Pesto Spaghetti (sorta kinda)

Isn't it funny how you still crave things even if you don't feel so hot after you eat it?  What is that about?  For me, it's pasta.  Whole wheat or not, it seems that whenever I eat pasta, I'm instantly zapped of any energy.  But yet sometimes, a bowl of yummy noodles just sounds so darn good.

Fortunately, I happen to love spaghetti squash, and have found that it more or less hits the spot when a craving crops up.  It may not be a steaming bowl of pappardelle, but then again, I'm not asleep within 20 minutes of eating it either.  So, I'll take the win.

I've made spaghetti squash a few ways, and this one is right up there at the top in terms of flavor, ease and satisfaction.  It hits all the right notes for me.  And I hope for you, too.

Cheers & Enjoy!

What You'll Need

• 2 small (2 lb. each) spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ¾ –inch pieces
• ¼ tsp salt*
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 6 tbsp basil pesto
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese**
• 2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley

What You'll Do

• Using a large, sharp knife, pierce a spaghetti squash in several places. Place the spaghetti squash in a glass baking dish and cook in the microwave on HIGH for about 15 minutes, turning the squash halfway through cooking.
• Before handling let the squash stand for 10 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers.
• Using a fork, twist out strand of the spaghetti squash flesh and place in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature. Save the shells of the squash for stuffing later.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
• Turn the heat to medium and heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in the skillet. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the spaghetti squash strands, chicken and pesto, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Scoop the spaghetti squash mixture into the spaghetti squash shells and top with the Parmesan cheese.
• Place the stuffed spaghetti squash onto a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Cook until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
  
  *We skip this
  **We added far less; merely a sprinkle of cheese

Chicken & Rice...Oh So Nice

Casserole.  Doesn’t the name evoke all kinds of creamy, comforting goodness?  To me, it does.  Cozy and warm and usually not all that good for you.  Which is where casseroles and I get into a fight.  I want the coziness, but not the badness.  Ahhh, the struggle.
One of our favorites is a dish that we make with green beans, rice, chicken, cheese, and those dreaded cream of whatever soups.  It was a once in a while thing because of those silly soups.  And the guilt and overall yuck I felt after I ate it totally defeated the cozy, comforting vibe it was supposed to deliver. 
I banished said casserole from our menu.  It was ripped, with gusto, from the make again pile.  It was a sad day.
But then, I found its cousin….and I got pretty excited.  You all know I just loooooooooooove to “PWH” (pin while hungry), so when I saw this mouthwatering picture, I couldn’t get to my kitchen fast enough to make it!  And then, I was super pumped to tell Mark what we were having.
The best part is that I didn’t tell him that I modified it.  I wanted to see if he could figure it out.  Such a sneak, right?  I know, I know.  I’m giggling as I replay the conversation.  Whatever---it’s the little things.

Alright, so here’s the deal…

 

What You’ll Need

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4-5 green onions, diced

1 (14-oz) pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken, cubed (we used chicken we had grilled the night before)

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1½ cups milk

2½ cups cooked brown rice (I used instant)

1 (5.3-oz) fat free plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup light mayonnaise (I used far less than this; basically a heaping tablespoon of the Olive Oil mayo)

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
(*To make it more like the “old” version, I added a small jar of diced pimentos, a can of chopped water chestnuts and about 1 cup of green beans)

 

What You’ll Do:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a skillet, heat oil. Add green onions and mushrooms. Cook until tender.

Add chicken. Sprinkle with flour. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.

Add brown rice. Fold in Greek yogurt, mayo and salt and pepper. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese melts and it's bubbly around the edges.

 

I served this up in over-sized soup mugs…I was going all out on the cozy aspect.  I held mine in my hands as I inhaled it’s delicious scent and fed myself forkfuls of warmth and happiness.  Bonus, Mark didn’t detect that it was different, though I made two minor observations….(1) It needed a smidgen more mayo; I think the extras I tossed in made it a little drier and (2) I think next time I’ll mix the cheese in rather than put it on top.  It’s such a small amount, it didn’t really do much on the top.
This made amazing leftovers—hard to believe we practiced restraint and didn’t inhale it all when it came out of the oven—for lunch the next day, too.  I’m happy to say that this yummy dish, now cleaned up, is back in the Make Again pile and will be back in the rotation.  Every now and again, cozy and comforting dinners are the only thing that’ll do the trick.  You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?

 

 

No Spenduary

I love making up words like that!  Anywhooooooooooooo.....

From about mid-October until late December, my stress level is inappropriate.  My friend Wendy would say, "wildly inappropriate."  We can go on and on about why and what I did to make it better, worse etc. but that's not the point, really, of this post.  That's just context.

One of the main contributors...you all know the drill; the holiday blitz starts earlier and earlier every year, and we're inundated (what's a stronger word than that?  Attacked?  Bombarded?  Repeatedly hit with no way out?) with commercial after commercial and email after email announcing sales and discounts and free shipping and urgent requests to "Shop Now!"  "Sale's Ending at Noon!"  I can almost hear them yelling at me.  And rather than calmly review all options so I can make an educated, informed decision and purchase, I shut down and totally retreat.  Super.
But see, you can't really retreat and "cancel" Christmas when you have two young kiddos who see only the magic and mystery of the season.  So, every now and again I'd peek at an email or watch the entire commercial for some store.  I'd just about get sucked in and follow their barked out commands, but I'd stop short.  It came down to making a list (praise be to the holy list!) and a budget and a plan....and sticking to it all.  Which we did.  More or less.  Mostly more than less.

Again, not the point.  More context.  Dear Lord I'm taking you to Florida by way of Utah here.  Hang in there with me.  I'm getting there.

When December wrapped up (pun intended because why not!?) I decided to put myself on a self-imposed (yeah, Amy...we got that when you said you put yourSELF on it!) spending freeze for the month of January.  Even though we stuck to our plan, I still felt like I was in non-stop spend mode.  Gifts for this one, tips for this one, extra goodies to this one, office obligations.  Even if it didn't add up to a ton, it sure felt like it did.  

So that was it.  No purchases other than normal bills, gas and groceries....and by groceries, I mean what's on our menu/meal plan and nothing outside of that.  Heaven knows I'm "that girl" at the store who winds up with $25 or more worth of "what's this, is it new?  Looks good, let's try it" stuff in her cart.  You know her, don't you?  You may be her, too, right? 

Told Mark.  He was in.  Told my Mom.  She was in.  She told my Sister.  And yes, she was in, too.  This did not, I repeat, did NOT come from a place of "we're broke and we need to reign it in, big time."  We didn't go totally overboard at Christmas and even went away for Thanksgiving which meant that we didn't host; right there was a decent savings.

This was more an exercise/challenge born out of a stubbornness to see if I really could do it (shocking, right?  Me, stubborn?) and a way to keep random spending at bay.  The $25 at the grocery store, the "sure I'll have a couple drinks after work with you" money.  The "wonder what's new in TJMaxx that I don't NEED but somehow must HAVE" money.  The $150 at Kohl's that "just sort of happened, but it was all on sale and would have really been more like $350, plus I earned Kohl's cash!" money.  That stuff. 

It adds up, ya know?  It may not seem like a lot in the moment, and you may think you really need that picture frame/throw/insulated cup with a straw (hellllllo, I think I have 23. I need to stop!) or whatever "it" is, but do you?

I don't think of myself as a frivolous spender.  Give me a gift card and I'll likely sit on it for months because I can't figure out what to do with it; I talk myself out of lots of purchases because even though the gift card is like "free" money, if I think I can get the item less expensively elsewhere, I can't see using the gift card on it.  Don't try to get the logic; I confuse myself sometimes.  For real.

What I learned was that while I'm not frivolous, I do shop unnecessarily at times.  I buy things that we use, so I justify it.  But really, using things and needing things are not the same.  And we all survived for a month without new anythings*.  Imagine that!  We all got by with the clothes we have.  We ate out of the pantry more/better rather than loading up on more food at the store.  We were a little more thoughtful about driving around so we could conserve gas.  Mark and I made sure we both packed lunches for work.  We made it work, and it really wasn't all that bad.

We didn't eat out or get take out.  We didn't have any fancy date nights (we used a free Redbox rental to have a family movie night where all 4 of us snuggled in the Big Bed with popcorn and drinks!) and we didn't stroll mindlessly through Target (sorry, but it's true!) to fill a Saturday morning.  We helped Abby learn how important saving is and that we don't always need to spend money to have fun.  Ironically, spending less seemed to help us have more fun.  I'm 26 days in and I sure plan on making it all 31.  Kinda nice when a stubborn streak works to my advantage, huh?

 

*The new garage door springs not included; that was a necessary, emergency repair....but you know what, I'm kind of glad we hadn't spent any money all month, because that surprise bill wasn't such a big deal!

 

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

One little picture posted from my kitchen the other night and bam!....all kinds of requests for the recipe.  Credit to busybuthealthy.com (don't you love that domain!?) for sharing this easy and yummy (oh, and healthy!) recipe.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  I will say, my anti-coconut husband said he could taste the coconut.  I didn't.  There was certainly a somewhat sweet undertone, but I really didn't get coconut.  I think it was a mental thing, personally.  But hey, he ate it and went back for more...
 
What You'll Need:

• 4 6 oz chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free all purpose flour (or regular all purpose if not gluten-free)
• Optional: salt & pepper (as needed)

What You'll Do:

• In a large skillet, heat to medium high heat. Spray with oil if needed for non stick. Season chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper (if using).
• Brown each chicken breast on both sides (about 5-6 minutes per side if thick).
• Remove from pan and set aside on a plate (they won't be cooked through at this point).
• In the same skillet, turn down to medium heat, melt the butter, and add in the chopped garlic and let cook for 30 seconds to let the garlic get a bit golden. Then add the flour and whisk until it makes a rue. Let it cook for 30 seconds, then slowly add the can of coconut milk. Keep whisking until the milk mixture is smooth (aside from the chunks of garlic).
• Let the milk mixture thicken a bit, then add in the Parmesan cheese and whisk until its melted in. Sauce will start to thicken. Add in the chopped artichokes, and frozen spinach. I added in my spinach frozen (they were spinach nuggets) and separated it as it melted. If its frozen spinach in a box, you might want to thaw it in the microwave beforehand and squeeze out a bit of the excess liquid and measure out 1 cup.
• Place the chicken breasts back in the spinach/artichoke mixture and simmer all together with the lid off until the chicken is cooked through. The sauce will thicken a bit more as it simmers...just make sure you keep the lid off or it might get watery. 

We skipped the salt; there was enough salt in the cheese to season things well enough.

One for You, Two for Me

Do you guys do this too?  You're out to buy a gift for someone and you come home with that gift plus a couple things for you?  Please tell me I'm not the only one.  Or if you're making cookies and you ice one, eat one?  We fall into that trap of "If it's good for you, it must be good for me, too!" from time to time.

So I have a proposal for you.  What if you applied that mentality to working out.  Seriously.  Studies show that working out with a friend is a good idea.  I know that doesn't sound real scientific, but truthfully, it's not a real tough concept to grasp.  Right?

Think about it.  You have a hair appointment tomorrow at 1:30.  Your hairdresser is waiting for you.  Do you bail?  Not show up just because?  Do you decide to bag it and figure you'll do it tomorrow?  No.  I think not.  So there's accountability that comes from working out with a friend.  You've made a date and you're not going to leave him or her standing there waiting, are you?  Surely you were raised better than that!

And then there's the fun factor.  Duh. 

Laughing burns calories, too, ya know!  How much fun is it to spur one another on?  To challenge one another to do one more rep or improve your form or take the weights up a notch?  Fun stuff.  Friendly competition and instant recognition for how hard you're working are great benefits. 

Working out with a friend also introduces you to new moves or programs.  We're not all addicted to cardio and we're not all comfortable tossing iron around.  When you workout with someone who follows a different program, you get a glimpse of something new and you may even (gasp!) try it.  Not to mention the idea of doing partner exercises like crunches with a medicine ball pass.  Can't really do those alone now can you?

How about the idea that you'll usually push yourself harder because someone else is there doing it with you.  Safely and within proper limits, of course, but think about any group class you've ever taken.  Are you that girl in the back, praying no one is watching you slink down to the floor in a neon-covered puddle of sweat?  Even if you are, the very idea that you don't want anyone to see you do so is proof that we want to do our best to keep up.

And when you're done working out, chances are that pal isn't going to let you head straight for a burger.  She's going to walk with you to a cute cafe where you'll order salads and talk about the goofballs at the gym.  Right?

Don't get me started on the gym.  I once was a regular.  Every day after work, my hubby and I would meet at the gym and workout for about an hour (see, that accountability thing is for real).  I never had a great system, instead I'd hop from open machine to open machine and kind of hodgepodge my way through a workout, ending with some cardio.  It wasn't really efficient.  I had a trainer for a while, but...cha-ching!

Once kiddos came on the scene, getting to the gym was more of a chore than anything, and I couldn't justify working all day then leaving my kids again so I could workout.

I tried various On Demand workouts on my TV.  They didn't quite do it for me.  Once again, I was far too random with them and I was getting lazy about doing them because I was on my own with it.

When I found Beachbody, I knew I was onto something that was going to (gasp!) work!!  I had the best of all worlds; I had a trainer right there on the DVDs...I didn't have to leave my house...I had a routine/schedule to follow...I worked out with friends...talk about a winning formula.

So I'll go back to the premise of my proposal; let's "one for you, one for me" our way into the New Year with a plan and a pal.  I've seen a ton of pictures lately of friends together for the holidays.  And I've gotten cards with greetings like "Wishing you a happy, healthy holiday season."  Let's embrace that.

Those friends in the picture?  Invite them to come along.  Who cares that you're only together, in person, once a year?  Through the beautiful magic of Facebook, we can create a group and workout in there together.  I love getting sweaty selfies of friends from Indiana, California, Florida and beyond.

Those people who sent the card with healthy wishes?  Invite them as well.  Bet no one is hoping they'll be heavier come December of 2016.  Bet everyone would love to know they're doing an awesome thing for themselves (and their loved ones) by being in great shape.

Those people who'll be sitting beside you at dinners, brunches and parties?  Invite them along, too.  Inspire them with a healthy choice, a moderation-style selection at the buffet. 

That person who's super hard to buy for?  Why not invest in their health with a workout, Shakeology, Coaching support or all three?  And it's not sending a "Hey, Fatty.  Get off your butt in the New Year!" note.  It's more of a "I want you to live your healthiest life, and I want to do the same.  Let's do that together." note.  But I guess, be careful, because that could be misunderstood as a proposal of a whole different kind.

Bottom line...working out with a friend is better than going solo.  And I have a pretty slick way to make it all happen.  I'll be launching an online group on January 11.  I'd love for you to be in it with me. 

It's called "Getting Better Together" and that's exactly what its aim is.  Please join us.

Warmest holiday wishes,
Amy

A Few of My Favorite Things....

These are a few of my favorite things....

We all know the song...and I bet some of us are singing it right now.  No?  Okay, just me then.  Whatever.  Remember, this is a place where there's no judging.

Hearing that song several times lately with the holidays upon us made me think about tossing together my own list.  Not that I have anything against "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes" or "brown paper packages tied up with strings."  Not at all.  

This is hardly a complete list and thoroughly random (what did  you expect?) but it made me happy to create it.  I hope it makes you happy to read it.  That would also make me happy.  Now, the list (in no particular order, and the omission of something on this list does not, in any way, reflect my feelings on said omission--so we're clear!):

1.  LaCroix water.  Yeah, I know.  That's a goofy one.  But I do love the stuff.  I get my water in, a nice little taste of flavor and no guilt.  That's a win all the way around, don't you agree?  I especially love when it's on sale.  Helllllo, stockpile!

2.  Great customer service.  How can you not love great customer service?  Especially lately when it seems to be in relatively short supply.  I recently made a purchase (shopped small!) through a website and was blown away by how helpful, fun and courteous the gal was who helped me.  She even tucked a personalized note into the package---that arrived before its intended due date.  Man, that makes me happy!

3.  Kind words.  A compliment, sincere and unprompted, is one of the best gifts to receive---and to give, for that matter. It just plain feels good to hear someone say something kind about you or something you've done or made.  But kind words don't have to be compliments.  A simple "Bless you" when someone sneezes or a genuine, "I'm sorry" when you're wrong or someone has experienced some form of heartache or frustration.  And let's not forget the 3 magic words..."Please" and "Thank you" that go miles.  Miles I tell ya! 

4.  Sally Hansen InstaDri nail polish; I've written about this gem before, but it cannot be overstated.  It's exactly what it says it is; instantly dry.  And allows my hands to look instantly less beat up and more, well, polished.  

5.  Watching football (or any sport, really) with my husband.  I love how he gets into the game, calls penalties before the refs and coaches from the couch.  Doesn't hurt that I am not a total idiot when it comes to sports, so we can enjoy them intelligently together (if that makes sense), too.

6.  A loud, full house.  There is something about the sound of your favorite people filling your home with their voices, laughter and stories.  It gets loud, hot, even crowded from time to time, but it's so worth it to have everyone together.  I love having company, and I'm always sad when I close the front door behind the last of the guests as they leave.

7.  Being a Beachbody Coach.  It fulfills my desire to help others, follow fitness programs and live a healthy life while setting a great example for my family and friends.  All of that AND I earn money each week as a reward for doing something I love.  Being a Beachbody Coach is not a one size fits all kind of gig; some make it their full time job, others Coach in addition to other jobs and some are Coaches only to enjoy discounts on the amazing line of products and programs.  What's fantastic is that all of those routes are totally okay.  I'm so happy and thankful that I found this company and people a couple years ago; it's enriched my life far beyond any financial gain.  I've got plans for 2016...and I'm pretty excited about them. 

8.  My girls when they're asleep.  And no, this is not a "Mommy needs a break" moment.  This is about the innocence and sweetness that is so consuming when they're sprawled out, safe, warm and secure.  It's watching the features of their faces for as long as I want to because they're still.  It's about whispering all the things I didn't get to say in the chaos and clutter of any given day, praying that they hear me, that the words sink into their heads and hearts.  It's sneaking into Abby's bed (Alyssa's too when she's out of a crib) and snuggling her warm little body, feeling her heartbeat and thanking God that I get to be her Mama. 

9.  Music.  Finding a new artist, really hearing the lyrics to a song I've heard a million times, dancing in the car, singing along---music makes me happy.  Even sad songs make me happy because they usually bring on one of those ugly-yet-cathartic cries we all need from time to time.  You know the ones.  I love hearing a song that reminds me of a person, a place, an adventure.  I love the flood of memories that comes from that, and I love how songs can communicate those memories and emotions so beautifully.

10.  Making lists.  Yup.  I went there.  The order, the structure and the organization a list brings...  The satisfying sound of checking things off (and yes, I've added something I've already done just so I can cross it out!) and keeping myself on track.  I have been known to write and rewrite a list when it gets too sloppy, too.  Lists.  Ohhh, how I love 'em.





Bet you know what's coming next.  Share some of your favorite things with me.  You know a lot about me, especially if you've read some of my other posts.  So, let's hear it.  What's your story?  I'm all ears...

Quotes on Wooden Blocks

Preface:  I'm away from my normal computer, so I'm afraid I won't have this post all dolled up with pictures and such.  My apologies. Especially to those of you who only read for the pictures.  Please do read on despite this tragic flaw.

I was in TJ Maxx the other day and noticed a ton (and I mean a ton!) of those pretty wooden squares with motivational quotes on them.  Or funny quotes.  Or quotes about dogs.  Or some were simply one word; Wine!  You all know that I'm a quote-aholic, so as hard as it was, I resisted the urge to buy one of each and splatter my home and office with them.  I practiced incredible restraint (it was a miracle) and walked right on by.

But those little wooden gems got me thinking; aren't we always being bombarded with messages?  Do this.  Don't do this.  Buy this.  Buy lots of this (wine!).  Be this way, feel that way, say this thing.  It's enough to make your head spin.

I suppose you could argue that this blog is just another one of those messages, being shouted at you from the computer or phone or however you accessed it (is it on a wooden block yet?  I'll get there).  It's true, though.  This blog is simply another message in the myriad you hear/see/ignore daily.  Billboards, headlines, bumper stickers, paperwork, emails...they can be pretty noisy.  And it can be pretty tricky to cut through that noise.  Trust me.  Chatty as I am, I do crave quiet (let's discuss the irony in another post, please...not here!).

Recently, however, one message I saw has been clanging around, speaking up loudly enough to be heard above the rest.  It is, "You must be willing to do the things that others won't do in order to have the things that others don't have."

Did you get that?  Read it again, I'll wait.  Now...did you get it?  It's neat, isn't it?  And when I first read it, I won't lie; I felt a surge of "Oh my Lord, I'm behind, I'm failing and I'll never catch up to have the things that others don't have."  That was my first reaction.  Sigh.  I'm so not proud of that.  It's negative and it defeats the purpose of Susan's daily motivation. Whoops.  Swing and a miss there, Aim.  Try again.

I said it's been clanging around, and I meant it.  I've come back to these words time and again since I read them a couple weeks ago.  And last night, as I laid in bed (being pushed to the edge of said bed by a lonely 6yo who needed to snuggle), I had an epiphany.

Maybe (just mayyyyyyybe) it's less about doing and more about doing less.  Okay, that sentence sounded clearer in my head.  Let me try again.  The quote reads, "You must do the things that others won't do."

Maybe my "won't do" list is more like this; I won't try to keep up with the Joneses.  I won't compare myself to others 24/7 (deadly!).  I won't get caught up in the mishmash ratrace of life that wears me down and leaves me feeling hollow, defeated and discouraged.  I won't fall into the general mass of people.  I won't become "just one more follower."  I won't invest time (precious as it is) beating myself up for the whatever else I didn't do, can't do, should do etc.

Maybe that's my list.  And maybe it's yours too.  Maybe instead of feeling like we need to step onto the hamster wheel, maybe we need to step off.  Break the damn thing.  Maybe it's not about wanting or needing whatever those things are that the others have (who are the others anyway?) and more about enjoying what we do have and realizing that the constant desire for more more more can get ugly.

Alright, full disclosure--I do not condone complacency.  Yuck.  There's content and there's complacent.  One says lazy to me and the other says happy.  I like to work from a place of happy, don't you?  Happy people can still want to be better (define better how you will).  Being content doesn't mean you sit on your duff and figure, "Well, this is it.  I'm happy.  That's all she wrote."  You can be content and still strive for better (again, define that how you will).

So everyone and their brother may be doing something, posting something, sharing something.  And I'm not.  And I jump on my back and beat myself up instead of granting myself that sought after slice of individuality that provides me with perspective and my own voice (imagine that!).  Maybe it's in NOT doing what others are doing that I CAN have what others don't?

Those of you who've been here before know me; you know I'm a Beachbody Coach.  You know I work FT and I'm a Mommy to two sweet girls.  And you know I'm real, I'm honest and I'm open with you.  I rise, I fall and I get back up again.  I am consistently inconsistent (now THAT should be on a wooden block) and unafraid to share that with you.  Judge if you will, but I hope that you won't.

I put pressure on myself (raise your hand if you do it too) to do what others won't....but that pressure doesn't help me succeed.  That pressure jams me up and makes me downright mad.  Really.  Everyone else is getting up at 4am to workout.  If I really wanted it badly enough, I would too.  Do what others won't, to have what others don't.  Others won't sleep in, and don't have saddlebags.  I won't get up and don't have bags under my eyes.  Or something like that.

What really helps me succeed is a strong desire to be the best version of Amy I can be.  And frankly, sometimes the best version of Amy needs to step away, take a break and be in the moment rather than chasing something.

Am I complacent?  Nope.  Am I content?  Yeah, I think so.  I have a beautiful family, a rewarding job, several conversations a day about Beachbody and its place in my life and, most importantly, I have my health.  Is my body perfect?  Hellllllllllllllll no.  Do I work on it daily?  Hellllllllllll yes.  Does that mean exercise daily?  Helllllllllll no....remember, I'm consistently inconsistent.  But I do eat pretty well, I rarely miss my daily Shakeology and I am surrounded by resources--online, in person and beyond!--designed to help me.  That sounds like a pretty great plan, I do believe.  

I'd be honored to be a resource for you, if you'd like.  I won't harass you into 24 hour workout sessions.  I won't slap (virtually or otherwise) food out of your hand.  That's not what this is about.  I won't judge you when you check out for a day or two because, well, LIFE!  And what we won't have?  We won't have perfect bodies overnight (or maybe ever).  We won't have millions of dollars in the bank.  We won't have the stress that comes from comparing and competing.  How's that sound? 

That's another "I won't" list...and I like it.  We need to do the things others won't to have the things others won't.  Let's no do some stuff and not have some stuff together.