Wednesday, December 30, 2015

DEATH BY SCALE!


Time for some TOUGH LOVE...

The scale weight says nothing of your health. You want to lose 20 lbs? I can help you make that happen... just cut your daily calories in half and spend two hours a day doing low intensity cardio. That will make the scale show the "right" number... for about a month.... until your willpower runs out (as the behaviors mentioned above aren't sustainable) and your messed up metabolism starts to fight back. At which point you will gain all the weight back and then some. But hey, for a few weeks, your scale said you were down 20 lbs!

The scale alone tells you nothing about what's going on with your relationship with food, hormones, digestive system or inflammatory status. The number on the scale doesn't reflect improved cravings, better sleep, a happier mood, or a boost of self-esteem. And those are the factors that impact your health FAR MORE DIRECTLY than your body weight.  BUT... until you stop obsessing about gaining or losing half a pound you will never be able to see the emotional, mental, and physical progress you've actually been making! The scale maintains control of your self-esteem... It's downright tragic that your daily weigh-in determines whether you have a good or a bad day, and whether or not you feel good about yourself. 

YOU DESERVE BETTER and your daily weigh-in is one more habit that I myself really had to conquer. 

When you take on something as big as changing your life, it's kind of a big deal! Examining your emotional relationship with food is hard! Breaking habits that started in CHILDHOOD is hard! Learning to love, comfort and bond with others (and yourself) without using junk food as an offering is HARD! Through your food choices you've been unknowingly waging a war with your body! Starting something new is like calling a ceasefire, which means things will eventually get better... but first comes a massive clean up effort which can be just as disruptive and feel just as chaotic as the war itself!

SHARE YOUR EXCITEMENT WHEN YOU'RE EXCITED. Allow yourself to feel nervous too, but remember you have a great plan, lots of support and some fantastic resources to see you through!

REMEMBER the amount of SUCK you experience in the first part of any change is directly proportional to the amount of junk you consumed before you began... especially if you consumed it consistently. 

Lastly... When has a cupcake ever made you feel truly accomplished, comforted, calm, or beautiful? It's time to find another way to fill that need. 

Love,
Amanda Christine

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

New Years Solutions





The dawn of the new year often invites us to reflect on shortcomings and accomplishments of the past year and renews our determination to reach new goals or improvements for the upcoming year.
What's the real deal with resolutions? Are they helpful or are we just setting ourselves up for failure?
According to the University of Scranton, 45% set goals 38% never do and the rest of us fall somewhere in between. Of us that set them only 8% achieve success...
Let's dig deeper... The suspected reason for the low success rate is that goals are too big, vague, unrealistic, or are not supported by genuine motivation, commitment or planning.
No real change can happen overnight. We all KNOW this in our heads but we live in such a microwave society! But this doesn't mean that New Year's Eve, at the stroke of Midnight can't be a great time to create a positive change in your life.
3 Alternatives to resolutions:
Pick 1 word to focus on this year: Instead of setting lofty goals around something you don't like about your current situation... pick a word, something that shows a bigger picture on what you want to focus on this year. For instance... "Wellness" or "Love" if you are looking to work on relationships. 
Do More of what's already good in your life! no where does it say you HAVE to FOCUS on something negative, or something that needs fixing! 
Chose 12 mini goals, 1 for each month "go somewhere new" "learn a new skill" You get the picture!

I choose to set myself up for success this year, and I WILL be one of the 8% as I hope all of you will as well. 
What's your New Year's Solution?

With Love,
Amanda Christine

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Adrenal Fatigue: What now?

Adrenal Fatigue Sucks...


There I said it! Those of us that suffer from it are already thinking it though. One way your body compensates for unremitting stress is to go into survival mode and switching metabolic gears.


When this was explained to me at first I was relieved that the reason I was gaining weight was because my body wasn't able to respond to stress in the way that it should. But then I got frustrated because I started thinking... WELL WHAT THE HECK CAN I DO ABOUT IT.  How do we get our bodies to just "switch gears" again.



The solution is to not further stress the body by reducing calories and exercise but to instead implement an adrenal-friendly diet, accompanied by herbal supplementation, and adding the right kind of exercise when called for all of this along with making an effort to heal the root cause of the problem! The chronic stress that is signaling my body to remain in a constant state of high stress.
(I will go into this in later posts)


I figured out that I have been suffering from adrenal dysfunction most of my life, however I just officially "found out" and am beginning to take steps to healing my body naturally. There is NO QUICK FIX for adrenal fatigue. HEAR ME... it takes time. I have found 1 supplement thus far in my journey that has helped me immensely. It's a little tablet that I take 1x per day and it has helped to reduce oxidative stress in my body. Which anyone undergoing adrenal dysfunction is experiencing oxidative stress (truth is EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS) I will post how to obtain this supplement at the bottom of this post.

I started as a Wired Racehorse... transitioned to a Tired and Wired Workhorse in my 20s and then I hit 30 and now I'm somewhere between the workhorse and the flatliner. IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE

Are you the Wired Racehorse? 
* Someone living in a constant adrenaline rush
* Mild gastro-intestinal problems
*Potential to face Thyroid issues
*Often doesn't feel hungry
*Finds herself nodding off if there is nothing to keep her busy
*Tempted by sweets and starches that will quickly boost energy into the wired state only to CRASH once more when the simple carbs and sugars wear off.
*Headaches
*Tension in the neck or back
*Is told to "lighten up" or "take it easy"
*Thrives in high stress atmosphere
*Hyper or Strung out when worn down
*can't tolerate the smallest irritation.
*Multi-tasker with seemingly boundless energy.

Are you the TIRED and WIRED Workhorse?
*24 hour cycle that is out of whack
*Doesn't function well until 10 or 11am despite caffeine intake
*falls asleep out of exhaustion and has a hard time staying asleep
*has trouble falling asleep
*Drops in blood pressure causing dizzy spells in the morning or if she stands up too quickly
*Tired after a meal when our parasympathetic system kicks in forcing us to relax
*Increasingly sensitive to changes in the weather
*Formerly an amazing multitasker

Are you the FLATLINER?
*Drops in blood pressure causing dizzy spells in the morning or if she stands up too quickly
*Faces a load of endocrine system related diseases/ disorders
*Faces autoimmune disorders
*Body tends to hold onto excess fat regardless of what you're doing
*Anxiety and Depression (most are being treated for this)
*may be insulin resistant
*completely worn down
*everything feels like a chore
*constant feeling of being overwhelmed

Get Protandim Here

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

I don't know HOW I functioned without this.


After recently being diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue, and then finding out there's not much you can do about it except naturally through diet and supplementation. I started looking into natural remedies.

One of the things I discovered for the issues I was having is Maca Root. Have you heard of it? Loaded with vitamins, aminos, trace minerals, and good fats.  Below you'll find a list of reasons people use Maca root!

You can find it and take it in a capsule or how I take it in a Gelatinized Maca Root powder to add into food/ smoothies etc.


1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 tsp hemp seeds
1-2 tsp Gelatinzed Maca Root powder
1 tsp Vanilla
2 TBSP almond butter or soaked almonds
1 cup water
(stevia or a date for sweetness if needed)

 1-2 servings IF you care to share!

15g of protein
The benefits are amazing and This smoothie is natural and OH SO FILLING!!! I have it for lunch by itself!


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

New Years Resolutions

Did you know that worldwide obesity had more than doubled since 1980?
39% of adults over 18 years were overweight in 2014 and 13% were obese
The top 3 New Years Resolutions are to 1)Lose weight 2)Get organized 3) Spend less save more. 24% of people who make New Years Resolutions never succeed and fail on the objective each year. But people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely
Question: WHY ISN’T IT WORKING??? 
Answer: YO-YO dieting!!!
Dieting is incredibly unhealthy because most of the time you gain more than you lost when you yo-yo. Or people are using drugs with side effects… better My thought is that it's better to be overweight and alive than taking drugs and die.
to attain their goals than people who don't.
It’s NOT about weight loss it’s about weight management!
Weight Management is about long term LIFESTYLE
Smart weight management is what the world has been waiting for.
NATURE AND SCIENCE WORKING TOGETHER!
And I finally have an answer!
I am now accepting 25 pre-launch clients to mentor in January for a
 ‪#‎HeartFitness‬ 30 DAY RESET 
This isn't about a fad.
This isn't another gimmick.
Or just another challenge you failed so often in the past.
This is about you becoming the BEST you. Surrounded by acceptance for who you are, where you want to go. Love, mentoring and personal coaching!
👇👇email me! work.of.heart@hotmail.com ðŸ‘‡ðŸ‘‡
✅ Pre-Order 12/15
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www.mylifevantage.com/workofheart 

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Are you Sick and TIRED of being SICK AND TIRED?


Do you feel exhausted overwhelmed or stressed all the time?
Do you need a constant infusion of coffee, energy drinks, and soda to make it through the day?
Are you frequently craving sweets or tempted by carbo-binges?
Do you find yourself feeling foggy and unable to concentrate?
Do you have a low sex drive?
Do you find that you're better when you're busy? or you live a lifestyle that you're always ON THE GO?
Do you enjoy adrenaline rushes and feel bored without a crisis to handle?
Are you struggling with Anxiety or Depression?

If I've just painted a picture of something you recognize in yourself you could be suffering from adrenal dysfunction. This happens when your adrenal glands combined with lifelong emotional patterns add up to physical, mental and emotional symptoms. In the early stages you might just feel what they call "tired and wired" or find that simple tasks leave you feeling incredibly exhausted.

Either way you know something is wrong with your body and your health-care provider has assessed you and says your "fine" or hasn't included adrenal dysfunction.

Unfortunately your health care provider is likely to ignore adrenal dysfunction unless you are suffering from severe adrenal functions like Cushing's Syndrome or Addison's Disease. These two diagnoses are understood by conventional medicine. But if your adrenal imbalance is less extreme, which from what I understand is SUPER common among hundreds of THOUSANDS of US women your doctor is unlikely to recognize the condition.

The reason being...  it takes 50 years for  research to catch up to conventional medicine... it's been about 25. Thus Adrenal Fatigue is not a widely accepted or commonly practiced diagnosis.

The GOOD NEWS: once you've identified that this could be you... there IS a way that you can feel better. And it's not something that you have to take a "pill" for. By adjusting your diet, lifestyle and reprogramming your emotional health patterns over time you WILL see a significant difference.
How you ask? I will be providing information over the next 30 days. Lets feel better together.

With Love,
Amanda Christine



Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Savory Cheesecake? 
Savory SOUTHWEST Cheesecake! 


I've never made a cheesecake from scratch before much less a SAVORY one but let me tell you! If you want to take taco dip to a whole new level! This is IT! 
Most people go for the Chocolate, Turtle, or NY Cheesecake... too rich for me. I'm hoping it will be a HUGE hit tomorrow! 
I made this tonight for tomorrow's THANKSGIVING feast with family for an appetizer. 
I plan to serve it with tortilla chips! However you COULD serve it with crackers as well. 

I made a mini version for Tony and I thinking well... what if it's not good? There's NO WAY
I'd want to feed it to family if it wasn't tasty! So needless to say we had a tasting session! 


And it was DELICIOUS! 

Just like any other cheesecake this does take some time and a spring form pan is helpful!
(THANKS DIANE FOR LETTING ME BORROW YOURS)
I will be getting my own in the near future, they are amazing!

Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed tortilla chips (with a hint of lime)
1/4 cup butter, melted
 
Cheesecake
1 cup cottage cheese
3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3 cups aged cheddar, shredded
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt & pepper
4 eggs
 
Topping
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1 container (8 oz) Queso or other "spicy" cheese dip

Garnishes 
(any or all optional)
Seeded Diced Tomatoes
Black Olives
Green Onions
Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9 inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. (I used a 9 inch and a 4 inch pan to make this so it didn't run over!)
Combine crushed tortilla chips and butter. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan (or pans).
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Remove from heat after 12 minutes and set aside.
Meanwhile, place cottage cheese in magic bullet or blender and process until smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cottage cheese, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chiles, garlic, tomato paste, and spices.
When well combined, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour over crust in prepared pan (or pans).
Bake 60 minutes.
Combine sour cream and jalapeno cheddar cheese dip until smooth. Spread mixture over hot cheesecake and return to oven. Bake 10 more minutes.
Turn off oven, crack open door and let cheesecakes cool in the oven until completely cool.

Take out of the oven and garnish with ingredients of your choosing!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Are You Sabotaging Yourself?


  • Do you procrastinate and constantly put things off?
  • Do you miss deadlines?
  • Do you hold back rather than fully engage and live a life filled with passion?
  • Do you fail to complete projects or tasks?
  • Do you quit things just as you begin succeeding in them?
  • Are you stuck in what you thought would be a temporary situation?
  • Do you blame others or bad luck when you don't succeed?
  • Do you get an "itchy" or uncomfortable feeling when you think about what you're making of your life?
If you answered YES to even one of these you are getting in the way of your own success.

I will be the first to admit I am the MASTER of self sabotage. I've ruined my own life many times. In the past I've blamed it on something or someone else. This time I accept full responsibility for the mess that I've made. Now with that being said, it's time to get better. It's time to make the right choices. It's time to make better decisions and it's TIME to become the person that I was meant to be.

You see, we spend most of the time why we aren't good enough. We play this mental game of tug o' war between the conscious and sub conscious mind where the sub conscious mind eventually wins.
Surprising statistic! We can think at 1300 words a minute as humans. Can you imagine what 5 minutes of negative self talk can do to yourself?

Sadie Nardini - Rocker and Yoga Enthusiast has shared some great tips on how to really reflect on Self Sabotage and get down to the root of it. I plan to start this so that I can eliminate it forever. I have gone through  Ups and Downs along the way and I am all to familiar with sabotage and what it can do. I know I can't be the only person who suffers from self sabotage.

I have accepted that I have a problem... and I've realized it's me.

http://www.doyouyoga.com/5-steps-to-bust-self-sabotage-and-stop-blocking-your-opportunities/

Forgive yourself and get down to the root,
Lets do it together!

With Love, Health, and Prosperity,
Amanda Christine
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Monday, September 7, 2015

Clutter and the Truth Behind It

"With clarity and certainty there can be no overwhelm"

I'm not particularly sure who said this originally, but I heard it from my mentor. 
She was dead on. 

A few weeks ago she asked us to take a picture of our work space. 
This was mine.  Looks "nice" right? 
This picture is completely deceiving. Yes my "work space" was nice and organized but what you don't see in this picture is the fact that it was tucked away in a little tiny corner of my Living room/ bedroom. When you try to shove a working space into a living room with a Murphy bed in it and 2 kids you have got to be out of your mind if you think that work is going to get done during the waking hours! 

I work for myself mostly. I am my own boss. I consider myself a "Stay at home Working Mom" Yet I didn't make myself a priority and give myself a space to work in! Sounds nutso right? I didn't realize what I was doing to myself until my mentor talked to us about DE-CLUTTERING YOUR LIFE and what it can do for you. Two things happened! I've become more productive in the time I spend working and I have a place that I can retreat to if everything else around me is overwhelming! 

How do you do this? Well first of all, in my house we are limited on space. So, what I had originally made the "kids play room" that they hardly ever use because no one would be down in the basement with them. I made into a functional office with a play space and coloring area. I went through all of my decorations that have been sitting in boxes and decided that I was going to use some of them for MY space. 
This is my office NOW:

What I want you to realize is that clutter is not JUST physical stuff. It's old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support the betterment of yourself. Creating new habits is free, and most of the time FREEING!


Creating new habits is also easier than CHANGING... replace some bad habits with creating new ones and it will happen naturally.   

Start by doing some of these things:
  • Give excess clothing to charity (if you haven't worn it in 6 months GET RID OF IT)
  • Clean out your handbags
  • Clean out your Closets
  • Organize your storage area
  • Clean your office/ re design your space
  • Get rid of old files/ bills/ paperwork
  • Schedule a full physical yearly.. find out what clutter is doing to you!


Make no mistake... Clutter (physical or otherwise) = STRESS

STRESS = weight gain, wrinkles, decreased sex drive, Heart Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes types 1&2, Headaches, dizziness, ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, irritability & anger, Panic Disorders, digestive disorders, irritable bowl syndrome, abdominal pain, muscle tension, fibromyalgia, insomnia, asthma, ulcers, Alcoholism, paranoia, irritability, behavior issues, suicide, drug use, and the worst of these... Death.  

The choice is yours.

As always feed back is appreciated! Leave comments! Email or private message me on Facebook!


De-Cluttering Everyday,

Amanda Christine







Friday, September 4, 2015

Do You Know Where Your True Passion Lies?



Do you know in your knower what your true Passion is? Have you ever even thought about it? Is your career aligned with your passion? 

First of all lets clarify one thing....  Your career doesn't have to be your passion but in your journey to success, those who are wildly successful operate within their passion and talents. It's important you know and execute your passion in some way or another. People who are passionate about what they do ARE wildly successful because they aren't trying to do anything other than inspire other's greatness. 

What do you love to do?
What brings joy to your life? What saps it all together?
What did you enjoy doing as a kid?
Have you ever created a dream board or a slide show?
Do you have 1 day a week where you are UNPLUGGED from social media to live out your passion?

Here's the deal. START DOING WHAT YOU LOVE NOW... there's never going to be a perfect time to start anything. (new career, family, Fitness/ weight loss etc)

What is your talent? Did you know that passion and talent go hand in hand? 

Do you know what your children's passions are?
I can honestly say if someone had asked me about what my 2 children's passions were a week ago I would've looked at you like a deer in headlights. 
The easiest way to find out what their passions are is to think about Christmas! Yes Christmas. There are companies like Apple, X Box and whatever else technology and social media throws at them. But when they ask for a soccer ball, a snare drum, an art set etc. They are telling you their passions! Go and run out and get those things for them before technology gets a hold of them! 

So What is your passion?  Would you like to monetize your passion? 

Think about all the times you said "I WISH SOMEONE WOULD..." That is your opportunity! If you wish it... most of the time someone else does too!
Mindset! "Am I doing this to make $$$" if that's the case it will almost always end in failure
                "Am I doing this to help others?" This is what will bring success and passion 

Authenticity is so important! People know when their being sold! Have you had the private look in the mirror? The one with yourself... The one where you admit to yourself whatever it is you have to come to terms with.  Whatever you do, don't lose your stuff in the process. Never stop being real!

I want you all to know that I never care if I sell anything! I want to deliver quality content. I just want to help people! 

Lastly, there is a hidden instrument in every one of us, sometimes you just have to find passionate people to help bring out in you! Remember that you can't live in someone else's dream and expect to obtain happiness. 

With Love,
Amanda 


Tuesday, September 1, 2015

What No One Told You About Weight Loss


Have you lost weight recently? Awesome! Congratulations! Good for you! I'm so proud of you!

I'm struggling right now to convey my feelings with you about my own body image, I know I can't be alone. I know for a fact this is something that not many people are brave enough to speak of.

First things first, no one WARNS you how emotional weight loss is if you're doing it from a lifestyle stand point. I've never felt euphoric and grief in the same 30 seconds!

People who have made a long-term lifestyle change, and decided to become healthy will tell you that it's a process, but it will be worth it. Anything worth having (Life, Health, Prosperity) is worth fighting for, and actually working for. Change IS worth it.

However while you're donning your new body (or working on it), & feeling amazing about yourself there are some things no one told you. Like your skin might be lose or even  "squishier" than you'd like.Or for the women, you feel like you've lost your "girls" and although it's awesome you can now go to Vicki's... the $200+ bill that follows it makes you want to double over. Maybe you have big goals and someone says "oh honey, you look great just the way you are" Or how about when you're leaning out/ toning up and someone tells you you're looking "too skinny" and you just want to punch them in the face.

The truth is, sometimes it's not going to feel like it's WORTH IT

There's going to be a moment in time when you think to yourself, "I can't do this" "what was I thinking" "this is too hard" I'm here to tell you that all of these feelings are normal. All of these feelings are a part of the process!

It's okay!!! let your mind go there. Think about what it would be like if you stopped, think about what your life would look like in 5,10, 15, and even 20 years!

There are psychologists out there who say there's a stigma called "weight loss shock" It takes time to get used to our new bodies. I can't tell you how many times after lost 151 lbs now I've looked in the mirror and seen my old body. Or how many times I started walking over into the "plus sized" section and received looks from another world like I was mocking someone.



You'll Feel like an Ungrateful Jerk

When you start to get tons of compliments, it can be overwhelming. You're happy that people are "noticing the changes you've made" however if you're like me, you aren't very good at getting compliments or even "hit on" I mean honestly, there are times when people tell me how pretty I am and I'm like, "gee thanks I've only heard that 30 times this week" or someone says "WOW you're looking fantastic" and I hear "Man you used to be fat" It is truly a struggle to take compliments as a reflection of all your hard work.

You're Going to Need New Shoes

As you loose weight you will also loose fat in your feet! Again women, kinda like the "girls" comments from above, it's so exciting that you can buy new shoes but dang its heavy on the pocketbook!

These are just a few of the things that people mean when they say "It's hard, but so worth it" they actually mean that you'll never go through the roller coaster of emotions regarding self image and personal development like you do when making a lifestyle change.

It's time to fall in love with yourself again, but at the same time you'll want to run away and go get a big greasy cheeseburger because you just WANT to.

Some days you're going to feel like walking out, giving up  and quitting, but at the end of the day if you just decide not to give up even though there will be times with setbacks. Times where you'll be sore, tired and feel like a monster.



It is worth it....
Hard... but so worth it.

Don't give up.

With Love,
Amanda