SMART Goals!

We all have goals or something we are working towards.  I'll bet a few of us even made resolutions this past January and as we cruise into the end of February I wonder how many of us are still on track.  It's very tempting to make vague future goals such as; I'm going to lose weight, or I'm going to get into shape.  However, it's very hard to figure out how to get started achieving those goals or knowing when you've reached them.  Often people (myself included) get discouraged and will quit.

Here's a quick trick about making goals you can reach!  SMART goal setting is a very popular strategy.   Here's how I use the strategy.

SMART Goals=

S specific; answer who/what/when/why questions to get clarity on what you want to do
M measurable; Ask yourself, how will I know when this goal is accomplished?
A attainable; Identify if this goal is attainable for your current lifestyle and circumstance.
R realistic; Given your current situation are you willing and able to do what needs to be done?
T timely; What is your time line for this goal?  Is it a short or long term goal?  If it's a long term goal what are some short term goals you can meet along the way?

For example; my goal is to lose weight.  Let's use the SMART Goal method to improve my chances of sticking to it!

Is my goal to lose weight specific so that I know exactly what I'm working towards?  Well, not really.  Let's make the goal a bit more specific:  "I want to lose 10 pounds."

Is the goal measurable?  Well now that I've rewritten it, I can measure my loss in pounds so YES it is measurable!

Is my goal to lose ten pounds attainable.  Here's where some soul searching comes in.  I know that before I got married and moved to Germany I weighed 10 pounds less, and I managed to maintain that weight for quite a while.  I think losing 10 pounds is pretty attainable, so I'll say YES!

Is my goal realistic to my current lifestyle?  Well it is hard to lose weight when you travel as much as I do.  I've also been trying to lose this 10 pounds unsuccessfully for quite some time.  However, I am trying to eat right, exercise at least 5 times a week, and my husband is also trying to drop some pounds.  I think that this goal is relevant and realistic to my current lifestyle and family needs.  YES!

Is my goal timely?  Well, no I never did say how long I think it will take to lose these 10 pounds, just that I wanted to lose them.  I have a photo shoot scheduled at the end of April with my husband to celebrate our 2 year anniversary.  I think my goal will be "I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of April."  

After walking my goal through the SMART model it's changed from a vague "I want to lose weight" to "I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of April!"  Now that I have a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goal I can start figuring out how to meet that goal!

Try it with your goals to see if you can use the SMART strategy to further develop your goals.  It can be any type of goal!  Try it with professional, parenting, and relationship goals.  You'll be one step closer to becoming the person you are becoming.

Cheers,
Jen Cherry

Post Christmas Workout!

Well yesterday was the first day after Christmas and I got right back on the fitness horse!  I did a total body workout right in my garage!  I did a 6 station TABATA style workout.  A TABATA is an interval training method.  

Each TABATA station is one exercise and takes only 4 minutes.  You work as hard as you possibly can; giving 100% effort for 20 seconds then rest for 10 seconds.  That's one round.  Complete 8 rounds and I promise you'll be huffing and puffing.  

There are lots of free interval training apps you can download to your phone, ipad, or computer to help you keep track of your rounds.

My workout Dec 26, 2012
Warm up 2 mile brisk walk with my new Christmas Puppy Oskar!
Shoulder rolls, Hi Jacks/Hi Jills, leg swings forward/back and side to side!

• Station  One
• kettle bell swings

• Station Two
• push up with row

• Station Three
• jump rope

• Station Four
• alternating lunge w/ lateral raise

• Stations Five
• mt climbers

• Station six
• wall sit w/ Arnold press.

The whole workout only took about 24 minutes.

To cool down I did a slow half mile jog with the dog, stretched and added a 3 sets of 20 second planks.  

It felt GREAT!

Serious Weight Loss Clinic-January

I'm so excited to offer the Serious Weight Loss Clinic again in January!  The November session as very successful with every single member losing at least 5 pounds!  Everyone provided positive feedback and reports feeling healthier, sleeping better, and has new habits that will help keep her moving in the right direction.

This program is appropriate for women who meet the criteria for obesity or want to lose at least 30 lbs.  We do 10 low impact workouts together and I provide 10 at home workouts to do on your own.  That means you walk away with 20 workouts!  

You also get 20 healthy recipes and 20 healthy snack recipes for about 100 calories each!  We also visit the commissary to find where the healthiest options are hiding!  You will also receive a weekly newsletter with nutrition tips, an at home workout, a healthy recipe, and some positive motivation.

We give each other positive support and have check-ins weekly.  We weigh in every Monday to track progress.  Each member also completes a food journal that is reviewed weekly for tips and suggestions to eat for your personal goals.

I'm so looking forward to my January group!  The sign up is now available at the front desk of the gym.  

Jen Cherry 
Certified Personal Trainer
Licensed Counselor
Health and Wellness Lifestyle Coach

Boot Camp Homecoming!

I just want to take a moment and say thank you to everyone who has welcomed me home to Tucson.  I've  enjoyed so many laughs, hugs, and conversations with friends.  I'm always so grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life.  

I had an opportunity to workout with Cooper Boot Camp today.  This is the program that changed my life.  I lost 40 lbs and gained incredible friends, confidence, and a new passion; fitness.  It was so much fun to be outside and huffing and puffing with a group.  I can't wait to make MY Boot Campers do 4 minutes of 1 leg deadlifts!

Alternating 1 leg deadlifts are a great exercise to focus on lower body while still engaging your core AND improving balance.  You can do them with no weights at all.  To advance the exercise add weights in one hand to increase the balance challenge. 

From standing position hinge at your waist bringing one leg off the ground behind you slowly and evenly.  Keep your core engaged with a neutral back. Allow your arms to move comfortably.  Complete 30 seconds on each leg, 4 reps!

Jen Cherry & Kirsten Cooper 

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake

Pumpkin in the winter makes me happy!  This is another great breakfast solution; quick and easy to eat on the go.  I usually make an entire batch and keep it in the refrigerator to grab in the morning   I use one of the shaker bottles and add about 4 oz of fat free milk to my serving of the shake.  That way I don't have to dirty my blender everyday! It's a delicious way to start my day and I don't even have to feel guilty. I hope you enjoy.   I generally eat this shake as my morning meal.  It has enough calories to keep me going through a tough workout. To make this a recovery shake you can add your protein supplement (vanilla works best).  If you want the benefits of added protein without adding a supplement substitute the fat free milk for low fat natural Greek yogurt and add water or milk to thin to the desired consistency.  Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4th of recipe Calories: 160.7 • Fat: 2.2g • Protein: 5.8 g • Carb: 34 g • Fiber: 6.6 g Ingredients: 1/2 cup quick oats  2 cups water  1 cup fat free milk  1 cup ice  1/2 cup pumpkin puree  3 tbsp brown sugar  1-2 tsp cinnamon  pumpkin pie spice to taste Directions: Cook oats and water in a small pot for about a minute or two, stirring often until it becomes thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and let it cool a few minutes. In a blender add milk, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice. Add oats and ice. Blend on high until very smooth. Chill in refrigerator or pour in a glass over ice. Enjoy!!  recipe from skinnytaste.com

Spinning Welcome!

I had such a great experience at Spin today at O2 Modern Fitness in Tucson!  I haven't been to the studio in years, but I walked in and immediately spied a friendly face!  It's a wonderful experience to walk into a gym or studio and feel welcome!  It's not so many years ago, stepping into a gym would have intimidated me so much, I would have stayed home.  I hope I bring that same welcoming feel to Cherry Wellness and 360 Fit.

I had a great endurance ride and it was very challenging.  Recently I've been doing a lot of interval rides  this was a welcome change and reminded me how beneficial an endurance cardio workout can be.  As many of us focus on HIIT, TABATA, and other interval training style methods we may forget the benefits of tempo or endurance workouts.  Tempo workouts can increase your overall speed.  They also help to condition your entire cardiovascular system.  I really appreciated the workout as it's been over a week since my last spin and this was a super way to return to the bike without feeling overwhelmed.

I'm planning to bring some endurance rides as well as other cardio skills back with me for my clients as well as my own training!

Turkey Mini Meatloaf

January Offerings!

 
I'm so excited to offer my programs in January!  

Each one offers something special for people.

Boot Camp will continue to offer 3 workouts a week.  Each work out is a comprehensive total body workout that increases strength, endurance, and flexibility.  But for January the class will be 6 weeks long.  I have t-shirts to give to participants; I’m going to run an amazing competition with prizes!  There will be 3 winners the biggest loser, the greatest strength gainer, and MVP!  I can’t wait to work with people for this session. 

The Serious Weight Loss Clinic is a low impact workout for women who want to lose more than 30 lbs.  My own struggle with weight loss has inspired me to reach out and help others.  I want people to know that health is a process and fitness is a way of life.  I can’t wait to share my journey with 6 women and become part of their journey.  That program is going to even have a commissary trip for shopping tips, recipes, workouts together, and at home, and I’ll do food logs for all my women weekly.  I ran a proto-type program in November, and received really positive feedback.

Breakfast!

Ever since I found canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) at the commissary I've been obsessed with pumpkin!  You can find the pumpkin puree in the baking aisle.  Just be careful to pick up pumpkin puree and NOT the pie filling.  Pumpkin is low calorie, fiber rich, and delicious in so many different imaginations.  I shared a pumpkin smoothie recipe with my clients a few weeks ago and thought folks might like this too! 

It's easy to make up a big batch, and put them in individual containers for a quick zap and then add toppings for a fulfilling quick morning meal.  I usually hold the granola but love to use 100% natural maple syrup for that touch of sweetness!

Enjoy!

Coach Jen 

Pumpkin Oats with Maple Syrup & Granola

Ingredients:

 2/3 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/3 cup quick cook oats

2 teaspoons chia seeds

Dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 mashed banana

1/3 cup pumpkin

2 tablespoons granola

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

 1. Bring water, milk, oats, chia seeds, spices, and vanilla extract to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, add banana and whip into oats. Cover and simmer on low, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Stir in pumpkin. Top with granola and maple syrup

Recipe found in Fitness Magazine