Guest Blogger: Being Your Best Self

Are you your best self? If you're anything like me, you have great intentions, but get bogged down in the daily grind - work, kids, extra-curricular activities, planning holidays, yard work, yadda, yadda, yadda...  So how do you set yourself up to be your best self?  You team up.

Today we're teaming up with Lisa from Healthy Way Fitness.  She is chock full of ideas, strategies, inspiration, and encouragement. Laila and I are also very proud to call her a close friend, so she was a natural choice for a guest blogger.  She is a fitness instructor and personal trainer who has actually walked the walk and follows her own advice while teaching by example.  We think she is fabulous and we know you will, too!

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When Heather and Laila asked me to guest blog for Authentic Thursday I was thrilled! And then a little overwhelmed. I just feel like I have so much to say!

As a fitness instructor I get to help people every single day to become the best version of themselves through diet and exercise. I have lost over 90 lbs but most importantly, I have really become the person I was always meant to be. Losing weight and getting healthy can be difficult and often a little discouraging (especially when we don’t see results quickly). But it can be done!

Setting up a fitness and healthy eating plan can seem very daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be!

You need to do a few things before you get started to make sure you will be successful:

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You need to set realistic goals! Not someone else's goals, but your goals. If they are for weight loss, then set a specific number and create small goals that will help you reach your overall goal.

1. Set up a small area in your house designated specifically for exercise. You should have a yoga mat, one or two sets of dumbbells (3-8lbs is a good range), and a skipping rope. Those are the basic essentials for your new home gym!

I am a big believer in doing things that you like. You may not like to exercise at first but the more you do it the more you will like it. Try different types of exercise like riding your bike, walking or running, or try one of my home workouts that can be done without any equipment at all.

Here are two simple (but challenging!) workouts for you to try at home!

1. Complete 3 rounds of the following as fast as you can, resting when needed:

• 10 squats (stand with feet shoulder width apart, slowly lower down and back as if you are sitting onto a chair and slowly raise back up)
• 10 push ups (start on your hands and feet and go to your knees if you need to)
• 30 seconds of jump rope (with or without a skipping rope)

2. Complete 3 rounds of the following as fast as you can, resting when needed:

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• 30 second plank (in a push up position)
• 10 burpees (start standing, place hands on the floor near your feet, jump your feet back to a push up position, jump your feet back to your hands and jump straight up, repeat)
• 10 alternating front lunges per leg (start standing and step one foot forward bending both knees, so your front knee is at a 90 degree angle and step back to standing.  Repeat with other leg, then alternate and repeat)

We all know how to eat properly, but we are surrounded by easy, fast and usually unhealthy choices. The best thing you can do to see results is to get rid of packaged, processed foods. No more chips, cookies, mac’n’cheese, and sidekicks meals. Go back to basics, including one food from each of the four major food groups in every meal and at least two food groups in each snack. Here is a good example for a typical day of really healthy eating:

Breakfast: 3 egg whites plus 1 whole egg scrambled with ½ cup diced vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes), 1 tbsp shredded cheese, 1 slice whole grain toast with 1 tsp margarine, 1 small plum

Morning snack: 1 apple with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

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Lunch: 1 small grilled chicken breast, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup chopped vegetables (cucumbers, onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, ect) 1 tbsp vinegarette dressing, 1 cup mixed berries

Afternoon snack: ¼ cup hummus, unlimited celery and carrot sticks

Dinner: 1 small (4 oz) steak (grilled), topped with 1 tbsp bbq sauce, ½ baked potato topped with 1 tsp shredded cheese, 1 tsp sour cream, 1 cup steamed asparagus

Evening snack: ¼ cup raw almonds, ½ orange

These sample workouts and meal plan will help get you on your way to your best self! IF you want more meal ideas or home workouts, check out my website for more healthy living ideas!

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Don't forget to check out Lisa's Facebook Page for more great tips!