#30ForTheKids Christmas Challenge

 Hey Fit Fam,

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that last week I talked about the "wait till the new year" mindset many people have and how BAD of an idea this is. I gave a few tips that may help you get a JUMP START to any fitness goals you have in mind. You can check out the post HERE.

Here is a way you can get in THIRTY minutes of EXTRA ACTIVITY in for the next 30 days and also GIVE BACK to those in need.

My sponsor, 1st Phorm, is doing something called the #330forthekids challenge!

HERE IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO:

Take 30 minutes of your time, for 30 days, donate $30 to help support less fortunate families and get a jump start on 2018.

To participate, you must do the following:

Donate $30 to the go fund me account (CLICK HERE)

Share this Photo on any of your social media platforms (Instagram, Instagram Story, FB, Twitter, etc.)
Please @ mention ME (@stacymccloud) so I know you are participating!!!

Tag @1stphorm

Use #30forthekids #1stphorm and #iam1stphorm hashtags

The daily workouts you can choose from:

30 minutes on the stair master
or
100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, & 300 air squats
or
Run 3 miles.

Choose one of the 3 workouts above for the next 30 days. While 1st Phorm doesn't say you can "modify" these workouts .. I'm sure they will allow it! Ha!

For example .. if you are NEW to fitness I wouldn't suggest RUNNING 3 miles. Walk, Jog or do a combo of the two. Or if you can't do the step mill for some reason ... pick another piece of cardio equipment. You can always MODIFY push-ups to be "assisted" with knees on the ground. You can also do these push-ups/sit-ups/air squats as "super sets" with the workout you are already doing. So instead of RESTING between training sets .. throw in sets of the above until you have done them all!

If you miss a workout during the 30 days, it cost you $5 penalty (payable to the Go Fund Me page)
If you don’t join by Dec 2nd at midnight, buy in fee is an extra $5 (tack it on to your $30 on the Go Fund Me Page.)
((obviously honor system is in effect here))

Grab your friends, lets kit fit and help! Participating in this challenge is not only a great way to give back and spread Christmas joy, but you will also prevent some unwanted pounds and get a jump start to a more fit healthier version of you in 2018.

The goal is to raise 20k this Christmas to give to a variety of charities and adopt local families in need.

We are going to need everyone’s help to make it happen!
Stacy

TO PURCHASE 1ST PHORM SUPPLEMENTS with FREE FAST SHIPPING and 110% money back you can use my athlete link --- www.1stphorm.com/stacy.
But please EMAIL me first so we can see what products will work best or YOU and YOUR needs! You do need to use the link with each order to get the free shipping!

MY CURRENT 1ST PHORM STACK -- as of 12/1/17:
MicroFactor - EVERY MORNING!
Adrenal Restore - 2x a day (I am doing an adrenal reset. More on this coming soon.)
GDA - with first meal of the day and/or any really high carb meal
Creatine OR AlphaCre - PreWorkout (I'm doing NON stim preworkout during the adrenal restore)
Phormula-1 & Ignition - Post Workout
BCAAS - 1 scoop in my gallon of water that I drink each day. Also sometimes IntraWorkout.
Level  1 - in various amounts at different times of day in things like my Breakfast Cake, Protein Ice Cream, Smoothie Bowls, etc.
Glutamine - 5g 2-3x a day for recovery and GUT HEALTH
OptiCore, Night T or an of the other 1st Phrom sleep aids - 45 min before I want to go to bed

Bye Bye Brain Drain

Hey Fit Fam,​

Who else has a problem with their mind wandering? Or maybe you just cant seem to concentrate? Focus Stacy .. FOCUS! This is something I've always had to tell myself. I wouldn't say I have any kind of ADD .. but I tend to be a "jumper". I can't work on one task for very long without feeling the need to start something else on my to-do list. I have always known this wasn't the most productive and realized it even more after I read the book "The OneThing". But being aware it was a problem for me wasn't enough .. I still found myself struggling .. until I started taking THIS!

1st Phorm MasterBrain

1st Phorm Master Brain is a brain-boosting stack that contains clinically studied ingredients designed to optimize mental performance by enhancing memory retention and recall and giving you all-day razor sharp FOCUS.

It took me forever to try this stack because I was on prep and taking the 1st Phorm #BlissGoPack (now upgraded to Royal 21 Queen ) .. and then I immediately wanted to reset my adrenal glands post show and I did a cycle of 1st Phorm Adrenal Restore. BTW I highly recommend both these stacks at SOME point in your fitness journey (even if you aren't working out Adrenal Restore is a good one) so please EMAIL ME so I can tell you more about them and determine if they would be right for you!

Anywho ... about 5 weeks ago I started taking Master Brain as part of my "off season" supplement regime and WOW ... I can't tell you what a difference it made! Most days I don't even take a pre-workout other than what I posted about on Instagram (1st Phorm BCAAS, Glutamine, Creatine) because of the focus MasterBrain gives me! The MasterBrain AM I of course take in the morning first thing .. and then I take the MasterBrain PM 8 hours before I want to wake up. I slowly find myself winding down about an hour after I take it and within 2 hours there is no way I can keep my eyes open. I am a "night thinker" and this has REALLY helped tame that! I sleep sound and wake up so refreshed!

If you find yourself struggling with concentration and focus and then unable to wind down to give your body the rest it needs .. I HIGHLY recommend this stack! Bye bye brain drain, lol! You take it in a 5 day on 2 day off cycle and on the two days I don't take it .. I CAN TELL!

I am about to start prep soon so I'll be going off of this and starting a different stack and to be honest I kinda don't want to stop, ha. But life has phases and my next phase is PREP MODE! So I'll be cycling Royal 21 when that time comes!

Oh and if you don't have any issues with sleep, you can buy only the AM instead of a stack, but they are designed to work together .. so I suggest both!

HERE is a link with more information and it also gives you FREE shipping and 110% money back guarantee (as long as you see my name "Stacy" in top right corner. If you don't please email me before you order so we can make sure you get that free shipping, etc.)

Let me know how I can help you! If you end up buying this let me know what you think!

Stacy

Two Supplements YOU NEED ... NOW!

Hey Friends,

On Instagram I posted a little "Transformation" from 2014 just before I started my very first prep for stage. In the post I mentioned two things I believe have been KEY in transforming my body. I bet you can't guess what they are?!? You are probably thinking fat burners, protein powders, etc. Nope .. ya ready?!?!

MULTI VITAMINS and FISH OIL. I know .. I know .. these aren't very "sexy" supplements .. but it's true. These are two things that 99.999% of all of us DO NOT get enough of from diet alone (I mean who eats that much fish, lol.) But did you know that not just any ole brand you can pull off the shelf at Wal-Mart or GNC. Why?! Because QUALITY MATTERS!! I could go on and on about this .. but you get what you pay for and if you are going to go for the cheap ones (or non pharm grade) then you are wasting your money.

Here is a GREAT article on FISH OIL and why it may be key in helping with FAT LOSS. Yup .. supplementing WITH fat could help you LOSE fate.

And here are here are some articles on vitamins and minerals. They are long but do a great job explaining what each one does for our body, etc.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of supplementing with the RIGHT vitamin and fish oil please EMAIL ME! 

If you want to order the ones that I use and recommend ... click on the links below!

XoXo,
Stacy

M Factor Multi Vitamin -- FREE SHIPPING and 110% Money Back Guarantee ((make sure you see my name in the top right corner.)

Full Mega Fish Oil -- FREE SHIPPING and 110% Money Back Guarantee ((make sure you see my name in the top right corner.)

Let's Talk about CREATINE

Hey Fit Fam,

Wanna talk really fast today about CREATINE! What is CREATINE? Well .. it is likely THE MOST studied supplement on the market! It is also the most cost-effective dietary supplement in terms of muscle mass and strength gains. Creatine can help support protein synthesis, which helps muscles grow. Speaking of research ... Creatine supplementation has been studied for over 80 years!!

I've never had a coach that didn't suggest me taking creatine. In fact my last coach (Layne Norton) had it as one of THE most important supplements he wanted me to take on prep.

I take it on season, off season, peak week, etc. There are SO MANY misconceptions about creatine (many say it causes you to gain weight, hold water, etc. NO .. that is all a bunch of bro science. If you are buying the RIGHT KIND you won't have those alleged side effects.) Because there is so much confusion ... I thought I"d post a link that contains SEVERAL articles about it .. what kind you should take .. how to supplement with it .. etc.

Click HERE to learn more and read several blogs!

If you want to order some 1st Phorm Creatine CLICK HERE for FREE SHIPPING and 110% money back guarantee! Just type CREATINE in the search box. But as ALWAYS please email me if you have questions. For example .. both of 1st Phorm's pre workouts (AlphaCRE and MegaWatt) already have creatine in them! So you may not need it! I just like to have it so that on days I don't want a pre-workout I can still get my daily dosage in! I usually mix it with BCAA's and Glutamine and I'm good to go!

XoXo,
Stacy

Health Headlines: Quality sleep when young may benefit memory later in life.

Quality Sleep When Young May Benefit Memory Later In Life 

We know that sleep is key for overall health, but for those of us spending a lot of time in the gym, sleep is vital when it comes to muscle growth, recovery, etc. Now there is a a new study that came out this week in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science that gives us yet another reason to catch plant of zzzz's. Researchers have found investing in good quality sleep as a young or middle aged adult may be key for a good memory later in life!

The researchers conducted the comprehensive review of more than 200 studies dating back more than half a century, which analyzed the association between sleep and cognitive functioning. Study participants were divided into three age groups: young (18-29), middle age (30-60) and old (60+). The researchers assessed self reported data on how many hours, on average, the participants sleep each night, how long it takes them to go to sleep, the frequency at which they wake during the ight and how tired they are during the day.

Results of the analysis revealed that young and middle-aged participants tend to get more sleep and better quality sleep than older adults, and this appears to benefit their cognitive functioning later in life. 

There are very few people out there that don't complain about lack of sleep. I am the worst example for this. On a good night I would say that I log about 6 hours ... max!! This is why I've started taking 1st Phorm DOWNTIME PM. The first two times I took it, I only took one pill (which is 1/2 the suggested dose.) It is not advised to "cut" the dosage, because you may not get in all of the vitamins needed to make it actually work! I am just Melatonin sensitive (and that is one ingredient in it), so I wanted to try a 1/2 dose first! I took a full dose for the 1st time last night. I didn't notice a difference as far as the melatonin sensitivity, so I'll be good to go on taking the full dose from now on! I've only taken it 3 times, but I can tell you that even though it says take about 45 min before you want to fall asleep, I was OUT within 15 min!!! I also slept with few interruptions and woke up feeling GREAT! It suggests 8 hours of sleep and I'm working on getting to bed earlier (that it the point), but I will say that I only got 6 last night and I woke up with ZERO grogginess!! You should give it a try! If you are in the Nashville area you can head to Mid10 Nutrition to pick up yours! You can also order online at www.1stphorm.com.Eat Clean. Train Dirty.

Stacy

Protein Peanut Butter Cup

Hey Fit Fam ..

I am just NINE DAYS out from Nationals (ahhh...I just got butterflies typing that) and THIS is what I ate for a portion of one of my meals today :)

Yes .. this is a Peanut Butter Cup! Well ... a 1st Phorm Protein Peanut Butter Cup!!!


So many people are given meal plans and don't stop to think outside the box. For example .. if you are given oats and egg whites for breakfast ... that doesn't mean you have to just eat plain ole oats and eggs!  Try one of my muffins or pancakes using my "basic batter base"!!  Same goes if you are given egg whites and veggies -- make some veggie muffins! All you do is put the veggies in muffin tins, pour in your egg whites -- boom! How many it yields depends on your portions and size of muffin tins. But I eat about 6 small muffins when I do this! Add some hot sauce .. yummmm!!!

Also -- say you are given 1 scoop of protein with water. They typical post workout, right?  That doesn't mean you have to settle for a shake!! SOME (not all) proteins "bake" very well.  You just stir in some baking soda (not much .. same amount I use in my batter base), then add water to make it a little thinner than batter consistency and put it in the microwave for like 30 seconds and boom -- you have cake!!!! I usually add some Walden Farms Chocolate, Caramel or Pancake Syrup on top! I've had some fails with some protein brands and success with others -- so just play around with them!! I also have been doing something really creative with my 1st Phorm Ignition -- I'll post about that later this week!

OK .. onto the post topic. For one of my meals right now ... I get oats, protein powder and peanut butter. I LOVE protein oats (just cooked oats with protein powder mixed in after). But I don't need as much protein as I'm given to make my oats taste good (It gets too dry and thick if you don't have enough oats and too much protein powder).  So I set aside about 2 tbs of the protein to stir into my oats and used the rest to make a PEANUT BUTTER CUP!! (**PS if you are wondering why my oats are pink .. since I used chocolate protein powder for the peanut butter cup .. I simply measured out my 1st Phorm chocolate protein .. then took out 2tbs ... and then got 2tbs of a different flavor (strawberry milk shake) for my oats. So my measurements are all the same .. but I get two flavors this way.) Oh .. and the 1st Phorm Level One Strawberry in Oats ... I DIE!!!!! 

It's so easy ... just mix your protein powder with a little bit of Walden Farms (I used chocolate this time since I was using chocolate protein) and water (you could use just water if you want. Or unsweetened almond milk) ... pour half into a cupcake liner .. freeze for about 15 min or so .. spread on the peanut butter ... pour the rest of the protein batter on .. freeze until ready to eat!!! If your protein isn't sweet enough .. add some stevia to the batter too! For my Peanut Butter Cup I used 1st Phorm Level One Chocolate Mocha! I've also done this using regular Chocolate & Vanilla!

It may not be be the same as a delish peanut buttery filled Reece's Cup (my favorite) ...but it's still super yummy!!! Just beware -- it melts fast. So keep it in the freezer until you are ready to bite in.. because you can't savor it very long before it starts to melt all over your hands! And yes .. I licked every single gram of it off of mine, haha!

Eat Clean. Train Dirty
Stacy

#LegionOfBoom

Hey Fit Fam,

I love the nutrition store I go to because they let you sample everything (It's called Mid10 Nutrition in Nashville). Because they let you sample before you buy, I have found a new brand I am IN LOVE with!

It's called 1st Phorm. They have so many proteins and supplements on their page - so going there may make your head spin, haha. That is why I suggest going to a place that actually has the product so they can guide you.

The best thing about their products.. they are a very CLEAN protein. Their Phormula-1 Protein is IDEAL for pre and post workout because it is literally THE PERFECT blend you need to feed your muscles. They also have a protein called Level 1. This type is more for "meal replacement". Great if you are on the go or before bed. 

They have another product that I was really scared of taking when the guys at Mid10 recommended it for MY personal needs. I saw the label and was like "no way" (it has tons of carbs and sugar). I've blogged before about the "power hour" and how important it is to feed your muscles the RIGHT carbs/sugar after (and before) a workout. Well, 1st Phorm has created a product called Ignition that takes out ALL the guesswork of what you should have if you are serious about lifting. It is made specifically FOR feeding/fueling your muscles pre and/or post workout. You can read more about it HERE because I'm sure I'm not doing the best job at explaining, haha.  I've been using it about a month now. I take it WITH the Phormula-1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Protein (it has instructions on the label). It's so good!! If you don't want to fork over the money for yet another supplement, I've heard of MANY people that weight train that drink skim chocolate milk before and after workouts - - my husband has a pop tart and a protein shake. Some people do smoothies and add some extra fruit. This product is essentially the same idea but DESIGNED to do the job in what seems like a better way. I like not having any guesswork and knowing it goes to fuel my muscles instantly. Plus it's a nice treat made into a Muscle Cake or Protein Shake! The way my meals are structured I usually have a meal due within 30min or so of taking this .. so I don't want anything to heavy! It's perfect :) If you do make it into a Muscle Cake .. omit the stevia, add more water and stir extra well because the Ignition makes it a much different consistency and much sweeter than one without it.

They just came out with a Pre-Workout and I can't wait to try it!! I usually use a stimulant free pre-workout .. but I've found that doesn't really do the trick on days I'm running low on fuel and have a 2 hour workout to get in. So I can't wait to pick up a sample at Mid10 and see what it's all about!

On a side note ... if you have seen me hashtag their products in some of my fitness posts on places like Instagram (you do follow me .. right)... that is because going to their webpage did do ONE very positive thing for me. I found out they are having a Athlete Search!! Competing is so very expensive. I eat 6 times a day and try to buy only really quality meats, etc. So eating isn't cheap. On top of that, I probably spend 150+ bucks a month on protein powder and super greens alone. That doesn't include pre workout, bcaa's, vitamins, etc. So having a sponsor would really help.  Their brand is all about motivating and inspiriting others. When I read that .. I knew I was an ideal candidate. I already have been doing everything they are looking for - so I entered! Why not, right?!  Even if I don't get a sponsorship ... 1st Phorm will be one of the products I continue to use.

Eat Clean. Train Dirty
Stacy