My MAX 30 Journey --- One Program CAN Change Your Life!

I have been sitting on this post on pins and needles, trying to summarize exactly how I'm feeling about this transformation.

First of all, tears. 

Tears of joy and a bit of disbelief that I not only completed the program that scared me to death, but got results that I've never thought possible for myself.

All I used to wish for, starve myself for, workout for hours endlessly for, was a flat stomach. 

Maybe smaller thighs. 

A body I could be happy putting clothes on in the morning. 

For years I bought into the lies that only certain women were meant to have nice bodies. 
That it was all genetics. 
That I had to be curvy, not toned. 

That the only way to lose the weight and get the body I dreamed of was by eating nothing but an apple and a salad for days on end.

So today, those tears are badges of honor. 

That I broke past those lies. 
That I re-defined the "mold" that was sold to me. 
That I have created a lifestyle centered around health and honoring my body, not starving and shaming it. 

Tonight I am beyond proud of my accomplishments, but not just for myself --- for all of the women who are just like I was, stuck in negative thoughts and dangerous behaviors. 

To the girl, reading this, considering a drastic means to lose weight, I KNOW how you feel.

There is a way to honor your body, see your goals realized and never, ever look back to the pit that you are getting ready to crawl out of. 

Here's to you, beautiful girl.

xoxo,

Corina 

Let's Connect!

Facebook: Facebook.com/cmadfitness

IG: @Ririluvsabs

Introducing: Real Girl Fitness!

Introducing Real Girl Fitness

The health and fitness community for real girls living in the real world!

When i was starting my healthy living transformation i knew one thing:

I had no idea where to start.

At the time I was following a ton of bikini competitors on social media but I knew that I didn't want to get as fit as they were or eat as strictly as they did.

But I also knew that I couldn't continue what I was doing for workouts and healthy eating - yoyo'ing in and out of plans and always becoming frustrated. 

Where was the happy medium?

Where were the girls who still enjoyed food, worked out consistently but not obsessively, ate a healthy diet without killing themselves with strictness and truly enjoyed the process?

Was I asking for too much? Was that a totally unattainable combination?

Maybe you're asking yourself the same questions!

Well I'm here to tell you that, no, it's not too much to ask for OR unattainable!

It's the lifestyle that I live and love and teach to the women that I work with.

I call it Real Girl Fitness.

We workout. But not for hours a day.

We eat healthy. But not just salads or chicken, rice and broccoli.

We set goals. But don't reschedule our lives around them.

We eat pizza sometimes. And ice cream too. 

We're just like you. We were you. 

Join the Real Girl movement on Facebook & become a Fit and Healthy Real Girl! 

Click this link to request access: http://tinyurl.com/realgirlfitness

xoxo, 

Corina

Let's Connect!

Facebook: Facebook.com/cmadfitness

IG: @ririluvsabs

Coffee Addicts Unite + Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

Truth: I've been drinking coffee since I was fourteen years old.

I KNOW this sounds crazy but it's a true story!

I used to make my mom's morning coffee every morning before she dropped me off to school - and each morning I would taste it to make sure there was enough creamer and splenda in there for her. 

Pretty soon I was poouring myself a small cup along with hers...then a full cup...then I was bringing a mug in the car for the drive there. 

The obsession had begun! 

After I had officially begun to like coffee I moved into the intoxicating realm of Starbucks! 

Hot, iced, summer-y, Christmas-y; they seemed to always know exactly what I needed most! 

I've been a Starbucks girl ever since.

When I began my clean eating journey I learned just how awful creamer and all of the added sugary goodness is that Starbucks is, quite honestly, known for. 

I knew that my relationship with Starbucks - and even my home brews - was about to change drastically!

I learned to like black coffee but there was still a longing for that rich, creaminess that only creamer can add.  

At least I thought that only creamer could add it!

I recently found a phenomenon called Bulletproof Coffee. 

Let me tell you, my world has changed.  

Grass is greener, the sun is brighter, coffee smells strong and just like my old love again! 

Okay, okay but seriously?  This stuff is BOMB. 

It's creamy without creamer and can literally be flavored however you desire it - I add extracts and stevia to bring me back to the sweet creations that I originally fell for. 

I know what you're thinking - this is all fine and dandy, but where's the recipe, Corina?

Yes, the goods!  Here you are:

Bulletproof Coffee

1 cup brewed coffee

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp extract of choice (vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, almond, peppermint, etc)

1-2 packets of stevia

Instrucutions:

Pour coffee into tall glass or blender

Add other ingredients to glass or blender

Using an immersion blender in a glass OR blender blend all ingredients until creamy and smooth

Pour into mug and enjoy!

& voila!! Creamy, tasty, flavorful coffee without the calories or waist expanding woes of creamer. 

Are you a coffee person?  Or a tea person? Share in a comment below!

I'm actually both :) 

xoxo,

Corina

Let's Connect!

Facebook: facebook.com/cmadfitness

Instagram: @ririluvsabs

A New Challenge! & Your On-Ramp to Fitness

Today my hubby and I started a brand new Beachbody workout program: P90!

We had been doing with 21 Day Fix since February, and I hopped between 21 Day Fix and Piyo since Piyo released in June.  

When we saw this program we were both intrigued and excited. 

I'm not going to lie --- I've NEVER completed P90X or Insanity. 

Why?

They scare me! 

They're long, arduous and seem designed specifically for pro athletes or people in the military. 

There was once a time, when I was wanting to get serious about my health and fitness, that I thought I would do Insanity. 

That lasted about 2 days. 

But this program? This we knew we could do! (We were even able to get my parents on board with us and they didn't need much persuading!)

Why this program? This program is being called Beachbody's "on-ramp to fitness".

You may be wondering why we felt we needed an on-ramp to fitness since we've been working out consistently for well over a year by now and the answer is extremely simple - our goal is to show the versatility of this program. 

As I mentioned earlier, my parents agreed to do this program with us so now we have the privilege of showing people of different stages of fitness and ages getting incredible results from the program that is the perfect introduction to home fitness. 

My parents have just left on vacation so they'll be starting the program once they get back but let me just say - day 1 was excellent and I genuinely can't wait to tackle the rest of this program! 

I'm confident that P90 will be the spring board for giving us all the skills, confidence and fitness levels necessary to confidently take on Insanity or any of the P90X series - I'm thinking Insanity Max or P90X3 will be next on our list! 

What are you taking on this season to continue challenging yourself? Leave a comment below; I'd love to hear about it! 

xoxo,

Corina

21 Day Fix - Container Breakdown & What I Eat In a Day

I've been following the 21 Day Fix program for my nurition since February and I have to say I honestly am head over heels in love with it!! 

Not only does it  allow me to flex the nutrition to my tastes and family activities, it shows me exactly what to eat to get amazing results like I've never seen with any other program while I'm still able to eat my favorite foods - like pizza and chocolate!  I have seen unbelieveable results with this program and that is why I've maintined the nutrition as my lifestyle. 

So....how does it work? And what does my day of meals actually look like? 

It's pretty simple - I eat very similarly every day as far as which container I eat at what time, but I change up what I actually eat according to my cravings and what we've agreed to have as a family for meals that week.

The plan is based off of a container system; depending on which calorie bracket you fall into you get a specific number of containers to eat each day. 

I fall into the lowest calorie bracket of the plan and this is how I breakdown my containers for the day:

Breakfast - 1 red, 1 spoon:

Shakeology (1 red) with peanut butter (1 spoon) + Coffee with stevia or Green Tea with honey 

Snack 1 - 1 yellow, 1 purple:

Oatmeal (1 yellow) + fruit (banana, apple, berries, etc - 1 purple) + cinnamon + stevia

Lunch - 2 green, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 orange:

Green salad mix (kale, spinach, romaine, bell peppes, cucumbes, carrots mixed - 2 green) + Baked Chicken/Tuna/Hard Boiled Eggs/Salmon (1 red) + Crushed pecans/almonds + 21 Day Fix dressing (1 orange)

Snack 2 - 1 purple + 1 red OR 1 purple + 1 spoon OR 1 green + 1 orange OR 1 green + 1 blue:

Sliced fruit - strawberries, pineapple, apple, banana (1 purple) + Greek Yogurt - sprinkled with cinnamon & stevia (1 red)

Piece of fruit - Apple or 1/2 Banana (1 purple) + Peanut Butter (1 spoon)

Sliced veggies - cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers (1 green)  + 21 Day Fix dressing to dip (1 orange) 

Sliced veggies - cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers (1 green)  + hummus (1 blue) 

Dinner: 1 red + 1 green + 1 yellow

Meat of choice (chicken/lean steak/ground turkey - 1 red) + Steamed or raw veggie of choice (1 green) + Carb of choice (brown rice, tortillas, sweet potato - 1 yellow) 

BAM!  By the end of the day, I'm full, satisfied and my metabolism is revving!! I love this plan because it allows SO much flexibility and that is the KEY to keeping me content and on track with my meal plan & my fitness goals! 

What is YOUR favorite thing about the 21 Day Fix meal plan?

Until next time! 

xoxo,

Corina

If you're tired of the mundane diet, retricting yourself to a certain list of foods or you're just plain tired or feeling sick and tired and ready to be energized, loving life and in the best shape of your life, fill out this form and I'll contact you about my upcoming 21 Day Fix accoutability group!

Fact: I Almost Ate a Pop-Tart

Fact: this girl A L M O S T ate a Pop-tart

Today is our first official day back from vacation and my hubby and I agreed that we would be back to proper nutrition starting TODAY. 

My plan?
Go to the grocery store early this morning and stock up on the necessary food to get us back on track

My reality?
Laundry. And many a suitcase to unpack.

I whipped up a shake and pushed the store off for later.

Later struck and so did a Pop Tart craving.
Oh, crap.

I was thiiiiis close to actually scrapping the plan and downing that sugary, frosted Pop-Tart.

But I KNOW myself.

One sugary treat leads to ten more after nearly 2 weeks of abnormal eating.
So I put my foot down, sucked up my craving and bolstered my willpower.

Sorry Pop-tart, this girl has some goals to crush.

Pop-Tart: 0 Corina: 1 

What is your biggest obstacle when returning from vacation?

xoxo,
Corina

Salsa Chicken

It's Taco Tuesday!!  It seems only appropriate to share an absolute favorite recipe in our house that is inspired by a tasty Mexican dish my mother-in-law makes on special occasions!

This is my recipe for Salsa Chicken! 

Salsa Chicken was one of the first recipes I ever made when I ventured into the world of clean eating.  I absolutely love it - it's so simple, versatile and filling!  And what matters the most is that my husband loves it and could eat it literally every day!! 

Here's the recipe & be sure to check out the video for a tutorial! 

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
• 12 ounce jar of Salsa
• 8/10 ounce can Tomato Paste/crushed tomatoes/tomato sauce
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in crock pot - layer chicken, seasonings, tomato paste and salsa
• Plece lid on crock pot
• Cook on High 2.5 - 3 hours (depending on how much chicken you use!); Low 4-5.5 hours
• When fully cooked, take two forks or a fork and pair of tongs and shred either on plate or in crock pot
• Serve as tacos, over rice, with a side of corn, beans and rice, tostadas or however you please!
• Add a green salad to get your serving of veggies in!

There you have it!!  Set it and forget it - my kind of meal! ;)  

Pssst - don't tell my hubby how easy this is to make!  He's pretty impressed with this meal! ;)

Be sure to watch the video for a full how-to!  

Are you going to add Salsa Chicken to your menu this week?  Share and tag me @ririluvsabs on IG & cmadfitness on Facebook!

Until next time!

xoxo,

Corina

Follow me here:

IG: @ririluvsabs

Facebook: facebook.com/cmadfitness

Mexican Lasagna

One of our favorite foods to indulge in is cheesy, gooey, rich Mexican food! On day 2 of our 21 Day Fix journey I was craving exactly that!

I started looking online for some healthier Mexican dishes that I could modify to fit perfectly within our 21 Day Fix guidelines. Out of that desperate search came this beauty --- Mexican Lasagna!

Ingredients:
1lb lean ground turkey
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (low fat)
1 cup of clean salsa
1 cup of black beans
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp taco seasoning (I combine chili powder, pepper, garlic & salt - super easy!)
10 small corn or low carb whole wheat tortillas, cut into strips or half circles

Preheat over to 400 degrees.
In a skillet pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook the ground turkey, bell pepper and onion until brown. 
Once cooked turn to low and add salsa, black beans and taco seasoning and mix together. Set aside. 
In a 9x13 or 8x8 baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray, line the pan with 1/2 of the tortilla strips. 
Scoop 1/2 of the meat mixture on top and spread out, covering the tortillas. 

Then add 1/2 of the cheese on top of the meat and spread. 

Repeat the layers again with remaining strips, meat, and cottage cheese. Top with remaining cheese.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes and enjoy! Makes 4-6 servings - this will depend on the size pan that you use! I used a 9x13 and it yielded 6 servings. 

21 Day Fix Containers: 1 red, 1 yellow

Bon Appetit!
Corina

P.S, The hubby agreed that this is so good it has to be added into our meal plan rotations! That's a win in my book! 

Apple Crisp

It's safe to say that Apple Crisp has pretty much always been my favorite dessert. SO good and perfect for Fall!

Here's a great recipe that will have you enjoying the flavors of fall without undoing all of your hard work in the gym and kitchen!

Apple Crisp:

It's safe to say that Apple Crisp has pretty much always been my favorite dessert. SO good and perfect for Fall!

Here's a great recipe that will have you enjoying the flavors of fall without undoing all of your hard work in the gym and kitchen!

Apple Crisp:

Total Time: 1 hr. 28 min.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 18 min.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled, sliced apples

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, divided use

1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided use

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup finely chopped raw walnuts

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Combine apples, 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and ½ tsp. cinnamon in a medium baking dish; mix well. Set aside.

3. Combine oats, walnuts, remaining 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, and remaining ½ tsp.cinnamon in a medium bowl; mix well.

4. Top apple mixture with oat mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until apples are soft.

21 Day Fix Servings: 1/4 yellow, 1 purple, 1/2 blue

{Enjoy!}

xoxo,

Corina 

Cinnamon Honey Almond Butter

Cinnamon Honey Almond Butter

​​
Oh. Goodness. Gracious.  I'm a complete nut butter addict.

Sweet, smooth, creamy, clean!!! I mean, come on, what's not to love about cinnamon and honey?  Can I just say, after making this butter I seriously doubt I'll be getting any store bought butters again!!!  The creativity of flavor options is endless!  I may have found a new obsession. ;)

Ingredients:

-2 cups almonds

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (more if you're feisty and a cinnamon lover like I am!)

-11/2 - 2 tbsp honey (definitely 2 if you have a sweet tooth)

Directions:

Roast almonds in oven heated to 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Once almonds are roasted place in food processor along with remaining ingredients.

Begin processing.  

Processing will take about 10 minutes total.  Do not stop until it is creamy (it will get creamy, I promise!).  Feel free to scrape the butter back down into the bowl from the sides from time to time! 

Indulge in deliciousness.  Try not to eat the entire jar in one sitting. ;)  

Enjoy!

Are you a nut butter addict like I am?  I can just taste this on toast, waffles, apples, celery...oh my! 

Until next time!

xoxo,

Corina