My 21 Day Fix - Meal Planning Made Easy with POST ITS!

Meal planning can be tiring, confusing, time-consuming and FRUSTRATING! Take it from someone who knows! This busy mama was terrified to purchase the 21 day fix because I knew you had to have your meals planned out ahead of time in order for it all to work out. I even panicked a little when I read through the 21-Day Fix "Eating Plan," I was like, "how in the world am I going to plan this all out in order NOT to fail?" After taking a small break from reading, I really understood that THIS is something I really need. A busy mama like me tends to just grab whatever is in site or signs the best when I'm hungry or on the go ... which is a BIG no-no, because I like to grab sweets and junk! 

The 21-Day Fix, ESPECIALLY the meal planning part has been SUCH a LIFE SAVER. I call this program a GAME CHANGER for SO many reasons. It's actually VERY simple, not confusing or anything I thought it was going to be. 

I was still hearing that some people were having a hard time thinking up a meal plan for their week. I wanted to do something that helped ...

So, about a week ago, as I was falling asleep, I thought of a REALLY cool idea for meal planning ... or so I thought. Anyone else do their best thinking at night? Anyways, I wanted to try it out before I posted it and I finally had a chance this week! 

I tried it, LOVE it, it's CHEAP, EASY, FUN and sooo time saving!!

First, I got all my items I would need to do this.

Things I used:

* Post-it's colored to the containers Autumn has provided us (green, red, purple, yellow, orange, blue and I used pink for the teaspoons). $5 total

* The 21 Day Fix Eating Plan booklet

* Color coordinated markers (found them in my kid's stash)

* Notebook

Second, I went through my booklet and parked with a small arrow which foods I liked/would most likely eat. I did this for each colored container. 

Third, I wrote out each thing on the color coordinating post it. I also included the number of containers I get for that day to help me keep track. 

Fourth, I mixed and matched my ideas for my:

* Breakfast

* Snack

* Lunch

* Snack

* Dinner

The first time, it took me about 10 mins to get everything the way I wanted it, but having it visually in front of me where I could mix and match instead of crossing things out REALLY helped me. 

So, now that I had my post-its ready for my meals, I then used my color coordinating markers and wrote it down on paper, so that I could put the post-its back and make another days worth. This part, took me about 1.5 minutes!

Then I mixed and match the post-its again and wrote that day's meal ideas down the same way as I did the first. 

HOW EASY WAS THAT?!

It was way easier than I thought and I'm super excited about it haha!

Here are some things to note:

1) You don't have to use post-its, you could use regular paper that you have laying around, cut into smaller pieces if you don't want to buy post-its. 

2) I can't eat raw fruits and vegetables and many of the nuts that are listed, so your piles/lines of foods that you can eat will most likely be more than mine, which is FINE! Just gives you more variety to choose from. 

3) I am a BIG creature of habit and I tend to eat the same things day after day and I don't get tired of them.

4) We also buy things in bulk, like our chicken and pork tenderloin. We cook up all the chicken at once and it stays great in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. We will cook the pork as we eat it, but we buy in bulk and can put half in the freezer until a day before we're ready. 

The last thing I needed to do was put in into a spreadsheet so I could SHARE it and print it off to hang on my fridge!! 

Here is my Round 2, Week 2 21-Day fix Meal Plan!

To learn more about the 21 Day Fix, please click HERE.

If you think you're ready to do the 21 Day Fix, please find me on facebook (top right) or send me an email: tonihatinger@gmail.com

Top Ten Misconceptions About Why You CAN'T be a Beachbody Coach

Below are some of the most common misconceptions or myths about why lots of people believe they are no qualified to become a Beachbody coach. As they demonstrate, EVERYONE is capable of coaching - YOU just have to make the decision to commit to CHANGE.

Misconception #1: "I don't have time."
If you are the busiest person you know, then Beachbody is exactly what you need. Cutting back on long work weeks is what we all want, right? And how long have you been telling yourself that next year things will slow down a bit and be less busy? Have things slowed down? You can start in as little as 5-10 hours a week, and the great thing about direct marketing is that you can do this whenever you want, wherever you want. How much time do you spend watching TV, checking Facebook or doing other activities that could be spent on building your OWN business?

Misconception #2: "I am too heavy" or "I am not in shape."
You do no need to be in perfect shape to be a great coach. I was just finishing up my first round of T25 and had NEVER tried Shakeology when I decided to become a coach because I saw the potential the program had for ME and OTHERS. As you go through your own transformation, people will begin to take notice and as you about what you are doing to lose the weight and get in shape. I tell EVERYONE that asks about how do you get people, I do it by SHARING my story. People relate to REAL people, REAL friends that they know! This presents a perfect opportunity for you to share about Beachbody products and/or the coaching opportunity.

Misconception #3: "I don't like to sell."
You do NOT have to "sell" people on Beachbody. Beachbody spends more than a million dollars a year on award-winning infomercials, which have made programs like P90X and Insanity household names. And give the struggle our society has with obesity, there are so many people who are looking for fitness and nutrition options to get healthy. Our job as coaches is to find people in need and share the awesome programs and supplements that Beachbody has to offer. And if you are as passionate as I am about the amazing results that can be achieved through these products, you will want SHARE just as you would about your favorite movies or restaurants.

Misconception #4: "I am not an expert on nutrition or fitness."
The celebrity trainers who developed the programs and Beachbody's staff of fitness and nutritional advisers are experts on fitness and nutrition so that we don't have to be. The programs emphasize proper form. If someone has a question, you have an entire panel of experts to turn to. The vast majority of Beachbody coaches are not certified personal trainers. As coaches, we help others by making appropriate program and meal plan recommendations and by providing consistent encouragement to help them reach their goals. What happens if you can't think of the perfect fit for someone? We have an entire group FULL of coaches that we can ask!

Misconception #5: "I don't know how to coach."
It is understandable that some feel that once they sign up, it will be up to them to figure out how to coach. This could not be further from the truth. Beachbody provides each of its coaches with resources and tools that explain step-by-step how to successfully share its programs and products. Each coach has an online office that includes third-party sharing tools (such as video overviews) for all of the awesome Beachbody programs and products as well as guides for running fitness challenge groups. If I am your coach, you will be placed in a Coach Basics group, which will teach you, as a new coach, how to become successful in their first 30 days. Beachbody also provides periodic local training and its annual coach summit. And on top of what Beachbody offers, my team provides its own support. So there is plenty of training to teach you everything that you'll need to know to be successful!

Misconception #6: "I am not socially outgoing and don't know enough people."
If you stop and think it is amazing how many people you actually DO know dating back to grade school. And if you use a memory jogger to refresh your recollection on all the people you come in contact with, you will be blown away by the number of people you know. You will continue to meet people everywhere that you go if you take the time to get to know people by showing a genuine interest in their lives. Add to that the social media tools that allow us to connect and re-connect with people all over the country. And it is these same tools that allow you to reach people who are looking for proven nutrition and fitness options. There are coaches that do 100% of their business activities from the computer. Coaches can connect and motivate from ANYWHERE!

Misconception #7: "Is this some sort of pyramid scheme?"
Absolutely NOT! Beachbody is an A+++ Better Business Bureau rated and well-established infomercial company that has been around for over 12 years, sending over $120 million dollars in advertising each year. Team Beachbody was launched when it was realized that the best marketers were those who were achieving incredible results with its programs and products and was the best mechanism to help end the trend of obesity.

Misconception #8: "I can't afford to purchase and store a bunch of product."
Good news! You do't have to! Beachbody direct ships any product or program to customers who order through a coaches web site so there is no inventory to maintain. Once a customer has decided on a program, Shakeology or a deeply discounted challenge pack, that includes a program + a month's supply of Shakeology, you can email them the URL which will take them directly to the product they are interested in.. There is also a web based application that makes it super easy to enroll new coaches or handle new customer product purchases.

Misconception #9: "The sign up and ongoing fees are too expensive."
Actually, the coach enrollment fee is $40 and is waived if you decide to sign up with a challenge pack of your choosing (this is the ONLY time coaches can buy a challenge pack). The monthly fee is $15.95, which will be more than offset by the 25% discount on Shakeology if you are drinking it daily as everyone should be. And, if it turns out that coaching is not for you and you no longer wish to receive the discount, you can cancel at any time without penalty. So you can see there is really much to GAIN and not a whole lot to lose!

Misconception #10: "I can't change. I have to settle with where I am at in my life."
You know in your HEART that this MYTH could not be farther from the TRUTH. Too many people have the mindset that they must be content with the way things are and refuse to change things up. That is true whether it be finance, fitness, getting out of dead end jobs, finding a way to spend more time with family, etc. Are you one of those who admires the things successful people are doing and says to yourself, "why can't that be me?" OR are you going to be one of those who commits to change and says, "why not me!"

If you are ready to make change in your life and are READY to give Beachbody Coaching a try OR if you would just like some more information, please email me at: tonihatinger@gmail.com