Living Well with Jenna

THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING REMEMBER THIS

You do not need to make a decision right this minute.

Your life and your journey will be very different to others journeys and it is also ok to change your mind along the way.

So often I find women I speak to want to do or try something but there is this bit of them that holds them back.

Fear of failure, maybe

The great news is that you don’t need to have all the answers and you don’t even need to know where you are going

You just need a vision of a version of something different and greater

Then find someone to help you to the next step

They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something

Remember that next time you are struggling

The only difference between the one who has succeeded at something and you is usually time and dedication to the subject

Think about how much training goes into an Olympic athlete for just one lift, one jump

Avoid giving up your dream

You are most likely closer than you imagine

The next step might seem unsteady, but it is better to fall and get back up than to never take any step at all

If you need any help at all with your health and fitness goals I am always here ❤️

WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?

My husband captured this image of me when I wasn’t looking

I love it because it truly represents the intimacy of a relationship and is ME

To be loved through the lens of someone else, unconditionally & without judgement is what we should seek in any relationship

I am not just a wife, mother, daughter, friend, coach

I am uniquely and apologetically , ME

I am a collective jumble of my life experiences & feel like I have gathered so many wonderful thoughts & ideas through these moments

Not everything is great & I am scarred

I would not change a thing as that would mean I would be different

The final picture is the picture I posted on match.com before I met my husband

I contemplated dying my hair as I thought I was too much

I was WRONG

Are you your authentic self?

One that doesn't seek to be somebody else?

It is ok to want to improve and to be better

But at the same time I hope you love the core of your being

That there is an acceptance of your very existence on this beautiful planet

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A COACH TO HELP YOU GET TO YOUR GOALS, PLEASE READ THIS

Choosing a coach should be highly personal

You will need to feel confidence in being 100% honest and this can make you feel very vulnerable

If at any point trust is not at the forefront of the relationship there will be a breakdown

Your coaching relationship is very similar to a romantic relationship

If you think you will be judged or your coach will not understand what you are going through you will struggle to progress beyond the challenges you have had in your history

This may be one issue that has stopped you from achieving your goals in the past

Sometimes it is lack of full understanding of how body fat loss really works and you need someone who is willing to take the time to teach you

If you are hoping to lose more than 20lbs or two stone, long term success is probably not found in a 6 or 8 week shred

I am sure you know how to lose weight also, we have all heard it before "move more, eat less"

It is much more complicated than this, especially for females

If it were that easy everyone would be sitting at their goals and smiling

If you find yourself struggling, confused, frustrated and ready to quit often then I may be the coach to help

Compassion and teaching are my thing and what I am most passionate about because I personally needed to lose over a 100lbs and that is HARD

I know the mental and physical struggles and will become your cheerleader so you do not give up

If this sounds like something you need, let's have a chat today

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED?

Life can be so serious

Adulting is hard, sometimes too hard

Would you be surprised that the stress and anxiety of could be stopping you from your goals?

Cortisol your fight or flight hormone may be in overdrive

High alert and near the point of bubbling over

If you are feeling this, perhaps it is time to hit re-set

It is never too late to re-evaluate and say no to what is not working

My favourite tool is to write down everything that you feel needs to be done or is in your head taking up space

Next cross out anything on the list that does not require your immediate attention

Or is it something sucking your energy that is outside your control?

Take stock and then focus on what really matters ❤️

BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE!

You do not need to do EVERYTHING today to create great habits that stick

Rather, start with one habit that you know will help you the most mentally and physically and begin there

If you are struggling with good mental health then I advise you begin by avoiding social media, emails, etc. but rather start the day with one of the following:

- small walk

- journaling, 3 things you are grateful for

- read a chapter of a book

- listen to a podcast

- meditate

The first day may only be ten minutes but commit to that ten minutes until you are able to do more

A walk in the fresh air will improve:

- your mood

- vitamin D levels

- your heart health

- your physical health

- it is also known to increase concentration

- and creativity

If your food is not fueling you and you know this is where you need to put your energy then:

- start with improving one area of your food day

- eat more fresh fruit and vegetables

- have protein at every meal

- limit night time snacking by making sure the last meal of the day fills you up then you will be less likely to be going back and forth to the kitchen

Small changes add up & good habits can be addicting!

I FEEL SO IRRITATED, I NEED AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Intentions vs reality can sometimes be frustrating

Our expectation is option A but life is typically options B, C …

This morning I had hoped to sleep

Feeling exhausted from a long week & outside stressors

I knew a lie in would help

A family members alarm woke me

Rather than be annoyed I decide to take a bath

Minutes in kids are brushing teeth

One is now plopped on the toilet seat

I am sure she is thinking “She is trapped, here is my chance!”

You know what happens “Can I have___”, “Why can’t I do ___?”

Next the dog is let upstairs and is now licking me & the soap on the edge of the tub

Can I go back to bed yet?

It is 11am before I make breakfast because I cannot find my granola

Replaced by an absent minded child I finally sit down for breakfast

The door bell rings, a door to door salesman with a story of desperate people that need my help

I feel guilty for my fortunate life

I go to remove clothes from the washer machine & everything is still sodden, two attempts to spin only & nothing changes

Pop the hang only clothes in the dryer to try to get some of the soak out

A brand new jumper’s V neck is now wonky & I have layed it on a towel on the dogs raised bed to try to salvage it

My oldest child then wants to make macaroni & cheese, she really needs supervision

I hear the pot over flow

I have no energy left in my bank & know I am better being left with a mess to clean later than a potential argument

It is now 12pm

Any one of these things in isolation would be ok but the combination of everything was more than I could mentally manage

Can you relate?

My brain feels fried, there is much left to do

I take myself into a quiet room

Cup of tea

Put spa music on

Light my favourite candle

And meditate

Breathe in breathe out

It’s time for a re-set

I feel better now

Had I not removed myself from the situation all would not have ended so well

Here are other things I recommend to the team when a re-set is needed:

💛 Go for a walk

💛 Journaling

💛 Call a friend

💛 Draw/Write

💛 Create/Craft

💛 Play an instrument

💛 Tree bath

What do you do to self regulate when life feels too much?

SLOW DOWN THIS WEEKEND & ENJOY TIME WITH THOSE YOU 💛

As I am getting older I realise how time passes so quickly

Schedule time with those you love and watch how you de-stress

Recovery is generally higher

Mood is elevated in a positive way

Awesome memories are created

Plus smiling is better for your face then frowning

Happy Saturday everyone 🥳

DOES THIS CYCLE FEEL ALL TOO REAL TO YOU?

I genuinely used to think that this was just the way it was

Work really hard to lose weight

Not actually understanding how weight loss even happened

Even being told one week that I didn’t lose weight because I had exercised 🙈

Genuinely thinking that I regained the weight because I stopped going to Weight Watchers or Slimming World

Changing from different weight loss methods because that diet didn’t work for me

I would start on their “maintenance plan” for a bit not understanding really what that meant then would go alone

Clothes would start to get snug

I would next need to re-join

Frustrated!!

Why couldn’t I be normal and just keep it off 🥲

Now that I understand all of it I make it my mission to help my team to really understand how to get to their goals and not have this roller coaster experience

Can you relate?

Ready to start your journey and fully understand weight loss and body fat loss from start to finish?

Head to the link in my bio and fill in my pre-application form to get your journey started ❤️

THERE ARE SO MANY PATHS AND CHOICES. BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE!

You do not need to do EVERYTHING today to create great habits that stick

Rather, start with one habit that you know will help you the most mentally and physically and begin there

If you are struggling with good mental health then I advise you begin by getting up each day and starting the day with a small walk

The first day may only be ten minutes but commit to that ten minutes until you are able to do more

A walk in the fresh air will improve:

- your mood

- vitamin D levels

- your heart health

- your physical health

- it is also known to increase concentration

- and creativity

If your food is not fueling you and you know this is where you need to put your energy then:

- start with improving one area of your food day

- eat more fresh fruit and vegetables

- have protein at every meal

- limit night time snacking by making sure the last meal of the day fills you up then you will be less likely to be going back and forth to the kitchen

Small changes add up and good habits can be addicting!

PUT YOUR OXYGEN MASK ON FIRST -Stop putting yourself last or not at all

The dishes will get clean 🧼

The laundry will get done ✅

When is the last time you smiled?

Had a proper laugh?

Everything finds a way

If you find like many women that you are forever putting everything ahead of your own goals and self care, it is time to do an audit

An audit of what is truly important to you?

Most of us are in autopilot?

Or worse, schedule things for ourselves but when something else comes up we will give up our time for nearly anything or anyone else 🥲

What will really make you happy

Not the stuff you can buy, but the stuff you can’t buy

Self acceptance

Self belief

A body you can be proud of?

What about laughter?

When is the last time you had fun?

What have you put on the back burner so others can be taken care of?

Start with one thing you love and schedule it in for YOU

Block time out in your busy diary for anything ✍️

Avoid waiting, you will tumble back into your busy life

Time for the gym 🏋️‍♀️

Message the friend 👯

Book the holiday ✈️

Arrange a date night 💃🏻

Put limits in your phone 📱

Invite someone over for a game night 🎯

Go for a walk 🚶🏻‍♀️

Just do it and watch what happens

I CAN SHOW YOU BEFORE AND AFTERS, BUT WHAT IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT?

I am sure, like myself, many of you have been able to lose weight at different times

Losing weight wasn’t the hard part, was it?

It is the after part?

When we are feeling really happy and comfortable in our skin

The celebrations & missed social events are caught up on

An extra biscuit here, a takeaway here

We may no longer be measuring food

No longer stepping on the scale

Before we know it the new clothes are getting snug

We tell ourselves

I will reign it in tomorrow, maybe Monday

This was definitely the case for my lovely client

She came to me scared

Health had deteriorated during the last 18 months & due to inactivity weight had increased

Health had rapidly declined, there was a problem

While waiting for GP intervention, she knew she needed to lose weight

Just retired, nearly 70

Genuinely worried she would not be around to see her retirement

Initially, we were unable to do any form of exercise, including steps

The pictures sadly only show you the progress over the last 8 weeks & not the 6 months before

There were no before, before pictures

On a small frame you can imagine her clothes were hanging on her

BUT

She is 32lbs down & still dropping

Nearly back in size 8 clothing, a person goal

And most importantly, ALL health challenges are no longer a worry

We focused on habits & nutrition

Now her nutrition is a natural part of her everyday lifestyle

Plus she is training three days a week for the first time in her life & has gone from under 200 steps a day to most days over 4,000

I could not be more proud of this woman's determination to turn her life around

Her future looks great and she is happier than she has been in a very long time with a whole lot of optimism that she has many, many years to enjoy life

It is truly never too late!

My clients ages range from 22-69 and everything in between

All walks of life, all different goals

Women, supporting women with a whole lot of fun & wisdom between us all ❤️

COULD YOUR NEGATIVE THINKING BE HOLDING YOU BACK FROM PROGRESSING WITH YOUR GOALS?

You might be thinking, If I have to read one more positive affirmation or quote!

BUT

What if there is actually something to this positivity?

Have you ever considered that miserable people seem to surround themselves with miserable people?

Likewise, positive people attract positivity?

I know I am much more productive in all aspects of my life when I have a positive mindset

On the days when I am feeling Meh, possibly hormonal, sometimes "Pity Party Parade”, even angry, I am less productive

The boxes don't get ticked

We move towards what we focus on

What then could & would happen if rather than focusing on what could go wrong, we instead focus on what could go right?

I am not suggesting that if you are struggling with something serious personally or in your circle that you do not have permission to move your attention

I am talking about the day to day

The times when you get annoyed at the checkout, while driving or perhaps while scrolling

What if instead you rolled out a different dialogue in your head

Practise positivity

Give people the benefit of the doubt

Avoid staying in anger for too long

Do good and watch what happens

Spend time in great conversations & avoid those that may you feel less than fabulous

Life is genuinely far too long to live it mostly in a state of anger & frustration

Unless there is a medical reason stopping you, happiness is a choice

Even in my most destitute of times I had a choice of positivity over negativity

It can be harder in the darkest times but I promise you if you look for the positive, somewhere , somehow, you will find it

Actively seek what you are grateful for, even those hard times will get easier

Do you think if you spent time in a more positive headspace that you would get to your goals more quickly?

I know from person experience if I am actively angry I have less energy or desire to make the best choices for myself

If you are struggling, begin today by just giving one person the benefit of the doubt

Smile at anyone you make eye contact with

I promise you, happiness breeds ❤️