The End of ExerCIZE Is HERE!

Forget treadmills, squats, burpees, and barbells. Get ready to dance your way to fit in just 4 weeks. This isn't your typical "dance-lite" workout. You'll challenge yourself to learn professional dance choreography, step-by-step, move-by-move. At the end of each course, you'll be able to bust out a full dance routine to songs from the CIZE playlist!

Everyone can dance.

Shaun T has designed this workout program so you can have FUN! You can make the workout as easy (or as hard) as you want to get the results you are looking for. There is no equipment required. Just dance away your worries - AND calories! 

If you are not a dancer - DON'T WORRY! I am not either! Every step is broken down step-by-step. Each step will be built on top of each other until you are able to rock the entire sequence! You will be ready to "Cize It Up" before you know it! 

Challenge Pack (save $70) or Workout DVDs  

Here is a preview of CIZE: 

If you are ready to dance the calories away and have fun while losing weight  - join me! August 3rd I will be starting my official Cize Test Group. For more information on the test group drop me an email and I will get you added to my group. Deadline to order for the August 3rd group is July 29th. Space is limited! 

*All Challenge Pack orders will come with an extra bonus gift from me* 

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

I am walking through my living room and out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of a commercial on tv. BOOM. There it is. A yummy Reece's Peanut Butter cup... and what are they doing? Making the suggestion you put the chocolate goodness in the refrigerator. HOW did they know? That is one of my FAVORITE treats for myself. I am weird like that. I like almost all of my treats cold. Peanut butter cups, cake, brownies, etc. The colder the better.

Now the dilemma. I have this HUGE craving for a peanut butter cup and none in sight. Well played commercial you have done your job.  I don't keep things like that in the house for moments just like this. If I had a package of those I would have devoured the entire package before the next commercial came on. Then it hit me. I have all of the ingredients to make some! Even better, they are going to be healthy! WIN WIN!

Within 45 minutes I have a delicious snack that kept me on track and not feeling like this...

So if you have these 3 ingredients and a little bit of extra time you can whip up this quick dessert and not have to worry about the feeling of regret afterwards!

Ingredients

8 tbsp. Vegan Chocolate Shakeology, divided (you can use regular but the texture may be a little different)
4 tbsp. Coconut Oil (divided)
4 tsp. Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (divided)

First, take 2 tbsp of coconut oil and melt it in a small bowl (about 30 seconds in the microwave). Once melted, add 4 tbsp of Shakeology and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly into the bottom of your mini muffin tin or the mini papers (shown below). Put in freezer for 5 mins.

Remove from freezer and add 1/2 tsp of creamy natural peanut butter to the top of each cup.

In your small bowl heat the other 2 tbsp of coconut oil in the microwave. Add the other 4 tbsp of Chocolate Shakeology and mix well. Divide evenly and pour over the top of the peanut butter and chocolate you have already in the cups.

Put them back in the freezer for another 30 mins. Remove after 30 mins and ENJOY!

Beachbody On Demand - Streaming Workouts Online

YOU have been asking and now it is FINALLY here!! With Beachbody On Demand you can online stream some of our most popular workouts - all included in the price of your Club Membership! You will have access to over $1500 worth of content for less than what most gym memberships cost monthly. 

Whether you are traveling for work, on vacation, or like to workout in a gym - you can now take your workouts with you! With Beachbody On Demand, you get the workouts plus step-by-step program guides, workout calendars, nutrition plans, and more—all online! Everything that makes Beachbody programs the #1 home fitness programs! 

I have spent a LONG time building up my personal library of programs and am excited that now when I go on vacation I don't have to take my DVDs with me anymore. 

If you have a free membership to Team Beachbody you can click here to upgrade. Just log in with your credentials and click the Beachbody On Demand logo. 

That is it! Questions - feel free to email me

Current titles in the library:

P90X, P90X2, P90X3, Insanity, TurboFire, Brazil Butt Lift, Ten Minute Trainer, ChaLEAN Extreme, Asylum Vol 1, Tony One-on-One (vol 1) and Hip Hop Abs. 

You will also have access to a free preview workout for other programs including: 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, PiYo, T25, P90 and Body Beast. 

Are You Ready?

Are you ready to take your fitness to the next level? TOMORROW is the BIG DAY!! 

Last February Autumn Calabrese launched the 21 Day Fix. This program was (and still is) proving to be a GAME CHANGER for so many men and women. I know I always struggled with the nutrition part of any fitness program I did. Let's face it - the nutrition part is THE most important part of the entire program! 

21 Day Fix comes with color coded containers that teach you how to portion out your food so you can still enjoy your favorite things. It also comes with awesome 30 minute butt kicking workouts that are great for anyone who has a busy schedule. I know as a busy mom with a full time job it is exactly what I need! 

Launching tomorrow - February 2nd is the follow up to the amazing 21 Day Fix - 21 Day Fix Extreme! This program will be for anyone who has a base fitness level - modifiers are also on each workout so don't worry if you need to modify. The nutrition portion is more strict than the original 21 Day Fix (no swaps/treats) so you can see just how far you can push and transform your body in 21 Days. 

I will be running private groups for both 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme. If you are ready to push yourself and see just what you are capable of send me an email and we can talk about your goals and decide which program will be best suited for you. 

EMAIL ME to get on the list and be part of my exclusive test group. Limited spaces available. The first 5 people ot purchase will receive an extra bag of freebies and be put in a drawing to win a FREE 3 Day Refresh Kit. Contact me to get your spot reserved!! 

Ginger Soy Flank Steak

Next time you are looking for a good recipe for a lean cut of steak give this one a try! I first tried this recipe a few years ago and loved it. It got stashed away and I completely forgot about it. The other day I was trying to think of something different to fix and it came to mind so I dug the recipe out of my drawer and decided to fix it for dinner tonight. Enjoy!

Ginger Soy Flank Steak

• 2 inch slice fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (I use Bragg's Aminos)
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 1/2 lb flank steak (or tenderized round steak)

Preparation:

1. Combine ginger, garlic, red pepper, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, and oil in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Place steak in a shallow dish. Pour mixture over steak; marinate, covered, turning once, for 1 hour in the refrigerator. 
3. Preheat grill or broiler on high.
4. Grill or broil steak for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on your meat thermometer. Remove from heat; let steak rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. 
5. Slice steak thinly against the grain. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 206

Cholesterol: 74 mg

Fat: 9g

Sodium: 415mg

Protein: 25g

Carbs: 6g

Are You Up For the Challenge?

Where are my busy moms at? I am looking for 10 women who are looking to lose 5-15 lbs in February! 

For the last 4 years I have been helping others and showing them it is completely possible to reach those fitness goals. I am a busy mom with a full time job, running my business in the evenings and a 3 year old daughter. Amid all of that chaos I still make sure I find time for ME. It is important to me that I take care of myself so I can be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, and all around better person. Now it is YOUR turn! It is time to see that you ARE worth it and you CAN do it! 

We will be following a meal plan and a workout plan for 21 days. That is it! Of course, once you finish the 21 days you won't want to just stop there. This is a complete lifestyle change. You will be feeling so good you won't want to stop! We will have color coded containers with foods outlined for each container - which takes all of the guesswork out of it (and if you are like me nobody has time to figure all of that out - counting calories can be time consuming)! 

Oh, and the workouts - only 30 mins a day! They are extremely effective and FUN! 

I will have a private Facebook group for everyone so we can all hold each other accountable. It is all done from the comfort of your own home - no worrying about child care, the weather, commuting to the gym... none of that. 

If you would like to join us I would love for you to come see how much your life can change in 21 days. Drop me an email HERE

I have personally done this program and can tell you it is the REAL DEAL! I now use the eating plan with the other fitness programs I do. It is so easy to incorporate into daily life! 

Here are my personal results after just ONE round:

 So drop me an email and we can get started on writing YOUR transformation story! As an added bonus to REALLY get you started on the right foot I will be doing a drawing for a FREE 3 Day Refresh kit for anyone who purchases the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack by January 31st. This package will come with everything you need for success - you will get the food guide, color coded containers, 7 workouts, 30 day trial club membership and 30 day supply of the Healthiest Meal of the Day - Shakeology. It is also on special this month so you will save even more! 

I look forward to working with you! 

Crockpot Turbo Chili

It is that time of year. The weather is getting colder and nobody wants to be grilling outside. I am always looking for new recipes to put in the crockpot. My family is pretty set with our "family secret" chili that we have be tweaking and perfecting over the years. However, I have heard a few of my friends say how wonderful the crockpot chili recipe is from the Turbo Fire nutrition guide. I have that program and figured I may as well give it a shot..

Not only is it super easy to throw together but it was REALLY good! 

The best thing is you can make the recipe your own. Don't like beans? Leave them out! Like more veggies? Add them! I used my 21 Day Fix containers to portion out my bowl or I would have gone WAY overboard! 

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes
1 large can tomato sauce
8 oz whole kernel corn, canned
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can pinto, chili or kidney beans, rinsed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 pkg Lawrey's Chili Seasoning 
4 oz low fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Brown turkey. Drain and discard fat. Place all ingredients except cheese into slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Top with 1 oz of cheese, if desired. 


That is it! Super simple and super YUMMY!! If you give this recipe a try let me know how you like it! You can always sub the Lawrey's seasoning for chili seasoning of your own or I have heard Mrs. Dash now makes packaged chili seasoning but I have never seen it in our stores here so I am not sure what all is in it. Enjoy!! 

My Next Journey

Today started the first next of the next challenge I have given myself. I let myself go over the holidays and put back on an extra few pounds. However, worse than the extra pounds are the feelings that came back with them - not sleeping well, lack of energy, acid reflux, and stress just to name a few. It is amazing how quick those things come back when you fall off track and go back to eating sugar and processed foods. 

I decided that in order to make a big change I needed to really push myself. I made the decision to take on 60 days of Insanity:Max 30. The original Insanity has always made me nervous. I have a mental block when it comes to it for some reason. I decided that I needed to push past that fear and take this one head on. My husband and I are going to be doing the program together which will be awesome for the extra support and accountability.

Today was Day 1 of the program. I had taken this past weekend to start preparing myself mentally. I sat down and wrote out my meal plan and wrote down all of my reasons why I decided on this program and what I was hoping to get out of it. 

I took my Energy and Endurance pre-workout, grabbed my bucket (just in case - better safe than sorry!) and headed to the basement. I maxed out in 2:07. Yes - you read that right - 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Having no issues getting through 60 mins of other cardio workouts this kind of made me disappointed. I took my quick break and wrote my time down and got right back into the workout. I was able to finish the entire 30 minutes using a mixture with the modifier. At the end of Cardio Challenge today the only word that could come to mind was "humbling". 

I was disappointed in my max out time at first but I am in competition with nobody else. Just me vs. me. I will do my best in each workout and push myself each day. Each week I will try to beat my previous week max out time - even if by only 30 seconds. I am excited to see what changes (mentally and physically) this program is going to bring for me. 

I sometimes get caught up on how far I still have to go instead of remembering where I have come from. I am so much stronger than I used to be. I went from being crippled by severe depression to gaining 60 lbs to where I am today. Each day I try to be a little better than the day before. I will update my journey as I go through these 60 days. Stay tuned for more! 

If you want to follow more of my journey you can follow me on Facebook HERE

Here is to the next 60 days! 

~ Karen Pickard