I am sooo happy you are here! Did you watch my presentation at the educators2educators winter reboot conference? Or maybe you just made it here on your own. 

Either way, I have my Keep It Simple Survival Strategies here in greater detail for you. 

I only had 20 minutes to share everything in my WINS strategy, and I could talk for hours (seriously, ask my friends) but this is a way I can give you just a little bit more. 

As teachers, we need to keep our health and wellness simple because we got other sh*t to do. And I don't think I can make it simpler than this. It's not easy - but I do aim to guide you to consistent efforts that you can stop thinking about.  Are you ready to WIN?

Workouts

Benefits of Working out at home: 

  • No leaving your house! 
  • Your workout is actually only 30 minutes! No drive time, walking to the locker room, getting your kids in daycare, waiting for a machine. 
  • Workout in our jammies is a thing. 
  • You can press pause to stir dinner or toss in a load of laundry on a rest break. (Advanced home workouters love this!)
  • The programs follow a plan similar to a trainer at the gym so different muscles/areas are worked in smaller amounts each day without multiple trips.
  • You favorite trainer never cancels on you

Tips to make it a success: 

  • Schedule it at the same time everyday - stacked with another habit. Such as right when you get home or wake up.
  • Join a group online that’s doing it with you. You will see the notifications and get that instant burst of “I can do this for 20 minutes, too because I want to add my comment to the conversation!”
  • Pick a program and stick with it so you don’t have to look for new workouts everyday. Choosing a workout is not doing a workout. 
  • Start with a shorter program (3-4 weeks) so you can feel the accomplishment of finishing! 
  • Pay for muscle recovery, energy supplements, and the premium/VIP versions of programs. Putting a little “skin in the game” with a deadline will help with the boost at the beginning while you are forming the habit. Athletes drink pre and post workout supplements for energy and soreness. 
  • My favorites are these. 
  • Click here for membership in my Fit Club for an entire year! 

PDF of Free workouts to try. 

This is a free PDF of all of the sample workouts from my program. Be prepared to Sweat, Burn, and Smile. You could pick one each day and rotate for a solid workout plan for a few months! This PDF is for you if: 
  • You aren’t sure if home workouts are for you
  • You want to try a few programs to see what you like
  • You are really disciplined on your own and can use these as is.
  • You have a solid fitness routine and need a few home workouts in your back pocket for rainy (or snowy) days
  • You need a good excuse to be on my awesome email newsletter list. 🥰

Inspiration: 

You know how you wanted to work so much harder after your high school coach gave you a pep talk? Not in sports? - How about Herb Brooks in Miracle or Mikey at the bottom of the well in Goonies. 🙃

Reading and listening to personal development is exactly that. 

  • Don't feel like doing your workout? Listen to the Limitless Podcast by Alex Theis. 
  • Want to eat that cookie? Listen to Trust and Beleive by Shaun T.  
  • Want to send mean emails to your co-workers? Listen to Happier in Hollywood. 
  • Getting Brain Surgery? (Oh maybe that was just me) Find all of the podcasts with Gabrielle Bernstein.  

Shut off the negative news and fill your brain with new ideas and inspiration. When this is the constant feed of information, it's amazing how it changes your brain.  Here's my list of favorite podcasts and just a couple knock out books. If you want a self-help book recommendation (or middle grade fiction, for that matter) - PLEASE email me and ask. This librarian loves matching books to their people. 

Podcasts: 

  • All it Takes is a Goal: Jon Acuff
  • The Lazy Genius Podcast: Kendra Adachi
  • The Next Right Thing: Emily P. Freeman
  • Happier: Gretchen Rubin
  • Beyond the To Do List: Erik Fisher
  • The Purpose Show: Allie Cazassa 


Nutrition: 

“Abs are made in the kitchen!” 

“You can’t outwork your diet”

The quotes and memes are endless because they are true. Proper nutrition is what will make you lose weight and your body function the way it was designed to. Period. End of story. 

The closer you can get your diet to the food that comes from the earth and out of a processing plant, the better off you will be. And choosing foods that are nutrient dense and filling at the same time means over time, eating fewer calories and fueling your human self to do all of the things you want to do. 

Think about how you feel after eating a box of macaroni and cheese vs. celery with peanut butter. Have you thought about it? The macaroni and cheese is designed to make you want to eat more of it, where as the celery and peanut butter is a snack packed with nutrition. Calories in calories out is NOT all the same! 

Preparing healthy food for yourself and your family doesn’t have to be hard, but it does take thought and a little planning. You don’t need a giant planning day, but there is a reason that restaurants to “dinner prep” beginning at 8 am. Executing quickly is easier if the vegetables are chopped and the chicken is thawed or even pre-cooked. 

I am finding success these days with the Passionate Penny Pincher Meal Planning Boxes that you can find here (this is a referral link and I do receive a $5 gift from PPP if you order from it). I have the crockpot #2 and the Low Cal Boxes. My workflow is to buy the ingredients for 1 week at a time for both boxes and mix and match those recipes for 2 weeks. That way I can work in takeout, leftovers, and family favorites like spaghetti and tacos. 

I also pick one recipe either from this OR from random places like the meal plans I have for my new fitclub members, the Beachbody website, or recipient shared with me - to make ahead for lunches. I personally love casseroles and hearty soups packed with vegetables that are easy to heat up in my mini-crockpot or microwave in the teacher’s lounge. 

I am creating a new email list that I will be sending hopefully at least 2x a month that will share these recipes so you can collect them or add them to your grocery list and quick Sunday planning, too. 

I tend to make this dish on Saturday or Sunday afternoons and eat one serving for lunch that day and then portion out the other 3 for 3 solid lunches that week. The other 2 days I usually bring dinner leftovers. 

Hope these ideas help you to be a happier, healthier teacher in the SIMPLEST way possible! Because we definitely need all of the simplicity we can to survive the rest of this school year! 

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