Juicing Testimony

Hey all,

So I got a VERY exciting email this last week. It was from the “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” PR team. They had heard my story and my experience along with thousands of others. I guess mine stood out. So I was asked to do a video testimony of my experience about juicing. They are doing a national kick-off of the documentary and a new show on health…so it just may end up on there. I am very hopeful. Regardless it was a great way to really talk about my experience. After sending it I uploaded it to youtube.com. I wanted to give you all a chance to see it as well 🙂 They wanted to to be real and unscripted so I just kind of went for it…so you might here a lot of “ums” in there. Also it could only be 5-6 min so that was a challenge. They will also be editing it to use what they like. 🙂 So hope you like it 🙂

With Love,

Jenny

 

the dangerous word: RESOLUTION… and what it looks like.

Each time the ball drops every year the next day we are filled with the desire to change. I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing, for the most part it is positive. I think we also need to be very aware of why we are wanting to change and assess if New Years is the best time for it. Chances are you can start anew any month and keep it going for the year. So if January isn’t the time for you, don’t feel the need to waste 11 months just so you will have a fresh start. Make sure you are prepared for the task at hand. I feel like so many of the resolutions are weight loss so it is much easier for me to speak on those. If it is weight loss than make sure you are physically ready (get clearnence from your doctor), mentally ready (write down and figure out why you need this change and what you are afraid of), and emotionally. I can not explain to you how important this is. You are going to need a sounding board, and pick those people wisely. For one you need people who will not sugar coat things for you, as much as you may want them to at times. You need people who you are not afraid to open up to, some serious demons and self actualization happens here and you have to feel comfortable to open up to them. Lastly you need people who will workout with you who are on a higher level fitness regimen than you are. Having or knowing someone who has gone through the same struggle is very helpful too, they become a resource and your cheerleader. I imagine how different of a process this would have been if I would have had that. So if you are reading this and you need that, please don’t hesitate to contact me…I would be thrilled to help you through this. 

Here are the basics, figure out why. Maybe you want to do this to get healthy, maybe you feel stuck in your life on the sidelines, maybe you are afraid of the medical tornado that is headed your way if you don’t change. Here is what I know from years of battling this demon. You cannot and will not do this for anyone but you. You cannot do it for a spouse, a parent, your kids, for a potential relationship. YOU are enough. Those people can inspire you and help you through it, but they can not be the prime reason you do this. I say this again….YOU ARE ENOUGH. 

So make healthy goals, make a life change, and put one foot in front of the other and take this a day at a time. This is not a sprint it is a marathon. There are going to be hard days, days you would rather sink down into a hole and go back to old ways, but you can’t. You have to keep going and plugging away and one day you will make it. It will be the proudest and best moment of your life. The sense of accomplishment you will feel is indescribable and completely priceless. 🙂

That is all.I hope this serves you well.

With Love,

Jenny

 

how to avoid the holiday love handles

The holidays seem to be a great time to catch up with family and friends and they typically have some of our favorite treats of the year. This is a time to enjoy the time we spend with loved ones and indulge, just don’t get too crazy. Have healthy boundaries set to maybe try a little of this and that and don’t give up your workout time. What might be a good idea is to push yourself a little harder on the days you know you are going to treat yourself. Let’s say the holidays and the last couple months maybe you have fallen off the so called “fitness wagon” and now you hate yourself and you don’t know what to do. Here is what you do:

1.) Forgive yourself, you are only human
2.) Realize what your triggers are for giving up on this healthy way of life
3.) Find an accountability partner and tell them what your triggers are (as hard and awkward as that may seem)
4.) Start over
5.) Award your successes by something other than food (i.e. shopping for new clothes, hot air balloon ride, rock climbing…etc.)

It’s that simple. I feel like if we repeatedly beat ourselves up, where is that really going to get us? I’ll tell you. It will cause you to continually spiral down an unhealthy road. So yes enjoy the holiday season, just don’t let it control you. Also remember no matter what your goal is… maybe its 15 lbs., 20 lbs., or 100+ lbs. Anything is possible with hard work. Just look at it in little goals and before you know it you will be at your goal 🙂

With Love,
Jenny

 

things you never knew you needed to do

I feel like we have a lot of things we want to accomplish in this life. We have bucket lists, to-do lists, honey do lists and such. Sometimes something so simple that does not end up on any of those lists can be easy, yet so scary. That thing crept up on me this week. I feel like God puts certain people in your life to really believe in you and push you to a place you can’t go by yourself. I went there this week. So after our bible study some friends and I decided it would be fun to do a hand stand. when it came to my turn I was terrified. Something so simple. The easiest way I can explain this is you can change your body much easier than you can change your mind. In my mind I still didn’t trust the stability of my body, because I haven’t tested it in this way. I haven’t done a hand stand in probably 13 years. As scary as it was I felt AMAZING afterwards. So I should think my friends who wouldn’t let me give up on myself. I guess what they say is true, its better to try and fail then to never try and not know if you could. So check off handstand on the OWNED list 🙂

What things scare you to try?

With Love,

Jenny

 

weight is not your identity

In our culture we size each other up every single day, This is something that is very hard to separate yourself from. It seems that since we judge ourselves and each other so harshly on weight, that it would be in fact who we are. When I was in my heavier phase of life, its not something I thought about a lot. I still to this day for most of it didn’t see myself as everyone else saw me. Most everyone who knew me would describe me by my weight, I wouldn’t. I was actually pretty oblivious to this fact. If I went back again and had to re-live that part during my teen years I think I would still choose to be completely unaware. We spend so much time caring so much about what people are thinking about us, what they are whispering about us and if in fact people knew our true selves…would they like us?! Do we even like us? Granted yes it was hard going through the most awkward phase of life being obese (i hate that word) but I feel I was suppose to go though that to really get it and to be able to help other people with it (hands down my favorite thing in the world is to hear about peoples stories and journeys) It is now in this part of life, that feels so separate from that part of life yet so connected. People a lot of time ask me how I feel now that I’ve lost so much weight. Do you feel better? do you have more energy? are you happier? Yes I feel better, yes I probably have more energy and stamina, am I happier. I don’t know if I can answer that. I don’t directly relate my happiness to my weight. I feel like if that’s something we do, we are putting WAY to much pressure on your given weight that day. The reasons I am happy these days is I have AMAZING friends, great family, awesome job with the best co-workers a girl could ask for. I feel more myself at this point in life than I ever have. I don’t even know if back then I even knew who I was. I don’t even know if I knew who I was at the beginning of this journey. 

People now probably make my weight my identity. It’s not. My identity is rooted in something so much deeper than a number can ever be. So here is my advice, if you are wanting to change something about yourself …do it. Be safe about it and don’t lose yourself in the process. Hold fast to people in your life who support and encourage you. Who are not just your here for now friends. I have had plenty of those in this life. If weight is your battle, find someone who has been through it who can help guide you. If you are wanting to shed the weight write down and figure out why. Don’t do it to find a significant other, to be happy, blah blah blah. Do it to be healthy and live the best and longest life possible…any other reason will not be sufficient enough to really break these unhealthy chains. 

that is all. I hope this serves you well as it is something that has been on my heart lately. 

With Love,

Jenny 🙂

 

strawberry protein bars

Okay so I have been wanting to try to make these and I was a little fearful how they would turn out. Surprisingly they turned out pretty yummy! Plus this recipe was super easy and quick. For me the challenge is finding protein bars that don’t have chocolate. Plus by making it at home, you know what is in it and you can control the ingredients better 🙂

Enjoy!

Recipe:

3 cups Oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter  (I used powdered peanut butter as it is a good low fat low calorie substitute. So I mixed the powdered peanut butter in a small bowl with water and then added it in) 

4 scoops of strawberry protein powder of your choice

2 TBSP of fiber powder

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 cup skim milk

add all the dry ingredients together and stir. Then add in peanut butter and milk. Mix until it is a sticky mixture. Then use a glass pan and spray with pam. The recipe calls to place it in the fridge. I did that and it was still a little sticky so I decided to pop in in the oven at 325 for 10 min. Then cut in 7 slices and place in baggies. This will be a quick and easy way to have a healthy high protein snack. 

Per Serving:

Cal- 213

Fat – 3g

Carb 17g

Protein: 19g

 

getting a death-grip on emotional eating

So ever since I was at the age of about 13-14 years old I lost the grip of emotional eating. It wasn’t until I did the juice fast almost 5 months ago that I had to face my demons. People are addicted to many things in all areas of life. Some of us are addicted to drinking, partying, drugs, work, bad relationships, food, so on and so forth. For me since I was 14 it was food. I love cooking it, eating it you name it I enjoyed it. With no boundries I would eat to my hearts desire. Lets face it nothing about that is healthy. This past week I was really challenged in this area, I noticed myself losing grip on my typical habits. I got this horrible sunburn last week so I was in a good amount of discomfort. As I was uncomfortable I found myself turning to food…because working out was not an option for a couple days ..my appetite was OUT OF CONTROL. So I just had to take a moment and re-group and re-focus. Here’s the deal whatever you deal with, struggle with is always going to be there…you just have to keep it in check. After a couple days my sunburn was better and I got to take a zumba class with a friend and that really refocused things for me. Not all weeks are going to be perfect weeks. You & I are always going to have triggers, but its important to have people in your life to turn to and to keep you accountable and to know why you are doing this. For me I have many visual reminders in my room (on my wall I have a fitness bucket list and on my mirror I write my weigh ins, and motivational quotes). Don’t think that big changes are going to happen overnight…it is a commitment day in and day out. If you put in the work and dedication you will get to where you want to be, it’s just a matter of time.

With Love,

Jenny

 

Veggie Medley Casserole

Okay so when I was sitting down planning my meals for the next couple weeks (yes I said weeks) I was wanting to try something new. I tend to be a little boring with my meals, I eat a lot of the same types of things because it makes tracking my food that much easier. So the idea to make a casserole came about while shopping for groceries. I thought well I can put in a ton of veggies with some seasoning and tofu and BAM i’m good for my lunch for awhile. So it became a complete random selections of my favorite veggies into one huge bowl..so here is the recipe. It made a TON and total cost was $20 (which is great for lunch for two weeks)

Veggie Medley Casserole:

2 cans of diced tomatoes (low sodium)

1 can of black beans (low sodium if possible)

1 whole zucchini chopped (large, it they are smaller in size…use 2)

3 stalks of celery chopped

4 carrots grated

1/2 red onion chopped

1 C organic vegetable broth

1 block of low fat firm tofu chopped

2 10oz packages of frozen spinach

1 large package (14-16oz) of frozen broccoli

2 6oz containers of plain 0 fat greek yogurt

1 6oz package of low fat pepper jack cheese then grate it

1 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa

You are going to want to use a large bowl to mix this all in… just go down the list and add each thing in you can’t mess it up. I also seasoned it with black pepper, crushed red pepper, and parsley. Mix it all up in the bowl and use two pans to bake it in. (it makes a lot!) spread it out so it is an even layer, and cover with foil. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 15 min. After that pull the pans out, stir them around and place them back in the oven (without foil) for an additional 30 min. After this let them cool and then disperse into 1 cup serving containers. They can be zip lock bags or Tupperware, which ever you prefer.  This will make 16 servings, I would recommend freezing 1/2 the batch.

Nutrition:(per serving)

Calories: 165

Fat: 3.7g

Carbs: 20g

Protein: 13g

Enjoy 🙂

With Love,

Jenny

 

summer slim down

It seems like as summer has crept closer and closer, so have peoples insecurities about their current fitness level and how they are going to look in swimwear. Here’s the deal …If being healthy is you goal (as it should be not just a ultimate weight number) then there are some permanent changes that need to be made. Here are some tips if you are needing some help. These are some things that have made all the difference for me.

1.) Figure out what you want (is it short term? long term? weight goal? and a goal not related to pant size, dress size, or weight. )

2.) COUNT your calories!!!
I can not stress this enough… a big part of weight loss is simply calories in and calories out. So in order to hit your goal you have to be aware of what you are putting in your body so you know what you have to do at the gym.

3.) Choose QUALITY food!
YES you are calorie counting, but those 100 calorie packs are not going to satisfy that hunger cravings of yours. It takes less calories to full you up when you choose whole foods and not processed foods

4.) Cook at home as much as possible
By you making it, you will know what goes into it. When eating out they have calories and fat listed, but many places don’t add on the sodium content. Sodium is a little hidden devil that can throw your goal weight in an instant.

5.) Go to the gym!!
If you are wanting to get fit, trim, and healthy you can not do it without working out. It is not possible. so join a gym, or do home workouts, or go outside…do what you have to do but put in your time

6.) Eliminate empty calories
Transition yourself off juice (make it yourself), soda, and try to limit sugary drinks, and try to cut down on caffeine. Everything in moderation. If one day you cheat a little then that just means you are going to have to work that much harder at the gym.

7.) Don’t get frustrated.
You are going to get irritated, have bad days, have moments when your cravings are taking over. Take one day at a time and keep in mind why you wanted to do this in the first place.

8.) Set health attainable goals
Yes, we would all LOVE to throw up numbers like they do on “The Biggest Loser” but that just isn’t going to happen, mainly because we are not working out 8hours a day 7 days a week.

9.) Whenever you see a diet fad come around…JUST.SAY.NO.
Diet fads come and go, the real way you are going to win this challenge is day in, day out…and working your butt off and putting 100% of your heart in this.

10.) Get some accountability.
Trust me, we all need support. I don’t care how strong you think you are. We all have weak days and we need someone there to give you a hug, know what your going through and kick your butt back into gear. My best friends, fitness friends, coworkers, this blog, facebook has been a huge support system to me and without it I don’t know where I would be.

Getting healthy and losing weight is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and i’m not done yet. It is physical, mental, emotional and an uphill struggle some days. It is worth every hard day, everyday you feel like your not where you should be know that you are headed there..and you are a hell of a lot closer than you were yesterday.

Hope this helps

With Love.
Jenny

 

cleaning out the closet

One thing over the years that has been hard for me to do, that I finally did recently is to clear out my closet. Lately it has become the home of storing my clothes…all sizes mind you. It has just gotten to a point where I can not possibly fit one more thing in there. These days my closet consists of 50-60% of things that don’t fit me any longer. Which is AWESOME…but at the same time those older clothes house some memories and feeling that I wasn’t sure I was ready to give up yet. So there for awhile I was just making it work, and it would take me twice as long to find something because along the way I would go no, no, too big, blah blah blah. This past weekend after buying a new pair of jeans (because my last two pairs are too big…size 14 kids 🙂 ) I decided..what the hell, what am I waiting for. Plus in the past I am quite aware if you keep your big girl clothes it makes it that much easier to return to that life style. So I gave some to family members, and the rest is going in a tote to goodwill or various other thrift stores. One thing that I will never deny is that this is a mental, physical, emotional challenge. No matter what your goals are, if its to lose 10lbs, 30lbs , or over 100 lbs it can be an exausting journey, but an amazing one as well. 🙂 I don’t beleive that your happiness should be founded in your jean size, dress size, number on the scale… that is going to be something you figure out for you. The thing that does bring me joy is small things, being able to play ultimate frisbee and not have to sit out, or being able to jog longer distances, or seeing that just because your started your life out unhealthy doesn’t mean it has to end unhealthy. We all get a chance at this thing called life, and I don’t want to be responsible because I like to eat. I don’t want to miss out on life because I am too afraid to change. There’s my rant for the day 🙂

With Love,

Jenny