3 months after a newborn and 37 lbs later: The success story of Jennifer P

I wanted to share a success story from one of our many challengers. Jennifer is one of the most determined and driven people that I have had the pleasure of coaching. She puts in the time and the results have paid off, which is no easy feat for a busy mom of three girls.

Here is Jennifer's story in her own words.

 "After having my 3rd child in less than 5 years, I was ready to take control back of my body and finally work toward the health and fitness goals that were always in the back of my mind. This time I was driven to do it not only for my family, but also for myself.

A good friend kept talking about this Facebook accountability group she was part of and this great coach Steve, that was helping to drive her towards her fitness goals.

I thought to myself, how can I get involved? I emailed Steve and asked to be part of his group. That was 3 ½ months and 37 lbs. ago. Steve has such an inspiring story and such a passionate drive for wanting to help others achieve their goals. He’s an incredible guy with such a motivating mission.

There are now almost 30 of us that are part of this incredible group. All of us are working under Steve’s guidance against a similar goal, better health. It’s incredibly motivating to be part of a group of people that can inspire each other each and every day. From posting recipes and workouts to just a pat on the back when you’re feeling less than 100%, it has been life changing.

As for me, I have 13 lbs. to go and I know for the first time in my life that I WILL get there. How could I not, I have a coach and 30 new friends that are relying on me to achieve this goal "

Jennifer P.

Beef Barley Soup

Living in New England has its ups and downs. As the seasons change you can't help but admire the beauty of where we live. Enter the Blizzard of 2015......

24" of snow is great to look at until it needs to be moved. 

After 4-5 hours of snow removal, you need something to warm you up. Funny enough I did not do what most people do before a storm, which is stand in line for groceries you will never use, just because there is a storm coming. Luckily for me I made the best out of some staples I had in the house. Here is the recipe for a super simple Beef Barley Soup I made to warm my insides.

Beef Barley Soup

1 lbs of 93% lean ground beef

2 Containers of low sodium beef broth (32 oz each)

2 Cups of cooked barley

1 Medium onion

1 Cup of frozen carrots

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Heat oil in frying pan over med-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain all the fat and add beef mixture to a large pot. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are soft. 

Add salt and pepper to taste

Leave a comment below if you try this recipe or let me know your favorites soup recipes!

Fearing Change

     How many times have you been afraid of change? Afraid to go new places, do new things or even start a new job. Sticking to what you know best or how you do things is comfortable and easy. And it is also the easy way out.

    This week I started a new Beachbody program called Body Beast. The program is designed for muscle gain and with that, weight gain. This program is different from what I have previously done. Normally I am trying to trim the fat and lose weight, but I decided it was time for a change. And that scares me to death.....

   I am scared to see the number on the scale rise instead of fall. I am scared that I will fail on this program and struggle again to lose the weight that I have worked so hard to keep off. Or even worse, what happens if I gain fat and can't lose it again?

   Then I started to think, what if I never tried something new? I took a chance on P90X over 4 years ago and lost 105 lbs. If I never tried something new I would still be unhappy and overweight. I have a great support system in place, I'm surrounded by people in fitness groups that I host. I have cheerleaders now and great friends and family that are also trying something new and facing their fears. So why am I still scared?

   I fear not reaching my goal or even worse taking steps backwards. But as they say, if the thought of how you reach a goal is not scary, you are not setting the bar high enough.

   Stay tuned to see how this story ends......

Not All Calories Are Created Equal?!?

      Not all calories are created equal. Or are they? By definition a calorie is the energy needed to raise a gram of water 1 degree C or a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy. That being said, a calorie is a calorie right? WRONG!

     Let's take a look at the difference. Below is roughly 250 calories worth of food. Everything is equal right?

 

                                                                             VS.

 

 

     Because not everything is equal, I wanted to share some insight on the world of Macronutrients, or macro tracking. Tracking just calories alone is sometimes not enough to get help you achieve your goals. But tracking macros can be the missing piece of the puzzle in you road to being fit.

 

     What exactly is a macro? Quite simply it is the protein, carbs and fats in every food. This is what you will be looking for on any food labels for tracking.

 

     I am not going to attempt to tell anyone just how many calories they need daily. Everyone's needs are different based on how active they are, how much they weigh and what type of exercise they perform. There are plenty of online calculator out there or if you are using a Beachbody product, there are clear nutrition guidelines included as well.



    Once you know your caloric need, we can break it down to macro percentages to help you achieve your specific goals. Based on the type of training you do, your breakdown will be different. Allow me to share a few examples:

If you are a weightlifter trying to bulk up you may have 25% Protein 50% Carb and 25% Fats

A weightlifter trying to cut body fat may have 50% Protein 40%Carb and 10% Fats

A person doing an at home program trying to shed fat may have 45% Protein 35% Carb and 25% Fats

     To go further we are going to perform some math, not my favorite subject, but necessary for accurate tracking. We will base it off a 2000 calorie diet with a 50/40/10 split. For this we need to know one more thing.....

50% Protein or 1000 calories divided by 4 grams = 250 Grams protein per day

40% Carbs or 800 calories divided by 4 grams = 200 Grams carbs per day

10% Fats or 200 calories divided by 9 = 21 Grams fat per day

(Keep in mind this example if for cutting or fat loss)

     If you consistently go over in a certain category you may hurt your chances of achieving your goals. Eating unhealthy carb like white sugars and breads as opposed to complex carbs like whole grains and sweet potatoes or unhealthy fats compared to nuts, olive oils or avocado will also make a difference.

    As you can see, all calories ARE NOT created equal. Choose wisely to achieve your goals. If you need help figuring out your calorie/macro goal, I would be happy to help. Email me at sbelangerfitness@gmail.com or Like our Facebook page here. I'm always happy to help someone start their journey or achieve their goals.

When Life Takes Over

Imagine this if you will.....

You wake up at 7am, fresh off of 8 hours of deep sleep. You come into the kitchen, a healthy breakfast is prepared and waiting for you. At 9am you head to the gym, or pop in your favorite work out DVD, and you nailed it today!

Then imagine a nice relaxing shower, heading off to work, home after 8 hours and settling down to a nice family dinner.

Now wake up from this fantasy, because real life just took over!

If your life is anything like mine, this is nothing more than a fantasy. My life seems like as soon as my feet hit the floor, its is pedal to the metal until I sleep at night.

I do not tell you this for sympathy or even for a pat on the back. This story is about how I manage to maintain a healthy lifestyle, all while being surrounded by chaos.

Allow me to introduce you to chaos.......

My three boys, Ryan 6, Mikey 4 and Joey is 1. I know what you are thinking, how can something so cute cause so much chaos?

Honestly, I am blessed. My family is amazing, my wife Jessica keeps this brood in check every day. The kids are some of the nicest and most polite boys you will ever find.

However at any given moment cute turns into chaos.......

Allow me to shed some light on my "normal" day and how I adapt to stay healthy among the chaos.

3:45 AM Wake up. I get up this early for necessity, not because I enjoy it. If I want "me" time, it happens now

4:00-5:30 AM Me time. This is where I have my first meal, a chocolate protein or Shakeology mixed with cold coffee (Who has time to wait for the coffee to brew?).

This is where I get my personal development time in, a minimum of 10 minutes reading every day.

Next is workout #1. I am currently starting PIYO for round 2. I find this to be one of the best workouts as I get older. It helps my aching joints and my flexibility.

At this point I pack my cooler for the day and hit the road.

5:30 AM Workout #2. I enjoy old school weight training routines just as much as my at home DVD's. This is the time of the day when I can "drown out the noise" as I like to say. No one talks to me, no one bothers me, and the stress of life disappears for an hour.

7:00 AM Off to work! I am a Service Manager at a busy plumbing and HVAC company. I also run service calls during high demand times, which seems like everyday. Every day is different, some are 8 hours, some are 12.

I bring everything I need to eat throughout the day with me. Three meals, 2 snacks, a shake and "emergency food" (Cans of chicken) just in case the day goes extra long. I would rather pack extra than have to stop for fast food.

6:00 PM This is where the real chaos begins! From the minute I walk through the door, its family time. Bombarded by 3 running and crawling boys trying to capture my attention (and loving every second of it). These days will quickly be replaced by teenagers that no longer think Dad is cool, so I think I will enjoy this as long as possible.

Dinner, clean up, cuddle time, bath time, story time and bed time all follow. I can't stress how blessed I am to have a wife that keeps our crazy household together. It is such a seemingly thankless job of being a full time mom and wife, yet to her it is the most fulfilling.

 

 

8:00 PM Phew! We survived another night! Now is the time where I prep my meals for tomorrow, spend some time catching up with my Beachbody challenge group participants and finally spend some much needed time with Jess. This is probably the only time we can have an uninterrupted conversation and we try to use our time wisely, but some days we want nothing more than to kick back and just relax together.

 

     This is a typical weekday. Now add the weekends filled with soccer (I coach 1st grade soccer), basketball, family functions, grocery shopping, holidays and fun adventures and there is enough to make your head spin!

 

 

 

     Life takes over. There is always SOMETHING. Unforeseen circumstances can change the course of any given day.  Do I expect people to attempt to live this way? HECK NO! This is just plain crazy......... but it is what works for me. I share this because just when you think your life is overwhelming, chaotic, or just plain crazy, think of my story.

 

 

     Also, if you find yourself up 4am, wondering if you should get out of bed to start your workout...... Message me or find me on Facebook, I will be right there working out too.

 

 

Are you ready for the challenge?

   If you read my transformation story you would know that joining a "Challenge Group" became a defining moment in my continued success. You may be asking, what is a challenge group? Allow me to shed some light on the subject.

A Challenge Group is a small group of like minded individuals all working TOGETHER to help each other achieve their fitness goals! 
A group can last as little as 21 days or as long as 90. Though typically the average group is a 30 day "Accountability and Support" Group. These groups are mainly Facebook based, allowing anyone from anywhere to participate. Everyone chooses a workout and nutrition plan, free to choose your own, or I will help choose a Beachbody program to suit your needs.

We begin with finding out about all participants, everyone is encouraged to open up about themselves and their fitness goals. The best was to achieve your goals is to make them known to individuals that can help you achieve these goals. Everyone needs a push or some encouragement to know it isn't a huge task to start a path to a healthier lifestyle. It is a series of small consistent changes that will affect your life in a positive way.

This is where Challenge Groups come in handy. Let’s face it we all need a little PUSH now and then… and a little motivation goes a LONG way! The main focus is to keep everyone accountable, but to make it FUN too. We have lots of daily participation, ranging from posting of meals, recipes and even the famous "Sweaty" post workout pic. The support that you receive from the group, as well as my coaching, will get you past the normal speed bumps that life throws our way.
Nothing seems to motivate me more on a day that I do not want to push play, much less get out of bed, than to see 3 "sweaty" pics from group members that have already done their PIYO, Insanity or P90X workouts.  

Are you ready to join a group to motivate you? Are you ready to be held accountable to your fitness goals? Are you ready to take the first step to a healthier life?
If the answer is YES to any of these questions, I have just one more question. What are you waiting for?

There is a contact tab on my Blog, just fill in the info and I will contact you via email at a convenient time to discuss your goals and which group would work best for you.

Protein Pancakes

Sunday is the kids favorite day in my house. For the past 4 years running, Sunday is known as "Pancake Day". There is no shortage of different creations that we make on Pancake Day. From standard buttermilk, to Cinnabon style and every concoction in between, but that is a blog for another day.

Sunday is the toughest day to stay on the healthy path, especially when the kitchen smells like carbs and syrup!! That is why I am sharing my Protein Pancake recipe today. This is the closest I could get to pancakes with out blowing all my hard work for the week. As they say the hardest work is in the kitchen, not the gym.


Protein Pancakes (Base)

1/2 cup of oats or oat flour, I grind quick oats into flour.
1 TBS Coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup liquid egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 packet of sweetener (I use Truvia or Sweet n Low)
1/4 cup blueberries
Dash of salt

Directions

1. Put egg whites, oats, baking powder, almond milk, salt and sweetener in blender
2. Blend for 30 seconds on med-high speed.
3. Spray a pan or griddle with non-stick cooking spray, pour batter on pan into 4-5" pancakes and divide blueberries evenly among pancakes.
4. Cook like a regular pancake
5. Top with your favorite sugar free or natural maple syrup

Nutrition Facts
Makes 1 serving
Calories: 326
Protein : 26g
Carbs: 35g
Fat: 6g

Optional variations (instead of blueberries):

1/4 cup raspberries & 1 TBS white chocolate chips

1/2 Banana & 1 TBS dark chocolate chips

1 TBS Almond Butter and 2 slices cooked and crumbled turkey bacon (I call this the Elvis)

Comment below if you have any other flavor ideas