Do you believe it? BACK 2 SCHOOL IS HERE!! WOOT WOOT! If you're a parent you know how good it feels to get back into a routine. Life is smoother. Kids know what to expect. YOU know what to expect. You actually have a moment to process a thought. I feel most parents love back to school time not because they are thrilled their kids are getting older (this part is actually pretty hard on the heart strings). Most parents say they love back 2 school because they TRIVE off a good solid routine.
I just wanted to send some love & encouragement and say-NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT FOCUS BACK ON YOU! (I know this is hard! Just remember-YOU EXIST TOO!)
Wanna try something new-DO IT!
Wanna push yourself harder-DO IT!
Wanna step outside your comfort zone-DO IT!
Just a reminder to:
STOP following the trends
Start doing what feels good to YOU!
If you don't know what feels good, you can answer these questions below to help you find your answer...
1. What gives you energy?
2. What fills your soul with joy?
3. What makes YOU proud of YOU?
NOW.......GO DO THAT THING and make it apart of your NEW ROUTINE!
time for change
Evolve, Change, Crush it or Crumble. Evolving is necessary which means change is inevitable. Could you imagine stepping, sorry, I mean being thrown head first into the stage of life you're in right now without learning to evolve? Evolving is what makes us not crumble. So why in the world do we think this doesn't require work?
We're left feeling lost, anxious, alone and we wonder why. Life is DEMANDING a new version of us. Change can sometimes be subtle but when you enter into a new stage of life no one can help you prepare because they are NOT you. Your challenges and feelings are uniquely yours. Good news is you don't have to be alone! I'm here to help you with the shift to becoming the best version of YOU.
CHANGE IS COMING!!! KEEP READING.....
Over the past eight years I've leaned in to my community and watched and learned. I watched what helps them show up, I watched what gets them excited, I watched what motivates them, I watched what makes them fall, I watched what gets them results. I've learned everybody loves accountability but in different ways.
I took some time, got intentional with my thoughts and became crystal clear on what I want to do and that's to help you grow in the stage of life you are in. Mental Health comes first, then comes your health. Your life, your body, your relationships will only go where your mind allows it. Here's my plan:
I will offer.....
daily accountability with an online group
One on one coaching with your goals being tracked
Mental health guidance
Fitness recommendations based on your goals
Your voice being heard
Real connection
Guidance with nutrition
If this sounds like something you are interested in fill out thisformso I know how to help you best.
As always, I'm only a message away!
7 smalls steps to get started on the right foot 👣
If you know you need to do something to make a change in your lifestyle but don’t know where to start, listen up. There are so many conflicting “diets” out there and “professionals” who are spouting off their advice. Even if they mean well, it all can just turn into noise.
It’s overwhelming! It’s stressful! And, it’s discouraging.
The truth is, we all had to start somewhere and most of us started small, with little things that worked for us personally. Below is a list of things you can do to start making small changes but keep in mind, each thing is a suggestion and 100% customizable to you.
Waking up one day and jumping all in sounds like a good idea for a second. But once the motivation fades (and trust me, it fades) most people fall right back into their own ways.Start with baby steps that are doable for you so that you can make a lifelong change.
Keep a food diary. When you write down everything that you are eating and drinking throughout the day, it will help you become more conscious of it. You can’t mindlessly snack when you have to write it all down!
Set reminders in your phone that tell you to stand up/move/walk/stretch. If you are sitting at a desk all day the times that you stand up and move can really add up!
If you’re not a fan of water, add some lemon, lime or a flavoring to it to make it more enticing. Set reminders to drink a cup of water every hour.
Try one new vegetable a week If you’ve never tried kale before, for instance, buy a bunch, go home and google a way to make it.
Dress nice, do your hair and/or do your makeup at least once per week. Or get all dressed up on a Sunday just to go food shopping! It’s a real confidence booster and when you look good, you feel good. It will subconsciously make you want to treat yourself better and make healthier choices.
Try a nut milk You may want to give up dairy entirely, but start with small choices.Buy almond milk instead of regular milk next time you go to the store and work it into circulation in your home.
Shut off your phone for 15 minutes a day. Let’s be honest, you both need a break from each other. Shut it off and put it in another room just to give yourself that little extra screen break. 15 minutes a day is one hour and 45 minutes a week without phone time! What can you do with almost an extra two hours added to your day?
If these seven steps racked your brain and made you think of something else you can do to take a baby step, go for it! If you ask 10 people where they started, you would get 10 different answers. Different tactics work for each of us and that’s A-ok
What is going to be your first baby step? Or what was it for you?
REPLY BELOW
THINK GREEN
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! Which means we can experiment with making fun, green snacks. And although green beer and cupcakes are always a hit, there are plenty of ways to make green food that the whole family will enjoy.
Here are FIVE green recipes for a more exciting St. Patrick’s Day!
Avocado Deviled Eggs
Hard boil eight eggs then take off the shells, cut them in half and scoop the yolks into a bowl.
Add one avocado to the bowl of yolks and mix it all together. You can do this in a food processor or with a handheld blender but a fork usually works just fine too!
Add ⅓ cup of sour cream, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the mix.
Spoon the mixture into the centers of the eggs then sprinkle each with paprika.
Source:https://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/avocado-deviled-eggs/
Pesto zoodles
Slice the ends off the zucchini and place it on your spiralizer. Turn the spiralizer and create zucchini noodles. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini noodles and toss them for one minute, just to warm through, then turn off the heat. Mix with your pesto (yes I do store bought) Sprinkle on the grated parmesan along with salt and pepper, give them another toss in the pan, then serve them up.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Make one cup of rice
While the rice is cooking, blend: ½ cup of cilantro, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 clove of garlic and 2 tablespoons of water.
Stir the mixture into the rice and fluff it with a fork.
Source: https://www.marthastewart.com/314480/cilantro-lime-rice
Guacamole
LET'S BE HONEST, THIS ONE IS A GIVEN! ;)
Ingredients
2 cups mashed ripe avocado (approx. 2 large)
¾ cup seeded, chopped Roma tomatoes (approx. 2 medium)
½ cup chopped onion, (approx. ¾ medium)
¼ cup fresh lime juice (approx. 2 limes)
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper (approx. 1 medium) (optional)
1 Tbsp. lime peel (lime zest) finely grated, (approx. 2 limes)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
Combine avocado, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno (if desired), lime peel, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered tightly, for a few hours to let the flavors meld.
Recipe Notes
The myth that leaving an avocado stone in the guacamole will keep it from turning brown began because people noticed that the guacamole directly under a stone stayed green, but this is because that was the part not exposed to the air. So, if you want to keep your guac bright green while storing, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the top, squeezing out all the air bubbles so that the plastic is in direct contact with the guacamole, and voilà, no more browning!
Mashing avocados can be done with a potato masher, the back of a fork (for a chunkier guacamole), or in a food processor (for a smoother guacamole).
Lucky Charm Rice Crispy Treats
Melt ¼ cup butter over low heat.
Gradually add 4 cups of soft marshmallows and stir consistently.
Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla and green food coloring.
Remove from heat and add 5 cups of Rice Krispie cereal.
When it’s mostly combined add ¾ cup of Lucky Charm’s cereal marshmallows.
Source: https://www.classyclutter.net/st-patricks-day-rice-krispie-treats-with-lucky-charms-marshmallows/
Of course, don’t forget the corned beef and hash! If you make any of the recipes above please share a pic with me-- I’d love to see how it turns out!
Have a safe and fun St. Paddy’s day!
If you make any of the recipes above please share a pic with me-- I’d love to see how it turns out!
Tag me on IG: jessicabrown_fitness
Have a safe and fun St. Paddy’s day indoors ;)
10 ROUNDS
New Program Coming Soon-10 ROUNDS
10 ROUNDS™ is a 6-week program. Joel takes you through 3 days of boxing training and 2 days of weightlifting each week that will leave you shredded with a sculpted physique. The boxing is based on the fundamental training pillars for fast fat-burning: power, speed, and endurance. Each workout is broken into 10 three-minute rounds with 45 seconds of rest in between. The two 30-minute lifting workouts per week—one for upper body, one for lower body—focus on building strength and lean muscle.
DETAILS:
Program length: 6 weeks
Workouts per week: 5– 3 days of boxing, 2 days of weight lifting
Workout length: 30-40 minutes
Equipment: Light, medium, & heavy dumbbells (lifting workouts) 12” resistance loops (lifting & boxing workouts)
Fitness Level: Intermediate
WHEN IS IT AVAILABLE?
March 16 - available to Coaches only
April 6: Customer Purchase Window (VIP Early Access Customer & Coach)
October 1: Available to all BOD members
A LITTLE MORE INFO:
BOXING-The boxing workouts will focus on combinations of punches and footwork that build in complexity along with conditioning drills that build power using body weight to increase lean muscle mass, speed/agility with fast footwork that will push you into high-intensity spikes of fat-burning, and endurance to boost performance so you burn more calories faster.
LIFTING-Joel will take you through 2 weightlifting workouts each week—one day of upper body to build strength and power, and the other day concentrating entirely on lower body/legs, because every punch you throw explodes from the ground up. •
UPPER-You will do Lift Upper Body each week to increase strength and power and help tone your triangle (chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps). This is when you really hit the weights to make sure there’s strength, force, and power behind every punch.
LOWER-You will do Lift Lower Body each week to build your base (legs), because every punch you throw explodes from the ground up! Punching power is generated by the strength in your legs. That’s your foundation and it’s where everything starts.
Get fit like J-Lo
Jennifer Lopez has been a hot topic ever since her and Shakira’s half time performance at the Superbowl.
It’s left a lot of us feeling like this.....
Although we’d be kidding to think genetics weren’t involved at all, Lopez gives a lot of credit to her healthy lifestyle for the way she looks at 50.
She…
works out
makes healthy food choices
drinks a lot of water
and sleeps 8 hours a night
It’s not rocket science; just good ol’ fashion consistency.
In this free E-book, 12 Things You Can Do To Get A Body Like Jennifer Lopez, you can find a more in-depth look at how J Lo keeps in tip-top shape and new habits you can implement into your own life.
I think you’ll find that it’s a totally doable routine for the average person!
Next week I’ll be sharing with you FIVE healthy GREEN recipes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
Keep in touch! I'm always here for you
TIPS TO GET BACK ON TRACK
I don’t know about you but for a lot of people the excitement of 2020 is fading and so is the motivation for our New Year’s resolutions. Believe me, I’m feeling it too 😅 We all have those moments where we lose our motivation and struggle to get it back (if we even do!).
We’re only human and life is HARD so we fall off the wagon. But luckily we can get back on! Here are a few ways you can restart your motivation and get excited about your goals again 👇
Focus on the positive ✅
Remind yourself why you started and what you are hoping to achieve at the end. If your goal is to workout 3 times per week what will you gain by doing so?
Let go of the negative thoughts around the process and focus on the positive. Write what you will have at the end on sticky notes and put them on your mirrors, on your steering wheel and the background on your phone so you are always reminded of what you’re working towards.
Don’t do it alone ✅
It’s a lot harder to find motivation on your own but if you have a core group of supporters it will be much easier to get back on track. Make sure you have a workout buddy or someone you check in with to hold each other accountable. You can’t let the other person down by falling into a rut so some peer pressure will help you to stick to your original plan.
Get off of social media ✅
Social media is great until it’s not. Everyone only posts their highlight reel and it gives a false idea of who we all are. If you feel bad about yourself after scrolling on Instagram it might be time for a break. Focus on yourself and your progress and stay off of any platform that you can play the comparison game on.
Reward yourself ✅
Changing habits isn’t easy and it can be hard to get up once you’ve fallen. Reward yourself with small things as you go throughout the journey. Try to reward yourself with fun experiences, date nights, or new clothes.
You can even do a reverse award by giving someone $100 and letting them know that you can only get it back when you finish your workout. That way you have the motivation and get rewarded with your $100 back.
Everyone is different and finds motivation in different ways. Find out what works for you and use it to your advantage!
One way you can get motivated is with by surrounding yourself with other people working on goals! If you're having a hard time pressing play on your workout join us in the morning. The workout link is at the top of www.jessicabrownfitness.com
Don't worry your line is mute and everybody is doing a different workout program. Just show and be ready to sweat baby sweat! People jump on and off around 4:30-8am! I found this even for me is the extra accountability I NEED and it might be yours too.
You know what else helps with motivation? Seeing inspirational transformation photos!
“I have abs! I never knew they were there, but after 60 days of Barre Blend, they made themselves known. I loved that the workouts are 30 to 40 minutes–so there is no excuse for not finding the time in your day to dedicate to yourself and make these crucial improvements.” –Marina B. Results achieved in 8 weeks
—Marina B.
Josh Lost 6 pounds and 9.25 inches!
Can you say-HELLO ABBBBSSSS!!!! And this was just 20 minutes a day!!!!
Well now I'm pumped! brb, gotta go workout! ;) PS-If you need the extra support & accountability! I’m here for ya! Just shoot me an email jessicabrownfitness@gmail.com
3 ways to make abs in the kitchen
You can work out your abs every time you go to the gym and NEVER see them or maybe if you’re lucky, catch a glimpse of them in the morning when the lightings just right and you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.
There’s truth behind the saying abs are made in the kitchen. You can’t do the 10,000 calorie challenge every day and crunches every day and think that the crunches will outweigh the pizza 🍕 and milkshakes. We just don’t live in that perfect world. So here are 3 things you can do TODAY to start chiseling away at those abs without doing a single plank.
Eat more protein- Try to have at least .5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh. So if you weigh 150 pounds strive for 75 grams of protein each day. Protein helps your muscles build and repair and the more muscles you have the more calories you burn making weight loss that much easier. You can find protein in meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, quinoa, nuts, beans, etc.
2.Drink water-- Always have water on hand 💧 If you see water, drink it. If you think about water, go get some. Drink water before every meal or whenever you're bored and start thinking about having a snack. Buy a water bottle here! https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/us/d/2BWaterbottle?locale=en_US&referringRepId=413352
Water may help increase your metabolism and aid in weight loss. It also will give you more energy and make your skin look healthier.
3. Have more fiber-- Fiber can help prevent weight gain and help you stay feeling fuller longer so you don’t get tempted to reach for empty carbs soon after you finish eating. You can find fibre in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Bonus-- Cut back on processed foods and refined sugars 🍩 Most of the time these foods are satisfying only for the taste buds and are not doing anything good for your body. They generally have no nutritional value which means they also don’t have fibre or protein in them. Refined sugars can also cause rises and crashes in your blood sugar levels which will cause you to want to reach for more junk food every time you feel the crash.
Reach for whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and nuts instead to help keep your blood sugar at normal levels and get a great amount of the vitamins that your body needs.
Start by making one change at a time and once these become habits there’s a good chance you’ll see your abs more often than just when you wake up 👍
Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand so to make abs in the kitchen you’re still going to need to work out. You can get a free week of workouts here! http:// https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/us/d/beachbody-on-demand-BODStandalone?locale=en_US&referringRepId=413352
Think about yourself for a change!
Five days away from Christmas! Can you believe it? Today, I wanted to take the time to focus on YOU since I know you are focusing on everyone else around you.
It's so easy to get lost DAILY in our grind of normal everyday life, add holidays to the mix and all the extras, it can make it feel impossible to" work on us". When I say "work on us," this goes soooo far past a workout. I'm also talking about our own mental strength we have and how we operate individually as humans. For example, do you know your own love language on how you like to receive love from others? Do you know what brings you joy, sadness or heartache? Do you have that thing you can do that helps you escape and gain clarity on your own life? Do you know what makes you feel rejuvenated to take on another day?
Thinking of these questions, I wanted to share my top 3 things that have helped me gain more mental strength:
1. Reading The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Understanding how you "receive" love from others is a game changer when it comes to ALL relationships in our life. It also helps us better understand not only ourselves, but the ones we love most. This book was a huge eye opener for me.
2. Podcast/Audiobooks - Listening to anything uplifting and encouraging can really help set the tone for your day. In a world where the negatives gets GLAMafied it can be extra hard to find the positives OR focus on things that are in our control instead of complaining. It's true what they say "You are like the top 5 people you hang around/listen to most." Fill your brain with positive brain fuel and start priming your brain to see the good. When you focus on the good more will come your way.
Tip: audible is a free app you can get and your first book is free. I have a list of recommendations, if you'd like to have them just respond to this email.
3. Spend time alone with your thoughts - TRUST ME...I get it! This one is the hardest one for me too. But, have you ever noticed when you get alone time, even if it is only for 5 minutes, we spend our time scrolling or web browsing instead of allowing our own thoughts to enter in our brain to reflect on our day. What did you learn from today? What made you feel better about yourself? What made you feel not so great. Thinking of these questions can help you become more intentional with the next day we are blessed with. Taking the time to reflect on your day can all together bring so much more clarity to your life.
A Few Reminders!
How to stay on track with ANY goals you have:
1. Focus on fewer goals
-There is only 19 days left in the year. FOCUS on what your really want. What's one thing you'd like to accomplish? What would make you feel good knowing this is how you ended the year?
2. Plan Ahead
-If you're looking to lose a few pounds and get rid of the bloat, so much can change with just your diet. Make that meal plan and follow it. If you're a member of our Portion Fix Series, 7 day meal plans were just added for each bracket.
3.Track your progress
-If you're not using our Nutrition+ app, I challenge you today to check it out. You can track your containers, log your food and even check out recipe ideas on our blog.
4. GET SUPPORT
-Get yourself in our virtual fitness group. As always I'm here to help you. If you're lost and don't know where to start, just send me an email or check out jessicabrownfitness.com/customers for a breakdown of everything to get you started.
5. NO SELF DOUBT
-Enough said! If you want something, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO ACHIEVE IT. Sometimes, all it takes is you no longer taking your own shit. BELIEVE in YOU!