#AtoZchallenge - Acknowledge Your Natural Beauty

I could have written about many things for the letter N. I had a list prepared to choose from: nutrition, new beginnings, never give up, to name a few.

But this morning, my husband changed my mind for me. We were in the Starbucks drive-thru, and as usual, I was hurriedly putting on my mascara while he paid for our coffee.

He turned to me as he slid the coffee into the cupholders, looked over and said, "You're looking sexy today."

I laughed, dismissing his remark. I knew exactly how I was "looking" today. Tired. Light makeup. And by light, I mean just a touch of BB Cream and mascara. And it was a ponytail day.

Working out before work means a quick shower and minimal beautifying. Especially when we wake up late.

Sexy is not a word I would use to describe anything going on with me today.

"No, I mean it," he continued. I smiled at him. Let the fool think I'm sexy if he wants to, right?

But then this video came across my FaceBook and Twitter feeds several times today:


Okay, so I've seen this floating around Ye Olde Internets for a while now, but today I finally decided to watch it. I literally burst into tears when Kela viewed her two side by side portraits. It reminded me of Karen Walrond's book The Beauty of Different. You can see her TEDxTalk here:


Karen talks about looking for and appreciating the beautiful differences all around us. I think in order to focus on the differences that make other people beautiful, we must first acknowledge our own natural beauty. In her TedxTalk, Karen tells us to "look for the light" when we look at each other. This is our natural beauty, both inside and out. These are the differences that make us expressly who we are.

Too often I look in the mirror or even down at myself, appraising how my clothes fit or how dark the circles under my eyes are. But when I look for the light, my natural beauty shines through. This is the beauty my husband sees, even when it's just a ponytail day.

I am filled up to bubbling over with passion for life. When music plays, I am completely incapable of sitting still. I laugh, loudly. Tears well up and spill down my face over the smallest of things (and poems). I spend at least a little time every day of the school week reminding children how incredibly brilliant and beautiful and powerful they are. I love my blue eyes, how tall I am, and the fact that I can bust out a workout hardcore and leave it all in the gym. I have seen terrible, horrible things in my lifetime, and I'm stronger because of it. I am inspired when my words or actions motivate others to be stronger, healthier, happier. I believe in the power of people working together for a common goal.

I may not be model thin, wrinkle-free, or sporting rock hard abs.

But I do have natural beauty, inside and out. And so do you. So the next time you're disheartened by what you feel you're lacking, look for the light.

What differences make up your natural beauty?

#AtoZchallenge - Why Choose a Metabolic Workout?

Metabolic Wow Factor with JNL Fusion

You guys! I was super bummed because I thought my JNL Fusion DVDs were going to be sitting on my doorstep when I got home from work today. It was a rough day and I couldn't wait to jump out of my car and grab those DVDs.

Sadly, I arrived home to an empty doorstep. I went inside, plopped down on the couch and started fantasizing about burgers and fries.

Even though there was some delicious salmon waiting in my fridge. I was pouting.

But wait! There's more! At nearly 7:00 tonight, there was a knock at the door. I ran to the door, flung it open, and found my beautiful box of DVDs waiting for me.

"Thank you!!" I yelled to my friendly UPS driver, who was already back at his truck. He laughed and yelled a thanks back to me, and I bounced into the house to show off our awesome boxes of happiness to my husband.

Super excited to get my Fusion on!

The reason I'm so pumped about these workouts is pretty simple -- one, they're metabolic in nature. This is my favorite type of workout. Fast and furious, baby! 30 seconds of weights followed immediately by 30 seconds of plyo-style cardio. You are engaging muscles all over the place, burning away the fat, and you're done in 30 minutes. Bye-bye steady state cardio!! Another great benefit to this type of workout is it seriously revs your metabolism. Do a high-intensity circuit of weights and cardio in the morning, and that workout will keep your body rockin' away the calories all day. And I don't know about you, but I want my fat burning ability to be super-charged all day. I'm a fat killer, and proud of it!

So, metabolic workout = metabolism bonus! Yay!

Because my DVDs came so late in the day, I didn't take the time to do measurements and get all my pics ready to post. I'll measure in the morning before I do my second workout in the JNL Fusion set. At the end of the week I'll post a review of the first 6 workouts, and I'll have all my starting stats posted in the sidebar.

Today's workout was the Shoulder Shredder, and it was a-maz-ing. I loved the modifications shown throughout the workout -- definitely helped me find the right pace. I was sweating within the first 5 minutes. By the end of the 30 minutes, by arms and legs were spent. Great workout, and left me plenty of time to go cook that salmon, afterall!

You'll notice I'm holding two boxes of DVD's in my pic! Since I signed up with BodyFX as a Coach, I also received the Figure 8 workout set. I didn't have time to check them out today, but I'm excited to try them out as well -- and soon!

Loving my new journey to my healthiest body ever. Loving these metabolic fat busting workouts! Loving where I'm headed. And right now, that's to bed! I need my rest so I can get right back at it tomorrow.

#AtoZchallenge - All You Need is (Self) Love!

Love is All You Need

Last night I had a conversation with my mom that reminded me how important it is to love yourself. Sure, this sounds like a no-brainer, but how many of us are walking around each day without truly being in love with ourselves enough to make the tough choices that we would make for anyone else we love?

Here's what I mean: my mom was diagnosed with lymphedema over a year ago. Five years before that, she was diagnosed with diverticulitis. Painful side effects from both of these conditions, I believe, can be strongly reduced by maintaining a healthy weight, clean eating, and exercise. She knows these things. We talk about them almost every time we have a conversation. And yet, she struggles to make any significant change to her lifestyle. As a result, her conditions continue to worsen and she feels much older than she should at age 66.

So last night I asked her what she thought it was that kepps her from being happy. If she knew the steps necessary to live a more energetic, healthier, happier life -- what kept her from making those choices?

At first she said she didn't know. But the more we talked about it, the more the truth revealed itself. It's not much different for most people that struggle with lifelong food and weight issues.

I just can't help myself.

What's the point, I'm just going to screw up and gain the weight back anyway.

I'm a person that just never finishes anything I start.

I'm a person that enjoys candy/chocolate/fast food/etc.

It's too late.

I'm too old.

I don't know what to do or where to start.

I never seem to be able to commit to a diet or weight loss program that works.

The problem isn't with committing to the workouts or the right foods or anything else. When we are working on losing weight or reaching other fitness goals, the best thing we can do is make a commitment to ourselves.

In order to be successful, we have to believe we deserve all the happiness the universe has to offer. We have to know we are worth it. We have to be able to put aside all those tapes that have been running through our head all our lives telling us we can't, or we don't deserve it, or we aren't good enough.

We have to fall in love with ourselves first, just the way we are -- blemishes and all -- if we are going to be able to take care of ourselves to the same degree that we would care of anyone else.

Last night I asked my mom how her life would change if right now she started taking care of herself the way she would take care of a precious loved one. How much healthier, happier, and pain-free could she be if she committed to being there for herself by looking at what she needed to do to make changes and purposefully taking action to make those things happen.

We ended the call with her saying she would call her nutritionist on Monday to begin making the changes that could quite possibly lead to changing her quality of living for the next several years. I'm proud of her. When you have lived a life of "I don't matter, why bother," without even realizing it, it's a scary thing to step out and boldly proclaim, "I'm worth it, and I won't take no for an answer, not even for myself. I love myself too much to ignore my needs even one moment longer."

How are you taking care of your needs today?

#AtoZchallenge - Kettlebells are not for Klutzes

When Jes and I met, she was a diehard Kettlebell addict. That's why it's so surprising that I've never even touched one. Together, we've done just about every type of workout possible. Even though running makes my brain hurt and lifting weights makes her want to throw things at me (weights included), we have still supported each other this way. How I managed to get out of her crazy Kettlebell exercises, I'll never know.

Kettlebells sort of scare me. Every time I watch a video of someone hefting one of those things through the air, I cringe.

Kettlebells are not for klutzes. Right? I mean, surely, the first time I try to fling a Kettlebell over my head I'm going to somehow manage to hit myself solidly in the face (trust me, my coordination issues are massively impressive) or launch it through the air, sending it hurling through a wall or window.

So forgive me if I'm skeptical, Kettlebell lovers of the universe. I really do want to try this exercise phenomenon, but I'm trying to make the world a safer place by not randomly injuring strangers that are unfortunate enough to be in my throwing range.

I have to say, though, after reading up about the reasons for implementing Kettlebells into your workout regimen, I'm a little more intrigued. Besides the functional strength benefits, one great side effect of using Kettlebells is improved mindfulness. Staying in the moment is a practice I am continually working on, and I can see how the stamina, strength, and purposeful movements involved in Kettlebell workouts could increase my daily ability to live a more mindful life.

So maybe it's time I ask Jes to dust off those Kettlebells I remember from when we first met, and give it a go. As long as she's standing a safe distance away, that is.

What do you think? Are you a Kettlebell advocate? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

#AtoZchallenge - JNL Fusion Transformation Time!

JNL Fusion - The Right Time for a Fitness Makeover

When I first made the switch from being a dreadmill minion to slinging weights around in the gym, I became a little obsessed with fitness magazines. Watching my own body transform was amazing, but so was learning about different types of workouts. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with Jamie Eason. I picked up every magazine she was in, did every workout she recommended, and told myself if I worked hard enough, one day I could have a physique just like hers.

There were a few minor issues with this plan. First of all, she's 5'2. Honestly, we can really stop there. As much as I love Jamie and still follow her on FaceBook and Twitter, I think it's safe to assume I will never be a 5'2 fitness model that has never struggled with weight issues. I'll always love Jamie Eason's nutrition and workout advice, but I just don't identify with her story.

Now, I'm not saying you must have an inspirational role model to succeed in your goals, but it certainly doesn't hurt. I've always been that girl that loves making vision boards and having mentors. It's nice to connect with someone else that's been through similar struggles when you're fighting your own battles.

Enter Jennifer Nicole Lee.

I first read about her on bodybuilding.com when I was looking around the site for something new in 2011. This was right around the time Jamie Eason's LiveFit was launching, so after reading a little info about how JNL had created a home workout for moms, I downloaded all the LiveFit info and jumped into my new workout.

The LiveFit program was HARD. I was in the gym for an hour to an hour and a half nearly every day of the week. I was lugging a huge suitcase of a lunchbox to work every day. I was determined to succeed. At one point, we were going on vacation and I was so freaked out about not eating the right foods and amounts of protein, that I made meatballs and froze the equivalent of half a side of beef to bring with me. I got a gym membership for the week we were out of town.

I was not playing around, people.

But I also wasn't exactly overjoyed with the program. It was too much for me to keep up with. Even though the FaceBook group I was a part of was highly motivating, I ended up not finishing the 12 week schedule on time, and then decided not to do the carb cycling phase at the very end because I wasn't at a place physically were it made sense. The LiveFit trainer has done some amazing things for a ton of people -- it just wasn't right for me.

And of course, in true merry-go-round style, at the end of all that high energy, daily hours-long gym time and whirlwind insanity, I jumped off and landed squarely on my couch, where I sat for the next couple of months, wondering why I couldn't ever seem to stick with a program. At this point, I was still in a really defeatist mentality! It's amazing how much I changed through the course of 2012 while working with my rockstar online trainer.

Again, enter JNL. But this time, I listened. This time, my brain was prepped and ready to listen to new possibilities.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Danny J (The Sweaty Betties). She shared some info with me about JNL Fusion and a new supplement line coming out by BodyFX. Because I'm a research junkie, I immediately googled my heart out to learn everything I could about JNL. It only took seeing her picture to remember her as the same "mom's home workout" chick I had seen over a year ago on bodybuilding.com. I found it a little amusing that I had toyed with starting her workouts back in 2011, and here she was again, popping up on my radar.

I also learned:

• She is her own success story -- losing over 80 pounds on her own after having her kids.
• She created the workouts on her JNL Fusion DVDs.
• She's 5'9! Yay! Almost as tall as me. I don't know why I always check out the height of my fitness role models, but dude -- it really matters to me!
• She is UBER motivational.
• She's really chatty, y'all.
• Her workouts are short and powerful. 3 rounds of 30 seconds of weights backed by 30 seconds of plyo-style cardio for each exercise set. Totally my style of workout -- lots of movement, plenty of variety! I am stoked to try them out!

(Here's a quick example of her Fusion style workouts!)

And lucky for me, after that original meeting with Danny J, I decided to jump in with both feet, become a Founding Charter Coach with BodyFX and begin a brand new chapter in my journey to my healthiest life possible. This means my JNL Fusion DVDs are in the mail headed my way and I'll have the full line of supplements to try out before they become available to the public in May.

It also means I will be able to help many, many other people stay motivated on their own journey for optimal health. It's already begun, and I just can't believe how many blessings have been falling all around me in the last few weeks.

All because I was open to possibility. All because I decided to release my fears. All because I finally decided to say yes to something new, instead of doing my usual duck-and-cover approach to the unknown.

I could not be more excited. I've read up on this new protein powder and the rest of the supplement line and am so happy to finally have found something that is free of artificial ingredients, that has adaptogens to offer the metabolic repair my merry-go-rounding body needs!

So here's the accountability part of the plan. The reason Jes and I decided to start this whole blog to begin with -- we want off the merry-go-round and on the road to success -- and the best way to do that is to put it all out there.

When my DVDs arrive, I will weigh, measure, and take pictures (eeeek). I'll blog weekly to let you know how my workouts are going and what I think of the exercises -- and I promise to be honest about both my successes and my stumbles along the way.

#AtoZchallenge - Injury Smackdown

Don't Let an Injury Get You Down!

There's not much worse than being all amped up about establishing a new workout pattern than the straight-outta-nowhere injury. Injuries aren't just about physical pain, they can cause some pretty major emotional setbacks, too.

To prevent unnecessary injuries, it's important to be proactive. There are several things you can do to minimize your injury risk:

1. Invest in a good foam roller. Using a foam roller before workouts and before you climb into bed each night is a great way to keep your muscles limber.
2. S-t-r-e-t-c-h. And not those goofy 2 second stretches I typically try to get away with, either. Make sure you modify your stretch routine to match the type of workout you're about to bust out. Dynamic stretches are excellent to warm up your body before a run, and static stretches are more beneficial afterwards. Just like anything else, the key is to be smart about it! Talk to a trainer or do some research to learn what kind of stretches will help you stay injury-free and have an effective workout.
3. Don't forget the warm-up sets when lifting weights. Yes, this is important even after you've done some light dynamic stretching to prep for your lifts.
4. And guys, seriously? Listen to your body. I tend to overdo it because I think I am still 18 and I have waaaay too much of a competitive vibe going for me. But your body knows when something isn't right. If your ankle starts screaming at you or your knee suddenly seems to have forgotten how to work correctly -- stop and pay attention to what's going on. It's better to stop mid-workout to figure out a potential injury than push through and end up unable to hit the gym for the next 6 weeks!
5. Ice, ice baby. If you do find yourself with an unexplainably wonky injury, get some ice on that thing! Ice is the best way to treat a sudden injury. You'll reduce any swelling and alleviate pain, and can apply the ice pack for about 10 minutes several times a day. However, if your injury doesn't seem better after a few days -- it's time to call the doctor.

So be smart about what your body is telling you, and remember -- even if you do have a minor setback due to injury, there will still be ways to stay on the journey to your best health ever. Your doctor can help you make a plan that keeps you active while your wounded limb (and pride) are healing. Just don't give up -- you're worth all the effort it takes to remain true to your dreams!

#AtoZchallenge - Hormones for Dummies

How to Get Hormone Happy (and lose weight, too!)

I think we often forget that our heads are attached to our bodies. Sure, I know that sounds crazy -- but think about it. How often do you take a second glance at the food you are about to chow down on and think about how it will effect your brain? And if it effects your brain, it effects your belly and you blood and just about everything else in your body.

Dude. I just alliterated the hell out of that sentence.

Anyway.

Pic from onediethealth.com

A few years ago I started thinking I might be going into some whacked out version of early menopause. Suffice it to say, I was freaked smooth out. Luckily my sister has an amazing midwife, so after consulting with her (and by consult, what I really mean is: after crying and whining and generally acting as if my life were ending, while she listened and wisely gave encouragement and advice) I decided to try a few changes in lifestyle before running off to the doctor and ordering up a side of hormones to go with my crazyfest.

In case you're curious, I was exhausted all the time, emotional, having serious acne issues, among other things. It was basically like being a teenager all over again, but without the uh... perks.

I read everything I could find on hormone imbalances caused by our environment and started making small changes. I even went out and bought a Progesterone cream to combat my wacky hormone party.

The changes were amazing.

By switching to grass-fed lean meats, being aware of factors in the environment that could spin estrogen levels awry, making sure I found at least a little time to workout each day, and adding the nighttime progesterone cream, I actually started feeling better.

Sleeping better.

Eating less.

Having more energy!

It was like finding one of those miracle pills everyone is always searching for. But all it really took was some information and a desire to have a more harmonious relationship with my hormones.

And since I'm not all sciency, here's a great article to read if you're looking for more info and book recs!

Happy Hormones!