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! 

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. 

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!

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! 

I get asked this question a lot by people who are looking to start juicing, "What kind of juicer should I get?" First let me say that juicing and blending (smoothies) is different. There are pros and cons of each, I'll let you do your own research on that. But if you've decided to try juicing, this is the place to be! :) 

There are two basic categories of juicers, centrifugal and masticating. Deciding what kind of juicer to get depends a lot on what you'll be juicing. Questions to ask yourself are:

• Will I be juicing leafy greens? Wheatgrass?
• How important is time? How fast do I want my juicer to juice?
• How much time do I want to spend on prep work? Cleaning?
• How much money do I want to spend? 

Centrifugal juicers are great for people who are new to juicing. They're faster to juice, faster to clean, less expensive, and require less prep work. The opening shoot is larger so you can often fit an entire apple in it without having to cut it into smaller pieces first. They are great for harder produce like apples, carrots and beets, but they don't juice leafy greens as well. One way to juice leafy greens in a centrifugal juicer is to compact them into a tight ball, and add them between hard foods like apples and carrots. Juicing oranges and other soft produce can often create a lot of foam in your juice. It's also believed there is more nutrient loss with centrifugal juicers because of the grating action and high speed of spinning that occurs.

Masticating juicers have a much smaller opening, so food will need to be cut into smaller pieces before juicing. They're also much slower to produce juice, but can often produce more juice for the same amount of produce. They are great for juicing oranges and other citrus as well as leafy greens including wheatgrass. If you are planning on juicing wheatgrass, you can also get a hand crank wheatgrass juicer pretty inexpensive. 

Whether you choose a masticating or centrifugal juicer, one thing I like to do to get more juice is to run the pulp through the juicer once. For a centrifugal juicer, you can just ball up the pulp and run it back through the juicer, and for a masticating juicer I just send it back through the shoot. This doesn't work for wheatgrass juice, though, because wheatgrass pulp comes out pretty dry the first time through. I compost my pulp, but there are also recipes online to make raw, dehydrated crackers out of them, too. 

These are the three juicers that we have. I use our centrifugal juicer more because of the speed, and Scott uses our masticating juicer more because of the benefits. All orange juice is made in our masticating juicer, too, including our Nature's Kool Aid juice. 

Happy juicing! :) 

Fall is in the air and that means one thing... FIGS are in season! Figs are a power packed little fruit, containing fiber, calcium & iron, Vitamins A, E & K and antioxidants and they also help lower blood sugar. Today's Meat Free Monday recipe was inspired and adapted from the cookbook The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. We paired her Braised Figs with Arugula salad with some simple portabello mushroom caps. 

Braised Figs with Arugula salad

1 Tbsp non-dairy butter (such as Earth Balance)
1 tsp granulated sugar
10-12 figs, halved, stems removed
4-5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bunch baby arugula (we actually each get our own container!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
salt & pepper

In large saute pan, melt butter and sugar. Place figs face down in pan and cook for 3-5 min. over med-high heat. Remove from heat and pace figs on plate, face up. (Depending on your dietary concerns, the non-dairy butter and sugar could be omitted,)

In the same skillet, heat balsamic vinegar until bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer 4-5 min. until vinegar is reduced by half. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, toss arugula with olive oil and lemon juice to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heap arugula on plate, arrange figs over top and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

Portabello Mushroom Caps

6 small or 3 large portabello mushroom caps
Brags liquid amino acids
onion powder
garlic powder

Remove stems and underside of mushrooms. Cook all ingredients in a skillet over med-high heat about 6-10 min, flipping the mushroom caps half way through cooking. Large mushroom caps can be left whole, or sliced before cooking. 

If you try this recipe be sure to comment below and let us know what you thought! 

Chances are you've heard of both quinoa and tabbouleh before, but aren't really sure what either one is. Quinoa has gained popularity over the years, and was even featured in a recent NFL beer commercial. It's a complete protein and is a good source of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It's also gluten-free. Tabbouleh is a middle eastern salad typically made with bulgur wheat. By using quinoa in this tabbouleh instead of bulgur, it's suitable for people who are eating gluten-free. 

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 cucumber, diced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
handful fresh mint, chopped
juice from one lemon
sea salt

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool, mix in all other ingredients. Variations: garlic, cinnamon, shredded carrots, olives

Serve in lettuce wraps. Makes 4 servings.  

Per serving:
Calories: 209
Total Fat: 2.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Total Carbs: 36.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 8 g

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! 

Rhubarb is a great source of calcium, vitamin K, lutein (which helps with your skin and eyes) and antioxidants, and also helps lower your cholesterol. We have so much of it growing in our backyard, and with all those health benefits you'd think we'd eat it all the time, but we really don't. Why? There are so many great rhubarb recipes out there, but unfortunately, because rhubarb is so sour, they all contain a ton of added sugar. Until now. :)

This weekend it was hot and sunny out. Perfect weather for me to make my homemade, sugar-free lemonade (which I should really post a recipe for!) and then it hit me... I could juice rhubarb! So I grabbed a couple stalks and headed to the kitchen! 

I juiced approximately two BIG stalks and ended up with a full cup of rhubarb juice. (For those of you who juice regularly, you know that's a lot of juice!) Since rhubarb is almost all water, it had a very high juice yield, but because of the fiber in the stalks, it really clogged up my juicer, almost like wheatgrass does. I used my Kuvings masticating juicer. I'd be interested to see how it juices in a centrifugal juicer.

Then I juiced some fresh stevia leaves, fresh mint leaves, and a pint of strawberries, leaving the tops on. This juiced much thicker than the rhubarb and almost pulpy. After that I just added it to a bunch of ice and topped it off with club soda, but you could also use water (which is what I do for my lemonade). 

And that's it! It was so nice and refreshing. You could also play around with it and add frozen blueberries, peaches or other fruit, and replace the fresh Stevia with a different sweetener, or omit it all together. 

If you make this, let me know in the comments below how you liked it and if you made any adjustments to the recipe! 

Ready to try one of the most fun workouts you'll ever do? And for only $10!?!? No, that's not a type-o! 

If you're already on Shakeology, or have been thinking about trying it, now you can add the Les Mills Combat workout for only $10, and you get FREE shipping and FREE coaching! Ok, so it's actually $10.05, but you get the idea! :)

This powerful combo of fitness and nutrition will have you shredded the summer! Combat is filled with martial arts inspired moves which will have you punching, kicking and blocking your way to your new body. It comes with 8 workouts, a fitness guide and a nutrition guide, and Shakeology comes with a month worth of recipes, so you'll never get bored with your workouts or your diet! 

Is this going to be your summer to drop the cover up? Are you ready to see what you're made of? Like mentioned before, this also gives you access to our FREE coaching and support, we're going to be with you every step of the way! 

To take advantage of this smoking summer deal CLICK HERE! But hurry, at the end of June this deal will be gone! 

Also, if you've ever considered joining our team of coaches, the coach sign up fee is waived with this deal! Contact us here if you'd like more info on coaching!

Curious about Challenge Groups? A lot of you have probably seen either Scott or myself posting on facebook or Instagram about our Challenge groups, but you might not be sure what exactly they are. So, I'm here to explain them to you... and just in time for January.. our HUGE month of Challenge Groups!

People who participate in Challenge Groups have 20% better results and are more likely to stick with their workout program than those who don't. Why??? Support, Motivation and Accountability! 

Challenge Groups are small, private facebook accountability groups made up of people who are all doing the same workout or nutrition program. Their privacy is set to "secret" which not only means that no one outside of the group can see what goes on inside the group, it means that the groups won't even show up in searches and none of your facebook friends will even know they exist.

They are made up of about 5-10 people who all have one goal in mind, to get healthy! 

Challenge Groups are free to join, you only pay for your workout program and Shakeology!

Participants are asked to check in daily by posting their workouts, questions, struggles, highs and lows, and Scott and I and the other Team Legacy coaches will be there to help you every step of the way. Great friendships have been formed in these groups as the groups almost become a second family!

If you're thinking of joining one of our Challenge Groups don't wait any longer! Spots are filling up fast. 

90 days from now you will be glad you did!

Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't, but did you know you can make your own seitan at home for WAY less than buying it pre-packaged? 

If you haven't heard of it, seitan is a high protein, low carb, low fat meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. It can be found in the refrigerated section of health food stores. A typical 8 oz. package of seitan costs around $5, but you can easily make your own for a fraction of that. 

Today we're using Bob's Red Mill vital wheat gluten flour. One 22 oz. package costs around $5 and will make the equivalent of over $40 of store bought seitan. That's a HUGE savings! And it's so easy to make.

To make your own seitan all you need to do is mix some spices in with the vital wheat gluten flour (today we used garlic powder and onion powder), add water, mix, cut into small pieces and boil. That's it! It really is that simple! The back of the bag will give you the exact measurements for water and flour. Enjoy! :)