Core De Force

Here we go!

I kick off Core De Force, my new fitness program, on March 13th, and I am so excited to challenge myself to something new. 

If you aren’t familiar with the program, or you have never heard of it before, allow me to share a few details with you:

1. It is an MMA style workout. Created by Joel Freeman And Jericho McMatthews, they came up with an intense, but effective program that allows you to utilize the techniques of MMA, and get into incredible shape. There is no equipment required. They will be helping you you use your body weight to get in fighting shape.

2. It is a 30 day program, with the option to go multiple rounds.

3. This is not a cardio/kickbox/dance program. It is not choreographed to the beat. There are awesome tracks included, but you are not dancing! 

4. There is a nutrition guide included in the program, which for most of us is what we need the most. 

5. I got to test it out at the NLC 2017 a couple of weekends ago and it basically solidified my decision to give it a go. I am excited!

Did I mention I was pumped to start? It has been brutal giving my body some downtime to recover from 60 days of 22 Minute HC. But I am glad I did. I am ready to kick some major tail. 

Here is what is on deck for me this coming week. I will be working out through Beachbody On Demand: 

Monday: MMA Speed

Tuesday: Dynamic Strength

Wednesday: MMA Speed

Thursday: Power Sculpt

Friday: MMA Shred

Saturday: Dynamic Strength

Sunday: Active Recovery & Meal plan

For my nutrition:

I will be continuing Shakeology (of course) as well as drinking Beachbody Performance Energize for my pre-workouts and Beachbody Performance Recover for my post workout. I will still be eating mostly Paleo, as well as following the color coded Fix container system as much as I can. I struggle with portions so those containers help a ton!

I can’t wait to get started.

What program are you doing right now? Have you ever considered trying Core De Force?

Be a Size You,
Tiffany 

Week 1 of Whole 30

I finished week one and I am so excited to share with y’all how everything has gone!

Let me start by saying that Whole 30 is hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. Mainly because a lot of the foods that are allowed in Whole 30, we already consume. The hardest part for me, I think, has been to adjust to eating more food than I am accustomed to and so that I don’t want to snack. I found that if I am craving snacks every two hours, then I must not be consuming enough at my meals. It has been a learning curve for me, but I have really been enjoying eating this way so far. And so has Dan! 

First, let me share with you a small transformation I have noticed in my body:

I definitely feel tighter and not as fluffy. I have always struggled with the back rolls and I could not figure out how to develop back there. (Picture on the right is from a few months ago). I was working out regularly and drinking Shakeology, and eating clean, but I must have been starving my muscles of adequate protein because I definitely feel tighter in my abdomen and back areas. It goes to show how much your nutrition plays a part in this. I don’t need to lose weight, BUT I would like to build more lean muscle, so this is very exciting for me!

Do I have any favorite recipes? You bet!

We made Big O Bacon burgers. No bread, but we sautéed some kale and I made some home fries. They were really good. I got the recipe from Nom Nom Paleo. 

I also LOVED Simple Egg Drop Soup.

Fast and easy. Whipped it up in 5 minutes! When it is rainy or you are feeling under the weather, make yourself some of this! Also from Nom Nom Paleo. 

I will share a couple more awesome Whole 30 approved recipes mid week.

I am also still drinking Shakeology and doing 22 Minute Hard Corps (which is a bootcamp style workout from Beachbody). 

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I am feeling pretty good so far and I can’t wait to see what the next three weeks will bring! 

Be a Size You,

Tiffany 

Joy Amidst the Hustle

  
I tend to allow myself to get so stressed during this season. Every year I tell myself that it will be different, much like a New Year’s Resolution, but it inevitably happens at some point.

I blow my top thanks to the stress and lack of joy I choose to allow in my life and heart. When I found myself muttering “I hate the holidays” while sobbing and hiding in the bathroom. 

I don’t actually hate the holidays. I actually love Christmas. I love Jesus. I love celebrating His birth. I love the decorations, the gathering of family, the food, the Christmas Eve Services. 

But I hate what it does to my heart. Or rather, what I allow the hustle do to my heart. Instead of choosing joy and celebration, I choose stress and expectations.

Instead of soaking in thankfulness and meditation, I choose to harbor hurt and anger because some things aren’t completed or done to my standards.

I hate that I get this way.

I am sitting here drinking coffee and gazing at my Christmas tree. Those ornaments that hang remind me of the joy I felt as a kid putting them up. They were gifts from my parents as they wanted their children to have their own set of ornaments when we began to have our own families and create our own traditions. They wanted to pass on the joy of Christmas. And in their way, that meant gifting us with our own ornament treasures each year that spoke to our personalities and to our interests. It was always a favorite tradition for myself and my siblings to head to Hallmark the day after Christmas to pick out our new ornament. And truly, I really do have over 100 ornaments that came with me when I got married (much to Dan’s surprise!)

I want to pass on that joy, but in a different sense. I want my kids to see not a stressed out momma at Christmas time, but a momma who is intoxicated with joy because her Savior was born on this day, and we get to celebrate that day with each other. I want to decorate my home and bake and serve not because I have to, but because I get to. My Savior was born on this day.

Yes, this time of year can be stressful, filled with pain, and riddled with expectations, but let’s choose joy and allow God to set it in our hearts. It is a season of celebration!

Do you need a little lift in your heart? Can I pray for you today?

Be a Size You,

Tiffany 

Favorites of a Fit Gal

  
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t just love all things fitness. While I do geek out over the latest fitness programs and supplements, and workout gear, I have a few other loves in my life that I would love to share with you. I would love to hear about some of your favorites as well!! 

1. Readers are Leaders. 

  

  
This stack of books you see here are just a small sampling of what I have read. I have a ton more on my kindle!!! Because I desire so greatly to increase the value of another person’s life, I want to grow as much as possible, and learn as much as I can go so I can pour out my heart to my friends and family and all of you! Some of my favorite titles:

*Own Your Life- Sally Clarkson

*The Best Yes- Lysa Terkeurst

*Make it Happen- Lara Casey

*Kingdom Woman- Chrystal Evans Hurst

*Fervant- Priscilla Shirer

*Entreleadership- Dave Ramsey

*The Compound Effect- Darren Hardy

*The Key to Everything- Matt Keller
2. Holistic Oily Mama  
I am by no means an essential oils expert, but I have fallen in love with them and I don’t care who knows it! I love Young Living’s Panaway blend and Thieves, but I also really love Plant Therapy’s oils as well, especially their kid safe line. If you know a Young Living distributor, definitely ask them to help you find the best oils for your family. The best source is to go to someone who uses them regularly on themselves. 
3. Get Dolled Up

  
I will admit it. I am a bit of a makeup junky. I didn’t use to be. I hardly ever wore makeup, mostly because I was so intimidated by it. But after binge watching some makeup YouTube channels, I have found what I like and I am now a Sephora VIB member. Not sure I should be proud of that 😬.

Anyway, I love makeup brushes from Real Techniques (you can find them at Ulta or Target) and It Cosmetics (Ulta). The Energy Noir palette from Tarte is gorgeous and I use it for date nights and when I want to play up my eyes a little more. My favorite highlighter of the moment is Becca by Jaclyn Hill’s Champagne Pop. Favorite Foundation for right now is Too Faced Born This Way. And I have an unhealthy collection of lip products. Favorite perfume is Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black. Concealer is Maybelline Better Skin concealer.

4. Be a Goal Digger

  
I am a paper and pen gal. I love my Erin Condren planner. I found these really cute journals from the Target dollar spot. Staedtler pens are my favorite! I grabbed mine off Amazon but you can find them at Target as well! 

5. Bonus favorite! Candles!!

  
Need I say more? Bath and Body Works candles. They seriously make me giddy. Even my husband approves of me spending the money to buy their candles. Salted Caramel and Marshmallow Fireside? Yes please!! 

What are some of your favorites?

Be a Size You,

Tiffany 

You Make a Poor God

I have been reading an incredible book called Let It Go by Karen Ehman. It is about being a control freak.

For real. And I am here to confess that I am a control freak.

Especially when it comes to my precious children.

My greatest desire is to raise them up to know Jesus and to be a man and woman who have exemplary character. That when others watch them and talk to them, there will be no question about whom they serve with their whole heart.

And if I can be even the tiniest bit honest, sometimes, okay a lot of the time, I want people to think the best of me as well. That I am a great parent.

But I am not God. In fact, I make a very poor God. And so do you, my friend.

I have found myself trying to change, shift, correct EVERYTHING they do, from what clothes they wear, to their friendships, their experiences, and more. There is one thing to be protective. I want to protect their eyes and ears and hearts from things that I believe would be harmful to them, but I cannot CONTROL every aspect of their little lives.

I want obedient children, but not at the expense of their dignity. And I definitely don’t want robots.

And when I try to control them or anything else in my life, what I am really saying is that I don’t trust God with my children. With my finances. With my marriage. With my business.

When I try to put myself in God’s place in their lives or anyone else’s, that is when we have an issue.

The bible teaches that we are to raise our children up in the way they should go so that when they grow older, they will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Nowhere does God tell us to control or manipulate in order to raise them. They have to learn. They have to grow. And sadly, they will have to make mistakes, much to the dismay of our momma heart.  Yes, their mistakes will be painful to them and to us, but only then can they learn and grow. I have yet to meet a person who was transformed from the inside out thanks to a perfect life and being mistake free!

The bible also teaches us to Trust the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Luke 10:27).

God doesn’t manipulate us into obedience and fellowship with Him. He gave us free will and a free gift and an opportunity for us to CHOOSE. There was no coercion on his part. Simply grace and compassion for his wayward children.

Parent with grace. Let go of the need to control everything they do.

And if you need a little encouragement in this area, I highly recommend grabbing Let it Go and reading it with a fellow control freak in Christ. =).

Be a Size You,

Tiff

Chocolate Eggnog Shake

I am not normally an eggnog drinker, but last year I had picked up a mint chocolate eggnog drink from Silk and it was pretty much mind blowing.  I put it in my chocolate smoothies a lot and it was so amazing!!!! If you can find, put it in your cart and take it home with you. So so good!

If you aren’t too keen on chocolate mint eggnog, but an eggnog smoothie sounds good (and bonus points it if it is healthy!) then this recipe is for you!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Eggnog Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ cup water
½ unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
½ tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. pure rum extract
1 cup ice

Preparation:
1. Place water, almond milk, Shakeology, allspice, extract, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

*My family uses Shakeology and we love it.  I have been drinking it for four years now and I can’t imagine not having it in our house. Total lifesaver and I love the fact that at least one meal in my day is simple! And I love that I can find a ton of recipes through the Team Beachbody Blog, which is where I got this recipe!

Small Business Christmas Ideas

I am a huge believer in supporting small businesses. Yes, you can get a lot of great things at Target, Walmart, and even Amazon, but I love knowing that my dollars will go to a mom working to help her family, or an organization that has a mission to change the world for good in mind.

That is something to feel good about.  I work hard at what I do, and I want to know that my dollars are going toward good. Big businesses are important, because they can supply jobs and opportunities that many small businesses can’t, but small businesses should not be neglected. They are vital!

If you are still looking for some Christmas gifts, here are a couple of my favorite small businesses that you should support:

31 Bits: They are an incredible organization that is dedicated to hiring women in Uganda and giving them the opportunity to make an income for their families, something that many do not have.  Read their story and check out their incredible jewelry. Gorgeous pieces and perfect gifts for anyone of your girlfriends!

Cross Training Couture: If you know someone who loves working out, and is constantly on the search for active wear with a positive message, my sweet friend, Michelle Myers, is the owner of this active wear shop.  I have several of her tanks and her sweaters and they are my go to source for active wear tanks. I love the message, and I love the person behind this company. Michelle’s heart is real and she loves Jesus.  You will fall in love with her, just as I have!

Dashing Dish: Know anyone who loves to cook but gets overwhelmed by meal planning?  I love the membership option (only $7.95 a month) that gives you access to thousands of recipes, and more are being added regularly.  You can create a grocery list, menu, save favorite recipes and more.  I have been using the membership for a few months now and I don’t know why I waited so long to get one!

There are so many more small businesses that I could name!

What are your favorite small businesses that you want to see supported?

Discipline-2016 Word of the Year

Photo by Anna Pociask, She Works His Way

For several years, our family has chosen one word that we want to reflect our goals and desires for ourselves and for our family.

Thrive, Patience, Intentional have been some of the words that we have had reflected in our homes and it has been so fun to watch as God transformed our hearts and we saw our goals come to fruition, all because we decided to take a single word and make it a focus.  It helped us streamline our goals and our desires. It helped to us to make sure that our priorities were in line and that we were a team. Families are not meant to be lone rangers!

For 2016, our word will be-Discipline!

Wait. What? Discipline? I know, I know. That word doesn’t seem as fun. Trust me. We fought that one!

But the more Dan and I prayed about it, the more we felt we needed Discipline to be our word. It wasn’t that we were all over the place or that we weren’t disciplined in anything, but we saw some areas in our parenting, marriage, life, and finances that definitely needed work. So for 2016, as a goal we are doing together, we will be working on refining those disciplines. We will be working together to put systems in place within our household that will bless our family and bless others.

We want to raise our children to know and love Jesus, more than anything else. That takes discipline in how you parent and how diligent you are in raising them. It doesn’t happen by accident.

We have big dreams about ministry and how we will do that as a couple. But there is discipline in growing with the Lord each day. It doesn’t happen by accident and you can’t pour out to others if you are empty.

We want to invest in ministries and help people who are in need without worrying about our own finances. But that won’t happen without be disciplined in spending, saving, and giving.  We want to be good stewards and generous givers. It takes work.

We want to be closer as a married couple than when we were first dating. But that takes discipline in planning out date nights and choosing to grow closer, even when it is hard.  Marriage is hard work. A good marriage doesn’t just happen by accident.

We want to train for Godliness.

1 Timothy 4:8 says:

“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

God’s word is clear that while we may be doing things that will benefit us physically (like working out and eating healthy!), the ultimate goal is to train for Godliness. We are to reflect Him.  That should be our goal! Godliness does not happen by accident. It doesn’t  happen because we simply want it to. It takes daily training, studying, seeking , prayer, discipline.

Discipline isn’t always fun, but it is necessary.

I am so excited to see what God will do as we train for Godliness in 2016.

Do you have a word of the year? Have you chosen yours for 2016?

Hammer & Chisel into the New Year

  

If you are like everyone else, you probably have some health and fitness related goals for yourself and for your family.

I certainly do!

I am so excited to challenge myself physically and see what I can do. I grew up as an athlete and I love competition. So while I may not be on an elite sports team, I love competing with myself to see what I can do and accomplish in the new year.

Beginning December 27th, I and others will be doing the brand new Hammer and Chisel fitness program for 2016. 

What is Hammer and Chisel? 

It is a fitness and nutrition program brought to you by Sagi Kalev (Body Beast Creator) and Autumn Calabrese (21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme. They will be utilizing the SSP training system (Stabilization, Strength, and Power) in order to define your body and give it strength and total definition. In other words, we are in for it! That makes me excited! It is definitely a different type of program than we have seen before so I am ready for my Challengers to do this with me.

And you can join in to!

I have several spots open for my Hammer and Chisel into the New year group. 

In this group we will:

*Complete the entire 60 day program. 

*Follow the nutrition guide and portion control containers.

*Supplement with A superfood packed shake and/or performance supplements (I am obsessed with Shakeology and Beachbody performance. They have provided me with optimal results with many of the fitness programs I have done.)

*Check in daily within a private Facebook group.

*I will provide resources, accountability, support. My job will be to help you get the results YOU want!

There will also be bonus challenges where you can earn points and the winner will earn a prize from me!

If you aren’t already working with a coach, I would love to have you join us! It is going to be tough, but I can guarantee that if you do the work and you commit, you will get the results!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! 

Let’s have some fun and make 2016 an awesome year! 

Be a Size You,
Tiffany 

Get in the Spirit for Fitness

  
I used to tell myself this every single year! I had all of these aspirations to be fit, to be stronger, to have more energy. And funny thing was, that inspiration always seemed to strike right in the middle of the holidays!

Are you feeling me on this?

I would then justify NOT starting because, hello, Christmas was close! I had to save my pennies to shop for gifts. I was going to be surrounded by baked goods at parties and at church so what was the point of eating healthy for the rest of my meals at home. (See where I am going?). So I would wait until January……or later in the new year to get started on my goals…..long after the idea presented itself.

Here is why I believe NOW is the time to get started on your health and fitness goals, if you have them. 

1. You avoid the crowds at the gym come January. I love the people get excited for the New Year. A new beginning and a fresh start. But it also means everyone is doing the same thing and it can sometimes be hard to focus when so many are around you. I believe it can be inspiring as well, but a lot of times it can be distracting. Now is the time because not many people will be willing to transform during this season. But you aren’t like everyone else!

2. You can lose weight instead of gain this holiday season. There is debate over the actual numbers regarding weight gain during the holidays, but truthfully, most people, if they don’t have a plan in place, do eat in excess and see some gain. You get to buck the trend and either maintain your weight if you desire or even lose, if that is what you are working towards. Again, you don’t have to be like everyone else. 

3. You will actually have more energy and be less stressed this season. Let’s face it: the holidays can be very stressful and exhausting. There is a lot to do, especially for those of you who travel long distances to see family. But you don’t have to sacrifice yourself on the altar of stress for the sake of the season. Exercise and good nutrition will help you stay balanced and your body in good form so that you can accomplish all that you need to with joy. And your family will appreciate it too!
Bottom line is the excuse to wait until January is simply that: an excuse. I know that isn’t easy to hear. We want to justify our reasons for letting go and mistreating our bodies. But Christmas comes every year, same time. There really is NO excuse to put off caring for your body. You don’t need to work towards obtaining a six pack, but you should be working towards being a size you so you can serve your family and live life well. 

If you need some motivation or a plan, I would love to help you! I have been living the Be a Size You lifestyle for 4 years now and it has enriched my life deeply! I want you to experience the same thing! 
Be a Size You,

Tiff