My Transformation Story

Hi everyone!! My name is Jessica and I am a brand-spankin' new mom to the most handsome little boy a mom could dream of. I live in Iowa with my super hunky husband, Paul, and adorable Chihuahua Rossi. I am also a critical care nurse, health enthusiast, and an independent Beachbody coach.

My passion for health and fitness has been growing since I was younger when I was involved in sports. In my twenties, though, I fell away from an active lifestyle and found myself battling depression and a poor self-image. I began working to strengthen my relationship with God and focus on my health, and everything in my life seemed to fall into place. Soon after, I met my husband and my life was changed in more ways than one. Not only did I fall madly in love, but I also developed a deeper knowledge about clean eating and weight training. With his help, I began seeing physical and emotional results that I never thought possible.

We got engaged, and I felt like I was living a real life fairy tale. Shortly after getting married, we received the exciting news that we were expecting. Unfortunately, a few months into my pregnancy the daunting reality of intense fatigue, mood swings, pregnancy brain :), ligament pain and CRAVINGS set in. I was trying to continue to workout and eat healthy but felt like I was failing miserably. Staying healthy for my baby was beginning to be an uphill battle. Eight months in, still working out but only a few times a week, I found beachbody and shakeology. Shakeology gave me back my pre-pregnancy energy and life. I felt 100 times better adding Shakeology into my daily regimen, and I actually had the energy again to workout consistently.

With the introduction of our cute little bundle of joy came overwhelming happiness, as well as, a world-wind of challenges including little-to-no sleep, a jam-packed schedule, stress, and hormonal changes. My internal conflict with body image and depression began to surface, and I found myself getting sucked into a very dark place. I prayed that God would help me. Like so many times before, he did. My family provided a deeply rooted foundation of support; however, it was my Beachbody Challenge group, along with p90x and shakeology, that helped me rediscover my self-confidence and work toward getting back into shape after having my son.

I consider myself to be a constant work in progress. Instead of focusing on reaching my optimal physique, I strive for balance, consistency living a healthy lifestyle and to focus on what's truly important in my life; God, family and relationships.

I am grateful for what Beachbody has added to my life and hope that I can inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle.

If you're looking for a change in your life and get support, motivation, and accountability to reach your health and fitness goals, I would be more than happy to help you!!

You can add me as a friend on facebook HERE and send me a personal message to get more information. You can also email me at jess.statler@gmail.com

Unleash your inner Beast with Les Mills Body Pump & Body Combat

Unleash your inner beast!! When life hands you lemons, make lemonade by kickin some serious booty with Les Mills Body Combat or Body Pump!

On March 31st, my team and I will be running a 60 day Bad A$$ Challenge with your choice of Body Combat or Body Pump. March offers BIG SAVINGS on these two programs! I have never seen prices this low for these. Send me a friend request on facebook HERE and send me a personal message for details!


Get flat abs, lean legs, sculpted arms, and strong shoulders in just 3 day a week with THE REP EFFECT!

Check out the video to learn more about Body Pump!

Unlease your Inner Warrior with Body Combat! 

Check out this Video to learn MORE!

Save $140 on the Body Pump Challenge Pack, weights included! Promotion ends March 31st, so get yours before it's gone!


If you're in the Iowa City,IA area, check out LIVE workouts at Core Fitness. Join Jamie L Poch for Body Combat or Jen Aldrich for Body Pump. You will be in love after one workout!!

Become a Coach!!

I am looking for 3 people ready for a change in their life, physically and financially. I am holding an online course with some of Beachbody's top health and fitness coaches and have room for 3 more to join us. I will personally sit down and go over how to build a successful in-home fitness business from the ground up.

The training will cover how to make $500-$3000 weekly within months of starting your own business and a step-by-step guide how to get there. The training is 100% FREE once you sign up to be a coach in one of my reserved spot and it's something you don't want to miss out on!

Coaching and Beachbody have added so much value to my life in just a few short months. I am in the best shape of my life spiritually, physically, and emotionally, and I'm no where near stopping. I have not only started a successful fitness and nutrition business that I can run from anywhere, but I have gained a family. I absolutely love my team of fellow coaches. They are the apple of my eye, or however that saying goes-ha.

What I thought would be a good way to earn extra money while at home with my son during the week (I work weekends as a critical care nurse) turned into a life-changing experience. I am dreaming again, for the first time in years. I have regained my passion for health and fitness, and I get to share it with the world. An old coworker recently wrote on my facebook wall that she has been inspired by me and has started living a healthier lifestyle. I couldn't ask for anything more. I have struggled for years searching for my purpose in life when it came to a career path, and I have found it! 

This month I paid my car payment with my earnings from my business. I may not be making $1000 a week yet, but I am on my way! Can I get a WOOTWOOT?!!

If I can, You can too!

You will be also be hearing from my dear friend, Alyssa, about how she earned a six-figure income in her first year and was able to leave her full-time job as a nurse and stay at home with her kids. She is now ranked #22 in the entire company, out of over 100,000 coaches. Holy Moly-you go girl!!

 

Stop sitting back and wishing..start doing! The time is now to make the change. I am running without the breaks on for the rest of 2014, if you are ready to do the same friend me on facebook and fill out the application at the end of this post for your interview to claim a spot in this free training.

Still Interested?.....Keep going and learning about coaching :)

Fill out my online form.

There are tons of Wufoo features to help make your forms awesome.

It's YOUR time to SHINE!!

You are not an accident. Before you were born, God knew you. He knew your eyes, your nose, your smile, and the many things that make you unique. He had great things in mind when he created you and he's not finished yet!

It's your time to shine!

Embrace your uniqueness and spiritual gifts for those qualities are what make you who you were meant to be.

-Jess

Dig Deeper

 
If you woke up this morning on the wrong side of the bed, breathe. You can't always change your circumstances, but you CAN change your ATTITUDE & your reaction to them.

Dig Deeper & experience true joy!!

Western Egg Scramble

 

When your a nurse, you never know how your shift is going to go, so I like to start my day with a hearty, satisfying breakfast. Breakfast this morning = easy egg scramble with a side of oatmeal-mmmmm

Westerm Egg Scramble Recipe:

*3 egg whites (can sub one fu...ll egg for 1 egg white if desired)
*1oz shredded lean, boneless skinless chicken breast
*1/2-1 cup chopped onions and green peppers
*non-stick cooking spray

Optional: add other veggies like mushrooms and/or Mrs. Dash's salt free spice (many flavors) if you want a little extra flavor. I like it plain though 

Directions:

Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Mix ingredients together and cook in skillet over med to med-high temp. Scramble together with spatula while cooking. Takes about 5 min or so from start to finish

Plus, 1 serving oatmeal on the side or your desired healthy carb

Transform your life in just 30 minutes a day with simple fitness and simple nutrition

It's TIME for YOUR transformation!!

Take a look at Kristie's fantastic results from our FIX Challenge. All it took was 21 Days (That's just 3 weeks). 

 

Workouts are just 30 minutes a day (modifications available for ANY fitness level) and NO starving allowed. Even chocolate is approved.

IF you're ready for a change and get REAL results, fill out the application @ jessicastatler.wufoo.com/forms/21-day-fix-challenge-group

Learning to Roll with the Punches

 

Change is often inevitable and for continued growth and progress we must change; however, change can be hard.

I struggle with accepting change sometimes, mostly when it is forced upon me. Looking back though, there have been several instances where I felt frustration and worry about the future and everything turned out fine. Actually, in quite a few cases, the changes turned out to be better than what I thought I was losing.

What in your life have you worried about that ended up turning out to be okay or even better than you could have imagined?

Attn Chocoholics: Chocolate Dreamsicle Recipe

Chocolate for breakfast by the fire in a wine glass because I'm fancy like that :0

Chocolate Dreamsicle Recipe:
...
*1 serving Chocolate Shakeology (craving buster, energy booster, & nutrient dense + all natural)
*8oz 30cal Vanilla Almond Milk
*1&1/2 cups of ice (depending on desired thickness)

Directions:

Mix Shakeology and almond milk in the blender first, then add ice. Blend and serve, preferably in a glass

Note: The recipe actually makes 2 glasses worth but I already gobbled up the first one Mmmmm

Thunder Thighs

I used to get annoyed with my "thunder thighs", because they did not look like the media's ideal long & slender version that seems to be covering today's magazines. Sound familiar??

At 5 foot 3, I think being a runway model is out the wind...ow. Plus, I love food, and I think starvation is a requirement for being one of those models. These days I look at things with a different perspective.

I have Thunder Thighs and birthing hips & I couldn't be more proud! I shot out a kid and that alone is impressive in my book. I like to call them "The Thunder from Down Under"-lol

My legs are strong and can carry me great distances. I can run faster, jump higher, and tote my munchkin around without losing my breathe-okay, maybe not always. He's getting pretty heavy these days

If you have thunder thighs, I say "Go Rock Em!!" They may just be your best asset :)

Chicken Enchiladas: Healthy and FIX approved

 Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to live on plain chicken and bland veggies, although I love those :) The 21 Day Fix Fitness and Nutrition Program is all about healthy food and portions and simple fitness. If you're interested in being part of my 21 Day Fix Challenge and seeing awesome results in just 21 days click here to get to get started.            

My friend Kelly, came up with this delicious recipe that is healthy and FIX approved. This is mouth-watering and just plain fantastic!!!! Check it out!                                 

21 Day Fix Recipes – Chicken Enchiladas | What you’ll need:

• 1 Red container shredded chicken (I like Costco’s rotisserie chicken, though you could braise or roast your own chicken breast and shred it yourself)
• 1 tsp 21 Day Fix southwest seasoning (love this seasoning!)
• 2 – 6″ corn tortillas
• 1 Green container baby spinach (optional)
• 1 Green container homemade enchilada sauce (recipe coming this afternoon).
• 1 Blue container shredded cheese
• 1 Orange container sliced black olives (optional)

21 Day Fix Recipes – Chicken Enchiladas | What you’ll do:

1. Add shredded chicken, seasoning, and spinach to small fying pan with 1/4 cup of water and simmer together until spinach is wilted and seasoning coats chicken.

2. Soften tortillas in microwave for 15 seconds.

3. Roll each tortilla with half of chicken mixture. Place in oven safe baking dish.

4. Pour Enchilada sauce over top of tortillas in dish

5. Sprinkle with cheese and olives

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.

7. Enjoy!

Counts for 2 enchiladas (made with optional ingredients) – 1 Red, 1 Orange, 1 Yellow, 2 Green, 1 Blue. (Also, count 1/2 tsp for the coconut oil used in the sauce-see recipe below).

This recipe is easy enough to make a single serving, or a whole batch with no extra work.

You could make a large batch of these and portion them out for lunches, or serve them to your family for dinner. No one will know they are eating healthy! Just be cautious about sticking to your portions.

When making multiple servings, make them in batches of two, to ensure proper ratios of ingredients.

Easy as pie!

Here comes the sauce recipe-it's a bit more work, but worth it!!

21 Day Fix Recipes – Enchilada Sauce | What you’ll need:

• 8 dried Guajillo chiles and 8 dried Ancho chiles (or any combo of dried chiles you may prefer) seeded and deveined.
• 5-6 ripe roma tomatoes
• 2 cups water (or beef stock, following your 21 Day Fix)
• 1 – sweet or yellow onion
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp mexican oregano
• 2 tsp refined coconut oil

21 Day Fix Recipes – Enchilada Sauce | What you’ll do:

1. Place garlic, quartered onion, and tomatoes under the broiler for 7-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them and stir ingredients as needed. The goal here is to get some good char on the veggies, but not to burn them. Allow to cool.

2. Rinse chile’s under warm water then place into saucepan so they are just covered with fresh water. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and let steep for 45 minutes to an hour. Allow to cool to they point where you can handle the chiles. Reserve chili water.

3. **Pull out the stems of the chiles. For a more mild sauce remove the seeds and ribs as well.

**SAFETY NOTE: Do not touch your eyes, nose, or any other sensitive part of your body after touching chiles. If you happen to have latex or nitrile gloves in the house please use those while preparing this part of the recipe.

4. **Add chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic and 1/2 cup chili liquid to blender or food processor. Gently blend until combined. Add 1/2 cup more liquid and blend thoroughly.

** Be mindful of how full you fill your appliance with hot food items/liquids. When blended these items will expand and can burn you if you’re not careful. Never fill your blending receptacle more than 1/2 way full for safest results.

5. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer to collect any skins or seeds. You will be left with a thick and velvety sauce.

6. Melt coconut oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold your entire mixture, or do this in batches. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add spices and stir until fragrant (3-4 mins). Be careful not to burn them. Add strained chile mixture. You can expect some sputtering, but this step is crucial for best flavor! Simmer sauce for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. If sauce is too thick you can thin it out with more chili liquid.

And, Voila! Please use your Green container to portion out your sauce while assembling your little beauties.



Mommies & Muscles Meat Lovers Clean Spaghetti

Have I mentioned lately, how much I LOVE FOOD?! Well, I do, especially hearty comfort food. Spaghetti is probably one of my favorites, but it can be detrimental to your weight loss and fitness results. I came up with this mouth-watering, CLEAN, Paleo-approved meat lovers spaghetti that you'll be begging for me. If you're not a big fan of meat or are vegetarian, just omit the meat. It's still delicious either way. Oh, and you can store it in the fridge and eat it the next day. It store well, in my opinion. Bring it to work and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes and you're good to go, feeling satisfied for hours.

Recipe

A 2/3 cup serving of spaghetti squash has about 30 calories and 5 percent of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber.

The real highlight of spaghetti squash is from the high antioxidants. In addition it's a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and manganese.

If you're trying to lose weight, swapping out your pasta for spaghetti squash will keep you fuller due to the high amount of fiber.

Squashes can also be stored for quite a long time- up to weeks!

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash The Easy Way

Wash and dry the spaghetti squash.

Cooking in the microwave:

*Slice the squash lengthwise to create 2 large halves. 

*Scoop out the seeds and discard them. 

*Place one half of the squash in the microwave for 7-10 minutes or both halves for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of squash & microwave. *Let cool in microwave for 5 minutes. *Remove from microwave with oven mitts if they are still really warm.

*Then, scoop out the insides with a spoon and separate strands with a fork. 

Cooking in oven:

*Put the entire squash on a baking sheet lined with foil.

*Cook at 400 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes, depending on how big your squash is.

*After taking it out of the oven, take a knife and cut it in half. Be careful: do not put your face near the squash. There will be some steam coming out at you!

*Use a spoon and scoop out the seeds. It might help to also use a scissor to cut some of the strands that connect the seeds.

*Use a fork and separate the strands. The flesh will come right off!

How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce

Fresh tomatoes are hard to find in winter months, especially Iowa, so you can also use canned all natural tomato sauce. Or if your pressed for time, grab a jar of organic pre-made tomato sauce. I like Trader Joe's. 

Grass fed beef can be expensive. I purchase it in bulk or search for bargains at the local grocery stores. Even some target stores have a few grass fed beef options. Grass-fed beef is free from hormone free and cattle raised on grass (i.e. Grass-fed beef :) 

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

1/2 cup light olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

6-8 large tomatoes *

1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

optional: dash of coconut sugar to season

*If you use canned tomatoes, reduce the olive oil to 2 tablespoons only

Instructions:

*Sauté chopped garlic and onions in olive oil for a few minutes, until translucent.

*Combine ground beef and green pepper in a large saucepan. 

*Cook and stir until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. 

*Drain grease.

*Stir tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the pan. 

*Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. 

*Simmer spaghetti sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve homemade spaghetti sauce over large helping of spaghetti squash. Mmmm mmm good! 

This even tastes good warmed up the next day. Just store in a storage container in the fridge and microwave for a few minutes to warm it up. 

Easy Breezy Low Carb Chocolate Falafels or Pancakes

Pictured above: chocolate falafel 

I have fun making recipes. Sometimes, they turn out scrumptious, and well other times, they're quite disgusting. Here's my latest invention, Chocolate Falafel's. Did I mention, they're healthy & low carb? I know, how exciting. They taste better than they look in the picture.

Here's how you do it...

Chocolate Falafels:

Shake 1/2 cup or 2 egg whites and 1/2 scoop chocolate Beachbody whey protein powder in a shaker cup or blender (best option). Pour the mixture into a large skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook on med-high heat for a few minutes, then when you can easily pick the pancake up with a spatula, flip & cook the other side for about a minute. Serve plain, with sugar-free syrup or PB2 mixed according to package directions & Enjoy. 

For chocolate pancakes: 

Place 1/4-1/2 cup plain oatmeal in a food processor until oatmeal becomes fine. Add the oatmeal to your shaker or blender (best option) with egg whites & whey. Blend well. Cook based on directions above.

I like using ground flaxseed meal for recipes to make it heart healthy (flax is jam-packed with omega-3). You can add it in place of the oatmeal for a nuttier, lower carb option. You can also play around with ingredients to add such as cocoa powder, PB2, stevia or a little honey, etc. 

21 Day FIX!! Simple Fitness. Simple Nutrition. Real Results.

 

21 Day Fix

The 21 Day FIX is finally HERE and currently on pre-order. What does that mean? Do to high demand-because it's freakin awesome-the wait is 2-4 weeks for shipment on the FIX Challenge Pack. The base program is currently not available. BUY NOW

What do you get? You get the entire workout program, a 30 Day supply of Shakeology, the meal plan, the containers, a Shakeology shaker cup and free coaching from ME in the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack for just $160. In addition to all of this, shipping is FREE.  BUY NOW


Note: The 21 Day Fix will NOT be available in stores anywhere.

In order to expedite your online purchase, sign up for a FREE Beachbody account with me NOW! Make sure you check the box for the site to remember your login details so you are ready to go the moment the link is available.  You can also FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK.

21 Day Fix Details

From Beachbody Corporate Office:

This is THE fitness and nutrition program to help you lose up to 15 pounds in 21 days. Each workout is approximately 30 minutes a day, 7 days a week. The unique nutrition plan uses specifically portioned food storage containers that eliminate the guesswork from portion control – no weighing, measuring, or counting calories, carbs or points. If it fits in the container, you can eat it. And you’ll lose weight. When eaten in the right quantities, there are no foods that are off limits.

21 Day Fix Challenge Pack

The challenge pack contains the base workout kit, a one month supply of the nutrient dense Shakeology and some free gifts. It is the only 21 Day Fix sale that is on promo for the month of February. As of March 1st the 21 Day Fix challenge pack will be $160.00. BUY NOW

Free Gifts

Start Here Guide with Workout Calendar

3-Day Quick Fix

Eating Plan

24/7 ONLINE SUPPORT

 

Work Outs

7 workouts on 2 DVDs

Dirty 30 workout

Total Body Cardio Fix

Upper Fix

Lower Fix

Pilates Fix

Cardio Fix

Yoga Fix

Containers

7 color-coded portion-control containers

Shakeology shaker cup

                       Shakeology

1 month’s supply of Shakeology in strawberry, greenberry, chocolate, vanilla, vegan chocolate or vegan tropical strawberry

Get to Know Autumn Calabrese

What is Shakeology?

The Healthiest Meal of the Day

Savory broiled salmon with fresh steamed broccoli & sweet red peppers

Ingredients: (quantity can be modified depending on number of servings needed)

frozen or fresh salmon fillets (4oz each fillet) 

One red pepper

Fresh broccoli florets

Broiler pan

Pepper to taste

Non-stick cooking spray

Note: Don't skimp on the salmon. Fresh is best but can be pricey, so frozen fillets are a great option. If you choose frozen, go for the moderate to higher quality with or without the skin.

Directions: 

Let frozen salmon fillets thaw in the refrigerator overnight or if individually wrapped, you can place in a container of room temperature water until thawed (about 10 min). No need to remove wrapper prior to thawing. Do not thaw in the microwave. If you chose fresh salmon, cut salmon into 4oz fillets and leave the skin on.

Prep the broiler pan by placing water in the bottom of tray (enough to cover bottom) and spray non-stick cooking spray on top (where salmon will go). 

Rinse red pepper and broccoli. Remove & discard the seeds from red pepper and cut the pepper into strips or pieces of desired size. Chop stalks off of broccoli and place florets in microwave safe dish. Put 1/4 cup water in bottom of dish. Add cut red peppers into dish with broccoli.

Turn broiler on high. Remove wrapper from salmon fillets. Place fillets on broiler pan, skin side down (if fresh). Sprinkle each fillet with black pepper. Place broiler pan in oven about 4-6inches from heat. Set timer to 5 minutes. After broiling for 5 minutes, flip fillet to cook other side for an additional 5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. 

When there is about 2 minutes left for salmon to cook, put red pepper/broccoli in microwave. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove steamed vegetables from the microwave & drain water.

When everything is complete serve & enjoy. 

Slow and Steady Wins The Race

I woke up this morning hoping that the baby weight would have magically disappeared overnight. Instead, the extra pounds and loose skin were all too visible bringing me back to reality. I could feel the spirit being sucked out of me and a tear began to trickle down my cheek. I thought to myself, "why is my body not changing when I have been busting my butt with daily workouts for 2 weeks and cleaning up my diet? It always worked before.". After a few minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to measure myself. To my delight, I had lost a few inches and 1% body fat.

Then, the story about the tortoise and the hare came into my mind. Remember that one from your childhood? During the big race, the hare boasts about how fast he is, taunting the turtle time and time again. The turtle slowly creeps along making his way closer and closer to the finish line. In the end, the overconfident hare falls asleep and the slow & steady tortoise passes him to eventually win the race.

The message here, which I have to constantly remind myself, is "slow and steady wins the race". The same can be said when meeting the challenge of weight loss and fitness. Muscles don't grow noticeably larger overnight and inches of fat are not magically melted away. After all, you probably did not gain those unwanted pounds or inches overnight. I know I didn't.

If you stay consistent and stick with it, imagine how amazing it is going to feel in 4, 8 or 12 weeks from now.

Interested in starting your fitness or weight loss journey? Find out more here www.beachbodycoach.com/jessicastatler

Crusted Parmesan-Herb Zucchini Bites

Ingredients

• 4 medium, fresh zucchini, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary & thyme, minced
• smidge of olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350F, lightly brush both sizes of the zucchini with olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix cheese and herbs together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the zucchini along with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 minutes and place under the broiler for the last 3-5 minutes until cheese is crispy and browned.

Recipe by Elle, registered dietitian and writer for nutrionella.com

http://nutritionella.com/2013/06/crusty-parmesan-herb-zucchini-bites/

Chalean kick-my-butt extreme

Workout for the day-DONE and DONE! I started Chalean Extreme which is a wonderful beachbody program designed to build lean muscle and shed fat. Who wouldn't want that? I was surprised to discover how hard the workouts are even though I've been working out and lifting weights for years. I really like how Chalene focuses on proper form and encourages you to challenge yourself. Plus, Chalene Johnson is a great motivator and all around awesome person (i really like that). The workouts would be great for beginners too, since exercises can be modified for each skill level. The important thing to remember is to start with lighter weights focusing on proper form and move up as you begin to get more comfortable with the technique. I can see that my greatest challenge may be that I am going to have to slow down. Building muscle requires rest; however, even knowing that I seem to have two speeds-racehorse or snail speed-and nothing in between. I can't wait to see how my body changes.

Check out this transformation. 
 

You can find out more about Chalean Extreme on my website www.beachbody oach.com/jessicastatler. 

Too much to do and too little time

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with todo lists and just can't seem to catch your breathe, yet alone find the time or motivation to workout? Well, today is just like that for me. I have been tackling my todo list all day since it's my day off at the hospital and I work all weekend. I still need to desperately eat something (baby's HUNgry), get groceries, clean the house, do laundry, catch up on emails, finish my work at home, and pack a bag for the hospital incase baby Bradley decides to pop out early, and the list goes on and on. And I thought this was my day off-sheesh!

I could ramble off a pretty long list of reasons why I cannot find the time since I have often been called the queen of excuses. I tend to find that I spend a great deal more time making excuses than the actual time it would have taken to just do it. Just do it? Huh, there's a thought. Nike sure did coin a good catch phrase. I hate to admit it but couldn't agree more. Of course, that it so much easier said than done, especially when you are already exhausted from your day.

Why on earth would you want to spend what little free time you may have to work out? I could answer this by going on and on about the health benefits associated with regular exercise or even how it will pay off in the end, but I am not going to do that. I believe that the answer is something different for everyone, something more personal. For me, I will workout today, because I made a promise to myself to not give up on this. I made a promise for me, not for anyone else. I want my life back. I refuse to be depressed, be tired all of the time, have a poor self image and lack self confidence any longer! I refuse to allow that little voice in my head that says "you can't do it or too this or that" to get the best of me once again. Screw you, tiny little voice, I'm doing it! (It sounds better with a little sass)

45 minutes later........

So that brings me to where I am right now. I just finished my workout and feel awesome. Well, actually I just got my butt kicked and I'm pooped, but I feel so accomplished for the day. I feel as though I could go climb a mountain, okay so maybe not. Afterall, I am almost 9 months pregnant. Yikes! Where does the time go? Before we know it, this little one will be here, and I will have even less time.

Here's my plug for the day:
No matter what your excuse may be to not workout-I'm sure you have some good ones-do it anyway! Make a choice to "just do it!". Not only will you feel better physically, but you will start to feel better emotionally, as well. With consistency, you will start to see and feel yourself change and gain a better self-esteem, higher level of self-confidence and just feel better about yourself all the way around.

Just know that you are not alone in your struggles and you do not have to go through this process alone.