What is Country Heat by Autumn Calabrese?

Hey! 

You! 

Yes - YOU! 

I'm talking to you!!!

I have something that you NEED to see! 

But first, I must ask...

Do you like Country Music?
Do you like dance cardio?
Do you want to spice up your cardio?
Do you DISLIKE working out?
Do you need your workouts to be fun in order to do them?
Do you need a place to START?
No matter what your reason, if you are looking for something different or you just want to get started this could be the program for you!

On July 27th, 2016, Beachbody is releasing a BRAND NEW fitness program that is going to CHANGE the way people workout and get moving!

Any guesses as to what the name of the program is? (hint - check out the title of this blog post...)

COUNTRY HEAT!

When I heard that this program was coming out, I immediately had this HUGE grin on my face! Why???

Well - two reasons:

#1 - I LOVE Country Music!

#2 - I love Autumn!

Wanna see a bit about the program? Check out the video below. 

I am really excited for the launch of this program! In fact, I'm going to be talking a select group of people from beginning to end through the program!  We will start on August 1st and go through the entire program. I'll be making sample meal plans, giving you recipes, tips, and guidance on how to rock this program!  

Beachbody just released the results of the Country Heat Test Group from Corporate. The people in the this group had incredible results and one even lost over 60 pounds in 90 days!!! All they did was follow the workout program, drink their shakeology, and follow the meal plan! Seriously! It's THAT EASY!

So lets talk about WHAT this program actually is?

First of all it features all of the hottest country music!  There is NO CHOREOGRAPHY to remember, just follow along for the 27-30 minute workout!  This workout program is high energy, low impact dance workout that is super fun and easy to follow.  Autumn Calabrese created this program and has also created the 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Co Creator of Hammer and Chisel, author of the Fixate cookbook, mom and bikini competitor.  She has her certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Fitness Professionals and Associates. She is extremely talented and gifted at getting you results.

There are 5 high energy, cardio based dance workouts, 1 dance conditioning workout, and the portion controlled eating plan! 

WHAT MAKES COUNTRY HEAT EFFECTIVE?

Autumn makes this workout fun and easy! It's something you will look forward to doing every day!

You get 5 high energy dance workouts and 1 dance conditioning workout to give you all the calorie burning benefits of a great cardio workout while using every muscle in your body to fire up your metabolism.

There are no complicated moves, NO WEIGHTS OR EQUIPMENT required.

Autumn uses her portion control container system and meal plan to help you lose weight by eating what you want in the right amounts each day.  

WHO CAN DO COUNTRY HEAT?

ANYONE from beginners to 21 Day Fix Graduates to those advanced in their fitness that want something different and fun!  It is great for all ages and sizes! 

- People who like Zumba

- People who want tquick results

- People who generally don't like to exercise

- People who want a lifestyle change, but aren't sure where to begin! 

This workout is great for people who have tried and failed at complicated diets and exercise programs.  The reason is that its easy to follow the portion controlled container system and you have ME as your coach to guide you every single step of the way!  I will teach you how to meal plan, prep, and stick with the workouts from beginning to end.  Plus the workouts are fun and you don't even know you are working out!!!  

If you want to lose weight, then yes, that is accomplished in the program!  

BUT - I encourage everyone to do at least 2-3 rounds of the program. The reason is that in the first 30 days you are just learning the ropes.  You are getting a good handle on your nutrition and understanding the portion controlled containers.  As you dial in your nutrition you can increase your results!

Do me a favor - DO NOT WORRY if you have two left feet. By the end of this program, you will have more coordination and by the second round, you will be NAILING the dances!

WHAT DO YOU GET WITH THE CHALLENGE PACK?

When you purchase your Country Heat you will get:

- 6 workouts on 3 DVDs in 30 minutes or less.

- 7 Color coded portion controlled containers to efficiently help you portion out your food

- Country Heat Nutrition Plan which is an easy to follow guide that has recipes, tips, and more to help you get results.

- 30 Days of Shakeology in any flavor 

- Quickstart Guide- This is a simple 3 step guide that preps you for your fitness journey by giving you the low down on the nutrition plan and workouts.

- 30 Day Calendar so that you know exactly what workouts to do in what order to maximize your results.

- ME as your cheerleader! I will help you the entire way through the program and beyond!

- Plus when you get the challenge pack you get access to Country Heat On Demand which means unlimited access to stream Country Heat and all the other workouts to any desktop, laptop, tablet, TV or mobile device.  So you can start your workouts the minute you make your purchase.

SO DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A PROGRAM YOU WANT TO DO??

Ok - I'm convinced! This program is for me and I want to do it! HOW???

Well, lucky for you - I am going to be launching my first official COUNTRY HEAT TEST GROUP on Monday August 1st and workouts start on the 8th of August! You can get personal, mentoring, guidance and support from me in a closed online accountability and support group!  

Here's what you get from ME:

- I'll walk you through the entire program.

- I'll teach you how to navigate the nutrition plan.

- I"ll teach you how to choose healthier snacks.

- I'll teach you how to make better choices when eating.

- I'll teach you how to make a LIFESTYLE change and QUIT dieting!

- I'll will help you stay accountable.

- I will help you stay motivated when you just don't want to do it.

- I cannot do the work for you, but I can be there with you 100% of the time doing it WITH you!

The FIRST step in getting in on this program is to sign up with me as your FREE COACH. This is ONLY if you DO NOT ALREADY HAVE A COACH. I cannot stress this enough. I want to help everyone but I am not in the business of stealing clients from others. 

To make me your FREE COACH - just CLICK HERE. 

If you already have a coach, reach out to them and see if they are doing a launch group!

If you do not have a coach and would like to be in the official test group then complete the application below to be considered for the group.  I will be hand selecting a group of people who are committed, dedicated, and ready to make some changes in their health and fitness!  The sooner you apply, the sooner we can get you started!

A long journey and a big surprise

So – it’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post. A real, from the heart, down to earth, blog post. I think it’s finally time to let everyone know what is going on with me. To be perfectly honest, 2014 and 2015 were not kind to myself and my family.

Here’s a quick little rundown:

2014 – My dad had a stroke, our daughter was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that attacks her eyes, my step-dad got cancer, we accidentally got pregnant, I lost the baby, my daughter had surgery, my step-dad died.

2015 – I developed SERIOUS health issues. What started as a rash on my hands, quickly progressed to dermatologists, allergists, rheumatologists, and more. Remember when I looked like this:

In October of 2015, I was finally diagnosed as “ANA+ with a steroid responsive rash; also, Hashimoto’s disease”. What does this mean for me? A lot of meds. A lot of diet changes. A lot of restrictions on my normal clean eating staples!

Add to all of 2015, I got pregnant again!!! We thought we lost the baby twice. Turns out it was a subchorionic hemorrhage. The doctors gave me a 50% chance of keeping this pregnancy as of Dec. 24^th. Yes. Christmas Eve. Closer to New Year’s Eve, we thought we lost it. It was bad and my mental state was not in a good place.

I went in for a “confirmation of loss” ultrasound on January 6^th. Imagine my surprise (and tears) when we saw a little baby with a heartbeat waving at us! I hadn’t lost the baby. BUT, the high risk doctor did not give me good odds of the baby surviving with my “extremely large” hemorrhage. I think he said “don’t get your hopes up”.

So, on Feb. 3, I had another ultrasound. And there was the baby! Waving at us again! This time, my hemorrhage had almost completely gone away. We were in the clear and I was almost 12 weeks along! Almost out of the first trimester!!! WOO HOO!

Then, on the afternoon of Feb. 11, I got another call from my midwife. She left a message and asked me to call her back on her CELL phone. Then, she texted me when I hadn’t called her right away. I figured that couldn’t be too good.

When we talked, she told me that I had tested positive for the anit-E antibody. Turns out it’s another AUTOIMMUNE thing. It can be bad for the baby if my titer gets too high. Today on my lunch break, I am headed to get my blood drawn AGAIN. We need this titer ASAP.

What does this mean for me and my baby? I know that I will be getting monitored a LOT during this pregnancy. I know that I will get blood drawn every 1-2 weeks. I will get ultrasounds every 2-4 weeks. My titer needs to stay in check – 1:4 is the highest they want it go, and that's where it is now. There is a possibility that I will have to get an IUT – intrauterine transfusion – which is where they give the baby a blood transfusion in-utero. The chance of this is small, but it’s still a very real possibility. There is also a good possibility that I will have to deliver the baby early. Probably somewhere from 34-38 weeks. 

As of right now, I’m trying my best to do what I do. Get up, go to work, take care of my family, take care of myself, and be better today than I was yesterday. The more normal I stay with my routine and food, the more control I feel like I have. In a situation where there is NOTHING I can do to control my anti-E, having control over SOMETHING is nice.

So - I'm trying to just do my thing. I'm trying to stay true to myself. I'm trying to be positive. We have another ultrasound on March 3 and an appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctors. This should result in a LOT more answers and some calmed fears.

If you got this far, thanks for listening. If you were thinking you were gonna see a workout/fitness/heath/recipe post - sorry to disappoint. This is what is consuming me right now, so it's what I'm writing about :)

<3,

Kell

22 Minute Hard Corps Breakdown

Beachbody and Tony Horton are at it again! From the man that changed home fitness with the P90X series, comes this quick (22 minute) military inspired workout program.

Before I get into the specifics of the program, I want to share my ABSOLUTE favorite fact about the program: See those people up in that picture above? The ones modeling the workouts for you in all the videos? Well - they are all REAL VETS!!! How stinking cool is that?!?!

Tony Horton is WELL KNOWN for his love of our military. He is a HUGE supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project. He goes around the world to workout with our troops. In fact, that's what inspired this program!

Beachbody loves their military and vets too! Wanna know how? Well - most of us have to pay to become a coach and we have to pay a monthly coaching fee. This fee covers our websites and our special coach support line. For any active duty military or honorably discharged vet, Beachbody WAIVES all their coaching fees.

What does that mean for active military and vets? That means a super nice 25% discount on everything without any of the business fees associated with having the business! It's Beachbody's way of saying THANK YOU for your service. WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Ok - so on to the meat of this blog post. You are here to learn about 22 Minute Hard Corps. Let's get to it!!!

What is 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS™? 

Legendary trainer Tony Horton has created a challenging but simple-to-follow workout program inspired by training techniques used by the military. Each workout in 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS is a quick—and intense—calorie-blasting drill designed to get you "boot camp fit" in just 8 weeks. You just show up, keep up, and get in shape!

What makes 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS unique? 

Tony puts getting "boot camp fit" within the reach of anyone willing to commit to 8 weeks of serious training and nutrition. And he gives you all the tools you need to power through the program—including a modifier version of every exercise, that you can follow until you’re up to speed with the rest of the platoon. So with 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS, you get a program that works your whole body with moves that are tough enough to challenge you, but are straightforward enough for you to do on Day One.

What makes 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS effective? 

You get eight short workouts, 6 days a week—so your mind never gets bored, and your body never adapts. The workouts feature a unique blend of cardio and resistance training that targets multiple major muscle groups in your body and can help you get shredded fast.

Are these real “boot camp” workouts? 

The 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS workouts were inspired by Tony’s time spent training U.S. servicemen and women to their maximum fitness potential. They combine the no-nonsense simplicity of military PT (Physical Training), with Tony’s personal expertise in functional fitness and creating quick workouts that deliver great results in a short amount of time.

What equipment will I need? 

For some 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS routines, you will need a pull-up bar or resistance band and door attachment, as well as a Beachbody® PT Sandbag or dumbbells. For the month of March 2016, if you order the challenge pack (with shakeology or the performance line) through me, you will get a FREE PT Sandbag in your order!

What’s included in the 22 MINUTE HARD CORPS when I purchase from a Beachbody Coach? 

• 8 challenging workouts on 2 DVDs
• Quick Start Mission Guide
• 8-week Basic Training Action Plan
• Rations for Results Nutrition Field Guide
• Cold Start pre-workout drill
• Hell Week Challenge Card
• HARD CORPS: Battle Buddy Workout DVD (can only get this by ordering through your coach!)

Who is this program good for?

• Busy people without a lot of time to spend at the gym working out.
• Former members of the military, who want to get back to the fitness level they had when they were in the service.
• Anyone looking for a “no-frills” workout that gets results without requiring them to learn a lot of complex moves.
• Fans of Tony Horton and other time-saving Beachbody® workouts like FOCUS T25® and P90X3®.

What is the nutrition plan like?

It is a basic but satisfying nutrition plan that lays out the three squares and two snacks you’ll need for the mission ahead. It makes meal prep easy so you can get back to the business of getting results. The portion controlled containers are incorporated into the nutrition plan so if you are used to your containers, you can follow this plan too! Tony's motto for this program is "Eat better, not less".

How do I get my hands on this program?

I'm glad you asked! Fill out the application below to be considered for my official TEST GROUP of 22 Minute Hard Corps. We start planning for the workouts on March 7 and will start workouts on March 14. We will work through the program together and motivate each other. I'll be your drill sargent the entire step of the way!

Fill out my online form.

Beachbody Ultimate Reset Results

I just realized that I wrote this blog post in JUNE 2015 and never published it! Seriously - this mom brain is something else! Anyways - enjoy!

Three weeks ago, I decided to embark on a CRAZY journey. This is a journey I have been avoiding for the past 2.5 years. With my new found health issues, I decided that it was time to take the leap and let go of my fears!

The Beachbody Ultimate Reset. Craziness. The hardest thing I have done with Beachbody to date. The BEST program I have done to date.

This program pushed me past my limits. It took this picky eater and turned her into a (kinda) veggie loving girl! I tried so many new foods over the past 3 weeks. I gave up ALL white sugar. I have been meat free for 2 weeks. The last week, I ate only fruits and veggies.

I learned more about myself in the past three weeks than I could have ever imagined. I challenged my thinking. I challenged my brain. I challenged my appetite. I challenged the way I looked at food.

I realized that I was eating for comfort and based on cravings instead of really listening to my body and understanding what it was telling me.

I was also in the middle of trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I had this HORRIBLE rash that was itchy and hot. I had been to dermatologists and was in the process of getting in to see a rheumatologist. I had blood drawn, tried different steroid creams, had skin biopsies, etc. I was MISERABLE and needed to get something figured out. This is another reason why I finally decided to try the Ultimate Reset. 

Check out this pic collage on the right of what my skin looked like BEFORE I started on the Ultimate Reset. See that top picture? That's how I walked around every.single.day. I was in massive amounts of pain and horribly depressed. To the left, you can see what my body looked like the night before I started.

I chose to start the UR on a Wednesday. I did my research and realized that I might feel sluggish and have some body pains. So I wanted to plan for that to happen over the weekend while I wasn't at work. I meal prepped and planned like crazy! Good thing that Beachbody made it easy with this one. They tell you what to eat, when to eat it, and even give you a grocery list.

Another little known secret is that you can switch out any breakfast in week 1 for any breakfast in week 1, any lunch in week 1 for any lunch in week 1, and any dinner in week 1 for any dinner in week 1. The only exception to that is that you aren't supposed to eat meat after day 3. This made my planning and prep a LOT easier!

I'm not gonna lie - the first week was HARD! I had a ton of body aches and a nasty headache. My body was in full detox mode. I think day 3 and 4 were the absolute hardest. I could barely function - BUT - being a mom, I had no choice. Luckily, I had made up my mind BEFORE I started the program. I was going to stick to it and have ZERO cheats.

Of course, I picked a bad three weeks, but whatever. I NEEDED to do this for myself. I wasn't going to let a MLB baseball game, my step-father's burial service, a huge family reunion, and Memorial Day ruin my progress.

Below is the picture I posted on day 1. It was my gallon of distilled water. I drank at LEAST one of these each day!

By the end of week 1, I was feeling AMAZING. I was sleeping better than ever. My aches and pains were gone. I was losing my bloat from all the coffee, sugar, and junk I had been eating. And keep in mind, I had a pretty clean diet before starting on this journey. I was astounded at the week 2 pictures. Take a look at what I looked like after week 1.

How about a side-to-side comparison of day to day 8? This is where you can REALLY see the changes happening. I was down 7.8 POUNDS and 14.25 INCHES!!!

Week 2 brought some interesting challenges. There were a lot of foods that I decided I didn't like during this week. But the one thing that made me the happiest? The beans and rice recipe. I LOVE that recipe and plan to make it all the dang time! I definitely used the swap option for meals this week. It was so nice to know that ahead of time.

By the end of week 2 and the beginning of week 3, I was happy with my results but I was getting tired of all the restrictions. I knew if I could just make it to day 18 or 19, the end would be in sight and I would be so excited to finish that I wouldn't care about the restrictions anymore.

Here are my week 2 results. I'll give you the regular pictures and then a side by side :)

What do you think? Do you see any progress? My main problem with the picture above is that you can still see my lack of a smile. I was deep in the UR and it was not easy. I was seeing progress but each day was work. Hard work. Crazy work.

The third week of the program was the absolute hardest for me. I survived ONLY on fruits and vegetables. For a girl who doesn't like many veggies, this week was rough. My favorite part was the HUGE bowl of fruit I got to eat for breakfast every morning. The hard thing for me was eating veggies that I don't really like. Peppers are an absolute no-go for me. So are any veggies that have "strings" in them.

I know. I know. You think I'm weird. That's ok. I like what I like and that's that. I'm ok with my weird food texture issues and don't really care what anyone else thinks of me for it :)

So - week three brought on ALL kinds of pictures. Many of them had me smiling in them. I believe I even took a picture of all my empty supplement containers because I was SOOO excited to be done with all those dang supplements! Seriously!

Actually I think I forgot to mention the supplements before. There was a STRICT schedule of what supplements to take and when to take them. My LEAST favorite supplement was the Alkinize.

Wanna know what it tasted like? It tasted like you turned your lawn mower over after a fresh mow and licked the grass clippings off the blades. EW. Seriously. Disgusting. And that was a supplement you had to drink EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Ew.

This pic below was one of my proudest! All the containers were EMPTY!!! Woo Hoo!!!

So - the end of 21 grueling days. Seriously. This is the HARDEST program that Beachbody has to offer. And you're not even allowed to workout while doing the reset!!! I have never been prouder to complete a program. For real. Check out my ending pics and that SMILE!!!

How about a side to side comparison of all 4 sets of pictures? Then you can REALLY see the changes in my body! 

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?! All that progress in just 21 days? You can see my OBLIQUES!!! I didn't even know I had obliques! I promise - I was not flexing or sucking in for ANY of those pictures listed above. I am a REAL person who got REAL results.

Wanna know what my BEST result was? Well, remember WHY I decided to do this program? A big part of it was my health issues. I had a horrible rash that just wouldn't go away. The doctors couldn't find a reason for the rash. Let me show you what happened after 21 days on the Ultimate Reset:

I made the pic as big as possible so you can see the difference in my skin. Two pictures. Three weeks apart. This is why I would recommend this program to ANYONE who is dealing with health issues. I will recommend it to anyone who is struggling with a plateau. I will recommend it to each and every single person I possibly can. It changed my life. It changed my health. I am forever grateful!

If you have any questions about this program (The Ultimate Reset) or any other Beachbody program, please let me know. I would love to help you feel as good as I do now!

<3
Kelly