healthy and beautiful

Have you struggled with starting a fitness program , illness or even setbacks? It's during these times our bodies will dictate our abilities and limitations.  Personally, when illness hits me hard, I have to take a break and put my favorite HIIT routines on hold. This is all part of realistic expectations. I may want something right now, but it's just not going to happen.  Similarly, there is no such thing as here today and gone tomorrow. Patience is very important on our journey to health and fitness . It may feel frustrating and I will even validate this emotion. The key is not letting negative thinking consume us to the point of giving up. We must remain realistic.  Realistic workouts start with what you can do right where you are. Allow yourself to be a beginner. If returning to fitness from injury or illness, take it slow. The work is always about progress and not perfection . It's so important to pay attention to what the body is saying. Being in tune allows ...

Do you love baseball? Many times we're up at bat and before stepping on the plate, we have mentally struck out. We kick at the dirt in frustration for not hitting the ball out of the park or at least getting on base. And so it goes with life and fitness success we should be enjoying. If only the negative committee in our mind would sit down and shut up. We often get in our own way when it comes to reaching our fitness goals. We're too busy coming up with reasons why fitness doesn't work for our lifestyle. Whether it stems from fear, frustration, laziness, or procrastination, our mind plays the biggest role in reaching and maintaining our fitness goals .  There is no easy way to achieve success without hard work and lots of sweat. We all need to put in the effort to get where we want in life. My Dad always told me, “ it is a tough world out there ”. We don't need to make it harder on ourselves by playing negative mind games that keep us from creating a quality healthy l...

Losing 12 pounds is not only a realistic goal, but can be done in a short amount of time. I'm not talking about a fad diet or weight loss gimmick. I'm referring to healthy weight loss accomplished with appropriate methods. Being more specific: consistent healthy eating , exercise, increased water intake, limited alcohol intake, and plenty of rest.   Application of a healthy lifestyle in all areas will allow for approximately 1 ½ pounds on the lower end and up to 3 pounds on the higher end of weight loss per week. Working successfully with clients who use my healthy eating guidelines supplied with their workout routines are losing in the middle range of 2 pounds per week.  Think about what this means in terms of time. Realize this is only six weeks of sticking to a consistent fitness program. There is no diet but eating lots of amazing healthy food and exercising at least four to five times per week for a minimum of thirty minutes. Sodas are eliminated and alcohol is lim...