Binge Eating

I have struggled with eating for a long time.  I have struggled with binge eating.  Have you?

Have you ever driven by a fast food restaurant on the way home and stopped to get a quick bite because you felt like you were starving?  I have.  I would order a couple of double cheeseburgers, large fries with honey mustard sauce and a Large Coke.  Then make sure to eat it all on the 30 minute ride home.  I didn't want my family to see.

I would then make an extra stop to throw out all of the evidence.  Sometimes I would miss a cup or a wrapper, when my husband would ask me about it, I lied and said, that's not mine.  I gave so and so a ride home, and they asked me to stop for them.

I would not only feel miserable about lying to my husband but my stomach would be so upset from eating all of that greasy food. I felt so sick.  Sometimes, I would go get sick, just to get rid of that feeling.

After days of repeatedly stopping at one of those many fast food restaurants on my way home, I would take half a box of laxatives just to get it out of my system.

Have you ever done anything like that?  Have you ever know the shame of admitting to yourself or others that you have an eating disorder?  I have.

Now, after 8 months of coaching, I have learned about clean eating.  I love to eat healthy food. I feel light, full of energy, and I don't have that oh my gosh what did I do feeling after I eat.

I know that when I first started trying to eat healthy I was overwhelmed with all the information thrown my way.  Carbs were good, carbs were bad, eat more protein, eat this or eat that.

I had no idea what I should eat.

If you have ever felt like this in the past, or if you feel like that now, I am inviting you to reach out to me.  I will be having a clean eating group, to help with recipes, grocery lists, and lots of accountability.  This group will last for 5 days, enough to get you going and then if you would like to continue with the accountability I can help you in one of my other groups.

I am sharing this today, because I want you to know that you are not alone.  That there are people out there who know what you are or have been going through.  I feel very blessed by the women who have been put in my life who have helped me and the ones that I am now helping.

Don't sit in the darkness, scared and all alone.  There is hope and I would feel honored if you would allow me to help you.

Hope to hear from you soon.

 Darlene <3

PiYo Results

I started PiYo on July 6th and finished on September 3rd. I lost 4.8 lbs and 9.05 inches! 

During that time, I worked almost every day, 5 days a week at Walpole, weekends at the fair,(during Bangor Fair 16 + hour days). My mom fell and broke her elbow and knee. So, I was under a lot of pressure. I am just letting you know this because even under all of that stress, and with my eating not being 100% I still lost.

PiYo is a fantastic program and Chalene Johnson is completely amazing! The low impact workouts were not as difficult to do with my bad knee. I did have to work on my flexibility. It definitely wasn't the greatest but by the end of this program, I was doing moves that I didn't think I would ever be able to do.

Did I fall? Absolutely. I fell when I first started and at the end there were times when I still lost my balance and fell over. But I got back up and kept going. That is the key to whatever we do, not giving up, not making excuses, and struggling on.

I finally figured out that I AM WORTH IT! I am worth the time it takes to workout, to prep my meals in advance for the week.

After one round of the 21 Day Fix and PiYo...

So, now what? Now, I have moved on to Chalean Extreme. This is another program by Chalene Johnson. One of these days I am going to meet her at Summit. This one is a longer program, but I have committed not to step on the scale for the first month.

I was so fearful when I first started this program because of the weight lifting, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it.  But I am and I am loving it.  I can not wait to see what the results will be, I am so excited...

Stay tuned.

~ Darlene 

3 Day Refresh + Wrestling Tournament = Failure?

Last week before we took my son to Mass for his New England Wrestling Tournament, I did the 3 Day Refresh.  I had some great results, I lost 4 lbs and 3.8 inches in 3 days.  I felt great and had a lot of energy.

Then, I went to Mass. for an incredible wrestling tournament.  I had a great time with my family, didn't watch what I ate or workout.  We were so busy and eating on the run.

When I came home I started P90X3 on that Monday so I had to take my measurements.  Let me just say that I was severely disappointed.

I gained 5 lbs and 1.75 inches in only 3 days!

Now, you can look at that and say WHAT!!!! She's a coach, she should know better.

Part of you would be right, I do know better.  But please realize that I have many hats that I wear...
> Mom
> Wife
> Coach
and
>>>Customer just like YOU!<<<

Does this mean my journey is perfect and that I will never have a setback?  No,


It means that I struggle too.  I am human too.  I have a hard time working out on some days.  And when I am with my family, well, I have a hard time with temptation too.

See the pattern?  Does this remind you of anyone else?

The difference is that I decided that I wanted to help others.  I love helping others reach their goals,which means that when I fail, I don't get to hide it.  I share it for the world to see, so that everyone can learn from my mistakes, not just me.

Have I learned from this? Yes and I will continue on. I will keep sharing my journey in the hopes that I can help even one person.

This is what being a coach is all about.  It's not about being perfect and never having struggles.  Because believe me when I say, we ALL have struggles.

It is about learning how to overcome those struggles in a way that can help others too.

With that said...if you would like to have a coach who is definitely human, help you, please message me or comment below.  I would love to be real with you.

If you want the opportunity to help other women while you are helping yourself, than let me know.  I am having an open house next week and would love to talk to you more about what being a coach has done for me and my family, and all that I do.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF FAILURES...EMBRACE THEM, LEARN FROM THEM!

                                                                       Darlene <3

21 Day Fix Extreme **RESULTS**

I can honestly say that when I first started this program I was very worried.  I had let my fitness go a bit, and really wasn't working out.  Which of course showed up on my waistline.

But...AFTER 3 weeks of doing the EXTREME, mostly modified,  I was very happy with my results.  I used the Extreme meal plan, by the way :)

I was very happy to lose 5.2 lbs and 13.5 inches!  I couldn't believe the results, especially where I modified everything. I even had a few times where I didn't eat the best.

Are you ready for the Fix?  Whether it is the regular 21 Day Fix or Extreme, I promise if you put in the effort and follow the eating, you will see results in 21 Days!

Have a question or want to know more?  Want to join one of my accountability groups?  Contact me on Face Book, comment below or send me an email.  

I love to meet new people. :)

                                                                         Let's talk :)

21 Day Fix Pumpkin Pizza

Today I decided I was going to start trying some different healthy recipes.  The first of many that I will review is Pumpkin Pizza. ( I got this recipe from the recipe section on teambeachbody.com.)

21 Day Fix -  2 Green 1 Yellow per slice

To make the Pizza Dough"

1/4 oz active yeast

1 cup warm water

2 tsp sugar

3 - 3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp olive oil

nonstick cooking spray

1. Put yeast, water and sugar in a medium bowl.  Let it stand for 10 minutes or until it becomes foamy.

2. Combine 3 cups of flour and salt in a bowl.  Add flour mixture to yeast mixture. Mix by hand until mixture doesn't stick to your hands.   Add more flour as needed.  Roll dough into a ball and brush with 1/2 tsp oil.  Place in a bowl and cover with a towel.  Let it rise for 2 hours.

3.  Punch down the dough to remove air, knead and roll into a ball.  Brush with 1/2 tsp oil.  Place in bowl and cover with a towel.  Let it rise for 2 more hours.

4.  Preheat oven to 450.

5.  Roll dough until it isn't stretchy anymore.  Let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll out to 10-12 inches and about 1/2 inch thick.  Lightly coat the baking stone with oil and place dough onto it.

6.  Brush with remaining 1 tsp oil.

To Make the Pizza:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

3/4 tsp curry powder

2 Tbsp low sodium organic vegetable or chicken broth

1 tsp olive oil

2 cups chopped kale, stems removed

1 medium red onion, chopped and caramelized

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. While pizza dough is resting, combine pumpkin, curry powder and broth in a bowl.  Set to the side.

2.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over med. high heat.

3.  Add kale, cook while stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the Kale softens.  Set to the side.

To Caramelize Onions:

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in medium pan. Add the chopped onion; cook while stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes. Once onions begin to brown reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until onions are brown.

4.  Spread the pumpkin mixture on the pizza dough within 1/2 inch from the edge.

5.  Top with kale and onion.

6.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

7.  Top with feta cheese.

When I first took a bite, it was a unique flavor.  The pumpkin with curry was a lot different than anything I had tasted before.  Once I took a few bites it the flavor started to grow on me.

I actually liked this, This was a good meal to eat on a colder fall night.  

Enjoy!

- Darlene

Shakeology No Bake Cookies

As I was sitting here tonight, my son came in complaining about the healthy food in the house and how it was going to kill him.  Mind you, this is while he is eating a pizza in front of me. :)

I decided that instead of eating a piece of his pizza, now that I was craving something, anything to munch on, that I would go make something healthy for a snack.  I really wanted chocolate.

I found a chocolate no bake cookie recipe using Chocolate Shakeology.  Ok, I will try anything at least once.  I love drinking my Shakeology so now I guess I will try eating it.

This is a recipe that I got from PiYo.

No Bake Cookies
makes 24 servings

1 cup Chocolate or Vanilla Shakeology
1 cup all natural peanut butter (or almond butter)
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup raw honey

Combine peanut butter, oats, honey and Shakeology in a medium bowl; mix well with a rubber spatula or by hand.  Roll mixture into twenty four balls, each about 1 inch in size.  Flatten each slightly so that it is shaped like a traditional cookie.

Chocolate Shakeology and Peanut Butter

Honey, oats, shakeology and peanut butter

I didn't flatten mine I just left them in a ball.  

I have to say these were delicious.  I can see a problem with them though.  They are so good, that I could easily over eat with them.  So I will need to use some will power.  

But oh my YUM!

21 Day Fix Sweet Potato Salad

21 Day Fix Sweet Potato Salad

I made this salad for me and my husband and was delighted with how it tasted.   My husband even enjoyed it and said I should make it again.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 /2 tsp pure maple syrup

1 dash of sea salt

1 tsp chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano or parsley)

1 med baked sweet potato, peeled and cubes into 1/2 inch pieces

1 med green apple, chopped

1/2 med red bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk green onion, finely sliced

2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

4 cups fresh arugula

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and herbs in a medium bowl; whisk to blend then set aside.

Combine sweet potato, apple, bell pepper, onion and cilantro in a large bowl; mix well

Drizzle dressing over sweet potato mixture, toss gently to blend.

Place even amounts of arugala on two serving plates; top each with sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with walnuts.

21 Day Fix containers used:

1 green, 1 yellow, 1 blue/orange container

Enjoy! :)

My Journey

I am 42 years old and I am a mother of three kids, not so much kids now, Cody is 22, Kaitlyn is 20 and Zachary is 17. I have been married since 1991 to Scott Caron. He is my friend and the love of my life but it hasn't always been this way.

When I first met Scott, I was a sophomore in high school. We dated, fell in love and things went from there. In my Senior year of high school, I got pregnant, but I wasn't sure how I would raise a child. Without telling Scott, I had an abortion. For years, I hated myself for doing this. I couldn't forgive myself for something so horrible. I started hiding my emotions behind food and sarcasm.

I had always been sarcastic and in self destruct mode because of a bad past with my biological father. So this just escalated things even further.

Time marched on and I had 3 beautiful children who were completely spoiled by their mom. Their dad was an over the road truck driver, so needless to say I pretty much let the kids do whatever they wanted. We ate out a lot. My best friend became any kind of food. I didn't let on to people how much I was hurting inside. After all, I was married with three kids, shouldn't I be happy?

Years went by, my waistline grew and I was severely depressed. I was now the mom of three very athletic teens.   My husband was always on the go too.

Cody was an Eastern Maine Champ in wrestling

Kaitlyn was an incredible soccer player

Zachary was a wrestling State Champ and broke school records in football and track.

I was the overweight, depressed mom who sat on the sidelines because I didn't have the breath to move. Trying to keep up with my family just made me more depressed. I sat on the sidelines pretty much just waiting to die while I watched life pass me by. 

My husband and I fought all of the time. He would make pig noises while I ate which made me hate myself even more.

I fought with everyone, it didn't matter why. I hated everyone behind a smiling face.

In 2012, my mom and I started working out to go on a cruise. I would do anything to get away from my home so I rode my stationery bike like the dogs from hell were after me. I lost weight, I gained it, then I would lose again, but my mindset did not change. 

 I still hated myself and was severely depressed. I didn't have any friends and I didn't want any. I wasn't happy and if I wasn't happy I didn't want anyone else to be.

In May 2014, I was at my lowest. Still depressed, I was gaining all the weight I had lost back and not knowing what to do about it, and unhappy with my life. I would sit on the couch while everyone else watched tv and dream of different ways that I could take my own life. I tried once but that didn't work out.

I was sitting with my computer in front of me, posting nasty thoughts on facebook when I saw a post from Amanda Smith. She had been a teenager at the christian school when I was helping teach in Newport. I couldn't believe the changes that I saw in her. She was no longer over weight. She was no longer unhappy. She was living life and loving it.

I talked to her for a bit about the 21 Day Fix and how it might be able to change my life. Honestly, I thought she was full of it. But I figured I had been on every other diet, what was one more failure? If it didn't work, whatever, I could get my money back.

So, I started the 21 Day Fix on June 1st, and fell in love. I had something to work for. I started noticing differences in my body. I was losing weight, I was losing inches and I was starting to feel good. I lost 6.8 lbs and 12.9 inches. After I completed round 1, I started PiYo on July 6. By the end of July I was in a Sneak Peek into Coaching Group. I couldn't believe that working out was not only changing my body but changing how I was feeling about myself. Could I possibly learn how to love me? Was I worth loving?

I did PiYo from July 6 to September 3^rd. I lost 4.8 lbs and 9.05 inches. Then I did a round of the 3 Day Refresh from August 8 to August 11^th. I lost 4 lbs and 2.1 inches. I did one phase of Chalean Extreme and lost 2.8 lbs and 6.5 inches.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I would let my emotions get the better of me and binge. My numbers didn't always go down. Sometimes they would go up between rounds and I had that much to lose all over again. But I did not and am not going to give up! I am a work in progress and my journey is only beginning.

In 5 months of going up and down I lost 10.8 lbs and 18.2 inches.

The numbers were amazing but I can't tell you how my life was changing in so many other ways. I was becoming more positive, I really was finding me. I was learning that I am worth it and I am lovable.

On August 2^nd I signed up to be a Beach Body Coach. I wanted to share my journey with others and to give them hope. If someone like me, whose past wasn't that pretty, could turn her life around then so could they. I was learning how to deal with my emotions positively and not with binge eating.

Even though I started being a coach for a discount, I soon learned that the best part about helping others was that I was helping myself at the same time. Some of my challengers struggle with the same issues I do. I have met other coaches who have the same background that I do. I learn from them and they learn from me. It is win win.

The best part of coaching is the accountability that I get. I don't want to let my fellow coaches or challengers down so I have to keep working to prove that the product works. I have to keep showing up even on the days when I just want to hide. It is making me a better me and I am grateful for that.

I am married to the love of my life and I can now appreciate him and Me more than I ever could before.  I am so thankful that he stuck by me through all of this.

There is a lot more to my story than I can fit into these words, so if you want to know more than all you have to do is ask. If you want to know how being a challenger in one of my groups or coaching can change your life too, then ask. It doesn't cost anything to ask, right?

Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey and for telling you a little bit about mine. I have been blessed beyond words since that fateful May night when I first spoke to Amanda and I am extremely grateful.

My journey is far from over and I am very excited at the prospect of meeting new women along the way. Do you want to be one of them? I am waiting to hear from you. :)

I believed I could, so I did! <3

21 Day Fix Chocolate Shakeology Pie

Ok, so I won't lie, today I really didn't want to eat anything healthy.  I wanted the standard family tradition of pumpkin pie, custard pie, chocolate cream pie, banana cream pie, any kind of pie that didn't involve being healthy.

I decided that since I was trying to teach others how to eat clean that I would try a new recipe for a healthy Chocolate Shakeology Pie.  I was all for this until I heard I had to put Tofu in it.

Tofu?  Really?  In my PIE?  My first reaction wasn't pleasant.

It's funny because I have gone on cruises and tried escargot and frog legs.  I actually pride myself on trying new food each day on a cruise ship.  So, why was tofu any different?

This is 1 1/2 yellow and 1 blue/orange container.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp nonfat milk
1 (12 oz) container of firm (or silken) Tofu
2 scoops Chocolate Shakeology
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter

(I was suppose to use a whole wheat graham pie crust, but after I finished the filling I realized I didn't have everything to make it :(  )

Preparation:
1.  Place milk, tofu, Shakeology and peanut butter in blender, cover.  Blend until smooth.
2.  Pour tofu mixture into pie crust, refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
3.  Cut into eight servings

I tried to blend this in my blender, but it was so thick that my poor blender was not having any of it.  So out came the mixer.

The brave men in my family are complete wimps and will not try this pie.  They have been stuffing their faces with pumpkin and banana cream pie.  I did try it and I have to say it was good.  If I hadn't made it, I would not realize that there was tofu in it.

It just tastes like my chocolate peanut butter shakeology drink that I have for breakfast each morning, just thicker.  YUM!

I guess I will survive my tofu experience.  But, if anyone out there eats tofu,  please tell me, do you drain it before you use it?  Maybe that is why my tofu mixture was so thick, because I drained it first.

Anyhow, enjoy!  I know I will.

                                    ~Darlene <3