Time Out/Bootcamp Insanity

Hey guys! :) It's 9:39 pm and I'm up at my computer late because I am trying to get some work done for the doctors office. Of course, after about 15 minutes of typing, my mind started drifting and I was thinking about how I'd like to blog right now. So..here I am. Since I don't have a lot of time, I'm going to just let my thoughts spill out onto my keyboard and what you're reading is the result. :)
So, last week was tough. I had some crazy moments where I was trying to do stuff like drink my soup through a straw so I can type while I "eat", tie my shoes while driving down the road, etc. I realized that I am doing TOO MUCH all. the. time. If I wasn't doing at LEAST 2 things at once, I felt like I was being unproductive. All these classes and coaching and typing and ballgames and cooking and cleaning and emails..it was all just more than I could take. Finally after surveying everyone in my life, I turned to GOD about it (again!) He clearly spoke the same message to me through about 6 different sources...and I knew what I needed to do.
#1: Put top priority on spending QUALITY time with God every day. I realized that I spend time with God about like how I spend time with my kids. They're always there. I can hear them in the back ground. I see evidence of what they've done/where they've been..but RARELY do I actually stop what I'm doing and give them undivided attention. Rarely do I actually LISTEN to them, LOOK at them or BE WITH them. It's the same with God. He's always there and I'm aware of His presence. I listen to praise and worship all day long and put on Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer or Andrew Wommack every time I wash dishes, fold laundry, put on my make up, etc. I am constantly in contact with my Father...throwing up quick prayers left and right all throughout the day. And while that is all VERY GOOD...there still HAS to be a chunk of time where I stop everything else and give HIM my undivided attention. This is the first thing I'm setting out to change!
#2: Lessening the Load. I've decided to cancel my Friday night fitness class. It was a hard decision because I LOVE those girls and they are SO DEDICATED....but I realized that by teaching a class on Friday evening and then again first thing Saturday morning was really making any kind of weekend plans very difficult as well as not giving my body ample time to rest between extreme workouts. Even though that is only 1 class a week less, I really anticipate this taking some pressure off my week.
Also under the same thought....I am also putting my Beachbody coaching career in a "time out". I am still coaching and am fully available to my customers present and future...BUT...I am not going to put forth as much effort in recruiting new customers or coaches for a while. It's such a great opportunity, but I'm not much of a salesman and I don't want to be either. If people see my success, read my testimony and want to coach under me or buy a program that I've done--AWESOME! I would LOVE to be their coach. But as for going out and practically begging people to try Shakeology or order TurboFire....I'm just not gonna do it. I'm here for ya when you need me.

I'm excited about my upcoming 14 week Bootcamp that starts Tues. May 31st. Not only do I have an AMAZING set of routines already lined up...BUT...I am excited about what great shape I and all the other ladies are going to be in when this summer is over!! Also, I am taking a nice long break at the end of it and hopefully going on a vacation!! WOOHOO!

Insanity is in the books for my summer workouts and I'm stoked! I've been working out 6 days a week since February 8th and I think my body is in tip-top shape and TOTALLY ready to take on Insanity again. Then if I survive, maybe I'll look into the Asylum this fall....eeek!

We took the cover off the pool today! The water was really clear and after taking a sample into the pool place, it looks like we'll be ready to swim by this (Memorial Day) weekend!

Friday night Brooklyn and I are hosting a big sleepover for 6 of her girlfriends! We are doing a Secret Keeper Girl date about Friendship and there are going to be some FUN games and crafts going on! Yippee! I love being the mom I always dreamt I would be! :)

This weekend we noticed that my new Navigator was looking QUITE lopsided. It turns out that the air suspension sensor went out and apparently the left side of the car was WAY jacked up (like 14 inches) higher than the right side!!! What a funny looking ride that was!! Thankfully we got it fixed today and were only (HA!) out $180. It would have been $492 but we have a warranty and that covered a lot of it.

Well....that is about all I had going on in my head right now and I really need to get back to work so that I can get done and then get to bed. Thanks for reading my rambling! Love y'all and happy sweating! :)

I'm happy and I know it! (((clapping hands)))

THANK YOU for affirming the fact that I am NOT a depressed person! I knew that...but I just wanted to be sure "my face surely shows it" too, ya know!?!
Anyway, I sincerely appreciate all your kind words and I am going to be more aware of how much I complain because honestly, I LOVE my life and if I'm complaining, I shouldn't be. I am blessed beyond measure. God has given me over and above all that I could think or ask and I know He's not done!!! THAT is something worth smiling about! :)

I know that people think they should THANK ME for encouragement and coaching...but I am honestly so grateful and thankful for each one of you! Without people to come to my classes, it wouldn't matter how terrific an instructor I am. Without people to coach, I couldn't BE a coach. Each one of you enriches my life and I never want to take you for granted!

Do you feel the love? :) You should!!! :)
And just for extra measure: :) :-) :0) :P :o) :~)

Gotta get it off my chest and FB isn't the place...

Okay...this is BUGGING the CRUD out of me and while I run the risk of sounding like I'm whining again...I've decided to do it anyway. I mean..this IS my blog where I can say whatever I want, right? :)
So...today someone made a comment about me that is realllllly bothering me. I mean....MAJORLY. I know she didn't mean it in a bad way (or at least I don't think she did) and I'm sure she has no idea what a big deal to me it was. Here's the deal:

At class today I mentioned that I came in feeling a bit discouraged and exhausted...BUT...now, AFTER the great workout we just did...that I felt totally encouraged and great and energetic!!!
But.......before I got the "BUT" part out...she said "Jennifer, you are ALWAYS down and discouraged."

It took me by such surprise that I hesitated in the middle of my sentence and then said the rest to try to prove my point in WHY I even said it in the first place (which is that exercise is such a great way to turn lethargy into energy).

Of course, as the devil would have us to do...and as our brains like to do...I have (seemingly) forgotten all the thousands of wonderful comments and great things people have said about me and I'm magnifying this one comment way more than I should be. I just keep thinking, "REALLY????? Seriously? OMG! Do I come across that way??-as a down and discouraged, sad and depressed person?"
SURELY not! How could that be possible when I am really SO SO SO SO HAPPY!?
I mean, sure...I'm human, I have my days of feeling a bit whah-whah every month. What woman doesn't?
(bunny trail here)
I remember when Matt and I first got engaged. We went to marriage counseling and we had to fill out a questionairre. One of the questions was "What is one personality trait that you despise?" Without a second thought, I wrote down "laziness".
If I were to take that quiz again today I would add the word "defeat".
Everybody gets discouraged sometimes.......but I HATE to see people walk around with their heads hung in defeat. Unless you're not a Christian. If you're not a believer.....then I completely understand why you'd feel that way. BUT ...if you know Jesus as your savior..then you NEVER EVER have an excuse to feel defeated. JESUS defeated the devil. He won the battle for you and while He didn't promise us a perfect life (in fact, He specifically said IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLES) ......BUT...the next part of that verse says BUT TAKE HEART!!! FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!!!

Okay so back to what I was talking about....I hate the idea that ANYONE would ever see me that way. How disappointing!
I'm trying to figure out if it's just that one person and the vast majority of everyone else who knows me would disagree...or if I live in a unrealistic bubble and I don't see myself clearly. Maybe I shouldn't be so open and honest about when I'm having a tough day.?!!?.
Argh...I just need to get away from people and electronics and spend some QUALITY time with God. Just me and God and quiet. Yes...that would be HEAVENLY! :)

Inferno Plan--give myself a C-

Wow....so we started the 5-day Inferno Plan (through the TurboFire program) on Monday. We went out Sunday and bought all the groceries and were TOTALLY prepared. I even read through my TurboTracker and was all ready to write down every thing that entered my mouth.
We started out "on fire" Monday...did great. Enjoyed the food, wrote it all down, resisted temptation. Hooray!

Tuesday-Enjoyed the recipes VERY much and was following the plan perfectly until we had to be at the baseball/softball fields all evening (5-9 pm) and I caved and ate a pickle or 2 and a tootsie-roll pop. (not that awful right!?!?)

Wednesday-Still loving the food on the plan...but feeling very unsatisfied. Starting to feel the fire we had on Monday start to fizzle. :( Even though we're eating everything on the plan, I'm popping jelly beans from the Easter candy bowl every time I pass by. :( I stopped writing in my TurboTracker. It's too depressing to write down all those jelly beans.

Thursday-Man! The food on this thing is delicious and lots of things we've never tried...but I'm really feeling weak with my resolve to finish this thing. I not only ate all my scheduled food but I also had RiceWorks chips with my lunch (instead of salad) and a small bowl of Blue-Bell Cookies-N-Cream icecream at lunch. Then, after dinner I ate a bowl of brown beans and rice (1/2 c. with 4 tortilla chips) and then an apple with PB. Ugh. I went to bed feeling stuffed. DARN!

Friday-It's a new day...and the last one THANK GOODNESS! :) So far I've stuck to "the plan" and I really hope to finish this thing out on a good note so I'm putting a dishtowel over the jelly beans. :) Out of sight-out of mind I hope.
I'm bummed out that I didn't do it more closely as it was outlined......BUT........I'm still TOTALLY acknowledging the fact that I ate MUCH healthier and more conscientious this week than I have been. I also have managed to keep my 6 pounds from the cleanse off...even though I haven't lost anymore. So overall, I'm happy! I think I will try to do this once a month. The food is SO GOOD! If I get some time, I'll post the recipes for you all!

I spoke (whined) too soon! :)

Well...I'm eating my whiny words! PRAISE THE LORD!
Last night's class was great (had 4 people plus me and Matt) and this morning I had 6 besides myself! AWESOME!
Tomorrow's class is forcasted to be really good too! (I know of at least 6 people who said they'd be there!) YAY!
I'm really sorry for that cry-baby post I did yesterday. Sometimes even us "toughgirls" have a weak moment! :)
A HUGE THANK YOU to my dear friend Kirsty who sent me the most wonderful comment to that post this morning. I asked her permission to post it here because she had SUCH wisdom that I just couldn't keep it all to myself! Here it is:

Jen,
That comment someone made is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. They must have some serious body image issues to say something so rude and ignorant. We all have different bodies and God made us all the way HE wanted us. We need to take care of the Temple (body) :) he gave us and feed it the right stuff and exercise it to keep it strong for His service but that's it, man! He doesn't call us to be ripped and have a 0% body fat. We know when we are healthy and living in God's will in that area or we are letting foods and vanity issues have control over us. It's all about having balance and the state of your heart in the matter, girl.

I have learned over the last 2 years that God has given me a passion for working out. I love it when I do it and I need it to keep me happy and sane. I do myself and my God a disservice when I make working out a means to an end. Like, for me personally (and it may or may not be this way for you) I know feel convicted when I make my workout about looking good. I try every time I workout to make it about making my body stronger and leaner to be healthier and more comfortable in my skin, because then I can be more useful as a believer.

Things really started to make sense to me when I figured this out.

About the people not coming to your class, don't stress. Just do your thing, be your sweet, bubbly self and let your passion for what you do be the honey that attracts people. Also, maybe start offering some packages, like 3 classes a week for $10 or something. Having a once a week or month $$ transaction would lessen the focus on the cost. Or you could have packages with certain amounts of classes and the more you buy, the cheaper it gets per class. You're still making good $$ that way in my opinion.

We most definitely struggle with a lot of the same insecurities and I know how you feel! You cannot let the enemy steal your joy over stuff like this. Keep conquering temptation over sweets and unhealthy foods and keep working out but remember to keep in mind what you have now. You are one gorgeous (thin!!) girl with curves and a super cute smile! Some people are super tiny with rock hard stomachs and have other body issues that they can't control or even think about changing. You have a naturally beautiful body and a gorgeous soul so rock it out and be thankful! :)

We all need a little encouragement every now and then but that doesn't mean it's easy to hear or easy to put into practice. You're awesome and you have lead me to places (and pant sizes) I never thought I'd go. I hope this helps you even a fraction of how you've helped me!! :)

♥

Kirsty

***Also thank you to Kate and Rene who are so loyal to always comment on my posts and who always have great advice too! I love you girls! :)

Shakeology Cleanse: Final Results and Inferno Plan begins!

Well, I got up Saturday morning and before I dove head-first into that strawberry cake sitting in my fridge (ha ha), I got on the scale one last time to see what my final results were from doing the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse. In all, I lost 6 pounds. I felt as light as air-popped popcorn and actually had a good amount of energy for having not eaten a real meal since Tuesday.
For those of you wanting to know the dirty details: I only pooped TWICE in the whole 3 days. That is a bit crazy to me. I mean...if I was getting "cleansed"...where did all the build-up go? How did it leave my body? I have to be honest, I am one of the few weird people who actually hoped I'd be stuck on the pot all day long. I mean..then I would have PROOF. Anyway...nevertheless, I'm Very happy with my results; Very happy I did the cleanse and I Very recommend it to anyone who needs a jump-start on weight loss or needs to de-clutter your intestines. :)

Now onto the "next great thing"....Today Matt and I started the 5-day Inferno Plan from the TurboFire nutrition guide. Basically it's a 5 day eating plan that is supposed to help you lose weight before you start the regular nutrition guide. We went grocery shopping yesterday for TWO FULL HOURS just to get the foods for this week M-F and ended up leaving without quinoa or alfalfa sprouts since I couldn't locate them ANYWHERE. I guess I'll just substitute brown rice for the quinoa and lettuce for the sprouts...!!??!!
I'm really not worried about doing everything 100% PERFECTLY. As long as we stick to it about 95%...I'm happy. :)

Currently my weight is at 134 and as you all know...my goal is 125. But...I like a comment someone left me on FB this past week that said "forget the #'s on the scale...pick a pair of pants you want to fit into and then aim for that".........and so I did. :) I have a really cute pair of Nike camo capris that I LOVE. They are a size small (4-6) and they've NEVER fit me comfortably. I actually wore them Saturday night and I was miserable. I had to unbutton them in order to breathe while sitting down. :( So...besides getting to 125, that is what I'm shooting for--to be able to wear these pants AND SIT IN THEM! :) I'll let you know when (not if) it happens!

In other news...can I vent a little bit?
If you don't want to hear me whine like a big baby...you can stop reading now.
okay, you've been warned!
WHAT is the DEAL with people? Everywhere I look there are overweight and obese people and yet, I'm LUCKY if I can get 5 people to show up to a fitness class these days. I know there are many factors that play into how many people come: such as time of the year, time of the class, day of the week, sport schedules, financial restraints, time constraints, etc. BUT REALLY? In my WHOLE TOWN......only 3-5 people?
I'm asking myself..."am I charging too much?" "am I a lousy instructor?" "are the classes to hard/easy?" "is everyone bored with it already?" "did I pick bad times of the day?" "do people want different types of classes?" "have I offended someone with my choice of music?"
I know with any new business, everything isn't always perfect. But this is confusing. I mean...people who started out coming strong and were super-motivated have just drifted away and actually seem to AVOID me now. Look, I am NOT JUST "Cross Training Fitness"...I am also Jennifer Jones, friend. :(
When I first started numbers were in the 3-5 people per class range...then they jumped up to 7-10 on average and things were going GREAT. Then suddenly without warning...back down to 3-5 IF I'M LUCKY. ?????????? I'm not giving up or quitting...but I just wish I knew what people wanted.
Many of the people who've stopped coming are the very ones who've poured their heart out to me about how BADLY they want to lose weight. So why have they stopped coming?

Then you've got me...falling back into the bad habit of comparing myself to fitness models thinking I will never look like that but feeling like I need to. A comment someone made about me one time that has really bothered me (for about a year now) was: "When I saw you were the instructor, I thought this class can't be very hard."
That particular day I was subbing a class for another instructor who looks like she belongs on the cover of Fitness Magazine. She's physically perfect and when people see her they worry about how CRAZY HARD the workout is going to be. So ....when people see me...I guess they think it's gonna be fairly easy because I am at least 20 pounds heavier than that girl and not NEARLY as ripped. :(
Blahhhhh..I am having a big whine fest, huh? See...a while back I created a separate blog JUST for this reason. A blog that NO ONE had access to so I could pour my heart out (no matter how goofed up it was) and no one would judge me. But then I decided that was dumb because then I was posting all the "negative stuff" on that blog and only the "positive stuff" on this blog...so I deleted it and now you guys are stuck hearing all this garbage. Sorry!

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day! :) I'm pretty sure the majority of this post didn't make much sense and probably didn't flow at all...but I just typed as the thoughts entered my head and now I am going to say "publish post" because I've gotta get up from here and get back to my housework!
Thank you so much to all my loyal readers! I really do love you all!