Missed Your Workout? 3 Ways to Drop the Guilt & Rebound!
Today I want to talk about something that everyone, including myself, has struggled with. That is skipping a workout when you promised yourself you would stick to the plan. Everything can be going perfectly, and then boom, missing one day turns into two maybe threee days, and this has you feeling like a failure. You might find yourself picking up old habits thinking, “I ruined everything already!” while you hover over a whole pint of ice cream to make yourself feel better. I want to help you stop this vicious cycle once and for all. Here are 3 tips for dropping the guilt.
Replace The Negative With Self-Love
Often our first reaction is to start toxic negative self-talk. Instead of seeing our mistake for what it is, we see it as a flaw in our character. We can let these negative thoughts spiral and invade every aspect of our life.
I want you to take a deep breath and stop right there! Instead of letting this set you off track for weeks or months, reel it back in and give yourself a break! Everyone, including myself, has skipped a few workouts. The important part is that I treat myself like my best friend. I accept that I feel badly about it and forgive myself because I know that I am only human and sometimes life gets in the way. I drop concentrating on the fear, guilt, and shame and transform that into focusing on the positive and getting back on track because life's too short to dwell on mistakes of past!
I've created a special group for Women all around the world to connect, motivate, and support each other through these little obstacles of life. We all go through it, so why feel alone when you could have the comfort of my amazing Facebook Family. So far, we have over 30 thousand of the most incredible hearts and souls i've ever met. Here is the link to our private group, Sorry men- ladies only :) Bit.ly/FacebookFam
Fall In Love With The Process
You might feel a ton of guilt because you are rushing as fast as you can to reach your fitness goal. In your mind, you might think that reaching this goal is all you need to feel happy. If you're not careful, this pressure is enough to stop you in your tracks so please, find something you love about your fitness journey and fall in love with the process.
For example, while losing 20 pounds is great short-term motivation, it is not enough to make you happy. True happiness comes from the person you become while you are losing the 20 pounds. All the new friends you make. Your new habits around food. You learn how to overcome obstacles and stay positive. Choose to be the person who doesn’t let a few days-off from the gym throw her off track. Choose to be the woman who believes in herself. Instead of seeing this as a failure, view this mistake as a learning lesson that you will be able to use again and again to make yourself unstoppable in the future. It’s truly a blip on your radar, so don’t sweat it!
I am consistently launching new workout programs on Fitplan App which you can follow to help you reach your goals. They each target a different area, and can accommodate any lifestyle - regardless if you belong to a gym or prefer home workouts! here is the link to sign up www.fitplanapp.com/jenselter
Have A Game Plan
Have a go-to plan when you feel yourself falling off track. The best way to drop guilt is to take action. Take a pen and paper and write 3 things you can do right now to get back to your workout routine. For example, this might be laying out your gym clothes for the morning. It could be calling a friend to workout with you. Whatever you need to do, don’t keep it in your head, write it down! Then show up. Even if you can’t imagine actually working out, get yourself ready to workout at home or at the gym, and odds are you’ll get in the mood.
Remember, staying fit is a marathon, NOT a sprint. There are always going to be ups and downs and obstacles that get in the way of your goals. The important part is to put your mistakes in perspective and to see the big picture. I believe in you, now it's time to believe in yourself.
How To Target Areas and See Results
Hi my loves! Hope you all are having a great week and are looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Today I wanted to touch on the topic of actually gaining muscle and getting the body that you are aiming for.
A lot of you ask me questions about how to actually put on muscle and get a bigger butt instead of just losing weight and I want to help you guys with that because I know how hard it can be sometimes. So here are all the things you need to know about gaining muscle and getting the body that you want!
If you truly want to grow certain areas of your body to get the look you want, like a bigger butt, more defined abs, or even some more muscular arms, you have to gain muscle to do this and that’s really the only way to go about forming the body you really want. That’s how I did it. I grew specific muscle areas in order to make them stand out more than others.
1. Lift Weights
Girls, you’re not going to end up looking like a man if you lift some weights – I don’t, do I? No! Lifting weights is vital to building muscle because you need to break down your muscle fibers in order to build them up.
Now, it's absolutely fine to use your bodyweight for squats, lunges, pull-ups, planks, and other exercises to build muscle. But there comes a point when you’ve built your muscles strong enough that your own body weight isn’t enough anymore and you need to change up your routine and really challenge yourself by pushing the boundaries of what you’re capable of. That’s where muscle growth happens.
So pick up a set of weights! Your muscles have to work really hard in order to tear your muscle fibers and lifting heavier weights does just that.
2. Protein, Protein, Protein!
After a workout of heavy lifting, your body is going to need some supplies to rebuild those muscles and it wants protein! No matter how much you’re lifting and working out, if you’re not getting enough protein in your diet, your body is not going to be able to rebuild your muscles.
You should get at LEAST one gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you’re 125 pounds, you need 125 grams of protein a day in order to build up your muscles. If you expect your body to grow muscle without protein, it’s like expecting a construction worker to build a house without any tools – it just doesn’t work.
3. Cardio: STAIR MASTER!
If you’re getting into the gym and lifting weights and downing protein like your life depended on it – that’s AMAZING! You’re doing everything right. The one factor that may be missing is just the fact that you can’t see the muscle you’re building.
Cardio is not only important for keeping your heart healthy, it’s also important in ridding your body of excess fat so those beautiful muscles can peek their way out. You should get at least 3 days of 30-minute cardio sessions in a week and you’ll start seeing those muscles popping out.
I started my fitness journey using the Stair Master, yes the step machine that you climb up until you start sweating so much that you literally can't breathe. I would incorporate weights with my cardio on the Stair Master and found I would sweat more on this machine compared to any others in such a short period of time. Once word spread that the Stair Master helped me get into the best shape of my life, and taught me to love sweating an LA based company called Global Fitness had reached out to customize me a Stair Master for my apartment in NYC!
*Picture above and more coming soon to my Instagram.. A special thank you to the Co-Founder of Global Fitness Roy for designing this piece of art for me :) www.globalfitness.com
4. Rest Days
Some of you have been commenting and telling me that you’re lifting every single day and not seeing any change. Well, that’s because your body actually needs rest days in order to rebuild.
If you’re constantly tearing your muscle fibers over and over again without giving them time to build back up, you’re delaying your progress. This is called over-training. You need at least 2 days of rest for your muscles to really build up and become stronger and bigger.
5. Be Patient
This isn’t something that I can give you and it’s not something that you have lying around. Muscles take time to grow and you have to give your body time before you start seeing some real growth. Have some patience and let your body do what it was made to.
Building muscle isn’t easy for everyone, but it’s just about the same process for everyone. All you need to do is get in the gym, pick up some heavy weights, fuel your body with protein, and let your muscles recover so you can get the body that you want.
I believe all of you have the capability of building muscle in order to sculpt the body you have your sights set on. Work hard, have patience, and BELIEVE in yourself like I believe in all of you.
Learn to Love Your Body – No Matter What it Looks Like
Hi everyone! I wanted to talk about something that many of you message me about, and that’s the way you feel about your body. We all have insecurities. We all have things we would change if we could, but even with those things, we need to learn to love our bodies.
I know it can be really difficult in this day and age with so many fit and good-looking people posting stunning photo after photo on social media. Even magazines are filled with beautiful people and sometimes we can’t help but to compare ourselves to them. This is something we ALL need to stop doing.
The beauty of your body is that it’s not like everyone else’s. That’s why you have to learn to love your body – no matter what it looks like and no matter what stage you’re at in life.
Here are my best tips for learning to love your body as is.
1. Stop Comparing Yourself
Comparing your body to someone else’s will never help you feel good about it. Your body can never look just like another person’s. We’re all different. We all develop muscle and carry weight in different places. There’s absolutely no point in comparing yourself to someone else. Stop trying to be like someone else and start working toward bettering yourself.
2. Focus on Feeling Good – Not Just Looking Good
If you treat your body with care, it will radiate that. Feeling good on the inside means treating your body with healthy foods and giving it the exercise it craves. If you’re healthy on the inside, you’ll look it on the outside. And that’s all you should ever want with your body in order to love it – to be healthy.
3. Only Allow Room for Positivity in Your Life
Negativity should never be allowed in your life. In order to really learn to love your body no matter what, you have to get rid of everyone and everything that makes you feel otherwise. You don’t need someone bringing you down when you’re fighting to stay up. Therefore, only make room for positivity in your life and you’ll see just how easy it is to love your body.
Learning to love your body no matter what it looks like isn’t always easy. We all struggle with not feeling great about ourselves from time to time. The best thing you can do for yourself and your body is to love it.
Getting Back on Track After a Weekend of "Cheat Meals" and Partying
Hi everyone! So, over the weekend I had a celebration and obviously may have had a little more cheat meals than I should have and partied a bit more than I usually do.
I think we all have those weekends or even weeks that gets us thrown off track and has us indulging in things we normally wouldn’t. While it’s really fun and you get to eat ALL the delicious food, it’s also really hard to get back on track after a few days of this.
That’s why today I’m going to help all of you with how to get back on track after a weekend of cheat meals and partying because, well, I need some help, too! This is how you can have a crazy weekend and still manage to start your Motivation Monday off right.
Stay Hydrated
Partying usually goes hand in hand with having a few drinks – at least it does for me every once in awhile– especially during celebrations. Which means you’re more than likely dehydrated at this point. One great way to start feeling better and to even get rid of cravings is to stay hydrated. Add a liter of water to the normal amount of water you usually drink in a day to get back on track after a weekend of fun.
Reevaluate Your Goals
Sometimes one weekend is enough to derail us from our goals the Monday after. We get so caught up in the drinking and eating junk food that we think it’s not a big deal to just have a few more cheat meals during the week.
One way for you guys to get back on track is to reevaluate your goals. Open that picture up again or go find that piece of paper that had them all written down. Coming face to face with those goals will push you to stick to your diet and exercise program.
Prepare Healthy Snacks And Meals
When you have a few cheat meals, chances are those meals were BIG – I know mine always are. That means your stomach has stretched out a little bit and you’ll start to feel hungrier more often than you did when you were in your prime routine.
In order to get back on track, you should prepare healthy snacks and meals that you can just grab quickly and eat. If you have to wait and think about what you want to eat, you’ll probably end up choosing something that resembles your cheat meal weekend. Always aim for fruit, nuts, or healthy forms of protein to keep you feeling full!
If you struggle with this, you could utilize the Customized Meal Plan program which will give you tons of recipes to keep you on track to reach your goals.
Never Skip A Monday
This is the GOLDEN RULE! If you really want to stay on track after a weekend where you partied a little more than usual, never skip that Monday. You may feel tired, weak, and kind of crappy from all the junk food, but you HAVE to get into that gym and eat the same foods you were before.
By going in on that Monday, you’re telling your body that it’s time to get back on track and you’re also showing yourself that you can get right back to it without skipping a day. Mondays are so important because they’re always the hardest. If you can push past it and go in on a Monday, you can do it on any day.
Get Right Back To Your Previous Routine
Just because you took a weekend off doesn’t mean that your routine is completely ruined. Your body will recognize being back in the routine and start to feel much better if you stick to it. Don’t wait a week before going back to things as you did before, start right away and it’ll wake your body up!
Detox Drink
After a weekend of fun, your body is probably filled with toxins that you don’t normally have. One way to kick extra cravings and feel all-around better is to drink a detox drink first thing Monday morning.
This will not only wake up your system, but it will help flush out all of that junk that you put into your body during your free for all. This recipe is a great one for detoxing your system so you’ll feel better and be reenergized to get right back on track. Plus, it’s delicious!
Watermelon – One cup cut up is enough for one glass. Watermelon actually has an amino acid that can help your kidneys and liver flush out toxins that got built up over the weekend.
Cucumber – Half a cucumber is all you need. This is helpful for the same exact reason watermelon is and it helps keep you hydrated to reduce cravings.
Lemon – Lemons are powerful at detoxing your body and adding a little freshness to the flavor.
Lime – Lime goes really well with watermelon and mint and will tie this whole drink together by adding its own detoxifying agents, as well.
Mint Leaves – 4-5 large leaves will do for this recipe. Mint is not only refreshing, but it will also help kick those cravings you developed from letting yourself indulge over the weekend and even ease your stomach if you’re not feeling well.
Directions: Chop the watermelon, cucumbers, and mint into small pieces and add them to 8-12oz of water. Squeeze half a lemon and half a lime into the mixture. Drink up and enjoy!
Overall, the most important thing you can do to get back on track after a weekend of cheat meals and partying is to get right back into your routine – same workouts, same meals, etc. Doing this will get your body back into the swing of things and it’ll be easier for you to maintain.
This happens to everyone – even the best of us – so it’s really important for us all to know how to get back on track. Tell me about a time you had to get back on track and what you did to maintain your routine after a weekend of cheat meals and partying!
Can What You Wear Affect How You Workout?
Hi loves! Something I wanted to talk about today has to do with what you wear when you’re working out. As much as it seems pointless, what you wear can actually impact your workout for the better…or for the worse.
There’s a reason we don’t go into the gym in jeans and a leather jacket. As cool as we might look in a badass outfit like that, they don’t offer what we need in order to get a killer workout in. In fact, they make working out a lot harder and can negatively impact our results.
Now, I know all of you won’t go to the gym dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, but are you wearing the right clothes in order to get the most out of your workout? Here’s how what you wear can affect your workout and stunt the progress toward your goals.
1. Compression Leggings VS Yoga Leggings
Heavy weight lifting and yoga are almost opposite workouts. I think we can all agree on that. So why is it that many people wear the same leggings for each? Truth be told, if you want to reap the most rewards from your specific workouts, you should wear the leggings that support what you’re doing.
For example, yoga is all about movement and breathability. You want your yoga leggings to be able to stretch far but still have some breathing room. On the other hand, when you’re lifting heavy weights, compression leggings – or tighter leggings – are better for constricting the muscle to induce more blood flow. The increase in blood flow provides your muscles with more oxygen which in turn makes them function at a higher level.
2. Sweaters VS Tanks
Weather and the temperature of your gym is always going to play a role in whether you should wear sweaters or tank tops in the gym. If you find that your movements are slow and you’re not able to stay “warmed up” for very long, it’s probably because your muscles are cooling down a lot faster than they should be. That being said, wearing tanks is a bad idea if this happens to you often. On the other hand, wearing sweaters and sweatpants will keep your body temperature higher for a longer period of time, allowing your muscles to stay warm and fully functioning.
3. Running Shoes VS Lifting Shoes
By now, I’m sure you’ve noticed that shoes are labeled differently according to what they’re made for. But maybe some of you aren’t fully aware of just how beneficial working out with the right shoe can be.
If you’re a long distance runner, you’ll definitely need some shoes that are meant specifically for running. They’re padded more at the bottom and allow for spring when you step. This is to protect your knees because the repeated impact of running can harm them if you don’t use the right shoes to run in.
Lifting shoes that are meant for heavy weight training are specifically designed do be sturdy, have a slightly raised heel (depending on the shoe) and won’t have much – if any – spring at all because it would hinder your performance. If you use running shoes during your heavy lifting, you won’t be able to lift as stable as with a training shoe and this could compromise your form significantly.
4. Fashion Sports Bra VS Effective Sports Bra
You can’t deny just how adorable some sports bras are out there, but how many of those fashion forward bras are actually effective? Sports bras are meant to hold the girls in tight so you don’t have the discomfort of them moving too much during a workout. If you don’t wear effective sports bras, you could be easily distracted by your discomfort and may even skip out on important and beneficial exercises (like jumping rope) that can help you achieve your goals.
5. Look Good, Feel Good
Now, your attire may not be ALL about how good you look, but I think we can all agree that looking great in the gym definitely helps you feel amazing. When you feel confident, you push yourself harder, find your workouts to be a little easier, and you actually want to stay in the gym longer to show off your adorable outfit. Those are all things that can help propel you forward to meet your fitness goals.
What you wear in the gym is actually more important than you think. If you want to make the most out of your workout, try your best to find the clothes that will help you achieve your goals!
How to Turn Negativity into Motivation
One thing that I think we can all relate to is having negativity in our lives. Whether it’s from ourselves or other people, we have to deal with it from time to time. If you don’t figure out a way to get past it, it can basically consume you and affect every aspect of your life.
I have to face negativity occasionally and let me tell you, it’s not always easy. I have days where I struggle to figure out how to deal with it and let it go. But there is something I’ve learned to do to not only make it easier to deal with, but to use it for something good. And that’s taking negativity and turning it into motivation.
It may sound difficult to do, but instead of letting all that negativity eat away at you, if you use it to fuel your motivation, you can accomplish amazing things. Here’s how to do just that.
Use your anger as energy.
When negativity finds your life, it can make you really angry. You can get mad at other people for being so mean and you can even get mad at yourself for thinking in such a negative way. The one thing that you can do in either situation is to use that anger as energy. Use that anger to fuel your next workout or to make progress on your personal projects. Use it to push you even further.
Ask yourself why people are so negative toward you.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that negativity often comes from jealousy. Others want to feel better about their own lives, so they try to put you down so you feel worse than they do. It’s unfortunate that this type of negativity exists, but you have to be aware of it.
The next time someone is being negative toward you, ask yourself why. Maybe it has more to do with their failures than it does with their criticisms of you. This can motivate you to do even better by realizing that there are people who see your accomplishments as something to be envious of.
Think about how far you’ve come from the negativity.
Do you ever get down on yourself and start thinking negatively about your current progress – whether it’s in your fitness journey or in any other aspect of your life? Use that negativity to think about how far you’ve come. When you start getting down on yourself, think about the last time you were beating yourself up about that very same thing and how much has changed since. This can help put things into perspective so you can think accurately about it.
Use those negative comments and thoughts as a challenge.
Honestly, think about the times you get down about yourself. They’re usually during times when you’re trying to do something worthwhile. Use those negative thoughts as a challenge that you can beat. Think to yourself, “Fine, I’m going to prove myself wrong by making myself proud of this,” and get to work.
Use it as constructive criticism.
Not all negativity is actually meant to hurt you and bring you down. Sometimes, it’s just constructive criticism in disguise. There are times you have to take a step back and ask yourself if it’s just helpful advice instead of negativity. Once you realize that there are some people who are trying to help you succeed, you can use that as motivation to be better.
Negativity comes in all forms. Whether it’s from someone else or in your own thoughts, it’s never fun to deal with. If you use that negativity as motivation, you can succeed in anything you do. Remember that YOU are amazing and strong. XOX
Finding Confidence in the Gym is Easier Than You Think
Hi loves! If you’re someone who has a hard time getting in the gym because you’re a little self conscious, you’re not alone. There are tons of people – including me – who find the gym to be intimidating and sometimes downright scary! This can make us put off going into the gym and even skipping it completely because we just can’t get the confidence to get our workout in.
The reason for being self-conscious has a lot to do with fearing that people will judge you. In our society, it’s easy to think that someone who’s looking at you while you’re doing a workout is probably thinking something bad when in reality, they may just be admiring your form, your workout gear, or even the workout itself!
If you’re like me and so many other people out there who lack confidence in the gym, these tips can help you gain the self-esteem you need to strut into the gym and own your workouts.
1. Go In With a Plan
Something that helps many people build their self-confidence is walking into the gym knowing exactly what it is they need to do. Write down your workout plan and follow it to the best of your ability. For example, if you’re going to do abs and arms one day, write out the ab and arm workouts you’re going to do and in what order. Having this physical checklist will help you get through them one at a time and you won’t pay too much attention to anybody else.
2. Know Proper Form
Knowledge is power and confidence in the gym. Many people may feel intimidated if there are others in the gym who seem to know more than they do and are more experienced. People lose confidence when they feel like they might be doing something wrong or can’t do the movement right. So doing your research and becoming knowledgeable about fitness and certain workouts is your best bet to gain confidence in the gym!
My workout plans on Fitplan App could be found here - its only $9.99 for 30 days of workouts ( i show you the proper form in video, and the app allows you to track your progress! You can try it out here www.ftpln.com/jenselter
3. Put on “Blinders”
This may sound silly and it could even make no sense to all of you, but when I go into the gym, I put on my own invisible blinders. I put on my headphones and tune out the rest of the people in the gym. This is a mental exercise that will take some time to master but after a while, it’ll become second nature to you. This is the idea that you don’t look at anyone and you focus on yourself and your workout. Practice this each time you go into the gym and eventually you won’t even think about what other people are thinking.
4. Get a Workout Buddy
This is by far the best way to find confidence in the gym. When you hit the gym with a friend you really don’t even think about other people at all and your workout buddy can help you with your workouts. The plus side to this is that you’ll even have more fun with your workouts and the gym will turn into a pleasant place to be! They can also push you to workout longer and harder and try new things you would’ve been too scared to try before.
5. Start Slow and Build Up
Don’t expect to get into the gym and hit the weights super hard. If you’re new to the gym, you have to start slow and build up to the confidence you need. This means setting a goal for yourself to get through 4 or 5 exercises each time you’re in the gym. Then you can work your way up to 5-7 exercises for legs, an ab workout, and cardio all in one! This will help you deal with the your lack of confidence in small doses until you’ve found the self-esteem you need.
Gyms can be intimidating places, but only if you let them be! You’re not alone in feeling self-conscious when you go to get your daily workout done. If you follow these tips, you’ll find that the gym is a welcoming community that can be really fun and rewarding.
