May 3 2015- Day I will never forget

So months ago a bunch of us had a crazy new idea of running as a relay team in the Pittsburgh Marathon.  I AM NOT A RUNNER. Never could run due to becoming severely short of breath. Months of training a few days a week- I surprised myself. I could do it.

Put my mind to it even though I had TONS of doubts.  Through encouragement by those of you that don't even realize-----I want to say Thank You.  You are the reason why I can believe in myself.

Dressed and ready---am I really going to do this?!

At the Start Line Corrals- UNREAL the amount of people and ENERGY!

Just finished my part of the relay! Total disbelief that of what just happened!

TEAM WAYNESBURG DNP's crossing together- cause that is how we work!

My cheerleaders at the finish. So glad that I am able to set this example for my Abby!

So, in summary, I want to say thank you to those that encourage me everyday. More importantly thank you to God for being able to be on this world, have this life, and experience what I have.

New Year- 2015

So this year will come with new challenges and rewards.
I have chosen to try to run with my fellow classmates in the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay Team.

Those that know me know that I am not a runner. I don't thrive off of running but I will do it to keep my activity level up.

We will see how this goes......

So to prep for the marathon I obviously need to focus over the next few months not only to be physically ready but mentally as well.

What are you planning on doing for you THIS YEAR?
What do you want out of 2015?
What will you do to benefit you and your family? Your career? Your happiness? Your destiny?

Day 6 and 7

Day 6 

Stress is a necessary piece of life. Good and Bad- it serves a purpose. Where I am focusing on is how to control it. Sometimes we let our thoughts take our whole mentality over. Reality is what you believe in and everyone's perception may be different. 

 Day 7

With the hussle of yesterday I came to realize today's focus. I am known for burning the candle not from both ends but burning it completely down to nothing. I need to focus on slowing down, enjoy the moments, and reflect.  Please, take a moment today, and slow down!

Day 4 & 5

This weekend it was a blessing to spend time with my family without one commitment to be somewhere else! Enjoy the simple moments....

Day 3 of 7...enough said

Day 2 of 7 Days

Day 2
My body was telling me to sleep so it's a rest day for me. We have to listen to signs and act upon them.

Last night, while attending a conference, I hear such a great message. A piece of that message was about forgiveness.  So, today, I am focusing on forgiveness.
Forgiveness does not mean you forget.
It means you understand the actions.
It means not to be so hard on yourself all the time.
It's ok to cry, scream, stress, laugh, and repeat.

Today I challenge you to forgive yourself for something you have been hard on yourself about.

7 days of ME

So my birthday is in 30 days. While thinking about the upcoming day over this past weekend, I know I don't want "stuff" but I want to do something for ME. So that is why I am doing 7 days of ME. Over the next 30 days I will be blogging on my efforts to center myself into a healthy and happy person. Sometimes we forget about ourselves and meanwhile so many are depending on us.

Day #1 of 7 days of ME
Today I spent just less than 30 minutes of my time on me. Got up, got dressed, washed my face, put on my heart rate monitor/shoes/and gloves, and sweated it out for 29 minutes.  Why do this? It not only boosts my metabolism but it boosts my mood. Have you ever had great news? Or told you can leave work early? Or take a day off? You know that feeling you get?!? That is the feeling I get after pushing play on my workouts.

Now onto shower, water, Shakeology, and coffee.

My day boring? NEVER!
You make what your life is.
Only you control your destiny.
Only you control your mood.
Only you control your outcome.

TRUTH IS....

The truth is I find myself in situations almost daily. Before my transformation I was not even aware of my choices and actions and just went through my day. Now- I realize before or during my time to decide in these situations what would be best. I AM NOT PERFECT and don't want to be either! I just have found that life is amazing and you need to make the most out of it and that doesn't mean to put everything in your mouth!

• MAKING COOKIES at home for hubby and my daughter but trying not to be tempted to eat the dough or all of the cookies on the counter.

• BUBBLY DRINKS are always nice when I want more than water or tea. Pop is something I gave up a year ago. I used to drink coffee and pop all day everyday. Now its more of an occasional thing. 

• ICE CREAM! Summer time reminds me of my childhood the most. Also, I was in my 7-9 months of pregnancy during a hot summer and all I wanted was ice cream. I find that getting a child size/mini size is a great alternative!

• KEEP MOVING. I was in a weird funk recently that I would get MAD at myself if I didn't press play every morning. Some mornings due to being at work early or some morning due to my body telling me to sleep- I was unable to move and press play. So I have learned to try my best, if I don't get to press play in the morning then before dinner I could go and press play or even after dinner go outside with my daughter and run in the yard. 

So the truth is in the last two weeks, I haven't tracked my food everyday, I have had some pop and alcohol, I have pushed play a few times but not everyday, and I have had ice cream a few times. But- proof that life allows you to be flexible I went clothes shopping last night. Dropped another pant size, tried on capris in a smaller size, they fit, I dropped to the ground of the dressing room in TEARS of EXCITEMENT!

So my only regret in the last couple years is that I didn't start this journey sooner! I had too much fear and too much doubt in myself. So today I ask you to let go of fear, let go of all doubt, and just do it- you will be amazed at yourself!

21 Day Fix end to week 2

I keep asking myself: why did I chose this time of year to do this program? 4th of July parties, local township fair, fireworks/s'mores, and another local carnival- all during the simple 21 days!
But hey- if I can stick with it during busy, fried food, and unclean eating times- then I can do it any time!

Week two is coming to an end. I am enjoying this program! Definitely simple, takes the stress out of "what to eat today", and I am noticing not only strength and progression with my workouts but also with my eating.

Here's to the final week!

Clean eating steak marinade

Clean Eating Flank Steak Marinade

1lb Flank Steak
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP Raw Honey
Pinch of Garlic Powder

Mix all well with a whisk

Marinade 4-24 hours depending on strength of taste desired!

21 Day Fix Week 2 Meal Plan

Week 1 Done! Now to Week 2.
Now that I have the hang of it- planning and prepping is easy! Honestly it took me only 1 hour to completely understand the program and plan.

Here is Week 2's Meal Plan and I am already seeing results on and off the scale!

21 Day Fix Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing

Makes 8 servings, about 6 tsp. each

per serving= one orange container

3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar

3 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice

3 TBSP Dijon Mustard

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

6 TBSP EV Olive Oil

1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; whisk well

2. Slowly add oil while whisking, mix well

Store in air tight container in fridge. 

21 Day Fix Salad Dressings- Balsamic Vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette
 (makes 8 servings, about 6 tsp. each)
Per serving= ONE orange container

6 TBSP. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. raw honey
2 tsp. dijon mustard
6 TBSP. EV Olive Oil

1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in medium bowl; wisk well
2. stir in mustard; mix well
3. Slowly add oil while wisking; mix well

Store in air tight container in fridge- if needed let sit 30 minutes room temp and stir before serving.

Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

*Makes 3 pancakes.
Fix Portions (for 3 pancakes):  1/2 yellow, ½ red, 1 purple, 2 tsp oil

·         1 egg

·         1/2 banana

·        1/2 cup oats

·         1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 

·         1/2 tsp vanilla extract

·         1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1.      Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth (about 30 seconds)

2.      Pour onto a lightly greased griddle or griddle pan (I use a very small amount of real,      unsalted butter)

3.      Cook until lightly brown on both sides

4.      Drizzle with 2 tsp of 100% pure maple syrup 

21 Day Fix Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 8 servings (2 cookies per serving)

2 cookies= One YELLOW container

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

1/4 cup golden raisins 

1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. Lightly coat baking sheet with spray. Set aside.

3. Combine oats, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl, mix well.

4. Add bananas, raisins, and walnuts, mix well.

5. Drop by heaping TBSP. onto prepared baking sheet, flatten cookies with a spatula.

6. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until firm.

Store in air tight container.

What is this 21 Day Fix everyone is talking about?

So instead of jumping on the bandwagon when it was released- I wanted to see others do this program before I tried it!

Coming back from vacation, running/walking 6 out of the 7 mornings, and really trying to watch my eating habit- I still gained 2.5 pounds. More than likely it was from the alcohol since I don't normally drink.

So lessoned learned- keep pushing forward and don't let a little set back keep me down. Just like everything I have been through over the past few years- I just need to take a moment to regress, reflect, and refocus.

So I took yesterday to prep my shopping list and today to prep my meal plan and food for the week. Tomorrow is officially day 1 of my 21 Day fix. 3 weeks of portion control, food group consumption choices, and to just DO IT!

Here is my meal plan for this week:

So how does this work? In a nutshell you calculate your daily needs and then plan on what you eat on those needs. The program comes with colored containers of portion control sizes.  So essentially, my plan contains 4 Red containers (protein), 4 Green containers (veggies), 3 Purple containers (Fruit), 3 Yellow containers (good carbs), 1 Blue container (cheeses), 1 Orange container (dressings), and 4 teaspoons of healthy oils.  As you can see according to my meal plan everything is color coded according to those containers. 

Like with everything Team Beachbody- you can substitute. If I want wine- I can have it as a substitute for a Red 3 times a week.  If I want an approved chocolatey snack- I can substitute for yellow. 

So some simple planning, effort on GOOD grocery shopping, and DEDICATION for 21 days- here we GO!

Les Mills Combat 8 Week Transformation

So I started my Les Mills Combat Journey May 2014. I was a little nervous of this program and would I really like it?

Well- let me tell you- it took about 3 minutes into it and I was HOOKED! Dan and Rachel and the crew made it fun, doable, challenging, and occasionally made me laugh.

Throughout the journey I learned a few things:
1. I am tough (when I need to be)
2. I can try anything atleast once
3. Jump Kicks are scary at first but then are addicting once you get it!
4. Waking up at 4:30am to do a 60 minute workout- Loved it with this program- made me feel strong from the moment I woke up!
5. Don't be afraid- you truly don't know what you can do unless you try!

Here is my transformation!

Big announcement for summer!

Awesome way to start out June! Big SALE!!!

Ever wanted to try a program but didn't have the money?

Check out these discounts! Limited time- till June 9th or until supplies last!

Additionally- if you want to start coaching you can also receive another 25% off!

Message me for more information if interested!

www.beachbodycoach.com/betsytedesco

betsytedesco.blogspot.com

Non Scale Victory

So yesterday ended my first four weeks with LES MILLS COMBAT. It has been a challenge but that only equals change.  I decided for the first time not to focus on the scale in my bathroom as progress but to go shopping. THE DREADED bathing suit shopping. UGH.

So, off I went yesterday with my daughter. Grabbed a few off the rack, even a size smaller than what I thought I was. The smaller size fit- I for the first time in a long long long time- I felt confident.

Not 100% towards my goal but I am well on my way! I actually started to cry in the dressing room. My daughter started to hug me and said its okay mommy. I told her these were happy tears and she hugged me and said ok :)

What non scale victory have you had lately? Changed your eating habits, tracked your eating, drinking more water, getting rid of pop, no more sugar?

My non scale victory was knowing by the clothes that I was getting closer to my ideal body type!

What body type to you aspire to have? Here is my ideal body type.

Perfect formula

So vacation is just around the corner and I am definitely in need of a week away!
What do you do to relax? Read a book, take a nap, take an extra long bath or shower?
But I know I must stay on track to get the best out of my day!

So I have found the perfect formula to my day:
1. Wake up with a positive attitude
2. Wash my face and workout for 30 minutes
3. Drink water!
4. Get my work day ready and drink my Shakeology!
5. Work day by serving others
6. Drive home either in silence to take it in or singing my head off! 😄
7. Play and have a family sit down together dinner
8. Play, snuggles, and book time before bed
9. Relax for 30-60 minutes by reading a book watching a tv show or talking with a friend
10. Go to bed with positivity and gratefulness to do it all again tomorrow!

27 months with Beachbody and total transformation in eating, drinking, and thinking!

As simple as from home, some planning, grocery shopping adjustments, and accountability from my online confidential Facebook group!

Being a mom, wife, daughter, sister, fulltime nurse, part time adjunct faculty, part time doctoral student= it can be done! Let me know if you want to hear more.