Hello 2017 | My Favorites from 2016 & New Goals for the New Year

 It’s 8:20 p.m. on New Years Eve and many people are out partying and preparing for midnight. Me on the other hand, I’m  already in my PJs lounging in bed with a sleeping babe in the same room. Noah is already sleeping in his room too. It’s a pretty “normal” night for us around here but that’s OK I wouldn’t change it for the world. As we prepare to head into the new year it gives me time to reflect back on 2016 and think about my goals for 2017.

This year was full of ups and downs...we found out we wouldn’t be extending our time in Italy as long as we wanted and the initial news stung a lot. I had to kind of grieve leaving Europe, but once the initial pain started to wear away I made sure to make the most of the time we had left. We traveled pretty much nonstop and created some pretty incredible memories as a family. I will never forget Noah falling down in Rome’s coliseum, seeing Big Ben in person, the waterfalls of plvitvice lakes in Croatia, all the bikes in Amsterdam (and the amount of weed. Haha), the breath taking beauty of the amalfi coast, Prague’s delicious “chimney cakes”, waddling through Barcelona, the gorgeous lake side castle in Lake Garda and everywhere in between. 

We found out we were expecting our second little one and at 20 weeks found out it was girl!! 

I did a fitness photoshoot with Noah, which was so much fun! I can't believe I was a few weeks pregnant here! I completed one of my goals of becoming certified personal trainer and also began teaching spin! I made it to 36 weeks teaching! 

What a big year it was for our Noah! He turned two and just a week after he became a big brother!  The transition was better than expected and I am so grateful for that! Those two babes are the best and Siena’s sweet cheeks just make me want to have #allthebabies :) 

Siena's first Halloween

Siena's first Thanksgiving

We moved back to the states and visited with family in Arizona., which was also Siena's first time on a plane! She then flew 4 more times! Siena had her blessing which was such a special day. We moved to Utah and had our first Christmas and snow!  We have a wonderful home here and I am excited to see what the future holds. I know that this year will bring many challenges, as every year does, and test my strength as a military spouse, but also make me stronger as a person, that’s my hope anyways. 

The Polar express with Noah's cousins in Arizona!

2016 was truly an amazing year! So many experiences we will forever remember. All the traveling and especially the birth of our sweet girl...TWO Italian babes we have now! 

HELLO 2017

I don't know about you, but I love fresh starts and a new month/year to make new goals. Resolutions can sometimes be intimidating and cause you to quit before you even begin, so I make goals that I can work towards a little each day. 

My goals for 2017 are to unplug more and spend more time remembering moments with my kids and not recording/taking pictures of every minute. I am so guilty of wanting to remember it all which means my phone is out way too much! I need to just "be" in the moment more! 

I want to spend more time talking with my husband without phones and the TV off. I want to make fitness a priority like I always have, and get stronger in the gym. I want to make health my priority and set a good example for my babies. I want to help more people reach their goals (health, financial or both) through my Isagenix business. I want to up my game with my writing here on the blog and connect with other moms and women who relate to my posts! I want to read more books and actually finish them! haha ;) 

I hope to be more patient, more kind and more loving in 2017. Here’s to being the best ME I can be and welcoming personal growth. 

What are your goals for 2017? I'd love to hear! Also, what would you like to see more of here? Recipes, workouts, products I love? I hope to bring you some of everything this year! 

Recap of 2012 & my 2013 Goals

Happy New Years Eve everyone!
I have been thinking about what my goals for 2013 are going to be and they are HUGE! I am so excited because I know I can do each and every one of them.
2012 brought such joy to my life. I got in shape for my wedding and looked the best I have ever looked in my whole life! This goal alone is monumental to me. I was so proud of myself when I walked down the aisle. I could have never done it without Rachael and all her dedication to making me my best for my big day.
2012 was also the 1st FULL year that I eat clean and truly embraced a clean, athletic lifestyle. It drives me crazy when people judge my eating habits or ask why I am on a diet. I am not on a diet people! I love eating 5-6 clean meals a day because it makes me feel great and gives my body what it needs. It may not work for everyone but it works for me.
In 2012 I gained a TON of confidence! I am not afraid to go hit the weight room with the "meat heads". I actually know what I am doing and I am no longer intimidated or worried about what people are thinking of me. 
I learned to love my body and all of it's flaws. I may NEVER look like a fitness model but that is ok! As long as I am the best ME I can be I am fine with that.

So I looked back on my specific goals I made for last year and here's what they were:

Get in shape for the wedding

Save money $$$

Compete in my first show this year (this is a HUGE goal and I am still far from it)

Get a v-cut on my abs-HOT! haha

Become a spin instructor- I have wanted to do this for a while

Get 1,000 likes on my facebook page : )

Get 5,000 views on my blog

Keep my GPA up at school : )

Although, these were all great goals I only accomplished 3 of them: getting in shape for my wedding, keeping great grades at school,  and I have almost 10k views on my blog. These are things that most people don't accomplish in a lifetime so I am perfectly happy.

This has been a tough financial time for my husband and I. I quit my job to go to school and he has been going through the process of joining the Air Force (he leaves for basic Feb 12th). During that time he could never really find steady work so we have pretty much been living on a super strict budget. Although it's been rough financially, it has truly made us stronger as a couple and smarter with every dollar we have so I don't regret the hard times we've had. It also proves that you can live a healthy life style on a budget. If you need help creating cheap, healthy meals please contact me.

This has also been a big year for Robbie! He got off his blood pressure meds, lost weight and completed all the requirements it took to get into the Air Force. He will begin his career in Security Forces and I couldn't be more proud!

I am definitley ready to start 2013 and I have so many things I want to accomplish! This is going to be MY year!

Here are my fitness goals:

• COMPETE- yep, that's right! I have plans of competing in July. Honestly, this scares me half to death but I know I can do it. I learned this year I am strong willed and when I have a serious goal in mind I can do it.
• Continue to help others reach their fitness goals. I created all of my social media platforms to help keep myself accountable but it has turned into so much more! I love interacting with all of you and want to continue to be there as a support system to your goals.
• Blog more. I will begin tracking my journey to the stage and hope you all tag along! I want to post more recipes and work-outs too.
• Become a sponsored athlete. This will also be a tough goal to reach but I really feel this is my year. If I can compete...I can get sponsored!

Annd here are my everyday goals:

• Always have an open mind and be positive as I embark on this journey into the Military. No matter where we live (we are hoping for overseas) I want to always keep an open mind and love where we are. As long as we are together, I promise to be happy.
• Seriously save money
• Become a better hair dresser. This one shouldn't be too hard to accomplish because I don't even finish school until June so I have to get better, right? haha. I am so excited to start my career in hair

So now it's your turn... tell me what some of your goals are! Leave a comment on here or my FB page. Never hesitate to communicate with me on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram @determined2bfit, and through email determined2bfite@gmail.com

I hope everyone has a great New Year! Stay safe and create some goals!

XOXO,
E
 

November Goals!

It's November 1st! Wow! I feel like 2012 just began and now it's almost the new year! Hopefully you're done eating Halloween candy and ready to get back on track. With the Holidays right around the corner it is the perfect time to set some short term goals to keep you on track and instead of regressing towards the new year, you're already part way toward a 2013 goal!


Here are my November goals:
1. No cheats until Thanksgiving

2. Go heavier in the gym

3. Drink at least a gallon if H2O a day

4. Progress pics are the end of the month

5. Blog More!

What are some of your goals for November?
I'd love to hear them!

XOXO,
E

Food Prep: My Tips & Tricks

Have you ever heard that quote, "Fail to plan and plan to fail"?

Well, for me this is totally true when it comes to food prep.
As you know, I am all about saving time and money. When I fail to meal prep and am left with out prepared food for school then I easily get off course with my diet or spend unnecessary money on meals, so I try really hard to have easily accessible food in my fridge.

I am going to discuss my personal tips and tricks for successful meal prep. I hope this helps some of you!

TIP #1: Bulk Cook

I know you have all heard it. Everyone bulk cooks, but this especially works well for me because I don't mind eating the same things for lunch. On Monday I bulk cook a whole bag of chicken breasts in the crock pot. This will get me about 4 days worth of lunch meat. I will pair it with a salad or veggies of some sort. I also bulk cook my egg whites. I have not seen a lot of people do this, but for me it is a total time saver. My mornings are usually very busy getting all dolled up for school (we have to dress nice and style our hair EVERY day) so when it comes to breakfast I want something quick and delicious. I make about 12-14 eggs at a time. I cook them with spinach and keep them in a large container in the fridge. That gives me eggs for about 3 days. I often add hot sauce or salsa to the top of them but I never get sick of eggs with spinach.

 

I also bulk cook veggies from time to time! I paired this zucchini with my Italian Style Chicken a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

TIP #2: Invest in tupperware and baggies

I love tupperware and tupperware of all sizes! Using the appropriate size for the appropriate item is great for portion control. I know what container is perfect for 1/2 c of cottage cheese and so on. I recommend using the extra small containers for a small amount of salad dressing, the small containers for greek yogurt or cottage cheese, medium sized for veggies, tuna or meat and of course the large ones for bulk cooked items and whole meals. I also love baggies. I use the snack bags the most and recommend reusing them when possible! I use them for dry almonds, protein powder, carrot sticks, celery, apple slices etc. I use the large bags for marinating and freezing meat, chopped up romaine etc.

Here I chopped up an apple and put 1/4 into a snack bag with cinnamon. I have been obsessed with adding them to my oats and it limits my fruit. This saves me time in the morning when making my oats because slicing apples is just not realistic on a time crunch!

TIP #3: Buy a large cooler/lunch bag

Yes, those 6 pack coolers are amazing and I want one but I don't have one and I am getting along just fine! I got my large lunch cooler from target for about $15. It is deep and fits all my containers and has a zipper front for utensils. The inside also comes out so I can wash it out and disinfect it easily.

My awesome cooler and a variety of tupperware!

TIP #4: Schedule a Time to Prep

I know a lot of people like to prep on Sundays. If that works for you because you work Monday-Friday then that is great. For me personally, I prep on Mondays because I go to school Tuesday-Saturday. I usually prep my bulk foods Monday afternoon and take the time to pack my meals for the next day that evening. The rest of the week I try to pre-pack my meals after dinner so around 6pm. We work-out around 7pm so I am more likely to pack my food if I just get it done after dinner vs after the gym when I am ready to shower and get to bed. This also saves me time in the morning because my cooler is already ready to grab from the fridge with my snacks and lunch.

TIP #5: Pack Enough Food

The worst thing you can do is not pack enough food. This can cause you to get off track or buy snacks that aren't necessary. I make sure my portions are realistic and I make sure I pack enough water to keep me from getting too hungry between meals. I also like to pack extra baggies of almonds and protein powder in my zipper compartment of my cooler for "just in case" moments. You will be happy you did when you end up out later than expected and need an extra meal.

So there you have it, my top 5 tips for meal prep! Did I miss anything? What do you do differently?

I hope everyone had a great Monday! My goal for this week is to add AM cardio to help get ready for my birthday! Only 7 days away :)

XOXO,
E