Allison.Party_of_Six

So I'm just going to be honest.... The last week, I haven't even felt good enough to write my post about my fitness goals for the rest of my first trimester.  Scratch that.  I haven't even felt good enough to THINK about them.  Which stinks, because I'm a FITNESS COACH, and I feel like I'm totally failing at my JOB this week! So, I could sit around and be depressed about that (not gonna lie...I was tempted to do that earlier today), or I could pick myself up, think about what I have done well, and keep working to stay strong and healthy! So, what have I done well? --WATER makes me NAUSEOUS.  So.  Very.  Nauseous.  And that's at best.  BUT...I know I need to be well hydrated, and I DO NOT want to drink sodas and gatorades all day long, so I have done my best to drink as much as possible. And honestly, I've done OK.  Baby and I are fairly-well hydrated and that's what's important. --I've been trying to stay as active as I can handle.  Tod

Written at 4 weeks & 5 Days Pregnant I've been really struggling with focusing on my fitness now that I'm pregnant. I mean, clearly, these abs are not staying, so why keep working on them?!?  But there's so many good reasons to keep this up!  It's just HARD to wrap my mind around the fact that my stomach is going to get BIGGER and not SMALLER!! The other day someone - who had no clue I was pregnant - suggested that I write out short term fitness goals. So then I found myself thinking, "How does one write out fitness goals for pregnancy?!" I decided to make them very short term...so for now my goals are through week...just four weeks and a day! Goal # 1 Use my 21 Day Fix program daily. 30 minute daily exercises. Try NOT to use the modifiers.  It'll make me stronger later when I HAVE to use them.  Goal # 2 Follow my 21 Day Fix eating plan with NO calorie deficit. I'm pregnant. This is not the time for cutting calories.  Go

As I sit here reading "The Happiness Project," I am so overwhelmed by just how much I needed this book. Have any of you read this book?! What did you think of it? Posted by Allison Valree Federico on  Tuesday, November 1, 2016 When I sat down to begin reading, I heard the kids playing upstairs...and I was worried about it.... "What is my son getting into now?" (It's always, always always something!) "Are they going to get hurt?" "What if a neighbor stops by and realizes that I'm letting my kids play without helicoptering them? What will she think?" But the truth of the matter is, she is almost 5 and he is 2, and really they can play alone for 10 minutes while I read, and (as long as they don't burn the house down), most messes will be cleanable.... But the point is, I started out with the wrong mindset to begin! Just 5 minutes into my reading, I already see that! My kids are LAUGHING. And having FUN tog

So, I think it's time to be honest with myself.... For the previous 19 months I was consistently proud of myself for my fitness....I finished each month off in better shape than I was the month before....then October 2016 happened. This month was NUTS! There was something crazy happening just about every day. There were sweets....EVERYWHERE! And don't get me wrong...there is place for MODERATION...but I definitely over did it! I missed so many workouts, and honestly I'm just  not proud of where I am today. So what am I going to do? I could feel guilty about it...but that's just a waste of time, energy, and emotion. Instead, I'm STARTING OVER!! TOMORROW, I kick off my Fall Fitness Virtual Bootcamp! And I'm going to be doing 21 Day Fix and just getting REALLY back to the basics! Balanced Eating Daily 30 minutes wokouts And my daily dose of dense nutrition---SHAKEOLOGY! I may just even throw a daily 10 minutes of ab work into this as well! But, t

That’s right. We’re giving you one more day to try MMA Speed from Joel and Jericho’s newest program, CORE DE FORCE! If you didn’t get to try this six-round, boxing-influenced workout the first time, this is your chance to try it with your Beachbody On Demand subscription before the program launches on November 1. MMA Speed is broken into six 3-minute “rounds” that alternate between authentic MMA  combinations, bodyweight training, and explosive cardio to help you attack belly fat and carve total-body definition — all without any equipment. It sounds intense, but don’t worry. You can follow the modifier, Jessica, to help you get familiar with the moves! Plus, to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Beachbody Foundation will donate $10 for every person who streams CORE DE FORCE in honor of the “Be a Positive Force” campaign — up to $250,000! So what are you waiting for? Support the “Littles” across America by trying MMA Speed on Monday, October 24th. If you’re not already a Bea

WEDDING CRASHER Fit For A Queen Are you engaged?!? Then this never-done-before event is for YOU!! Attend a REAL wedding, see REAL vendors, and get a REAL swag bag full of amazing discounts to make your wedding PERFECT--including a special gift from ME!!! Here's my special discount code to give you 25% off your ticket!! You don't want to miss out!! CODE: fitforaqueen Event Info & Purchase Tickets

Not gonna lie. Just set down to work on motivating my challengers on this long ride home with NO sense of direction. I've felt so overwhelmed all week with the hurricane & evacuation. On top of that, one of the super dedicated women on my team of Beachbody coaches' house was majorly flooded during the hurricane :(. And I'm just so broken hearted for her. It's in the moments like these that I have to stop and think WHY am I a Beachbody coach. That's where I find my motivation to keep going and my direction. There are so many reasons, but this time I'm just going to focus on ONE. ME. Yup, me!!! Wait what?  There's tons of people who need help here. Not to mention you have two kids and a hardworking husband.  And your own house to remove boards from and check for damage. Yes. I intend to take care of all of that. And help as much as I can. By nature, I am a caregiver. I give and give because I LOVE doing it. I do not get a rush of excitement at

When you are naturally an anxious person, ANYTHING out of the norm can throw you way off track!!! So when a hurricane comes the same week you get a few other blows, things can get a little out of control inside your head! 🗯 At least, that's what happened to me last year during the thousand year flood when I also lost my dear uncle. This time around I'm determined that through God's grace and peace alone it will be different for me. I WILL count my blessings and find my peace in Him. Because He is my provider and my comforter. And He is in control.

Lately I've been a little over salads. I just ate a couple hundred too many over the past year and a half  😂 So, I needed something equally easy & healthy? My solution? Omelettes!!! Who says you can't have brunch mid-week?! And yum! Problem solved!! Ingredients 2 eggs 1 cup spinach 2 oz pepper-jack cheese 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil Directions -heat oil in pan -whisk eggs together in a bowl and pour in pan -when eggs are almost cooked through add cheese and spinach -heat until cheese is melted and spinach is cooked -remove from pan and fold BON APPETIT!  😘

I feel like I can't write about "BEING BUSY" because every time I think about it people with jobs just respond..."OH you have NO idea". You know what. They might be correct. Maybe I don't. I 100% believe that your day was hard. I'm sure you could have benefitted from another hour of sleep. I'm sure you did not want to get dressed in your best this morning, drop your kids off at school, and start the daily grind. If you tell me your day was hard, I BELIEVE YOU. If you say you are tired and exhausted, I think I cannot imagine having to get up and leave my kids daily. I flat out couldn't do it. You are a superhero. It's fantastic that you work. I'm IMPRESSED. Your JOB gives you a special identity. Something that is your OWN. I VALUE that. YOU ARE FANTASTIC. YOU WORK YOUR ASS OFF. You are changing the world. And I VALUE that! I celebrate that. I love that you work hard. I SERIOUSLY admire so many of my friends wh

Have you heard the one about the chicken and pig who want to make a bacon-and-egg sandwich for the farmer they liked so much? The chicken says, “I could provide some eggs.” The pig replies, “That’s fine, but while you’re making a contribution, I’m making a real commitment!” The same adage holds true to anyone trying to get in (and stay in) shape. If you simply get involved in your nutrition and fitness plan, and contribute some time and effort toward living healthy, you will most likely achieve some results. You may feel stronger, more confident, and pleased with your progress. However, these feelings won’t compare to the satisfaction you’ll experience if you are 100% committed to each training session and meal. Committing wholeheartedly to your health is not easy. There will be times when you’ll experience temporary physical, psychological, or emotional discomfort. You may feel torn between ordering that 350-calorie blended coffee drink or unsweetened peppermint tea. You may be h

Working out with kids. Sometimes it's flawless. Other days it's nutty. Today it was flat out hysterical. I PLANNED to make you all a video of the killer moves in PiYo core. Instead, I gave up on filming just after the warm up. This is more entertaining anyways!  😂 # ENJOY

Finally...a solution to my NACHO CRAVINGS!!!!! The reality is that a plate of nachos is like a food pile of perfection: crunchy tortilla chips, cheese, salsa, meat, and every topping you can think of, minus the kitchen sink. But (isn’t there always a “but… “?) nachos aren’t  exactly  what you would call a “healthy” dish. But here’s the good news: Thanks to Autumn Calabrese and her brother Bobby, who just happens to be a chef, you can now have your cake, er, nachos, and eat them, too, courtesy of their FIXATE-exclusive Vegan Kale Nachos recipe. “Vegan kale nachos have been one of our best loved dishes since the show aired. I mean come on, who doesn’t love nachos, and what’s great about this recipe is that you really get to eat them without feeling guilty, says Bobby.  “No one can believe the cheese sauce is dairy-free, and kale chips are honestly better than regular tortilla chips.” Kale “chips” are a creative way to show kids (and adults!) that there’s more than one way t

How do you feel TODAY?  How are you feeling right now, in this moment? Are you tired? Are you exhausted? Are you burnt out? Are you in pain daily? Are you willing to feel this way forever? What if I told you that you do not have to settle?  What if I told you I had a way to help you feel better? To have more energy? To get rid of some of that stress? To alleviate some of your pain? I felt this way prior to starting my own journey with Beachbody. I was 25..only 25...but I just did NOT feel good. I was overweight and out of shape. I was eating all of the wrong foods. My feet hurt badly when I walked. Sometimes my knees did too. I experienced BAD heartburn daily. Walking with my children was just not fun, chasing after them was exhausting. And I decided I could just NOT settle for life like this. Something had to change. A year and a half later, I look and FEEL younger than I did then. Not only can I walk without pain in my feet, I can also RUN! I eat a healthy diet regularly t

HELLO FALL!!!   Do you love this time of the year as much as I do? The colors, the pretty fall leaves, the pumpkins, the funny gourds.  And of course, the pumpkin spice lattes...It's heavenly! But my goodness...those pumpkin spice drinks can make you look like well, a great big pumpkin, before Turkey day and Santa even get here!! So what do we do?!?!   Try this HONEY PUMPKIN SPICE SHAKEOLOGY!  and you can have your pumpkin yummies and get HEALTHIER too!!! This recipe will change how you look at pumpkin spice drinks forever. It’s smooth, creamy, and uses real pumpkin to keep the shake natural and healthy. A touch of honey adds just the right amount of sweetness, making it a delightful treat for any time of day, and any time of year! What you need: 1 cup water 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology ½ cup pumpkin puree ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. honey 1 cup ice How you do it: Blend Shakeology, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, honey, and ice in a blender; cover (serious

Sugar can be SNEAKY! So very sneaky. It's seems like it's EVERYWHERE these days! Have you looked at the labels on your food lately?!? Ketchup? LOADED with it! Cereals? MY GOODNESS---this stuff is marketed as HEALTHY!! Yogurt?!? Unless you are getting plain yogurt or making your own stop kidding yourself. Manufacturers are packing this stuff with sugar! Some may even say you might as well just go out for ice cream!! So how do we get this sugar out of our diets? We start by being AWARE! Today I want you to look through your pantry---especially at the stuff you eat frequently---and notice how much sugar has snuck into your food! **Make sure to take into account the portion size....you might find yourself having to double that sugar count based on how much you eat....OR MORE!

Remember back in the day when we used to write cutesy assignments about how we felt?  Did you ever stop to think about how those were impacting you and helping you grow as a person?  Me neither. So tonight, I decided to sit down and write out what I believe today. Because BOY has my outlook changed since the last time I did something like this in high school!! So here goes... 🌟I believe Jesus is Lord 🌟I believe family comes first 🌟I believe a healthy lifestyle matters 🌟I believe in a back to basics lifestyle.  🔸Breakfast should be at the kitchen table. Lunch and dinner should be there as well. 🔸Families should pray around their meals. 🔸Children should be taught right from wrong and to respect their elders. 🔸A child's education begins in the home. If they are taught strong values there, they will have a firm foundation. 🔸The TV is OK as an educational tool and for occasional entertainment. It should not be on at all times. 🔸Books are not overrated. There's some

Cheers!!! There are so many Beachbody coaches out there these days!  It seems like the market should be absolutely over-saturated and that there's nothing left to take home from coaching...right?!?! Well, 60% of Americans are still overweight, so that just CANNOT be true! Though I signed up as a Beachbody coach initially only for the profit, that is just not the only thing it has been about for me in the long-run! I knew that I would get the unique opportunity to use my college degree (BS in Human Nutrition & Dietetics) from home while raising my children.  I knew that I would get to talk to other adults a little more (and as a mom--that's huge!!)  I knew that I loved "playing" on my computer and on social media, so that this was PERFECT for me! But there have been sooooo many amazing things about it that I just didn't foresee coming into it!! No one told me the day I signed up that I would lose 40 pounds, a ton of inches (I LOST COUNT), 4 clothes sizes, a

The other day I saw this REALLY cool idea online for growing new lettuce from the bottom of an old lettuce!  So I decided to give it a try! All you have to do is chop the bottom of a lettuce off from the head of lettuce and put it in a small jar of water....Let's see how this goes (grows?! :))!!! DAY ONE DAY TWO I see tiny leaves!!! DAY THREE I'm getting excited about this!!! DAY FOUR    They are growing!!!! DAY FIVE My sister inspecting the lettuce while she was in town to see if this is for real!! DAY SIX DAY SEVEN I'm getting so so excited about this! I think I'm going to go ahead and put the one we are eating right now in water as well! DAY EIGHT DAY NINE  Things are looking really good! DAY 10  HMMM...those leaves seemed closer together yesterday! DAY ELEVEN  What the heck happened here?!?! DAY TWELVE Well, this isn&