Beef Vegetable Crockpot Soup

In the fall, I love the combination of soup + crockpot more than anything! (Ok, maybe not more than desserts baked with pumpkin or apples and cinnamon).  But, there is something so simple about throwing food items from the fridge into the crockpot in the morning and then having a nice hot meal ready with no effort given during the most hectic time of the day - dinner time! I am doing my best to cook heaIthy recipes and keep us from being bored with meals so I have been trying new combinations and thought I would share my most recent crockpot soup which is definitely a keeper!! 

Beef Vegetable (and anything else you want to add) Soup 

Ingredients: 

1.25 lb lean ground beef 

1tsp minced garlic 

3 carrots - peeled and chopped 

3 celery sticks - chopped 

1yellow onion - chopped 

1 green bell pepper - chopped 

1 red bell pepper - chopped 

1 can corn - rinsed and drained 

6 cups beef broth (I used all natural with no msg) 

20 oz crushed tomatoes (I used about 3/4 of the large can). 

Season as you would like - I added parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt and crushed pepper. One of these days I'll measure for you but I usually give a few shakes of each. ;) 

Directions: 

Cook ground beef with minced garlic in a pan. Then put beef and all remaining ingredients in the crockpot. Cook for 8 hours on low. 

That is it! This was actually my leftovers photo - I totally forgot to take a picture during dinner. It was delish! 

Let me know if you try it and like it! You can really add whatever you have on hand for vegetables. I love making meals using what's in the fridge! Enjoy! 

~Erin Leigh 

The Next Step

So, if you didn't already know how I got this blog started, I will fill you in. ;)  I started this blog because I wanted to motivate other Moms to live a healthy balanced lifestyle through fitness and nutrition after my journey from pregnancy to getting fit.  It was no easy task but I was very determined to do it for myself and when I really started feeling great, I wanted to help others Moms to feel the same way.  After all, carrying a baby for 10 months is no easy task and takes a serious toll on our bodies!  It then moved towards motivating others in general as I received lots of feedback from people that were not Moms trying to lose the baby weight, but those who were just looking to be healthier, more fit or shed some pounds. I now, most recently signed up to be a Beachbody coach, which a few people have been curious about my reasons so why not explain... ;)   

It seemed like signing up to be a Beachbody coach fit me on many levels.  Quite honestly, I have thought about it for years and am surprised that I hadn't signed up already.  First things first, I love their products and have been using them for years - I have done Insanity, Brazil Butt Lift, T25 and now 21 Day Fix. I did Brazil Butt Lift right after both pregnancies which worked out great.  Next, I wanted to start drinking Shakeology which goes hand in hand with their workouts and proven to give better results and you get a discount as a coach. Bonus! Put those two together plus my desire to help motivate others and it seemed like a no brainer.  In addition, as a coach there are tools that help you learn and a network of awesome people that all have the same goal - to be better every day and help others!  Signing up was very self-motivating as well. You should "be a product of the product."  In other words, you can't motivate others if you are not motivating yourself.  It's helping me stay on track for sure! There are free accountability groups that are great to be a part of and there are Coach's groups to teach the ins and outs of the programs and business.  I am definitely still learning but I feel like this is a great step of self motivation minimally, and I hope to help others in the process.

That being said, if you have any questions about signing up with a free membership or as a Beachbody Coach I have learned a few things that may help your decision making. 

1. Some people sign up to be a coach just for the discount - If you like Shakeology, you receive a 25% discount off of the products. So, you can sign up as a coach just to save money on your monthly Shakeology purchases and any program purchases as well.  Many people choose this route because of the savings and they love the Shakeology (it really is amazing).

2. Other's do it to motivate - If you like the products and want to motivate others as well, you can sign up the same way, receive the discounts and have people sign up to have you as a coach. That is when it becomes self-motivating (at least for me).  You can guide people to the right programs for them and help encourage them to stay on track, get them into free accountability groups etc. You don't have to be a fitness pro.to be a coach. You just need to have the desire to help others and want to improve yourself more and more each day.

3.  Some do it as a career - Coaches make a commission off of purchases and as coaches sign up to your team, it becomes a tiered business.

4. If you aren't looking to motivate others, a cost savings or additional income, but are just looking for some direction and guidance towards finding a workout that is a fit for you can sign up with a coach for free (like me ;) ) to help motivate you and keep you on track. 

I am excited about this journey and would love others to join me. That's the point! To help each other live a healthier lifestyle.  If interested or have questions let me know. :)

 

~Erin Leigh

 

My Team Beachbody Page - where you can explore the options of a free membership or sign up as a coach.

 

My Beachbody Coach Page - where you can explore the different products including Shakeology.

 

FitFunLifestyle on Facebook :)

Results

The results are in!  We officially finished 21 Day Fix on Monday night.  Here are some facts about our 21 Day Fix journey.

1.  We stuck to the portions about 85% of the time.  It did not help that my birthday was the day prior to finishing and that we celebrated on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

2.  We finished the workouts in 23 days rather than 21 - two days we had to skip because of toddlers being up sick at night and us not being able to peel ourselves out of bed at 5 am those two mornings.

3.  We did double up on some videos during the last week including the 10 minute ab workout (which I actually happen to LOVE)!

4.  We are hooked on Shakeology and are continuing to drink it.  We both feel so great!  Placing another order today!

My results are that I lost 4 lbs and 3.5 inches. My clothes fit better, I feel healthier and I feel like it completely reset my food intake patterns.

Starting T25 next week.

For anyone that is looking for a jump start whether it's your eating or workout routine, I would be happy to help you find a program that is a fit for your lifestyle.  I can also have you join an accountability group that I am a part of which helps to keep one another motivated and help persevere through the different Beachbody workout series.  I find that it is so important for me to spend some time focusing on "me" so that I can be a better "me" for my family.  Take that next step for yourself!  Let me know how I can help.  :)

~Erin Leigh 

 

Check out the Beachbody videos and Shakeology flavors here.

Progress

I (we) are still plugging along on the 21 Day Fix journey! We are over 2/3 of the way there! I feel like it has really reset my eating and workout routine.  You can catch up on my pre 21 Day Fix summer routine here.  In the first week, I lost the 5 pounds I had gained over the last year and fit into my smallest pants comfortably.  I have to say, that felt like quite an accomplishment after just 7 days! :) 

I blogged the last time about my plan to do another round of the 21 Day Fix but plans and timing have changed.  I really want to do and complete T25 before my Aruba vacation in January - and I can't fit them both in prior to our departure so I am going to continue 21 DF workouts for an additional week and then start T25 the week of October 19!  I am excited to do T25 because I have had the program since last Christmas and have not done the whole program through from beginning to end.  And, we (my hubby and I) will complete the program right before our next tropical vacation!!  Sounds like perfect timing to me!!

I also mentioned the last time that I couldn't really say much about Shakeology yet because I had just started drinking it, but I can report a little bit more now.  Both my hubby and I talked since then about it and agreed that we both love it! We both feel so much better drinking it, have more energy, it's filling and healthy and giving us a lot more nutrients than we get just eating our regular meals.  We actually placed another order and it came right when we finished the previous pack!  More perfect timing! :)  Many people seem to be scared away by the investment, but if you put $4 a day away for a month, then you can pay for it.  I can honestly say our food budget has not changed because it is a meal replacement.  I am very happy with our decision to try it out!

So, we are finishing up the program this weekend. I cannot wait to take our measurements.  I feel better and healthier though which is what matters the most!

Let me know if you are interested in joining me in T25! It is a great program - I have done the workouts and the intensity level is reasonable and also offers modified moves available for beginners.  The workouts are only 25 minutes per day, 5 days a week.  If you are looking to get back into a workout routine, this is the perfect way without overcommitting yourself! 25 minutes per day - at home - no excuses! You will thank me later! ;) I plan to start an accountability group for anyone that wants to join me so let me know if you are interested!

Happy Tuesday!

~Erin Leigh