Hey, it’s me again, Angela! Remember me from my Balance journey? If not, that’s ok, too! Click here for a refresher.

Anyway, it’s been a few months but I’m still living that Balance life. Since you heard from me last, I’m happy to say that I am maintaining my weight loss, which is exciting considering we just finished Mardi Gras season. I can’t say it’s been easy, especially with all of the king cakes (#bringonlent), but I stuck to my guns and made it through pretty well. In fact, I’m excited to say that I’ve sized down again into some super cute white jeans that I was able to wear on St. Patrick’s Day.

Speaking of St. Patrick’s Day, did you guys know that March is Nutrition Month? That’s right! A whole month dedicated to proper nutrition. Something that I was once horrible at, but have finally gotten the hang of, thanks to Balance. As I’ve mentioned before in one of my blog posts, Balance is a multi-faceted program, with one of the key components being nutrition, with a focus on improving your diet. Through the program I’ve learned about portion control and what foods really fuel my body. This is something that has really helped me to make better choices when it comes to meal prepping and meal selections. But it’s not only helped me, it’s really helped my entire family! We’re all a little bit healthier thanks to Balance.

One of the major changes I’ve made to my diet and routine is my morning smoothie, which really helps to keep me on track. For me, when I start my day eating right, it makes it so much easier to make good choices the rest of the day.

My smoothie consists of:

• protein powder
• flax seeds
• frozen berries
• milk
• LOTS of spinach

Full disclaimer! Before Balance, I was not a milk drinker. I didn’t have an allergy. I wasn’t lactose intolerant. I just had a personal aversion to milk, it wasn’t for me. So, in turn, smoothies weren’t for me. When I met with my health coach for the first time I let her know that, and we looked at some alternatives for breakfast, but I wasn’t able to get all of my nutrients in, especially the veggies, without it. So, I decided to bite the bullet and try it. My coach helped me pick out the most non-offensive unflavored protein powder and I started out with unsweetened almond milk. It was ok, not great, but I was able to tolerate it. After I got used to that, I moved over to 2% milk and a yummy vanilla coconut flavored protein that I really like! My smoothies are so good that now I make them for my hubby and kiddos.  Even my very picky ten-year-old likes a small one in the morning, and I’m pretty sure that is his only serving of veggies before dinner… at least he’s getting something. As parents we can only try. Am I right?

So I have to be completely honest, while I really love my smoothies, the best part of switching over to cow’s milk is I no longer have to count the almond milk as a daily fat and I can save that for my wine. That’s a big win for momma!

In addition to improved eating habits, I am still attending fitness classes at Woman’s Center for Wellness. There is a Monday evening HIIT class followed by a strength training class that are my favorites. I love it because I know when I leave I have done cardio, strength and worked as hard as I could for a full hour! However, I can tell it’s time to purchase a few more personal training sessions though. I am definitely one that needs that extra push and accountability. And let’s be real, I miss Claire! She always had such great workouts planned for me that really targeted those “troubled areas.” She kept me engaged and pushed me harder. The Balance program has taught me that is a huge motivator for me, which helped me enjoy my workouts more and kept me going back.

Again, if you are at all thinking of trying out the Balance program – my advice is to quit thinking about it, and just sign up! You will figure out how to make it work with your work/travel/kids schedule, I promise. YOU are worth it. For more information, call 225-924-8313. Talk to the staff, they are great!

Keep the good vibes coming as I continue to work hard at this work/family/healthy life balance!