4 weeks of CLEAN EATING ONLY

I'm really excited about sharing with you my journey back to my pre-pregnancy weight. 

The good, the bad, AND the ugly.

I gained a little over 50 lbs with this baby (my 2nd) and I have 20 lbs left to lose to get back to 115, which is where I originally started. 

Unlike my first, I worked out almost every single day AND ate as clean as I could (minus the first few weeks due to EXTREME morning sickness.) And even at that I STILL gained over 50 lbs! (60 with the first). 

For those of you that have ever taken before pictures before, you know that it can be sickening. All these things start flooding in your mind and can get you discouraged before you even start. 

I felt that exact same way here. ^^^

I had to be REALLY careful not to let that affect my mood or my attitude. But I TOTALLY understand why some people feel like they are "too far gone" to even try... and I empathize with you. 

But in the forefront of my mind I kept telling myself, "Jess, you KNOW the tools in order to lose the weight. You just have to WANT it bad enough and the EXCUSES will have to go."

So, before I got the OK to workout again, I decided I would start with Day 1 with my challengers, and eat CLEAN for 4 straight weeks until I was cleared. 

What made it TEN TIMES easier was that I had friends in this group that I was doing this with. I felt their pain and we PUSHED through together. Instead of just coaching them.. they were coaching me... and the accountability and support are the ONLY reasons I didn't give up. 

So, here i am. I followed the 21DayFIX meal plan to a T because it's the best meal plan structure I have found and is FOOL PROOF. 

I planned out my meals a week in advance and I made sure I had everything in my house that I needed and everything OUT that was going to tempt me. 

Thank goodness my scale was broke, so I had to rely mainly on how my clothes fit. 

After 4 weeks I felt pretty great with my progress! 

I am now on week 3 of Insanity now and can't wait to continue showing you my progress!! 

This past weekend I marked a HUGE goal off my list and got Insanity certified!!! 

My husband told me today that he would see my top abs!!!!!!!!! 

Staying LASER focused!!!!

Meal Plan

One of the HARDEST things about living a healthy lifestyle is finding the right meal plan. 

Do you count calories? How many times do you eat a day? What can I eat? How much of this food can I have?

It's all SO confusing. 

It wasn't until the 21DayFIX came out that I actually ENJOYED figuring out what to eat each week. Let me show you how I figured out HOW much I can eat and then I'll show you WHAT I eat. 

It's easy peasy. 

So, the 21DayFix comes with 7 containers. Each container is a different size and the point is PORTION CONTROL. 

For instance, I look at how many RED containers I can have a day. And I spread them out throughout my day. 

I pack my protein into that container... and if it fits I can eat it! I'm not having to weigh my food or check the oz. I simply put the meat in there until it's full and then I usually put it into a different Tupperware for the day so I'm not using these. 

This picture below shows you HOW I find out how many containers I can have a day. There is a little equation you do to figure out which bracket you are to be in. I'm in the 1,200-1,499 bracket so I follow the containers in the FIRST column. 

Each of the colors are a certain food. SO for instance I can have:

3 Green: vegetables

2 Purple: fruit

4 Red: protein

2 Yellow: Carbs

1 Blue: Healthy Fat

1 Orange: seeds

TBS: oils

This makes it a no brainer. I mean.. you can't mess this up. AND you do not get deprived of sweets. 3x a week you can have chocolate chips and they teach you how to make Shakeology bars... a STAPLE in my house. <--- talk about a grab-and-go snack, which Kyson can have too!! :) Oh.. and you can also have WINE. 

Plus, one red container can be replaced with a Shakeology shake, which came with my 21DayFix challenge pack.  Not gonna lie... sometimes I have 2 shakes a day. NBD though :) 

So here are the examples of what you can put into each container. So many options for each color and you PICK what you WANT. 

Below is an example of a dinner I had. This is 1 Red container, 1 Green Container and 1 yellow container. 

(recipe from http://www.geniabeme.com/2014/03/21-day-fix-broccoli-and-cheese-stuffed-chicken-recipe.html)

1 Chicken Breast (this counted as 2 red containers for me)

Cheddar Cheese (1 blue)

Frozen Broccoli (1 green)

Salt

Pepper

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350'.

I took a chicken breast and butterflied it. I placed saran wrap on top of it and started to hit it with a mallet to get the chicken thinner and the same width all over for even cooking. Once I did that, I put all the seasonings I wanted. Then I added a layer of cheese and then a layer of broccoli. Not too much or you won't be able to roll it up. 

Once its rolled up, I turn it upside down so the part where the chicken ended wouldn’t open up. I then put more seasoning on the top. If you are using an oven, I would also rub olive oil all over this at this point too.

Put in oven for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Take it out and add a little more cheese on top and then melt it. This is delicious!

Here is another idea of a healthy lunch you can have! 

              Whole Wheat Pasta = 2 Yellow Tomatoes with spices = 1 Green Pepper Jack Cheese = 1 Blue

So for this time around I went to costco and bought:

10 lb bag of boneless skinless chicken

Ground Turkey

Broccoli

Spinach

Mixed veggies

Eggs

Bananas

Grapes

Cantaloupe

Cashews

Chocolate chips

Brown Rice

Matt and I chose 2-3 things from each color container to eat for the month. We spent ONLY $159.00 (that included snacks for our son) total for this month!! That is the benefit in buying in bulk. You get WAY more for your money! PLUS, if you ONLY get what you need to set yourself up for SUCCESS... you will!!!!! 

Here is an example of a 21DayFIX meal I found that I will use for next time!

Here’s a tip from Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the 21 Day Fix. VERY IMPORTANT!!

“I received this email today, I’m not sharing the person but I am sharing the story. She is discouraged because after losing 5lbs the first week she has started to gain weight jn week two. She sent a sample of her food for yesterday. Even in the lowest calorie bracket she missed 2 green containers, 2 red containers and an orange. You CANT modify the program on your own and expect results. I’ve done all the work for you all you have to do is follow it. If you don’t eat enough your body will hold on to everything you give it and you won’t lose weight. Sometimes you will even gain. Follow the program to a T and I promise you will see results.

Lastly, I wanted to leave you with a little motivation. This is Rachel, and her 21DayFIX results. It's so easy to not eat clean... but when you do... AMAZING things can happen.

When YOU are ready, I'm ready to help you reach YOUR highest potential. I can't do this for you. You have to make the decision that you are going to start this and COMPLETE it. Don't think you are too far gone or it's too late to start. If you keep waiting... you will NEVER know what you are capable of. Plus... it's only 21 days ;) 

Email me at jess.laughter06@gmail.com or find me on FB at fb.com/jessicahudginslaughter

I'm DEDICATED to your SUCCESS. 

xoxo, Jessica

I'm hoping you end up different

Hello 2nd Trimester...

This pregnancy has been VERY different from the first in many ways. 

First of all, I was SICK from the beginning. First trimester was a monster to me. Never experienced that with Kyson, but it was FAR from enjoyable. 

I went from working out every day to starting my workout, going to get sick... then laying on the couch the rest of the day trying not to move so I wouldn't get sick again. 

I swore it was a girl. 

We came up with girl names, girl room ideas, even decided how we were planning on rearranging rooms so we could have a co-ed play room. 

Then at 19 weeks.... we saw something that did NOT look like a girl. 

SHOCKED was the word... but as Matt jumped up and down in the ultrasound, room pointing to how we knew it was a boy, and trying to explain why he was acting so crazy to Kyson, tears ran down my face as secretly... I loved being a boy mom. And I wanted to stay one. 

I grew up with sisters so there was ALWAYS drama in my house. And even though I graduated from HS 10 years ago and left right away for college, those days of boys breaking our hearts, girls backstabbing, and my feelings always getting hurt still hit WAY too close to home. I don't think I was ready to replay that just yet. 

Deep down I wanted to continue playing in the dirt with the boys. I wanted to go fishing and teach them how to shoot a gun. 

But it took us 5 years to get pregnant. And even though I told God "I don't care what we have... I just want to be a mom"..... SO MANY TIMES... deep down my dream was to have just 1 more boy. And there it was. I got my dream. So far all boys. 

A miracle from God. Period. 

So let's recap 1st trimester. 

I immediately gained 15 lbs. Went from 115 to 130 in a matter of seconds (I felt like). 

I couldn't keep anything down, but when I could my dinner consisted of mashed potatoes and bread. Literally. Even my favorite Shakeology I couldn't stomach. 

I worked out 3 days a week consistently though. No matter what- even if I was working through a naceous feeling but always listened to my body if it said stop. 

Then came trimester 2 :) 

So I finally got my act together. My sickness went away and I felt human again. BUT, I had to slow way down with my out of control eating. 

So, I started 21Day Fix, and immediately I lost 2 lbs in 1 day. 

Now, I wasn't trying to lose weight. BUT, I went from eating crap to eating lean meats and veggies.. so that's what will happen to you. 

21DayFIX<--- It's 30 minute workouts, BUT it's based off of fitting what you can eat into a container (they provide). If it doesn't fit, you can't eat it... if it does.. you can :) SO SO SO simple and I LOVED being told WHAT to do and WHAT to eat. 

Believe me--->you can literally JUST change what you are eating and you will see a difference... just try it.   

I started doing the 21DayFIX workouts. And on the days they did Pilates and yoga (which I'm not doing) I did Body Beast arms. 

I had noticed I'd lost some strength in the first trimester, where I wasn't working out as much. So the workouts were HARD for me. I had to press pause way more than usual and really make sure my heart rate was always between 140-150 (heart rate monitor is a life saver!)

Since day 1 of my second semester I haven't stopped working out. 

BUT everything I'm doing, I was doing before. (not safe to start anything new). 

My plan for the next few weeks is this... 

I am going to finish up 21 Day Fix. 

Then I'm moving on to T25 in May (starting an online challenge group with some people like you!) using the modification for some moves I can't do, while still doing Body Beast Arms 2x a week to keep my strength up. 

I am not, nor will I ever be the girl that doesn't have to work hard to stay fit. Some people have that luxury. I am not that person. 

I gained 60 lbs with my first. I was MISERABLE coming into my third trimester. I wobbled everywhere. My ankles were so swollen my shoes didn't fit. It was the dead of summer and even with a bathing suit I felt like I had too many clothes on. 

I only worked out during my 1st trimester and it was very light. Usually the elliptical a few times a week. I wasn't educated correctly on what I could still continue doing-- so I didn't do much. 

 So, I'm pushing to not gain that with this one. (I'm 5 feet tall. 60 lbs is WAY to much for my size). 

I'm wearing size 6 jeans (I was normally a 2), and I have to be VERY careful about late night eating.

If I eat bad at night I can guarantee I'm 2 lbs heavier the next morning. <--- crazy.

So instead, I go for shakeology if I feel the urge to eat something I shouldn't. It's like a milkshake for me anyway and has WAY more nutrition in it than Id ever be able to make on my own. 

Because I gain weight so easily, I eat very plain. 

chicken

tuna

tilapia

ground turkey

egg salad

salads

turkey bacon

LOTS of eggs with salsa 

apples with PB

cantaloupe

steamed veggies

and shakeology. 

My cheat is a hand full of dark chocolate chips 3x a week (21DayFIX approved.)

Since then, I have managed to stay the same weight for a few weeks now, which is what I was going for. 25-35 lbs is normal to gain for a pregnancy... but I'll have to CONSCIOUSLY work hard! 

Each month I host online challenge groups to help people stay motivated to workout. But honestly, it helps me JUST AS MUCH. 

Just because I'm a coach, doesn't mean I am exempt from occasionally eating ice cream or skipping a week of workouts. I am human! 

The rest of this pregnancy I'm going to post daily on my Facebook page what I'm doing so that I can hold myself accountable. I hope that it will help and inspire other moms out there......

Ones that have either just started this journey.. or need to feel like the struggles they are going through are NORMAL.

^^^ If you know anyone like that, please share this page with them! 

Until next time,

Jessica Laughter 

 

21 weeks