Be Grateful You Can Move!

For the last few weeks I finally been able to run! YAY…right? Well now I'm struggling with kidney stones and it's ruining everything. Okay, not everything but this is my way of feeling sorry for myself. 

I tried really hard to hit the road yesterday and run my little heart out. I even had a goal this week to try 4 miles. It would of been my first time running 4 miles since my injury. You must be tired of hearing about it…sorry! Well now I have stones that are trying to sabotage my running. Theres nothing I can do about it because they are they are they want out. If you've had them you know they are painful as they work there way out. 

So I felt sorry for myself most of the day yesterday because all I wanted to do was run…run…run! Something in my head was telling me I did it to myself because a few days before I was running and when I came home I complained about how HOT it was. That makes sense right? I needed to remind myself I spent 5 months not running and now that I can I shouldn't take it for granted. 

Tomorrow I plan to get up bright and early and make a run happen! I think my husband plans to join me tomorrow. Let's hope no kidney stones get in my way tomorrow :) Wish me luck! 

Sandra 

Healthy Sesame Chicken

I shared my dinner Friday on my Facebook page and now I'm going to share this awesome recipe I tried. Considering this is a healthy take on Sesame chicken is was a win with my husband and son! 

Healthy Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free tamari (you can use regular soy sauce if you can eat gluten) 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (black or regular)

Instructions

1. In a large wok or lidded skillet, cover the broccoli with 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce to medium, then cover and cook until vibrant and tender, 1-2 minutes. Drain in a colander. Rinse and dry the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg white, cornstarch, and salt in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to combine.
3. Heat the oil in the skillet over high heat. When hot, add the chicken in an even layer. Cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes, then stir dry until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil and stir fry the peppers and white scallions until lightly charred, 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the tamari, sesame oil, honey, and sesame seeds. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and green scallions. Serve over brown or white rice. 

Enjoy, 

Sandra 

What The Heck Is Coaching?

Have you ever wondered what Beachbody coaching is? 

I'm hosting a 3 day internship for beachbody coaching! 

*Have you ever wondered what beachbody coaching is? 
*Have you ever wanted to work from home? 
*Do you have a passion for helping others? 
*Do you want to make money from home? 
*Do you want to be a #Girlboss ? 

Message me for more details! I would love to share my passion with you! 

Sandra Ballester 

Chocolate Shakeology Carmel Smoothie

This shake is going to make you lose your mind because it's that GOOD!! 

Salted Carmel Chocolate Shakeology Smoothie:

• I scoop chocolate shakeology 
• 12-14oz water, or one cup almond milk (I prefer no milk in the chocolate because I think it taste sweet and smooth enough just with water.)
• 1tsp. caramel extract 
• 1 dash or twist of sea salt
• 1-1 1/2 cup ice (I use one) 

 Blend and enjoy! 

For more information on how you can get your own shakeology message HERE or visit me at Shakeology and you can read about how amazing shakeology is for you and then place an order!!

Sandra Ballester 

Avocado Salad

We love sweet and tart dried cranberries paired with creamy avocado in this delicious salad. Poppy seeds give it extra texture and peppery flavor.

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups fresh baby spinach
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sliced raw almonds, toasted
¼ medium avocado, sliced

Preparation:
1. Combine vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper, and poppy seeds in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Slowly add oil, whisking continuously, until blended. Set aside.
3. Combine spinach, cranberries, and almonds in a large serving bowl; mix well.
4. Drizzle salad evenly with dressing; toss gently to blend.
5. Top with avocado; serve immediately.

Southwestern Chicken Egg Roll

Yummo….I made these last week for the family. I fried the egg rolls for the family and baked mine in the oven. These are a usually request from my son and hubby. :) 

2 - 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cubed
sliced green onions, to taste
1 diced red bell pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 c. frozen corn (I used a low sodium can)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (used low sodium black beans)
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
dash of cayenne pepper
1 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
Egg roll wraps

Avocado Ranch Dip:
8 oz. sour cream (I used greek yogurt)
1 avocados
1/2 pck. dry ranch dressing mix (I used a TBLS of ranch)
1 t. lemon juice

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet with onions and peppers, cook for 2 minutes. Add corn, beans, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes, remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.

2. Spoon the mixture into uncooked tortillas, tuck the sides in, and roll them up tightly.

3. Cook them in about half an inch of olive oil heated in a skillet on medium high. It takes less then a minute for them to brown on one side, so watch them carefully. After cooking, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. These keep their heat well.

4. Serve with salsa and/or avocado ranch dip. To make the dip, combine sour cream, avocado, dry ranch dressing and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir well and serve.

My Review on the 3 Day Refresh

Let me start off by saying before starting this I didn't do it really to lose big weight because I don't have much to lose. My family had been on a few vacations and they really did a number on my tummy! I felt bloated with a puppy tummy. In my house that means a hung over feeling in your stomach. During our 3 different trips I actually didn't gain weight, but noticed a difference in my stomach. 

I've decided I don't want to mention how much I weigh, but will say how much I lost. I decided this because I don't want anyone to judge me and say I didn't need to lose weight. Like a stated earlier I did this for reason other than losing weight. 

My husband joined me on this 3 day journey with the 3 Day Refresh. If you're interested there is still time to purchase tonight and get the sale price and with a 30 day supply of shakeology. We both had a bad day. My husband felt like day 1 was the most difficult and I felt like day 3 was the most difficult. 

Day one for me was easy because I kept on schedule with the directions and day two was easy as well. Although I felt the most gas/bloating on day 2 and that could of been with the dinner selection I choose. You can read in the book and pick the veggies that won't give you gas. Day 3 I didn't eat within an hour of waking up and I didn't have my fiber drink at schedule time, which lead to me being hungry all day. Day two I had a handful of animal cookies and day three I had two pieces of chocolate. I know bad…this is what happens when you don't follow or stay on the schedule. 

Finale results for me is 3 lbs down and lost some inches in my waist! And I had more energy and my husband says the same. He actually said, "I can't believe how good I felt, but I don't want to do it ever again!" :) Of course, my husband looks great! 

Please feel free to message me if you have anymore questions :) 

I have RUN FEVER!!

This mornings workout was a big one for me. I started my workout out with PiYo. Which is super awesome because it's really helping me with my recovery from my hamstring tear.I loved the strength and balance I used to get from yoga—but I want to burn calories and move when I work out! Thank goodness for PiYo! This program is A-MAY-ZING! It's like Pilates and yoga with an amped-up pace!

Then I moved on to the treadmill run…I'm not going to lie I was a big scared to try and run 1.5 miles. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I haven't ran much at all since March. I was concerned about my endurance, my pace, my hamstring, the techniques I should be working on, and the fear I put in my head. Well I did it and couldn't be happier with myself. My endurance was pretty good, my pace wasn't awful, my hamstring was bothering me a little, and now I know I can run 1.5 miles again! I am thinking about how will my hamstring feel tomorrow and will that feeling ever go away. My pace was 6.5 and I hope that I will be able to get faster again. For now I will try to focus on just running and becoming better runner than I was before. 

Thank you for following my journey. You can always catch me on FaceBook 

Sandra Ballester 

Life

Do you ever feel like managing your weight is difficult? I did a really good job with the ultimate Reset and even managed my weight about a week after I completed the 21 days. Well, then my husband came home and let's just say I've had a few splurges :) As of today the scale is up two pounds. Is that bad, no. But I don't like how I feel about it. 

I need to get back into practice with managing my husband being home and cooking family dinners. I don't need to make every night a celebration that he's home from deployment, I don't need to stay up late every night thinking this is my last night with him, and I especially don't want to feel bad for making time to workout! 

Sandra Ballester :) 

Why People Fail Their Beachbody Programs?

I had a conversation with a customer yesterday and felt I needed to make this video. I hope you take a moment to watch this video. Excuse my bed hair. It was late at night and I just couldn't wait till the morning to make this video. :)

Thank you for watching!

Final Review on Ultimate Reset

I've completed the Ultimate Reset, 21 days! Can I start with saying I'm so proud of myself because this was tough. My biggest goal from the reset was to help releasing toxins from my body to help recover from a injury in my hamstring. Yes, I wanted to lose some weight and get rid of bloat. But I'm most happy with how far I've come with physical therapy along with the Ultimate Reset because my leg is getting better. :) 

Of course, you all want to know how much weight I lost. You can hear all about my progress on my video. If you're interested in doing the Ultimate Reset I would love to be your FREE coach! You can link up with my beachbody (<<<< click here) page. 

Please excuse my stretch marks! :) 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Week One Review of Ultimate Reset

Today marks day eight for me. I can't believe I've made it this far. day one wasn't bad. Day two was awful because I got a super headache. Day three not so bad, but I did get a headache towards the end of the night. The rest of the week went pretty smoothly. Day two, three, and four I was really hungry. My body was use to eating every fews hours and on the rest you could eat every two hours, but it wasn't the same. 

By day 4 I already lost 5 pounds, so I bumped up my calories. I went from one snack to two. My goal for the reset isn't to lose lots of weight. I'm doing it for other reasons. I see where you can easily lose weight fast on this reset. I could of easily been 10 pounds down this week, if I hadn't added on to my reset. If I lose anymore I won't be at a very healthy weight. So I will need to manage and keep a daily watch on it. 

TIP: IF YOU DRINK COFFEE START DRINKING ONLY ONE CUP ONE WEEK BEFORE. THIS WILL HELP A LOT WITH THE WITHDRAWALS!!

Watch my review

Thanks for stopping by, Sandra 

Ultimate Reset Tip For The 21 Days

Today is day five for me on the Ultimate Reset! It's going pretty well. No headaches since day two and one at night on day 3. My energy level is pretty good. I was craving coffee big time today. I actually dreamt about it last night. :) 

Every day on the reset you have to take a really yucky green powder called Alkainize. I'm only being honest with you all. I hope you find my tip helpful. You can follow my journey on FACEBOOK click like on my page and you will get all my updates on your news feed. 

If you want to read into more of the click here>>>>Ultimate Reset or you can always email me and ask me questions. 

Sandra Ballester :) 

Pre-Reset Day

I really wanted to get this posted sooner today, but my headache got in the way :) 

I'm currently on day 2 of the reset. Today was tough because I was hungry, tired, and I got the caffeine withdrawal headache…OUCH! MY head hurt so bad that it didn't feel good to lift off my pillow, which made if not fun to cook for myself today. Good thing I doubled food yesterday because otherwise I don't know if I would of ate. 

Well enough about that. I wanted to share my video with you I filmed the day before I started. I hope my tips help you be more successful than me. 

Day 1 of Ultimate Reset

Today was a pretty successful day. I wanted to wait till the end of the night to give a review of my day. The thing that surprised me the most is I didn't get a headache. I did wake up with one, but that's because I had two drinks last night. I don't normally drink, but felt the need to be a rebel last night and have a few drinks. 

My day started with distilled water, NO COFFEE, 2 capsules of Optimize, organic oatmeal with blue berries, and 1/2 organic plain yogurt with a tsp of pure maple syrup. 

I took my dog for a two mile walk. no exercising during the reset. Only walking and yoga. Don't worry you won't lose your muscle definition. Your definition will more than likely show up more after the reset. 

Lunch was fantastic!! It took a little prep, but so worth it. Since I wasn't able to find miso paste I went ahead and made the zucchini cashew soup. You're allowed to sub out meals that are in the first phase. I made a side (HUGE) micro green salad with homemade dressing. Baked pumpkin seeds to put in the salad…amazing as well. I'll post the zucchini recipe at the end of this post. 

Dinner was amazing as well. Southwestern Veggie Taco with a side micro green salad with pine nuts. YUMMY! 

My snack today was Vegan Chocolate Shakeology. 

Zucchini Cashew Soup
(Makes 1 serving)

• 1 oz raw cashews (17 cashews) 
• 1 1/2 cup water, divided use
• 1 1/2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
• Himalayan salt (or Bragg Liquid Aminos) to taste; optional 
• Herbal Seasoning blend )or fresh herbs, like basil or dill) to taste; optional. (I didn't add seasoning but will next time) 

Soak cashews in 1/2 cup water for one hour. 

Bring 1 cup water to boil, then add zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then drain zucchini. Once the cashew are done, mix everything in a blender. You can eat cold or warm. 

I doubled the recipe so I could have some for lunch tomorrow. A tip the book gives. I could eat this soup even when I'm not on the reset…LOVED. 

If you have any questions about the reset please ask away and I'll answer as honestly as I can.  

How to Afford Shakeology

The number one question or statement I get about shakeology is…how much is it? And WHAT! I can't afford that! 

Since I love love shakeology I thought I would make a short video so you can figure out some ways to afford it. 

Enjoy! 

PiYo Release

Find me on Facebook to get details on the test group. Facebook

I’m getting SUPER excited about this program! 

“PiYo gives you hardcore definition, intense calorie burn, and allover strength—without weights, without jumps, and without destroying your body.” -Chalene Johnson (creator of PiYo)

Are you on my list yet to be notified as soon as it’s available? You should be on the list cause guess what…you can get it 2 weeks earlier than everyone else when you order through a COACH (like me)!

 Click Here To Get On The List 

What is included in PiYo?

PiYo comes with 8 different workouts that you can do right at home. They are 25 to 45 minutes long, and vary in the target areas they hit.  The base program will sell for $59.85! And IF you purchase from a Beachbody Coach (like ME) you will receive a BONUS workout!

You'll get this one for free if you order from a coach like me :) 

Here is a description of the EIGHT/9 workouts:

1. First up, Align: The Fundamentals (46 mins)
2. Define: Upper Body is a focused workout (35 mins) that will strengthen and stretch your entire body, while building on the movement patterns you have learned in Align.
3. Define: Lower Body (25 mins) will shape and tone everything from your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves gently, yet effectively to help you get sleek and lean legs.
4. Sweat (35 mins) is a traditional PiYo program  that is fast paced with body weight strength training and ab work!
5. An amazing 30 minute Core workout that will hit every muscle in your POWERHOUSE!
6. PiYo Sculpt (30 mins) uses body weight to generate muscular endurance to stimulate metabolic changes to totally and utterly transform your figure!
7. Strength Intervals (25 mins): 25 minutes is all you need of this body carving workout!
8. Drench (45 mins): This workout not only leaves you drenched, but your metabolism will have been kick-started to ensure you scorch away fat!
9. BONUS Workout when you order through a coach Like me! 

 Check out some results from testers! 

Don't you want to be the first to get this program? I'm guessing it will sell out within 24 hours just like the 21 Day Fix. So Make sure to click on this link to be notified as soon as it is released. And you'll get a free workout just from ordering from me! 

PiYo Program Click Here!

You can always reach me at Email

Healthy Recipe For BBQ's

Sorry for not posting the last few days. Sometimes I get carried away with other things and forget to post on here. :) 

It's the time of year when BBQ's are happening and you're being invited to many cook outs. Sure going to one BBQ or maybe two isn't so bad to get off track, but a whole summer of this can get crazy. I though I'd share a healthy recipe to bring to your next BBQ. 

Zucchini and Onions Gratin 

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and 

thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

2 teaspoons grated lemon grind 

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 

3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds zucchini diagonally 

sliced into 1/4 inch-thick pieces

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup) 

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Stir in rind, thyme, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

2. Preheat broiler to high.

3. Arrange zucchini on a jelly roll-pan. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil;toss. Broil 7 minutes or until or until lightly charred. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

4. Preheat oven to 375. 

5. Spread onion mixture in a 2-quart gratin dish. Arrange zucchini mixture over onion mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. 

6. Preheat broiler to high. 

7. Uncover zucchini mixture; broil 1.5 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Serves 6( about 1 cup each) 

Calories 92; Fat 6.3 g; Protein; 4g

Carb 7g; Fiber 2g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 224mg; CALC 79mg

You can serve this dish hot or cold, enjoy! 

Thank you for stopping by, 

Sandra Ballester 

What Did My Kid Say About Me?

I thought it would be fun and cute to get my sons thoughts on...

On another note, I'm on day 73 of P90X3!! I'm super excited about this. I feel like I'm ready to move on to the next thing. I may have been a little bored today. I'm not one not to finish a program when I start it, so I'll be making it to day 90! Next up will be the Ultimate Reset, which I'm scared about starting. Then I'll start PiYo!  

I have stuck to the promise I made myself and walked my dog every morning after I workout. I'm pretty proud of myself. I just finished an audio book today called A Long Way Down, then started Start with Why. 

For dinner tonight I made fajitas with a side salad. I could of been fancy and made beans with it, but I wanted to keep it sort of of clean and simple. I say sort of clean because I had one of those super low carb healthy tortillas with dinner. :) 

I made my own seasoning for the fajitas. Better than buying a store packet of seasoning. 

• 2 Tsp chili powder 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 onion powder
• 1/2 crashed red peppers 
• 1/2 dried organo
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp ground cumin     

Have a good night, 

Sandra Ballester   
      

What to Do to Get Moving

Hello everyone! 

I made it another day of P90X3 Day 71 to be exact. Decelerator was today's workout and what I really like about this one is you'll work upper body, then lower body. Great way to get the heart rate up! 

I'm pretty proud of myself because yesterday I made it through the whole day with no cheats! If you've been reading you know I have a dessert problem. :) I hope I can survive today and not let my sweet tooth take me over. I was still feeling bloated this morning, so I decided right then and there I would take my dog for a walk after I worked out and guess what…I did! I walked two miles and burned 180 calories. If you're feeling lost and don't know where to begin, just get outside and take a walk!! 

I'm missing my honey (A.K.A. Husband) :) so at nights I'm finding that's when I want to make my way to the pantry for desserts. Despite missing him last night I didn't make my way to the pantry. In my books that's a win win! 

Thanks for stopping by, 
Sandra Ballester :) 

My Rest Day

Hello everyone! Thank for taking the time to stop by here again. Today is my rest day and I didn't really want to take it since I've been feeling so yucky about myself. I took my own advice I give all the time and took my rest day. I took a nice walk with my dog Max this morning. It was nice because I was plugged in to my audio book. My walk was nice and relaxing. 

Someone of you who know me personally know I have a hamstring injury and haven't been able to run. :( I hurt myself back in February and continued to run and make it worse. So I really had to listen to my honey (A.K.A husband) and my friends and stop running. I finally made an appointment to the doctor, then was referred to a physical therapist. My first appointment is this thursday. I can't wait to get help and move on to recovery! I really, really, really miss running!! Any other runners out there?

This was the run I participated in when I injured myself. 

I hope you all have a beautiful day! 

Sandra Ballester 

Day 69 of P90X3 and I Got the Blues

Some days I don't feel good enough or thin enough. Today is one of those days. I can't seem to like me today. I've been having a craving problem lately with desserts. It's been going on for a few months now. I can say it started around the same time my honey deployed. He's my rock and knows how to make me feel better when ever I'm down. With him not being home he can't fix me. If you read my first blog you know I still have set backs and days where I don't really like the way I look. 

I work out so hard and stay on track, but I can be my biggest sabtoger!(I made this word up) This is what goes on in my head sometimes…Let's say I make my goal weight, you'd think I'd be happy, right? Well I think I don't want this because then I'll have to maintain it and anything more on the scale is just not OKAY! This is when sabotaging comes in play. So even though on the outside I might look perfect to others, I'm not and I'm just as human as you are. 

Tomorrow I'll get back on the saddle and hope the day goes better! 

Thank you for reading, 

Sandra Ballester 

My Diary of Day 68

Hello everyone! Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Today I completed day 68 of P90X3!! I could really notice a difference in my endurance today. I feel so much stronger. My legs feel so firm and the definition is pretty fantastic! What I love most about this program is each workout is only 30 minutes long. During this program I've gotten pretty awesome results from just 30 minutes. However I think my results could be further along now if I wasn't such a dessert junkie :) This has been a problem for a few months now. So…..

Today I finally took the plunge and purchased Ultimate Rest I'm very excited about this. I plan to blog about my whole journey while I take the challenge on for 21 days. I won't be working out during this program, nothing more than yoga. So I have to wait till I finish P90X3. Then once I finish the reset I'll be starting the popular awaited new PiYo program! 

If you have any questions about anything I wrote about please email or friend me on Facebook. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Sandra Ballester 

The Perfect Boiled Egg

As promised I made a video of how to boil the perfect egg! If you follow my directions you will sure have the perfect egg! I've never had a epic fail using this method. :) 

Thank you for watching, 

Sandra Ballester