Dealing with Anxiety

Do not be deceived!

I might come across confident and happy and "balanced" on here, but we ALL have our "things". I have anxiety. Not for typical things like public speaking or about what people might think about me or leading a team of other leaders.

I have anxiety for everyday mundane things like being late, travel and variations in my schedule. And I have passed it down to one of my kids, GREAT! I used to have MAJOR anxiety attacks in my SLEEP! It would manifest itself A LOT when I was a teacher and I would do CRAZY things in my sleep. I have learned, over time, to manage my anxiety but it really creeped back up while in China. This is another HUGE reason why I have to exercise and eat cleaner. Did you know processed foods actually contibute to anxiety and depression? And we ALL know that the chemicals produced in exercise help with balancing our hormones and moods.

I have learned that how we DEAL with our "things" is what makes US better! HAPPY MONDAY!

One Step Closer to Myself- How I Became a Mormon

So, I had asked earlier if anyone was interested how I decided to become a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More than a few were interested, so here is the story. I will title it, "How I Became a Mormon" or "My ENTIRE Life Story"...HAHA Read if you'd like. If not, scroll on, my friend.
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I have the wonderfully unique opportunity to be the "baby" of five siblings. What makes it so unique is that we are spread out in age and most of my siblings were adults my entire childhood. I LOVE the fact that my parents have been married for SIXTY years!  My parents were both raised in separate religions pretty strictly. My father is the son of a Baptist Army Chaplain and my mother was raised Roman Catholic, which produced a lot of "fireworks" with their parents when they fell in love.

Imagine what THAT was like when my older brother met a Mormon in high school and decided that was the religious path he wanted to choose. From what I've heard my parents were very supportive. I was a baby so his decision didn't have much of an influence on me. However, my middle sister, was affected by his conversion and began learning about it for herself in her teenage years. Along with great friends, an obsession with Donnie Osmond and a blossoming testimony, she decided to get baptized when she was sixteen. My brother was called to serve a mission in Scotland and my father still says that was the most blessed two years of their life. At that time I was still very young, so I remember two things....talking on cassette tapes to send to Elder Drake in Scotland and the cutie missionaries coming to our home to teach my teenage sister.

From then on I really did not have much to do with any sort of religious experiences. My parents had taught me about God, Jesus Christ and prayer but going to church was never anything we did. I really had no idea if I was Baptist, Catholic or Mormon-by-association. But I was busy living my worldly, social and MTV driven life and really didn't give it too much thought.

Of course, late teen years are when we are trying to "figure it all out". I headed to Southern California, Fullerton College and later to Cal State Fullerton, where I only knew one person. I chose that area because I could go to the beach during the day and go to parties at night. I quickly began having one college experience after another and, looking back, it WAS a great time of my life. Being a character at Disneyland, a passionate romance, changing my major FOUR times and learning that I loved working at a hotel were just a few of the highlights. I met some very great people who I'm still very close to. I cherish those years!

It was in my senior year of college that the LDS Missionaries came into my life. My roommate began seriously dating a Mormon guy (and they got married YAY!) and they began knocking on our door. I felt this incredible need to defend the Mormon church when it came up, because my siblings believed in it and I often got into controversial dialogue about it. One time when my roommate was "dodging them" I said, "Hey, I would love to chat with you. BUT I will never cook you dinner AND I AM NOT getting baptized. I really just want some questions answered so I can defend your religion to others." HAHAHA

I am a firm believer that there is a "missionary" out there for everyone. "My" Elder Hatch had just converted a year prior and did not judge me for all my exciting lifestyle choices. Even though I was NOT looking for a life-change, I was very happy with where I was going, I asked them to come back because I wanted to know why my sister wore different under-clothes and we hadn't gotten to that yet! The next time they came over they brought me a copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, but I went over to my bookshelf and took one my brother had given to me before his mission.

Now, at that point in my life I had been doing quite a bit of reading for school. When I opened the Book of Mormon and began to read something felt very different. Not different in an unfamiliar way, different in a feeling way. I didn't understand much of it, but I knew right away, without a doubt, that an unlearned boy COULD NOT have written these words. I knew that what I was reading was divine and the word of God. That was the moment where I decided to listen more clearly to what it was that was written. I had learned about the Bible and Bible stories and never doubted them. When I read the Book of Mormon it was like the Bible all made sense to me. They complimented each other and it felt right. The missionaries asked me to pray about what I was reading to know if it was true...I already knew.

People often ask me how I went from drinking alcohol, coffee and doing a variety of other worldly things to NOT doing them OVERNIGHT. I stopped a plethora of things, "Cold turkey", because once I knew that the words I was reading were true and divine, it was very easy to change my actions. The missionaries asked me to come to church. They really wanted me to go to a college congregation so that I would be with people that I had things in common with. I chose not to since I was so far from my family, I was interested in the congregation that had families in it. This decision changed the course of my life. Sitting in that church I looked at the families. The dads in suits, moms with diaper bags full of snacks and little kids with runny noses and I KNEW that I wanted to be in a building just like that, every Sunday for the rest of my life. That day I called my parents and said, "Will you come to my baptism?" They said, "Into what church?" and when I told them which church they, again, were very supportive of my choice. As a matter of fact, almost every single member of my family (including my Catholic Nana) traveled to Southern California to be a part of my baptism. That day I didn't feel different from myself, I just felt closer to the REAL me.

If you are looking for the "next season spoilers"...hahaha...here are some quick highlights. THE VERY SAME MONTH that I chose to get baptized Elder Bottom, far away in Kobe, Japan wrote a letter to his father saying he did not want to go to University of Utah and, that for some weird reason, he felt he should go to Cal State Fullerton. Looking back, it was very clear WHY he was inspired to change his school. I continued on with my studies and became active in church life. When Elder Bottom returned from his mission he quickly began dating another girl. He and I became friends and I really, REALLY didn't think anything about him. He was cute and a surfer but I had Mormon boys to date and a plan to return back to Northern California to get my teaching credential. I did not have TIME or A NEED to meet a husband. But, everything happens for a reason, and the next thing I knew I was telling Mark that he needed to dump that girl and date me because I would treat him so much better...the rest is history!

Hey, if you even made it to the end....thank you for listening. I don't regret ANYTHING I did before those missionaries taught me because I learned how (first hand) our Savior, Jesus Christ, forgives us. If His Atonement works for me, it can work for anyone. I have been active every single day since I made the decision to get baptized. I AM THE strict one with our teens because I HAVE SEEN IT AND DONE IT. I love knowing that we can be together after we die. I love the fact that I can know that I can see my ancestors again. I love focusing on the good in people, instead of all the scary things we are presented with. AND I LOVE knowing that a loving Father in Heaven has a plan for EACH of us and wants us to be happy. 

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to chat me up...HOWEVER, no haters please. 

What is your WHY Power?

I am a big cheerleader for WHYpower instead of WILLpower!

My WHY is these kiddos right here. I know what it is like to have low self-esteem and not feel comfortable in my own skin. I also now know that what we eat is heading us either toward disease or from it. So, of course, I want to prevent them from all of this. Any parent knows that walking the walk is so much more effective than talking the talk. THAT IS WHAT keeps me going daily! However...**confession time** lately I realize that when they are at school I am on point with my nutrition. When I splurge it is ALWAYS with them. Simple math...In the short amount of time that they are with me they are not seeing my best modeling ( not runway model) behavior.

Food for thought. Anyone in this same boat?

WHO IS YOUR WHY?

WHY power is something that you will never, ever give up on. I grasp onto them as my WHY when I am tempted to not workout, overindulge in treats and be lazy. Being a healthy role model for them is POWERFUL MOTIVATION!

Excuses? Yea, I got 'em! SO WHAT?

TRUE STORY!

We rent our house, therefore, we use 3M products to hang our pictures...above our bed! Yep! Last night one came CRASHING down on my HEAD while I was snoozing soundly.I NOW know what it is like to be punched in the side of the head. IT HURTS! 

**TIP OF THE DAY** Never decide NOT to workout in the middle of the night...my instinct was to abandon my plan. But when I woke up (after FINALLY falling back to sleep) I was ready to go! 

BONUS TIP! Use nails!

In the RAW ~ Raw veggies for success!

Last week I had a SUPER SUCCESSFUL health week despite TWO birthdays in my family!

If I could pinpoint one reason why it would be that I challenged myself to eat 3 servings of RAW veggies everyday as snacks. It worked because I was not hungry to eat other stuff! Try it! I am ready to do it again this week! Will you do it with me?

The facts on eating raw veggies!

• Not ALL veggies are healthier raw...think tomatoes.
• Pepper, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers are all more nutritious raw.
• I focus on the above for snacks, first and foremost so I make sure I get in more veggies than anything else in my day.
• I eat my cooked veggies at meals.
• You will probably get gas. BUT you will also be fuller longer.

WHAT RAW VEGGIES WILL YOU EAT TODAY?

Happy Birthday To Me!

Did you know that I feel better at 42 than 32?

THAT is what eating clean does for you!

I look younger.

I feel younger.

I am happier.

I am in WAY better shape.

 I used to take my birthday as an opportunity to be lazy and eat sugar-laden treats! Hey, I LOVE a good cupcake...BUT this year I am IN THE ZONE. I LOVE the way I feel when I exercise, so YOU BET I had a great sweat session this morning. And you know what? NOTHING tastes as good as feeling lean, healthy and toned. That is SO MUCH better than a few minutes of deliciousness.

So I have a plan! Yep, we ARE going out tonight to celebrate. I get a free surf n' turf dinner. YUM. But I will SHARE a dessert with someone. AND I will not take this weekend off of my goals! 

HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE! Deal?

I wasn't always the athlete you see now!

One of my worries is that you see my posts about running, eating healthy and exercise and you think, "I can never do what she does. She has never been where I am at."

I want you to know that I HAVE BEEN THERE. For well over a decade of my life I was very overweight. Food controlled my actions and thoughts. I was depressed and miserable. It affected my relationships, my spirituality and my job. The consistent happiness I felt came from food and, even though t was temporary, I used it more and more often. My children brought me great joy, but that was quickly masked with doubts about deserving THEIR love.

The person you see now, posting and motivating you is that same person. Over time, I have peeled away the layers of self-doubt and with every step in the right direction I have become the person I am today. It does take the decision that YOU ARE BETTER than a life of misery. We ALL deserve happiness, TRUE happiness that comes from inside rather than a pastry.

How? By taking small steps today in the right direction. You don't have to change everything, all at once.
1. Today, decide, that YOU are worth it! Struggling with that? I can help. Message me and I will personally talk to you about it. Because I have been there. And I know how it feels.
2. Once you have decided that you ARE WORTH IT, choose to step on that path. Scared you will fail? Yep! We ALL are! But you won't know if you can succeed unless you take that first step.
3. Take someone's hand. Support was the magic for me to keep me going when I wanted to fail. Who wants to fail? I did! When it got hard and I wanted that instant gratification that food gave me my support helped me to remember WHY I was on this journey. I can be that support for you! I am grateful for a friend that told me she believed in me and didn't know that she was changing the course of my life!

I have been there. Don't ever doubt that! I can help you!  Jen

To Feed The Craving or Not Feed The Craving?

CRAVINGS? 

Ugh, we ALL have them! Some are salty, some are sweet, some are on certain days of the month, some are certain hours of the day. Guess what? There is NO secret potion to make them go away...although Shakeology CERTAINLY helps with them, have you noticed? That is because your body craves what we feed it....more on that later!

Often times a "craving" is merely our mind suggesting something to us. Maybe it was from old habits (ie: going through drive thru on certain nights of the week) or traditions (ie: passing around See's Candy while opening Christmas presents). Either way, very few times our body is ACTUALLY needing that food item.

Case in point...at the beginning of the summer I did Beachbody's Ultimate Reset, which is a 21 detox and cleanse program with 100% clean eating. As mentioned earlier, I ALWAYS crave sweets a few days before I start my period. **LIKE "GIVE ME CHOCOLATE OR YOU DIE" CRAVE** Well, of course part of the Ultimate Reset included those days and guess what? I did not NEED sweets at all!

So, when we CRAVE a burger, ice cream, chips or cheese...ask yourself these questions:

1. Am I bored, tired, thirsty, hurt or angry? And is that why I want this?

2. Is this a "mind suggestion" (like seeing a commercial) or do I really NEED it?

3. If I eat this WILL I be able to bounce right back to my meal plan immediately? (BE HONEST! You will ONLY hurt yourself in you aren't)

4. Is this something that is special and "one of a kind"?

If, after you answer these questions honestly, you still want that treat...

I SAY GO FOR IT!

*EAT IT

*OWN IT

*ENJOY IT

*MOVE ON

We ALL KNOW deprivation does not work! This is NOT a diet, this is a lifestyle! And if you saw my In N' Out Double Double post yesterday you saw that A) I don't want a life without Double Doubles and B) I learned that running the day after was HORRID! You will find that a lot of the times you will learn it is NOT worth the splurge and you will be stronger from it!

Have you had a craving that you were strong through?

Have you indulged in a craving and learned from it?

SHARE BELOW!

Would you eat this?

This was my lunch today.

Do you ALWAYS feel like lunch and dinner NEED to have meat in them? I learned that I ate way too much meat and there are much more nutritious lean proteins out there!

So today I decided to have a nutritious wrap, albeit is in NOT low-calorie. The fats, though, are healthy fats.

Also, I try to make lunch my biggest (most caloric) meal of the day. Does anyone else do this? Gone are the days where I feel sluggish and icky at night. Last night my family had whole what pasts with chicken sausage and sauce while I had a salad. I felt great and was able to eat a little treat after dinner. Low-fat ice cream to be exact.

Dessert IS and will always be a priority to me!

My happy place- Sun, Sand, Surf and Sweat

My "Super Scary Summer Plan" Phase 3 began today!

Phase 1 was the Ultimate Reset

Phase 2 was Insanity as Cross-Training

Phase 3 is Half Marathon training

Here is the deal! I am NO different than you! What I do is make a PLAN and stick to it, NO MATTER WHAT! 

Honestly, I tell myself that the ONLY way I will derail from my plan is injury. . . and I pray and prepare daily so that injury does not happen!

Then I put my head down and PRESS FORWARD. It works for me. Some of my plans have been easy ones, but this one I purposely chose SCARY things to do. And now I am super pumped about living outside of my comfort zone! I have been loving the empowerment and BOOST it gives me. And that spills over into my personal life and professional life too!

Need help making a plan? Talk to me!

Your plan SHOULD not be my plan. . . but we can work together to come up with yours! START NOW! I promise it will be worth it!

~Day 1 of half- marathon training~
~3 mile run on the strand~ 

I am a Recovering Pessimist

If you like this, you SHOULD read "Failing Forward" by John C Maxwell! Completely turned me into a recovering pessimist!

My Super Scary Summer Plan ~ 2014

I wanted this summer to be different. 

Even though I am working hard in my health and fitness I knew I needed to be pushed harder. 

So this summer I am tackling my top three fears when it comes to my health and fitness. 

Here is the plan.

1. Beachbody Ultimate Reset- 21 days to reclaim, release and restore. More than a cleanse or detox program. It is a reset on the inside. Supplements and strict eating plan, WITH ONLY WALKING, scares me. But I am ready! It came today and I am excited to see some drastic changes in my energy, clarity and fitness. May 1- May 22. Stay tuned for daily Reset Blog Posts.
2. Insanity- This is the only workout program that FREAKS ME OUT. I don't know why. I know people who've done it and they've survived. I have done a few isolated workouts from the program and it was tough, even during the warm up. My calves ached after each time. But it is time to face. this. fear! I will start on Monday, May 26th. 
3. Run my second Half Marathon- This will have been my fourth half training, but only my second half marathon. Why? I hate running races/events. I love the training because it is only myself. My mind gets all messed up on race day. BUT it is something I have needed to do, to see the commitment through again. So I gathered some friends together to keep me accountable (you can join in too) and I have picked the race. It is on Labor Day in San Pedro! I will use Insanity as a cross training program with my training program.

With these three steps I will be in the best shape OF.MY.LIFE this summer! Each step relies on the previous. I set it up like that on purpose to help me see each phase through. 

NOW, if you know me, the more the merrier is my motto! If any of these above appeal to you, I am looking for friends to join me in any of the phases or all three! Not near by? No problem. All of my support groups are on Facebook. Just ask to join me in the comments and LET'S FACE OUR FEARS TOGETHER!

T0 Moms with Little Ones

This morning I saw this picture. This is my baby girl who is TURNING SIXTEEN next month, is having surgery during spring break and is starting to date! 

I must be hormonal because it really brought tears to my eyes...this pic brought me RIGHT BACK to this moment, hearing her voice and being showered with "mommy"'s over and over and over every day. I MISS IT!

At this time of her life I was struggling....I had low self-esteem, major health woes and it spilled over into my marriage AND my parenting of her. I am NOT saying this to look back and REGRET at all! I was doing the best I could.

****BUT if I can just applaud all of those mommies out there, with little ones, who are NOT waiting to show their babies healthy example. KUDOS to you! It will pay off because TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF will help you TAKE CARE OF THEM! Just make sure you hug them ALL THE TIME & RECORD their little voices, because ALL TOO SOON they will be grown.*****

My unhealthy relationship with MY SCALE!

I am learning I have an "unhealthy" relationship with the scale...Do you? 

Here is what clued me into this.

1. I weigh myself every day.
2. I am usually disappointed, despite progress in measurements, clothes, etc.
3. That number dictates what I do next (eat healthier, have a treat)...can you say sabotage?
4. Though I feel awesome I strive for "that" number.

The reason I open up about this is because I know many of you are giving the scale WAY TOO MUCH POWER! I have vowed TO NOT weigh myself for the duration of the ‪#‎21dayfix‬...and you know what? That task is HARDER than the eating plan AND the workout program (for me) combined.
Why do I do this? I work hard and I want instant feedback? How can I change it? Look for other ways to get that feedback....
Do you weigh yourself often? 
Do you have a healthy scale relationship? 
Share below....

Inspiration brought to you by TEAM USA!

Today's ‪#‎inspiration‬ is brought to you by our ‪#‎TEAMUSA‬Olympians! 

I thought A LOT about their ‪#‎dedication‬, ‪#‎perseverance‬ and‪#‎commitment‬ and it pushed my through ‪#‎p90x3‬ ‪#‎eccentricupper‬AND ‪#‎agility‬ today!

GO TEAM USA!

DEDICATION not Perfection

I have been thinking a lot about why I have been able to STICK WITH IT and NOT GIVE UP...and it really comes down to DEDICATION. That whole "NO MATTER WHAT" mentality. When I am tempted to throw in the towel (and believe me, I get tempted!) I think of the opposite results if I DID give up...How would my life look if I wasn't DEDICATED to getting healthy? 
- I would have 30 more minutes a day (and I would probably sleep or watch TV with those). 
- I would eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. This would be really, really fun at the moment but an hour later.....sick, unhappy and BROKE!
YES IT TAKES SACRIFICE!

Instead, I am:
- showing my family how important health is.
- gaining confidence
- GETTING GOOD NEWS AT DOCTOR'S VISITS (and isn't THAT what it is all about?)
- much, much happier!

So, to me, IT IS A CHOICE, no doubt. Option A/Unhappiness VS Option B/health and happiness?
NO BRAINER FOR ME! HOW ABOUT YOU?

Monday Motivation

Feeling unmotivated?

Check out these tips! 

Comment to ADD yours!

Do You NEED a Pull-Up Bar?

My thoughts on having a pull-up bar:

When I first started the original P90X a few months back I did not get a pull-up bar. I think, honestly, I was SUPER scared of pull-ups and if I didn't get one I WOULDN'T FAIL at doing them. But as I got stronger, during the program (mostly from push-ups), I decided that I wanted to challenge myself and give it a go. It was SUPER easy to install and even easier to take up and down for workouts. Are pull-ups and chin-ups hard? YES! Can I do them without using A LOT of leg strength? NO! Am I getting better each time? YES! 

There are times when I want to just loop my band around the door hinge and do them that way...which can work those same muscles (as you see in the DVD) but I DON'T...Because I realize that if I don't WORK at PULL-UPS I will NEVER be able to do them...and I really, really look forward to that day when I can do just ONE without any leg support...IF THOSE GIRLS the video can do them SO CAN WE!

To purchase THIS bar: log into your teambeachbody account. go to SHOP, Nutrition & Supplements, Equipment and Gear, Chin up and Push up...Keep in mind coaches get 25 % off! Also, you might want to pick up some R&R (Results & Recovery) at the same time because it really helps with soreness (Nutrition & Supplements under P90X

2014 ~ Make it YOUR best year yet!

For me, 2013, was a phenomenal time in my life where I learned, grew and achieved more in every aspect of my life! I want to KEEP IT UP and I'd love to do it with YOU! This group is a goal setting AND goal ACHIEVING group! We will start out with 30 days and, for those who would like to continue, will have phase II for another 30 days.
Here are the details:
- Totally free!
- Anyone welcome! BUT you will be REQUIRED to engage and interact with the group. It is private so only the group will see it.
- We will be talking about all aspects of life including (but not limited to) personal, professional, health, spirituality, relationship, etc.
- This will be a hands on group with assignments, discussions and google hangout sessions.
- You must be reading The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, we will be discussing it and doing assignments associated with it.
- That book is not the only assignments we will be doing, so there is a time commitment.
- You will be REQUIRED to respond daily. Some days will take seconds, some days will take about 20 minutes.
- Start day will be January 6th!
WHO IS IN? Please comment, I am in to join!

Summer Weekly Challenge ~ #7

You are well on your way to being the healthiest version of you! How do you feel? What changes have you noticed?

After last week you are used to recording your food and drink intake. This week we are working on getting more protein into our daily calorie intake. Why?

Protein helps you gain muscle, lose fat (because you are gaining muscle) and helps keep you feel full longer. Also,  I have noticed that when I concentrate on adding more protein into my diet I omit the not-so-good-for-me carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and white rice. When I changed this small way to eat I NOTICED HUGE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY! Lucky for me those starchy foods are not my favorites so cutting way down on them hasn't been much of a challenge. My rule of thumb is to only eat carbs that are from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. **I always focus on what I am adding into my diet rather than what I am taking out**

So what are some proteins to concentrate on?

~Here are my go-to sources for protein that I eat weekly~

Breakfast Choices: egg white omelette, quinoa as oatmeal, Greek yogurt, protein powder smoothie, peanut butter, almond milk

Snack Choices: raw almonds, edamame, peanut butter (on apple), hard boiled egg, turkey slices, protein bar (just make sure it is low sugar), hummus

Lunch Choices: Tuna, salmon, chicken, quinoa, 

Dinner Choices: Pork, lean beef, (lunch choices)

Week 7 Challenge

• Continue to break a sweat and pump your heart for one hour, five days a week.

• Continue for AT LEAST five days a week have AT LEAST one serving of fruits and/or vegetables at EVERY meal.

• For THREE days this week implement thirty minutes of strength training.

• Drink at least EIGHT glasses of water EVERY DAY.

• Each day that you exercise, spend an additional ten minutes doing CORE STRENGTHENING exercises. 

• For SEVEN days write down everything you eat and drink. 

• Focus on adding more protein into your meals. 

Don't forget to keep us posted on your success!!!