Potato Chip Hike + Misc San Diego Hikes

Trip Dates: June 4-9, 2014

I went to California for the first time ever with Scott back in April (read about that trip here). It was a work trip for him but I tagged along! Then I went back to California the beginning of June for a product training in Long Beach. One of my partners (who also owns 3 Anytime Fitness locations), Amy, and I decided we could stay a little extra in order to soak up all the awesomeness of San Diego. I'm so glad we did because I'm pretty much obsessed with it now! As usual, I packed as food as possible to take with me. I never leave without my Daily Essentials packets, Digestive Enzymes, Quest bars, or Blender Bottles...those are always traveling staples of mine! I also took rice cakes, jerky, almonds, and almond/peanut butter packs because I knew we would be hiking. Not pictured is the lunchbox I took that had boiled eggs and veggies!

Wednesday (June 4)

We flew into San Diego on Wednesday and stayed at the Hilton Mission Bay. It was me and two of my business partners who are also TLS coaches and trainers. It was a beautiful location right on the bay. The flight was long but everything went pretty smooth. We went straight to the hotel, ate, and got ready for our small event that night. Wednesday was the day I finally got to meet Ashley! She's been a partner, coach, and friend for over a year but this was the first in-person meeting for us! We had a short meet and greet and wellness overview with a few girls that lived around the area. We also had them do a workout...in the sand! It was tough! After the meet and greet we went to dinner in the Gas Lamp District. I had fish tacos and a skinny margarita - it was my birthday! :-) You can find examples of my "vacation food" here. I'd say it was a great birthday!

Thursday (June 5)

Amy and I rented a car (truck) so that we could go hiking. We tried to rent a car but they called us back and said all they had was a F-150. It freaked me out driving a big 4-door truck in a city that I was not familiar with but once we got onto the highway I was okay. :-) We took the truck and headed to Poway to hike Mount Woodson (also known as the Potato Chip hike). It was an incredible hike - approximately 8 miles round trip. I wore my Heart Rate Monitor and we burned over 1,400 calories and finished the hike in less than 3 hours and 15 minutes, even with stopping at the top for about 20 minutes.

The rock does hang off the side of the mountain and getting to it isn't easy. I should have taken a picture but you have to jump down onto the rock and while you are doing it, it looks like you might fall into the huge crack below. I was more scared about getting to the rock than actually being on it!

After Mount Woodson we did Cowles Mountain which was about 30 minutes from Mount Woodson. This was a shorter hike (3 miles round trip) but still very awesome. It took us just a little over an hour and we burned over 500 calories. After conquering Mount Woodson and Cowles Mountain we headed back to the hotel and ate...tacos again!

Friday (June 6)

Before leaving for Long Beach on Friday I was able to get a quick weight workout in at the hotel gym and a jog along the beach. While they were getting massages and manicures (not my thing!) I hung out by the pool to get some work done! We left for Long Beach around lunch time. Once we arrived in Long Beach we had time to grab a quick bite to eat, take a short nap, and head to the first training session. Ashley came up after work so our whole team was there including our business partners from Texas! We had people from California, Georgia, Texas, and New York just from our team! Friday was a great training and really set the tone for the whole weekend.

This was the perfect key holder for the weekend! It's amazing how much my life has changed in the past year. I can't even describe it. Still can't believe I was in California for a training with some amazing people. I love everyone who has been placed in my life and this is only the beginning!

Saturday (June 7)

Saturday was our first full day of training (8 AM - 6 PM and then again from 8 PM - 10 PM). We learned so much about the products and the science behind everything. I loved that it was professionals providing the information and doing the research. It's great to hear from doctors and nurses about what is going on from their point of view and how quality food and quality supplements play a huge role in overall health and well being. Ashley and I also went to the night training session. We didn't have much time in between so we grabbed something to eat and brought it back with us. The night session was awesome. It was a great training on a lot of social media and internet marketing...which is right up our alley.

Just the training essentials for energy!

Sunday (June 8)

The training on Sunday was from 8 AM - 1:30 PM and was probably my favorite day because of the products discussed. There was also a short TLS overview - I can't get enough of it...I learn something new each time! I learned SO MUCH about CLA in particular {belly fat blaster!}. CLA is one of the supplements I have been taking since the beginning of my "fitness journey"...but not all CLA (or any supplement for that matter) is created equal - more on this to come in another post!

Love our morning cocktail of our Daily Essentials (Yes, we drink our vitamins - multivitamin, B, calcium, and OPC-3!).

After the training ended we headed back to San Diego. My mentor, Carin, left for the airport but Amy and I had another day to explore! We checked into our hotel in Old Town San Diego and immediately took a taxi to Torrey Pines State Reserve. We hiked around the park for a few hours and then Ashley picked us up and we headed to the San Diego Convention Center to run the stairs (because that's what you do after hiking...right?).

Monday (June 9)

We woke up and decided to go for a run through Old Town San Diego since we would be traveling all day. We ate breakfast and then headed out. We found a magnificent hill to run up...it was pretty awesome! After our run we went exploring in Old Town and then had to catch our flight back home. Our flight had a layover in Vegas, which was delayed. It was a LONG travel day back home. We were scheduled to arrive in Atlanta at 12:55 AM but of course that didn't happen! I didn't get home until 4 AM!

So, there you have it! I learned so much, fell in love with a new city, and was able to spend time with my amazing friends and business partners from all over the US! Life is good. Change your attitude and outlook and it will change your life!

5 Simple Tips to Learn to Love Lifting Weights

I’ve heard girls in the gym saying, “I’m not in to lifting weights. I’m just not a weightlifter. I’m not one of those girls!” I guess it’s entirely possible to really not like to lift weights. Hey! It’s even entirely possible to hate working out at all. However, it’s just an excuse! An excuse because you may not know how to lift properly. An excuse because you may feel self-conscious, or even an excuse not to have to set foot in the weight area because you can’t convince your girlfriend to go with you. Let’s get over our excuses and get ready to make changes in your body you never thought possible. Cardio, cardio, cardio is NOT the answer! Here are five simple tips that will change your mindset!

5 Simple Tips to Learn to Love Lifting Weights

1.   Make Your Workout a Priority. This may be easier said than done, but making your workout, even if it is cardio, a priority will change your mind set about it.  Think about your workouts ahead of time, plan them out and make the most out of the time you have for your workouts. Consider it a job you WANT to do!

2.   Become Friends with Other “Weightlifters”. We aren’t necessarily advocating that you run up to the first woman (or man) that you see in the weight section of your gym, but try to make friends with those you see time and time again. Ask them to help spot you or just simply start saying, “hey!” If you need help with proper form for an exercise, they may be able to help! (Note: Be sure that their form is correct and they use safe lifting practices prior to asking them.) If you see someone who looks like you want to look, make friends with them too!

3.  Track Your Progress. Seeing yourself succeed in print SO much more gratifying than guessing your progressions. Buy a notebook or a workout log and write down your exercises, the weight that you are lifting and how you feel with your workouts. After you do the same workout a few times, go back and look at where you started – your results will fuel you to keep going and even work harder! Need a plan? Try one of our She Sweats Workout Plans!

4.  Get Help from a Personal Trainer. You might have to spend a little money with this step, but if you are up front with the personal trainer about your needs, you won’t have to pay them more than once or twice (unless you want to).  Hire them to run you through an upper or lower body workout, or just ask them to run through 6-8 exercises for each muscle group.

5.  Buy New Workout Clothes. This might sound a little frivolous, but it’s just like a brand new dress. When you love what you are wearing, you feel better about yourself and are have more confidence in your actions.

How did you learn to love lifting weights?

Let us be your personal trainers with our detailed 4, 6 and 12 week She Sweats Workout plans! We guide your workout each day, telling you exactly what to do and what intensity to work at. We have everything you need! Find out more!

Beat Belly Bloat!

We all want to lose that last little bit of water weight or the bloat before a big event such as a wedding, vacation, party, etc. Since summer is right around the corner - which usually means beach and/or lake trips - we are here to share with you some foods that may cause bloating. Of course, we should all start with living a healthy lifestyle (which includes a healthy diet). So if you haven't already, try to get rid of all the processed foods in your diet (Need help getting started? We have an eBook for that!)! Stick to lean protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and lots of water!

It takes a while (sometimes years) to learn your body and what makes you look and feel your best but these will give you a starting point on things that you might want to cut out of your diet before that big event!

Steer Clear of these Foods that Commonly Bloat:

• Processed Foods
• Carbonated Beverages
• Artificial Sugars
• Protein Powders/Bars
• Gum
• Dairy
• Gluten
• Eggs
• Certain Veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc)

There are more foods that can cause bloating but these are the ones that we have experienced personally.

If you want to reduce bloating and/or drop water weight we suggest cutting these out of your diet for 1-2 weeks prior to the event. In order to look and feel your best you should also avoid added salt (which usually means cooking your own food) and alcohol. Here are more tips on how to slim down for your next big event!

Looking for a workout plan to get you started? Try one of our popular transformation plans!