CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Clean Eating ALL Week- it’s ONLY 7 Days!

This one is going to be FUN! 

You can totally do it. 

What does this mean?

No Gluten
No Dairy
No Breads
No Processed Foods 
No Sugary Drinks
No Bad Sugars

What to eat…

Lean Proteins, eggs, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, hummus, avocado, natural almond 
butter, organic salsa, hot sauce, almond or coconut milk, and other approved raw foods. 

Don’t forget to drink your water.

Get creative with this one. You will feel like a million bucks when you complete this challenge!

Are you UP for it!? 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Engage in the Moment

When was the last time you actually lived in the moment? We live in the past and look toward the future, but never truly engage in the here and now.

We are all guilty of it. Everyone tends to multi-task and attempts to get everything done in their day only to get up the very next day and do it all over again. 

We miss the most blessed moments when we don’t pause and enjoy. 

Here are some ideas to become more present: 

• Read a book in a comfy chair.

• Have dinner with that someone special and leave your phones in the car.

• Eat a healthy dinner and taste EACH bite.

• Really listen when someone is talking to you.

• Stop and listen to all the amazing sounds around you when you are outside

• Meditate 

Do “JUST ONE THING!”

Take this week to do one thing at a time and really enjoy each moment and breath you take. 

Life is gift, embrace it. 

Are you ready to commit to the Challenge? 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Spartan 1000 in 7 Days

Challenge yourself this week to completing the Spartan 1000!

Here’s what it is:

100 Squat Jumps

200 Push-ups

300 Crunches

400 Burpees

The twist of this “challenge workout” is you have to go in order. You have to complete the first exercise BEFORE moving to the next exercise. Yes, the BURPEES are last. 

Have paper available to track your reps (you wouldn’t want to lose count).

It looks like this…

Perform the 100 squat jumps, then the 200 push-ups, then the 300 crunches, and finish with the 400 burpees. By the end of the week, have all 1000 reps completed.

Are you UP for the Spartan 1000 Challenge? You best get started then!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

You Get to Choose!

This is your week to CHOOSE your 7-day Challenge. 

Pick the ONE Challenge you KNOW you really need to work on and focus ONLY on this one thing. 

The problem people have is they try to accomplish the world all at once. I’m going to eat clean, workout every day, go to bed early, and get in my “me” time. 

Monday is the typical day to begin and by Wednesday you’re already back to your old habits. 

Make this week different. Choose the best “bad habit” you want to change and go for it. Focus only on it!

Some Examples:

• Get to Bed by 10pm
• Drink 80 ounces of water each day for ALL 7 days
• Run 2 miles 3 times this week
• Read an entire book this week 
• Spend 30 minutes a day on just YOU!

Be sure to share with everyone you know, so they can hold you accountable.

Have fun with this one!

Are you UP for this challenge? 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: 3½ Cheats/Treats This Week!

This week’s challenge is all about the CHEATS / TREATS. 

It is unrealistic to think you can eat perfectly all the time. 

Moderation is the key to success. 

I encourage you to shoot for the 90/10 Rule. 

Eat 90% of your meals clean and 10% as you please. 

This way you get to have fun and enjoy life without feeling deprived but also stick to your healthy lifestyle. 

Here’s how to figure out how many meals can be cheat/treat per week based on percentage of 90/10 rule…

When you do the math, let’s say you eat 5 meals a day (including snacks) 7 days a week. That is 35 meals a week. Multiply 35 by 10% and you get 3.5. That is how many meals you can eat as a cheat/treat. The other 90% is clean eating foods.

Sounds reasonable, right?! 

You can plan your week in advance for the lunch meeting, girl’s or boy’s night out, and extras. 

Eating healthy is NOT hard, it just takes a little planning. Plan yours for the week now. 

Are you UP for the Challenge?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

The No-Candy Halloween Challenge!

It’s almost HALLOWEEN!  

Candy is flowing and sugar comas are right around the corner! 

This week, your challenge is to RESIST the temptation to give in to the high fructose corn syrup, sugars, chemicals, and artificial ingredients that are packed into Halloween Candy.  

It’s not worth ruining all of your hard work and will just throw you off course.  

There are always things that are going to try to throw you off your path to results- but it’s how you approach these situations.  Going in with a plan will greatly improve your success rate! 

Once you introduce sugars like this back into your diet, it not only will affect your waistline, but it will start a completely new kind of cravings.  It’s not as simple as having just one.  You’re going to want more. 

Here’s a piece of helpful advice!  Keep temptation at bay.  If you’re going to be giving out Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters, don’t buy your candy until just a few HOURS before!  

SO- are you IN for this week’s No-Candy Halloween Candy!?  

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Celebrate What's Good

Look for signs of progress (beyond pounds lost) and rejoice when you find them. Focus on the positive, no matter how small.

Give yourself a pat on the back every time you make your health a priority.

Choose to focus on the GOOD this week and celebrate! 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Sit Smarter

Slouching can zap your energy and your mood--and over time it can lead to muscle fatigue, pain, and even injury. Straighten up by practicing smart sitting techniques.

Sit toward the front of your chair (rather than leaning against the back), with your hips tilted slightly forward.

Plant both feet on the ground, hip-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead.

Keep your chin parallel to the floor, with your ears aligned over your shoulders, and shoulders stacked over your hips.

Focus on proper sitting techniques this week and see if you notice a difference! If you don't sit much at a desk/computer, try applying good posture while you're driving in the car, standing, or walking. Shoulders down and back!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Celebrate What's Good

Look for signs of progress (beyond pounds lost) and rejoice when you find them. Focus on the positive, no matter how small.

Give yourself a pat on the back every time you make your health a priority.

Choose to focus on the GOOD this week and celebrate! 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: 

1000 Rep Challenge - 10 exercises/10 reps/10 times

This week you are being challenged to complete 1000 REPS!!! 

Challenge yourself to complete 10 reps of these 10 exercises for 10 rounds total. 

Here are the Exercises for you…

10 Push-ups

10 Jump Squats

10 Bent-over Dumbbell Rows

10 Burpees

10 Reverse Lunges with DB's (5 each leg)

10 Mountain Climbers (5 each leg)

10 One-legged Deadlifts with DB's (5 each leg)

10 Overhead Tricep Extensions

10 Box Jumps/Curb Jumps (Modify – with Step-ups)

10 Overhead Shoulder Presses

Grab pen and paper and keep track of your reps and rounds. 

This can be broken up into a few days or done every day as long as at the end of the week you have your 1000 reps DONE! 

Are you UP for the 1000 Rep Challenge?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: What are YOU Saying to Yourself?

The language we use with ourselves can sabotage any and even all of our success. 

This week, I want you to watch what you are saying to yourself. 

NO negative self-talk! 

If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and move on. 

Ask yourself, would you say this to anyone you care about?  If not, why would you say it to yourself?

Negative self-talk can sabotage all your good efforts and make it SO much harder on yourself. 

It is time to change how you talk to yourself and give yourself credit for all you do. 

You are beautiful inside and out, so get over it. Be nice to yourself ALL week and every day after that as well!

Let’s show a little love to ourselves this week!  Are you in for this challenge!?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: 

At EVERY meal ask yourself this one question: 

“Do I have Protein and Veggies in this meal?”

Get in the habit of making this a question you ask yourself EVERY TIME you eat. 

This will create awareness of what’s actually on your plate. 

Example of each meal:

Breakfast: Protein Shake with Spinach and Berries

Mid-Morning Snack: 1-2 cups Vegetables with Hummus

Lunch:  Turkey Lettuce Wrap

Afternoon Snack: 3-4 Stacks Celery with 2 Tb. Almond Butter

Dinner: Salmon with Asparagus 

Who says it’s hard to eat veggies at every meal ;-)

This will SIMPLIFY how to get what your body needs without a lot of thinking. 

Awareness is KEY!  Make this a habit, just like brushing your teeth.

Are you UP for the Challenge?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: 

EAT EVERY 3-4 HOURS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

If you want more energy in your day, take this challenge. 

As you implement eating every 3-4 hours you will notice your energy levels increase, you’ll be more productive, you’ll be less tired, and you’ll increase your metabolism!

An easy way to calculate the times to eat is to mark down what time you get up and then write down the times you would eat next if you were to eat every 3-4 hours. 

Example:

You get up at 5:45am. 

The rest of the day would look like this….

Breakfast: 6am

Mid-Morning Snack: between 9-10am

Lunch: 12-1pm,

Afternoon Snack: 3-4pm

Dinner: 6-7pm. 

It’s that simple!

Have your snacks ready the night before and it will help you accomplish this challenge. 

Are you Up for the Challenge?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: 

Recipes - Try 2-3 New Recipes this Week

Studies show we tend to eat the same foods over and over again each week. 

They say we have 12 go-to foods each week. How BORING!

By eating the same foods over and over again, we’re are also missing out on other nutrients our bodies need.

Use the recipes from “What’s Cookin’” Wednesdays or find some on the internet to cook up this week. I've been really trying to do this the past couple of weeks. I've got some great recipes to share with you!

Action Step:  Pick 2 to 3 NEW recipes that you want to try this week.  Then plan your trip to the grocery store and the days you plan to cook!

Are you UP for the Challenge? Tell me at least 1 thing you plan to make! or share the recipe with me ;-)

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week: Eliminate toxins!

This week I challenge you to click on the link below and read about the toxins in many foods that you may eat. Then make some changes in your diet and avoid putting these carcinogens in your body!

 

http://naturalon.com/10-of-the-most-cancer-causing-foods/

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: No Drinking Your Calories.

This is a GOOD one! We don’t realize how many calories we consume by drinking coffee, sodas, juices, energy drinks, alcohol and etc.

We are going to CUT them out this week! You’ll be surprised by how you feel and how many calories you SAVE!!! 

Don’t be FOOLED by the zero calories, they are not any better for you and still end up on your waistline. Replace your drinks with: water or herbal tea!  

You are allowed to have coffee or tea during this challenge, however you are NOT allowed to put any additional flavorings (sugar, milk, etc.)

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: REPLACE A HABIT

This is your opportunity to pick ONE habit you want to change and commit to it the entire week. 

You take ONE bad habit and REPLACE it with a new one. 

Examples:

• You want to quit drinking Soda. You replace your soda with herbal tea and water all week. Or if you are drinking 3 cans a day, commit to exchanging out one can of soda for a bottle of water each day.

• You want to improve your Negative Self Talk.  For each negative comment you make or think about yourself, commit to saying 2 positive things about yourself. 

• You want to eat less of the “bad” carbs. Commit to replacing one sandwich with a salad and a lean protein for lunch each day. 

The best way to actually make changes is to do something differently. Replacing your old habit with a better one is a great start to change!

Are you UP for this Challenge? Let me know your NEW habit by responding!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: WORD OF THE WEEK

Pick your W.O.W. (word of the week). 

Pick one word that inspires you to be more, do more, or just plain makes you happy! 

Choose something that is positive to keep you on track or just makes you smile when you have a bad day. 

Some Word of the Week ideas…

• Patience  - You want to work on being more patient
• Excel – You want to take your workouts to a higher level and do one more rep each set
• Gratitude – You want to focus on what you are grateful for this week
• Commitment – You want to hold yourself to a standard to commit 100% in a certain area of your life

Are you UP for the Challenge? Pick your word and let me know by replying back!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

5 Minutes to Yourself Daily (Quiet Time!)

All too often, we are running around doing everything for everyone else. 

We are all on overdrive with responsibilities and obligations each and every day! We are on the go from the second we wake until the second we fall into bed. 

This week you are going to FIND time for you even just 5 minutes. Read a book, take a warm bath, mediate, and etc. 

No excuses…Make the Time!

Ready to commit to this Challenge!? 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

I worked on this over the weekend and hope to continue this week! Started with my closest and my workout clothes…hope to move on the the kids' stuff this week.

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

Purge Something Daily

This week, your challenge is to purge something every day this week.  You choose what that item is. (for Tiff it might be tennis shoes…workout clothes…)

We live with a ton of clutter; whether it’s on our desks, in our cars, on our counter tops, in our closets, your email, or even your trash talk to yourself. 

It’s time to create some space and give you a little more breathing room.  Plus- it just feels plain GREAT and liberating to throw old things away sometimes! 

Some ideas of what to purge…

• Organize your desk 
• Delete 50 emails a day
• Clean out your closet
• Clean out your car

Any clutter around you WILL stress you out!

We always say we’ll get to it…but we never find the time. 

This week you are making the time. Your will notice your stress level will decrease and you may even continue this great habit for weeks to come. 

Are you UP for the Challenge? Pick one thing to purge EACH day and share with us what you purged!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Toxic-Free Tuesdays & Thursdays

Your Challenge this week is on Tuesday and Thursday to eat only CLEAN FOODS. 

One Ingredient foods…

Lean Meats

Fish

Eggs

Fruits

Vegetables

Seeds & Nuts

Here is a SAMPLE Day…

Breakfast: 2 Scrambled Eggs with a Lean Meat and Fresh Fruit

Mid-Morning Snack: 1 Medium Apple with 1Tb. Organic Almond Butter

Lunch: Lean Meat over Mixed Greens

Mid-Afternoon Snack: ¼ Cup of Raw Nuts/Seeds

Dinner: Fish with 1-2 cups of Vegetables

This gives your important internal body (organs) a break from breaking down all the toxic food and drinks you consume. This will not only make you feel better, but it will also increase your metabolism! Burn more fat with less effort;-)

Are you in for Toxic-Free Tuesday and Thursday this week!?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: 10,000 Steps in 7 Days

Find a pedometer or use your fitbit to challenge yourself to walking 10,000 steps a day (estimates to about 5 miles). 

You might be surprised with how many steps you really take, whether it is over or under 10,000 steps it is an eye-opener. 

Check out the attached pic to see how huge of an impact daily movement can mean to your overall health.

Ready to Step It Up!?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

Start a Gratitude Journal…

Sometimes we get so caught up in in the business that we forget to notice all the amazing things in our lives. 

This is especially true on those days you feel like NOTHING is going right. 

Your gratitude journal will remind you of the things you are thankful for and how you truly are blessed. 

They put bad days in perspective and help you to keep a better overall picture on what is truly going on in your life.

Start one this week and record 5 things you are grateful for each night before bed for the next 7 days. 

Take this challenge and watch your perspective start to shift! 

Let’s get this started right now!  List 1 thing below that you are grateful for that you want to share with the group. 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Dirty Dozen & Clean 15

All fruits and veggies are not treated equally.

Some are more heavily laden with pesticides and chemicals than others.  Because of their skins, some fruits and vegetables more easily absorb these chemicals into the parts that you eat more easily than others.

In addition, to control bugs and insects from eating your food, some varieties of plants are sprayed with more chemicals than others.  

Your challenge this week is:  If you purchase any produce from the “Dirty Dozen” column, to make sure that you buy it from an organic source. 

Are you UP for this challenge?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Push-Up Challenge! 

Let’s DO THIS!!  Every day this week, drop down and see how many push-ups (on your toes) you can do in a row without stopping! 

After the 7^th day, add them up for your grand total. 

If you want to continue to improve your push-ups, you may perform them every other day and be sure to counter with a “pull” exercise (like rows) to make sure you are staying balanced!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: No Eating Out (Fast Food) for the NEXT 7 Days!

Your challenge this week is to prepare for your meals this week and STAY AWAY from the fast food drive-thru. This is gonna be a tough one as school is winding down and our energy levels are as well! It's easy and convenient to swing by and pick something up. But fight the urge!

Get out your brown bags and pack your lunch this week. Fast food is convenient, but it is low quality (cheap) food with a lack of nutritional value for your body.

It will leave you unsatisfied which will be sure to lead you to binge at night.  You’ll also likely find you’re unproductive after eating such foods. At night, prepare some lean proteins and vegetables. 

Eating out maybe convenient, but so is keeping your food choices simple by implementing lean proteins, veggies, fruits, and seeds/nuts in each meal. 

Are you UP for this Challenge!?