Big Changes Coming Your Way

Painting my new office!

I have huge changes coming to my business, I am very excited! I am moving my business into CrossFit Ogden. I will be running my business from here and taking over their nutrition program, teaching classes and setting up challenges, be sure to watch for times of classes. Big changes coming my way. It will be a lot of work, but the opportunity is amazing. Just shows, when you work hard, keep putting yourself out there, you will reach your goals and dreams. It takes time and hard work.

This is good change, a big one, but a good one for me. With all the changes coming my way, I thought it was a good time to talk about change and some good ways to deal with them. The constant in life, is change, some change is great, we hope for, some change is horrible and we hope will never happen and then there is everything in between.

Because we all know how much fun and awesome good change is, I do not think we need to talk to much through them. Lets discuss the bad changes, things that are out of our hands and just happens to us.

This type of change can happen at any time, to anyone, none of us is exempt from it. But, how do we handle it? If we take some time to plan ahead, take small changes as they come, when the big, dreaded one comes, we are more prepared. I do not think we can ever be fully ready, but prepared. When we can handle small things well, we are building muscles to handle  larger things well also.
Examples:

• When you get stopped at a red light because the car in front of you did not drive faster, instead of getting angry and upset, take a deep breath and see this as an opportunity to slow down.
• When you drop something on your clothes, handle it with grace. 
• When plans change at the last minute, go with the flow.

There are many changes that happen every day. Take a step back and ask yourself how you deal with them? How can you become better? What are some changes you could make?

Then, the big, dreaded change comes along, you lose your job, a spouse or close friend passes, your health takes a turn for the worst, it can be many things. 

Here are some steps to take to help prepare for the unexpected:

• Take out several sheets of paper, five or six should do. Each paper is going to be dedicated to one thing. On top of the paper write what that is, Primary relationship, career, finances, health,  any other area of your life you would dread a massive change.
• Write down what your greatest fear is, if this were to happen, I do not know how I would handle it. If you have more than one, write them all down.
• Take a step back and ask yourself, what concrete steps can I begin taking today, to help make this life changing event not so dreaded, so hard to handle. 

Examples could be:

• Spend more quality time in your relationship. Go on dates, sit and talk with no distractions, share your dreams, pursue those dreams together. No one sits back at the end of life and says they wished they had spent less time together, they always want more. Make that time, right now. Spend less time angry with each other and more time trying to actually understand the person you love.
• For a job lose, how can you make yourself in-disposable to your company?
• Finances, live with in your means, live simply, want what you actually have and stop spending so much time dwelling on what you do not have, have a safety net for if you lose your job, your health takes an unexpected turn, have a good savings.
• For you health, take care of your body, feed it nourishing, rich, dense foods, move your body, work with a health coach.
• For any of your others, do this same thing, what steps can you take. 
• Then begin taking them, that is the important part. You have to implement these.

Remember to always strive to see the good. A life change at first might seem like the most horrible thing and you will never overcome it, but in the end, it could really be the best thing that has ever happened to you. This can set you up on a path you would have not ever taken had it not been for that change. Sometimes we need something big to wake us up to what is really important, what we want and a new path in life. See the good. Make the choice to be happy and find joy.

I thing I have gone on long enough. I hope these tips can help you in this ever changing journey of life. Life will not be perfect, nor easy, but we can love our lives and enjoy them to the fullest.

Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.

God bless,

Jenn

Training and Traveling

My Hubby and I returned from a nice and relaxing vacation, meaning we did not do much, relaxed. The hardest thing we did was our workouts and kayaking.

 Yup, we took weights, a kettle bell, a band and tube

It was easy to take the weights and kettle bell with us because we drove. What you can do with these is endless. I really love my kettle bells, a full body workout within minutes. You can do kettle bell swings as a Tabata or 15 minutes for a full body workout. Which is fantastic while on vacation, because who wants to spend all of their time working out when away? The possibilities are truly endless for kettle bells. Some of my best workouts have come from these. You can work muscles you might not have none you have or in ways you have never worked the muscle, they are face passed and change frequently because there are so many different exercises to do. You can target the big muscles as well as the small ones for balanced, functional training. You can find them in wight ranges from 5 lbs to 75+ lbs. Obviously, you do not want to take a huge weight on the road, but my 15 lb one was perfect for traveling. I did kb swings, squats with over head press, lunges, mainly lower body exercises I wanted to add a challenge to.

Well, that is great, but I am flying so I am off the hook. Not so fast. This is where the beauty of bands and tubes comes in. These are extremely light weight and fit in almost any bag. You can do both upper and lower body exercises with these. Do not be fooled thinking this will not give you enough resistance for a workout, they are challenging. You can find them in different strengths from light to heavy. Again you can target both large and small muscle groups, a great workout will include both for balance. Here is a sample workout you can do, this is my most pinned Pin Pinterest.

Your best tool for a great workout while on vacation, comes right along with you. It is your body weight. No equipment needed, nothing fancy, just you and you always come along. In this post you can find out about body weight training, basic movements and sample wok routs for all levels. 

Excuses for not working out on vacation, unless it is a planned down time, demolished. That is what I am here for, take away your excuses and give you options that work. I know, because I have done them.   

If you would like more workouts for both band, tubes, kettle bells and body weight, that can be done at home or on the road, look no further than my Pinterest Page. 

Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
Go move that beautiful body of yours.
God bless,
Jenn

Procrastination..... Are You In?

The frog in our pond

I do not know if any of you are like me, but I have a tendency to procrastinate, perfect example, this post. If you are, we are in good company then. Sometimes, procrastination can be a good thing and sometimes it is a very bad thing. These are some tips and tricks I have found to be useful and helping me. Lets dig in.

When can procrastination be a good thing, maybe you want on that train? I think instead of saying procrastination here, think more of the idea of things just not coming together well. You are well intentioned, trying to make something work, give it your best and it is not happening and sometimes, you are just procrastinating. Then, pow. It hits you like brick, it was actually a good thing you were not able to follow through with your plans. I know this has happened for me, I keep trying, telling myself to just do it, and in the end I am great full it did not turn out. This is not most of the time though, the rarity. More often than not, I am just not getting my crap together and doing what I need to do. This is when procrastination becomes a bad thing.

We can procrastinate for many different reasons:
We are scared.
Do not know what steps to take next.
The task ahead of us, is too large and overwhelming us.
No good reason, we just do not do what we need to.
Among many others, I am sure you are inserting yours right know.

I know for myself and many of the clients, I become exhausted when I procrastinate. I make the task bigger than what it really is. I run over it and over it in my head and get know where, other than not doing what I need to even longer. Then I am more tired, it ways me down, it is bigger, I think you get the idea.

Here are some steps I have taken and my clients and used with great success.

• I tell myself, suck it up princess, no one else is going to do it for you. Buck up and go do it, get over it. For me, this does work really well. Sometimes, I think I might be afraid of myself, tactic works.
• I heard it put this way one day, eat your frog first thing in the morning. I cannot remember where, I think it is a book...? But the idea is, if you had to eat a frog everyday, if you do it first thing, then it does not wear you down, tax you, you have ample energy to do everything you need or want to do for the day. By doing that thing you hate first, it is over with first thing and the rest of your day is energized, you have accomplished a great task and everything else is much easier. Eat your frog. I have heard frogs legs are suppose to be good?
• Figure out why you are procrastinating, is it fear, not knowing what to do next, in a funct? Once you have figured this out, you can begin taking steps forward to fix the problem.
• If you are facing a large task, chunk it down into small, bite sizes actions that are manageable. When it is too large, we do not know where to begin and can become lost in the enormity of the project. Instead of the whole picture, take a pixel instead. 
• Take a first step. By taking the first step, we get the ball rolling, this helps to clear things up in our minds. We have a path to begin to go down. It does not matter as much at this point if this is the right path or not, you have to start somewhere. You might not know what is right until you begin. The point is, you started.

A few ideas. What have you found works for you in dealing with your procrastination?
Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn

To "No-Poo" or Not

From last summer, the day I cute my hair for Locks of Love

I know, what the heck am I talking about? We are suppose to poop every day, several times in fact, so why would I not want to? That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about your hair and shampooing it.
Maybe you have heard about going "no-poo", not shampooing and conditioning your hair any longer. It comes from the fact that there are some nasty chemicals in shampoos and conditioners, as well as all personal care products. In fact, your skin will absorb more toxins than you will from the food you eat. To help avoid these chemicals, some no longer shampoo and condition their hair, do not wear makeup, lotions and other beauty products. This might seem extreme to some, but if you do not want to expose yourself and family to the chemicals, you might feel differently. If you would like to see what is in your products and the adverse effects of these chemicals, check out EWG's Skin Deep page. You can either browse through the content or search for your favorite products and see what is in them.
After reading about these, I decided to give this no-poo thing a try. The no-poo thing works great for some, but it did not work for me. I tried it for months, but to no avail. Lucky for me, I came across a recipe to make your own shampoo, I have not looked back since.
 You can purchase coconut milk, but for my hair type, I make my own coconut milk, super easy to do. I make it in bulk, freeze the extra in ice cube trays and when I need more shampoo, I take a few cubes out of the freezer, thaw and I am good to go. I only have to make coconut milk once every several months. For conditioner, I fill a squeeze bottle with a third raw apple cider vinegar, spring water and aloe vera juice. I use it just like any other conditioner, but my hair is healthier than ever. I also use this on my face and arm pits before getting into the shower. Along with the shampoo, I use baking soda as well, my hair does not end up all greasy then. My hair is clean, healthy, shinny and most importantly, I am not putting all the toxic chemicals on my skin and hair. On a side note, my hands do not dry out as badly from not using the shampoo and condition either.
Have you thought about going no-poo or reducing the number of chemicals you put on your skin through your beauty routine? Or, is this the first time this is being brought to your attention and is something you are going to mull over? If not, then maybe this will help: your skin is the largest organ. Everything you put on your skin, you absorb. If you would not ingest these chemicals, why put them on your skin?
I know making a switch to making all or most of your beauty products can be daunting and overwhelming. Start slow, like I did. I started by making my own toothpaste, mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together into a paste and brush and using coconut oil on my skin instead of lotion. As I was ready, I added more in or took it out depending on how you look at it, like making my conditioner, then shampoo and so forth. Remember this is a journey, not a sprint. Even by replacing one chemical laden product, you are better off than you were before.
Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn

Good Thing I Love My Job.....

Well, I am back from Kauai, Hi.... It was beautiful and amazing. My heart and mind are still there. In fact, when I woke up this morning, that is what I was dreaming about, walking on the beach, waking up the birds chirping.... It is a good thing I love my job and mostly my family. I was happy to see them again.

About six weeks ago, I put out a challenge in preparation for my trip and summer, that is right around the corner, found here. How did it all go for you?

Mine was successful. I trained hard and ate extra healthy before my trip. But, more importantly was working on my body image issues. I was proud of myself. I worked hard on it and it paid off. While I was out playing on the beach, when I would I think, I do not know that I can do this, I would tell myself nope, you worked hard and you are good to go. Be comfortable in your skin. You are in Hawaii, there is not time to be self conscious and ruin the trip, go enjoy the beauty. I did!

Yes, I did cheat on my food, I was on vacation. I enjoyed every morsel. I did not go crazy, it was really easy to eat healthy food in my eating plan there, fresh fish, pork, beef, veggies and fruit, but I did have my cheats and I did not worry about it. Now that I am back home, I have not stressed about what I ate there or not working out every day. I went back to my healthy eating and training. There is none of the, I have to restrict food, crazy training because of being on vacation. I enjoyed myself, ate what I wanted, loved every minute of it. Came home and got right back on tract. I think that is really the key, if you fall of track, go on vacation, what ever it is, do not allow it to disrupt you.
Acknowledge it for what it is, and move on. Do not dwell on it, it will not do you any good. In fact, it will make it worse. Pick up where you left off, and move forward.

How did the challenge go for you? I hope it was successful.
Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn