Spring Clean Inside & Out

Whether you're hoping to lose some extra weight or simply reset your body, consider joining me for an Ultimate Reset.

It's the time of year when I begin to get that itch to throw open the doors and clean my house inside and out. That itch generally lasts through the first room or two and then I just get tired and want to take a nap. Seriously, why does my family turn into a bunch of hoarders every winter???

So this year I'm taking a different approach. I'm going to start by cleansing my body of all the toxins, chemicals, and processed foods I've built up over the winter. (And believe me, I've built up quite a bit of them...because I'm pretty sure I'm part bear and I will eat whatever is put in front of me when the weather is cold.) 

I did the Ultimate Reset last summer and had phenomenal results. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but I did manage to drop those last few extra pounds anyway. More than that, I FELT amazing. I LOOKED amazing. I WAS amazing.

So, it's time I felt amazing again. Maybe then I can get through spring cleaning my house without the urge to just nap. 

It takes 21 days. That's it. It's not easy, I ain't gonna lie. The first week was ok, mostly because I was doing this cool new program. Week two was an issue, though. I was missing my Doritos and really wanting to take up MMA just so I could have an excuse to hit someone without catching a felony. But by the third week, I was feeling amazing enough that I no longer craved all the processed foods I'd become addicted to. I figure, if I can surround myself with other people going through the same thing, I may be less likely to want to throat punch random strangers during that second week of sugar withdrawal. (Am I making it sound fun yet?)

If you'd like to join me (because I've made it sound so inviting) or just learn more about this gradual and gentle approach to cleansing your system, check out my website:
 http://www.MyUltimateReset.com/SunShineStrong. 

And if you order now, you can still take advantage of the discount promotion (until April 9th). 

These are some of the benefits reported by those completing the 21 days of Ultimate Reset:

• Remove Harmful Toxins
• Lose Weight Safely
• Increase Energy
• Lower "Bad" Cholesterol
• Boost Mood and Mental Clarity
• Reduce Inflammation
• Improve Regularity

So, withdrawal symptoms or not, it is TOTALLY worth it. You should probably join me. 

Does Your Inner Voice Know How Amazing You Are?

When someone tells you that you are amazing, or generous, or beautiful, or inspiring, how do you respond? Do you give them the requisite, "Ugh, no I'm not. I'm so [fill in some randomly negative term here]?"

Some have learned to respond with, "Thank you." I remember learning this in undergrad. If you say thank you, you validate their opinion and blah blah blah. I mean, the psychologist in me totally buys that, but come on. Can't we do better than just validating one another's opinions?

I say, embrace it. Exclaim at the top of your lungs, "YES I AM!" Because, if someone took the time to tell you, then you probably are. And you know what? If they are taking the time to tell you, then they are, too. Feel free to let them know that. 

It doesn't steal anything from others to accept your own amazingness (or generosity or beauty or inspiration). It gives them permission to start accepting their own. And it's time we all started giving ourselves permission to acknowledge our strengths and stop apologizing for our weaknesses (especially those things we perceive as weakness, but really are probably just more examples of our amazingness). 

So, unless you are some sort of sociopath, chances are you are amazing. Embrace it and go ahead and let the world know. 

10 Miles of Trail and Beautiful Weather

10 miles of trail. Sun and 65 degrees. Shorts. Perfect. 

The first 3 miles of this race was beautiful. Clean, rolling trails. Mostly downhill, but not quad-crushing downhill. "Wow. I'm moving fast. This is such an easy course." 

Around mile 2, it occurred to me that we had been going mostly down for quite a while and that meant we would eventually have to go back up.

By mile 3, I was being passed by the freaks of nature that had started the 5 mile race 10 minutes AFTER those of us running the 10. "Yeah, not feeling so fast anymore. Who made these people?"

Mile 4 and we split off from the 5 miler pack. Suddenly it was just me and one other runner. Peaceful. "A lot less crowded now that we got rid of them, huh?" she said. "Yeah, but who's going to carry me to the finish when I fall and break something?" Me. The eternal optimist.

Miles 5-7 were a bit of a blur. My legs began a violent protest. There was more up in this section than there had been in the first few miles. I debated with them.
"WALK!"
"We're over halfway there. Just keep going."
"WALK NOW!"
"Come on! We're about to PR. Just keep pushing."
"We. said. WALK!!!"
So we walked. Fine. 

By mile 7, I'd convinced them to rejoin me in an effort to finish this 10 mile trail run in less than 1 hour and 45 minutes. And since we were back on the original few miles of trail, the up wasn't as rough anymore. I was determined to hit my goal. 

And I did.

When the race director gave me this medal, she told me I was awesome. Seriously, so awesome. My response? "Yes. Yes, I am awesome." 

It's My Coachaversary!

Summer bodies are made in Spring.

Today is the first day of Spring.
Today is also my Beachbody Coachaversay.

Coincidence? I think not.

To celebrate my coaching anniversary and the first day of Spring, I am kicking off a Bikini Ready Booty Anniversary Challenge starting, you guess it, today.

The program? Brazil Butt Lift. The goal? Bikini-ready butts.

Click on the photo to order your Brazil Butt Lift Challenge Pack today...

or complete the contact form on the right side of this page for more ordering options.

This program works. It's why I became a Beachbody Coach (that and the Shakeology discount).

Don't worry, it's never too late to join us!

This Week is All About the Glutes

What a week!

Today's the day I get my email. Today's the day I find out if I made it into the Marine Corps Marathon. I haven't opened my email yet. I'm too nervous. What if I didn't get in?!? ... What if I did? Gah! Am I really ready to commit to this training? 

Yes. Yes, I am because committing to training is what my life is all about now.

Tomorrow our Bikini Ready Booty Challenge starts and I will commit to training my glutes and legs. (There's still time to join us by clicking here.) We're doing the Brazil Butt Lift program and I'm super excited about it. Love how much fun that program is. The perfect mix of dance and strength training. And it is so effective for lifting that butt and toning those legs just in time for bikini weather. It's that special triangle training Leandro does.

And Saturday is the Montvale 10 Miler. I FEEL ready for it, but who knows if I'll meet my goal pace until I'm out there on the trails.

So, really, this week is all about the glutes. I'm going to need them to power me up the hills on Saturday. 

Falling Off The Fitness Wagon...Again

Let me get real for a minute. (Nah, for real, I'm always real. But that sounded like a good opening line.)

Recently my workload doubled. Literally. It literally doubled. This is mostly a good thing. I mean, more income is always a good thing, right?

But time wise, my life went a little out of control. I was unprepared for the chaos that ensued with such a sudden and drastic increase in my work. My once focused and intense workout schedule became random, sporadic. I began eating whatever fully processed crap I could find sitting in the back of my pantry. I spent 90% of my day sitting at my desk staring at a computer mindlessly cramming food into my mouth.

It doesn't take long for those types of habits to catch up with you.

I ran a 10k trail run on Saturday. That was my wake up call. Carrying an extra 12 pounds up and down the slippery trails was difficult. Add to that the fact that my body was not fueled properly and I had lost some muscle tone, well, it was a poor and painful performance. I finished through sheer will and stubbornness (largely thanks to my good friend cheering me on at the finish), but I was miserable. I did not enjoy it. Not even a little bit. 

It happens. We fall off the fitness wagon. What do we do when that happens? (This is where you pump your fist in the air and yell, "GET BACK ON!") Yep. I'm recommitted.

So, my work schedule may not always allow me to get out for a long run or fit in a 30 minute fitness program, unless I become that chick that forces herself out of bed at 3am to fit it in. And that's probably never going to happen. I need my sleep to keep from hurting all the people.

Still, I CAN use my monthly fitness challenges to squeeze in some basic exercises between classes or even while on a conference call (yes boss, I'm grunting because of the squats not because of the new class schedule). And I CAN refocus my eating habits. It's all up to me. 

And it's all up to you, too. Though, if you need a little support, I can help with that. Just check out the Free Fitness Group Schedule.

Push Up Variations by a Small Chick

I host a free monthly fitness group through Facebook. We focus on a different area each month.

February was arms. We followed a 30-day calendar that told us how many push ups to do each day. How long to hold our planks each day. How many tricep kick backs to do each day. So simple.

The results? Phenomenal. Many participants have shared their successes through loss of inches and pounds. Some are showing off their guns by posting pics. They are all rock stars. 

I am sharing my successes visually with the moves I am able to do that I have never been able to do before.

These are the hardest push up variation that I've tried.

So, it may be time for a new medicine ball, but the move was still quite challenging.

These are my favorites. Workings arms, core, and glutes all at once!

I'm not sure I can technically call this one a Superman Push Up since I stayed on my knee, but I'm calling it that anyway. It's my blog. I can do that. Besides, I tried it the real way...I fell on my face. 

March's focus will be the legs. Oh yes. Bring on the tank tops. Bring on the shorts. We're ready!

Wanna join us? Complete the Contact Form on the right and I will get you signed up!