We are better together!

WOW!  What a whirlwind this past 10 months have been!  On September 28, 2014 we got one of the best surprises of our lives...we were going to be parents for a third time and adding to the Avondet clan!

BUT you see..with that comes nausea, cravings, exhaustion, and a hubby that is happy to live on the edge a little by running to the store and spoiling me with dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Romolos (my fav!) and brownies! :) Together, WE were pregnant, haha!

So, here we are 11 days postpartum and 100% committed to starting the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan TOMORROW!  We are ready to get back on track and it feels good!!!  My workouts will follow in a few more weeks after I recover from my first c-section, which I have to say is no joke!  I really appreciate all those c-section mommas out there and am giving you a high five! This was not what I wanted, but a decision the doctors made at 38 weeks, and I am truly grateful to them for a healthy baby and a safe delivery!

The cravings and nausea are gone, the exhaustion, well I pretty much tell myself to get over it and keep on moving...it is just part of motherhood!!!  The hubby also promises not to run home with any more sweets for me!

For the past 14 years of dating and (almost) 8 years of marriage Chris and I have been one heck of a team, and our support and respect for one another has only grown stronger over the years!  We are always better together and getting our nurtrition on track is no different.

It is truly wonderful to have an accountability partner, so if you are looking for help I would love for you to have your very own fun and colorful food containers and join my next health and fitness accountability group...together we are better!  :)

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Looking for a simple but tasty dinner?!  Look no further!  These were delicious and you can spice them up or down, depending on your preference.  

Marinade 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast in Franks hot sauce for an hour.

Grill Chicken breast and brush with hot sauce....

Cut chicken in thin strips.

Wash lettuce wraps and prepare toppings of choice.

Topping option ideas: carrots, celery, avocado, peppers, tomatoes, low fat shredded cheddar, crumbled blue cheese, nonfat greek yogurt.

Assemble your wraps! Easy, fresh, healthy and DELISH! 

Recipe: Egg Muffins

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night I was craving something sweet, and I will be honest, I didn't want a healthy alternative.  I wanted something sweet, and yummy....I wanted dessert!  I made these cookies and they were soft, chewy, and AWESOME!  They felt like they should be sinful....but they still followed clean eating rules and were pretty heatlhy for cookies!  However, if you are doing the 21 Day Fix, you would still want to count this as one of your treats :)

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp.  baking soda
pinch of sea salt (optional)
handful of dark chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl or mixer add egg, coconut oil, applesauce, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Mix well.

Add flour, oats, and baking soda and stir to combine.  Add chocolate chips.  Chill dough for a couple hours in the fridge.

Preheat Oven to 350.  Spray cookie sheet with baking spray.  Roll into balls and cook for 10 minutes. Do not overcook, they will become more firm when they cool down.

Makes 15 cookies.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe & What's Cookin' in the Avondet House this Week (Meal Plan Included)

It's Friiiidayyy!!! Friday's are ususally my meal planning day, so I can head to the grocery store over the weekend with a list in hand and get prepped and ready for my week ahead.  Unfortunately I LOVE good ole cheese pizza when I am pregnant, a food I am pretty good at avoiding when I am not. Sooo, I have been living it up more lately and letting myself enjoy it in moderation before we meet our new bundle of joy. I got this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pizza from another Beachbody coach, and asked her if I could share it here with all of you.  It was DELICIOUS and a little less guiltless too!!! 

Ingredients:

-   One 100% whole wheat pizza crust or dough

-   1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek Yogurt

-   3/4 cup buffalo sauce (I used Frank's), divided

-   1 lb raw, skinless chicken breast

-   1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped

-   1 cup low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese

-   handful of chopped green onions, celery or carrots to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Place chicken breast in skillet and season with 1/2 cup buffalo sauce.  Cook on medium heat until cooked through. Remove from skilled and shred. While chicken is cooking saute onion in small skillet.

2. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce with Greek yogurt in small bowl and mix well. 

3. Spread the yogurt sauce mixture evenly over the pizza shell.

4. Layer the chicken and onions evenly over the sauce.

5. Top with mozzarella cheese.

6. Place the pizza on oven rack for approximately 10-12 minutes.

7. Top with a small handful of chopped green onions, celery, or carrots.  

 I have been getting a lot of questions on the 21 Day Fix nutrition, so I thought I would share what else is cooking up in our kitchen this week.  My meal plan is color coded according to the 21 Day Fix nutrition guidelines.  As you can see my calorie range is normally 1200, however, I have added some extra snacks here and there, and a few more calories in this plan due to being pregnant.  I also usually follow a workout program to a tee.  I plan my workouts for the week, and add them to this meal plan, so there is nothing left to the imagination and I can stay on track!!!  To be honest though, being 6 months pregnant right now, I kind of just go with the flow on what I am feeling that day between 21 Day Fix and Insanity.  Some workouts are just getting to be a little more uncomfortable than others! ;)  

Life as a Beachbody Coach a Year Later

It is so hard to believe that I started my journey with Beachbody almost one short year ago, and what a year it has been!  Prior to getting connected with the 21 Day Fix and Coaching, I was what I like to call, a yo yo workout girl. I wanted so bad to stick with something, but nothing just seemed to connect, so I was always on the lookout for a new workout routine.  After I had Gavin, I canceled my gym membership with such little time in my day to actually get there.  When I canceled my membership I saw an infomercial for Insanity, so I ordered it through the Beachbody website, rather than a Coach.  Not knowing any different, I did not have a coach, I was not drinking Shakeology, and I was not connected with a challenge group. Needless to say, after a few weeks of plugging along, I ended up getting bored and quit.  I resorted back to running, but I always just felt like I needed a little more and I definitely needed to fine tune my nutrition.  I was a tired mom and always lacking energy!

Around the same time, I had a friend that was posting about the 21 Day Fix.  I saw it a couple times, read about it, and then continued on with my day.  While browsing Facebook one day during naptime I saw a post about the 21 Day Fix yet again. I thought hmmm, alright what is this really all about?!  I will be honest....I was SKEPTICAL, very very skeptical, but desperate to feel better I thought, I will give it a try.  What in the world do I have to lose?? After getting my 21 Day Fix kit in the mail, meal planning, and participating in my first challenge, I WAS A BELIEVER!  My energy sky rocketed, my nutrition was the best it ever was, and I stuck with my workouts!  The truth is, I never felt better since becoming a mom!  I fell in love with the methodical plan that was spelled out for me!  It was GENIUS! I had support to get me started.  I had support during my victories.  I had support when I failed.  I had support!

I was such a believer in the 21 Day Fix and Beachbody's mission as a company, that I told Chris I just had to become a coach!  His reaction pretty much went like this.... uh huh Molly, yep. Sure. Are you serious??? Haha! I am sure he thought that this was just another fad for me, but after he saw how passionate I was, he not only supported me, but even better. He JOINED me for a date every morning before work and did the 21 Day Fix workouts with me, drank his Shakeology daily and followed the nutrition guidelines.  He lost 8lbs in 2 weeks, so I would say he is a believer too :))  

I can honestly say, I never started this to make money.  I started this because I wanted EVERYONE TO FEEL AS GOOD AS I WAS FEELING!!!  I wanted to help others improve their health and fitness.  I wanted to pay it forward!  Everyone deserves to feel fabulous about them self!

A year later, I am still going strong, and I am still just as passionate! I am still a BELIEVER in the products, and my mission to help others.  My team is growing, and I am building a successful business which is just plain crazy for me to even think about, and I couldn't be happier doing it!  I love surrounding myself with like-minded coaches and challengers!  It is inspiration and motivation at its finest!

The 21 Day Fix and all of the Beachbody programs are pure genius.  If you are willing to commit to 30 minutes a day, there is literally nothing left to the imagination.  The workouts and nutrition are spelled out for you, the 1:1 support is amazing, and Shakeology is just plain awesome for you (and yummy too)!

If you have ever thought about joining a challenge or coaching, follow your heart!  You seriously will not regret it!  :)

Love,

Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe