competition coach - figure and bikini prep coach fat loss for women

Meaning-Making Machines

“We are meaning-making machines.” Jade introduced me to this concept, and says it all the time. In essence, it means that we make meaning out of things, events, people, situations, etc based off our individual biases. In a very general example, you and I can both be sitting at a cafe when we see a man walk in wearing all black, at hat and sunglasses. I might see him and assume he is a biker dropping in for a coffee, and you might see him and think he is going to rob the place.

Our unique experiences, insecurities and interpretation of the world form our outlook, so that we literally see and hear exactly what we want to see or hear through the eyes and ears of our biases. I think this is a particularly poignant point when it comes to our bodies, especially for women.

About 5 years ago, Jade remarked to me that I am “so dedicated” when it comes to my exercise, an observation picked up from my daily 5am gym visits and often 2-a-days. At the time I said, “Yea, I don’t know why I am so consistent with it? I think I am literally scared to not be thin.” Of course, I can see now that it is much more than that–I love the way working out makes me feel, I don’t feel the same when I skip and more than anything, I seem dedicated because I have simply made it a habit. It was just “what I did” every morning–there was no other alternative. But I can see now how initial my answer was so telling.

I have to admit that besides being somewhat embarrassed by my response now, more than anything it illustrates the point I am trying to make, and it is actually laughable. If I think about it, not being thin in an of itself is benign. I certainly wasn’t worried about health issues around excess weight. I was scared of what it would mean. Would it mean I was lazy? Would it mean I was undisciplined? Would it mean I would not be loved? Would it mean I would lose my clout as a fitness professional? Did it mean I would be unworthy in some way? Of course not! But for me, then, “not being thin” only had the meaning that I GAVE IT.

As an aside, I am giving this example as a show of just how insecure and one-dimensional I was in my early 20s. As a fitness professional, my love is helping people who want to burn fat or get healthy. This is more to demonstrate my view at that time, which was such that I felt I would be somehow “less than” if I gained weight, which I feel is a very common feeling among women, unfortunately.

I think we do this with a lot of things. At it’s most basic level, saying something like “I need to be a size 4″ or else….or else what? THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF WHAT YOU NEED TO BE (OR ELSE) IS WHERE YOUR INTROSPECTIVE JOURNEY BEGINS. I always say, what seems to be a body problem is really a mind problem

If you can identify the thing you are most scared of becoming, then you can begin to face up to it. For example for me, saying I needed to be thin or lean wasn’t about that, it was about what I made it mean, and if I wasn’t thin, what I would make that mean. I have shared in an earlier post about my biggest insecurity–that I am unlovable–and for me, my body and my physique was, for a long time, the only way I knew to assure love. I grew up as a top athlete, praised for always doing well in sports. My physique was my guaranteed ticket to love. If I was able to stay lean, ‘”in shape” and play the part of the physique role model, then I could always find affirmation that I was good enough. If I didn’t have that, then what? What else could I possibly offer if it wasn’t a bangin’ bod?

Essentially, I was attaching meaning to what I thought it meant to be thin. And my motivation for my dedicated fitness regimen was fear of not having my physique as a tool to garner love and affirmation. Saying it out loud (or writing it) is embarrassing. But it is a good reminder when I hear women say that they “need” to reach a certain size or look or body fat %, so then they can finally be (fill-in-the-blank)–happy, well-liked, adored, worthy, good, justified, etc.

This is normal stuff, we all do it. However, it is a useful practice to take stock of our fears. What is it that you simply cannot bear to have be a reality? What it is about that version of the story that scares the living crap out of you? What would YOU make it mean if that were the case?

Situations, things, people, events, circumstances, etc are literally only as bad as we make them out to be. We create meaning out of the most benign things and then take those meanings to heart. We see and interpret things to suit our biases and satisfy our insecurities. Here’s an example:

I am fit, muscular woman and someone remarks at how “buff” and “intense” I am. I can EITHER decide that they are rude and take it to heart, taking it to mean I am bad in some way or unacceptable. OR I can decide that it’s their way of giving me a compliment, they might not be sensitive to their language, but I decide that it’s nice they noticed and gee, I have worked pretty darn hard to have this “buff” body, and I love it! How cool that other people notice too!

It’s a subtle distinction, but there are women all over the world making the first choice. They are getting all heated and sensitive about comments made to them, when in actuality, it is THEIR OWN INSECURITY AND BIASES that get them heated in the first place. I know because I have done this exact thing a thousand times I remember getting offended years ago when someone called me G.I. Jill (lol)–like I was some kind of crazy hulk. They meant it in the most complimentary way, of course, and now I love it, I love G.I. Jill–why not??

In order to begin getting out of our own way with this stuff, one option is to give people the benefit of the doubt. How are they to know that something they are meaning NOT as an insult is being taken as one via our heavily-biased sensitivities. If I get upset over being called G.I. Jill then it is ONLY because I have a sensitivity around that. Maybe on some level I am worried that I am too muscular or too intense or too extreme, and the comment simply brings out that insecurity.

Once again we are brought back to ourselves. It is all about our personal, unique interpretation of the world, one that is extremely slanted by our insecurities. Now, if I feel offended or sensitive or upset, I look inside and ask myself, what is it ABOUT ME that makes me feel that way? It has nothing to do with anyone else. If I were in a different mind space–maybe I just got a kick-ass modeling job, and I don’t care who calls me G.I. Jill lol–it wouldn’t bother me one bit.

Another example. Seeing down-time as lazy. I think many of us have a hard time justifying taking time for ourselves or just doing nothing. We tell the story that it’s lazy, it’s unproductive, it means we are unfocused or floundering. When in reality, taking down time is NECESSARY to recharge and reset so that we are able to function more optimally at times when we are working. So we can CHOOSE to see it as unproductive or lazy OR we can decide that it is actually the most PRODUCTIVE thing we can do to boost our overall productivity. It all lies within our personal perception.

I am sure you can relate to this We all do it. But the sooner we can catch ourselves getting caught up in our own BS, the faster we can make the turn-around and realize that we truly are meaning-making machines, and that we can simply CHOOSE to create a different meaning. Practice makes progress. And the good news is that the onus is on us. How refreshing! That means, we are the ones able to change the situation, with a simple attitude adjustment.

So, in conclusion, begin to identify your unique sensitivities by noticing when you feel like you need to defend yourself. Defending is a good indication that there is something there that you have a bias or sensitivity about. Being sensitive is fine, but remember that if it is causing you misery or insecurity then there is some potential work to do there, if you choose.

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Muscle on Women: An Acquired Taste?

by Jill

I was perusing Facebook a few days ago and noticed a friend of mine had commented on a photo of a figure pro who was a few weeks out from her show (it was one of those bathroom shots, post-workout…you know the ones). WOW! This gal had an 8-pack, rock-hard abs, literally bricks, and a huge pump on her shoulders, veins bulging. She was ready to walk on stage TODAY! Besides the incredibly sculpted body, what caught my attention were the literally HUNDREDS of comments on the picture. As I scrolled through, I noticed many said things likle, “she looks like a man” or “is that you, Jeff?” and other similar insults to an actual real person, whose page these people were a fan of. What???

Try as I might to get past the blatant rudeness and straight-up ugliness of the comments (social media etiquette is the subject for another time!), I thought about female muscle and how depending on where you are personally in your own physique journey, you may or may not “get it” when it comes to women having muscle. It brought me back to my own journey and how far I have come in the way I see it, and the point at which I have arrived now.

When I was in college, I loved reading magazines like Shape and Fitness. The women on the covers were skinny, supermodels (with great lighting and professional hair and make-up! ). Who wouldn’t want to look like that?? And all I had to do was do the workouts in those magazines, and I, too, could look like that, right?? LOL Well, not short of growing a foot and being born in Brazil

[A funny side story: A couple years ago I was in New York City with Jade and Keoni as they met with publishers for their book The New ME Diet. I was a couple weeks out from my figure competition, and I happened to schedule a meeting with a top fitness modeling agency while there. Well, I wasn't at the meeting but 5 minutes, when the owner (who hadn't even seen my body as it was winter and I was wearing jeans and a huge winter coat) threw me in a cab for a go-see at Fitness magazine, meanwhile I was not even a signed model with the agency? lol Apparently one of his models had to cancel at the last second and I was right in front of him so I went. No comp card, no book, nothing. Oh well, what the hell! (PS a "go-see" is when a model goes to see/meet the client and they take some polaroids, look at the model's book and chat. Then the client decides if the model is right for the job.) I remember walking into the offices at Fitness and walking by literally a 6 foot tall skinny-ass Brazilian model who was getting some snap shots taken. I was like, hmmm, "I am 2 weeks out from a FIGURE competition, I seriously DOUBT they will like the muscles I have under this coat!" so I went, we took pics and needless to say, I did NOT get the job, but I will always remember having the biggest muscles in the office at Fitness lol ]

ANYWHO. As I got more into fitness, I started picking up Womens Health and Muscle & Fitness HERS magazines, which then, where a step up in terms of muscle, from Fitness, Shape, etc. I felt like I fit in with these–I was a huge exerciser and into health. Then I started picking up Oxygen magazine, and found the stage shots in the “Competition” section in the back incomprehensible. I couldn’t understand it, these women looked HUGE!! Whoa, I would never want to look like that!

Then, a year or so later I went to my first fitness competition to be a spectator and literally couldn’t believe how TINY the competitors where!! Where were the hulks from Oxygen?? LOL I soon learned that a “stage look” is very different (dark tan, oil, pumped up muscles, dehydrated, etc) from an everyday look for competitors and that they are, indeed, tiny, even though they have muscle like no other. WOW! More muscle and smaller??! I wanted to be smaller!! lol

Well, with a new appreciation for those physiques, I set out on my goal of competing, and I competed for years and had a blast. In that time, I was always trying to put on muscle and burn fat. Add some delts, chunk up my abs, add some width to my back, lean out my hips and thighs, add some separation to my quads, etc etc. I was a sculptor, applying all my energy to create the body I wanted with my only tools: weights. And I did it.

No wonder men are afraid of women with muscles!
Looking tough with Jillian during one of our “building phases”

I LOVED the look of muscle on women, despite friends and family calling it masculine. And I still do. But I realize now that the look is an acquired taste and many can only appreciate it when they too have undergone a similar journey. Either you are a women who loves to lift, or you are a man who is into fitness. If you are not, then chances are you don’t understand it, and it is unappealing to you. But, even if you don’t like the look, my advice to you is to a) recognize the amount of hard work, dedication and drive it takes to achieve is and b) if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all

A good example of this idea is the book, Fit Girls Vol 1, published in 2007 by photographer John Stutz. I was lucky enough to be a part of this book, though I was one of the least “hard” and lean women included in its pages. But the book itself is a work of art. It is a coffe table book filled with hundreds of color and black & white images John took of figure competitors, fitness models, bodybuilders, athletes, etc, all a few days out from their shows. The bodies captured so exquisitely at the height of their form is unbelievable and whether or not you think muscle is sexy or cute, it is hard not to appreciate the incredible hard work and literally sculpting needed to create those bodies. I have included some of my images below and I am sure you have seen similar ones from other models and competitors. John’s style is unique, and he shot many, many well-knowns in the industry, like Monica Brant, Jamie Eason and others.

I am interested to discuss this. What are your thoughts? Have your “tastes” changed as your involvement in the fitness & bodybuilding world had increased? How do you handle friends and family who say it’s ugly (and it very well might be, TO THEM)? Do you try to defend it? Or it is just a matter of opinion or “agree to disagree?” I think it’s all relative and it’s all good!!
Love you all! ox Jill

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Home Workout: Tabata Intervals – 4 Minutes to Fat Burning!

Exercise

by Jill

By Tara Ballard

Home Cardio Workout: No equipment needed!

Tabata training is a form of high-intensity interval training consisting of 20 seconds all-out effort, followed by 10 secs rest, for a total of 8 rounds or 4 minutes.

Here is a little background on Tabata training: in the mid-90’s, Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo started experimenting with various exercise protocols to study their energy production systems in athletes. One protocol, now known as Tabata, produced major athletic performance improvements – increases in VO2Max, anaerobic threshold, fat loss and overall aerobic conditioning were all observed in repeated studies. Further studies found over and over again that the 4 minute Tabata protocol boosts anaerobic and aerobic capacity more than 60 minutes of endurance activity. Whoa!!!

But, here’s the deal – to get the most out of Tabata intervals, you must push at your absolute, feel-like-you’re-going-to-puke hardest. You should be completely breathless and your muscles should be burning. You should feel completely wiped out after 4 minutes. If not, then you’re not pushing hard enough…sorry . As such, Tabata is considered an advanced form of training.

As far as timing your Tabatas, I use two pretty cool tools. One is a GymBoss interval timer, and the other is an iPhone App called Tabata Pro. I interchange these two, using the GymBoss in the gym and Tabata Pro at home.

It’s best to keep Tabata movements simple – you don’t have a lot of time to move between equipment and movements. Below are four workouts you can do at home, no equipment needed; all you need is a little floor space!! Remember – you must push at your absolute max to reap the benefits of Tabata training. You might want to keep a bucket nearby – just kidding .

BE SURE TO WARM-UP AND COOL-DOWN APPROPRIATELY

ALL TABATAS ARE DONE FOR 8 ROUNDS OF 20 SECS WORK / 10 SECS REST:

TABATA 1 – SQUAT JUMPS: SQUAT DOWN LOW AND EXPLODE AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE INTO THE AIR. LAND SOFTLY. DON’T MESS AROUND HERE – THE SECOND YOUR FEET LAND ON THE FLOOR, YOU’RE RIGHT BACK UP IN THE AIR

TABATA 2 – BURPEES: SQUAT DOWN, PLACE YOUR HANDS ON THE FLOOR, JUMP YOUR FEET BACK, DO A PUSH-UP, JUMP FEET IN, AND EXPLODE UP INTO THE AIR – PERFORM EACH REP AS FAST AS POSSIBLE

TABATA 3 – PUSH-UPS: GET READY TO BURN OUT THE CHEST, SHOULDERS AND TRICEPS. FAST REPS. OUCH.

TABATA 4 – MOUNTAIN CLIMBER SPRINTS: AGAIN, DON’T MESS AROUND – THESE BABIES SHOULD BE QUICK! FROM PLANK POSITION, ALTERNATE BRINGING YOUR KNEES INTO YOUR CHEST AS IF YOU WERE SPRINTING ON ALL FOURS.

Have fun!!!

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A Tool to Boost Productivity: Your Monday Checklist

Lifestyle

by Jill

I hear many clients and friends say that “they are all over the place” and I have been there many times too: so much to do that nothing gets done. The mountain of “stuff” seems too high to climb, so we just hang out in the valley all week, wasting time on Facebook, youtube, TV, etc. It happens to the best of us J But the problem arises when what positive psychology calls “psychic entropy” sets in—basically the less stimulated our mind becomes (i.e. watching mindless television), the less motivated we become to do anything. Ever say, “Gee, I just laid around all day and for some reason I’m exhausted!”—that’s what I’m talking about! Lol I have done it many times.

So with the idea of increasing productivity and the possibility for creativity, I came up with a tool that works for me to keep me accountable and on task, and I thought I would share it.

Though I am not a big fan of “waiting until Monday” to begin anything, I do think that the beginning of the week can act as a good reset button.

Every Monday morning I wake up about 30 minutes earlier than usual, get a big coffee and put down on paper my goals for the week.

This is a habit I have gotten into in the last year, and I did it because a) I was getting too overwhelmed with so many things to get done in the week that I would do nothing and b) I would always forget everything that needed to get done, and once I remembered things it was later in the week and I would be left scrambling. This is what I call my “Monday Checklist” and it is super-simple to put together, and a great way to keep you focused and on task for the week, and not overwhelmed. In fact, getting a single important thing done every day (though it doesn’t seem like much) adds up to a whole lot! It helps to maintain your focus and makes you feel and BE more productive. The more productive we feel, the more empowered and encouraged we are too keep being productive (“an object in motion stays in motion; an object at rest stays at rest!”) Even completing this chart makes me feel productive lol!

Here are the rules for creating your own:

Break your page down into 4 columns, and 7 rows, like this:

Allow yourself AT MOST 2 tasks per column per day
You might even have a couple days where columns aren’t full (in other words, don’t just write unnecessary tasks in just for the sake of filling stuff in)
Don’t write in regular weekly occurrences like personal training clients, fitness classes, a weekly meeting, etc (these should go in a traditional day planner)

In the “Physical Column” I write my workout for the day, easiest part
In the “Biz/Work Column” I write my 1 or 2 tasks for that day. I personally break my days up using “block time” so that I can be more productive—both throughout the day, like 10am-12pm for example, and also decide which days will be what—i.e. Saturdays are days for shooting videos.
In the “Mental/Emotional” column, I frequently write the same thing for several days in a row. For example, perhaps it is a book I am currently reading, and I will write “Read X book 30 min in bed” and I will do that for 3-4 nights in a row so that I can keep my mental space focused on a single topic for a time.

Don’t overcomplicate this. It is super-simple, and if you feel like you “don’t have enough” on your checklist, then that is a good sign. That means that there is a good chance you will complete everything! Plus, if you get everything on it done, you can feel accomplished and perhaps even start on the next day’s project. One of the reasons sometimes we feel unproductive is because we OVERschedule ourselves and many times become overwhelmed with a seemingly endless to-do list. This allows for you sustain productivity week in and week out.

This solution has worked for me, and hopefully it will be useful for you too! Good luck! ox Jill

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“Knowing” Versus “Doing”

by Jill

“The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing.”
–Dick Biggs, author

This is a theme to which I think many women (and men) can relate. We know WHAT to do, but for God-knows-what-reason we just cannot DO it. Or at least with any type of consistency. Whether it’s eating for fat loss, working out regularly, getting into bed on time, giving up our favorite (name your treat here), etc. The list goes on.

And on top of the NOT doing, we end up BEATING OURSELVES UP because “I know what I should be doing” and so we feel bad about it. In other words, on top of the behavioral stuff, we pile on negative self-talk and we are left with overwhelming discouragement.

This is normal stuff. I happens to all of us, but the key is that if we REALLY want it to be different–be successful at consistently implementing a certain behavior–we need to look at making 2 key adjustments: first to our attitude and then to our strategy.

Yes, this is largely an attitude problem, believe it or not. First off, negative self-talk and beating ourselves about about something does not spur action, at least long term. But we think it does. Guilt and remorse felt the morning after an overindulgence might keep us from binging again THAT NEXT DAY but it doesn’t keep us from binging again in the long run, it is just makes us feel extra bad when we do. We make it mean something about ourselves–we are undisciplined, we are weak, we don’t have self-control, we are bad at this–and then we hold onto to those self-affirmations and cheat again, because, why wouldn’t we? We are undisciplined, of course! The idea is that if we decide we suck at something, then we will keep doing things to prove that we do, indeed, suck. It’s a small distinction, but our attitude is shaped by what we tell ourselves about ourselves. And beating ourselves up about not implementing or doing something “bad” just perpetuates those self-affirmations through actions. (Been a while since I got a little woo woo on you guys!! ) But essentially, a negative attitude can be easily perpetuated. It is learned using the following: focusing only on the negative (without looking for a silver lining), seeking out ways to “prove” we are bad (mostly subconsciously), a perfectionist attitude (believe it or not), seeing successes as flukes or not acknowledging them at all and finally, not practicing gratitude.

The people who are the most successful at consistent action are the people who simply have DECIDED to ADOPT the attitude that if they put their mind to something and work hard, they can achieve it. This positive attitude is learned as well. Several things can affect our attitude without us even knowing. For those who have a more positive attitude, they use the following to develop it: using past successes as affirmations, using past failures as feedback for learning, resiliency, gratitude and open-mindedness. Positive people also understand that in order to create the change they want, they have to be the ones to do it. In other words, no one can do it for you. Though it can be scary, it is also good news because it means you can now own your power, control and create your life how you want it to be, since you know it has nothing to do with anyone else.

So as you can see, there is a lot more to it than the old “glass is half full” trick but to start adjusting your attitude, you have to begin to PRACTICE the following: gratitude, self-love, being gentle with yourself (and others), knowing that if you don’t succeed, it is not the end of the world and in fact, a mistake or failure is an opportunity for growth, and ultimately resiliency. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have bad days or don’t get stressed at times, it simply means that on the whole, you are a positive force in the world, you believe in others and you believe in yourself at your core. You use positive affirmation, even when times get tough.

“Most people fail in the starting.”
–Maureen Falcone

The second part of this is the strategy. Once the right attitude is in place, a lot of the actionable items fall into place naturally. But, here are some keys to think about:

Start at a high level. Think about your purpose, vision and core values. I like to ask myself, if my name where a brand , what are the words or phrases that I want people to associate with my brand. Here are JillFit’s 5 core values:

1)   Results-based approach
2)   Positivity over negativity
3)   Introspection along the journey
4)   Self-acceptance without resignation
5)   Always be kind and accessible

If I am doing a good job, then all the material, content, online presence and products I put out will reflect these values and customers or clients or anyone we come in contact with feel these things off of me. It also means that I will not put out energy in line with the opposite of these things: negativity, “hating”, “rants”, negative self-talk, being rude or “better than”, etc etc. I have simply MADE THE DECISION to act in line with my core values. What are your 5 words or phrases?

Next, break down your goals into 2 or 3 big things you want to accomplish and do regularly. Then take each one of those and “chunk it up” into smaller, achievable pieces. Breaking monstrous tasks into smaller pieces allows for us to experience small successes along the way to build momentum and positive affirmation.

Finally, just get started with SOMETHING. This is often the hardest part. We feel like we need more answers or more affirmation or more clout or more things in line before we can go. And often times we are scared to start. What if it doesn’t work? What if I end up a failure again? What if no one believe in me or supports me? Self-doubt is a success killer. It is natural to doubt, but if we believe we can’t do it, then we will never take the first step. Though starting doesn’t guarantee you will succeed, not starting guarantees you will not move past the status quo.

So stop waiting. There will never be a perfect time. Realize that there will always be bumps in the road, but you now know that you can choose to view those bumps positively or negatively. They can fuel you forward (resiliency) or knock you back down–the good news is that YOU get to decide.

Related: Where is your head at?

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5 Reasons We Don’t Get Into Bed Earlier & Solutions for Fixing Them

Lifestyle

by Jill

You knooooooow you don’t get enough sleep. You knooooooooow you need to get in bed earlier. You knooooooooooow you would feel so much better if you just got more shuteye. And yet night after night you stay up later than you want to. This is a classic example of the gap between knowing and doing. WHY can’t we implement consistently???

I will list my top 5 reasons that I stay up past my bedtime regularly and perhaps you can relate, along with some solutions that have helped me:

Reason #1: My pre-bed routine is overwhelming. I am exhausted just thinking about it! Lol I have to shower. Brush my teeth, FLOSS my teeth, wash my face, take out my contacts, pack my food for tomorrow, pick out my clothes for the next day, set my alarm and make sure everything else is set tomorrow’s hectic morning. Gah!

Solution: Do it in pieces. In order to help decrease the overwhelming nature of this, I have implemented some new tactics. Now, I shower, wash my face and take out my contacts within the first 15 minutes I get home. I don’t pass go, don’t even dare get on the computer. I also lay out my clothes for tomorrow since I am in my bedroom pulling on sweats. That way, I can relax in my sweats while I have dinner and be done with it. Then, I pack my food for the next day as I am making dinner. Then, by the time it’s bedtime, all I have to do is brush and floss. A whole lot better than a 30-minute ordeal at 11pm.

Reason #2: Mindless TV. Let’s face it. There is honestly nothing more important past 9pm than bed, and yet we can’t stand the thought of missing our favorite show. And even WORSE, when you find yourself watching some mindless crap you don’t even care about, you’re literally just watching it to zone out, all the while you feel the life and motivation draining from you lol. I am going to be honest, I have been known to flip on the Kardashians every once in a while, everyone can get sucked in to ridiculous reality TV, it’s normal stuff—but Kim and Kourtney’s latest drama literally has NO bearing on anything going on in my world and honestly I am WTF’ing all over the place 30 minutes later, mad at myself for wasting the time.

Solution: If you are serious about your health, body change and productivity, you have to make it a hard and fast rule to use DVR if you want to keep up with your TV shows. And then “save up” your episodes for a designated “mindless me afternoon” like Saturdays. There is nothing wrong with using TV to decompress but scheduling decompression time so that it does not interfere with sleep time is crucial. If you are just someone who loves TV, do it all you want, but do have the conscious awareness that it can disrupt your sleep, which can disrupt your fat loss efforts. Just sayin. TV may not be my biggest challenge, as Jade and I are pretty good about simply not even turning the TV on during the school week. BUT, that doesn’t mean I don’t have other struggles with this stuff…which brings me to my next reason…

Reason #3: Email, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, (does anyone use MySpace anymore?), etc. The computer sucks you in, it sucks you dry, and it just plain old sucks when it comes to getting us in bed. I am super-guilty of this. I will literally sit down to “check email one more time” and 30 minutes later I am pissed because I am still not in bed. You know what I’m talking about lol!

Solution: If we are honest, besides a deadline to submit a work project or respond to a customer, there is little reason to stay online late into the night when we know we should be in bed. The other day I said to Jade, “If you think about it, there is nothing more important after 9pm than bed” and I want to begin to not only know that, but implement it regularly. Here is a new strategy for engaging in social media at night so that you don’t get sucked in (I have tried to do this more and more): Play Defense—go online, check and respond to any comments or questions, post a single status update or article, log off. Simply cutting out the time spent stalking helps a ton (I am not opposed to copious stalking during daytime hours lol). So evening interaction is limited to responses to people reaching out to you, sharing briefly and that’s it. It’s a good compromise, and the good news is that the things people post tonight will still be there in the morning so you never really miss anything

Reason #4: You need to unwind. I completely understand this. Many people, especially fitness professionals don’t get home until 8pm or 9pm after clients, classes, etc. In these cases, to get home and get into bed with lights off at 10pm might be unrealistic. However, if you get home at 7pm or earlier, you should be able to in bed, lights out by 10pm. I understand from parents’ points of view too—once you get the kids in bed, it becomes time for you or time for you and your partner. Once again, completely understand. But how to compromise so that you can still get enough sleep?

Solution: Unwind in bed. Just because you GET in bed, doesn’t mean you have to immediately go to sleep. Often, just getting physically away from computers, bright lights and TV can help you relax and feel more tired and “ready” for bed. A lot of times we think we feel “awake” so we think we are not tired, and stay up as a result. Chances are that if you feel awake, it’s because of all the ways you are being stimulated, such as the bright computer, TV and bright fluorescent lights on all over the place. Dimming lights, getting into bed with a cup of hot tea and an old-fashioned book, made out of paper, is a GREAT way to decompress. I am falling asleep just thinking about it

Reason #5: You really are wired and even in bed you cannot seem to calm down mentally and/or physically. This is more of a sleep issue than a behavioral issue (getting into bed).

Solution: This is when you will try to stamp out sleep issues, ranging from caffeine late in the day to stimulating PM workouts to stress to blood sugar issues to hormonal imbalances, to alcohol intake, etc. This is beyond the scope of this blog . BUT, one quick option if you have a hard time falling asleep is to increase your clean starchy carb intake slightly (i.e. sweet potato, brown rice, starchy veggies, etc) at night. Getting a small insulin response will calm the body and stabilize blood sugar. However, that does not mean sweets and treats. Supplements like magnesium, 5HTP, holy basil and others can impact hormones also to impact sleep. When in doubt, try a Yogi Bedtime tea or chamomile tea.

Related: Sleep and Bedtime Rituals

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Wednesday Workout: Lower Body Burn

Exercise

by Jill

By Emily Saunders

On Fridays, Tara and I usually workout together for a quick and brutal high volume lighter weight leg day. By Friday we are both worn out from lots of early mornings and usually pretty sore from the week’s workouts so we typically go for a shorter duration simple workout. That, my friends does NOT mean easy! The past two weeks we have dug into this little gem that leaves me breathless and burning in just 20 minutes flat. This workout focuses on the quads, glutes and hamstrings for a nice well rounded lower body workout in no time “Quick and Dirty”shall we say? Let me know how you like it!

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Recipe: Chocolatey Almond Butter Cookies

Recipes

by Jill

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almond flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup almond butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
¼ cup almond milk
½ cup oats
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp stevia
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
Place spoonfuls onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let sit for 5 mins on sheet.
Remove from sheet and allow to cool on rack.
Makes 12 cake cookies. YUM!

Nutrition Info per cookie (makes 12):

81 calories
5g fat (0.5g sat)
4g carb (1g fiber)
5g protein

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My Very Unsexy Eating Strategy

by Jill

There is nothing sexy about a sustainable eating plan. It’s boring. It’s always the same. It’s moderate. There’s no thrill of the up-and-down. And many times it is equated with being “easy.”

Which, of course, is my point. By definition, a sustainable approach IS easy. It helps you maintain your physique without much effort, while slowly implementing small, manageable changes over time to help you improve, while not driving you batty trying to stick with.

Jade said last week, “Most people would rather be LOOKING for something to do rather than DOING something.” Sad, but true. Many times we get so focused on how we need to change up our nutrition or training, and what big changes we will make, that we fail to see one simple truth: consistent implementation of small changes leads to long-term success. <—- That’s it! [very unsexy]

I tattled on myself this week on Facebook by posting this photo:

In fact, I was caught red-handed getting a sugar-free (stevia sweetened ) fro-yo on a TUESDAY AFTERNOON!! Oh, the shame! lol! BUT, I have to say, I am glad I did because it brought up a few insights for me, which, of course I want to share with you:

1) I sometimes eat fro-yo on non-cheat days. Or bacon. Or cheese. Or peanut butter. Or other preemptive cheats. In fact, I usually do this 2-3x per week. And then I STILL have a balls-out cheat on Sunday nights. I do this because after years of the deprivation-and-binge cycle, I know that if I restrict my eating too much, I will inevitably overindulge. This approach makes it EASIER for me to keep my nutrition clean the rest of the time. Self-control is an exhaustible resource. I have yet to meet more than a handful of competitors or models who are able to literally eat clean 100% of the time. Most go through an “on season” and an “off season.” I did for years. I don’t anymore, and I will never again. I am in “mid-season” year round

I see many coaches reprimanding clients for being “noncompliant” and I agree, if I have a competitor who is getting on stage at a specific date, some things just need to be on point. But, the fact remains, so long as I have the mentality that the program I am following is short-term or there is a point at which I will be done with it, I cannot implement a sustainable approach. Self-control and will-power can be harnessed for short amounts of time (i.e. a show prep), but unless behavioral habits are formed, will-power and self-control inevitably crumble. You will need to find your unique approach, whether it is preemptive cheats or something else. I know it is not perfect nor will it give me ripped abs year round, but it works to keep me lean and keep me sane. I also know that for me, the alternative of depriving-and-binging is a whole lot worse: no matter how tight the tight periods were, the loose periods were always runaway trains. NOT WORTH IT.

I will not reprimand clients for being noncompliant and tell them they are bad little dieters. Instead, I will urge them to take responsibility for their choices, not play the victim, discover their unique fat loss formula and encourage the learning process.

2) There is nothing inspired about perfection. Perfection is a myth, and if someone appears “perfect,” chances are they are not challenging themselves and are simply staying in the safe zone to be able to control everything around them. A few people commented on my photo that they were glad I showed my human side. I love that, because honestly, I feel it is a huge disservice to the JillFit readers, my clients and most importantly, TO MYSELF, to put on a facade of perfection. It would be a lie. And I think that if many fitness pros are honest with themselves, they can see that upholding the appearance of perfect eating all the time (“In fact, it’s easy for me!”) is one big, fat lie. A ripped physique or a beautiful body is enviable, certainly. It can be an effective motivator hanging on a fridge. But on the day-to-day level, someone who is relatable, effs up sometimes and is still able to experience success is a whole lot more inspiring IMHO Here’s to mistakes, missteps and lessons learned!

3) I can still strive to do better. Even though I don’t equate “comfortable” with “lazy slob,” if I am honest, I do want to eat a little cleaner. But I know now what I did not know years ago, and that is that I WILL NOT sacrifice my sanity, my self-esteem and my happiness in order to attain a slightly tighter body, beating myself up for every misstep along the way. The truth is, I AM comfortable. And that’s a good place to be, because it means that it is honestly effortless to eat and train the way I do, and I am lucky to be able to stay fairly lean doing just that. And because it is easy, I can slowly implement one new behavior to get me out of my comfort zone slightly and then adopt that long-term. Gone are the days of “starting on Monday”–instead now, I dive in, learn on the fly and correct as I go. Every moment is an opportunity for learning what works. “Starting on Monday” is the hallmark of an all-or-nothing approach. And finally and most importantly, I don’t use negative self-talk (“I suck at this!”) to pretend to encourage myself or scare myself into compliance. I try to be gentle on myself, but still keep myself accountable. If I mess-up, then I make sure the next meal is tight.

4) Implementing balance takes conscious effort. And it does not happen overnight. It took me years to find balance, and I am still working on it. When I say that it takes conscious effort, I mean that you cannot sit around telling yourself the same old story and expecting a different outcome. You have to THINK about things differently. And then you have to think those new thoughts often Here are some suggestions for new self-talk that have worked for me:

I want to find an eating strategy that I can do long-term
I want to work to find my unique fat loss formula, knowing it should not take every ounce of will-power to do
I will give myself the benefit of the doubt
I will appreciate how far I have come
I know that if a plan is too difficult, I need to break it up into attainable steps
I don’t want to be obsessed with food anymore, so I will relax
I will give up the expectation of perfection
My mess-ups help me learn, grow and relate to others’ experiences
There is no time table of when I need to arrive at a certain body fat % or size
I can implement small changes slowly to reach my goals, all the while, maintaining my sanity
All I can expect for myself is that I will do my best, and “my best” might be different from day to day, and that’s just fine

Simply going through these affirmations daily is a start. Even if you never do anything with them. Simply reading them back to yourself is helpful. So throw yourself a bone, understand that you don’t have to perfect to be worthy and that ultimately, a sustainable approach is what will work in the end: balance, perspective, moderation=happy.

Good luck! Love, Jill oxox

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3 Weeks to Tight: 10 Quick & Dirty Rules

by Jill

First off, a disclaimer of sorts: I kind of hate this tactic, even though it works short-term. The reason being, any time you implement unsustainable measures with nutrition or training, they are just that–unsustainable. And when the point comes that you can “let loose” or indulge, the indulgence tends to be overdone and the pounds come back on fast. That is why it is critical when implementing any quick-and-dirty fat loss strategies that you EASE out of them rather than diving headfirst into Ben & Jerrys. However, the nature of such programs make it almost impossible to NOT overindulge once it’s over, so my only piece of advice at that point is to use every ounce of self-control to SLOWLY implement a more sustainable approach. Self-control and will-power, unfortunately, are not that reliable when it comes to diets, so I guess it is what it is! Good luck!

Your 911 Emergency Body Plan

Anywho, with that said, sometimes we need to implement some quick & dirty rules to tone up, drop a few l-bs and simply look our absolute tightest for an event, reunion, vacation, etc and we only have a couple weeks. (Someone actually just messaged me about a vacation her husband surprised her with, that is in 3 weeks!).

Here are my 10 rules to follow if you have 2-3 weeks to get ready to look your best:

1] Full-Body Metabolic Effect-style workouts 3-4x/week: Metabolic workouts are incredible for fat loss, and give you the biggest bang for your time in the gym.

2] Interval cardio 3-4x/week. 30 minutes of all-out intensity. There are a bunch of new HIIT workouts on the JillFit Lifestyle site

3] Move to more of a Paleo-type nutrition plan. 95% of your meals should look like this: EITHER lean protein + fibrous veggies OR lean protein + low sweet fruit (like grapefruit, berries, apple, pear, etc).

4] Eat starchy carbs post-workout only. Have a serving of one of the following within 30-60 minutes of your weight workout: oat bran (or old fashioned oatmeal), sweet potato, brown rice, pumpkin, starchy veggies like squash/zucchini/eggplant, etc along with your protein. You are not trying to build muscle here, you are trying to burn fat, so don’t eat high-glycemic index carbs post-workout (as would be the normal protocol for optimal muscle building).

5] Eat greens like it’s your job. Broccoli, spinach, asparagus, kale, bok choy, collards, cucumber, celery, romaine, etc. Lots of B vitamins, good minerals to help your metabolism run efficiently, shed water and create a more alkaline environment. I recommend eating 6-8 servings of greens A DAY

6] Sleep 8 hours/night minimum. This is tough, but this is important to help reset your metabolism, increase growth hormone and recover from workouts. In bed by 10pm is ideal.

7] No cheats for you. Sorry!

8] Drop dairy. When you move to more of a Paleo approach, this tends to happen anyway, but decreasing the amount of dairy you eat will help you decrease insulin, shed water and prevent any potential bloating. Diary can be a hyperallergenic food for many people, which means it can disrupt the GI system and impede fat loss efforts in some people, aside from those who have been traditionally-diagnosed as lactose intolerant. Also dairy is a insulinagenic food, meaning it can increase insulin similar to that of carbs (even though it is low glycemic), and insulin causes water retention. Dropping dairy might help you drop a few lbs of water.

9] Eat all “real food.” No bars, no shakes, no sugar-free treats, etc. The additives, sweeteners, preservatives, etc can impede results and cause water retention. The quality of the “look” of someone doing lots of bars and shakes (even if they are considered “ok”) versus someone doing all real food from lean protein and veggies is completely different.

10] Drink plain, old water. And a lot of it. No alcohol, no sodas (even diet), no juice, no Crystal Light (see #9), no Vitamin waters, no sweet tea, etc. At least 1 gallon of plain water each day, plus as much unsweetened green tea and black coffee as you want on top of that. That’s it! Beverage control is super-important for fat loss and helping you shed water.

Here is a typical day for you:

Get up, drink 1L plain water with lemon
12 oz black coffee
Head to gym for ME workout
Post-workout/Meal #1: 1/3 cup oat bran, 6 egg whites
Meal #2: 1 grapefruit, handful raw almonds
Meal #3: Large greens salad, lots of veggies, 1 grilled chicken breast, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Meal #4: 1 cup lean ground turkey, 2 cups broccoli
Meal #5: 6 oz white fish, 15 asparagus spears, small side salad w/ balsamic vinegar
Before bed: Chamomile tea
In bed by 10pm

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Why Your Healthy Diet Is Not Helping You Lose Fat

by Jill

Yesterday, Metabolic Effect posted an article from their blog that got a lot of attention: A “healthy” diet is not necessarily a “fat loss” diet. It’s a great, insightful post that had many people saying, “I get it!” This idea that eating healthy assumes you will lose fat too. NOT the same thing. However, a fat loss diet is almost always a healthy diet. This whole premise is a key concept of Metabolic Effect‘s nutrition approach and the underlying principle of Jade Teta & Keoni Teta’s book, “The Metabolic Effect Diet.” I suggest you read their blog post to get an understanding of the foods that are considered “healthy” that are not great for fat loss (nor are they really all that healthy either).

I was grocery shopping this last weekend (one of my favorite past-times) when I saw something that made me laugh. This:

Not that granola in an of itself is funny, just that it reminded me of how I used to eat before I discovered fat loss eating. I literally used to KILL this stuff. There was nothing technically wrong with it, just that I was misinformed and was eating things that seemed to be marketed as healthy, and yet were doing me a huge disservice.

The packaging on this looks SUPER healthy: “all natural,” clean labeling, FIT, “bare naked” all part of the right marketing approach to appeal to someone wanting to eat healthy and lose weight. EXCEPT that one serving contains 22g of carb and only 4g protein (AND DID I MENTION THAT A “SERVING” IS 1/4 CUP??) The average person is going to eat AT LEAST 4 servings of that in a sitting, close to 100g of carb in one sitting. I sure did. This product is an example of a product that is considered “healthy” (lots of whole grains, oats, almonds, etc) but when it is broken down has a similar nutritional profile of a 2 Reese’s peanut butter cups (22g vs 25g carb, respectively), except that Reese’s cups have more fat so you could actually potentially feel more satisfied/fuller for longer just eating Reese’s I know which I would rather choose!

This is what is wrong with the nutrition advice out there. People are eating “healthy” and all the while not getting the results they seek. Bodybuilders and physique athletes have understood this distinction for years, and have practiced fat loss eating. When done correctly, eating for fat loss is the healthiest diet on the planet (although some bodybuilders can overdo bars, shakes, supplements, etc, which is NOT healthy). There is a misconception out there that physique athletes either a) don’t eat and starve themselves to get lean or b) eat nothing but meat. It may surprise you to know that physique athletes eat more vegetables than anything else, and they also eat more vegetables than anyone on the planet, besides like, grass-fed animals But, I digress…

The bottom line is that a couple of key switches can change your healthy diet into a fat loss one. I will not horrify you with my old “healthy” diet (maybe another time lol!) but here are some examples of key switches to make based on this new information:

Old “healthy” way ——————————-> New “fat loss” way

Skinny Vanilla Latte——————————–> Americano or drip coffee, taken black
Cereal w/ milk & OJ——————————–> Eggs, turkey bacon & side of blueberries
Nonfat yogurt w/ granola————————–> Apple & hard-boiled egg whites
Turkey sandwich on whole wheat—————–> Salad w/ grilled chicken on top, balsamic vinegar
Breakfast bar/granola bar————————–> Think Thin bar or Luna Protein bar or Atkins bar or Power Crunch bar
Smoothie: strawberries, milk, OJ, banana——–> Shake: protein powder, berries, spinach & unsweetened almond milk
Trail mix———————————————> Handful raw almonds
Whole wheat pasta w/ sauce———————–> Beanless bison chili
Lean Pocket——————————————> Piece of lean protein & veggies
Lean Cuisine dinner———————————> Piece of lean protein & veggies
Roll and butter—————————————> Butter alone lol OR something like a cheese plate

You get the idea. People are getting the wrong information and are so convinced by the marketing and “reputation” of some products as healthy, that they cling to them. And I don’t blame them. Hell, granola tastes AWESOME! But don’t pretend like it’s going to help you lose fat It’s what I would consider a cheat meal. I love cheating, but I also make a conscious choice to cheat knowing that it is not going to help me reach my body change goals.

What potential switches can you make in the way you are currently eating to make your diet more fat loss friendly? Good luck!

For more info on healthy vs. fat loss, here are a couple more resources for you:
10 Foods You Thought Were Bad
Metabolic Effect: Healthy Diet vs. Fat Loss Diet
Healthy Diet Not Necessarily a Fat Loss Diet: 35 Fat Loss Foods
Fat Loss Mindset: 14 Key Switches

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4 Lessons in Stick-To-It-Ness: Practice, Challenges, Victimhood, Gratitude

Lifestyle,
Mindset

by Jill

Good day! It’s the 2nd week of the new year, and I hope all of you are still on your fat loss lifestyle journey!

I hesitated about posting (again) because I was not 100% compliant last week and as a fat loss coach, there is always that nagging feeling that I should be perfect with this stuff and make it look easy, and well…as soon as I thought that, I knew I needed to post and confess! lol

I was almost 100% compliant with my exercise regimen, I did 5 days of heavy weight training, 3 days of interval cardio and 2 days or longer cardio. I did not walk every walk like I wanted, only doing it 3x. With my nutrition, I have a lot of work to do. I eat fairly clean as it is, so the food choices do not need changing, per se. However, the frequency of eating and the prepping of food needs improvements. For example, if you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I kinda hate cooking (ok, I actually really hate it). Ironically considering I have a cooking column in a monthly magazine (I DO like to bake healthy treats though, just to be fair ). So anyway, if I am not meticulous with food prep, I don’t do a great job with eating enough meals and backing off processed foods like bars and shakes. I know this is my challenge.

Getting back on track

After having mindfully gone through this past week, and reflecting on it over the weekend, I know I need to implement some ways to make food prep and cooking EASIER for myself. So instead of FORCING myself to cook a whole bunch of food, which is what I would have done in the past, only to end up making things harder and less sustainable for myself, Jade and I agreed to hire someone to buy, prep and cook our breakfasts and dinners for the week (healthy, lean but still taste good like frittatas and chili). This takes care of those meals. So that basically leaves me with a mid-day meal and 2 smaller snacks that I need to get. So I decided I am going to do salads with chicken for lunch–and I know myself and I will not make salads–so I will get one of my favorites from a place in town that does a fairly clean version of a grilled chicken salad with balsamic. As for snacks, I usually grab a protein bar, but I did not buy them this week in the name of eating more “real” food, so I bought apples, grapefruits, almonds and eggs for hard-boiled eggs. I will boil a dozen eggs and then partition them into baggies with 3 or 4 in each. And we will just see how things go this week!

A lot of the JillFit mind-body posts focus on this “expectation of perfection” and the all-or-nothing mindset. Like, if we are not 100% adherent to our meal plans and workout schedule then well, we just blew it. My advice to clients and on the blog has always been to do a few things, and I am reiterating them to myself right now:

1) Acknowledge that this is a PRACTICE, and the idea that I am going to be 100% compliant the first week of implementing several new changes is insane. Thinking that way only sets me up for disappointment if I am not able to follow through. Does that mean I give up and I have lost the battle? Of course not! <—This is where the turn-around is. Just because I am “ok” with not being 100% compliant DOES NOT mean I don’t try again this week. It’s the PRACTICE of it, over days, weeks, months and years that makes it stick. When you put it like that, how insane is it to set the expectation that you will be 100%? So instead I am going to both throw myself a bone AND throw myself right back in the ring.

2) Challenges and mess-ups allow for times of learning. This is a biggie, looking to times where I “mess up” as opportunities for learning. In the book “Switch” by Dan & Chip Heath, the authors address the psychology of change. They say that change does not occur randomly, it happens more easily with thoughtful planning. But before you can plan, it is helpful to know the parameters of change. All change efforts come down to 3 basic things: The Plan, The Mindset and The Environment. These three areas are all you need to focus on:

The Plan is all about knowing where you are going. It is your purpose for doing this the end-goal. But knowing what the end looks like is not enough, you have to know the individual steps and the timing of those steps to get there.
The Mindset is all about wrapping your head around the fact that motivation and drive quickly wear out & when they do, there must be a greater purpose left there to take the reigns. The success mindset is one about learning, exploring, pursuing and enjoying the journey to mastery as if you were an explorer or detective. If you love the process, the protocol becomes easy.
The Environment is all about shaping the path to make it easier for you. Any change you make should be fit to you and made just as easy or easier than the thing it is replacing.

I can see that my mindset and environment might need adjusting for me on this journey.

My environment changes I referred to above in terms of prepping and cooking food and making things convenient for me.

In terms of mindset, I see that I have a couple things going on. First, I am comfortable in my old regimen. I don’t have to work too hard to do it. It’s easy, it’s not all that bad (I mean, it’s not like I am binging on pizza, more like having too many protein bars lol) AND I am not dissatisfied enough to want to change it. My mindset is ok, but in order to get even more dialed in, I have to want to delve into my current habits, practices and the “why” behind why I do (or don’t do) what I do. However, I am reluctant to set yet another goal just in order to change my mindset just yet, so I will keep this one on the back burner for now and revisit it next week.

3) Don’t be a victim. A hard lesson to learn for all of us, and I still find myself getting caught up in the “VC” or “victim culture” as we call it. A huge part of this is the idea that I “just want to have what I want to have.” I want to stomp my foot, dig my heels into the ground and defend my current plan! It’s not that bad! I mean, I should be seeing results!!? I like half & half in my coffee, waaaaaaah! I like protein bars for a treat, waaaaaaah! I like to do long duration cardio, waaaaaah! In order to get my mind right, I need to realize that the things I like and the things that are convenient are not necessarily the way to get my physique to the next level. And if I want to see more change, I need to change what I am doing even more. Waaaaah!! lol

It’s exactly what Jade said: “The plan with which we see results is the plan with which we see results. Your body doesn’t care if that point is convenient for you, or easy for you or comfortable. Your body will experience change when the right things are in place, regardless of how you feel about that.” WOW, truer words were never spoken! Waaaaaaah! lol You get the point! A good reminder!!

4) Acknowledge that things that I am doing well! Err, I think I can do that?? It is hard, especially for us women, because we are pulled to the negative. A negative comment or flaw weighs a hundred times more than any positive comment or improvement. However, in the name of keeping my mind right, I will remember to choose gratitude each week, for the things I am successfully implementing (and it IS a choice!). Like, for example, I walked more this past week than I have done before, even though I didn’t hit the 6-7 times per week I wanted. And, I was more consistent with my weight training than I have been in a few months–can’t I celebrate that? And, I only have more than one coffee ONE day last week….pretty good when you consider I was doing 2 or even 3 some days last month.

And so, even though I was not perfect, I can find happiness in the fact that I was BETTER. Celebrating small wins allows me to feel encouraged to keep going, while only focusing on the fact that I was not perfect makes me want to give up. [One of my fave blogs on the topic: You've Come a Long Way, Baby]

That’s my Week 2 update. If you have not spent time reflecting on where you are, how you did last week and some improvements you can make this coming week, I encourage you to do it! It makes you feel a lot more grounded and not as overwhelmed going into the week. Good luck!!

Related: Are we our own worst enemy?

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Why It’s Time to Throw Out Your Light Weights (Lift Heavy, Get Smaller)

Exercise,
Lifestyle

by Jill

I am not a “rant” type blogger. In fact, I can’t stand a trainer or coach going off on people about things that “make them mad.” I don’t know…just doesn’t sit right with me and doesn’t seem helpful to be yelling about things that piss me off or spreading negativity that way. Only reveals insecurity, immaturity and lack of professionalism, IMHO.

Anywho, with that said, this is as close to a rant as I will ever get. And honestly, it is only for your own good

Ladies, ladies, ladies…

You know it. You have heard it. Many times. And yet, you don’t like it. Just like with weighing yourself, the thought of lifting heavy weights makes you cringe. You just KNOW you are going to bulk up. “My legs respond really quickly” or “I don’t want to look like a man” are a few of the usual tunes. In this post, I will do the following:
a) explain why you will not, in fact, ever look like a man
b) what “bulking up” really is and
c) explain why a woman will muscles and curves is not only stronger, but also leaner and sexier.

Ok, ready?

Lifting light weights in almost every case is a waste of time for women who are seeking body change. Exceptions to this rule may include pregnant women, those recovering from injury, in rehab, beginners (and even they should be adding weight quickly) or those who are giving their body a rest from the intense stuff. If you are a woman, who wants body change/to get leaner, you should be lifting heavy. “Heavy” is a relative term as it will be different for every woman, and that is fine. At the LIGHTEST, you should be using a 15 rep max on whatever exercise you are doing. In other words, you can complete 15 reps with clean, good form, but not 16. More advanced trainees will even use closer to a 10 rep max in their circuits and just take more rests.

Reasons Lifting Light Weights is a Waste of Time

If you are lifting light weights, you are training for one thing: muscular endurance. You might be able to do 100 body weight lunges, but add a few dumbbells held in your hands and you can’t do any. What about strength? What about power? What about hypertrophy? Building muscular endurance is really only good for…building more muscular endurance.
You are not applying enough stimulus to elicit a physique-changing response. The exception here is the beginner, with whom ANY consistent muscle contraction will elicit a response. But after time has gone by and you are no longer a beginner, you better start adding some plates if you want to keep seeing physique changes.
The more weight you lift, the more your body will change, period. The amount your shape changes is directly proportional to how heavy the weights are. Light weight=very little change. Heavier weights, intense workouts and achieving failure in your workouts are all correlated with increased release of testosterone (don’t get scared) and growth hormone, muscle-building & fat-burning hormones. Yes, women need testosterone too. But don’t worry, natural levels of testosterone released as a result of weight training cannot make you look like a man (more below). And growth hormone is anti-aging.
You will get more bang for your physique buck spending that time in the kitchen prepping clean eats. Dietary adjustments have way more of an impact on weight loss than exercise anyway, especially light weight training.

The Real Deal with Bulking Up

Ok, I am going to let you in on a little secret: bulking up does happen, BUT it’s not what you think it is. Essentially, when people bulk up, they are add lean muscle UNDERNEATH layers of fat and not solving the fat-burning part of the equation. Adding muscle itself is beneficial. In fact, muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so it is extremely advantageous to exchange fat for muscle. Building muscle + burning fat = smaller, leaner and more defined. So that is why the nutrition piece is so important, that is where most of your fat burning will happen. A clean nutrition plan made up primarily of lean protein, fibrous veggies, fruit and some select clean carbs will help shed inches. The way you train is important too–avoid taking super-long rests like a power lifter. Instead, go with circuit training, moving quickly from exercise to exercise, resting as needed.

Women who successfully build muscle and burn fat end up smaller overall, shed inches, and do not bulk up. Their body fat percentages go down and their amount of lean muscle mass increases.

However, regardless of bulking up, I guarantee you WILL NOT ever look like a man How could you, if you are not using anabolic steroids, sex hormone supplementation in the supra-physiological range or other performance-enhancing drugs? Practicing good, old-fashioned heavy weight training along with a clean diet will do nothing but enhance your feminine look. Muscles, curves, strength, oh my!

I will leave you with an excerpt from an OLD article I wrote right after my first figure competition (never published). I was all fired up because of the negative attention I was getting (as I perceived it) as a result of my recent muscle gain, from acquaintances, family members and even people on the street (though a) now I see that a lot of it was simply in my head, and b) who cares?), even though I was the smallest physically that I had ever been. People just didn’t get what I was doing. They didn’t get the new me. They didn’t get why I loved lifting heavy weights! Here is the excerpt from what I would call my one-and-only rant (from 2006)…hope you enjoy lol (thinking about posting the whole thing at some point? I mean, why not? I share every other thing on here lol):

What do people really think of “us” muscular women?

There is a very small population of people who care enough about their physical appearance and personal health to focus their efforts on doing a fitness or figure show. It is not common. It is time-consuming. It takes away from other priorities. It requires preparation and dedication more than most can comprehend. It is obsessive. I have tried to pick the typical American’s brain about why it is considered weird to exercise with such consistency, eat with such awareness and be so focused on one’s physical health and appearance.

One perception is that if an individual is so intent on developing bulging biceps, that they will be using illegal anabolic supplementation. Of course the stereotype of old is that if you are bodybuilding, you are taking steroids. In fact, this is precisely what my parents thought when I first told them I was competing in a figure contest; of course they didn’t know what they heck it was, they were apprehensive and scared I was going to turn into Lou Ferrigno (though Lou still looks pretty good!). My mom showed her skeptical support by coming into town for my first figure show and I picked her up at the airport. Not having seen me for months and knowing I was competing the next day, she expected that I would be a huge, muscle-bound hulk. Needless to say she was shocked to see someone who was physically the smallest she had ever been, in terms of inches. I was muscular, but regarding actual size, I was tiny. I had lost 20 pounds of fat for the show and I was looking slim, trim and vivacious, baggy clothes and all. For some reason, she thought I would not look like her daughter anymore…maybe I would look like a son?! lol But she was happy to find me just as feminine as ever and looking “beautiful.” I went on to win the Tall Class in my show and I think she was actually proud of me! This serves as just one example of someone whose stereotypical view of the sport of fitness had changed.

However, there are many more minds to be opened. Many to whom I spoke think it is much more acceptable for a woman to prove her career prowess by working her way up the corporate ladder, all the while eating cupcake after cupcake at office parties, than it is for a woman to transform her physical appearance to create a successful career in the fitness industry. “People just don’t do that.” Furthermore, it is perfectly common to see a woman sacrifice her physical self to create a family and maintain a household. There’s no judgment there, a family is an amazing thing that everyone who wants to should experience, but it can lead to a less physically healthy priority shift in many cases.

Nonetheless, many of today’s women are able to have it all—a career, a family and a healthy, rockin’ body. So keep it up and make it your priority to educate a few others in the health benefits and beauty that comes with having some muscle on your frame. Besides, I would much rather be called “butch” any day than skinny-fat! :)

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Healthy Forever: 7 Keys to Making It Stick (this time)

Lifestyle,
Mindset

by Jill

In yesterday’s post, I talked about the difference between taking extreme measures to reach your physique goals quickly versus the longer route of “healthy forever.” Many of you guys emailed me about where you are on the spectrum and where you want to go. The overwhelming feedback sounded like this: “Jill, I knooooow I need to be patient for long term success, but I am working so hard, I NEED to see results faster.”

I can relate completely. You are putting in so much effort only to look the same day after day for weeks. Of course, there is something to be said for fast results. Seeing results quickly is a key motivating factor for people to KEEP going. Not seeing results DE-motivates.

But in order to maintain perspective, it is important to remember a couple key things. First off, you probably ARE changing, you just can’t recognize it yet, but second, you are still at the point of pushing the boulder UP the hill. You have to practice consistent change for days, weeks, months to finally get the ball rolling in your direction. The problem with taking EXTREME measures in order to accelerate the process is that they inevitable don’t stick. They are extreme, so by definition unsustainable. Not going to work for long-term body change.

Instead, I ask you for one thing: patience. It is the one thing all new years resolutioners just don’t want to practice, and yet it is THE thing that has made people who are successful in staying lean successful. We can learn from people who practice moderation and who stay lean fairly effortlessly–they practice certain behaviors, thought patterns and habits every single day, month after month, year after year. If that’s not patience, I don’t know what is.

And so, in the name of patience and FINALLY making it stick this year, here are my top 7 tips for getting to that Healthy Forever place, and guess what? If you do it right, it should not be hard to maintain. In fact, that is the definition of sustainable

1] Don’t make drastic changes. Anything too drastic or out of the norm for you will not make the final cut. For some people, the idea of “going cold turkey” has appeal and may work in the short term, but in the long run, it doesn’t deal with the underlying habit or value there. For example, going off sugar 100% will most likely lead to more sugar consumption once you are allowed to eat it again. Instead, focus on small incremental changes that can be implemented consistently without much effort. It is the sum of all the small changes that make the biggest, lasting impact.

2] It needs to be easy. Aaron Spelling once said that “TV is the path of least resistance from boredom” which is essentially like saying that watching TV is easier than sitting quietly on your couch. That’s the kind of easy I am talking about. In his book, “The Happiness Advantage” author Shawn Achor talks about how in order to implement change effectively, you need to find shortcuts and create a path of least resistance. For example, do not sign up for a gym that is nowhere close to your home or place of work simply because it is the cheapest. The high amount of activation energy it takes to go out of your way to get to the gym will almost assure failure in consistent implementation. Convenience trumps everything else here. This is the reason some people pack their food the night before or sleep in their gym clothes. Find ways to make the changes you want to implement as EASY as possible.

3] Visualize. This has been something I have done for all of my adult life, and I didn’t even realize it was an effective technique of mine until Jade pointed it out. Every single night, while I am lying in bed, I draft out in my head my agenda for the next morning, working backwards–what time I have to set my alarm, what time I need to be out of bed, having my gym clothes set out and actually reviewing my morning workout in my head. If I am lifting, I identify which body parts and exercises I will do. If cardio, what machine? How long? What workout? I don’t have to write anything down, I simply review it my head so that I don’t have to deal with any guesswork in the morning. In a sense, I am making myself accountable by not winging it. Whenever I don’t have a plan, I have excuses. Visualization of the attack is priceless and it doesn’t take all that much effort, it’s only thinking

4] Align your goal with your purpose. Take out your JillFit 2012 Goal Setting Worksheet and refer to your FIVE core values. These describe your purpose, who you want to be in the world. Are your actions in line with these values? Are you goals in line with who you want to be? Think about what is most important to you. If it’s being a good role model to your kids, then start right now implementing healthy practices for YOURSELF to set the right example for your kids. If it is important to you to build your career as an entrepreneur, stop watching TV (unless it is a show on how to be a successful entrepreneur) and start working your ass off. If your purpose includes helping others to get fit, then realize that you are a walking billboard for your services and get yourself in shape. The closer you can link your goals with your overall purpose or who you want to be in the world, the more successful you are likely to be at attainment. And like Jillian says, if you don’t know what your purpose is, that’s ok too. Most people don’t and that’s just fine–there’s no judgment here. But if you do want to investigate it further, start searching: read, introspect, complete your worksheet, introspect some more and then simply start moving

5] Expect imperfection. This is a tenet of Metabolic Effect and having worked with hundreds of clients, I agree that the biggest issues arise when individuals have an “all or nothing” mindset. I did for years–I was either ON or OFF. Now, I am ONF Or rather, practice moderation and know that I don’t need to be perfect to be successful. In fact, I feel MOST successful when I feel neither deprived nor overindulgent. Feeling deprived is hard. And believe it or not, eating everything you want is its own personal hell. Ask anyone who can’t control their eating habits and they are just as controlled by food and they’re not happy either. The trick is to find balance. And it is not easy, but it is certainly doable with practice. But, the first order of business is getting out of your own way–stop expecting perfection and throw yourself a bone. The less you stress about eating, the less it owns you.

6] Give up your timeline. We all have our expectations set, whether we know it or not. Our timeline materializes without us even realizing it, until all of a sudden we are upset because “it’s time” and we are not there yet (see our post on “the expectation gap”). And the idea that if there is no deadline that you won’t be motivated to change? Not necessarily the case. In fact, deadlines only set us up for last-ditch efforts and unsustainable practices. Just because you don’t name a date in which you need to achieve something or else, doesn’t mean you won’t work hard to achieve it. A date does not drive us as much as we think it does. In fact, the people with the most urgency are the ones who are driven from the inside. And tend to be the most successful long-term. Aligning your goal with your purpose helps propel us more than anything (see #4)

7] Rally your support team. You don’t have to go it alone, however, don’t EXPECT your closest family and friends to be on board either. If they are, that is a gift. But if they aren’t, don’t stress or blame them for not being on the same page as you. They are doing their own thing and if they don’t get what you’re trying to do, then that’s their issue Love them and don’t hold it against them. However, go ahead and seek out like-minded people to help further your own progress. Surround yourself with positive messages from people who are on a similar journey, even if it’s a Facebook friend or fan page or web forum or the twitterverse. Who cares. This is the virtual age, and many people have more close friends that they have never met than ones they do see, so embrace the opportunity to connect with people like you online. Support and accountability of a group are huge motivators–that’s why group fitness classes are so popular. Seek out people who can be on your journey with you–help each other, swap recipes, dish on workouts and offer positive motivation.

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New Year: Accountability & Thoughts on Moderation

by Jill

Here I am (Jan 1, 2012). Lovely bathroom/frowning shot.

I was a little hesitant to post this, simply because:
a) I just rolled out of bed
b) my bathroom is messy
c) I am lamenting how much muscle I seem to have lost over the last couple years (as a result of being smaller/softer after getting out of the up-and-down of the competition process), and most importantly,
d) do I really want all the JillFit readers keeping me accountable on my physique journey this year???

And the answer is…….reluctantly…….yes.

Body Breakthrough

I have to say, overall I am happy with my physique and more comfortable in my own skin than I ever have (besides, that’s a mindset issue, not an actual physical thing), BUT I have new years goals just like anyone else. However, I have to say that implementing moderation over the last couple years consistently has been a huge factor in helping me maintain a fairly lean physique year-round.

I used to balloon up and down 15-20 pounds depending on where I was in my competition “season” and I still see many competitors and models doing this. I always felt self-conscious and either “in shape” or “out of shape.” In shape was the best! Photo shoots, appearances, sports bras at the gym! Woo hoo! Out of shape made me want to disappear. Being embarrassed to be seen out in public. What were people thinking?? Not fun. I was basically miserable, and anything but healthy. It was super-extreme and every time I had to get down, it was harder and harder, took more exercise, a tighter diet, etc. Changes were big and extreme, I was all-or-nothing, either “on a contest diet” or eating whatever I wanted. Now, years later, I know that small, incremental changes over time will help me sustain my efforts and not make me feel completely deprived to the point that I need to overindulge. I learned this lesson the hard way, as I think a lot of competitors and models do. It is a hard lesson to learn, especially for types as driven as we are. We want to be able to do it all AND make it look easy! BUT, we are just like everyone else…trying just as hard to get lean and stay healthy. Only now, I have the self-realization to know that I am not willing to lose myself over it.

I will give you one insight into me: it’s is not easy for me to eat clean all the time. I do it 90% of the time because the alternative, of eating everything I want and then feeling like shit and beating myself up, is worse. Believe me, I did that enough times to know which I’d rather. It has taken me a few years to get completely on board, but I have made my choice–I am on the side of healthy forever. I will not fluctuate up and down 20 lbs in the name of a contest or photo shoot ever again. Sure, it would be awesome to be that lean for a moment in time, but I won’t because I know what the ramifications will be for me–deprivation and then compensatory overindulgence. And to be honest with you, I have been eating using moderation for long enough now that I truly don’t think I could muster the sheer will it would take to eat as clean as I would need to. And I don’t want to expend the mental energy it would take. I would rather use that energy for other things

It is important this time of year to decide which side you are on: extreme measures OR healthy forever. The former gets you there faster, certainly, while the latter could take months, even years. But in the end, which will stick? Which will allow you to feel good, maintain a steady weight, progress systematically, measure progress, stay in your power mentally? It’s time to be brutally honest with yourself, assess your current situation and decide if you are patient enough to start your journey on the healthy forever route.

2012 Goal Settin’

And so. My goals! In addition to growing JillFit, reaching more and more fitness-minded people, making a bigger impact, and continuing on my personal development (mindset) journey, I want to spend the next 6 months adding a little more lean muscle and changing my shape up a bit–adding size to my upper body and taking my waist down a little. Essentially, this will happen using 2 tools consistently: heavy weight training and clean nutrition.

As many of you know, I spent a lot of time being a cardio queen in my adult life, and though I still love the high I get from cardio, I know that it has affected my physique somewhat negatively via high cortisol. I have also gotten into some bad habits that I think might also be contributing to my physique changes, like waiting too long to eat, too much coffee and simply not eating enough. I tend to have stringier/skinny/tube arms as it is, and it can be hard to add size on my upper body so I know that I need to work hard with consistent training and nutrition (and not just have sugar-free fro-yo for dinner! )

SO, I filled out my JillFit 2012 New Years Resolutions Worksheet (did you get yours?? ) for my physique goals, and I am sharing it here:

SO, no long-duration cardio, no long periods between eating, cutting back to 1 cup of coffee a day and–OMG on verge of panic attack just writing that–getting plenty of sleep.

Ok, I said it on the blog so it’s final I will be updating you guys regularly on my journey, letting you know how things are going, and as always, being as transparent with my struggles and successes as usual.

2012 is going to be an amazing year for all of us! I certainly feel very lucky that I don’t have a huge hill to climb with the physique changes I want to make. A few key consistent changes and I will get there in time, as will all of you. Most of my resolutions have to do with things other than my physique, and hopefully you all will be a part of those with me as we journey through this year.

I would love to hear what your resolutions are! Email me or post it on the Facebook page! Let’s all keep each other accountable, yes?

Let’s go 2012!! Love, Jill ox

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Before we embark on 2012…

Testimonial

by Jill

…I thought I would recap my top 10 JillFit Blogs from 2011! This was an incredible year! Going back and re-reading these was such a cool experience. It really outlines how far we have all come in our process–body, mind & spirit. It was really hard to choose only 10 out of the CLOSE TO 300 BLOGS we wrote this year! Sooo I actually picked 15

I feel incredibly lucky and appreciative to have had such an amazing 2011. I am grateful for so many things: awesome people I have met through JillFit, people who have reached out to me, lessons I have learned (many the hard way!), mentors and friends who I have turned to for help, teachers who probably didn’t even know they were teaching me (!), incredible love and support in unlikely places and opportunities that were unforgettable. THANK YOU!!!! We are humbled and grateful for you!!

2012 is going to be a different kind of animal! STAY TUNED I will be blogging my own New Years Resolutions VERY soon (accountability anyone??)! Enjoy! ox Jill

14 fitness & nutrition observations overseas: An American in Paris (February)

Keeping it real (my journey) (April)

Working smarter, not harder & JillFit Summer Reading List (April)

Post-Competition Blues–Part 1: The mind game when it’s over (May)

Exercise Tolerance and the “Cardio Cycle” (June)

You can’t have your cake and lose fat too (June)

Getting real: Tara’s ex-exercise addiction (July)

Turning 30…and 20 things I learned in my 20s (July)

Emily’s journey from skinny to strong (August)

Mindset determines everything: Making the switch (August)

Resiliency (August)

Why the first couple weeks of dieting suck (getting over the hump!) (September)

Do you let your insecurities hijack you? (October)

Dreams really do come true (November)

My first competition & 10 lessons learned since (November)

Wishing you an amazing 2012! If we can help you with anything, please don’t hesitate to email us!

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Your JillFit Playlist/New Years Workout (this is fun!)

Exercise,
Lifestyle

by Jill

Happy New Year from all of us at JillFit Physiques! 2012 is going to be an amazing year, and we hope we get to spend a lot of time with you–learning about fat loss, implementing useful tools and techniques and “getting our minds right.” To get you started out on the right foot, we put together THIS for you!

Listening to motivating music is key to getting a great workout for many, and how much more fun slash distracting would it be to do your workout according to the song you are listening to?? This is obviously a common idea in group fitness classes like cycling or pump classes where the music dictates what exercise or drill you do. But doing it yourself on the treadmill could be a fun way to change things up.

Here is my special edition 2012 JillFit playlist for you, along with what exercise or drill you should do for the duration of that song. (Shared it using Spotify on Facebook!) You will need a treadmill and a set of moderate dumbbells (I used 20lb-ers) positioned next to the treadmill so that you can jump off and use them, while keeping the treadmill running at 1.0 mph. Be careful getting on and off the treadmill! I did this last week, and whoa, a great all-around workout! I hope you enjoy it! ox Jill

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18 Ways To Ensure 2012 Is Your Best Year Yet!

Lifestyle,
Mindset

by Jill

I get a kick out of it when fitness professionals or exercise enthusiasts groan and shake their heads at New Years’ time because come January 1st, the “gym is going to be packed.” For me, I love it! What more could we really want, as fitness pros? Does someone who hasn’t exercised in 6 months have less of a right to be there than us who are slaving away 365 days a year? Of course not! It is like people who only go to church services on Christmas and Easter and the regulars always roll their eyes–isn’t the whole point simply that more people are at church? Am I somehow missing how this is a bad thing? Of course, it is more crowded and your favorite treadmill might be taken by some “unworthy” beginner walking at 1.0 mph on it, but honestly, they need it more than we do, right? (a lot easier to accept in theory!)

So, anyway, to get off my high horse now, all of this is to say that really, I just LOVE this time of year! And not because more people are getting into the exercising-spirit, but because it is a time to reflect on last year and set goals for the new year. And so what if you don’t keep them…the simple act of goal-setting is worth something–it takes insight, consideration, reflection and taking of an internal inventory–all good practices regardless of outcome.

So anyway, without further ado, here are my 18 ways (yes, that’s a lot but I will try to make them brief lol. sigh.) to ensure a great 2012–mind, body, relationships, career, self-esteem and all-around-good-feeling-ness:

1] Focus on being successful implementing new changes ONE at a time, not everything at once. Small successes keep us motivated, and turn into bigger successes. Start with switching to protein smoothies for breakfast instead of cereal, for example. Make it into a habit before tackling the next change.

2] Begin putting yourself first when it comes to your health. How can you possibly take care of others when you are not taking care of yourself?

3] Positivity trumps negativity every time–practice finding the lesson in even the crappiest situation even if the lesson is just not to that that again!

4] Think big. “Big thinkers are never satisfied with what they already know. They are always visiting new places, reading new books, meeting new people, learning new skills.” –John C. Maxwell. When you think big, you attract big opportunities, big people and big pay offs. Besides, why NOT you?

5] Begin practicing active acceptance. We tend to be scared of being “ok” with our physiques because we worry that if we don’t beat ourselves up enough, we might find ourselves overindulging too much. Begin to let go of the idea that in order to “stay in line” you must feel guilty or perpetuate the idea that you are not good enough. Active acceptance is giving yourself permission to accept yourself “as is” right now, but without resignation. In other words, you can feel fulfilled and happy in this moment while still striving for a leaner, fitter physique. Acceptance does not necessarily mean resignation.

6] Give yourself permission to feel emotions as they arise. Many people, including myself for many years, internalized negative emotions for fear of what they might mean. Allowing yourself to feel emotions fully, both positive AND negative ultimately enhances growth. Always hiding negative emotions because they are “bad” ultimately can lead to resentment, negativity and stifled growth. Simply experiencing a negative emotion–like anger–is benign. Acting out of anger is the action that can arise from the emotion, but doesn’t have to. You are always in control of your actions. Feeling angry, for example, is valid and healthy. But acting out of anger is not always advisable. Allowing yourself to be human is healthy and normal

7] Give up trying to get everyone on your team. You love fitness, health & nutrition, Your partner or family member or friend or sibling might not. Pushing them to fitness when they are not ready yet only makes them feel worse and you feel frustrated. All you can do is be a good example and support them in any effort they put forth, but don’t have any expectations. The only thing you can expect is that they will do exactly what they want, and if they are a loved one, isn’t that what you want–for them to do what makes them happy? You can’t really know what’s best for someone else. Hard to accept, especially with health, but ultimately true.

8] Put together an actual plan for what you want to accomplish, including detailed steps for how to get there. Hope is not a strategy

9] Own your power. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” –Eleanor Roosevelt. I believe this strategy can be applied to all of your goals and aspirations. Many times, we are the ones holding ourselves back for fear of what others will think or how we will be received. We doubt our abilities so we are reluctant to “put ourselves out there.” But understand that you will never be completely ready, so you might as well simply decide that you are. Don’t wait to have all the answers before jumping into the game. Like my stepfather (MBA biz professor) told me, most successful individuals/companies launch by going, “Ready, aim, fire, aim, aim, aim, aim….etc” You can launch without knowing exactly where you are going. The idea is that you implement, learn along the way, grow, implement new strategies and keep moving. Stop being the one holding you back. The secret to getting ahead is getting started.

10] Get focused. If you are everywhere, you are really nowhere. Getting in-depth and excellent at a few select things will guarantee success beyond simply having experience in many different areas or being versatile. If you want to be successful, start with one thing–stick with it, master it. Then move on to the next thing. It’s not that you can’t do everything, you just need to prioritize and actively focus on one thing at a time. If you aren’t sure where to start, choose the thing you are most passionate about. It is hard to be tenacious if you don’t love something. And tenacity is a must for success. And remember:

11] Learn to say no. ”Focus is about saying no.” –Steve Jobs

12] Realize that physical strength begets mental-emotional strength, but also the opposite is true. A lot of women I work with who start weight training report how much it has helped improve their self-esteem and confidence. This has been shown extensively in exercise psychology research, especially in cases of anorexia and bulimia. Working on your “physical self” improves your “emotional self.” But, the opposite is also true. When you consciously work on your “emotional self” consistent implementation of the actions needed to improve your “physical self” becomes easier. For example, if I begin introspection work, reading books on self-esteem, understanding my mind, my insecurities and decoding my “stuff” I find that I have less challenges with the physical stuff, like working out or eating right. How much of your overindulging, cravings for sweets or inactivity has to do with stress? Probably 100%. What if you could work on stress management via introspection, self-realization, coming clean with your insecurities and simply handling your “mind game” better? Your cravings would probably decrease. Your mental energy for exercise would probably increase, etc. It goes both ways: increase the physical—>increase the mental/emotional; increase the mental/emotional—>increase the physical. Good news!

13] Understand that there is risk in starting your journey. But the risk of not starting is greater. Let 2012 be the year that you finally do what you feel driven to do, don’t let fear stop you. The time will never be “just right.”

14] Learn the power of reading. Not novels, but books on topics you are interested in, whether it’s business, psychology, social media, spirituality, fitness, nutrition, etc. Simply getting new information empowers you. Gaining new insight empowers you. I usually read a book a week, and I always get at least 1 new, interesting idea out of each one that I can apply to my business, relationships or personal development. Open your mind to new ideas and increase your potential. Want to be more interesting? Develop more interests. And reading gets you there.

15] Fall in love with your mistakes! Ouch! Hard to do of course, but without challenges, obstacles, struggles and mistakes, there would never be anything to overcome and learn from. There is nothing inspired about perfection, and if you know someone who’s perfect, they are probably also not growing. You should instead cherish and feel grateful for your mistakes, they are GIFTS (not always fun ones!) given to you so that you can learn, grow and develop further in your journey. If I am clear, I can actually say that I look forward to my mess-ups because I know I get to grow. If I am not presented with opportunities for growth, then I am not moving forward.

16] Practice visualization. This is the most powerful thing. If you have read books like “The Secret” or “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, you understand the power of visualizing that which you want to manifest. Seeing yourself in that place, really experiencing what it feels like to have, be or do that which you desire is the key. This is not the same as hoping. This is a conscious practice of experiencing yourself in that place in your mind, consistently and vividly. It is amazing the kind of “luck” you can experience as a result if you have your eyes open

17] Stop looking for affirmation from outside yourself. It feels nice to get warm fuzzies and accolades for your work. I am just as guilty of wanting affirmation for my stuff as the next person (isn’t this a good blog?? ), but ultimately, when we are always seeking praise outside ourselves, we can never really feel satisfied. The person who is always looking for others to tell them they are good, or “ok” can never truly feel satisfied and can never really even hear it. It can never be enough. So you have my permission to cut out the middle man this year, and just jump right to: “I am pretty friggin’ awesome” and begin owning it. You can stop looking for affirmation and start spending your energy on making yourself happy and fulfilled doing something you love, regardless of what others think. [Side note: It is normal to want affirmation, we all do it! In fact, there is nothing wrong with wanting positive feedback, and many times it propels us to do more and keep going. So ultimately, this is a practice--giving ourselves permission to just be, without needing positive affirmation constantly. When we get to that place, positive affirmation becomes something special for which we are grateful, and has more meaning, instead of a necessity.]

18] Successes AND failures are both largely the results of habit. That which you do, or don’t do regularly is reflected in your results. If you want different results, begin doing things differently. Use 2012 to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. Then take a critical and objective look at the changes that need to be made to get there. Consciously implement the new steps to get there. Write it down and go over it every day like a daily affirmation. You can’t drift and expect to end up in your dream. Remember, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” –Tony Robbins

2012 is going to be an amazing year. Keep your eyes open, your mind open, your heart open:

“Intellectual growth, a eureka experience, a paradigm shift is less likely to take place if we are dogmatic, if we are unwilling to open ourselves up to different ways of understanding
and seeing the world.”
–Tal Ben-Shahar, from his positive psychology book “Being Happy”

PS. Be sure to subscribe to the JillFit newsletter to get your 2012 Goal Setting Worksheet, which is going out tomorrow (Saturday Dec 31st) to all subscribers: Subscribe here!

Wishing you an amazing year! Love, Jill oxox

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Recipe: My Go-To Dinner–Shell-less Taco Salad

Recipes

by Jill

It’s a new year! Time to get back on the healthy eating train after some indulgence during the holidays. One of the best options for healthy eating is the all-important salad. But, many times, salad can be boring, unappetizing and plain old yuck. So to spice things up and still get in a healthy meal, I put together my “shell-less” taco salad so I can still enjoy traditional Mexican flavors, but without the added sugar. This is also super-simple to prepare.

To make all salads more appetizing (and also to increase the amount of greens I can fit in), I use a nifty little device from OXO called a Salad Chopper. It is like a double pizza cutter that allows you to chop up greens effortlessly so that you don’t feel like you are eating leaves (stems and all!) straight from the garden. Plus, you can cram in way more greens with it.

Here is my go-to salad–Jade thinks I am crazy eating this like 4 nights a week, but oh well! I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

3-4 cups mixed greens, chopped
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup ground turkey or bison or grass-fed beef
¼ cup low-sodium salsa, used as “dressing”
Optional: sprinkle of almond cheese (cheddar)

Directions:

Chop up greens and veggies and combine in a bowl
Add the turkey or beef, mix well
Add the salsa as light dressing, mix well
Sprinkle cheese over the top and enjoy!

Related: Dining out? 7 Fat Loss Lunches

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Wednesday Workout: Chest/Triceps & Shoulder Training

Exercise

by Jill

By Sara Baker

As many of you know from my other blogs, I am reducing my workout and intensity load for the time being. Luckily, I am still able to lift, just not quite as heavy as I would like but again, learning to accept that right now However, this gives me an opportunity to increase my volume in my lifting routines. Usually, I like to do 2 to 3 circuits of 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Now, I am increasing my sets up to 4 and my reps to at least 12 reps. Currently, I am lifting back and biceps together, legs on their own day and chest, triceps and shoulders towards the end of my week. I sometimes add an additional light leg day during the week, depending on how tired my legs are feeling from my previous workouts.

Below is a chest, tricep, shoulder routine I am doing for the next 4 weeks or so. After a month, I will change up the exercises as well as change up days I am lifting, just to keep my body guessing and to prevent plateauing. I like pairing these three muscle groups together as I feel I get a good burn since they all play a role in performing each of the exercises, regardless of the main focus of that exercise.

You will obviously need to pick a weight that is challenging for you but should be able to lift heavier on the multi-joint movements. You will then drop weight on the single joint exercises and finishing moves. Feel free to get creative and even add one more circuit using cables (chest fly, press downs and side raises) if you want even more volume.

The combination of the incline bench work usually leaves me sore for a few days. Let me know what you think and happy training!

Related: Killer Back & Biceps Workout

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Wednesday Workout: Chest/Triceps & Shoulder Training

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