I think there is too much pressure today on women. For some reason skinny=beautiful. God designed women to have natural curves and yes - extra "padding" here and there. There is something mysteriously beautiful about feminine curves. Our society keeps pushing us to have that "six pack" or that "thigh gap." Some women naturally have those things....and some of us don't. It is unhealthy to compare ourselves to other women thinking "that is what I want to look like..."

This picture is a reminder that every woman is beautiful! These women ALL WEIGH THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT!!! (That is why we should only use what we see in the mirror as determination! NOT some model we think is perfect. REALIZE YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and EMBRACE who you are!!!)

I believe it is important to fill our bodies with healthy food so we are not constantly working against ourselves. I also believe that regular exercise is important for our overall health. It is important to feel confident in ourselves and how we look. There is nothing wrong with pushing ourselves to get that "extra definition" or "toning excessive jiggle." The best rule of thumb is EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. 

I am currently finishing up a clean eating challenge (tomorrow is the last day) and I feel proud of myself and the ladies who joined me in it and stuck it out!!! I honestly think the hardest part of the whole thing is trying to plan ahead and have everything mapped out. It is more expensive to eat healthy also - BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT. I am going to continue on this path of eating healthy! Convenience is what's getting me....lol. This is what I have decided:

I am spending X amount of dollars to make smoothies (greek yogurt, protein powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, probiotics, fresh veggies, frozen fruit, etc....). After planning ahead and spending that money to make those shakes I could have bought a complete shake ready to go.

I thought about buying Shakeology last fall but passed on it because the initial price scared me away. I also did not know enough about it to value it to spend the money.  I have always been the type of person that has to know "WHY" before I believe it and "PROVE" that something works...lol. Call me stubborn - but hey - it is what it is. 

I have been doing my "research" lol...I believe now that the ingredients in Shakeology are truly high quailty! (you get what you pay for) If I went to the store and bought everything I needed to make a shake equivalent to this one it would be REALLY EXPENSIVE! (Plus then I'd still have to store it all and actually make the shake and clean up...haha - I know I sound lazy. BUT IF IT IS NOT CONVENIENT IT IS HARD TO STICK WITH.) 

I finally "bit the bullet" you could say and bought a 30 day supply of Shakeology to try. I LOVE IT. I decided on the individual packets so I have it measured out already, I can conveniently take it to work, mix it up at home -plus easy to throw in my purse for a backup meal (NO excuse for fast food...lol) I tried half vegan chocolate and half vegan tropical strawberry....yum. Normally I don't really care for premixed shakes...but these are tasty! ;) Okay - enough about that. I am just excited about it! lol.

(here's my link if you want more info on it: http://www.shakeology.com/andreanewkirk

Anyway, it will be a convenient, healthy way for me to stay on track while fitting in my next exercise challenge starting on June 1st!  If you aren't already my friend of Facebook - Friend Me! I am still adding people to my member list for when I create the closed challenge group for June 1ST! (It is a free 30 day challenge group that will help us all stay accountable and TONE for summer!)

I LOVE encouraging you to be the best you can be. I KNOW that if you set your mind to it - you CAN do it! You are stronger than you think. Once again - You have ALWAYS been beautiful. Now you're just deciding to be healthier, fitter, faster, and stronger. Remember that. 

And remember - YOU are your only competition. 

-andreanewkirknaturalliving

This may seem random and that's okay! LOL. I am getting really excited about our garden this summer! My husband and I ordered non GMO seeds this year! We are excited to make our own baby food later this fall for our daughter when she's ready to transition to food! I just wanted to share the information because I am so excited about it!!! The company we found and love is from Missouri, which is neat! The more I learn about non-GMO foods, the more I want to strive to eat healthier! I think it is important to share knowledge when it will help benefits others! I could REALLY go in depth here about non-GMO foods, but I mainly want to share this company's information with you!!! You can request a free seed catalog from them here: http://www.rareseeds.com/request-our-catalog/

I would also recommend reading more about their family business! Pretty neat!

Part of being healthy is fueling our bodies with healthy, whole foods! (Not a bunch of processed crap!) Buying organic/non-GMO can be expensive! (but still cheaper than doctor bills!) Even if you don't have a spot where you live to plant a large garden, you can still plant a few seeds in a container garden and grow your own main veggies that you eat most of!

Here is the "about us" spot on their website:  http://www.rareseeds.com/about/

Take a look and see what you think!

I'm excited to see how our garden does this summer!  I'm thankful for my husband taking care of it since I'm 6 weeks away from our due date! I think it will be a neat opportunity to grow, prepare, and freeze our own baby food for later this year and into next year as well!

Do I have any mamas that are reading this blog? I am a first time mom and am 34 weeks pregnant this week! I am excited to meet my little baby at the end of June! I am also nervous/excited to see what my body looks like after baby is here. Are there any other moms out there that are looking forward to getting back in shape afterward? I have been super careful throughout my whole pregnancy using organic, non-gmo prenatal vitamins and have tried to stay pretty active the whole time. It is getting SUPER hard to have any motivation these last weeks to exercise though! I am down to walking a couple times a week...and not very far because of sciatica! Bummer dude. (Won't miss that! lol)

Anyways - I am getting really excited about my "plan" later this summer to get back to where I'd like to be! I have a challenge pack waiting with my name on it here at home! I wanted to have it ahead of time so I have NO EXCUSE to start right away! I will be using Shakeology for either one or two meal replacements each day - along with eating as clean as possible and exercising! I ordered Brazil Butt Lift because as my pregnancy progresses I can see that will be a lovely problem area where I have gained and will need to LOSE afterward! I also have PIYO from before pregnancy - and I LOVE IT. So will have to decide how to incorporate that as well!

I am planning to breastfeed so know that my calorie intake and QUALITY of food intake will be SUPER IMPORTANT. I was actually going to start Shakeology last week because I tried one and it was DELICIOUS. (normally I HATE meal replacement shakes because to me they have a weird aftertaste and don't fill me up.) I can tell the ingredients are awesome quality because I felt energized and full afterward! I did a little research and found out if I drink Shakeology while pregnant I would actually need to STOP taking my prenatal vitamins because it would be TOO many vitamins for baby! Talk about healthy ingredients! I ordered the Vegan Shakes to try...So far really liked the tropical strawberry and have yet to try the vegan chocolate post pregnancy!

So - the plan is meal replacements + healthy snacks in between shakes during the day + healthy dinner + exercise plan.

The only thing missing: YOU.

I need accountability.
I need to know there are other moms taking this journey with me...
I want to encourage you in your fitness journey after baby!
I want to give you the tools and support you need for success!
I KNOW WE CAN DO IT.

It is so important to look and feel our best so we are able to pour ourselves into our new babies and our families!

I am getting really excited for this adventure. I am not saying it will be easy, in fact, I will probably be exhausted and looking for little reasons to skip exercising from time to time. THAT is where being part of a challenge group comes into play! It is a safe, closed group that offers encouragement, support, honesty, accountability, and most of all, success.

Who wants to join me? It does not matter if you are a first time mom, have five kids, just delivered recently, or have put yourself on the back burner for a few months or years and are READY to change how you look and feel about yourself. It is possible to have success and I am SUPER EXCITED to have you alongside me! The workouts are convenient to fit into your schedule without a gym membership. The shakes leave NO room for guesswork with what a healthy, complete meal looks like. (I'm looking forward to that while on maternity leave and breastfeeding!) It will be doable. We can do it together! Message me on Facebook for more information if you think this is something you want to join me in!

-andreanewkirknaturalliving

Who struggles with nutrition and knowing what foods are healthy? I believe that whatever you eat has a BIG impact on your body if you're trying to lose weight, get toned, or just be healthier in general. It is difficult to stay on the straight and narrow with temptations of late night snacking, convenient drive through meals, and even hidden calories from soda and coffee creamer!

SO.........
I am starting a FREE five day CLEAN EATING challenge next week! You will be part of a private group with others that are all doing this together! It will be a great way to jump start some healthy eating habits! I will be doing it as well and want some accountability also!

It is only 5 days! I believe that if you set your mind to it and have the right tools and encouragement you will be able to smash this five day challenge!

The challenge will be: Monday, May 18th - Friday, May 22nd. In order to be part of this group, I need to know "you're in" via Facebook by this Friday - May 15th!

-andreanewkirknaturalliving

It is encouraging to know that it is never too late to start a new goal...This morning I am excited, thinking about small steps I can take to improve my overall health! This past Friday I launched a hydration challenge on my Facebook - incorporating ways to drink the required about of water daily for your specific weight! (This is a pic that I shared to calculate how many ounces you need daily!)

It takes a conscience effort to pace yourself during the day, but is actually easier than I thought....I am finding my body actually craves water more than any other drink once adjusted to that as my beverage of choice each day! Next week I will introduce my next FREE CHALLENGE to sign up for. It will build off of the hydration challenge.....I want to gradually build new habits to have a healthy platform for losing baby weight this summer!

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! What are your goals for yourself this spring or summer? What are you willing to sacrifice to see the changes you are wanting? It is SO important to take small steps so you are able to attack your goals without feeling overwhelmed! Take a bit of time to decide where you want to be in a week, a month, 90 days...

Message me on Facebook to share your goals, struggles, or if you just need some info on fitness plans! LITTLE STEPS are how you are successful!!! You can do anything you set your mind to!

-andreanewkirknaturalliving

It has always been a goal of mine to be healthy and active. I played soccer during college and remained active during that season of my life. (I am blessed to say that I have been happily married since 2009) My husband and I met in college - got married within a year and a half and began this journey together called life! We were pretty active in the beginning of our marriage when our schedules were lighter....It is tricky to balance healthy eating and exercise when real life hits and there is a new routine that begins. Finding time and motivation to fit in healthy eating and regular exercise can be a real struggle. Especially when it isn't always most convenient. I occasionally would run, hike, or mountain bike after work or on the weekends - but never fully committed to a "lifestyle" schedule. My eating habits slowly got worse and I felt lazy when it came to exercise. Summer of 2014 rolled around and I decided to try something new...

I'm not going to lie. I normally DO NOT like regular exercise. I have never had a gym membership, and never will. I decided to try Piyo because it looked convenient as I could do the scheduled workouts at home after work each day. An added bonus: no one to stare at me as I figured out my workout routine...haha. I decided to go all in  - be committed and do the workout schedule for two months. 

At the end of the two months I think I only missed two of my scheduled workouts. I felt more confident about my abilities and strength, actually LOOKED FORWARD to how I felt after working out, and best of all - I LOST INCHES and LOOKED AND FELT BETTER!! I decided it is worth going all in and giving something new a try! 

Within weeks of completing my two month challenge I found out I was PREGNANT!!! I continued to do Piyo off and on (most times the modified version during my first trimester). I did Piyo about once a week during my second trimester and then every once in a while during my third trimester while supplementing weekly walking. 

I decided to become a coach to inspire new Moms to stay fit - and be an encouragement about losing the baby weight AFTER pregnancy! As I write this I am 32 weeks pregnant and getting motivated to work hard after baby arrives to get back in shape!I believe that with the right tools, positive encouragement, and dedication anything can be achieved. I want to invite other new moms to join me on this journey as I work to achieve my own fitness goals after baby! What is there to lose???

Gotta keep in mind: "A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH!" 

I am here to help you MAKE A PLAN so that your own goals can be accomplished!!! You can do it! I believe in you!

I've got 8 weeks until my due date and I just ordered myself a challenge pack to have during my maternity leave! In order to set myself up for success I decided that it would be best to have a program I enjoy (PIYO and just ordered BRAZIL BUTT LIFT), convenient and complete meals - (SHAKEOLOGY), and accountability (YOU!) If you are interested in joining me along this transformation journey let me know! Challenge packs are available on my beachbody site -http://www.teambeachbody.com/andreanewkirk

We shall see how this transformation goes! I know realistically it will take a while, because it is not a crash diet. It will be actual discipline and work - fitting in a workout routine and sticking to a healthy diet. Everything in moderation. That is what my dad taught me growing up - It is what I still live by. Balance is key in everything!!! We are all human and will slip up from time to time - but as long as we jump right back on track that's all that matters!  Just gotta keep moving in the right direction!!!!

"Life is a journey, not a destination."

Who wants to journey with me?? ;)

-AndreaNewkirkHealthyLiving