Trader Joe’s “Beyond/Impossible” Review!! Trader Joe’s now has their own version of the Beyond/Impossible Plant Based Patties! And it’s only 4.49$ for two burgers. You cannot beat that! But is it good?
Watch this YouTube vid to find out what I think about this plant based burger in comparison to the Beyond and Impossible burgers.
As for macronutrients:
Calories: Trader Joes: 290 cal per burger, Beyond: 270 cal per burger, Impossible: 290 cal per burger
Your fitness goals don’t always have to be based upon weight-loss. In fact, here are 5 fitness goals that have absolutely nothing to do with weight-loss.
Nowadays it seems as though the only reason why people want to work out is to lose weight or achieve fat loss. If you’re making the effort to get your 7 layers of winter coat gear on, trudging through the snow in the cold, skipping out on happy hour, or even losing some quality sleep time, there’s got to be a solid reason. But what if that solid reason has absolutely nothing to do with weight-loss? There are so many reasons why you should spend your quality time in the gym and they might actually be more impactful long term.
1. Stress Reliever
stressed af
With society and the fitness industry putting so much effort on weight-loss, how on earth can you possibly enjoy yourself and your workout? Exercise should not be stressful. In fact it should be the opposite. In fact, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA states that the majority of health care professionals suggest exercise as the top form of stress management. If you find your weight-loss goals are creating stress around your life, I urge you to rethink your goals.
Instead focus on the gym as “Me Time”. This is an opportunity for you to do something for YOU and only you.
Busy with kids? Work? The constant grind of living in a city? The pressures from family and friends to succeed?
Take one hour for yourself, or even just 20 minutes! Put on those headphones, let that music rock, and for just those moments, let that shit go.
2. Personal Records
I don’t know about you, but when I’m in the gym and I lift something heavy AF or I run further than I thought I could, or I take a class that looks super scary and out of my comfort zone… I FEEL AMAZING AFTER!
Instead of focusing so hard on weight-loss, start putting a focus on all that your body is capable of.
Whatever Personal Record you’re working on, schedule a fitness test with your personal trainer and get after it! Going to the gym can feel super motivating when we have specific accomplishments in mind.
3. Improved Quality of Life
Out of breath when you walk up the stairs?
DREADING carrying laundry or groceries?
Don’t sleep well?
Or maybe you have a history of diabetes in your family.
Maybe you’re more susceptible to osteoporosis.
Maybe you are trying to avoid high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Whatever it may be… exercise can not only improve your quality of life with higher function for daily tasks, but it can also serve as PREVENTATIVE care for your future quality of daily living.
4. Setting An Example
Speaking of the medical history of your family… an amazing goal can be to set a good example for your loved ones.
Whether it’s your own children or whether it’s older family members who you’re trying to encourage to get healthy, by having discipline in the gym you are setting a good example for your family!
Trust me, when you’re out here relieving stress, setting new PRs, and running up those subway steps… people WILL take notice and they will want to get involved.
Invite them to join with you! Make it a fun family bonding experience! Keep each other accountable! That is how we create healthy habits for life!
5. Feeling Good
Nothing beats the high you get after you accomplish an amazing workout.
Not feeling motivated to go? Remember that after-workout-feeling! Not only do you feel accomplished, but you may actually feel happy, uplifted, and energized!
This is definitely a goal that gets me in the door during these cold, dark, New York City winter months.
Need help setting goals? I got you! Click HERE to schedule a FREE goal-setting-consultation!
pin this image for later for when you need a reminder!
Do you set the same goals every year… and every year you quit after just 2 short weeks? Then this message is for you.
It happens every single year.
You set goals. You set resolutions. And you have every intention of keeping them. You have every intention of ACHIEVING them. THIS is the year.
And then… two weeks go by and somehow you have already forgotten about it. Or life just gets in the way and your routine takes over and those goals that you so eagerly set… have fallen to the wayside.
So HOW can we ACTUALLY achieve the goals that we set?
Here’s the answer in just a few steps. It’s simple but not easy.
Focus on ROUTINES not GOALS.
Here’s a thought. Ever think about how both winners and losers set the same goals?
In the Olympics, every single athlete comes with the intention of winning the gold medal. But only ONE person wins the gold medal. Each athlete has the same goal but only ONE person achieves that goal.
So how did the winner get to the top?
They set routines in place.
We are only as good as our routines. If we can set proper habits, proper routines, proper rituals, we will be able fall back on these routines when shit starts to hit the fan. Having a good routine is what sets you apart. You no longer have to THINK about what you’re doing. You just DO it.
Take a moment to think about your goal. What are some small things you can implement every single day that will slowly build you towards creating a routine around your goal?
For example, if your goal is to get in shape, you might have to make exercise a habit. But working out for an HOUR everyday seems pretty intimating right? Especially if you went from NEVER working out to now always working out.
Try working out for JUST 5 MIN.
I know that sounds ridiculous, but building the habit is more important than the actual action itself. If we can build a habit around the beginning of the action, the action itself becomes a whole lot easier.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits speaks about this in depth. “If you can develop a ritual that makes starting your workout mindless and automatic, then it will be much easier to follow through.”
Once you have accomplished 5 minutes every single day, increase that time to 10 min, then 20 min. Eventually you will build on that habit and it will soon become second nature!
What do you think? Are you ready to CRUSH your goals this NEW YEAR?
Still unsure how to achieve your goals? Click this link and book your FREE consultation with me. Let’s chat!
Because every basic betch wants to get toned… but DON’T YOU DARE give her exercises that will MAKE HER BULKY (or look like a man)!
Wanna get toned?
How to get toned and not bulky- exerises for the basic betch to get hot without looking extra bulky aka without looking like a man.
Wanna get toned? That’s your first mistake. Your’e trying to be the Baddest Betch right? Then stop using the word “toned”. How did that word even start circulating within the female world?
Do you ever hear a man say he wants to get toned? Do you ever describe a man as toned? The word “toned” literally means “having firmed and well-defined muscles”. I’m curious, how did this word get stuck in the female-only world? Why can’t men be described in this way?
A man that looks “toned” might be defined in our modern world as “fit” or “muscular” or even… BULKY. Usually after I hear the phrase “I wanna be toned”, a woman will say… “but I DON’T want to be bulky” or “I want to be toned BUT I don’t want to look like a man!”.
LOL. I’m sorry to laugh but I have to L.O.L!!
Okay I’ll stop laughing cuz this is serious.
First Step: Change Your Language
Let’s just start by changing our language. Language is powerful and it can transform the way we feel about ourselves and how we see ourselves.
According to Stanford News, a “study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as ‘girls are as good as boys at math,’ can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. … it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.”
This word “toned” that we’ve attached to females, “subtly suggests” that maybe women shouldn’t lift weights, and definitely not heavy weights. This language, ultimately might discourage women from finding time for resistance training in the gym. Resistance training has so many health benefits including preventing osteoporosis, maintaining a high quality of life as we age, boosting our metabolic rate (aka better at burning fat), as well as all of the aesthetic benefits.
Instead of focusing your goals on a word that was arbitrarily assigned to the female physique, let’s focus on STRENGTH. Let’s focus on getting STRONG. Let’s focus on having (as the definition says) WELL-DEFINED MUSCLES, or FIRM MUSCLES, if we’re speaking aesthetically.
Step 2: Strategy
OKAY! Cool. Now that we’ve changed our language let’s talk strategy. And when I say strategy I mean NO BULKINESS.
How do we get “strong”, “well-defined”, “firm” muscles without getting HUGE like the HULK?
What? Your fem self doesn’t want to look like that?!
Lol jk okay I get it I’ll STOP LAUGHING. Cuz this is serious and no one wants to look like the hulk unless you want to look the hulk!
So here’s the good news. IT’S REALLY REALLY REALLY.
REALLY.
REALLY.
REALLLYYYYYYYYYYYY.
rEaLlY.
REALLY.
Hard to build muscles like that. Like you have to actively try and look like that to look like that.
I have had many male clients who want to look like a FRACTION of that. And have had trouble building muscle mass to that extent. A fraction of the hulk is hard. Trying to look like 15% of the hulk is hard!!
Let me make this clear.
FIRST OF ALL. You have to lift weights in a SUPER specific strength AND body-building style like 5-7 days a week no exaggeration.
SECOND. (And this is where most men trip up) your diet has to be on point. And by on point I mean the hulk is probs eating upwards of 3-4,000 calories a day. A DAY. In order to refuel and build muscle like that.
If your cute lil self is traipsing into the gym 3-5 days a week, doin a lil cardio here and there, taking a spin class one day a week, picking up some weights 2 days a week for an hour or maybe even 5 days a week for 20 min… and then goin about your life and consuming the daily recommended calories of approx 1800-2300 calories per day. YOU WILL NOT, I REPEAT YOU WILL NOT.
GET BULKY.
I REPEAT YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY.
“Wait but like will I ge-“
GIRL. You will not get bulky.
Problem Solved.
Now go be your badass babe self, get hot without looking extra bulky, get your booty in that gym, pick up a damn weight or two or seven and let’s DO IT!
Unsure of what to do in the weight room?
Scared to step foot near a dumbbell?
Afraid you’ll look like a fool trying?
Don’t have time to workout?
No prob B I got you. Sign up for a phone call HERE. This free consultation will get you on the right track.
You might be eating these 5 health foods thinking they’re healthy… but they aren’t.
1. Nut Butters
Okay don’t get it twisted. I eat nut butter all day errday. But where YOU might be missing the KEY health component here is in what KIND you’re purchasing.
First of all, nut butter is full of amazing, plant based, fat. Fat that our bodies NEED. The fat is not the issue here. It’s all of the additives like SUGAR and SYRUPS. Americans in general consume an OVERABUNDANCE of sugar. It’s in EVERYTHING including peanut butter and almond butter. If you’re going to have sugar… just have something sweet! There’s no use adding MORE sugar to our bodies unnecessarily!
Check the label and get all of your nut butters WITHOUT added sugar.
Trader Joe’s AND Whole Foods both have options that don’t break the bank.
Bought your Unsweetened Nut Butter? Hold your horses before you eat the entire jar. Although unsweetened nut butter is the perfect source of healthy fat, when eaten in excess it can lead to weight gain. Nut butters are very caloric… be sure to measure out your nut butters OR just eat in moderation.
2. Yogurt
Another questionable one. Yogurt offers so many health benefits including probiotics for gut health, but labeling can be a bit misleading on these guys too. Similar to nut butters, yogurt is often loaded with unwanted sugars which again, if you’re going to have sugar, JUST HAVE SUGAR. Try not to have sugar disguised as a health food.
Additionally, I would argue that any food item taken from another animals breast milk is probably not the best. Humans are the only species that drink milk into adulthood AND we’re the only species that drinks milk from A DIFFERENT animals’ breasts. #VEGAN
Curious as to why dairy is pretty much harmful to every human? Click HERE to read more.
Again… read the label. This is very dependent on which types of juices and smoothies you’re consuming. Noticing a trend?… READ THE LABELS. ASK QUESTIONS.
I am very much a smoothie/juice person. In fact, I have a smoothie pretty much everyday. But when your Naked Green Monster Smoothie contains majority pineapple juice… we got a problem.
Real quick- fruit is not bad for you, but fruit juice extracted from the whole fruit can spike your blood sugar the same way white sugar does. Therefore, consuming a juice made out of mostly fruit isn’t the best.
Opt for a veggie juice over a fruit juice. If you’re going for juice, make sure the majority of it is made out of veggies! Even better- opt for a smoothie over a juice! Smoothies are just ground up fruits and veggies. All of the fiber and water of the whole fruit is still there making it easier for your body to process and digest. The only thing to be mindful of in a smoothie is excess added sweeteners. In my opinion it’s not necessary to add agave or honey to a smoothie if you have whole, real, fruit in there sweetening it up. Honey is not bad for you, it does have health benefits, but in my opinion… it’s truly not needed in a smoothie. Again, more unnecessary sugar. JUST EAT A COOKIE IF YOU’RE GONNA HAVE SUGAR GD!
Make your own. It’s not that hard to blend up some fruit… AND you know EXACTLY what goes in it.
Confused about the difference between fruit sugar, processed sugar, and natural sugars? Click HERE to read more about sugar and how the different types may affect your body.
4. Granola/Trail Mix
You guessed it… added sugar. Listen, I’m not saying never have added sugar. I’m all for treatin’ yourself. BUT don’t go buying granola thinking you’re eating something healthy when you’re actually just consuming highly processed, sugar loaded, misleading labeled CANDY.
Granola is tasty. In fact, I think it’s a wonderful snack if you’re going for a hike and need some energy to refuel your glycogen stores. Eat that granola. Eat it as a healthy dessert instead of ice cream cuz although it does have added sugar, it has LESS added sugar than ice cream. Eat it after you lift heavy at the squat rack and you need extra carbs to refuel those muscles. Just please. Don’t eat an entire bag of granola and then wonder why you’re not losing weight.
K Thanks.
5. Coffee/Tea
You guessed it. It depends on how you take your coffee and tea! If you’re goin to Dunkin’ and asking for “light and sweet”… you’re having more of a dessert than a coffee.
Think about it. Coffee is probably the very first thing you’re consuming in the morning. You really want to subject your body immediately to heavy cream and white sugar? Not the best way to start your day. Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you immediately spike your blood sugar, you’re probably going to be craving sugar and highly processed foods all day.
Try it black. Yup, I said it. If you can’t drink coffee black, then you probably don’t actually like coffee. And by black I mean NO sugar, NO milk. Black. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Without all that added crap, black coffee can actually be pretty good for you. It’s high in antioxidants and b vitamins for one!
In Conclusion,
read your nutrition facts, and don’t believe everything you read on labels. Just because it says “healthy” or “natural” doesn’t mean it actually is.
Feeling lost with your health and fitness? Have no fear, Amanda Jane here! Let’s chat. I offer free consultations to get you off on the right foot. Sign up for one, HERE!
One would assume running would equal fat loss. Or at least exercise high in cardiovascular activity and calorie burn would equal fat loss. I’ve been running consistently now for a span of 6 months and haven’t lost much fat. So does running = fat loss? Not so much and here’s why.
I have to admit. As a personal trainer I’ve spent most of my career promoting weight training, or at least resistance training of some sort. Why? Because I enjoy it first of all. Second of all, resistance training has so many benefits including preventing osteopenia and osteoporosis. It is the key component to achieving that desired “toned” look that every one and their mother seems to be after; you cannot achieve the aesthetics of “toned” muscles without muscle… plain and simple. Additionally, resistance training puts your body out of its natural state: homeostasis. Your body ends up burning calories 24 hours AFTER you complete the workout as your body works to get back to homeostasis. Weight training has aided me in shaping my body exactly the way I want it. I’ve felt strong, I look good.
So why did I assume when I signed up for the New York City Marathon that running 20-30+ miles weekly would magically shed my excess lower belly, back, and under booty fat?
WHY you’ve THOUGHT Running = Fat Loss
Don’t get me wrong, running has it’s place. Cardiovascular exercise is important! But endurance running does not necessarily correlate with fat loss. So why do we think it does?
High Calorie Burn
This past Sunday in my marathon training I burned 2500 calories in one session. ONE RUN. ONE RUN and I BURNED 2500 CALORIES!!! That is a lot of calories to expend in one exercise session. And for the most part, we associate calorie burn with fat loss. Burn more calories = burn more fat right? More on this later.
Proof is in the Pudding
What’s another reason why we associate running with fat loss? Because all the elite athletes are skinny AF.
I mean just look at these people. Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich one of the greatest long distance runners in the world: Skinny. AF.
What about Paula Radcliffe?
Like woah why wouldn’t we assume running means low fat?
Why Running DOES NOT = Fat Loss
High Calorie Burn Doesn’t Result in Weight Loss
Ever thought about this? The more energy you’re burning… the hungrier you are. Believe it or not it IS possible to still GAIN weight even while burning 2500 calories in one workout. HOW? By eating MORE calories then you burn throughout the day. Calorie burn DOES NOT EQUAL WEIGHT LOSS. The only way to lose weight is to be in a caloric defecit. Meaning, consuming LESS calories than you’re burning throughout the day.
A Study… on Myself
On day one of my marathon training I took an InBody Scan. These Sans measure Body Composition including Weight, Body Fat Mass, Body Fat Percentage, and Skeletal Muscle Mass amongst other things.
My Results on day one (July 19, 2019) included an overall weight of 138.7, skeletal muscle mass of 61.3, and a body fat mass of 28.9 all measured in pounds (lbs).
Over the course of a month my running increased A LOT. I went from running maybe once a week (if I felt like it), to running 3-4, sometimes 5 times a week. My running increased from 3-5 miles a week to 20-30 miles a week. My overall calorie consumption didn’t change much; Admittedly I didn’t track my calorie intake, but I also didn’t make any drastic changes besides increasing my cardio.
On September 9, 2019 I took a scan (more on my mid scans later). My weight? 138.5 lbs. Skeletal muscle mass 62.6 and body fat mass 26.9. Essentially EXACTLY THE SAME.
Based on my personal results, you can see that increased running DOES NOT EQUAL WEIGHT LOSS.
Oh, so if I just run but also make sure to eat less, I’ll burn fat?
That’s where you’re wrong. Let’s go back to my SECOND SCAN within that 3 month time period. After the first two weeks of running, I scanned for the second time. My weight decreased by approximately 4lbs (134.9), but my body fat mass only decreased by .3. So what happened?! MY SKELETAL MUSCLE MASS DECREASED! In this mid scan, I was expecting to see my body fat percentage decreasing like crazy. After all, I was running around like a crazy person… LITERALLY. I saw these results and decided to continue to include resistance training in my weekly workouts, not just running.
Here’s the catch with running: when you’re burning calories through cardio endurance training, you’re not just burning fat, but muscle as well. And less muscle mass means less efficient calorie burn. How so? Because more muscle mass means a higher metabolic rate. A higher metabolic rate means more calories burned while resting.
YUP, RESISTANCE TRAINING CAN HELP YOU BURN MORE CALORIES WHILE NOT DOING A DAMN THING.
So what’s the best way to lose fat?
Balance. I know. The sexiest word you’ve ever heard but it’s true.
Have a balance of resistance training AND cardiovascular exercise, PAIRED with a caloric defecit. All three working together in tandem will produce optimum fat loss results.
And honestly… don’t over do it. Too much stress on the body (yes, exercise is a form of stress), can produce too much cortisol, a hormone released during exercise. Corisol is not all bad BUT too much cortisol can result in insulin resistance and excess storage of belly fat.
“BUT I don’t know how to weight lift/ am scared!”
Unsure how to start a resistance/ weight lifting program?
NO FEAR, let’s chat. I am currently offering FREE phone call consultations to help you get on the right path. Click HERE to sign up.
Fruit is known as nature’s candy, and for good reason: it’s so pleasantly sweet! But could this sugar be harming your progress? Should you avoid the fruit sugar for weight-loss?
In case you missed my FREE Facebook LIVE training last week: FEAR NOT! This blog post will recap what we discussed in the training.
Sugar: Proof That It’s Harmful
Traditionally, sugar is not viewed in the health world as beneficial in any way, shape, or form.
WHY? Sugar is a contributing factor to many chronic diseases such as weight gain, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Plus, did you know that sugar is 8x more addictive than cocaine?? Scientist James J DiNicolantonio says “in animals, it is actually more addictive than even cocaine, so sugar is pretty much probably the most consumed addictive substance around the world and it is wreaking havoc on our health.” Bottom line: It doesn’t exactly have a good rap.
Food items that are high in sugar are what we would call “empty calories”. Meaning, sugar is high in calories but very low in any other nutritional benefits. It doesn’t contribute anything that our body needs to function. No vitamins, no nutrients. This can create an imbalance between free radicals (an uncharged molecule in your body that can cause damage, illness and aging) and antioxidants. Antioxidants are necessary to protect your body from free radicals! So when there’s an imbalance, chronic disease is more likely to occur: think high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and cancers.
Sugar in Fruit!
SO Should you avoid the fruit in sugar for weight-loss?
Now that we know more about sugar… let’s go over fruit!
A cup of blueberries has 15g of sugar.
A cup of pineapple chunks has 16g of sugar.
A medium apple has 19g of sugar.
A cup of mango has 23g of sugar.
A cup of apple juice has 24g of sugar.
That is quite a lot of sugar if we’re comparing to sweets!
One can of coke has 39g of sugar.
4 oreos have 16g of sugar.
5 pieces of a dove milk chocolate bar has 22g of sugar.
A cup of vanilla ice cream has 32g of sugar.
SoOoO… WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Is there a difference? Should you avoid sugar for weight-loss?
The main difference is the FIBER, WATER, and NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
Highly processed sugars lack nutritional value, but not only that, their lack of fiber and water causes our body to DIGEST the sugar at a much faster rate than sugar from a whole fruit. Whole fruit contains fiber, and water, allowing your body to slow the process down, keeping your blood sugar at even levels and avoiding any crazy sugar rush, high, and crash.
So what about juice??
According to Chloe McLeod a practicing dietitian, extracted juice, even from fruits is lacking the fiber and water. Sugar from fruit juices is going to be digested quickly almost in the same way our body recognizes refined sugar. Similar to refined sugar, fruit juice can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and insulin.
Honey? Maple Syrup? Agave?
These natural sugars are tough. They’re definitely a better option than refined white sugar as they do contain vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, and calcium. But again our body is going to be digesting these sugars at a much faster rate than sugars from whole fruits with fiber and water.
SO AVOID ADDED SUGAR ALTOGETHER?
My personal recommendation would be to create balance and moderation. Moderation, how sexy and exciting, I know. In terms of sugar from fruit: stick to the recommended servings of 3 per day. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with having more servings per day BUT more servings of fruit might take away from you having your proper servings of other foods like vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Again BALANCE, HOW EXCITING. Added sugar? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 5-10% of daily caloric intake to be from sugar. Again, “the WHO guideline does not refer to the sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables, and sugars naturally present in milk, because there is no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars” BUT there IS significant evidence that shows a reduction in added refined sugars can drastically reduce the risk of obesity, and even tooth decay! YAY!
BUT BUT BUT I JUST CAN’T STOP!
I get it. It’s delicious AF and it doesn’t help that it’s also addicting… making it hard to avoid it! Like sometimes you just GOTTA have that cinnamon bun. Especially when it’s fat and moist and gooey and dripping fresh creamy icing.
But there’s good news! There is an optimal time a day to consume sugar in a way that will actually help FUEL your body.
According to Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD, the most efficient way to quickly replenish muscle glycogen that is depleted during a workout, is to consume 1.5 g of high-glycemic carbohydrates (aka rapidly digested carbs causing a quick spike in blood sugar) per 1 kg of body weight immediately after exercise. What most people don’t realize is that carbohydrates are SUPER important for building and repairing muscles after a workout. They help with protein synthesis. High glycemic carbs (sugar) consumed directly after a workout as well as protein is the best combination.
SO if you HAVE TO HAVE DONUTS EVERYDAY (which, sometimes I do let’s be honest) the most optimal time to have it is after a strenuous workout!
But in all honesty… just live your life. Again, moderation. Try not to stress. Try not to obsess. Just enjoy your life in moderation!
NEVER MISS A FREE FACEBOOK LIVE AGAIN! Click the link below to join my FREE Facebook Group: Sustainable Weight-Loss Through Habit Change:
SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS THROUGH HABIT CHANGE w/ Train with Amanda Jane
Closed group · 353 members
Join Group
Use this group as a tool to keep you Accountable with your Fitness Goals.
CURRENT CHALLENGE: Average 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge!
Let's move away fro…
Pin this image to save for later!
Questions, comments, concerns?
Click here to sign up for a free consultation phone call!
So you want weight loss. That means it’s time to get yo diet and gym membership on… right? Wrong. Well kinda.
What if I told you that I have the secret to weight loss. That I have lost tons of weight, and am even sustaining and maintaining that weight loss. I look FIERCE AF, I FEEL fierce AF, and I’ve never been happier. Life is good… F’ing great actually.
You’d probably want to know the secret right.
Here’s the secret.
Stop following MY way.
Yup. The secret is to stop following MY way, or ANYONE ELSE’S PERSONAL-WEIGHT-LOSS-WAY for that matter.
“Wait what but I thought you had lost tons of weight and have never felt better?? Why wouldn’t I do exactly what you’re doing?”
Truth is, the reason why you’ve failed at losing weight in the past is that you’ve been trying all of these diet plans, all of these gym routines, that have worked for OTHER people, but you haven’t stopped to think about what exactly would work for YOU!
THE ONLY WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT AND MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS IS TO CREATE NEW HABITS THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND MAINTAINABLE. And that is dependent on YOU!
What can you adapt into your specific daily routine that will be EASY to maintain and sustain. So keto worked for your friend but isn’t working for you? THAT’S OKAY. Running outside helped your husband but never helped you? There are so many different forms of exercise and diets these days, do some research, start exploring! What works for someone, may not work for you.
In fact you don’t even necessarily have to go on a diet to lose weight. You don’t even have to exercise if you didn’t want to… do I recommend not exercising? No. Mainly because exercise should be about so much more than just weight loss and instead about taking care of your body and showing it love. BUT anything is possible and I certainly have seen it all.
Bottom line… there actually is no secret. In fact, if you really want to lose weight and keep it off you have to change your lifestyle. And when I say lifestyle I mean lifestyle. It has to become apart of your routine, an easy part of your everyday life. Losing weight for good doesn’t mean joining a gym for 2 weeks every New Year. It doesn’t mean trying every new diet trend when you see something in the media. It means committing to changing your life and to changing your identity.
And the most important question I have for you on this weight loss quest is WHY? Why do you want to lose weight? WHY is it so important to you? Is it because of what the media has been presenting to you? Or do you really want it? And again WHY do you want it?
If you don’t understand WHY you’re doing something… you will never take the steps to get yourself there.
If you don’t understand WHY you want to lose weight… you will never change your habits or your current comfortable life to get there.
Because the truth is. This shit is hard. There is no quick way to get there. Truly there is not.
Unsure how to make a lifestyle change this drastic? You’re in luck! Click HERE to sign up for a FREE consultation call to set you up with your new found lifestyle!
WHY this SHITTY Vegan Fast Food Burger is important AF.
As many of you know, the famous fast food chain, Burger King recently came out with the *nearly* vegan Impossible Whopper. A meatless burger, that tastes and simulates the texture and experience of meat. I’ve had the impossible burger elsewhere and have it pretty often. Lucky for me I live in NYC where the impossible burger is everywhere and prepared in a much more delicious, gourmet way; yup, I’m a privileged vegan. I’ve had it at Bare Burger, crushed into a taco at Taco Dumbo to name a few. And they were all AMAZING. Juicy, and EXACTLY like the red meat I remember from my youth many years ago. But back to BK’s Impossible Whopper…let me tell you, this one… wasn’t that good. It wasn’t BAD. But I’ll probably never get it again.
It was dry. And fair warning- it’s not pre-made dairy free: you have to order it with no mayo and ask for it to be cooked on a separate section if you don’t want cross contamination. How. Annoying.
So why is this a big fricken deal?
You may have ALSO seen that our world is currently in need of some serious help. Climate change is real and it’s happening at a rapid rate. And it’s not just effecting the temperatures of our environment, it’s threatening our food supply. Click HERE to read more. Going vegan is one of the best things you can do for the environment, even if it’s ONLY for Meatless Monday. Read more HERE.
Up until this point, vegan options have not always been readily available especially in lower income communities.
Having the 3rd largest food chain in the world produce a vegan option is the first step to creating accessibility to ALL and it sets the tone for how restaurants can provide options for consumers moving forward.
Fast food is often an only option for some lower income families. Veganism CAN be pretty inexpensive if you prepare in the grocery store correctly. After all, basic grains, beans and legumes, and vegetables are probably the cheapest options available for purchase. Vegan restaurants on the other hand? EXPENSIVE AF. PLUS, not everyone has time to cook EVERY meal. Especially if you’re a working parent striving to provide for your family while making ends meet.
Having fast food as an option creates accessibility. Vegan food is now available at a lower cost allowing EVERYONE the opportunity to make a large impact on our health AND environment. Not to mention we can save some furry friends in the process. 🐷🐮🐥
3 Morning Habits for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind… and it’s not meditate or journal… although those things are important too.
Trying to build a healthy body and healthy mind that’s BULLET PROOF to whatever life throws at ya? Trying to crush it at this thing called life? We all are. Join the club! But here’s the thing… you are and always will be the product of your habits. What you do on a day-to-day basis, the actions that you take, form the identity that you are. And it all starts with your morning routine.
Don’t identify as a morning person? Maybe it’s because you’re not in the habit of waking up early.
Don’t identify as fit? Maybe it’s because you’re not actively in the habit of “doing” fitness; going to the gym or eating healthy.
Don’t identify as smart? Maybe it’s because you’re not actively in the habit of prioritizing learning.
The actions that you take on a day-to-day basis form your identity. Your habits form your identity.
Click HERE for more resources on how habits shape your identity.
SO. Let’s start the day RIGHT. With some healthy morning habits.
Here are 3 morning habits for a healthy body and a healthy mind.
1. DON’T SNOOZE
Woah. DON’T SNOOZE? BUT BUT :(((
You heard. DON’T. FRICKEN. SNOOZE.
Think about it. You set an alarm everyday to wake up. You set this alarm with the intention that it will give you enough time to get ready for work and for your tasks of the day.
THIS IS THE FIRST PROMISE YOU ARE MAKING AND BREAKING TO YOURSELF.
BY SNOOZING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, YOU ARE NOT TAKING YOUR COMMITMENTS SERIOUSLY, YOU ARE NOT HOLDING YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE.
Show yourself respect by upholding the promises you make to yourself. Not to mention… snoozing only creates ANXIETY. NOW you have less time to shower, brush your teeth, your hair, make breakfast, meditate, say your affirmations, journal, go for a run, read the news or WHATEVER THE HECK ELSE YOU LIKE TO DO IN THE MORNING.
Not only do you have less time to DO those things, you also now run the risk of being LATE. And you know my friends, early is on time and on time is late.
PLUS. Snoozing is just a complete waste of time. You are not getting any sort of quality sleep in those 8 minutes you keep snoozing for.
Wake up when you say you will. Set yourself up for success, STICK to the VERY FIRST commitment you made. Stop snoozing.
Your life will improve ten-fold. I promise.
2. MAKE YOUR BED
Okay. These habits are starting to seem kinda silly. But seriously this habit has changed my life. It’s similar to “No Snoozing” in that it sets you up for success.
You wake up, and what is the first thing you do? You accomplish a task. The task of being neat, tidy, organized and clean. Again, this is setting you up for SUCCESS, it is setting the TONE for the day. It is creating a feeling of ORDER or CALM.
If you’ve done NOTHING ELSE in your day, if your day was COMPLETE SHIT, and you got absolutely NOTHING DONE, AT THE VERY LEAST YOU MADE YOUR BED AND YOU CAN COME HOME TO A CLEAN, ORGANIZED, HAPPY SLEEPING SPACE.
PLUS. Making your bed creates the illusion of a clean room. So if you’re just a messy person in general… making your bed can give the illusion of tidiness. 😉
MAKE YOUR BED PEOPLE. Trust me. Just do it.
3. DO THE HARDEST TASK FIRST
Okay now for the good shit.
As we go about our day, our hours, our LIFE, our ego is trying to protect us by making us feel comfortable. But if we remain comfortable for our entire lives, we will absolutely never improve or get anything done, or become the very best versions of ourselves.
One thing our ego does to keep us comfortable is it asks us to PROCRASTINATE tasks that makes us feel uneasy, cause anxiety, or are just plain annoying. We put them off and we feel at ease. “Oh, I’ll just workout AFTER work”. C’mon B you know you’re not going to workout after a looonnngggggggg exhausting day at work. ESPECIALLY if you have to go home and get your sneakers first. “Oh, I’ll go through my workout AFTER I eat breakfast.” *finishes breakfast* “I should shower first cuz I want clean sweat”. *showers* “WHOOPS NOW I DON’T HAVE TIME GOTTA CATCH THE BUS I’LL DO IT WHEN I GET HOME LATER”.
DO YOU SEE THE PATTERN? A later person REALLY means a NEVER person. If you keep procrastinating the most annoying, or difficult, or uneasy task, YOU WILL NEVER DO IT.
AND GUESS WHAT! THAT will just create MORE anxiety in the long run.
Every night before you go to bed, look at the tasks you need to complete, whether it be for work, working out, family, whatever. Find the task that is the most important, find the task that gives you the most anxiety. DO THAT TASK FIRST. AND DON’T DO ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL THAT TASK IS COMPLETE.
In conclusion…
Set yourself up for success. Trust your instincts. Respect the promises you’ve made to yourself. Show up for yourself the same way you would respect your mother, your boss, your co-worker, your best friend. Show up, and do the dang thing. You got this!
Don’t feel like you got this? Cool No P. That’s why I’m here. I specialize in helping you form habits in order to achieve your goals. Schedule a FREE phone chat HERE and let’s get you goin on the right path.
