Confessions of a Trainer: I HATE Cooking!

...and I don't think I am very good at it. 

There is this myth floating around that as a trainer I love cooking new, healthy recipes each week which in return keep me in the best shape of my life. 

FALSE.

New recipes scare me. I refuse to make anything with more than 5 ingredients. And when I get home most nights at 6:30-7PM with a 9PM bedtime, cooking is at the bottom of my priority list. 

I struggled with this preconceived notion I need to spend all this time in the kitchen and actually enjoy it. These 4 things saved me. My life now...easy peasy {kind of}. 


1) K.I.S.S.

Keep. It. Simple. Stupid. 

As soon as I stopped over-thinking healthy eating, everything changed. When you're suppose to be a fitness & nutrition guru, you constantly get "Well what are you doing?". 

I go to the grocery store.
I pretty much get the exact same things
I buy only what I need
I am now forced to eat what I buy

I created the 21 Foods + 21 Day Challenge for my clients. The purpose of this challenge? To remind all of us to just keep it simple. We all have our favorite go to meats, proteins, fruits etc. so stick with what you like. 

2) Meal Prep

Just do it. Need I say more? 

Every Sunday I prepare

Egg White Muffins
Overnight Oats
Chicken {season differently each week}
Sweet Potato Fries 


3) Go To Recipes

Burgers on the grill
Bacon in the microwave 
Guacamole + Salsa 
Frozen Vegetables

15 minutes max. What is your go to recipe? 

Be sure to have one and use accordingly. 

4) Help is Ok! 

I first heard of Paleo Works several years ago. I suggested their meals to several of my clients, but refused to order for myself. 

Why?

The stubborn, recovering perfectionist, thought surely I should be able to make my own food for the week. 

In January I waved the white flag and placed an order...and continued to place an order each week since. Don't be like me. Knowing I do not have to worry about 4-6 meals each week takes a load of stress off my plate. 

The goal with a healthy lifestyle is to be able to sustain....this is all sustainable. 

How Do I Achieve Balance? The Day I Gave Up Perfectionism.

Hi, my name is Courtney and I am a recovering perfectionist. 

I just erased and re-typed the above sentence 5 times so maybe "recovering" perfectionist is a little ambitious. However, after seeking "help" and reading and researching balance, I am doing better, I swear! Before I would have erased that sentence 30 times before throwing my hands up, saying "oh forget it". 

There are things I have to remind myself of from time to time. Actually these 5 things I repeat daily:


1. Routine. Routine. Routine. PLAN B! 

I, like most, thrive on routine. When my routine is in full swing, I am untouchable. 

As we all know, you can plan and plan the perfect routine then life throws you a curveball...sickness, injury, relationships etc. 

Don't get me wrong, routine is very, very important, but even more important than routine is the ability to stay on your toes. Be ready for anything. 

This happens with my and probably your workouts about once a week. You schedule your workout for noon. Clothes ready etc. then something pops up and you don't get that hour of "me" time. So you only get a 20 minute workout versus an hour, always remember anything is better than nothing. 

Plan B might not be perfect, but some days its more about surviving ;)


2. Comparison

Trying to "keep up with the Joneses" is real! I admit it, I found myself on social media in astonishment as some of my friends whipped up this amazing dinner for their kids. This is of course after serving my daughter chicken nuggets for the 4th night in a row. 

Don't compare your life to someone's highlight reel. I am sure their kids had pizza 2 nights in a row at one time or another. And I am going to let you in on a little secret...no one, I mean no one has it all together all of the time. 

3. Lessons vs Failures

A few years back while building my business, my mentor told me to think of my "failures" each day as lessons. Messing up is a good thing! As long as you take something away from it. Each day I try to reflect on my "lessons learned" from the day. 

I will never be perfect, but I do hope to learn from previous mistakes. 

"Everybody fails. It’s an inevitable part of life. You won’t succeed at everything you try. And, if you’re currently operating with that assumption, I hate to tell you that you’ll soon end up sorely disappointed.

However, miserably failing at something quickly reminds you that you can’t let a few stumbles (or even full-blown wipeouts) completely stop you in your tracks. Instead, you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep pushing forward" - Kate Boogaard, themuse

4. You can't pour from an empty cup

When I take care of myself, I am calmer, more focused and hands down a better mother, trainer, friend & daughter. Sometimes I feel bad when I have to work or squeeze in a workout, but I know these things make me happy.

Do not be afraid to put yourself first! 

5. Take Control...

...of what you can actually control. 

If I could tattoo any motto or phrase {without my mom knowing of course}, it would be this. There are plenty of things we cannot control, but before you get overwhelmed, take the deepest breath and remember what you can control. 

Saying I am a recovering perfectionist is pretty darn close to saying I am a recovering control freak {To those who know me, I see that eye roll. I am doing better!}. 

Ok, ok, I'll go ahead and admit it, I like things a certain way. I know it's also important to let things go. Else has helped me tremendously. 

How do I know what gym is right for me? 5 Signs You Picked the Wrong Gym

As a fitness professional, the one thing I notice on a continual basis is the number of gyms or fitness facilities in every town. There are a lot! And just when you think you know all them, another one pops up! 

With a plethora of options out there, how do you know if you picked the right gym? 

After visiting gyms all across the country, I realized there are 5 BIG time warning signs that you should walk out that door and never go back. 

1. The staff does not know your name OR even ask your name! 

Yes, I have actually been to a gym for the first time and the trainer did not even ask my name. Two things crossed my mind 1) he did not care to know my name, he had his own thing going on 2) he was collecting his paycheck with a full class whether he asked my name or not. 

Ever go to a gym for an entire week with the same trainer and still not acknowledgement of your name? Yep. I have been there too. 

2. There is no warm-up or cool down. 

How? Why? Do not get my wrong, I love getting in and getting out of workouts, but all of our workouts are an hour long for a reason. Nothing scares me more than walking in the door and jumping right into any exercise full strength. 

6-8 minutes Warm-Up

40-45 minutes Workout

6-8 minutes Cool Down & Stretching 

Just do it. 

3. The owners or trainers are never there. 

You want help or have questions outside of class. I have been there. Drive by at 11AM. No one is there. I drive by again at 3PM. Still no one there. 

As a trainer, I feel my job is even more important OUTSIDE of class. The more available I am to my clients, the more successful they will be...and that is what I care the most about, their success! 

4. Classes run past the scheduled end time. 

MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE! Nothing makes my blood boil like a class scheduled to end at 10AM and we are still working out with no end in sigh at 10:09AM. 

As a trainer at Grit Fitness & Wellness, I know your days are jammed packed with t-ball, meetings, work, grocery shopping, making dinner...I will get you out on time. End of story. 

Respect my time. Respect your time. 

5. No one smiles.

I get it. I need to be tough and tenacious during these workouts, but is the trainer ever going to smile? Do they enjoy their job? 

Yes working out can be hard, but there is no reason it cannot be fun or at least a point in the workout that makes you smile. 

I'm funny. Really! And I truly enjoy every aspect of my job which means I am all smiles during our workouts {even when you're doing something you're not suppose to or not listening}

How workout progress is the same as falling in love...

Wait, what?!

This weekend I recently listened to a "Inside Quest" talk with Simon Sinek on leadership. He was asked, "How do you determine if a leader is successful?" His response blew me away. I thought it can be applied to all areas of life, especially fitness & health.

He asked the host, Tom, "When did you fall in love with your wife?" The answer...over time. The small things you do day in and day out for someone you care about eventually lead to falling in love. It's not a one day thing, its an over time thing.

How can you measure success in our program?

Your clothes slowly start to fit better.

More energy.

Sleep better.

Eat better and splurge less often.

Happier!

It's what you do each and every single day with your fitness & wellness goals in mind that lead to a happier, healthier you.