Making yourself a priority

Do me (and yourself) a favor!

Take a sec and relax your shoulders and your jaw. Right now!

Then, draw in a nice slow breath … and feel those muscles relax even MORE.

Forget everything on your to-do list (for just a second). 

What are you doing for YOU today? 

A LOT of people put their fitness & health on the back burner this time of year.

“I’ll start again after the New Year,” they say. 

And I’m not just talking about weight gain … it’s about how you feel in your body every day – mind, body, and spirit! 

When you stick with your healthy habits (workouts, healthy diet, 7-8 hours of sleep a night, etc.), you just plain FEEL better. 

You have fewer cravings … your immune system works better … you are in a better mood … your self-esteem goes up … and you enjoy life more!

And I can’t think of a better gift to yourself (and your loved ones!) for the holidays than that!

So schedule those workouts … and double down on healthy food choices. It really will make a huge difference for you starting TODAY.

 

As part of my own holiday plans, I’m making time this week to help 5 people with goal-mapping sessions. If you’d like to reserve a spot, just hit “reply” to this message and we’ll get you set up!

Remember: Don’t let the urgent get in the way of the important – because YOU and YOUR needs are important.

Last-minute budget-friendly gifts

The other day I sent a message about how over half of us feel stressed over the holidays – with financial stress topping the list.

If that’s you, I put together a list of budget-friendly holiday gifts that your family and friends will love!

(BONUS: You can find most of these gifts at local shops in your area, which means you’ll also be supporting small businesses!)

13 Budget-Friendly Holiday Gifts

1. Coffee or herbal tea sampler, with a vintage cup

2. Cozy socks or warm mittens & a hat

3. An air plant in a unique container

4. A milk frother so they can make their own homemade lattes

5. Satin pillowcases to help them wake up with smooth skin and hair

6. A wall calendar with fun or beautiful images

7. A unique deck of cards for game night (and/or Phase 10 if they don’t already have it!) 

8. A cookbook with healthy recipes

9. An infuser water bottle, so they can add fruits or other flavors to their water

10. Art created by a local artist

11. Inspirational sign 

12. Artisan-crafted jewelry or mantra band

13. Anything made locally

Hope this helps make your holiday shopping easier!

Holiday Checklist

It’s not just you — a study by Healthline found that when it comes to health and finances, not only do 44% of people think the holidays are “somewhat stressful”...

18% of them classified them as “very stressful”!

The good news?

You can conquer both areas – you just need a roadmap.

 

Thriving Through the Holidays Checklist

• Make your plans TODAY.
  If you love last-minute shopping, leave a couple of small things undone, but get all the big things handled ASAP … and make packing or organizing lists if your holidays involve travel or entertaining.
  
  

• Make time for movement EVERY DAY, no excuses.
  This will help you destress, sleep better, and boost your energy, metabolism, and immune system.
   

• Eat till you’re satisfied (not stuffed!).
  Decide NOW that this will be your plan of action!
  
  

• But still enjoy the “worth it” favorite holiday treats.
  
  

• Make time for sleep.
  A rested body & mind = better mood, less stress, and more vibrant health.
  
  

• Go outside for some fresh air and sunshine every day.
  This is a proven stress-buster!

• Create a fallback plan.
  I talked about this a few weeks ago but it’s worth bringing up again. Things will go sideways at some point. But when you have a plan, you won’t stress out when it happens.

When you boil your to-do lists down to the actions that really make a difference – and eliminate the things that don’t – it’s amazing how much you can accomplish...

WITHOUT the stress.

This is the same approach we use with our clients. We create a roadmap of the BEST actions that will propel them toward their goals.

Here’s to less stress and more of what really matters!

Try these 7 holiday swaps!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful day with your family and loved ones. 

We appreciate you and having you as a part of our amazing community! 

As the holidays are now in full swing, in order to help you celebrate but STILL stay on track with your goals …

I’ve got a quick list of healthy swaps – and my #1 swap might even come in handy today!

This is the time of year we tend to eat more than usual … and the foods we eat also tend to be richer and more calorie dense than normal, too.

Talk about a double whammy for your energy, digestion system, and (yes I am going to say it) your waistline!

By all means, enjoy your “worth it” favorites this year … but you can offset those with a few healthy swaps for foods you won’t even think about tomorrow.

7 Healthy Swaps This Holiday Season

 

• Fresh steamed green beans instead of green bean casserole

• Mashed cauliflower, squash, or sweet potatoes instead of mashed potatoes

• Baked cinnamon apples topped with coconut cream instead of apple pie

• Hummus instead of a cheese ball

• Creamy nut or oat milk in your eggnog instead of cream

• Zucchini noodles in your soup or stew instead of conventional pasta or potatoes

• Medjool dates or fruit instead of holiday candy or cookies (portion sizes still matter!)

…. And my FAVORITE swap?

Go for a walk instead of crashing on the couch after you eat. 

Going for a light walk (even a short one) after you eat will help reduce blood sugar and insulin levels…

And it may also help with digestion. 

I hope these swaps help you feel and move better this holiday season.

It’s the little things we do every day that add up to BIG results!

The military secret to staying on track

Did you know that in the military, every phase of every mission has a “contingency plan” (a.k.a. “fallback plan”), just in case the original plan doesn’t work? 

In other words, they plan to fail.

And although it might sound counter-intuitive, planning to fail when it comes to your fitness (especially over the holidays!) can save you from a downward spiral. 

I’m talking about when:

• Something comes up and you don’t have time for your regular routine

• You’ve got an event and your schedule gets thrown off

• You’re traveling

• The list goes on and on

Rather than expecting yourself to be perfect and quitting the second you slip up…

It’s better to know you’re likely to slip up and have a fallback plan ready to support you.

It can be as simple as going for a walk or having some bodyweight workouts ready that you can do anywhere in just a few minutes!

It’s not that your fitness will suddenly deteriorate if you miss a workout session or two … the real issue is that you can lose your momentum and motivation!

It’s so much easier to KEEP GOING than it is to start back up again.

If you need some help coming up with your own fallback plan, this eBook can give you a major boost.

Check out this free resource: my Wellness Bingo eBook. You can get it here: Free Gift.

This resource is perfect for you if:

• You struggle with menopausal weight gain

• You want an easier way to take care of your health while raising a family and/or building a career

• Or if you’ve tried strict diets and routines and want a simpler, more effective approach!

You got this! 

P.S. If you know it’s time to do something different and you don’t want to be in the same place next year with your health and wellness, I can help you come up with a contingency plan that works for you, your goals, and your lifestyle. Want to see if coaching is right for you? Leave a comment to learn more!

Accountability to Unlock Results

I came across a pretty cool study I wanted to share with you because it’s really important this time of year.

The study was published in the Journal of Health Communication. In it, researchers tracked 704 people in an online weight-loss program. 

A little over half (54%) chose to work with an accountability buddy. And guess what?

→ They lost more weight & inches from their belly than those who followed the same program without a buddy!

The more messages they got from their partners (both accepting & challenging!), the better their results.

Bottom Line: Accountability is SO IMPORTANT. 

It gives you that little extra bit of motivation to keep working. 

It’s also why we make accountability a key part of our coaching program.

I’m telling you this right now because we are heading into a very hectic time of the year — which makes accountability even MORE important.

We’re here to help you stay on track with accountability, support, and so much more.

Want to see if we can help you fast-track your wellness goals? Set up a complimentary initial consultation here: https://p.bttr.to/3ruMnLi

P.S. Join our private FaceBook group for additional support, challenges, recipes, and more! Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ASBOTP

REFERENCE:

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10810730.2018.1436622 

How much can you accomplish in 8 weeks?

Can you imagine having already achieved having more energy and feeling less bloated in just 8 weeks from now? 

There are only 8 weeks left in 2022 …

Which means now is the best time to make that happen! 

Instead of waiting until 2023 starts, I’m inviting you to get a head start on your goals NOW. 

And that leads me to a fun little assignment for you…

Right now, come up with a list of 2-3 actions you are going to commit to between now and the new year that will move you closer to your goals.

And then … schedule out THOSE ACTIONS so they become non-negotiable over the next 8 weeks!

What do YOU need the most right now? 

Maybe it’s:

• Working out 3x a week

• Meal prepping on Sundays or Wednesdays

• Kicking your nighttime snack habit

• Meditating for 5 minutes a day

• Getting more than 5 hours sleep a night

We’re on the home stretch …. it’s time to FINISH STRONG!

Are you with me? 

Leave a comment and let me know what you’re committing to doing! 

P.S. If you need a little extra accountability on your way to feeling great at any age, I’ve already helped more than 100 in my personalized coaching program. Want to see how I can help you do that, too? Book a slot on my calendar here <<