Motivation Monday: Meet Anna!

Happy Monday! I'm really excited for this week because we're finally turning the corner towards SPRING! Today we're supposed to break 70 degrees here in Chicago, and even though I know the weather will dip back down into winter mode before spring is officially here to stay, the gross dirty piles of snow and ice are almost completely gone and the energy in the city is just buzzing. I had grand intentions last week to actually start writing and sharing all the blog post ideas that have been swirling in my brain, but life got away from me and I ended up spending my spare time wandering outside on long walks in the sunshine. Oh well, this week is a fresh start and I'm determined to focus more on writing and blogging! I have so many recipes, reflections, articles, reviews, and life updates I'm dying to share.

First up, I want to kick off this week's edition of Motivation Monday by sharing another success story from one of the incredible women in my Inspire Joy Bootcamp, Anna! Anna and I grew up in the same hometown and our families have known each other our entire lives. We reconnected through Facebook and she decided to make a positive change in her life and join my accountability group to finally establish sustainable healthy habits and work towards feeling confident and beautiful in her own skin. She's been completely crushing Insanity Max 30 for the past several weeks and I'm so proud of her dedication and commitment! 

She's learning that you don't have to be perfect to feel progress, which is such an incredible and empowering realization. 

Meet Anna!

Why did you decide to join the Inspire Joy Bootcamp?

I've seen Beachbody infomercials for years and always been intrigued but assumed I could never be one of the success stories.  Finally after months of reading Anna's posts and seeing success stories of so many "normal" people, I decided to take the plunge. I picked Insanity Max 30 because I liked that it combined the nutrition plan of the 21 Day Fix, the workouts were only 30 intense minutes but also there is the modifier track for me to start out.  I wanted to eventually be able to kill a Shawn T workout without it killing me and I figured I'd never get there if I didn't get it a shot.

Favorite go-to healthy foods?

Frozen blueberries are one of my faves!  When the berries are still slightly frozen they are the perfect sweet and crunchy snack.  They totally satisfy cravings and you don't have to worry about them going bad so quickly.  You just have to be careful that you don't turn your lips blue...if so you might get a lot of concerned looks!

How do you keep yourself motivated?

It can be hard to stay motivated but it definitely helps to have a support system.  Before I had always been ashamed of talking about working out or trying to be healthy.  I felt like if people knew I was exercising or dieting they would judge me.  This time around I've been more open about my goals and having the support of my husband and the Facebook accountability group have definitely helped.  I often think "how would I describe this in my check-in tonight?" as a chance to push myself harder in my workout or to avoid food temptations.

What advice would you give someone who’s just starting out on her health and fitness journey? 

If you're just starting out, don't be afraid to give it your all!  I've been in that "starting over" process so many times and I feel like I've always babied myself too much when just starting out then get discouraged because I don't see any changes.  Altering my eating habits has always seemed impossible for me so I would always just starve myself instead of trying to eat yucky veggies.  This time, I embraced the nutrition plan and challenge of the Insanity Max 30 workouts and am seeing results like never before!

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Read all my Motivation Monday success stories here.
For details on the Inspire Joy Bootcamp, click here.

Nutty Apricot Crunch Granola

We’re on day three of daylight savings and these longer afternoons are TOTALLY THROWING OFF my life! I'm a morning bird through and through, and I'd rather have my daylight in the AM (at least until it's warm enough to sit outside and drink wine in the evening...) so it’s been hard for me to adjust. The whole concept of eating dinner while it’s light out just makes me feel really uncomfortable and it’s been a struggle to get dinner ready at a decent hour because I mentally just can’t start cooking until it’s dark, but I did get my food prep in for breakfast this week!

Do you have "trigger foods" that you can't stop eating? Mine are pasta, baked goods, granola, cookie dough, and roasted veggies. I try to avoid them but sometimes you just have to live a little! Or find healthy alternatives like veggies. I’ve been craving granola every time we go to the grocery store but I keep telling myself that it’s cheaper and healthier to make my own. The process of actually making it is easier said than done, but I finally threw together a batch on Sunday and it turned out delicious! Granola is always a fun experiment.

Nutty Apricot Crunch Granola

Serves….I have no idea. Tons.

Dry ingredients
-3 c old fashioned oats
-1 c raw buckwheat groats (Bob’s Red Mill brand, they add a really fun crunch!)
-½ c walnuts
-½ c pecans
-1 c sunflower seeds
-2 tsp cinnamon
-¼ tsp salt
-1 c chopped dried apricots
-½ c unsweetened coconut flakes

Liquid ingredients
-½ c coconut oil (melt in the microwave if solid)
-½ c pure maple syrup
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-½ tsp almond extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 275*. In the biggest bowl you own, combine the dry ingredients EXCEPT apricots and coconut. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave or stove top, add remaining liquid ingredients to oil, and then pour over dry ingredients and combine. Taste for quality control ;)

Spread the granola on a large foil lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, stirring once after about 20 minutes.

Add the coconut and apricots and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the granola is brown and the coconut is toasted!

Allow the granola to cool completely before storing in jars or Tupperware containers.

Enjoy with yogurt and fruit, straight out of the jar, with almond milk, over oatmeal, over ice cream, or choose your own adventure! 

(Serving size is probably about ⅓ cup granola….but proceed at your own risk!)

Find my basic homemade granola recipe HERE!

xo Anna

Motivation Monday: Meet Nicole!

Happy Monday!

I hope your week is off to a good start! The weather is FINALLY starting to warm up here in Chicago and I am so freaking happy to see the sun, feel above-freezing temperatures, and watch the mountains of dirty ice melt away. (Although Daylight Savings is still messing with my internal clock and I’m not thrilled about the 4 months of residual dog poo that are being revealed with the melting of the glaciers….)

Anyway, I’ve been extra-inspired lately with some of the amazing inner AND outer transformations of the women in my health and fitness accountability Bootcamp and coaching team, so I want to start celebrating their success and sharing their stories with a weekly “Motivation Monday” series on the blog!

My mission is to help women feel confident and beautiful from the inside out by focusing first of all on how we want to FEEL, and then figuring out what we can add to our lives to help us get there. More yummy healthy food, more self-love, more patience, more accountability and friendships, more structure and routine, more balance, more mindful and intentional enjoyment of treats, more celebrating the small victories.

My friend Nicole is the perfect example of what can happen when we start focusing on actions that bring us happiness and the "good feels." She’s been working with me for the past few months to try and create a healthy balance and fitness routine that works for her lifestyle and goals. She recently discovered PiYo (one of my favorite programs) and It’s been an absolute joy to watch her gain confidence and strength! She’s also started to share her journey on Facebook and is getting an incredible amount of love and support from her friends and family, proving that you don’t have to be at your “goal weight” or have a dramatic physical transformation before you have the ability to inspire others. The journey is the most inspiring part.

Meet Nicole!

Tell us about your story!

I used to be very active. In high school I was a competitive rhythmic gymnast training and coaching 4-5 days a week while I was also playing volleyball and basketball at school. In my first year of university the back pain I had been suffering through fro years already hit a tipping point and my doctors/coaches/family all told me I needed to quit gymnastics. I was furious with my own physical limitations and after I stopped competing I basically stopped all other physical activity. I would scuba dive, kayak, and swim periodically but only for fun. Ten years later I realized I felt about ten years older than I actually was and I wasn't happy with the lifestyle I was living - not when it came to my health.  I had started trying to get to the gym whenever I could but a decade of bad habits is really hard to break on your own. That's when I found Anna and I'm so grateful that I did.

Why did you decide to join the Inspire Joy Bootcamp?

I'll be honest. I got interested in Beachbody for purely superficial reasons. The friend who introduced me to Anna had just finished her first round of the 21 day fix and she posted her results. I'd never seen anything like that and it totally sounded like the "quick fix" I was looking for. Boy was I wrong! Not about the results, I certainly saw those, but I soon realized that these programs were so much more than what I had first thought. This community is an inspiration and are committed to a true lifestyle that encompasses both mental and physical health. It's something I didn't even know I was searching for but once I had found it I knew it's what I wanted.

What have you gained from the experience?

It's hard to list what I've gained because so much of it is intangible. I have gained muscle tone, strength, and flexibility but more importantly I've gained a healthier relationship with food and with my body, a desire to put my health first (most of the time), and a number of new friends.

What struggles or challenges have you overcome?

The barriers I've overcome have almost entirely been of my own making. There were so many times I would tell myself "I can't" or "I won't" but for the most part I've been able to break through all of those walls and now I can't believe I actually crave waking up at 5am for my morning workouts and I sometimes WANT to choose a salad off a restaurant menu!

Favorite workout?

My favourite workout program is PiYo! The physical and mental transformations I've been going through in this program continue to amaze me and I'll always be grateful for the relief it's given my back! Still have five weeks to go and can't wait to see what happens. That said, my favourite individual workout is the 21dayfix Dirty 30 - That workout is my JAM!

Favorite go-to healthy foods?

I've always loved raw mushrooms. I eat them like candy! I also really enjoy making ground turkey tacos. mmmmm

How do you keep yourself motivated?

At first what kept me motivated was the accountability of Anna's bootcamp groups. Now, while that continues to be a big help, my biggest motivation comes from myself. I love the way I FEEL when I'm working out and eating right. I love that I can still eat what I want but that what I want has changed because of how I want to feel. I appreciate how in tune I am with my body and how much better I am at listening to it and I just want to keep feeling better and better :)

How do you feel about yourself now?

Great! Of course there are still changes I'd like to see as I continue living a healthier life but I also know that those changes will happen so long as I continue to put myself first.

What advice would you give someone who’s just starting out on her health and fitness journey?

Find people who you can connect with and who will support you wholeheartedly. You don't have to do this alone. The ladies in this group are all going through the same challenges you're going through, you have gone through, or you are going to go through and when you really connect in to this community it not only helps you, it also helps all of the other inspiring women you'll meet along your way.