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Me

Going Back to School

gosh i’m a dork…those insta filters though! ha! anyone else in LOVE with instagram stories? SERIOUSLY. I swear the pictures I can take for those are SO MUCH clearer! As you can see I’m still loving my outdoor early morning driveway workouts! And now I’m doing something ELSE I swear I would NEVER do..

I’m going back to school.

Going Back to School

Well – I’m taking myself BACK to school for my own personal reasons. Meal Prep 101. By me. in MY kitchen. And I’m taking any of your takers along for the ride! No I’m not meal prepping because I”m doing a fitness comp (that #tupplifetho haha) and I’m not meal prepping because I have kids at home that are going back to school soon. 
You see my parents are needing some meals as my mom doesn’t cook anymore. So – why NOT take this opportunity to learn MORE about preparing healthyish, meals that can be pulled out of the freezer, made in the crockpot or have them all portioned out so they are EASY for my dad to throw together! (aka toss in the microwave) BOOM. Learn the SKILLS now because I’m ALWAYS going to need to eat and life ain’t slowing down anytime soon y’all! AANNDD I’m inviting you to join me!!! I will show you recipes, behind the scenes tips of how I’m prepping and what I’m making. I’ll provide grocery lists and pictures too! We will work on it TOGETHER so that WHATEVER your situation is you will have some meals ready to go for you and your family! Keep in mind the meals have to feed ME (mostly dairy and gluten free), my FARMER papa, my mama, and my boyfriend who isn’t picky but not TOTALLY into the whole healthy eating thing. That’s a lot of ground to cover y’all!

ALSO besides the food prep school info I’ll throw in a workout plan, nutritional superfoods and some more jazz. – HELLO lifestyle changes before back to school! ANNNDD scoring some new kitchen skills –

Just last weekend here is a preview of what I’ve been prepping for y’all! (well actually for us.) 🙂

meal in ONE pot! Dump it all in and it’s ready by supper! Stew with summer fresh veggies from the farmers market and baby potatoes too!
Whipping up some protein pancakes – just THREE main ingredients! (more if you had flavorings and get real fancy) – low carb. full of superfoods. and freaking delish.
all the chicken! Baked up a big package of chicken to be used in three different recipes this week!
Thai peanut sauce, Asian fried cauliflower rice and Chicken salad with apples! Plus I’m sure there will be plenty for salads and wraps too!

Here are some teasers of me putting it all together…

Thai Peanut Chicken
Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Riced Veggie bowls with Blackened Shrimp and Chicken
Healthy Chicken Salad with Cashews and Apples
Venison Crockpot Roast with Potatoes and Veggies
Roasted Butternut Squash
Protein Pancakes

These are just a FEW of what will be available to you in Prep School!

Interested in learning more and what it takes to join?
Simply fill out THIS SURVEY (click on the link) – I want to learn more about YOU and YOUR goals!
Now it’s YOUR turn!
Do you food prep each week?
Is it something you are trying to get better at?
Which recipe above looks the best to you?
​Do you have picky eaters at your house?
Categories
Food Me

Broken Oven Makes Meal Prep…Interesting?

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Just had to prove that sometimes I wear some make up and some real clothes…aka not workout clothes or sweatpants or scrubs!

This weekend involved some meal prepping! I was on call without an oven so why the heck not right? IMPROVISE and i’m pumped to show you all the goodness that went down in my kitchen!

Broken Oven Makes Meal Prep…Interesting?

so last week my oven pooped out! It hadn’t been working right…like it wouldn’t hold a temp at all OR it would get super freaking hot and NOT shut off! Then one day it was beeping with the message F1 ERROR reading on the screen. I googled and found out it is most likely the function temp panel (or something like that!) and in a nut shell just NOT worth fixing! We have been in our house about 3 years and I’m sure the oven is at least 10 years old? SOOOO off to the oven store this weekend and a new one will be here Wednesday… yay! – i made some amazing cookies before it totally malfunctioned…
right? yuuummm… and then the last batch that after a five minutes nearly went up in flames (parchment paper and all)
I have a feeling you would prefer the first TWO of the three batches…am I right? What are your favorite cookies? I think I would choose GIANT chocolate chip cookies…with lots of dark chocolate…and sea salt on top…and browned butter for the win….(drooling over here…) oh and topped with VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

Ok … so where was I… meal prep! oh yeah!

Today since I was stoveless I got out my electric wok, my griddler and my crockpot! What is YOUR favorite appliance? Just curious! I have been wanting to try an air fryer! Any input??

Cauliflower fried rice! And I plan on mixing in some regular rice too – This can be used in so many ways throughout the week! Stuffed peppers, stir fry, taco salad, burrito bowls, or just a simple side! I added in some chopped peppers, onions and cilantro. Quick tip! Buy the frozen cauliflower rice (I used green giant brand) and the pre-chopped veggies – DONE in under ten minutes!
YOU GUYS – this “trick is killer!” – 2 egg whites + 1 egg yolk and whisk. Microwave with a cover for about 90 seconds and be sure and check every 15-30 seconds until its done! Making them in these pyrex dishes make them PERFECTLY round. Be sure and let them completely cool on parchment paper before storing in the fridge. They make a great breakfast prep and I’m thinking also would be perfect on english muffins  breakfast sandwiches – which could also be prepped and frozen in advance.
more breakfast prep! Protein Pancakes! By using my USUAL Shakeology pancake recipe I just tripled it. I got out three small bowls and made all three at the same time. Three small pancakes = one serving/batch. Using my griddle I made the cakes and then let them cool on parchment paper before storing them in the fridge. One serving with an egg round and almond butter is going to be delish!
Cleaned three small zucchinis that I bought at a local farmer’s market and spiralized them!  Can’t wait to make more zoodles this week! I have a SIMPLE spiralizer as pictured below!
I bought a big bag of these small potatoes at Costco! I LOVE them on the grill or roasted in the oven, but since the OVEN is currently out of service – I thought I would try out the crock pot! I cleaned and chopped each small potato in half.  Spray the crockpot with pam and add your potatoes! Drizzle on 1-2 T olive oil, butter, coconut oil or whatever you prefer. Sprinkle on sea salt, pepper, minced garlic and onion powder and cook on high for 2 hours – PERFECTION you guys! Have you ever tried this?
Since it worked so well I decided to do the same thing with squash! I chose butternut squash and kobacha squash! If you can buy PRE CUT! It’ll save you from nearly chopping off your fingers! haha –
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I also picked up a couple yellow zucchini at the farmer’s market! aka summer squash. I peeled and chopped it and sauteed it up in seasonings! Going to be an amazing side for the week!
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Grilled chicken perfection! I used my “griddler” Highly recommend this! – It can be used for a grill, griddler and I even has the waffle plates for it too! The plates are interchangeable and dishwasher safe and easy to change. Preheat the grill closed on high and cook the chicken for seven minutes and DONE.
I also got out my electric wok! I have had it since college and I believe that I got it from my sister who ALSO used it in college! It worked AWESOME for the cauliflower fried rice, browning burger and also sauteeing the zucchini! This isn’t the EXACT one I have but a similar model.
Your turn! What are you eating this week?
Do you food prep?
What is your favorite kitchen appliance when you CAN’T use an oven?

Want in on recipes and prep tips? Just fill out this quick survey HERE

Categories
Lifestyle Me Self Impovement

Five Quick Tips to get Over Fear of the Gym

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So this morning as I’m working out in the gym – in fact showcasing moves and creating videos for my instagram story – I had to laugh. There were like five people nearby who I’m sure knew that I was making a video. And I do believe the 4/5 of them were guys. Years ago you would not catch me DEAD doing this. How embarrassing right? So how have I gotten over it? How did I even know where to START in the weight room? How have I figured out how to get in an efficient and most importantly SAFE workout?

Five Quick Tips to get Over Fear of the Gym

Let’s be honest. I’m a runner at heart. Jumping on the treadmill and just GOING is “easy.” Ok…so it’s not always easy…but you know what I mean! So looking back how did I figure out how to add strength training to my routine? Strength training is soooo important to help prevent injury..and I was ALWAYS injured when I first started running! Stress fracture..after stress fracture. And FINALLY after like my UMTEENTH stress fracture…something had to change!
1. Get help. You don’t have to know it all! You aren’t expected to! Find someone to help you with form. Find someone to show you the basics of lifting. Help you find your baseline. Someone that can set up a plan for you to follow. This could be a trainer at your gym, following an online workout with a trainer that does an excellent explanation or hey shoot me an email and I would LOVE to help you! Don’t try to go for it and just get help! When I was injured I really wanted a change. I sought out a trainer who helped me START.  The hardest part..is just starting. There is NOTHING wrong with asking for help.
2, Find somewhere you feel comfortable. Its going to feel somewhat uncomfortable at first… ANY change does. But find somewhere you feel safe  and comfortable overall. This could be a gym, this could be a space at home or a gym where a friend goes so you can see a familiar face
3. Find a community to support you and/or a workout partner/buddy! Whether it’s someone that texts you or calls you for a wake up call in the morning, a virtual workout partner through a supportive community or someone that physically MEETS UP WITH YOU for a workout! Or it could be a mix of all of them. Find what works for you. Support is everything.
 4. Remember that seriously no one is paying attention to you but you. Seriously stop being so self conscious. No one cares what you look like and I promise no one is watching you. JUST you!
5. Be consistent and STICK WITH IT. Changes and confidence don’t grow overnight. But putting in the time and effort day after day WILL pay off. I promise! It doesn’t get easier…you just get stronger!
Do you work out at home or at the gym?
How did you get used to it?
​What are your tips to share?
Categories
Food Lifestyle Self Impovement

Struggling with eating…this could help you

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In our society I swear everyone is on a diet, in the pursuit of balance, trying out a new lifestyle such as whole 30, paleo, keto, sugar free – or something else! I do solemnly believe you have to find what is right for you – and it may take some “dating around” to find a lifestyle that works for you. and it has to be something that you can LIVE with for life. SURE you may have to clean up your eating for a bit and have some discipline…but long term…deprivation only leads to yo-yo dieting – and those ups and downs have ONE thing in common … emotional relationship with food.

Struggling with eating…this could help you.

Here is a bit of my story… maybe you can relate. maybe you can’t. But it’s time that I own my story.

When I got to college everyone said i would gain the freshman 15. I was determined to prove them all wrong. And although I ate relatively ok most of the time I eventually did get to a spot where I was so damn uncomfortable in my own skin. I’m so sad to say that. My clothes did not fit the way they used to and things jiggled going up and down the dorm stairs that hadn’t in the past.

My friends and I did go to the college wellness center, but I’m sure we did more socializing then working out. (hey! thats ok too!!!) The end of my freshman year though I had had enough. I hated the way I felt. I saw the number on the scale hit a number I NEVER thought it would and MORE than a number I hated that I had no energy. I hated that I wasn’t active and this was NOT the way my future nurse self wanted to live her life.

So I started running and became totally addicted. (at first in a good way!) My sister and her husband had become owners in a local running store! She was training for a 5k and invited me to join them for runs at the store and we ran in intervals of walking and running – eventually increasing the time running and decreasing the time walking. I was hooked because I loved the feeling of accomplishing something hard. And I loved being able to help others at the store and run along side them! I eventually even became a store employee and grew so much in my shoe, apparel and training knowledge – I helped with group runs and that is where it all began!

Unfortunately I was PLAGUED with injury after injury. Mostly in the form of stress fractures. I would start getting pain in my hip, my leg, my foot, etc – my hip got so bad I was limping ALL the time. Every time I would go in it was the same story:  “YOU NEED TO SIT OUT of running for six weeks. No pounding allowed on that foot/leg/hip etc ”

While I had been becoming more active and putting on more miles I had adapted what I thought were healthier eating habits too. I would have a salad most days for lunch – and cut down on portion sizes throughout the day in other meals and snacks. I have always had a sweet tooth – so if I wanted to have a cookie or if I knew we were going out that night and I was going to have some drinks I would skip dinner to compromise.

No WONDER I was being injured all the time….

During my sophomore year of college I began training for a full marathon. I was having some pain in my right calf during my long runs, but it would feel better if I would just stretch. At this point I was putting on significant long runs of 16 miles and had built up my endurance pretty good in order to prepare for the 26.2 mile run coming up.

But I COULDN’T take the calf tightness and pain anymore and after a TON of testing I found out I needed surgery to relieve the muscle swelling that was going on in my calf. It was either do the surgery or just “take it easy” the rest of my life…which I couldn’t imagine having those limitations at the age of 20.

The periods of being injured was so hard on me. Running had become my stress relief and nursing school is STRESSFUL. I felt like I couldn’t do the one thing that helped me feel like my slate was clean. I felt trapped. Down. Depressed. I do remember that I gave up caring what I eat. Eating cereal out of the box, 2 or three protein bars at a time, mountains of candy wrappers –

and then the guilt. Only this time…I couldn’t “run it off” –

I can’t help that I’m a perfectionist, but it is still something I’m working on every day. Better done than perfect is what I tell myself! I am learning I don’t NEED to eat perfectly “clean.” It’s ok to have treats. I dont’ want to ever live in that mindset of restriction any more. I don’t want to find myself eating bowl after bowl of cereal just for the fact of doing it to find some sort of peace. I am over feeling “guilty” about eating something because I want it.

It is RIDICULOUS.

But sometimes that is easier said than done!

So what has helped me? I got help. I went to a nutritionist. I picked up books about seeing food as fuel. I nerd out about the science behind it. I got a personal trainer to show me things I COULD do while I was injured. I learned how that if I took pride in what I was putting in my body AND adding specific supplements I could avoid injury and stress fractures in the future. I learned and still am learning the value of listening to your body. When you need to rest and when you need to move. Your workouts, body weight, clothing size does NOT define you. Your actions do. Being who you ARE. You don’t have to be the same person you were yesterday…and you can take months off of running..eat  cookies and not die.

Disclaimer – I do promote beachbody products and am a coach with their company. I LOVE that they truly work hard on providing TOP OF THE LINE products and workouts – but something has been missing… the mindset piece.

Yesterday they released something called 2B Mindset – and I think it is going to help a TON of people find peace with food- help them realize that they don’t HAVE to feel guilty about having some treats if they want to. It’s going to help people get out of the diet mentality and STILL lose weight without the workout aspect. Learning how to fuel your workouts is SO KEY TOO and I wish I would have had access to this when I was going through all that I was going through!

I truly don’t feel that their is a certain way of eating that works for everyone…but I do believe that you need to keep trying things if you are struggling with these anxieties or if you seriously don’t even know where to start! And educating yourself gives you a whole new type of strong.

If you would like to learn more about this and see if it is for you – simple fill out THIS FORM HERE.

I am not here to spam you – I simply don’t want you to go through what I have in the past .. and those tendencies STILL come back and haunt me.

What about you?
What is YOUR story?
Have you struggled with any of this in the past?
How did you overcome or is it something you are still working on?

Categories
Food Health Lifestyle Me

I Didn’t Start Eating Cheerios

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When I was 21 I was applying for a certain type of insurance…which required some lab tests – one of those including a lipid panel…ALSO known as testing your cholesterol. Heart disease and high cholesterol run in my family. My grandpa passed away due to heart disease complications, my dad has had open heart surgery, my sister and niece have both had procedures to correct a heart arrhythmia and I myself was born with a heart defect called a Ventricular Septal Defect. Both of my parents have been on cholesterol medication as long as I can recall. I shouldn’t have been surprised that when I got my blood test results that I had high cholesterol too.

But I was TWENTY ONE. I was training for a marathon, my diet consisted of plenty of vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and everything else that qualifies as a “heart healthy diet” as promoted by the American Heart Association. I wasn’t by any means overweight either. It just goes to show that family history has a LOT to do with it!

So what did my primary care doctor say when she saw the results? “We will keep our eye on it and recheck yearly. Please ensure you are eating a heart healthy diet and exercise also.” Hmm….well I THINK marathon training counts as exercise…and like I said my eating was in check too…

I Didn’t Start Eating Cheerios

As a nurse I know the dangers of having high cholesterol. Having excess cholesterol build up can lead to waxy deposits in your arteries – narrowing the vessels – and can eventually lead to a hardening of the vessels. The narrowing of the vessels makes it harder for blood to flow to your heart, brain and the rest of your body. Also – a piece of the plaque could dislodge and cause a clot in your brain (a stroke) or to your heart (heart attack) Your body NEEDS cholesterol to some extent and it is produced by your body on it’s own. Cholesterol gets around within your body with certain types of proteins: Low Density Lipoproteins (known as LDLs) and High Density Lipoproteins (known as HDLs) The Cleveland Clinic website has a good way to remember which one is good and which one is bad:

Think of HDLs as the “garbage trucks” that haul away excess cholesterol to the liver. The LDLs are the “delivery trucks” that pick up the cholesterol from the liver and bring it to the cells.

So why do we need it? Cholesterol helps your body produce hormones, vitamin D and helps you digest food too! (so really..it’s not completely evil!)

You might find this infographic helpful – resource found HERE

So what is recommended for lowering cholesterol?

1. Adding heart healthy foods to your diet:
​ex: healthy omega-3 fats, whole grains, avoid trans-fats, increasing fiber intake, lean meats
2. quit smoking
3. increase physical activity
4. be at a “healthy” weight
5. alcohol in moderation

hmmm…well I already do all these things and was doing them at age 21 also…so what has changed?

First lets look at my results! (C’mon Marti, get to the juicy stuff!)

So as you can see
my total cholesterol is 211 – borderline high –

HDL (the good cholesterol) is 103 – this is high but that is OK – this means it is COMPENSATING and picking up the extra junk (remember the garbage trucks)

Triglycerides are within normal range

LDL (the BAD cholesterol is also at a good level!
so you might be thinking..ok what is the big deal? Let’s compare to results in the past!

Here are the numbers over the past four years of being checked! I started at 242…This year I’m at 211! And holy cow..look at the improvement in the LDLs too! (142 vs 97??) If I total everything up from the panel I have made a dramatic change of 99 point difference in my overall panel – and MORE if you count the improvement in the HDLs too!
So what is different THEN vs. NOW?

1. I’m not training for a marathon – so maybe some decreased stress on my body? Yes I work out most days and I also have an active job as a nurse. I strive for a balance of workout types: strength training and weight lifting, running, MMA style workouts, HIIT style training and I utilize working out at home AND at the gym. Oh and I’m taking days off too! (usually about two days a week)

2. I use Shakeology every day. Most of the time at work just in a shaker cup with water and ice! Otherwise I blend up a delish smoothie for dessert OR make an awesome pancake in 10 minutes. Shakeology is not just a protein shake. Yes it has protein. BUT it’s focus is on SUPERFOODS (70 of them in fact) Phytonutrients like MORINGA, kale, spiniach, spirulina that prolong life and preserve the good cells. Prebiotics and probiotics for digestion and healing your gut. ANTIOXIDANTS like Goji berry, green tea, camu-camu, blueberries, aceola that FIGHT DISEASE AND INFLAMMATION. Adaptogens (aka STRESS FIGHTERS) as in ashwaganda, maca, reishi mushrooms, chaga mushrooms. Digestive enzymes to help us break down our nutrition properly so that it actually gets utilized. It also has VITAMINS, MINERALS and many of those that are difficult to get in with just eating clean foods. (Sadly so much of what we think we are eating…we actually aren’t)

3. I still eat a “heart healthy diet” – oh – and treats too of course!

4. I follow up yearly with my primary physician and also keep an eye on my vital signs – such as my blood pressure (which is always LOW)

5. I have maintained my weight (of course it does fluctuate..but that is just a fact of life I’m learning!)

So the advice I give you is this.

Focus on the risk factors you CAN control! Like your nutrition, exercise, blood pressure, stress levels and worry less about the things you can’t – like your race and family history. Make small changes EVERY day because they will add up to big ones in the long run!

And FIND OUT YOUR RISK. Ask your family about their levels, find out about any relatives with heart disease and get yourself checked out! Get your lipid panel drawn, get your blood pressure checked, get your blood glucose level checked too. Find out where you are at so that you can IMPROVE.

Invest in yourself. Paying $4 a day for Shakeology is much better than already having to pay for CHOLESTEROL MEDICATIONS FOR LIFE.

1. Does heart disease and high cholesterol run in your family?

2. Do you know your numbers?

3. What changes are you making to improve?

4. To join me in the fight against cholesterol and find out more about Shakeology – email me HERE subject title FIGHTER

Categories
Me

Currently – Drinks, Burnt Cookies and Naps

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What I’m currently into this week in all aspects of life.

Currently – Drinks, Burnt Cookies and Naps

Reading Loveable by Kelly Flanagan – A dad writing letters to his daughter and all the things he wants her and you to know. You are worthy of so much more. You are loveable. I do indeed love all the valuable insight that he shares and highly recommend it! You can get yours by clicking on the smaller image below.
procrastination – seriously. laundry. anyone else HATE doing it? Sorting it…Folding it…Putting it away…carrying it up the stairs. Ok. I know I’m pathetic… what is your least favorite around the house “chore”?
 workouts – still doing mostly early morning workouts from my driveway! The workout I have been doing on my beachbody on demand is called The Shift Shop! Lots of speed and agility drills – I thought I would hate it…and it’s actually pretty addicting. This week looked like this:

Monday: Speed 45 (Shift Shop) – early morning outside! This one is TOUGH! It goes through THREE circuits made up of four moves each. You go through the four moves for a minute, then for 45 seconds then for 30 seconds before moving on to the next round! Follow me on instagram in my stories to see some of the moves.
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Tuesday: Strength 35 – again I took my weights outside! This one is fun too. You do (I would guess 10) moves using weights for one minute. THEN you repeat the round but this time you go for 45 seconds and the moves are AMPED up to make them more challenging! Challenging yes, but DEFINITELY doable!

Wednesday: Speed 35 – You guessed it! FROM HOME and in the driveway! Told you I was loving it… This one has two rounds -about 6 moves each round. You do each more for a minute and then repeat the move for 30 seconds! And there are two rounds. Its a good burner!

Thursday: Rest day. because I was pooped! And a body has to rest to grow 🙂

Friday: Wanted to challenge myself and I did just that! I conquered an AFTERNOON workout! That is TOTALLY hard for me for some reason to get in the mindset in the afternoon to push play. But I did it and totally blasted it with Speed 45 again!

Saturday: went to the gym for the first time all week! – Went for a half hour jog on the treadmill – about 3.5 miles and then did the Shift Shop 12 minute Core workout. My back has been sore and I think it’s from jumping and NOT doing my usual core workouts!

beauty product – I am totally in love with this mascara! I used to ALWAYS use voluminous by Loreal – I had tried SOOOOO many but always went back to it! I got this as a free sample from Ulta and ended up LOVING it! You can try it out here:
food -all the food prep right now and having fun with it! A few favorite have been… roasted buttercup squash (seriously the best dipped in ketchup!
zucchini noodles! – SO EASY and with all the zucchini this time of year…
blackened shrimp – OMG YUM! ever made it?
cauliflower fried rice –
joseph’s pitas stuffed with all the things… LOVE these things!
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spicy doritos will forever have my heart.

Check out this post HERE to see all the recipes I have b​een making and sharing with my challengers

If you want to join my prep school for all the complete recipes, grocery lists AND workouts too – fill out this quick form HERE
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 oh sh*t factor – so our oven has been acting up …and well let’s just say it finally gave up… RIP oven! My poor last batch of cookies. They were in there for 5 minutes at 325 when the oven turned itself to 600 – and well…here is what happened…
drink – moscow mules have my heart – and here is my favorite way to make them!
Diet Cock and Bull Ginger Beer
1 shot vodka – Titos is my fav!
juice of one fresh lime
​ice!
feels. i feel like napping… sounds like a great idea actually. we will chat later!

Your turn! What are some of YOUR favorites this week?

Categories
Me

Blogger’s Block, Beating Overwelm, Breaking your Mold

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Couldn’t decide where to start today – so I’m just going to start. –

Blogger’s Block, Beating Overwelm, Breaking your Mold

I went on Facebook Live this past week sharing about being overwhelmed and how I try to manage it – I HATE that feeling – I get so many things running through my head, I feel like my head is spinning and then I just find myself with little ping-pong balls in my head and I FREEZE. “What do I do?” “Where do I start?” So I don’t start anything. I don’t do anything. I just sit there. And do nothing. How effective is that? Well…it’s NOT!

My three tips to overcoming the overwhelm…

1. Clean up your space. Clutter makes my overwhelm worse! So I go to town … Put things back in their spots, wipe down your kitchen cupboards, throw out old foods from the fridge, wipe down the table, wipe down your work space – ETC! Just clear it out and it’ll help clear your mind too. (It works for me anyway!)

2. Take a half hour to do something that brings you joy. Don’t have a half hour? Ok. Take 15 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine, take a bath, read a devotional, go for a walk – whatever! Just do it. You are worth that time and it is well spent when it helps clear your head!

3. Do a Brain Dump! I grab my planner and just start writing. Grab a notebook or whatever you prefer! I fill in my schedule with work shifts, events and upcoming “must-dos” and then I grab some post its and jot down my lists – “around the house” “for the lake” “for work” – feel free to label them according to your own needs!

At least those are things that help me! What do you do to overcome overwhelm? Or maybe you NEVER get overwhelmed…if that is the case will you teach me THAT?

Been suffering from some crazy writer’s block lately and trying to find my rhythm. I have so many things I want to say to you guys some days, but having issues organizing it in my brain and spitting it out. Does that even make any sense? I guess it’s probably my perfectionist tendencies coming out – I should JUST START typing and just do it already right? You ever have these issues?
Listening to our National Team Call for coaches this week was awesome. One of the guest speakers was a fellow coach who used to be an Anesthesiologist. In case you DON’T know what that means – they are the doctors that see all the patient’s undergoing surgeries and other procedures that need the sleepy medicine. They are in charge of keeping you sleeping and comfortable during surgery! (so in a nutshell you better be nice to them. haha!)

She had always been into helping others not only through her Anesthesia occupation, but she also is really into fitness and taught classes and would educate others (even unknowingly) about nutrition. Every day she said she treated COUNTLESS patients that were very overweight and had other health issues stemming from poor nutrition and lack of activity. “If only I could have gotten to them years ago…” was a frequent thought in her mind. She started coaching because she loved passing along her love of health and since she had been using Beachbody programs and products for years it was a no-brainer to get the discount too! Her passion has grown for it SO MUCH that she is now doing it full time.

Can you IMAGINE what she has faced? What others have said to her? “You mean you AREN’T being a doctor any more? You are doing that silly coaching thing?” “You are turning away a six figure income you have worked so hard to get to build a business on your own?”

But when you feel called to do something you have to do it. She stated, “You wouldn’t just walk by someone that was on fire would you? – You would help them.” and that is EXACTLY how she feels about the health crisis in the United States with over 2/3 of Americans being obese! Talk about a woman on a mission.

So why do we look down on people like this? NO ONE should feel ashamed about pursuing their passion. It is scary to pursue something that you love when you feel like others are going to shame you for “wasting a degree.”

Can I be transparent for a minute? I think about this a lot. I love being creative. I love creating. I love reading blogs, writing on my blog, creating posts, editing pictures. Coaching has been my side hustle for nearly three years now. Would I work this full time and completely give up nursing? No. So what is my goal? What is my purpose? After all, doesn’t your purpose and destination have to be PERFECTLY CRYSTAL CLEAR?

My purpose and goals continue to evolve.  And I’m ok with it. But one thing has remained the same. I continue to work on ME – mindset, body and soul. That search of balance in an unbalanced world – determined to quit caring about perfect. Continuing to serve others in their health goals. Working on building a life where I design my day. Dropping down to a .5 in nursing and working more on creating.

Are you actually working in the field that you went to school for? Would you ever dare to do something new? Or would you fear others’ wrath of “wasting talent” or feeling shamed?

Categories
Health

4 tips to stay active during turkey week!

haha oh no! big bird! – Happy Thanksgiving week! I hope you all have lots of eating and family activities planned this week? I’m excited for all the baking I get to do! On my baking agenda is…

These browned butter sea salt chocolate chip cookies 
Monster Cookies from Sally’s Cookie Cookbook (as seen below)
​and I’m thinking THIS CHEESECAKE has to happen!

4 Tips to Stay Active During Turkey Week

I threw out a little survey over on instagram…and this is the post you all were most interested in! How to stay active during the holiday season and I’ll share my own plan below also. Let’s start with four quick tips!
1. Get it done in the morning! – before hitting the road or starting the day of eating get up and get it done. Getting your workout in first thing in the morning will give you more energy throughout the day and it will leave you feeling good that you did something GOOD for yourself 🙂

2. Make it fun – what about signing up for a local turkey trot! These races are super fun to walk or run and recruit the family to get involved too! Many of these “races” raise money for local charities and food shelves. Plus getting out and getting fresh air IS overwhelming to me I will admit, but it feels sooooo good to get that accomplished AND donate to a good cause at the same time! Being around all the positive energy is invigorating.

3. Find something you can do anywhere. Pack your running shoes and get out and do you own turkey trot! I LOVE my beachbody on demand application that has over 500 workouts on there…that way I can have ANY workout at my fingertips: strength training…yoga…cardio…kick boxing… and there are EVEN PARTNER workouts to do with your significant other or your kids!

4. Then enjoy the rest (and the food) Indulge. You only live once and I’m still learning this too, but one day is not going to undo your health. In fact it’s good for you! Keep that metabolism guessing and it’s good to give your mindset a break too if you are constantly tracking. It’s a dangerous pattern to fall into…and I refuse to let it get the best of me.

So I’ll be over here challenging myself to working on my before picture!

1. How do you like to stay active during the holiday season?
2. Favorite Thanksgiving food?
Categories
Food

4 weird food pairings I actually love

I’ll never claim to be the healthiest .. I mean I guess it’s how you define “healthy.” To me healthy is moderation and not deprivation. Depriving yourself is no way to live! I won’t get into that today, but simply want to share some seemingly strange food subs that I find amazing and my favorites.

4 weird Food Pairings I Actually Love

1.  DIY chips/flat bread! – sounds weird right? Like WTF not just use regular chips? Well being real here I a lot of times DO use Doritos (make them spicy nacho preferably) – to top salads, serve alongside a protein or to stuff inside a wrap! (don’t knock it til you try it) – but I know I shouldn’t be doing that for EVERY meal and its fun to mix it up and try to DIY! I’ve been trying to up my fiber intake so I picked up some of these Joseph’s lavash wraps! I’ll post a link below – but you can find them at most grocery stores too. And feel free to use whatever wraps you have on hand! Flat out brand work great too!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper lay out your wrap

Bake for about 5 minutes or until crispy and then break apart and season however you like! Or add cheese, nutritional yeast – these are perfect for topping a salad or building your own nachos.
2. Roasted Squash dipped in ketchup. Seriously. When I was little I absolutely DESPISED squash! But I never had it ROASTED. Here is how I do it!
Preheat oven to 425
Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper
Cut up squash! My favorite is the kabocha squash (but also do butternut and buttercup!).
Spritz with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper!
Roast for about 30 minutes and flip at the halfway point!
devour and thank me later.
3. Eggs and peanut butter. or almond butter. or Trader Joe’s MIXED nut butter. Seriously.. do it.
4. This in my opinion is an awesome way to boost your oats and get in some more protein aka keep me full longer!

Add a packet of oats to a bowl (i love the oat fit brand especially the maple brown sugar!!)

Add some water! I’m going to guess about a half cup?
Add in a half cup of egg whites
Microwave for about 3 minutes…you are going to have to start and stop it and stir it as you go!
When it gets all fluffy and the eggs look cooked…you are done!
Add some milk (non dairy is my choice) and some cinnamon and peanut butter!
Have you tried any of these combinations?
What are some “weird” food combos that you love?
Categories
Lifestyle Self Impovement

5 Tips to happier

Winter blues got you down? I find myself in a funk sometimes too ESPECIALLY when its 40 below in North Dakota. I have a magnet on my fridge that says “40 Below in ND keeps the Rifraf out” – unfortunately this does not mean those downer feelings…

So how can you feel happier when the negative vibes are lingering?

5 Tips to Happier

I would consider myself in most aspects a pretty positive person but that doesn’t mean I don’t have those in a funk days (sometimes weeks) or get angry, negative and just an all around debbie downer. But there are some things I have learned ESPECIALLY what my coaching community has taught me and what I would like to share with you too –
1. Take some time to reflect. Take out a pen and paper and do a brain dump and reflect on yourself right now. What are you feeling? Why do you THINK you are feeling that way? What is getting in the way of your happiness? You  might be surprised at what you find.

2. Take time for personal development. IT is NOT selfish to take time for you. Pick up a book, an audio, a podcast or even a devotional and just start with 10 minutes a day on a topic you want to learn more about or something you want to build upon. Some examples might be: confidence, spirituality, mindset, nutrition, leadership….What do YOU want to focus on? What do YOU want to get better at?

3. Take time to unplug and do the things that bring you joy. Go get a good coffee. Go get a new book. Call a friend. Get a manicure or a massage. Self care is not selfish. If you aren’t doing something for your – you can’t do anything for anyone else!

4. GET MOVING. EXERCISE = ENDORPHINS and ENDORPHINS = HAPPINESS! Go for a walk. Go to a class. Grab a friend and do a workout at home. DO SOMETHING. Also – remember that what you eat has a HUGE impact on your entire life! INCLUDING your mindset! Are you eating all processed? A diet high in sugar? Are you binging on CRAP? Prepare to feel like crap.

5. What kind of people are you surrounding yourself with? Your environment can either be an energy suck or energy boost! You are most like the five people you are around the most. What kind of people make up your tribe? Energizing and positive people that are REAL and there for you? If that isn’t true you better reassess that situation.

6. BONUS: Write down 3 things daily for a week that you are grateful for. Its impossible to be unhappy and grateful at the same time.

What do you do to get yourself out of a funk? What helps you be happier? Any personal development suggestions to share?