From Flab to Fab Fitness Instagram Account @fromflabtofabfitness

Well well well... it's about time I do a blog post dedicated to the project I've been focusing a lot on. I wanted to make sure I had enough content before I publicly shared my baby...

And that big baby is my fitness video Instagram account! I know what you're thinking... another IG account for fitness, but I can't get enough of them. They can really beat the workout blues when you're feeling lazy!

Is it just me or is IG the biggest fitness motivation out there?! You can scroll through tons of pictures and videos... and get a ton of ideas and inspiration!

So why should YOU follow ME?

• Do you want quick workout ideas to do at home?
•  or at the gym?
• Would you like to learn how to use different equipment?
• No equipment, no problem! Plenty of exercises coming your way without ANYTHING but you! 
• Health and fitness tips
• Progress pictures and REAL TALK -- I don't sugar coat the hard stuff
• Review of workout programs 

& of course lots more as time goes on! 

Why did I start this? Honestly, it really stemmed from people (you all!) asking me what I was doing so far to get my transformation, and then it snowballed into having a lot of fun making this videos. 

So don't be shy, I LOVE my followers and finding out what you guys want to see. Leave comments, questions and be sure to email me if you want some help! 

Until then ladies <3

http://instagram.com/fromflabtofabfitness

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The 21 Day Fix- an HONEST Review

Maybe you're sitting there asking yourself, "to fix or not to fix?" … and looking for a REAL honest review of the program and the meal plan… well you came to the right page ;-)

When I first got my package, I practically tore it open… I had been looking forward to the containers and meal planning for so long because as much as I try to be on top of my health and fitness, meal planning and prep are not my forte. At all.

So needless to say, I was stoked to have some REAL accountability WITHOUT counting calories and guessing how much I can have of each food group per day. I had a basic understanding but no REAL guideline. 

Low and behold, the 21 Day Fix came riding in like a white knight ;-)

The Workouts: 30 min. workouts 21 days straight. 

Whether your a fitness pro or a newbie, these workout DVDs can work for anyone at any level and honestly hit just about every major muscle group with a few select workouts to target some smaller ares. What I LOVE about the workouts, they're only 30 minutes and you're done. However, you're working out for 21 days straight, but honestly, only doing 30 mins a day of these workouts is MORE than doable. If you want to build a habit, it takes 21 days right?

My favorite DVDs are plyo fix, cardio fix, and pilates…. I have never done a traditional pilates class but I REALLY enjoyed the video and how it works on resistance and lengthening the muscles. Ladies, if you're looking to tone the booty, hips and core, this workout video is the ISH for it! 

You will need a light and heavy set of weights, I would suggest anywhere from 5 lbs to 15 (if you're feeling good) -- but remember it takes to build up. 

In most of the videos you are doing a set of exercises either once or twice through and doing 5-6 different rounds. There's also a good amount of lunges, squats, burpees and some lateral cardio work. So be prepared to sweat, and don't worry--if you're not quite in the physical condition you want, you can always modify with Cathy--who I LOVE in the videos. Because if I'm dying or something doesn't feel comfortable, I follow my girl CATHY! ;-)

As far as YOGA goes-- I'm a bit of a yoga snob, so if it's not heated and in a class, I'm not a big fan but this is a great introduction of how you can really stretch your muscles so you're not wound up tight. 

The Containers:

When I first saw these two words popped into my head, "FUN SIZE" HA! If you're struggling with portion control, the STRUGGLE JUST GOT REAL. HOWEVER I will say, after putting my food in the containers then dumping them on my plate, I was actually very pleased with the amount of food I did get. 

So it works like this, you get 1 of each color container: red, blue, green, purple, blue, yellow and two orange (the only that you get two of) 

 And as you can tell on the left each container has a specific purpose.

You calculate your body weight and do some fun math (you'll see in your booklet) and then you calculate your caloric level .. and then based on your range of calories you're allowed to have you will be assigned a bracket of containers you are allowed daily.

So for example, if I was consuming 1800 calories a day, I would be allowed to have: 4 green, 3 purple, 3 yellow, 4 red, 1 blue and 1 orange.

Then I would take those colored containers and start to space them through out my day like the picture posted below.

And although it doesn't SOUND or maybe LOOK like a lot, it's surprisingly IS. I've had quite a few customers and coaches say that they felt they had MORE than enough food and were totally fine not having all the containers. But on the other hand, I've also had many of us still be a bit hungry. 

It's called PORTION control for a REASON--- doing the same thing and expecting different results is called INSANITY.. if you want to find your sanity you have to switch it up. 

And if you want results, you have to do what works and what's healthy and safe for your body. Overeating is not safe and does NOT work. (ahem, I know about that)

The Trainer: 

Oh Autumn. She's so cute, young and refreshing. It was about time we got another female fitness trainer who we could look up to. I will always love Chalene Johnson because how could you not? She's Wonder Woman, but I'm sure it was even nice for her to see another female trainer on the Beachbody team. The great thing about Autumn is she reminds you that " IF YOU'RE SICK OF STARTING OVER, STOP QUITNG" and "DONT WISH FOR IT, WORK FOR IT" She's full of little inspirational quotes to keep her peeps going. I do like her, and I love the concept of her workouts. It can't be easy to hit all the right spots and muscles in 30 mins in 7 DVDs but she manages well! 

I don't know if she's Canadian but she does ask "yeah?!" a lot… "alright we're going to do ___ for 30 seconds, yeah?!"

The Meal Plan:

The great thing about the meal plan is you can do whatever you want without in the selected foods for each container… and it's pretty flexible if you want to have pizza or a glass of wine. BUT you have to SUB THINGS OUT if you plan on having a little cheat treat here and there--if you want wine, you have to take 3 yellows out for the week… if you want pizza, you can have 1/4 of a 12" pie. 

I'm not going to sugar coat it, when I feel restricted, I tend to rebel. So while I KNOW the meal plan has my best interests at heart, any type of plan that says, "no you can't have this" is a big fat NO for me. And while the FIX lets you have little things here and there, since it's only 21 days the point is to focus on eating clean the whole time. My boyfriend did an excellent job with it…. I however struggled. But I see it like this, I plan on using the fix meal plan and portioned containers from here on out, so it's a learning curve. I would give myself a B when it came the meal plan. The only thing I want once a week is a cheat meal. I need balance. But that's just me. 

You can come up with some pretty great meal plans, I would suggest for your first round to make  it easy and to really cement the habit. 

Be prepared to prep food ahead of time and portion it off, while it may take more time and diligence, thats how you BUILD a good habit, through CONSCIOUS consistent effort! 

My boyfriend and I both experience an increase in energy, alertness and clarity. Our workouts weren't as draining and we felt energized after. So think of food as fuel! 

My personal meal plan:

Overall review:

So in recent months my overall goal has been to reach a body close to that of our fellow fitness bikini comp models-- I want the nice sculpted obliques that lead to a nice round booty, long muscular legs (can't make my legs grow or get longer, but I can lunge the crap out of them to look longer), tight toned abs, sculpted shoulders and biceps, you know the whole 9 yards. 

I've been working out for almost 4 years with dedicated effort. You're probably wondering how this ties in with the Fix. Hang tight. I've been so ready to see REAL changes in my body, but I knew that my meal planning and prep was sucking. Royally. 

Well, did you know that Autumn specialized in training not only celebs in LA, but working on her own bikini fitness comp body? She knows that to get the bodies we want -- whether it be a fitness bikini comp bod or something we want to feel comfortable in -- and it all comes down to the one workout that matters most. Fork to mouth baby.

What we eat matters. Big time. You can't out exercise a bad diet and Autumn knows that, so having a trainer who emphasizes and follows through with a strategic easy to follow meal plan, is THE key! Having something people can actually physically hold, and understand and use as a tool has been revolutionizing how we lose weight. I don't know why this didn't come out sooner.

I know between my own personal workouts, The 21 day fix workouts, containers, and meal plan, I will get that body I want. And I'm SO CLOSE. 

The other great thing about the FIX, is that the workouts use some of my FAVORITE and most suggested moves to really sculpt the body. Plank dips, lots of plank work, sumo burpees, hip raises. So many over looked body parts are going to get WORKED. So enjoy it!

I hope you enjoyed this review! I'm VERY VERY pleased with this workout, trainer, and meal plan. I would def give it 5 out of 5 stars for its easy to follow concepts, short and effective workouts and awesome trainer. 

If you have any questions, comments or reviews of your own, post them below, I would love to hear form my followers what they think!

If you want to be apart of my 21 Day Fix Accountability Group and Get STARTED NOW click HERE =) to fill out the application!

P.S. Stay tuned for my results, I will be posting them this week! =) 

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21 Day Fix Workout Challenge with Meal Plan and Portion sizes

So, I uhh… got a question for you that could really change how you approach your health and fitness goals. You ready?

How would you like to lose up to 15lbs in 21 days? 

I signed the dotted line and I'm in. 

But it's not just about weight loss. How would you like to have VISIBLE results in 21 days? One of the biggest complaints I've heard, and experienced, about starting new workout programs is that we don't see results as quick as we want. I know that impatience isn't going to get us anywhere and instant gratification results can be temporary, but seeing progress early on prompts you to want to keep going! 

And with this program, the results aren't temporary. It's based on the idea that it takes 21 days to MAKE and BREAK habits. That means, over eating, not planning out your meals, drinking soda, ya know the bad stuff we usually fall victim to.

The 21 Day Fix is an at home workout program based on MEAL PLANNING and PREPPING with a focus on PORTION CONTROL and 30 minute workouts. 

That means three of our biggest downfalls when it comes to eating right is planning our meals, prepping and portion control. And what does that mean? 21 DAY FIX tackles it HEAD ON. 

You not only follow a workout program for 30 mins a day (can be modified to ANY Fitness level), but you also get portion controlled containers that are color coded for your meals, a meal plan, 30 day supply of Shakeology (the best thing out there, trust me learn more HERE), and the best part? You get to be in my 21 Day Fitness group on FB Called "Sweaty Chicks and Armpits" (you have to be on FB to participate, however if you do not have one I will work one on one with whoever needs my help). 

Watch the Preview here to get an idea of what I'm talking about: 

Looks pretty amazing right? It is. I just got mine, and oh baby, I cannot wait to get started!

But you can bet your sweet face I'm not doing it alone. I want to gather a group of women who are READY to take back their fitness, learn about meal planning and prepping, and women who are ready to see the results they work for. I don't know about you, but anything longer than 30 mins for a tough workout is hard to fit in the schedule. Don't get me wrong, I still do longer workouts, but because I enjoy it. I realize that many people don't like to workout, or feel like they have NO IDEA what they're doing and The 21 Day Fix is honestly a great start. And in our group we're going to stick together, share our meals, and keep each other focused. I've already got my first group starting, and I'm opening up one more this month and then that is it ;-)

So if you want to join us apply HERE to be in the challenge group
and
click to join our group on Facebook HERE! 

21 Day Fix takes all the guesswork out of weight loss. There's no counting, no guessing, and no wondering. Just easy-to-follow portion control and one 30-minute workout per day. That's all.

In 21 days, you could get beach-ready for a vacation. Look drop-dead great at your upcoming reunion. Or jump-start a major weight-loss goal. It's simple, it's fast, and it works. So stop wasting time on diets that don't get results. If you're ready to get serious, 21 Day Fix can help you lose the weight.

Your 21 Day Fix Essential Package includes:

SIMPLE FITNESS

6 easy-to-follow workouts on 2 DVDs
Ready for a major calorie burn in only 30 minutes? We made these workouts short so you can get in, get out, and get on with your day. But that's no excuse for taking it easy. The workouts will challenge you at every level to help maximize fat loss. And there's always a modifier on screen to show you how to dial down the intensity without losing the benefits.

1. Upper Fix. Targeted resistance training helps shape your chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abs.
2. Lower Fix. Firm and tone your entire lower body while you blast fat and burn calories.
3. Total Body Cardio Fix. Keep your heart rate up and your metabolism revved high long after the workout is over.
4. Cardio Fix. Get your heart pumping and your body moving as you melt away the pounds.
5. Pilates Fix. Strengthen your core, elongate your muscles, and firm your hips and thighs.
6. Yoga Fix. Improve your balance, flexibility, and strength as you help relax your muscles.

SIMPLE EATING

Your 21-day portion-control system
Forget about ounces, cups, and calories. These seven color-coded containers and Shakeology shaker cup deliver exactly the right portions every time, so you never eat too much or too little. Fill them up with as much food as you want—if it fits, you can eat it!

• Green—Vegetables
• Purple—Fruit
• Red—Protein
• Yellow—Carbohydrates
• Blue—Healthy Fats and Cheese
• 2 Orange—Seeds and Oils
• Shakeology® Shaker Cup—Drinks

Plus an easy plan to help you succeed:

21 Day Fix Start Here
Start seeing results immediately! This quickstart guide and workout calendar shows you just how simple it is to achieve your weight-loss goals.

And 4 FREE BONUS gifts:

21 Day Fix Eating Plan
This simple Eating Plan takes you step-by-step through the process and makes portion control so easy, you won't even have to think about it. Enjoy delicious, healthy food without counting calories, and watch the pounds fall off.

3 Day Quick Fix
Get beach-ready in 72 hours! This is Autumn's secret weapon for losing weight fast before a competition or photo shoot. Do it during the last 3 days of 21 Day Fix for mind-blowing "after" pictures.

Dirty 30 workout
4 rounds of fat-burning exercises help carve out a leaner, stronger physique.

Not only that, but it's on sale this month for $140 << normally Shakeology is $130 alone, and you get it WITH your challenge pack, so you're practically stealing from us. Thanks. 

To order your 21 DAY FIX CHALLENGE PACK CLICK HERE!

I am barfing with excitement! I hope you do this with us, and don't forget to fill out the form to join us (and make me your personal coach so I can help you reach your goals--my coaching is free ;-) ) 

Ya ready? Let's go ladies! Time to lift, tighten, tone, and love the reflection a bit more, and find your confidence boost! 

-Abby 

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21 Day Challenge P90X3 for Women

Have you ever joined a competition or challenge? Maybe it was with a group or maybe it was just you and against yourself.

I've started many new habits, challenges, ideas --- some worked WELL and some totally flopped.

I've given things my all, and I gave some things less than half effort.

and what I've found is this…

When you look at the entire staircase it can be overwhelming, intimidating, scary and a lot to take on!

But if you can F O C U S your energy on one step a time… anything is possible.

That's just it… one step at a time with laser focus. And I'm going to hold you accountable to those goals… It takes 21 days to build a habit, are you ready to build one and have it stick?

Sounds simple right? Exactly, which is exactly why I'm INVITING you into my 21 Day Bombshell Fit Challenge… here's the deets:

What is it exactly?

The 21 Day challenge is pretty self explanatory… it's a 21 days! Alright, there's a bit more to it. It's held in a PRIVATE Facebook group with about 10-12 women total participating in a fitness focused challenge. We'll share recipes, before photos, check in daily, motivate one another, goal setting, time management, I'll give you my personal meal plan (which helped me lose 15lbs and lean out), you will personally check in with me once a week with accountability pictures, a food log and your weeks goals, and MUCH more! Constant support!

Who can join?

Any of my REGISTERED CUSTOMERS << or any new customers who do NOT have a Beachbody coach already (however, if your coach isn't active and/or helping you with your goals, please message me and maybe we can get the ball rolling).

If you found me via Instagram, Pinterest, FB, etc. you are more than welcome to join!

So basically anyone and everyone is welcome! =)

When does it start?

I will be starting a new 21 day challenge every month, please contact me for upcoming dates! The next challenge begins Jan 20, 2014!

What do I need?

> Positive attitude and willingness to SWEAT << We're strong, capable women who are going to kick ass!

> SPECIFIC and ACTION ORIENTED GOALS ( 'I want to lose weight' is not an acceptable goal, lets get specific--how much? by when? whats your goal body? goal weight?)

> A Beachbody program (please do not purchase through craigslist or other sites like Ebay << I offer the groups for free, but I ask that you have a REAL Beachbody program) of your choice that you will commit to for 21 days!

> Shakeology HD << NOT a requirement, but highly suggested if you want LEGIT RESULTS! NOTE: If you are not on Shakeology HD you have access to the group for 21 days, but after that the group is for Shakeology HD customers only because it takes commitment to nutrition if you want even better results << you cannot out exercise a bad diet! Trust me, I tried, I failed.

> a FB account: If you are on Facebook please FRIEND REQUEST ME >> www.facebook.com/abbymaried
*if you do not have a FB account, but want to work with me one on one please send me an email at abbyfix@me.com and make me your official coach here!


How can I join and get in touch with you?

You can either email me at abbyfix@me.com if you want one on one coaching
OR
Fill out my 21 Day Challenge FORM << click me! Fill that out and I will be in touch!


So whatcha waitin' for girl?! Those weights aren't going to lift themselves! Let's get FIT!

CIAO,
Abby

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5 Moves to Lift and Tone Your Butt!

Lift that booty! Tighten that ass! No one wants a saggy booty right? Heck no!! I think it's almost every woman's dream to have a nice backside so they feel confident in anything-bikinis, jeans, shorts, dresses,  you name it, we wana be able to leave a room and leave an impression! 

I've always had a bigger backside (she get it from her mama) and I'm grateful for it, esp since the Kate Moss days are out and curvy fit is in! Hallelujah, it's time for me AND YOU to shine! Curves are in, and the best curve of all is that booty!

Here are FIVE of my FAVORITE Booty workouts!

Curtsey Lunge: (targets hips and booty)

Oh yeah. You will feel this just about everywhere in your lower body... Start with your feet shoulders width apart, then step your right foot behind your left in a curtsey--bend both knees but make sure they don't go over your toes! Keep your back straight and chest lifted and stick that ass out! Act like you are either bowling or doing a curtsey! Repeat 15x ea side! Add weights to increase level of difficulty! Fell in love with this move in ChaLEAN Extreme!

Sumo Jack Burpees: (works inner thighs and booty)

We are taking this up a notch! Get into a plie stance, feet wide with toes turned out. Squat, come up, jump your feet together into a plank pose, jump back into a sumo squat pose, then jump your feet back together parallel. Repeat 20x! Fell in love with this move in ChaLEAN Extreme!

Donkey Kicks: (works booty) 

Get on all fours baby! Hands below shoulders on the floor, hips stacked on top of  knees so your spine is in line. Or modify by bringing forearms to the floor if that feels best. Kick your leg (keep it at 90 degree bend with your knee) WAY up, then bring back into your core. For added difficulty add ankle weights and do 20x ea side. Fell in love with this move in Brazil Butt Lift!

Straight Leg Dead Lifts: (back of thighs, booty, lower back)

Nothing says sexy like a perfected dead lift. One of my FAVORITE moves because it targets the back of our thighs (which tend to be a struggle for a lot of women). With feet hips width apart, keeping your back straight, and a micro-bend in your knees, lower your upper body to about 90 degrees (or a little higher depending on your flexibility). Use weights (I do 15lbs 15x, 17.5 12x, 20lbs 8x) in both hands and slide them down the front of your legs. Come back up slowly and push hips forward, repeat!

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl: (works hamstrings, quads, core, booty)

Ah, the stability ball. My favorite piece of equipment--very versatile if you can get creative! Lying on your back, place the stability ball under your heels/calves. Lift your hips off the ground with arms at your side, then roll the ball in towards your hips while keeping them lifted. Roll back out. Repeat 20x. Squeeze your muscles as you roll in and out! FOCUS on the muscles you are working!

Let me know your favorite booty workouts! Sharing is caring ;-)

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