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Healthy & Active

Lemon Lentil Soup

2/24/2021

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There is nothing like having a soup that warms the heart and fills the soul.  This is one of them.  This lentil soup is super tasty and nice and hearty.  It's easy to prep, and doesn't take long to cook.  About 10minute prep time and 20minute cook time. 

Ingredients:

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 Celery Stalks Chopped
3 Carrots Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
½ Yellow Onion Chopped
2 Cups Dry Red Lentils (rinsed)
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
Yield 2 Cups of Water
1tbs Cumin
1tsp Coriander
1tsp Dry Oregano
1tsp Dry Thyme
½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ Lemon Juice Squeezed
Salt to taste
1tbs Olive Oil (Enough to coat the pot)

Directions:

After you chop and prep your vegetables, heat your dutch oven or pot, add your olive oil - just enough to lightly cover the pan.  Once oil is hot, add your vegetables (celery, carrots, red bell pepper, and onion) to the dutch oven and saute for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.   Rinse your red lentils and add them to the veggie mix, let them cook for 1-2 minutes while you stir. 

Add your vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Add your seasoning (Cumin, coriander, oregano, thyme, black pepper). Lower the heat to a high high simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.  Add water as needed. 

When lentils are tender, stir in lemon juice and add salt to taste. Let cool, and enjoy this tasty lentil soup.
Makes about 6 servings.
1 Serving is about a cup.
 288 calories.
2.4 grams of fat.
48 grams of carbs.
18.8 grams of protein.

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There Is More To Vegetables Than  Just Salads

2/21/2021

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How to incorporate veggies into your dishes. 

We all know that vegetables are good for you and that they are healthy to eat.  But some of us have a hard time getting these nourishing bites into our system.  It might be that you don’t like them or maybe you just don’t know how to prepare them in a way that you CAN enjoy them. 

I love salads. I’m one of those people who could have a salad each day, not get tired of it, and be super content with raw veggies over a green leafy bed. But this isn’t the case for everyone.  You don’t have to only eat salads to be healthy, there are other ways to eat your nourishing colors.

I started to play around with different ways that I could add vegetables into our meals and snacks at home once my son started to get a little picky with his solid foods.  At first he seemed to enjoy eating veggies, and now it’s a hit or miss.  So I got creative with some recipes and mixed some of the nourishment into dishes that I know he would enjoy.


The recommendations for vegetable intake (for an adult) is: 4-5 servings of vegetables a day. A serving of vegetables can look like: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables or ½ cup cut up raw or cooked vegetables.

8 Ways To Incorporate Vegetables In Your Lifestyle To Help, Not Only Nourish Your Body, But Help You Enjoy The Foods

  1. Smoothies - These are such an easy and quick way to throw together a meal, maybe it’s pre or post workout, maybe it’s just something for you to grab and go.   The great thing about smoothies, is that you can add veggies without losing the sweet taste of the fruits and you still get in the fiber. 
  2. Pancakes/Waffles/Muffins/Breads - Believe it or not, you can create the batter for these and add some veggies either shredded or pureed to add a bit more nutrition to the mix.  Carrots/sweet potatoes/zuccini are popular vegetables to bake with.  
  3. Eggs - Between omelettes, frittatas, and even egg muffins, you can create egg dishes that are tasty and have some of your favorite vegetables mixed in.  By adding veggies to your eggs you can add more of a balance to the meal between your fats, proteins, and carbs. 
  4. Soups/Stews - This is another super easy way to take in your veggies.  Throw a bunch of different vegetables together, (carrots, celery, turnips, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, yellow onion, kale) saute them, add broth and let them simmer, then add some cooked chicken to the pot, maybe a small pasta, or even a matzo ball. Add whatever seasonings you like, (ie: oregano, salt, and pepper).  And bam! You have a hearty soup to help nourish your soul. 
  5. Roasting Vegetables - Get a variety of different vegetables, throw them on a sheet, and place them in the oven when you are prepping a meal or two - season them, add some dressings, or eat them as is. They can be used as a side dish or snack, they can be mixed into a rice/quinoa bowl, and you can even throw them on top of a salad. It is always nice to have roasted veggies as an option during the week.
  6. Sandwiches/Wraps - Breads get a bad wrap (pun intended haha). But really, eating things in moderation is okay.  When looking for bread, try sprouted whole grains - this way you can avoid the enriched and more processed flours.  Add raw/sauteed/roasted veggies to your sandwiches and wraps.  Try some hummus, olive spread/tapenade, roasted yellow squash, roasted zucchini, roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, roasted red onion, add some chicken or leave it vegetarian and throw on a falafel - nom nom nom. 
  7. Sauteing Vegetables - Saute some vegetables and make a stir fry, fajitas, or tacos. It’s quick, easy, and needs little seasoning to taste good to enjoy.
  8. Patties - Shredded vegetables mixed with ground meat to make a juicy burger, or even just shredded veggies mixed with an egg to create a vegetable patty/pancake. It can be cooked over the stove/grill/oven. ​
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ME Time. 4 Tips on how to create this time for busy mamas.

2/4/2021

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My ME time is uninterrupted time for myself, my mind, and my health

Before being a mama, keeping a work-life balance came easy to me. I stayed productive with work, household needs, made time for friends and family, along with time for myself - with ease.  
 
After having Baby Boy, things got tougher. I am even more busy juggling my work-life balance.  Having a tiny human attached to the hip is a beautiful thing, but also makes it challenging to do something for only myself.  My thoughts are consumed with things to better his life, to make him happy, to make sure he is feeling the love always 💕So my needs don’t cross my mind during the day, or if they do, it is quickly forgotten with this mushy mom brain I have acquired 🤦🏽‍♀️😆.
 
During his waking hours, all my attention is on Baby Web.  Trying to find the time to do anything else is tough - I will continue to try, but it is tough 😆 When he naps and is down for the night, I can focus on work or household chores -whatever the priority is.
 
I love the time I spend with Baby Boy, but let’s be real, we all need some time to ourselves, even if it’s for a moment - to meditate/to breathe/to just step away and do something we love. With being a mom I’m finding that the window of opportunity for uninterrupted time is limited and small. (At least for right now. I hear it gets better 🤞🏽😊)
 
For me, the time that I have, uninterrupted, is in the morning before my hubs has to begin work. So, the amount of time I have depends on when I wake up. And with my tiny human alarm clock, I’m guaranteed an early rise to start my day with some me time. 😂 
 
I sometimes spend it with a workout/run and a shower. Other days I may use it to catch up on some sleep and a shower. I use the time for the things that make me happy and help me function better through the day. Comment below and tell me what you enjoy doing during your alone time.
 
Whatever time is open in the day for you - make sure you take it.  Even if it’s just for a short moment. Take that time to do something for yourself, take the time to focus on your health (mental & physical), take that time to do what you need to do so you can be better, so you can feel better. LOVE AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.  ♥️ 

How can we make sure we get this time for ourselves? Here are 4 tips to having your ME time. 

  1. Talk to your spouse/partner/whoever is in your household, to help you out during this time.  Whether it’s to feed your baby milk/food, to entertain your baby, to do some of the household chores so it doesn’t take time away from your only window.  Figure out what works for you and your family, and get the assistance that you need.
  2. Make a plan.  Speak to your spouse/partner on what times will work best for you so that you are both on the same page.  This way, it becomes a part of your everyday routine to make time for yourself. 
  3. Enjoy this time for you. Don’t be afraid to put your phone on silent or turn it off.  Continue the enjoyment of being completely uninterrupted.  Focus on you and focus on what you’re doing by not feeling obligated to answer a phone call or text right away during this time. 
  4. Be productive with your active ME tasks. This is your time, so depending on what you are doing for yourself will depend on whether or not it needs to be productive. If your time is spent catching up on sleep, taking a bath, or just plain old rest - then obviously you don’t need to plan for productivity.  But, if your time is going to be spent in the gym - plan your workout ahead of time.  This will allow you to make the most out of your time, and focus on what you need.  If your time is spent in the kitchen, once again, plan your meals so you know what you need to do for food prep.  If your time is spent shopping, plan out what you need to get, and which stores you'll go to. 
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Body Weight Workouts - Basic Movements With Their Modifications And Progressions

1/27/2021

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Body Weight Workouts

Body weight workouts are some of my favorites!  This type of training can go from simple movements, to challenging your body’s strength in unbelievable ways. Not to mention, body weight routines can be done ANYWHERE, because most don’t need equipment.  And if there are pieces of equipment that need to be used (ie: steps/benches/chairs/poles/etc), they can usually be found around the house or outside at parks.

With the pandemic going on, and all of us being stuck in our homes ALL day long, it can be tough to get ourselves moving.  But it is more important than ever to do so. 
The more sedentary we are, the more we put our health at risk for joint problems and diseases.

So, that being said, what is 20-30 minutes out of your long day? If you are utilizing some space in your home for your workouts, or heading outside in the yard, or to the park, you can get a quick and efficient resistance workout in, using just your body weight.  No it’s not a gym, and no it’s not heavy lifting - but there are ways to manipulate the movements to give your muscles a different type of challenge and to help you build and maintain your strength. ​

  • Squats can be challenged by getting onto one leg for single leg squats (this can help challenge the strength of each leg individually and help you build balance between the limbs). There are so many varieties for single leg squats (pistol squats, bulgarian split squats, split squats, single leg box squats.)

  • Pushups can be challenged by placing your feet on a step/couch/chair/step/bench and using this decline to push against the added stress from gravity. Other ways to challenge the pushup can be by incorporating some core movements like doing a spiderman pushup, you can also try a hindu pushup which challenges different muscles of the shoulder in different parts of the movement. You can even utilize a wall to challenge yourself in handstand pushups. 
 
  • Pull ups are always a great calisthenic movement to help build strength in the upper back muscles and if you are new to this movement, you can always begin with chin holds or jumping pull ups.  Those who are advanced in pull-ups can try L-sit pull ups which will cause you to activate your core muscles more during the movements, and/or change up the tempo by doing eccentric pull ups (slowly lower down from the top, and quickly pull yourself up so the chin is above the bar).
 
  • Lunges and Step Ups are always easy and fun to take with you anywhere. For lunge challenges, try adding jumps and for step ups, you can add a lunge on the bottom of the movement.

There are so many ways you can challenge your body.  You don’t always need weights, you just need to manipulate what you do have and start moving!
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5 Gym Equipment Pieces To Help You Build Your Home Studio/Gym

1/20/2021

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When it comes to working out at home, the biggest question that I get is, "What equipment should I get?"  And with that, it always depends on the individual.   If you live in a small space and don't want your gym equipment out in your living room every day, then you can look for pieces that are easy to store and still very efficient.   But maybe you have enough space to have an entire space just for working out and don't mind displaying your gym equipement, then you can get multiple dumbbells and kettlebells - maybe you want to get a rowing machine, or another piece of cardio equipment as well as the weights.   Each individual is different when it comes to purchasing equipment for your home.  But it's always great to have the extra resistance. 
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Whether you are somebody who religiously heads out of the house to workout in a gym facility or you would rather stay home to workout, it’s always a great idea to have some equipment for those home workout days.  We are all home more so now than ever before with the pandemic, so it’s a good idea to have a few things that will help you keep up with your routine when the gym isn’t an option. 

Here are some of my favorites to help get you started with your home fitness collection. The equipment that I recommend is easy to store and very versatile - So whether you live in a spacious home or a studio apartment, you’ll find that these pieces can be very efficient in building strength and endurance, while making it easy to pack/put away. 

5 Pieces of Equipment to Start Your Home Gym/Studio


  1. Resistance Bands. These are great because they add resistance to your routine, and by getting the bands with a door anchor, you can even mimic movements that you would normally do on a cable machine. 
    Click Here To View Resistance Bands
     
  2. Mini Band. Mini bands can always add to your lower body routines to help build the glutes, get a great burn, and help to activate these muscles.  They are very popular for the butt muscles, but can also be used for upper body exercises as well. These come with a small bag that can be easily stored, and you can easily bring them with you on any trips that you take.
    Click Here To View Mini Band
  3. Suspension Trainer. I absolutely love using a suspension trainer. This is a great way to use your body weight differently.  You can modify and progress all of your movements by changing the angle in which you position yourself.  The suspension trainer can easily anchor to a door and you can really work your entire body with this piece of equipment.  It’s easy to store, and also easy to travel with.  You can workout at home, the gym, and even take it outdoors. 
    Click Here To View Suspension Trainer
  4. Jump Rope/Speed Rope. Jumping rope is a great way to get your cardio on. Especially if you don’t have any cardio equipment and don’t want to leave your house for a run or bike.  Jumping rope can help improve your cardiovascular endurance as well as your muscular endurance.  It will build up your stamina, improve your lower body strength and stability, and prepare your body for impact.  Use this with your HIIT routines, or just jump as its own workout.
     
    Click Here To View Jump Rope
  5. Adjustable Dumbbells are always good if you want to have some sort of heavy resistance for your training.  Toning up/building muscle/weight loss all require progressive overload, which can only be done when you have weight to add to your exercises to give your body added stress to the joints and muscles.  So having dumbbells at home, and having the option for heavy dumbbells will help keep you on track to your goals.  I recommend the adjustable dumbbells for people who don’t want equipment sitting out in the middle of the living room - these are easier to store. The price of these vary depending on the max weight you decide to get.  You can also start with a small amount of weight and purchase added plates another time.
    Click Here To View Adjustable Dumbbells
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Setting Realistic Goals

1/1/2021

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It is so easy to create excuses to keep us from starting habits for a healthy and active lifestyle, even if we know that starting it can greatly benefit us.  We all want a quick fix, a magic pill to do exactly what we want done, a snap of the finger and BAM you look good and are healthy as a horse.  But if I’m being honest, it doesn’t happen that way.
Sure there are trendy crash diets and workout challenges that help people achieve a goal in a short period of time, but that doesn’t last long.  Those results don’t last, and usually lead to unhealthy habits that continue and repeat. To really get on track, it is okay to start small and to start slow. You want to get into a healthy habit and create routines.  The goal is to create a lifestyle that you can keep up with, so you can enjoy life and love who you are. 
It may be a new year, but every day is a new one, so why not get started now?    The best way, that I have found, to keep me on track with my goals is to write down everything.  So do it, write it all down - everything you want to accomplish, how you are going to accomplish your goals, the things that make you feel good - write it all down.
Create a list each week of what needs to get done. Set your priorities, so the most important tasks can be finished first.  Create small goals each day/week that are easy and realistic for you to complete. 
How do you make health a priority?  Focus on movement, on drinking more water, on eating your fruits and veggies, on getting more rest and sleep. Think about why you are doing this, is it for yourself? 
Some examples of these health and fitness goals can be:’
  • Get 3 workouts in a week, wake up and drink 1 glass of water. 
  • Drink two 40oz water bottles a day.
  • Aim to go to bed at 9pm.
  • Set your alarm for 6am to wake up and get a workout in.
  • Add 1 serving of fruits/veggies to each meal, etc. 
Think about what changes need to be made, how you are going to make them, and set those goals. Don’t let another excuse get in your way.  The only way you are going to reach your goals, is by taking the first step and putting in the work. 


In order to see the results, you have to start somewhere, you have to progress, you have to build, and you have to be CONSISTENT. Create a healthy habit, and make a lifestyle for yourself. 
Get organized - Set your priorities - Get started - Hit those goals
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Jenna Webster CSCS
@TheFitGirlWithCurls
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HOLIDAY FEASTING

11/30/2020

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HOLIDAY FEASTING
Coping with the guilt of overindulging.

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​HAPPY HOLIDAYS! What a happy time.   This usually means family, friends, fun, and the biggest F of them all FOOD!  During the holidays we join our friends and family for gatherings and parties, as we talk, laugh, drink and EAT. And with eating, we may sometimes get ahead of ourselves and overeat during an event or one sitting of a meal, and now with covid, we may be overeating because there is just MORE food in the house for less people to eat.  Whatever the reason, it happens, we all do it. 
So how do we cope with the guilt of overindulging? Many of us have felt guilty overeating. Here are 5 tips to help you get on track after indulging:


1. Eat Whole Foods. Avoid diets and cleanses. You want to make sure that if you “fall off” you can quickly get yourself back on track with healthy habits.  It’s not about going on a crash diet to feel miserable while you deprive yourself of things.  It’s about eating in a way that is sustainable for your lifestyle in the long run that will have you feeling good by boosting your metabolism and giving you a good balance with the foods you need and the foods you love. 
Whole foods.  Not the grocery store.  Think plant-based(fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts), minimal to no processed foods, lean meats, poultry, and fish. 

2. Drink Lots Of Water.  Our body is made up of about 60% water.  So we need it. Water helps the body function properly.  It helps to lubricate the joints, transport nutrients to muscles, and remove waste from the body.  It also helps our body regulate temperature, and is vital for cell development and muscle growth (which helps with weight loss).
How much water should you drink in a day? Women should aim to drink 2.7 Liters and men should aim to drink 3.7 Liters.

3. Balance Your Portions.  Balance is important. You want to have carbs, fats, AND, protein with your meals.  After a big feast, you don’t want to cut out any of these nutrients just because you ate a lot. Let’s focus on the healthy, nourishing, whole foods of these three macronutrients. 
Carbohydrates: These are vital for energy.  Carbs are the main source of fuel that your the body uses to break down and create energy.  Carbohydrates are not the enemy, they are important in our diet. Healthy carbs are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.   Rather than cutting out this necessary nutrient, focus on the real whole foods and minimize or eliminate the processed carbohydrates.  The problem with processed food, is that they do not provide your body with necessary nutrients or help your body function optimally - Processed foods lead to higher caloric intake without sufficient nourishment. 
Fats: These are also vital for optimal health.  This nutrient is also used for energy, and has more functions that we may not realize. For example, fat helps in cell growth and Development, it is important in brain function, it helps to keep our body warm, it helps to absorb and transport some nutrients throughout the body, and it also helps in hormone production.  Our body needs fat. Some examples of healthy fats are: Avocado, nuts and seeds, olives and olive oils, salmon, eggs, dark chocolate.
Protein: Another nutrient that is important to optimize health. They are our body’s building blocks.  As our cells break down, they need protein to repair and grow.  Protein intake is based on an individual's weight as well as the type and level of activity they do.  But as a minimum protein intake, you can focus on .8 x body weight (in kg). So somebody who is 135lb would take in about 48grams of protein a day.

4. Consistency In Workouts.  Keep up with this habit - it’s a good one.  Your consistency is going to help you get to your goals and help you keep and maintain your goals. Cardio and resistance training will keep you fit and strong.  Cardio is important for your body because it helps you stress the strength and endurance of your cardiovascular system (your heart, lungs, arteries, and veins.)  It helps you utilize oxygen more efficiently throughout your body.  And oxygen is needed for burning fat. 
Resistance training is how we strengthen our body, build our muscles, and improve our bone density.  There are different forms of resistance training - you can use free weights, machines, bodyweight - you can do traditional weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, etc. After a training session your muscles have been worked and broken down.  This is the time they need to repair, rebuild, and grow.  This happens when your body is at rest, and your muscles need energy to build. Resistance training allows you to utilize oxygen more efficiently while at rest  which increases your metabolism, and ultimately increases the rate of fat burning.
Be consistent with both cardio and resistance training to help keep you on track. The minimum requirement for a healthy and active lifestyle is 2 days of resistance training (6-10 exercises) and 3 days of cardio at moderate intensity. 
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5. Consistency With Movement. Movement doesn’t only mean exercising.  It literally means to move your body.  Making sure you are getting any kind of physical activity.  Walking, dancing,  gardening, yoga, biking, and hiking, are all examples of physical activity. Anything that gets your body up and going above a resting level.  
There is probably more sitting now in our lifestyles than there was pre-covid.  Just because we are home more often, don’t let that be a reason to keep you from moving.  If you find that you are sitting for long periods of time, do whatever you can to get up and move throughout your day.
For example, you can set a timer to remind you to get up and walk around every 20-30minutes.  Take a walk around your neighborhood.  Walk up and down the stairs. If you are driving anywhere, park at a walking distance away from your location to help you get some steps in, you can even just sit and stand in and out of your chair for repetitions.  
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Making A Habit Out Of Fitness

11/30/2020

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“It’s a lifestyle.” You may hear a lot of gym goers and health enthusiasts say this all the time. And it’s true.  It IS a lifestyle. It becomes something that is just a part of the way we do things on a day to day basis.  It’s not a hassle to us, it makes us feel good, it makes us feel alive, and it’s not a burden to keep up with. But, if health and fitness is not a part of how you do things, how do you get it to become a part of your life?

The goal is to make health and fitness a habit in your life.  By consciously making healthy choices for yourself on a day to day basis will become a part of your lifestyle. 

4 Tips in creating a habit out of fitness and keeping your body in motion.

1. Make your rest days ACTIVE.  Recovery and rest days from training and the gym are important for muscle development, strength development, it helps to avoid overtraining, and helps in injury prevention. But rest days don’t necessarily mean to sit around on our butts watching netflix for the entire day to only get up to check the fridge or hit the loo.
Rest days are about taking a break from your gym routine and training. But you can still move your body to keep your muscles in motion.  This means, moving through very light activity like leisure walks or bike rides, going on hikes, swimming, yoga, playing sports and games with your friends and family, gardening, cleaning, doing something that you enjoy outside of the gym and keeping yourself active. 

2. Avoid consecutive rest days. When planning our rest days, it can be very tempting to just give ourselves two days in a row - this tends to be Saturday and Sunday. This is fine if you are consistently getting into the gym and nailing your workouts.  But for someone just starting off whose goal is to turn fitness into a habit, it's better to avoid consecutive rest days. One day is fine, the second day the motivation starts to dwindle, and the third day is a debate whether you should allow yourself one more day of rest “because it’s just ONE day.” 
In my opinion, it’s better to split the rest days up when you want to keep yourself in control and moving towards your goals.

3. Train EFFICIENTLY in the time you have.  Life is busy! No matter who you are, somedays/weeks/months may feel like you have no control and no time for your full workouts.  But start thinking of the workouts as movements rather than a chore, and when life gets crazy and hectic - it’s okay to just go through the movements.  If getting 20 or 30 minute sessions on some days stresses you out with everything else around you, focus on making a conscious effort to just get movements in throughout the day or or move through a quick routine of 4-6 exercises for 10-15minutes in your day.
  • For your movements throughout the day, try to set a timer to get up and walk around/pace every 30minutes for 5-10minutes. 
  • Another movement that can be done is seated squat repetitions from your chair (sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up)
  • Walk up and down a flight of stairs for a certain amount of time.
  • Make it a point to leave things in walking distance to force you to get up and get to them. IE: Tv remote, cell phone, etc. 

4. Get an accountability partner. Accountability is something that will externally motivate you to get your workout and movements in!  Having a friend/family member who has the same goals as you on your team, or hiring a fitness trainer/coach to help guide you in the right direction, even the accountability of joining a group fitness class can help you stay on track.

The idea is having somebody help you live up to your promise to yourself.  This person will help you stay honest and can help push you each day to do what you said you would. Even on those tough days that you just don’t feel like it. Sometimes when we have that little push from someone, it can help us get moving - and there are never regrets on those days after a completed activity.
  • Friend or family member.  You can tell them your goals, and maybe they will want to join in on what you are doing.  You can do things, like challenge each other to move on a daily basis by tracking with your fit watch or phone. You can plan to work out together a certain number of days in the week. If you live at a distance from one another, you can make a pact to text each other before and after doing your workout. Cheer each other on! Motivate each other! Allow this person to help you reach your goals. 
  • Get a Trainer.  I may sound biased, but a personal trainer is a great way to help keep you accountable for your health and fitness goals.  Find somebody that you feel like you can work well with.  They will work with you in creating a program specific to your needs and goals. Scheduling with them will cause you to make your gym appointments, and hit those workouts every week. And if your trainer gives you workouts to do on your own, then you will have the support and motivation from your trainer.
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New Year's Resolutions - Don't just say it! Do it!

12/26/2019

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New Year’s Resolutions can be a cliché that can either help you grow, or for many of us, be something that makes absolutely no changes because we don’t follow through with the thought. The most common of these clichés is to workout more and eat healthier.  If this is your resolution every year, and you decided to try for it once more, let’s talk about setting it forth and becoming successful.


How are you setting yourself up for success?  Other than the overall goal of “workout more” and “eat healthier”, have you set any achievable goals for yourself?  This does not have to be something to fail at.  You can really succeed, as long as you have a plan.  Speaking the words of change out loud is not going to magically give you the body you deserve, make you faster or give you better endurance. Speaking the words of change is not going to magically make you buff or give you the 6 pack of your dreams, drop your resting HR, or even lower your blood pressure.  But, Planning, hard work, consistency, patience, and routines will help get you there OVERTIME. So even though you may be starting in the new year, don’t think of this as a 1 year only road. You have to create the habit, stick with it, and it will become a part of your lifestyle.

Let’s start a habit and keep it consistent with these tips:
  1. Write down your goals and make them specific.
    1. Now, when I’m mentioning goals I’m not talking about the big picture of “eat healthier” and “workout more”. You need to think about smaller goals that are more achievable. These goals will be your building blocks to getting to the grand desire. These can be things that you consistently throw into your program.  Let’s start with 3 simple goals that are reachable on a daily or weekly basis and that are very specific to what you want to achieve. An example of a good goal is, “I want to get myself into the gym 4 days a week for at least 30 minutes.” Another idea of one is, “I’m going to introduce a new vegetable to my dinner each week.” Another is, “Last week I was only able to do 6 repetitions with correct form at a certain weight.  I’m going to keep the weight, and focus on building up to 8 repetitions.”  Each of these those goals is specific in what we want to achieve, and how we are going to do it.
    2. By giving yourself specific goals that can easily be met, it makes the healthier lifestyle resolution easier to attain. Just remember that success happens slowly, overtime, with work, and not with a snap of a finger.  You have to allow yourself to make small changes to move forward on the road you want.
  2. Schedule out a plan.
    1. Don’t just think about what your schedule is for the week. Lay it all out on a calendar.  Whether you plan it for the entire month, each week, or just daily.  Planning ahead will help keep you accountable for what you are trying to achieve.
    2. Write out your work schedule (when do you leave for work, when do you get home, when do you have your lunch break or any free time during the day). Write out your social plans (are you doing happy hour after work, or meeting a friend for dinner?) Check to see where you have any openings in the schedule you just laid out for yourself.  Do you have 20/30/45/60 minutes before you leave for work to hit the gym or do a home routine?  Do you have time during lunch or after work?   What days in the week are you available to do your cooking – Is it only 1 or 2 days? Plan to cook in bulk for leftovers.
    3. Succeeding in your goals is all about prioritizing the things that are important to you. If you add these goals to your daily/weekly schedule, then you have already made the step in allowing it to become a part of your lifestyle, now you just have to execute the plan.
  3. Skipping is not an option when forming a habit.
    1. It’s one thing if you have been active and consistent and know how to bounce back from a week off. But, if you are reading this, you are most likely having trouble sticking to this.  Don’t allow yourself to skip the days that you planned for yourself.  By doing this, you’re lowering the level of its’ priority and not allowing yourself to create this habit. Don’t make excuses for yourself, be consistent, and persistent.
  4. Find the things that you enjoy.
    1. Get on a consistent schedule by doing a form of movement that you like, and/or finding people that you can share your workouts with. Find healthy foods and recipes that you enjoy. This way, it doesn’t seem and feel like chore and becomes more attainable.
    2. For working out, if you enjoy classes try different ones until you find the class you really enjoy. Find the class that helps give you the energy boost you need, or the calming mind that you seek.  Try different things until you find what it is you really like.  Grab a buddy to hit the gym with for resistance training- this way you both can keep each other accountable, push each other, and have some good laughs and conversations when you are at the gym.  Get a trainer if you enjoy the company, but want to focus on just you.  Find ways to enjoy what you are doing, set a great playlist and/or listen to a motivational podcast.
    3. For eating better, find different fruits, veggies, and recipes, that you enjoy. Eating healthy does not need to be boring or dull.  Learn how to cook with natural seasonings and flavors, add some zest to your meals.  Eating can be an emotional thing, so enjoy fueling your body with the proper nutrients, and enjoy giving your body more energy by eating more fruits and veggies in different dishes.

Don’t be the cliché that doesn’t follow through with your resolution.  If you want a change, you and only you can make it happen.  So, let’s get started!  

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Jenna Webster CSCS
@TheFitGirlWithCurls
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Southwest Style Stuffed Peppers - My Way 

12/22/2016

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The idea

Stuffed Peppers, I know I make them pretty often, but they are usually made the same way, with the same ingredients, and no change in the flavor.  But today I was looking for something different. Basically the goal was to use up most of the ingredients that I had in my fridge.  I only had to run to the store for a few things once I decided the type of stuffing I wanted.  I decided to write this blog because I thought it would be unfare to keep this Jenna Authentic Recipe to myself. These peppers are absolutley BANGIN! :-D  You must try.


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    Jenna Webster, ACSM, ACE – Personal trainer specializing in empower busy women to live healthy and active lifestyles!”

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