It’s All About Perception....

So I have a few things today to share with you guys about fitness and of course a recipe..... AND A GIVEAWAY! :)

But today it’s about more than just fitness. It’s about what you “think” you are or aren’t. I know I’ve talked a little bit about this but I learned from none other than my daughters recently. We all have these preconceived notions about ourselves because that’s what “they” say. Who are “they” anyways? You know you’ll never get back in shape after kids...They say lifting weights makes you look like a man...They say string cheese causes cancer? Ok I made the last one up because anymore WHAT DOESN’T cause cancer these days? Seriously....some people believe anything. But yes we do to an extent. They say you can’t do that workout...then you get the courage to try and YES you can do it. Just because you’ve never been in a smaller jean size up until this particular point in your life doesn’t mean that will be the only size you’ll ever be. I never thought I would EVER be in a size 6..and here I am, standing in the Target dressing room literally looking at the tag because I had never SEEN my butt get THAT small...Just because you have never been something doesn’t mean you can’t become it. That goes for your body, your finances, ANY dream you have ever had ever...If you THINK you’ll never get to that body, you honestly will never be there because it all starts in your brain. It’s all about perception. It’s funny when I got into AdvoCare I had no self confidence or motivation to do anything other than the average. But I always felt there was something in me that knew I wanted to do something incredible with my life. I don’t want to be 60 still working on my retirement so I can go on 1 vacation a year to an all inclusive resort where everyone else goes. I’m trying not to be a snob but before my mom passed away she told me all these places she would have liked to go and never got to and so I promised myself I will see these places because since she’ll always be with me in spirit..:) She’ll be there too.

The first lesson I learned was just today. Anyone that knows my daughters will know they are DEATHLY afraid of cats and dogs....That’s actually an understatement. I’m pretty sure they almost go into convulsions and have a heart attack, or break the windows because of their screams...My one daughter Bella is the mass panic and sets off a chain reaction to the other two. Anyways, I was visiting a friend who has a cat in their house...OH MY GOODNESS..Who has cats IN their house? As my children would say like it’s a paranormal thing. Sitting at the table and even see the cat from across the room they start to panic and cry and really up to this point we’ve never had animals in the house or I suppose they’ve never been around them so I ask my twin 3 1/2 year olds later..

 

Me: Why are you scared of them? What is it about them that scares you?

Olivia: Well they’re scary. People are just afraid of cats. Everyone is.

Me:?????? People ? What people?

Olivia: You know Mom, the people..

 

Light bulb...ding!! I never actually knew WHY they were scared of animals. All this time they THINK they SHOULD be scared of them instead of trying to just pet them and see what happens for themselves. They love looking at pictures of cats and dogs in a book, but never in real life. What did this tell me? It’s just what people think they should do instead of trusting their gut and doing what feels right to them even if there’s a risk.

 DO IT! You will be SOO proud of yourself What is the worst that can happen? So I start to do this with my business. Just getting out of my comfort zone and talking to people with strength and just sharing more of myself with who ever I’m trying to help. You know what happened? In the past 6 months to a year my business has doubled and is about to triple by summer. I get to be home with my girls and make my schedule out around them. I went from working 4 days a week to one day a week as a massage therapist because I had the choice to do something else. Whatever it is, change your perception of what could happen and put the work into it. It’s amazing what kind of outcome you will have. Another quick story about perception with my girls.

A couple weeks ago we were driving in the car and it was probably around 8 am, you know when the sun is just up and sometimes the moon is still out as well. The twins usually don’t let poor little Bre talk so the twins were on opposite sides of the car and Bella says “Mom, I see the moon!”

Me: Oh Yea, Cool Belle, where’s it at?

Liv: It’s right there in front of you.

Bella: No it’s over here.

Liv: NO it’s in front of you.

Me: Liv that’s the sun. Belle are you sure you aren’t talking about the sun?

Bella: No, mom it’s the moon. It’s right there.

 

Well at this point the girls are getting frustrated and obviously I’m driving and doing my best to find the moon and yes there it was only to be found looking out her window. :)

Ding ding..Another light bulb..Just because “they” don’t see what you see doesn’t mean it’s not there. God puts a different vision and dream in everyone’s heart and sometimes no one sees it except you. That’s where you have to prove “them” wrong.:) Show them with passion and strength what you believe in and can accomplish. Only you know what you’re capable of and it’s actually REALLY fun when you realize nothing is out of reach. It’s just the work to get you there! :)

 WORKOUT/FITNESS ARTICLE- I found this article about how to lose the last 10 lbs. the other day and thought it was pretty interesting.  Try a few and see what happens! :) Have a great Easter!

 

How to Lose the Last 10 Pounds

Written by Tony Schober

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably undergone a successful weight loss effort, but need a little help trying to figure out how to lose the last 10 pounds. Or maybe you’re just trying to educate and prepare yourself for when the time comes. The truth is, great progress can be made at the beginning of a new fitness program, but the drastic body transformations start to slow down as there is less body fat to lose.

Figuring out how to lose the last 10 pounds can be just as difficult as losing the previous 50. If you need some ideas for losing that last little bit of body fat, implementing one or more of the following tips can help you reach your goal.

Increase Activity Levels

I don’t like to increase workout frequency any more than what’s necessary, but extending your cardio sessions or adding in some interval training can help push you over the top. In addition, just getting out and being more active can burn just enough extra calories to get your progress moving forward again.

Lower Your Carbohydrates

Nearly every competitive figure athlete/bodybuilder implements some sort of carbohydrate restriction over the course of their fat loss. Try dropping your carbohydrate intake down a bit. Don’t go too low though. You want to make sure you still have enough energy for your strength training. Drop it by 25-50 grams/day and see how that goes.

Read more about how many carbohydrates you should eat to lose weight.

Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting can be an effective strategy for losing the last 10 pounds. I don’t really like the name because the word “fasting” conjures up all kinds of unhealthy food restriction images. Intermittent fasting is simply the process of moving your food intake to within a smaller eating window. For example, you can undergo a 16/8, 18/6, 20/4 fasting schedule, where the first number is the number of hours your don’t eat, and the second number is the number of consecutive hours you do eat. Don’t change your calorie intake or food choices. Just move all your calories to within your eating window.

Remove Dirty Cheats

Cheat meals are a great thing. They can be implemented as part of a healthy lifestyle and still be beneficial. Sometimes though, they can inhibit progress if not used correctly. If you need help losing the last 10 pounds, getting rid of the dirty cheat meals in favor of a healthy carb-up could be just what you need. Try to find creative whole food alternatives that are still delicious enough to satisfy your psychological cravings, and will still provide you with the physiological benefits of a cheat meal.

See what your cheat meal guidelines should look like.

Cycle Your Calories

Most people that undergo weight loss input their numbers in a calorie calculator, determine how much weight they want to lose every week, and then set their daily calories at that amount. There’s no need to keep your calories consistently the same day in and day out. Weight loss is not a day to day event. It is a cumulative effect over the course of time. Look at your calorie intake over the course of a week. Try changing your daily calorie intake so that you have low, medium, and high calorie days – with your total calories still creating a deficit over the course of a week. Calorie/carbohydrate cycling is a highly effective method for losing the last 10 pounds.

Read more about how to implement calorie cycling.

Implement Nutrient Timing

Did you know that when you eat certain macronutrients can have an impact on your body composition? By eating certain macronutrients at certain times, you can manipulate your natural hormones to better compliment you fat loss efforts. One of the most effective methods of nutrient timing is moving your carbohydrate intake to around your workouts. Try having carbs in only your pre and/or post-workout meals, and have protein/fat/veggie meals the rest of the day. Doing so will keep your insulin levels low – providing a good metabolic environment for fatty acid mobilization, while at the same time still giving you the glucose necessary to fuel high-intensity exercise.

Find out the best way to use nutrient timing for better fat loss.

Remove All Sources of Sugar

Sugar, even it its whole food form, can work against your fat loss efforts. Fruit and dairy, which can usually be included as part of a healthy lifestyle, can also cause issues if eaten in large amounts. If your weight loss has plateaued, and you’re still trying to figure out how to lose the last 10 pounds, cutting out all sources of sugar could be just what you need.

Try Fasted Cardio

Not everyone is a morning workout person. However, doing cardio on an empty stomach has shown to be an effective method for losing body fat. The combination of low insulin, low blood glucose levels, and exercise has the potential to burn more body fat, as well as teach your body to use fatty acids more efficiently.

MUST READ: The Definitive Guide for How to Lose Weight 

 

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It’s safe, effective and will either jump start your weight loss or get rid of that last 10 lbs to your goal.

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Recipe-

cauliflower crust pizza

 

Serves 2; Adapted from Your Lighter Side.

 

ingredients:

 

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp garlic salt

olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

 

directions:

 

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:

Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

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