How can I make getting healthy, getting fit, hell, life simpler for me clients! Have a listen

How do I help my clients to zone in on their goals and start their journey towards them without feeling overwhelmed or bombarded with everything they NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW.

How can I help them to not feel sooo completely overwhelmed that they just shut down before they have even begun’

So, if you have ever felt paralyzed, or not sure where to turn when it comes to getting healthy and fit, continue to read on, because I KNOW I have created a decision framework that will really help you map through any problem

Have you ever asked yourself What is that right choice’

orhow do you decide what the right choice is’

Well, I am glad you asked.. Because I came up with something called the REPS Formula and this helps you to GET YOUR REPS IN! But what does REPS stand for’ Realistic, Excitement, Preemptive Planning and Sustainability. ?Let’s just get right into it shall we!’

Realistic…

Listen, you have gotta to get real with yourself on this as to WHAT your goals are! You want to be SO CLEAR with your choices, that you are going to make them come true. Then you have to ask yourself, The goal that I set for myself, will it change my life, or will I hope that it changes my life’ When you decide that it’s realistic, you KNOW that it will change your life, and when you do this there will be that change!

Let’s say I want to get $1 Million, but I am not Bill Gates! I am a regular Joe Shmoe and how and I going to get $1 Million’ Are we going to make $1 Million in 90 days’ No probably not, it is just not realistic.? But if I scale that number back a bit, let’s say to $10,000, I have a better shot of hitting that and I am now on my way to $1 Million! This goes the same if you are wanting to lose 40 pounds in less than 4 months’ That can be physically impossible!

Be sure to set yourself goals in 90-day clips, as it will help to see your progress over 90 days instead of 900 days! In this 90-day window, what are your abilities’ Do you have to be superhuman to achieve this in the 90 days’ And does your schedule allow for you to achieve this in 90 days’ Then, ask yourself, is this goal going to happen based on my ability’ Or is it going to require luck and being bitten but a radioactive spider’ ”” (how to determine if it is realistic for me!!)

YOU CAN HAVE BIG GOALS.. I WANT you to have big goals. But I want you to take that big goal and bring it down to earth and do a piece of that goal. So that you stay motivated the whole entire time!

Excitement

Alright, so how excited are you about this goal’ Does this goal get your butt right out of bed in the morning, and do you want to just tell everyone who you come in contact with about this goal’! Are your friends, family and co workers telling you to shut the heck up about your goal””’ Whether you are setting a health goal, a fitness goal, or any type of goal, there HAS TO BE some sort of excitement! There just has to because that is what is going to keep you going! Not motivation because that only lasts so long.. You have to have excitement,
This is my goal, I am so pumped to get it, and I am off to do whatever it takes to hit this goal!

Make sure to ask yourself, do you really want to do it? Take running for example. If you like running, rock on with your bad self and go run! But if you hate it, DON’T DO IT! ”” It’s not going to get you to the goal you want! Especially if I’m not looking forward to it.

I only run when I am being chased, or I am trying to beat the meter maid! Those are the two times you’ll see me running, and you sure as hell won’t see me setting a goal to run more. NOPE!

If you find yourself constantly giving up, then it’s the means. You aren’t excited about the means to the end.. And you need the excitement.

Preemptive Planning

I am recovering winger. Winging it never got me anywhere but frustrated. Now, I AM THE QUEEN  So when setting a goal and going through REPS formula, you HAVE TO pre-think what your challenges may be for this goal. You cannot just wing it with challenges. And you will have pitfalls, that’s life.

You get tripped up and you can’t get to the grocery store on the day you wanted to go. How are you going to get around that if it happens’ What are you going to have as a backup plan so that you don’t get a quick fast food meal instead of healthy dinner’? What if you miss the gym one day because you slept in’
And how much time a month do you have to put to planning for this goal and a PLAN B if something were to trip you up’ (daily, weekly, monthly) THIS is where your habits are formed. Then once you have great habits, you will have amazing routines, you will have the consistency, and then you will have the results! Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the diet, it’s not about the workout, it’s not about the meal plan. It is about the habits you create. Those habits are what is going to build into a routine. And the routine is the whole shebang. Get healthy, get a new job, make more money, whatever it is, we need to start getting into the groove of creating these routines!!!!

Sustainability

One of the biggest pieces we tend to ALWAYS forget is the SUSTAINABILITY piece to it all! It is literally what drives us!

So you have to ask yourself… Can I create a routine out of it, and it will be my lasting habit to get me the consistency I have been longing for’? Is this an overall approach to what I am looking for’ Or is it a quick fix’ Are you going for the hit it and quit it kind of diet’ (And we all know that when people go on drastic diets and they try to eat ?normal, it’s a hot steamy pile of ””

So this goal, it HAS TO BE sustainable, it HAS TO BE realistic. Can you see yourself doing this for the next 30 days, for the next 90 days, for the next year or next 3-5 years! You have to be in it for the long haul and make it more of a lifestyle change so that it becomes such a part of your life it is like breathing or eating! And you have to value yourself as the person making these decisions. Do you value constantly or consistency’ I always try to get my clients to value consistency. Just making sure you show up for yourself and put in the work to really be involved with what you are doing. Consistency does not mean constantly!

REALISTIC, EXCITED PRE-EMITIVE PLANNING, SUSTAINABLE. This is literally the entire framework that I put most of my decisions through! AND IT WORKS!

Okay, so I am going to hit you with a little case study You want to lose 40 pounds in the next 4 months.

Is it realistic’ Ideally no it is not. Most people only lose about .5 to 2 pounds per week, and you may not lose weight every single week. So you would need to lose a minimum of 5 pounds per week to reach that 40-pound mark. Could you be happy if you lost 1-2 pounds per month’ Could you start to think, that is better than nothing!

Are you excited’ Do drastic calorie cuts, and ramped up exercise get you all revved up like 16 year girl being asked to the prom by her crush’ DOUBT IT! But it may for some people!

Do you have any preemptive planning’ Are you at a period in your life where you can devote, hook line and sinker, to this and only this’ No job, no kids, nothing is going to get in your way. No date nights, events to keep you from your mission of losing that 40 pounds.

Is this sustainable’ 4 months have come… Now, what is going to happen in month 5′ What is the plan, Susan’ What is the plan’ What part did you start and ask yourself huh, I am not sure… Break it down and get in touch with what you really want to do!

What are some of the goals you have for yourself’ And what does it look like running through this formula’ Are your goals realistic’ Are you excited about them’ Do you have one’ Do you have some type of preemptive plan, do you have a plan B’ Because we know life is busy and stuff is going to happen! And is it sustainable in your life’ You need to ask yourself these things!

Arthur Ashe said this quote and it is really the impetus for this REPS Formula. He said, Start where you are and do what you can with what you have.

Take that and use these tools! And let me know what you think! Hit me up on social Magic Makers and give me your input! Does this resonate with you’ Try REPS and tell me what it does for you!! And I cannot wait to hear all about it!

Links:

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

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

Website: https://www.fabfitsquad.com/

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

The post Why REPS Is The Only Skill You Really Need appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Esther teaches her clients how to cultivate a warrior mindset when it comes to healing their relationship with food and unconditionally loving their bodies. Why you need to be careful of the diet advice you are listening to What really makes you sexy

How to use the Big 3 question

Why a severely restricted diet doesn’t work
Understand sustainable dieting
How to start a coaching relationship that works How to heal old traumas
How to take care of yourself to take care of those around you
Where are you finding happiness
The power of your mind
Why you sometime have to go with your gut rather than advice
Good health lets you be present for life
Speak until you are heard

Resources DUTCH test https://dutchtest.com/
Website: https://estherblum.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gorgeousesther/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingGorgeous/,
Eat Drink and Be Gorgeous https://amzn.to/2KwjQjD
Cave Women Don’t Get Fat https://amzn.to/2YNTCy9

The post Being a Healthy 40 Something Today with Esther Blum|1 appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

But ultimately, the main reasons people tell me they don’t drink water is that they don’t have TIME TO DRINK WATER.  And that has been me before, I will be sitting at my desk and my water is right next to me and I forget to reach over and grab my water.  And IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!  We need that water people, and your body will tell you when you need more of it!

How Do You Know You Are NOT Doing Okay With Your Water”

• Constipation is a HUGE indicator of not getting enough water.
  • If you aren’t pooping, you are dehydrated! Water is what keeps everything else going in your body.
  • You also could be pooping but it is not a full…. Poop… (Check out the Bristol Stool Chart to see what your poop is supposed to look like, and it goes full into detail about your poop!)
• Heartburn is another indicator. When your digestive juices in your stomach are flaring up, they come right up your esophagus. And when this happens, it comes into your throat because it doesn’t have enough water in there to dilute the hydrochloric acids that are in your stomach. If you wake up in the morning with heartburn, this is also a sign of dehydration.
• Got salt cravings!’ Salt is what our body uses to help absorb hydration. When you don’t have enough water, your body starts to crave the salt!
• Dry Itchy Skin (and not just because you wash your hands too much😉..) on all parts of your body.  Tell sign that you are not getting enough water. Take a look at your skin and girl, use lotion, they are your friends!  Water helps our skin not only stay hydrated, but also helps with ageing!! Your SKIN is the first thing to show your age!! So, if you don’t want to look your age, drink your water!!!
• When you first wake up in the morning, I want you to look at your pee and see what color it is. Is it dark yellow’ All pee should look like lemonade. If it is dark yellow, chances are you did not drink enough water the day before!
• If you wake up with a headache, sometimes means you didn’t drink enough water the day before as well.

And trust me guys, this happens to me too!! I am never going to be that fitness person that stands on a pillar with a cape and tells you to listen to everything I say.  I got my stuff too! WE all have our stuff! I am not picture perfect!! I share with you my worst because I want you to break free of this fantasy that you are going to climb this hydration mountain and all things are going to be cured!  That just ain’t gonna happen, girl!

Drinking enough water throughout your day comes from habit.  It comes from cues and triggers throughout the day that reminds you to drink.   Are you going about your day doing certain things that you can also drink water while you are doing’  Can you carry a water bottle around with you’  See how you can fit getting extra water in throughout your day so that you can ensure you are drinking enough.

How much do you have to drink each day’

The old adage was 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day.  But a good benchmark is to take your weight, half it, and then drink that much water in ounces. So if your weight is 100 pounds, you need 50 ounces of water a day, which is a little over 6 glasses of water daily.  To make it easy, grab a 24 or 32 ounce water jug and measure your ounces that way.  You can also download an app on your phone to track your water.  MyFitnessPal tracks water, and so does Water Log.  And set a reminder reminding you to drink X amount of ounces by certain times in the day.

Now some of us live in really hot places, especially in the summer, and working out in these hotter conditions does happen and you can get dehydrated easier.  When you hit those dehydration levels, I want you to think about a drought. Places where the earth is soooo dry that there are cracks running through it! That is dehydration! The same thing can happen to you! When that does, I want you to focus in on getting your body electrolytes.

Electrolytes are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. Electrolytes are important because they help to balance the amount of water in your body, balance your body’s acid/base (pH) level, move nutrients into your cells, move wastes out of your cells and they Make sure that your nerves, muscles, the heart, and the brain work the way they should.  Getting electrolytes are another way to really take all the moisture and bring it into your body in a quick way.  (think Gatorade.  It is a way to keep you going without maxing out)   They help your body to take in more water, so when you exercise and work out in humidity or really hot heat, or just doing a long workout, electrolytes will help to keep you hydrated and going.

Getting extra electrolytes into your body is really easy and super important.  Here are some tips and tricks to help get electrolytes: (without drinking products that contain artificial ingredients and colors.)

• Kick-off your day by adding a little Himalayan sea salt into your water. (Himalayan sea salt has shown to have the same natural electrolyte properties.)  But don’t put in so much you are drinking saltwater, it is really just a sprinkle of it.
• Put lemons in your water and put it in a big jug in the fridge so that you can drink that water all day. Lemon is a great way to help get natural electrolytes into your body.
• Chia seeds are also great as well. You don’t have to drink the chia seeds because they get weird and chewy but put them into a small satchel that you would use for homemade tea to add into your water jug for the day.

SOOO many people say, “I just don’t have any time in my day to drink water…”  And one of the best ways to start is by making a habit of it.  Like I said above, start adding water to things you do throughout your day.   For me, I have to have a glass of water in the morning before I even allow myself to have my coffee.  Then I have to drink another glass of water before my 2nd cup of coffee.  Then I drink in the morning while I work out, so by the end of the morning, I am already down 32 ounces.  You can make the time to do it!

But if you are one of those people that just do not like the taste of water, or it doesn’t taste like anything so you hate to drink it, then here are some things to help get you hydrated throughout the day while getting your water in!:

• Coconut water
  • There is chloric in it which is my big challenge. You can sprinkle it in with regular water to give it some taste too!
• Hint Water
  • This is just a fruit and vegetable infused water. If you don’t want to do it yourself, you can buy it already done. Otherwise, throw some fruits and vegetables and herbs in your water jug for the day!
• Green tea
  • Take some green tea, brew it and drink it all day long!
  • I am tea junkie! I love iced tea, so this is one that I really love.
• Essential oils are also good in the water.
  • There are a number of different blends that you can put into it. Citrus and basil, lemon and basil, grapefruit and rosemary.
  • But before you do this, make sure you’re buying quality essential oils before you are ingesting them. I did a show a few weeks ago so take a listen if you’re curious’
• Fruits and Vegetables are good ways to get extra hydration!
  • Water-based fruits and vegetables are amazing!
  • Watermelon, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, melons, blueberries, grapefruit.
  • Great for getting in that quality water for you and your getting in important vitamins and minerals and nutrients into your body at the same time.
• Oranges and cinnamon sticks in your water!!
• DIY Electrolyte drink
  • Water
  • Lemon
  • Sea Salt
  • Honey
  • Simple drink especially if in a high humidity, high heat environment
• Amped Hydrate is great too. This is one of the products I use for my electrolytes.
  • It is all-natural
  • No high fructose corn syrup at all.
  • And comes in flavors like coconut, lemon-lime, orange and blue raspberry.

Try out some of these things and see if it helps to get more water into your day!  And go and grab a big 32 ounce or more water bottle, make it pretty with stickers or get some graphics printed on it and carry it around all day long with you!  Make drinking water exciting!!

I hope some of this information was helpful for you guys!  Let me know what you think and what are some of your tips and tricks for getting enough water into your day! I want to know your thoughts on Hydration magic makers, so leave a comment below or find me over on social and let me know!

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 Apply These Techniques To Increase Your Hydration appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

How can I make getting healthy, getting fit, hell, life simpler for me clients! Have a listen

How do I help my clients to zone in on their goals and start their journey towards them without feeling overwhelmed or bombarded with everything they NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW.

How can I help them to not feel sooo completely overwhelmed that they just shut down before they have even begun’

So, if you have ever felt paralyzed, or not sure where to turn when it comes to getting healthy and fit, continue to read on, because I KNOW I have created a decision framework that will really help you map through any problem

Have you ever asked yourself What is that right choice’

orhow do you decide what the right choice is’

Well, I am glad you asked.. Because I came up with something called the REPS Formula and this helps you to GET YOUR REPS IN! But what does REPS stand for’ Realistic, Excitement, Preemptive Planning and Sustainability. ?Let’s just get right into it shall we!’

Realistic…

Listen, you have gotta to get real with yourself on this as to WHAT your goals are! You want to be SO CLEAR with your choices, that you are going to make them come true. Then you have to ask yourself, The goal that I set for myself, will it change my life, or will I hope that it changes my life’ When you decide that it’s realistic, you KNOW that it will change your life, and when you do this there will be that change!

Let’s say I want to get $1 Million, but I am not Bill Gates! I am a regular Joe Shmoe and how and I going to get $1 Million’ Are we going to make $1 Million in 90 days’ No probably not, it is just not realistic.? But if I scale that number back a bit, let’s say to $10,000, I have a better shot of hitting that and I am now on my way to $1 Million! This goes the same if you are wanting to lose 40 pounds in less than 4 months’ That can be physically impossible!

Be sure to set yourself goals in 90-day clips, as it will help to see your progress over 90 days instead of 900 days! In this 90-day window, what are your abilities’ Do you have to be superhuman to achieve this in the 90 days’ And does your schedule allow for you to achieve this in 90 days’ Then, ask yourself, is this goal going to happen based on my ability’ Or is it going to require luck and being bitten but a radioactive spider’ ”” (how to determine if it is realistic for me!!)

YOU CAN HAVE BIG GOALS.. I WANT you to have big goals. But I want you to take that big goal and bring it down to earth and do a piece of that goal. So that you stay motivated the whole entire time!

Excitement

Alright, so how excited are you about this goal’ Does this goal get your butt right out of bed in the morning, and do you want to just tell everyone who you come in contact with about this goal’! Are your friends, family and co workers telling you to shut the heck up about your goal””’ Whether you are setting a health goal, a fitness goal, or any type of goal, there HAS TO BE some sort of excitement! There just has to because that is what is going to keep you going! Not motivation because that only lasts so long.. You have to have excitement,
This is my goal, I am so pumped to get it, and I am off to do whatever it takes to hit this goal!

Make sure to ask yourself, do you really want to do it? Take running for example. If you like running, rock on with your bad self and go run! But if you hate it, DON’T DO IT! ”” It’s not going to get you to the goal you want! Especially if I’m not looking forward to it.

I only run when I am being chased, or I am trying to beat the meter maid! Those are the two times you’ll see me running, and you sure as hell won’t see me setting a goal to run more. NOPE!

If you find yourself constantly giving up, then it’s the means. You aren’t excited about the means to the end.. And you need the excitement.

Preemptive Planning

I am recovering winger. Winging it never got me anywhere but frustrated. Now, I AM THE QUEEN  So when setting a goal and going through REPS formula, you HAVE TO pre-think what your challenges may be for this goal. You cannot just wing it with challenges. And you will have pitfalls, that’s life.

You get tripped up and you can’t get to the grocery store on the day you wanted to go. How are you going to get around that if it happens’ What are you going to have as a backup plan so that you don’t get a quick fast food meal instead of healthy dinner’? What if you miss the gym one day because you slept in’
And how much time a month do you have to put to planning for this goal and a PLAN B if something were to trip you up’ (daily, weekly, monthly) THIS is where your habits are formed. Then once you have great habits, you will have amazing routines, you will have the consistency, and then you will have the results! Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the diet, it’s not about the workout, it’s not about the meal plan. It is about the habits you create. Those habits are what is going to build into a routine. And the routine is the whole shebang. Get healthy, get a new job, make more money, whatever it is, we need to start getting into the groove of creating these routines!!!!

Sustainability

One of the biggest pieces we tend to ALWAYS forget is the SUSTAINABILITY piece to it all! It is literally what drives us!

So you have to ask yourself… Can I create a routine out of it, and it will be my lasting habit to get me the consistency I have been longing for’? Is this an overall approach to what I am looking for’ Or is it a quick fix’ Are you going for the hit it and quit it kind of diet’ (And we all know that when people go on drastic diets and they try to eat ?normal, it’s a hot steamy pile of ””

So this goal, it HAS TO BE sustainable, it HAS TO BE realistic. Can you see yourself doing this for the next 30 days, for the next 90 days, for the next year or next 3-5 years! You have to be in it for the long haul and make it more of a lifestyle change so that it becomes such a part of your life it is like breathing or eating! And you have to value yourself as the person making these decisions. Do you value constantly or consistency’ I always try to get my clients to value consistency. Just making sure you show up for yourself and put in the work to really be involved with what you are doing. Consistency does not mean constantly!

REALISTIC, EXCITED PRE-EMITIVE PLANNING, SUSTAINABLE. This is literally the entire framework that I put most of my decisions through! AND IT WORKS!

Okay, so I am going to hit you with a little case study You want to lose 40 pounds in the next 4 months.

Is it realistic’ Ideally no it is not. Most people only lose about .5 to 2 pounds per week, and you may not lose weight every single week. So you would need to lose a minimum of 5 pounds per week to reach that 40-pound mark. Could you be happy if you lost 1-2 pounds per month’ Could you start to think, that is better than nothing!

Are you excited’ Do drastic calorie cuts, and ramped up exercise get you all revved up like 16 year girl being asked to the prom by her crush’ DOUBT IT! But it may for some people!

Do you have any preemptive planning’ Are you at a period in your life where you can devote, hook line and sinker, to this and only this’ No job, no kids, nothing is going to get in your way. No date nights, events to keep you from your mission of losing that 40 pounds.

Is this sustainable’ 4 months have come… Now, what is going to happen in month 5′ What is the plan, Susan’ What is the plan’ What part did you start and ask yourself huh, I am not sure… Break it down and get in touch with what you really want to do!

What are some of the goals you have for yourself’ And what does it look like running through this formula’ Are your goals realistic’ Are you excited about them’ Do you have one’ Do you have some type of preemptive plan, do you have a plan B’ Because we know life is busy and stuff is going to happen! And is it sustainable in your life’ You need to ask yourself these things!

Arthur Ashe said this quote and it is really the impetus for this REPS Formula. He said, Start where you are and do what you can with what you have.

Take that and use these tools! And let me know what you think! Hit me up on social Magic Makers and give me your input! Does this resonate with you’ Try REPS and tell me what it does for you!! And I cannot wait to hear all about it!

Links:

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

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

Website: https://www.fabfitsquad.com/

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

The post Why REPS Is The Only Skill You Really Need appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

When I first start working with my clients to come up with a vision. It my job as a coach to help you see the importance of creating that vision. Now, here’s where beliefs come in. I work with women over 40 and some of them say to me, Girl, I’ve been dieting since I’ve been 15. How do I finally, break free’ Vision is a challenge for them, because for as long as they’ve been dieting, they know where they want to be. I get the frustration. I’ve been in that place where you want what you want, and you want it right frickin’ now.  

Now is the time for you to stop for 10 hot minutes and draw up a blueprint of where you want to be. DREAM BIG! Do you remember when you were a kid you dreamed so easily and no one told you your dream was crazy or impossible. Somewhere along the way though we started to believe that not everything is possible, and we can’t do it all. I’m going to start chipping away at that belief.

Not sure how to create one, I’ve mapped out the blueprint right here.  Click here to grab your copy 

Why Is A Vision’

A vision is what helps you set your priorities. So many women jump around from goal to goal and never really settle on one thing. When you don’t settle on something you can’t see progress and when you don’t see progress you get frustrated and you stop, or you are off seeking something else.  

To avoid that frustration keep it simple, though not often easy question.

How do YOU define success’

What does an ideal day look like for you’

Can you sustain that and live a happy life without that roller coaster that many of us have gone through‘ 

This vision helps you really stay focused on what matters most to us. It helps you define your why. My vision is I believe every woman should feel comfortable in their body.  

The best part about having a vision is that once you have a plan in place, you start to create this movie in your mind, and your brain starts to think, “I’m that girl who just knows what to do.” It makes you ask yourself things like, “What is the one small step I could take right now and feel like I can do that for the next week, next 30 days'”  Think big then bring it back to at least one small step you can take. 

 From there you focus in on your motivation. Maybe your why is that you want to be able to go into your closet and wear whatever the hell you want to wear. Awesome! But is that enough to motivate you’ When it’s freezing cold or raining outside, is wearing what you want to wear going to get you out of bed and to the gym’ And I’m not going to want to get out of bed and go to the grocery store. Is that enough’  I’ve been very honest with anyone who asked, there are mornings when the alarm clock goes off at quarter five, and I was like, sweet Georgia Brown. Not today. Sometimes what motivates you is your overall goal. Other times, it’s being accountable to someone else, someone that you don’t want to disappoint, who will hold your feet to the fire, and won’t cave when you start to bat your eyes and throw a pity party.  

 So now, you know your why and what motivates you, but do you know what to do if you run into a challenge’ It’s inevitable that somewhere, sometime along your journey, life is going to happen. We all have challenges. I want you to think about what could come up — childcare, work, spouses, other family members, sickness, etc. What are the obstacles that can come up’ Then, start thinking of plan B’s. Put contingency plans in place so when something goes wrong, you don’t get stuck in it. You always have a direction that you can move next whether that’s putting one foot in front of the other or you need to pivot to make progress.  

Using the action guide and planning out a blueprint for your vision is a great first step to reaching your goals. To gain and keep momentum, take the time to define your why, find your motivation, and tune in to the Fit Girl Magic Podcast.  

Want to learn more — listen to the Fit Girl Magic podcast.

The post Creating A Wellness Vision That Gets Results appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

One of the worst things I hear people say is I’m going to start ______. Monday, next month, after vacation, September 1st. There’s any number of ways you can fill in that blank. But the first step to beating the end of year slump is to ditch the start date. JUST START!

It’s time to break free of the start date. You’re done with that BS!

When you do start, don’t start from a place of deprivation.  As soon as you say you can’t have something, Sweet Georgia Brown, that’s all you think about, and it could be good food or bad food.

Back in the day when I was competing, as I got closer to my show you had different food choices, and one of my choices was I couldn’t have apples. I was at Marshalls randomly shopping and this woman was eating an apple and I was like, “I just want that apple. The apple sounds so delicious, that apple looks so delicious. I just want that 🤬apple.”

And it’s a “good” food, think about when you tell yourself you can’t have a brownie or you tell yourself whatever you tell yourself you can’t have, everywhere you look everyone is eating a brownie or everyone is eating a candy bar, everyone is eating something you told yourself that you couldn’t have, and that absolutely sucks. Let’s just stop putting things on the “do not eat list” because it’s just setting yourself up for failure.

So many people tell me, “I don’t have willpower”, or they try to white-knuckle it. And this is what I know – when you try to white-knuckle it, if you say you wanted chocolate, you wake up and you’re, “God, I have a hankering for chocolate.” And you tell yourself, “No, I’m not going to have chocolate, I’m on this diet, I’m not going to have chocolate. Chocolate is BAD” Then you go all day with chocolate on the brain, and your willpower battery is just slowly ticking down, tick, tick, tick.

Think about your cell phone battery, all day long your cell phone battery just goes. You’re doing great, you’re doing great and then you look and you’re like, “How did I get to 20% of battery power'” That’s how your willpower goes, and when you hit that 20% you’re like, “Ugh, I’m going over there and I’m going headfirst into whatever chocolate you can find, because I absolutely need it.” And then you go there and then you feel guilty. Where if you gave in to say maybe one square of chocolate, it gave you the satisfaction that you needed, and you probably would have moved on with your day.

But over the course of the day you romanticized this chocolate and how amazing it was going to be, but then you’re like, “I can’t”, the guilt, the shame, the blame all came through, but if you just sit with it for five minutes like, “I need to scratch this itch”, and just scratch that itch without any guilt, without any shame.

That leads me into stress. One of the biggest triggers that I hear from a lot of my clients, I see it on the interwebs, stress. There are people who fall into two camps, there are the, “I’m so stressed out, give me all the food” or, “I’m so stressed out, I can’t even think about eating right now” but once that stressful situation is over, they’re starving and they’re like, “Feed me.”

I’ve done a whole episode on stress, listen to it right here https://link.chtbl.com/jb4vxP3Z On this episode we talked about better ways to manage your stress, and Nikki Stansbury was awesome about talking about her chaos model modality. You want you to listen it, it helps you to really own and recognize that stress can derail you. Stress is not only food-wise, but just your energy. When you are stressed out, the thought of working out might not even occur to you, when you’re stressed out your body just gets so inflamed that you look at yourself and you’re like, “I’m doing all the right things and I’m just not seeing any results.” It’s the stress.

And one of the biggest things about stress is that it can be a tough nut to crack, and I’m telling you this from a recovering stress ball. I lived with Tums and Advil and wine those were like the Holy Trinity for me, and I had a headache pretty much every day, my stomach was always topsy-turvy, and the wine just made the day go away, and eventually I had to deal with my stress.

These are the types of things we talk about in the Fit Girl Magic Society. I work with my clients, it’s like how do we decide if it’s something that I’m going to actually do versus something that I’m actually turning into a habit’ I want you to think it’s not this overnight thing.

Listen to Fit Girl Magic Podcast to learn more about beating the year end slump.

The post Easy Ways to CRUSH the Year End Slump appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Let’s start at the very beginning. Why should we exercise’ Well, besides helping you lose weight, exercising is good for your overall health. Working out can yield big benefits like decreasing blood pressure, diabetes risks and helping you to stay mobile for the long term. For women in their 40s  exercise helps with hormonal balance and helps you relieve your stress.

There’s an old saying: ” exercise is king; nutrition is queen.” If you begin to exercise thinking this is the fastest way to lose weight is to exercise more and eat less, let me be the first to tell you that, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Denying yourself food and ramping up exercise is the quickest way to create cravings that will derail your plans. Instead, there are three things you need to focus on.

1. Protein – I’m not saying bacon and eggs for breakfast. I’m talking about a quality protein, like fish, lean chicken, lean cuts of beef, eggs. The beauty about protein, it’s very filling so you’re not going to feel like you’re eating like a bird, it’s very satiating. Make sure you get 30 grams of protein per meal.
2. Vitamin D – with all the sunscreen and bug spray we use these days, we’re blocking out the vitamin D from the sun. This also plays a part in our muscle loss. Ask your doctor to check your levels and see what, if anything, you need.
3. Omega-3 – This help with inflammation. Yes, you can just take a pill, but good fat oils are so much better! I want you to think any oil with the exception of sunflower, safflower, corn vegetable, soy. Any grocery store you go to there will be a whole selection, as long as you don’t pick any of those five oils, I just named you’re good, rock on with your bad self.

The best way to maintain your success is to combine exercise and nutrition.

Plus follow these steps:

Make a choice – What am I going to do and how many days a week can I honestly commit’

Start simple – A simple walk is a good place to start. Just get moving! 15 minutes of something

Make it a routine – Routine is a big part of the Fit Girl Magic Formula. It all starts with having great habits that builds into a routine that builds into consistency, and that’s what ultimately gives you the results.

Be courageous –  I get it, you might have tried in the past and you failed miserably. Or maybe you did too much too soon and you just kind of went balls to the wall and then you got injured and then you just stopped. Okay, you found something that didn’t work; now let’s try something else.

The tactical for beginners

Start working out anywhere from two to three times a week. Do a full body exercise and work your big muscle groups. That’s squatting, doing push-ups, doing some bent over rows. Throw in some biceps and triceps.

Now, I know some people out there have some type of constraints – hip/knee replacements, somewhere on their body is an arthritic joint, that’s fine. What I’m saying is you can work around those potential injuries/limitations. I don’t want you to be your injury/disease. I want you to be what you can be in spite of your injury/disease. I had a client who had two knee replacements at the same time. She did upper body exercises. She was still walking on crutches, walking with a walker, but she did upper body exercises.  When an injury or disease hit you are going to work with what you’ve got, and you’ll work around the injury or the limitation depending on whatever the heck it is.

My goal is to make the information that you get from me, that you get from the Fit Girl Magic podcast to be as simple, sustainable and easy to digest as possible, because guess what’ It doesn’t need to be complicated. When it’s too complicated you either 1. Don’t do it or 2. Go too hard to fast.

So where can you start today that you can maintain for a better future’

Links
Now You Can Discover Secret Ways To Stop Stressing That You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else 

The post Secrets To Beginning Exercise Quickly And Efficiently appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

I recently talk to Jennifer Harrington of Menopause Natural Solution and she shed some light on the fact of menopause – the hows, whys, and need to know of how to do more than survive menopause. Jennifer shares how she teaches her clients to cope and thrive through the change.

I won’t deny, menopause mostly deserves its bad rap, ripe with frustration-inducing symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, weight gain, and mood swings. But take this to heart: The change doesn’t have to be this big, awful thing you fear or must suffer through. Unlike other hormonally tumultuous times like puberty and pregnancy, you’ve actually got a lot more control over how you weather this one.

Jennifer explained the correlation between puberty and menopause during our conversation. Think back to when you were a teenager going through puberty. You veered from anger and despair to laughter and happiness on an almost hourly basis. My guess that if you’re here reading this blog, you’re not an adolescent. If you’re at that time of your life when your periods are becoming erratic and your sleep patterns change and you feel more anxious, depressed, angry or irritable than before, the odds are your more intense emotional state is connected to changes going on physically. Same — or similar — to adolescence, then. Only in our teens the floodgates of our reproductive hormones are being opened and, in the run up to menopause (known as ‘perimenopause’), they are closing.

Our brains actually begin to change at perimenopause. Like the rising heat in our bodies, our brains also become fired up! Sparked by the hormonal changes that are typical during the menopausal transition, a switch goes on that signals changes in our temporal lobes, the brain region associated with enhanced intuition. How this ultimately affects us depends to a large degree on how willing we are to make the changes in our lives that our hormones are urging us to make. This is why so many women no longer feel the need to hide their feelings or suppress their words as they approach 40 and beyond.

But there are many factors that contribute to the levels of effect the hormones have on you. Stress, toxins, internal health conditions, and the amount of sleep and exercise you get, all play roles in the way your body reacts during perimenopause. Here are 3 tips from Jennifer Harrington for dealing with life during menopause.

Let’s start with stress.

Reducing stress is crucial for easing up the frustration of hot flashes. Aanxiety and stress preceded hot flashes among perimenopausal and post-menopausal women. Your typical stress-coping strategies may need to be adjusted because of the high levels of stress that may be occurring as a result of physical changes during menopause.

Jennifer suggests adding exercise to your routine. Though it may seem counter-intuitive (I mean you’re already hot right’), over time the exercising can actually help reduce the hot flashes.

Check your environment.

Have you ever thought of going plastic-free’ If not, now’s a good time. When you heat up plastic, it leaches toxins into your food. Those toxins are stored in your bones. While this isn’t good for younger women, Jennifer explains that it’s more dangerous as you get older.

“Your body’s really smart because if  it keeps toxins in your bloodstream, you’re going to die. Right'”  Instead it says, ‘Let’s put it into storage.’ Using lead as an example, that loves to be stored in your bones. And it’s not really safe in your bones because it’s displacing calcium and making your bones brittle but it’s not going to kill you instantly. But when you go through perimenopause and menopause, your estrogen levels start to lower, your bone mass starts to decrease and — yes ladies — re-released into the bloodstream and can cause symptoms very similar to menopause.”

Jennifer goes on to explain why you should bring this up to your doctor. ” for me, it’s so important to have a look what your toxic load is. Because at this point in life, it’s going to be released. And fat cells are another area that we really like to store fat soluble toxins.”

So now’s the time to start removing toxins.

On gaining weight

While you’re talking to your doctors about possible toxins in your system, ask about having your thyroid and adrenal glands checked as well. Many women going through perimenopause and menopause worry about weight gain. While it can be frustrating, it doesn’t have to be an inevitability. And the cause may not be your hormones. Jennifer suggested asking your doctor to check your thyroid and adrenals as both can contribute to weight gain, especially under stressful conditions.

As you begin to navigate your way through permimenopause and beyond, remember that have more control than you think. Rather than being swept away for the force of nature that is coming your way, decide. Decide that you are going to understand your body, what is happening, your options, and most importantly the kind of magic you want to create at this point in your life.

To listen to my whole conversation with Jennifer as we dive in deeper and she shares even more tips, check out this episode of Fit Girl Magic.

Links Website: https://www.menopausenaturalsolutions.com/ Menopause Quiz: https://www.menopausenaturalsolutions.com/   Socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menopausenaturalsolutions/
Podcast: https://www.menopausenaturalsolutions.com/podcast

The post Who Else Wants To Figure Out Menopause appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Through her work she helps them do just that. How to take back your power from food Why you need to slow down and look back, to move forward How to end both mindless and binge eating In this conversation with between Caroline and I, we talk about the power of the unconscious mind and how to create habits that have been stored there. The unconscious mind is where we perform tasks without really thinking and though that’s a good thing when it comes breathing and blood circulation, it can be detrimental when it comes to food consumption. This enlightening conversation will help you understand how to make conscious changes that last, make affirmations work for you, and change the way you relate to emotional events of the past. Caroline explains the role of hypnotherapy and why it works and a lot of other nuggets you don’t want to miss!

Links

Six-week program called End Emotional Eating; you get a special offer of 10% off the price. Just mention this Fit Girl Magic podcast.

Unleash the Power Within with Tony Robbins 

Socials

Facebook or https://www.facebook.com/carolinepower

Facebook group:
The Food Rebels Club, 

Instagram 

Today’s show is sponsored by Fit Girl Magic Society. It’s a place that helps you to understand and figure out what will work for YOUR health and fitness and most of all HOW to stick with it for the long term. Plus the tools to live a life of freedom without the struggle of wondering are you doing the right things

The post Food Has No Control Over You appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

3 takeaways from the conversation

• How to prepare for the change years before it happens.
• Why filling the void is harder than just finding a new hobby
• The importance of building relationships outside of your children (with your partner and your friends)

As your children are transitioning and you are becoming an empty nester, how do you make the transition into what’s next’ I sat down with Alice Agnello, a lifestyle and success coach for women in midlife trying to figure out their “What’s next'”, to talk about setting yourself up for success as your kids leave the nest.

For many women, the change from full-time, on-call mom to empty nester is a shocker though Alice explains that it doesn’t have to be that way. By taking the time to make adjustments in your relationship with your children while guiding them in building relationships with others, you can remove the shock and ease into this new phase of life. Alice also takes us through the process of reconnecting with ourselves, partners, and friends to ensure we have a solid system of support as we go from a family dynamic revolving around children back to personal relationships built on real connections.

Links 

Website

Podcast — the Kids Are Grown, NOW WHAT’ podcast!

Socials

Instagram @adoringlyalice

Facebook @adoringlyalice

The post What Every Momma Needs To Know About Being An Empty Nester appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.