How to Stop the Weekend Sabotage

Do you work hard every week staying on track with your eating and working out only to blow it on the weekends?  Weekends take up a 1/3 of the year.  You could be undoing all your hard work 1/3 of the year!!  Here are my top three tips to help you maintain control while still feeling like you enjoyed yourself.

1.  Workout two of the three days for at least 45 minutes.  This doesn't have to be an intense workout, but you do need to get your heart rate up and feel as if you've really worked for that long.  This could be lifting, going for a longer run, going for a walk at a quick pace or taking a group fitness class or exercise video.  This will help you negate some the added calories you most likely are taking in.

2.  Indulge.  Yes, indulge, it's the weekend!  It's okay to let loose and have fun and feel like you're not tied to your more strict regimen during the week.  Just be smart about it.  If Friday night is pizza night, enjoy it.  Maybe add a little salad with that pizza, just stay in check the other two days.  You're tailgating for a football game?  Bring something you know you can eat that won't throw your day off, but feel free to eat the other snacks too.  Just again, keep the rest of the weekend in check.

3.  Drinking alcohol.... I love a cocktail just as much as anyone else (some of you prefer beer), so if you really want to drink, you should.  Just balance it out.  Trade of a beer or cocktail (wine counts too) for a glass of water. The water will keep you hydrated, and will help you feel more full so you're more likely to mindlessly snack.

Enjoy the weekend, I believe that's what they are for.  Just don't let you're weekends make you feel sorry when Monday rolls around.

Meal Prep - Why you should be doing it!

I am certain you see the pictures, read the posts, and have seen information on meal prepping. You may think this is just for the super fit or body building community.  You may think this is just a fancy way of preparing to eat leftovers.  While, I don't disagree that you really are prepping for leftovers, I think this is a practice anyone can and should do.  

The best way to be where you want to be physically, is to eat properly.  This is if you want to lose weight, maintain where you are, or gain muscle.  80-90% of your efforts really do come from nutrition.  Meal prepping is a great way to stay on track.  When you have your meals already planned out and in individual containers, you are more likely to stick with that and not go through the drive thru.  Meal prepping for a week or a few days takes a little more time than just making one meal, but not that much more time.  
Meal prepping also saves you money!  Who doesn't want more money to spend somewhere else? When you eat out, not only are you getting extra food, salt, preservatives, etc., You are also spending more money on stuff you don't really need.

Here are some tips to get you started:
Have containers ready to put individual meals in.  You don't need to spend a lot of money on this.
Plan your meals and ingredients before-hand.
Make food you actually like!  Don't make bulk food of things you may like, start with what you know you'll eat!
Start with just a few days worth.  Maybe lunches and snacks for 3-4 days.

Easy things to use:
Chicken - I'll grill double what I need to save for lunches.  
Eggs - I'll hard boil quite a few to have as breakfast or snacks for a few days
Ground turkey - I'll make meatloaf muffins or just brown it to use with rice or stuffed peppers, stir-fry, etc.
Egg muffins - I'll make a pan of these (6) and have three days of breakfast
Lasagna - when I really want this, I'll make a veggie lasagna and cut individual servings out for me to eat later  in the week.
Soup - I always make enough to use for later.  I'll put individual servings together and freeze the rest for later
Snacks - even pulling single portions out helps with not overdoing it.  I'll place hummus in smaller containers with veggies cut up.  Almond or peanut butter with apples or celery work well too.

Be creative and have fun.  You can also do this with a friend or two and share each others meals.  
Try this and see if you don't save money and feel better about what you are eating!

Starting Over

It's been a long time since I've written anything here or posted to my page.  My summer didn't quite go as planned and I spent a lot of energy focusing on something I thought I wanted. The rest of my energy went to my kids and making certain they had a great summer.  Focusing on my kids is something I will never apologize for.  I know they are only going to want me around them for so long, so I'll soak it up while I can.

Why the title, Starting Over?  In a sense, that's what I'm doing.  I jumped in to this thinking this is what I needed to do. I needed to build my voice and get myself "out there".  I had no plan and it showed.  I was all over the place, which is honestly how my brain works.  I think something is worth mentioning or highlighting, I'll get it out there.  This time around, I'd like to be more purposeful, more strategic and much more consistent.

Since I'm starting over, let me re-introduce myself; who I am and what I'm about.  I'm a not quite 40 year-old mother and wife who happens to be pretty passionate about health and fitness and helping others.  I have a degree in exercise science and wellness and am a certified personal trainer, a Pilates and PIYO instructor.  My passion for fitness is pretty equal to my passion for helping others.  My high is from watching others succeed and reach their goals.  If I can be even a small part of that, that's golden.

I haven't always done fitness for a career.  I struggled moving to a new state and finding a job in fitness that worked with what I wanted to do.  I went a different path and was going through life.  I had two children and my non-passionate career path started to matter a bit more to me.  I was spending too much time away from the people I loved most doing what I didn't really love but was good at.  There had to be a better way!  Fast forward to where I am today.  I get to work with hundreds of clients through group personal training and I truly love it.  I love getting to know the clients, understand what their goals are and what limitations may be holding them back.  Being that accountability person, that person that pushes them when they just want to give up brings me so much joy.

What about nutrition.  People think I am a super health nut and eat nothing that is "bad" for you. Those that are closest to me know the truth.  I love a lot of "bad" foods, but also happen to like a lot of healthy good for you foods.  I was (key word:was) the person that ate fast food a lot.  The person that turned to candy and diet soda in the afternoon to perk me up.  The person that had to have something sweet after every meal.  I didn't always make the healthiest choices and I felt it.  I didn't know it at the time, but I was tired and bloated and slightly miserable because of what I was eating. My husband did a challenge several years back as a New Year's resolution type thing.  As a supported wife I did the nutrition part with him.  This particular challenge allowed for no sugar, white flour breads or pastas or rice and limited dairy.  We cut out all fast food, ate mostly fruit, vegetables, lean protein and high quality grains.  I also cut diet soda out and my secret love of instant flavored coffee. I felt amazing!  I ate how one is supposed to eat.  I had more energy and better focus.  From then on I didn't eat fast food anymore.  We don't have as much sugar in the house, I don't drink soda ever, and our meals as a whole are healthier.  Now I just want everyone to feel as good as I do.  Eat real food not boxed or bagged junk and just be healthy.

So that's me, and yes this is long.  I wanted to reintroduce myself.  Let you understand where I come from and why I'm doing this.  I look forward to getting to know you and taking you on this path with me to a happier, healthier and more fit life.  - Jen