Quick Tip

BEST healthy ice cream alternative. Try it, there are all types of flavors and they are delicious!!!! Plus it has 6 grams of protein.

Trust the Process

Working out and eating clean can be such a hard habit to start and maintain. There are so many ups and downs, you hit plateaus along the way and it's easy to get frustrated and give up. My advice: trust the process! It takes time but it is so worth it! The work that you put in will pay off in the end. So keep pushing!!

Life Update

Hello all! Sorry I have been MIA with updates on the baby and what's been going on in life lately! It's been a crazy transition into motherhood but it's been a wonderful kind of crazy. :)

September 8th, 2016 at 6:04 pm we welcomed our baby boy Rowan Michael Johnson into the world. Weighing 8.15 and 20 3/4 inches long, he was a big boy! I was in labor for about 17 hours, he hadn't dropped into my cervix, his heart rate lowered every time I had a contraction, the cord was around his neck and I was only dilated at 6 so we decided to take him c-section. I would have loved to have a natural birth but my goal the entire pregnancy was, healthy baby, healthy mom and that's exactly what we got! I am beyond thankful for a healthy baby boy and wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way.

Adjusting to life as a mom has been interesting but such a blessing! You take for granted the little things you were able to do before baby like, take a shower, eat or go to the bathroom whenever you want haha but it's definitely worth the change. Rowan is such a wonderful baby, he has picked up breastfeeding like a champ, he is a great sleeper and his animal siblings just love him! Piper, one of our dogs has become very protective over Rowan which I love :).

I am on week 3 of my 12 week maternity leave and I don't even want to think about going back to work! It's definitely going to be a struggle :(. I am also on week 3 of 6 for not working out which has been so hard for me! I love working out but due to the c-section, I have to wait 6 weeks before I can. It has been hard but I am trying to eat clean to lose the baby weight. I love our new and growing family, life has been great and exhausting at times but I am so thankful to be where I am right now. Happy Tuesday!

🙌🏼

Quick Tip

TIP OF THE DAY:
Apple cider vinegar can bring so many different benefits to your every day life. It's great to drink every day, although it needs to be diluted and mixed with another drink (water, cranberry juice etc.). I plan to add this to my daily intake once I have the baby. Nic, my husband, drinks it every day and has noticed the benefits it can bring. His blood pressure has significantly lowered (although it wasn't an issue for him) and it has helped with his energy and digestion👌🏼 This list shows that it's not only for your body, physically but there are other areas in your life where it is beneficial.

Watermelon Pickin' Tip🍉

That feeling when you cut open a watermelon and find that it was a perfect pick👌🏼😄 I'm not great at picking them out but my hubby sure is, so delicious! I guess you are supposed to look for one that has a lot of "veins" and a yellow spot somewhere on the watermelon. Fresh watermelon for the week✔️

Invest in Yourself

Words of Encouragement

Life is too short to be serious all the time. Be silly, embrace the craziness that life brings us daily and always look on the bright side. There is a time to be serious but don't forget to enjoy the little things, be productive and share your happiness with others. Take time to grow, think about all the amazing things that life has to offer and don't forget to be thankful for all of those things that are or have been in your life. For me, health and fitness is a big part of my happiness but it's not everything. My family, friends, job, God and all the wonderful things in my life work together to keep me happy. I am thankful, blessed beyond measure and ready for any other adventures that come my way. Stay happy, friends!

Measuring Progress

There are so many ways to measure progress because we all have different body types, goals, habits and lifestyles. Your bigger, better and stronger may look different than mine. Some people want to maintain tone, some build muscle for a competition and others are looking to lose weight. Right now, I have gotten bigger for the baby, I am still strong from my daily workouts and I feel my best at almost 38 weeks pregnant because of my consistent workouts, every day throughout pregnancy. Remember, progress is progress and it looks different based on the individual. The focus is on you bettering yourself and your life, just keep pushing💪🏼😃

Water Tip

TIP OF THE DAY:

So I used to have a purse fetish but since I will be sporting around a diaper bag for quite some time, that purse fetish has turned into a water bottle fetish. I get made fun of because my collection has gotten quite large and I'm always getting new ones😂 BUT one rule that I always use when buying a water bottle is, the bigger the better. This particular one is 34oz, I don't have to fill it up as often, it's spill proof,  I can carry it with me everywhere (which I literally do, you rarely ever see me without my water😉) and it was only $4.99. My advice, buy a larger water bottle, it's more convenient and it even helps you drink more water. I usually go through 6-7 of these 34oz water bottles a day! I know, I am the water girl💧 It's a great habit to form so get to drinkin'!

Pregnancy Update

I am now 36 weeks pregnant and better than EVER! I still love being pregnant although I understand when women say, "trust me, as it gets closer you will be ready". I do love being pregnant but there will be perks to not having such a large belly ;). Right now, Baby J is breech so I will be getting a sonogram on Monday to determine what they can do. The doctors will either try to turn him or I will have a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks. Either way, I am good as long as Baby J and I are healthy, happy and arrive in God's planned time. I have learned through this pregnancy that I cannot control everything and the big picture is making sure our boy is healthy. God has a plan and I trust that plan fully and completely. Everything is going great, I still have some killer heart burn and standing for too long has become a struggle but life is good and my heart is full. Four weeks left until we meet our boy but it could be sooner than that! I have continued to consistently workout throughout this entire pregnancy which was a MAJOR goal of mine. This has been a HUGE factor into how I feel, how my body has reacted to the changes and my overall outlook on pregnancy. Fitness has played a huge role in my pregnancy which I highly recommend to any prego mamas out there. Stay active!

Post Baby Meal Plans

Post baby meal planning is officially complete! I love how this program fits my needs and it takes into consideration that I will be nursing which means some extra calorie intake in my daily meal plan. Ready to get down to business after Baby J is born. I highly recommend looking into this program. Need help?! I would love to assist you, just let me know!

Zucchini taco bowl

Be Human

This is so true! I have to admit I am guilty of it too. We often times focus on posting all the wonderful things in our lives and we forget the negative aspects that make us human! We ALL have things we don't like about ourselves, our lives and even the people in it sometimes. Instead of hiding and projecting ourselves to be perfect, why not be truthful about both sides, good and bad. You never know who may be going through the same struggles as you. Let's empower each other with the positives and negatives in life.

Scheduling Tip

Quick Tip:
As odd as it sounds, I schedule out all the major things that I do in my daily routine. It keeps me accountable and I love checking them off my list when they are complete. I even schedule my workout! Why? Because it's something that I consider an important part of my day that I want to fit in. It's a great visual reminder and it alerts me when events are coming up. This calendar app is a great way to keep your schedule straight and have daily reminders to complete tasks that are in your normal schedule as well as random things that may pop up. I love to stay organized and this helps, especially with my pregnancy brain.

Prego Mama Tip

✨Morning mommy tip for all my prego ladies out there✨ Along with the Shea Moisture belly butter I previously posted about, I use Vitamin E oil every day. I apply coco butter lotion then top it with this Jason Vitamin E to keep my skin moisturized, comfortable and itch free👌🏼 Give it a try! You can find this at most stores in the organic section.

Your Body

It's truly amazing the things our bodies are capable of. I have seen it through health and fitness and recently with my journey through pregnancy. Our bodies are unbelievable the way they change, adapt, create and build every single day. Creating a new life other than my own has really given me a deeper perspective into the importance of taking care of the body God gave me. Fueling it with good foods, exercise and surrounding myself with good company. Enjoy life and live it to the fullest but never take it for granted. Take care of the one body you have and appreciate how amazing it is❤️

Prego Mama Tip

Prego mamas: this butter cream is pure gold! I love this stuff and use it faithfully every day🙌🏼  As our pregnant bellies grow, the skin stretches and can get itchy. I apply this cream to my belly every night, it really reduces the itching AND prevents stretch marks. I am almost 34 weeks and I am stretch mark free! Applying lotions, like this one every day has really helped that. Grease up ladies😉 It's worth it!

Put Your Heart Into It

It's not always about how well the workout went, how tired you got, how you physically feel or how long the workout was. Sometimes, it's how hard you push, how much heart you put into making it a great workout regardless of anything else going on around you. So get started, workout and forget everything else. Put your heart into it and you will be satisfied❤️

Maternity Exercises

A few simple moves to do during the third trimester (or anytime really): each move will be 3 sets of a 10 second hold, you will do 2 rounds of this.
-Sumo squats
-Back pull
-Curtsy lunge (both left and right)
-Front lunge (both left and right)
-Straight arm plank (hold 30 seconds)

Great maternity workout to get you ready for labor.

Always

Healthy Pancake/Waffle Mix

This mix is delicious and can be found at most grocery stores! Give it a try. :) 

21 Day Fix/Fix Extreme Program

This is an AMAZING 21-day program that not only gives you amazing workouts but it teaches you how to eat healthy and in proportion to your body weight. You learn how to eat in portion control and what category each food you eat goes under. Is it a vegetable? Fruit? Carb? Healthy fat? Protein? or something that has no nutritional value to your body. This program truly taught me how to eat and what clean eating really means. The workouts are great and they are only 30 minutes! Here are a few tips to help you get going with the program. If anyone is interested in starting or hearing more information about this program, send me an e-mail!

Just Saying.....

Everyone Is

Lets be honest, we are all a freakin' mess! Although there are times when everything falls into place and life seems perfect, we ALL have skeletons in our closet, bad days and days where getting out of bed seems impossible. That is the beauty of this life, embrace your imperfections and know that you are NOT alone, trust me. Even that person on social media who always seems to have it together: the perfect family, house, no money problems, the best fashion and always seems to eat clean/exercise. NOPE, they don't always have it together, they are a mess too. We all are so accept it and love the good and bad times in your life. Life would be dull if we always had sunshine and rainbows, the bad times shake it up and they are lessons that we learn from. So treasure the good AND bad times in your life and know that everything happens for a reason. 

Pregnancy Fashion-It's all about COMFORT!

I'd like to think of myself as the comfy pants queen! I often get compliments on my pants and I rarely ever wear jeans. I LOVE these "PJ" pants and I always find the best deals and styles. I mainly find them at Target and TJMaxx but occasionally find a good deal at Ross. These are great for pregnancy (and even after), they are comfortable, can be dressed up and dressed down, are work appropriate and can be paired with a variety of different styles. Happy shopping!

P.S. This is me at about 27 weeks pregnant, where comfort is a MUST. :)

Pregnancy Update

Well I am officially in my 25th week of pregnancy and I must say, I love being pregnant. Call me crazy but I have had such an amazing experience so far. Everything new (whether it is good or bad) has been such a great experience, my body is continuing to change, baby is growing and kicking more than ever and I love it. My first trimester was rough with morning sickness and fatigue, I felt like I slept ALL the time. As I moved into my second trimester, I experienced and continue to experience heartburn, bleeding gums, round ligament pain, dry nose, my belly itches and it is getting hard to touch my toes haha. However, we also got to find out we are having a boy, he kicks like crazy and my heart fills with joy every time I feel it. The nursery is almost finished, we have two names picked out and we continue to plan for this amazing bundle of joy that is coming our way in just a few short months.

My eating has been, by no means perfect. I stay pretty close to my clean eating routine during the week but if I want a dessert or crave something a little more on the unhealthy side, I eat it. One HUGE difference I believe is my working out. I have consistently worked out throughout this entire pregnancy, even during the rough first few months when all I wanted to do was sleep. It has been tough at times but it has been so worth it. I truly believe my body has reacted so well to pregnancy due to my consistency in working out and staying active. I have also continued to drink Shakeology on top of taking my prenatal pills which has been a wonderful addition as well.

Overall, my first pregnancy has been amazing and I am so excited to meet this beautiful baby boy! He will be an amazing addition to our family. It will be a shake up for the animals but mama and daddy to be are beyond thrilled.

Blessing

Bloom

Build yourself and others around you up, there is no power in  comparing yourself to others. Live the life you were meant to.

NO Excuses!

No excuses people! Find a time in the day that works best for you and get that workout in. You will NEVER regret a workout but you will regret every workout that you didn't do. It's a great way to get "me time" in and do something for yourself. There is no reason why we can't find time in our day to workout, that is an excuse to put it bluntly. You CAN do it! Find the time, schedule it and get after it!!

Look on the Bright Side

Monday motivation, ya'll! Enter this next week with a positive attitude, knowing that so many amazing days in your life have yet to happen. There is so much to look forward to in this life and many of those wonderful things haven't occurred yet. So look on the bright side, think positively and make every week a GREAT week!

Keep Pushing

Finding the time to workout every day can be a challenge. There are so many unexpected things that come up in our daily lives and lets be honest, life gets crazy! Scheduling a time before you even start your day to get a workout in can be so powerful. Think of it as a meeting that you cannot miss, a time for yourself and a time to focus on your health. Don't. Hold. Back. Get that time for yourself, even on the weekends! Doing some form of physical activity every day is so beneficial to your mind, body and soul. It's not selfish, it's necessary!

The Power in Confidence

Fitness Humor

Success is NEVER easy

This is a great visual on how HARD success really is. It's never easy for anyone but KEEP PUSHING! You got this.