Making Healthy Easy 101

I think we can all agree we overcomplicate a lot of things in life but staying on track with healthy eating doesn’t have to be one of them. I like simple. I like easy. I like straight to the point…. So if this is you keep on reading!

I was someone that didn’t always know how to fuel my body properly. I thought that eating 100 calorie snacks, reduced fat foods, lower calories foods was the way to go. Boy! Was I wrong. My energy always felt depleted, my eczema would flare up and I knew something had to change in my life.

My goal for today is to teach you what I’ve learned that has changed my life completely around. This is the basics of HOW TO FUEL YOUR BODY PROPERLY.

Yes, you heard me -- YOUR body! We are all different and require a different amount of food to keep us going in order to perform to the best of our abilities. It truly can be as simple as "I need x amount of each food group to fuel my body properly." Every day I now say to myself...Jess did you eat x amounts of fruits, veggies, proteins, carbs, healthy fats, etc. 

Go HERE -  I broke down the first seven days of your health and fitness journey. Please pay attention to day #2! NUTRITION!

On day #2,  I’ll be teaching you how much of what to eat each day and the portion of each food group. Meal plans &  master food list included.

Learn a lifestyle change that will change the course of your life and families life forever.

It is Self-Love Month

“Our self-respect tracks our choices. Every time we act in harmony with our authentic self and our heart, we earn our respect. It is that simple. Every choice matters.” – Dan Coppersmith

Wow -SO POWERFUL! Being in the health and fitness industry for over 3 years now I feel it’s so important I touch base on the “self-love” topic especially when the month stands for LOVE.  What I notice first when someone is starting out on their health and fitness journey is NOT what the physical transformation brings.  What I notice first are their smiles getting bigger, the selfies happening more often, their head held a little higher with each passing week and that self-confidence is on the rise.

I start to notice others seeing themselves for the first time on how their loved ones view them and that's what is in their heart. Everybody DESERVES to see themselves in that light! 

So when you think of working out don’t think "oh I need my body to look better,  I need to get into shape". Instead, I want you to remind yourself that you deserve the LOVE! YOU DESERVE to remind yourself that working on you is a MUST so that you can truly show others how much you love them.

If you are someone like me and you feel guilty for spending the money on you or even the time...Remind yourself of this - you can never pour from an empty cup. Without your health you have nothing.  Plus you never know who you’ll inspire in the process!

The greatest gift you can your loved one is the best version of you. It’s ok to even remind them of that too!

I am declaring Febraury to be the month of Self-Love!

February is a month where we show others how much we LOVE them! I’m a complete sap and love the word LOVE and I love to love on others! But here's the deal, we’re so worried about showing others how much we love them when in reality the best thing you can do for your loved ones is to learn how to love on yourself first. Yes, I said it! 

We put ourselves on the back burner way too much! Our brains are designed to feel bad the second we do something nice for ourselves. Am I right? Today I want you to think about what can you do TODAY that would make you feel better?

Because here’s the deal: When you feel better about yourself this is what happens….
YOU become happier
YOU treat others better
YOU start to eliminate stress
YOU become energized
YOU start to LOVE on others the way they deserve to be loved on because your learning to love on yourself first! 

This is what working out does for me! It’s not always an easy road but when you learn you are worth the time you truly do start to create the best version of you! I’m not just talking about the way you look on the outside. It’s has everything to do with how you talk to yourself when no one is around. That voice starts to talk to you a little differently and you learn to love who you are a little more each day.   

How I keep healthy stupid simple

With 3 kids, 4 if you count my husband, I could spend all day in the kitchen every single day. But I choose not too, I’m not alone right! Living in my kitchen is not my jam and I will do anything in my power to make it easier for me being a wife, mom and business owner.  

I’m not fancy. I don’t over complicate. But, I still like to keep it healthy not only for me but for my family. This is how it goes down:

Sunday we usually ALL head to the grocery store for a big day out (I know we’re so exciting). I love shopping at Aldis because they have 2 name brands of food that I love, Fit & Active and Simply Nature. Plus you can’t beat their prices - Healthy made affordable!

I’ll be prepared and make a list up the night before. HAHA just kidding! I usually write the list in the van while my husbands drives yelling at me telling me I should be more prepared. lol I do remind him that I have a list in my head and just need to write it down (I do usually have an idea of what I want to cook) 

Have you ever heard the saying, “Just have the healthier foods on hand?” Well, that’s the rule I live by.

We always buy extra because we have kids and I swear my boys are going to be 7 feet tall and weigh 200lbs. They eat non-stop!  Ok getting back on track…. as soon as we come home we unpack our groceries,  I leave my fruits, veggies & eggs out so I can prep them for the week.

This might seem so small but it saves so much time all through the week. Plus if it’s already prepped and washed you are more likely to eat it instead of grabbing for the chips because you are making healthy convenient and ready to go.

Extra things I buy at Aldis that make it easier on me:

• Fit & Active Turkey Meatballs (pre-made baby)
• Fit & Active Marinina sauce
• Whole Wheat Pasta (I will cook on Sunday to have on hand)
• Eggs (tons of eggs)
• Cans of fruit (in no syrup or lite-Yes fresh is better but being a mom of 3 I would be at the grocery store 5x in one week, this is for backup. I’m not trying to be a superhero here.)
• Frozen vegetables (we will pick up a full box and throw it in our buggy, we always have vegetables on hand)
• Fit & Active cheese sticks
• Guacamole
• Greek Yogurt
• Peanut Butter
• Meats I buy-turkey burger, chicken, lean beef, low sodium turkey lunch meat, turkey bacon
• Whole wheat bread & Fit & Active wraps
• Whole wheat waffles
• My fresh fruit of choice is strawberries, apples, blueberries, grapes, oranges.
• My fresh veggies of choice is celery, carrots, green peppers, jimica. 

Recipes I made this week:  

• Turkey Sloppy Joes over Spaghetti Squash
• Green Pepper Pizzas
• Pumpkin Parfait
• Quinoa Muffins
• Turkey BLT Wrap

I make these recipes in bulk so I can just grab and go for the full week.

If your lost and need help,  Let's Break Down The First 7 Days Of Your Health and Fitness Challenge, So You Are Prepared!

How to Overcome Resistance in Your Life

You’ve made a fantastic commitment to the Whole Life Challenge. That’s an amazing first step in the battle against Resistance. Now, it’s time to stay vigilant.
 
Notice when those nagging doubts start to creep up. Name them for what they are. Whether it’s fear or doubt or just plain laziness, know it is just your own personal brand of Resistance. Practice “The 5 Whys” (like you saw in part 1) any time you feel Resistance creeping up on you. Love your “Big Why.”  (read more in part two). 
 
The Whole Life Challenge is about looking at your health with the whole picture in mind — not just exercise and not just nutrition. Working out will improve your mind, your body, and your daily habits, leaving you happier, healthier, and in control of your lifestyle. 

Step 2: Turning Pro

Professionals do what’s necessary to accomplish their tasks. Amateurs are hobbyists. They haven’t taken that next step to becoming pros. And, while being a fitness pro might conjure visions of baby oil and bikinis, you need to be a pro at taking care of you, or at least you should be. Really, that’s your most important job in the world.
 
Build a strong and fit body by working out. Feed it healthy food so it can repair itself. Have a solid recovery plan so you can work out even better the next day. Sounds like a pretty meaningful and important job to me. So be professional about it.
 
Being professional means you take care of business every day. You seek out the resources you need — healthy food, a coach, a nighttime ritual — and you follow through. Even on those days when you don’t feel like working out or eating kale or going to bed before 10 pm, you do it because that’s what a professional does.
 
That doesn’t mean you have to be uber-serious about it all. It just means you have to follow through on the things you said you were going to do because they support your great, big, grown-up, no-messing-around why. Skipping your workout, eating that double helping of mac and cheese, staying up until 2:00 am watching Sister Wives does not support a healthy-life-oriented why.
 
Once you’ve committed to being a professional, you’ll find the power of the Resistance fading. By consistently deciding to do the things that move you forward, you’re building the habit of good choices and killing the habit of giving in. Doesn’t that feel great?

Read Part 1 here!

Steps to Overcome and Reach Your New Year Resolution Goals

Part 1: 

Getting past Resistance is a feat we all need to master if we are looking to become the very best versions of ourselves we can be.

First, You Must Identify Resistance
Let’s look at Resistance and how it applies to your journey to health and fitness. What are the thoughts, fears, concerns, and distractions that keep you from achieving your fitness goals? Lack of motivation, lack of time, not knowing what to do, social pressures — you know the ones that apply to you.          
                                                                                                             
The first step is always recognizing the problem. So take a minute and think of the times when you had planned on working out or staying away from the pizza and resistance won. What made you reach for the TV remote or that slice of pizza instead of your gym shorts and an apple?

Write those things down. Give them a name. They are all Resistance! Now that we’ve identified your Resistance, we can also identify how to move forward.

Step 1: Know Your Big “Why”
I’m talking your great, big, grown-up, no-messing-around why. Not the little baby why you throw out when someone asks you about your lunch order that includes a grilled chicken breast and side salad with dressing on the side. That person doesn’t deserve to know your big why.

Your big why is the one that reaches into the depths of your soul and touches your deepest, darkest fears.

Didn’t know you had a why like that? Well, you do and it’s time to get to know it by utilizing “The Five Whys ”by Karen Katzenbach.

Here’s how it works. Ask yourself why you are doing the Whole Life Challenge or starting to eat better or exercise more or whatever other things you are doing to increase your health and fitness.

That first reason you just came up with is your baby why. Keep it handy for that jerk at lunch who makes fun of your order. Now ask why again. And again. And again, for a total of five times.

By your fifth why you’ll probably find something surprising that might make you feel uncomfortable. That’s your great, big, grown-up, no-messing-around why.

Example:
Why am I working out everyday?  Because I want to be healthier.
Why? Because I want to feel better.
Why? If I feel better, then I’ll be more productive.
Why? Because I’ll be more confident.
Why? Because I won’t feel like that insecure high school girl that left lost with no direction and no confidence.                                                                    
Oooh. Ouch. Stuff just got real. There is some buried reason that motivates us and we need to dig that up to move forward. Now, let’s turn that why into a positive — what we’ll call the “Big Why.”

Why are you working out everyday? “Because I am worthy and love to use my body like the beautiful creation that it is.” That’s a really good why. 

Stay tuned for Part 2. 

What to do after a holiday of overeating!

Here’s the not-so-dirty secret: Everybody overeats on foods that are not the best for us… at some point (especially on holidays). NOBODY is perfect 100% of the time. That holiday feast turned food coma? GUILTY? I am!  

The fact of the matter is it happened, and there’s no use pretending it didn’t. But what now?

How do you get yourself out of that rut?

The first thing to do is CHANGE YOUR STATE!  Get up and get moving! Sit up straighter! Talk to someone that will make me smile. Do small chores around the house! YES, I FORCE myself to take action because I know the second I do I’ll feel a MILLION times better about myself.

Overeating can make you feel sluggish and unmotivated. CHANGE your state CHANGE the outcome.

Resume Exercise-Don’t hit the pavement running moments after you lay down your fork.  Do a brisk walk, go up & down the stairs several times. When you’re fully digested you can sweat through a killer workout. The excess glycogen stored from your binge can deliver a burst of energy to fuel your next session on your BEACHBODY ON-DEMAND!  

The key here is that you’re exercising to be a healthier, fitter you, not to earn extra calories for food.

Be Kind to Yourself- Losing weight and getting to a healthier you is a journey, so you need to be patient and kind to yourself. Healthy eating for LIFE is more about moderation, balance, and quality.

With time, you will progress and learn more about what will and won’t work for your body. Until then, don’t beat yourself up!