to eat nutrient-dense, satisfying meals leading up to the Super Bowl party. This will prevent you from showing up ravenous and scarfing down everything in sight. One good decision can often feed into the next. Get the positive momentum building in your favor with a hearty super bowl of Oatmeal with fresh berries, nuts and seeds.

2.  Break a Sweat:  You are about to watch the most fit and agile athletes in the world make some amazing plays — use this as inspiration! You owe it to your teams to break a sweat of your own. For all you superstitious sports fans out there, think of this pre-game workout as good luck.

3.  Hydrate:  Water is important for everyone, not just professional athletes – drink plenty of water during the day. While watching the game, match every beverage you consume with at least 1 glass of water. This will not only help you manage the amount of empty liquid calories you consume in the form beverages, but will also reduce mindless munching!

4.  Make a Game Plan:  Healthy eating is all about having a plan. When it comes to social events, a good rule of thumb is to take matters into your own hands by bringing something of your own that’s healthy. Chili is a classic crowd pleaser and naturally boasts a satisfying trio of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats as well as nutrient dense vegetables.  For an extra lean protein, try this Bison Chili recipe, or if you want to skip meat altogether, this Quick and Easy Veggie Chili is a great plant-strong option.

5.  Trick Plays:  Making something that everyone loves is always a confidence booster. Making something that everyone loves AND making it healthy (without them noticing) – now that calls for a victory dance so let’s get sneaky! One of my go-to trick plays is to play with color. For example, we all love guacamole and have learned to embrace its green goodness. So, why not try Green Pea Guacamole, Edamame Guacamole, or Green Garbanzo Guacamole? By adding just one extra green ingredient, these recipes give your guac a boost of appetite-curbing protein and an extra dose of nutrition without anyone even blinking.  My all-time favorite trick is to make Nacho "Geez" Sauce. Simply add a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of salsa or chipotles in adobo to kick it up a notch and you’ve got a healthy, dairy-free version of queso (…with hidden butternut squash!)

6.  Anticipate the Opponent:  In general, you know what to expect. There’s going to be dips, tomato pie, pizza, wings, and soft pretzels galore. Know your personal strengths and weaknesses so come up with a strategy that plays to your strengths. Head-to-head matchups are a great way to stay ahead of the game: “For every wing I have, I am going to eat three celery sticks.” If your healthy choices outnumber your not-so-healthy choices, you can walk away feeling proud.

7.  Scan the Playing Field:  Before you make a move and load your plate, assess your options. This is a great move to use in any family-style or buffet-style dining where you are overloaded with choices.

8.  Visualize Success:  After scanning the playing field, imagine a healthful plate in your head, and then make it a reality. That way, instead of loading your plate with a mishmash of everything and digging yourself a hole in the first quarter, you begin with a thoughtful, composed plate that will kick you off to a good start!

9.  Use your Time Outs: Use commercials, time outs, and breaks between quarters to regroup. What have you eaten? Are you comfortably satisfied or uncomfortably full? Sounds like a silly question, but eating while watching a game can make it extremely easy to mindlessly munch. Use the natural structure and pauses of the football game to set your pace and take a moment to self-reflect.

10.  Take Calculated Risks. It’s the Super Bowl! Of course you are going to eat something that you don’t normally eat on a regular basis, and that’s totally fine. The key to indulging without any residual guilt or going completely overboard is to indulge mindfully. Be proactive, identify what you want to splurge on, and make it a SMART indulgence (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely). Eyeing up those wings? Great, then go for it! But before you down a dozen, slow down, be present, and focus on eating with all your senses. Eating mindfully will not only heighten the experience and increase your overall satisfaction, but will also allow you to enjoy more, of less.

Stay Healthy on Super Bowl Sunday

Don't throw all of your hard work away by pigging out on bad-for-you foods while watching the big game! Try these winning tips so you can enjoy yourself!

The average American watching the Super Bowl on Sunday will consume 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacks alone, which is the entire daily calorie allowance for some people! So how does someone watching their weight enjoy the day without blowing all of the hard work? You can stay happy and healthy while still indulging in a few of your favorite treats. Here are a few tips and recipes to help you stay on track.

Fail to plan, plan to fail. The world is not on the same page as you when it comes to your nutrition plan and goals. Don’t expect to find a bounty of healthy, organic, and nutrient-packed foods at your friend’s Super Bowl party. It’s on you to plan what you’ll eat or bring, and to determine how you’ll respond to tempting situations before you face them.

Be prepared — and prepare! Preparation is the only way to know you’ll stay in control and won’t undo the good work you’ve started. Got it? This weekend, it’s all on you. Think about all of the foods that will be out this Sunday — wings, nachos, pizza, fries, potato skins — you name it! Any of these foods could destroy your entire calorie count for the week. So what I want you to do is think of a few healthy dishes to contribute to the party and stick to those. If you want to have one wing or a couple of nachos, that is OK, but don’t go overboard! You will regret it in the morning.

Don’t go to the party starving. Have a full meal an hour or two before the party so you’re not that hungry. When you want to have a snack, stick to the healthy options you brought. Don’t hang out by the food, mingle with other party goers and focus on the game, focus on the fun commercials, or the exciting halftime show!

Want some winning dishes to bring? Try a few of mine. 

New Release>21 Day Fix Extreme

A year ago almost to the day Team Beachbody  launched the now #1 home fitness program the 21 Day Fix Created by Autumn Calabrese! The 30 minute total body workouts paired with the easy to follow nutrition guide and portion controlled containers created amazing buzz and nothing short of breath taking results!  Seriously for ME personally it was the missing piece of my nutrition and fitness results.  I was eating clean, working out regularly but I was stuck at a plateau.  The portion controlled containers paired with a food list categorized by the most nutrient dense and highly recommended foods at the top and the lowest nutritional value foods at the bottom!  I began to see results, my body changed and I am walking proof along with my hundreds of fix graduates that it works!!!!  

21 Day Fix Extreme

So after a few rounds of the 21 Day Fix and after crushing your initial fitness goals Autumn realized that she needed something that can take your fitness to the NEXT level!  So now we are excited to announce the launch of the brand new 21 Day Fix EXTREME!!!  Coming February 2nd to anyone who has a Team Beachbody Coach (if you don't have one, make me your coach please)(Click Here)

The goal with the 21 Day Fix Extreme is to create killer results, more muscle tone, definition, tightened up nutrition plan and advanced moves.  This worked is truly meant to get you shredded.  Autumn actually shares her competition meal plan with you to help you shred those pesky pounds that many of us hold on to.

Who should buy the program?

21 Day Fix EXTREME is ideal for those with a dramatic short-term weight loss deadline--such as an upcoming vacation, photo shoot, or other big event. It's an excellent next step for 21 Day Fix graduates ready for a new challenge or graduates of other extreme programs like P90X, Insanity, and FOCUS T25.Fix EXTREME is also great for those who don't have much weight to lose, but want to get shredded and see abs; those with a "no BS" attitude toward workouts and nutrition; or anyone who doesn't want to count calories, weigh  their food, or follow complicated recipes. I would not recommend the 21 Day Fix Extreme for a beginner. This is an advanced program.  Autumn did talk about that when she was in  Pittsburgh for our event last weekend.  So I want to make sure that you know  to do the 21 day fix FIRST before moving to this program! So what are the details? The program is 21 days long! You do 1 30 minute workout each day. You do not need a lot of space to do this workout.  A 6 square foot area is all that you need. What type of shoes do you need?  Cross Trainers or aerobic shoes are necessary. The workouts include:   Plyo Fix Extreme, Upper Fix Extreme, Lower Fix Extreme, Pilates Fix Extreme, Cardio Fix Extreme, Dirty 30 Fix Extreme  and Yoga Fix Extreme. There will be a bonus workout that you get for ordering through a coach plus there is also additional workouts that you can purchase also. Power strength extreme and ABC Extreme. What are the workouts all about?? Plyo Fix Extreme An explosive lower-body workout that uses jumping and resistance to torch calories and sculpt muscles. Upper Fix Extreme By alternating opposing muscle groups, this no-rest upper-body workout will shred the chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Pilates Fix Extreme Using a resistance band for every exercise, this intense mat workout works the entire body, placing emphasis on the core. Lower Fix Extreme Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves will get stronger, leaner, and more defined with 30 minutes of challenging resistance work. Cardio Fix Extreme Combining weighted cardio moves with traditional metabolic training intervals keeps the heart rate soaring. Dirty 30 Extreme Using only seven compound moves focusing on multiple body parts at a time, this workout will burn extra calories while defining muscles. Get down and dirty, and get it done. Yoga Fix Extreme A fast-paced flow yoga class, combining strength, balance, flexibility, and power. Power Strength Extreme Based on functional movement patterns, these nine total-body exercises will change the way the  body moves, increasing strength, endurance, and power. ABC Extreme A 30-minute workout that targets common problem areas by pushing abs, butt, and cardio to  the extreme.  It'll get that competition body ready for the stage. The Fix Challenge Keep things interesting and burn off calories with this quick resistance workout! Lets talk nutrition plan! While the 21 day fix allowed for wine and chocolate the 21 Day fix extreme does not.  It is 100% clean eating for these 21 days.  You do have the option to eat out at restaurants but you still have to follow the nutritional guidelines laid out.  Just think about it this way!  You can do anything you put your mind to for 21 days. I can say from previous experience with Insanity Max 30 that when I followed the nutrition plan to the T I really got amazing results.  I have never had abs before and they were popping out!  I really do attribute a lot of my progress to nutrition.  So make sure to take this part extremely serious. You will get the 21 day fix portion controlled containers with your program purchase! So do you want to be the first to get it???  21 Day Fix Extreme Results Plus I am going to be hosting an EXCLUSIVE 21 Day Fix Extreme TEST Group where I will be mentoring you through the program, teaching you how to navigate the nutrition plan, create a meal plan, prep, give you snack ideas, recipes, and tips.  Plus you will get daily videos, motivation and accountability right from me in a closed online group!!!  Our goal is to set realistic and achievable goals and to go 100% in for 21 days to achieve the very best results we can achieve!!!  Does this sound like something you would like to do?  If so, complete the application below to be considered for a spot in my exclusive test group!!!! The launch date is set for February 2nd.  If you complete the application  I will give you the details of my group plus get you up to speed with launch details, extra information and tips!  What are you waiting for??  Summer isn't that far away, imagine what you can accomplish in 21 days but really imagine the possibilities if you made this a lifestyle change!  Ummm.... total transformation by June! It could really happen! Let me help you make it a reality!!!