The Secret Sauce To Your Success + Three Steps To Put A Plan Into Action

 

I can finally admit now that at 38 years old I am a type A perfectionist personality. I’ve always been a rule follower and a planner. Yeah for self acceptance 🙂

I wanted to chat about this topic because well, with New Years approaching the ‘ish’ starts to get real when it comes to goal setting.

The ‘Secret Sauce’ to goal setting is having a plan!!

This could mean having a general goal like  I just want to be healthier or more be more fit  OR a more specific and detailed plan. I prefer the latter 🙂

A more specific goal would be something like:

I want to go down a size in my jeans.

Increasing the protein in my diet.

Building muscle or toning up.

Wanting to run a 5k in 20 minutes.

Sure we can set goals all day long and say we want to accomplish this and that but without having a plan in place how will we accomplish these specific goals????

Here are Three Steps To Help You Put a Plan Into Action:

1. Be real specific with your goals. Just like I discussed above, if the goal is not really detailed and specific how will we know the exact steps and direction to take to attain those goals.

2.  Write it down. Now that you nailed down your exact goal, write it down along with three action steps required to reach that goal. Again it all boils down to that secret sauce, having a plan. Say your goal was to tone up. Your three action steps would be to:

Join a gym

Hire a Trainer for accountability, guidance, and  to create a program that will achieve the goal of toning your body.

Schedule your workouts ahead of time in your phone so there is less of a chance the workout will be missed 🙂

3. Ask yourself this. Is my goal realistic and sustainable? Is the goal you are trying to achieve something you can see yourself doing for the long term? Does it fit into your lifestyle? If the answer is no then it’s back to the drawing board and maybe changing up the goal a bit or setting more realistic expectations so that your fitness journey is successful and enjoyable 🙂

 

XO, Jenn

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Lower Body Focused Strength Workout

Before we get to the good stuff…Always remember to warm up prior to starting a workout and get the consent of a doctor when participation in a new workout program. Got it 🙂

Superset 1: 4×10-Link to video 

Accentuated Eccentric Db Chest Press tempo- 4111 (take :04 to lower down)

Paused Back Squat (you can sub with a Goblet squat too) tempo 2211

Superset 2: 3x 10

Trap bar Deadlifts

Side Plank w\rotation

Metabolic Lower Body Circuit: 3-4 sets 

Band Resisted Stiff Leg Deadlifts- 12 tempo 3112 (contract glutes at standing for :02)

Step up to reverse lunge- 15 L&R

TRX Sumo squat jumps- 15

 

If you try the workout I would love to know how it goes!!

XO, Jenn

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Do You Have To Track Calories In Order To Lose Weight?

When I first start working with a client whether they are in-person or online I like to delve into a series of detailed questions to get to know their nutrition and exercise history. This gives me an idea of where I am meeting my client at in their fitness journey and together we come up with a plan to work towards getting them results. I just said ‘we’ work together because I don’t believe in writing meal plans or telling my clients what they should be eating. My job is to guide them in the most safe and effective manner towards their goals and making the habits they establish long term.

So do you have to track calories to lose weight?

The short answer is NO but please keep reading to find out why and how!

There are four foundations to an effective nutrition program:

1. Quantity of food aka total amount of calories
2. Quality of food. Eating Pizza vs a turkey sandwich and a kale salad.
3. Macronutrient Split (the percentage of carbs, fats, protein based on their goals)
4. Meal or Nutrient Timing. The amount of meals or set up of protein, fat, carbs in each meal in order to deliver a desired result.

Since we are talking about fat loss calories really matter. It’s science and called The Law Of Thermodynamics. We must expend more energy than we take in in order to lose weight. I like to program my fat loss clients to lose a healthy and sustainable .5-1lb a week by creating a deficit from exercise and calories.I am in the camp that believes you should try to eat as much as you can and workout as little as possible and still reach your goals. This is a term called the minimum effective dose, and that can be deeply delved into for another post 🙂

While I believe calorie and macro tracking is and can be very effective I never require that my clients use this method. If they get stressed out by this approach or are too busy I start at the top of this list of alternative nutritional methods  and work my way down until the goal has been achieved.

If you don’t want to track calories but still want to lose weight you can do this instead:

1. Focus on trimming back portions a bit from each meal and it’s usually from carbohydrates. Not that carbs are bad, I am all for carbohydrates. So instead of having bread, rice and fruit with lunch, pick one of the three and make protein the focus of the meal.

2. Improve quality of food. If someone had been eating sugary breakfast bars, you know the kind I’m talking about! I would recommend they replace it with a higher protein, lower sugar bar.

3. Plan a meal split that’s more satisfying to your hunger. Say you are not hungry for breakfast but feel like you have to eat breakfast so you run out the door and grab a banana and a muffin. Then you are hungry two hours later, eat again and so forth. You are actually consuming more calories by thinking I have to eat because it’s this time or this meal. An approach for something like this would be to push back breakfast a little later when you are hungry and then make meal choices based off of step 1 and 2 above. Now you have slightly decreased calories, improved food quality and feel satisfied. #success

I always make sure that I take my clients feed back from their check-ins and adjust accordingly. I also like to suggest tracking breaks or eating at maintenance calories for a short period of time to offer a little sanity break and more flexibility to continue to be consistent because compliance is KEY when it come to a solid nutrition program that delivers results!!

Final Call for my Fit and Festive Online Boot Camp and there are a few spots left!!

I’m closing registration tonight and this will be my last online group boot camp for the year.

Do you want to feel sexy and super confident in your holiday dress this year? Do you want to feel in control of your nutrition and have more energy this holiday season? Are you looking to lose a few inches and feel leaner and tighter in your midsection?You should because you deserve it!!

Ladies!! There is no better time than right NOW to make progress so you don’t feel like New Years is a “Do Over”

My highly effective six week boot camp program includes:

-Five 30 minute or less fat burning workouts that require minimal equipment and updated weekly. Your personalized training app with calendar, daily workout reminders, and progress tracking.

-Easy to implement carb cycling nutrition strategies with sample meal ideas.

-Bi-Weekly check in’s with me to ensure you are making progress.

-Private group community of like minded women with similar goals.

-Live weekly trainings.

This program is being offered at the very discounted holiday rate for all of this very effective workout + nutrition guidance and six weeks of ongoing coaching.

Let’s make this holiday season your best one yet!!

Fill out the contact form or send me an email@spingirl78@gmail to grab your spot!!

XO, Jenn

Accountability is the “Bee’s Knees” To Our Results

 

Let’s talk about accountability shall we 🙂

It’s probably the first thing every single new client mentions on our consult calls, “I need accountability”

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing accountability and in some form or fashion we can all benefit from it.

Has this ever happened to you?

• You didn’t feel like showing up for a class you signed up for at the gym.

• You didn’t sleep well and want to cancel on your session with your trainer.

• Life gets busy and motivation to exercise starts to decline.

• You are stressed out and it’s easier to run through the drive-thru than stop at the grocery store?

Recently one of my in-person training clients was struggling with her nutrition so we made a few habit changes and I asked that she send me a pic of her breakfast every morning. This has worked really well for her and now a new habit is established and it’s just part of her routine and has made her more mindful of her nutrition the rest of the day!

My online clients love the accountability component of our program. During our bi-weekly check in’s they have told me how they have stayed on track during travel for work and on family vacations when normally they wouldn’t. I love that 🙂

Whether you are trying to go down a few clothing sizes, be more active, eat better or work on building a lean physique accountability is key to staying in the game for the long haul. Especially now that the holiday’s are coming up and life can get a little sideways. The first thing to be put on the back burner is our workouts and nutrition habits go out the window.

In fact, a few years ago I started training with my BFF because I was in a slump and needed that extra push and accountability. I even hired an online personal trainer this past summer. Not only so I could get out of my own headspace but to have another professional’s guidance, make me step outside of my comfort zone and kick my nutrition into high gear and I loved it!!

Here’s a few ways you can have more accountilby:

• Enlist the help of a friend, neighbor or spouse to schedule some workouts, grocery shopping trips or even just a few long walks a week together.

• Hire a personal trainer. Even if it’s for a short period of time to get you going in the right direction and out of your slump.

• Sign up for my Fit and Festive Boot Camp!!

I know the holiday’s are coming up and life is about to get even busier, I totally get it! I personally believe that we can make progress and reach our goals even when life gets crazy. That’s why I created my new online boot camp Fit and Festive.

My thought process is this-there is no better time than right NOW to make progress or even just maintain where you are so you don’t feel like New Years is a “Do Over”

This highly effective six week program includes:

Five fat burning workouts that require minimal equipment and updated weekly. Your personalized training app with calendar, daily workout reminders, and progress tracking.

Easy to implement carb cycling nutrition program with sample meal ideas.

Bi-Weekly check in’s with me to ensure you are making progress.

Private group community of like minded women with similar goals.

Live weekly trainings.

Registration closes tomorrow 11\1 and this will be my last group program for the year!

This online bootcamp is being offered at the very discounted holiday rate for all of this very effective workout + nutrition coaching and six weeks of ongoing coaching.

Fill out the contact form HERE or email me@spingirl78@gmail.com

Let’s make this holiday season your best one yet!!

XO, Jenn

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Navigate Weekend Eating +4 Hacks To Stay Consistent All Week Long

 

Have you ever found yourself crushing your workouts, dialed into your nutrition Mon-Thu and then  let it loose Fri-Sun?? You are not alone because at some point it happens to all of us.

Or maybe one ‘off’ meal or a few missed workouts causes you to say EFF it and #eatallthefood over the weekend, and promise to start over on Monday. Again you are not alone 🙂

This becomes a matter of setting yourself for the week and having a plan for the weekend so keep reading 🙂

As a fitness and nutrition coach my goal is to have my clients eat and move in a way that they enjoy yet still provides them with the results they are after, as well as realize that one ‘off meal’ or a missed workout is not the end of the world. Life happens and we must adjust and move on.

So why does this continue happen and turn into a vicious cycle? The answer is drained willpower and low energy from work, stress, lack of sleep, making tons of decisions on a daily basis etc..

So let’s tackle this problem head on!!

Here are 4 Tips To Keep You on Track ALL WEEK LONG!!

Plan ahead

This is the key to success and it doesn’t have to be any kind of elaborate planning either. Look ahead at menus at restaurants and decide what you are going to eat before you even get there and don’t open the menu when you get there. This will only lead to temptation. Take 1-2 hours on the weekend to grocery shop and prep a few key items to set yourself up success. I like to recommend have two sources of protein on hand (ground turkey, grilled chicken or even some high quality deli meat) and a few bags of frozen veggies, bagged salad greens, for the days time is not on your side.

 

Schedule your workouts

Look at your schedule on Sunday and plan your workouts in your calendar. Most of us know what our week ahead look likes so we can schedule accordingly. Maybe you are busy during the week and  plan shorter workouts and leave the longer more intense strength training workouts for the weekends when you have more time! Plus the intense workouts will utilize the extra calories consumed over the weekend 🙂

Eat the same way Monday-Sunday

White knuckling our  way to eating ‘perfect’ or ‘clean’ Mon-Thu and then giving into all the foods you were trying to avoid is not going to lead to progress as this can certainly become a vicious cycle. Allow yourself the glass of wine with dinner or some carbs with your lunch. I don’t believe there is such a thing as good or bad food and while that’s going off into another topic I believe that having balance all week is important. I love when I read check-in’s from my online bootcampers and they feel successful and in control of their food choices but still are able to enjoy themselves when traveling on a date night  or when a meal isn’t ideal for them.

 

Pick your nutrition battles

I am a big believer in eating foods you love and #teamflexibledieting. If we eat a diet of foods we don’t love or restrict too much it ends up backfiring on us. That’s why I don’t write meal plans for clients and can probably say I never will. It’s also the reason the no sugar plans, 21 day detox and the no carb diets do not work. There most certainly can be balance and progress made at the same time.

If you are looking for balance and flexibility with your nutrition along with accountability and a killer training program this holiday season I still have some openings in my Fit and Festive online boot camp that starts Monday November 7th.

Fill out the contact form HERE for more details or email me at spingirl78@gmail.com.

I would love to work with you!!

XO, Jenn

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Low Carb Chocolate Protein Smoothie Recipe

If you are looking for a super healthy and craving crushing recipe, this is it!! Especially if you love chocolate 🙂

Low Carb Chocolate Protein Smoothie

5oz unsweetened almond milk

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2-3 big handfuls of greens (fresh or frozen)

1t. cinnamon

2 T. stevia (optional)

1\4 cup cottage cheese

2 T. Nut Butter or 1\2 small avocado

1T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 C. Ice

Put all ingredients in blender and mix together. Add more ice depending how thick you like your protein shakes.

Registration is officially open for my Fit and Festive Online Fall Boot Camp!!

 I’m so excited that the time is finally here to open registration for my newest online boot camp Fit and Festive!!

Burn Fat-Build Lean Muscle-Get Results

How will we accomplish that? By utilizing quick and efficient Metabolic Density and HIIT Circuits all 30 minutes or less because we know our workout time is limited during the holidays. This combo of training protocol and effective carb cycling strategies will promote fat loss but still allowing you to enjoy the holiday season and continue to make results!

This six week program includes:

Five fat burning workouts that require minimal equipment and updated weekly. Your personalized training app with calendar, daily workout reminders, and progress tracking.

Easy to implement carb cycling nutrition program with sample meal ideas.

Bi-Weekly check in’s with me to ensure you are making progress.

Private group community of like minded women with similar goals.

Live weekly trainings.
Fit and Festive starts Monday November 7th and space will be limited. You can fill out the contact form for more info, contact me or sign up HERE.

NEW HIIT+Bodyweight Workout

 

Hey There! If you have been following my blog or any of my social media pages for awhile you know that I am a sucker for a killer strength training session!! When working with my clients I always make strength training the priority of their programs, like I discussed in this blog post 

In fact, many on my current Strong and Sculpted online boot campers really enjoy the three strength sessions a week but also enjoy the change of pace with a killer HIIT sweat sesh!!

HEY!! I wanted to let you in on a little secret..I am planning to launch a new online boot camp for the holidays called “FIT AND FESTIVE” The holidays are a busy time of year and can sometimes make reaching our goals a teeny bit harder, plus I don’t believe you have to wait for the New Year’s to start crushing your goals. The daily accountability combined with quick and intense workouts (similar to the one above)-with minimal equipment required, nutrtion coaching and a motivated group of like minded women in a private group community. It’s going to be awesome! Fill out the contact form to get on the wait list or to request more info.

Ok, now onto the workout!

Just yesterday this funny exchange was shared in our private facebook group as two of the ladies in the group are friends and neighbors:

-I’d like to brag on my neighbor who completed her HIIT outside in 90 degree weather while pushing a toddler in a stroller. And she finished up strong with those burpee push-ups too. Great motivation with her next to me.

-Bragging right back! We did it side by side. Only way I survived. Way to go Jill!! I just took a cold shower so I can function 🙂 

(Always be sure to get a doctor’s consent when starting a new diet or exercise program)

Warm up for 5-10 minutes on stationary bicycle at moderate pace

Then complete the following:

:30 PUSH

1:00 REST

Repeat 10x’s

Then complete the following bodyweight circuit:

1:00 bodyweight sumo squat

:30 side to side planks

:30 burpee push-ups

Rest and repeat for a total of 3 rounds!!

WHEW!! If you try this let me know how it goes 🙂

 

XO, Jenn

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Tossed The Scale And So Should You!

Here’s an all too familiar scenario.You keep your nutrtion on point all week and by Friday you let loose  and maybe splurge a little more than you planned on over the weekend, and that’s ok. But you decide to hop on the scale to only find that it went up several pounds since Friday!!!! Or maybe you just came back from vacation and decided to throw caution to the wind and be very relaxed with your diet while on vacation, that’s cool too by the way and now the scale puts you in all out panic mode.The scale increase is just a reflection of consuming more carbohydrates as they make you retain water #becausescience and add a few extra cocktails and add a few salty meals to the mix and the scale suddenly is not your friend 😦

There isn’t a week that goes by that a client meets with me for our weekly training sessions, messages me or reaches out to me as a new client and laments over their frustration with the scale!! I can totally empathise with my clients as years back I felt the same way too!

Using the scale as a weight loss tool might not be the best way to track progress because the tendency is to let the number on the scale dictate how we eat and exercise and that is doing ourselves and injustice. A big component of my coaching is to have my clients focus on ‘Non Scale Victories’ as well as building consistent but doable habits for long lasting results!

It’s the habits that we practice day in and day out that leads to results! #TRUTH

Here’s a few check-in’s from my current online boot camp clients, they make me swoon!

-Another win!! I just bought some new workout clothes in a size smaller and they fit perfectly! Those previous 12 weeks of boot camp worked and I can’t wait to see more changes this 6 weeks!

-I completed all of my workouts, I planned my food for the day and my nutrition has been on point this week.

-I was wearing a sleeveless shirt and my co-workout commented that my arms looked buff!

In fact, in my online boot camps and 1 on 1 training I actually place very little emphasis on the scale to measure progress and focus on using pictures, measurements, strength progress and how my clients clothes fit instead.

Because the scale can’t tell you how consistent you have been with your workouts and nutrition or how awesome you really are!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…I am working on a new online boot camp this fall because:

1. I don’t believe in waiting for New Years to start crushing goals.

2. A little extra accountability never hurt anyone during the busy holiday season.

3. Because it’s going to be fun and super effective!!!

But if you don’t want to wait until then I have a few 1 on 1 online coaching spots open. I would love to work with you! You can email me@spingirl78@gmail.com and we can chat about how I can help you reach your fitness goals!!

Talk Soon!

XO, Jenn

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Transformation Tuesday

This girl!! My client has been crushing her goals for the past few years and she’s ecstatic about her progress by the way of getting stronger, leaner and her confidence is through the roof!!

Though we could not ‘spot train’ her mid section it was the an area that was taking a little longer to see changes in. This is not uncommon, especially after having children.

So for the past several months we have implemented a few key but simple strategies to her macronutrient timing and split along with including more unilateral and core focused strength training to really tie it all in and the results show in these pictures!!

I have a few VIP one-on-one online coaching spots open this month. Fill out the contact form for more information because I would love to help you ‘Find Your Fit’