Here is a question I get asked a lot, “how do you show up day after day and stay on track with eating?” I think people are hoping I have some magic trick that makes it easy to be consistent with my workouts and eating, but the truth is that it happens because I am disciplined and committed. That’s it! That is the magic trick. It’s not fancy, a quick fix or easy. It’s just a matter of determination and self discipline.

Let me start off by saying that I have NOT always had self discipline. In fact, as a kid, teen and young adult, I was pretty lazy and did the bare minimum in most things. Even when I was a dancer, I just gave enough effort to be an ok dancer, but I never worked my butt off to be better. As a student in school, I did whatever got me by but never gave true effort. When I first got into working out, I never pushed myself, never fought for that last rep or did anything that was hard.

I finally had a light bulb moment when I realized that I wasn’t seeing results like I knew I could. I wanted to be stronger and eat better, but I just didn’t give it my all, until the day I realized that I would always be stuck where I was until I did something different. I slowly started working harder in my training and really challenging myself. I stopped buying junk food as a “treat” and started paying attention to what eating healthy really meant. I slowly started seeing results and that is when I turned a corner. I was NOT just half in anymore. I was committing to really working for it!

The awesome thing is that the harder I worked, the more self discipline I developed. I WANTED to work hard, and I WANTED to eat well. I could feel what it did for my body and mind. That self discipline started showing up in other areas of my life too. Instead of doing the bare minimum in other areas, I was giving it my all no matter what I did.

16 years later and I don’t have to think about IF I will workout or eat well. I just do it! It is now my way of life, habit and commitment. It was a slow journey to get where I am now, but every step of it taught me something new and unlocked new lessons for me. I fell more in love with taking care of myself and proving that I could do hard things. As I have aged, my training has changed to adapt to my body, but my effort and commitment is still there and strong.

There is NO easy and quick trick to develop self discipline and commitment. It is something you DECIDE to do and follow through with. The great thing is that the longer you do it, the easier it becomes to stay committed. I am so thankful that I am not that person I was a long time ago who did not work hard for things. I have gained so much by working hard and not making excuses for myself.

You CAN show up for yourself and work hard, and you CAN make eating well a priority. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Find a program to follow (I have 6 for you to choose from), and get help with nutrition if you feel lost, but don’t wait to get started. Start now! Your health and wellness is worth it!

Are you ready for another delicious and simple dessert? If you are a chocolate lover, you will love these!

Ingredients:

Enjoy life chocolate chips

1 banana sliced

Powdered Peanut Butter & water

Directions:

Start by melting the chocolate chips over low heat on the stove. You can add 1 tsp of coconut oil to make the chocolate smoother. while the chocolate is melting, mix the powdered peanut butter with water until you get the consistency you desire.

Once the chocolate is melted, add a thin layer to small molds.

Next add a banana slice to each mold and top with peanut butter mixture.

Next, add another layer of melted chocolate on top.

Place the mold tray in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Once the chocolates are ready, you can store in a freezer ziploc bag. Enjoy as a small treat!

Nutrition: varies depending on ingredients used

Calories: 40

Fat: 1.5 grams

Sugar: 1 gram

Carbs: 5.1 grams

Protein: 1 gram

I have a quick & easy recipe for my dessert loving friends! All you need is 3 ingredients! This low calorie & low sugar recipe will hit that sweet tooth!

Ingredients:

Nonfat Greek yogurt

Powdered peanut butter

Frozen berries

I found these cute molds at Hobby Lobby for this recipe. Fill a mold or silicon cups 3/4 full of yogurt.

Make your own peanut butter using powdered peanut butter (I used PBfit) and water. Place a dollop of your peanut butter on top of the yogurt.

Next make your jelly by heating frozen berries (I used strawberries) over low heat until they are soft. Mash the berries until they resemble jelly. Place the jelly on top of the yogurt & pb.

It might not look pretty but that’s ok! Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

These tasty yogurt cups so easy to make and taste great! If you get a fancy mold, they are cute too!

Nutrition: per yogurt cup

Calories: 45

Protein: 5 gr

Carbs: 4 gr

Fat: 1 gr

Enjoy!!

Here are a few of my top tips for losing body fat. Let me be clear that I am talking about fat loss and not weight loss. They are different. With fat loss, we want to lose body fat and NOT muscle mass.

Here we go:

1. You need to eat enough protein. The current recommendation to maintain & gain muscle mass while losing body fat is 1 grams of protein per pound of desired body weight. That means you need to make protein a priority at each meal. Your protein can come from animal protein or plant protein as long as you get enough.

2. You need to focus on strength training. Aim for 3-4 days per week of strength training with challenging weights. You can lift more than 2-5 lbs. I promise! It helps to follow a program or plan rather than just doing random workouts. You can check out my programs if you want a strength training program to follow.

3. Drink water! You need your stay hydrated with water. Aim for at least half your body weight in ounces of water. You need water more than sugar filled cokes, lattes, and juice.

4. Get quality sleep every night. Your body needs sleep! Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Did you know that when your body lacks sleep your hunger hormone increases? It often leads to overeating, so make sure you make sleep a priority.

5. Don’t starve yourself. This might sound weird, but you need quality food in order to lose body fat. If you cut your calories too drastically and overdo the cardio, your body will lose muscle mass instead of body fat. Be intentional about the foods you choose and eat an appropriate amount.

Want more details? Check out my short video on YouTube!

I honestly do not like store bought donuts. I always feel sick afterwards and regret having one. However, I LOVE making my own! They are not as sweet, require very few ingredients, and I don’t feel sick after having one.

Give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup self rising flour

1 scoop protein powder (I used Horchata by Pro Dough Bakery but vanilla would be good too)

1 cup dairy free milk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup blueberries

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except blueberries. After it is well mixed, gently fold in blueberries.

Carefully spoon into a donut pan. I like using a silicone pan. It’s so much easier to get them out!

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden on top.

After they cool, you can eat one or place in a container and store in the fridge.

These tasty donuts are easy to make and a much better option that donuts from a donut shop.

Nutrition: will vary based on flour, milk & protein powder used

Calories: 183

Carbs: 28 gr

Protein: 4 gr

Fat: 6 gr

Have you seen the trend of what is going to be IN & Out in the New Year? people are sharing what things they want to let go of from the previous year and what they want to work towards this year. It’s actually pretty interesting! What would be on your list?

Here is what I think people, including myself, should let go of this year:

1. Worrying about what other people think and comparing yourself to someone else’s journey.

2. Self doubt! We need to stop telling ourselves that we can’t accomplish something.

3. Mindless scrolling on social media/internet. Seriously, people spend too much time looking at what other people are doing.

4. Saying “yes” to too many things. Being overly busy is NOT a badge of honor.

5. Not prioritizing self-care. It’s time to stop putting our physical & mental health last.

6. Relying on fitness watches to tell you if you had a good workout. I know they are fun to have, but they are NOT accurate when it comes your how many calories burned. Don’t rely on them!

Here are a few things we should all start doing this year:

1. Prioritize strength training. Your body needs 3-4 days per week of strength training with challenging weights. It’s time to pick up something heavier than 2-3 lbs.

2. Committing to our goals. If you have goals you want to accomplish, you have to commit to them and take action.

3. Find balance in life. Enough said.

4. Be authentic! Don’t be afraid to be who you are.

5. Get your cardio in! Cardio has received a bad rap over the past year, but it is important. You don’t need to spend hours sweating, but you do need at least 90 minutes per week of cardio. Walking is my first choice!

6. Eat with intention and workout with purpose!

These lists are just a few things that I think are important. What would you add to the lists?

Here is a fun dinner you can make in a short amount of time. My family LOVES burritos or soft tacos, but it can get boring, so I mixed it up with these stacked burritos.

Let’s get the ingredients first!

I used the Xtreme high fiber wrap tortilla as the base. We had cooked ground turkey meat, fat free refried beans, sliced olives, brown rice, shredded cheese, and chilies. You can add other toppings like bell peppers, onions, or jalapeno.

Place your ingredients on top of the wrap tortilla.

Place a small flour or corn tortilla on top. I used a carb balance flour tortilla, but some of my family used a small corn tortilla.

Fold the wrap tortilla around the small tortilla and top with a little cheese. The cheese helps the tortillas seal while cooking.

I cooked mine in a panini maker, but you can cook it on the stove top in a large pan. Just make sure to flip it after a minute.

I topped mine with a little salsa and had a lovely salad on the side. You can also top with non-fat greek yogurt, avocado or hot sauce.

We had a lot of fun creating these stacked burritos! Everyone got to customize theirs and make it EXACTLY how they wanted it!

Nutrition :

Calories: 378 (depending on ingredients used)

Carbs: 39 grams

Protein: 30 grams

Fat: 18 grams

I love a good berry crumble, but I prefer a healthier version that doesn’t overload my body with lots of processed sugar. This Berry Crumble recipe tastes great, but has NO added table sugar!

Start by mixing 1 1/2 cups flour with 1 1/4 cups rolled oats together. Add in 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/3 cup avocado oil. Mix well. Then add 1/2 cup pure maple syrup. You will use this mixture for the crust and topping.

Next add 2 cups of mixed berries (I used a mixture of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) in a small pot. Heat over medium/low heat. Add 1/2 tsp lemon juice and mix well. Once the berries start gently bubbling, remove from heat.

Add 1/2 of the dry mixture to the bottom of an 8X8 baking pan and press down gently.

Add Berry mixture on top and then add the rest of the dry mix on top.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy this as a dessert or with breakfast!

Are you ready for another workout program?! I’ve got one for you! Let’s get fit & healthy for 2024 with my new program, Power Sculpt!

Power Sculpt is a 5 week program focusing on strength, endurance, mobility, coordination. Core strength and developing healthy habits. Join me and commit to getting stronger!

When you purchase Power Sculpt for $24.99, you get access to the workouts in a follow along video format with crib sheets and a calendar to follow. You can workout with me and be led through each workout or you can take the crib sheets to the gym with you. The calendar tells you which order to do the workouts in and has clickable links that take you straight to the workout. Take rest days as you need to.

Power Sculpt start January 1st or whenever you are ready! Once payment is received, you will be emailed the link to a private playlist, crib sheets and calendar.

Click here to purchase the program:

https://juliejonesfitness.wordpress.com/just-strength-program/

Message me if you have any questions!