3 Tips to Get Out of Your Funk

I don’t know what is going on these days, but I’ve been speaking with a lot of my clients and friends who have said they are feeling “Blah!” when it comes to their jobs, their relationships (or lack thereof), their finances, their family, and their health/fitness. I don’t what it is, but I wanted to share my 3 tips that have helped me and I’ve already heard back from a few who have said my tips have helped them.

In the video below, I break it down into the following:

1. Get Clarity in what you want.  If you are unhappy, it’s important to know exactly you are unhappy about and what exactly you want to change.
2. Get Organized and clear the clutter. When our life, house, minds, fridge, etc is packed with clutter, it can create more anxiety and stress about the current situation and it can prevent us from seeing opportunities and possibilities to change ourselves, our situation or our perspective.
3. Get a Goal that you can use to focus your attention and energy.  Once you know what you want to change and you have created space for change to happen, you have to take action by moving forward in a positive direction.

Watch the video to get a bit more about these tips and to help you get on track to getting out of your funk!

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How to eat healthy as a “Picky Eater”

I hear this all the time from clients, when we move on to talking about their diet and nutrition. And to be honest, I can’t relate, because I literally love all types of foods!  There is a very small list of foods that I don’t like to eat, which creates a completely different problem. (We will get into that in another blog post! LOL)

When I start working with a “picky eater”, my focus with them is to help them change their mindset and find solutions that will help them stay on track. Nutrition is a huge part of the transformation process and you can’t out exercise a bad diet. So, you have to get this under control if you want to get lasting results.

1.Focus on the foods that you like: I think that a lot of people get so caught up on what “healthy eating” is, and they believe that in order to be healthy they have to stick to a strict list of foods that are acceptable. I once had a client say that she couldn’t eat healthy, because she didn’t like spinach. In her mind, if she couldn’t eat what her friends were eating on their diet, it was pointless for her to even start.  So I asked her, “What foods do you like?” From there we came up with a list of foods that she does like and started to focus on creating a meal plan that included those things. So, if you don’t like kale, don’t eat kale, there are many other healthy vegetables that you can eat to stay on track. 🙂

2. Experiment with new recipes and new preparation techniques. It’s 2016, which means there is an unlimited amount of resources available to find recipes. Once you have an idea of what foods you do like, go to Google or Pinterest and type if “[FOOD YOU LIKE] Healthy Recipes” and voila! You will have a list of options that you can start to work into your daily routine. Also, try new preparation techniques, like using a Crock Pot or trying grilling your chicken instead of baking it.

3. Expand your horizons: Once you have a hang of trying new things with the foods that you like, take a step further and start to add new foods into the mix.  I don’t mean a huge overhaul, but maybe trying one new vegetable, or grain, or new way to prepare your meal.  This is one of the best ways to keep things from getting boring or stale, unless you like that (some people do like eating the same thing, because it helps to keep them on track and relieves some stress).

At the end of the day, just because you are a “picky eater”, it doesn’t mean that you are doomed when it comes to getting a handle on your nutrition.  Try these 3 tips and give it a shot!

If you are looking for a way to get a better handle on Clean Eating, check out my free Clean Eating Guide, which includes a sample meal play and grocery list that you can check out.  Click here to download the guide. 

Try this goal setting technique to reach your weight loss goals

Many of my clients come to me with very specific goals, like “I want to lose 15 pounds in one month” or “I want to lose my stomach flab by my trip to Maui in a few months”. While I commend my clients for setting SMART Goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Specific, I often have to have a conversation with them about how “Realistic and Attainable” their goals are. Is it possible to lose 15 pounds in one month? Absolutely. Will it be easy and will they enjoy the process? Absolutely not. Typically, when I lay out the plan of action, their eyes glaze over and they are hit with the reality that the goal they want may require more than they are willing to do to reach that goal in that amount of time.

One thing that I work on with my clients is setting goals that are motivating and actually make them excited to push for. How do I do that? We change the focus from achieving a specific result to adopting a specific habit, which will ultimately lead to their desired results. There is power in forming healthy habits, mainly because once you form those habits, naturally they will lead to results of getting healthier, losing weight, feeling better and more.

When I task my clients to set goals, I give them these specifics and I call them SMART 2.0 Goals: 

• Specific
• Meaningful & Motivating
• Action Oriented
• Realistic
• Time Framed

For example, instead of saying, “I want to lose 15 pounds in one month”, your goal would look something like this:

Weight Loss SMART Goal 2.0: I will lose 15 pounds by developing the habit of eating a healthy breakfast and taking my dog on a 30 minute walk every morning for the next 4 weeks.

This type of goal setting provides you with a better aim and focus on developing habits, also it gives you a better idea of what you need to do each day to make that goal become a reality.   You are no longer focusing on the 15 pounds, instead you are focusing on creating a habit to eat a healthier breakfast and to use your dog walking time to be active.  By the end of the month, will you have reached your goal of 15 pounds of weight loss? Maybe or maybe not, but will you be well on your way? Absolutely! Will you feel good about yourself if you are able to make two small adjustments to your daily routine that will lead to feeling better, looking better, having more energy, fueling your body, and spending more quality time with your dog? Absolutely!   If you keep this habit up and make it a lifestyle change, will you eventually lose those 15 pounds? HECK YES!

This type of goal setting is great because at the end of the day you are forming habits that will lead to a healthier lifestyle and the bonus will be the weight loss or whatever result you are looking for.   Aristotle nailed it when he said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” 

If you would like to learn more about how to set better goals to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle, connect with me on Facebook and send me a message. 

3 Tips to Get (& Stay) Motivated in 2016

Happy New Years! As we kick off 2016, I wanted to share with you 3 Tips to Get (and Stay) Motivated for 2016.  I know that many people start off the new year excited and ready to crush their health and fitness goals, but as the days and weeks roll by, our level of commitment can begin to decline.  Last week, I hosted a free webinar where I go into detail of my 3 tips (click here to watch the webinar or scroll to the bottom), but I wanted to share them with you here.

1. Clearly Identify Your WHY and Your Goals: Take some time and think about WHY you want to get healthy and fit this year. One of my favorite quotes is “If you are considering QUITTING, think about why you started in the first place.”  This gets me every time, when I want to give up on a goal, I simply remember why I started in the first place and it helps me push past my excuses.  The same thing with your goals, get very clear on what you want to accomplish and make sure that your goals are SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE and REALISTIC. Once you have your WHY and your GOALS, read them at least once a day so that they stay in front of you!

2. Make a Plan, Work Your Plan & Do It Consistently: Once you have your goals, break them down into daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks.  This way you will know exactly what needs to be done and how to move forward with your goals. The biggest thing here is to make sure that do what needs to be done CONSISTENTLY, not just when you feel like it or when it is convenient for you. News flash, success isn’t always going to convenient and comfortable, so just suck it and keep pushing forward.

3. Get Connected to an Accountability System: The biggest success factor I found with my challengers last year, was those who actively participated and checked into the group or with their Accountability partner. When you know that you are expected to show up and check in to a group or for a weekly check in call, it creates a sense of urgency to do what you said you would do.  This is why I love my monthly groups, because you have people with the same goals as you, who are right there with you pushing and working on their goals. You are not alone and you have the support needed when you feel like giving up.

These 3 tips may seem super simple, but they have been game changers for my challengers in 2015 and hopefully, they will work for you, too!

If you are looking for more accountability to reach your goals in 2016, you’re invited to join my upcoming January 2016 Kick Off Challenge. To learn more, click here or watch the webinar below and at the end I discuss more about the challenge group and the special bonuses I’m throwing in for my participants.

 

3 Ways to Make April Your Best Month Yet!

Happy April!

Are you ready to crush this month and reach your goals?

The beginning of the month is where people tend to set new goals, but if you have been setting the same goal over and over again each month, chances are there some things that need to be tweaked in order to finally reach those goals. For most, it’s simply being held accountable to what you say you are going to do and having a plan of action that you make the commitment to working that plan every-single-day!

Will it be easy? probably not. Will it be fun? I will do my best to make it fun! Will it be worth it? Of course it will!!! 

Here are 3 ways to stay on track this month:

• Create a plan of action and share it with someone to hold you accountable. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Period. So think about what you need to do daily and then having someone keep you accountable to doing those daily activities will make sure that you move closer to reaching that goal.  Doing daily or weekly check ins to track your progress and brainstorm ways to move past obstacles can help you to keep moving forward.
• Make your goals challenging, but realistic.  One thing that I used to do was set goals that were challenging and pretty much unrealistic. Within one week of pushing hard, reality set in and I would give up.  Take a look at your current schedule, budget, and mental/emotional capacity, do you really have time to run 10 miles every single day or should you focus on running 1 – 3 miles a day? Do you think that you can eat 100% clean with NO CHEATS or maybe you focus on eating a healthy breakfast and practicing meal prep to help stay on track this month? Make it challenging, but also make it realistic so you are truly motivated, instead of discouraged.
• Don’t be afraid to change things up.  This weekend I recorded a video (click here to watch) where I talk about the importance of re-evaluating your plan and making small changes, when necessary. This works if you feel stuck, you know, working out daily, but the scale isn’t moving or eating healthy, but still feeling sluggish.  If you are struggling and want help with reaching your health and fitness goals this month, I can help you to make some tweaks to help you get back on track.

I hope that you have a great month and remember, I am here as your Healthy Lifestyle Coach and Personal Trainer, so if you have questions, need advice, or want suggestions on how to get back on track, I’m here! We can connect on Facebook and chat!

5 Keys to Get Lasting Results with your Health & Fitness

As a Personal Trainer and Healthy Lifestyle Coach, I have many people who come to me looking for quick results with their health and fitness. The reality is, they didn’t get to their current situation overnight. If you want results, more importantly results that will last, it will not happen overnight. It will require Hard Work and Patience. Period. Here are a few tips on how to get mentally prepared for achieving those results that you are looking for.

1.  Make a decision. When we make a decision, we are telling ourselves that we are making the commitment to do whatever it takes to make that change. That is what making a decision is all about it, it is putting a stake in the ground, drawing a line in the sand, it’s saying enough is enough.
2. Get Informed. Understand what will be required of you and from you to make these changes happen. This may mean making sacrifices and compromises. It may mean doing things that you don’t necessarily want to do, but in the end it will benefit you (like waking up early, cutting out TV, or replacing those french fries with a salad).
3. Be patient. I know that it is difficult when you are making strides but you don’t see or feel like you are making progress. We live in a “microwave society” where everyone wants everything to be quick, fast and in a hurry. Well when it comes to lasting, life changing results, that is not the road you want to take. Change takes time and if you keep that in your mind, it will make the process (because it is a process) much easier.
4. Get Assistance. If you find that you need more help to stay consistent, on track, and committed to your journey for change, it is okay, actually it is highly recommended, that you find an accountability partner, support group or even a coach (like me), to help you to stay focused. It’s always easier to reach your results when you feel like you aren’t going it alone.
5. Track and Celebrate Progress. As I mentioned, this will be a journey, not a quick fix and although you may feel like you are not making strides, trust me, you are. Taking photos, measurements, journaling your journey, blogging, or creating videos to document your path to change, can give you that boost of confidence that you are on the right track. Don’t be ashamed to celebrate a victory no matter how big or small it may seem!

I know that you have it in you to get the results that you have always wanted, but it all starts with you making that decision. If you need help, encouragement, tips, or support to get the results that you are looking for click here so we can connect.

3 Keys to Make a Habit Stick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s face it, most people don’t have a problem setting a goal or stating a new habit that they want to develop.  It’s staying accountable and consistent with working towards that goal or habit, right? Think about a time when you set a goal or stated that you wanted to make a change in your life, but weren’t able to make it come to fruition.  Let’s be honest for a moment, why didn’t you make it happen?  Naturally, we will look at external things like people, situations, circumstances, time, money, etc to point the blame.  However, at the end of the day, 9 times out of 10, the reason why that habit didn’t stick or that goal wasn’t met, is because you weren’t set up for success in the first place.

Here are a few tips that I share with my clients to help them stick with their goals and work towards success.

1. Believe that you can do it: If you don’t believe that you can’t reach that goal, you won’t. Period.  The mindset that you have is the #1 thing that will determine your success in anything that you do. If you have set the goal that you want to run a marathon by the end of the year, believe that you can do it. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line, create affirmations that will help you to stay focused on that goal. Here is a video that I created that talks more about Mindset. 

2. Set mini goals: Most people focus so much on the end result that they neglect the progress they are making along the way. Instead of having your timeline on the finished product, create a few mini goals that you can shoot for.  If you have set a goal to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year, break up your goal and focus on how much weight you want to lose each month, that is about 4 pounds a month. Chances are, if you make minor tweaks to your diet and stick with a fitness program, you will definitely lose 4 pounds (or more) a month.  I’ve seen most people in my 21 Day Online Bootcamps lose up to 10 – 15 pounds with the 21 Day Fix, so I know that it is possible.

3. Drop the “All or Nothing” mentality: I had a client who would start out each year with her goals and the second that she “failed”, she would give up.  She looked at her failure to eat healthy for that day, as completely ruining her chances of reaching that goal.  She thought that she would either give it her all or nothing at all. That type of thinking will always keep you stuck…because WE ARE HUMANS AND WE ARE NOT PERFECT! WE WILL FAIL TIME TO TIME! You will have awesome days and you will have days that you fall off track.  The key is not to focus on the failure, but to linger on the lesson.  When you fall off track, think about what you can do differently to improve and reach that goal.

If you are at a point where you want to make your health and fitness goals stick this year, but need a bit more accountability to make it happen. I want to invite you to join me in my next 21 Day Online Fitness & Clean Eating Bootcamp!  Click here for more information. 

3 Ways to Get Back On Track with your New Years Resolutions

We are about 3 weeks into 2015, how are you doing with your Health and Fitness goals so far? I know how difficult it can be to get started and to stay commited with your goals at the beginning of the year. So, I wanted to give you 3 tips that may help you.

1. Don’t be afraid to do a “DO OVER”: Many times we feel that if we have one off day that we should just call it a quits and give up.  This is the biggest mistake that you can make, instead use it as an opportunity to evaluate what went wrong – maybe you choose a workout that you didn’t particularly enjoy and in turn it meant that you dreaded your workout, so you weren’t consistent with it.  Is it time to do a “Do Over”?

2. Find a Better Way: After evaluating what wasn’t working, start to think of other ways or alternatives that you can implement to help you reach your goals.  I like to say, keep the destination (i.e. lose 20 pounds), but be flexible with how you get there.  What are some things that you can try that are new and maybe better?

3. FInd a Partner: You are almost 8 times more likely to reach your goals when you have someone or even a group of people who are working towards the same or similar goals as you.  When you know that others are in the same boat and you make a plan to check in regularly with each other, it gives you an extra dose of accountability to keep pushing.  Who do you know who might want to join you on this journey?

The moral of the story is that we are not perfect and we won’t knock it out the park every single time, but if you are willing to try and give it the best you can each day, that is what really matters.  If you need more support or accountability with your 2015 Health and Fitness goals, I would love to help you, just comment below.  Also, on February 2nd, I have my next Online Fitness & Clean Eating Bootcamp starting up and you are more than welcome to join us. For more information, click here. 

How I Changed My Life

Many people ask me how I got into health and fitness and to be honest, I wasn’t given a choice. My life was on a downward spiral in every aspect and it was through changing my fitness and eating habits that my entire life changed. I never thought I would have found my passion through my transformation, but I am so happy I did and now I can pay it forward to help others in the same way.

To be honest, if you want to change your life, it all starts with a DECISION! That moment when you decide that enough is enough and that you want to change for good.  Yes, it will be difficult, it will be an adjustment, it will require sacrifices, and it may not be pretty all the time.  Oh, and YOU WILL FAIL and it will be hard to accept that, but the key is to get back up every single time you get knocked down and go for it ONE MORE TIME.

If you want to change your body, you have to love, honor, and respect your body.

If you would like some help with your journey or are ready to get started, visit http://www.CoachingWithAllison.com and let’s chat!

The Truth About How to Get Abs

Today I had a conversation with a good friend and client, told me that she wanted to have abs by Christmas.  As much as I know she wants that to happen, the reality is that there are no quick fixes or short cuts to getting abs.  I can be the first to tell you that, as my abs were the LAST thing to show up! But almost 2 years later, they are still there!  Which makes me super happy, because it goes to show that if you want abs, it will mean COMMITMENT & CONSISTENCY!

Many people are going ga-ga over waist trainers, diet pills, weird diets, and shakes to help them get abs.  The reality is that if you want to get abs, you will need to make the appropriate changes to your diet first.  The saying “Abs are made in the Kitchen” is the most valid statement I’ve ever heard, because it was in 2013 that I made the commitment to focus on my nutrition. I started with the Ultimate Reset and lost over 10 pounds (that I didn’t even know that I had to lose – click here to see my journey), from there I continued with learning more about Clean Eating and realizing that it wasn’t a diet, but a way of life.   That’s why I created the Clean Eating Guide to help people understand more about Clean Eating. Once you have mastered eating clean, you will begin to see the changes happen, but 70% of your results will come nutrition.

The next part, is to be consistent with your fitness regimen and that doesn’t mean just doing 1000 crunches a day. It means, choosing a regimen that will challenge you, but also one that you will stick with and do it consistently.  My friend actually injured her knee by running and weight lifting, when she was not ready for it. Now, she is unable to workout and I’m sure feels quite defeated as Christmas is on it’s way and her abs are not here yet.

The moral of the story is – if you want, abs you have to be committed to do the work to get them.  That means eating clean and training mean consistently.  There are no quick fixes, wraps, shakes, pills, or a crazy “fad diet” that will do for you, what simple fitness and nutrition can.  For some tips on Ab Friendly Foods, check out this blog post and if you are looking for a fitness program that you will able to stick with, click here to set up time to chat to find your perfect program.  

Xoxo!