For years you’ve been told about eating super foods and making sure you focus on sticking to foods that are on the “good” food list and avoiding foods on the bad one. This is what I know some of the most healthiest food on the planet doesn’t work for everyone. 😱

Here’s an example – I love bananas but when I eat them, they make me crave all day long. Same thing with eggs, eggs are one of the greatest sources of protein, but… for me they are not filling. I eat them and 20 minutes later I’m looking for my next meal.

Do you see where I’m going’

What should you do instead’

Focus on eating until you are SATISFIED and SATIATED.

Satisfied — this is an art form, because this is felt in the head. This is where “willpower” and “discipline” start to talk to you and you eat what you feel is the right thing.

Think about it like this, how many times do you eat what you want to eat versus eating something that thought was the best choice’

Many of you eat because you want to be the “good” girl and while you really would love to have a slice of pizza you don’t have it because you don’t want to blow your diet. So instead you have the chicken, broccoli and brown rice and all day long you are thinking about that pizza using all your willpower and discipline to not have it.

Now this isn’t me telling you to eat crap this is me asking did that chicken, broccoli and brown rice leave you feeling satisfied or would you have felt better having the pizza so you could have just had it and moved on.

For the amount of time you lean into feel satisfied versus doing the “right” thing you’ll be surprised that you won’t go completely off the rails. You’ll build trust in yourself and your binges will be few and far between.

Satiated –this is in the stomach — did you feel full after eating. It will take your body about 20 minutes to register that you are actually full or need more food. Whatever you eat should make you feel full for at least 3-4 hours.

Lastly, only remove food groups if they don’t agree with you. Let’s stop just removing food groups or types of food from your nutrition unless they do not agree with you. If you are interested in learning how to do a proper elimination diet let’s talk.

I have 9 more in the Invincible40 Resource Guide. 

More Resources

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324078

Fit Girl Magic podcast new rules of dieting

Elimination diet

I see it all the time, when I start working with clients, I ask why they haven’t hit their goals. Typically, one of the first things I hear is time. When I ask where are you spending your time. Many of you are spending your time doing shit you hate, saying yes when you should say no or doing something that could easily be delegated or simply not done!

We as women put so much pressure on ourselves. Pressure to be “the best” –the best Mom, employee, spouse, girlfriend, and friend, you name it. The mind-chatter can be deafening, is there room any other thoughts.

Here is where you and I talk about harmony. The band of your life is gets out of tune from time to time. Let me be the first to break it down for you, it’s hard to be “perfect” and live a full life. You aren’t present when your mind chatter is always yelling “coulda, woulda or shoulda”, as Susan Powter use to shout STOP THE INSANITY! Don’t know who she is GTS – google that shit. 😉

Harmony is the word I use instead of balance. Life will never really be balanced but we can start to fine tune band. It starts with setting your priorities and you can come pretty close to achieving a sense of balance.

As children we are taught to not say no. Unfortunately, this rarely transfers over to adulthood. One thing a mentor of mine told me early on as I was struggling with perfectionism, she said no is a complete sentence. I don’t need to go into a long dissertation as to why I’m not doing something. You
don’t need to be rude, but just say no I won’t be able to
Lastly if something isn’t a hell yes, then it’s a hell no!

Think right now what are some things you are doing that aren’t hell yeses.

Can you either stop doing it OR delegate it’

For ladies over 40 this is just one of the ways that has NOTHING to do with exercising more and eating less. If you want 9 more tips click right here. 

If you have been following me for a while, or you are one of my magic makers, you know that my favorite part of the Fit Girl Magic formula is ROUTINES! When you create strong habits, they lead to amazing routines and those routines lead to consistency and it’s the consistency that finally gives us the results we have been seeking! And that is the ONE THING we are looking for, those RESULTS!

Some routines are so elusive that we feel like we are chasing shadows most of the time and routines today are quickly looked upon as “boring”. Our society is conditioned to want instant gratification. Right now, RIGHT AWAY!  And this same thing goes for workouts. We are conditioned to change things every single day, and if you do change then you are doing something right. But it is in those routines that we do every day over and over again that is what is really going to lead to success.

How are you defining success”

This is the first thing I ask every single client that I work with. I ask this because years ago when I started working with a business coach, she asked me this question. That question made me take a giant pause because I don’t think many people take the time to define what success looks like for them. You may hear about success for other people and think that you want it, but seriously what do YOU want!! Why are you working so hard’ If you aren’t working towards your goal, what will motivate you to take consistent action.

I ask the question because I want to understand if you have created realistic goals. And then I follow up with Are you excited about that goal’ Can that goal be planned into your life’ Is that goal sustainable’And that my friends is what I call my REPS formula!! As you are building your routine you want to make sure that the end goal is realistic. It’s sustainable and can map it INTO YOUR LIFE!

Many will say routines are boring, but I will say routines are the gateway to success. They help us to establish priorities, help us to stop procrastinating and help us to track our goals. Plus, it helps us to get stuff done!

So, here is an example of that.

I have defined my goal and in the next 12 weeks, I want to drop a dress size or 6 pounds. I start by putting together a plan and look at my routine to see what I am doing on a day in and day out basis to lead you to my result.  While writing this plan, it is easy for us to procrastinate.have to find the right diet, trainer, coach, gym schedule, blah blah blah! It is not about doing 50 different things to drop that dress size, it is me getting my mindset shifted so that I am going to do this and be so crystal clear about what it is we are trying to achieve.

First, we are going to DEFINE YOUR SUCCESS. I already mentioned this above a little bit, and I don’t want this to make you feel stressed out. So, keep it simple and grab out that piece of paper. I want you to go old school and write some things down throughout this blog to help you a little bit better!

Now, let’s LOOK AT OUR ROUTINES. Do these goals you have set for yourself make you feel good or stressed out’? You should have a little pressure, but not a TON! What are your current routines day in a day out to lose those 6 pounds’? Am I tracking my food’ Am I sleeping’ Am I stressed’? It all adds up, it all counts. Write down your routine today on that same sheet of paper and sleep on it. Take out that paper and write what is working and what is not working and go through that routine.? Look at those routines and be very honest with yourself and if you can’t, that is when you hire a coach or get a friend that is not afraid to tell you. This list will be pretty telling because our routines are our guidepost. It’s something that tells you, “Hey Girl You Are off course!

Success needs to feel like something you are marching towards. It should feel effortless. As you write this list, I want you to think about this.  What do you look forward to doing and are you excited about it’ And if you are not excited, what can you do now to tweak this, so you feel more excited about it’  With the list, review your daily activities. Are these things getting you closer to your 6-pound weight loss’ And if it’s not, start reviewing those daily activities. Weight loss doesn’t have to be a struggle, it doesn’t have to be a grind. You can choose differently.

Give yourself 2-week sprints to see where you and how you are doing. So, the next 2 weeks, what am I going to commit to’ Tracking food’ Going to the gym 3 days a week’ Water’ Small micro-commitments it what is necessary so that you can see that progress. And don’t focus on THE SCALE. Come up with non-scale victories. Things that you can feel and see you are doing to say you are on the right path.

Now that you see what is working and not working, you can work on a DAILY SCHEDULE. This isn’t what you think it is either!  Trust me, I don’t like being strictly confined to a schedule All it means is that you want to give yourself some guidance, but I do not want your day to live by the clock.  Just start by giving yourself 3 things to do every single day. (3 tasks to complete in the day). Start small instead of trying to make a list of 500 things because when you only finish 5 out of the 400, you feel like crap and will be hard on yourself, so start small.

Let’s also be sure to take into consideration flexible accountability. You are just playing and seeing what is working and not working as you go along. What do you have to change’ How do you have to change it’ And reduce the scope of how much activity you really have to do! If you can’t fit in 3 hours at the gym, that is okay, fit in 30 minutes of a workout at home. As long as you are moving your body than you got this! (And the same goes for food. Create a menu, meal prep, and be prepared.)

At the end of the day, routines help us become the people we want to be. Start thinking about your current routine, how does it work and how does it guide you to your success. But you CANNOT miss STEP 1, DEFINE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE SO YOU CAN BUILD A ROUTINE!!

If you are lost and need a little more guidance, grab my 50 Routines to Start. And omg, YOU DON’T have to do all 50, this list is just a great brainstorming tool to help get you started today magic makers!!

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FabFitSquad

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Website: https://kimbarnesjefferson.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661

Most of us agree that working out is essential for good health and good health, but some days it just seems harder and harder to fit it in to a busy life.

You’re working crazy hours, kids activities, maybe caring for aging parents, technology is making physical activity easier to avoid, and in the current state of the world stress is taking its toll on our bodies. Considering all these obstacles, it can be difficult to get in the physical activity that we need.  

Then there are those days that you just feel lazy or unmotivated to workout. Days when you find fitness boring, too difficult or they simply just don’t want to do it. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I’m here to ask that you don’t give up!      

With all these factors working against you, let me be the first to tell you that can have good health even if getting up the motivation to workout seems impossible.

Here are five easy ways to sneak exercise into your day without feeling overwhelmed. In fact, you may actually look forward to them!

1. Make It A Game

This is a trick that many parents and teachers use to make children do things (you don’t know anything about this😉) that they are unmotivated to do. It works! Try it on yourself.

You don’t feel like doing a monotonous 45-minute jog on a treadmill, and that’s understandable. Who does’ Hop of the treadmill. Take your run outside, run to one telephone pole and walk to the next. Run the next two telephone pole and walk the next two telephone phone and move up to four telephone poles. It’s a great way to break it up the run. Not a runner you can walk to a telephone pole do 10 jumping jacks walk to the next telephone pole do 10 pushups the next telephone pole 10 high knees.

I think you are picking up what I’m putting down. No telephone poles” You can use trees, street signs, mailboxes so many landmarks to choose from.

2. Sneak It Into a Lazy Activity

It’s been a long day. Work was hectic, school was stressful, the kids were crazy, and life is hard! 😤 The last thing you want to do when you are finally done with your daily responsibilities is work up a sweat! You want to unwind on the couch with a glass of pinot and watch your favorite show on Netflix, scroll through social media, or read a good book.

The call of the couch and the remote is strong I get it.  Could you consider sneaking in a couple minutes of fast-paced aerobic activity such as jumping jacks, high knees, or bicycle crunches for about 15 minutes, maybe a quick yoga stretch to unwind before you scroll through your Netflix queue.  

Feeling strong, you can use commercials as the time to do jump squats, or for each new chapter in your book means you have to complete 4 rounds of 45-second (jumping jacks, burpees, kettlebell swings or speed skaters)

Sneaking in a little fitness here and there doesn’t take away the value of your activity. As long as you keep them close enough together, your heart rate will stay elevated and your body will benefit!

3. Make It Social

We’ve all been a bit cooped up these past few months. If you keep 6 feet apart it’s great to workout with someone. Studies show that most people perform better in a social environment. With gyms opening back it, maybe you’ll venture out to take a class. Or have you been taking live virtual classes’ When you are working as a group to accomplish a goal it makes you feel more competitive, you try a little harder and you go a little faster. Apply this to your workout!

4. Add It To Your Chores

 We all errands that we run and chores to do. Why not pick up the pace and get these tasks done not only faster but also kill two birds with one stone’ Are you doing laundry, scrubbing the tub, or mowing the lawn with boredom and little effort’ The quicker you get them done the quicker you can move on to what you really want to do and you are working out!

Don’t know if you are really getting an aerobic exercise’ An easy way to tell if you are getting the benefit of an aerobic exercise is if you can talk but with a little difficulty. You should feel winded but not to the point of exhaustion. You will feel so accomplished after these errands; your high will carry you through the rest of the day.

5. 20 Minutes or Less

Many people have the mistaken idea that you need to put in an excruciating hour everyday to consider it as a workout. Not so! Even a workout of as little as twenty minutes, maybe even less, can be an effective aerobic workout. To measure a great workout. You should be breathing heavy, work up a little bit of a sweat and feel a burning in your muscles.

The key is intensity! If you don’t have the time to put in a long workout, don’t fret. Muster yourself up and do a quick but intense workout regimen that may be hard while you do it but over before you know it! Every Friday I post a Fat Burning Friday in my Facebook group.

Want to make a commitment’ Join my new Beat the Summer Slide challenge!  

You’ve screwed up. Maybe you’ve been trying for a while now to break that bad habit and thought you were making some progress. But now after the weekend from hell, you’re off track and maybe even worse off than before.

Now what’

You keep going. Only this time, you’re going to build in some good habits as you take on solving the bad. How’ By following these seven simple steps.Try scheduling yourself. If your goal is to exercise, you should decide on specific days to visit the gym and put them on the calendar. If you know that at 4pm you find yourself typically reaching for those chips, try setting a reminder on your phone to encourage you to grab something else. Even things that don’t have specific dates or times attached can be ‘scheduled’ with certain triggers. For example, every time you’re in an elevator think about something positive.

Don’t be deterred by minor setbacks. Quarantine life took a toll on many of us. Having trouble fitting in that whole workout’ Then grab a foam roller and give yourself a quick roll or a quick 15 minute workout. Weren’t you able to take that long walk after dinner’ At least get outside for a few minutes. Honoring the intent behind the action will go a long way toward keeping you in the mindset of the habit you’re trying to create.

Get a buddy. Someone that will make you accountable to at least try can help you keep on track just by being there.

What do you have’ If you got off track for financial reasons, instead of making excuses, get creative. Maybe you can’t afford a gym membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out and take a walk. Can you find a You Tube channel that has a workout that you like’ Don’t let the lack of a “gym” membership be the excuse that sets you back. You don’t have to do things perfectly. The goal in creating new habits is to do new more positive things. That’s it.

Don’t be a perfectionist. Let me repeat that. Don’t be a perfectionist. Give yourself permission to slip up and give yourself some grace. OK, so you ate well all week, and then totally binged when you when you ordered pizza promising yourself you’d only have 1 piece and then it was game on so you might as well follow it up with a few drinks. First, accept that the occasional splurge isn’t going to hurt anything. Also realize that in getting hung up over your failure, you’re giving up on all those days where you got it right. Allow yourself to screw up. That’s called life!

Fix your surroundings. Remember, people will do what’s easiest over what’s hard. So, if you’re wanting to eat better but have a plate of cookies on the counter, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Make it harder on yourself to reach for the tempting treats, remember if a food causes you to binge don’t have in the house. You want foods that make it easy to to do easy things.

Check your attitude. Why did you screw up’ Do you care about the change you’re trying to create or is this something you think you ‘should’ do’ If you don’t care, maybe it’s not something that you need to change.

It’s not hard to get back on track after a disaster. Stay strong and stay focused and you’ll get there in no time!

Need some help getting your exercise on track’ Join me for the Everyday Is A Beach Day. A 60 day challenge that will help you make exercise a consistent thing in this summer and beyond. Want to learn more’

Many women take on fitness training with the hope that it will help them to lose weight. When trying to get fit that may hit some stumbling blocks to progress. Here are the most common ones

1. Becoming Obsessed with Cardio
   I’m guilty of this, I used to spend HOURS on the stepmill. I had to to at least 30 minutes in the morning and then another 60 minutes at night man o man! I get it you are sweating you are feeling your muscle and you just feel like you are sweating out the fat!!! The problem with only doing cardio is that this form of exercise also burns muscle. As a result, you’ll become ‘skinny fat, a cruel paradoxical physique where the body appears lean in clothes but actually has higher body fat percentage because of lost muscle mass. Plus too much cardio can kick up your cravings so you’ll find yourself eating more calories.
   
   Looking for a lean body’ Lift weights!! Strength training builds muscle burns fat and gives your metabolism a nice boost for up to 48 hours post exercise.
2. Not lifting heavy weights
   It still blows my mind that the myth that lifting weights will make you bulky still makes me crazy. If you are staying away from weights heavier than 5 pounds, then you are missing out!! Adding weight lifting into your routine will help you build muscle that will help you burn more calories at rest. What’s more, building muscles will increase your fat burning potential by boosting resting metabolism.
   
   
3. Not eating enough protein
   Protein isn’t just for bodybuilder. If you are a women who workouts, you should be focusing on getting in at least 20-30 grams of protein to support your active lifestyle.
   
   Eating adequate amounts of protein comes with a few benefits. You’ll fell less hungry because proteins creates a more, satiating feeling that fills the stomach on less food. Your body will have the nutrients it needs to repair the trauma muscles endure during exercise. Lastly, your body will have the nutrients it needs to build new muscle fibers and increase your strength.
   
   
4. Constantly Losing Weight
   Typically, the most common fitness goal women have is to lose weight. But, some individuals stop working out after reaching their target. The cycle then resumes all over again after packing on a few pounds above their ideal weight.
   
   This is me kindly asking you to stop that practice. Yes, you hit your goal but unless you keep moving you won’t stay there. This is why I challenge my clients to come up with a Realistic workout plan that they are Excited about that they can easily Plan into their lives and is Sustainable for more than a few months.
   
   
5. Cutting Corners to Look Like Fitness Models
   75 percent of all American women have some unhealthy thoughts, feelings about food and their bodies because of the pictures that they see on social media, pictures of fitness models on magazine covers, They feel like wish they looked like that. And, in a rush to get that ‘dream body, they try all kinds of insane diets and fitness programs with the hope of achieving fast results. Unfortunately, more often than not, these desperate tries backfire on them.
   
   Fad diets make it harder to exercise as energy levels slump due to low calorie intake plus your metabolism will slow down and cause the body to pack on more weight than before. The truth is, if you want to get an athletic fit body, you have to be willing to put in the work that goes into achieve this fitness goal. That means eating healthy, exercising on a regular basis, getting adequate rest and practicing diligence along with patience because body transformations don’t happen overnight.

You Ready For It To Be Different’

Which one of these mistakes are you making’ Which one would be the easiest to change right now’ If you are ready to press the reset button let’s talk I’m putting together a 60 day challenge that starts on July 13th. It’s a way to get you back on track and to not let the summer slide happen to you.

Want int” The Everyday is a Beach Day starts Monday, July 13th you want in’ 

Whoa like so many changes have been happening since this corona virus showed up. We can bury our heads in the sand, we can complain OR we can use this as a time for new beginnings.  As the world wakes up from its quarantine, your mind and body start to feel more energized, you feel a bit less anxiety or start to feel refresh and ready to restart your life.  Do you feel the same way’

If you haven’t been working consistently on your fitness and health during the lock down, your body may be struggling to keep up with your mind. It’s hard to restart/ heck restart when you feel sluggish and/or discouraged.

That’s why I exist:  to help you move from reality to your dream.  If you have tried and failed at fitness, then you likely feel too paralyzed to try again. Motivating people to get healthy, however, is what I do best.  But you have to let me help you!  Let’s get started.

A quick look back   

You are going to focus mainly on what is ahead for you; the past is the past and it is best to leave it there. 😉 However, in order to make the best start, you need to take a look at where you may have sabotaged your previous efforts to get in shape

• Impatience. We live in an instant gratification society, if you don’t get your goal in 2.2 seconds after you think about it, it’s too slow 😤. Let me let you in on a little secret, fitness doesn’t happen that fast. I don’t care how many infomercials you watch that promise you a 6 pack in 6 weeks, it is not going to happen. There is no short cut to fitness.  If you grew frustrated in the past because results didn’t happen as fast as you would like, prepare yourself now for a different attitude:  working with me you will learn to celebrate small results and be patient as the transformation happens.
• Lack of planning. The biggest sabotage to any fitness plan is lack of planning. If you have tried fitness and failed, it is almost certain that you came up short in planning.  Without forethought and intentionality, you cannot eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep each night and stick with an exercise routine.  This time, you will plan before you start.
• If you have attempted to get fit with little support, you are not alone.  Many people try to change their lifestyle on their own.  The trouble with this approach is that those around you will probably not value what you are doing.  They will unintentionally or intentionally sabotage your efforts.  For example, they may resent the time you take to workout, or they may ridicule you for the radical changes you make to your diet.  However, you will have support this time, and the difference will shock you.

Ready to move forward

Today you start fresh and leave the past behind.  Yes, you may have quit during your previous attempts to be healthy.  That doesn’t matter now.  What matters is what you do today, tomorrow and next week. 

The following tips will help you make a strong start and make this time different. 

1. “Do not be afraid of the space between your dream and your present reality.” This is where aggressive patience and courage comes in. What is your dream or your goal’  Do you want to lose 20 pounds’  Do you want to run a mile’  Do you want to eat a diet that energizes you’ Maybe you want to consistently exercise for 5-6 days a week.

Do not let the distance you have to cover cause you to give up before you even begin. Recognize that this will take some time.  Every single fit person you know started somewhere short of where they are now.  How did they get to their present condition’  By taking it one day at a time, celebrating every victory and getting up when they fall down. You can do the same.

2. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” -Alan LakeinOne of my favorite sayings! Have you ever heard of the tyranny of the urgent’  It means that if you don’t have a plan, the matter that seems to be the most urgent at the time will get attention, at the exclusion of the others. Without a plan, your own health will always take a backseat to what seems the most important at the moment—and that could be as simple as a television show that you want to watch!  Having a plan will keep less important things from creeping in and sabotaging your health.

Count on it:  if you do not plan for fitness and health, it simply will not happen.  This time, make a plan. 

           Before you even start your new healthy lifestyle, decide:

• When and how you will get your exercise (spinning, an on demand workout, running, a walk or yoga)
• What foods you will eat and how you will ensure that you have access to those foods (do you have a small cooler that you can take along with you’ What will your breakfasts consist of’ How much water will you drink’ When will you have treats’
• How you will arrange your schedule so that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night (do you need to get the kids in bed sooner or prepare your lunches on the weekends to save time in the morning’ )

Without a strategy, you set yourself up for failure.  Plan on succeeding!  Take some time right now to jot down some ideas to overcome the obstacles that you know will arise.  Be prepared for them, and you will breeze through them.

3. No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. -H.E. Luccock

It is no secret that the biggest predictor of whether a person succeeds in their fitness and weight loss efforts is whether or not she has accountability.  I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating:  getting fit is not easy.  If it were, we would not have our current epidemic of obesity.  If it were easy, more people would be doing it!  In order to make sure you succeed this time, get some support.  That support could come from a few friends who are making a new beginning with you, a personal trainer or a fitness and health coach (cough me) 😜

The people in your support system will be genuinely interested in how you are doing.  They will encourage you when you lose your motivation.  They will cheer when you get up early to exercise.  They will talk you out of eating those brownies.  They will expect you to tell them how you are doing.  And they will not let you fade out of the program:  they will come after you if you start slacking.

Are you ready for your New Beginning’  It is within reach.

If you are ready, my next 60-day program starts on Monday, July 13^th. Do you want to be a part of it’

The world is slowly coming back to life. Did you fall out of your routine. Do you feel like you lost your mojo’ I get it I’m just a routine person myself. It my routines that have helped me to develop consistency. If you are looking for the road back to “normal” I’ve got 10 tips to help you get back on track. 

1. UNPLUG-–  It’s not about the hustle. Tune out the exercise more voices in your head. Schedule time in your calendar, maybe every Sunday morning or an hour before bed each night. It doesn’t have to be a huge block of time – just enough to give your brain some rest from always being plugged into everything that’s going on in our world.
2. ONLY HAVE ONE GOAL — I get it you want to be “back” where you were pre Coronavirus. Ladies pump the break. You WILL get back there, but rushing won’t be the way. STOP putting so much pressure on yourself for it to happen overnight. One of the top ways to get motivated and stay that way is to focus on one goal at a time. Give it your total focus and appreciate each little step, letting the small victories add up.
3. GET A  COACH — One of the best ways to get motivated is to hold yourself accountable to someone else. This is one of the reasons why you get a coach. It’s nice to have someone who looks over your shoulder and give you feedback that you are either moving in the right direction toward your goals or you need to course correct. Want to have a conversation to see how coaching would benefit you, hop on my calendar right here. for a FREE consultation. 
4. GET ENOUGH SLEEP — Sleep is like fuel – our bodies need it to maintain health and well-being. When you are dragging ass the last thing you want to do workout and damn sure you don’t want to eat right! I just did a podcast on this, so if sleeping is a challenge for you, have a listen right here.
5. KNOW YOUR WHY — When you are clear about what it is you want. You have all the motivation that you need. It’s my why that gets me out of bed on those cold dark mornings. Keep in mind the reason you when wanted to get healthier in the first place and you’ve found your motivation! 
6. TAKE A WALK — Walking is my jam! I was first told to walk to help me balance my hormones and to lower my stress levels. You ladies over 40 may want to take note. Besides, walking gets your blood flowing to your brain and extremities, and if you’ve been sitting at a desk or workstation for a long period, a brisk walk can help to get you re-energized and refocused on the task that needs to be conquered. 
7. SET A TIMER — Not feeling a workout’ I set a timer for 15 minutes and do whatever I can in 15 minutes. Then decide if you feel like more go for it, if you feel you’ve done all you can move in. Sometimes my workout is a foam roll and a good stretch and other times it turns into a full workout. 
8. SHARE YOUR GOAL — I have a Facebook Group, where you can share your goal and have other in the group cheer you on to victory. Who knows you may inspire someone to take action
9. STAY HYDRATED — Our bodies are made up of up to 65% water. To get the party started keep a bottle of water in my bathroom and start drinking it as soon as I get up in the morning. Another way to get in your water is to get a cup that you only fill with water and keep it with you all day long. Set a goal for yourself (start small, remember) and then when you reach that goal for the day, reward yourself with a different type of beverage.
10. LET GO OF THE OUTCOME —  We all put so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish, that we push ourselves into exhaustion. Don’t worry how it’s going to turn out or if it will be done within the time frame you’ve allotted. Just let go and see how freeing it is. Be clear about what is that you want and how will you feel when you finally achieve it. 

Of these tips what feels good right now. Leave me a comment below.

If meal prep is that will motivate you to eat healthy — grab my free guide right here. 

Over the last few months, I’ve felt this urge to move forward – to do something to change my life – but my fears have been keeping me firmly stuck in my comfort zone. I want success so bad!!!

I crave it. Then my ego pipes up and says hey wouldn’t life be so much easier if just stayed where you are. My subconscious is trying to keep me safe, new things are unknown, and I may get hurt and my ego wants me to stay safe.

Not All Obstacles Are Obvious

Lean in a let me tell you a little secret, there will always obstacles when you try to make a forward. Some of the obstacles are pretty easy to figure out. Others may not be as obvious to us.

When fear strikes it really easy to come up with excuses – anything really, so that you don’t have to face the facts and admit that it’s actually fear that’s holding you back.

Most of us have the same common fears. The main fear that keeps people stuck including me is feeling like you don’t have time to reach for your dreams, life changes, success or whatever it is that you want. Any feel like this. We have two reactions when this happens we shrink and tell ourselves it was not worth it OR we stress out about how to force it to happen.

I’m Too Busy

You may be taking the “motions” but it’s really it’s a smokescreen for staying in place. You could be going to the gym, posting it on Facebook and then having a glass or two of wine very night or half some halo top every night. Telling yourself that studies have shown that red wine is good for you and it’s protein ice cream so it’s protein right!!

Everyone can find time to take a few small steps toward a dream. Changing these habits doesn’t have to happen overnight, it can be start with every other day and slowly pull it out if cold turkey is to much for you.

Have you told yourself that you are “too busy” to get started, yeah me too!! It’s just a matter of prioritizing where you do spend your time. This excuse is often also feeling that you’re so busy, you just can’t add one more thing to your plate.

Raise your hand; shake your head if you’ve said this. “I don’t know enough”. My favorite quote by Arthur Ashe, to achieve great things you must start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. The key here is to know where you want to go and even if you only know the 1st step you are going to take. Guess what you know enough! Fear can make us feel like we need to read every book under the sun, watch every Facebook live and then listen to every guru that has ever spoken on this topic. NOPE – fall back to the Arthur Ashe quote focus where you are and the next piece.

It’s Not The Right Time

AHHH, it’s not the right time!! Guess what it will never be the right time; there will always be something. If you wait for the right time, you’ll never make a move. I got news for you no one ever manages to find the right time. Let me in on a little secret, all you have is the time you’re currently in. The best time to move forward is the time you have.

My Friends and Family Aren’t Supportive
“I’d really like to go for it, but my friends, family or spouse thinks it’s a bad idea. They like me the way I am.” This excuse is used to justify holding back out of fear of failure. It’s easier to pass the buck and make it someone else fault for use not going for our dreams.

I Haven’t Found The Right Thing!
The right healthy living program isn’t going to drop on your lap and wiggle. You need to actively seek with you are looking for. There is no “right plan” just like their no right job or romantic partner. To get to the right plan takes work. You may need to kiss a few frogs, maybe you need to take a little from each plan you work to find something that will work for you!

To find the right program, I take my clients through what I call the REPS formula.
It helps to evaluate any program to see if it’s the right thing

Is the plan realistic based on where you are in your life right now’
Does the plan excite you’
Start thinking about your pre-emptive plan – life will happen how will you navigate around it’ What has tripped you up in the past’
Is the plan sustainable‘ Can you see yourself doing this day in and day out for the next three months or three years’

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My client Andrea has an event that she wants to be feel good in her body. One of her challenges is that she likes her chocolate and her wine.

I told her that she is going to look her best at her event, but to really feel good if she were to change some of her habit

I ran it through the REPS formula.

Is it REALISTIC for you to feel better about yourself in roughly 24 hours, absolutely’ But how about the next four weeks, let’s really focus on helping you feel better about yourself and how you look. Then I asked her was she excited to make some changes to your nutrition’ She likes her wine 🍷, she has chocolate 🍫, and during the next 30 days, would she be willing to work on her relationship with her food. And if you you are eating better, you probably feel better.

And she yes, she was excited to give it a try’

She realized that by working on her relationship with food she would take the pressure off of how she looked. Because when we don’t eat well, we don’t feel well. Now she and I put together a plan, I asked her to pay attention to what sets her off, to binge or not make ideal choices. Her first response was “when don’t sleep I reach for the wine and the chocolate. Now is the plan to get more sleep.

Now we’re talking about how does she get more sleep, and what’s the plan for when you know she might have to work late. She has a kid what happens if, her kid stays up, we all know that lights out don’t always mean lights out. What happens if your kid gets sick’ She’s up all night, helping with the stomach flu. That is why you make preemptive plans. This is going to help her in the long run because if she gets enough sleep you’ll eat less on the wine or the chocolate’ Is she going to ultimately feel better about herself you betcha.

This is what I call the REPS formula it’s the framework that I bring my clients through, and it’s something that you can do over and over again. It could be health could be fitness, hell, it could just be a general life goal. Know that that’s it’s easy when you have a process, right’ And the process makes things repeatable.

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This week, I’ve had a number of clients talking about their spring goals, they have a couple of trips plan and wondering can they get ready for their trips between now and then. I want to share that with you, because I’m sure you may be thinking the same thing.

I have a spring trip coming and can I get to get in shape or, you maybe you are thinking that “I’m not gonna be hiding underneath this parka for very long.” So I really want to start to take off some of the extra weight that I might have put on this winter.

My client, Angela, she is going to Europe. And she wrote to me that every time she’s gone on a trip for the past few years, she’s hidden in all the pictures because she doesn’t feel comfortable and confident in my body. Can you relate to that’

Her quest was “Can I lose a dress size between now Memorial Day’”

My response was, absolutely.

Now here’s my BUT I asked her to go through the REPS project.
Asking herself a series of questions that will help her to ENSURE success

Is her goal REALISTIC’

It’s realistic for what she’s trying to achieve. It’s roughly eightish weeks that we have between now and Memorial Day. She can definitely easily without heavy lifting lose a dress size.

Let’s get to the deeper part of the issue’ Is she excited about her goal’ Because if you’re not excited about your goal, it’ll feel like work. And anytime something feels like work,

I start to hear these words. Maybe you’ve said them yourself.
❌ I don’t have the willpower.
❌ I don’t have the discipline.
❌ I don’t have the motivation.

Have you ever said any of those words, right’ I hear that from people when they aren’t excited and when shit gets hard. When you’re excited about your goal, those words never come out of your mouth. Because you wake up and you’re like, my choice is clear. You feel guided. You ask yourself better questions. Are my actions going to lead me towards my goal’ Are they going to take me away from my goal’ That’s what being excited about your goal is all about!

Angela doesn’t want to hide in pictures anymore. She wants to go on vacation and be the belle of the pictures! She wants to take pictures with her family and be proud of what she looks like in the pictures.12 And for many people, myself included, it is a picture from a random event that you look at yourself and you’re just like, oh hell do I look like that’12 And that is a changing point. The point in which we say to ourselves I gotta make a change! And that’s what happened to Angela.

Have you ever seen that picture or you don’t want to see that picture, this is where you ask yourself, the goals that I set for myself, am I excited about them’
Because that becomes ✅ your willpower, that becomes ✅ your discipline and that becomes ✅ your motivation, the excitement, you are seeing your goal come to fruition.

Now you need to make a plan and a preemptive plan. Just because I told you, you can hit your goal doesn’t mean that magic fairies are going to come down poof you are now down 1 dress size. I’m there to guide you. But I’m not the person who’s going to have to go to the grocery store. I’m not the person who’s going to have to go to the gym, you need to make you a priority. So that means making a plan.

You can make a plan by the week, or you can make a plan by the day, whatever makes the most sense to you. But there has to be a plan. Because when you go into the week or the date with intention, it’s less likely for you to have those days where you’re like, Oh, shit happened. We all know that sometimes that shit gains momentum and then snowballs and then Oh, crap. I only have two weeks before my goal and I’m still at square one. This is way I always say one week or a 24-hour plan is a necessity. The second piece of it is a preemptive plan. Between now and Memorial Day, life is going to happen you can’t put yourself in a plastic bubble okay you can, but how much fun is that’

This means you are going to have a party, you might want to go out to dinner with your sweetie, maybe your kid has a birthday, maybe you have to go to a birthday party, you’re going to want a glass of wine, you’re going to want a treat all that’s going to happen. You have to think to yourself, how am I going to plan for that’ How am I going to plan for’ I typically work nine to five, but you have a big project coming up and the boss will ask you to come to work
earlier or stay late. How are you going to manage that’

Look at what is tripped you up in the past, you know what has caused you to stumble in previous attempts to lose the weight. And it’s creating an action plan, and a preemptive plan is what’s really going to help you have your ultimate success.

The last step is sustainability. I see so many times people had these great plans. My question is three weeks from now, can you follow that plan’ Three years from now’ Because it’s really easy for me to like, to dramatically cut my calories dramatically cut back on food groups, and I’m miserable. And there goes the plan. You’re not gonna have cake at your kid’s birthday party’ You’re not going to want to go out to dinner with the sweetie and not order anything but a garden salad. No croutons.

Do you want that life’

Real life we do not live in a bubble. Never going out to dinner because you have no control. That’s not frickin life. You should be able to go out to dinner, vacation do anything you damn well want!

I go to dinner all the time.

Guess what’
I’m okay. Right. I don’t feel the need to control I. It’s in my it’s in my plan. And I know I’m going to have to make the decision before I go this way. It’s gonna be a fun, fun meal. No guilt, no shame, no nothing. Or, hey, I’m going to get a salad with some great vegetables. That’s the process that I walked Angela through.

What do you think’ Want 5 tips to help you get ready for summer‘

Does your to-do list seem to be growing out of control’ Perhaps your tasks have gone from manageable to off the charts overwhelming. Each day you have obligations that shape your actions. Despite your best efforts, it’s really easy for laziness to slowly creep into your routine that may keep you from being as productive as you’d like.

Give yourself a break, this this happens to everyone. In fact, a recent study that focused on trends of motivation in the workplace, found that companies lose $300 billion dollars annually due to a lack of productivity.

How can you beat this behavior’

1. Set a Goal
   Goal setting is the beginning step towards organizing your direction. Set a clear and meaningful goal that you keep in your thoughts. By having a target to focus on, this makes your journey clear. If your end–goal is rather large, set tiny milestones in-between to keep your momentum going. Celebrate when you meet your mini goals to maintaining your motivation!
   
2. Plan and Prioritize Tasks
   In order to take action, you have to make a plan. Imagine heading out on vacation without a plan! If heading to the beach you’d plan to bring sunscreen, bugspray, a bathing suit and a hat. You’d plan ahead so you aren’t scrambling or buying all these things when you get there. The same can be said about your fitness and nutrition. Do you make a plan’
   
3. Have a plan b
   This builds off of the last tip. Life is busy and hectic and doesn’t always go as planned. The key is to decide what you are going to be proactive and know what you are going to do when you hit a problem. A few questions to consider when faced with obstacles are:
   ❓What Can I do to Make this Run Smoothly’
   ❓What Can I Personally Control Immediately’
   ❓What Resources Do I Currently Have to Help Me to Solve This Problem
   Prepare for any possible roadblock that may prevent you from hitting your goals. Some productive individuals have a plan B, C, D, and E! Think about what could go wrong and have a useful backup plan to rely on.
   
4. Create a Schedule; Personal Accountability
   Learn how to properly delegate your time through creating a set schedule for you to follow. This will help build discipline and accountability. Analyze when you feel the most productive.
   
   Is it during the early morning, or late afternoon’ Decide when you have the mental clarity to complete your tasks and create your schedule around those time. In addition, hold yourself responsible for your personal success.
   
   Eliminate blaming outside sources as making excuses for your lack of action. Instead, take personal responsibility for your actions and set up realistic consequences. Remember, you are your biggest motivator!
   
5. Analyze All Possible Outcomes
   Strategic chess players analyze their future moves by thinking two to three steps ahead. This means envisioning every possible move and how you can counter it. Can you do the same thing with your health and fitness goals’
   
6. Take Initiative; Pay attention to Detail
   The act of being proactive is defined as, “Getting shit done.” This requires taking initiative when you see activities that need to be accomplished. Paying attention to detail involves ensuring that everything surrounding your task is running smoothly. Pay attention to what is going on around will ensure that you stay the course.
   
7. Embrace Change When Necessary
   The definition of insanity is performing the same action while hoping for a different outcome. To see a change, you need to make a change. To get the results you are seeking the change may be easy or may be a little more difficult that you will feel resistance. Be open minded to trying new things as they may reveal solutions to the path of your goal.
   
8. Redirect Your Focus; Emotional Regulation
   Regulating your emotions is key to avoiding unnecessary stress. When facing a problem, do you feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety’ Do you start to fixate on all that could go wrong’ Focusing on all that can go wrong is counterproductive and de motivating. Allowing yourself to become overly emotional can detract you from achieving your goal. Learn how to focus on what you can control and look for solutions.
   
9. Watch Your Circle of Influence
   In order to be proactive, you have to surround yourself with like minded individuals. They say you are the sum of the five people surround yourself with. Who are you five’
   
10. Avoid Burn-Out Through Self-Care
    I know self-care seems like a waste of time, but you can’t pour from an empty cup. Self-care helps you to keep your sanity when engaging in productive activities. It is so easy to become consumed in your work or family that your personal needs are pushed aside. Take some time to decompress and rejuvenate yourself so you can continue on your road to success!

Being proactive doesn’t involve complicated life changes that inhibit your fun. Rather, they are small improvement points that will assist you towards reaching your goals!

Are you ready to make a change’ Join me in the 5 Days To Effortless Weight Loss