Tag: health

Living a Healthy Life – Beyond Food & Exercise

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After reflecting on what I share most often on social media (check me out on Instagram!), I realized that I focus a lot on two aspects of healthy living – eating well and moving my body for at least 30 minutes per day – but I neglect some of the other foundations of wellness. So I created another graphic guide for three other vital aspects of healthy living!

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Personally, I saw such a positive change when I started practicing self care, drinking my water, and focusing on getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. When I am rested, hydrated, and feel loved, it’s so much easier to pull myself out of funky moods and battle my depression and anxiety. It might be as simple as having three less things to worry about, but whatever the case – I’ll take it.

Here are some quick tips to help you implement these three aspects of healthy living!

  1. Loving and taking care of yourself is not selfish, so if you think it is – reframe your brain. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so if anything – taking care of yourself helps you take care of everyone else in your life.
  2. Get a BIG water bottle – at least 30oz – and use a straw. For some reason, using a straw helps me drink so much more water – and I love not having to fill up an 8oz class 20 times over the course of a day.
  3. Set an alarm for at least an hour before you go to bed. Here’s an example of an evening routine that can help get you ready for solid sleep! Totally unplug from all electronics. Brush your teeth, wash your face. Drink a glass of water while you’re at it to help you with #2! Read a book and/or put on some soothing music. Spray your pillowcase with lavender (so extra but so worth it), and spend some time reflecting on your day before shutting off the light and going to bed. Put your phone in the other room, so when the alarm goes off you need to get up and get moving to shut it off!

Let me know what your favorite self care activities are in the comments below, or any other ways that you focus on living a healthy life that go beyond eating well and exercising!

Jennie

 

Let’s Catch Up!

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letscatchupIt’s been a busy few months! Not only have I started a new job, moved 1,100 miles, sold AND purchased homes since May, but I’m in the middle of a brand new fitness program! When I last posted about my fitness journey, I was following ChaLEAN Extreme’s Burn Phase calendar. I really loved ChaLEAN Extreme and will probably return to that program at some point in my journey. However, I decided that I needed a bigger challenge to help me burn off the stress in my life. When my coach expressed interest in trying Sagi Kalev’s Body Beast during her next challenge group, I figured – why not?!

We are now in the sixth week of Body Beast and I’ve learned a lot about myself over the past five weeks. First, I’m much stronger than I thought. I remember when I thought 8lb weights were heavy – now I’m lifting 15-25lb dumbbells for arm exercises and 20-45lb dumbbells during leg day. Second, making the shift from a “lose weight” mentality to a “get stronger” mentality has been rough on my self esteem. I’ve been trying to get the number on the scale to drop for so long that seeing that number stall was upsetting at first – but I’ve been steadily losing inches and getting smaller, so I cannot complain! Third, finding a group of supportive teammates who are on this fitness journey has been key to my success and my happiness. There’s a sense of fulfillment that comes from cheering others on that is unbeatable, and having a support system to fall back on during rough times keeps me on track. It’s difficult to spiral out of control when you have a group of fellow challengers asking how your day is, or wondering what you thought of that day’s workout.

Now that we are in November, I thought I’d extend the invitation to join me in December! Whether you want to challenge yourself and try a heavy-lifting program like Body Beast, start with a tried-and-true program like 21 Day Fix, or just have someone in your corner to keep you accountable, I am here to help you on your journey! I know how difficult it is to start, especially when you are doing it on your own. I’ve seen unparalleled success (and sustainability) since joining a challenge group – so if you want to ask me any questions or talk to me about your options, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m looking to make Finish Strong December a great month and I hope that you’re in this with me!

Your Fitmiss in Progress,
Jennie

Monday Motivation

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I woke up today with zero desire to exercise. I hadn’t slept well, it was 5:45AM, and I just wanted to go back to sleep. Part of me said – “Go back to sleep. You can do this after work.” But the honest part of me knew that wouldn’t happen, and if I procrastinated further I wouldn’t exercise at all.  I’m sure you’ve been there too.

Some of my tips for working out when you have zero motivation:

  1. Sleep in your workout clothes. I’m serious! I work out in leggings and sports bras/tank tops. I sleep in leggings and sports bras/tank tops. I started going to sleep in my workout gear, and when I woke up I was able to roll right out of bed and get going without having to struggle with changing/finding my gear/etc.
  2. Stop snoozing. If you hit that snooze button, you will go back to sleep. Just don’t do it. It’s that easy! When the alarm goes off, get out of bed. I will either put my phone/alarm on the opposite side of the room or just outside my room – somewhere where I can still hear the alarm, but I need to get out of bed in order to turn it off. I also use the most annoying alarm possible so I can’t just put a pillow over my head and ignore it 🙂
  3. Remember your goals. Will your fitness and health progress if you don’t work out today? Think about this: if you avoid working out today, it will be easier to avoid working out tomorrow. Those excuses will pile up and soon you will be back where you started.
  4. A bad workout is still better than no workout at all. Even a half-hearted routine provides more benefits (burning calories, improving cardiovascular fitness, increasing your strength) than staying in bed.

I hope that these tips help! Let me know what tricks you use to push yourself when you need that extra “kick.” I’d love to hear from you!

xo – Fitmiss in Progress – Jennie

Fitness Friday

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Happy Friday, everyone! Today I will be taking some time to detail the workouts that I completed this week. Right now, I am aiming to complete the ChaLEAN Extreme 30 Day Burn Phase, so my strength training is focused on that program’s workouts. If you would like me to help you figure out what the best workout program would be for you, just let me know! May’s Challenge Group has already begun – but June is right around the corner. If you would like more information on how to join, please let me know either with a comment below or an email to fitmissjennie@gmail.com!  🙂

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Just a few screenshots from my Apple Watch this week!

Saturday
9:30AM – 35:58 min Burn Circuit 1 – I decided to try the first ChaLEAN Extreme workout before my official Challenge Start Date. I didn’t know what to expect – and this workout did not disappoint. Heavy weights + slow, controlled reps = serious burn! I made sure to write down the weights used, and especially admitted to myself when I could have used a heavier weight.
10:10AM- 32:38 min Indoor Cycle – 20 min Tabata Ride with Jessica King (from Monday 5/1/17 @ 2:30PM), plus extra time to get to 15 miles. Damn that woman makes me laugh. She’s so crazy, but in a fun way! 
Sunday
8:45AM – 45:07 min Indoor Cycle – 30 min HIIT Ride with Robin Arzon (from Wednesday 5/3/17 @ 1:30PM). Robin’s smile is infectious. I love her shorter rides. I finished this ride on my own with 15 minutes of speed work to get up to 20 miles. 
Monday
6:00AM – 38:20 min Burn Circuit 1. Monday was officially Day 1 of my second Challenge Group – and my first as a coach! I increased my weights per my “test workout” on Saturday. I need to work on slowing down my reps. 
Tuesday
6:00AM – 47:45 min Indoor Cycle. While Day 2 is a rest day on ChaLEAN Extreme, I love my Peloton classes. This one was a 45 minute Hip-Hop class with Ally Love (from Monday 5/8/17 @ 8:00AM). She is my favorite Peloton instructor, by far. She chooses the best music and her workouts always give me a high calorie burn. 20 miles complete!
Wednesday
6:00AM – 38:31 min Burn Circuit 2 – this one was harder, mentally, than Burn Circuit 1. Again, my primary goal moving forward will be slowing down my reps and avoiding swinging my weights to create momentum – that does not generate the resistance necessary to see Extreme results! 
Thursday
6:00AM – 46:54 min Burn Intervals. When Chalene said she was going to use 5lb weights, I laughed and thought…this is going to be too easy! Well, by the end of the workout I was sweating and wishing the weights were lighter. This is a great cardio-strength hybrid workout, and breaks the usual low rep pattern. 
Friday
6:00AM – 33:46 min Burn Circuit 3. I think this one was my least favorite of the Burn Circuits. I have to be super careful with lunges since I have a bad knee, so programs that are lunge-heavy tend to turn me off. I will say that I did a much better time slowing down and controlling my reps this time, so that’s a success!
6:00PM – 45:00 min Indoor Cycle

Highest calorie burn – Tuesday’s Peloton class with Ally Love (451 calories/103BPM)
Lowest calorie burn – Wednesday’s Burn Circuit 2 and Friday’s Burn Circuit 3 (both were 200 calories/~90BPM)
Favorite workout – Tuesday’s Peloton class with Ally Love 🙂
Least Favorite workout – Burn Circuit 2. I was tired and didn’t feel like workout out. I got through it, but not with perfect form.

Goals for Next Week
1. Take a rest day – a real rest day! I’ve been doing “something” every day, and I need to give my body a day to recover.
2. Work on slowing down my reps and controlling my form, especially with the heavy weight/low rep combination.
3. 3 indoor cycles – average 15 miles each.

Treat Yourself Thursday – Horchata Shake

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Today was just one of those days. You know the kind – a stressful day at work; a tough day at home with the kids; the day you find out you need to spend an unexpected amount on a car repair; the day you eat an entire box of Tastycake cupcakes because you just can’t seem to stop yourself.

Treating yourself after a hard day isn’t the worst thing in the world – though, of course, viewing food as a reward could be problematic and lead to an unhealthy relationship with food in general (though that is a post for another day). So today, after my own stressful day, I found myself with some calories (and 21 Day Fix containers!) to spare for a treat.

I’ve been a fan of horchata – a delicious, spiced agua fresca made with rice, almonds, or other nuts – ever since experiencing a horchata latte at an airport a few years ago. For a while, I purchased these cartons of horchata-flavored rice milk to make the lattes at home – but there is a considerable amount of sugar in this dairy-free milk, and I’ve come to enjoy unsweetened vanilla almond milk over the sweetened versions.

This almond and vanilla flavored treat is sure to cool you down after a rough day! I hope you enjoy this first installment of Treat Yourself Thursday and that you come back tomorrow for Fitness Friday, where I will be reviewing the workouts I completed this week!

Horchata Shake Recipe
Serving Size: 1
21 Day Fix Containers: 1/2 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Blue
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
8 fl. ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Optional 8 fl. ounces water – add this if you enjoy a thinner shake
1 serving/1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology or Vegan Vanilla Shakeology
1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, to taste
1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, to taste
2-3 drops liquid Stevia – either sweet cream or caramel flavor
12 almonds or 3 tbsp. slivered/sliced almonds

Directions
Blend all ingredients together in a high-speed blender until well combined. Pour into a glass, and enjoy!

Notes
If I were going to adapt this recipe for my breakfast shake, I would make the following changes: increase the amount of almond milk to 16oz and add a frozen banana and 1-2 big handfuls of spinach. This would change the 21 Day Fix containers to 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Blue, 1 Purple, 1 Green.

Recipe adapted from BeachBody on Demand.