Blakely FIT Goodbye

Dear clients and readers,

It has been an honor and privilege to be a part of your lives and part of your journey to live healthfully. Your trust, work ethic, and willingness to achieve something better have consistently been an inspiration. You are truly, the best aspect of my career.

After 12 years of owning Blakely FIT, I must say goodbye and bring my full professional attention to a new endeavor, See Jane Train.

Please enjoy a quick video expressing our gratitude and recap of the last 12 years of Blakely FIT.
The official launch of my new company, See Jane Train is this morning. I would love for you to take a peek, like and share.

I sincerely hope you would be willing to stay in touch. As always, I wish you every healthy happiness! And, I am eternally grateful for your patronage, participation and trust.

Fondly, Michelle

Top 5 Thanksgiving Tips

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FIRST thing this morning- go for a walk outside – five minutes or fifty – the fresh air and movement will make for a great start. Can’t this morning? How about with one of your favorite family members before dinner?
 
EAT plenty of fruit with your breakfast. (Pack in the nutrients and yes, I absolutely recommend you do eat breakfast.)
 
PARK conversations away from the appetizer table or desert table. (mindless eating is too easy over a spread of delicious treats)
 
DO NOT go to the party ravenous – have a snack and plenty of water before you arrive.
 
MINGLE, walk around or help your host between dinner and desert. It may help alleviate “food coma” feelings and reduce additional grazing.
 
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My thanks to you…
 
I AM SO VERY FORTUNATE to have a thriving business and history of wonderful clients. Every compliment, inquiry and opened email has a tremendous impact.
 
A very heartfelt thanks for your continued patronage and wishes for a very healthy and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
 
All my best, Michelle
 
#Thanksgiving2015 #Grateful #HealthyThanksgiving #smallbusiness #BlakelyFit
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Blakely FIT in Prevention Magazine

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It was a joy to be featured in “8 Things Every Personal Trainer Knows (and You Should too)” in Prevention Magazine. Cindy Kuzma seemlessly combines brilliant tips from top trainers and offers compelling solutions to common fitness hurdles.

http://www.prevention.com/fitness/8-tips-personal-trainers

‪#‎weightloss‬ ‪#‎fitnessprofessional‬ ‪#‎featuredcolumnist‬ ‪#‎PreventionMagazine‬‪#‎personaltrainer‬ ‪#‎fitnessexpert‬ ‪#‎motivationmonday‬

#cindykuzma Prevention Magazine

SCRUMTRULESCENT 2!

I am so excited to share this with you! In my glacial pace of moving my diet toward “more vegan, less carnivor,” I have stumbled upon something frighteningly delicious.

GLO BARS!

Here is the link to the recipe and my photos of making it in my own kitchen. So easy and fast, even self proclaimed, “non-cooks” could pull them off perfectly!

Drop a comment and let me know what you think!

Here is the link to the recipe: www.chatelaine.com

Here is the link to Angela’s site: Oh She Glows.com

#healthyhalloween #strong #women #weightloss #flexitarian #globars #delicious #scrumtrulescent #veganrecipes
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Eerily Delicious

Quick, super easy, nutritious and Halloween-colored!

Black and Orange Quesadillas – eerily delicious!

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 can of refried black beans

12 corn tortillas

1 small round of queso quesadilla

small container of pepitas

Microwave two sweet potatoes in 1/2″ of water in a small casserole dish for four minutes. Flip potatoes. Microwave again and repeat until very soft. (2 or 3 times)

Cut potatoes in half length-wise and scoop out the “meat” as you create each quesadilla.

Scoop black beans directly out of the can and smear onto one side of tortilla. Sweet potato onto the other.

Sprinkle pepitas onto one side.

Place a small serving of sliced cheese onto other side.

Fold cheese side to pepitas side (so you don’t lose all of your seeds.)

Drizzle small amount of olive oil onto skillet and place folded corn tortillas onto pan (give them a jiggle so they don’t stick)

I like to place something a little heavy onto the quesadillas as they cook. (I use a cast iron bacon press because I don’t use it for bacon.)

Flip after a few minutes.

Plate with brown rice and enjoy!

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Uncle Buck Can Help

Recently, I’ve been learning more and more about vegetarianism and vegan-ism. (Don’t close. I am not trying to convert you, I promise.)

In my first attempt to take advantage of the health benefits, I moved all of my family’s meals to meat/dairy-free items AND nutrient rich foods only. (Oreos and Coca-Cola are vegan, they did not make the cut.) The first week was a colossal fail – stressful, annoying and even I was left hungry and dissatisfied. The kids were crabby and my husband was not on board.

Then, I had a revelation, I had set myself up for failure.

Here’s how.

I had not:
• invested time in resources (great recipes and menus),
• discussed the pending change with my constituents (munchkins and finicky husband),
• allowed a proper time line for the transition (long term diet changes can not happen in one fell swoop)

Uncle Buck is a well-loved 1989 comedy starring John Candy. In it, he discussed his five year plan to quit smoking. Ridiculous and funny, I of course have spun it to serve me and hopefully you, my beautiful reader.

As I have repeatedly joked with clients, “I am now on the ‘Uncle Buck Plan’ to vegan-ism.” Every week and every month I am snagging new recipes, clever solutions and continually educating my family, paving the way for an easier, seamless transition – even if it takes five years!

My hope is that you learn from Uncle Buck, too. Whatever your goal for healthy living, maybe your timeline could be altered, resources bolstered and talks with those you love help with your success.

I’m rooting for you!

This must come first…

“YOU FIRST HAVE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF.”
(Wisdom from another brilliant client.)

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As we rest and rejuvenate this weekend I sincerely hope you put time for yourself at the top of your list.

My favorite thing to do to strictly for myself? Snorkeling. Now, understandably that will not happen (sigh) but I can find other ways – take as many naps as my munchkins will allow, ease up on my schedule, have drinks with friends and listen to an outdoor performance with my family. All things I love that refill my tank and put the brakes on my usual demands.

Have a healthy, relaxing and fabulous weekend! Enjoy committing to yourself first!

#LaborDay #healthy #committoyourself #women #strong #fridayquickie #wisdom #bestclientsever

You’re Missing It

 

BlakelyFITClimberA client and I were catching up after a session. She is by all accounts exceedingly successful professionally, incredibly likable and a joy to have in Strength In Numbers. She repeated the advice she gives her mentees. “The key to success is to work really, really hard. And, then, keep working hard.”

I have two things to say about that.

1. She’s right.

2. “Really, really hard” does not necessarily mean being married to the same plan forever.

Let me explain.

In terms of healthy living, some grab onto one idea with a vengence (e.g. a non-runner training to run a marathon, an extreme diet plan for 30 days, or a 6 workout per week schedule after being sedentary) and not let go until something breaks (schedule, body, will power.) It is true that all of those things are hard. But, that is not the kind of really, really hard work that necessarily pays off when we are talking about healthy living success. The really, really hard work are things like adapting moderate daily habits, acknowledging where you might be kidding yourself and taking the time to define success for yourself.

That kind of work is tough, “really, really hard” even. But, in the game of healthy living success, totally worth it.

Want more inspiration on grit? Watch this…https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit