Megan Thompson

What a fun way to end the year!! I ALWAYS love getting these boxes at my front door! It's so much fun to see different items that have been picked for me! If you remember last month the picks weren't so great. When you "check out" with stitch fix you give them your feedback on the things that they sent you. Within hours of filling it out and saying that I was not pleased with the picks I received an email from them apologizing and promising to do better the next time around....and they did! The picks this month were much better! Lots of fun stuff to try on and match up with things in my closet already :). Happy new year to everyone today. I hope it's a safe and fun one!!

A new year is almost upon us!! That means a fresh start, resolutions and a clean slate! I have a new challenge group starting January 5th. It's a fantastic place to be with like minded people who have similar goals and can support you!! We will talk about fitness and clean eating. Lots of great recipes are shared and tips for staying on track :). All you have to do is contact me on facebook at Megan Sweeney Thompson and let me know you're interested in an upcoming challenge group!!

It's here!! and I am SO excited to begin this journey!! I have to admit that for the first time starting a program I am a bit nervous :) I know Shaun T likes to push hard and I do LOVE that about him but this one makes me nervous!! Opening the box up I see that there are 11 dvds which is GREAT! Now I will be the first to admit that most programs I used I never even look at the nutrition guides because honestly most don't seem all that fantastic but this one I LOVE. He gives a ton of information and even has an entire book for what is safe to eat while you are out and about if you must. Everything is spelled out really well and almost a replica of the 21 day fix which I've already done so I'm ready!! Today was day 1...Cardio Challenge. I maxed out today at 7:42 which I was pretty proud of...it was a tough workout. Sweating on the floor tough lol..but I LOVED it. It felt so amazing to know I had challenged myself and I completed it! Did I take a break? Yes! Did I modify some parts? Yes! But I DID IT!! I will update weekly with pics and thoughts on how it's going over the next 60 days!! :)

We all have them right? Especially this time of year when our normally long list of things to do seems unattainable. We are all trying to squeeze in an absurd amount of things every day. Who has time for fitness...for nutrition? YOU DO!! I can't tell you how many times I have been asked "how do you find the time?" or I'm told "I just have no time for that." We ALL have the same 24 hours in a day...we ALL do. Yes we all have different lives and different responsibilities but being healthy is a choice. My alarm goes off at 5:30am so I can get up and workout and take a shower before I begin a hectic day with 3 little ones. It's my choice to get up at that time. To put myself first and make ME a priority. Could I choose to stay in bed until the kids got up? Of course I could but that time is MY time and it's precious to me. I am a better mom, wife, friend and daughter because I take that time for me. So this holiday season give yourself the gift of time. Make YOU a priority and schedule your time into that hectic holiday schedule. You deserve it...your family deserves to have you at your best and healthiest. It's time for change. :)

Put this together tonight!  If you're looking for something quick to do every day between now and Christmas to keep those extra pounds off go through this twice a day! :)

This morning I decided to make myself a little treat.  It's Friday morning after all and a rest day right?! :).   It was pretty simple to make! 

FREE push up or ab challenge!!!! What would you LOVE to start working on in the NEW YEAR?!?

FRIEND REQUEST ME ON FACEBOOK AND LET ME KNOW - Most votes by Monday Dec. 15th wins!

SHARE - with your friends THIS WILL BE FREE challenge anyone can participate in. For every share you will be entered into a drawing for a FREE beachbody product! Have friends mention YOUR NAME when friend requesting me and you will be entered TWICE!

I have been talking with my challenge groups lately about water. Water is a HUGE part of your health and fitness lifestyle. Doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight or bulk up or maintain. You NEED water. The general idea is that you should be drinking half of your body weight in water every day. I know I know that seems like A LOT of water....BUT....it will make you feel amazing! You don't have to make a drastic change...try adding in water a little more each day and build up to it. I did some research and found different ways to "sneak" in that extra water and make it a little easier ;). This is especially helpful now during the holiday season when we all tend to nibble on those cookies or have that extra drink that we normally wouldn't have. :)

1. My first suggestion and my FAVORITE is to set a goal for yourself every day. Whatever that goal is up it a little the next day and then the day. Before you know it you will be drinking half of your weight in water and feeling great!! I use an app called Waterlogged. It's PERFECT for keeping track and for those type A people...like me :)...I LOVE the idea of "crossing" things off a list.

2. Eat foods that naturally have water in them!! This is the easiest thing to do :)

3. Add fruits and veggies to your water!! There are soooo many options here and it definitely changes it up from just boring old water :). There are even some pretty cool water bottles out there that have build in compartments to house said fruit :). Easy peasy :)

4. Create a water wager!! Pull out a container that you can use and set it in your kitchen. Every time you dirnk 8 oz stick a dollar in. Save up for something amazing that you've been keeping your eye on or treat yourself to something nice. I LOVE this idea because it gives you a goal to work towards while you're building up you water "tolerance" :).

5. Finally the easiest NO FUSS way to drink water quickly and painlessly.....use a STRAW!! :) You will drink more than you normally would! :)

It's almost that time of year again...new years resolutions!! We ALL make them...and truthfully most of us give up on them before the months end. I read a statistic yesterday that only 8% of people follow through with their new years resolutions. ONLY 8%!!! I knew the number had to be low but I was shocked it was that low. Why do we not allow ourselves to be a priority? I have come up with a list of ten of the top resolutions people make. What small goals can we set for ourselves to make sure we don't give up on our resolutions? When make make a plan and set smaller goals we are more likely to reach the big ones we make!!

Skinny fat is a relatively new term that has been floating around lately. What does it mean? Skinny fat people are people who look think but whose bodies are unhealthy. Skinny does NOT equal healthy. A skinny fat person lacks muscle tone, doesn't have much shape and is soft. How is this caused? Too much fat and too little muscle. These people may be eating low fat diets and watching their weight but still holding onto fat and not muscle. They appear to be thin but their body is being damaged. How can you change this? Weights!! By creating more muscles your body will become toned and you will burn more fat at a faster pace. Your body will function the way it is supposed to and you will feel healthier, look more toned and feel better about your overall health.

So my third stitch fix arrived!  I'm always so excited to have it arrive in the mail.  This is my third month doing this and I have always found something that I LOVED.   This month I wasn't too thrilled with the choices they sent.   I ended up just keeping the necklace but the rest rest just seemed drab to me and not my style at all.  I guess I was hoping for something a little more festive for the holidays but I'm still excited for next months fix!!

It's that time of year again when we all tend to over induldge :) We take a taste of this and a bite of that. One little bite won't hurt...unless we add up all of those bites over a holiday season....yikes. The scale is never our friend come January and then we panic. I came up with a list of 6 things that may help throughout the holidays to cut down on the shock come January :).

1. Choose Wisely - When you head out to holiday parties and dinner make smart choices. If you know they are going to have a dessert there that you LOVE...choose wisely. Pick a lean chicken or fish for dinner so you know you can have that dessert. The problem begins when we tell ourselves "oh I'll just eat what I want tonight." If we choose something unhealthy for dinner and then have the dessert we end up angry with ourselves the next day. This isn't about telling ourselves NO all of the time. It's about making smart choices so we can still enjoy the things we love.

2. Sign up for a race/event - If you set a goal for yourself during the holiday season you will be more likely to attain it and stay on track. Maybe it's the turkey trot at Thanksgiving, maybe its a Santa Hustle, maybe an indoor triathlon. Pick something that interests you and sign up. Make the commitment.

3. Don't arrive hungry - This is probably one of the most important things you can remember. If you tell yourself that you're just not going to eat all day so you can eat what you want when you go out you are going to eat EVERYTHING. You will go overboard and end up regretting it.

4. Drink water - Drinking water helps to fill you up. If you are at a cocktail party switch on and off. Nobody is saying don't enjoy a drink or two...but alternate with water. You will feel full and end up drinking less of the not so good for you stuff :).

5. Bring healthy options to parties - If you are invited to a party and asked to bring something why not bring something healthy! Chances are you will not be the only person looking out for their health and they will thank you for it. You will also be setting yourself up for success. You will know that you can fall back on tip number 1 - choose something healthy so you can indulge in something you love later :).

6. Exercise - Please make sure you exercise! Three times a week for 30 mins a day minimum. You will feel better about yourself, have more energy and you will WANT to make healthy choices. I have never in my life worked out and then went to eat a cheeseburger...never :). Your body will not want unhealthy food when you are taking such good care of it :).

Last night the kids started their advent calendars once again.  It's so much fun to watch them get excited as they open the little doors.   I remember as a kid looking forward to opening them after dinner each night.  What is it about those tiny little chocolates that hold so much anticipation? :). Whatever it is I love being able to experience it all over again as a parent :).  

Well my 21 days has come and gone! It was a great program that definitely showed results! Now I will say that while doing the 21 day fix I was also using Shakeology every morning for breakfast. 21 day fix comes with a set of DVDs and colored containers that help you with food and the amount of food you will eat. For me I LOVED this!! As many of you know I LOVE to exercise so that hasn't been my issue when I'm trying to make changes in my body. FOOD is always my issue lol. I have a hard time eating only so much and eating healthy. Even with a passion for a healthy lifestyle and nutrition I still struggle at times. SO this program is so great for those of you who need help with eating as well as a great workout!! I have a new challenge group starting next Monday. If you'd like to try this program or another beachbody porgram/Shakeology please contact me at mvsweeney@gmail.com or on facebook at Megan Sweeney Thompson and we will start working on a healthy lifestyle!!

I usually make my list for the month ahead of time but haven't gotten to it yet. That is on my list for tomorrow!  But we now have the first three days done and the kids are loving it :).  I love the creativity of the elf on the shelf and the magic for the kids. Such a great tradition to have.  

With three elves visitng us this year I have a feeling we will be busy!  For their first night back they had some fun with spray snow on the sliding glass doors! :). The kids got a huge kick out of it and wouldn't let me wash it off :)

This morning we woke up to our north pole breakfast and our elf on the shelf...and he brought friends!! The kids were very excited to see the elves and all of the yummy treats for breakfast! Audrey named her elf Sparkle and Aiden named his Elfie Shelfie lol. Everyone keeps checking in on them as we start to pull out Christmas decorations and put up the tree :) and are looking forward to all of the silly mischief they will get into this holiday season!

It has been a week since I finished my shakeology cleanse and after talking to many of you and hearing concerns about what would happen once the cleanse ended I am posting a picture of the scale a week later :).  During the week I followed the 21 day fix, still had my shakeology shake every morning for breakfast and worked out.   Nothing out of the ordinary and I'm happy to say I didn't gain back a thing and actually lost some more! :). If you would like to try shakeology please email me at mvsweeney@gmail.com or find me on Facebook at Megan Sweeney Thompson 

Tonight we made turkey pizza! The kids had a blast making it. It was super easy for the kids to do and lots of fun! I just used target brand pizza crust that was already made. We put the sauce on and then used pepperoni, salami, red pepper and olives to make the turkey! Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 mins and yummy! :) Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Tonight Mark and I went to see Big Hero 6.   It was such a GREAT movie!  It was filled with suspense, humor and I even shed a tear.   Mark was cracking up laughing...which I loved :).  Disney also did a little movie skit before the movie started called Feast.  SO stinking cute and funny.   Great movie and great night with my little guy :) 

Black Friday is almost here my friends and that means SALES!! Beachbody is jumping on board with some amazing discounts on some great products!! The sale begins tomorrow, Tuesday Nov 25 at 7pm CST and ends Dec. 2. Grab some fantastic products while they are at LOW prices!! Beachbody is cutting prices by 40-80%! Products will sell out quickly so make sure you grab them while they are here! If you are interested in ordering you can find me at http://www.teambeachbody.com/mvthompson or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/meganvthompson. Order now and join one of my challenge groups this January!!

Programs for Sale:

* P90x, P90x2, P90x3
* Insanity: The Asylum Vol 1
* Turbo Fire
* Les Mills Combat
* Les Mills Pump
* Slim Series
* Hip Hop Abs Dance Party

We had such a busy weekend!!  Between hockey, ballet, nutcracker rehearsals and birthday parties eating healthy is a tall order.  Being busy usually means being away from home and not having access to healthy food choices.  So what do you do?  How do you handle these situations?   You PLAN!!  :).  We had so much going this this weekend I had to think ahead.   I made sure I ate before we left the house and I brought healthy snacks for all of us while we were out. That way I wasn't tempted to eat something I shouldn't just because I had no other options.  The times when I don't plan are the times I fail to make healthy choices.   Then I'm angry at myself the next day. Every time.

I will admit that now the cleanse is over it feels SO nice to eat!! LOL I am trying to be as careful and healthy as I can be though. After talking to so many people after finishing it I heard a lot of concern about whether or not I would gain any or all of the weight back after the cleanse stopped. SO what I plan to do is take a picture of the scale next Thursday morning...yes before I eat Thanksgiving dinner lol....and show you all what the scale looks like a week after the cleanse has ended!! I want you along for the ride and I want to show you how amazing this cleanse is and that it works to help you feeling healthy and amazing which is what this is all about!! :) I'm so excited to help all of you become the best you that you can be! :) Here is a bit of information that I thought I would share that would be helpful to those of you looking to try this :) And as always if you have any questions please just friend request me or send me a personal message on facebook...Megan Sweeney Thompson!

The three day cleanse is over!   And I feel AMAZING!!  I was curious to see if I would want to eat everything in sight today lol but to my surprise I didn't.  No cravings...no wanting unhealthy food.  It made following the 21 day fix so much easier today.  I lost a total of 8.2 pounds. Bloating is gone.   I feel great!

I survived day 2 :)....I will admit day 2 was much easier than day one. I had more energy and although I stuck to the two shakes a day I felt pretty good. I am thankful that today is the last day of the cleanse but I am also noticing a very big change in my energy levels..which is huge for me...and my general mood. Last night to keep myself focused I decided to do a little research on why exactly this cleanse is so beneficial and why shakeology is amazing for you :). The whole point of this cleanse is to get as many nutrients into your body with as few amount of calories as possible in a three day period. The Shakeology Cleanse is designed to optimized your performance. You should have enough food to fuel you day and your workout. By eating foods that are high in fiber and nutrients it is virtually impossible to overeat. With the high fiber, digestive aids and enzymes your body will be rid itself of excess food and flush out waste.

THE BENEFITS OF THE SHAKEOLOGY 3-DAY CLEANSE

rid body of fat

detoxify body

jump start weight loss

body rejuvenation

Tomorrow I will post my results! :)

Ok so I survived the first day...barely lol. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The cleanse says you should drink three shake a day. I just couldn't After drinking two of them the last thing I wanted was another shake. I wanted FOOD for God's sake! I did cave in and had a cheese stick for a snack insted of the shake. By the end of the evening I had a pretty good headache going which I'm assuming is from the toxins getting out of my body and the adjustment of not eating any crappy food. I was exhausted and felt like I was stripped of any energy. BUT the great news is this morning a saw a huge improvement on the scale and I feel like I have much more energy today. Today I've had two shakes and a piece of fruit so far. I plan to use my cheese stick method again for the next snack :) and then a salad for dinner with chicken. Tomorrow is the last day. I will stay the course :) For those of you brave souls I also saw that there is a 5 day cleanse challenge. God speed :).

I have decided to try the Shakeology cleanse. It is a three day cleanse that can help jump start weight loss or break through a plateau. What happens in this cleanse is this....

*Breakfast - Shakeology shake

*Snack - Piece of fruit

*Lunch - Shakeology shake

*Choice of Afternoon or after dinner Shakeology shake

*Dinner - Salad with grilled white fish or chicken and low fat dressing

I will update each day on how the day goes and how much I lose! :)

I know we always naturally show off and spoil our kiddos but for many of us before those kiddos we had a furry little friend who is still by our side today. He/she has gotten lost in the shuffle of diapers and feeding and then onto school and soccer practice. Those long walks are replaced by opening the back door until someone remembers that you're waiting to come back in. Tiny fingers are pulling at him and squeezing him and he's patient and loyal. He had his spot first before they ever came along. He slept on the couch and had his belly rubbed. He got long rides in the car and treats. Lately I've been trying to give my little friend a lot more attention. He has earned it...he's been patient and has never left my side for a second. Even when I was tired and short with him and rushed him along. He's always happy to see me and is the first to cuddle up with me. He deserves my time just as much as anyone else...maybe even a little bit more :).

I know many of you have been asking me about what I eat and how the 21 day fix works.  In a previous post I explained the 21 day fix so I thought I'd give examples of what I eat throughout the day.  I am a creature of habit and do tend to stick to the same things :)

So this amazing little company popped up to my attention a few months ago. It's genius. For $20 you pay a stylist to pick out 5 items for you. First thing you need to do is sign up for a free account and give them some information about you. They will ask you to rate different clothing items and tell them what you love and what you don't love. Then you can tell them if you want a fix once a month or every other month. Then you wait :) Who doesn't LOVE getting actual mail in the mail :). About a month later your box will arrive. I was SO excited the first time (and who am I kidding EVERY TIME) to open up that box and see what's inside! You will get 5 things every time...clothes, jewelry, hand bags...to pick from. You can pick as many as you'd like or none at all. In three days you need to check out online and tell them what you are keeping and what you are sending back. You will have a $20 credit from the styling fee that will be used towards anything you keep! They send you a prepaid shipping bag to put whatever you don't like or want into and just drop it in the mail! SO easy and SO fun! I definitely have kept things that I LOVE and I know I never would have bought them if I were out shopping by myself...and let's be honest I'm the best shopper I know LOL. So give it a try! It's a ton of fun and you may just get something fantastic that you would never have thought of :) Here is a little sneak peak of a few things I have gotten so far in my boxes...some I've kept and others have gone back.

If you do want to give it a try please use this referral code! :) https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/4076189

Well I did it! I ran my first marathon! What an amazing experience. It really is an incredible thing to know that your body is capable of doing such a thing. I set a plan for myself to only focus on two miles at a time. I knew that every two miles there would be a water station where I could walk, drink some water and stretch my legs and knees. So at every station I told myself just go another two miles and see how you feel. This worked very well until around mile 20 LOL. Miles 20-26 weren't so easy to mentally get through. Those miles I had to physically and mentally get myself through a mile at a time. I let myself walk when I needed to and took extra breaks. I would say the last mile was the toughest but seeing that finish line at the end made everything worth it. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. Recovery is not an easy thing after a marathon and I'm working my way through that now. I'll post some tips in the future :).

Rest days were something I used to look forward to when I planned my weekly workouts. It was something I "worked" towards. Now they are something I dread. Don't get me wrong it's nice to have a day where I'm not trying to squeeze in a workout and getting a little extra time and and sleep but my body just isn't happy. I'm addicted...to the sweat...to the endorphins...to the happy feeling I get when I just kicked ass :) There is an amazing feeling when you know that you're body is strong and healthy and able to push even further. So when rest day comes along I try to appreciate that my body needs a break but I sure do miss that push and those endorphins. This week is especially tough because according to my marathon training plan tomorrow is also a rest day. Granted my brain knows Sunday my sorry self will be running 26.2 miles my body says hey wait a second!! So what exactly does a rest day do for your body?

Raising healthy kids isn't easy. We are up against huge corporations that are constantly advertising garbage to our children. It's on tv and the stores and their friends are talking about it. It's up to us as parents to be a good example. Show them what healthy living looks like. I like to talk to the kids while I'm making dinner and let them try different foods and explain why healthy food is good for their body. Does a little cheat meal here or there hurt anyone? No way and I never want them to think that....but on the other hand I never want them to think McDonalds is a healthy go to meal. Just yuck. So a few weeks ago when the kiddos were sleeping at my mom's she sent me a text saying that she was taking them to McDonald's for a treat. Mark, my oldest son, replied "Mama said McDonalds isn't very healthy but every once in a while it's ok." They are listening....they are watching...they are learning. :)

Just wanted to share my favorite shakeology recipe! I LOVE to blend chocolate shakeology with pbs2 (which is powdered peanut butter) and almond milk. SO good! It fills me up and gives me so much energy throughout the day! I love to have my shakeology for breakfast in the mornings :).

Head on over to my facebook page and vote! I am having a FREE push up or squat challenge. What would you like to work on most? Your booties or your shoulders? Let's get to work!! :) https://www.facebook.com/meganvthompson

6 days away from a marathon run and I dread seeing you every night. Why do you cause so much pain. Everyone says the more time you and I spend together the less painful it will become but that doesn't seem to be happening. The pain in the knee comes from the IT band in my leg and you are supposed to be the magic cure. Runners knee...the tension and tightness of muscles. The idea behind the foam roller is to use your body weight to "self massage" the areas that are bothering you. For me this is a dreaded event and HURTS lol. I know that the more I do it the less pain I will have while running but let me tell you that is not an easy thing to tell myself with that silly piece of foam digging into my legs. So my friend you may have your grips on me for the next 6 days but after that you and I need some time apart :).