A Recipe From A Friend

It's FRIDAY!! Yey!!

Today I'm tired, cold, and lazy. (But I am going to workout!)

I figured I'd take a moment to share a recipe that my good friend, Hippie, shared with me:

Slow Cooker Italian Herb Chicken

I highly encourage you to skip the pasta and just serve it with a large side of green veggies. But if you feel like you MUST have the pasta, opt for a whole-wheat variety. These are very tasty and more filling than the regular kind so you will not feel as though you need as much. And if you have picky kid eaters, just don't point out that it's different! My kids have never noticed the switch and eat it just as they always have.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the snow (if you live in a climate where you have been dumped on as we have), and take time to snuggle with your babies. Read a book, go sledding, have hot chocolate (them, not YOU!) and remember to give thanks to all the blessings in your life!

Snow, SNOW, SNOW!!!

Today is one of those days where I am SO thankful to have found a workout routine that I can do from home. It's something that I tend to take for granted. If I had to go out to the gym or a workout class today...I can guarantee I would not get it done. And then, the guilt would set in. I'd probably start eating unhealthy foods...it would be a mess!!

You see, we had about an inch of ice fall overnight and are now getting snow...LOTS OF SNOW! A chance for over 8 inches by the time this storm has passed. And we already had a least 3 inches of snow on the ground!

So here I am, looking out the window, watching the snowflakes (that I swear are about the size of golf balls) falling and am SO thankful that I do not have to go out in it!

I can go into my warm living room, turn on the DVD player and get in my hour workout. Then take a hot shower and get into some snuggly clothes, grill some chicken on my George Forman grill and enjoy a delicious salad for lunch.

All without having to step a food outside in this cold mess! (Except to take the dog out!)

SO what are you waiting for? Now is the time to take control of YOUR fitness! To do it on YOUR time! No having to worry about the weather, no wasting gasoline, no finding childcare...it truly is a GIFT that I can give to you!

Peanut Butter Recalls

Unless you have not watched even 5 minutes of any news program over the last month, you are fully aware that there is another round of peanut butter recalls due to salmonella. Fortunately, this time my family did not have any of the contaminated items in our pantry, unlike in 2007 when we had a nice full jar of peanut butter that was on the list!

If you haven't already looked over the list of contaminated items you can go to the FDA's website to read all about the recalls and items that are being taken off the shelves. If you have pets, make sure you check the pet food section too!

That being said. Let me assure you that if you use or are thinking of using any Beachbody products...they are safe! Here is the statement released on the 23rd by the company:

Understandably there is concern about the recent peanut butter-related salmonella outbreak. Rest assured that all raw materials used in the manufacturing of our P90X® Peak Performance Protein Bars: Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor—and all of our nutritional products—have been microbiologically tested and certified free of salmonella. So enjoy these delicious bars worry-free.

Fans of the Clif bar, which was most definitely recalled, you may want to consider contacting me so I can help you with ordering some of Beachbody's Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein bars. They also come in other flavors as well!


Now that I got the serious out of the way, let me take a moment to thank Nikki, from Becoming Ms. Health Nut. She awarded me with the Honest Scrap award! I am a few days late in thanking her, but let me assure you I am very happy about it! My first blog award, yey!

Live Webinar

Just a quick update to let you all know...

If you are interested or curious about starting your own coach business...

I can set you up to join a live Webinar on Feb. 3rd or Feb. 10th starting at 5PM PT. If you are interested but neither of those times work for you, I can also email you one of the past recorded Webinars!

These are very informative and are hosted by Senior Manager of Sales Kevin Sherman and Will Culp. Beachbody's CEO Carl Daikeler, and several top coaches join in to describe the Beachbody Revolution!

Please leave a comment or Email Me if you are interested!

My Website

My Team Beachbody website is officially up and running! CLICK HERE to find out all about Beachbody, and how to join my team, TODAY!

Take time to look through all the tabs so you can truly understand the amazing company I am honored to be a part of!

History Has Been Made

Because today is such a momentous day in the history of our country, I am going to take a break from my regular blog post to say Congratulations to our 44th President of the United States of America, Barack H. Obama. May God bless him, his family, and our country!

How Much Do You Eat?

When you eat does your plate tend to look like it could feed your entire family? I know mine has at times! Especially if it's pasta, pizza, ice cream, ect! But even when I am eating healthy, I have the tendency to overeat. Too many calories=minimal results from my workout program.

It's hard to know what a normal portion looks like when we are surrounded in our culture by "Super-Sized" fries, and restaurants that serve platters of food that are enough for 2 or more meals!

Weighing foods is one way to make sure that you are eating a proper portion of something, but I for one do not have the time or patience for that! I have 3 kids, a husband, and a dog who all need fed too! If I have to take the time to measure my food, no one would EVER eat! So I eyeball it. I may not have EXACTLY 6oz of chicken on my plate or 1 cup of lettuce in my salad, or 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter on my carrots, but it's close enough.

Here is a list of some common foods & what they look like measured out to get you started on "eyeballing":

1 cup cereal.....................Baseball
1 serving of meat or chicken.....deck of cards
3 ounces fish....................checkbook
1 ounce cheese...................4 dice
1 teaspoon butter................Thumbtip
2 tablespoon peanut butter.......pingpong ball
1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta.....1 cupcake liner
1/2 cup cooked veggies...........tennis ball
1 cup raw leafy veggies..........2 tennis balls
1 small baked potato.............computer mouse


And if this doesn't help you or you have other foods that you're concerned about; weigh or measure them out a few times until you have a good idea of what a proper serving looks like and then you'll be all set to eyeball it as well!


How do you go about "portion-control"?

COMING TOMORROW: My Favorite Foods

Week One Done!

I am finished with my "official" Week One of Yoga Booty Ballet. Technically I started 2 weeks ago, but I ended up making this week my official start.

It really feels great to be Pushing Play again. And Yoga Booty Ballet is such a unique program! I really can feel it working in my sides. I love the Yoga part of it but there is one problem..

The parts where I am to sit quietly, eyes close, hands together by the heart...SHOULD be so calming and enjoyable...but most definitely are not!

I usually get licked in the face by my dog, or one of my kids will jump on my back. It's delightful, let me tell ya!

All in all, I am loving the program and can not wait to see what results I get out of the remaining 9 weeks.

How did YOUR workout go this week? Didn't work out? Let me help you get started!

COMING MONDAY: Eyeballing Serving Sizes

TGIF!

It's Friday, and I have to say, I could not be more excited! This has been a long, cold week and I am more than ready for the weekend! So, in the spirit of fun, let me recap my week for you!

Monday, I told you I had gotten sidetracked, HERE. That website really has me motivated to put my faith back on the front burner and get out there and either get back to going to our church or find a new church home!

Tuesday, I watched a near-brawl start during the kids exercising(I turned the camera off right before the punching and rolling around on the floor started, so I could intervene!) Hope you can see it okay..it turned out a little dark.:



Wednesday, we had a pretty significant Winter Storm. It was absolutely beautiful watching the snow fall for over 12 hours out our front picture window.

Thursday, I took a break from Pushing Play (it was a scheduled rest day for the Yoga Booty Ballet program I am following), and was amazed at the alien my 3 year old daughter built all by herself with no prompting from me!



And today, I plan on keeping up with my Flylady routines, Pushing Play, staying warm, and looking forward to our kid-free evening tomorrow night!


How was your week?

COMING TOMORROW: Week One of YBB Update!

Results!

When I started my journey to fitness, I was doing it in support of my husband, and to lose the weight I had packed on due to my 3 consecutive pregnancies. Also, apparently, fudge bars and popcorn as an evening snack do not help with keeping the pounds off!

So I started with the program Slim in 6 and although it was challenging, I managed to keep at it every day and changed my eating. The result...well take a look for yourself!

Before Starting Slim in 6,:



6 Weeks Later...:




Here are my "Before & After" measurments:

............Start........Finish
Body Fat%.....34%..........23%
Weight.......147lb........138lb
Chest.........39"..........36"
Waist.........33"..........29"
Belly.........37"..........32.5"
Hips..........41"..........38.5"
R Thigh.......23"..........21.5"
L Thigh.......23.5"........20.5"
R Bicep.......12"..........11"
L Bicep.......11"..........11"

This all equals a total of 9 pounds and a whopping 23.5" LOST!

And THIS is the program that made it all happen:




Are YOU ready to commit?

COMING TOMORROW: TGIF!

An Important Accessory!

There are times during your workouts that you may overdo it. (Yes, there IS such a thing as working out too hard!) You may experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or become lightheaded. This has only happened to me once, and I can guarantee you it will never happen again! It was very uncomfortable and scary.

There is a very easy way to prevent this. Get a heart monitor to wear during every single workout! It looks just like a wristwatch and you can check your heart rate throughout your workout.

The key is finding out what your target heart rate range is. Once you know this number, if you are below you will know to "kick it up a notch", if you're above, take a few minutes to slow down. Walk around the room a few times until the number has dropped. Don't just stop and sit down, ease it back into the target range.

Some models will even show you how many calories you've burned during your workout! How cool is that!?

For help with figuring out what YOUR target heart rate is, please leave a comment and I will help you!

COMING TOMORROW: I'll introduce you to the program that changed my life!

Oh My Aching...Everything!

Last February, when I first started my Beachbody journey, I started "Pushing Play" full force! After just 2 workouts, I woke up one morning BARELY able to get out of bed. At that time our bedroom was on the second floor of our house and I literally had to slide down the steps on my booty! I was definitely the cause of some muffled laughter in my house! I hobbled around and whined, and groaned, but I was encouraged just to "keep at it" or I would never get through it! Turns out, that advice was spot on!

When you first start working out after being sedentary for more than a week or two you will feel so amazing during that first work out! You'll have that increased heart rate pumping the blood through your system, a glistening sweat rejuvenating your body...when you finish you'll be so proud of yourself and your body will be giving it's thanks.

Then, you'll wake up the next morning and probably hurt like crazy!

Muscles that aren't used on a daily basis will ache and burn and you'll be tempted to not work out at all that day. This is the worst thing that you can do. If you wait until your not sore anymore then what is going to happen when you go to work out again? The same thing! I know you're sore and I know there will be moves that will be very uncomfortable, but go ahead and do the moves only to the extent that they do not cause severe pain. Modify the moves so that you can "feel the burn" but not injure yourself!

You may also want to consider getting some glutamine to mix into water and drink after each workout. This will reduce your post-workout soreness!

Remember, you are on a mission to be healthy and fit! Don't hamper your results by not working out when your sore. Just keep at it, modify, and the results will be worth it! And I promise that soreness will subside...well...until you switch up your workout and start working OTHER muscles!

What are your problem areas? Let me know and I can help you figure out what Beachbody workout would be the most beneficial to you!

COMING TOMORROW: Warning signs during your workout.

I Interrupt The Regularly Scheduled Post...

So I was going to blog this morning, and I forgot. I apologize!

I got sidetracked HERE & HERE...I'll be back tomorrow.

If you check out these websites, share your opinions in my comments! I'd love to discuss!

COMING TOMORROW: What to do when you wake up to sore muscles after being sedentary for so long.

Cheat Day Is My Friend

I know that when trying to lose weight, get into shape, maintain the shape you're in...whatever, none of it is possible without a good diet. I eat 5x/day. Three meals and 2 snacks and no snacking before bed. I am always reconfiguring my caloric intake based on what exercise program I am doing. I figure my cals by using the tools that I have because I am a Beachbody Club Member. But I have a small problem. I LOVE junk food. I love pizza with extra cheese, homemade chocolate chip cookies, corn dogs at any fair or festival; pretty much if it's gooey or greasy, I would love to devour it! But if I want to be healthy and fit, well I have got let go of all of that...or do I?

I have learned, from my lovely coach, a little hint to help me stay on my path of healthy eating. CHEAT DAY! Oh how I live for cheat day! I eat Kashi Go Lean for breakfast, turkey wraps for lunch, lean proteins, vegetables, low-fat dairy, protein shakes, ect. all week...but when cheat day comes. I can have WHATEVER I WANT ALL DAY! I'm talking poptarts, McDonalds, pizza, milkshakes..whatever!! But the best part is, I can do this guilt-free!

The truth of the matter is, I have to allow this day for myself otherwise my cravings will consume me and I'll just throw in the towel. I'm sure many of you know exactly what I'm talking about! And truly, sometimes my cheat day really only consists of 1 meal because after eating right for so long my body gets used to the foods I'm putting into it and doesn't "need" the other junk.

Cheat Day is something that anyone on any diet plan needs to allow to themselves to keep them motivated and committed to their weight loss and health! (And if you really need it, you can always add a "cheat snack" in on another day during the week to help you pull through until cheat day comes around!)


Tell me, what are you eating on a daily basis that should be reserved for your own personal "cheat day"?


COMING TOMORROW: Nothing! Sunday is my day of rest!

Can We Exercise Today?

How did my kids react when I starting eating right and exercising on a daily basis?

WELL...

First they laughed and pointed at me huffing & puffing in the middle of our living room. They were somewhere between horrified, embarrassed and confused.

But, then they decided to join me, but quickly decided it was "too hard".



Then they started to ask if what they ate was healthy or not.



(Side Note: NO I don't make those two wear bibs..this was them acting silly!)

Then they asked for their own workout video "for kids".






We now have two kids (our 1 year old is a bit too young yet to realize what's going on) that are conscience of what they put in their bodies, and know that exercise is good for them and will make them strong. See, parents really DO lead my example!




Of course I still hear the occasional "Well gummi worms are bad for you, but not THAT bad...right?" But we'll worry about that another day!


How do you keep your kids focused on their health? Leave me a comment and let's discuss!

COMING TOMORROW: I'll tell you why I feel no guilt over eating pizza with extra cheese!

My Testimony

So I promised my Beachbody testimony and I shall deliver!

I had three kids in less than 4 years and that took an obvious toll on my body. I was exhausted and unmotivated to do anything about those extra pounds that I had gained. That was until last winter after my husband, Will, had had his spine surgery. He was finally recovering after months off of work and was ready to get himself into shape and lose all the extra pounds that being sedentary during his recovery had caused him to gain. I wanted to lose weight too, but mainly I wanted to support him, so I started looking for my own way to lose weight.

With 3 kids, going to a gym or any type of fitness class was definitely out of the question! There was no way I would stick to something if I took that route. So I started looking around online and paying closer attention to the TV whenever any fitness infomercials were on. I ended up seeing the "Slim in 6" infomercial one evening before dinner and it really impressed me. The before and after pictures of people's progress looked real and not altered in any way. Listening to the woman who created the workout, Debbie Siebers, I realized that this was probably going to be my only chance at getting myself into some sort of shape, other than round!

I ordered the program and then spent the next few days, impatiently waiting! So I went online and found the website of the company that puts out these workouts and signed up so that I could access the message boards. I was automatically assigned a coach, but after sending him an email with some questions I had and not getting a response, I was a bit discouraged. But to my surprise, once I got into the message boards I realized that coach or no coach, I would have a great support system.

Within the first few days of receiving my package, starting to "Push Play" everyday, and eating right, I began to feel better. I was tired from all of the hard work it was taking, but I wasn't feeling that listless exhaustion that I had just from not feeling good about myself. I began to get stronger and leaner as the days went on.

After 6 weeks, I had lost a total of 23 1/2 inchs and 9 pounds. I had gone down 3 pants sizes and 1 shirt size. It was amazing! I felt great and I was thinner and healthier than I could EVER remember being!

And if you're wondering whatever happened to my coach...well he never contacted me, but I ended up finding another coach that was excited about teaching people about fitness and nutrition and she in turn, paved the way for me to become a coach myself!

I now have over 90 customers and 3 coaches that I myself have helped through their own Beachbody journey and with them comes many successes, and a whole new outlook on life for many of them!

I have been privileged to have found such an awesome opportunity to take care of myself in so many ways just from ordering that one simple package!

If after reading this you have any questions or would like to know more about what Beachbody has to offer, or would like to make me your coach so you can get started on a NEW YOU! Please get in touch with me through the "Contact Jen" tab in the sidebar!

If you have any success or failure stories of your own about any fitness program, please share them with us! Just leave a comment right here!!

COMING TOMORROW: My kids' reactions to their mommy's new lifestyle.

Kitchen Table...What?

It's Kitchen Table Fitness, and you'll be seeing me around using that name or KTFitness on the Beachbody site.

I came up with this name because I run my business right from my kitchen table! Every morning I set up my laptop, check my email, answer any questions or concerns any of the people I coach have, and from there, whatever else is on my "to do" list, I take care of sitting right at the table. That's just how simple this business is; you can literally do it from a kitchen table! No fancy office required!

Kitchen Table Fitness also has another meaning. We all know how important exercise is to our fitness and health. But what we EAT has just as HUGE of an impact! That brings us back to the kitchen table once again. Fueling our bodies in the proper way, everyday is so important and I'll be mentioning this again and again over the course of this blog.

If you're someone who I am currently coaching and are reading this blog, HELLO, thanks for coming over to support me! If you're someone who has stumbled across this blog and have no clue what I am talking about...Let me just say that if you are feeling down in the dumps because you're not comfortable in the way you look or feel, I can truly help you. I will treat you with respect and compassion so please feel free to email me so I can answer any of your questions and help you get fit and feel great! And finally, if you're someone who is fit, unfit, whatever, and are interested in starting your own home business, again, email me, and I will answer any of your questions!

So now that you know what "Kitchen Table Fitness" means...tell me about your blog if you have one! I'd love to come visit and add you to my list in the sidebar!

COMING TOMORROW: My personal Beachbody testimony!

Welcome!

Welcome to the first post on "Kitchen Table Fitness". This blog is about me and my journey though fitness, business & mommyhood! Posts will vary in topic from day to day so please know that there will always be a little bit of everything so keep checking in!

My Goals for 2009:
1. Workout 5-6 days/week depending on my workout program. Today I have started a program called Yoga Booty Ballet and am excited to be "Pushing Play" 6x / week with it for the next few weeks. You can watch the video below to find out all about Yoga Booty Ballet & if you have any questions about it or are interested in starting it as your own personal workout program please email me or visit my profile on the Team Beachbody website.




2. Always use Beachbody's WOWY:Work Out With You program for accountability and motivation to Push Play on all the day's I've scheduled to work out! This program has honestly been a life saver for me in the past, and I've missed the people I've worked out with on there over the last few months. Again, if you're wanting to know what in the heck I'm talking about or are interesting in adding me as a workout buddy in WOWY, just shoot me an email!

3. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day! Pretty self explanatory there!

4. TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!! I struggle with stress and anxiety and this is something that I plan to focus on taking care of in 2009!

5. Complete my daily chores so that my home is enjoyable to live in and so that our home renovation projects will go more smoothly!

6. Feed my hobbies! I love to cross-stitch and knit, so I plan on doing more of that this year as well.

7. Read my Bible more, and find a new church home!

8. Notice I didn't mention anything about motherhood? That's because doing all of the above, taking care of myself, will make me a better mother. I have seen it work in the past, and I know it will work again this year.


So now that you've read MY goals, what are YOUR goals this year? Lets come together, hold each other accountable and have a fantastic year!

COMING TOMORROW: How I got the name, Kitchen Table Fitness!