Diets Diets Diets...

I really don't like the word 'DIET' - to me, it just sounds like something horrible!  People often ask me about the best diet for weight loss, the best diet for muscle building, the best diet for blah blah blah...  honestly, most of those fad diets WILL work.  Temporarily. Very temporarily.  And then, you are probably going to be worse off then when you started in the first place!  I know that my clients don't like to hear this so I doubt if you will either, but slow & steady is the way to go.  A healthy, balanced nutrition plan (or 'diet' if you must call it that!) combined with exercise is the best way to achieve your goals.  Your results will happen, and they will not be short-term (unless you decide to go back to your bad habits, then they will not last!)

There are many healthy ways to go about it, but find a way that works with you & your lifestyle.  It needs to be something that you can make into a lifestyle, not a 2 week starvation diet!

I generally (I say 'generally' because yes, I eat cake sometimes!  And that is just fine!!) follow a plan that is something like this (Remember, this is just what works for me.  You need to find something that works for you, but it needs to include healthy eating & exercise!):

Exercise: hard core!  Heavy weights 3x per week at least.  Cardio about every time I work out.  I usually take 1-2 days to rest each week.

Nutrition: Semi-Paleo.  I go through spurts where I am hard-core-Whole30-Paleo-no-cheating Jen.  And other spurts where I focus on 'mostly paleo' nutrition.  Meaning: I focus on lean proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, and more fruits :)  But I will allow a few cheats.  My cheats don't usually involve dairy, that is one thing that I've learned that my stomach doesn't love!  But, if it's a birthday I will eat a piece of cake!  And on Thanksgiving, I'll be eating some stuffing :-)
Another thing that I am very consistent with is supplements.  I'm super picky about which ones I take, and I've tried LOTS of different brands!  

My main point is to avoid the fad diets!  Look for a long-term solution, not a quick fix!

Approaching 3,000 views!

WOW!  I am so excited that people are reading my blog!  Now I just need to make sure that I am on here more to update it :) 

So here is an update on my crazy life!

Things have been busy- and not necessarily all in a fantastic way!  It's the holiday season, so there are bound to be challenges that come up!  (Like my hubby's work truck breaking down...  like "ca-put it's done for and needs to be replaced" kind of breaking down...  nice timing!) It's been an overall challenging 2012 for us, but I keep telling myself that we are putting God in control and that He has a plan! (& that He won't give me more than I can handle- I repeat that one quite often!!) 

On the postitive side, Pat has stayed busy with work & my clients are the best clients in the world :) :)  I am seeing such amazing results with them, and their hard work & nutrition changes are making a huge difference!  Not only appearance-wise, but also in their overall energy and lifestyle!  I love hearing that they can fit into a smaller size, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE when they tell me that they are off of some med's and able to play ball with their kids or grandkid's!!  I want them to be happy & healthy & to enjoy their life!

FAITH:
We have been visiting High Street Baptist Church for the past few weeks & we are really enjoying it!  When you go somewhere that makes you want to be involved & gets people excited to serve and do His will, then it's a positive thing!  We are still praying about it, and trusting that God is guiding us where we need to be!  Trust is a major part of faith- and lately it's a huge part of our lives!  We are leaving it in God's hands as to where we get involved or what happens, but please pray for us!  I am excited/scared/worried all at the same time, and relying on FAITH & TRUST :)

FAMILY:
Family life is going well!  Here are a few pic's of the last few weeks- enjoy!

Elisabeth & I ran the Bass Pro 5k race last week- she ran almost the whole way, and I am SOOOO proud of her!  Overall time was 35:50, a big improvement from the 42 minutes last Thanksgiving!

Pat & Elisabeth, perfecting their handshake!  This was a fun evening of bowling :)

My handsome nephew spent the day with me last week & got to come to the gym!  He will be my little helper on days that I get to babysit :)

My daughter cheering at a middle school basketball game :)  Go Reed!!

Cheer competition last weekend! 

Holding her baby cousin before they performed!

OH YEAH!!  Champions!  'Jungle Cats' :)

My girl :)  Love her!!

FITNESS:

Like I mentioned above, my classes & personal training sessions are really going fantastic!  God has blessed me with some awesome clients!  They are working hard, trying to implement my nutrition suggestions, and getting some really good results!  

Send me a message at trainingbyjen@hotmail.com and we will chat :)

~Jen

Day 6 of Thankfulness :)

Today I am thankful that I have the right to vote! No excuses- your vote counts!!

Day 5 of thankfulness!

I'm thankful for my parents- through it all, they have always been there for me! And they are awesome grandparents for Elisabeth!! Love you guys! :-)


Oops I forgot to post this yesterday! So I'm catching up today!

Day 2 of Thankfulness

Let me start by saying that we should ALWAYS be thankful!  I'm just choosing to go along with the Facebook theme & voice it throughout this month!  So for my second day, I'm thankful for my hubby!  He surprised me with Starbucks coffee when I got home this morning (major points for a Friday morning!  woohoo!!) but he is always someone to be thankful for!  God placed us in each others lives at just the right time, and I'm excited to see how our journey goes!  We have been together for 4 years now, and it's felt perfect from day #1!  It hasn't always been perfect, but through the up's and down's and challenges of life we are going to face it together :)

Thankfulness Day 1! And October follow-up!

October was a whirlwind of business!  Here are a few updates!

October 30 Day Nutrition Challenge:
It went pretty well!  I lost 7 pounds, 1" in my waist, 0.75" in my hips, 1" in my thighs, and 1" in my arms...  and while all of that was awesome (!) the main improvement has been with my energy level & overall feeling of wellness!  I feel good, and not dragging or lacking energy all of the time like I had been!  I do think that eating right makes a huge difference in your body!  I think that I have found a good combination for my body to function & perform better!  My lifts are heavier, and my strength is improving!  Overall, the challenge was a success- I am back on track!

FAITH:
Last week we went to my brother & sister-in-law's church to see my nephew's baby dedication!  It was awesome!!  I got a little teary eyed when the pastor spoke about how awesome God is - Graysen is a good example of that!  He was healed completely of his heart issue :)  When things get tough- when they seem out of control, just remember that HE is in control!  Things don't always happen in a way that we want or understand, but they always work out perfectly in the end!

Happy little guy!

FAMILY:

Here are a few pic's of the family from the past week!

Nerd day!

Sleepy little giraffe!

Pumpkin carving contest at my mom's!

Me, Elisabeth & Teresa!  Rutledge Wilson Farm :)

My little zombie- Trick or Treat!!

Rutledge Wilson Farm 2012 - The fam (minus Pat!)

Checking out the pumpkin patch

She found one!

Me & my brother & Graysen!

FITNESS:

Like I mentioned before, fitness & nutrition are going pretty good!  I survived the 30 day challenge & got some good results!  I did have some candy last night :)  (for those that think I never eat anything bad- I had a mini-Snicker's bar & it was yummy!)

I'm going to start a 'Thankful List' for each day before Thanksgiving- I'm never good at posting on here daily, so I'll either post it on here or on my Facebook page so make sure you're following my page!  www.facebook.com/trainingbyjen :)

November 1, 2012 - I am thankful for a loving God!  Because without Him, none of the rest of it would matter!  He makes everything else awesome, and definitely helps out my family and guides us in times of STRESS :)  All of the rest of the things that I am thankful for pale in comparison!