I can't believe it

How did I not notice that it's been 4 weeks almost since I posted anything?!?! Time sure does fly.

It's been a pretty busy September, a good kind of busy. Not the kind where you are running around like a crazy person or traveling all over the place. The kind where there is just enough stuff to do to keep you from being bored.

Let's start with Lily to catch you up. So last I wrote here, Lily was getting started in Kindergarten. She is loving every minute of it. It's kind of hard to get her to tell me anything specific about her day, but she talks about her friends and a lot about her teacher. Her teacher is a major Disney fan and that makes Lily ever more excited. She tells me everything about her teacher and it makes me smile. This is what I wanted, I wanted Lily to have a teacher to get her excited about going to school and about learning.

Lily is doing well with gaining independence and building good habits. She is practicing her sight words every day and can read almost all of the words they sent home at the beginning of the year. I have started putting together sentences for her with those words and we have a lot of fun with it. She is playing outdoor soccer and having fun with that. She gets to decide on indoor soccer or basketball next.

I've gotten really active myself with the school. I work in the library 2 days a week, I'm coordinator for Box Tops for Education (feel free to save them and send them to me,) we've started our meetings for Girl Scouts (Daisy troop leader here with my girl Carrie) and I'm Vice President of the PTO. All of this with some seriously amazing parents. I tell you, the parents that are active with the school are ACTIVE with the school. I'm getting to know a small group of them really well and feeling like Toledo is home.

I know... I can't believe I said that. I put it on Facebook the other day and blew the minds of many others. I know everyone told me that I'd eventually be ok and I had a hard time believing it. The thing is, I needed something to happen to start meeting people that made me feel like I belong around here and I guess school starting and getting involved did just that.

I'm still working on my personal health and fitness goals. I've been kind of holding steady for a while and starting tomorrow I'm ready to go hardcore. I'm planning on really dialing in on my nutrition which I've been pretty decent at but feeling like I am letting lax a little too much. I'm going to keep pushing my early morning workouts and add some double days!!! I'm ready to feel as amazing as I did after my first round of 21 day fix when I really killed some goals!!

That's a pretty basic summary of September and does do it the justice it deserves lol. But I've got challengers to check in on because I've spent the day cleaning and don't want them to be ignored. Until next time.......

September Special!!

It's that time of year again... Back to School!!

I'd like to say it's Fall, but that's just not entirely true yet. The temperature are cooling and fall activities are kicking off, but we just aren't all the way there yet. I can tell you about how much I absolutely love this season in another post.

But anyway.. September.

Kids and adults going back to school or back to work if you've had the summer off. New schedules, new activities, new routines. While you are making adjustments to those routines, why not add a little something for yourself. Your kids get to participate in sports, arts or whatever they can. Why can't you do something for yourself?? If you don't take care of yourself, how can you really take care of anyone else long term??

What if a little money and time investment in yourself could result in better attention, more energy, less tiredness, stronger body, stronger mind, stronger spirit, improved overall health?? Would you want to a part of that? I sure would!!! I sure am!! This continues to happen to me as I continue to invest in myself and my health!!

Back to school is busier, absolutely but if you are interested in one of the specials I am about to list you get access to a challenge group (on Facebook because you know you'll be in there anyway.) We will discuss tips to make meals and workouts go smoothly and more quickly than you may be used to. There will be support, motivation and accountability. You don't have to do anything alone and there will always be someone to answer your questions or give you advice.

So, without further delay here are your September specials:

PiYo Challenge Pack ---------> PiYo plus 1 month of Shakeology

3 Day Refresh Challenge Pack ---------> 3 Day Refresh plus 1 month of Shakeology

PiYo Kickstart Challenge Pack ---------> 3 Day Refresh plus PiYo plus 1 month of Shakeology

Here is what you need to know about PiYo:

Here is what you need to know about the 3 Day Refresh (you can also reference an earlier blog post about my own personal results with the 3 day refresh):

Please check out the tab labeled Shakeology at the top of the page to learn more and watch videos about my favorite meal of the day!!!

If you would like to talk one on one about either of these items, Shakeology or how awesome a challenge group is, you can comment below check me out on Facebook or e-mail me jenni@jennifulop.com 

Your time is NOW!!!!

Something New

If you watch me on Facebook then you know about the workout programs I've done. I've completed 21 day fix, Insanity Max 30, Cize (almost) and I've dabbled in 21 day fix extreme, PiYo and Les Mills Combat. I'm excited to try something new now. I'm going to be doing T25. I'm going to join a friend who is taking control of her health and see what kind of results I can get from a  new program and one that REALLY fits into my upcoming schedule.

I'm going to apply the 21 day fix nutrition plan because honestly, it's a no brainer and works better than anything else I have ever tried. The workouts I know will challenge me and that's good because after all, "if it doesn't challenge you it won't change you." Also, they are 25 minutes. I can easily find 30 minutes for workouts every day, I've been doing that since November of last year and now I even will have 5 minutes to spare. :) 

I'm so excited about my current challenge groups. So much activity going on because people are committed to themselves and their health. I am so excited about challenge groups going on and the results people are getting that I'm actually offering a special right now for new people who sign up. With the purchase of any challenge pack through 8-31-15 I am offering an Amazon gift card!! This is an investment in you and you deserve a little something extra for taking the leap of faith!!!

With the school year starting this a great time to join a challenge group! You will get all the tools and support you need and will learn how you can fit in a workout in a busy schedule and learn to eat right, especially when you might have to eat in a hurry. We make too many excuses for ourselves and give ourselves a pass when things get difficult. I know I'm certainly guilty of that (still am once in a while.) The bottom line is that you can do this!! You deserve this!! It's not always going to be easy, but when have you come across something that is.

Ok, I'm about to be rambling (you know, per usual.) I'm asking you to take this step WITH me. I may have already been working out and taking control of my nutrition but I am always learning something new and trying to grow so your first step will be a first step in something for me as well.  Make a comment below, e-mail me (jenni@jennifulop.com) or reach out to me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Let me help you help yourself!!

Remember, I'm about to embark on a whole new program!! One i've heard some about, but not much. I'm ready to take on all kinds of new challenges, but only because I know I have support in a challenge group. I couldn't do this alone and I don't have to. Same goes for you!!!

Relief and Ramblings

What a relief!! After months of waiting, plenty of paperwork and many tears and worries we were accepted into the Elementary school we wanted. Yes, I do mean we. Lily will be going to class but our family is going to be an active part of the school. We came very close to not being accepted as an out of district family and I just didn't know what I was going to do.
Lately I've been practicing a question method. When something frustrates me or saddens me I ask the question "Will this matter in a year?" This really puts things into perspective for me. It's done a lot of calming me down and helping me to enjoy my days more.
Now back to this school thing.. I applied the question to my situation and it came down to yes, absolutely it will matter. I'm kind of tired of hearing "it's only Kindergarten." Not that I think Kindergarten is the most important school year of a child's life, but come on how could someone not take this year seriously?!?! It sets a tone, will they enjoy school? Will they hate it? Will they get started off right? Will they have learning troubles? So many questions, so many things could happen. It isn't to say that anything stays the way it does after this first year, but seriously I think it's incredibly important. It's also the first time we send our kids away from us everyday for long periods of time, don't you think it's important for you and your child to feel comfortable with where they are going?!?!
As far as schools in the area go, I'm so happy to be able to send Lily to the one we picked. Beautiful facilities, nice area, very active PTO, excellent testing scores, quality full time teachers and more. The best part is that now that she is accepted, she stays in and we don't have to go through the process in future years.

So here we are, 2 weeks out from Kindergarten for my one and only baby! You can pretty much count on a post full of tears coming about that when it happens. School shopping done (and the girl looks beautiful in a uniform,) supplies ready, soccer equipment purchased. We have open house coming up in a week and tomorrow morning we find out tomorrow morning which teacher she will have. I don't know them very well so it won't matter quite so much to me but it's still exciting. Ok, so I won't get into much more here because as I mentioned there will be much more to say on this soon.
Lily is about to have her last week of out of town summer fun. She has 3 days in Kalamazoo with her Big Papa Fran and T and then Grandma. When she comes back we have a night at home and then a weekend of camping with my family. I've been looking forward to this for a few weeks. A few more groceries for the weekend and we will be all set. I haven't been camping (except for Girl Scouts) in I can't even remember how many years. Wish us luck!!!

Body acceptance

I've been dedicated to giving myself at least 10 minutes every day to read a personal development book. I know I know, I say something about personal development frequently. That is because I recently discovered how important it is, what an impact it can make in how you handle every day. For the first time ever, I am purposefully reading my current book slowly. Normally I try to finish a good book as quickly as I can because I am so excited for the end. I want to practice and retain what I am learning now and so reading it slow is working out much better.

I am reading about acceptance and self love (amongst so many other things) and as I read through other blogs, Facebook statuses and articles I get discouraged about something. Too many men and women trying to justify being skinny or trying to justify being fat. What the heck?? This begs the question, where do we draw the line between telling people to love who they are no matter what and you are killing yourself with your lifestyle choices and you need to change?

The truth is that regardless of whether we are big or small, thick or thin we can all work towards a healthier existence. You might look at somebody and say to yourself that that person is unhealthy but know nothing about where they are on their journey. Maybe that person is down 100 pounds already and works daily to continue to improve themselves. I know this has been a huge struggle for me. I have spent wasted time worrying about whether others would choose me as their coach and trust me to help them on their journey because I am not as skinny or muscular as the next coach. But I have realized that anyone whom I seek or seeks me will know about my journey, they will know I am still working towards my goal every day and that I've come such a long way already. And no one person is better than the next, we are on different pages of different chapters and sometimes different books. All I can control is me! What a powerful statement!!!

I believe we all want to feel good about ourselves and it's easier to put down others who don't look like us. Have you ever heard or used one of the following phrases: "strong is the new skinny," " that person needs to eat,"  "that person is way too fit" or the all too common "real women have curves." We are all created differently. We all have genetics that do play a role. More importantly though, it is up to us to take responsibility and do something about getting to the healthy version of ourselves no matter what we may look like. Some of us will be bigger, some of us will be smaller but only we will know whether we are healthy. We have another personal responsibility to ourselves to be happy. Isn't that why we are here, to be happy?!?! We have to challenge ourselves to be better and take action on improving our own lives. There is no place in there for insulting others because we think they look too skinny, too fat, too healthy or too unhealthy.

We should all be accepting of our bodies but we should also be committed to getting healthier so that we stop spending our lives unhappy, uncomfortable and sick. For the love of everything, we need to learn to stop comparing ourselves to others (remember how I mentioned above I have a lot of experience doing this and it kept me from moving forward). We don't share parents, we don't share habits... we are all unique!!! Being cruel to another person whether we know where they are at in their journey or not will only make things worse, for them and ourselves.

I want you to ask yourself if you are using any of the phrases that put down others so you can feel better. Do you notice if you put others down just because they are different? Do you get checkups regularly? Has your doctor given you a clean bill of health? Do you take being proud of your body as an excuse to live an unhealthy lifestyle?

How do we help the people in our lives get healthy? What about the people in our lives who proudly have no desire to change.

For me it's pretty simple. We can't force others to change and if they have no desire to change we may not know where they are at on their journey. We have to accept that we are all different. I may never have a six pack on my abs or definition in my arms, that doesn't mean I don't workout like I should or that I eat junk every day. The thing is that I share it. I share it with everyone I can, as long as they are willing to listen. That is how I help!! By showing what I do or what I've done and laying out my steps from beginning to end somebody will realize that they want to get on board. Maybe not now and that's ok. I don't force anything on anybody and I don't pretend that I have all the answers. I tell everybody, often that I have come so far and have so much farther to go and I learn and grow every step of the way!!

What are your thoughts on body acceptance? Fat shaming?

Shake Shake Shake Your BOOST!!! eh?

Come on, sing that title.. You know you want to!!

Ok, for real. Shakeology BOOSTS are HERE!!! What??? Something to boost your healthiest meal of the day?? Well, yes. But why? Let's get real for a minute here. Sometimes you just have to have a little something extra. Shakeology fills in those gaps in your nutrition, but it can't be the end all to your journey to healthy living. Shakeology is your daily dose of dense superfood nutrition, so what could these boosts do for you?? Here you are:

Focused Energy Boost

You know those days that you just need a little something more? There just doesn't seem to be enough coffee to get you through? Those days have an answer now without compromising your health by filling you with chemicals, sugar and large doses of caffeine that create energy spikes that you give you the temporary jittery feeling followed by the crash. You are going to feel more energized and alive without any artificial ingredients AND it's for your mind as well as your body. Energy, mental clarity, alertness and focus are now yours!!!

Why would you need this Boost in addition to your Shakeology? Again, it's for those days when you just need a little something extra.  What can the ingredients do for you?

Green Tea, Matcha Tea, Guarana, Rhodiola and Asian Ginseng help improve alertness and attention.
American Ginseng, Asian Ginseng, Green Tea, Matcha Tea, Gurana help support mental clarity, focus and clear thinking.
Proprietary Mushroom Blend (Cordyceps, Reishi, King Trumpet, Lion's Man), Ginseng and Rhodiola are adaptogens that help support the body in times of stress.

How do you use it and what makes it better than other energy products?
Add one scoop of Focused Energy Boost with Shakeology (or really any beverage of your choice), blend and consume within 30 minutes.
There are no artificial ingredients of any kind in this boost. It's packed with naturally caffeine, adaptogens to help support the body in times of stress and antioxidants that may help fight free radical damage. You just don't get that anywhere else!!

Power Greens Boost

It's no surprise that today's average diet does not usually meet the daily recommended about of veggies, but Power Greens can help. Whether you don't have time to cook, go grocery shopping or really just don't like the taste of veggies this is the boost for you!
This boost contains one full serving of nutritious green veggies that provides vitamins, minerals and healthy phytonutrients to your body. It's like you're eating 2/3 cup of dark leafy greens, 1/3 cup cucumbers and 1/3 of a large celery stalk.

So why this particular boost in addition to your Shakeology? After all, doesn't Shakeology have veggies?
Even though Shakeology is PACKED with superfoods, the reality is you can never get enough greens. Maybe you're a veggie hater. Maybe you're on the go and the menu options are veggie challenged. Or, maybe you're a firm believer that more is better. Regardless, the bottom line is when it comes to greens, the more you eat the happier your body will be.

What will these ingredients do for you and how do you use it?

Proprietary Phytonutrient Blend (Spinach, Chlorella, Kale, Spirulina) which contains chlorophyll, iron, protein and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. This provides antioxidants, which when part of a healthy diet may help maintain good health.
Cucumber which contains potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium.
Celery which contains calcium, vitamin A, vitamins B1 and B2, magnesium, phosphorous and iron.

Again, add one scoop of Power Greens Boost to your Shakeology or the beverage of your choice, blend and consume within 30 minutes.

But Jenni, other people already have greens products. What makes this one better?
While other green boosts contain small doses of numerous ingredients, Power Greens Boost is packed with a potent dose of green superfoods that contain vitamins, minerals and vital phytonutrients.. plus for me personally I need to get in the celery and cucumber benefits because I hate eating both of those items. Also, there are absolutely NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives and our unique formula helps support the body's acid/alkaline balance.

Also, if you happen to be someone who misses their daily Shakeology every once in a while (what? that never happens) the Power Greens Boost will be your best friend.

And last, but certainly not least......

Digestive Health Boost

What if you could rid yourself of tummy troubles? Did you know that most Americans get less than half the recommended daily dose of fiber?

Digestive Health Boost may help decrease bloating and digestive discomfort as well as keep you regular. Not only does it have the optimal ratio of soluble and insoluble fiber to help keep you regular, this boost also contains ALA omega-3 fatty acids which support cardiovascular health.

Sometimes your body needs a little help in the digestion department from temporary or long term digestive issues or system clogs. When you're experiencing irregularity, bloating or discomfort this boost will help with those uncomfortable symptoms while getting you back to feeling like yourself as soon as possible.

What will the ingredients in this boost do for you?
Chicory Root and Pea Fiber can help maintain digestive system health and regularity.
Insoluble fiber from Chia and Flax Seeds which is a good source of insoluble fiber plus they contribute alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) a plant based omega-3 fatty acid which supports cardiovascular health.
Soluble fiber from Psyllium Husk which as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, it may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Really, I'm almost done with the science part because it is so incredibly important that you know how these help and are different from other products!

With this boost, you may want to start off with half a scoop and gradually increase to one scoop mixed with your Shakeology or other beverage of your choice. This is so your body can adjust to the added fiber in your diet and you avoid any discomfort. When blending, if your drink is too thick add some liquid as needed and consume promptly. This product happens to be different in that unlike other products, it contains BOTH soluble and insoluble fiber which are equally important to our digestive health.

Adam and I are both starting these products. Each of us has a different boost based on our current needs. I can't wait to tell you the difference in how we feel after consistent use. If you believe that one of these boosts is what you need to give you that little something extra you are looking for in your diet, please click here!!

And now that you have been through all this information with me, enjoy this video. I love Tony Horton and he makes this a little more fun!!

Beachbody Performance Line, It's HERE!!!

As I mentioned in my previous post I went to Nashville a few weeks ago for Coach Summit. They released some new products and so this week I'm going to tell you about them. First, I want to share with you about the Beachbody Performance Line!!!

There are 5 parts to the performance line: Energize (pre-workout), Hydrate (during workout), Recover (post workout), Recharge (for nighttime) and Creatine (for high intensity.)

Let's look at each of these, what they are and what they can do for you.

Each part of the performance line is designed with ALL athletes in mind. Do you workout? At all?? You ARE an athlete!!!! It goes with any fitness program or routine you follow and is endorsed by the NSF!!

Energize (pre-workout)- Designed to help ignite your energy and sharpen your focus when taken BEFORE your workout. It's specially formulated to help you push harder and last longer (similar to the Energy and Endurance that I've shared with you before). The key ingredients include beta-alanine, low-dose caffeine from green tea and plant based quercetin which is scientifically shown to delay exercise-induced muscle fatigue, improve performance and help you with maximum intensity.

Hydrate (during your workout)- This hydrates your body more effectively than water for all-out performance. Typical sports drinks have too much sugar and artificial ingredients that can actually dehydrate you. Water alone doesn't effectively hydrate or replace what you lose through sweat during workouts. Hydrate is specially formulated to give you an optimal balance of carbohydrates, electrolytes and water that quickly replace what's lost and to help improve your endurance so you can work out longer and feel better.

Recover (post workout)- Take advantage of the critical post workout window to help speed recovery and reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness with this drink. Key ingredients include high-quality time-released proteins to support muscle recovery, an optimal ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help build muscle, just enough carbohydrates to stimulate muscle glycogen recovery and a powerful ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract to help improve strength recover and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.

Creatine (an add on to the recover)- You can blast through high intensity exercises and turn your last rep into the second or third last ap. Creatine can help you push that much harder in every workout for ultimate performance and quicker results. Creatine monohydrate is the purest, safest and most effective form in the world- it's scientifically shown to help boost muscle strength and power, improve high-intensity performance and enhance the effects of resistance training.

Recharge (for night time)- Help accelerate recovery, combat exercise-induced muscle soreness and promote muscle growth when your body is primed to accept it---while you sleep. This is specifically designed to help support your body at night with key ingredients like micellar casein protein to support overnight muscle recovery and repair while combating breakdown, an optimal ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help support muscle growth and a powerfyl anthocyanin-rich tart cherry poweder to help reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness.  (Think, being able to walk as normal after leg day)

Each of these is a powder drink to be mixed with water and each has a unique flavor (lemon, citrus, chocolate, vanilla... yum). Once more, it does not matter your fitness level, these can be tailored to fit your needs to help you give your best performance EVERY single time even if it's you in front of your tv or computer doing your workout.

The science behind the new performance line.... brought to you by Harvard trained scientists!

Remember, I mentioned this is totally customizable to fit your needs at every level of your fitness from beginner to EXTREME athlete.

You can purchase each of these drinks separately or you can combine them for maximum results and bundling saves you some $$$

                                            Get started with Performance Line HERE