You can live the sexy, strong, fit life if you want to! I practice what I preach every day – I train hard, eat right, and am living proof that any busy, goal- oriented woman can fulfill their fitness and career goals all while balancing a pretty awesome social life and finding TIME to enjoy the finer things in life like travel and shopping! It is possible to live your own kind of ‘JLO’ inspired life, but you must take ACTION to rebel against your current self constraints that do nothing to lift your energy, drive your passions or fuel your mind!
Dismantle the status quo. You can find the TIME to start living the healthy, happy life you have always wanted and you owe it to yourself. It does not take endless hours in the gym to achieve the body and life you want, all you need is a little motivation and some passion for your life, to take control of TIME and find balance! You can achieve the impossible by simply changing how you approach the way you eat, workout and think!
In this post I’ve outlined below how to start living your very own sexy, strong, fit life! Get inspired – print it out, read it over and over again, hang it on your fridge, put it in your gym bag and live your life by it!
1. Lift for a Lean Hard Body
When it comes to developing a SEXY, STRONG and FIT body the number one rule – you must lift weights, at minimum of 3 times per week, hitting every major muscle group in the process. Weight lifting cannot only help you build and maintain a lean, trim and muscular body, it can also increase your metabolism too, and keep it elevated even after you have finished your worked out! Weight training increases lean body mass, decreases body fat and increases metabolic rate. Compared to fat, muscle is more metabolically active which means it increases fat metabolism and thermogenesis or energy expenditure in the body.
Beyond that weight training can also increase blood flow to fat tissue, allowing for greater fat oxidation. This means an increase in blood flow to stubborn body fat areas – such as the triceps, hips and thighs can result in more fat available to be burned off and used by the body, resulting in even greater fat loss.
Lastly, regular exercise increases psychological well-being and can improve confidence. Such psychological benefits arise from the physiologic changes that occur as aresult of strength training and from the process of encountering and mastering physical challenges, as well as the feel good endorphins that get released every time you train! So there you have it – lean and strong muscles will not only help to re-shape your body, they will also improve your health and well-being.
2. Workout Like a Boss
Being SEXY, STRONG, FIT does not mean you need to spend hours in the gym. Most of us are BOSS LADIES! With many commitments and obligations, getting to the gym for a workout can seem impossible, but by performing short, power-packed workouts you will not only burn a ton of calories, you will get the results you want and minimize your time in the gym. By taking control of your time you will never feel like working out is getting in the way of something else, in essence it becomes part of your SEXY, STRONG, FIT lifestyle!
3. Eat Whole Natural Foods
Choose whole foods, and avoid processed foods altogether which can provide too many calories, too much sugar and too much fat. Our bodies are designed to thrive off of natural foods, full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber! In fact too much processed food can lead to weight gain, stress on the liver and blood glucose intolerance! Whole foods keep our metabolism firing on all cylinders, ensuring results and the development of a lean, firm and healthy body.
When shopping for groceries choose plenty of vegetables and fruits from an array of colors, and avoid the center aisles whenever possible, your shopping should mainly be done from around the perimeter of the store where all the fresh and whole food is located! Your shopping list should include lean sources of protein such as chicken, fish, turkey and egg whites, complex carbohydrates such as sweet potato, brown rice, and oatmeal and essential fats such as olive oil, flax oil or even nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
4. Multiple Meals
On top of whole foods, make sure you get 5 to 6 small meals each and every day. Small meals are easier to digest by the body, help to sustain blood glucose levels throughout the day. Each meal should contain protein. As for carbohydrates and fats, reserve the carbohydrates for morning and post- workout meals, while fats should be taken more toward the later part of the day. Set aside some time each week to determine what your meal plan will be each week – that includes each meal for every day in the week.
And remember to consider where you will be during the week – do you have any up-coming events, a night out with friends or meetings that you will have to work around or accommodate. Pre-cook your food selections in bulk, portion out each serving into small containers and you are ready to go! And for best results, always use a digital food scale, weight loss is a precise science, and if you really want to see a change in your physique then you need to start weighing all your foods. This will ensure you are getting the exact amount for each portion and the right calorie intake. Need help with meal prep – go here.
5. Make Sexy Strong Fit a Way of Life
Lack of planning will only result in a lack of TIME resulting in missed workouts, a poorly followed diet and added stress. In order to be successful, start living life like you want it! It is essential to make SEXY, STRONG, FIT a way of life! Set yourself up for success and use all the tools and resources you have at your disposal, positive outcomes from your discipline will result in momentum that will take over and flourish your motivation to keep on going! Plan out your week, every week! Choose one day per week to prepare your food for the following week, schedule in your workouts and book your ‘me’ time! Although it might seem like a challenge at the beginning it will get easier as it becomes a natural part of your new fit and healthy lifestyle!
6. Diva Indulgent Days
Once you have accomplished a goal or two that you set out to achieve, give yourself a reward for making that goal! Perfection is boring, neither is it possible. Consistency is the key, but occasional breaks and detours along the way are okay to take once in a while. Schedule a relaxing spa day – massage or facials can do the body and the mind a world of good! And even on occasion indulge in a treat or two! Cheat foods like chocolate are ok, once in a while if they are used appropriately and in moderation. By jolting up your calories, you can re-ignite the metabolism and get the fire burning again. Just be honest with yourself, and don’t make food detours a regular habit.
7. Beauty Sleep
Sleep is critical for living a SEXY, STRONG, FIT life! Not only is beauty sleep necessary for our mental and physical wellbeing but it is also an essential part of the recovery process as it relates to being fit and healthy. During non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, which makes up about 75 – 80% of our total sleep time, important recovery processes occur including restoration of our immune, muscular, nervous and skeletal systems. While we sleep growth hormone levels peak, this helps to stimulate amino acid uptake, which is the building blocks of muscle, this in turn triggers protein synthesis – muscle building and recovery.
Growth hormone also has a positive effect on lipid metabolism, enhancing fat breakdown and oxidation in fat cells! For optimum benefits be sure to get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Some people may need less or more sleep, however, our bodies never adapt to getting too little sleep! In fact, the only thing you are doing is impairing your recovery and your weight loss results!
What’s more, limited sleep can also cause an up-set of the hormones that regulate hunger – ghrelin and leptin! Without sleep these hormones remain turned on, causing hunger to continue. Losses of sleep can elevate levels of the muscle eating stress hormone cortisol, which can interfere with our body’s ability to burn fat. Research has shown that sleep deprivation can negatively impact exercise performance, intensity and cause increased psychological strain while working out! No more excuses – be sure to get to bed on time!
8. Super Foods for a Super Woman
‘Super Foods’ provide a supply of antioxidants, which can work to decrease the harmful effects of oxidative stress, caused by free radicals, which are the damaging molecules that are the result of metabolic processes occurring in our bodies – whether induced by stress, exercise, environment, and every woman’s fear – aging! Antioxidants can work to halt the damage caused by free radicals by binding to active receptor sites scavenging and neutralizing free radicals damaging effects. Even better, antioxidants can help reduce excess levels of estrogen that can cause unwanted side effects and make it hard to burn off fat sticking to your thighs, hips and butt! It can also decrease your ability to increase lean muscle! Incorporate a few of the following antioxidant rich ‘super foods’ into your daily diet: citrus fruit, berries, tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli. Consider following an anti-aging diet – go here!
9. Just Breathe
Living a SEXY, STRONG, FIT life is not just about what you eat, or how you workout, it’s also about dealing with what’s eating you. Not dealing with your emotions and internal struggles creates stress, and stress increases catabolic hormones that impact your ability to burn fat and build muscle, not to mention stress can also impact immune health and your well being! Commit to regular workouts and activities that help you bring it down a notch! Need some ideas, try a few of these: meditation, deep breathing exercises, journaling, a night out with your girl friends, guided relaxation or visualization, prayer, self-reflection and even a much needed escape, consider taking a vacation! It’s a fact, those who take part in a regular exercise program and regularly meditate have lower levels of cortisol – the stress hormone and higher levels of testosterone – the muscle building hormone!
10. Get Passionate About your Goals
Don’t rely on others for self-esteem, set your own expectations and goals and work toward them with passion every day! Motivation is the key to transform your desire for a SEXY, STRONG, FIT life into reality! And although finding motivation is not always easy, it is essential if you want to change your life, lose weight and get the body you have always wanted. You need to get excited about your life, and one way to do that is to find inspiration. Inspiration can come from knowledge and education, and in today’s information generation, finding the information you need to get in shape and lose weight is easy, there really is no excuse.
Sticking to your weight loss, fitness and even your life goals requires determination, will power and re-shaping the way you think and define your life! If you fall off your goals, it will be because you wanted to, and if you stay on it, it will be because you decided it was important! Make a commitment to change your life, write down your goals and track your progress. You owe it to yourself to not give a half effort!
Remove negative distractions and focus on your success along the way. If you want to change your life you will have to re-shape the way you think and define your life by your standards! Set your boundaries, so you have the physical and emotional time to take care of yourself – it’s not selfish, it’s self-preserving.
11. Be Fierce, Fearless, Fun
Fear can often prevent people from achieving their goals, or going after their dreams! The pain of change far exceeds the positive outcome that is waiting for them on the other side! Don’t let fear prevent you from change, focus on your goals and keep going! Improving your appearance is only the first step, the confidence you can gain from the ability to make a drastic change can open up a whole new world and aid you in becoming a more positive, and successful person! Be FIERCE, FEARLESS, FUN, don’t be afraid to do something that scares you, enroll in a new class, volunteer on that new project at work, challenge yourself with an outdoor activity or perhaps sign your self- up for a challenging race. While more may be expected of you, you’ll also find yourself capable of delivering it, while challenging your mind and your body too!
12. Boss Ladies Unite
Once you have set your weight loss, fitness and life goals, find a support system to encourage and not sabotage your success! Identify the positive people in your life and make an effort to hang out with them more often. Tell everyone about your goals and get buy-in especially from those that are also in need of your time, make sure they understand your need for ‘you’ time whether it’s to workout, make your meals or de-stress! On top of that look for positive people with similar goals that can not only support you in your journey but can also offer support when you need it! Look for someone who’s on the same fitness level and has similar goals, and make a commitment to do healthy things together – workout together, go for a walk together, or even try out that healthy new restaurant down the street. Whatever you do, do it frequently; you will be more likely to keep to your new way of life when someone else is invested.
13. Take it With You
Whether you’re a busy mom, jet-setting fashionista, career-climbing hunnie, or college co-ed, no matter where you go, or what you are doing, make sure you are prepared! If you are traveling out and about or even at the office – live your life by your new set of rules and standards – the SEXY, STRONG, FIT way! That means always be prepared – bring food with you, and make healthy choices. Just because you are away from home, doesn’t mean you should start living a new unfit lifestyle – it just doesn’t make sense! You need to organize, plan and prepare your workouts and meals in advance. Although this may seem like a big commitment at first, it will soon become like second nature, as you adapt to your new healthy fit lifestyle. No matter where you go, always go prepared, bring food with you, book a hotel with a great gym, bring a set of exercise bands with you, or try out a gym in the area. Stay active and as close to your routine as possible – you will be less likely to fall off your plan and more likely to keep your motivation up and momentum moving forward.
14. Find Inspiration
This one can be tough, although inspiration can come from anywhere, sometimes it can be hard to find the right people that inspire, motivate and even support you. Look for inspiration from someone who has become successful in those areas of life you need inspiring. Think about what you want to achieve is there someone out there that resonates with you, is there someone you look up to, and has the body you want, or has done something that has something remarkable from a fitness perspective that inspires you to do the same?
You may find that you have a few people on your motivational list, from fitness to career success; inspirational people can keep you motivated and remind you of why you want to accomplish the same! Once you have found that inspiration, don’t stop there, start manifesting it! Live, breathe and do everything that inspires you to keep up with your new way of life. Put together a vision board using a collage of images, and quotes that will keep you motivated, and place it where you can see it – such as your fridge door, a mirror in your house, a wall on your office, or perhaps even your gym bag. Wherever it is, this source of motivation should be visible and keep you moving on your weight loss journey.
15. Be Confident and Rule the World
Becoming super confident comes from within you and it all starts with a little practice and some self direction! Even if you are not confident, by acting the part you will eventually own it! As you become more confident in your new body, and new way of life you will be more confident in the image you put forward! Body language speaks volumes, always walk with your chin-up, shoulders back and chest-up, and never slouch! Smile, enjoy life, a smile is inviting and even makes you feel good inside.
Present yourself with a consistent image at all times. It will help define the image that you are and the one you want to put forward. What you put out to the universe is what you get back – so be positive and optimistic. Dress to impress, be sexy, but forego being overexposed it is neither professional nor credible! Give yourself a boost, get some new threads, a new haircut, or spoil yourself with a new pair of Louboutins! A boost to your appearance can give you a lift in the gym, and in life, because when you feel better about yourself, you will perform better too!
Until Next Time…
Be Fierce & Rule the World!
Lauren Jacobsen
