Tag Archives: Fitness Inspiration

June 8, 2018 · 9:00 AM

My Adventures In Keto

Last September, I decided to give the Ketogentic style of eating a try. If you’d like to read about why I finally decided to give it a try after being super skeptical about it, check out this post.

After 3 months of following keto, hitting the gym at least 5 days a week and incorporating Intermittent Fasting (IF), I dropped almost 30 pounds and saw muscles that I had never seen since starting my fitness journey.

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The photo on the left was Day 1 of joining the gym in September,
Photo on the right was late November.

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Photo on the left was August 2017, Photo on the right was May 2018. It’s crazy how I didn’t feel like I had gained so much back at the time, but looking back,
I don’t know how I fooled myself into thinking I didn’t.

I learned a lot while doing keto. Starting out as a carb/sugar junkie was rough….I’m not going to lie. Thankfully as I mentioned in the above referenced post, I hit Pinterest for Keto-friendly recipes that would help me with my bread and sweets cravings – Need inspiration? Check out my Keto board over there – I think it’s really important to plan things out before jumping into this lifestyle change because there are NO CHEAT DAYS while following keto.

There is science involved with keto. When you’re body is in a state of ketosis, it’s completely changing the way it fuels itself. 

Keto Flu is real. Don’t roll your eyes about it when reading about keto on-line. When you drop your carb intake, your body naturally begins to dump excess water that it normally holds on to. This will result in a big number drop on the scale because you’ll no longer on to excess water, however this fluid dump will also leave you low on electrolytes and leave you feeling like you have the flu. NOT. FUN.

Ways to combat this is to up your salt intake…but not with regular table salt, you’ll want quality salt like Celtic or Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.

Electrolytes like Nuun can also be added to water, but be careful which ones you buy. Some of them are high in carbs and will kick you out of ketosis (or slow down the process of getting into ketosis). I am a fan of these electrolytes…

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They come in these handy little packets that you can easily stick in your bag or pocket, but if you prefer, they also come in a tub. I picked them up at Vitamin Shoppe but I’ve also seen them at Whole Foods and Amazon also has them. They come in different flavors and Amazon sells a sample pack so you can try the flavors and see what you like best.

Another great way to combat Keto Flu is to sip on bone broth throughout the day. It is full of minerals that your body needs and if you’re doing Intermittent Fasting, you can sip on it and not break fast! My favorite brand is Kettle & Fire which I have found at Vitamin Shoppe as well as Whole Foods.

My workouts also suffered a bit when I first started keto and I had to change my mindset about things. I couldn’t move the same kind of weight I was able to move while fueling my body with carbs and that was a punch to the ego. Dropping down in weight after hitting new PR’s is a painful thing, but I sucked up my pride, adjusted what I was doing and my body rewarded me by burning fat like it was nothing and allowing my muscle to finally show through!

While eating low carb/high fat I also no longer suffered from the 3pm slump. You know that feeling when you need a coffee IV, sugary treat or a nap? Yeah….I didn’t experience that anymore and THAT was an amazing feeling.

Despite all of this, I stopped following strict keto toward the end of December. Between the holidays and some travel, I just wanted to try to find balance that allowed me to not have to stress over food and freak out about wanting to have a few beers with friends. I simply kept my carbs low and my fat higher, but not to an extreme that allowed the body to switch over to producing ketones on a regular basis.

Of course adding carbs back into the mix triggers your body to hold onto fluid again, so my weight increased by 3-5 pounds but i’m totally okay with that.

This experiment taught me a lot of things about my body. The most important one being that despite how much I love carbs & sugar, my body does not. They leave me feeling tired, lost in a brain fog and fluffy feeling. None of those are good feelings.

I also learned that I really like Intermittent Fasting and incorporating lower carb days into my routine. This style of fueling my body leaves me lots of energy and helps me to find the balance that I feel is so important in life. I’ve been using an app called Zero to track my fasting and I highly recommend it.

So will I go back to strict keto? Probably! I definitely saw the benefits of it and felt great while following it…however I also love real pizza, beer and donuts from time to time.

I’ve made a promise to myself that I will find balance this year. I won’t keep my nutrition & workouts so strict that I go off the rails as soon as I have something that doesn’t fit plan. Life is short and I want to enjoy it, but I also don’t want to lose all of the hard work I’ve put in over the last 7+ years. That’s where balance comes into play and it looks different for everyone. I’m not 100% sure what my balance is yet, but I feel like I’m a lot closer to finding it.

Keep an eye out for more low carb recipes and keto information! I promise there is more to come soon!

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October 6, 2017 · 12:15 PM

I’m Still Alive!

still_aliveWow…it’s been a hot minute since I’ve sat down and shared anything here.

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that life threw our family some curveballs last year. My father-in-law, who lived with us, passed away last January and things began to go downhill for me while he was in the hospital. From no time to workout, to stress, to meals from vending machines and people bringing up bagels, sandwiches and others foods I didn’t normally eat, the weight began to creep on. After the funeral, things just felt weird. The bad eating became a habit and that habit left me feeling unmotivated and tired. ALL. THE. TIME. I would say “that’s it, it’s time to get back to basics” and begin a program only to fall off the wagon after a week. Sigh…

Team all of that up with my son’s anxiety hitting an all time high (if you follow me on Instagram you already know a little about this) I had to stop working and begin doing homeschool with him because it was so bad he couldn’t go to school. Talk about stress and the perfect excuse to say “fuck it” right?!

Yeah…I totally called bullshit on myself there. If you know me, you know I don’t sugar coat anything…even when it comes to myself. I believe the only way to be successful at changing your habits is to acknowledge that they are fucked up to begin with. You can’t blame anyone for your problems. Yes, they may create them and sometimes you have no control over what happens in life, but you ALWAYS have control over how you handle and react to them.

Last May I turned 40 and as a gift, my good friend signed us up for the Hershey Half Marathon. I know, you’re probably thinking, “Why does your friend hate you?” but she knew it was something I’ve been wanting to do and she herself had completed her first half marathon a few months before so we thought let’s do it together. Training for it actually helped me to get back on track and I began to enjoy running again…until it got hot out. That’s when I began to hate it and questioned the decisions I make in life. Our race was in October and thanks to my amazing luck, I injured my foot and was not able to run it. I contemplated walking the 13.1 since I’m a fast walker, but we were leaving for Disney the following weekend and I didn’t want to hurt myself any further before the trip. Instead, we still went to Hershey and had a fun friends weekend, which was pretty damn awesome.

Of course I used my injury as an excuse for the next few months. I started my on again off again relationship with workouts and meal prep but thankfully I didn’t gain more weight. This continued until just recently when I started walking and doing some turtle running along with some meal prep and home workouts, but something still didn’t feel right. There was no real motivation and I found myself coming up with reasons why I could put my workout off… or I just wouldn’t put any true effort into them. I was just going through the motions and let’s be honest, theres no point in doing that at all.

About 6 weeks ago I started working again and I made the decision to join the gym. Gasp! I know… I said I joined the gym. I couldn’t even bring myself to go into the gym to join, I did it on-line! Talk about lame, right?! But I’ve been going and I found a gym lover to help me get over my fears and feel comfortable there, which has been awesome! I even made the decision to give Keto a try, so it’s been an interesting week of fasting and learning how to not eat carbs and embrace fat as my main food source.

Soooooo…. I know that was long and if you’ve gotten this far, thank you for actually caring enough to read. I’m hoping to share more of my gym journey here as well as some of the Keto recipes I find try so I won’t be such a blog slacker anymore.

Have you ever fell into a fitness rut? If so, I would love to hear about how you were able to overcome it and find motivation again!

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June 26, 2015 · 3:45 PM

Three, 21 Day Fix Questions Answered

Three 21 Day Fix Questions Answered
Recently I was asked by my friend Coach Eric, to do a LIVE Google Hangout, Q&A session on 21 Day Fix, for his bootcamp. I immediately said yes because of how much I love this program, but then sheer panic set in.

I. DON’T. LIKE. MAKING. VIDEOS.

If you’re a long time follower of my blog or social media channels, you’ve already figured this out. I don’t know why I have such a phobia of video, but I do and it’s been Eric’s mission since I’ve met him to get me over it and in front of the camera. (He’s such a pal. *eye roll*)
transformation Tuedsday

The truth is, I don’t know why I loathe video so much. I share my before & after photos as well as all kinds of glimpses into my life via Instagram, ( <—— see) but video is just weird to me.

Okay…I’m the weird one…FINE! 

Today he won, though. He got me live on a Google Hangout and you know what? I didn’t die doing it. As a matter of fact I felt pretty comfortable doing it!

The topic of our webinar was the 21 Day Fix and his bootcamp participants were able to submit questions that they had about the program. I was then able to read all of the questions and select 3 of them to answer live on air. Pretty cool right?!

Some of the topics we covered were: Incorporating 21 Day Fix approved meals with your family (2:40 mark), How to stay on track with the program while on vacation (6:19 mark), How to overcome a plateau and stay motivated on your fitness journey (9:40 mark). There were also some bonus questions and conversation about salsa, my thoughts on beer and how coaching has helped me with my fitness & nutrition (25:00 mark).

So without further delay, here is the video recording of the webinar for your viewing pleasure.

So how did I do?! Do you think I should start doing more videos?

For those of you trying to get your children to eat healthier, a great way to get them involved is to try having them make their own Greek yogurt parfaits instead of ice-cream at night. For more recipes and ideas for getting them involved in the kitchen, check out my new Healthy Kids board on Pinterest.

Need more information about staying on track while on vacation? Be sure to check out this post I did about Staying on Track While on Vacation.

Have another question? Feel free to leave it in the comment section below and I’ll answer it as soon as I can for you!

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February 11, 2015 · 11:19 AM

5 Reasons Why I Prefer Working Out At Home

5 Reasons Why I Prefer Working Out at Home

The gym has never been my thing. I’ve always wanted it to be, but I just don’t feel comfortable there.

This “gym fear” of mine, most likely stems back to a bad experience I had back when I was overweight and joined a gym in an attempt to do something about my habits. The classes were filled with fit women who had rhythm and I was the polar opposite, so I never attempted a class. I would go and walk on the treadmill for awhile before going over the machines to try and figure them out.

One day, I was on the treadmill doing my thing and I noticed a few of the ladies looking and me and snickering. I began to feel self conscious and with good reason. I lowered the music playing through my headphones and heard this group of ladies making fun of my weight. I was absolutely mortified and couldn’t wait to get out of there.

You would think the fact that I was at the gym trying to correct my weight would be commended, but that was not the case. Looking back I hate that I let these shallow ladies get to me. I allowed their close mindedness stop me from ever returning to a gym. As a matter of fact, I drove to the grocery store on my way home and bought a container of ice-cream to drown my sorrows in.

However, the silver lining to this story is that I eventually returned to my mission of getting into shape…but this time I did it all at home!

Here are my top 5 reasons why I prefer working out at home:

1. You don’t have to deal with shallow people who will judge you. When you workout at home, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a neon green polka dot sports bra with striped leggings. No one will snicker that your hair looks like a squirrel made a nest in it. Hell, you can wear your pajamas if you want to. All that matters is that you show up and focus on your workout.

outfit woes

2. When you’re done with your workout, you can lie on the floor like someone just shot you and curse all you want. Well…as long as your children aren’t around for that last part. I can’t tell you how many Insanity or leg day workouts I completed and then just collapsed onto the floor and stayed there for awhile. You can’t do that at the gym. You’d be in people’s way, you’d get stepped on and if you cursed like I do during some parts of my workouts, you’d probably get thrown out.

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3. You don’t have to clean anyone else’s sweat off of the equipment before you use it. Let’s face it, people are rude and don’t always think about the person who will be using a machine after them. Despite complimentary towels and signs everywhere telling people to use them on the machine and to wipe them down when they’re done, most don’t listen. Working out at home means you only have to deal with your own germs….unless you workout with your spouse, but that’s a totally different circumstance, right?

sweat equipment

4. You never have to face the bitter cold early in the morning or get soaked by the rain. I don’t know many people who want to leave their warm bed, get into workout clothes, scrape off their windchill and freeze their ass off in order to go get their sweat on. If you do enjoy that, hats off to you…you’re my new hero. When you workout at home, you can’t use the weather as an excuse. Ever.

ain't nobody got time for this

5. Class schedules don’t dictate YOUR schedule. This is hands down my main reason for working out at home. When you workout at home, your schedule is just that, YOURS. You don’t have to check with the gym to ensure the class you’ve been wanting to do is still on. You don’t have to wake up extra early to do it because it’s only available at a specific time or worse yet, put your workout off all day because the class you love is only offered at night. Let’s not even get started on gym hours. Why do they close early on weekends?! Bonus reason: If you’re a mom, you can fit your workout in around your child’s nap time and not have to worry about gym childcare and what germs may be lurking in there.

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I know that my gym experience isn’t the case for most people and many love going and feel very comfortable. This is just my experience and as bitter as I may sound about it at times, I’m actually really grateful it happened. It allowed me to try something I always felt skeptical about and completely changed my life.

If it wasn’t for my experience at the gym, I may have never tried P90X or any of the other programs I went on to complete. I may have never lost over 100 pounds and decided to become a personal trainer, as well as an on-line accountability coach. My life took a path I never expected it to take and it may be because of that experience. Who knows! All I know is that everyone has a fate or destiny in life and we are introduced to it in many different ways.

Have you ever wanted to try an at-home fitness program but didn’t know where to start? If so, I would love to speak with you more and help you find one that would be a good fit for your goals.

Comment below or shoot me a message on Facebook and I’d be more than happy to help you. I host monthly accountability groups to keep you on track and I’ll also guide you through making a meal plan, too!

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January 30, 2015 · 10:27 AM

The Big Game Workout Challenge

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Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!?

While my favorite team is not in it to win this year, I will be watching the game along with millions of other people.

Big Game parties are known for chips, dips, wings, pizza and other fried finger foods. Let’s not forget the beer and the fact that we are all just sitting around while enjoying all of these high calorie goodies.

Today I thought I would share some healthier food options that you could serve or bring for the party, as well as some tips and “The Big Game Workout Challenge” which could be a fun way to burn off some of the treats and get you off the couch!

Game Plan:
1. Don’t arrive for kick-off with an empty stomach. Make sure you eat a light meal with lean protein before game time. This would actually be a good time to drink your Shakeology, specially since you could take it on the go with you. Doing his will help curb junk food cravings because you won’t be starving.

2. Don’t sit within arms reach of the snack table or the buffet set up. When you arrive you’ll want to take a look at what your choices are so you can form a mental plan, but you don’t want to sit where it can tempt you. Doing that could end with you mindlessly reaching out and stuffing chip after chip into your face.  No good!

3. Be involved in the game! Make sure you actually watch the game and the commercials! (we all know they tend to the best part when your team isn’t in it). Talk to your friends, cheer, talk smack about the other team…whatever it’ll take in order to move your focus away from the food.

4. As I stated in number 1, there will be beer as well as other drinks. You’ll need to have a plan for how many you’re going to drink before you start. (21 Day Fix people, you can swap a yellow here but it’s not for a 6 pack!) If you plan on having multiple drinks, make sure you drink a bottle of water between each one. It will help to keep you hydrated, reduce your risk of a hangover and it can help to keep you from going over the predetermined number of drinks you’ve set.

5. Participate in “The Big Game Workout Challenge” that I have below! It’ll get people up and moving, which means less time for snacking. It can also be a good way to get people laughing and joking. Parties are about having fun right?!

The Big Game Workout Challenge

*This is not meant to be a full workout. It’s just designed to get you moving and burn a few calories while enjoying the game.

 

Healthy Snack Options:

1. Buffalo Wings: They are a staple item when it come to football. We all love them but they aren’t exactly the healthiest things around. Check out these healthier versions:

2. Dips: This best friend to the chip is typically filled with sour cream, mayo or both mixed together. Not exactly friendly to your waist but oh so easy to go overboard with. Here are some healthier recipes that use greek yogurt as a healthy swap:

Don’t forget homemade salsa, guacamole and hummus are quick and easy to make and allow you to flavor things to your liking. Be sure to offer fresh veggies as a dipping option in addition to chips.

3. Food: Pizza, sandwiches and chili all tend to be popular at Big Game parties. The first two are easy to hold and eat and chili is just warm, comforting and allows the guys to show just much hot sauce they put in their food without crying, right?! I’m a huge fan of chili and if you need a recipe, I highly recommend this one which I posted a few weeks ago – Turkey Chili.

Here are some ideas for making these items a little bit healthier:

  • Opt for whole-wheat or whole-grain crust pizza. (Many pizzerias offer these now, so if you’re ordering be sure to ask.)
  • Have some veggie topped pizza options for your guests or a Margherita style pizza, which is usually topped with fresh mozzarella (less greasy) and basil. Not everyone wants greasy pepperoni, sausage or supreme!
  • Opt for whole-wheat or whole-grain for your hero or hoagies (depending on where you are from) too! Many people think wraps are healthier but that isn’t always the case. Some wraps pack a bigger calorie punch than bread and can have less nutrients. If preparing them yourself, check your labels!
  • Consider a vegetarian option. Roasted veggie wraps are really delicious. (Just be sure to ask wherever you order from to go easy on the oil.)
  • When ordering wraps or sandwiches, make sure the condiments are on the side. This will reduce calories and leave things up to your guests.

4. Think outside of the box: Many of you eat healthy on a daily basis. There is no reason why that needs to be tossed out of the window because of a game. Think of the foods you typically opt for and use them:

  • Instead of potato skins loaded with cheese, use sweet potato and top them with nitrate-free turkey bacon and a dollop of greek yogurt.
  • Make your own baked tortillas to go with your dips.
  • Serve fresh fruit with a simple fruit dip: Mix together 1 cup of vanilla greek yogurt, 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter and 1 Tbsp honey. Store in the fridge in an air tight container until ready to serve.

Do you have any healthy swaps or recipes that you plan on serving this weekend? I’d love to hear about them!

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January 20, 2015 · 2:08 PM

21 Day Fix Motivational Quotes

21 Day Fix Motivational Quotes
If you have been doing the 21 Day Fix, you may have noticed that Autumn starts each workout with a motivational quote and repeats it throughout the 30 minutes. If you’ve really been paying attention, you may have even noticed fun blackboards in each workout video with the motivation quote of the day written on it.

I noticed these back in the spring during my first round of 21 Day Fix and I fell in love them. I even searched for still images of each one but I couldn’t find them anywhere, so I began sharing similar ones from Pinterest with my accountability group participants and they began listening to these little nuggets of motivation during their workouts.

Today as I was working out, I decided to attempt to take photos of all of them. When I completed Upper Fix, I grabbed my phone and my remote and I went through each workout trying to catch a good decent semi acceptable photo of each one to share.

(I warn you they aren’t great after these first three, but I tried and I think you’ll get the point. Also, they are semi out of order.)

21 Day Fix Motivational Blackboards

  • Dirty 30: Don’t Wish For It Work For it
  • Total Body Cardio: One Day at a Time, One Pound at a Time
  • Upper Fix: It Doesn’t Get Easier, You Get Better

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  • Lower Fix: If You’re Tired of Starting Over, Stop Giving Up
  • Pilates Fix: Believe in Yourself Right Now
  • 10 Minute Ab Fix: Earn The Body You Want

21 Day Fix Motivational Blackboards 3

  • Dirty 30: Don’t Wish For It Work For It (I really like this one so I included it twice)
  • Yoga Fix: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Body
  • Cardio Fix: When You Feel Like Quitting, Think About Why You Started.

These are all phenomenal quotes and they are super important to hear, especially during a tough workout. There is nothing quite like being stuck in your head and thinking about stopping then suddenly Autumn reminds you to think about why you started, or if you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up.

I encourage everyone to take notice of these and if one really hits home for you, hop onto Pinterest, find it, print it and hang it where you work out as a reminder!

Did you notice these motivational messages while doing the workouts? Do they help you stay focused and believe in yourself?

If you’ve been thinking about starting 21 Day Fix but have questions about the program, please feel free to contact me!

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November 4, 2014 · 9:46 AM

Goal Crushing Holidays – Don’t Fall Into The Trap

goal crushing holidays

Halloween is the kick off to the holiday season. It is the start the of the goal crushing holidays and the “treat” temptations that will become a everyday struggle from now until New Years Day.

Right now, many of us have homes full of “fun sized” candy and I’m sure we’ve all dipped into it. Those fun size treats then get us feeling down about ourselves and instead of saying “I can turn this around” we end up making more poor choices, this time with our meals or we’ll skip our workouts because we’re having a sugar crash and lack the energy to due them. Where exactly is the fun in this?

Next we begin to use Thanksgiving as an excuse and say “We’ll, I’m not going to re-start now, I’ll be eating and over indulging on Thanksgiving, so the Monday after will be my start date.” Thanksgiving dinner turns into leftovers the next day, followed by hours of shopping and more poor food choices because you’re on the go. (Do you really know how many calories are in the sugary, blended frappe topped with whip?! It’s scary!) By the time Monday rolls around you’re too tired to workout, so you decide “I’ll just start on January 1st.”

The problem with this is that we let “being busy” stand in the way of our goals. (You do have your goal written down where you can see it, right?! If not, you should read yesterday’s post.) From holiday parties, to cookie swaps, to drinks with friends, and crazy nights of shopping & wrapping, we allow each and every one of these events to become more important than our goals…and that shouldn’t be the case.

Every time you allow everything else to be more important than your goals, or you allow a slip up to get the better of you, it gets easier and easier to slip back into old habits. The same old habits that took you months to change can come back in a weekend if you allow them to. (Crazy right?!) Before you know it, all of the progress you’ve made is gone and it’s even tougher to start over.

This holiday season, I don’t want to see that happen to myself or any of you! Don’t be the average and allow those 7-10 holiday pounds to creep onto you. I know the holidays are hectic, but I also know that we can all carve out 30 minutes a day to get our workout done and we can all make smart food choices 80% of the time (I know you all have time to check Facebook and scroll Instagram so decide what’s more important). These small decisions can be a goal saver during the holidays and they still allow you to have your favorite food and treats during the season…just in moderation.

What I am asking of you right now is for complete and total honesty…not with me, but with YOURSELF. Where do you want to be come January 1st? Restarting and losing the weight you had already lost again, or feeling a sense of confidence and pride because this is the first year you didn’t let the holidays bully you into hating the way you look and feel?

I know this is not an easy time of year and I’m not asking you to do this on your own. As a Health & Fitness Accountability Coach, I can help you find a program that will fit your lifestyle & goals and I can also provide you with a private group of like-minded people to help you stay accountable, share you struggles and celebrate your achievements, as we conquer the holidays together!

My next group will be starting on November 17th and I would love to have you join me. For more information, please comment or message me on Facebook.

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November 3, 2014 · 5:59 PM

Staying Committed to Your Fitness Goals

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Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving feasts will be served shortly, Christmas is already everywhere you look and before you know it everyone will be shouting Happy New Year! It’s during this whirlwind time of year that people tend to pack on some extra pounds and then make the resolution to get back into fitness on January 1st.

If this is your annual resolution, you know that committing to your health is not easy. There will be times when you won’t want to wake up early to get your workout done, you’ll be sore, you’ll be tired, and that ugly little voice in your head will start telling you that you suck and the workout you’re doing isn’t going to make a difference anyway. (Don’t listen to that voice…it’s just fear speaking.)

There may be times when you wait in line at the coffee shop and feel like ordering that fattening blended coffee drink, even though you know sticking with your unsweetened (preferably black) regular coffee, or you’re driving home and pass a fast food restaurant and think to yourself “One meal from here won’t hurt.”. You may be scared to use a heavier weight than you did last week, because you are afraid you won’t be able to complete your reps. We all struggle with healthy eating. We all get late night cravings (trust me, I’ve written about Pop-tarts calling to me from the cabinet, in the middle of the night), and us woman all crave chocolate and salt simultaneously during a specific week each month. We’re human!

It’s in these moments of weakness, that your commitment to the goals you set are tested. This is why as an accountability coach, I always talk to my clients about why they decided to start a health and fitness program. The stronger the connection they feel to that WHY, the easier it will be to resist the temptations and the feeling of saying “Screw this, I want to sleep in!” When you stick to the commitment you’ve made to yourself, you’ll begin to stand more confidently, feel a renewed sense of pride and you’ll even feel sexier. Staying committed to your goals will help you to discover a true sense of well-being, purpose, and personal worth. You’ll feel even feel energized and happier!

Here are three ways that can help you stay committed to achieving your goals:

1. Post your goals on the mirror.
Posting your goals in a place where you are guaranteed to see them each day will help you to stay focused, motivated, and committed. Your bathroom mirror is the perfect place because you’ll see your goals first thing in the morning and right before you go to sleep at night.(We are brushing our teeth twice a day, right?!) Placing them here will also give you a chance to look at your goals and then yourself, which can be a very powerful thing. For maximum results, include why you started your fitness routine (to have more energy to play with your kids, to feel comfortable in your own skin, to feel more confident, to wow people at your class reunion.).

2. Prepare for the unexpected.
Each morning, or better yet, each night before you go to bed, ask yourself if there are any challenges that may interfere with your daily routine for the next day. Examples of this could be: Are there any lunch meetings or special events at work? How will you handle things if your child wants you to play during your scheduled workout time? What if you’re going out to celebrate a friend’s birthday at a restaurant? For each unexpected event, make a plan to address the challenge, while still staying committed to your fitness and nutrition goals. Of course, there are plenty of uncontrollable circumstances that could happen, but developing a plan to deal with your most common challenges will set you up to succeed with anything that could happen during your day.

3. Keep a daily journal.
There is no doubt that tracking your daily fitness and nutrition effort helps to improve your chance of achieving your goals. However, it is also important to track how much effort you put into each day, as well as how you felt during the that day. When creating your journal entry, ask yourself: “Did I exert every possible ounce of effort to achieving my goals today?” If your answer is yes, great! If your answer is no, write down one thing you can do tomorrow to be better than you were today. Another great question to ask yourself is “How did I feel mentally and physically today?” We all have good days and bad days and you can often see a pattern when you begin to a keep a journal. Spotting the pattern as well as the common denominator can help you to make small changes, which can help you to stay on track and achieve your goals.

Following these three tips can help your level of commitment for fitness and nutrition skyrocket! So as the New Year creeps up and you begin making your resolutions, I want you to really think about incorporating these three tips into your daily routine. They will not only help you to achieve your goals, but they can help you get results that will last!

What are your tips and tricks to staying committed to reaching your goals?

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June 24, 2014 · 5:25 PM

21 Day Fix – Week 2 Complete!

Talk about a fast moving program…wow! I honestly can’t believe I am in my last week of the 21 Day Fix already.

Coming off of week one, I felt ready when we entered week two. A lot of the guess work was taken out and I figured out how to space my meals and what snacks worked best for me. I used my meal calendar from week one as a guide, set up my menu for week two and prepped as much stuff as I could. There were a few days where I needed to change things up, but I felt confident in doing that since I had a week under my belt already…because one week of doing this makes me a pro, of course.

During week 1, while doing Cardio Fix, I noticed the blackboard in the background of workouts that has a motivational quote on it. The quote matched what Autumn was saying to keep us motivated and I thought that was cool. As I entered week 2, I became aware of this board in all of the workouts and how the quote changed in each one. I thought this was a very cool and subtle detail…not to be outdone of course by the Shakeology bar and t-shirts everywhere..haha! (But seriously Shakeology is good stuff…don’t sleep on it!)

21 Day Fix Still

1 Day at a Time, 1 Pound at a Time

I ran into a few challenges during week 2, but it was nothing awful. Friday I had my sons end of year party at school, which of course was right smack in the middle of lunch time. That day I opted to workout before having breakfast, which is something I am not usually a fan of. I actually loathe it, but I wasn’t starving and I knew it made sense to have a later breakfast so I wouldn’t be hangry while helping with his class. Thankfully I also thought ahead and blended up some Shakeology to pour it into my shaker cup before heading over to the school. The class mom provided Wendy’s for all of the kids and of course she ordered extra and when the kids didn’t want anymore, she offered it to us. I have only had fast food like that a handful of time in the past few years, which is something I am very proud of. However, if I was hangry I don’t know if I would be able to resist a cheeseburger…this is why planning is so important!

My second challenge was also on Friday. I was invited to a Paint & Sip party (more on that in my next post) so I wasn’t 100% sure as to which containers to keep free to use there. The good thing was the hostess is in my accountability group, so I knew there would be something I could eat…score! The other  issue I faced for this event was whether or not I wanted to give up one of my yellow containers for a beer. I ended up only having a sip of a cocktail that was served and I’m not counting a sip as an entire yellow.

Overall I felt great in week two. The workouts seemed to go smoother, I felt stronger and planning my meals was second nature. I also had my husband on board 100% which was nice, because he was a little resistant to the containers in week one.

My numbers aren’t jaw dropping at all, but that doesn’t bother me because I feel amazing and I’ve managed to get my nutrition under control, which is why I’m doing the program. I lost 1 pound and my measurements all stayed the same. My  husband on the other hand, lost 2 pounds and a total of 7 inches and the ladies in my accountability group are all kicking ass and taking names, which makes me happy!

For week 3 I’ve opted to follow the doubles schedule along with one of my accountability partners. I haven’t decided if I’ll do the 3 Day Quick or not, I think that will be a last minute decision for me.

Have you done the 3 Day Quick Fix? I would love to know if you think it is worth adding or if I should save it for another time.

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December 11, 2013 · 2:23 PM

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like A #12DaysOfFitness Challenge

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many of us…although it can also be a stress filled and indulgent time.

If you are anything like me, the tree is up, you’ve been busy shopping and cookies & holiday treats have been baking! I LOVE Christmas cookies and I especially love making them with the help of my children. The excitement, giggles and smells of cookies in the oven are what makes Christmas such a happy time to me. Despite my love of this activity, it can be a dangerous one if you eat too many cookies, grab too much fast food because you were out late shopping, or consider a Venti Peppermint Mocha Latte to be lunch, while picking up forgotten presents at the mall.

Team those things up with holiday parties, cookie swaps and family gatherings and you have the perfect storm for a caloric overload, which can result in buttons popping, lack of energy when you crash from your sugar rush and don’t forget the dreaded muffin top!

Staying active this time of year is important for our minds as well as our waistlines. Everyone needs a little time for themselves where they can unplug, clear their minds and work out a little aggression.

With this in mind, I decided it would be fun to run a #12DaysOfFitness Challenge over on the Facebook Page! The graphic below has the list of moves, as well as how many reps should be done each day. The challenge will work as a progression each day, so you will complete the activity of the day PLUS all of the prior ones…just like the Twelve Days of Christmas song. Kinda fun, right?

#12DaysofFitness

These activities shouldn’t take long to do each day and if needed you can break them up (although you’ll see better results if you can complete them as a daily circuit). Be sure to stop by the Facebook Page, click LIKE and join in on any daily questions, information or check-in’s that will be provided.

I hope you find a little time for yourselves this holiday season to keep up the progress you’ve made, or to get a jump start on your New Years resolutions!

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