Over the weekend, I went on a girls trip with my mom and sisters. We had a beautiful trip. The weather was absolutely perfect. Our cabin was the cutest as you can see from the picture here.

I was reflecting this morning on my personal growth. 

Let’s take a look at 2019 me.

Going on a trip like this, I would have been stressed over the thought of trying to be healthy and very anxious about losing all control around food…. (I had a track record of binge eating….especially in settings like these). I would have stressed over every meal, wanting to know all of the places we were going (so I could look at the menu ahead of time). I would have been obsessing over what we were packing/cooking at our place; wanting to eat as “clean” and “perfect” as possible.

Now, let’s take a look at 2022 me.

While there was some planning ahead on my part, there was not a hyper fixation on food. And being honest, I did still feel small triggers of anxiety….that part of me is still sensitive from time to time…but here’s what was different.

My sister and I talked through meals before the trip so that we had a general game plan of when we were cooking and going out to eat. However, anxiety wasn’t driving me. Instead, I put into practice all of the habits that I’ve been working on for years now.

Just because I’m on a trip doesn’t have to mean that all of my habits are out the window.

Habit #1: Healthy breakfast. I prioritize a nutritious and filling breakfast, even when I’m not home. It makes all the difference in my energy levels and how “snacky” I feel throughout the day. My sister brought packs of instant oatmeal and I brought protein powder and peanut butter. These three things make a quick, balanced breakfast.

Habit #2: Pack protein-filled snacks. When I don’t eat enough protein, I get munchy and tend to over eat/feel yucky. I packed some protein bars and RX bars.

Habit #3: Mindful eating. I’ve been working on mindful eating for the last three to four years now. I have learned that I can indeed trust myself around food. I have learned that when I practice habits 1 and 2, it is easier to eat sugar and other goodies in moderation. I am able to truly listen to my body and stop when it’s had enough.

I didn’t stress about eating out at restaurants or the “unhealthy” snacks that would be available on the trip. I focused on eating my breakfast and snack AND if I wanted those other things I ate them. I stopped when I was full/when I’d had enough. I ate a protein bar and I had chips and salsa. I had my oatmeal with protein and peanut butter for breakfast and I had a s’more later.

I love being able to look back and see this growth in my life. It’s been so FREEING to enjoy food. My personal journey has played a huge role in how I show up as a coach to my personal training clients and in my online nutrition program, EatWell. I’ll be doing a special promotion for this program Monday, October 24th- Wednesday, October 26th 2022.

If you’re interested in learning more, follow my business page on Facebook or join my private Facebook community, all the information you need (including the link for sign up will be shared there). If you request to join my Facebook group, please mention reading this blog post in the membership questions.

With love,
Liv

Emotional and stress eating are very common coping mechanisms for a lot of people, including myself. If you don’t know my story, I used to struggle with binge eating and stress eating . 

Today I want to tell you that in times of high stress, I STILL struggle with stress/emotional eating. Yes, me, the personal trainer. The one who built a nutrition program and community to help people build healthy relationships with food.

I’m HUMAN. And so are you! Here are some tips that have helped me navigate stress/emotional eating.

1) Eat nutrient dense meals. When I am mindful of nutrient dense meals and snacks, it helps me to stress eat less. Even if I am stress snacking, I find that the quantity is far less when I’ve had good meals.

2) Pause for one moment. If you know you’re stressed and feeling that inclination to stress eat, try pausing for one moment. Take a deep breath. What do you really need right now? Do you need to phone a friend? Go for a brisk walk down the hall?

3) Have grace for yourself. Life is REALLY hard sometimes. Having a cookie, or chips, or you name it, aren’t going to derail you permanently. (But that belief could be part of a bigger issue…I digress.) 

4) Portion food out. If you decide you indeed want to eat and you know it’s a stress trigger, try portioning it out and then walk away from the source. Release the guilt, you’ve taken a pause and you’re mindfully making this choice. No guilt here. 

Honestly the stress and guilt of stress/emotional eating can be far more damaging to your health than the actual eating. 

Do we want to work toward eating not being our first inclination when we’re stressed? Absolutely! But guilt and shame will not build a healthy and anxiety free relationship with yourself or food. I promise because I’ve been there.

Try putting at least one or two of these strategies into practice and I think you’ll quickly notice how much it helps. (Hint, if you’re not sure where to start, nutrient dense meals are a big deal!)

If you’re looking for help with building a healthier relationship with food, building nutrient dense meals, and accountability, my online nutrition program and community, EatWell is for you!

You can get additional EatWell information here!

With love,
Liv

Sometimes the thing you need most is the thing you feel like doing the least. I think we all know that we’ll feel better by moving our bodies and eating nutrient dense foods. Often the problem for people is not actually knowledge thing, but more of a motivation thing.

Let’s just be honest. Life is hard….ok.. adulting is hard. I’m going to use myself as a personal example and hope that you can relate here. Keeping up with all the things is hard. I’m a mama. I own a business. I’m a wife. I do the meal planning and grocery shopping. I do the majority of the cooking. I do most of the house cleaning. These are just the adulting tasks, but when you throw in the inner child work that I’ve been doing for 6 years….this stuff all adds up. Can you relate?

There are certainly days where I don’t feel motivated to move my body or eat well. Heck, there are whole seasons that I don’t feel motivated. This is where making space for motivation comes in.

What I mean is that sometimes motivation follows the action instead of preceding it. Each week I schedule my workouts. I set aside time to meal plan. These actions are making space for motivation. Ninety nine percent of the time I feel better after I complete a workout. I’m glad that I showed up. I haven’t felt motivated to meal plan in a LONG time, but I keep doing it because the weeks that I plan are always less stressful and I feel so much better.

In seasons of low-motivation, the motivation I do have comes from me taking action. I may adjust how I move my body (the frequency, intensity, type of movement, etc.) and or what types of meals I cook, BUT I keep showing up in whatever ways I am ready, willing and able to.

What is one thing you can commit to right now to take care of your health? Keep it simple. Maybe it’s including protein with your breakfast a few mornings a week. Or maybe it’s a 20 minute walk 1-2 days a week.

If you’re looking for some direction here, I’ve created an online nutrition program and community called: EatWell. In the program, we will talk about what to eat, but even more importantly, how to change both your mindset and habits surrounding nutrition. It is designed to help you make lasting changes by improving your health one small habit at a time. You don’t have to do something drastic! Let’s find manageable solutions that work for YOU, based on your preferences, goals, and lifestyle. 

We just started the Step by Step Challenge, a free seven day accountability challenge designed to help challengers reconnect with themselves and with their health goals.

I love that we’re a mix of busy mamas and professionals who are doing this challenge because we NEED it. We’re juggling all the things and we don’t want to lose sight of our health. It was wonderful to hear from everyone yesterday as we kicked off the first day of the challenge.

Our first lesson was about connecting with ourselves and what that looks like. I provided a few targeted questions to help our group members practice this important life skill.

 
I’m looking forward to what the rest of the week holds with this amazing, strong, capable group of women! It’s not too late to join.

If you need to take your next right step, if you need community and if you need simple things to do each day that help you stay the course on your health journey. This challenge is for you, join today!

With love,
Liv

A fellow health coach shared this quote with me a few years ago and it has stuck with me. In today’s blog post, I want to share about one of my amazing personal training clients who has really brought this phrase to life.

Tricia started training with me in February 2022. One of the most important things that Tricia wanted my help with was to be able to plant and maintain her garden. She absolutely loves her garden and had struggled in the past with stamina and strength.

In our early days of training, Tricia and I worked on movements like incline push ups, bodyweight/assisted squats, glute bridges and incline planks. She regularly dealt with knee and back pain. My goal in her programming was to help her get stability where she needed it and gain strength.

We have been working together for two hours every week over the last 6 months. It has been truly amazing to watch her grow in strength, stamina, and confidence.

She is doing squats with weight. She has been deadlifting and we’ve been able to increase her weight at a steady rate from 30 pounds to 90 pounds! She has been lifting heavy things at home and feeling great in her garden. Her back and knee pain have decreased tremendously.

One of my favorite wins was just a few weeks ago. We have been practicing the Turkish get up and she was able to complete the whole movement. She said, “That was the first time I have got up off of the floor without using my hands in YEARS.”

My favorite thing about Tricia’s journey is that she didn’t have to do some major life overhaul. She chose to invest in herself and spend two hours each week with me. She’s reaping amazing results just from consistently showing up. Little by little, a little has become a lot.

So incredibly proud of you Tricia! We’ve got even more ground to cover, so get ready!

Sincerely,
Liv

Dear Friend,

Life moves at an incredibly fast pace. You don’t need to read this blog post to know that. I think we’re all keenly aware of it’s ability to speed by. The things that are most important to us require us to be intentional, otherwise they get lost in the shuffle.

Today I’m talking to the one who’s health has been lost in the shuffle. You mean well. You have great intentions to move your body and make better nutritional choices and yet another week goes by….and you barely kept your head above water.

Whether you’re working full time, running your household, or being a mama (or some combination of them all), it can feel overwhelming to juggle all the things.

I created the Step by Step Challenge for YOU. This free, 7 day accountability challenge was designed to help you bring awareness to key areas of your health (where you are now and where you want to be) and then build a roadmap to begin moving toward your goals.

Each day we will have a different area of focus (see the list below) with reflection questions. Your job will be answering these questions and walking daily for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Day 1: Connecting with You
Day 2: Movement
Day 3: Nutrition
Day 4: Overcoming Obstacles
Day 5: Roadmap
Day 6: Community
Day 7: Challenge wrap up

My favorite part about this challenge will be the daily Marco Polo check ins. If you aren’t familiar with the Marco Polo app, it’s a fun walkie talkie type of app that lets you send video messages. People can watch them live or wait until whenever they are able to. We did this in our last accountability challenge and it was so much fun!

I love sending encouraging messages and touching base with each participant DAILY. The challenge begins August 15th, 2022. Whether this is your first time to focus on your health or you’re needing a reset, I would love to help you take action toward your health goals. Are you ready?? Let’s go!

With love,
Liv

My husband and I recently went to Holiday World in Indiana for an adults only day trip. We had the BEST time!

Like with any theme park, there was lots of waiting in line. (Except for that first hour the park was open, where we ran to all the rides and didn’t have to wait. I have another funny story on that.)

But it got me thinking….

Isn’t most of life, like being in a theme park? We spend the majority of our time not on a ride. We’re waiting. In between seasons.

The thrills. The highs. They are wonderful. They are exhilarating. They leave you breathless and wanting more. But if we’re just living for the highs, we’re missing out.

The majority of our life isn’t lived in the thrills. It’s in the everyday. Do we enjoy the life that we are living, everyday?

I promise I’m preaching at myself over here too. I’m guilty of living for the highs myself.

This is why I created the Step by Step challenge.

Because a big part of enjoying your everyday life is prioritizing your health. When you FEEL good because you have taken ownership of your nutrition, movement, and mindset, you show up differently.

Hey there, friend. I want to share with you today about my journey with pregnancy and postpartum nutrition and fitness.

Before you dive into my story, I think it’s so important to note that EVERY mama’s journey looks different. However, I do think we can all learn something from hearing each other’s stories. I am mama to a nearly 22 month old baby girl. And motherhood has definitely been a wild ride for me!

Keep reading to learn more about my journey. Or if you’d prefer to listen, check out this podcast episode where I dive into my personal journey and helpful pregnancy and postpartum tips.

Pregnancy

Let’s rewind to 2020 when I was pregnant. As a personal trainer and certified nutrition coach, I had all kinds of expectations for what I would do during pregnancy that would determine my postpartum outcome.

I was going to eat really well and keep strength training through my whole pregnancy. In my mind it was, A + B = C. Nutrition + Movement = desired postpartum outcomes. I look back now at that naive version of me, and wish I could tell her a few things.

While I had some issues with heartburn and occasional issues with aches and pains, I would still say that I had a pretty smooth pregnancy. I felt good about the way I handled my nutrition. Side note, I had struggled in the past with disordered eating and just a very unhealthy relationship with food. It’s another topic for another time, but because I had already worked on that before pregnancy, it really helped me during pregnancy. I felt balanced in my choices, eating nutritious things and also the fun sweet things that I enjoyed and wanted.

I strength trained through most of the 3rd trimester. I kept riding my bike up until the week before labor. Again, in my mind, A + B = C. I checked all the boxes.

Postpartum

I had grand plans of a natural birth. My husband and I took a 12 week birthing course (the Bradley method) with our amazing doula. We made our plan. We felt as ready as we could be. It’s a long story, but basically my 36 hour labor, turned into a C-section.

Just like my very long labor that went nothing like we’d planned. Postpartum hit me like a ton of bricks. This is also another story for another time, but I really struggled the first 8 months after having my little girl. I had done all this work during pregnancy to be prepared….and honestly… I wish I had spent more time preparing for postpartum. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.

While I did my A + B, it didn’t equal C. I had expectations to “bounce back”, not so much in terms of weight. (I knew better than to pressure myself there.) But bounce back in terms of movement and doing all the things I used to do. The short story is that I ended up with a prolapse and it’s been a windy road (and VERY emotional) journey of getting back to movement that I love without symptoms.

When it came to nutrition, I have to say, I was a little hard on myself. I kept pressuring myself to get back to eating “healthier” and not indulging in something sweet everyday. Looking back, I would have given myself more grace during that time.

Also, looking back, 2022 me would have told 2020/2021 me that, I didn’t do something wrong. I did A + B and wasn’t in control of C. And that’s ok. I did my best.

Over the last 22 months, I have been working on my physical healing and getting back to doing things I love without prolapse symptoms. I’m finally getting into a much healthier space not just physically, but emotionally and mentally.

Having a supportive community around me for the journey has been crucial. Family, friends, and finally finding the right health professionals to be on my team. This is exactly why I recently completed my pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist certification. Because I want to help mamas feel strong and get back to doing the things that they love!

P.S. I was recently a guest on a podcast with my friend and amazing health professional Dr. Tiffany Breeding. If you want to hear more about my story and helpful tips on movement and nutrition during pregnancy, check out the episode here.

If you are pregnant or postpartum and have questions or are looking for help on your journey, contact me. I would love to help in any way that I can!

With love,
Liv

What you intend to do versus what you actually do are often two different things. Have you ever met someone who constantly talks about big goals and dreams? At first it’s exciting. It can be inspiring. However, you probably stop listening when this same someone keeps talking about it but there’s no action to back it up. A year goes by and they haven’t made any steps toward their “goal.”

Have you been this person? I know at different points in my life, I have! So why do we do this? Why do we have big intentions but fail to take action? In my years of coaching, I have found one of the common denominators among my clients is the belief that “if I can’t be ALL in, why bother? It’s impossible to reach my goals, unless I’m giving 100%.”

This belief sets us up for failure from the get go. Sure, in a perfect world it would be wonderful to be 100% and go all in toward our endeavors. And there are seasons is life where you are able to give more time and energy toward a goal. The problem is, that life is going to keep happening. Unexpected events. Family situations. Job changes. Sick kids. Work deadlines. You get the idea.

What if you flipped the script on that belief? What if you said, “today I’m going to do something that moves me toward my goal”? Remove the expectation that it has to be something big. Remove the expectation that you need to eat a perfectly clean diet or show up to the gym 6 days a week to reach your health goals.

Do something that moves you toward your goal today my friend. No matter how small it is. At the end of the day, showing up consistently will win over short-lived efforts to be “all in”.

With Love,
Liv