Fit Life Happy Life

“Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting” - Karl Wallenda

If you were walking on a tightrope, you would have to learn how to relax while going forward in a situation filled with risk. If you were tense and kept your body rigid, you would lose your balance and most likely fall. But if you stayed relaxed and kept your muscles loose while remaining very focused, you would be able to continuously respond and readjust your balance while walking. And only then would you experience success and all of the amazing feelings that come with that success. 😊

I love this tightrope analogy because it is a perfect metaphor for life. When we hold on too tight, remain too guarded and anxiously try to control everything, we become stiff and reactive as opposed to calm, focused and responsive. We must learn to let go of our anxieties and move towards peace of mind and replace our fear with faith. Only then can we walk our path and effectively maintain our balance no matter what comes our way.

Just because the kiddos are getting out of school soon does not mean that you should stop taking time for yourself. Now, more than ever, is the time to put yourself first and make sure your priorities don’t shift just because it’s summer and the kids are home. Recharging your battery and energy supply is an absolute necessity so please be sure to make & take time for yourself!!

Every time I go to Costco, I find something new to try and today I found this! Organic chicken, quinoa & kale mixed with some other goodies to literally just dump in a pan and heat up - or steam in the microwave! Comes with 4 individually wrapped bags for single servings - unless you are like me and your single serving is 2 bags! 😂
I love when I find easy, convenient AND healthy pre-packaged foods that I can get on the table super fast. 🙌🏼 PS.....I am eating it right now and it's absolutely DEE-licious!!!!! 😊

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Homemade sweets for your sweets!! ❤️❤️❤️

Today's kitchen inspiration came from my daughter who made chocolate covered treats for her boyfriend last night. I said to myself, “I can do that too!” 😂 I set out this morning to make chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate/PB covered pretzels & chocolate covered strawberries, which I did, but then my dairy free dark chocolate did not melt to a creamy consistency so I decided that, rather than throw it away, I would do something else with it. I pulled out some old candy molds and a few large metal “tin like thingys" that had the shape of peanut butter cups and made my own nut butter cups - teeny weeny ones and HUGE ones! Are they the prettiest in the world? Heck no, but they taste amazing! 😍

You know how I absolutely love ease and convenience and, YES, you can go buy Reese’s or Justin’s nut butter cups BUT if you have a bit of time & the ingredients, why not make your own? It took under 30 minutes total to make all of these treats (not including melt or chill time 😉). For the nut butter cups, melt your chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave oven, press/paint into any kind of mold (mine was THICK so it was more of a press than a paint!), chill for a bit, add some nut butter, top with some shaved dark chocolate if you want & then chill again until you want a sweet treat! Super-duper simple. 👍

Let me know if you make them - Enjoy! XO 😘

Same message, different year! Please be sure to show yourself ALL THE LOVE today….and every day! 💕💕💕 💪😍

“Hating your body will never get you as far as loving it will” ❤️❤️❤️ Let’s try a different approach and start LOVING ourselves 100% inside and out no matter what we see in the mirror or on the scale and no matter what others have to say. I know it’s so much easier to focus on all the negatives but give this a shot instead. XO 💕

#100% 💪🏼😍

Getting bored with ? Yeah, me neither 😂 but every now and then I like to change it up and do the same flavors in a new and different way. I have all the makings of a great taco night, including perfectly ripe avocados for some delicious guacamole, but decided that I wanted to use chicken breasts as well as the crock pot instead of slaving away at the stove-top later soooooooo these shredded chicken tacos were born! 🌮🌮🌮 It’s quite simple….place one diced onion, one diced green pepper, some fresh garlic and a few pounds of chicken breasts in the crock-pot. Then add in about a cup of water that has been mixed with a 6 ounce can of tomato paste and a packet of taco seasoning. Stir to coat and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours. About an hour before serving, remove the chicken and shred with a fork, return it to the pot and continue to cook until dinner. Serve the chicken with a slotted spoon if there is too much liquid - nobody likes a soggy taco!! 😉 You can serve this in ‘lettuce boats’, hard taco shells, soft tortillas or on a salad and you can use any toppings that you would normally use with your ground meat tacos (shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, salsa, guacamole, etc.). 😋😋😋 NOTE: For my taco sauce, I used about one and a half cups of water since the taco seasoning mix that I used today is a bit on the spicy side so do what works best for you. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 💪😍

Yup! xo ❤️

Favorite new dressings from ! 😋 💪🏼😍

When will this stop? A little late to the party, but better late than never. As far as I am concerned, the more we talk about this stuff and flood social media with our response to this garbage, the quicker we can CHANGE THE CONVERSATION moving forward.

The minute Gaga came out on stage with some ‘skin showing’, I said to my daughter “Let’s see how long it takes the body shamers to come out of the woodwork and start bashing her”. Was I surprised with all of the negative comments? Nope - I expected it. I was sad and I was angry but certainly not surprised. What else whould I expect from a society that places looks above all else when it comes to describing women. It’s never about what’s ‘inside’ or our strengths or accomplishments but ALWAYS about the looks - weight, skin rolls, cellulite, hair, makeup, clothes, etc. This is what perpetuates the myth that we need to look or dress a ‘certain way’ and why it is so damn hard for women to get past feeling less than, unworthy and not good enough. Who created these ridiculous standards of perfection and what we are supposed to look like? And who gave anyone the permission to comment on our appearance anyway?

It’s this kind of stuff that makes me want to work harder as a coach to help women see past this BS. To help women see that we are more than our bodies, our clothes, our hair, our makeup, etc. That we are not here to please others with our appearance and all that matters is how we feel about ourselves. That our self-worth has nothing to do with what we look like. And that the way to a healthy body image is never achieved by over exercising or excessive dieting. Never.

Lady Gaga is one of the most authentic, talented, classy, humble and philanthropic human beings on the planet. And I choose to focus on qualities like these when describing people, especially women! The qualities and adjectives that describe who someone is & what they have accomplished rather than what they look like. Why is the conversation or commentary always focused on appearance - good or bad?

Ladies, please remember that your body is YOUR business and society never has the final say on your worth as a woman - especially if it is based on your appearance. Like I always say, YOU ARE AMAZING JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!! XO ❤️



P.S. - if you want to see another GREAT post on this subject, head on over to the Born Fitness page for his take on the body shaming comments. I love it when I see men in the industry help spread this very important and powerful message. 👊

No no no no no no no.

This is inexcusable for so many reasons including, but not limited to:

1) Her body is none of anyone's damn business but hers.
2) She KILLED her performance and yet people are speaking negatively about her body.
3) Her body is none of anyone's damn business but hers.
4) While it's never OK to speak negatively about someone's body, by saying things like Lady Gaga has a "flabby belly" and a "gut" society continues to perpetuate unrealistic and unhealthy ideals for women's bodies.
5) Oh, and did we mention her body is none of anyone's damn business?



[H/T to Powered By Ice Cream for the pic]

Who cares what others think of you? Don't let others diminish your accomplishments, bring you down or dim your light with their words or actions. You are amazing and don’t you forget it!! XO ❤️ 💪🏼😍

LOVE this! ❤️

Focus on your health and everything else will fall into place! XO

Being a is nothing to be ashamed of! There are many ways to prepare a healthy, nutritious meal for your family without much prep or effort. Rotisserie chicken is the laziest dinner ever 😂 and I am not ashamed to say that we eat it a lot!! I usually serve it with a huge salad and a side dish or two. Sometimes completely prepped sides or those that take very little time to prep. Last night’s side dishes fell somewhere in the middle……pre-noodled sweet potatoes (thank you Stop & Shop!) that I sautéed with a bit of coconut oil, sea salt & cinnamon and asparagus that I marinated in avocado oil, balsamic & minced garlic in a ziplock for a few hours and then roasted in the oven. All I needed to do once the clock struck ‘dinnertime’ was throw the asparagus on a parchment lined baking sheet and the sweet potato ’noodles’ in a sauté pan. 👊

There is no shame in wanting dinners to be quick and convenient. There is no shame in wanting to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. There is no shame in wanting to take the easy way out. My easy way out used to be fast food….and a lot of it! I didn’t think there was any other way. But now I know that I can have easy, convenient AND healthy dinners for my family without the drive through window. 😉 And if I am being honest, knowing now how unhealthy eating fast food on a regular basis is, the ‘should have’ been higher back then….but I didn’t know any better. 🙌

Grocery stores have so many options that allow you the freedom to be a lazy mom. Pre-riced, pre-noodled or pre-cut veggies, bagged salad mixes, pre-cut proteins, etc. When I spend a few extra dollars on these items, I save on time and sanity! I love to cook but, like I always say, I’ll take convenience and ease any day! 😜
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When I started my health journey, I was super strict with my food intake and would scrutinize label ingredients. I was limited with what I ‘could’ buy and it was stressful (not to mention expensive!). There was always something that didn’t meet my requirements - it wasn’t organic or non-GMO, it had sugar, grains, dairy, soy, etc., so I didn’t buy it. I was looking for everything to fit into the perfect mold of what I envisioned to be the healthiest diet and it was impossible to find products that met all of my criteria. This led to a lot of time cooking everything from scratch. More stress. 😁

Nowadays, I still read labels and buy mostly organic/non-GMO and I do my best to avoid products with added sugars or wheat, gluten, grains, dairy and soy BUUUUUUT I don’t stress about it. There is rarely a perfect ingredient list or nutrition label. That’s where learning how to make decisions that work best and choosing ingredients that meet MOST of my non-negotiables list comes in handy. It’s a skill learned through trial and error and it took me years to realize that I didn’t need to eat/not eat anything 100% of the time. 🙌🎉

I want good health and to feel good. But I also want ease, convenience and less time spent in the kitchen. So I make choices that work for me without getting laser focused on every single ingredient. As long as I focus on the 'big rocks’ of nutrition - lean proteins, fruits/veggies, healthy fats & carbs - then it’s all good. 👍

These Enjoy Life products REALLY excited me today……they come pretty darn close to an almost perfect ingredient list. There are a few things that I don’t normally eat BUT the positives far outweighed the (very) few negatives! How can you beat dairy, gluten, wheat & soy free plus added protein. I’ll take it in order to make a brownie or pancake that I can eat without feeling sick. 😉

A healthy lifestyle is a combination of different things - not just food. Do you think it’s healthy to be stressed and obsessed about every little morsel of food? About spending too much time in the kitchen when you wish you could be doing something else? About spending too much money on groceries? 😫

I am no longer a slave to the ‘perfect’ diet. There is no such thing. There MUST be balance, flexibility & adaptability when it comes to making food choices. And, luckily, it’s MUCH easier to find products like this in most mainstream grocery stores at a lower cost than they used to be. So, today, I want you to think about how you are making your food choices and whether or not you are relying too much on a perfectionist diet mentality. If you are, then try to look at things from a different perspective - it will definitely give you more freedom and less stress. 🙏

PS…..I made the brownies and they were DEE-licious!! ❤️

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Now, wouldn’t this be nice? A scale that tells us how awesome we are!! 👊🏼😉❤️ 💪🏼😍

“If we are to cope with our life, we must begin focusing on solutions, not just on our problems. But this means we must change our attitude and outlook. We can no longer live as if there are only problems in our lives. We can no longer consider ourselves victims and hold onto the attitude that our life will never change. Nor can we continue to be consumed by self pity. If so, we will fail to take responsibility for finding solutions. We will continue to live within what we have grown to know so well…..our problems. Will we let our problems define us today or do we seek solutions? Remember, for every problem, there IS a solution” - Mark Allen Zabawa

Who else wants to jump on the BIGNESS train with me? If you have not yet heard about the Bigness Project from my friends Jen Sinkler and Kourtney Thomas, then you MUST check it out! At the Women’s Fitness Summit this past August, I felt like I was the only attendee who was NOT in the gym testing the early access beta program. 😂 And since then, I have seen first hand how all of the incredibly strong ladies involved with this program have transformed their bodies - and their minds - with regards to living BIG in this world!! You can read their testimonials in the link to the program below. 👇👇👇

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of all of the messages being sent to women about how we need to shrink & get smaller in this world in order to ‘fit in’ and be ‘good enough’. Lose the weight, shed the pounds, shrink your waistline, reduce the trouble spots, etc. are all you see on magazine covers and what these messages tell us is that we are broken and have to ‘fix’ something. 👿 If you’ve been following me long enough, then you know I stand strongly in my belief that these messages do more harm than good and are not productive or healthy. They make us feel much worse about ourselves and keep us stuck in a nasty cycle of negativity and self-hatred. Ladies, it’s time we change the way we show up in this world. It’s time to start showing up strong, powerful and BIG - in every sense of the word! Now, maybe muscles are not your thing and that’s ok - to each his own BUT if you have ever had a tiny inkling of building some BIG strong, muscles using a hypertrophy program that has been tested with great results, then this program is for you. And, NO, you won’t end up looking ‘like a man' - that’s just not possible! 😉

You might ask why I am even talking about a program that promotes training for ‘aesthetics’ when I so loudly shout from the rooftops that women need to have training goals that are NOT attached to what their bodies look like but rather about training for a healthier, fitter and stronger body and for goals that measure success & progress in ways that have nothing to do with what we see in the mirror or on the scale. But as Kourtney says, “Training for aesthetics goes far beyond delts of doom - there’s value beyond measure in loving the way you look. A certain power to be discovered not about physical attractiveness mattering above all but about discovering what physical attractiveness means to you and for you and then choosing how it plays a role in your life.” ❤️

I rarely, if ever, promote anything unless I am 1000% behind it and this is definitely one of those programs that I can support wholeheartedly. Jen and Kourtney are 2 of the most knowledgeable fitness pros out there and every single program that I have ever purchased from Jen in the past has delivered on everything promised. Remember Lift Weights Faster 1 & 2, Unaplogetically Powerful and Bedrock Strength? Yeah, all kickass programs from Jen & crew that were amazing and, from what I have seen thus far, this one is NO different…..super organized and detailed, top quality and a ton of value for your dollar. 👊

Here’s what you get with The Bigness Project - a user manual, an exercise glossary, the training program itself & a detailed video library of all the lifts/moves. AND, if you upgrade to the gold package, you will also get the cardio calendar if you are looking to supplement your training with a little bit of cardio. 👍 Either way you get a BIG bang for your buck (pun intended, of course!). I just purchased mine a few minutes ago and I am super excited! Definitely check it out today & get yours before the price doubles this weekend. 💪

“In a time when we’re still continually being told to be less, this is about becoming more”



http://bit.ly/2kpBVRQ

The Bigness Project: How To Look Like You Lift Sculpted arms, popping shoulders, and big booties aren't made by working them OFF — they're built through the age-old art of muscle-making.

Posted on Instagram yesterday about how I still have my holiday decorations up and how I'm not stressing about it or letting the feelings of 'less than' or 'not good enough' take over. You can read about it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPq3sGuDQkB/?taken-by=fitlifehappylife_jill 😉

My old perfectionism ways still try to creep in every now and then but this super stylish and comfy tank is a great reminder to let that s**t go! Thank you Stacey!! XO ❤️

Excerpt from one of my daily readings….

"The formula for happiness is simple. We don’t need material wealth, a perfect job or an exceptional relationship. In fact, it’s possible to know happiness with no job, very little money and no significant other. Happiness is a by-product of a healthy attitude and a healthy attitude is one that takes the normal turmoil of life and mixes it with a belief that all will be ok. Remember that you are in charge of your attitude and your happiness is a choice that you can make regardless of what’s going on around you.” ❤️

Doesn’t get much easier than this, unless you purchase pre-sliced peppers & onions! 😜 Seriously though, pre-cooked and seasoned fajita-style chicken strips, a few sliced bell peppers and onions and a few dashes of my own fajita seasoning, chile powder & sea salt and dinner is DONE! 👊🏼 Sauté the veggies & spices in avocado oil until soft, throw in the chicken strips with a bit more seasoning and cook until heated through. 😉 Add some guacamole and a side salad and you are good to go!! 👍🏼 Even this busy momma who likes to cook prefers quick and easy over hours in the kitchen any day. Convenience for the win! 🙌🏼 💪🏼😍

Please read this beautifully written article by my friend and colleague Rachel.

I recently had a similar experience while in a fitting room with my daughter who was trying on dresses. There was a young girl, mid-teens, also trying on dresses and EVERY time she came out of the fitting room, she had nothing nice to say about herself or her body and was focused solely on all of the negatives. Her mom tried to console her and make her feel better by saying all of the ‘right things’, as did I, but you could tell that no matter what anyone said, she hated herself, what she looked like and what she saw in the mirror. My heart was aching for this young girl, just like it did for the little girl that Rachel writes about.

Every time I see or hear this kind of self-loathing & self-hatred, I feel both sad and angry. For years, girls (and women) have been fed all of the wrong messages via social media, television, magazines and, unfortunately, in their own homes. If we don’t look a certain way or weigh a certain number on the scale, then we are not worthy or good enough If we don’t have a flat tummy, a six-pack or a thigh gap, then we are fat and ugly. And, if we aren’t ‘skinny’ (ugh, I HATE that word!), then we simply do not meet society's standards of what a woman should look like. I spent many years fighting all of the ‘mirror demons’ as I like to call them and I rarely liked what I saw in the reflection so, in my mind, that meant I wasn’t good enough. It took me a long time to learn how to detach my looks & my body from my self-worth. Some days, I am really good at it and somedays, not so much!

We must change the message that females are bombarded with every day…..enough is enough already! I am so proud to help spread a new message and to work alongside amazing women like Rachel, who are all on a mission to help girls and women alike see that they are SO much more than their bodies. We all need to start pumping our fellow females up telling them that, no matter what they see in the mirror or on the scale, that they are worthy, beautiful, strong, capable and powerful beyond measure. Start today by first telling yourself that and then start spreading the message!!

XO

https://www.gritandgratitude.com/blog/2017/1/7/kt3ymeapo584g3xeikg9rd0tnl9fbv

Tears in the Target Fitting Room I didn't see you, but I heard your tears roll down your cheek. I heard the defeat in your tiny voice. I heard the disappointment, the sadness and the despair. It stopped me in my tracks. It made me hold my breath....

What an honor & privilege it is to be working alongside all of these fabulous ladies as a JillFit Ambassador for 2017! I LOVE surrounding myself with people who inspire and motivate me to learn, grow and and I couldn’t ask for a more qualified group of strong, passionate and like-minded women, all of whom are making a huge impact in the health & fitness industry. Check out their pages (links below) and click on Jill’s website link for a full list of the 2017 Ambassadors, including bios. And, thank you Jill for this incredible opportunity! XO 😘

Ambassadors 2017 | JillFit Meet the 2017 JillFit Ambassadors! It’s important to me to surround myself with outstanding coaches, driven women and those who want to make a big impact in the lives of others. The JillFit Ambassadors embody all of that. These gals make up my “inner circle” when it comes to fat loss, fitness, nutri...

"We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking" ❤️❤️❤️ Are any of these negative thoughts holding you back from pursuing your dreams or achieving your goals? 💪🏼😍

Some great tips here that can help you tweak a few things and not be overwhelmed in the process….definitely a list I can get behind for once!! :)


https://www.buzzfeed.com/sallytamarkin/actually-do-able-weight-loss?utm_term=.lwJRWG42N #.ylngx9DQW

23 Surprising Weight-Loss Tips That Are Actually Doable RIP elimination diets, quick fixes, and detoxes.

Came home from 5 days away (and by away, I mean sleeping on a cot in a hospital room while my daughter recovered from an infection😁😂), and I found only a pack of chicken breasts in the fridge with not much else to work with as far as fresh foods were concerned. Since we had tortilla chips and salsa on hand, I made this easy-peasy dinner. Coat chicken in salsa & dip into crushed tortilla chips - roll them around until you get the chips to stick. Place chicken in greased/sprayed baking dish, top with a bit more salsa, cover with foil and bake at 350* for an hour or more until done. So so so DEE-licious!! 😉👊🏼 💪🏼😍

When you buy into this garbage, you are telling yourself that there is something wrong with the “old you”. You are telling yourself that you are broken or need fixing. This is the narrative that the multi-billion dollar fitness and nutrition industry wants you to believe so they can sell you all of their products, supplements, workouts, diet plans, gym memberships, etc. This is the narrative that plays on your insecurities. This is the narrative that continues to tell you that you are unworthy. This is the narrative that needs to change! 🌀🌀🌀 There is no need for a ‘new you’. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you that needs fixing. You are NOT broken. Yes, you can set goals and take steps to improve, get better, take back your health, live a different lifestyle, start exercising, improve your nutrition, etc., but please do it from a place of positivity as opposed to one of negativity. Don’t do it because you hate yourself, but rather because you love yourself. Don’t do it because you want to create a whole new you, but rather because you want to make improvements to the current you. Do it because you are worthy of a healthy lifestyle. 🌀🌀🌀 If you really want to do things different in 2017, then it’s time to stop telling yourself the same story you have been telling yourself for years and change the narrative. XO ❤️ {Oh, and just as a side note, the very next piece of mail in my pile said the EXACT same thing….please make it stop! 😳👎} **t 💪😍