I have always been interested in fitness, but my fitness journey really started in January 2002. My husband and I had just gotten married and he’s family has a history or heart disease and high blood pressure. I told him I didn’t want him to die on me, so we going to give each other a personal training for Christmas.

Enter Mike D. This man CHANGED the trajectory of my life. We met with him every Saturday at 7am for 6 months. During that time I lost 25 pounds and my husband lost 40 pounds.  From the first meeting with Mike, Philip (my husband) and I were ALL IN! That day we went home and throw out all the crap and the “healthy” crap.

Boy, was it a wake up call to lose my cheese and crackers and my pasta. I thought I’d miss it but looking back I had to go cold turkey.

During this time the gym had a weight loss contest. It was based on body comp change and I won.  It was at this time Mike who was a former bodybuilder suggested I think about competing. At this time, I had NO CLUE about competing. I didn’t even know what it was all about. He told me go buy an Oxygen magazine and get back to him.  I flipped through and thought this is not for me. I’m was not a “girlie” girl.

17 weeks later

Before

Fast forward 2004, the Red Sox win their first world series. My motto became if the Red Sox can win a World Series anything is possible. I sought out a competition coach and I competed for 9 years.

During this time, what was a hobby turned into a full blown passion. I wanted to be the Mike D. for other people.

You can only imagine what it feels like when you are able to set a goal that you thought was impossible and achieve it.

I wanted to help others feel the same way that I did. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing others achieve their goals.

I started part time in fitness in 2006 and made the transition to full time fitness in 2010.

I can’t imagine my life without fitness and I hope that I can inspire my clients that we Mike inspired me.

Do you have a fitness story’ I’d love to hear about your journey. Leave me a comment below.

Dear Pants Manufacturers of pants,

You are missing a big market. The women’s fitness market. My fitness league of ladies and I have one simple need.  We need to be able to buy pants to that FIT!!!  Yes, most days I wear sweatpants and sneakers, but on the days I do need to dress up I’m left stranded. These days I walk into most women’s clothing stores and yes I see different cuts, but 80% of them are straight through hip and thigh, skinny though hip. I’m grateful they have different cuts, but 90% of the inventory is not “curvy” they assume most of us are cardio queens and don’t hit the iron!!

Us fitness ladies, we need pants that cover our J.LOs without leaving a gap in the back and pant legs wide enough to fit our quad sweeps. Are we asking for the world’ I thought working hard in the gym would leave me cheering me in the dressing room, but with limited pants choices I’m reduced to tears and frustration in the dressing room.

Instead of making just pointing at the poop on the carpet I’m going to give you some suggestions. Men have athletic cuts, but nothing for us ladies. The designer who can answer this missed market, would make a fortune. Fitness women need pant legs that supports us dead lifting or squatting a small child.  So.. the label should read generous through hip and butt area.  I’d also put some stretch into those pants this would really make us fitness girls feel sexy and sporty at the same time.

Here is where I press my luck.  I’d also like to see an athletic cut shirt. Many of you see fitness girls wearing tank tops. It’s not because we hot or showing off. It’s because we can’t find shirts to fit our shoulders or biceps without looking like the hulk busting out of his clothes.  Just like men, ladies need athletic cut shirts to give us a little breathing room in those areas.

I can’t be the only fitness minded women who thinks like this. If you are struggling like I am, leave me a comment below. If you’ve found a designer who’s clothing takes fitness bodies in mind please leave me a comment below. I’d also love to hear from a designer. Is what I’m asking for really difficult’ Is the market not big enough’

I often here from clients that when go to social events, they feel left out or they just don’t go. If they do go, they are the girl in the corner with duck tape of their mouths and handcuffed to a chair so that they won’t go over board with treats and booze.

Do you really want to give a cookie or a glass a wine all that power”

Why not be “That Girl” who can attend social events and know that you can enjoy yourself, but not lose it. Give yourself permission to enjoy social events. Go there with the intention of enjoying other people’s company. Have protein and veggies. Eat before you go.

Us, girls of a certain age, we don’t have many spontaneous things that come up. So.. we know when we will be attending events, so plan for it in your week. During the week enjoy your healthy lifestyle (workout out and eat on track) and then know that you are going to an event that you will enjoy yourself with moderation.

I know this sounds weird, but I have a 2 bite rule. If I don’t like it in 2 bites, I toss it. No.. it’s not wasting food, it’s helping me to stay on track.  I’ve long given up on being a member of the clean your plate club.

Leave a comment below to let me know how you will enjoy your next social event.

Need more assistance’ Read my ebook about crushing your cravings.

You train right, eat right, and rest right for your athletic endeavors, but what are the right supplements to take your performance to the next level’ While research has revealed that multiple nutrients are beneficial for athletes, there are three that stand out from the crowd—all of which are in Isagenix Ageless Actives. Vitamin D, resveratrol, and co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are compounds that serve more than one purpose in the body. As the name implies, these three bioactives benefit overall health and wellness to keep you active and at your best physically.

Here’s why: Stronger Muscles with Vitamin D Athletes of all ages and types should be sure to get an adequate amount of vitamin D, or the “sunshine” vitamin. A recent review shows that vitamin D helps an athlete to recover faster after intense workouts. (1). More than one-third of the world’s population has low levels of Vitamin D, clearly we all wear our sunscreen. Vitamin D also helps to protect against injuries such as stress fractures. With winter just getting started, this is the time of year that falling behind on vitamin D becomes very easy for many people. Especially for athletes who train indoors, supplementing with vitamin D could be the answer. A study involving elite ballerinas found that when they supplemented daily with 2,000 IU of vitamin D during the winter, their muscle strength increased and injury occurrence decreased (3).

Easier, More Energized Workouts with CoQ10 Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is a vitamin-like nutrient that is very important in athletes. CoQ10 is needed for cells to make energy, having an optimal amount is critical for ensuring that athletes are able to meet the demands exercise. CoQ10 has also been shown to enhance muscle function and power. Using CoQ10 as a supplement may be particularly important for those taking cholesterol-lowering statins, which interfere with the body’s own ability to create CoQ10. As a result, CoQ10 levels may become depleted in these individuals. In a study last year on male older athletes taking statins, CoQ10 supplementation for six weeks was shown to increase muscle strength, allowing the men to complete more leg extension repetitions (5). CoQ10 can also help with recovery by acting as an antioxidant. Continuous running and repeated explosive movements can be hard on muscles, tendons, and joints, and the process of making energy to support these activities creates oxidative stress. A certain amount of oxidative stress and tension on muscles and tissues is necessary to signal the body to adapt to the exercise and to become better and stronger. But too much oxidative stress and damage to muscle without proper recovery can be harmful and counterproductive. CoQ10 supplementation before strenuous exercise has been shown to help athletes by decreasing excessive oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby reducing muscle damage and helping accelerate recovery (6).

Faster Muscle Recovery with Resveratrol Similar to CoQ10, resveratrol has been shown to be a potent antioxidant that can benefit athlete performance in many ways. Studies show that supplementing with resveratrol may improve energy metabolism in the heart and muscle by acting as an antioxidant and helping blood vessels relax, which  improves oxygen delivery to the heart and muscle (7). Better oxygen and nutrient delivery to the heart and working muscle means greater endurance and less fatigue. Resveratrol acting as an antioxidant can lessen the amount of muscle damage caused by exhaustive exercise and oxidative stress (7). Because of resveratrol’s potent effects, in fact, there was recently some concern that it may actually prevent oxidative stress to the extent that it impairs the ability of the body to adapt to the demands of exercise. However, after reviewing all the research, scientists have generally concluded that the evidence supports resveratrol having positive effects on exercise training (8). Resveratrol in the right amounts reduces excessive muscle damage without interfering with the body’s ability to adapt to face the challenges of training. This leads to faster muscle recovery and more opportunities for training.

Isagenix’s Ageless Actives for Better Performance It has the right combination of ingredients your body needs to perform at its best. In one pill it contains high-quality vitamin D, CoQ10, and resveratrol in optimal amounts, Ageless Actives ensures that your body has the tools to maximize muscle function while speeding up recovery.

References

1. Moran DS, McClung JP, Kohen T, Lieberman HR. Vitamin d and physical performance. Sports Med 2013;[43:60]1-11.
2. Hilger J, Friedel A, Herr R et al. A systematic review of vitamin D status in populations worldwide. Br J Nutr 2013;1-23.
3. Wyon MA, Koutedakis Y, Wolman R, Nevill AM, Allen N. The influence of winter vitamin D supplementation on muscle function and injury occurrence in elite ballet dancers: A controlled study. J Sci Med Sport 2013.
4. Gökbel H et al. The effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise in sedentary men. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):97-102.
5. Deichmann RE et al. Impact of coenzyme Q-10 on parameters of cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle performance in older athletes taking statins. Phys Sportsmed. 2012 Nov;40(4):88-95. doi: 10.3810/psm.2012.11.1991.
6. Díaz-Castro J et al. Coenzyme Q(10) supplementation ameliorates inflammatory signaling and oxidative stress associated with strenuous exercise. Eur J Nutr. 2012 Oct;51(7):791-9. Epub 2011 Oct 12.
7. Ventura-Clapier R. Potentiating exercise training with resveratrol. J Physiol. 2012 Jul 15;590(Pt 14):3215-6.
8. McAnulty LS et al.Effect of resveratrol and quercetin supplementation on redox status and inflammation after exercise. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2013 Jul;38(7):760-5.
9. Smoliga JM, Blanchard OL. Recent data do not provide evidence that resveratrol causes ‘mainly negative’ or ‘adverse’ effects on exercise training in humans. J Physiol. 2013 Oct 15;591(Pt 20):5251-2.

This is going to depend on your purpose for getting an accountability partner in the first place. It will also depend on just how serious YOU are about achieving your weekly or monthly goals. Any meeting can turn into a friendly chit-chat if you allow it.

My advice to you is before connecting with an accountability partner determine what your goals and desires are for wanting to work with one. Do you really want to be held accountable for your actions’

Once you have set your goals for wanting an accountability partner your next step is finding one. Many online forums and communities have special sections for connecting with potential accountability partners. Take a look at those forums which you visit frequently and see if they have one. You could also post on your social media wall that you are looking for one. One of your friends maybe looking for the same exact thing.

Do you know anyone else that uses an accountability partner’  Why not ask them where they found theirs’

This is definitely not something that you want to rush into. It is important to find the right person so that you will both benefit from your meetings. Write out a list of qualities or traits that you are looking for. Do you want a person who is of the same gender and age as you. What about time zones’ Is connecting with someone on a totally different continent going to work’

Use Skype or Facebook chat to connect with possible partners and get to know them. You don’t want to make a rash decision and you do want to get along with the person as well. Take your time to find the right person.

Remember, that you are being accountable to each other. This means that you both need to be able to take criticism and feedback from each other. Quite often it is much easier to be the one offering feedback than to be on the receiving end. You need to take the good with the bad. It’s those tough decisions that will help you grow and reach your goals.

You shouldn’t be a be afraid of of missing a goal, but be open and willing to have the discussion about why you missed it.  A family emergency may have come up or maybe you don’t know why you missed your goal. Actually this can be a good thing and a benefit to having an accountability partner.

If you are in the habit of missing deadlines it is possible that a person looking in from the outside can see things that you are missing. This could just be that your workload is so heavy that you don’t have the time to get anything new. Or they may see that you spend way too much time on Facebook or your not pushing yourself enough. Remember what I said someone to call you on your “stuff”. Here is where the rubber will meet the road.

Once any problem areas have been identified it is up to you to take action and remedy them. This is all part of working together as accountability partners. No one is the judge, in fact, you are both just trying to help each other set and meet goals on a regular basis. It’s really nice to have someone to brainstorm your challenges will because they can share a completely different perspective to the situation.

Many business people have connected with accountability partners and have a business relationship that has lasted decades. There is no reason why this couldn’t turn into a similar experience for you and your new accountability partner.

They say the average holiday weight gain is 5-8 pounds. Don’t be shocked after the holidays if your pants to don’t fit!!
Here are a few tips that can help you to get through the holidays.

1. Keep moving — make an appt in your calendar to workout at least 30 min 4-5 day/week . This time of year group fitness classes are awesome!
2. Load up on veggies — veggies are filling so make sure you are eating them. Every party usually has a s veggie tray so make sure you grab some or volunteer to bring it.
3. Give away leftovers — having a party’ Get some festive to go containers and offer your guest doggie bags — less for your to eat =)
4. Follow the 80/20 rule! If you eat 80% on plan and workout you can enjoy treats within reason 20% of the time. Enjoy yourself, but set limits
5. WATER!!! — don’t forget to drink. For every glass of alcohol have 1 glass of water.
6. Get some sleep — I know you get busy running around, but without sleep you will more drawn toward the sugary treats to give you energy.
7. Don’t stay near the food table — keep moving don’t just stand near the table and nibble!
8. Have protein with every meal! This will help to keep you feeling full. PS — protein isn’t nuts or nut butters!
9. Eat before you go — Before I go to any party or gathering I make sure I have a protein shake or bar.This way if there isn’t alot of food I’m not starving and tempted to eat quick fix foods.
10. Willpower sucks! If you have holiday trigger foods don’t keep them in the house. You can’t expect that “willpower” will keep you from going head first in your favorite foods. just so you know I struggle with this. So I need to keep the egg nog out of the house!!! Now the have some many flavors that call my name it’s hard, but I keep pushing the cart right by!!!  I will only have egg nog on Christmas day!!

Give yourself a pat on the back! Wow. You did it. 30 days in a row to create the foundation to build a healthy lifestyle.  For my Boston based challenge takers I feel like I should call up the Boston Duck boats and we have a parade down Boylston Street. I feel like there should be some cheering squad leaping off this page to congratulate you on the amazing accomplishment.

I’d like to personally thank you for being part of this 30 Day Challenge and making it such a huge success.Whether you managed just a few posts or completed every single daily blog challenge (2 snaps up!!) you should celebrate.

Based on the good work you’ve done you’ve build the foundation to:

• Build a winning mindset
• Develop powerful goals
• Create a clean eating menu
• Know what’s the best thing to eat pre/post workout
• Get a good night sleep
• Better structure your workouts

So what’s next’

• • If you’ve missed any part of the challenge you can through and complete them
  • Feel like you need a little extra support — you can contact me for 15 min laser coaching session. Just shoot me an email to see up a time squadleader at kimbarnesjefferson.com
  • Want to take the challenge to the next level’ Join my Last Ditch To Be A Hot Bitch Challenge — if you are interested send me an email. squadleader at kimbarnesjefferson.com.The challenge starts on 11/11/13.

Just joining now” Don’t worry you can catch up.
Day 1 — Intro the challenge
Day 2 — Getting your mind straight 
Day 3 — Goal setting 
Day 4 — What’s on your plate
Day 5 — Lift
Day 6 — Cardio
Day 7 — Living on your own terms
Day 8 — Rest day
Day  9 — Forming a habit
Day 10 — Just Breathe
Day 11 — Fat loss secrets revealed
Day 12 — Can you pinch an inch
Day 13 — Dedicated and Focused 
Day 14 — Doubt
Day 15 — Rewards and Consequences
Day 16 — Damn Hormones
Day 17 — Pre and Post Workout Meals
Day 18 — Successful Weight Loss
Day 19 — Know Before You Go
Day 20 — Courage and Strength
Day 21 — You Can’t Out Run A Bad Diet
Day 22 — 10 Days To Go!Day 23 To Cleanse Or Not Cleanse
Day 24 The Power Of Sleep
Day 25 — What’s Your Why
Day 26 — I’m Stressed
Day 27 — The Art Of The Start
Day 28 — What’s Your Advice
Day 29 — Healthy Tips
Day 30 — Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

This week I started reading the Jen Lancaster book, The Tao of Martha. Jen is an awesome funny writer, She says the stuff out loud that you think in your head. LOVE her biting humor.  In this book she was going to spend the year living like Martha Stewart, minus the gathering eggs from her hen house outback. BTW..I do have a number of friends who raise chickens and let’s just I’m in awe and shock. Well in the book she talks about Martha people and Oprah people.

Oprah people all about living their best life. Creating vision boards and affirmations and so forth.

Martha people are able organization and good things. You churn your own milk.

So I ask what kind of person are you’

If I were to be honest with myself I’m more of Oprah kind of person. I have made vision boards and I have my goals posted all over the house.  I’m all about living your best life. But my husband would prefer if I was a little like Martha. We often joke that we need a wife — someone who can help us to keep the house tidy, cook, do and fold our laundry, go to grocery store. If we were in the Brady Bunch times, we need an Alice — she doesn’t need to live here or where a uniform.

After reading this book, I’m thinking to myself, why not give it a shot too.

This year my plan is to be a little bit of a hybrid.

• I want to clean my home of clutter and keep it that way for more than 1 week LOL
• I want to file my bills on a monthly basis versus pile them on my counter until it falls over
• Find ways to better manage my email
• Meditate on a regular basis
• Feel the fear and do it anyway

How about you, what are you’ Are you an Oprah or a Martha or a hybrid’ In one of my blog posts, I give you 29 healthy habits to start. Could you start 1 habit one week’ Imagine where you would be in 1/2 a year’  Would you be able to blog about it ‘ Write a weekly post on Facebook. Think of that movie Julia and Julia. A women spent 1 year trying to cook all of Julia Child’s recipes, it was also made into a movie with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. Churning your own milk is optional =)

Leave me a comment below. Letting me know what camp do you live in.

They say you never truly appreciate the value of a well-functioning machine until it breaks down. So it goes for your immune system. Its complex network of cells, tissues, and organs protect your body on a daily basis from bacteria, microbes, viruses, and toxins. But if compromised, as when under attack by pathogens or lacking supporting nutrients, the system can become overwhelmed and fail to accomplish the tasks to keep you healthy.

During the winter months, your body’s immune system is presented with greater challenges when germs are quickly spread from person to person. The standard advice from your doctor is to wash your hands regularly, get a flu shot, and avoid unnecessary contact with those who may be sick. Okay for those of who work with the general public and this is really hard.

For most of in the fitness industry, we know that one of the best ways to stay healthy is to have a balanced diet. While no nutritional product or supplement can ever prevent you from having allergies, catching a cold or flu, or treat those illnesses or symptoms once you get them,  it’s critical that you feed the immune system the proper nutrients for it to function optimally.

A balanced diet should provide you with all the sustenance your body needs. But studies continue to show that most diets lack vitamins and minerals, such as zinc and vitamin C, which play a special role in our bodies’ immune systems. Special ingredients within food and in supplements also can help your body in its fight against foreign invaders while protecting against their harm. The following seven nutrients and bioactives support your immune system through a variety of ways:

1. Zinc, in particular, is a mineral that plays an important role in the function and development of immune cells, specifically, T-cells.  Zinc has also been shown to maintain reserves to guard against a compromised immune system.
2. Vitamin D affects nearly all your body’s cells, including those in the immune system. During the winter months, however, levels tend to drop in most people (depending on latitude) because the days are shorter. Vitamin D plays a key role in balancing immune response (8).
3. Vitamin C is closely tied to the immune system. We can’t produce vitamin C. Instead, we need to rely on the foods we consume such as kiwi, bell peppers, and citrus fruits. Scientists are speaking up about the suboptimal recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C, saying that it should be increased to 200 milligrams per day to ensure tissue and cell saturation and promote better overall long-term health (9). This is more than double the current recommendation of 75 milligrams per day for women and 90 milligrams per day for men. Researchers argue that the current RDA levels are based on the prevention of vitamin C deficiency or the disease, scurvy. I’d love to hear if anyone has had a client that’s had scurvy or even rickets.
4. Echinacea this plant’s roots and leaves have been used for centuries by Native Americans for their medicinal qualities. Randomized controlled studies support Echinacea’s beneficial effect on the immune system (13-15).
5. Reishi Mushroom (pronounced Ray-She) is commonly consumed in Japan as either a tea or powder and reputed to increase youthful vigor and vitality. Multiple studies have also shown that Reishi mushroom supports the function of the immune system and benefits overall health. What’s more, multiple studies suggest the immunomodulatory effects of reishi mushroom and overall health benefits (15-19).
6. A good melatonin supplement can help guard against lack of sleep and poor sleep, helping to keep your immune system functioning nicely. Getting adequate sleep is probably the most important habit to support the immune system. Without proper sleep, the immune system is one of the first things to suffer. A number of the genes affected by sleep deprivation included several genes involved in immune system response.

Proactive Measures with Isagenix

When it comes to the immune system, it’s much more effective to be proactive rather than reactive, meaning you should be supporting the immune system every day rather than stepping up care once you are already sick. A healthy diet, along with daily supplementation with Ageless Essentials Daily Pack—containing zinc, and vitamins C and D—can keep your immune system properly nourished daily. Isamune Plus—containing zinc gluconate, colostrum, echinacea, and reishi mushroom—is a convenient spray that can be used daily to bolster defenses. In addition, Isagenix Sleep Support spray provides convenience in a quality melatonin supplement to make getting enough sleep easier nightly. Feel confident that you are protected with the best immune system support with Isagenix this winter.

References

1. Hemila H. The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal. 2011 (5):51-58.
2. Prasad AS et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2007 Mar; 85(3):837-44.
3. Prasad. Zinc: Mechanisms of Host Defense. J Nutr 2007, May; 137(5):1345-9.
4. Mossad SB et al. Ann Intern Med 1996;1[25:81]-8.
5. Godfrey  et al. J Int Med Res 1992;[20:23]4-6.
6. Weismann K et al. Dan Med Bull 1990;[37:27]9-81.
7. Eby GA et al. Antimicrob Agents and Chemother 1984;[25:20]-24.
8. Aranow C. Vitamin D and the Immune System. J Investig Med. 2011 August; 59(6): 881–886. doi:  10.231/JIM.0b013e31821b8755
9. Frei B, Birlouez-Aragon I, Lykkesfeldt J. Authors’ Perspective: What is the Optimum Intake of Vitamin C in Humans’ Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2012;[52:81]5-29. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2011.649149
10. Cesarone  MR et al.. Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis 2007; 13(2): 130-136.
11. Shing CM et al. Effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on immune variables in highly trained cyclists. J Appl Physiol 2007; 102: 1113-1122.
12. Crooks  CV et al. The effect of Bovine Colostrum Supplementation on Salivary IgA in Distance Runners. Inter  J Sport Nutr and Exercise Metabolism 2006; 16: 47-64.
13. Noguchi et al. Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Asian J Androl.  2008;10(5):777-785.
14. Noguchi et al.. Asian J Androl.  Jul 2008;10(4):651-658.
15. Wachtel-Galor et al. Ganoderma lucidum (“Lingzhi”), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation study. Br J Nutr. 2004;91(2):263-269.
16. Gao  et al. Immunol Invest. 2003;32(3):201-215.
17. McGuffin  eds. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
18. Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. 3rd ed. Loveland (OR): Interweave Press; 1996.
19. Tao and Feng. Experimental and clinical studies on inhibitory effect of Ganoderma lucidum on platelet aggregation. J Tongji Med Univ 1990;[10:24]0-3.
20. Möller-Levet CS, Archer1 SN, Bucca G, Laing EE, Slak A, Kabiljo R, Lo JCY, Santhi N, von Schantz M, Smith CP, Dijk D. Effects of insufficient sleep on circadian rhythmicity and expression amplitude of the human blood transcriptome. PNAS 2013 Feb 25 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1217154110.

Okay — that’s a old school Dr. Dre song, but I love it none the less! We are 30 days into our challenge we have 1 more day and I want to do another check in to see where you are now!!

Are you stuck in a rut or are you like Stella and you’ve found your groove! Here’s a quick test.

You’ve found your groove if you:

• Feel awesome after a workout
• started to feel less stressed
• have seen your mood has improved
• don’t stress about what to eat
• don’t stress about your workouts
• head to the gym instead of the couch and you no longer think its a chore (okay sometimes it is, but you know you’ll feel better)
• are motivated to hit your goals
• completed more than 50% of this challenge and determined to finish the rest of it

Somebody reboot me please if you:

• struggling to reach your goals
• working hard and not seeing any results
• are feeling unmotivated
• been focused on the same goals for a while and unable to get started
• feel like crap for hours or days after a workout
• feel guilty for missing workouts or not eating cleanly
• hit a plateau and have been stuck for a while

If you’ve got your groove — rock on and good luck to you!!! If you need a reboot, let’s discuss how restart. The best thing about this challenge is that you can do it over and over again. I recommend starting from day 1 and taking it day by day. Don’t beat yourself up. We all have things that come up in our lives that may have prevented you from doing this challenge daily, but we just need to keep plugging away.  Do you need some accountability’ Do you need a more formal program’ That’s where wellness coaching can come in handy.  I will nudge you to explore what is most important to you right now, we’ll talk through your challenges and work to navigate obstacles so that you meet your health and fitness goals quicker and have the confidence that you will succeed.  To learn more about my programs, click here. 

Today’s Assignment

Where are you” Be honest — do you need to reboot are you charging ahead full blast!!!

Don’t forget Leave a comment below. Write a facebook post on the Fabulous Fit Squad. If you have a personal blog, write a blog post. Make sure you link back to the site so we can cheer you on and hold you accountable.

Just joining now” Don’t worry you can catch up.
Day 1 — Intro the challenge
Day 2 — Getting your mind straight 
Day 3 — Goal setting 
Day 4 — What’s on your plate
Day 5 — Lift
Day 6 — Cardio
Day 7 — Living on your own terms
Day 8 — Rest day
Day  9 — Forming a habit
Day 10 — Just Breathe
Day 11 — Fat loss secrets revealed
Day 12 — Can you pinch an inch
Day 13 — Dedicated and Focused 
Day 14 — Doubt
Day 15 — Rewards and Consequences
Day 16 — Damn Hormones
Day 17 — Pre and Post Workout Meals
Day 18 — Successful Weight Loss
Day 19 — Know Before You Go
Day 20 — Courage and Strength
Day 21 — You Can’t Out Run A Bad Diet
Day 22 — 10 Days To Go!
Day 23 To Cleanse Or Not Cleanse
Day 24 The Power Of Sleep
Day 25 — What’s Your Why
Day 26 — I’m Stressed
Day 27 — The Art Of The Start
Day 28 — What’s Your Advice
Day 29 — Healthy Tips

Change doesn’t happen overnight. It certain circumstances I’m a go big or go home kind of girl, but when it comes to your health. I’m a slow and steady wins the race and you are morel likely to stick with it.  Here are 29 baby steps to help you to keep moving forward.  Remember yesterday’s lesson about habits.

1. Break up with the scale — focus on your body composition. Find a pair of jeans or dress that you would love to fin into.
2. Stop with hours of cardio — you are on the road to no where.
3. You can’t out train a bad diet
4. Drop the pink dumbbells and lift heavy
5. Remove artificial sweeteners from your diet
6. Eat organic when possible
7. Have protein with all meals
8. Work your way up to 1 gallon of water
9. Fall of the wagon, hop right back on, don’t wait to the next day.
10. Have veggies with every meal
11. Learn to mediate
12. Progress not perfection
13. Set a bed time
14. Tracking my meals holds me accountable to me
15. 5-6 meals every 2-3 hours
16. It’s okay to make meal swaps at restaurants
17. Alcohol in moderation
18. It starts with small building small habits
19. Always be prepared — leave home with snacks
20. Cook 1x week so that you always have healthy food on hand
21. Have a protein shake within 30 minutes of a strength training workout
22. Overtraining will not get you to your goals any faster
23. Work to reduce your stress level
24. Know before you go — most restaurants have menus online
25. Drink green tea
26. Eat within 30 min to waking
27. Get a good pair of sneaker — if you can’t remember when you bought them it’s time for a new pair
28. Get in your good fat oils — there is more to life nuts and olive oil
29. Watch your portion sizes

Today’s Challenge:

• Pick 2 habits you will use today.

Don’t forget Leave a comment below. Write a facebook post on the Fabulous Fit Squad. If you have a personal blog, write a blog post. Make sure you link back to the site so we can cheer you on and hold you accountable.

Just joining now” Don’t worry you can catch up.
Day 1 — Intro the challenge
Day 2 — Getting your mind straight 
Day 3 — Goal setting 
Day 4 — What’s on your plate
Day 5 — Lift
Day 6 — Cardio
Day 7 — Living on your own terms
Day 8 — Rest day
Day  9 — Forming a habit
Day 10 — Just Breathe
Day 11 — Fat loss secrets revealed
Day 12 — Can you pinch an inch
Day 13 — Dedicated and Focused 
Day 14 — Doubt
Day 15 — Rewards and Consequences
Day 16 — Damn Hormones
Day 17 — Pre and Post Workout Meals
Day 18 — Successful Weight Loss
Day 19 — Know Before You Go
Day 20 — Courage and Strength
Day 21 — You Can’t Out Run A Bad Diet
Day 22 — 10 Days To Go!
Day 23 To Cleanse Or Not Cleanse
Day 24 The Power Of Sleep
Day 25 — What’s Your Why
Day 26 — I’m Stressed
Day 27 — The Art Of The Start
Day 28 — What’s Your Advice

I’ve been watching CBS This Morning and they do a segment on it called, Note To Self it’s a a letter you’d send to yourself in the past. I like it becasue as they say hindsight is 20/20. This would be a letter you could tell yourself what pitfalls to avoid, relive some great moments, what would you write to yourself’ The segment is really interesting because they have famous people write a letter to themselves in the past giving them advice and they read it on the air.
The one take away I’d like to give you. You are kind and worthy! Now tell someone else that today.

Oprah’s Note To Self

Today’s assignment

• Write a letter to your past self with what healthy lifestyle lessons you’ve learned
  • Here are 2 examples for me!
    • Going to the beach everyday without sunscreen =(
    • Calling Zumba a fad LOL
• Write a letter to your future self to congratulating yourself on where your healthy lifestyle will be 12 months from now

Don’t forget Leave a comment below. Write a facebook post on the Fabulous Fit Squad. If you have a personal blog, write a blog post. Make sure you link back to the site so we can cheer you on and hold you accountable.

Just joining now” Don’t worry you can catch up.
Day 1 — Intro the challenge
Day 2 — Getting your mind straight 
Day 3 — Goal setting 
Day 4 — What’s on your plate
Day 5 — Lift
Day 6 — Cardio
Day 7 — Living on your own terms
Day 8 — Rest day
Day  9 — Forming a habit
Day 10 — Just Breathe
Day 11 — Fat loss secrets revealed
Day 12 — Can you pinch an inch
Day 13 — Dedicated and Focused 
Day 14 — Doubt
Day 15 — Rewards and Consequences
Day 16 — Damn Hormones
Day 17 — Pre and Post Workout Meals
Day 18 — Successful Weight Loss
Day 19 — Know Before You Go
Day 20 — Courage and Strength
Day 21 — You Can’t Out Run A Bad Diet
Day 22 — 10 Days To Go!
Day 23 To Cleanse Or Not Cleanse
Day 24 The Power Of Sleep
Day 25 — What’s Your Why
Day 26 — I’m Stressed
Day 27 — The Art Of The Start