Kersten Kimura is a personal trainer and a women’s health coach. Her goal is to help high-achieving women recover from the burnout that’s caused by overtraining, under-eating, and too much stress. After recovering from severe burnout, herself, she now teaches women how to find the healthy middle ground with food and fitness and get results without doing anything extreme. She’s speaking my language because, I WAS ONE OF THOSE GIRLS!

I can totally relate to Kersten and her clients that she works with. If I didn’t workout every single freaking day and if I wasn’t sore all the time, I was a failure. If I wasn’t burning a certain amount of calories when I was doing cardio, my thought was then why do cardio and eventually my body gave me the middle finger. Maybe you are an over trainer, or you have overcome it, or you are in it and you just don’t know it. That is the focus of the conversation that I had with Kersten and she dropped some serious knowledge bombs for me to give to you guys!

When you are in that overtraining mode, you think it is totally normal, you think that everyone does it. You think that you are no excessive, you are not crazy and that your body can take it. But guess what girl, I see you!!! I have been there, and it is just a matter of time before your body decides to not do what you want it to do and you are going to crash.

Kersten’s schedule was intense. She worked out 6 days a week running for about 60 minutes a day or 10K (6.2 miles for us ugly Americans ) then she started training for marathons and the running turned into more and more miles every day. She was eating less and running more, and sometimes would not eat and go run for hours at a time. After 6-7 years of this, she found strength training and how strong it made her and the muscle she put on but it meant she had to eat more. She started eating better with more calories, but the OVER TRAINING was still there.

Her workouts still consisted of 6 days a week and even on her rest days, she still had to do something. She always had this huge fear that if she didn’t work out 1 or 2 days a week that things would go to shit. Sound familiar”’ As Kersten did more and more strength training, the running fell off a bit, but she was working out an average of 90 minutes to, sometimes up to 3 hours!  And a lot of these workouts were extremely intense with HIIT and power walking. And this went on for a while.

There were signs that Kersten was overdoing it and pushing herself way too hard, but she didn’t want to think anything of them or pay any mind to them because she was way too focused on her how she look, how much she weighed and how long she was training for. Looking back, she used her training as a way to measure her self-worth. She was cold a lot, she had irregular and missed periods, she was not sleeping and she didn’t realize that this was part of something bigger until in 2016 she started getting really exhausted a lot and she knew than that something was up because she just wasn’t motivated anymore… She wasn’t excited to work out like she used to be. She just thought life was catching up to her.

Kersten had gone to see an acupuncturist for another injury and when she started talking with them about her health, she then realized that these symptoms she was having were not normal, they weren’t supposed to be happening. The acupuncturist started asking her all kinds of question, from her sex drive and period to sleep and right there she said that she didn’t have any of those! And that is when the acupuncturist told her that her body could be reacting this way because she was too active and told her that she needed to take it easy and slow down at the gym

Kersten was waiting for this. For this permission. She didn’t know how to do this, but she had wanted some sort of external permission to slow down... And hearing it from someone else that she can do it and that she should do it for her health, felt sooooo good! She knew that this acupuncturist was right, she knew that she had hit rock bottom, she just could not admit it. And this holds so true to so many of her clients even though a lot of them hate it when they hear me say this exact thing to them.

Slow Down…

For many of us, it has to be a cascade of events to finally say, maybe there is something wrong with me, maybe I need to see someone. Maybe I need that permission to see someone.And I truly hope that this podcast gives someone permission to slow down because if someone had given me permission to slow down, I would have slowed down before I broke down. Before I completely crashed.

Kersten said it best If you don’t hear your body whisper, you will never have to hear it scream.You get these whispers from your body all of the time, and you (your ego) are still saying I know better and ignoring the whispers. But when your body does scream, it will shut down functions and coming out of that will take much longer than if you had listened.  How many times have you been laying in bed and your body is like, Girl, today is not the day and you are like NOPE you don’t know what I need!! YOU ARE NOT LAZY!! THS is your body telling you to slow yourself!!

The line between being dedicated and being obsessed is very vague! And sometimes you don’t know where exactly that line is drawn.

You don’t have to be crazy about the numbers, you don’t have to be a perfectionist and get 30,000 steps in every day or burn 3,000 calories a day and stick to strict caloric intake or workout for hours a day! Make peace with numbers.  Numbers now are a tool to experiment with, not something that runs your life and days. If we are able to get 10,000 steps then great, if not then don’t beat yourself up about it. These numbers are simply just data now.

I want you to think about your bank account, this is a great example of what I am talking about. If I have $3,000 in my bank account, and I want $5,000 in my bank account, I know it is not an overnight thing. I have to do a few things and it will not happen today, but I will eventually get there. For many of us, we think that the more we do now at this moment is getting us to our goal faster, but instead, you just need better tools to figure out how to get to that $5,000.

So, to help people with all of this, realizing they are overtraining, Kersten has created the 3 Phase Approach: The Recovery Burnout Spectrum which consists of the Burnout Phase, the Healing Phase, and the Balance Phase.

Burnout Phase

By the Burnout Phase, you are overtraining and under eating and being really stressed out in general! You are doing a lot of workouts and being super perfect with your workouts, you are under-eating or dieting constantly and your metabolism starts to slow down. In return you have no sleep, you get headaches, no periods, constipation, hair loss and just feeling really drained.

Healing Phase

The Healing Phase you have to start doing the opposite things that you were doing before. So in order to get better, you have to nourish your body which means getting enough of all 3 macronutrients. Not cutting all the carbs and giving your body the fuel, it needs. You also have to slow down and do less.

Balance Phase

The Balance Phase is when everything is healed and things are going well. You are mentally feeling better and your relationship with your body gets better as you enter into this phase. This is the middle ground. You start working out a little more intensely, but carefully this time. Can bring back your Fitbit and Apple watch as long as it doesn’t make you obsessive. You can start tracking your steps and be conscious of how much protein you are eating. THIS IS THE MIDDLE GROUND where you can make choices based on how you are feeling and what your body needs. And you add in your knowledge about basic nutrition and exercise that you have learned.

But let me make this clear There is no 12 weeks to burnout free and healing and balance, there is no finite timeline.  It is a listening to your body process.Everyone is so different. 12 weeks may be enough to get out of that damage phase for some people, but for others, they may require 24 weeks or more to get out of it.

How do you help someone who is at that burnout phase who is TRYING to step into that healing…’

Sometimes people see that there is no other choice and they stop completely!!

And others need a gradual approach and it consists of baby steps, like going from 1 hour of cardio to going to something that’s easier on your body. She doesn’t take everything away from you… And Kersten eases each person in and insures to give the mind and body time to adjust.

We know that you see people who have these perfect bodies and you want to be just like them, but in order to get that, it’s not about working out more and more and rest very little, you have to workout hard AND rest hard too! That is why people look the way they do and look as good as they do!! Balance!  You can have it all, but you have to take the first steps to heal and what comes after that.

I want you to take some stock, are you that person who is caught up in the workouts that must be a certain time, you cannot eat a certain thing, you have to take in certain calories, do you have a LOT OF RULES’  Maybe its time to take a step back from the rules and see where it takes you. And ask yourself, “Are you in any of these phases right now’Which phase are you in’.

If you are unsure, reach out to one of us! We would love to help go over this more in full and help you get to that next level.  With things like this, it is really imperative that you have a support system, that you have a coach and mentor to get you through this. HELL, I have been using a coach for 3.5 years after my burnout!  And if you are in that burnout phase please!! Kersten is the one to help you!  No shame at all, just reach out to her if you have any questions. And if you know someone who needs to hear this, share it with them, they do not need to suffer in silence!

What is one thing that makes you feel magical’

“Getting a really good, full night’s sleep. Sleep has been a problem for a very long time. When I stopped doing so much it got a lot better. But I am still sensitive to it. So, if I do too much during the day, I know my sleep will be affected. A night of truly a good nights sleep is what does it for me.! Kersten

Another episode you may like is this one with Natalie Newhart, The Secrets to Heal Metabolic Damage

Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerstenkimura/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/balanced-vibes-podcast-healthy-fitness-food-and-mindset/id1509566999

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXUL86gzaJKANEC2ZrB9CzQ

Website: https://urbanjane.co/

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic/

Website: https://kimbarnesjefferson.com/

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

The post Are You Ready To Break Up With Overtraining’ appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Here it goes: In a nutshell, most of us fall into two camps when it comes to meal prep. We either overthink it, or we don’t think about it all.

Overthinking is an easy trap to fall into…  there’s just SO much “stuff” on the internet, in magazines, and on social media with conflicting information. It’s nearly impossible to filter out all of the noise and to make an actual decision.

So you think about it, you think some more, and then before you know it, it’s time to eat and you still don’t have a plan.

Way too many people (I used to be one of them!) think that meal prep is all about identical-looking bland Tupperware meals (like chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli) and think, “Ugh… that’s not for me”!

That’s when a lot of us join the second camp: “put it off for next week” / or not thinking about prepping or planning meals at all.

There’s actually a happy middle ground! What if you took a few minutes to map out your meals and snacks for the next several days, and when you’re making diner, you cooked simply made 2-3x the amount you usually do’

That’s actually a golden tip from the good ol’ days of home ec class, our grandmothers and beyond!

I grew up with a single working mom and after a long day the last thing she wanted to do was cook dinner. Back then they didn’t call it meal prepping but she would make extras through out the week so she wouldn’t have to cook. 

You can double up by making extra turkey burgers, chili, stir fry, or … well, almost anything! It doesn’t just apply to “special” meals.

Taking this approach means you don’t have to set aside several hours of valuable weekend time to cook for the upcoming week. Instead, you spend your normal amount of time cooking … plus 5 to 10 minutes each week PLANNING your meals.

This seems like a no-brainer, but the PLANNING part of it makes all the difference, especially if you’re used to trying to figure out every night what you’re going to make for dinner.

And to help you tackle meal planning at another level, I’m going to share an AMAZING resource that I created just for you!  It’s a “Complete Guide to Meal Planning” where I’ll break down step-by-step how to plan your meals and set yourself up for success. 

It’s also loaded with game-changing recipes, tips, and strategies! 

Best of all, it’s free!  It’s my gift to you for being such a loyal reader of my blog. Want a new copy’ Grab it here 

The post Save HOURS with this simple meal prep trick appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

You think you don’t need it and you can live and function without it. But not sleeping is doing more harm to our bodies than you want to believe it is. Well, I finally found someone that can speak your language!!

Her name is Kali Patrick and you are going to get HUGE takeaways from this conversation! Kali is a Sleep Wellness Coach who helps stressed out, busy professionals around the country learn to sleep better & improve their energy.

Kali was driven to becoming a sleep coach after working as a busy Executive and ended up on a path to burnout, sleep was impacting tons of areas of her life, and basically, she was not good at sleeping. She never enjoyed her sleep and she didn’t ever feel rested. Have you ever experienced this’ She ended up taking a sleep study and came back nothing was wrong, but the doctors gave her a prescription which still made her feel groggy in the morning and was not remembering her dreams! But she wanted to be able to remember those dreams because they are so important! 

She knew that she had to make a change and finally get some damn sleep and she wanted to do it without any type of medication. Both pharmaceutical and self-medicating with either melatonin or alcohol are things that people are doing to sleep better. Those two things can actually keep you from sleeping over time. We have a long list of things that we’re purchasing and experimenting with and ingesting that are actually wrecking sleep more than they’re helping because they’re taking us away from what is our natural rest rhythm. 

It is in our nature to look for quick fixes, and it is a little more work to look deeper at what we…
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You have to‘get to the root causes and experiment with lifestyle changes to make this happen. Is it stress, is it work, is it, kids, are you too busy, are you doing too much throughout your day, what exactly is it that is affecting your sleep’

Right now, with the COVID-19 stuff going on, we have been forced to stop and take an extended time out. But eventually, we are going to have to start back up again. it is important to create a rhythm that will work for you not only while you are home for this time, but for when things begin to’open up‘again and we resume our daily lives how they were. What are you going to do now to prepare yourself for that and how will you manage your life when you get back to’it.And the answer is with rhythm. When we have a rhythm, it is a planned thing. WE KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. And this is as simple as going for a walk every day at 3, which gives you a rest and it is also soothing for our nervous system to have that same thing every day. This rhythm will, in turn, bring down your stress and anxiety you have for going back to work or the uncertainty of what this has brought upon us all.

How will you set up a’rhythm for rest after this’

Compare your rhythm before and your rhythm now and try and figure out how to set up boundaries and how it feels for you. How do I set and hold that this is a non-negotiable self-care practice or me’ And it does not have to’be an hour, it can simply be 15 minutes, but it’ rhythmic and it’s daily and it’s time for yourself!!

A prerequisite to sleep is knowing how to rest.
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And we do not know how to rest!! Those 15 minutes to stop, close your eyes and just recharge your batteries will do wonders for setting you up for a good nights sleep. One way to ensure that we are able to rest during the day is by learning how to say no to things that just aren’t lighting you up, but that is sucking your energy, and energy is the other side of sleep that we talk about. We all have a choice to say no to things, and this goes for in the work environment as well!

Make these lifestyle changes and pay attention to how your body reacts. Then you can put the puzzle pieces together to create the plan, system or routine that works for you. From there you can see how to be flexible you can be in comparison as to how busy you want to be and if this works with the new schedule. Finding the right balance and ways to help you sleep better is all about experimenting and being curious with your lifestyle changes and daily activities.Is there something deeper as to why you are not a good sleeper beside you just saying I am not a good sleeper’Do you have the curiosity to dig deep enough and finally’figure out why I am not a good sleeper for the bulk of my life”

When digging deeper, you are going to have to ask yourself a few things

1. When did this all start’ What was happening in your life when this really started’ This can be useful to connect it with a specific event if we can. (A divorce, a change, anything that gets stuck into our system’)
2. Look for energy drains throughout the day. Find out what is happening and pay attention to it. Are you getting drained but pushing yourself through it’ What are you doing that is refraining you from not resting’ 

It is SOOO normal to get tired throughout the day! But

we train ourselves not to listen to our body and just push on through the tired, though the day…
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. And then come bedtime and the energy that we did not release by resting throughout the day comes rushing back at us in the form of our mind not wanting to quiet itself.Our mind thinks we can tell our body to do anything, but really our body is the ruler of us.If you have those natural dips throughout the day, honor it, and take some time to sit for 5 minutes and let yourself rest.

Think of your body as the adult, and your mind like a 3-year-old child. The mind wants what it wants, right!’ YOU want to push through, but your body is saying’I know you do, but‘I know better.The body is the adult in the relationship and If we listen to the body, our mind is going to work so much better! You will feel refreshed and restored!

Sleep is our reboot. Sleep gives everything the chance to clean up that is not working and get rid of toxins.If we are always running, not sleeping at night, or waking up too early, our bodies never get the chance to have that reboot in our system. And having just 1 night of sleep that consists of only 4 hours, drops your immune function down 70%! That is why’sleep is so imperative in helping to keep you healthy.

We’ve gotten so used to ignoring those signals from our body and “Yes, we’re pushing through, and we’re essentially telling the body, I don’t hear you, I’m not listening! Then what happens is the body says, Well, I need to make this clear.” and it ends up amping‘up the problem. Before you know it, people have significant medical issues that need attention, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and short-term issues like making a mistake or having an accident.  There is a correlation and the earlier we pay attention to these signals, the better.

3 things that you should look for that could be an indicator towards the root cause of you not sleeping well…

1. Relying on these substances to sleep; wine, melatonin, this is creating a long-term problem. The only natural sleep is natural sleep and regulating it with different substances is potentially causing bigger problems down the road. Talk to your doctor if you are on medication, because some may cause insomnia as well.
2. Look at your rest rhythm. Do you even have one’ Become aware if you take rests throughout the day. Are they’really restful‘Scrolling through social media is not rest for your mind or your body.This rest needs to be something that pulls your energy inward. (not information overload) Closing your eyes for 15 minutes is a great example. Observe what your typical day looks like and are you taking breaks’ And If you are, what are you doing during those breaks
3. LOOK at the DAYTIME, not just a NIGHTTIME problem. Maybe a small tweak as far as changing something to a different time. Eating earlier at night, not being on the computer or tv past a certain time, not working out so late in the night. See if something you are‘doing later in the day is over stimulating and not allowing for you to calm down when it is time to sleep.

Kali has moved people from total exhaustion too, I am not exhausted anymore. And we get to the next point at figuring out how do we now go to‘having additional energy throughout our day to do things” If we can get to a place of not feeling completely wrecked than that feels huge.This is why‘it is so important to hire a coach when it comes to things like this. Whether it is sleeping or weight loss.

You hire that coach because you could be beating around the woods, trying to figure things out for yourself and getting nowhere.  Or you could’hire someone to say, Hey, you know what, if you take this path to the left, it’s gonna save you about 20 stepsYou have spent so much time trying to figure this out in order to help people, and I know that if they have a specific issue, you know what direction to go in with them. People need a guide and someone to help them navigate through this!! They need someone to help steer them in the right direction and help get into the right’mindset.

None of this is going to work without this, and it is literally something I talk about in almost every aspect of working on yourself and working within yourself. MINDSET SHIFT! We aren’t actually thinking‘about our sleep at night being impacted by our day, but it is huge! So, by shifting your mindset and being aware and conscious of what you are doing, it would help us daily so tremendously!!

If any of this spoke to you magic makers, you guys’have to‘reach out to Kali and join in on one of her webinars. I am telling you; it will change your life and your sleep forever!! And of course, you can find her online, just check out the links below!

What makes Kali feel magical’

I am currently hooked on the 70s and 80s dance and r&b and if the music has boogie in it, I am on fire!! I listen when I walk, and it just makes me want to move and feel so good! And that is currently making me feel magical. – Kali Patrick

Yes girl, yes!!!!

Kali Patrick is a Sleep Wellness Coach who helps stressed out, busy professionals around the country learn to sleep better & improve their energy. She’s also a therapeutic yoga teacher and public speaker. Learn more about Kali and her business, A Journey Into‘Health, at’kalisleepcoach.com.

FB page:https://www.facebook.com/AJourneyIntoHealth

LI profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalipatrick/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/AJIHealth

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Jo40B5KkA9gSmc6dUFWiw

Website:https://kalisleepcoach.com

New online program:https://kalipatrick.com/_next/tameanxietysleep/

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

Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic/

Website:https://kimbarnesjefferson.com/

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

The post Are You Ready To Have A Good Night Sleep appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

The one claim that I want to explore is can you workout 10 minutes/day and get results’ What exercises deliver significant health benefits in such a short period of time’ Seriously, can a 10 minute workout help you reach your personal fitness goals’

Changing your body chemistry is a matter of changing your routine. Think of it like this, if you are healthy start a junk food diet and see what happens. Remember that movie Supersize Me‘ The same is true if you adopt regular exercise if you are currently leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Have you heard of that expression something is better than nothing” Whelp!! Adding movement will have an amazing impact on your health.

Not regularly working out’ Squeezing in several 10 minute workouts can to produce some serious health benefits.

Let’s get real, what are the results you are looking for”

You have to destroy 3,500 more calories than you take in before you lose 1 pound of body weight. You’ll need to do 25-35 sessions 10 minute sessions/week. Here’s where I recommend you adding in a longer exercise sessions every week.

This is not to say that short exercise sessions are pointless. The case I’m making is that we always have time to work out. Each week look at your schedule. Some days go for a longer workouts (20-40 minutes). If you can only squeeze in a 10 minute workout a few times a week you know you are still getting great health benefits.

At the end of the day, the goal is to make you workout schedule SUSTAINABLE. So many times I hear of folks going balls to the wall and burning themselves out. That’s not the point! The goal is to find a level of exercise that makes you want to and enjoy exercising for the rest of your life!!

Want some great 10 minutes workouts’ Follow me on Instagram, for Fat Burning Friday! Each first I give you short workouts that can be done at home or at the gym.

The post What Everyone Must Know About 10 minute Workout’ appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

If you struggle with mindless snacking, cravings you can’t win against, or shame when you decide to eat the foods you love then this book is for you. Mindful eating is the cure for all of that.

It’s about more than just eating as well,

mindful eating is about creating a healthy relationship with food that’s good for the mind and…
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Eating a meal should nourish the body and soul. It should be an enjoyable experience, not a rushed one.

The thing is, that’s so different from how most people think today. Learn how to slow down and really enjoy your food.

Did you know that by slowing down and really focusing on your food you’ll not only eat less but…
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On top of that your body will have an easier time digesting the meal.

I think the biggest thing you can pull from this book is the part about guilt. So many diets out there tell you what you can’t eat. They tell you to eat less in general, exercise more, and they make you feel bad about ever indulging in foods deemed “unhealthy.” The thing is, you should never feel guilty about eating food. There are no bad foods. Sure, some are more nourishing, but eating some ice cream or a donut isn’t going to hurt you.

Rather than looking at things as mistakes, this book teaches you to look at them as choices. Each bite you take is a choice and you should never feel bad about the choices you make. Instead, just listen to how your body feels and try to make choices that make your body feel better.

There is a Kindle version of this book available but I highly suggest the paperback. It’s one of those books that is more effective when you can dog ear and highlight important pages to refer to later. You’ll also want to refer to it as you work towards better mindful eating.

I’ve also done a podcast on her other book 50 Ways To Soothe Without Food. Click here to listen. 

The post Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food Review appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

High intensity interval training requires that you exercise as intensely as you can for a short period time and that you follow that will active recovery for a period of time. By alternating these intense bursts with recovery you get a great cardio workout as well as strength training. This workout can be done at home or in a gym.

For this workout routine you’ll need some simple equipment including:

• dumbbells – no need to be very heavy
• box for box jumps – you can also use a stair if you don’t have one or can’t jump to knee height
• jump rope
• timer for intervals – a clock with a second hand will work

Warm Up. You should always begin your workout with a warm up. You can do jogging, jumping rope, jumping jacks or high needs for 5 minutes to allow your muscles and joints to be prepared for exercise.

Intervals. You’ll be performing 5 intervals that you’ll repeat for a total of three times to get a full body workout in just 30 minutes.

Interval 1 – Lunges. You’ll perform lunges as fast as you can for 1 minute. Follow with 1 minute of active recovery while jumping rope.

Interval 2 – Box Jumps. Perform box jumps as fast as you can for 1 minute. Follow with 1 minute of active recovery by jogging in place.

Interval 3 – Pushups. Perform pushups as fast as you can for 1 minute. Follow with 1 minute of jumping rope.

Interval 4 – Uppercuts. Uppercuts are performed by standing in a squat position while holding your dumbbells at your side. With your right hand punch up across your body to the left side. Repeat with the other hand. Follow 1 minute of this with 1 minute of jogging in place.

Interval 5 – Overhead Press. Stand in a quarter squat holding your dumbbells at your shoulder level. Press them both overhead. Then return to the starting position. Repeat this action for 1 minute and follow up with 1 minute of jumping rope.

Repeat this entire cycle 5 times.

Cool Down. After completing this cycle 5 times, cool down with light jogging, walking, or high knees for 3-5 minutes. Then perform a total body stretch routine to prevent injury and improve your flexibility

The post Winter Warm HITT Workout appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

For most of us we typically get a lot of fats and carbs in our diet, we typically lack protein. Also, the body doesn’t store protein to draw on when it needs it, so it should be an important part of your daily diet.

The Power of Protein

• Protein is an essential component of every cell in the body.
• The nails and hair are made mostly from it.
• The body uses protein for vital internal functions, such as, to repair and build tissue.
• It is the building block of bones, cartilage, skin, blood and muscles.
• Protein also makes hormones, enzymes and other vital chemicals in the body.

Benefits Of Protein For Workouts

Along with the vital benefits of protein mentioned before, ingesting protein after a workout, especially after doing strength and muscle work is one of the most important times to get protein into the body.

This is because it will go to the muscles where it can begin the healing and recovery of the “micro tears,” which, are small tears in muscle tissue caused by intense contractions of lifting weights.

The key to supplying and nourishing the body with protein is to choose the right forms.

When it comes to eating animal protein for example, it is best to choose lean varieties most of the time, such as, chicken and turkey.

And, then there is the highly efficient, convenient protein powder. It can improve the efficiency of your workouts. To repair your muscles after a hard workout it’s important to have a fast acting protein within 30 minutes of your workout. By fast acting protein it can be a protein shake, cottage cheese, greek yogurt or milk.

Protein Powder Smoothies And Shakes

It is a fact that the best way to get the needed benefits of protein is through solid food, but, this is not always possible or convenient, as people are busy, and have hectic lives. Hitting your protein micronutrients goals day by day can be a really difficult task. This is how protein shakes can be of great use.

By enjoying delicious protein powder smoothies you can enjoy what you’re consuming while reaching your goals. Because solid food takes more time to digest and to break down the protein and send it to the muscles, it can be best to take a protein shake immediately following a workout, since it will reach the muscle within 30 minutes of ingestion. Definitely, we can see the advantage to taking a protein shake in this instance.

Protein, alike any other macro nutrient is essential to make sure that you get everything out of your workout. Being dehydrated before a workout can be detrimental to your performance and cause a significant lack in strength and focus.

Protein smoothies, as well as, water, are an excellent way to keep hydrated before a workout!

Unlike standard protein powder shakes (typically mixed with water or milk) protein powder smoothies not only provide essential protein to reach daily goals, but, they are also an excellent source of energy from the natural sugar within the fruits that you include.

This means that with a single protein powder shake you can stay hydrated, reach your protein goals, enjoy a nice tasting drink, as well as, benefit from an increase in energy levels!

What could be better’

Does The Brand Of Protein Powder Matter’

Some people think of protein powders as a “magic solution” to building muscle. This is not the case. Protein powder is simply a convenient way of consuming grams of protein. A gram of protein from a chicken breast is identical to a gram of protein from powders.

Make sure you read the label when purchasing your protein powders. Typically, a solid protein powder will contain 20 grams of protein for every 25 grams powder. Some cheap protein powders are full of sugary carbs and little protein content. Always choose all natural products without unnecessary added artificial ingredients. My favorite brand of protein power is Isagenix. They have a whey protein powder AND a meal replacement protein that’s not filled to added sugars and fillers.

4 Protein Powder Smoothie Recipes

Banana-Oat Protein Smoothie
Bananas are essential sources of potassium that aids calcium absorption and protects the heart. This is the ideal drink before a strenuous workout – it will sustain your blood sugar and prevent muscle cramps.

Ingredients:
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla)
1/4 c Oatmeal
1  half bananas
1 & 1/2 half cups of almond milk

Blueberry Blast
Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1 scoop protein powder (unflavored or vanilla flavor)

Tropical Breeze
With a range of healthy fruits the tropical breeze is a healthy nutrient and protein filled smoothie that will provide excellent results when consumed.

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
1 cup pineapple
1 teaspoon fresh shredded coconut (no sugar added) or coconut milk
1/2 cup blueberries
1 scoop of protein powder (unflavored or vanilla flavored)

Banana Bread Shake
Another excellent source of energy and potassium from the bananas along with the slow release energy from the oatmeal and bran flakes to keep you going throughout your workout and your entire day!

Ingredients:
2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 banana
1/4 cup of Oatmeal
1/4 cup bran flakes
16 oz of water
Sweetener to add taste

Best Times To Drink Protein Smoothies’

• Breakfast — really east to whip up and grab on the way out the door
• Pre and post workout — fast and easy way to get nutrition around your workouts

Want to learn more about how to use protein, please shoot me an email and we can talk about your needs in more details.  If you have a protein powder that you use and want me to take a look at it, leave it in the comments below.

The post Boost Your Workouts and Nutrition With Protein Powder Smoothies appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

So you ask, how long does it take. I believe it depends. I know I hate the “it depends” answer as well. Here is why I can’t give you a nice answer in a bow. It depends on the person. I know always seem to come back to this, but it’s all about your motivation. If you are told you are going to die, if you continue to not exercise and eat fast food for every meal. Now will you make an overnight change, NO, but you will be far more motivated to look into healthier options.  If you kinda, sorta want the goal, then you will be kinda, sorta motivated to work on the habit and kinda, sorta gets you kinda, sorta no where!

In 2002, I was a newlywed and my husband’s family doesn’t have a good health history. I didn’t want him to die on my, so we started working out. Now prior to this we kinda, sorta worked out at night to get in shape for our wedding, but as you can imagine, that sometimes didn’t happen depending upon our workload.  We then hired a trainer we told us to go to the gym in the AM, because in the morning there weren’t ever anything you ever had to do 1st thing in the AM. You see I’m not a morning person and I was like you gotta be kidding me, BUT I was motivated to make a change.  To do this required my husband and I to go back to having a bed time. We scaled back on our TV watching and the basic puttering around the house until 11pm. We were in bed, let’s out 10pm. Let’s face up I wasn’t up at night finding the cure for cancer.

I did not take 21 days, it took about three months for us to not consistently bitch about getting up before the sun rose. Now my body clock is wired to get up at 5am. I will be honest, I don’t skip out of bed, but it’s not as ugly as it use to be.

I challenge you, what habit would you like to start. Then decide what will motivate you to keep going’  Leave it in the comments below.

If your habit is to get in some fun express workouts, check out my Meltdown challenge.

The post Does It Take 21 Days To Build A Habit’ appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

You see at the time I was working 50+ hours week and typically didn’t get home until 7pm which didn’t leave much down time before bed. I knew I needed to make a changes, so I said what do I have to lose. I set a bedtime. Was it hard, you betcha but when I decided to improve my health I went all in!

Think about it, when we were kids or you probably do this with your kids now, you have a bedtime ritual or routine.

• Bath
• Story time
• Favorite stuffed animal
• Night light to scare off the boogie man

As an adult what is our bed time ritual’ Crawl into bed after we fell asleep on the couch’ When our eyes blur looking at the computer’  Are you still working till the wee hours and then decide to shut it down’

On average, we need about 7.5 hours of quality sleep per night. “If you are getting this already, another half hour will not help you lose 10 pounds, but if you are a five-hour sleeper and start to sleep for seven hours a night, you will start dropping weight.” Michael Breus, PhD

How about we say today we are going to set a bed time ritual. To get you started I’ll tell you what I do.

• Shut down at 9pm, that means I’m making my way to bed, brushing my teeth and washing my face
• I drink my Cleanse for Life and Chai T
• I meditate for 10 minutes
• Read at least 10 pages/night

Typically that relaxes me enough to go right to sleep. I also keep a notebook by bed in case I’m too keyed up to sleep and just need to get the thoughts out of my head. I don’t sleep with my cellphone in my room, it’s a distraction. I use an old fashion alarm clock.

How about you” Could you start a bed time ritual’ If shutting it down early is unimaginable right now, what about setting up your room for sleep. Do you have a good mattress, pillow, is your room comfortable’ Is there too much light’ Too much noise’ I’m a huge fan of black out shades.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment below.

If you are someone who’s been skimping in the sleep department and want to learn other healthy ways to add to your life check out my Lean and Sexy program.  Hurry offer ends, Sunday, August 31st.

The post The Secrets To Creating A Bedtime Ritual appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

What make jumping rope so effective is that you can vary the intensity. It allows you to build up your heart-rate and develop your conditioning without having to even leave the comfort of your home. I also like bringing a rope with me to the gym and jump between my weight lifting sets.

The Best Jump Rope Routines

Here are a few different techniques you can use to change up your jump rope routine and get back on-top of pushing yourself.

• Timed Method – Grab your stopwatch and jump for 30 seconds. If you think you can get 50 jumps, go for fifty and try to hit that number every time you do the set. Repeat this for about 10-12 sets and be sure to rest in between each set. With this, you can create a good way to up your challenge each week and burn fat.
• Count-Down – If you have been working out for a while give this one a  try.
  • Go for 350 jumps in a row and use that as your first set.
  • 2nd set drop that to 300 jumps in a row
  • keep dropping by 50 jumps until you hit 0.
  • Be sure to rest 30-90 sec between sets.
• Kettlebell swings and jump rope — Swing a kettlebell for 30 sec rest 30 sec and then jump rope for 30 sec  — continue for 4 rounds
• Rowing machine, box jumps and jumprope — this is one of my favorites.
  • Row 500 meters
  • 30 box jumps
  • 1 min jump rope
  • rest 60 sec
  • Repeat 5 rounds

It’s pretty easy to get creative with a jump rope and doesn’t require a gym membership. If you have a favorite jump rope routine. I’d love to hear it. Please leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear how you how you did with the workouts I suggested.

Are you new to exercise or been exercising for a while and just looking for way to mix it up or your results have stalled. My new Lean & Sexy program will teach the tools and systems you to lose weight and get into the best shape of your life. Hurry program starts Monday, September 1st.

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