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3 Day Refresh
Hey there!!!! I am MORE than anxious to kickstart my healing journey and to give myself a solid 3 day boost, I recently finished the 3 day refresh from Beachbody!
Now before you think I’m just pushing an MLM product….let me share my Beachbody history and thoughts with you :). A few years ago (2015) I began my pursuit of a healthier, stronger me by joining an online fitness group using Beachbody workouts (21 day fix, etc!). I LOVED IT. I decided to sign up as a coach and actively worked that as a job for about 2 years.
The reason I “walked away” from that isn’t because I disliked it, but because I found my true calling as an FDN, and my focus on physical perfection became less and less important as I became more and more obsessed with the idea of lifelong vitality, internal health, spiritual health and exercise in moderation.
That being said, I promise to ALWAYS be honest with you and that means sharing things that I like AND don’t like about certain companies or products….so I don’t want you to assume that because I’m sharing a Beachbody product that I endorse everything they sell.
For example, here are a few things I do not endorse/support about Beachbody:
The exercise every day no matter what mindset
The portion control for life mindset (container system)
Many of their performance supplements/shakes (ingredients or quality or purpose)
Folic acid and fortification in the whey shakeology and Vanilla Fresh shakes (not necessary and not ok for people with MTHFR - which many people don’t know they have)
What I DO like about Beachbody:
Really great at home workout programs (as long as you don’t get obsessed and can still listen to your body and take breaks!)
Beachbody on Demand option allowing for streaming of yoga, bodybuilding or HIIT workouts in your own home
In their health and wellness line overseen by Isabela Daikler and Darin Olien the quality and thought that goes into their products is amazing - this includes Shakeology, 3 day refresh and the 21 day ultimate reset. This line is very separate and distinct from their performance/athletic line and is highly focused on deep nutrition and gut health - things I LOVE!
I really do LOVE vegan shakeology. There are several reasons I love it including the amount of nutrition you get in one shake, the flavor that beats all other protein shake competition, and their actual concern for the quality of the ingredients from around the world. In fact, whenever they do an ingredient or product formula overhaul I’m always pleased with their reasoning. The more research I did, the more I was impressed with their dedication to a truly healthy product packed with superfoods. That and the fact that I simply feel better when I drink it! Trust me - I stopped drinking it for 2 months and as soon I brought it back in I noticed a difference!
Whew! Now that we have that out of the way :) I’ve been struggling this past year with my love for SOME of their products, but my focus on building my own brand and not wanting to come off as promoting an MLM. But basically, I’ve gotten over it. I’m going to share products I love with you regardless of where they come from. But I will NOT share a product that I DON’T love, just because it comes from a company I like and support. Make sense?
3 Day Refresh
This is the second time I’ve done the 3 day refresh and each time was different! I remember a few years ago when I tried it I was super hungry and had some major carb cravings. This time, much deeper into my health journey, I was full most of the time and really didn’t have any cravings at all!
What is it?
3 day refresh is a like a little digestive break, detox kick for your body
3 days of nutrition guidance along with restricted calories and specific fiber and protein shakes throughout the day
What it is not
A permanent weight loss solution
A total gut healing package
Quick fix
When should I do it?
Before or after a vacation
When you need a boost to your metabolism
When you just feel stuck
When you need to get a good dose of fiber
When you feel like your digestion needs a break
If you want to ease your way into a 24 hour fast
Now, just to be clear, I don’t normally encourage extreme calorie reduction or portion control as part of a long term maintenance success plan. But for a focused 3 day thing, I view it as a modified fasting program and because it is so short, as long as you get back to real life by using real food afterwards without extreme deprivation and restriction…your’e good to go :)
Your day consists of 3 protein shakes, 2-3 servings of veggies,
2 servings of fruit, and some healthy fats.
Some people experience pretty significant weight loss, but that should not be the goal of this 3 days because most of that is not a maintainable weight loss. If your goal is to focus on veggies, increase your protein and fiber intake, help your poo and digestion improve and get your mind re-focused on healthy eating, then this 3 day refresh is a great idea!!!
If you are looking for a magic pill or sick fix then, well, the isn’t it.
My personal approach
A few modifications I made for my 3 days:
I could have coffee if I wanted (black or with a tiny splash of almond milk
I eye-balled the veggie and fruit portions
I didn’t organize all the meals/servings in the exact order they came on the plan. For example if I wasn’t hungry I’d save my lunch veggie and add it to my dinner veggie for more servings
I didn’t do raw veggies which you are supposed to use for lunch since my immune system was recovering from cheno
You can use this however YOU want and modify it as needed! It all depend on your personal goals.
Have any questions? Let me know! :)
4 Steps for a Successful Fitness Routine
Hey there Diva friends!
I get questions all the time about working out, so I wanted to give you my top 4 tips to being successful!!!
Top 4 workout tips
1) Have a plan. There's nothing worse for a personal trainer than going to the gym and seeing the same people walking on the treadmill for hours at a time days on end....why? Because they NEVER SEE RESULTS. I lied - perhaps there is one worse thing, and that's seeing people either completely avoid the weight rack or go over there an have no idea what they are doing, no concept of form, and no plan on how to reach their goals!!!!
So have a plan. Know the equipment. Be willing to ask questions. Get out of your current routine!!!! If your current routine was working, I have a feeling you wouldn't be reading this post :)
Even if you DO have a plan or a goal like "I want to tone my arms" - do you know the number of reps that are optimal? The weight you should use? The rests you should take? Will you (be honest) push yourself hard enough when you're alone and show up as many times a week as you need to? If you are SUPER self motivated and disciplined then WOOHOO! But for the rest of us that leads me to point #2 :)
2) Get yourself a trainer! This might be long term, or it might be short term to familiarize yourself with proper form, what weights to use, how to create a program that works for you etc....Tell your trainer what your goals are and come up with a plan together.
Even me!
If you can't afford a trainer or, like me, you ARE a trainer and want another option, use at home workout programs! I use Beachbody at home workout programs every day. Why? Because they are effective, planned (so I don't have to train myself!), and there is plenty of variety to keep me interested and challenged. PLUS I don't have to hit the gym when I'm not training clients, I can just get down in my tiny basement and get it done when I have time in my day!
Either way - live training or in home workouts - These are ways you can set goals, see what proper form is, have a set schedule, and reach past your own mental limits!
3) Focus on nutrition. It doesn't matter how awesome your workout program is, if you aren't supporting it with good nutrition you WON'T see results!!! Nutrition is truly 90% of your success. It fuels your brain, your cells, your energy and your muscles! Without the proper nutrition you will feel tired, unmotivated, your muscles won't respond appropriately, and your body composition will stay the same. But WITH nutrition PLUS strength training your fat will burn off, your body composition will become leaner, stronger, more muscular, and you will reach a happy, healthy weight!
4) Don't forget to stretch. No matter who you are, what age you are, or how naturally limber you are, do NOT forget to stretch! Make sure you warm up sufficiently for the excercises you will do, and cool down long enough to bring your heart rate down and get those muscles lengthened back out after you've contracted and pushed them hard!
I hope this helps! If you want set up your FREE 30 minute consultation with me, just comment below or message me with your e-mail. Can't wait to chat more :)
By for now!
How to make cooking fun
Hey hey Diva friends!!!
I know how daunting it can be to change your lifestyle and try to start cooking WHILE you are still absorbing information, learning new things, and trying to figure out whats what! I wanted to provide a few tips to help you make it more fun along the way.
1) MINDSET
Mindset is key in pretty much every area of our life isn't it? With our diet and lifestyle it's SUPER easy to let our mindset get in the way. We think things like "it's too hard", "It's too expensive", "I can't cook", "I have no time" etc....
There is a whole book you can read about this if you're interested!
Those are all excuses and I want you to drop them at the door! Anything you WANT to do you find the time, money, resources, and ability TO do! Cooking doesn't have to be hard, expensive OR time consuming! You just need the right mindset, the right tools, and the right plan :)
I would encourage you to shift from the difficulty mindset into the ADVENTURE mindset! Cooking is a really fun adventure! You find out new recipes you like, new flavors, new tricks, new tools, new spices etc! Plus when your body starts changing and you feel better, all of a sudden the effort is #worthit.
Along the same lines, be willing to try new things! Invest in a quality spice set that allows you to make multiple flavor combinations, follow new recipes, and not get bored.
Want to purchase some high quality spices from a trusted source? click here!
When you hit the store, make it your goal to stay in the produce section for 95% of your shopping trip and you can't go wrong. Grab a new fruit, a new veggie and research where it comes from and how to cook it!
Hot tip: If you google Paleo__"insert vegetable or recipe here"____ you will find a clean, whole foods, healthy way to cook almost anything!
Don't know what Paleo means? Read my last blog post all about it!
2) ATMOSPHERE
Spice up more than your food! Play some music and get in the MOOD to cook :) Whether you set aside 2 hours on Sunday to meal prep for the entire week or you enjoy 30 minutes every evening after work to get things chopped and in the oven, find your perfect pandora playlist and have some fun! Currently I'm on a French Cafe music kick thanks to our recent vacation. Find what inspires you, puts you in a happy place, and get to it!
Hey get crazy- maybe you'll end up with some fun kitchen karaoke!
If you have someone that will cook WITH you - even better! Kids? Have them participate by measuring things out or reading you the recipe!
3) KEEP IT SIMPLE
DON'T overcomplicate things.....again, we get stuck in this headspace that cooking has to be hard and cooking healthy must be even harder. WRONG! I am a simple kinda gal friends. I never wanted to be a "housewife" and I certainly never thought I would enjoy cooking but I do!
Check out this website for delicious recipes made with only a few ingredients...
I've really learned to love making food at home. I know what the ingredients are, I have control over the quality, AND I get to cook according to my own tastes and shake it up when I feel like it. In fact, over the past few years I've enjoyed eating away from home less and less. Honestly we almost never have the same meals 2 weeks in a row - I'm always looking for new recipes and while we have our favorites we are constantly trying new ideas.
One reason I love paleo recipes so much is because they are (most of the time) EASY! Hey - when you can have an incredible dinner by adding a spice rub to some meat, throwing it in the oven for 30 minutes while you cook some vegetables and maybe adding a tasty side or fruit? BOOM. I'm there.
Dessert? NO PROBLEM - I definitely have a sweet tooth and most paleo baking recipes go something like this: 1) mix the dry ingredients 2) mix the wet ingredients 3) throw it in the oven. In other words, paleo is basically Kylene proof. So if I can do it- you can DEFINITELY do it!
Admittedly some baking ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour etc....) can add up so if budgeting is important you might want to limit the desserts to 1 a week or less. Easier on your budget AND waistline!
Hot tip #2: Make a batch of brownies and freeze them! Your investment will save you from those late night cookie binges and satisfy any sweet craving when it hits.
Chick Pea Brownies (super inexpensive!)
Ok I've talked about how simple it is - SHOW ME THE RECIPES right? :) Resources are your friend when starting out. Having some foolproof bloggers that you know you can trust is the best! When my family started this process Elana Amsterdam saved us. She is beyond skilled in giving you the best tasting recipes with the fewest ingredients possible. Talk about simple! She also divides her website up by special dietary needs, so whether you are egg free, nut free etc....she has recipes for you clearly listed. Check out her website HERE!
Hope this has helped. Bye for now!
Taking the stress out of 21 day fix meal prep...
Hi there Diva friends! I get it....BELIEVE me do I get it. When I decided to hop on board the 21 day fix meal prep train about a year ago, I sat down, looked at the requirements and immediately felt super overwhelmed. I wanted to quit before I got started! I mean, I had a great thing going, I already ate paleo, I was at a healthy weight my workouts were good....
Honestly, if I hadn't had the pressure of the upcoming Beachbody Classic physique competition I probably never would have tried! But I'm glad I did because I've taken bits and pieces of what I learned to use more regularly (aka making tons of veggies over the weekend!), it helped me understand my challengers who go through the 21 day fix program, and it's always good to challenge myself with new things.
All that being said, I'm someone who likes to be efficient, get things done quickly, and enjoy my food. I mean - I LOVE FOOD. So I wanted to share this article on how to make meal prep more enjoyable, so that hopefully you can learn to love it too!
1) Take a Deep Breath
That might sound silly, but like I said - when I started I was super overwhelmed! If you're following a plan like the 21 day fix container system, then take a deep breath and break it down into easy steps. For example, step 1 is to write down at the top of my page how many containers I can have each day. For me that is Plan C which is 1800-1999 calories (by the way I don't encourage anyone to go below that plan!) so it's 5 Green containers, 5 Red (protein), 4 yellow (carb), 3 purple (fruit) 1 orange (seeds) 1 blue (healthy fat) and 5 tsp of oil. Make a tally at the top of your page.
Then I write my meals down like this:
B:
S:
L:
S:
D:
Once I have that outline I can choose my meals and fill in the blanks. I often find it's easier to start with a recipe for dinner and then fill in the gaps afterwards. If pineapple kabobs are for dinner that is 1 red, 1/2 purple and 1/2 green, so I write that down and can fill in the rest of my day accordingly! There are TONS of recipes out there that are "fix approved" and have the container equivalents all figured out for you. But don't be shy about using your favorite recipes and doing your best to guesstimate how it would fit in!
2) Keep it simple but don't get bored
In the beginning you are so overwhelmed that it's easy to just be basic and make one protein, one carb, one veggie all in bulk for the week. I would encourage you not to do that for a few reasons, one being that your body needs more nutritional variety that that would provide, and two if your food doesn't taste good you won't stick with the plan!
*NOTE* Shakeology counts as 1 red, and provides lots of extra nutrients to your day so it's a valuable addition to any meal plan!!!! Plus it taste like a treat, boost your energy, curbs your cravings and provides probiotics (all from whole food, natural sources!)
I would encourage you to make a variety of options for each container and then mix and match within your day! You will end up finding that combinations are really good like sweet potato with chicken and broccoli, or rice with beef and asparagus!
Even within a single container think of fun combos you can make like peppers+onions+mushrooms+spices sautéed in water. That = a green container!
Use lots of spices, seasonings and flavorful ingredients to keep it interesting. Last night my husband and I made a whole chicken, shredded it, added some spices to the bowl so it wouldn't be plain chicken, and then used the chicken carcass to make our favorite homemade bone broth! The bone broth can be used later to cook rice and quinoa more flavorfully, and of COURSE we will drink it too!
3) Be flexible
Anytime you try something new it's really easy to get super dogmatic about it like if you go "off plan" something terrible is going to happen. I'm all about a healthy lifestyle NOT dieting, so PLEASE if you ever meal prep with something as specific as 21 day fix, give yourself some grace! You will go out to eat - make the best choices you can and eyeball it! You will make casseroles for your family that don't allow you to portion everything exactly - do your best and don't stress!!!
21 day fix meal prep and other meal planning structures, are simply here to give you a guideline. It's not a religion, and I promise nothing bad will happen to you if you estimate that cup of blueberries instead of pulling out your purple container!!!! :)
These guidelines are here to get you on track, teach you some basics about nutrition (hello 5 servings of veggies every day!!) and introduce you to tips and tricks that allow you to prep a lot of food over the weekend and save time during the work week!
My lunch from today! 1 Red + 1 Green+ 2 yellow + 1.5tsp
4) Try it and then live your life
This system is NOT forever. If you've never tried it before I would encourage you to use it for about a month! Then I want you to live your life without portion control and calorie counting and simply listen to your body! As long as you are still eating the nutritionally dense, whole, healthy, real foods, you should be fine! This isn't a diet tool that you go off of and gain 10 pounds. There should be no fear associated with dropping the program....it's simple a step to get you started.
Once you've figured it out an gotten used to how it works, the stress is gone and you can bang out a meal plan in no time! Pull it out every once in awhile as needed to get you back on track, and then let it go. Remember, it's a TOOL. Just one of many that you have in your arsenal!
p.s. Play some music and get your hubby or friend to cook with you! An enjoyable atmosphere can make the process way more fun and doing it with someone makes the time go faster! :)
(part 3) Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals....
#1- TIME. #2- PLAN #3-SUPPORT!
Raise your hand (don't worry I can't see you) :P if you have ever stopped working towards a goal because you did't have support, motivation, or accountability? If you're being honest I think all of us would raise our hands for that.
Life is busy, and if you don't have support you are way less likely to follow through with something that is hard. I know that changing your life, your nutrition, and your habits IS HARD! According to Forbes.com, "Social support is critical. One of the most effective things you can do is to get an accountability partner, someone who checks in with you daily or weekly. It’s easy to break a promise to yourself, but far harder to admit it to a friend."
So let's recap the past few days:
- We need to be efficient with our TIME
- We need to have a solid PLAN
- We need something to keep us ACCOUNTABLE
These are simple steps that you can take to become one of the 8% that achieve their New Years resolutions. Only 8%! That means when you accomplish your goal you'll be in an elite group of people who stayed committed and did something amazing.
When I began participating in Beachbody challenge groups it was accountability and friendly competition really helped me become consistent. Sure I'd had spurts of fitness in the past, but I would always quit eventually or take too many days off. Hello stack of at home DVD programs that were just gathering dust! The challenge groups helped me because I knew I needed to check in and for the first time I began finishing these crazy at home programs 100%. Because of that my body started changing, my mindset shifted, and ultimately it changed my whole life! I'm not saying that to be dramatic.....participating in my first challenge group literally changed my life. Within a few months I made the decision to leave my masters degree in vocal performance and become a coach full time!!! Are you ready to change YOUR life?
I'm passionate about coaching because I know how it has helped me, and I have seen how the support, community, encouragement, and daily accountability in my challenges has helped others too. But don't take my word for it . Sarah says,
"From the beginning of my participation in Kylene’s challenge groups she has been patient, supportive, kind and pushy when I needed her to be. It’s great when you give your coach permission to do something and they actually do it! Coaches are there to help you achieve and do more and that’s exactly what Kylene does for me!”
This is your personal invitation to join my March challenge group. I'm inviting you to:
- SAVE TIME by using 30 minute at home workouts.
- Have a PLAN by using programs that are proven to work give you the results you want.
- Receive SUPPORT by connecting in the challenge group with others on the same journey.
DON'T WAIT the challenge begins Monday but it opens on Facebook today! How to get started:
- Message me with questions (let's come up with a personal plan!)
- Reply "I'm in!" to get started
I can't wait to help you achieve your goals and join the 8%!
YOU can do it. I'll guide you EVERY step of the way!
Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals (part 2)
Yesterday we learned that one of the top struggles people deal with is TIME....
Today I want to talk about having a PLAN. To be successful, it's very important to have a plan both for fitness AND nutrition. Those two things are intimately connected and while nutrition can sometimes stand alone, fitness should never be separated from nutrition!
When it comes to time spent at the gym, most people simply don't know what to do. I know for a long time I didn't either! You may go the gym with every good intention, excitement even! The you look around, feel very overwhelmed, and possibly embarrassed, because you aren't sure how to use the equipment or even know what muscles to focus on, what weights to use, or how many reps to do to be effective....so you may try some free weight exercises that you learned in high school just to get it in, or you hop on the cardio machines and sweat away for hours at a time.....but still you are constantly frustrated because you aren't seeing the results you want!
This is nothing to be ashamed about, but it IS something that can change. The number 1 thing I would encourage you to do is learn about free weights and begin to lessen your cardio efforts. If you learn how to do circuit training with free weights you will be killing two birds (or 3) with one stone as you:
- increase your bone density, balance, coordination (benefits of weight training)
- AND improve your cardiovascular abilities (benefits of circuit training)
- Cut your workout time in half!
Most gyms have trainers available and if you choose to workout at a gym I would encourage you to use one! Proper form, timing, and a planned program are important to your success and injury prevention.
Or, you have another option. Allow me help you find your perfect at home workout program! With clear, guided instructions, access to me for any questions you have and a pre-planned results driven program all laid out, I know you will reach your goals faster than before! You may wonder why as a certified personal trainer I still do at home Beachbody workouts myself....#1 because they are effective -plain and simple! But #2, they save me TIME and PLANNING! I don't want to sit down and create my OWN program, that's like a doctor coming up with their own protocol. Possible, but no fun. I know that I see results from these programs and all I have to do is push play and show up! That works for me, and I know it can work for you too! :)
Similarly, like we mentioned yesterday, consistency is key in nutrition...and I believe that nutrition is 90% of achieving your overall health goals as well as a goal number on the scale. That 90% cannot be achieved without a plan!
I know firsthand how difficult transitioning to a healthy diet can be! It's takes TIME, it takes PLANNING, it takes RESEARCH it takes commitment....who has energy for THAT when you are trying to get everything else done?!
That's why I focus a lot on nutrition in my monthly challenge groups. I have spent the past 5 years gathering information for myself, implementing it, trying different things, and finding out what WORKS. In the past year I have worked with my challengers and even individual clients to help them reach their goals and learn how to make healthy living a lifestyle! In my challenge groups I share:
- how I eat and why
- how I broke free from the yo-yo diet mentality
- how I can eat whatever I want whenever I want because I now know what ingredients to use.
- how to get relief from a restrictive mindset, enjoy your food, and make it work FOR you not against you!
I do all of this to save you the time, energy, and effort that it took me! I provide meal plans, tips, encouragement and recipes to make it easy for you. You will be provided with all the tools and resources you need to be successful longterm!
So who is ready to come up with a PLAN?! I have a new challenge group opening March 6th ( that's THIS MONDAY!) You can message me for details, ask for a video chat consultation, or just let me know you're ready to jump in and we can GET STARTED TODAY!
Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals (part 1)
According to Bodybuilding.com, 73% of people who set a new years resolution give up on it before they have reached their goal. Within that number, 36% said that it's difficult to find the time to workout consistently.
We all know that in order to reach our goals consistency is key! One bite of broccoli isn't going to counteract years of eating pop tarts. But consistently choosing vegetables over packaged treats WILL make a difference long term. Similarly, one time at the gym every couple of weeks will have no effect, but finding time in your day regularly and showing up as a habit WILL.
I totally get it, making time for working out is tough - by the time you motivate yourself to get moving, get dressed, go outside in the cold to drive to the gym, get to the gym and workout by yourself, then drive home and shower you've probably used up about 2 hours of your precious time!
When you have spouse, kids, and work obligations 2 hours is giving up a lot of time that could be spent planning your day, eating breakfast with your family, sleeping in, or otherwise being productive!
That's why I LOVE Beachbody at home workouts. I used to have every good intention of getting to the gym on a regular basis and forcing myself to workout for an hour every time. But honestly, I would make excuses like it's too cold out or flat out say "I don't want to today". But when I started using my at home workout programs that all changed. When I know that all I have to do is get my body down in my basement and push play then I truly eliminate all my excuses! With most workouts timing in at 30 minutes or less, I began to see BETTER results in LESS time than I ever had before!
*Less time
*Better results
*Don't have to spend time figuring out my own workout
*Just push play
*100s of workouts at my disposal
If you haven't checked out the Beachbody on Demand ALL ACCESS pack yet, you NEED TO NOW! This provides you with access to EVERY Beachbody at home workout for a full year - PLUS the new workouts that will be launched in 2017. This means you can choose from cardio, bodybuilding, yoga, strength training, dance, and more... you'll never get bored AND you won't run out of new challenges and variety to keep it interesting.
I am more than happy to chat about your goals so that we can come up with an effective and doable plan for you to achieve them! This is just part 1. Stay tuned for more tips on achieving your goals in the next few days!
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Here's to your optimum health!
