I hear this pretty often ... "I really had a hard time getting the negativity out of my head. I feel like I was my own worst enemy" The fact is that is almost always the case. Being fit and healthy is a You vs You battle. Short Term "rewards" that hit our pleasure center vs treating our body like a temple recognizing that by eating better, making better choices, moving, getting stronger ... these things allow us to live longer and more satisfying lives. It is figuring out how to get a Positive Charge from this long-term thinking despite not getting the "highs" and "wooo hoooo" feelings common from short term pleasures that makes it so tough. What one thing do you do to REWARD yourself for Small Victories in support of the long-term goal?

Happy Friday! Need Training Tips and Great Recipes? Check out my latest Newsletter Today.

Awesome recipe for a delicious (and filling) green smoothie meal. https://goo.gl/7kt7wF #cleaneating #Fitness #Gym

Three Ways to Avoid Overeating at Meals https://goo.gl/nscV1k #bootcampstrong #EatClean #Fitness

Smoky Shrimp (Servings 4) Ingredients: • 1 lb. large shrimp tail on and deveined • 2 tbsp. olive oil • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped • 1 tsp. cumin • 1/4 tsp. crushed red chili flakes (optional) • Sea salt & pepper to taste • 1 lime (for juice) • Fresh cilantro Directions: 1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium. 2. Add garlic and cook for a 2-3 minutes. 3. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, cumin and red pepper flakes. 4. Cook shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through. Don't crowd shrimp in pan. 5. Toss with fresh cilantro and squeeze lime juice over the top. Enjoy! (This recipe is fantastic with guacamole!)

#Wow Wednesday - here is a workout to challenge you!

The Power of Your “Thoughts” Challenge. The most amazing things happen in life when you realize how powerful your mind and thoughts can be. Let’s be honest about it... as adults, it’s easy to feel out of control. Between family, work and other obligations, there are times when you might not have control over even the simplest of things... like when you go to sleep or wake up. But you know what? You always have control over one thing… YOUR THOUGHTS.. What you think about as you go through your day… and your perception of those things, has a huge impact on everything in your life. This week, we’re going to turn our attention to the conversations that run through our heads. These “conversations” happen almost all of the time without us even knowing about it. Buddhists call this voice “the monkey mind.” But once you start paying attention to it, it’s pretty incredible to see how active and incessant these conversations can be. It’s also surprising to see how much negativity can be whirling around in there. When your thoughts are taking a negative turn…. and you’re PAYING ATTENTION to them, you then have the power to be able to instantly shift those thoughts to something more positive. And believe it or not, negativity and pessimism is not only a choice… but it’s also a habitual thinking pattern for a lot of us. This means that it’s going to take patience and persistence over a PERIOD of time to improve it. So start right NOW by paying close attention to the quality of your thoughts. One of my favorite quotes is: “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” - Marcus Aurelius When you notice thoughts that you’re not happy about, take a moment to acknowledge it- and shift that thought into something more positive. Your mind can only be thinking ONE thought at a time. So be mindful of your thoughts. When YOU begin to control the conversation and not let your monkey brain rule your world... your life will begin to change in big ways. Your challenge this week is twofold. First- to pay ATTENTION to the conversations running around in your head. The second, is to shift those negative thoughts into more positive and loving ones. What do you think? Are you up for the challenge? Let me know in a comment below!