Work out Buddy?

Ok, who has a workout buddy? For my entire life I have preferred to work out alone. I know what I'm at the gym to do and I don't need anyone to help me. Recently this has changed for me. In the past few years I've been doing a lot of group workout classes. I find it's very important to regularly change me work out. I've had a few work out partners and I find that it is fun to get together and get the hard work done.

It's nice because I do a lot of things I probably wouldn't force myself to do on my own. I also get a

push when I'm slacking. It's fun to be able to meet someone for a class or to try something new out together.

Yes..I'm capable of getting up early and working out alone. I do this often throughout the week, but having someone else to exercise with shakes up my workout which I feel is imperative.

My son also really likes to work out with me. He's even helped me write a circuit. I think this is awesome because it's fun to see him try to work so hard and I want him to lead a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes my daughter joins us too. The way I look at it...monkey see, monkey to. If these kids grow up and can keep a normal workout regimen and try to stay healthy then I've done my job.

Do You Love to Work Out or do you Hate it?

For me, fitness is a part of who I am. If I don't get my workout in it throws off my entire day. I do get

up early and work out before work....no...I don't want to get up....still I do. I find that after I workout I  feel REFRESHED and ENERGIZED and ready to start my day. Getting up everyday isn't easy. Yes...I do hit the snooze button. But each time I do I remember why I get up early. I get up early because it makes me feel good and it makes me enjoy the way I look.

I find that planning my workout really helps. Some weeks I plan a circuit. My son and I actually wrote one recently together. Sometimes I do that one, other times I modify it, and other times I follow workouts I find online. Currently I'm doing Insanity Max 30. It is one of my ALLTIME FAVORITE workouts. It's one I return to again and again. After being off due to injury for about 7 weeks I started getting back into the swing of things last week. The first week was tough. I had trouble with the warm up, but after I got past it it's like my momentum was going and things went great. In week two I can feel that I'm already doing so much better than I was the week before.

My next workout of attack is Hammer and Chisel. Maybe you'll join me in a challenge group!

I do LOVE working out. I MAKE TIME for it. There are a lot of benefits to working out...especially in the AM. In fact, I just ran across this article this morning http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/r/rise_and_shine_top_5_morning_exercise_benefits.aspx. 

Whether you love to exercise or you hate it there are a lot of benefits.It makes you feel better, boosts your energy, helps eliminate anxiety and stress, it helps boost your metabolism and so much more!!!

Gotten off Track???

Have you gotten off track in your path the health and fitness? Is it work, injury, too busy??? What are your obstacles? I know I have fallen off the boat...I'm off the wagon. Injury has set me back for about the past 6 weeks, but I feel like things are getting better and I'm ready to get back on track.

Working out about 3 days a week just doesn't cut it for me. My goal is to get in at least 5 workouts this week. This still doesn't seem like much since I'm accustomed to doing double workouts daily. I need to recondition myself to get back where I was.

Today I started with the 21 Day Fix Total Cardio Workout. I made myself a hot chocolate with shakeology  to drink following my workout while I got ready for work and I had the 21-Day Fix approved Cesar salad for lunch. LOVING the Fixate Cookbook. I had an apple and cottage cheese with pecans for a snack. Shakehologywith Focused Energy blended with OJ was my pre-judo workout fuel.

My goal is simple...to be better than I was yesterday. Starting off my day with a good workout sets the pace of right for me. I followed this with healthy food. I worked out with the kids at judo after work and I FEEL GREAT!!!

Yes, this week is Thanksgiving and I will be indulging a little. I still plan to get back on track and keep going. This time I plan on taking it one day at a time. Who is ready to get to back in shape after Thanksgiving, but before Christmas??? Ready for a free challenge group? Let me know!!!

Monkey See Monkey Do

I've have spent a good portion of my life trying to lead by example. I deeply feel that if you wouldn't do something that you shouldn't ask someone else do do that. I feel that I am good a recognizing my shortcomings and taking advantage of those who are stronger in my areas of weakness.

I love to work out, but I'm really bad when it comes to creating my workout. I find that I do the same things over and over. I know your body will plateau if you don't switch it up. So for the past year I've really been trying to change up my workout plan. Yes...I'd love to just take a run, but my body has adjusted to that.

I did start of my day with a run

yesterday. I was overdressed with four shirts on and two pairs of pants. Let's just say when I let the dogs out at 7:00 a.m. it was cold. When I got back to the house my son, Lincoln,  ran outside, I peeled off most my layers and asked him if he wanted to work out with me. I started with a set up dead lifts followed by burpees. Then Linc yelled jumping jacks so I did jumping jacks, then he said do stance jacks...so I did. After these two items I was asking him what's next and he was thinking it up for me. He would choose a few things and then I would.

Then I thought...this is pretty good...I should write it down. So I put everything in my memos on my phone and upon review we did an AWESOME job. It's like we thought it out. Upper body, lower body, cardio, repeat. I have a friend who always puts something in she doesn't like because she knows otherwise she wouldn't do it. I think I'm going to embrace this concept too.

My hope is that doing small activities like

this will make my kids want to be more active. I liked the circuit so much I did it again today. I think I'm going to use it for my next FREE challenge group. Would you like to try it?

What is my Purpose?

So I've fallen off of the blogger bandwagon. Things were going so well and then life took hold. Now...I'M BACK!!! I will try to be  more committed to posting regularly.

Most recently I have decided it is my current goal to find out my PURPOSE. I've been reviewing what I want...to make a difference each day, to be able to see the results of my efforts, to feel like I've helped, etc. So, what is my purpose...what are my goals??? I've been working on this for weeks and it's still a work in progress. What I've been doing each week is writing a list of 10 goals. I try to make them difficult..if not crazy and not easily obtainable. Then I group the goals together to see if I attain one goal if it will help me attain others.



I pair my goals with a to-do list. Now...it's just making the time to focus on this. I've written post its and put them up in my office to reflect on daily. These post-its aren't to-do's, but positive affirmations to myself. I even created a Pinterest board entitled just my thoughts. My current track is self development. I guess this is my way to make sure my life is headed in the direction that is most aligned with my true purpose. I guess I really am a GIRL ON A MISSION. What is your current motivation? Goal? Purpose? Do you have trouble making time for this? Please feel free to share.

Starting Fresh

Even though September is almost the end of the year it is really a reflection of new beginning for many. Kids are going back to school. It's the start of a new season, new friendships, new looks, it's a time to START FRESH!

Why not FALL INTO FITNESS with me in September!!!! Use this time of new beginnings and fresh starts to redirect your health and fitness (or keep in on track). Let me help you:

• Stay Motivated
• Provide meal ideas
• Make you accountable
• Keep you on track
• Reach your goals

JOIN ME in my next 21-Day Fix Challenge Group starting on September 14th!!! This is a meal plan and workouts. I KNOW that if you STICK TO THE PLAN YOU WILL SEE RESULTS. 

One of the hardest things is getting started. Once you get started you need to make health and fitness a habit. It's really all in the way you look at it. This IS NOT A DIET....IT'S A LIFESTYLE. Once you start seeing results you'll HAVE to keep going and before you know it people will start asking you what your doing.

For those of you who have already done the fix you might want to consider the 21-Day Fix Extreme. There is also a 21-DAY FIX APPROVED COOKBOOK...Fixate. 

This challenge group is only 21-Days. Imagine all that you can get accomplished in just 3 weeks. Think you can do it? I would LOVE to help you! Let me know if you're interested!!!! Tell your friends! 

I hope you'll join me on my path to health and fitness. 

Stressed?

How do you deal with stress? Regardless of how great your life is we all have stress. How do you handle the stressors in your life? I've always used working out to balance my mind and body. I can go into a workout feeling horrible. I might be frustrated, drained, aggravated, mind boggled, etc. The music goes on, I WORK OUT AS HARD AS I CAN and I come out calm and relaxed.


Are you able to do this? Do you have an outlet? When I am really stressed I like to work out. Most recently injuries have been impacting my workouts. I've altered all of my morning workouts to be less impact. Two mornings a week I have been doing yoga. I also added hot yoga on Saturday. I LOVE hot yoga. I go into the class and sweat my butt off. They have soft music playing and the instructor is calm. I like the whole way they go about the class. They start by having you sit down and just take a second to release the day (or begin it). Then the instructor directs you to think about an intention you set for the workout. You go through all of the movements and end in Shavasana (final yoga pose). I LOVE this pose. I've gone through my workout, cleared my head and I get to lay there, relax and get ready to restart. At the end of hot yoga I feel cleansed and ready to go.

What works for you? Is it a dip in the tub, a great workout??? Let us know. You could be helping someone else!!!

Brave???

Are you brave??? I've learned that since I've had children that I've had to man up. I have had to be brave for my kids.There are many things I never would have done that I do for my kids. I hate the water, but constantly find myself in it because my kids are water babies. I'm not too confrontational, but when it comes to protecting my children and doing what's best for them I am quick to speak up.

My kids are fearless. Most recently we went to Cedar Point. My daughter will ride ANYTHING without hesitation. Rides I was scared of and would never imaging stepping foot on are no longer things I bypass. I man up because I don't want my kids to miss out on things they want to do.

Over the weekend I rode the Skyscraper. Ava rode it for the first time the day before me. The way I look at it is if my 9 year old daughter can do this so can I. She's a rider, but I was still fearful that the ride would scare her.
She got on the ride and I thought she might cry (not that she ever has on a ride) and I can hear her laughing and giggling. The next day she decided that I needed to ride the Skyscraper with her, so I did. They strapped us in. I let Ava know that she's crazy and it was amazing.

Just another one of the amazing ways this kids have made me conquer my fears and be brave for myself.  Are you brave? Who makes you brave? I never would have thought that two tiny people would make me so much stronger, but they do.

Are you ready to Fix?

You ever have something you are truly passionate about? You believe in it so deeply that you can't help, but tell others about it? For me, it's all about the 21-Day Fix. I did the fix for the first time about a year ago. I LOST 10 LBS and for me that was THE WORLD!

The 21-Day Fix allowed me to to break through a plateau I thought I'd never be able to get past. After having my first child my body bounced right back to 119 lbs with no stretch marks, looking like I never had a child. After my second child I wasn't so lucky. I had a hernia which prevented me from working out and I ended up having it repaired. Following the birth of my second child I lost the weight (not all of it), but still never got back to my pre-baby body. I could never get below where I wanted to be. Then, I encountered someone at the gym who gave me such a personal testimonial that I was forced to try the 21-Day fix. She told me..."the 21-Day Fix SAVED MY LIFE!!!"

To me this was a STRONG...BELIEVABLE statement. The way I looked at it was....IF SHE CAN DO IT...I CAN DO IT!! I ordered the 21-Day Fix, joined an accountability group and saw satisfaction. After the first week I was down 5 lbs. After the second week I was down another 5 lbs. By the second week I was fitting into clothes that I had kept in the hopes that I would be able to fit into them so day. The 21-Day Fix allowed me to loose the weight I thought I was never going to get off and to look leaner and more fit.

I've seen so many people have POSITIVE RESULTS from this. I believe if YOU FOLLOW THE MEAL PLAN AND WORKOUTS that YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!!! You feel like you could be a better version of yourself? It's only 21-Days...3 weeks. Why not?

I hope you'll join me for my next 21-Day Fix Challenge Group. It starts on 8/10. If you aren't going to be ready by then let me know if you are interested and you can join my next group.

Keep it Positive

In my daily life I try to keep it as POSITIVE as possible. I've been described as a "TRUE OPTIMIST." I've seen it where one negative person, or someone in a bad mood brings the entire group down. I try not to let something bad that happens to ruin my day. In fact, I REFUSE to let it bring me down.

Yes, I have concerns. About paying bills, things I need to do, things we need to get for our home or our kids, my body, etc. I'm always going to think about these things, but I can't let them drive my personality, the way I act and my positivity.

How do I do this? I try to see the positive in every person. Yes, sometimes this is hard. I try to see the beauty in myself. Most recently I've been doing a lot of yoga. I believe this has really helped me balance my mind. I also use exercise to keep me in a good mood. A GREAT workout is the PERFECT way to start or end a day.

I also believe that you should surround yourself with things you want to impact you. I connect with positive people. I listen to motivational speakers. Most recently I came across the "9 Best TED talks." You should check it out...http://greatist.com/discover/ted-talks-for-work-and-life?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter_2015-07-27_mails_daily_new_header. 

Remember to keep it POSITIVE!!!

What are Some of Your Favorite Warm Weather Activities?

The summer is HANDS DOWN my FAVORITE season of the year. I am not a cold weather girl. If I had it my way I'd want it to be 70 degrees with sunshine and minimal rain all of the time. Wishful thinking? Who knows. Living in Michigan I'm not so lucky. We have to deal with winter (I HATE SNOW) and many gray days.

For me as soon as March hits I feel like we should see warm weather and sunshine. Still it never seems to come soon enough. As soon as the weather breaks I can't help but run outside all of the time.I have met up with a girlfriend a few times to run and do circuit training outside.  I'm a sissy and I don't run outside when it's cold and definitely not when it's snowing...WARM, BEAUTIFUL weather only.

I like to go to judo practice when they can open the big doors up so that we can feel the air blow through the room. It makes practice even more enjoyable to be able to see and feel the light and fresh air.

I aim to eat as many meals outside in our cabana as possible. It's so nice to sit in our
peaceful yard and enjoy a meal together. My kids especially love to eat outside. I almost wish I didn't have to work as much so that I could enjoy coffee outside. We spend a lot of time in the cabana when it's nice out. The kids can swim, play in the yard, ride the four wheeler's, etc. I must admit that I did a little floating over the weekend. The pool water is just the right temp. This is our time to put our sunblock on, enjoy the nice weather and turn the rest of the world off. Sometimes housework and chores have to be left for another day. If we don't take time to enjoy life that would be no fun. I want my kids to remember all of the fun times we had and all of the things that we did.



Other than this it's nice to get out on the water and float on the boat. I'm all for sunblock on, world off. What's your thing for warm weather?

80% Diet

I can workout like  a crazy person. I really do workout to eat. My diet is my enemy. I have done a lot to improve my diet and I've made it so that it is a LIFESTYLE NOT A DIET. I feel best when I eat clean. I like the way I look when I eat well. In order to look good working out like a crazy only takes me so far. It really comes down to diet. I try to follow the guidelines of the 21-Day Fix.

If I eat like crap I feel like crap. It's that simple. I am setting myself up for success if I only give myself good things:) This week I did a mini-meal prep. Only two meals for the end of the week since I wasn't able to get it done sooner. Still proud of myself because I was able to eat good all week packing on the fly.

Eat good and feel GREAT! You just need to find a way to make those good foods desirable. I'm huge on meal prepping. They way I think about it is that

I'm huge on making new recipes and being creative with what I have.  I try not to let any food go to waste.  I find a lot of Facebook and recently discovered Pinterest. Yes, I just found Pinterest. It's WONDERFUL! So many ideas. If you follow me on Facebook or Pinterest you'll notice I post a lot of recipes and pictures of food. These are two great places for support and motivation too!

I've discovered that the better I eat....the better I feel and the better I look. So, if you didn't catch on...EAT GOOD....FEEL GOOD....LOOK GOOD! (This is where the 20% workout comes in).

Best of luck and please share your recipes with me. I'm always looking!!!

Switch Up Your Workout

How often do you switch up your workout? Do you cross train? I'd say that I cross train, but I'm a creature of habit. I like to run (I'm fast as a turtle) and do harder workouts like Insanity Max 30, T-25 and other circuit workouts. It's sort of funny that I seem to be able to pick up harder things, but it's the simple stuff I have a hard time with.

I like to push myself during my workout. I feel like if I didn't sweat

(and when I say sweat I mean melt) then I must not have worked out hard enough. I really hit my stride a few months ago and I was really able to push myself during my workouts. Then...plagued with injury. It's so frustrating. I want to go, but my body says STOP and I'm not healing.

Then...I think I had the moment of clarity. I'm going to move away from doing workouts with a lot of impact (jumping kills me and flares up my injury). I'm going to focus on building my strength. My doctor told me that strengthening my quads would help my knees. Let's hope so. Yes I'll still do Insanity and circuits and run, but not as much. I'm going to lift some and maybe do some Pilates or yoga.

It's been a  while since I've changed things up and I'm hoping this will help me.What have you done to change up work workouts? Has it worked?

Ready to be ACCOUNTABLE!

I like to be held accountable for what I do. This applies to work, working out, diet, etc. We all stray from the path from time to time. We need to recognize that we have gone astray and start holding ourselves ACCOUNTABLE!!! I especially like to hold myself accountable when it comes to my meal choices and exercise. I find that we you are held accountable in a group setting that I am able to get myself on track and check in and report.

What do you think about this? Do you think you could be a part of an accountability group? You choose the meal plan and the workout plan. I provide the MOTIVATION and will create a private group for you to check in and share with others your setbacks and accomplishments.


JOIN MY NEXT ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP! It starts on 7/13/15 and will go for 7 days. Are you ready? I know I AM!!!What will I be doing next week? For my morning workouts I'll likely blend running and Pilates/yoga. For my evening workout I will be doing Insanity Max 30, circuit training and judo. AND...as soon as it comes I'll be starting BODY BEAST!!!

Super excited about this. I'm going to be switching up my morning workout. My intention is to move away from so much jumping so I can allow my injuries to heal while strengthening my body. This will not be a 7 day journey for me. It will be 90 days, but I will certainly hold myself accountable with you during these 7 days.

Are you ready to be accountable? Would you like to JOIN MY GROUP? Message me!!!

Were you able to Reset?

I would have to say that Fourth of July is my FAVORITE holiday hands down. We get to do some extra celebration because this is also the day my BEAUTIFUL daughter Ava came in to this world. We were able to start of the celebration on Friday (I was given a surprise half day.....YEAH!). Went to lunch with my hubby and kids.

Then Lincoln and I were off to get decorations for Ava's room. Yes, I decorate my kids rooms for their birthdays. I want it to look like a celebration threw up in their rooms. That....and they LOVE IT! When Ava saw her room she gave me a BIG HUG:)

I find this to be the most relaxing holiday. We started off the day at the Sketchers store getting my daughter her annual birthday shoes.

We always have a barbecue on the Fourth. It' s a great time to get together with friends and family. were able to sit down, talk about new things and reminisce about past experiences. The kids swim in the pool, play on the trampoline, go on the swing set, get in the bounce house, ride the motorbikes, etc. Everyone was gone by 10:00 p.m. and I fell asleep on the couch with Linc watching t.v. and woke up and midnight with Ava sleeping on top of me.




Sunday we spent the day on the water.

It's always so nice to get out on the water and catch some rays. The kids like being able to climb from boat to boat. Sometimes I think you have to break free from the world and just sit down and relax.

How do you reset?

What's in your Lunch?

Ok, let's be honest. What's in your lunch? Do you buy lunch every day? Do you grab whatever food you see when you're running out the door? Do you have a plan? I feel that bringing your lunch is the healthier more cost effective choice.

I try to plan out my lunches on a weekly basis.

Step 1 Make A Plan

I tend to obsess about foods so it's not uncommon for me to eat the same things for a few weeks straight. I always get fruit and cottage cheese and/or yogurt because I know I am going to have Shakeology EVERY morning for breakfast. It's the ONLY way to start my day. Right now I'm stuck on my strawberry banana cheesecake Shakeology recipe. My afternoon snack is usually fruit and vanilla yogurt (sometimes Fage and a little honey and almonds) or cottage cheese.

Then I select a meat for the week. I'm currently caught up on tilapia and ground turkey. Veggie's would be next. It's easy for me to go veggie wild. Lately I've been making zucchini and summer squash into noodles for spaghetti and using ground turkey Italian sausage to have spaghetti. I've also been doing a lot of southwest recipes with corn, black bean and salsa.

Choose your snacks. I've been huge on peanut butter protein bites lately.

Step 2 Make a list and go shopping. It's best to stick to the list. Although, I am an offender of derailing from the list.

Step 3 Meal Prep

Usually I meal prep on Sunday. Take your plan from earlier in the week and start cooking. Please each meal in an individual container. I try to make 5 so I'll have one for each day of the week.

Your food is portioned and ready to go. Having your food ready and in the container allows you to grab and go. The way I look at it, if you have the food portioned and in the containers you are less likely to fail.


What are your tips and tricks? Best of luck on your mission to be a healthier person.

What's your Favorite Way to Reset?

Life is stressful. It moves way too QUICKLY. Before you know it we are through a month, a year, our kids breeze through being babies, into elementary school and it seems like you just blinked. With all of the CRAZY moments of life, work, and other obligations, how do you make time stop? How do you decompress? What do you do to relax?

Yes, I use exercise to de-stress. But, I also try to take each weekend to completely break free from work. I want to leave work on Friday and not think about it until Monday. Can you do this? My weekend is dedicated to the kids and making the most of every moment. This weekend was really wonderful. We were able to get out on the water and grill.

I like to be able to break away from life for a while. Not be so attached to our cell phones, to sit around and do nothing, but have snacks (some healthy, some not so much) and drinks.

This weekend we also made it to my parents for a barbecue.The kids had lots of fun playing with squirt guns and in the water.

They were soaking wet in their clothes, but they had a GREAT time!

I want my kids to remember all of the fun times that we had out on the water, barbecues with family and friends, meeting new people, and all of the adventures along the way.

To me this was a RELAXING weekend. No...I didn't get all of the housework done. Yes....I still have many things I need to get done, but we made the most of our time together. Are you able to do the same thing? I hope so.

Be Positive

I try to walk in to each day being positive. I know not every day is going to be wonderful, but I try not to let things bring me down. Yes, some days do not go my way, but I make a mental decision that I am not going to have a bad day because I REFUSE to! Sometimes it might take a few deep breaths or a break to get back on track. Often times a GREAT workout gets me rejuvenated. This is my time to clear my head and I tend to have the BEST workouts on what I thought was the worst day. A KILLER workout can turn a bad day into a good one. This is when I really get in to RADIO ON...WORLD OFF. My workout is time for me to defeat myself (my mind, my reps, etc.). Often times when I workout I count my reps and try to do better than I did before.

The way I look at it is you decide each day if you are going to be in a good or bad mood. If you let one thing bring you down, this could lead to letting other things get you down and before you know it you're having a horrible day. I'd rather feel great instead of down. Try to see the upside of every situation. I guess I'm a true optimist. I HATE to have bad days and I HATE to have bad workouts even more, but I figure it leads me closer to something wonderful.

Remember, you choose each day how you are going to feel and act. Try to look at the upside of things. If you can't find it let me know and I'll try to brighten your day!

What's your FAVORITE type of workout?

We all like to do certain things. What's your FAVORITE type of workout? For me, the harder the better. I like to CHALLENGE myself.

I like when the instructor shows you what you are supposed to be doing, I think I can't do it and then I somehow convince my body to get it done. I especially HATE when I can't do something. For example, I haven't jumped rope in years. One of the trainers I work with does a lot of jump rope. I was getting so frustrated  because I felt like I was stopping every few seconds and it was killing my workout. My solution, get a jump rope and jump for 10 minutes everyday until I got back on track. I'm still not the best at it, but at least I am doing better.

Mixing up my workout is important too. Sometimes I run, other days I do Insanity Max 30, or T-25, and sometimes I create my own circuit. Everyday I try to get in 1-2 workouts. It's time for me to get sweaty and clear my mind.

My favorite way to clear my mind is to run. Once the weather breaks it's hard for me not to run all the time. I LOVE getting outside and enjoying nice days. I don't run too much, maybe 3 miles a day. Yet, the nice weather practically calls my name. Some days I'll do 6 miles in a day (3 in the morning and 3 at night). Although, when I do this I tend to get chin splints. My body just doesn't like to run as much as I do.

Whatever the workout is my goal is to work hard. I like the way I feel at the end of an AWESOME workout. I enjoy feeling healthy and fit.

What Dishes Have You Made into a Healthier Version?

If anyone knows me they know that I LOVE to eat. Diet is always my downfall. Over these past few years I've learned that IT'S NOT A DIET, IT'S A LIFESTYLE!!! I cannot stress this enough. Yes, you can still have delicious food, but in moderation. I try to transform my favorite dishes into a healthier version of the same thing.

Most recently I've been spaghetting zucchini squash and summer squash..

My husband got me this small kitchen gadget and I think I may be addicted to it. I steam the veggies in water and garlic after I spaghetti them and top it with my turkey Italian sausage sauce. It is simply DELICIOUS!

I also make a lot of pizza using flatout bread. It seems like I go through phases. Right now I'm huge on seafood and southwest cuisine. I've been making cilantro lime fish tacos. They way I look at it....you can have whatever you want. You just need to try and use the healthiest ingredients. I try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible.

I also manage to satisfy my sweet tooth. Sometimes just making a protein shake does the trick for me. Sometimes I mix vanilla Shakeology into cake batter or pumpkin spice. Other times I use chocolate Shakeology and make a butterfinger shake. I blend this with ice and it's just like having a milkshake. I wonder how it would be if I froze it.

Whatever it is, try to cater to what you have a craving for. I'm always trying to find things that I will find DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS. This way I will be satisfied and still eat things that are good for me.

The next thing I plan on making I found on Pinterest. Maybe I'll make this over the weekend. What dishes have you created using healthier foods? Please SHARE!

Your Only Limit is You

Your only limit is you. This is something that resonates with me deeply, especially recently. I competed in judo as an elite athlete. I dropped out of the sport for a while. I made several attempts to return, but it just didn't happen. After I had kids my time was dedicated to them and I felt guilty for leaving them because there are so few hours you can spend with them each day. About two years ago the kids made the transition into judo and I was able to return to the mats. It's amazing how much I missed it and I didn't realize it until I was able to get to practice.

The kids started competing this year and after a 15 year break I returned to competition. I cannot believe how nervous I get when it comes to competing. I don't remember being this nervous when I competed when I was younger. Then I made the realization that I am ONLY fighting myself. Now how to I get past this? Repetition is key, but the kids also help cut the edge. It's hard to be nervous when tiny little people are asking me for things and constantly by my side. Their hugs and kisses also help. RADIO ON WORLD OFF also helps when it comes to competition. Although, this is a little harder because I have to tend to tiny needs (which never end....and that's okay <3).

This idea also resonates with me when I work out.

Yes, we all have good workouts and we all have bad. Yes, the trainer can push me a little harder and can bring me back to class if I've wandered off. At the end of the day it's really me that needs to PUSH MYSELF. Do you give up, or do you do one more? My philosophy is that you only have so much time to put in at the gym, at practice or working out. You should make the most of EVERY moment. When I hear the time called out I try to push myself to the end of each exercise.

Do you agree with this statement? How do you push past it? I just try to remember that I DECIDE what I'm going to do or not do. When I am able to push past my limit if feel ACCOMPLISHED.