AMANDA'S 90-DAY FITNESS CHALLENGE!

MARCH 1st is the kick-off of my first "90-Day Fitness Challenge"!

I thought, why not challenge myself, and everyone else, to get in tip-top shape BY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! It's just too perfect! So get ready to shed those unwanted pounds and body fat just in time to enjoy your new swimsuits!

This will be much like "Biggest Loser", but for everyone's own individual benefit and we don't vote anyone out! =)

THIS IS HOW IT WORKS:
(Make sure it's okay with your DOCTOR before you begin working out or varying your diet!)

1) You email me that you want to join in (I need your email to send you some info!)

2) You will be in charge of your diet and exercise program, BUT - I am your COACH! I can help you along as you need me. Please know that I AM NOT A NUTRITIONIST, JUST A FITNESS ENTHUSIAST! Remember to check with your doctor first before changing your diet or exercise!

3) You will take your measurements, your weight, and a digital photo of yourself on DAY 1, DAY 30, DAY 60 and finally DAY 90! How else will you see such results? ;) You will NOT have to send me your photos! You WILL be emailing me your measurements and weight. I will be logging it into my spreadsheet to see who our biggest losers are, so this information is important!

4) THE MEASUREMENTS: Chest, upper arms (largest part of L and R), waist, hips (this IS around the booty ladies!), thighs (largest part of L and R). Write these down and email them to me - including your weight!

5) THE WORKOUTS: You will be doing at least 1 hour of exercise daily, with 1 free day off (like Sunday).
If you have a gym membership - you can do workouts there; must include cardio AND weights. If you are in Raleigh with me - I'll be stepping it up and KILLING ya in class, so be ready!
If you do NOT have a gym membership - you need to have videos to workout with. My site has a wide selection...go to: www.teambeachbody.com/turboamanda - click on Products. You will first set up your account to purchase things (just like other websites have you do to start shopping.) I RECOMMEND TURBO JAM and POWER 90 for beginners; CHALEAN EXTREME, P90X, and TURBO JAM for intermediate to advanced fitness levels.

6) The 1 free day off... Exercise - this means no workout or maybe just a light walk. Food - this does not mean eat everything you can! You won't want to blow everything you worked hard at all week, so just have that ONE slice of pizza, or that ONE chocolate bar. Be smart about it.

7) THE DIET: I will be sharing weekly meal plans/suggestions and what to avoid eating, etc via email. You may need to modify it for your own calorie intake needed for your body. This is based on your age, height and weight. But again, be smart with your choices. There are many sites that can help you calculate what your calorie intake should be. (Google it) And if you're unsure, email me. I'm not a nutritionist, nor do I have a degree in this area, but I can help guide you in the right direction.

Personally, I will be doing my gym workouts along with Turbo Jam and ChaLEAN Extreme (or P90X) at home on my off days. My goal is to have 100 people doing this with me, and together we can shed the pounds we have always wanted to lose! This time we will be ACCOUNTABLE and DETERMINED and DEDICATED to do it!!!

**I will be posting my own fitness journey on this site.**
Are you ready? and WHO IS WITH ME???

Menu Mondays!

AMERICAN TURKEY GOULASH

(This recipe is from the book "Eating for Life" by Bill Phillips. The photo isn't from the book itself, but it's close to it. This is a good one...even for kids!)

Ingredients
8 oz portions of egg noodles
1 onion, chopped (or as you like)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced (I grill it beforehand - yum!)
4 portions lean ground turkey (approx 1 lb)
2 cups tomato sauce
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Directions
*Prepare egg noodles according to pkg.
*Coat lg skillet with olive oil spray. On med/high heat, saute onion for 2 min. Add bell pepper and saute another 2 min. Add zucchini and saute another 2 min. Remove veggies and set aside.
*Add ground turkey to skillet and cook about 10min. When done, return veggies to skillet and add tomato sauce and basil. Cook for about 5 min or heated thru.
*Place portion of noodles on plate and top with portion of turkey mixture. Serve and enjoy!

PiYo in GREENSBORO, NC on March 7th!

If you're a FUN person, a ZEN-type person, if you like to have a CHALLENGE, or if you're ready for new material to change your classes up - then you should register for this awesome training!

PiYo™ = mind/body for hyper people!! OR keep it at a level that YOU or your classes will enjoy! This is an athletic fusion-style strength & flexibility mat class. It combines Pilates, yoga, dance, and strength in a flowing sequence designed for those who like to move with grace and power. Teach as FOCUS, FLOW or FUSION style!

Where: Bryan Family YMCA*
501 W. Market St., NC 27401

What: PiYo Certification
When: Saturday, March 7th
8:00am-5:00pm

$150 Host Club Rate* / $199 Late Registration
$150 Group Rate (3+ registrants)

This training has only 4 yoga mat spaces left, so SAVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! https://www.turbokick.com/index.php?content=calendar&state=NC

Menu Mondays!

Raspberry Protein Smoothie
-this one tastes like spring is near!

* 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
* 1 scoop Beachbody's Whey Protein Powder (or other)
* 1 cup skim or nonfat milk (2% if needed)
* 1 Tbsp flaxseeds (optional)
* ice as needed

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender and ENJOY!

New Site, New Article!

Have you seen the NEW WEBSITE by Chalene yet???

It's very cool and I had the opportunity to write an article for it! I'm pumped that it's now up!!

Check it out at:
http://www.turbokick.com/index.php?content=Article_Exercising_While_Pregnant

Let me know what you think about it! Thanks!!!
~Amanda

Menu Mondays

Cucumber Salad
This is a great change of pace and one that I LOVE during the summer! I just thought of making it recently, so here you go! And pictured shows fresh basil instead of red onion. Make it your own!

Ingredients:
6 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 Cucumbers, peeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Container Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Small red onion, sliced very thin or chopped fine
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 tbsp. Italian or Greek Seasonings (such as basil, oregano, rosemary, etc).
Red Wine Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 part vinegar to 3 part oil ratio for vinaigrette

Preparation:
Combine sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and Feta cheese in large bowl. Add salt, pepper to taste. Add seasonings and toss into salad.

Make a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and olive oil, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Use a 1part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil ratio, or a cruet dressing measure.

Pour onto salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator to cool.

PiYo PEEPS in So Pines!

Here are the newest PiYo Instructors in NC! Many aced the written test and a couple of them even got the coveted GOLD rank! Way to go ladies!


We all had a fabulous time (as you can see) and time just flew by! Thank you so much for attending and becoming part of the Powder Blue Productions TEAM! This is a class that every BODY needs! Have a great time teaching PiYo to many people!

And a special THANK YOU goes out to Cinnamon LeBlanc-Young and FirstHealth Center. You were wonderful hosts!

Hope to see you all out for the Hip Hop Hustle Certification coming in August!
~Amanda

Menu Mondays - RANCH CHICKEN SALAD!

Ranch Chicken Salad
(from the book, Eating for Life)
This is such a great book! And I love this one for lunch or dinner! Pictured is the BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad from CPK. It's similar, but those tortilla strips are a no-no! So you can change this recipe by using BBQ chicken and adding tomatoes! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fat-free mayo
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 lime halved
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
4 portions cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 heads Bibb or 1 bunch of Romaine lettuce, separated, washed and chopped.

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine mayo thru ground red pepper. Stir in remaining ingredients. (You can leave out the lettuce and serve everything on top of the lettuce for more of a decorative look.) Portion four plates, serve and enjoy!

(Hint: You can also use a fat-free or low-cal ranch dressing instead of the mayo and sour cream.)