#LEAN14 january jumpstart: a month in review.

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I can’t believe January is already over! It was definitely an interesting month – taking on January Jumpstart while also planning a move, launching a new company, and keeping up with other life stuff.

Overall I would say that January Jumpstart was a success for me. Even though I didn’t stick to all of the goals 100%, it really held me accountable to keep up with healthy choices instead of letting them fall by the wayside a week in. I’m excited to keep up with LEAN14 for the rest of the year.

But for now, here’s a recap of how I did with my January Jumpstart goals.

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day – YES

2. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables each day – YES

3. Exercise 3 days a week (30-60 min combo of strength & cardio) – Eh, not so much. Some weeks I did great, others I did 1-2 workouts, or none at all. With the move and Speakable launch, life has been crazy!

4. Squats, squats, and more squats – see above

5. Eat more clean, whole foods – YES

6. Eat balanced meals and less snacking – Yes and no, I definitely cut down on the snacking, but not entirely.

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night – YES

8. Limit soda/energy drinks to 3 per week (an improvement for me) – YES! I actually did way better with this than I thought. I haven’t had a single soda or energy drink all month.

9. Allow more time to walk/take the subway instead of cabs – Nope. I blame the Polar Vortex.

10. Track more of my meals/workouts here on GML – Not as much as I wanted to. At least I still have all year 😉

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And to wrap things up, here are some of my favorite #LEAN14 posts from January:

(Click the image to go to the post)

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Did you do a January Jumpstart of sorts?
How is LEAN in 2014 going for you so far?

#LEAN14 january jumpstart: my go-to treat.

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Does anyone else NOT know what they did before Pinterest? The thought of having to Google recipes instead of use the tried and true world that is Pinterest is cringe-worthy to me now…

Anyway, I came across this simple “recipe” recently on Pinterest as an easy treat that can be made ahead of time, and wrapped into individual portions. I’m never going to be one to give up on dessert, but it is nice to have something that a) doesn’t have to be cooked/prepared and b) fits into my January Jumpstart goals.

This is that something.

The original recipe calls for graham crackers, but I used Enjoy Life’s Vanilla Honey Graham Cookies instead (I’m sure you could use just about any cookie, but I’d think a thin, crunchier one would work best).

It also calls for peanut butter, which I omitted to keep things as simple as possible. That would be a delicious addition, though!

All you have to do is top one cookie with a generous dollop of Cool Whip, top it with another cookie, wrap tightly in saran wrap, and throw it in the freezer. It doesn’t get much easier than that! Each sandwich rings in under 200 calories.

And what’s even better? These little sandwiches taste AMAZING. They’re the perfect amount of sweetness, and the combination of the crunchy cookie with the creamy (almost ice cream-like) filling makes for the perfect “just one is enough” dessert.

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What’s your go-to sweet treat?

#LEAN14: my number one (not so) secret.

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First and foremost, I just have to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all of your support and kind words regarding Speakable - it truly means the world to me! xoxo

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So, I must admit that I left out a key aspect of what I’m trying to focus on during LEAN in 2014.

I didn’t do it intentionally, I guess I just figured it was an understood point of “getting lean.” But with so many diet & fitness trends going on right now, I feel like this concept I’m about to share is almost…well, old school.

Want to know what it is?

AKA an excuse to still eat cupcakes 😉 Just kidding. But not really.

Let me start by clarifying that I’m not saying portion control works for everyone. I know that it doesn’t, and I’m not prescribing what I think anyone else should do. But for me, that’s what I continuously find myself coming back to as the (not so) “secret” to getting lean.

Here’s the thing - I know that other diet plans out there work – probably more quickly (and even more health-wise) than portion control. But personally, I just can’t bring myself to say “no” to any foods. I’m sure I could if I really put my mind to it, but I just don’t want to. And I’m okay with that.

Don’t get me wrong – making sure I incorporate healthy foods into my diet is still really important to me. I want to do my body well!

As much as I want to be lean and healthy, though, living a full life and not feeling deprived of anything is more important to me. And if there’s a way for me to reach certain goals without having to curse bread for the rest of my life, than that’s the way I’m going to take. For me, that’s good old fashioned, nothing fancy, no-frills portion control.

Some of my favorite tips for controlling portions:

* When at a restaurant or takeout – split your meal in half before you start eating it

* Measuring cups. Use them.

* Instead of trying to subtract foods, ADD more healthy ones

* Use smaller bowls and plates

* Eat slowly

* Let yourself eat what you’re craving in a normal amount, instead of going overboard later

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Do you follow any particular dietary guidelines when trying to get lean/be healthy?
What are your thoughts on portion control?

#LEAN14 january jumpstart: FUELed up.

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I feel the need to share that the first few days of January Jumpstart were not very…jumpstarty. Haha. I did manage to keep my meals nice and clean, but workouts…well, they just didn’t happen. I’ve been finishing up a huge new project (which I’ll reveal on Monday!), so that took precedence. Good thing I technically already got my 3 workouts in for the week 😉

Like I said, I did manage to have some great healthy meals. I haven’t made it to the grocery store yet since I got back from the holidays, and with the crazy snow storm Hercules it was Seamless to the rescue (what else is new?).

I’m really loving Fuel Grill & Juice Bar lately. They have so many delicious and healthy options!

Rewind to Wednesday where I got their FUEL Mexican Plate: bison (choice of chicken) cooked with black beans, pico de gallo and avocado, served with brown rice. The serving was huge – it lasted me two full meals.

And for breakfast today I got one of their omelets + turkey bacon, avocado, and sweet potato. Another two-mealer. GML approved!

With January Jumpstart I’m really focusing on eating balances meals instead of snacking throughout the day, and the hearty (yet healthy) meals that Fuel provides is perfect for that.

Do you prefer three larger meals, or small meals/snacking throughout the day?

lean ’14: january jumpstart.

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First of all, I am SO excited that so many of you are joining me in LEAN14! It’s great to know that I have so many lovely ladies (and maybe some fellas? 😉 ) that are on the same journey as I am. I can’t wait to see what you all share and what your personal goals are.

When I introduced the challenge, I mentioned doing a more specific challenge for the month of January. So now I’m going to introduce the JANUARY JUMPSTART I’ll be doing from January 1-31.

You’ll see I’m not aiming for anything crazy restrictive or out of the norm. My goal in doing these 10 things for 31 days straight is to make a HABIT of them.

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1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day

2. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables each day

3. Exercise 3 days a week (30-60 min combo of strength & cardio)

4. Squats, squats, and more squats

5. Eat more clean, whole foods

6. Eat balanced meals and less snacking

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night

8. Limit soda/energy drinks to 3 per week (an improvement for me)

9. Allow more time to walk/take the subway instead of cabs

10. Track more of my meals/workouts here on GML

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That’s not so difficult, right? I know this may not be as strict or even effective as many of the January challenges out there, but for me this is all about consistency, and I do much better with small, attainable goals.

I’ll be keeping track of my progress here on GML, Instagram, and posting inspiration/motivation on the LEAN in 2014 Pinterest board.

What are your LEAN in 2014 January Jumpstart goals?
Make sure to share your progress on Instagram with hashtag #LEAN14!