Body by Vi Before and After Pics...

I am finally getting the before and after pics and stories posted!  Mommy life has been keeping me busy this last week...and exhausted.  I have gone to bed earlier than usual, leaving my house a mess and letting the laundry pile up...sigh.  I suppose life can't always be glamorous.  Anyway, I know most of my readers are my mommy friends so I am sure you understand where I am coming from.  

Enough of my ramblings!...let's get to the good stuff.  These pics always put a smile on my face and inspire me to keep working on my own challenge.  I want to say that all of these pics are people that I personally know, except for Misty, who is a friend of a friend.  

If you missed my first 2 posts about Body by Vi be sure to check them out here and here. 
www.meganrencher.bodybyvi.com 

 

Sarah
I joined the challenge because I was ready for a change.  I made the commitment and let the challenge work for me.  If you are willing to work for it you can get the results you want.  There is no magic pill...it's a combo of hard work and consistency.  It takes a learning curve to start making healthier choices but once you do the results will come.  My original goal was to lose 10 lbs.  After losing my first ten and comparing my before and after pics I knew I could go for more.  I am down 19.5lbs so far!

 (I met Sarah because she comes to my kickboxing and step classes at the gym.  She rocked her first challenge...obviously.  She gets comments ALL the time about how good she is looking.  Her body has been transforming like crazy.  She is now my lifting buddy and inspires me to go hard or go home!  The girl is a rockstar!)

Theresa 

I've used protein powders in the past, heard great things about Vi's shake mix, was THRILLED with the taste, and hoped to lose my muffin top. First month I lost 5 lbs. Second month I lost 5. When I saw my abs appearing I got really excited! So the third month I really focused on eating lots of protein in six mini meals a day and lost another 10 lbs PLUS added 5 lbs of muscle!!! Rethink what's possible for your body! This is more than just weight loss. It will have you changing your habits and creating a healthier lifestyle.

 (P.S. Theresa is a mommy of four!  Theresa is pretty much the reason I wanted to give the Challenge a try.  Her abs have inspired many.)

Chris

I am 40 and have 4 young kids. The Vi shakes made all the difference. Because the shakes were so effective at building muscle AND helping me burn fat, I was able to spend less time working out and still get amazing results.

(Another mommy of 4!)

Nichole-

My goal for my 90 day challenge was to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and fit into my jeans. I planned to exercise during my challenge but my son got RSV and was too sick for me to work it in. Being a busy mom of 4 ... I love the convenience of making a shake for a healthy breakfast! I have more energy and less sugar and carb cravings which is a huge accomplishment for me. I should also add that I exclusively breastfeed my son and have not had any issues at all! I just started my next challenge and plan to exercise regularly this time to see what results I can achieve next!! 

(These pics were taken when her 4th baby was about 4 months old)

Misty

I still need to get Misty's story on here but seriously these are some pretty awesome results...

I am working on rounding up more pics and stories and will be posting them soon.  I will get some pics of guys because yes this challenge works for you too.

And if you want a great treadmill interval workout make sure to check out my previous post here.

Be back soon! 

 

Treadmill Quickie

After doing a back and bicep workout I hopped on the treadmill and finished with this little workout-

Incline 3.0 @ 10.0mph for 1 minute

Recover at 3.5 for 1 minute

Repeat 10x

Ok I will be honest I had to drop the incline down to 2.0 after 3 rounds and then after 7 sprints I dropped it to an incline of 1.0.

This was an awesome way to finish my workout.

Yummy Summer Salad Recipe!

This was my contribution to the Memorial Day BBQ we went to yesterday. I rather enjoyed it and hope everyone else did too. There was only a small amount left so I assume they did:) Then again I probably ate most of it. The original recipe calls for kale but I opted to use fresh spinach. The lemon basil dressing is yummy. When you add the avocado don't mix it in too much. I made that mistake and although it still tasted yummy I felt like it overpowered the lemon dressing. Head on over to Ambitious Kitchen to grab the recipe. It is the perfect healthy salad for your next BBQ or gathering. 

Push-up Combo

I have been doing this little push-up combo as part of my shoulder and chest workouts or just as a way to finish up my cardio workout....

I call it my 10/10/10

10 wide or Standard push-ups

10 tricep pushups

10 monkey pushups

Do the set with little to no rest between exercises. Rest about one minute between sets.

Do this combo as many times as you can.  The monkey pushups will start to burn!  Let's be honest...they will all start to burn.  The tricep ones nearly kill me actually. 

Standard Pushup

Tricep Pushup- 
Hands are more narrow and elbows slide right along your body as you go down

Monkey Puship-
Keep your booty in the air while you do this one.  It puts all the work in your shoulders. Lower your face to the floor then press back up.

If you can't do pushups on your toes yet just do the standard and tricep pushups on your knees.  You can do the monkey pushups the same and don't go down all the way.  

Let me know what you think!

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge--Part II

Yesterday I talked about why I personally am doing the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge.  Today I want to continue and discuss why I promote the challenge...

I started personal training about 6 years ago.  I really enjoy the work.  My clients in the past were always doing really well with the exercise and getting stronger and more fit, but most of them saw little change in their weight.  Despite my best efforts to give nutrition plans and advice, most of my clients struggled to eat healthy on a consistent basis.  It was frustrating for me and for them. 

I often get asked by friends and family back home for exercise and nutrition advice.  Although I do love helping people in these areas it just isn't realistic for me to write meal plans and exercise routines for everyone.  But I still want to be able to help them. 

The 90 Day Challenge has been the perfect solution to both of these situations.

Ever since I started recommending the challenge to my clients, results have been AMAZING. (Be prepared for some awesome pics and success stories to come in my next post).  I am truly inspired by some of the transformations. 

Even better I have been able to help people I don't personally train with. 

I have found a product that allows me to help others learn to eat healthy, nutritious foods and lose weight.  And they all love it.    

Basically the challenge makes healthy eating realistic.  I recommend to people that they should be eating 5-6 small meals a day.  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 2-3 snacks...but snack is kind of a deceiving word because really your meals and snacks should all be about the same size.  You want to be eating every 2-4 hours, keeping your body fueled and your blood sugar levels stable.  Most people have a hard time eating this many times a day, especially healthy foods.  I am amazed at how many people don't eat breakfast at all.  It is a lot to ask of someone to plan and prepare 6 healthy meals a day...At least in the beginning of their weightloss journey.  For some people this is a complete departure from what they are use to.  The Body by Vi protein shakes replace two of these meals so that you only have to focus on making your remaining meals/snacks healthy.  The shakes are yummy, you can flavor them in so many ways so you don't get sick of them, and they keep you feeling full.  Plus they are packed with nutrition.  They are healthy fast food.    

With the help of the shakes I love coaching and teaching people how to make healthy food choices for when they aren't using a shake.  And once people start using the shakes and losing weight they naturally start feeling better and have more energy for exercise. 

I have only been promoting the challenge for a short time, but already I have seen so many lives changed because of it.  I love getting messages from fellow challengers sharing their success stories for the week.  You can feel their excitement and it inspires me to keep working on my own challenge.  

I know pictures speak louder than words so I don't want to ramble too much.  Tomorrow I will start sharing before and after pics of some of the challengers.  You are going to love what you see.     

I will also blog about the most common questions I get about the challenge.  And I want to discuss some of the skeptism you may have....it's okay, I was skeptical at first too:)  So if you have any questions you want me to address please feel free to leave a comment.  

One thing I want to make clear is the challenge truly isn't about some crazy diet.  If you take your challenge seriously you will learn how to eat healthy and your body will feel better.  I absolutely love the way I feel right now.  Eating healthy clean foods has never been so easy.  And I can't complain about the fact that I have lost my baby weight (4 months post-partum) and am building some strong muscles at the same time.  I will share a few of my progress pics in future posts.  

Oh and I must not forget to mention that the challenge comes with a 90 Day Money Back Gaurantee.  If you don't get the results you want you get your money back...all of it.  Pretty much you have no excuse not to take the challenge:)  

www.meganrencher.bodybyvi.com

Come back tomorrow!

   

Quinoa Egg Muffins

I did some food prepping last night after putting the kids to bed. I was running low on quick healthy snacks and I had a new recipe I really wanted to try. I got it off Slender Kitchen...love this blog. It's full of healthy recipes if you are in need of some new ideas. I also whipped up some of the turkey muffins from Jamie Eason off Bodybuilding.com. I seriously love them. I have been trying to be brave so I added Sriracha sauce to both muffins and it gave them the perfect kick. I usually don't do spicy but lately I like a little something. Plus I eat less and drink more water when my food is spicy. I now have lots of yummy snacks prepped for the rest of the week. And they are just spicy enough I don't think my kids will end up eating them all:).

Quinoa Egg Muffins

From Slender Kitchen

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup diced veggies of choice 

(I used zucchini and onions and probably used closer to 2 cups)

1/2 cup feta cheese

(I didn't have any so I used 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese)

2 eggs

4 egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot sauce to taste

(I used Sriracha and just eyeballed it)

Mix everything and bake in muffin tins for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Original recipe says it makes 6 muffins but mine made 10 because I added more veggies. 2 muffins is 185 calories. 

Turkey Muffins
from bodybuilding.com

2 lbs ground turkey or chicken

(I only used 1 lb)

3 egg whites

1 cup oats

(This time I used 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup cooked quinoa)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp pepper

2tsp chipotle pepper spice

(I used Sriracha in place of this)

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves)

1 small onion chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

(I didn't have any celery so I used zucchini...yum!)

Mix all the ingredients and bake in muffin tins for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees. The recipe as written says it makes 12 muffins but it made 12 even with only using 1 lb of meat because I used more veggies I think. Really you can put what you want in these. Don't be shy with the seasonings. 

I will get part two up of my Body by Vi blog series later today. Be sure to check out my first one here.

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge

I want to take a minute to share with you what I have been doing to get back in shape after having my third baby. I don't want to get too lengthy with my rumblings so I will be doing this post in parts.

Part I- Why I personally took the Body by Vi 90 day challenge...

About six months ago I decided I needed to find something to help me get back in shape after having my third baby. I worked out through my whole pregnancy and was back at it when my baby boy was only two weeks old. Exercise is not hard for me to fit into my day. I love the way it makes me feel. I hate the way I feel when I don't exercise. I will make time for exercise pretty much no matter what.  But I am not as dedicated to eating healthy. Don't get me wrong, I do love eating clean healthy food and for the most part eat very nutritious food. But I also love treats. I love chocolate, cookies, brownies, ice cream...u get the idea. Once upon a time I was able to eat all the junk food I wanted and it didn't affect my body. If only I were that lucky still.

If I eat junk now it shows. My belly bloats and I feel sluggish.  That should be enough to convince me to not touch it right? I wish. I also struggle with feeling hungry when I am tired. Newborn babe and a two year old that doesn't ever sleep= very tired momma= sugar craving monster. So after struggling to find a way to control my cravings I was introduced to the Body by Vi 90 day challenge. At first I was skeptical. Why did I need to drink protein shakes to get in shape and lose my baby weight? I have a degree in exercise science, I like eating healthy and I love working out. I was strong enough all by myself...or so I kept telling myself. But it wasn't working and I was frustrated. I hated the way my body looked and felt and I beat myself up every time I over ate or shoved crappy food down my throat.  

Life with three kids was also proving to be challenging for me. I found myself leaning towards convenience foods for the kids and then I would end up eating their leftovers...bad mommy habit. 

I kept hearing more and more about the 90 day challenge. On top of hearing about it, everyone taking the challenge was having amazing results...people I personally knew. I wanted in on the fun and the results.

Just days into my first challenge I was convinced that the 90 day challenge was exactly what I needed. I was hooked. I felt better, had more energy, craved sugar less, and was losing weight. I was happy with how things were going.

Don't get me wrong, it wasnt effortless, it still took diligence and I had to plan and prep healthy foods and keep healthy snacks on hand. But the challenge kept me focused and the shakes made it so much easier to eat healthier. The best thing was I craved sugar less and preferred to eat healthy snacks. I was craving almonds, cottage cheese, veggies and egg whites. I still love treats but I am less likely to indulge myself on a frequent basis. The challenge has helped me realize some sacrifices are worth it. When I do fall off the wagon the challenge gives me motivation to jump right back on instead of giving up. I don't feel like I am on a diet. I enjoy the food I get to eat. It's a lifestyle change I can keep up. And one I want to keep up. 

I am currently in the middle of my second challenge and loving every minute of it. I still want to lose a few pounds but I am also focusing on building muscle. My body is making changes on the inside and the outside. Just today my husband told me I was turning into a sexy beast...I will happily accept that compliment and chalk it up to the challenge:) 

Okay tomorrow I will continue with part II- Why I promote the challenge to others. I am excited to share lots of personal testimonials with you. Daily I get messages on fb or text from other challengers sharing their successes. It's inspiring. I love helping others find joy in life by becoming the best self they can be.

You can check out the challenge here- www.meganrencher.bodybyvi.com

Pesto Quinoa and Chicken with Roasted Veggies

I know that is the least creative title for this recipe.  My brain can't do creative right now.  It wants to sleep.  But I have to share this recipe with you.  A friend made it for me the other day and I have been craving it ever since.  It took me forever to get to the store to get all the ingredients so I just barely got it put together for dinner tonight.  

There are a few steps to putting it all together but none of them are hard.

Veggies- 

2 peppers diced ( I used a red one and a yellow one)

2 large Carrots diced

1 onion diced

Really you could use whatever veggies sound good to you.

Coat with a small amount of EVOO and balsamic vinegar and season with lots of Italian Seasoning.  Roast for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Quinoa-

Just cook quinoa according to package directions.  You need about 1 cup uncooked quinoa.

Kale or Spinach-

Saute bunch of Kale or use spinach.  Just cook it til it is soft.

Chicken-

I used the Garlic, Wine and Herb McCormick Marinade for my chicken.  I cut it into smaller pieces and marinated it for a couple hours then grilled it and cut it into little slices.  I probably used about 2 lbs of chicken and had lots leftover.

Pesto- 

Use your favorite pesto sauce.  

Once everything is cooked you will put everything in a bowl except the chicken and combine.  You cold also wait to add the pesto if you prefer to serve it fresh.  

I served this over a fresh bed of spinach, topped with the chicken.  It is the perfect summer salad in my mind:)

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes Two Ways

A few days ago I attempted to make Paleo Pumpking pancakes.  I love anything pumpkin even if it isn't really the season for it.  I only attempted one recipe even though there are a million of them out there.  I really liked them and so did my girls but I think I will try other variations so I have something to compare it too. The pancakes did have a little more of an egg-y taste than I really wanted so I started throwing in a little this and a little that.  The batter ended up being too thick and wouldn't set up...they tasted delicious but looked like a big sloppy mess.  I wondered if the batter would microwave well in a little glass bowl..lets just say that the result was rather HEAVENLY.  Kind of like pumpkin pie...but healthy.  Pretty awesome in my mind.  So here you have it Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes two different ways. 

(pic courtesy of foodgawker...i don't try to take food pics.  Not my forte.   

The pancakes did look just like these ones)

Original Recipe-

I apologize I didn't write down where I got this recipe from:(

4 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 TBSP butter (melted)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix it all up and cook on a griddle.  Serve with nut butter of choice or a small amount of real maple syrup...yum.

For the variation-

Add another 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 1/2 to a whole banana.  Throw in some more spices.  I think I added cloves  and more cinnamon and nutmeg.  Microwave in a small glass bowl for a minute.  If it isn't set up yet microwave for another minute.   Time to enjoy a totally healthy and delicious dessert. 

Sumo Squat Variation...

 (For some reason the videos I post often don't work on smartphones.  But they usually work on computers.  Let me know if this one doesn't work for you)

I have another fantastic leg exercise for you.  I am in love with this one.  It targets your inner thighs like nothing I have ever done.  The elevation of the steps provides a larger range of motion that makes all the difference.  I used a 45 lb dumbbell when doing this but I was trying to keep my reps low so you could do it with a lighter weight and just do more reps.  

The girl in this video drops her chest just a little too much.  Keep your body moving on a straight vertical line by keeping your shoulders back and your chest proud.  The dumbbell should touch the floor if you have the flexibility to do so. 

If you are wanting to do this at home and don't have steps to use for the elevation just find something around the house like big books or your kids' step stool.  

You will love this one!

Happy Friday...I am off to the gym now to kill my legs:) And then it is date night tongiht!!!!!!!  Love a night with just me and the hubs.  

I will be posting a lot of new leg exercises next week plus the most delicious quinoa salad I have ever had.  I have a few thoughts on clean eating too.  Lots going on in this little brain of mine that I want to share:)  

Sliding Reverse Lunge

This is one of my new favorite exercises for my legs.  I used 20 lb dumbbells in each hand and could barely do 10 reps per leg each set.  I ended up doing 3 sets.  BURN baby BURN!!!! 

If you don't have access to heavier weights than just do more reps than 10.

I also just used a towel to do this exercise.  I love this because you can totally do it at home or the gym.

I have learned some awesome new leg exercises and will be sharing them here through the rest of the week. 

I posted this picture on fb the other day but I just love it so I am posting it here too...

Like I said, I am totally on a muscle kick right now.  I have been lifting heavy and I LOVE the way I feel.  I can tell that my body is starting to make changes.

We shall keep chatting muscles later.  

For now I need to get to bed before my poor eyeballs start burning.  Actually I think I am going to go make a new protein bar recipe and then hit the sack.  Miss Ashely from Farr Cleaner Life has another awesome recipe I want to try...Orange Almond Chocolate Chip Bars.

 Yum right?!

On My Mind...

Lately all I can think about is MUSCLE...awesome, beautiful, toned muscle.  I want to look like this...

Lately I have been a little Jamie Eason obsessed.  

She has a 12 week program called LiveFit that I am following with the hopes that I can look more like her:).  It is laid out in a way that is simple to understand.  Even if you aren't very familiar with weights. I can't follow it exactly because of my classes that I teach at the gym but I am able to incorporate most of it. 

Here is to hoping in about 10 more weeks I will be rocking those arms!!!!!  Or at least on my way:)

Today I am working legs.  I found me a lifting buddy that keeps me motivated.  Her legs are much stronger than mine so she pushes me to my limits.  I LOVE IT!  

I have always been into weight training but I have never been as dedicated as I am right now.  I am on a mission to get my body back after baby #3...I want to prove to myself that even though I love my mom gig, I don't have to have a "mom body".  Nothing drives me more crazy than being told, "You look good, for just having a baby."  I want to get rid of the second part of that sentence!!!!!!

I will take some pictures of the exercises we do today and share them tomorrow.  

Time to get some laundry folded before the kiddos wake up!

Clean Cupcakes!

I discovered a yummy and clean 

treat today!  

My good friend Ashley over at A Farr Cleaner Life challenged her readers to not consume sugar for three weeks.  I am pretty much trying to avoid sugar anyway so I figured I might as well take the challenge and really commit myself.  I am sugar free since Monday and feeling great.  But that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a delicious treat right?!

This recipe was adapted from one I found on a new IG account I just started following. 

Are you ready?

1 Ripe Banana (original called for 2 bananas)

1/2 cup Strawberries  (original called for blueberries)

1 egg 

(original called for 1/2 cup egg whites but I was in a hurry and just used one whole egg)

1/4 cup greek yogurt

2 scoops Vi Protein Mix

1/2 cup oat flour 

(just oatmeal blended in the food processor)

Cinnamon if you so desire (I so desired)

All you do is mix the wet ingredients in a blender or food processor than add the dry ones. 

I cooked 1/2 of it in the microwave to see if it worked...totally works!  Cooked in about 2 minutes.  I cooked for one minute than checked it before cooking it for the second minute.  I made this batch for the hubby so I added some dark chocolate chips and drizzled with a little peanut butter.  He was a big fan. 

The other half of the batter I cooked in cupcake tins in the oven.  Oven was set to 350 degrees and it took about 10ish minutes.  Sorry to be so vague:)  

Drizzle with some peanut butter for a delicious treat!  Or use PB2 if you want to cut calories without losing the taste. 

And there you have it! A wonderfully delicious and healthy dessert you can enjoy guilt free:)!

Cottage Cheese and Salsa

I will be the first to admit that this picture is not appetizing.  But don't judge a book by its cover my friends.  This little snack is delicious and filling and packs some hefty grams of protein (around 26 grams) in only 220 calories. 

 

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 egg + 2 egg whites scrambled

2 tbsp Salsa

That's it...simple but yummy.  

And be sure to check out the Sweet Potato Muffin recipe I posted yesterday.

I have been blogging about food a lot lately.  I think it is time for another treadmill workout.  Friday I will get working on that.