Pasta Fagioli Soup Crock Pot Healthy Recipe

Hey everyone I know it has been quite a while since I have blogged. Honestly, May is one of my busiest months of the year! So it has been jam packed! I wanted to hop on and share this recipe for Pasta Fagioli Soup (just like you get at Olive Garden, seriously just as good and bonus its healthy!) It was given to me by a friend and it is just to yummy not to share. You will need a large crockpot as it makes a ton!

Ingredients:

2	lbs ground turkey
1/2	onion, chopped
3	carrots, chopped
4	stalks celery, chopped
2	(28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1	(16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1	(16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
3	(10 ounce) cans beef stock
3	teaspoons oregano
2	teaspoons pepper
5	teaspoons parsley
1	teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1	(20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (low sugar or no sugar added) What I use is thick and zesty package of spaghetti seasoning and a large can of tomato sauce.
8	ounces whole grain or whole wheat pasta Directions: 1. Brown turkey in a skillet. 2.Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta. 3.Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. 4.During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta. This is an absolute must try recipe! Filling, healthy, and plenty for leftovers! Nicole McDuffie Independent Beachbody Coach

Tips for Moms Trying to Lose Weight

When I had my first child, no one told me what to expect after I had her. I guess I was naïve in thinking that everything on my body would go back to normal! I vividly remember standing in front of the mirror with breast pads in, looking at myself and crying because I couldn’t believe that this was how was going to look from now on. I had never exercised or ate right so I had NO idea where to start! BUT I knew I had to do something because between trying to juggle a newborn and sleep I just felt so depressed over my weight and my new body!

It is so hard to balance your new baby (or toddler) and weight, diet, and exercise! It is scary to get started because what if you fail, or what if you don't know how? There are so many what ifs. One thing I know for sure is, is that if you don't start you will never know what could be. So here are some tips I have figured out along the way to getting fit post kids. 

1.        Get an accountability buddy who will help to keep you motivated and keep you accountable to your diet and exercise. Get several buddies if you need them. If you are feeling like you want a cookie, text them and tell them and let them talk you out of it! This seriously works the best out of all my other tips. If I know someone is counting on me to be accountable then I am more likely to do it. I also treat it like a competition! I don’t want to break before anyone else, so I will keep going!

2.       If you need something sweet, make a healthier version of those desserts. There are tons and tons of recipes out there now. Pintrest is a great place to start, just type in clean eating desserts. That doesn’t mean that you can go crazy and have the whole pan. Remember to keep it small, but you won’t be eating bleached flour and refined sugar! 

3.       Get ALL of the junk out of your house. Yes, this means your special stash of stuff too! When you make the decision to lose weight this is a necessity. If it isn’t there then you can’t eat it. Replace all of the junk food with nutritious foods. So that way when you go to the refrigerator or the cabinet for a snack the only options are healthy foods. Some options are fresh fruit, veggies, low-fat popcorn, string cheese, etc.

4.       Schedule your workouts. This is so important so that way you don’t make excuses! Find what works for your schedule and your new baby. Also, try and remember that you are human. If you miss a workout it won’t kill you as long as you are working out 3 or more times a week you will benefit from it!

5.        Find an exercise that you love and run with it. There is so much variety out there to choose from that you can find something that will work for you. Exercise classes such as Zumba or TurboKick, in home DVDs, boot camps, or the gym. Find something that you love and you will never dread it.

6.       Find somewhere that you can take Mommy and baby fitness classes and then you don’t have the excuse of no babysitter.

7.        Journal everything you eat. If you bite, then write it because sometimes you just really need to see how much you are putting into your mouth so that you can realize how much you are eating. For me I grazed a lot all day long! Once I realized this through putting it into myfitnesspal I was able to nip the habit in the bud!

8.       Plan a cheat meal and a treat each week. This doesn’t mean 2000 calories at one meal or making the whole day a cheat day because you don’t want to undo a whole week worth of doing good! If you completely deny yourself you are more likely to fail then if you allow yourself to indulge once a week.

9.       Don’t reduce your calories too much. We have been led to believe that we need to workout more and eat less. That is really not the way to go. Your body needs calories especially if you are working out. You need a minimum of 1200 calories if you are just sitting around all day. So you want to aim for 1500-1800 of good nutritious calories each day. There is absolutely no reason to starve while trying to lose weight. If you eat nutritiously you will find that the weight comes off and you will not be starving!

If you are a mom new or old and are looking to lose weight, follow these tips outline above. If you need any help doing it please feel free to email me at fitnic13@aol.com as my coaching is always free!

Nicole McDuffie

Idependent Beachbody Coach

Getting back into my groove!

     I am always hesitant to share about myself on my blog. I felt that this needed to be said because maybe someone else out there is feeling the same way. I have always been a super motivated and driven person when it comes to working out. Especially when I have a program and nutrition guide I can follow. The food and nutrition part has been a complete learning experience along the way. I always do lots of research on how to eat healthy, etc. As many of you know I did the 21 Day Fix, felt great about myself, had tons of energy, woke up feeling good and not tired, etc.  Then when we got done with it the 21 Day Fix, I took a couple of days off! When I was going to get back into it I had some stresses enter my life. I seriously turned to food for comfort. Why? Because I am without a doubt the most emotional eater you will ever eat. Chocolate fixes everything, or so I told myself!

     I really let those life stresses take over. I worked out, but it was halfhearted. I ate out every day for about 3-4 weeks. I also consumed my fair share of junk food and candy. This is totally unlike me, I normally allow a little in moderation, but not like this! What is weird is that the more I moved away from my healthy lifestyle the more I started letting the unhealthy lifestyle take over. It is SO easy to backslide on eating healthy and not working out. I was looking for any excuse to get out of working out each day. Any excuse to eat whatever I wanted. I just couldn’t say NO!  Really strange behavior for me because I really never just quit or give up. I have goals, and one of those is some ABS!!!

     It took me a while to recognize what was happening! I had been feeling weak and not myself for a few days. I sat back one afternoon and realized that I had eaten out every day that week. No wonder I felt like crap, weak, and had a headache every day! What is totally ridiculous about this is that I spent $180 at the grocery store that week and then still ate out every day at $25-$30 a pop to feed my big family. What a waste of money and can we say DUMB?!!  When I realized that I had slowly let that unhealthy lifestyle take back over my life I set a date on when to start back on my journey to reach my goals for myself and my body. I am taking it seriously. I don’t want to fell miserable and out of sorts. I don’t want to let my feelings lead my nutrition any longer!

 


   I planned out my meals; for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What I do most days is cook more at dinner so that I can have leftovers for lunch. Makes it super simple to figure lunch out and really easy to follow, and if it works why change it?

 


   It is super easy to let stresses pull you under when you are trying to get fit, lose weight, just be healthy, or all the other reasons why you want to eat healthy and lose weight. What matters most is that you just start or get started again. It is not easy to let junk food go, but you know what after a couple of days of not having it the cravings go away. The more you eat of it the more you want. Right?! So get started at it, it doesn’t matter if you are slow about it or can’t work out every day. Don’t let your emotional ties to food or the stresses in your life keep you from getting started or restarted! JUST DO IT! One thing that I LOVE about health, fitness, and nutrition is that the journey never ends! Experiment, find what works for you! It is not one size fits all. So research and get started!

     I have been back at it for 2 days now, and I am already feeling better about myself. It feels good to have a plan and actually stick to it. It makes it feel like all the chaos in your life is not going to take back over and knock you down! Does that make sense?

     I am always here to help you if you want it, reach out, send me a message, and let’s talk about YOUR goals. 

Nicole McDuffie

Independent Beachbody Coach

www.facebook.com/nicolemcduffiesfitness

21 Day Fix Workouts

What are the workouts of the 21 Day Fix like?    

 The workouts of the 21 Day Fix are pretty amazing! I had heard that these were simple exercises that beginners to experts in fitness could do and get results. So I wasn't sure what to expect. All I can say is WOWZERS! These are some serious workouts. I don't want that to scare you from trying them because there is also an amazing modifier that you can follow. None of them are to advanced either that beginners cannot do. All workouts are only 30 minutes too! How amazing is that because everyone has 30 minutes to give to a workout!

Day 1 is Total Body Fix. This is exactly what it sounds like. You work your whole body from the upper, lower, and core. It is a great workout using light and heavy weights. I woke up with some sore legs the next day! It made me smile because it has been a while since I really felt this burn from a workout.

Day 2 is Upper Fix. This workout works on your arms and your core. She mixes it up so your arms are not so tired that you can't go on to the next workout. You work your bis, lats, triceps, and core. It really helped to alleviate that muscle soreness from day 1. 

Day 3 is Lower Fix.  Oh my GOODNESS! This workout was killa! It really worked those legs in a great way. I am smiling because I love sexy legs and this is going to help me out! Also, it is going to lift that bootay! 

Day 4 is Pilates it works the core, butt,  hips, and thighs. There are lots of planks and elongating of the muscles. This is one of my favorite workouts because you definitely work up a sweat, but in a non cardio way that makes you feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the week! The stretch is amazing!

Day 5 Cardio Fix is just pure cardio. No weights are needed for this workout. It is  a heart pounding, sweat inducing great workout! 

Day 6 is the Dirty 30.  This workout is one of my favorites of the all of them. It is another cardio workout mixed with strength training. Some older exercises mixed with some new ones! I love the oblique work in this one! 

Day 7 is the Yoga Fix. This workout will help with balance, flexibility, and strength, while also increasing circulation and speeding the healing of your muscles. I have always been fascinated with yoga and want to do more of it. I love how you feel like you are getting in a good workout by connecting with your body, breathing, and stretching. Afterwards I feel SO relaxed. 

      What do you need for this workout?  A set of light weights and a set of heavy weights or resistance bands. This totally depends on your own fitness level. If you are a beginner you can do no weights and 3lbs, of 2lbs and 5 lbs. I personally use a range from 5lbs-15lbs. So it is totally up to you and your fitness level. If you have questions about it please feel free to send me an email at fitnic13@aol.com. The best thing about this program is that you can do it as many times as you need to reach your goal! 

     My results were down 6lbs and 3 inches all over. I was super ecstatic with these results and have never felt leaner in my life. My clients in my test group got better results then me. My 66 year old Mom lost 10 lbs and 14 inches all over. Cassandra lost 21 inches and 4 lbs. John lost 14 lbs. These are just some of the success stories that have come out of my test group for the program the 21 Day Fix. Do you want in on this revolutionary program? Fill out this application below and I will contact you asap. 



Nicole McDuffie
Independent Beachbody Coach

21 Day Fix Food Plan

21 Day Fix Food Plan:

The program was super easy to follow. All of the food is laid out for you in an easy to follow nutrition guide. The program comes with portion control bowls that are microwave and dishwasher safe. If food from each category fits in the bowl then you can eat it.

When I received my program, I read the guide cover to cover! That way I could understand the plan and what I needed to do to prepare myself for the program. Your container allowances is based on a formula in the plan, and with that calculation you choose your calorie range. From there the plan tells you how many of each container you can have for a day of food.

For me, I was in the 1200-1499 calorie range. That gave me 3 green (veggies), 2 purple (fruits), 4 red (protein), 2 yellow (carbs), 1 blue (seeds, etc), 1 orange (nuts and dressings), and 2 spoons (nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, etc).

From there the containers are broken down in the guide as to what foods are allowed for each category so that ALL of the guesswork is taken out of this. It is so easy to make a meal plan from here because you can look at your daily container allowance and the foods allowed and make out your meals for the day. The foods listed will give you a variety of nutrients for your body.

One sample day for me:

Breakfast: One egg, 2 pieces of turkey bacon (1 red), 1/2 banana (1 purple)
Snack: Shakeology and water (1 red)
Lunch: One can of tuna fish, mustard, one 10 inch whole grain wrap, one green container of cucumbers and 10 baby carrots (1 red, 2 greens, 1 yellow)
Snack: Apple and peanut butter (1 purple, 1 spoonful)
Dinner: Baked chicken w/olive oil and Mrs. Dash seasoning, broccoli, sweet potato, salad with tomatoes. (1 red, 2 green, 1 yellow, 1 spoon)
Snack: 10 olives (orange) 12 whole, raw almonds (Blue)

Equals: 4 greens, 4 reds, 2 purple, 2 yellow, 1 orange, 1 blue, and 2 spoons

I didn't eat out of the containers, but I did measure out of the containers and then pour onto my plate. When initially looking at the containers, I was a little discouraged because I was thinking that it wasn't going to be enough food and that I would be hungry. No one wants to be hungry because that is miserable! Well I was very surprised with the containers when you measure out food and pour it onto your plate because it is a lot more food then it looks like!

You are allowed to have milk, almond milk, 21 Day Fix treats (there are some awesome treat recipes in the guide) or even wine up to 3 times a week. However, it will replace one of your yellow containers. For me, I did have a treat a couple of times a week, but I never replaced one of my food with a liquid. I would much rather eat something then to drink something!

One more awesome thing about this program is that there is also a great restaurant guide as well. Because when we get real with life does sometimes get in the way and you are forced to eat out, with this you won't be ruining your diet. The guide gives you certain items like cheese pizza and how much you can have and what containers it corresponds with. For cheese pizza you can have 1/4 of a 12 inch pizza and it counts as 2 yellows and 1 orange!

Beachbody made it really easy to keep track of all your containers for the day with an awesome tally sheet. You can print these off and use them to keep track. At the top of the sheets you mark your allowance for each container and then with each meal you just tally up how many you have had of each container. It is easy and a great visual to keep you on track for the day!

Tracking Sheets

I planned all of my meals for each week. This made it super easy to follow the plan because I had each day planned out and knew what I could have. I also always made enough supper that I could leftovers the next day. If I knew I was going to be out for the day I packed all of my meals and/or snacks to go with me so I wasn't stuck not being able to eat something I wasn't supposed too. By planning out my meals I wasn't stuck at dinner time wondering what I would cook for my family and then opting to eat out. I had a plan and I stuck with it.

Speaking of family, I made all my meals according to what my family like and what we could eat with the meal plan. My family was never deprived either and I made lots of kid friendly and 21 Day Fix friendly meals! So you can do this program with kids or without kids! In my case, I have kids and was able to work this around to fit all of us. They never complained!

The good thing about this program is that I learned to eat more vegetables. I am a healthy eater, but I am not a vegetable lover. I did opt for fresh veggies most of the time over steam or cooked ones,and that is totally okay! I learned that I didn't eat as healthy as I thought. So the 21 Day Fix really opened my eyes to the fact that I wasn't always eating as healthy as I thought!

The 21 Day Fix is geared toward fast results, but we don't want you to stop at the end of 21 days. It is a life long program that you can follow. What happens at the end of 21 days is that you actually add in more calories (which means upping your containers). In my case it was another yellow, another purple, and two more spoons. Because you do not want to keep with low calories for long as you can actually hurt your results in the long run. You will still get results with the higher calorie count too!

It takes 21 days to break a habit. If you stick with this program and eat like you are supposed too, you WILL get results! I was never tempted to indulge in food that was allowed on the plan because I wanted to get results and was laser focused. I also never felt deprived. If I wanted something sweet, I would just make a treat that day. Several of them had chocolate in it so it cured that chocolate craving!!! I only felt hungry two times. These were on high weight days and it wasn't overwhelming hunger. So I wasn't miserable and cranky!

I thought that I ate pretty decent before the 21 Day Fix, but this program really showed me that I definitely over did it on the carbs, even if they are good carbs. You can over do it, and mess with results. I also gained a ton of energy from eating the way I am supposed too. It was amazing! I sleep better, I eat better, and I have more energy!


Tomorrow I will be blogging about the workouts!

Do you want in on my 21 Day Fix accountability and support?!?! Complete the application below to be considered for my next accountability and support group! I will keep you on track for reaching your own 21 day success! The start of a new you, a healthier lifestyle, and the body you have always wanted...THE HEALTHY WAY!

21 Day Fix - Lose up to 15 lbs in 21 Days

The 21 Day Fix is the newest program by Beachbody. It rolled off of the shelves on February 3rd, and has since been so wildly popular that it keeps selling out!



What is the 21 Day Fix?






 It is designed to focus on weight loss of up to 15 lbs in 21 days through your nutrition with a meal plan by portion control bowls, a workout, and the support of me as your coach. The 21 Day Fix takes all of the guess work out of weight loss. It is a unique portion control system combined with an easy to follow workout. The workout is easy to fit into anyone's busy schedule because each workout is only 30 minutes of focused exercise! Autumn Calabrese shares her passion for food and fitness as she shows you how to make simple changes in your diet that add up to life changing results.

Do you feel like you are eating healthy and exercising, but not getting anywhere? It could be portion sizes. I know that I have felt like I do pretty good as far healthy eating, but I have a big problem with portion control! This program was specifically designed to help you in this area!

What is my most loved part about this program though is that their is a modifier so it truly fits any fitness level! If you are a beginner you can do this program. If you are advanced in fitness you can work this program! Autumn Calabrese is a national swimsuit competitor, and designed this program to fit any fitness level. What is even more fantastic is that you can do this program as many times as you like to get to your goals.

How do you go about getting this program? Go to teambeachbody and get a free account, this will make me your FREE Beachbody coach. I will provide you with support, motivation, and accountability from the beginning of the program to the end of the program, for as many times as you want to complete it!

Do you want to be considered for one of my support groups for this program? If you said yes, please fill out the application below. I will be there to walk you through the nutrition plan, and help you plan to make this work for your lifestyle. The group is a closed online support group with other individuals who are doing the same program. What does this mean? That only those in this group can see what is going on in the group. The only cost to this is the cost of the challenge pack which includes everything to get you started. The workout DVDs, nutrition guide, portion control bowls, discounted price, and me as your coach. Do this now so that you will be ready for summer!

 

Active Military - Free Beachbody Coach

Thank you for your service!

So what does it mean to be a FREE Beachbody Coach?


The very first thing is that it means is that you get 25% of any Beachbody products. This includes all workout programs (P90X, Body Beast, T25, 21 Day Fix), any of the supplements (Shakeology, Results and Recovery, and Energy and Endurance), tshirts, and equipment.

Secondly, Beachbody wants to say thank you by  allowing you to sign up as a coach for free (normally $39.95), and they also your monthly fee is waived (normally $15 monthly). 

So if you have been thinking about earning some extra income or maybe even owning your own business, NOW is your chance. 

Lastly, if your husband or wife is serving active duty and they have no desire to be a coach, good news is that you can take their free business under their active duty status! 

What are you required to do?

You help people pick the program that is right for them and offer them a support system while they are completing the program. The groups that you run for these people help many of them to make it through the whole program! You have the opportunity to make this a full-time job and make a serious income. If you don't want this to be a full time job, and just want a little extra spending money or maybe offset what you are already spending on Beachbody products then you can do that too. It is totally up to you what you want from your business! There is training for everything and I will help you every step of the way. 

Have more questions? Check out this FAQ from Beachbody.  If that doesn't answer your questions comment below and I will get back with you ASAP.

How do I sign up?

To take advantage of the 25% discount as a FREE Beachbody Coach and to sign up for free as an active duty military member or spouse of an active duty military member, then you’ll need to follow the following simple steps-
1) Go to here
2) Click be a coach
3)  Once you click you can decide if you would like to purchase a Challenge pack (this will be the last time you will be able to purchase a challenge pack as a coach). 
4.) Pack the coach fee of $39.95
5.) Send in this form with a copy of your current orders to customerrelations@teambeachbody.com or fax to (213) 201-7225.
6.) Once Beachbody has received this information from you and verified your orders, they will then refund you your $39.95 fee that you had to pay up front!

If you have any questions or problems, don’t hesitate to contact me! If you do go through this process, make sure that you at least send me an email at fitnic13@aol.com letting me know once you’ve faxed or emailed your information in so I can be on the lookout for it to go through. 

I would like to take a moment and say from one military family to another thank you so much for your service and thank you to your spouse for his/her service as well! 

Nicole McDuffie
Independent Team Beachbody Coach