WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Increasing our Discomfort Tolerance (3 Strategies for Reaching Hard Goals!)

Any dream or goal we make that results in a positive change in ourselves requires a bit of discomfort. Most people quite or backdown from their goals because of this discomfort. If we're not used to feeling this, it can be scary, different, and usually we don't like it. Fitness goals are a great example of this because the discomforts are obvious and physical. Whether it's pushing through that final rep, feeling a little hunger from decreasing your portion sizes, resisting that cupcake, or getting a couple of inches deeper in your squat. Self imposed discomfort is a foreign feeling to many, but we can all improve. I've trained clients that had never felt the burning muscle sensation that comes with a tough workout, and their initial reaction was to stop. One of the benefits to having a personal trainer is so that you don't stop when it gets hard :)

Similarly, most of us our so used to food being so abundant, we eat mindlessly and have never really reached the point of true hunger. We just eat when we think we're supposed to eat, or when everyone else is eating. What would happen if we actually waited until our body told us it was hungry? 

I want to talk about some strategies we can use to increase our discomfort tolerance to reach those goals that may seem so far away or too hard in the moment. This takes desire and some mental toughness, which I know we all have! All of us are at different levels with this. Find your starting point and work from there. Here are 3 strategies for increasing your discomfort tolerance:

1. Extend discomfort time. For example, say it's Friday, on your way home from work and you can't wait to dive right into that cookie dough you have sitting in your fridge after a long week. Well instead of having it right when you get home, tell yourself you'll wait an hour, and then you can have some. By doing this, you are training your body to live through a little discomfort and proving that you'll survive. In applying this to exercise, if you always run for 30 minutes on Tuesday morning, try running for 35 or 40 minutes, or run 4 miles instead of 3. Push yourself one bit at a time, further than yesterday, and you will be surprised with how far you've come!
2. Remove the unhealthy conveniences. Back to the last example, if you always go straight to your fridge after work and there's cookie dough staring at you, that seems pretty convenient and hard to turn down. Or if you walk in your house and your big comfy couch and TV are sitting right there, it will be very convenient just to plop yourself down for the night and conveniently miss your gym time. Some ways to remove these unhealthy conveniences may be to take a new route so that you don't pass McDonald's tempting drive through on your way home. Or set a reminder on your phone to not go through the kitchen when you get home, or lay your gym clothes out on your couch instead of the remote control. Whatever your unhealthy habits are (we all have them) be realistic with yourself, acknowledge them, and set up healthy road blocks for yourself. 
3. Create a contract with yourself. The most important documents in our lives usually require us to sign and date. Well why shouldn't we apply that standard of importance for helping us reach goals with our health? This is a strategy that I've been playing around with lately and it's actually very helpful and powerful. Lets say you know you should exercise, but everyday something more appealing shows up and takes priority and the exercise is postponed until tomorrow, and tomorrow, and the next day, etc. You may not have the discomfort tolerance built up yet. Well, what I suggest is to write up an official document for yourself, stating the thing you want to do, when you are to do it, and a consequence if you don't fulfill your end of the deal. It may look something like this: "I, Brittney Motzkus, hereby declare that this week (specific date) I will brush my teeth within 10 minutes of finishing my dinner at home so that I am not searching for dessert afterwards or late night snacking. If I fail to do so, I must eat a spoonful of Wasabi, with Husband as my witness... (Sign, and Dated)." As you can see, you can have fun with this! But there's something about an officially contract that holds us accountable. 

Typically, the more important things in life require more effort, more sweat, more tears, more determination, more mental toughness, but that's what makes the outcome that much more sweet! With these strategies, I hope you can find the courage and determination to set goals for yourself and reach them. Know that you can accomplish hard things, even if it's one little step at a time! 

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: My Top 10 Healthy Habits for Staying Lean ALL YEAR ROUND

I'm starting a new tradition around here and its called WEDNESDAY WISDOM! Has a nice ring to it right? Each week on Wednesday I'll share some words of wisdom about health. I would love recommendations for topics! Comment on my instagram or this blog post with topics you want me to cover! 

This week I'm sharing my top 10 healthy habits to stay lean all year round. Often times we Here about quick fixes, getting lean for summer, lose those holiday pounds, etc. How can we reach goals and stay there? Want to get off the roller coaster ride? I'm here to help. These aren't quick tricks, or drastic diets. These are habits that I've integrated into my daily life over time. Don't think you need to change all at once, and some of these may not fit into your specific needs and lifestyle. My advice is to pick one or two at a time to work on, only bite off as much as you can chew. One baby step at a time. With consistency, you will develop healthy habits in your own life!

1. I Drink lots of water and only water. By this simple habit, you will cut out so many extra calories and sugar. This alone can kickstart your weight loss.

2. I Priorities sleep (7-8 hours). When you're well rested you think clearer, crave less junk food, have energy for a good workout, and cortisol levels go down (reducing fat storage in your body). Plus, studies show that getting enough sleep leads to a longer life!

3. I only eat out 1-2 times per week. When you prepare your own meals, you're in control. You can always prepare healthier options at home. Plus, it's easier on the wallet! Of course there's those occasional weeks with more parties and festivities and that's just part of life, enjoy! But stick to your game plan when you can.

4. I take the stairs when I have the option. It may seem like a small thing, but those extra steps and movement throughout the day add up and you can end up burning a couple hundred extra calories each day! I'm a huge believer in adding any kind of extra movement in your day.

5. I don't buy junk food. If it's not around the house, I'm less likely to eat it. This doesn't mean I never have treats, but when I do have a treat, I am going out for it so it's more of a special occasion. I am making a conscience decision, not mindlessly finding my spoon at the bottom of the ice cream tub in my kitchen. Or habitually reaching for the bag of chips I see staring at me in the pantry. And if you do have treats around the house after a holiday or party, it's ok to throw them out or give them away!

6. I load up on veggies. First place I go in the grocery store is the produce section, and I stock my fridge with easy to grab, chopped up veggies. We all typically eat whatever we have around, the most convenient right? Why not make it healthy!

7. I schedule in my work out. Literally, I write it down in my day planner and check it off when I'm done. This makes sure I'm not doing anything else in that block of time and gives me the satisfaction of checking it off each day when I finish!

8. I listen to my body. Although I'm not perfect at this, I try to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. We are all good at this when we are children, but somewhere along the line we lose this awareness. Stay away from rules that say what time to eat, foods you can or can't have, etc. Instead, I stick to my whole food, veggie based diet, meat sparingly, whole grains, low sugar. And the timing varies, some days I have 2 meals, some days I have 6 meals, it just depends on my bodies needs! I think sometimes we try to over complicate it!

9. I change up my work out routine daily. I get bored and it can become monotonous doing the same workouts so changing up the routine is crucial for me. Also crucial, making sure you include exercise that you enjoy! You may not enjoy every day and that's ok, but having something like a hike or spin class you really look forward to helps keep it fun! (in need of some ideas? try out one of my plans here to get you going).

10. I eat chocolate every day (well almost every day ;) I used to have a very powerful sweet tooth. I've found that if I keep a bar of dark chocolate around (70-80% cacao) I just break off a small corner of it after a meal and I don't even crave dessert! It's rich enough that it satisfies me for a long time. One of my favorite little tricks! If your an all or nothing type, meaning you will eat the whole chocolate bar if you start, then you may want to stay clear of this approach, or try individually wrapped chocolate so you only have one at a time.

So there ya go! Remember to take one step at a time for long lasting results. It's not a race to the finish line. Listen to your body, everyone is different!

I would love to hear some of your own healthy habits, comment below! Also let me know of any Wednesday Wisdom topics you would like me to cover in a comment below. Also, share this with a friend who you think would appreciate the content. :)

Top 3 Weight Loss Tips: Lessons from Living Abroad Part 2

A year ago around this time we were getting ready to move to Europe, just a couple of weeks out from take off. Our plain tickets were purchased, the packing list had begun. I was in a routine where I was training pretty hard every day at the gym, a long with training for my first marathon at the end of May. Most days consisted of waking up extremely early, driving, training clients back to back, then I would go to my second job at Altra Footwear and fit in my own work out in between. I would then drive back up to Salt Lake from Orem to teach night classes and train night clients. It was nuts. 

    I was thinking I was in the best shape of my life and one of my biggest fears of moving to Europe, which now sounds ridiculous, was getting fat. I laugh about it now but it was an honest concern. I thought that all I would have to eat in Germany was bread and potatoes. Then I would move to France and only have baguettes and cheese. While this is partly true (I have eaten my fair share of baguettes and cheese) I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my bodies reaction to the move. Rather than adding on a nice fluffy layer of carb chub, I’ve actually lost around 12 pounds while being here and feel the leanest I ever have! How is this possible you ask? Well as I’ve thought about this same question, I’ve compiled some observations. I trace it back to the beginning of our adventure, getting out of my routine rut. 

What I thought every meal was like in Germany :)

    Lets go back to June. On our way to Germany we made a stop in Iceland for 4 days. Keep in mind I had been in the routine of training hard, and eating a good amount of food to refuel my body every day. I was in that cycle of going harder and harder, and eating more to provide the energy. Planning our travels I got a little anxiety knowing my workout routine would have to change a bit, and I knew I wouldn’t be expending as many calories, so I would need to lower my intake. I think this was the best thing for me. I needed to get out of that cycle and get my metabolism back in check. Reset my system a little bit. Our 4 days in iceland we rented a car and drove most of the day, making little stops along the way, hiking a bit here and there, and taking in amazing scenery. I noticed my hunger levels went down, so I obeyed. We survived on a little oatmeal in the morning with fruit, and cracker, meat, and cheese sandwiches on the road. Not the most glamorous or nutritious, and I don’t suggest that meal plan for an everyday thing. But for 4 days of car camping travel it got the job done, and smaller portions were key. 

    We made it to Germany and our expat life began. The first 2 weeks were spent getting up early and going to offices, where we would wait in line to take care of administration stuff. These processes are SLOW and can be frustrating. The first thing I learned about Germans is that they love their paperwork! We were at the mercy of limited office open hours and the people who could help us translate. My regular morning workout routine had to be shortened or put on hold until the evening, or the next day. This was weird for me! But again, with less calories going out, I wasn’t eating nearly as much as before.

So lesson #1 learned: Take a reset. Lower activity level to lower food intake. You will become more in tune with what your body actually needs. More in tune with your intake and output correlation.

    The administration work settled down, and we were able to have more freedom and I picked up my morning workout routine again. It felt great! My appetite increased a little bit, but I noticed that I had freed myself from that cycle of eating more to fuel training more. I was more in control now. I had re-calibrated my exercise and food need. So combining the exercise routine with a more controlled food consumption was good. Also, the next change made was instead of being stuck to a rigid eating routine of every 2-3 hours or my muscles will eat them selves, I learned to only eat when I was hungry. And I actually allowed myself to feel hunger! (I used to teach to not allow yourself to really feel hunger, but I humbly stand corrected). I had been following the typical fitness model/bodybuilding commandment of eating every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going, and to keep your body from breaking down your muscles. I have now learned that this is totally unnecessary. Why should you eat if you’re not hungry? Allowing ourselves to feel hunger keeps us in tune with our bodies needs and we are more mindful with our eating.  

So lesson #2 learned: If you’re not hungry, you don’t have to eat! don’t try to force feed every 2-3 hours because you think your muscles will break down, or that your metabolism will shut off. This is not necessarily the case. Mindful eating is what we want to master. Your body can adapt to burning fat if you fuel it right and train. (that is a whole other blog post though :)

    After just a few days in Germany, my pre-assumptions were proven wrong. Germans eat other foods besides potatoes and brats haha who would’ve thought! They actually have amazing produce! And the same goes for the French, Its not all just baguettes, cheese, and croissants. Some of the best produce I’ve ever had, fresh, seasonal, and very affordable! I’ve loved it. My diet as been full of fresh veggies, organic fruits, lean meats sparingly (about 3 nights out of the week), and yes the occasional baguette and cheese. And I would be lying if I didn’t include all the fresh pastries and crepes that I’ve consumed (how can you pass up all those delicious french bakery’s?) This brings me to the third lesson learned. 

Fresh Markets!!

    Back in the states I could definitely notice the sweet treats and splurges that I had. I was always working extra hard on Monday to make up for the Weekend desserts. Each day I worked hard for an hour at the gym, and was active while training clients, but the rest of my day was sitting at a desk, or sitting in my car. I could never get past a certain weight and body fat percentage. I wasn’t necessarily looking to loose weight, I just thought that I had reached my comfortable peak. Here I’ve felt like the extra carbs and pastries have gone right through me, and taken some extra pounds with them. I contribute this to the power of walking! I used to think walking was just for old people who couldn’t do “real” exercise any more. Or the Sissy person’s form of exercise when they couldn’t handle the gym. I know, horrible thoughts. But my time in Europe has changed me. By adding at least 30 minutes of walking to your day, your fat burning potential will soar. I haven’t driven a car for an entire year (only on the occasional weekends being chauffeured by my husband on our adventures) but I myself have not driven. From our apartment I have to walk 1/2 mile (each way) to get to the train station to go anywhere. I walk 5 minutes to the grocery store, and carry 2 full grocery bags back. The gym I worked at in Düsseldorf was a mile run/walk from our apartment, which I went to most days. Our apartment was on the 6th floor with no elevator, and here in Paris we’re on the 13th floor. We have an elevator but each day I have to go up at least once with out it (a weird ritual I started that now I can’t break!). To go to church on Sunday we walk 10 minutes to the train, 5 minutes in between the train up and down stairs, 10 minutes from the station to church, and then repeat on the way back. I would say at least 3 days of the week I wander around Paris, walking for a couple of hours or more. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. I walk A LOT!

So Lesson #3 learned: Walk more, move more. Daily activity (outside of your structured workout) is a huge contributor to weight management! I give most of my weight loss credit to this simple change. I’m still working out hard 5-6 days a week for 40-60 min. I am still eating very clean and healthy 80% of the time. But the combination of the 3 has been the golden ticket for me. 

    My goal is to take this lifestyle change and bring it back to the states and inspire others to do the same. What if the stress and struggle of losing those last 10 pounds, or really reaching your best level of fitness could be solved with simply walking!? I’m sure most of us have a grocery store within walking distance. Have you ever thought to walk? Trust me, I used to drive my car across the street to the grocery store and never thought twice about it! I challenge you to find little parts in your day that you could add in some walking. You can start small. When given the choice of the elevator or the stairs, always take the stairs. If you’re faced with an escalator or stairs, take the stairs. Park at the back of the grocery store parking lot instead of battling for the front and center spot. Make it a family event. After dinner, rather then vegging out on the couch together watching TV, go for a walk instead. These have turned into some of my favorite times to talk with my husband, or just think on my own. Just try it for a week and see if you notice a difference. A difference with how you feel, with your energy and hunger levels, and a difference with your bodies fat burning capabilities. 

So to sum it up, the 3 big lessons about health and fitness that I’ve learned while being here in Europe have been ….

#1. When you’re stuck in a fitness rut, take a reset. Lower your activity level so you can lower your food intake. Get re-calibrated. 

#2. Practice mindful eating. If your not hungry, you don’t have to eat!

#3. The power of walking is greater than we think! Walk more, move more, every day!

The importance of FEELING great! Embracing the healthiest YOU

Lookin good in my socks and sandals :)

I was inspired this week listening to a podcast with yogi girl Kathryn Budig. She was talking about how she likes her yoga classes to focus more on how their bodies feel rather than how they look. This got me thinking, if we all lived this way, how different would our self-esteem be?! If we had never been exposed to a mirror, or any reflective surface to see ourselves, would we have the negative self talk that we do?

I've come to realize how much I love teaching outdoor fitness classes. I think that a big part of why they are so fun is that there aren't any mirrors. People aren't in class checking themselves out the whole time, or looking at how they compare to the people around them. The participants are more focused on the workout. Nobody is there dressed to impress. It's a fun and uplifting environment. 

So much of the fitness industry is so focused on looks, and the sexiness of it all. Girls are posing practically naked showing off what a healthy body should look like to the world, and thats what we're supposed to look like. I would be lying if I said I didn't care about looking good. Its definitely part of why I workout the way I do & eat the way I do. But another huge part of it is how awesome it makes me feel! I have energy and I'm capable of so much more when I feel good and take care of my body. The confidence it gives me helps me be a better friend, coach, wife, daughter, you name it! I don't like the way I FEEL when I don't workout. I'm more cranky and irritable, and I'm less productive in my day.  

My favorite part about this mindset is that feeling good & being healthy can look so different on different people. Someone can look skinny and flawless on the outside but on the inside they're sick & seriously craving some carbs. Someone else can be carrying around what may look like some extra pounds, but she could beat anyone up the mountain and feel great while doing it. What I'm saying is there's not a perfect body type. I think that we each have a unique body shape and size that we feel our best and most confident with, but it's most likely very different from our neighbors healthy size. Some women feel awesome with a muscly physique, while other women feel their best when they're more petite and "lady like". Some women have curves, some women are more straight. I think it's important for each of us to remember that we all have our own preferences and confident zones, but that doesn't mean we should push that on someone else or judge others if they don't fit into that mold. The fitness industry portrays the "perfect body" on all the magazine adds and instagram feeds, but that does not mean its the healthiest look for everyone. A lot of those models go through weeks of craziness to get their bodies cover model ready. But the other 350 days of the year they don't look like that. A lot of my videos that I post on instagram are in the morning, after I've been working out, so my stomachs going to be leaner than if I posted a video right after a meal. Our bodies are meant to adjust and fluctuate a little, no body is perfect 24/7. My hope is that by pointing this out, we can all feel a little more confident in our own skin and focus on the shape and size that YOU feel best in. Not the body that the fitness magazine says is best, or what's best for your friends.

Feeling healthy and confident is so much more important than looking a certain way. Ya its great to have goals to look good in your swimsuit or whatever, but maybe shift those goals to FEELING confident in your swimsuit. I'm not saying you should settle for a body that's out of shape, but I'm just pointing out that your in shape, healthy body doesn't need to fit some made up, cookie cutter mold. If you know you're healthy weight that you FEEL the best at is down a few pounds from where you are, then heck lets work towards that. But if you're just wanting to lose pounds to look like a covergirl, you probably aren't going to be satisfied even if you get there. Accepting what's healthy for US will be a game changer in our pursuit for confidence. We can relax a little, knowing that as long as we feel good and healthy (being real with yourself, taking care of our bodies with diet, exercise, & sleep) than it doesn't matter if you're not a size 2. Work on healthy for YOU. You have a unique shape and size, embrace it and work it girl. 

COMBATTING THE CRAVE ZONE

Its 2:30, you ate your healthy salad lunch 2 hours ago, and your not planning on dinner for another 4 hours, and you're STARVING. You’ll eat anything, especially that chocolate bar you know you have stashed under your desk. You start fantasizing about all the things you want to eat. That chocolate donut, a giant startbucks Muffin, the bag of dorritos from the vending machine, the list gets worse and worse. Can you relate? It happens to the best of us. That time of day, in between meals, when the hunger and cravings hit. I call this the Crave Zone. It's a common thing, and I see it in my clients. They’ll send me their food logs and it's awesome, and then they write “I was so hungry around 3:00 so I just grabbed the first thing I could” which is usually a cookie sitting on the counter or something along those lines. Some simple changes in our day can turn the Crave Zone into a metabolism boosting-hunger curbing awesome zone if we play our cards right. Here are my tips:

1)    Start your day right. A big contributor to hunger throughout the day is what we have for breakfast. Make sure you have some protein and some healthy fat in your breakfast so that you have something for your body to burn throughout the day. (check out more awesome breakfast recipes in my Sculpted for Summer program here).

2)    Be prepared. Always have a healthy snack easy access for that time of day. It takes a little prep and planning in advanced, but it will be a game changer for you. If you know you are going to be out and about, pack something in your purse. Or if you are home, stock your fridge with go to healthy snacks. Some of my favorites are dry roasted nuts, peanut butter and an apple, String cheese, veggies and hummus. There are a ton of more ideas in my meal plans hear.

3)    Remove the Junk. When hunger and cravings strike, our sub conscience tells us to reach for the easiest, closest thing. If we leave junk food and treats out on the counter, that's what we're going to reach for! Throw out the candy bowls and the cupcake stand. Instead, chop up a veggie tray with a homemade dip ready to go in your fridge, or have a bowl of fruit on the counter to suggest a healthy snack. 

Don’t think you have to persevere through 5 hours of hunger until dinner, you should listen to your body and have a snack. The important part is to make it a good snack and to be prepared! Now that Crave Zone doesn’t stand a chance against your combatting skills. 

My Top 5 Tips: How to Sculpt a 6 Pack

The million dollar question: How do I get a six pack??

This is one of those questions that if I made a dollar off every time someone asked me, I would be a wealthy trainer. And I’m sure you’ve asked it yourself (unless you're one of those genetically blessed hybrid humans with a permanent ninja turtle shell). But for the majority of humans, it's a challenge. You may follow “six pack ab” posts and bust out some sit ups every chance you get, but the abs just don’t seem to cooperate with the program. Before we jump into my tips for sculpting abs, I want to point out some factors that play a role in ab development.

1. First of all, there is a genetic factor. And this my friends, is something we can’t do a thing about. Our bodies have a genetic code that decide where we store more fat, and where it burns more fat. Some people just naturally carry their weight in their midsection, while others carry it in their butt, or evenly dispersed throughout the entire body. That being said, if you don’t have genetic abs, it doesn’t mean its impossible for you to have them. It simply means you just need to put in a little more effort than someone who does. 
2. The Child Bearing factor. Whether you’ve had kids or not definitely plays a roll in ab development. I’ve worked with a lot of women before, during, and after pregnancy and a common theme is they obviously want to lose there baby weight and fix the mid section. This is totally doable but I always stress the importance to woman to build a strong core BEFORE they get pregnant. You will have a much easier time getting back your shape post baby if you have some muscles already in there to build upon. Obviously child bearing changes your body, so your body most likely won’t be exactly how it was before, but I have worked with several woman post pregnancy who have got in even better shape than their pre-baby body. Again, it just takes a little more effort than before. Also, you don't want to jump right into sit ups post baby, but start strengthening with rotating side planks, and similar exercises so you abs grow back together. I am designing a post baby program so stay tuned in for that. 

Alright now lets get to the good stuff. Here are my top tips for sculpting your abs.

1. What you eat: You’ve heard it before, Abs are made in the kitchen. Its true. The main reason people don’t have visible abs is because they are hidden underneath a layer of fat. One way to reduce that layer is by eating a healthy diet. First order of caution: LOWER SUGAR INTAKE and CUT OUT ALCOHOL. Just by cutting out processed sugars and alcohol you will start to notice a huge difference. Try to keep your daily intake under 32g of sugar (that’s including sugar from fruit). Second order of caution: INCREASE VEGETABLE INTAKE. You should aim to get at least 2 cups of veggies in a day. This is not difficult if you practice replacing grains with veggies (adding zucchini to your morning oats, making sweet potato buns rather than bread, or cauliflower rice in place of white rice). Also adding greens to your smoothies is a big bonus. Awesome recipes in my Sculpted for Summer program here.
2. How you train: Another fabulous way to burn off that ab-hiding layer of fat is to do High Intensity Interval Training (or also known as HIIT). These are short bursts of exercise (usually 30 sec-1 min.) with short rest periods in between. The idea is that your full workout is a little bit shorter (around 30 min.) but you go all out for the time that you are working. You can go harder for 30 seconds than you can for a 6 mile run. This spikes your heart rate, uses more muscles, burns more calories, and actually turns your body to overtime fat burning mode after your workout is over. Rather than sticking to the same 5 mile run every day, mix it up with higher intensity cardio intervals and enjoy the fat burning benefits. Lots of HIIT in my training programs here.
3. What to train: You don’t need to end every workout with an ab routine. Abs are just like every other muscle group in our bodies, would you train your legs every day? Probably not. But for some reason people always want to end every workout with some ab work. This is unnecessary and may cause more harm than good. Instead, I recommend training abs 2-3 times per week, and train them good. Rather than just focusing on your frontal 6 pack muscles, target the entire core. This will make the whole area tighter and stronger. Your core includes everything from your shoulders down to your hips. Your abs, lower abs, obliques, back, the entire trunk.  And as you get stronger, progress the exercises! Hold your plank longer, add weight to your sit-ups, try adding sliders & stabilization exercises, pick up TRX. 
4. Remove the bloat: Along with the layer of fat, there’s a good chance there’s some bloat of excess water and gas covering up those precious abs. The week leading up to your swimsuit reveal, try removing these foods that tend to cause the bloat:

    • Salt

    • Cheese

    • Dairy Milk

    • Gluten

    • Beans & Legumes

    • Artificial Sweeteners (Sucralose, Sorbitol)

5)   Stand Tall: Something that most people over look is the importance of good posture and how you hold yourself throughout the day. Practice standing up tall and engaging your core muscles throughout the day. Imagine you’re wearing a corset. It may not seem like much, but over time, if you are using your core throughout the day, your torso will appear lengthened, better for ab display, and it will be stronger from the inside out. 

So there you have it, my top five tips for success in the Ab department. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t appear overnight, its a long slow process. I’ve seen my abs change over the past 4 years by following these tips. I didn’t notice the change day to day, or even week to week, but now looking back at pictures I can see the results and the progress made. Good things take time!

My No Excuse Approach to Fitness

How to overcome Inconvenient Circumstances. 

Being in the health/fitness industry, I’ve heard it all. From can’t find a babysitter, to I can’t or don’t want to pay for a gym, don’t have time for the gym, or I live in an apartment with no space to workout from home. I get it. Sometimes exercise isn’t the most convenient thing, unless we make it a priority in our lives. I’m here to show you how to overcome those excuses and that it is possible to get in shape no matter where you are, how much money you have, whether you have kids or not, or how crammed your space may seem.

I truly stand by my No Excuse approach to fitness and I’ve put it to the test this last year. Most health professionals (my previous self included) have access to all sorts of tools, gym space, equipment, etc. To those outside of the fitness industry it may be easy to think, well of course they’re ripped, they live at the gym. Well I want to address this stereotype and give hope to those people who may view their circumstances as not quite ideal for getting their body into the shape they’d like. I can’t completely speak for mothers with kids since I don’t have kids of my own yet. However, the majority of my clients are mothers and I’ve learned quite a lot from working with them on how to juggle schedules with kids, and that if made a priority, it can be done. Not only can it be done, but fitting in a workout can make you a better momma giving you more energy, endorphins, releasing stress, and not to mention you’ll be setting a good example for your kids to live a healthy life as well! Even if its just 15 minutes, it makes a difference. You can workout right from home while the babies napping, and the other kid is on your back (I’ve seen it done :) And if you ever feel dumb or embarrassed that you don't have all the cool gear or clothing or whatever the hype is, just owne it haha. Last week I went to a Yoga class in Paris and I don't even have a mat here because we can't really buy stuff like that since we don't have room to take it home. So I was the only one in the class slipping around on my raggedy towel haha. Oh well, I got a good laugh out of it. I could've let that stop me, but I just embraced it. 

This last year my husband and I have been living abroad in Europe. We started traveling last June from Salt Lake, to New York, to Iceland, then made our way to Germany where we lived for 6 months. In January of this year we moved to Paris where we will be for another 6 months. It’s been amazing. We’ve had some trying times, ups and downs, but the growth and experiences have been irreplaceable. One of the differences with adjusting to life here has been not having access to a gym. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Starting off our travels, I was coming from a schedule where I was working out hard at the gym for at least an hour each day, with full access to any equipment I wanted for free. When we were first on the road I was struggling. I go a little crazy if I don’t get my workout in for the day. But we walked a ton and I lowered my consumption of food. (remember the equation of exercise more = eat more & exercise less = eat less. Typically your hunger levels will reflect this). When we got a little more settled in Germany I searched around for gyms but it’s just different than in the states. We were in a smaller town so there weren’t really gyms in our area. Another important detail is the fact that we have been living on an extremely tight “Intern in Europe” budget. We haven’t really had room in our budget to pay European gym prices. So in the mean time, I got out my energy with morning runs exploring our new home. I scoped out some awesome playgrounds nearby that have turned into my favorite gyms. Circumstances that are not ideal lead us to practice creativity, which I’ve totally embraced. 

I brought a few easy to pack items from home with me. These are items I recommend investing in. They are affordable and make for an easy hotel room workout when you’re on the go. A ‘perform better’ booty band, a heavy resistance band, my homemade felt sliders, and thats about it. With those small and simple items, combined with body weight, and our neighborhood play ground, I’ve been able to keep my body in tip top shape (or at least at a happy place) and get in some serious butt kicking workouts. Three months into the internship I got a job with a small women’s gym in the city where I had access to some equipment and gym space for free. It came in good timing for the colder months which was really nice. I took full advantage of the weights while I had them. I love body weight exercises and cardio, but I crave lifting heavy and I love the way it shapes my body and the way it makes me feel. So I did have that which I know was a nice and convenience, but not a necessity which is the point I’m trying to make. 

So fast forward a few months to Paris. Its January, its cold, we’re on an even tighter budget, and we have a small apartment. I can’t get a job at a gym because I don’t have a work visa. So a few more things going against us this time. But again, where there’s a will there’s a way. We were blessed to find an apartment very close to an amazing park. It has hills, stairs, benches, playgrounds, and open space. This is stuff you can typically find at any city park near you, and it’s really all you need! You can check out my Sculpted for Summer 8 week program for demo pics of all these exercises at the park. I use the playground swings to do my TRX suspension trainer exercises, I use the benches for step ups, decline push ups, box jumps, the list goes on and on. I use the surroundings for hill sprints, stair drills, lunges, and they even have a pull up bar at the play ground to work on my pull-ups, chin-ups, hanging ab exercises, you name it. You can even use monkey bars to play around with. I use my resistance bands at the park as well, mixing body weight, bands, and swings. In our tiny apartment I’ve managed to put in some work with the small space. I use my sliders, our step latter, I even rig up the resistance band in the window, and the couches and chairs are always there to change up the angles of my push ups or planks. About a month into this I was craving some weight again. My husband and I were brainstorming, what can we use for weight? I had filled up my camelback backpack with water, used some giant water bottles for arm work, but this still wasn’t cutting it. We did some more brainstorming and finally found it. We built our own sandbag. It’s been awesome (I have a complete how to guide with my 8 week program). Its about 50 pounds. We use it for squats, chest presses, kettle bell swings, back rows, sled pushes on our kitchen floor, and basically any move you can do with dumbbells, but it gets way harder due to the floppiness of the sand. Everything quickly becomes a full body exercise, with a focus on the core. It’s great because we can dump out the sand and take it with us. We plan to take it on our trip to the coast this weekend and fill it up on the beach there for some post-surf morning workouts. 

So there you have it. Some extra ideas and proof that it doesn’t take fancy equipment or a lot of money to get in shape, or maintain your shape, depending on what stage you’re at in your fitness journey. Whether you’re low on time, money, babysitters, or whatever the excuse, I know you can do it! And if you’re wanting a little extra motivation and direction, download my 8 week program here. You can see pictures of me at the park demonstrating each workout and how you can make it work with the equipment you have available to you. Our health is the best investment we can make! Our bodies are our permanent homes here on earth, lets give them the maintenance and love they deserve. 

Chocolate Chicken in Paris!

This past Saturday I was lucky enough to go to a cooking class in Paris. It was right at one of the booths at the street market. We learned how to make Chicken with a Spicy Chocolate sauce. I know, doesn't seem very french. It's actually a South American Dish, kind of ironic huh! haha but wherever it's from it is delicious! And healthy too! you get all the benefits of the dark cacao, with its antioxidents and nutrients, with the protein in the chicken, and pair it with some brown rice for a complete meal! Plus, who doesn't want more excuses to add chocolate to their life?

I put together the recipe here for you so you can try it on your own, let me know how it goes! I tried to do my best with the measurement conversions since they use grams here, so feel free to adjust it according to taste if its not quite right. Bon appétit!!

INGREDIENTS:

20g / 1.5 TBS ground almonds (almond flour)

20 g / 1.5 TBS toasted sesame seeds

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cloves

¼ teaspoon of Espelette

¼ teaspoon paprika

120 g/ 1/2 C / 1 small white onion

1 garlic clove

50 g/2 long carrots 

8 fresh cilantro stems

5 grinds of 5 bay seasoning

50 cl chicken stock (or water + cube poultry)

salt

40 g/ 1/4 C dark chocolate 80%

40 g/ 1/4 C dark chocolate pastry

200 g/ 1 C brown rice

DIRECTIONS:

For sauce-

chop the white onion.

Peel, grate and then finely chop the carrots.

Heat a frying pan (deep enough) over medium heat, pour a trickle of oil. Saute the chopped white onion.

Add spices: cinnamon, cloves, paprika, Espelette pepper, 3 grinds of 5 bays.

Then add: chopped carrots, almonds, sesame seeds. Mix well. Add the chicken broth. Season with a little salt if necessary.

Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.

Mix everything in a blender or with a hand blender.

Return the sauce to the heat. Add the chocolate, stir to dissolve. Adjust seasoning.

For Chicken:

Season the chicken with salt and supreme few grinds of 5 bays, color them in a hot pan with a drizzle of oil. Transfer to a baking dish.

Fifteen minutes before serving, place your chicken supremes in preheated oven at 200 ° C (400 F) Cook for 10 minutes.

For Rice-

1. Rinse the rice. In a pan put 1 part rice to 2 parts cold water + a little salt. Bring to a boil (starting with cold water). Once the water is absorbed, reduce heat (thermostat 2) and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Chop coarsely coriander and mix the cooked rice.

To serve:

Arrange the chicken on top of 1/2 C rice and cover with chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds & cilantro.