{high five for friday}

Linking up for the first time for high five for friday! All i've got to say, is thank goodness for fridays! As a teacher, friday's are treasured days and weekends are amazing! 

 1// it's always a good day when not one, but two packages arrive at your door. Thanks to Katy from Neighborhood Barre for sending my this beaut of a tank! Also pumped to get my AdvoCare Distributor Kit and get some people started on some wonderful products! Contact me for more info!

2// spark, polar watch, and lululemon  make for a perfect jazzercise outfit combo!

3//my sweet cuddly, Polo. What would I do without you?

 4//Lululemon, how I love thee. And my teeny tiny "boogie" shorts. They are reversible so kind of like 2 for the price of 1, right? Just a few more squats to go before I reveal these babies in a public place!

5// a tasty morning smoothie: 1/2 c oats, 1 T PB2, 1 frozen banana {figured that one out after I made the first one} and 3/4 c rice milk {or milk of your choice}

{AdvoCare}

I have some exciting news, ya'll! After my 24 day challenge journey {here} I fell in love with AdvoCare products. So much so that I could not stop using them after the 24 day challenge. I wanted to find a way to help change other people's life too. Thanks to my awesome friend {Amanda} I am now an official AdvoCare Distributor. I'd love to help you achieve your personal and fitness goals! 

AdvoCare is a health and wellness company offering world-class energy, nutrition, weight-loss, and sports performance products, along with a great business opportunity. 

I'm still working on my website but you can visit here and check out all of the wonderful products!  www.advocare.com/130444522

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at brookelynsharpe@gmail.com

{the 24 day challenge results pt. 2}

The only thing that I regret is not doing the 24DC sooner...like before our wedding almost 2 years ago. {wow time flies}

I weigh 9lbs less now than what I did when we got married.

That's kind of embarrassing!

Results:

7 lbs {my goal was 8} but 17.8 lbs since my "heaviest" weight!!! 

17.5 inches!!! I am amazed at these results!!

3 total inches from my waist alone!!!

I am not stopping here! The great thing I have learned is how to listen to my body. I know exactly what my body needs for fuel and exercise. I will continue to put healthy foods into my body and nourish it as best as I can. There was a time where I just plain did not care. That was the old me. This is the new me and I want to be the best that I can be! I am going to continue the "lean in 13" meal plan and vitamin regimen.

Ok so I know I said i wouldn't be posting pics of my 6 pack but, how could I resist? 

I am so so proud of my results!
I'm proud that I challenged myself.
I'm proud I learned the right way to eat healthy.
I'm excited that I basically have a whole new wardrobe and options of clothing to wear.

Being on the 24 D C definitely gave me self confidence getting in a bikini for the first time of the warm season. 

                                       

Same Dress! 

I had an amazing cheerleader in {AMANDA} while on my cleanse. She was so positive and so motivating during the whole cleanse. Seriously, if you want any AdvoCare products please visit her blog or like her {Forbes Fitness facebook page} and shoot her a message!! 

{the 24 day challenge results pt. 1}

If you would've asked me two weeks ago how I felt about the 24 day challenge I would've told you
just o.k.
Ask me now?
I'm 100% O B S E S S E D. 

I am so proud of how far I came and the progress I've made. The thing about the 24DC is that it is a lifestyle change. Is it hard to meal prep and plan for the entire week every single meal and snack? Yes. Will I continue meal prepping and eating this way post 24DC? Absolutely! 

Prior to the 24DC I ate what I considered "healthy". My #1 fault? Not eating ENOUGH. Wait, what?

I never ever ate breakfast {flaw #1}. I would eat an apple and pb around 9:30. Lunch was always something like greek yogurt and granola --or-- nibbling off the school lunch tray {nasty}. I usually had some kind of snack after school. Work out. Then ate a BIG dinner. And would probably have some type of sweet somewhere in between.

On the 24DC you eat 5 small meals throughout the day. At first, this was super hard for me. Now, I'm obsessed and will definitely continue this after the challenge is over. I am never "starving" or even really get hunger pains. 

My favorite things about the 24 DC was the meal replacement shakes. I will continue to drink these post 24 DC. When I wake up I am never ever hungry so it is hard for me to choke down breakfast 30 min. after waking up. These meal replacement shakes are amazing. I put about 5 oz of water and 5 ice cubes in the blender with my packet {and sometimes add chia seeds} whip it up, pour and go! It's amazing and keeps me full until my snack! I drink the berry flavor!

I am also completely and utterly obsessed with SPARK. you drink it on an empty stomach in the morning {and in the afternoon if you need a "pick me up"}. It's a healthy addiction :) I've put away the coffee pot. 

Listen, I have the new Polar FT4 watch and it counts your calories as you work out. One day at jazzercise I only burned 565 calories without SPARK. The next class, same exact routine, I drank a SPARK prior to class and burned 630 calories! That stuff WORKS! 

Least favorite thing was most definitely the fiber drink. Oh my word that thing was AWFUL. I only had one day out of 7 where I could choke it down without gagging. That crap tasted like sawdust in a jar. I stirred that thing as fast as I could, stuck a straw in it and down the hatch it went. Definitely, what ever you do, do not like that drink sit. It gets a gel type consistency and you will never be able to drink it. I was thankful it only lasted 4 days, then you skip 3 and go back on it for 3 days. YUCK! 

Favorite Foods: at first I ate the same thing every single day for lunch and wow that got boring real quick. I started off loving it but after a week of the same lunch, you begin to get a little bored. For lunch, days 1-10, you have a protein, complex carb, and a veggie. I ALWAYS ate baked chicken, quinoa, and lettuce with salsa. At first--delish. After a week or two... not so good! I started to try new things--I made {this} delicious chicken quinoa soup, and {this} healthy egg salad. 

Turkey burgers on the grill are always a huge hit!! Especially sprinkled with Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning!


...part 2 with results will continue tomorrow because it's too good to squeeze in to one post!

...if you are getting pumped about AdvoCare go visit my girl {AMANDA FORBES} for some AdvoCare products!! 

{what i'm loving wednesday}

I am linking up with jamie for what i'm loving wednesday! 

Although I don't link up every single week for WILW, I am obsessed with loving way too much not to share.

I'm OBSESSED with how all of my clothes are fitting. I feel like I have access to a whole new wardrobe now! Wearing clothes I haven't been able to wear since early college years. I put on a pair of jean shorts over the weekend and they were huge! I also can finally wear a pair of j.crew linen pants that I tried to give away to my skinny friends last month! I honestly feel the best I've ever felt! Thanks 24 day challenge!!

I'm loving this warm, summer like weather we have been getting lately. I teach special education so we are a little more lenient  in our school day schedule. I took my kids out twice today because we had 6 out of 10 absent. We played with sidewalk chalk and bubbles! 

Now I'm sitting on my back porch trying to soak up some sun--with my SPF and floppy hat, of course!

I'm loving that my husband just had a test {that he freakin' rocked} so now he has a little bit of down time. We took a 2 hour walk with Polo last night. I told him, "wow, it feels good to act like a normal married couple for 5 seconds!"

I'm loving that we are going to be able to use our new grill for a huge cook out!! Warm weather...I am welcoming you with open arms!

{healthy egg salad}

So, as you know, I am doing the 24 day challenge. 

I am L O V I N G being in the kitchen practically 24/7 and creating new recipes. 

Being in the kitchen with a good playlist on Pandora is my happy place! 

I am able to "get lost" in cooking and relax! 

Yesterday, my girlfriends and I took a trip to Knoxville. This would be the first time I would eat out since being on the 24day challenge. Thank god for Zoe's Kitchen! I could get my favorite meal, an egg salad sandwich. After eating there, I knew I could make it even healthier myself at home. 

Here is what I created today. 

Ingredients:

8 eggs

2 T Olive Oil Mayo

Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning

1 Lime 

1/3 c purple onion 

Boil 8 eggs

To boil eegs: place 8 eggs in a pot and fill pot with water. Place your pot on the stove and let it boil for apprx. 10 min. After boiling, place a bunch of ice in a colander , put hard boiled eggs on top, and place more ice on top of eggs. Let it stand for like 10 more min. 

While eggs are chilling, chop up about 1/3 c of purple onion. 

Peel eggs and wash off with cold water. 

Take out 4 egg yolks and leave 4 eggs whole. 

Put eggs in glass container or bowl. 

Mash up the eggs really well with a fork. 

Put 2 T of olive oil mayo 

add in 1/3 c purple onion

sprinkle about 1/2 lime worth of  juice over mixture

sprinkle about 1 T Mrs. Dash Southwest Chiptole on top

Mix together

Refrigerate because egg salad is MUCH better cold!

Place on top of a slice of low-sodium Ezekiel bread

Enjoy! 

{healthy chicken noodle soup}

Ya'll know that I am T E R R I B L E 

at writing down and following recipes. 

Typically I will glance at one and then just throw what ever I have in a pot and cook. 

I use a recipe as a "guide". 

You'll have to bear with me. I'll get better one day. 

Or maybe not, I kind of enjoy being rebellious. 

Healthy chicken noodle soup:

1 carton of low sodium organic chicken broth

3 cups of water

3 chicken breasts - boiled and shredded

4 stalks of celery- diced

2 handfulls of shredded carrots

1/2 white onion diced 

dried oregano

dried basil

salt and pepper optional to taste 

1/2 c dried quinoa

Cook your quinoa as directed on the packaging. If you want more added flavor, I always cook mine in low sodium chicken broth instead of water. 

While quinoa is cooking, boil and shred chicken. 

Throw all of your ingredients in to a pot, simmer for approximately 40 min. or until your veggies are soft.