As I’ve said on my Instagram, I finished 75 Hard and Phase 1 of the Live Hard program earlier this year.
This program is about mental toughness and perseverance with physical aspects thrown in.
Your physical fitness will change, but your mind will do a 360/180 whatever you call it. I'm so much more focused and driven and know what needs to be done. Also, you do have to take a progress pic everyday.
Watermelon- sweet, delicious, and you can eat a ton for few calories
Daily Checklist- I forget everything, so I need a list. Legit almost forgot my own birthday dinner the other day
Ningxia Red Slushies (get your Ningxia here)- pop the packets in the freezer and then you have something to substitute for ice cream
Habit rules (from Atomic Habits) - I couldn't get on social media or play phone games (I’m a huge bingo player) until my visualization, photo, reading, and one of power list items was done. In 75 hard, I made the rule that I couldn't take a shower until I did both workouts. It was much harder in phase one to use that particular rule because showering is one of the tasks. And, a cold shower is something you want to get over and done with.
Grill- I cook most meals, but my husband grills. So for easy prep, I have him cook off a bunch of chicken, burgers, kielbasa and then we eat them for the next few days. It makes dinner so nice if all I have to do is make a side and a veggie.
Cheerleader- Get someone on your freakin' side that will push you to do the stuff when you don't want to. 75 hard was way harder motivation wise. In phase one, you’re kinda in a groove especially with the 75 hard tasks that it's almost autopilot. Now, it's just like you know what to do when you don't want to do it, so you just push through.
All Different Workouts- Unless you super love the exact same workout every day, it is going to get boring. I go to classes at the gym so it's different every day or I use the Peloton app for spinning, yoga, walking, and so much more.
For the outside workout, I either walked, ride my stationary bike (which just f-ing broke) or do yoga. Which even gets boring, because I have the same walking path. Zzzzzz. I live in the middle of nowhere. I really don't have a choice because it's the place with the least amount of cars and there's still a lot of cars.
I can’t stress enough how awesome the Peloton app is (get your free 30 days here Peloton App). It doesn’t replace the in-person connection you get by working out side by side with someone (we don't actually work out side by side, hello covid, it's just an expression, chill out). But, the instructors and music are awesome, so if you can’t get to a gym or funds are kind of tight, the app is $12.99 and you get all kinds of workouts, run, walk, yoga, cycling, strength, boot camp, meditation, stretching and more.
For more workout, food, lifestyle tips, or just to see me be a jackass on a daily basis, follow me on Instagram, join my 75 Hard Ladies group on Facebook or sign up for my free tips on how to Jumpstart your Health today.
A couple of things happened this week. #1. It’s official I no longer wait tables anymore. The restaurant is open for limited seating and I am not there after 18 years. I now can strictly focus on my health and wellness business that I’ve been running for seven years, while I worked full time. I have some thoughts about what we did to get to that point financially aka another blog post, but for now, cheers to new beginnings, chapters ending, and progress!
#2 Monday, I started the 75 Hard challenge. It’s a mental challenge with physical challenge aspects and total lifestyle change.
With that being said, I now am tracking my calories and staying within them and no alcohol or sweets. I have been tracking with the Lose It app for months, but I usually go over my daily allowance. Very rarely is the day where I don’t. Well, until now. I’m on Day 3 of the challenge and I have stuck to it every day.
As I said above, I struggle with eating too much and the wrong foods. I love food. For real, love it and I love trying new dishes, new restaurants. Legit when we travel I usually plan around where we are eating. Can’t miss a fabulous meal!
This time around, I made sure I planned and set myself for success from the very beginning, which is now. I forgot to add, with this challenge, any screw-ups start the challenge over at day 1 (have a drink, day 1. forget to do a workout, day 1). Nevermind, that you are on day 56, you’re back to day 1.
So, I wanted to make sure I was good to begin. Here are the 3 things I did:
I threw out any sweets that I only eat. Anything that Rick would eat, I left. Because we have totally different tastes, I am not as tempted by his faves.
I researched recipes that were healthy, but still satisfied the delicious factor. Check out my food board on Pinterest here.
Parmesan Roasted Carrots and Zucchini3. I made snacks and easy to grab veggies. Not full-on meal prep. But, just the kind of thing you can eat when you just need something, but would normally go for a treat, just cause. I get my veggies from my local grocery store and also from Imperfect Foods and I loaded up, not just a few.
These are my top 3 that I knew I needed to do to start off right. Out of sight, out of mind on the sweets and make healthy food more accessible.
What tips have you found to help you when you are tweaking your nutrition? I’d love to hear about it below. I mean I have 72 more days of strict eating. Help a sister out!
If you enjoyed this, please check my three easy peasy tips for jump-starting your health here!
In my never-ending quest to become healthier, more fit, and have better wellness overall, I see a ton of deprivation created to help people with their wellness goals. Different diets, approaches, etc. I know for me personally I don't do well with deprivation and it is not something I even want to do. I want to be able to have a cookie, a glass of wine, and a slice of bread and butter.
Also, I don't want to live my life so strictly that I feel almost suffocated or even worse obsessed with every little detail of my diet and exercise routine. F all that. Don’t get me wrong, this is maybe a flaw in my personality, maybe it’s a blessing to help others suffering through the same thing feel not so alone.
Other people who, like me, can’t and won't tell their damn selves no every second of every day. Where the middle ground is better than perfection. Also, for those people like myself who do not find restriction fun or necessary.
I’m looking at you, fellow enneagram 7s. Holla at me, players! If you know anything about the Enneagram numbers on my 7 which means my primal fear is fear of pain which deprivation is very close to that. Deprivation doesn't sit well with me and I don't want to do it. I’d rather be fat and happy than miserable and thin.
Deprivation doesn’t do it for me. Putting myself on a restriction diet, oh hell to the no. If this works for you and you are happy, hell yes, keep doing what you are doing. But for me, what does work is adding things that are healthy and good for me.
When I start adding nutrients to my diet, I find that I crave sugary, salty stuff less. But, if I want a damn donut I can still have a damn donut. Ya know.
Actually these past couple days, I have been adding things into my diet and then to my fitness routine and that seems to be working.
I'm adding some supplements. I'm adding more sleep. I'm adding reading and writing and mental health things. I'm adding more time for exercise and I'm adding tracking my food which you could say technically is deprivation because I don't just keep eating once I'm past my calorie count for the day.
I do think it is different because I'm getting to eat whatever I want and when those calories are gone, they’re gone.
I am also not stupid enough to think eating whatever the hell I want is going to get me to my goals, although I know I have tried for years to do both eating what I want and trying to get fitter. #itdoesntwork
This is day 6 of adding all of the things to my life and I’m down a few pounds, I feel good and I still had a freaking quesadilla for lunch. I am possibly on the right path to finally get some balance to my health and wellness.
Guess who just had a holy shit A-ha moment reading, Atomic Habits by James Clear, life-changing kind of moment? Oh, yeah me!!!
I’m on chapter 2, chapter 2 people!!! This book has freaking nuggets of knowledge because chapter freaking two just blew my mind and probably the rest of my life. The chapter is about how habit change is really identity change. Holy fuck.
I always have problems with creating new habits. I don’t stick to a routine, I don’t stick to a diet, I don’t keep coming to the morning workout class. You name it. I always thought it was because I get bored, which I do.
But, it is really because I don’t see myself as a meditator when I meditate. I don’t believe I’m an athlete when I work out and eat. Especially this last one. I always want to look lift and workout because I do, but I never feel like I am/look the part.
And, don’t get me wrong, I've heard a similar concept to this before. Like if you want to be said person, you need to act like them now. Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. You totally get the picture.
Today, for me, it has never been so clearly said and actually clicked in my mind. Logically, I get it. I never thought about becoming the person you strive to be, had to do with your daily habits, and how the small habits are the ones that are going to get you to where you want to be.
As I said earlier when it comes to losing weight and feeling like I'm physically fit, which for me seems like I'm always doing or trying to do on the daily. I work out often, but I always feel like I don't look/act the part.
Apparently, it's because I never believe I am in that role of being an athlete or someone who is fit. So, then my daily habits coincide with that thought of I'm not physically fit so screw it, I'm having ice cream and not having a protein shake.
The lack of me looking, feeling, not being where I want to be physically is because I'm not saying in my head I'm an athlete so then I'm not fueling my body properly. I’ve been saying I want to lose weight, so I need to “eat right”.
I have never ever, ever, ever considered myself an athlete, even when I played sports. I am an asthmatic with average abilities and hand-eye coordination. I was always third string, with no hope of moving up. So, thinking I'm an athlete and training like one has never been on the table.
This really hit me in the feels when I read this quote from the book: “The more deeply a thought or action is tied to your identity, the more difficult it is to change it.”
I’ve never felt like an athlete. This is 38 years of identifying as someone who doesn’t have abs, as someone who doesn’t care about lifting, someone who doesn’t need to care about diet because I don’t need to care because only athletes or people in the fitness industry do that. And, it's an industry I want to get into more, but I always put this roadblock up like you can’t be a personal trainer because you aren’t fit. It seems like I've been putting the cart before the horse.
Whereas my thoughts need to be, I am a personal trainer so I do the things a personal trainer does. I eat the right foods, go to all the workouts, etc. I need to start seeing myself today as an athlete/trainer and become that by doing the small habits that will get me to the place I want to be.
This seriously blew my freaking mind. I can’t wait to read the rest of the book. I’m only 40 some pages in and it feels like I just had a lifelong breakthrough, especially as someone who struggles with healthy habits.
My New Bff
Nutrition is my Achilles heel as far as my health goes. I love to workout, so that's a relatively easy part for me. But, not eating junk is what I really struggle with. I love all food, the good, the bad, the ugly. If it tastes good, I want it. I also don’t want to deprive myself of anything. #annoyingpartofpersonality
And, if I do limit myself, I will not stick to it. I have been on weight watchers, intermittent fasting, low carb, you named it. I am not knocking any of these. If they work for you, rock on! Just for me, they work when I follow it. But, I have a very hard time with a routine and follow through. I need a lot of variety and honestly, I forget to follow a plan or sometimes I just don't care.
Side note: I absolutely hate when people bash things that are working for other people because they themselves don't love it. Stupid. Let people be who they are and we are all different, so piss off if you think we all need to be doing the same diet, routine, lifestyle, everything.
Also, none of them stick with me because after a while the glow of the “new thing” wears off and I'm back to eating whatever I want. I get bored with having the same thing, day after day. I need variety. I need my sweets. I need my salty friends. However, I am smart enough to realize the need isn’t necessarily true. It's just a want. So, in order to satisfy myself and still remain somewhat healthy, I have been making different recipes to fit both of those.
I have been working on making a Strawberry Pina Colada protein shake this week. It's been in the 70s a couple of days in Michigan and that means summer will be here soon (crosses fingers). I’m all about tropical fun drinks when it gets warm out. Like happiness in a glass. So, I wanted to make the protein shake version of that. Because shakes are an easy way to consume your protein and quickly, plus get some fruits and veggies in your diet. Well, there are no veggies in this shake, but you get the point.
Strawberry Pina Colada Protein Shake
8 oz coconut water
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
⅓ c. frozen pineapple
⅓ c. frozen strawberries
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Add to your blender and blend it up. I used frozen pineapples and strawberries because it adds thickness to the shake and chills. But you could definitely use fresh and just add ice. Frozen eliminates that extra step. And, I love easy peasy stuff. Fewer steps, the better.
Super quick, easy, tastes delish, and under 400 calories.
