Category: Facebook

My first edition of Ask Julie Anything!

4/18/2014

I LOVE helping people and answering their questions if I can, and over the years I've been asked some pretty fun, crazy and just weird questions. So much so that about a 2 years ago a friend of mine said I should start doing an Ask Julie Anything post, and I'm finally doing it now!

It all happened kind of accidentally. I kept getting asked the same one question over and over, so I wanted to put it in a blog post so I could just share that post every time someone asked me. That morning, I thought it would be fun to have my facebook friends try to guess the question, and in return I had people asking me all kinds of things, and I ended up having a lot of fun answering them!

It all started with this facebook post..

Here's how it went down after that:

Rory: Why don't you eat bacon? What does tofu really taste like? Do I have to be vegan to get results like you? ;)
Me: Haha Next time you're in town, Rory, I'll take you out for vegan food. :)
Rory: K. I'm scared but I'll do it.
Me: Scared you'll like it? ;)
Rory: Hahaha no. Do you have any idea of how picky of an eater I am?
Me: You don't think there are picky vegans? lol

Shane: Where do you get your protein? grrrr! lol
Erica: It's gotta be about the protein. Although I already know the answer. But I get asked this ALL the time.
Tatiana: Where do you get your protein? ;)
Me: Nope! Not the protein. That's too obvious. :)

Stephanie: Is it how much money you make being a coach? Or are people not that nosy? Hehe ;)
Me: And not how much money I make. My teams knows if they ask I'll tell them. And earlier this month I posted that I just replaced my former General Motors income from Beachbody so that kind of gives you an idea. :)

Jenn: Why did you choose to be vegan??
Me: I never intended on going vegan in the beginning. I gave up dairy M-F as a test to see if it would help with sinus problems. It worked! Around the same time Scott stopped eating meat, so we both did our research, couldn't find a reason not to go vegan, so he gave up dairy and I stopped eating meat and the rest is history!

Jenn: Do you get bored working from home?
Me: I could never get bored, I meet new people every day!

Suzanne: Hmm, how about how long do you workout for each day to achieve your amazing physique??
Me: 30 minutes! Sometimes an hour.

Shawna: When/if you and Scott are going to have kids....??
Kasia: when are you going to have a baby?
Me: Lol NO kids!

Wendy: I bet it's "How much do you weigh?" people are kinda obsessed about that one...
Me: No, but that's a good one! I'm actually surprised I don't get it more often. My weight is all over the place. At my heaviest I was probably close to 160 (I say probably because I wouldn't weigh myself then, and that was years ago). Now it varies depending on what workouts I'm doing. When I did Body Beast I was around 140, after a cleanse I did I was 130, and right now I'm 135... all about the same body fat, which is why I tell people to take progress pics. The scale lies!

So what was the question I get asked the most (other than where do you get your protein)? You can find out here!

After that first post I had so much fun answering everyone's questions that I decided to do another Ask Julie Anything day this week, where I answered some of the questions in a video which you can find below! I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my fitness journey, how I became a coach, and how long it took me to build up to coaching full time, so I'm going to be putting all of that in one big post coming up soon. In the meantime, you can check out a little bit about why I became a coach here and you can learn more about becoming a coach yourself here.

I hope you've all enjoyed my Ask Julie Anything days as much as I have! Leave the questions you'd like me to answer in the comments below, or add me on facebook and you can ask me in a message there!

0 Comments

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change."

3/20/2014

0 Comments

This gets talked about a lot in my fitness challenges, but rarely with other areas of life, and I think it’s so important we talk about it (even though it's something you may not want to hear).

I can’t tell you how many times someone has posted in one of my challenge groups about how upset they are because they’re seeing amazing results, they feel great, and the people in their lives who they thought would be the most supportive aren't. In fact, not only are they not supportive, they're usually demeaning. “You’ve changed”, “You’re just stuck on yourself now”, “You’re obsessed”. A lot of people will hear “You’re too skinny”, when they are well within a healthy weight. “You looked better before”. It’s mind blowing the negative comments I’ve heard said to both myself and people in my challenge groups, and almost every time it goes back to one thing, them and how they feel about themselves. This has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them. These people see you changing your life for the better, and it forces them to look at their own lives and the things they’re not happy about, but not yet willing to change. They make excuses for themselves “I could never do…”, “It’s easy for you”, “I don’t have the time, money, whatever to do that”, when in reality, where there’s a will there’s a way. If it’s something they want bad enough, they will find a way to do it.

I see the same thing happen in other areas of people’s lives, too. When I post about traveling I’m sure there are some people who say to themselves “It must be nice, she doesn’t have kids, I could never do that”, not realizing that the majority of the people I travel with do have kids, and have overcome some incredible obstacles, including bankruptcy and major health scares, to be able to do what they're doing now. Instead of letting their situation define them, they let it empower them. If someone is a successful coach I often hear people say “it’s because they have a good upline coach and I don’t”, completely ignoring the fact that some of the top coaches in the company have no active upline coach and have been very successful. They don’t have secrets, they have drive and determination. They don’t sit back and wait for someone to tell them what to do, or throw a pity party because they’re not getting the help they think they deserve, they’re going out and making it happen. They don’t let their excuses get in the way of the things they want to accomplish.

Here’s a good test to see if you’re living to your potential and making things happen, or if you’re making yourself a victim, blaming others and making excuses. When you see someone post something positive on facebook like a vacation, losing weight, a promotion at work, a new house, what’s the very first feeling you get in your gut. Is it happiness? Jealousy? If the first thing you think is “why not me?” then it’s time to look on the inside and change the way you view the world around you. You can either let people’s successes inspire you, or shut you down with envy. Your thoughts define your life, choose wisely!

It's so important that you live YOUR life according to YOUR priorities. If someone else doesn't approve, that's on them, not you. If this has helped you, or you know someone who's going through this right now, please share this with them!

0 Comments

More 21-Day Fix Results!

2/28/2014

0 Comments

As I'm wrapping up my last few days of the 21-Day Fix, my challengers are just a few days behind me and are about to finish up their 2nd week. I wanted to share a few of their 7-11 day results, and I had planned on putting them in a picture collage, but as I was scanning our private facebook group today it became pretty clear pretty quick that I wasn't going to be able to fit all of the amazing results into just one little picture. So... does the 21-Day Fix work? I think these posts and pics from my challengers speak for themselves! (FYI, the pics were posted ONLY after getting permission from both Jess and Andrea. As always, what happens in my private groups, stays private!) And the best part... these results are all from only 7-11 days. Just think of how AMAZING their results are going to be after the full 21 days!

My next 21-Day Fix group will be starting in just a couple short weeks, and like the others, it will fill up fast! If you'd like to lose up to 10-15 lbs in 21 days, learn not only what to eat, but how much to eat, and finally take control of your nutrition and portion control, reserve your spot for my next group here or send me a message on facebook!

0 Comments

21-Day Fix Vegan Week 2 Review, Meal Plan and Results

2/23/2014

43 Comments

As promised, here is my week 2 update for the 21-Day Fix! First of all, I seriously can't believe how fast this is going. Two weeks already!

Since my first post, I've had a few people express concern over the size of the color coded food containers. Yes, they LOOK small, but trust me, they hold A LOT more food than you'd think! In fact, everyone in my 21-Day Fix accountability group has commented at some point that they're amazed at the amount of food they're able to eat on this plan, and still lose weight! That's because they're fueling their body with nutrient dense foods.

This week I bumped myself up the the next level of calories, which allows me a couple extra containers. I've also been experimenting a lot more with my food. I'm still doing a lot of smoothies and stir fry's, but I've also been adding other things like sushi, sweet potato and red pepper bisque, kale, quinoa and avocado salad and brownie bites. (Yes! Brownie bites!) Now that I'm in the swing of things, food prep has become second nature and I'm able to adapt some of my favorite recipes to fit the plan.

This week was also the first week I used one of my "Zings", or substitutions. You're allowed three Zings a week, and they include wine, chocolate and there are even a few cookie recipes you can use. I was pretty boring and I used mine for soy milk in my decaf coffee. It's actually been an interesting two weeks, I haven't even wanted to cheat on the meal plan and I haven't had any cravings at all (which is TOTALLY not like me!) It's also been super easy to follow the meal plan using printable charts that can be found here.

This week also came with some pretty EXCITING NEWS for VEGANS! This week we got the green light to add beans, lentils and quinoa to the red foods category! This news came at the perfect time, too. After two weeks of protein powders and tofu I feel like I've swallowed a brick! I'm also pretty happy I get to add some more fiber back into my diet. So this is what the updated vegan 21-Day Fix food list looks like!

I'm getting much better with the workouts, too. I'm getting the moves down, I'm not as sore, and I'm already seeing RESULTS!!! I can honestly say that I have never in my life worked my abs as much as I have this past week, which is good news because I'm heading on a Beachbody cruise in just four short weeks. After two weeks of doing the 21-Day Fix, I'm down 2.8 lbs, putting my total weight loss since Christmas at 9.4 lbs!

So now that I'm entering into my final week, a few things are going to change. First, I'm going to add in the Plyo Fix bonus workout. This is a free workout you get when you order through your coach (me!) and can be added in any time you feel like doing a little extra cardio, or you can use it to replace Cardio Fix, which is what I'll be doing at least one of the days. Second, I'll be switching over to the 3-Day Quick Fix meal plan for my final three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This is a 3-day bikini prep meal plan that is optional for your last 3 days of the 21-Day Fix. It is a typical competition meat and veggies diet, so I'll be pulling out the tofu and protein powders again for those three days.

This week also came with some other great news! After the 21-Day Fix SOLD OUT only 3 days after being released, back orders started shipping this past weekend. If you'd like to learn how to FUEL YOUR BODY properly for optimal weight loss and energy, reserve your spot for my next facebook accountability group by messaging me on facebook or filling out the form found here and I will get back to you shortly!

43 Comments

21-Day Fix Vegan Week 1 Review, Meal Plan and Results

2/16/2014

11 Comments

Wow! This past week has flown by! This past Sunday I started a brand new program called the 21-Day Fix. For those that don't know, the 21-Day Fix is a 21 day fitness and nutrition program that focuses on portion control to help people learn how to eat clean, lose weight and build lean muscle. Some of the results coming out of the Test Groups have been amazing! People are losing an average of 10-15 lbs in 21 days, and there are several people who have done multiple rounds and have lost over 100 lbs!!

I know that a lot of people who follow my journey are vegan like myself, so I am so excited to share with you how I put together my meals every day!

The meal plan is sooo easy to follow. It gives you calculations to figure out how many of each color container you get to eat in a day. Each color represents a different category of food. There is also a category which uses a teaspoon (which is not included in the package, but hey, who doesn't own a teaspoon?) Basically, you pick a food from the provided list, and if it fits, you eat it! The meal plan also includes a couple "Zings", or "cheats", which allow you to have chocolate, cookies and even wine while on the plan. The containers LOOK much smaller than they are. Once you add the food and get them arranged on a plate, you find that they actually hold quite a bit of food!

The fitness plan includes 8 workouts which range from cardio, cardio with weights, upper body, lower body, yoga, abs, pilates, and even one called Dirty 30, a 30-minute total body workout. All workouts are 30 minutes in length, with the exception of the ab workout, which is 10 minutes. I got a little carried away at first when I saw there was a doubles schedule (two workouts a day) and it wasn't until day 3 that I noticed that the doubles schedule was actually only for week 3. (Oops! I'm leaving for a Beachbody cruise in 6 weeks so I have abs on the brain!) Thankfully that same day I found out that if you're already used to working out, that you can start the doubles week from day 1. You would just need to readjust the amount of each color you get in a day (and it tells you exactly how to do that. Simple!)

Below is a list of all of the vegan options for each color container. So many choices! For non-vegans following the plan, your red category is much larger, and there are a couple additional items in the blue category. Paleos, your yellow category would need to be adjusted (I think, I honestly don't know much about Paleo eating).

And THIS is everything I was eating during week 1! I've color coded everything to correspond with the color of container to make it easier on you. Just a disclaimer: I eat weird. Even before I was vegan, I was totally ok with eating the same foods and eating them in strange combinations. You could totally put these together using recipes and make some amazing meals out of them if you're into that kind of thing. I promise I'll work on doing more of a variety (stay tuned next week for my sushi I made today!), but for right now, it's a lot of smoothies and stir fry's. Nice and simple!

I use both vegan chocolate and vegan tropical Shakeology. If I'm making a smoothie I'm more likely to use tropical, and if I'm just mixing it with water, I almost always use chocolate. And I use a variety of protein powders. This week I rotated between chocolate Vega Sport Recovery Protein and chocolate Sun Warrior raw protein blend.

And here are my results so far! After week 1 I am down 1.4 lbs! It may not SEEM like a lot, but I FEEL much lighter, more toned, and holy abs batman! I swear, Autumn (the trainer) adds an ab workout on to everything. I don't think I've ever done this many planks in my life! But I'm definitely not complaining, just getting me closer to my goal of having abs by my 35th birthday!

For this next week, I'm going to reevaluate my calories and bump myself up to the next calorie range, so I'll be getting a few more color containers each day. I'm also going to experiment more with different recipes, including the salad dressing recipes that come with the plan.

I'm going to be putting together an accountability group for others who are interested in doing the 21-Day Fix themselves. It's a small, private facebook group where I'll post daily posts to help keep everyone on track for the 21 days. My first group is set to officially kick off tomorrow and SOLD OUT in only 3 days! If you'd like to be in my next 21-Day Fix accountability group, please fill out this form and I'll get back to you asap!

If you have any questions about the 21-Day Fix, it's workouts, meal plan or results you can expect, post them in the comments below or message me on facebook!

11 Comments

Wanted: P90X3 Test Group Participants!

12/10/2013

0 Comments

Yay! P90X3 is coming out TODAY!!! This program is going to be amazing! The people who were in the test group got amazing results (see video above!) I’m happy to announce that I will be forming my own TEST GROUP starting Monday, January 6th. Beachbody can guarantee a Christmas delivery if you order by the 15th of the month. So don’t delay!

In order to be in my test group, you must place your order by clicking here.

The opportunity to be in my January Test Group is open to people who order through me and to my existing customers. It is not available to people who are already working with another Beachbody coach. You can message me at [email protected] or contact me here should you have any questions about the test group.

*Note: the best value is the Challenge Pack, which includes P90X3 and a monthly supply of Shakeology. The price will go up to from $180 to $205 in December. Bought separately, you would pay $240.

Have P90X3 related questions? Click here for a P90X3 FAQ sheet!

0 Comments

P90X3 FAQ

12/4/2013

0 Comments

I've been getting so many messages with questions about P90X3 that I've decided to answer them all in one spot!

Q: When does P90X3 come out?
A: December 10th!!!

Q: How long are the workouts?
A: 30 min. long with the exception of Ab Ripper X3 which is 15 min.

Q: What are the workouts like?
A: There are 16 workouts total, ranging from circuit training and weights, plyometrics, MMA, yoga and pilates.

Q: What kind of equipment do I need?
A: You need hand weights and either a resistance band or pull up bar.

Q: How long is the entire program?
A: It's 90 days, broken up into 3 phases, and there is also an additional, optional phase that can be done after the first 90 days, which is 4 weeks long.

Q: Do I need to have done P90X and/or P90X2 first?
A: Nope!

Q: Is there a vegan meal plan?
A: Yes!!! There are vegan options!!! :)

Q: When do I need to order it to get it by Christmas?
A: December 15th at midnight

Q: Are there any specials going on for it?
A: YES!! For the month of December, already discounted P90X3 challenge packs are on sale for another $25 off. This means you get an entire month of Shakeology for over 1/2 off... that's less than I pay!

Q: What if I also want to become a coach?
A: You can get the same amazing deal for the challenge pack, and your one-time coach sign up fee will be waived, saving you even more money!

I'm going to be doing it myself the SECOND I get my hands on it and I'll be putting together a facebook group for others who are doing it with me. To be one of the first people to know when it's released, sign up for my free coaching HERE and I'll keep you up to date!

0 Comments

Body Beast on a vegan diet

11/10/2013

28 Comments

How to do Body Beast on a 100% plant-based, vegan diet. Say what? YES! It is possible to build muscle AND follow a traditional bodybuilding diet while still remaining vegan, it just requires a little creativity! Since the bulk of most traditional bodybuilding diets are based around meat, eggs and dairy, most people would think it's not possible to make them vegan. But I'm about to show you how easy it can be!

When Scott and I did Body Beast last fall, we wanted to follow the meal plan as close as possible, while still remaining 100% plant-based. While it did require a little tweaking and some calculations, we were able to follow the plan and had AMAZING results! See for yourself!

The Body Beast meal plan is broken down into three phases; Build, Bulk and Beast. For all three of the phases, there are calculations to figure out your daily caloric needs, each phase's meal plan is broken down into different portions (ie. 5 starches, 2 legumes, 4 veggies, etc. per day) and (most importantly!) it also breaks down the your day's nutrition into the macro nutrient counts (protein, carb and fat %'s). While you could follow the Portion Charts, it would be extremely difficult to make proper substitutions for each category, and especially difficult to maintain it for a full 90 days. So we're going to focus on the macro nutrient counts.

Following the macro nutrient counts is much easier than it sounds. There are so many nutrition tracking apps out there. All you do is enter or scan your food, and it tells you everything you need to know. We used the myfitnesspal app. (My user name is JulieJeep. Feel free to add me!) You can adjust your daily calorie goals on myfitnesspal from the app, but to adjust the macro %'s you need to log in from a computer. Just go to www.myfitnesspal.com and once you're logged in go to Goals then Change Goals and select Custom. From there you can adjust your daily % goals for protein, carbs and fat, as well as your calories. You can also adjust your daily sodium goals, which will come in handy if you decide to do Body Beast's one week Competition Plan once you finish the Beast phase. (Which we did!)

So now that you know how to track your nutrition, here's how to veganize the supplements! There are a few different Body Beast supplements; Hardcore Base Shake, Fuel Shot, MAX Creatine and Super Suma. Only the MAX Creatine supplement is vegan, so this is what we used to create the others. I should also add that we continued to use vegan Shakeology daily while doing Body Beast.

The Body Beast Hardcore Base Shake is a whey protein shake that has 18 g of protein per 120 calorie serving. It also has digestive enzymes.

Plant Fusion is a vegan protein powder made from pea protein, artichoke protein, sprouted amaranth powder and sprouted quinoa powder. It includes digestive enzymes, like the Base Shake, and it's also infused with BCAA's and L-Glutamine. All this and it boasts 21 g of protein per 120 calorie serving. When using Plant Fusion, use it exactly as you would the Base Shake.

The Body Beast Fuel Shot is a pre and post workout supplement that contains glycogen and electrolytes. It has 5 g of protein per serving from whey and each serving is 210 calories.

A great equivalent we found was a mixture of 8 oz. grape juice (or apple juice) and one scoop Vega Recovery Accelerator. By mixing the two together you get electrolytes and glycogen, like in the Fuel Shot, as well as 5 g of plant-based protein for each 220 calorie serving.

In the 1970s, suma root became known as “the Russian secret,” as it was purportedly taken by Russian Olympic athletes to help with muscle building and endurance without the side effects associated with anabolic androgenic steroids. While suma is a root, which is vegan, the Body Beast Super Suma is packaged in gelatin capsules.

An easy fix! We purchased suma powder that didn't come in capsules and used 1 tsp daily.

I hope that helped break down each individual supplement and how to make a vegan version. Here's how we put it all together to make the Body Beast Post Workout Drink!

Body Beast Post Workout Drink

1 serving Fuel Shot
1 scoop Hardcore Base Shake
MAX Creatine (2 scoops during Build & Bulk phases, 1 scoop during Beast phase)
water

Vegan Post Workout Drink

1 scoop Vega Recovery Accelerator
8 oz grape or apple juice
1 scoop Plant Fusion
Max Creatine (2 scoops during Build & Bulk phases, 1 scoop during Beast phase)
1 tsp suma powder

I know this sounds like quite the mixture of flavors, but trust me! It's really good!!!

If you've been thinking of doing a muscle building program like Body Beast, but aren't sure where to start as a vegan, or would just like to connect with other like minded people, sign up for our free coaching here and we'll get you added to our facebook accountability group! Trust us, we know what it's like to be a vegan surrounded by a bunch of non-vegans in the fitness world. We'll help you get through it!

28 Comments

Transform your health one meal at a time

10/8/2013

0 Comments

It's that time of year again... Pumpkin EVERYTHING!!! The only problem with that is... it ends up making you look like a pumpkin! :0

Don't spend this winter hiding behind big sweaters. Make this the winter you TAKE CONTROL of your nutrition, even through the holidays! I know this time of year is busy, but that doesn't mean you have to sit back and let your health spin out of control.

Nothing is faster or quicker (or healthier!) to make and eat than a green smoothie, so I'm going to be offering a 15-day green smoothie challenge to help you stay on track! All you'l need to do is replace one meal a day with a green smoothie made with Shakeology (the meal replacement I use every day). There are 5 delicious flavors to choose from. You can do any workout you like (or none if you're not at that point in your journey yet). I'll be providing more than enough recipes and support along the way!

How amazing are you going to feel when you don't have to worry about losing your "winter weight" in the spring!?!?!

And a BONUS... I usually cap my groups at a certain # to keep them small, but this one is going to be open to EVERYONE! So grab your friends and let's get healthy this fall!!! And since each bag of Shakeology comes with a 30-day supply, this would also be a great time to inspire a friend and split the bag, but beware, once you try Shakeology, you won't want to share it with anyone!

The 15-day green smoothie challenge officially kicks off Oct. 19th, so you only have until this Saturday, Oct. 12th to order your Shakeology so you have it in time! (And my little secret, be sure to choose the "auto ship" option when you order. That way you'll get free shipping and you can cancel it at any time!)

0 Comments

Last week for AMAZING August specials!

8/23/2013

0 Comments

It's been a great summer of parties, vacations, concerts... and probably not the best food choices and I'm sure a missed workout here and there. We're all human! It's now time to put your health and fitness first again and regain your confidence! SO... we're going to be putting together a NEW 30-day intense focus fitness and nutrition group.

This group is going to be VERY limited in size so we can give you our ultimate attention, support and guidance. We'll be doing this TOGETHER! We will be focusing on fitness and nutrition, and giving you the tools to make this a LIFESTYLE change, and not just a quick fix. It's easier than you think! This group will be open to both men and women... but only if you're SERIOUS about changing and looking for RESULTS!

Starts Monday, September 9th. Spots are limited so contact us telling us why you're ready to make the change, and to reserve your spot asap and start living the life you want!!!

This is also the last week for the AMAZING August deals... TurboFire, Body Beast and T25 challenge packs are all on sale until August 31st! Challenge Packs come with everything you need to get the RESULTS you want! They include:

The complete workout program
Fitness guide
Meal plan designed specifically for each workout
One month of Shakeology (and entire month of meals!)
One month of club membership which gives you 10% off future purchases and access to Eat Smart, the online meal planner
Lifetime free coaching and support
Support, accountability and motivation from our private facebook group
Free shipping
All at a HUGE discount!

The Challenge Group that will be starting Monday, September 9th will be using the workouts TurboFire and Body Beast. You can do either workout, depending on your goals, or if you're really up for a challenge, you can do a hybrid of both with me. :) Contact us asap to reserve your spot!

0 Comments

<<Previous

My first edition of Ask Julie Anything!

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change."

More 21-Day Fix Results!

21-Day Fix Vegan Week 2 Review, Meal Plan and Results

21-Day Fix Vegan Week 1 Review, Meal Plan and Results

Wanted: P90X3 Test Group Participants!

P90X3 FAQ

Body Beast on a vegan diet

Transform your health one meal at a time

Last week for AMAZING August specials!

Julie

Archives

Categories