I’m starting a new series that takes the previous week’s Beachbody blog posts, pulls out the best of the best, and provides you with summaries of the “must reads.” From workouts to Shakeology recipes and motivational posts, the Beachbody blog has a ton of good content that we know most of you guys aren’t keeping up with, so my hope is that an ongoing, abbreviated list will help keep you reading, learning, and motivating yourself.
This week we look at what it takes to create a successful 21 Day Fix meal plan, learn how to create a delicious chicken kale salad, get a tasty strawberries and cream Shakeology recipe, find out 5 ways you could be hurting your weight loss, and learn why the start of every workout is the hardest.
Last Week’s Best Beachbody Blogs
3 Steps for Successful 21 Day Fix Meal Planning
The 21 Day Fix program is a workout and portion control program designed to take the guesswork out of weight loss. Amanda’s article helps you create a meal plan and even includes a handy daily meal planner sheet and grocery list.
“When it comes to being healthy and fit, it’s not just about what you do in the gym. It’s really about what you do in the kitchen.” – Autumn Calabrese.
The article discusses the three main steps to creating your successful meal plan, which include calculating your calorie level and daily container count, writing down a sample day of meals, and making the all-important grocery list. In addition, she also includes some time saving tips at the bottom of the article, such as buying pre-cut vegetables, stocking up on certain foods, and more.
Kale Salad with Chicken
Speaking of 21 Day Fix (above), here we have a Chicken Kale Salad recipe with only five ingredients that will fit into your diet and satisfy your appetite.
“Tip: Before adding the other ingredients, give your kale a “massage” by rubbing taking the leaves in both hands and rubbing them together… It will make the leaves softer, give it a sweeter taste, and make it easier to digest.” – Beachbody
Ingredients in this 283 calorie dish include fresh kale, chopped tomato, sliced cucumber, chicken breast, and sunflower seeds.
Strawberries and Cream Shakeology
You know we love our Shakeology around here, and it’s always a great day when we can find a way to jazz it up! This recipe adds just a few simple ingredients (unsweetened almond milk and low fat ricotta cheese) and gives you a delicious treat. Try it out and let us know what you think!
5 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Weight Loss
We’ve all done things that hinder our weight loss and fitness journeys. It’s going to happen, but awareness of your mistakes is important so you can move forward and reach your goals. This article by Jessica over at Beachbody talks about five different ways that you could be sabotaging your weight loss.
Common nutrition mistakes such as drinking your calories or eating too much post-workout may be the reason why you can’t lose weight (or inches) even though you’re giving it your all.
In the article, learn about these five mistakes and how to avoid them.
- You have no idea how many calories you’re really eating
- You’re hydrating with a sports drink
- You’re addicted to that pre-workout snack
- You’re eliminating all carbs
- You’re not working out hard enough
Why Do the First Few Moments of Working Out Feel So Hard?
William drops some science from a University of Utah study regarding why we sometimes feel sluggish and winded at the beginning of a workout.
“It’s almost the equivalent of going from 0-60 in your car. If you did that, it would take a few seconds for your car’s rpms to level off and for the car to run smoothly. Your body goes through a similar conversion period because there is simply not enough energy at first.” – William Courtney, Beachbody
Luckily, there is hope. According to the article, the “metabolic inertia” period is reduced as you continue to train your body and essentially get into better shape. So keep at it!