Tag Archives: fat loss

22 Minute Hard Corps Results & Review!

June 6, 2016 Mandie

I just did a #Periscope broadcast (same username, and already uploaded to my YouTube) about why I won’t be #sweatingforthewedding (though I plan to use the hashtag)! To me, fitness is about so much more than looking great in a wedding dress or on a honeymoon (although I won’t be mad at those side effects)! I started 22 Minute Hard Corps today because I want to continue living this healthy lifestyle forever so I am active and healthy forever, and hopefully inspire people to do the same! If you click on the link in my profile, you can learn more about joining me in doing the same! #HardCorpsMission #Contest

A photo posted by Mandie Mutchie (@mandelicious) on Apr 4, 2016 at 6:52pm PDT

Hello! So sorry for the delay in posting! Life has been particularly crazy - between a wedding in Chicago and PHAMExpo (haul and recap coming soon) and photo shoots, I have not spent much time at all at a computer!

Anyway, today I finished Beachbody’s newest program, 22 Minute Hard Corps. Like you can probably gather from the name, it is a military-inspired program that is 22 minutes long each day (unless you choose to do the optional extra ab workouts, or the 2-a-day hell week at the end - and I chose to do both)!

There were three different cardio programs and three different resistance programs, and the days alternated for six days with a rest day on the seventh. The cardio days were the days there was also a core day.

I chose to upgrade mine to the package that included both the Special Ops workouts (extra hard - one for cardio, one for resistance, and one for core), as well as the “PT Sandbag” to use in the resistance and some core workouts!

There was also the option to add the portion control program that works with 21 Day Fix (color coded for “food groups,” and includes containers to show exactly how much, with a calculation to figure out how many of each container to eat), which I did for a portion of the program!

Back at it! Using these bracelets that correspond to color-coded containers to make sure I am eating the right servings of each food group! Took a little breather from a strict(ish) meal plan, but do much better with more specific guidelines in terms of amounts! Counting bracelets is way more fun than counting calories! How do you track your nutrition?

A photo posted by Mandie Mutchie (@mandelicious) on May 24, 2016 at 6:59pm PDT

In case you are interested, here are a couple little previews from Cardio 1, which was available as a preview for On-Demand users on Superbowl Sunday, and Cardio 2, which we did at the Bay Area Super Saturday in April!

Alright, let’s #GetSome! Here I am doing part of #22minhardcorps, for the #sweeps! It’s the newest program by @tonyshorton and @beachbodyhq launching 3/1, but I got to try the sneak peek today on #BOD (#BeachbodyOnDemand), and posting about it here gives me the chance to win $1,000! Pick me, pick me! So pumped about this quick, tough, no-nonsense program! Check the link in my profile to get the info on how to try it free today and how to win! #vitalbehaviors

A video posted by Mandie Mutchie (@mandelicious) on Feb 7, 2016 at 3:31pm PST

Who wants to get Summer Strong with me? Yesterday was Super Saturday, and we did another workout from the program I’m starting tomorrow! If you go to my blog (clickable link in profile), you can read more about what I’m doing - and how you can join me to possibly win up to $5,000 getting strong for Summer!

A video posted by Mandie Mutchie (@mandelicious) on Apr 3, 2016 at 8:47pm PDT

I really enjoyed this program! My results were not as dramatic as I would have hoped as far as weight, measurement, and pictures go, but I love the results of my fit test!

As you can see, my strength, speed, and endurance improved quite a bit in those 8 weeks! I am not sure if I can see much of a difference in the pictures (mainly changes in my legs), but it is really hard to replicate poses exactly - so much depends on posture and angles!

I can say, though, that yesterday at PHAMExpo, someone asked me if I was a fitness model (not yet, but THANKYOUVERYMUCH!) and if I worked out 1-2 hours per day (try 22-55 minutes, give or take!)… And the other gents in the booth kept calling for ME when they needed someone strong to assist them! As they say in NBA Jam…. Boomshakalaka! 😜

Let’s talk numbers, shall we?

I gained one pound (muscle? water weight from not eating the best while traveling & working a makeup tradeshow? who knows? Womens’ weight fluctuates like crazy!). I gained a half inch of left bicep. Everything else measured EXACTLY the same! But I FEEL a difference in my body, and I am pumped about the results from the fit test!

Here’s what you do for the fit test:

And you can see my results above! I did all of my pushups on my toes, and used a pull-up assistance band on our over-the-door pull-up bar!

So even though I didn’t lose WEIGHT, I believe I lost FAT, and that’s cool with me! If nothing else, I am faster, stronger, and harder to kill in a zombie apocalypse!

In case you are wondering what’s next for me, the current plan is to do some of my favorite workouts I’ve been missing this week - like TurboFire HIIT workouts, P90X3 yoga, etc. I leave town tomorrow night for another wedding, so I don’t want to start anything TOTALLY new!

Next Monday, June 13th, I am starting a new FREE challenge group using Beachbody On Demand, the streaming workout service from Beachbody, where people can choose to either follow a specific program of their choice, follow a schedule I found, or follow the “Challenge Du Jour” that Beachbody On Demand provides! I also plan on doing lighter workouts I have been wanting to try for a while for the first few days, because I am going to do the 3-Day Refresh June 12th-14th, then go to the “Challenge Du Jour” option once I know I can handle hard workouts!

Click here to join if you’re interested! 100% free with a 30-Day Free trial!

After that, I am going to do an extra week of Challenge Du Jour and then when I get back from BlogFest, I am going to do a week and a half of 21 Day Fix Extreme to get ready for Coach Summit 2016!

By the way, 21-Day Fix Extreme is on sale this month, along with the original and kickstart versions! Check out this info, and message me if you’re interested!

And speaking of sales - today was the launch of the 2016 Beachbody Summer Sale! Click here for discounts on some amazing programs, gear, and supplements, before they sell out!

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for more! 😉

xoxo,

Mandie

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21 Day Fix 21 Day Fix Extreme 22 Minute Hard Corps

#TransformationTuesday: My Master’s Hammer & Chisel Results (and a 21-Day Fix Update)!

April 13, 2016 Mandie

Happy Tuesday! I hope you are having a fantastic week!

Back in January, I had a “come-to-Jesus” moment, and I shared it on facebook (but I can’t find it. I thought stuff was supposed to live on the internet forever?).

Basically, after getting into the best shape of my life with two rounds of 21 Day Fix Extreme (which I plan to do again soon), I got a little bit too comfortable with nutrition. I was doing Brazil Butt Lift, and combining it with some heavy weightlifting, and thought these extra calorie burns gave me license to eat whatever the H I wanted, so I did! And it showed. And I noticed it starting to show. You know how people judge the obese people on “my 700lb life” and say “You don’t get to 700lbs overnight?” Turns out, you don’t get to 143.5lbs overnight, either!

Some of it was denial - I thought “Since I am lifting heavy, it’s probably muscle!” and some of me was arrogant - “If I eat a lot now and get a little out of shape, I will have a more dramatic transformation when I do Hammer & Chisel in January!

Then when it was time to do my “befores” for Hammer + Chisel, I realized I had dug myself a deeper hole than I had imagined! And then I decided I’d need to enlist the help of the 3-Day Refresh to start! So, here are my “befores” and stats for the 3-Day Refresh that time (not as great as my first round, but still good and helped eliminate cravings!):

Pre Jan 2016 3DR:

Right arm: 12″
Left arm:12″
Chest: 36″
Waist: 30″
Hips: 38.5″
Left thigh: 22.5″
Right thigh: 22″
Weight in pic: 143.5 lbs (highest ever)

Post:
Right arm: 11.5″
Left arm:11.5″
Chest: 34.5″
Waist: 29″
Hips: 37.5″
Left thigh: 21.5″
Right thigh: 21.5″
Weight in pic clothes: 138 lbs.

To spare sharing A TON of pics, I will share a comparison I made when I was 1/2 way through Hammer & Chisel here:

That third pic was March 4th. I finished the program on April 1st, and here are my final results!

Hammer + Chisel Results + Strong is the new sexy with @Mandelicious!

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From a weight and measurement standpoint, here you go:

Hammer + Chisel Changes:
💪 PLUS .5″ in each arm!
💪 PLUS 1.5″ in my chest!
💪 MINUS 2″ in my waist!
💪 MINUS .5″ in my hips!
💪 PLUS .5″ each thigh!
💪 MINUS 3.5lbs total…

In 60 amazing days. PLUS, I am stronger, faster, and harder to kill! 😂

I also drank Shakeology, and used Energy & Endurance to help me fuel up before the workouts! The Master’s Hammer & Chisel is on sale for April with Shakeology, or with the Performance Line. Here’s more info!

Also on sale is Beachbody on Demand with Portion Fix!

I also need to share some love of one of my coaches who is new to Beachbody and just completed 21 Day Fix for the first time with amazing results. Check out Teri, a single mother kicking Multiple Sclerosis’ booty’s transformation!

She’s kicking rear!

If you’d like to experience similar results, we have a group coming up starting MONDAY! It’s free to join. We’re focusing on mindset in addition to fitness and nutrition. When you read “Strong is the New Sexy,” do you think “I want that!” If so, this is for you! 😉

Click here to join us! Or, you can message me here and we can chat about it!

What makes you feel sexy?

Xoxo,

Mandie

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Hammer + Chisel Progress… Positive Thinking + The Scale is a Liar!

March 4, 2016 Mandie

Initially, this post was supposed to be all “Yay, check out my amazing progress so far halfway through Hammer + Chisel!” but when I had my 30ish-day pictures this morning and put them next to my Day One picture, I was overwhelmed… with disappointment.

First, let me say that by afternoon, I felt GREAT, but not until after wasting much of the day feeling sorry for myself, begrudgingly working out when I felt like it was a waste of time (since I wasn’t having the results I had expected) and stopping in the middle of the workout and having an ugly cry.

If you’d prefer not to read, check this out:

But in morning, I was super upset. I thought “Well, if I don’t see it in the photos, perhaps the scale will tell a better story!”

Um, no. I weighed a half pound more than the start of the program.

“Well, the scale is a liar, so I am sure the measurements might be better!”

Not really. My arms were half an inch larger (I am ok with big guns, but wasn’t sure if these were the right kind).

My chest was a full inch and a half bigger. What? Waist was an inch smaller, hips and thighs a half inch bigger… I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but I was already on a roll with the negative self-talk, so I assumed the smaller waist was a fluke, and moved on. I was texting Tommy and Nathan between sets about my lack of progress, and then I finally saw it, and finished my workout.

This is the face of someone who just struggled and pushed hard through a workout with a mid-lift cry!

I can’t give ALL the credit to the workout, Tommy and Nathan helped, too!

Anyway, I felt so good after my workout, I even filmed this Periscope…

See that confidence?

You are probably wondering about the pics (if you scrolled past the top fast!). Well, here they are:

The left picture was taken January 21st, and I weighed the most I have ever weighed. 143lbs.

I did the 3-Day Refresh (which is on sale this month as a challenge pack, by the way) and then took the second picture on January 24th, at 138.5 pounds.

The picture on the right was today, at 139 pounds.

Now that I can FINALLY see a positive difference between the second and third pictures, this tells us a couple things.

1. The scale is a liar. We should use other methods to set our fitness goals.
2. We REALLY need to work on positive self-talk!

Hammer + Chisel Progress, Fitness Goals, Positivity - via @Mandelicious

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I leave for Chicago tomorrow and get back Sunday. Then I leave for LA Thursday for a few days. I plan on following Hammer & Chisel the best I can while I am at home, but when I get back from LA? It’s ON.

That also happens to coincide with the start of a challenge group some of the coaches on my team and I are running together starting March 14th.

What is a challenge group? Check this out to see!

Care to join us? It’s four weeks long, and there are PRIZES! We don’t pick winners by weight loss, but we will pick based on activity, posting, sharing, supporting! We want you to pick something and commit to it for 30 days, and we want you to track, measure and weigh, so you can see how being consistent will pay off for you!!

Click here to join!

xoxo,

Mandie

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Guinea Pigs Wanted to Test Fitness + Nutrition Support & Accountability App!

February 24, 2016 Mandie

Hello there! The moment I have been waiting for for a while has arrived!

Beachbody has launched the My Challenge Tracker App!

Previously, Beachbody coaches primarily ran their businesses through facebook groups - which was great for people who are “facebook people,’ but less than ideal for those who don’t like sharing on facebook!

Now, there’s an app that can help track your fitness with your accountability coach - me!

I am looking for people to test it with me next week! All you need to do is give me your email address, and you can do that by sending me a message through my contact form HERE!

Want a free week of accountability and support through an app? via @Mandelicious

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I can’t wait to hear from you!

Let’s get those goals!

xoxo,

Mandie

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The next 40+ Days…. My Reboot & Plan for Lent!

February 12, 2016 Mandie

Hello hello!

I hope you had a great time watching the Super Bowl! Did you try Tony Horton’s new workout from my last post?

I hope you didn’t eat anything too terrible! This was my contribution to the Super Bowl Party I attended!

What did you cook to bring to the Super Bowl Sunday party? 󾬖 The friend whose party we attended requested “something…

Posted by Mandie on Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Anyway, I wanted to talk about Lent! I have already blogged about how February 2016 is TRULY the start of my 2016, and now I have more to back me up, because…

1. The Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year was just the other day, and yes, I celebrated…

Gratuitous selfie time! Wearing red for February being Heart Healthy month and for Chinese New Year! I’m excited to celebrate that for the first time tonight! 󾍇❤️󾠣󾇎󾔠󾔗

Posted by Mandie on Monday, February 8, 2016

and

2. Lent is upon us!

Traditionally speaking, I remember growing up as a non-Catholic with many Catholic friends, and hearing what people were giving up. During the RCIA process I went through last year (RCIA is how an adult converts to Catholicism), I learned that you don’t necessarily have to GIVE UP anything, but that you can also choose to better yourself in some way. Since I am doing Hammer + Chisel, I don’t even really have much I could choose to give up! So, here are my plans!

This is inspired by the very same Lewis Howes podcast I shared from before (Check it out here)!

Between NOW & Easter, I will do the following every day:

1. Commit to working out every morning! This is already mostly in progress, but the “morning” part could use some reinforcement!
2. Do something every day to give back, give gratitude, and give to myself (these can be three separate things per day, or sometimes things that combine)!
3. Commit to personal development every day, whether it is books, webinars, podcasts, or other!
4. Stick to my Hammer & Chisel meal plan!
5. Work my business DAILY. I have big goals for this year, and I will tell you more about them very soon!

Feel free to hold me accountable to these! If you want to help hold me accountable, check these out:

I am hosting a group starting Monday to reinforce the clean eating and working out!

Click here to join. It’s free, and I will hold you accountable, too!

Also, if you are interested in doing some of what I do - the “changing lives” part of “I change lives and play dress up,” I am hosting a webinar in 1.5 hours about Beachbody coaching! I realize this is last-minute, so if you aren’t able to join me, you can always check out these links:

What is a Beachbody coach and what do they do?
My five favorite things about Beachbody coaching!
Top Five Myths about Beachbody Coaching!

I hope to see your smiling face on tonight’s webinar, or in my next challenge group! 😉

What are you doing to recognize Lent?

xoxo,

Mandie

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Why Should I Meal Prep?

September 7, 2015 Mandie

Good morning! Happy Labor Day!

I think most people know the old adage “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” I have to remind myself of it constantly. I am naturally not a planner, and whenever Tommy asks me if I want to sit down and plan something, I only do so very begrudgingly, even if it is to plan something super fun!

With age, however, comes wisdom (I turned 34 on Friday), and I am learning that it’s true - life is better if you do a little planning!

There are a couple really good reasons why this applies to planning your meals in advance, and I have actually done a couple separate videos on them - so I felt it was time to combine them into a blog that will hopefully compel you to prepare your meals in advance, AND help keep me accountable to being better about it!

The first, and most likely more obvious reason is the health/fitness reason:

If we have healthy food available, it takes away the guesswork and drastically decreases the chance that we will resort to quicker, less healthy options, like a restaurant or pre-packaged snack! It’s much easier to grab the vegetables that you cut up and put in the fridge than it is to go out of your way to find something bad for you!

The other reason may be less obvious, but once you think about it, I hope it motivates you the way that it motivates me!

Have you ever been guilty of wasting food because you bought it with the best of intentions and it went bad in your fridge? I know I have more times that I care to admit, and it saddens me from both standpoints - waste of resources, and waste of money!

So, for the benefit of your waistline, your wallet, and your overall health and happiness - take some time to plan ahead what you’re going to eat! The benefits are too great to ignore!

How #mealprep saves your wallet, waistline, and world! Via @Mandelicious

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xoxo,

Mandie

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8 Comments fitness, life tips, nutrition, paleo, primal

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What is Beachbody Coaching? What do Beachbody Coaches Do?

August 17, 2015 Mandie

I have been meaning to write this blog for a while!

As you may know, I am a Beachbody coach. My business card says “I change lives and play dress up,” because that’s a pretty accurate description of what I do on a daily basis! The dress-up is easy to explain - I either am dressing up myself as a model in whatever wardrobe the shoot requires, or I am playing dress up by doing the hair and makeup of someone else for a photoshoot! Check out the rest of this website for that!

Me doing makeup on Brant Daugherty of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars.

A modeling image by Olga Thomas.

But the “changing lives” part can get a little tougher to explain! One way I change lives is through my work with the Susan G. Komen 3-Day. But the other, which is actually currently my main focus of my career, is as a Beachbody coach!

Beachbody makes a great video that explains the coaching opportunity, so I will share it here and let the professionals handle it!

But if you’re interested in hearing first hand how Beachbody coaching has impacted my life, as well as one of my dear friends and fellow coaches, here’s a video for you!

It desperately needs to be updated, as since this video, Beachbody has impacted me a TON more!

Here is my fitness transformation - thanks to Beachbody!

Here are some albums of the trips Beachbody has sent me on!

A trip to Vegas, where I met celebrity trainers like Tony Horton! (More pics here!)
A trip to Disney World!
A CRUISE to Cozumel & Grand Cayman Islands!
A trip to Nashville!

But as amazing as those trips were, or the fact that I have been able to pursue my dream of being a model and makeup artist full time without having to deal with the struggle of the schedule of a day job, truly the best thing about Beachbody coaching is helping other people. Here’s an album FULL of success stories! Here are a couple recent favorites!

So you may be wondering - what exactly does a Beachbody coach DO?

This is the Beachbody motto, which I absolutely love. When I took a trip to the headquarters in Santa Monica, I found out they actually have it hung in the lobby so the employees see it first thing when they walk in the morning and on their way home for a reminder!

Simply put, here are the three steps:

Another thing I love about Beachbody (and the list is LONG) is that the company encourages you to improve as a person! That is how I got hooked on personal development! Additionally, the only way you can be successful is by doing #2 above - where else can you only be successful by helping other people succeed?

As I’ve said, I could go on and on all day about coaching - don’t tempt me!

Also, I have heard a lot of myths and when chatting with future coaches, get a lot of misconceptions about what coaching is all about, so I created a blog to address them. Check out the top five myths associated with Beachbody coaching here!

If you have further questions, contact me, and I will be happy to answer them!

I am hosting a live webinar tonight (facebook invite here), and plan to do so once per month! I’ll be broadcasting this one live on Periscope, too (username: @Mandelicious)! I also plan to do 5-Day Sneak Peeks into the business on facebook - contact me when you want to know about the next one!

xoxo,

Mandie

Comment Beachbody, fitness, nutrition, personal development

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Fit Foodie Friday Recipe Roundup #3!

August 7, 2015 Mandie

You may notice that there was no FFFRR last week! For that, I apologize! I am still learning the ropes on the whole “blogging regularly instead of just when I feel like it” thing, so I obviously didn’t have this queued in advance and ready to roll when I rushed out the door Friday afternoon for a road trip to Malibu!

But worry not - I have the same two recipes I was going to share last week, plus a third!

Since I spent the vast majority of this week out of town, you probably wouldn’t have gotten any more than that anyway, unless I would have dipped back into my instagram archives!

The first thing I made last week (twice, actually, because it was so good) was Primal Meatloaf. Here’s the recipe for that!

Primal Meatloaf, shown with random sauteed veggies!

Primal Meatloaf

2015-08-07 03:46:05

Serves 6

This is meatloaf sans bread crumbs, and is so delicious!

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

232g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 526

Calories from Fat 311

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 35g

53%

Saturated Fat 15g

77%

Trans Fat 2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 14g

Cholesterol 240mg

80%

Sodium 852mg

36%

Total Carbohydrates 7g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Sugars 4g

Protein 44g

Vitamin A

14%

Vitamin C

11%

Calcium

27%

Iron

23%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

2.5 pounds ground beef
1 chopped onion
1/3 cup organic Ketchup or tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped
6 ounces (1-1/2 cups) cheese (any kind - we tried Monterrey Jack and Cheddar) shredded or in chunks

Instructions

In a small skillet, sauté half of the onion in oil or butter until caramelized.
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Put the meat mixture in a pan or casserole dish and shape into a loaf.
Bake at 375º for 40-50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 140º. You can also cook in a NuWave for about 48 minutes!

Notes

We cooked ours in our NuWave and loved it! We served it with veggies and topped it with organic ketchup that did NOT have any creepy oils in it!

Adapted from Adapted from MarksDailyApple.com Message Boards

beta

calories

526

fat

35g

protein

44g

carbs

Adapted from Adapted from MarksDailyApple.com Message Boards

MandieM.com http://www.mandiem.com/

Then, for a delicious dessert, we FINALLY tried the whole “let’s make ‘ice cream’ out of a few bananas and some other ingredients” thing - and I don’t know why we didn’t do it sooner!

This recipe has myriad options, so I am just going to type it out anecdotally, instead of making a recipe card!

Yum with a capital Y!

Basically, you take a banana or a few, peel it/them, cut into slices, and pop the slices into the freezer (in some kind of container so they aren’t freezer burned). Once frozen, you can blend them with whatever tasty treats you think will spruce up your meal! What we did: almond butter (fresh from the farmer’s market, so it tastes like real almonds and not blended cardboard), some salt, and dark chocolate chips (which I recommend adding at the end). The result? Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. It. Was. AMAZING! I am tempted to call it “I can’t believe it’s not ice cream,” but I think the stuff in that butter stuff is probably sketchy and I don’t want the association… or to be sued! The banana flavor is relatively subdued, too. It’s not like when you were a kid and there was a banana in your lunch and suddenly EVERYTHING in your lunch bag tasted like banana!

The third recipe is another I am just going to type up anecdotally.

Something I frequently hear when a low-carb diet comes up is “I could never give up bread” or “I could never give up pasta.” For the most part, I think people really could if they tried! If you think about what you like about bread and pasta, it usually isn’t the bread and pasta themselves, but the toppings that go on or in-between those carb items!

So for pasta, the delicious part is really the meat and sauce! And for bread, it is butter, or the innards of the sandwich. These are all things that are A-OK in the Primal Blueprint Nutrition world!

I was craving pasta, but I knew I did not need to eat a bunch of carbs and gluten, and that even though I had already drank my Shakeology (which is not a replacement for great, clean, nutritious eating), I still needed to get in a few servings of vegetables! One thing we have continued since the 21 Day Fix Extreme is eating our 3 (for me, or 5 for Tommy) servings of veggies a day!

So, I went to the grocery store and grabbed some veggies, sauteed them in butter and heavy cream (unpasteurized, from grassfed dairy cows), and shredded some cheese on the top (provolone and white cheddar - which should just be called “cheddar,” because I learned doing makeup on the set of this Bel Gioioso cheese commercial and this one that cheddar cheese is white naturally, and if you are eating yellow/orange cheddar, it has been dyed), and called it a day!

This time for me, it was a couple bunches of broccoli, a pound of mushrooms, a bunch of kale, a red onion, two cloves of garlic, and the cream, butter, and cheese!

Pasta-less pasta. We will pretend that I didn’t triple the amount of cheese before I ate it. ;P

Soooo good and such satisfying comfort food! And since there is so much high quality fat (which, by the way, is your friend, as long as it is great quality), it is SUPER filling and won’t give you food (carb) coma!

#FitFoodieFriday #RecipeRoundup: #Primal Meatloaf, Dairy-Free Clean Ice Cream, and Pasta-less…

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What would you like to see me make next week?

xoxo,

Mandie

P.S. Did you like what you read? Make sure to check out other blogs on the page, and to subscribe by entering your email below, so you never miss a post!

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Let’s Get Fit Together - For Summer and For Life!

May 11, 2015 Mandie

Summer is approaching, and for many, that knowledge brings both joy and pain at the same time. Joy, because the weather will be beautiful. Pain, because beautiful weather also means wearing less clothes, which can be embarrassing or nerve-wracking for many!

One of my challengers (pictured above) just finished the 21 Day Fix, and lost nine pounds in only three weeks. This inspired me, and now Tommy and I are going to do the 21-Day Fix Extreme starting Monday, May 18th!

I decided that it would be fun to do this together as a group, so I invited my team to do it with me, and now it’s going to be a party! Want to join? Click here, and request to join our facebook group! We are starting tomorrow, May 11th, with a prep week to get to know each other, share our goals, and prepare our kitchens, but we will accept anyone up until the end of the day on May 18th, when we start doing the programs! No purchase is required to join us, and you don’t have to be doing the 21-Day Fix or 21-Day Fix Extreme; you can just join if you want to follow your own fitness and nutrition plan and commit to it, along with participating in our group and helping share motivation, support, and accountability!

I hope to see you as part of our group! Let’s get Fit for Summer and Fit for LIFE!

xoxo,

Mandie

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How Do I Lose Fat From My _____ (Tummy, Arms, Love Handles, Thighs - Insert Problem Area Here!)?

April 17, 2015 Mandie

I think we have all have one part of our bodies that isn’t our favorite. For me, I am least fond of my stomach.

In a perfect world, we could do exercises for that particular area, and the fat around it would melt right off. But, in case you haven’t noticed yet (you lucky duck, you!), this is not a perfect world.

In the video, I mention a blog I wrote a while ago about the best workout for ____, and you can see that here!

I also mention that I prefer slow moving cardio, yoga, and strength training as workouts, especially with fat loss in mind. Here’s an explanation!

Can I spot-reduce fat? Via @Mandelicious

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Strength Training

Many people feel like strength training might be counter-intuitive for weight/fat loss, because building muscle makes you bigger/bulkier, and some people even worry about looking like a body builder.

Here are my thoughts on that:

Sooo…. Yeah. Basically, the more muscle you have, the more fat your body will burn. Unless you’re lifting with a very specified program and eating an extremely meticulous diet plan DESIGNED to increase your mass, (and probably also taking supplements with the same goal in mind), you are NOT going to suddenly look like Starla over here.

(Not that there is anything whatsoever wrong with looking like Starla - I just know it’s not for everyone!)

Slow Moving Cardio

As for cardio, so many people seem to think that if they don’t want to die by the end, it isn’t working, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Simply put, when you are between 55-85% of your maximum heart rate, you are burning fat, which is obviously ideal! Brisk walking, casual dancing, yoga, and other activities that are of a similar level of exertion put you in that level of heart rate!

When you are running or doing extreme cardio, you are burning sugars, which sounds great, but CAN have adverse effects on your progress. How? Because your blood sugar drops, which can make you feel tired and hungry, which can cause you to either over eat, make poor food choices after (that might spike your blood sugar), or both! It also causes a lot of stress on your body and can aggravate injuries or slow them from healing.

Here’s an article that explains it better than I can!

By the way - I am not saying you should NEVER run, just don’t overdo it! A good sprint every 7-10 days is great for you, whether that sprint is a running one, on a bike, or another intense cardio workout!

If you’d like my weekly(ish) newsletter with fitness and nutrition tips, please click this link!

Otherwise, you can can click below my name to sign up to get every blog post I write emailed to you (don’t worry, that’s only a couple per week)! Or, if you REALLY are loving my tips, you can do both!

xoxo,

Mandie

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Netflix for Workouts? YES, PLEASE!

March 30, 2015 Mandie

I feel awful that I haven’t shared this yet, because it is AWESOME and is something I have seriously been waiting for for years… BEACHBODY ON DEMAND!

You can STREAM workouts from ANY DEVICE! When Tommy got his new MacBook Air, he bought a disc drive just for this purpose, and he no longer needs it! Now, when we are in hotels and traveling, or even outside!

Right now, there are a ton of programs on there… Both full programs, and sample workouts from other programs. Also, if you have purchased a Beachbody program or programs through the Beachbody site, you can access those full programs as well!

Those are just some of the programs featured on Beachbody On Demand. Yes, there’s more!

This was super useful to me a few times already. The first time was before the launch, when they gave access to some of us coaches to beta test it. I did a few Turbo Fire workouts in different hotel rooms and gyms when we were out here to find an apartment! AND, even this past week, I propped the laptop up on my suitcase and did a workout, because our TV hasn’t been delivered yet in the move!

Here are a couple exciting things. If you have been thinking “Oh my gosh, I need this in my life! This is what I’ve been looking for!” Then you can click here to order!

If you have ALSO been thinking “You know, I’d love that, but I’d also love to have an INCREDIBLE shake with over 70 superfoods that Mandie always raves about,” then I have an even more exciting deal for you! The challenge pack! For March, it is on sale, so for two more days! You can get the challenge pack deal, here!

Since we are chatting about challenge packs, here are the other sales for March:

FOCUS T25^® and Shakeology Challenge Pack: only $180 USD (normally $205 USD).** <—- video info! Click here to purchase!
TurboFire^® and Shakeology Challenge Pack: only $140 USD (normally $180 USD).** <—- video info! Click here to purchase!
3-Day Refresh^® and Shakeology Challenge Pack: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD) <—- video info! Click here to purchase! (My blog about that here!)

And finally… If you are thinking “That sounds pretty cool, but I want to try it first,” there’s another sweet deal - a 30-Day free trial, which you can get with any challenge pack purchase (either those mentioned above, or any other program + Shakeology. Message me for details on that!). After 30 days, if you like it, you will be billed for your first quarterly payment!

As always, if you ever want help working toward your goals of fitness or nutrition, just let me know! It is my passion to help people follow their dreams and be their fittest, healthiest, and happiest selves!

xoxo,

Mandie

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What is Shakeology and What Does Shakeology Do?

February 9, 2015 Mandie

Ok… For the longest time, I have been meaning to write this blog, and today’s the perfect day for it.

People ask me all the time what Shakeology is and why I drink it.

The short answer is “It’s my dense daily dose of nutrition, and I drink it because it gives me energy and ‘has my back’ nutritionally.”

Ready for the long answer?

It’s a main reason why I became a Beachbody coach!

My coach, and now very close friend, Katie, found me on Twitter and Tumblr, raving (and sometimes ranting, when I was super sore) about P90X.

She eventually sent me a sample of Shakeology, and I have to be honest - it sat on my counter a long time. I thought to myself “Why are there so many grams of carbs in a protein shake” and “Shakeology - the study of shake? What a dumb name!” and let it sit. She kept asking me about it, and so I FINALLY begrudgingly tried it.

Soon after, I noticed that I was typing a billion words per minute, and was insanely happy and energetic. What the heck was in that stuff? All I knew was that I had to have it!

So here’s the deal - there are TONS of Superfoods in Shakeology! It’s basically like five trips to an exotic salad bar, minus all the not-so-good for you stuff that can go in salads.

Like I said, it “has my back nutritionally.” I normally follow a pretty strict nutrition plan that is based upon ancestral health, and JERF - just eat real food. I tend toward a lower carb, higher fat diet. Since I eat real food, and follow the primal/paleo diet, I would love to think that that should be enough to keep me going and healthy, especially since part of the idea behind paleo/primal is eating like cavepeople did. HOWEVER, to me, we are contending with much more than our ancestors did - more people in the population and crowding, more germs since we see so many more people, pollution, radiation, and so on! So, for that reason, I like getting extra nutrition! Plus, I am not perfect - there are definitely days when what I eat outside of my shake are not the most nutrient-dense choices!

I can’t guarantee that you will have the same feelings/results that I did when you drink it. The way I see it, it gives you whatever you were lacking, and I must have been lacking in B-vitamins, because that would explain the surge of energy!

My favorite personal Shakeology story - my stepdad. Here’s part one:

This made my mom call it “anti-shakeology,” since his hands stopped shaking! Of course, Marv still drinks Shakeology. And he doesn’t really exercise (working on that, haha)! Check out further progress…

And “boom” goes the dynamite!

If you’d like more information, I have some videos I’d LOVE to share with you that tell the store much better than my blog post can!

What is the healthiest meal of the day? Via @Mandelicious

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This video is about the findings of a CLINICAL study of Shakeology.

This one has Tony Horton talking about lots of the ingredients and what they do, as well as how much it would cost to make your own shakeology by buying the ingredients separately!

For anyone with diabetes or worried about it - here’s a video about Shakeology and the Glycemic Index!

This is what doctors are saying about Shakeology!

This is one of my favorites - it shows one of the creators traveling the earth to find the superfood ingredients! What a life!

And finally, an old classic - a quick video on what would go in a Shakeology salad to equal the nutrients of one shake!

I apologize that this post is so long, but when I get talking about something that I am passionate about, I could go on forever, and Shakeology falls into that category!

If you’re still with me, let me tell you why I chose today to write this post. Next week Monday, the 16th of February, a coach on my team and I are hosting a 5-Day Shakeology challenge, and I’d love to have you join us!

Message me for details!

xoxo,

Mandie

P.S. You can buy Shakeology or the Shakeology Taste Sampler by clicking the respective links, but it’s a much better deal if you get it at the same time as a fitness program, so message me about that if you’re interested!

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What’s the best workout for _______?

January 23, 2015 Mandie

As a professional student of exercise and nutrition, I am often asked variations on the same question: What’s the best workout for ____? You can fill in the blank. Weight loss. Bulking. Losing weight/fat in a specific area. Old people. Young people. The list goes on!

Well, you may not like my response, but first of all: You can’t spot lose fat. If we could, there’d be a lot more women with large breasts and booties and six packs walking around!

To lose fat, you have to burn fat, whether through cardio, or strength training, and you can’t pick where it starts the burning.

That is exactly why this meme exists:

Many times people will find that when they start to burn fat, it comes from places we’d rather keep it! But sorry, there is no natural way to change this. And that’s why doing a TON of sit-ups, crunches, and ab work doesn’t mean that you’ll have a flat abdomen or a six pack - the muscles may grow, but that doesn’t mean they won’t remain covered with a layer of fat!

If we could spot-reduce fat, we’d probably have very different fit bodies! Via @Mandelicious

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So, what is the best workout?

The answer is simple. If you’re newer to fitness, it’s whatever workout you will do.

Yes, there are many workouts scientifically designed by people whose lives are dedicated to making programs, but if you never open it up and try it, or do it once and never again, it’s useless, and you’re better off dancing around in the bathroom singing Bruno Mars with your hairbrush as a microphone!

As I mention in the video above, aside from “any workout you will do,” I suggest slow-moving cardio (55-85% of your maximum heart rate) and weight training for the best results for fat loss!

Fortunately, I have a lot of workout programs in my arsenal, and can hopefully help you find something that is both scientifically designed to bring the results you’d like, as well as is enjoyable for you (or at least enough to get you to do it enough until you see results, when it becomes an addiction!

The best workout for you to do is… via @Mandelicious

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If you’re interested in my help finding a great program and nutrition, fill out this form, and I will get back to you soon! =)

And remember:
No excuses - they don’t burn fat!

xoxo,

Mandie

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My Experience with Beachbody’s 3-Day Refresh!

January 9, 2015 Mandie

This past Wednesday, I completed my third 3-Day Refresh. If the fact that I have done this three times since it came out doesn’t give you a review in itself, I am not sure what to tell you!

Anyway, I have to say that I LOVE the product! As you can see in the image above, I lost a few pounds and inches, which is awesome! I plan to always have one on-hand in case I am called for a last-minute bikini or lingerie photoshoot, just so that I can get rid of any extra water weight, as long as I have those three days!

But honestly, the best part is the way that my cravings for junk food virtually disappear. It has been a couple days, and you could unwrap a candy bar and put it on my nose for hours, and I would not eat it!

I don’t know exactly what they are excitedly piling on this poor dog’s nose, but it looks like something a dog would probably find tasty!

Anyway, needless to say, I am super happy with the refresh, and plan to do it quarterly, in addition to the aforementioned modeling situations.

If you are interested in checking it out, there’s a sale on it this month, where you can get the cleanse itself, as well as a month’s supply of Shakeology, for $140, which is just $10 less than Shakeology on its own! This deal goes on until 1/31/15. It may come back, so if you are reading this after January 2015, send me a message and we can chat about options!

The best cleanse there is, and tips for accomplishing it! Via @Mandelicious

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Here’s a video that Beachbody made about this amazing product!

And of course, I had to make my own video with tips!

To order the Refresh as a challenge pack (recommended), click here! To get it on its own, click here. Not only do you get the product, but you get me as your personal health coach for free. My goal is to help as many people as I can, and you could be the next one!

If you have any questions about the Three Day Refresh, fitness, nutrition, beauty/makeup, or sustainability, let me know and I would be happy to help!

xoxo,

Mandie

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