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.

Are You Dedicated This December?

I hear it all of the time, "I just follow the 80/20 Rule".

What does that even mean? 80% of what? How do I even measure it? 

For the longest time, my clients would struggle in December. The worst part? They became extremely discouraged in January and would want to give up after previous months of hard work. I wanted to create a simple, easy to follow program for this overwhelming month. 

Enter the 80/20 Rule. I found a way to measure this notorious weight loss rule. 

There are 10 daily, healthy rules to follow.

1 64oz of water
2 Eat a real breakfast 
3 2 fruit servings
4 2 vegetable servings 
5 Healthy protein at every meal & snack
6 Avoid eating out
7 No BAD liquid calories (Starbucks, Wine etc.)
8 No food after 8PM
9 Food Journal
10 WORKOUT! WORKOUT! MOVE! 

Your daily goal? Hit 8 out of 10.

I know what you are thinking...but what if I go to a Holiday Party where I NEED to drink a glass of wine, they order out food and it doesn't get served until 8PM? 

There are 31 days in December. I throw out Christmas entirely which makes this challenge last 30 days. 

80% of 30 days, 24 days of hitting at least 8 out of your 10 daily goals. 

This will be our third year of Dedicated December. Clients not only lose weight, but most of them continue to lose weight following this now understandable 80/20 rule. 

The best part? If you hit 80% of the days in December and lose just 1 pound, you will be entered into a drawing to win a FREE month of training with me. 

Perfect for those post Holiday blues :)

Email info@gritfitwellness.com for a print out of Dedicated December. 

Why I (maybe you too) Suck at the Holidays....

Just 90 days after giving birth to my daughter, I planned on attending my year high school reunion. With my profession, I was in a better shape in my late 20s than I could ever imagine as a high school senior.

I made a plan for those 3 months to exercise {safely of course!} and eat clean. I wanted to look and feel good when I saw my high school classmates, most of them for the first time since we graduated.

I wore a pre-baby outfit comfortably, I hit my goal. My three month postpartum self felt victorious.

Thanksgiving came and went immediately followed by Christmas and New Year's.

Well, in January my clothes felt tighter. I finally stepped on a scale and realized I weighed more on that day than the day I came home from the hospital!!

Whoops!

How did this happen? I was so strict with my plan for those 90 days. The next day on Thanksgiving I remember telling myself, I hit my goal so pass that second piece of pie which pretty much became my motto for the next 6 weeks.

The answer: I was living reactively versus intentionally.

Reactive: No intentions or plan; Determined by our surroundings

After hitting my original goal, I did not set any intentions for the holidays. I called it a "free for all" as a reward for being so disciplined for 3 months.

What's most important gets lost depending on what's literally pulling on us demanding our attention immediately. Kids want to decorate cookies. Friends want to have a few cocktails. The word "no" becomes increasingly difficult to say.

Intentional: Setting the tone; Preventing future problem

I wrote a plan and stuck by it. I scheduled my workouts. I planned out my meals.


During the Holidays, routines, scheduled workouts, and healthy eating gets thrown out the door. We react to our friends and family, their togetherness and the plethora of food that surrounds us.

I love this time of year. It's my absolute favorite so I understand the "but it's Christmas, Courtney!" The past few years, I am getting better at enjoying myself and remembering my goals and hard work from the previous 10.5 months. It's a balance all planned out ahead of time.

How many cheat meals this week?

Are you going to have dessert after every family meal?

How many times are you going to workout?

Do you have your workouts scheduled?

How many adult beverages each week?


I'm not saying the days will go perfect, because they will not, but there will be purpose behind your action. Somewhere or someone in the back of your head will be there to remind you that you really do not need that second Christmas cookie.

So what are your plans for this Holiday Season?

"There is enormous magic in the tiny word do. When we tell ourselves, "I'll do it," we unleash tremendous power. That act forges in us a chain of personal responsibility that ups our game: a desire to excel plus a sense of duty plus complete aliveness plus total dedication to getting done what has to be done. That equals commitment" - John Maxwell Intentional Living 

Need help staying on track? Email to receive a copy of our Holiday Goal Sheet. 

"But I weighed again this morning and...."

Hey you. Yes you, you know the one who steps on the scale every single day. You, the one who gets frustrated by not losing weight or seeing the results you deserve. 

What are you doing every.single.day. to hit your goals?

How many of these daily {or weekly} habits do you have?

Step on the scale

Skip a meal

Drink your coffee with creamer

Morning yogurt full of sugar

Mid afternoon pick me up of soda or more caffeine 

Something "sweet" during the day or after dinner

Nightly glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage to wind down at end of day

Think about exercising, but not actually do it

Stay up late

Stress out

Cheat weekend full of drinks & poor food choices

Versus this daily habits:

Exercise daily for 30-60 minutes

Eat 3-5 servings of vegetables or

Eat something green 

Drink at least 88oz of water

Food journal everything you eat

Take your vitamins

Sleep 6-8 hours

Meditate 

Keep a gratitude journal 

Avoid sugary, high fructose snacks

Avoid simple carbs & dairy

So are you watching the scale? Or are you watching what you do day in and day out? Those small habits will turn into something great. Trust the process and make just one small change in your daily routine today and build on that. 

What habit are you going to incorporate into your daily routine this week?