My Happy Place Needs Revamping!

I actually write this post from the middle of Babies R Us. Did I ever think this would my blogging place? Nope. But when your child plops down mid-store and happily plays with a toy...you embrace it. I'm not gonna drag him out when (1) we have nowhere to be, and (2) hey, he's happy! Anyways...

My kitchen is my happy place. Seriously. When we were looking to buy our first home last year, my husband would always ask me, "Would that kitchen work for you?" He knew how important it was for me to have a functional kitchen so I could make delicious, healthy eats for my our family. Now, I stand here dreaming up a few ideas of the remodel I want to do in the next 12-18 months: painted cabinets, new counters, a backsplash, and paint the entire interior of the house. I'm so thankful for this coaching gig. It lets me dream big, follow through, and DO ❤️🙌🏼

Now, the question is: what to do? I love the all-white kitchens, but I'm just not an all white kinda girl! I need pops o' color, ya feel me? So. I'm thinking white upper cabinets, a sage green lower cabinet or dark gray, with a white quartz countertop and backsplash to tie it all in. Thoughts? Opinions, please!

Coconut Flour Brownies || Allergen Free ~ Gluten Free ~ Sugar Free ~ Grain Free

Hi... *waves*. I'm Anna, and I have a million allergies and intolerances. You too? Nice to meet you! Even if you don't, I think you'll love these fudgey LOW CALORIE (yes, I said it) brownies. My toddler ate 2. Ok, 3. And I was fine with that ;-)

Note: these aren't your run-of-the-mill box brownies. These are fudge-like in texture and have a great coconut-chocolate flavor! But if you're used to "box brownies", you might not like these ;-)

Ok, I'll get on with the recipe, already :-)

Ingredients: 

1 cup coconut flour (spooned in to a measuring cup - don't scoop right from the bag or pack it down)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup + 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Stevia to taste

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of choice)

4 tbsp ground flax seed + 1/2 cup water (stir and set aside for 3-5 minutes)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350*. In a small bowl, combine the coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine & set aside. In a small sauce pan, combine the applesauce, cocoa powder, and stevia. I used raw stevia, and about 2 tbsp worth. Heat the sauce pan on low until the mixture becomes warm and the cocoa powder melts with applesauce and gets runny. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine coconut milk, flax/water mixture, and vanilla. Stir. Add in the wet ingredients from the sauce pan to the milk mix.  Whisk thoroughly, then whisk in the flour/soda/salt. Do not over mix. Grease an 8x8 pan (for thick brownies) or a larger pan for thinner brownies (I used a 12" round pan) and spread your batter evenly throughout the pan. Top with a few chocolate chips or nuts, if desired! Cook for 30-35 minutes. The brownies will seem undercooked! Let them sit out until room temperature, and place in the frig until cool. They have a delicious, fudge-like texture! Cut in to 12 servings. 

4 Tips for Staying on Track Through the Weekend

Staying on point wth nutrition can be hard over the weekend! As a health and fitness coach, I run fitness accountability groups for those that want that extra boost of motivation and help along the way. I work with individuals one-on-one, too, and so often find that ladies will totally throw away their nutrition over the weekend, and not exercise at all. They come back on Monday frustrated, guilty, and don't know how to break the pattern. 

It's not the weekend's fault. It's the habit. The pattern. A series of triggers that lead to behavior. For example, when you go on vacation, sometimes you have to rethink processes: "Get up, brush teeth...now, where's my toothbrush? Oh yeah, it's in that bag...oh, there's my missing sock! I should really get breakfast. Oh look, donuts!" We reach for the sparkly object and forget to brush our teeth altogether. When we are outside of our habit (or habitat), performing simple tasks can be difficult or require extra thought. 

On the other hand is the "trigger": what's triggering the person to behave a certain way? When you watch tv, do you want a snack? When you're around friends and family, is it hard to keep your hand out of the candy and chip bowl? These can be habit triggers that can lead to over eating.

STEPS TO HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK DURING THE WEEKEND:

1. Keep your healthy habits! Do you run every weekday morning? Don't abandon that run Saturday and Sunday. Do you have a healthy smoothie for breakfast every day before work? Keep that going!

2. Identify your "triggers": do you relax more on the weekends, and often enjoy a snack when you relax? Maybe change it to a healthier snack, or adopt a new habit while you're relaxing (like knitting, or coloring). At family gatherings, sip a glass of water or munch on veggies. If a healthy option isn't available, bring one yourself!

3. Vision your reward: how will you feel when you pass up the cookie plate? How will you feel if you don't?

4. Remember your WHY: why do you want to be healthy? I know that may be a silly question, but really...why? Is it to fit in your favorite jeans? Is it because you have no energy when you don't eat well? Do you want to feel beautiful and comfortable in your skin again?

When done together, these 4 steps are sure to help you conquer the weekend...and feel like a badass on Monday. ❤️

Make FITNESS your BUSINESS

Laundry. Vacuuming. Trying to figure out what's for dinner. Again. Making lunches. Giving baths. Wiping noses. Cleaning.

Motherhood is amazing. Don't get me wrong. But when my son was born I had an extremely difficult year. Through postpartum depression, anxiety, mastitis, illness, diapers, no sleep, and a colicky baby, I felt like I lost a piece of myself. I prayed for an opportunity that would help me feel more like ME. I always had a love for health and fitness, but I felt like I was drowning.

Enter: coaching.

I was skeptical about Beachbody's products.
I didn't think the business would "work".
It felt too good to be true.
And maybe I wasn't good enough?
What if people didn't like me?
I wasn't in shape.
People could judge me.
What would my family think?
I could fail.

OH WELL.

I prayed about it. For 3 months. And I just couldn't shake it out of my mind. I kept coming back and there was always that little voice of, "Just TRY." 

Now, I wake up with excitement and peace about this adventure. Our team is growing. My clients are happy. And, after almost a year in this business, I know what I'm doing.

Curious?

Be a "mouse on the wall" and take a sneak peek in to coaching during our 1-hour online event on February 23, 2016, at 6pm PST.

If you join our team, I will

• give you the top 3 tools to be successful
• mentor you one-on-one through my New Coach Apprenticeship Program
• show you how to get in shape
• teach you how to dispel fear, doubt, and lies about yourself
• encourage you and pray for you

Interested? Email me at fragrantrose616@gmail.com or apply here for more information.

Quick & Easy Pancakes!

These are a staple in our house - the toddler loves them! Great for on the go snacks, too. I will often make a big batch & freeze them. 

Oh, you want the recipe?  

In a blender combine: 

1 C milk of choice

3/4 C water

2 C oats (old fashioned or quick oats)

4 eggs

A splash of vanilla extract

About 1/2 cup veggies (I love using a chunk of squash or a handful of baby carrots!)

A little stevia or honey. 

Blend well & let the batter sit for a few minutes as the pan warms up. The batter will thicken a bit. Make like you would regular pancakes!

Let me know if you try them! 😊

The Fitness Program that Changed My Life

I've always had a small frame. Like...77 pounds in 7th grade small frame. I naturally have efficient metabolism (I can gain weight though, trust me!), so it's extremely difficult for me to gain muscle. I set out in July and did the 21 Day Fix Extreme program and loved it! I got some great results. I was a lean machine! But I really wanted to create some BULK. Like...bucket list bulk. A few years ago I had an undiagnosed eating disorder, and struggle with my appearance. The phot of the left was when I was at my lightest (about 97lbs) and struggling with an eating disorder. The photo on the right: several years later, after upping my eating plan and conquering the 21 Day Fix Extreme. 

I could have stopped there...but why? I wanted to carve out that booty, because GOALS. 

I started The Master's Hammer & Chisel on December 1, 2015, and completed the 60 day program the first week of February 2016. Did I stick to the meal plan 100%? No. Did I take some unexpected rest days? Yes. It's called LIFE. :-)

My results? Haaaaay!

I got the bulk I wanted - now, to carve out those muscles a little more. :-)

So, what IS the Master's Hammer & Chisel? It's a 60 day program with a wide variety of scheduled workouts. The program has TWO celebrity trainers - Autumn Calabrese from the 21 Day Fix & 21 Day Fix Extreme series, and Sagi Kalev, the maker of Body Beast. Combined, the two trainers give kick butt workouts to improve strength, flexibility, and agility. The program comes with easy, simple to use portion control containers and a customizable meal plan to help you reach your goals - weight loss, muscle building, or weight gain!

But. The facts are great, but the proof is in the pudding. I FEEL fantastic. I feel strong, sexy, agile, and alert. I feel accomplished and gratified and BEAUTIFUL, most days. I'm stronger than ever before, and I'm so grateful that I stuck with it. Perseverance is the hardest part. With ANY PROGRAM: stick with it. The results will come. 

Want more info? Contact me! I'd be glad to help. :-)

The Beauty Movement 2016: The Beginning of an Era

I was asking The Lord last night about my business, and how to refresh and inspire my ladies. I absolutely love coaching, but I can get stuck in the "to-do's" and all the back work, and forget my purpose. I'm always asking my ladies about their "why": why do you want to get healthy, why do you want to reach your goal...because we can have all the "how's" in the world, but until there's a reason for the how, one can often lack motivation and commitment. 

Last night my "why" hit me like a freight train. I originally wanted to start coaching because I needed that sense of community, and I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. I wanted peace and security, and I wanted to use my passion - health and fitness - to inspire others. And you know, I did that. It worked. I have that community, peace, and security. I have been using my passion... but I needed it to go deeper than that.

This is the year of victory for me - victory over health issues, victory over insecurities, and victory over the way I see myself. In 2010 I battled an undiagnosed eating disorder. I restricted calories to the point that my small frame was 96 pounds. I remember getting on the scale one day, weighing 98 pounds, and feeling fat. I remember looking at my stomach wondering how I could get it smaller, tighter, flatter. I remember worrying when my size 00 pants got the slightest bit tight because I was bloated. I would cave and eat a food from the "no-no" list, and even just the slightest taste sent me in to a whirlwind of guilt. I exercised obsessively, counted every calorie, and weighed myself several times each day. I was tired, frail, and unhealthy, but I felt that if I controlled my food and my exercise, I could control my life. I felt accomplished when I dropped another pound because I was finally "in control".

My sense of accomplishment faded as reality hit. I knew I needed to gain weight, not because I was going to become more and more sick, but because I wanted people to stop asking if I was ok. My mind and my body were not healthy. I would get weird glances, and friends were asking my family if I was alright. I was in denial of my circumstances, but now realize the severity of the situation. My “why” for that time in my life was this: I felt ugly. I felt unworthy. I felt undesired. I felt like if I didn’t fit the mold of the girl on the cover of the magazine, I was unlovable. The physical met the emotional, and I felt that controlling my body meant I would turn the tables on my emotions and I would feel beautiful. Worthy. Desired. Loved.

Last night my “why” for my business was answered with a gentle word from The Lord: "beauty". Chills wash over me as I write this, because THIS is the beginning of an era. I now know my reason.

I want a woman to see her self worth. I want a woman to feel loved, desired, secure, and beautiful. I want her to see and feel how much The Lord desires her and how she is made in His image. I want a woman to go to sleep each night feeling strong, knowing she did something amazing and so healthy for her body. I want to help a woman find a healthy relationship with food and break the chains of emotional eating and food-related guilt. THIS is the end of an era of Satan’s chains on us women. This is the Beauty Movement 2016.

But, I can’t do this alone. I need you to join this movement. I’m looking for self-motivated, fitness and health-oriented women to mentor ladies in a private online accountability setting. Training will be provided and you’ll work with me one-on-one as we help end the trend of obesity and promote a trend of beauty and self worth. Join #thebeautymovement2016 here. Or if you have more questions, those can be answered here. 

If this post resonated with you and you need that help, accountability, and motivation on your health and fitness journey, please reach out to me! I'm always looking for ladies that need or want that help...because after all, it's why I do what I do. <3 Contact me here for more information, or if you just need someone to pray with you.

I hope & pray you feel beautiful today.

Love, 

Anna