Motivation Shaker, Ashley Tabb

So you had a crazy, busy holiday weekend!! Maybe you went to a picnic or the pool or a party.  You relaxed, had some treat and drinks and now you are beating yourself up for what you ate and drank. STOP!!! Don't beat yourself up!! You had fun, you SHOULD enjoy yourself every once and a well...or more!! It's TOTALLY ok to have fun with friends and family, especially  on the weekends and holidays!!  You need to do that, but you should be aware of what you are eating and drinking and do it within moderation!! As I told my support group last week, you may prepare and plan for the weekend, but you won't be perfect. Hopefully they took my advice on moderation and being better than the last weekend or holiday!! What is being better?  It's having a glass of water between each drink when before you had no water between beers.  It's having 1-2 drinks instead of 3-4.  It's having a bite of an ice cream sandwich rather than having an entire ice cream sandwich. ...

While I can go several days without chocolate, there are other days I could eat an entire candy bar!  But I am trying to cut out sugar because it is so addictive and the more I eat the more I crave it!   Plus, I am following the 21 Day Fix meal plan with limited cheats and treats.  The cool thing is I have found healthy foods I can make feel like a treat and this is one of them! Shakeology chocolate!   I will be honest, you can add this to the list of the things I was skeptical of!  As I was mixing it  in the kitchen both my husband was rolling his eyes at me. The recipe is simple 1 scoop of Chocolate Shakeology and 1 spoon of coconut oil melted. Stir it together.  Then I put it in cookie molds and put into the freezer until it was solid.   I cut into chunks and literally enjoyed a chocolate bar with zero guilt. 1 spoon of coconut oil is a good fat and 1 shakeology serving is 1 red. So I counted it as a red and as a spoon.  If you want t...

Please help me congratulate my lovely friend and ROCKSTAR Melinda Davidson – Butkis on her AMAZING fitness journey!  In the last 150 days, she has completed Insanity Max: 30 and Body Beast and she lost 20lbs and 16.25 inches! What a TERRIFIC transformation! In regards to her fitness journey, Melinda says "Was I perfect for 150 days? No. But I was consistent. I pressed play each day, ate according to my meal plan (80% of the time) and kept myself accountable by checking in with my challenge group everyday." Melinda is a wife and mom of 2. She is a fitness instructor and teaches P90X, CIZE and Insanity in her local gym in Idaho. We met last summer online and were roommates at the Beachbody Leadership Conference in Nashville TN in July. Our amazing weekend included working out on Broadway, enjoying fun dinners KIDFREE, and celebrating the Dream Team's accomplishment as Top Team in the entire company!! We've continued our friendship throughout the year online. We ...

This morning I decided to try a different type of pancakes.  These were quick and easy and I thought they were yummy but I couldn't get the kids to try them.  2 eggs 1 cup oatmeal 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Cinnamon Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Cook on pancake grill or pan on stove.  Top with Sugar Free syrup or peanut butter and strawberries.   

How it Started In high school, I could eat what I wanted and then go to cheer practice or softball practice and never gain a pound.  Then I went to college and worked in the gym, so I was able to workout 5-6 days a week and continue to eat and drink as I pleased.  Yes, I gained a little weight my freshman year as I adjusted to being away from home, but I was able to lose it once I got into my routine.  However after I graduated and started working full-time I wasn’t eating as healthy and my workout days decreased to 3-4 days a week.  And then I got married and had kids and things REALLY changed.  MY workout days were non-existent.  I walked outside or went to the gym on the weekends, but that was it.  My hips and waist had completely changed from pregnancies and none of my clothes fit….although I only had 10-15 pounds that I wanted to lose.  I needed to find a way to add in exercise and be accountable to my eating.  Choose a challe...

Vanilla Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream  1 cup nonfat milk (or unsweetened almond milk)   2 scoops Vanilla Shakeology    2 medium frozen bananas (cut into chunks before freezing)   2 Tbsp. all-natural smooth peanut butter  Optional add ins: 2 Tbsp chocolate chips, mint extract, unsweetened coconut  Preparation:   1. Place milk, Shakeology, bananas, an d peanut butter in high-powered blender; cover.   2. Blend on low for 5 seconds; increase power to high and continue blending for 30 seconds until smooth.   3. Pour mixture in a large glass bowl; cover.   4. Freeze for 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, before serving. 21 Day Fix conversion: 1 Red and 1 Purple (recipe credit: Team Beachbody Blog)

As a member of the Teacher Appreciation Week committee at my youngest daughter's daycare I helped serve brunch this morning and thanked the teachers personally for all the love they provide the kids each day!!  It takes a special person to work at a daycare and spend day after day with little ones.  It takes patience to teach them right from wrong.  It takes consistency to keep them on track to grow and learn.   I love being a mom to my two girls, but I also love working full-time and using my creativity during the day through events and communication documents that I coordinate and the university.  I enjoy having quiet time at my desk and being able to have lunch with friends and Matt.  No, it isn't fun setting the alarm clock for 5am and having to battle everyone out the door each morning, but as I arrive at daycare and think about all I have accomplished in the almost 3 hours each morning, I am amazed at myself.  Then I walk Carolin...