Helping others

Coaching to me is helping others reach their true potential in life.
Being healthy
Mind - Body - soul

I could not do it without God. He is my sustainer, my guide, my life.

My 12 reasons for lifting weight

When I turned 40 I decide to start running. I wish I could say again but that would be a lie. Running 2 miles was excruciating back then. I had run in the past because it was the easiest and fastest way I could exercise. I reasoned that it was the easiest way also to lose weight or keep the weight. 

To commemorate muy turning 40 I signed up for a halh marathon. Totally crazy right! Thatt same month I ran a 5K and could barelly finish it. My stuborness carried me through the training and I did run my first half marathon that December. I have continued running since, simply because I tasted that runner's high and I liked it. 

Running is a great cardio training and I assumed that it would continue to keep me fit. Unfortunately my weight kept creeping back, not huge amount but slow and steady and running was not enough to make me lose it. The problem is that cardio is not enough when you are trying to lose weight.

Enter Beachbody. To lose weight, or maintain weight and be healthy is a three part component:

• you need to eat clean and balanced
• you need cardio
• you need to do some weight lifting

I started with the 21 day fix extreme program, which incorperated weight into the training and 22 minute hard corps makes you do cardio one day and resistance the other day. That is a balanced workout. 

Here are 12 reasons why you need to do some weight lifting (adapted from Active.com)

1. You'll lose 40 percent more fat.

2. Your clothes will fit better.

3. You'll burn more calories.
4. Your diet will improve.
5. You'll handle stress better.
6. You'll be happier.
7. You'll build stronger bones.
8. You'll get into shape faster.
9. Your heart will be healthier.
10. You'll be way more productive.
11. You'll live longer.
12. You'll be even smarter.

And I promise that you will not look like a body builder. That takes time, dedication and an array of other stuff. But I can promise you that you will be leaner.

7 steps to easy meal planning

Last week I shared with you why I need to plan my menus and why I live with a to-do list. One of the tool that has been most helpful to me for breaking big projects down into manageable items is my productivity planner.

This little planner makes me prioritize the things that are most important every day. I will admit that at first I was a bit confused on how to use. After a few weeks, I feel more productive as I am able to break projects down.
For example planning a trip:

• choose hotel
• book hotel
• research airlines
• book airfare

Etc...

The same thing goes with my menu planning. I break that task down in some easy steps:

1. I browse through my recipe books and/or search pinterest for recipes that follow my clean eating diet;
2. I jot down a few of those recipes along with the ingredients needed;
3. I check items that I already have on hand and plan my menu according to that and the recipes I found;
4. I pick from my go to breakfasts and use that to plan the rest of the day according to the plan I currently follow;
5. I make my menu for the week;
6. I go shopping for ingredients I need;
7. I prep my food.

Now I am all set for the week.

Here is my menu for this week.

workout is week 5 not 4 :D

I still have 2 spots available for my challenge group starting next Monday!! Take the guess out of your menus and get the support you need to achieve your goals. 

Contact me today and reserve your spot!

The benefits of Prayer

Prayer is the most powerful tool you can ever use; it is the direct line that you have with God. For me it is the time I take to disconnect from my daily tasks to connect with Him.

My days can be jammed packed with activities and a to do list that never seems to get smaller. I can easily get overwhelmed and feel stress creeping in. Stress is not good for your health. I know that I tend to stress eat and for some reason I never go for the broccoli or apple snack. I tend to fall face first in chocolate.

There are plenty of ways to alleviate stress. My prefer method is prayer. 

Prayer gives me a chance to be alone with God and rooted in His truth. This time alone 

1. clears my mind
2. resets my priorities
3. lets me slow down
4. helps me be more focused
5. helps my relationships.

Prayer is an integral part of my health journey. My motto is Mind - Body - Soul. Health is not just physical; it is also spiritual.

There are no wrong way to pray but I would recommend following a basic pattern of
Acknowledging Him - it is important to remember who we are talking to. He is God in heaven and we are here on earth.
Confess your sin, your hurts, your pains - He is the God who heals and restores.
Thank him for the blessings in your life. There is always something to be thankful for. This simple act can reset your mind and change your whole attitude.
Supplication - this is your time to ask for blessings, to present your requests to Him, without fear. Because of Jesus' work on the cross, we can access the throne of God with confidence.

Make prayer an integral part of your health journey. You will not regret it!

11 Benefits to exercising and why you should start today!

We all know that exercising is good for you and that we all should have an active lifestyle. Here are the 11 most common benefits to exercising:

1. it improves your mood and reduces stress, depression and anxiety;
2. it gives you more energy and helps keep you focused;
3. it combats many health conditions and diseases;
4. it promotes better sleep and help you relax;
5. it slows the aging process and make the older years more enjoyable;
6. it improves confidence and body image;
7. it sharpens your memory and helps with learning;
8. it improves your sex life by increasing the blood flow;
9. it helps control addiction to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs;
10. it improves digestion and helps with constipation;
11. it strengthen and boost your immune system.

I am sure that you have read similar lists before. And to be completely honest, I could add many more items to the one I am offering you. We all know that exercise is good as much as we know that fast food is bad for you. Yet we tend to be attracted to the latter. Why is that?

The number one reason people do not exercise is because they do not have the time. Yet Psychology today states that the real reason is the fear of discomfort. 

Let's address the question of time. We all have the same amount of allotted time in a day. Some of us find time to exercise, others don't. With Beachbody and Beachbody onDemand, this reason goes out the window. My current workout takes only 22 minutes!! I spend more time scrolling through my facebook feed every day.

The question of discomfort is more interesting. We are all creatures of comfort and doing something new can be difficult. Working out at home can ease some of that discomfort and working with a coach, who encourages you along the way is VERY beneficial.

You know you have read this article for a reason! Let's get started. My next challenge group starts May 2! Still plenty of time to get that summer bod! You can contact me through facebook or fill out the application below. 

Fill out my online form.

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5 Ways to be off track

My weeks can be super busy and have little room for the unexpected. My typical schedule looks like this:

Monday Bible Study
Tuesday Tae Kwon do for my son
Wednesday Tae Kwon Do again
Thursday Youth Group
Friday Family night (I protect those!!)

During the day we homeschool. My son is in 8th grade so our homeschool schedule is pretty packed. I also take care of my beachbody business, house chores and ministry work. If I do not stick to a schedule, I can easily find myself doing a million thing and not checking off anything my to do list.

Are you like that to? I have always love the saying "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". It is kinda one of my motto.

As I embarked on this health journey I quickly realized that I had to manage my time even better. I had to plan my workouts, plan my meals and even plan my rest time.

If I did not plan, I failed....

So I plan.

I found out that there are 5 ways I can sabotage my fitness routine:

1. My priorities are off: I plan to workout in the morning and I do. Unless it is an emergency, other things can wait. My workout only last 30 minutes. Facebook can wait, the dog can wait. 
2. I do not plan my meals. When I do not plan my meals, I eat the wrong thing or too much. Trying to follow the eating plan is not the same as planning my day according to the eating plan.
3. I get sidetracked. I can easily get lost in my facebook feed or instagram pictures. I can waste a lot of time on Pinterest looking up healthy recipes and workout tips. I have to set a timer on and force myself to move on to the next item on my list.
4. I go to bed late. This one is a big one and I touch on this here.  When I am tired, I am cranky and I am hungry.
5. I compare myself with others. There will always be someone else who is more successful, stronger, leaner, healthier etc... Comparing myself to others can discourage me and make me want to give up. I only need to compare myself to my older self. 

So here is my meal plan for the week. I plan it and I prep it. Then no matter what happens I know this is taken care of.

Here is my plan for this week

Do you need help with this? I have a new challenge group starting May 2 that can help you with that.

7 signs that you are not getting enough sleep

Are you getting enough sleep?

Recovery is one of the most misunderstood aspects of physical fitness. Did you know your muscles actually grow while you rest?

I am not going to lie I like sleep. I need my good 8 hours of sleep. There was a time when I thought I should be a cat because they sleep ALL THE TIME! Here is one of my kitty cat taking her 5th nap of the day.

The truth is that I did not realize how important sleep was to my fitness regimen. One of the first benefits I had from following the program and taking Shakeology was my energy level. I was waking up refreshed and I had a ton of energy throughout the day. For the first time in a long time, I was able to check off all the items on my to do list.

I felt so energized that I started going to bed later and getting up earlier. What else was I supposed to do with all that extra energy? Very soon though I felt that my results from the program were slowing down AND I was hungry all the time.

I came across this article and it all made sense. I was not getting enough sleep. According to the article sleep is important because it helps with muscle growth. This is when my body repairs and builds so to speak.

How to know if you are not getting enough sleep? Here are a few clues:

- Hitting the snooze button consistently on your alarm clock

• Yawning uncontrollably and at inappropriate times (e.g., workplace meetings, parent-teacher conferences) Who wants that???

• Feeling sluggish in the afternoon - this can lead to snacking....

• Getting drowsy while driving - NOT a good thing!

• Having heavy eyelids and watery eyes

• Experiencing memory lapses - you are tired, not old!

• Experiencing irritability and low energy - nobody likes a cranky person.

• Feeling excessive hungriness or a complete lack of appetite - this will mess up your plan!

Lesson learned: I will stick to a better sleep schedule.

This is more than just fitness. It is a health journey.

Mind - Body - Soul

Mind - Body - Soul

All my life I have been eating pretty healthy. I have never been the skinny one. I like to eat too much for that. I have never felt that I was completely out of shape. I have always exercised. After I turned 40, I started running half marathon. I figured it would help me stay fit.
Unfortunately I stayed fit but I started to put on weight and feel sluggish. Nothing I did on my own was working and I felt pretty frustrated. Then I gave up and conceded that it was an age thing.

But I did not like how I was feeling, not sleeping well and not feeling good about myself. Then I saw a post from a friend of mine about a challenge group. I joined because she looked amazing and I wanted to give myself one more chance.

This is me just 3 weeks into the program. I had lost 9LBS, 13 inches but more importantly I felt so much better, more energy and I slept better.

It did not take long for me to sign up as a coach and learn all that I could so that I could help others feel better, live healthier lives. It is NEVER too late.

As a coach I will be with you until you can reach your goal. It will be my honor to do so.