Day 7- apple of my eye!

*an apple a day keeps the hunger away.*

Hey! Sorry about my absence over the weekend... Had a special weekend away with my honey! But I am back and ready to share some more FITspiration! Ready... Set.. Here we go!

So... Looking back to the quote of the day, you may notice a bit of a difference then the commonly heard phrase and for good reason. An apple a day really will help keep not only the dr away but also hunger! It is proven that an apple as an afternoon snack can help suppress hunger.. Also they are a good source of vitamine c and fiber! So try to throw an apple into your daily diet as a healthy snack option! :)
My next tip of the day... What to drink, what to drink? Well personally I think overall water is best. If you are thirsty, grab a bottle or cup of water.. However I am realistic and I know most people are not like me and don't enjoy just water. So... Next best option I can offer is GREEN TEA. Drinking green tea daily can help boost your metabolism nd the anti-oxidants in it can make your skin look amazing! So if you are tired of ice cold water.. No biggie! Just brew a pot of green tea and get chugging on that too! As with everything please remember moderation is key to ANY diet! Don't abandon all water because of this post.. Keep with at least 8bottles of water a day.. And add in a few cups of green tea for a variety. :)
Next fun nutrition tip.. Eat spicy food! ...now you probably are like wtf! But no seriously... Add some spice to that grilled chicken and it will help raise your metabolism while you digest it. The spice wakes up your body! Flavorless chicken is boring so don't be afraid now to add some kick! Haha
Okay... My next thing is actually something I read in a magazine back in highschool but still love it! Need to amp up a workout with weights... Try filling up a water bottle and use those as hand weights. Their are different size water bottles so you can adjust to your needs in a workout. Soo easy and simple! Totally recommend you try this.
My last plug of the night is something I honestly believe in for a healthy lifestyle... While most of your vitamines and such should come from food, we are all human and are not perfect on a daily basis so I strongly encourage taking a daily vitamine. Remember though... DO NOT take them on an empty stomach. Doing so is pointless. They need food in your system to help them absorb properly. I usually take mine after my breakfast but do whatever works for your schedule. :)

as always... Stay positive, we are on this journey together! -JMS-

Day 6- YUMMY!!

*30% Gym & 70% Diet*

Day 3- every day I'm guzzlin' !!

at the end of the day, your health is your responsibility.
Jillian Michaels

So you made it another day... Awesome job! :). Unfortunately today's post is going to be filled with some tough love.. Hope ya can handle it! Just keep in mind the quote at the top of this post. :)

Okay the 1st order of business is to address your food journal... You've gotten one by now right? Haha well if not no worries but try to get one ASAP. I am going to share with you how I have set up my journal.. But you should take into account your needs and personality towards fitness when designing yours.
my 1st page is the list of fitness tips from yesterday's post and I have left room to add on as I see fit. If I see something or hear something I want to look back and remind me later then I write it down. These are just tips.. A simple guideline to follow throughout my journey. The last few pages in my journal are where I put anything little that offers me some FITspiration on those tough days. I have a few quotes written down, pics that I have pasted in there, and my kids handprints are back there as well. On the days I lack motivation or have low confidence I just grab my journal and BOOM! I am back on track. For those of you who don't have kids... Put your pets picture or paw print. Or your spouse.. Or even your own picture because after all... You are making this change for yourself 1st and foremost right? :) next, back to the front of my journal I have a postit stuck to the inside cover with my current goal and reward written down. This helps me stay on track and focused. After that it is a little different every day. I do however write the day on each page I use and I log my food daily, all meals, snacks, any food or drink I consume finds a place in the journal! I don't cheat because if I did it would only hurt myself. I also write down my daily workouts in my food journal.. So I guess really I should call it my fitness journal. Also at the end of each day I force myself to write a sentence or 2 on my feelings of the day. Positive feedback to myself provides motivation in the future and on bad days it simply gives me an outlet to vent. .....again this is just some ideas on how to set up a fitness journal. Do yours for yourself! :)

Next topic is something we all know about and know we should be doing but most of us still don't do it... DRINK MORE WATER!!!! :). Did you know that a lot of times you snack because you are "hungry" you might just be dehydrated and to avoid those extra calories all you had to was drink a cup of cold water? So stop and think next time you want a snack... Try some water 1st.
water fun facts:
1)drinking a glass of water every hour will help your body feel fuller throughout the day.
2) drink ICE cold water. Your body burns calories getting the water back up to a normal temp. to digest.
3)water is good for your complexion! Which you know you want.. :)

Up next? Weight loss vs fat loss! I am all for looking good but that doesn't exactly mean a super low number on the scale. Remember- muscle weighs more then fat! So being strong and in shape might not exactly mean a super low number on the scale instead however focus on a healthy BMI (body mass index). We will go farther in depth about this topic later, but feel free to research it for yourself until then. From this point on though I encourage you to focus your goals not on losing weight... But losing fat. This way of thinking is ALOT more positive and will help you in your journey of a healthy lifestyle. With that being said I do have some tips on how to increase your calorie burning on a daily basis.
1)Exercise better: don't be afraid to challenge yourself in every workout you do. If you are not sweating or dieting by the end, do it again!
2)Cross train: switching up your routine will help you stay excited and energized throughout your journey.
3) Lifestyle choices: this is a lifestyle not a temporary change. You have to learn to let go of temptations and focus on only the positive.

Last order of business today is to find and chart your start point... Simplest way to do this is a fitness test. Here is one that I recommend. Do this today and chart the results in your journal and repeat it every 6weeks to see your progress.
Fitness Test!
*max number of squats in 1 min.
*max number of pushups in 1 min.
*max number of situps/crunches in 1 min.
*max time you can hold a plank
*max distance you can travel in 10 mins. (walking, jogging, running.. Even crawling. Just keep moving!)

Okay, I hope your brain isn't on overload after this post. Haha... Just take things 1 step at a time. You can do it! And remember, stay positive, we are in this together! -JMS-

Day 2- lets make a plan for success!

*a goal without a plan is just a wish... so commit to being fit!*

so as promised I am back with more FITspiration to this brand new journey you have started. the main goal of tonight's post is to establish that wishing to be in better shape or thinking about having a better lifestyle is not how to accomplish such things. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN! yup... a plan. pretty simple concept except most people have not a clue when it comes to fitness or a healthy lifestyle where their plan should start or continue. well... you are in luck because this post is going to be FILLED with helpful tips to push you in the right direction. so, lets get started. =)

My top 10 fitness tips

• start moving! walking, jogging, running, skipping, riding a bike... whatever! just start moving on a daily basis.
• drink more water! even if you think you drink enough.. drink more!
• log what you eat in a food journal! keeping yourself accountable is a huge self tool to a better you.
• never skip breakfast! or any meal for that matter. skipping meals doesn't help fat loss but hurt it instead.
• exercise with a friend/friends! makes things more fun and helps you stay on track.
• eat more veggies! corn, green beans, peas... whatever! just eat more veggies throughout the day.
• set goals and make rewards! you have to give yourself something to look forward to.
• weigh yourself weekly! another self accountability tool. might be tough at 1st but soo worth it to track your results.
• enjoy cheat days! we are human.. and none of us are perfect. give yourself a break now and again. you deserve it; i promise.
• have fun & stay positive! you won't stick with it unless you have a good attitude towards it. i promise!

(print this list if you can and post it on the 1st page of your new food journal. these tips will be a helpful reminder throughout your journey.)

*Every excuse is a choice to fail*
next order of business is tackling all those excuses you have put out there over the years...

top 5 excuses i have heard are:

•  not enough time
• not enough energy
• do not know where to start or what to do
• to much stress to worry about it right now
• i just can't

to all of those i have a simple comeback... *make yourself stronger than any excuse*  i know, i know... it isn't that easy but honestly it is. you have to commit to doing this... no one can do it for you. there will always be something or someone in the way... just ignore them and march towards where you want to be! to help out with a few of those excuses though here are some steps you can follow to put you on the right track.

steps for effective time management:

• establish your priorities and stick with them- put yourself at the top of list because you are responsible for yourself and your health.
• monitor your current time use- be honest with yourself... for a week right down what you do throughout the day. don't cheat or it won't be an accurate tool to help you in the future.
• analyze your current time use- look back at the log you took of yourself for the past week.. surprised just how much time you have wasted?
• make a schedule you will be able to stick to- sit down with your family and make a schedule of things that need to be done, would like to be done, and so on. make it something everyone can stick to. this simple step will actually help you organize the rest of your life as well. promise. =)

steps to help prevent excessive stress:

• be physically active: 30-60mins a day is ideal. do your very best to accomplish this goal.
• get sufficient sleep: 8hours a night is what drs recommend. again, do your very best to accomplish this goal.
• build a strong social support system: friends... family... spouse. whoever! a support system is the #1 key to get you through those hard days.
• allow time for fun: fun is important and helps you stay young. something simple as an ice cream date with your spouse, or a game night with friends.. picnic at the park with your family. life is short- enjoy it!
• engage in effective time management: look at the steps above and make yourself a schedule! i promise this simple tool will help in HUGE ways you never would've thought possible.

remember at the end of the day though.. there are 2 types of stress.. those stressors within your control and those that are out of your control. you have to learn to cope with both! some require a plan to get through and the others you simple have to rely on yourself and your support system to get you through.

i hope these tips help you to continue down the right path towards a positive change. remember we are only getting started so don't expect change overnight! it won't happen... but change is possible and we are getting there. =)  
remember- stay positive, we are on this journey together! -JMS-

ps: quick workout for those who simply can not wait another day! haha  let me know what you think!

::Killer beginner LEGS::
20 squats
30 lunges (each leg)
40 mountain climbers
50sec wall squat/the chair
100 jumping jacks
50sec wall squat/the chair
40 mountain climbers
30 lunges (each leg)
20 squats
   -rest 30sec.-
*repeat 2x*

Day 1- of the rest of your life.

You don't have to be great to start but you have to start to be great!
So you have considered making a lifestyle change... Way to go! That is the 1st step. Now comes the hard part, sorry to say. Or we can look at is as the fun part... Which I prefer. Change is scary but becoming a better, stronger, and happier person sounds like A LOT of fun to me.

So the 1st step in this process was to consider making the change, which if you are reading this blog you have done. So... Check! :). Now you have to commit to making a POSITIVE change... Doing so you must force yourself to let go of all the excuses that are currently popping into your head. Read on when you have done so...... ...... ....okay? Are you committed? ....yes? Good job! Now the next step is to set a goal... Not just any goal but a reachable goal. Something that is realistic for the time and effort you have committed to. When you set a goal the next best step is to find your inspiration or as I like to call it "FITspiration" This blog will help you with that but you also need something all yours... A reward for yourself when you reach your goal, or maybe an inspiration board you can look at when ya need that extra boost to succeed. Whatever will work for you! :) okay so quick recap...

Steps to follow as of right now are
 1- consider making a lifestyle change.
2- commit to making a POSITIVE change.
 3- say ADIOS to all the excuses... For good.
 4- set a reachable goal.
5- find your "FITspiration"

Sounds simple enough, right? :). Don't worry if you are scared or still unsure about where to start now... Because following these simple but powerful 5steps you are on the right track! And I promise the rest of this week I will be posting more "FITspiration" tips to get you pushed in the right direction. Just remember this is a journey.. And it will take time but it is so worth all the effort it is going to take! Stay positive, we are in this together! -JMS-