Don't Wait!!!

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful." ~Mark Victor Hansen

I came across this quote this morning and thought about how this is so true. We are always waiting for just the right moment to start something lifestyle~changing. I find this with a lot of people I talk to regarding healthy eating. Everyone always has "one more thing" going on (a party, a trip, house guests, etc.) before they can start eating healthy. But that "one more thing" turns in to another and another, then before they know it, months have gone by without a change, and they are wondering why they aren't getting the results they wanted from their exercise and nutrition..

Seriously, if you have been putting off exercising and eating healthy till after the New Year like everyone else, start TODAY!!!! Get some kind of activity in and eat real food.

And, if you need any help getting started, or some motivation and encouragement, contact me. I would LOVE to help!

The best gift you can give yourself.

It's the season of giving, and I want you to give your SELF something amazing....and that is the gift of ...cooking your own food. Sounds pretty simple and not very exciting, but let's elaborate on this for a minute...
I believe that cooking your own food celebrates self-respect. Making your own meals is very important, especially when you are trying to eat better or become healthier, overall. The "food" available to us in grocery stores these days, is not FOOD at all. It's a packaged food~like product, probably created in a lab (really), by mixing lots of other food~like products and chemicals together(really, seriously). It's NOT food.
When you cook your own food (out of real, whole foods NOT in a package), you have control of what you put into your body. This may not sound like a big deal, but really, it is. The most important thing you can do for yourself now and in the future is to be eating real, clean, organic when possible fresh vegetables and fruit and humanely raised and pastured meats. Yes, it's more expensive, but it is also an investment into your health, and that of your family.
Most of the disease that riddles our society today can be prevented from eating a healthy diet, comprised of foods that are in the perimeter of the grocery store. You've heard this before....it's true. If you need help making the change into a more healthful, REAL food diet, please contact me. I would be happy to help you, it's my passion, after all. :)  Shop for your own real food, cook it yourself, then truly appreciate the meal you create. Your body will love you for it and you will feel so much better! Merry Christmas to yourself!!!

In Persuit of.....Perfection????

OK, another long break from blogging. I'm back. Just gonna say right now that this is going to happen.  Of course, I have amazing intentions of blogging every day or at least several times a week, but it just isn't reality. I have a job. And a family. And ADD, aaaaand that really gets in the way. Anyways, that brings me to today's topic: perfection. Webster defines "perfect" as: entirely without ANY flaws, defects or shortcomings. Well, now...that surely doesn't describe me or anyone I know....but I certainly am guilty of putting immense pressure on myself to be "perfect."
I'm not sure when all of this started, but it has been only in the past few years. Since I have gotten super involved in fitness, being a trainer, and now a nutritionist, i have really put crazy pressure on myself to eat perfectly, to have an amazing workout every day, and to live the "perfect" active lifestyle.Not to mention being the perfect mom and wife.
All this pressure on myself has made me a little crazy! I see my clients putting pressure on themselves, too. It happens a lot with food....if we haven't had a "perfect" day of eating, well, screw it. We might as well just give up and start again tomorrow.
This is CRAZY!!! This all or nothing mentality that I am guilty of, and that I encounter all the time with my clients. We need to give ourselves GRACE. There are so many external pressures out there demanding our time and efforts, it just does us such a disservice to place severe pressure on OURSELVES, too. I have a lot of grace with my clients. I understand that life happens, life gets crazy, it destroys our best intentions  and thwarts our best efforts.I understand that they are human, and life is not always kind. I encourage them to pick up where they are right now~not where they think they "should" be~and keep going.
If we get up and keep trying, CONSISTENCE can take the place of that perfection mentality. It can also be much more rewarding. Perfection is not attainable, and putting pressure on ourselves to be perfect can only make us miserable and it makes us feel like a failure. In stark contrast, being consistent builds upon itself. The act of doing something well (i.e. a healthy habit) over and over again builds our confidence and builds momentum so we are able to continue being consistent and then we will reap the amazing benefits from establishing healthy habits.
                Small improvements, over time, lead to stellar results.
Start one healthy habit today, and do it again tomorrow, and again the next day, until it becomes a part of who you are and what you do, then start something else. Small improvements, over time, lead to stellar results. Perfection not needed. Have a great day!

Salad of the Day #1

It's no surprise to some of you that I love salad. Often when people (my clients, friends, etc) ask me "What do you eat?" My answer is "a lot of salads...."  I get a disgusted/bored look. Which makes me sad, because there is SO much you can do with this "magic~ness in a bowl" that is usually referred to as a boring old SALAD. So,  am going to take it upon myself to educate you salad haters out there, and also to give you a plethora of ideas to make your own salads totally un~boring.

Today's SOD~salad of the day. Spinach, artichoke hearts, black olives, tomatoes, avocado + ground turkey.

Dressing of the day~mustard, red wine vinegar, EVOO, whisked in a bowl and poured all over. 

Super easy, and so good!

                                                              Have a great weekend!!!

My First Whole30 Success Story!!!!

I am super proud of Lyndsay! I gave her the Whole30 program and she DID it! She got her boyfriend on board, too, and he did it. They did it right, and got fantastic results! I weighed and measured and measured her bodyfat % on the first day. Then again, today....30 days later. The results are stellar and I am so happy for her! She's going to continue on with it, because it changed her life, but I just wanted to share what 30 days can do.
She lost 10 pounds. And because I measured her bodyfat, we know.....it was 10 legitimate pounds of FAT. Not water, not muscle, every single bit was fat. So, she maintained every bit of muscle mass (which is AMAZING....not on one "traditional" diet will this happen......you will ALWAYS lose muscle, too.) Lyndsay lost 1/2 inch off her chest, 2 1/4 inches off her waist, 2 1/4 inches off her hips, 2 inches off her "muffin top" (yes, I measure that, too), 1 1/4 inch off each thigh and 1/2 inch off her upper arm. And her boyfriend lost 15 pounds and has a MUCH flatter stomach and much better energy and digestion. The results speak for themselves and I am so happy for them!
So, if you are ready to clean out the crap and change YOUR life, contact me and I will help you learn how! I went to the Foundations of Nutrition Workshop all day last Saturday. THAT changed my life. I truly believe in this program and in what it can do for YOUR health. More energy, better sleep, better digestion, clearer head, LEANER body! It can be done, and I would LOVE nothing more than to help you get there! HAPPY THURSDAY!!!!

The best chicken...ever!!!

So, I have gotten in the habit of buying all of my meat from Whole Foods. Yes, it's a little more expensive, but I  have started to realize that it's worth the cost difference (which, in reality, isn't all that much) to ensure my family is getting meat with no freaky added hormones or antibiotics, and most importantly, isn't "tortured" like feed lot meat and poultry. I like to think that I am eating happy cows and chickens. :)
Anyway....so, they started carrying these "Skagit Red" chickens~whole, pastured chickens that are.so.good. The taste, compared to your run-of-the-mill Foster Farms~type chicken is just not even in the same league. So, anyways, if you get a chance, check out these little happy chickens. I am sure they had friends, too.

Tuesday:

5am: black coffee, 2 eggs+1 white

10am: ground turkey, homemade pasta sauce, zucchini noodles, beets, carrots, brussels sprouts
 (kosher, from Trader Joe's~also, super good....a little side note....Kosher turkey has the same or higher standards as organic)

7:30pm...The above mentioned chicken, roasted with roasted vegetables...beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, zucchini, onion, butternut squash.
*sidenote* roasted root vegetables are like candy....so good!!!

False Start...

     
 "If you focus on results, you'll never change~but if you focus on change, the results will come."
I like that one...it's very true. I have a confession.... I got a bit of a false start on the Whole30 challenge. I had a SUPER stressful/emotional weekend, which, I am realizing, kinda drives me to be careless about what I consume. SO...stressful weekend behind me+ renewed vigor and motivation=new day, and a new challenge! I'm ready for it! I have successfully cut so many things out of my diet that the only thing left that "triggers" a binge is nuts. So....for the rest of this thing, nuts are out. They are super addictive to me.
 I could have kept going, pretending like I didn't "fall off the wagon" but that wouldn't be very honest....and I am trying to get everything out in the open, for one, so I don't deceive myself, but also for everyone else out there that STRUGGLES with food....I get it. I SO get it. It's really really hard sometimes to maintain discipline in that area of my life. And I know sooooo many women who struggle with a food addiction of one kind of another. I don't think it's any coincidence that Satan tempted Eve with FOOD. Pretty crazy. All we can do is keep trying! Anyways, I hope ya'll have a good day and I'll see ya back here with my (nut free) food journal later today. Happy Tuesday!

Carnitas!!! and the Whole30 challenge

First of all, I'm not a huge pork fan. But I saw this recipe on Kait's Primal Kitchen blog, and I knew I HAD to make it. In the crock pot ALLLLL day....5am~5pm. A quick blast in a hot oven to make them crispy....so so so good. So, if you're in the mood for some delicious PIG, make this recipe! 

This is what I made with them. Twice. Cabbage, onions, tomatoes, guac, salsa and lots of carnitas. Mmmmmm......

So, on to the challenge I told ya'll about the other day. Starting yesterday (because it was October 1st, and why NOT start a challenge on the first day of the month, I ask you???) several of my clients, and whoever else I could recruit (because believe me, I try to recruit everyone for stuff like this....it's THAT good) and I started the Whole30 challenge. The Whole30 is a 30 day challenge to eat ONLY whole foods~organic/pasture raised/wild meats and seafood, lots of vegetables, some fruit and some great healthy fats like avocado and coconut products. The challenge eliminates all foods that must be processed in order to consume them~dairy products, anything made from grains, all sugar, etc. It's such a GREAT challenge because it "resets" your body~eliminating all cravings for all the crap that you just.can't.stop.eating. I LOVE it! So many people have experienced such fantastic health benefits from eating this way....I just can't give it enough props! Anyways, if you are at all interested in joining the challenge, check out the website and read about it for yourself. I will be posting my food journal for the next 30 days (as regularly as I can) so you can see what it might involve. It's not hard. It's goooooood!!! I will also be posting recipes for good food! Have a great Sunday!

Surprise veggie box....

Happy Thursday! 

Yesterday, one of my clients brought me this awesome box full of vegetables from her garden!

So I made this:

Ground Beef, Sauteed brussels (why is there an "s" at the end of that word?)  sprouts, beets, carrots and broccoli with zucchini "pasta" tossed in (homemade) pesto. 

Pesto Recipe:

1 large bunch of basil (i use trader joe's)

2 handfuls spinach or arugula

3-8ish cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)

1/2 c.(ish) extra virgin olive oil

salt

Put greens and garlic in the food processor...process until finely chopped. Stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. sprinkle in a little salt, pulse one more time....good to go! Instant magical vegetable~topping sauce!!!!

Have a great day! I will be posting about a challenge later today.....

I'm Back!!!

"The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you most want for what you want right now." ~Zig Ziglar

I have been MIA (from blog land) for quite some time now. During this time, I have taken a step back and really tried to assess where I am in this business of mine and where I want to go. What I have come up with is this: While I LOVE the fitness aspect, and of course I think exercise is super important, I think this country is in a nutrition crisis, and I feel REALLY passionate about that. I took some time, got my Nutritionist certification, and am now available to do nutritional consulting alongside my personal training. Technically, before, I wasn't really "allowed" to talk about nutrition as a personal trainer. Now, I am. And talk about it I will!

I am taking the "PALEO" approach to nutrition now. Paleo refers to the "Paleolithic" era...aka caveman. Not that we all need to eat/live like cavemen, but just taking an approach to nutrition that is natural and sustainable. Lean, pasture raised meats, lots of fresh vegetables, some fruits and healthy fats such as avocados and coconut. Research shows that our ancestors were fit, lean and healthy eating what they could hunt and gather off the land. The agricultural revolution is when everything started to go downhill, health~wise. Disease and degeneration came because in the reduction of good nutrition in favor of cheap, quick meal solutions. And our nation's health started to decline. The Paleo lifestyle brings back vibrant health and high energy levels because of whole, nourishing foods. 

I am extremely passionate about educating my clients about good nutrition. Especially when it comes to children. I want to empower women to make healthy choices not just for themselves, but for their families as well. I think so many times we feed our children "filler"(often times processed foods)~even while maintaining a strict healthy diet for ourselves~but it's so detrimental to their development. I have been guilty of this in the past, but I changed my thinking....I don't want to feed my children anything that isn't going to do something FOR their body in a good way. Protein for muscle building, vegetables and fruit for vitamins and minerals and nuts and avocados for healthy fats and brain development. It is a little more expensive, but so worth it down the road! 

I am also going to try listing my food journal for a while....so ya'll can get an idea of what a healthy Paleo~type diet looks like. 

Meal 1: 2 eggs over hard, cooked in coconut oil, black coffee

Meal 2: ground beef and lamb with pasta sauce over spaghetti squash, sauteed zucchini and yellow squash

Meal 3: arugula and spinach salad with carrots, onions, fennel, 1/2 avocado, can of tuna, sesame oil and rice vinegar

Meal 4: carne asada salad: cabbage, carrots, onions, carne asada, salsa, 1/2 avocado+ lime

Snack: a few handfuls of nuts

Sugar Withdrawl

Below is a link to an article on sugar withdrawls. If you read it, check out the comments below it, too. Super interesting, other people's experiences cutting out sugar. Makes you realize how damaging it really is to your body.
http://howtothinkthin.com/freedom.htm

Salads are Forever......

Good Morning! (afternoon, evening, whatever......)
As most of you know, I am a HUGE fan of salads. I crave the cold crunchiness of them. Even in the middle of winter.  Mmmmmm......anyways, I have started making the suggestion, in attempts to have my clients add more vegetables into their diets, to have at least one big salad every day. Usually for either lunch or dinner, but I have been known, on more than one occasion, to have a big, delicious salad for breakfast. But, that's besides the point. The point is, to add more vegetables to your diet, and I really don't think there's a better way to do that than to get creative and make a salad you can look forward to every day! There are SO.MANY.OPTIONS. of what you can put on a salad. You can do a Mexican salad with black beans, chicken, bell peppers, onions, salsa and avocado. An Asian salad with bean sprouts, steak or chicken, cashews, carrots, bell peppers, onions, cabbage, and a spicy peanut dressing. A Nicoise salad with tuna, tiny potatoes, hard boiled egg, green beans, tomatoes and a red wine vinaigrette. A buffalo chicken salad with spicy buffalo (hold the butter) chicken tenders, celery, carrots, onions and homemade blue cheese dressing. (which is sooooo easy, and soooo much better than store-bought dressing)
So, those are just a few ideas to get the wheels in your head turning about all the delicious salad options. Below, I am going to put together a salad "mix and match" for you to print out and keep handy. :)
See how many colors you can get in one bowl! (P.S. I eat my salads out of a (smallish) mixing bowl)

Bottom Layer Options (choose one or mix two or more)
~spinach
~romaine or green leaf lettuce
~shredded cabbage (green AND purple)
~baby lettuce mix

Mid Layer Options (one thing that is really helpful and saves time is to chop up a whole bunch of vegetables at one time, and put them all in a big container in your fridge, so you can just dump them on your bottom layer)
~carrots~onions~cucumber~bean sprouts~jicama~sugar snap peas~bell peppers~tomatoes~mushrooms~
~celery~zucchini~artichoke hearts~hearts of palm~broccoli~cauliflower~alfalfa sprouts~microgreens~beets~avocado~ANY vegetable you like!

Add a Fruit 
~chopped apple~orange segments~1T.raisins or dried cranberries~

Add some Protein
~Chicken~Lean Steak~Fish~Hard Boiled Eggs~Cottage Cheese~Spiced and Grilled Tofu~Pork
~Black Beans~Garbanzo Beans~Edamame~

Add some Crunch (just a little bit~a little goes a long way!)
~2T. chopped nuts~1T. sunflower seeds~ground (golden roasted) flaxseed~pepitas (pumpkin seeds)~

Top With a Dressing
Basic Vinagrette:
1 minced clove garlic
1-2 T. dijon, brown or whole grain mustard (whatever you like or have on hand)
2T. vinegar  (red wine, white wine, balsamic, white balsamic, applecider etc.)
2T. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

VARIATIONS:
~to balsamic vinaigrette, add 2T. orange juice, add oranges and almonds to your salad
~to red wine vinaigrette, add 1t. oregano and use to top a Mediterranean~type salad
~to apple cider vinaigrette add 1 T. OJ and 1t. honey and 1/2 t. curry powder, add apples and raisins to your salad

*Salsa on it's own or mixed with 1T. ranch makes the perfect dressing for a Mexican salad
*Creamy Cilantro and Avocado Dressing~Puree in a blender till smooth: 1/2 ripe avocado, 3/4 c. packed cilantro, 1/2 c. greek yogurt, 2 chopped scallions, 1/4-1 whole garlic clove (depending on how much you like garlic), 1-2 T. lime juice, 1/2 t. salt
*Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing:1/4 c. lite sour cream, 1/4 c. lite mayonnaise, 1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles, buttermilk or milk added to desired consistency, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste (whisk all together)

AND here is a link to Eating Well Magazine's really great article on Power Salads!!! http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_cooking/secrets_to_making_power_salads

I hope this helps some of you get at least a *little bit* more excited about adding more salads to your diet!
Have a great day!

HAPPY MARCH!

It's March 1st, so that means, for those of you who are accepting the challenge to go for the entire month without sugar and flour....today is the day! I am super excited, because I have been slowly losing control over my cravings myself, and it's nice to have something to get me back on track. I am excited to challenge myself and I hope those of you who are doing this are too. Think of it as being empowered to have control over our cravings, instead of being deprived because we "can't" have something. We choose to make better choices for our bodies, instead of being at the mercy of our cravings. (I am totally speaking to myself, here:) Anyways, I hope you have a fantastic first day of March!

Challenge Guidelines.....and a link to a great article

Happy Monday! I can't believe tomorrow is already March 1st! February flew by, which means.....spring *must be* on it's way???? But who knows around here. Anyways, I am going to set out some guidelines for the challenge, if you choose to participate. Some of it will be up to your own discretion, though.

Rule # 1: Absolutely NO SUGAR. And by this, I mean white table sugar. The stuff you bake with, or eat in candy, or in your vanilla latte, etc. Now, you will have to do a bit of sleuthing because sugar is in everything. BBQ sauce, salad dressing, PASTA sauce (why, why, why????), salsa, etc. You MUST read labels. So, the easiest way to stay away from added sugar hiding in things is to buy whole foods and make things yourself. The discretionary part here, is if you are going to get technical and ask about honey, agave, stevia, etc. This I will leave up to you. The challenge part here is to not ADD any sweetners to anything for the month, to break yourself away from *NEEDING* sugar, or something sweet. Of course, fruit is ok, and the recipe I posted for the cookies several weeks back would be ok, because they are sweetened with fruit, but MY goal here, and I hope for you, too, is that we will wean ourselves from *NEEDING* something sweet.

Rule # 2: Absolutely NO WHITE FLOUR. Also, a tricky one.....I, personally, will be avoiding anything with flour AT ALL. (including whole wheat flour)  I am supposed to be staying away from gluten anyways, but have fallen off the gluten-free wagon lately. (sigh) :)  So, this I will leave up to you, too. Basically, if you feel like you have a problem/addiction with anything "carb~y" (pasta, crackers, bread, cereal (which will most likely have lots of sugar in it too), pretzles, etc.) you should stay away from it for the month. And let me tell you, from personal experience, it is MUCH easier to cut it completely out, than to try and moderate.

So, I hope this clarifies and makes sense. I welcome any questions you might have. You can e-mail me @ slapoint@bendbroadband.com, call or text me @ 541-848-2916, or just leave a comment if you have any more questions. I hope you are all looking forward to challenging yourself, and doing something GREAT for your body! Your body will love you for it!!!
Throughout this whole challenge, I will be posting lots of information about sugar and flour and how they really do affect your health and well-being. PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you have questions, concerns, etc.

Also, I ran across this really great article( http://livewell360.com/2011/02/take-a-vaca-from-venting-about-problems/)  today on taking a vacation from re-hashing our problems to people whenever we are in a conversation. It does seem like we always go towards the negative, when chatting with others, so this article challenges us to not say or think anything negative for a week. (or forever) Check it out! It goes right along with our other challenge, since we are challenging ourselves! Have a great day!

10~20~30~40 QUICK workout

I just thought of this great little super quick circuit workout. It's perfect when you are doing anything relatively sedentary~watching TV, sewing, reading, cooking, etc. (perfect for commercials!!!)

10 pushups
20 squats
30 bicycle crunches
40 mtn. climbers

it takes about 2 minutes. you could set a timer to go off every x number of minutes, do the circuit, and resume what you were doing. if you get in 10 of them a day, that's a pretty good 20+ minute workout, all broken up! anyways, hope you're having a great day!

Two great articles on the concept of "cheating"

Good Morning! The challenge starts TUESDAY!!!! Are you ready?
 I have been asked about "cheating" (in regards to your diet) many times. I have always kind of gone back and forth on the subject, but have never really implemented a "cheat day" myself. After reading the articles I have linked below, I kind of have a new take on it. I think the author of this article makes some really great points about "cheating" to keep you sane on a healthy diet. We do crave things that taste good, and in moderation, those things are fine. She suggests sprinkling small "cheats" throughout the week, instead of taking one day and going to town. Very smart. Anyways, check out these two articles, there is a part I and II. Read both. In regards to our challenge, however,  "cheating" with sugar or flour is not recommended. :) And, as I said in my last post, I will post the guidelines for this challenge soon!

This website (www.whole9life.com) is quickly becoming one of my favorites, due to it's sound nutritional guidance, no-nonsense advice and emphasis on WHOLE foods. (not the store) So, check it out....and have a great day!

http://whole9life.com/2009/06/the-w9-guide-to-eating-dirty-part-i/
http://whole9life.com/2009/06/the-w9-guide-to-eating-dirty-part-ii/

ANNOUNCING......A CHALLENGE!!!

I am recruiting anyone who is interested in a 31 day challenge. For the month of March. NO sugar, NO flour for the entire month. I am doing this for two reasons: 1) I want to be challenged, myself! I am going to do it, and I would love to have company! and 2) sugar and flour (basically any processed grain) are highly addictive. and I want to encourage you to break your addiction, if you have a hard time with it, AND I want you to see how much better you feel without it! SO......there it is, for anyone who wants to challenge themselves to make a super healthy change along with me! Leave a comment if you're in!
*Specific details to follow!!!

My new FAVORITE recipe!!!!

I made this recipe tonight, courtesy of Sarah Fragoso of Everyday Paleo. It was super good. I will probably be making it at least once a week for a while. Try it. :)

Puerto Rican Beef

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 bunch kale chopped

1 white onion sliced

1/2 of a green, red, and yellow bell pepper sliced

1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp dried oregano

Pinch of saffron threads (optional)

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

3 sweet potatoes

1 ripe avocado

In a large skillet brown the ground beef.  Add the bell peppers, onions, and olive oil and saute until the onions and peppers are tender.  Add all of the spices and mix well.  Add the kale and green olives, continue cooking stirring often until the kale is tender (about 4-5 minutes).  Serve over mashed sweet potatoes with a side of sliced avocado. 

*I didn't have the tumeric, oregano or coriander, so I left them out. I actually followed the recipe pretty exactly, except for that. It was amazing!

QUOTE OF THE DAY~and a great recipe link

HAPPY TUESDAY! Hope everyone is having a great day so far. Here is a great recipe website a friend turned me on to: www.thepurebar.com. I know I have mentioned PURE bars to some of you as an alternative to sweets. They are raw, sweetened only with fruit, and come in Chocolate Brownie flavor....Mmmmm.....anyways, the website has some great recipes on it. Also, I ran across this quote this morning:

"It is important to realize that EVERY time you eat, you have the opportunity to CHOOSE to make your body better or worse. Your CHOICES and behaviors either move you TOWARDS your goal, or AWAY from it."

Have a great day! And choose what you FUEL your body with wisely! Love you all!

Good Morning! Inspiration for the day!

I read this today in an e~mail. It is perfect! I hope you have a great day! And remember....this is a PROCESS.....

ALWAYS REMEMBER.....

There is no one right way to be healthy and fit.

YOU are the boss of you.

It takes time and PRACTICE to replace old habits with new ones.

Health and fitness is not a destination.

Health and fitness is a LIFESTYLE.

It’s not helpful…

To feel guilty about your food and fitness choices.

To beat yourself up over past decisions.

To read articles and take them at face value.

To allow other people’s opinions to matter more than your own.

To complain.

To replay bad thoughts over and over in your mind.

To use fear as motivation.

To set the expectation that once you get there… THEN you’ll be happy.

To set ridiculous standards for yourself.

To worry about what other people think.

To judge yourself.

It is helpful…

To learn from past choices.

To do what feels right.

To pay attention to the signals that your body gives you.

To see the good in any situation.

To give people the benefit of the doubt.

To appreciate what you have.

To laugh often.

To be nice to yourself.

To compliment (yourself and others) daily.

To get inspired and then act.

To let go.

To be happy NOW.

"if I don't get in a workout, I might die" ~7 minute at home workout!

I know this time of year (winter) is hard on some of us moms. Kids get sick, rendering some of us housebound.  Well, there's no reason you can't squeeze in a quick bodyweight workout in between all the other things you have going on. Even if you only have 7 minutes at a time, do this quick workout, then find 7 minutes two more times during the day. So, you can fit in 21 minutes of intense exercise, without leaving the house, leaving your sanity in tact.

7 Minute Circuit


each exercise is one minute long, switch to the next one immediately after the first one, and continue for the full 7 minutes. repeat two more times. (at some point during the day)

1. bodyweight squats, FAST
2. burpees
3. counter or floor (on your knees~keep your butt DOWN) pushups
4. high knees
5. sumo bodyweight squats, FAST
6. bicycle crunches
7. plank

2 great links

http://whole9life.com/2011/01/the-coffee-manifesto/

I thought this was a really good, very objective article on coffee. Especially the part about YOU being in charge of what you consume, and not letting your addictions (be it coffee, sugar, flour, etc.) control you. If you check out this article, also check out the Whole30 program. It's really good, and definitely worth trying out. Have a great day!

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/stay-cool/how-to-make-creamy-ice-cream-with-just-one-ingredient-093414
And here is a link to a SUPER easy recipe for "ice cream."

Dream as if you'll live forever.....

I have had a rough past few weeks, actually a couple months....I think I am dealing with a chemical imbalance that is resulting in depression. It can be so hard to see out of our little "hole" sometimes. At least, it is for me. I tend to get "stuck" in it, then I have a hard time seeing the whole big picture of life. And that it's not all about me all the time. I came across this quote today (thanks Janine!!!) "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today" ~James Dean. Wow. I am definitely not dreaming, nor am I really living....I have been stuck for a while. It's extremely frustrating and overwhelming. But, I know that all of this will work out for good, and that I just have to be patient and keep moving forward. It gets really hard to be patient sometimes, but a year or two down the road, I am sure I will look back and see the good in it. I hope you have a great week! And keep dreaming! And living! And I am sure going to try to do the same!

Playing Hooky and a new recipe~Banana Almond Flour Pancakes/Waffles

I let my kiddos play hooky yesterday and today. First of all, apparently, there is some crazy sickness going through their school and there are tons of kids out sick. So, I thought I would let them stay home and sleep in and rest and not be exposed to all the crazy germs. Second, I actually miss them while they are at school, and I really just wanted to hang out with them, so I did. I can do that as a mom, right??? So, of course I made them go get some fresh air and exercise with me. We went on a walk on the river trail yesterday, and today walked to a park that was kind of far away. It was so fun, and the weather behaved and I am so glad they are still at the age when they would rather hang out with me than go to school. Anyways....

In keeping with the spirit of cutting as much of the flour and sugar out of their diets that I can, I invented these delicious pancakes/waffles this morning. I never measure when I make stuff, so I am "guesstimating" the amounts of each ingredient. I really don't think you can mess these up, so feel free to alter my amounts a bit to make it work for you.

Banana~Almond flour pancakes/waffles

1 banana, mashed
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla (or more)
1 t. baking powder
2-4 T. melted coconut oil, or other vegetable oil
tiny bit of salt, if desired....i didn't use any and didn't even notice

 1/2-1 cup almond flour
milk or buttermilk as needed (almond milk, soy milk, cow milk, coconut milk....whatever)

(depending on how many you are making, adjust the amount of almond flour and milk.)

mix the first 6 (including salt, if using) ingredients together. use a whisk to make it nice and fluffy.....add almond flour and milk as needed to make the right pancake or waffle consistency. cook pancakes on a griddle or waffles in a waffle iron. or both, as my kids prefer sometimes.

enjoy!!!
and happy friday!!!!

Featured Client of the Week!!!

I am going to feature one of my clients every week or so. I think it's inspiring and motivating (two of my favorite words) to see people who have made great progress, despite setbacks (life).

My very first one is......Melissa!
Melissa has been working with me since August 2010. She had a 6 month old baby boy at that time, along with two little girls, ages 2 and 5. In the course of the 6 months she has been working with me, her family has gone through a LOT. Her son had some crazy medical problems they discovered when he was about 8 months old. They were back and forth to Portland several times with doctors appointments and surgeries. Fortunately, she was able to stay focused, and didn't let this distract her from amazing progress! Over the past 6 months, she has worked out 1/2 hour three times a week here with me, plus the normal routine of chasing after several small children. That's it! No endless cardio, no hours in the gym, no working out every single day.
The biggest change for her was "swapping" her meal sizes. Along with following the principles outlined  in "The Eat Clean Diet," she started eating a larger breakfast and smaller dinner, instead of the other way around as most of us have the habit of doing. She still enjoys a glass of wine almost every night but she cut out all her after-dinner snacking. (whoo-hoo!!!! that's a HUGE part of the battle for most of us!!!)

before

So, in the past 6 months, Melissa has lost a total of  22.5 pounds and 19.25 inches!!!! 7.5 of those inches were from her waist! Congratulations on your amazing progress!!!!

   and after!

i apologize for my bad lighting and amature photography...i will have to work on that!!!

An assignment and a recipe

Happy Saturday to everyone! If you were lucky enough to workout with me this morning (ha ha), you got to taste one of my cookie creations! If you didn't, let me catch you up......I am sure you are aware of the dangers of white sugar and white flour. Well, any sugar and flour for that matter....but anyways, my son came home from school yesterday with a bright green Laffy Taffy he had "earned" for doing his homework. He asked if he could have it, and I cringed....I just do NOT feel ok with my child eating a bright green piece of something that could pull out, get stuck in, or rot his teeth. So, I told him that if he could wait a bit, I would make cookies, and he could have one of those instead. He agreed to that.
So, a little later, I started experimenting. I wanted to create something that didn't have sugar or flour but, of course, still tasted good. This is what I came up with:  (they are amazing...)

Banana~Coconut "Cookies"

1 banana
1/3 c. coconut butter (available at Whole Foods, or you can make your own~see below)
4 pitted dates
1 egg
1-2 t. vanilla

1 c. (maybe a little bit more) almond meal (available at Trader Joe's)
1/2-3/4 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut (see below)
1 t. baking powder
cinnamon (optional)

cream first 5 ingredients together in a food processor, dump out into a bowl and add the dry indredients.
mix well, then "roll" into balls or scoop out with a spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or other non-stick coating.  bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes....keep an eye on them, when they are light golden brown, they are done. makes about 12 or so, depending on how big you make them.

*A note about coconut*
Coconut was thought to be "bad" because of it's high saturated fat content. Recent findings are that it is actually a "superfood" full of good fat, essential amino acids, protein and fiber. I buy coconut bulk at Whole Foods or Fred Meyer. We go through a lot of it. And coconut butter is available at Whole Foods or you can make it by putting several cups of dried coconut in a food processor and processing for 10 minutes. If you have any questions, you can totally ask me.


And now, an assignment:
IF you are one of my clients, or are interested in health in ANY way, there is a movie I would LOVE for you to watch. It's available instantly on NETFLIX in the documentary section. Food Matters is the name of this amazing movie. I HIGHLY recommend you watch it to see how the food we eat affects our health. And how the medical community is NOT interested in our health in any ways. And how doctors are not educated in nutrition, and how they just prescribe drugs to "band-aid" the problem, not getting to the root cause. Anyways, enough of my rampage.....it's really an amazingly eye-opening movie. Let me know what you think! Have a great weekend!

Quote of the day

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are."
Bernice Johnson Reagon


Isn't that the truth.....hope you are having a great day!!!

Just so we're on the same page....

I know some of you reading this have heard bits and pieces of my "journey" thus far....but I am going to back up and start at the "beginning" so you know where I am coming from and also so you know that I understand struggles. Struggles with food, with body-image, with self-esteem, with depression and a bunch of other stuff.  I am going to be completely honest, because I haven't always been (mostly with myself) but I think it's really important that YOU know that I am not some fitness junkie that everything comes easy for, and I have never had a craving in my life.....oh no.....let me start back in 2004 where I would say my life completely changed.....

I had always been "lazy" as a kid, teenager, and young adult. I hated being dragged on hikes by my parents, and chose sedentary activities when I had the choice. But, in April 2004, I had my second little boy, Jaxon, and a couple weeks after he was born, I joined a gym to try to lose the baby weight. I started out slow, pretty unintentionally, just doing cardio, and lifting weights, kind of teaching myself as I went along. I had always read a lot about fitness and nutrition, just never really applied any of it.
One defining moment in my life was one day I was getting ready in the morning, and my husband commented on my muscular back. I turned around and looked in the mirror, and I was instantly "hooked" on muscle. At that particular point in time, I made a conscious decision to start lifting weights seriously. Over the next couple of years, I learned more and more, started working out more and more, loving it more and more. Then, somewhere along the way, I became pretty obsessed. I would go to the gym for 2 hours in the morning, working myself to exhaustion, then go back for an hour SUPER intense spin class later in the day, dragging my kids to the daycare every time. :(  It was at that point that I became super self centered and very "me-focused." I would go crazy if for some reason I couldn't work out, and became a maniac, up and down and up and down. Because I was exhausted.
But, I LOVED it! I got more and more experienced, started asking a lot of questions of the Personal Trainers at the gym I was at (this was in Southern California), then decided that I wanted to be one, too!
So, I found the best certification course (NASM), ordered it, did all the studying and passed the test about 3 weeks before we moved to Bend. (this was October 2007)
I started working as a trainer at a gym, here in Bend, in December. It was great, I loved it, but as the months passed, I started getting "addicted" to food. I started overeating occasionally, then it was more often, then it turned into a full fledged case of binging and purging. So, at this time, my self-esteem started to plummet. I could. not. control my eating. It got worse. I started to get really depressed. How could I, as a trainer, help others with their food and nutrition if I couldn't get a handle on it myself??? I don't think I realized how deep in I got, because I wasn't being honest with myself. I kept hoping it would just "go away" some day. It didn't though. It got worse. I was consumed with thoughts of food, always thinking about how I could control it, how I could be more strict. But, always, in the afternoons, I would "lose it" and binge. Usually on something healthy, but just too much food. This went on for about a year or so.
Spring Break of last year, I feel like was when I hit bottom.  I was SUPER burnt out on training, I was very busy at that time....sometimes working 10 hours a day. And, I was a depressed wreck. So, at that point, I made a conscious effort to try to climb out of this hideous hole I had dug for myself. I started seeking God for His help, because I had definitely tried on my own, and it sure wasn't working. I found a website (www.settingcaptivesfree.com) that helps people overcome all kinds of addictions. I did their 60 day program. Made a little progress. Stopped purging. Still a little binging. Then, I found an accountability partner, made a little more progress. Binging less and less. In the past several months, I have made a LOT of progress. But it is slow. I have been leaning on God to help me though this, but it is taking so much longer than I ever thought it would.
Over the past year, I have been working on developing self~discipline. It has been a very painful and long process, but one that has been so worth it. My life and priorities have changed a lot, too. I have a lot more patience with my boys, and a lot more love for my husband, both of these things stemming from a much more balanced perspective on life. I have scaled WAY back on my exercise, (during this whole time, I had been beating myself up, exercising so so hard to try to negate the effects of the binging) and I am now in control of my food, instead of IT controlling ME. I learned that I needed to cut all the trigger foods out of my diet. Maybe not forever, but for now, it's necessary. I have learned a whole lot about myself in this process. I have definitely not "arrived", but I sure am in a much better place than I was about a year ago.
I know I went through this for a reason. And that reason is to be able to empathize with others who may be struggling with the same, or different things. But, just know that I have FOUGHT a battle to be where I am now, and I am sooooooo willing to help you fight, too. I hope I didn't freak anyone out with this, but I just wanted to be honest about where I am coming from.
This "journey" is definitely, without a doubt a PROCESS. And if it's not a process, you won't learn anything from it. So, be patient with yourself, keep looking ahead, and PLEASE let me know if I can be of any help.

Good Morning World!

It is a beautiful morning, and i am super excited to be in blog~land now....thought i would start off with an amazing picture of the sky on fire this morning....i am so blessed to live in such an amazingly beautiful place with such a big gorgeous sky! (coming form southern california, i really really appreciate it!) I am starting this blog mainly to have communication with my clients, and to inspire, motivate, and encourage anyone who may stumble on to my little tiny corner of cyberspace. i am always reading, researching, questioning, so i thought it would be helpful to have a place to post anything interesting or helpful i might find. also, recipes, meal ideas, workout ideas, and workout challenges. i will also be featuring some of my clients who have made some great progress and have made significant positive lifestyle changes. i know changing your lifestyle is HARD. i know there are always challenges and trip-ups and things to distract you from living your best life, but life is a learning process (which i have EXPERIENCED for myself in the past couple years....more on that later) and a growing process and just a process in general. one thing that keeps coming up for me, as i grow and change and muddle through my own challenges and ups and downs is "If it's not a PROCESS, you won't learn anything from it." if changing bad habits and changing your life for the better was EASY, and the weight just fell off, and all the sudden you were perfect in every way, you wouldn't develop that character you had to develop by FIGHTING your way there! i KNOW it can be a BATTLE at times (or all the time, as it has been for me lately) but it makes us stronger to go through the tough stuff. anyways, that's all for now.....i hope you all have a wonderful day!