21 Day Fix Day 20

So close to the end I can almost taste my reward of chocolate Shakeology with actual lactose free milk, a touch of peanut butter, a half cup of coffee, and a teaspoon of maple syrup, the real stuff that you get in Vermont.  That's right I had these grand ideas of what my reward would be after the fix was over, a fancy photo shoot, an expensive haircut perhaps, or maybe even a new wardrobe.  But then I came back down to earth and realized all I want is my Shakeology.  I have come to love it and I cannot have it for one more day.  That's right I am on the final fix and I am not allowed any sugar.  I have been so good on this program, that I cannot stop now.  I have to see it all the way to the end.

Today started out very good.  I got up on time did my hair, got ready for work as usual.  I did not forget my morning meditation because that is so important to me on the days that I have to work.  It makes me feel more centered and at peace.  There are so many health benefits to meditation, I wish more people would do it.  But for spiritual as well as health reasons I make it a point to meditate whenever I have time in the morning.  Now being on the three day fix they require you to eat every two hours.  I found it difficult with work to follow that schedule very strictly, I have to say it was not easy for me to do.  I did the best that I could and ate whenever possible.  At most there was an extra hour between meals.

Drinking water was also difficult for me today.  Life was just in the way and I had to drink as much as I could within the time that I could to not have terrible sleep in the evening, and not drink so much that if I had to leave the house I would not have a terrible urge to use the ladies room.  Water does run right through some people and sometimes it is not always so convenient especially on the weekend.  So I did the best I could drank about 3/4 of a gallon.  I did not beat myself up as usual, because I don't have time for that either, life is about doing better in the present than the day before.  My food was very good today although I ended up eating well into the evening which was expected since I was running around in the afternoon.  I ended up not eating one of my containers of vegetables, which I plan to eat tomorrow.  The reason my schedule was off was really because I had forgotten about an appointment that I had scheduled at 5:00 p.m. and I had completely forgotten.

My workouts got done today I had the Dirty 30 and Pilates which I love more and more every time I do it.  On the Dirty I used my heavier twenty pound weights for the rows, it was a struggle and I moved a little slower than usual but I got through it.  I did better today on triceps as well, the sting at the end was fantastic.  After I finished with my Pilates, I did an additional two sets of squats with my twenty pound weights which ended up being about thirty five total.

 All in all the day was a success.  Food preparation was done later on in the evening.  I am hoping that at some point I will be able to get into the habit of doing it earlier, but up till now it has been difficult.  The worst thing would be not to be prepared at all.  Having your meals pre-packed is the key to success on the program.  So for tomorrow's menu chicken breast, Mahi Mahi, broccoli, red bell pepper, my harmlessly doctored up sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, egg whites, coffee and another attempt at an entire gallon of water.

I looking for you if you have an interest in changing your life for the better and need that support system that is what I am here for.  My Challenge group for the 21 Day Fix will be starting on the 2nd of June and there is still time to get into that size smaller.  If you are ready for that commitment please fill out my online form.  I want to hear from you.  

21 Day Fix Day 18

Well I am so close to the end of this 21 day journey that I can almost smell it.  Today was a bit of an off day because I had an interview for a position that was advertised for management.  I ended up leaving because they were looking for full time while I explained that I needed part time hours.  I was a bit thrown off schedule because they ran late and therefore everything was behind my usual schedule.

My eating was excellent today and I was very happy to receive my new bag of Shakeology.  I very much prefer the chocolate flavor.  I enjoyed red bell peppers, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, lean pork, lean beef, sweet potatoes, almonds, cheddar cheese, papaya, broccoli, coffee, and plenty of water.

My workouts were great I was able to finish both the Cardio Fix and the Pilates with full energy.  Getting to sleep in and get some extra rest was helpful to me to really give it my best effort.

Tonight I spent quite a bit of time preparing food for the next two days.  Since I am in the final stretch I have to eat protein and vegetables throughout the day with very little carbohydrates.  My night went mostly to cooking chicken, fish, broccoli, red bell peppers and now sweet potatoes which I had overlooked.  So they are boiling now.

I will be eating every two hours as well as doing my workout.  My concern is how I am going to plan it around work.  I am thinking of scheduling on calendar on my phone to alarm every two hours so that I will stay on track.  If that works tomorrow then I will be able to do it for the next three days.  I am hoping for the best.  As well as eating very specific things for tomorrow I am also required to drink a full gallon of water throughout the day.  This is a lot of water for me, but I am going to do my best to drink all that I am required to.  Since I cannot really get up very much when I am at work to use the restroom I will have to get my fill of water in the morning, and after I get home.

Wish me luck on my day!!

I am inviting you to join me on my Challenge group that I will be having on the second of June.  It will be a 21 Day Fix Challenge.  If you are interested please join me and we can get through this fix together.  Please fill out my online form.  

Fill out my online form.

Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.

21 Day Fix Day 14

So here I am at day fourteen and I am ready for the day to be over.  I am looking forward to getting my rest because tomorrow I am going to hit it hard with the doubles workout week.  It's in this week that if you want to you can do two workouts a day.  Now I know that this coming week is going to really test my will but I have every intention of doing it as planned.  I have already gotten a little bit of a taste of working out twice a day because this last week I worked out with my daughter Gloria in the evening.  It has been great but at the end of the day I am ready for bed and glad I ate all of my food.

Today was a working recovery day and I had to do yoga.  As usual I was feeling a bit of a funk.  I find that the nature of the job that I have currently really drains my energy.  When I leave it's as though my body wants to fully relax, by that I mean lay down.  Instead though I got past it and got to work.  For me it isn't an option to skip a workout, but I know we have  those days where we are just not feeling it.  The difference for me is that I had that attitude too many times before in the past and I have not been successful because of it.  I did what I had to do for my body and I gave myself the proper stretching that I am going to need for the coming week.

What I loved about today is that I got to do a little bit of catching up.  The girls were at their aunt's house and I was able to focus on some things I needed to cross off of my to-do list.  One of those things was my food preparation.  I got it done pretty early closer to 5:00 p.m and  that was perfect.  Today I bought 95% lean pork to change things up a little bit.  Lean meats are allowed so I grabbed some of this at the store.  Normally I try to stay away from pork, beef or poultry because I typically like eating fish, but when I eat fish I don't always feel full.  With all of the exercise that I am doing this next week I want to make sure that I feel satisfied after my meals.  I also added papaya, blueberries, strawberries, almonds, hummus, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes and my Shakeology for one of my meals.  So I am set.

Some of the other foods that I enjoy that I am happy to see on the meal plan are:

Veggies:

Kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets, string beans, squash, peppers, carrots, and cauliflower

Fruit:

Raspberries, Blueberries, blackberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, tangerines, apples, apricots, and grapefruit

Protein:

Sardines, Fish cold water wild caught (cod, salmon, halibut or tuna), buffalo (bison, ostrich, venison), yogurt, clams, shellfish

Starches:

Sweet potato, yams, quinoa, beans, lentils, edamame, beans, brown rice, wild rice, potato, corn, amaranth, buckwheat, barley

Healthy Fats:

Avocado, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, coconut milk

Seeds:

Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flaxseed

Oils:

Olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil

Freebies:

Lemon, vinegar, mustard, herbs, spices, garlic, ginger

Well to give you an idea of the healthier choices to pick from.  I have been very consistent in my choices.  To have balance I have chosen to eat cheddar cheese the last few days but I switched today to hummus.  I am looking forward to tomorrow, and I can't wait to get my butt kicked! 

There is still time to join the May 26th challenge group, if you think that you are ready to make that commitment to change your life, let it start as soon as possible.  There is no time like the present to get into shape!  Please fill out my online form I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Goodnight Everybody

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21 Day Fix Day 8

So I have made it to day number eight and I am pretty excited.  I am getting off to a good start.  My workout today was the Total Body Cardio which is what I was supposed to do on the Monday that I started but I didn't look at my DVD's closely enough.  No biggie I got the workout done.  In my workout though I did find that I had to switch from my ten pound weights to my eight pound weights.  I really pushed myself very hard so I had to stop for a second two times altogether.  I didn't beat myself up I just kept going with it.  The worst thing that you can do is throw in the towel if you are getting tired.  The best thing to do is catch your breath and keep going.  My belief is that if you stop you will tell yourself it's OK to quit and you are only giving up on yourself.  Change takes hard work it takes getting out of your comfort zone and going against the grain.  If you never stop to tell yourself that you may always be stuck.

When I finished my 21 Day Fix workout I decided to add in High and Tight from the Brazilian Butt Lift DVD's I know I created a certain calendar of workouts but I wanted a little extra work on my legs.  The High and Tight in my opinion is the gold nugget of the Brazilian Butt Lift because it really targets those areas in a woman's legs that need to get the work.  For me, that workout goes by fairly quickly and I really enjoy it very much.  I could even do it twice but I don't want to overdo it.

After that I had my Shakeology midday again, with ice cold water and coffee.  It gave me the boost I needed to get through the afternoon.  Although I didn't really have any homework or anything because school is out I still had a busy day.  I found that I had food left over at the end of the day which for me is good and not so good.  The reason I thought it was good was because I am reassured I have enough to eat, but there is the factor of eating late in the day.  I made sure I ate just about everything, but the only thing that I had left was some shredded cheese.

So for my meals tomorrow I have 96% lean beef with garlic and pepper, yams, shredded cheese, eggs, olives, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, spinach, coffee, water and Shakeology.  Now this may seem like a boring meal plan, as I am typing it looks that way, but the great thing about prepping and packing your meals this way is that you can get creative with what you have available to eat.  For example, I will crack an egg over bell peppers and spinach that I have cooked slightly in the pan with my one teaspoon allowance of oil.  Have that freshly cooked with pepper is very tasty to me in the morning and filling till my next meal.  If it tastes bland you can add cheese from your allowance to spruce it up, so it's all about being creative.  When it comes to the kitchen I am far from that so if I can do it anybody can.

So put a fork in me I am done for the day.  I am ready to get some sleep.  Till tomorrow.  

There is still time to join my challenge group on the 26th of May if you would like to do the 21 Day fix in a private group with all the help and support to get you through I am here to help you.  There are some spots available and I would love to offer the support you need to succeed.  Please fill out the form below and I would be more than happy to contact you.  I am in this for all the right reasons and ready to help you succeed.

Fill out my online form.

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21 Day Fix Day 5

I have made it to day five, and I am super happy that I have stuck to my eating plan, except for my beets.  I wasn't able to finish all of them even though they are super good for you.  What I normally would do is juice them with an apple, lemon, carrot, and it tasted amazing.  But since I started the program I am very limited on the amount of sugar I can have so juicing right now is not an option.  However, I will point out that when I was juicing I was getting way too much sugar so I am glad I stopped.  One thing that I am learning is that I was eating way too much of the same foods that I am allowed to eat now in smaller amounts.  For example, I was using way too much oil when cooking.  I was eating way more protein than I needed to.  I was also not balancing my diet in all areas.  This program has really been teaching me that the portions that you eat are determining factor in your weight loss program.

Today was tough but expected for me in the sense that I was having some major cravings for sweets.  For that reason I was glad that I saved my second banana half till the very end of the day.  It satisfied my urge to give in to temptation.  Plus I took a trip to the grocery store and stocked up on more vegetables, and fruits that I need to have on hand for food preparation.  Today they had my favorite purple cauliflower available, and free range turkey.  The program recommends lean meats so I bought the leanest meat that I could find.  Making this trip got me out of my house an provided a great mental distraction for me so I consider my day pretty successful.

The only place I went wrong was that I did not finish my entire serving of red beets in lemon juice.  I packed too much and was not able to eat them all today.  For tomorrow I plan to mix that second half with carrots and lemon juice so that I can finish the entire serving.

 Beets are so incredibly good for you they have such healing power for the body.  I was a little disappointed that I didn't eat them all but there is always tomorrow.  If I don't complete something due to my schedule I don't harp on it, because it's a waste of time and energy.  We only have the present moment and we may not see tomorrow, so I just let it be and move forward, that's my best advice for myself.

Total Body Cardio Fix was the workout today.  I have to say, yet again, I was pleasantly surprised at how tough the workout was.  In only thirty minutes every exercise was intense from start to finish.  I used ten pound weights, and on one exercise I had to switch to eight.  I got out of breath and even stopped for a second but still powered through it.  I have to say from what I have experienced so far this program is all you need.  I don't think it is necessary to supplement the workouts with anything else if you are just starting out, because what you get is intense, but I did follow my calendar and I added an extra ten minutes of Chalean Extreme's Ab Burner right after I was done.  Now, again, I am using heavier weights to start.  A beginner may start with no weights and still get the same intensity.  All in all today kicked my butt.

I tried my new strategy for drinking water.  I had a whole 32 oz. in the morning and when I got home I had another 32 oz.  I can see and feel changes in my abs and my legs and I am only five days in.  I am starting to feel strong and I am super excited about what the results are going to be.  

If I left anything out I will add it tomorrow, for I am exhausted.  I hope you have a great night.

Please know that you are more than welcome to comment, and send feedback.  If you have any particular questions about the Fix please let me know.  

I am also having a 21 Day Fix Challenge group on the 26th of May if you would like to participate or have thought of trying out the 21 day fix, please fill out the online form.

Fill out my online form.

Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.

21 Day Fix Day 3

What a last couple of days! I always wonder how we can do so much in one day.  When the day is over I can look back and say WOW, you really did all of that?  Anyways today was day three of the 21 day fix program and today was lower fix.  Now I was completely amazed at how sore my legs were from the cardio fix, and the soreness lasted till today.  So if you are thinking about doing the program then keep that in mind.  The reason it got my attention is because I haven't been that sore doing the other programs.  I am not by any means complaining in fact just the opposite.  I was super ecstatic about being so sore simply because I know it has shocked my muscles.  Shocking the muscles means change and that's what you want.  Stretching for longer periods after the program is over helps, even a hot shower is soothing to those muscles, but I have to say I welcome the pains.

So much like my day on Monday I pretty much had to follow my same routine.  Monday's and Wednesday's for the last three months turned out to be very complex because of the way I scheduled my life drawing class in the evenings from 4:30 p.m to 7:20 p.m.  I also work a few hours in the morning so as you can imagine they are days of just running around everywhere.  Today I was thinking to myself it just can't be a good thing to have to run around so much because it gets in the way of the healthy habits you are trying to form, but life can't get in the way of health.

Again like my Monday I took portions of my meals on the go with me to work and school.  I had my shakeology for breakfast along with my coffee, and water.  My two main meals I ate at home and of course felt very satisfied.  It was my goal once again to stick to the plan and my determination got me through today.

The lower fix workout was really great, we had quite a few varieties of squats and lunges including weights.  I started today with ten and fifteen pound weights because I know that we have more strength in our legs and should be able to use heavier weights.  I would not advise though if you are trying the program for the first time to use very heavy weights simply because you have to figure out what you can handle.  Starting out with no weights or even five pound weights will get you a fantastic workout, just be sure to write it down for the next time, consistency is the key to your success on any strength training program.  I love that before you know it the program is done.  All of the workouts are thirty minutes long.

So today I feel more tired than normal all of the running around gets to me after a while so tomorrow I get to rest.  I am giving myself the gift of sleep because it is so important to your weight loss program.  Today was the last day of class and school is officially done for me.  Sleep is the next thing on the agenda.

There is a fitness challenge group on the 19th of May if you would like to try the 21 day fix and have full support from myself as your coach and a ton of amazing people please email me at lulu_love13@yahoo.com or find me on Facebook (Lucia Perez).

Till tomorrow, sweet dreams.

21 Day Fix Playing Catch Up

So I am happy to report that yesterday (5/6/14) was my last day of my graphic design class, and although I have been feeling as though I could use more rest I still did my workout.  Yesterday was the upper fix workout that I have to say was quite intense.  I really feel that I got my money's worth for thirty minutes.  The weights I used were eight pounds as my light weights, and ten to fifteen pounds as my heavier weights.  Now if you're thinking of starting the program and you are not used to using weights by all means start with three to five pound weights.  Your strength will build eventually and you will be able to go up in weight.  Since I have been working with weights since January, I started out with much heavier weights and was able to get through the full thirty minutes with no real problems.  Remember, if you are starting a program it's important to write down what weights you are using because if you don't you may not remember what you used.  Now I am sure some people have great memory and thats great, but I don't.  I never, ever wrote my weights down or my reps till I started with Chalean Extreme, and boy was it a waste of time.

I am glad that in the Chalean program I got very disciplined about writing my weights down and it really paid off.  I am definately stronger than I was before.  I am hoping to really push myself with this new program because I think it will really tone me up.

Eating yesterday was very good, I was very much able to get through the day feeling as though I got plenty to eat.  I made sure to pre-pack my meals for the next day and had them all sectioned off in a storage container so that I could just grab and go, or grab and microwave.  I typically don't care to use the microwave but when you are coming and going you have got to plan to make your meals easier to deal with.  I have had so much success and discipline eating the food I have laid out for myself that I expect to see the results that I want.  Discipline is very important with this plan, it may be easy to try to eyeball your serving amounts at first but you may get the proportions wrong and at the end may wonder where you went wrong.  I promised myself that I would stick to the plan no matter what.

Water consumption was overall very good I did drink as the program recommends half of your body weight in ounces.  Now I have to admit I am not a huge water fan, after all it can get pretty boring, but for the sake of the program and overall health it's super important to prioritize your water.  Now what I love is that they give you several creative options to drinking your water.  Frozen strawberries to your water is one fantastic example.

Overall my day ended well! If you think you would like to join me on my fitness journey with help and support for you while on the 21 Day Fix program we are having a challenge group on the 19th of May, and I would love to have you join.  I am loving this program so far and would love to give you guidance.  Please email me at lulu_love13@yahoo.com, or facebook me Lucia Perez,.

21 Day Fix Starts Today

So I it was my goal to try to post my pre-21 Day Fix preparation but I will have to write about it even though today I start  the program.  I spent the weekend shopping, as well as working on final projects for school.  I am currently a student at the University of Texas at El Paso and I am studying Graphic Design for a second degree.  So having to work, finish up school projects, and really focus on my business is time consuming.  Not to mention I am raising two beautiful teenage girls as well on my own.  Luckily, the semester is over on Wednesday and I can really have one less thing to focus on.  

So I spent the last week just mentally preparing myself for the fact that I was going to be eating only certain portions a day from certain lists of food.  I will admit I was feeling anxious about whether or not I was going to get enough food to eat.  I was also worried that my food would not have flavor since I can't really use salt, and lets admit it we all know or maybe should know that salt consumption makes our bodies retain water.  I know this for a fact because I used to do cleanses and would leave out salt altogether for weeks and always saw major results.  But as I have gotten older I find that I am more stubborn and that tendency has gotten me into trouble.  It's an unwillingness to commit or compromise.  I would think that the easy way would still get me results.  Well joke was on me, I made a decision last year towards the end that I was going to make major changes this next year of 2014.  I knew that I wasn't going anywhere in my life the way it was with my health, career, and lifestyle.

I made a New Year's Resolution for the first time and on that list I had this:

9. Work on toning your body the way you've always wanted to.  And make a commitment to seeing it through.

Now please don't misunderstand my lifestyle wasn't too extreme, like a party animal or anything, because I am raising two children and I have to be my best for them.  I just wasn't giving 100% to anything and it showed.  So towards the end of last year around November I started to exercise more.  I would run at the local high school track, I even started to jump rope (great for calorie burn), and started doing leg exercises in the morning.  My problem was that I just didn't have a clear plan or direction with it.  my resistance training was unguided and I realized that I needed to be taught what to do.  

So it was my good friend who told me about Chalean Extreme and challenged me to do her program for the next 90 days.  It was just what I needed, and basically the answer to my inner prayer for guidance.  God works in mysterious ways, he has his little angels all around doing his good work.  That was the beginning of the journey that has brought me here today.  So I decided to really search for that inner will power that I had been missing from my life for the longest time, and I finally pulled it out for this challenge.  I told myself that I would really make a commitment to this program because I want to see it work for me.  I want to see results and everyday I want to feel great!  I deserve it and I have to take care of me!

Today is my first day and I am off to a great start.  I've had my water, shakeology for breakfast, and all meals prepared!  Time to get ready for work, and after I will do my first workout... Have a great day!! Amores!

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21 Day Fix Preparation

I am preparing myself for the 21 day fix program.  There are several things that I need to do before I get started.  First thing's first I am looking to see what is expected of me.  I am looking at the time frame for the program and making sure that I have the 21 days marked off of my calendar to make sure that I know exactly what is going on.    

       

This program is all about portion control and with that it will teach you to the proper amount of food you should have on your plate.  Along with the program you receive a package of small containers that are different colors.  (purple, green, red, yellow, blue, and orange to be exact)  The colors represent certain food groups that you will be able to choose from as your food selections for the day.  For example the purple container would represent the fruits food group and depending on your intake plan you would have a certain number of servings in this container.  Some fruits listed are raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, figs, banana, papaya and apples.  These are only a few for there are quite a few to choose from.  

Green-veggies

Red-meat

Yellow-starches and carbs

Blue-good fats 

Orange-nuts seeds

The plan is designed so that you will get 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat, the balance you need for weight loss proper energy levels.

My plan is to make lists of acceptable foods for the household since I do have two teenagers to feed as well as myself.  Fortunately I have two teenage girls who like to eat their fair share of healthy foods, and begin to prepare some batches on Sunday to make sure I have what I need to get through the next three days.  I chose six foods from each list to have variety and Saturday I will go grocery shopping.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this meal plan is a clean eating plan.  For twenty one days I will not only be eating foods that will bring me back to a completely balanced diet, but I will have to do away with some items.  

SALT (some 21 day recipes allow a small amount)

COFFEE CREAMER
SUGAR
HALF AND HALF

CREAM

SYRUPS

can all say goodbye because I will not be able to have any of these.  I can live without this for 21 days after all I have made this commitment to myself that I have to do this right.  I don't have to give up coffee and green tea is okay to have too, but if you add anything from List B (1-2 tbsp. nonfat milk, or 1-2 tsp. of raw sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, agave syrup, or stevia) you are limited to two cups a day.  Now if the program said no coffee I would rethink it.  I am a coffee addict and I need it in the morning.  I am willing to compromise although I use a stevia that has zero calories, zero carbs, zero sugar.

Now what I love about this program is  that it's not so strict that you don't have room for cheat treats.  You do have some cheat treat options to choose from should you need a fix.  This eating plan is so clean that a cheat treat given, not abused, can be eaten in their proper portions.  Some examples that I can live with are chocolate covered almonds, potato chips plain kettle, tortilla chips and oatmeal cookies.  Now knowing how I am, and I am far from perfect, if I give myself a treat and I think I have been good I may over-indulge.  I am going to do my absolute best to be good.  I have done it before on past cleanses and I can do it again for 21 days.  I always remind myself that 21 days from now chocolate, wine, chips will still exist and we can live without each other.  

Last but not least, water water and more water.  It is crucial to this plan to drink enough water.  They cannot stress it enough.  They give you a ton of great ideas for creative ways to drink water.  Now I find that as I have gotten older I have a harder time with water because it runs right through me, and I have a pretty busy and hectic schedule most days.  But it is not going to be an excuse for me to fail on this program, so I will make sure to consult my physician to see how I can get this resolved.  Drinking water is so important to your overall health that I plan on making it a priority.

Shakeology is a part of this plan.  This part of the plan I am looking forward to because since I started using this product I have felt so amazing.  Because I will be eating at a calorie deficit I wont miss out on any nutrients with this product.

I almost forgot to mention that you do get some spice recipes that you can use to bring flavor to your foods, they are listed in the free foods page as well as things like ginger, fresh garlic..the usual suspects.  

With all that being said next time I will touch on the caloric part of it.  I plan to write about my journey on this program in hopes to inspire others to have the courage to try and get healthy and fit!!

Ciao amores!!

If you would like to be a part of a 21 Day Fix Challenge group please fill out the application below. There will be one beginning on the 12th of may and there is still time to participate if you think this is something that you would like to do.

contact me at lulu_love13@yahoo.com

Site URL -http://www.beachbodycoach.com/lululove13