I have one thing to say about last week.

Amazing.

We stayed on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. Our friends who we met up with in Provo the week before, the ones we spent the winter with in Breckenridge, came with us. Not only that but my longtime internet friend, Janetha, who I met on a fitness forum before we both had blogs came for dinner.

Rather than tell you about my week, I’m going to show you. At least I’m going to show you the fitness-y parts. I do a lot more than exercise. I’ll save the details on bison, floating in the Great Salt Lake, and jackrabbits with ears as long as my arm for my adventure blog.

Our campsite was incredible. It was large and open and faced the Great Salt Lake making for the most stunning sunset workouts.

I did a few strength workouts and pulled out my heavy rope for the first time since last fall.

I’ve gotten so strong that I broke my rope into pieces. He he. (If you look closely- I know the photo is kinda small – you can see how the panorama app composited the rope into pieces.)

Brent and I also slipped away for a bike ride.

We started off on this trail which got progressively more rocky, so much so that we were walking and hauling our bikes over rocks more than we were riding. Biking is hard for me especially through rocks. I get really scared especially since my little brother almost died from a bike accident when I was a kid

So we found an easier trail. Much easier for me because while Brent went to the top of that moutain I sat on the side of the road.

We passed a heard of bison on the beach.

To add to an already beautiful week Janetha came to visit along with Marshall, the pups, and Momma B. I had actually met Janetha once before briefly before we left when she came to LA. Our meeting in LA was a short visit and their were a lot of people. I’m an introvert and prefer small groups so this was perfect.

I’ve met a lot of bloggers in person. Most of the time they are as nice in person as they are on their blog. Janetha is no exception. She is every bit as sweet in person as she is online and then some. As are Marshall and Momma B, who I’ve also known and interacted with online for a number of years. I actually did a Girl Heroes feature with Janetha and Momma B a few years ago. Not only is their transformation inspiring but so is their friendship. Wonderful wonderful people.

I was thrilled when she said they would bring the dogs.

I was secretly planning to kidnap Penny but once I met Randy (the basset) I  decided I had to have them both but couldn’t figure how to keep them without Janetha and Marshall noticing. These two were ridiculously sweet and well behaved. They hung out with us inside our RV until 11 pm! Janetha and Marshall told us the funniest stories about Randy  honking the horn and getting into food. Ornery fellow! My kind of dog!

We also ate dinner while watching the sunset.

A bison even decided to cruise by while we were eating!

Thank you so much for visiting Janetha, Marshall, Momma B, Penny, and Randy. It was such a treat! In case you haven’t read Janetha’s blog (you probably have she has quite the following) it’s called Meals and Moves. She wrote about our time together here.

Have you ever met an online friend in person? Any mountain bike tips?  

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Journey with our family on the road at Newschool Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States.

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Thirteen years ago I ran down Bath Street in Santa Barbara, my cheeks wet with tears and my heart filled with terror.

This was not a picture fit for a Pinterest wedding board. It was me the night before my wedding.

For most girls, a wedding is a day to be a princess. For me, it was a day I would face one of my greatest fears. A fear that grew out of the sticky soil of Borderline Personality Disorder. My inexplicable, but as real as the sidewalk under my running feet, fear of abandonment.

Getting married is not a convenience.  It’s a covenant. A covenant that requires you to give more at the risk of losing more.

It didn’t matter that I had known two weeks after we met, we were destined to get married. It didn’t matter that we had said our vows months before in front of God alone. Vows that I meant but vows that I didn’t believe needed to be said in public because a commitment made is the dark can stay in the dark if fear got the best of me.

Sometimes our fears grow in places too deep to for us to see.

Over my sobs, I heard steady footsteps on the sidewalk. I didn’t get very far before I felt strong hands on my waist pulling me to a stop. The strong hands of a person who, if he was willingly diving into my sea of chaos, was clearly as crazy as me .

“It’s ok. It’s going to be okay. I love you.”

The love of God being spoken through my husband.

Thirteen years later and “it’s okay”.

It’s more than okay. It’s amazing.

Every year on this day, I find myself quiet and unable to express the gratitude I feel for the man who chased my crazy ass down that sidewalk and said, “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I love you.”

I love you too.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

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I’m writing my next thirteen kettlebell workouts with beginners in mind. You’ll see lots of presses, squats, cleans, rows, and, of course, swings.

Why the next thirteen? Because I’m a nerd. Because I’m easily entertained. Because we are going to be traveling through the original 13 colonies and just like the colonist had to start somewhere so does the beginner girevik. Combining history, travel, and kettlebells. I bet you won’t find another fitness blog that does that.

Of course, if you are more advanced you can always swap out more difficult progressions, pick up a heavier kettlebell, or do more rounds. Or if you are brand new to exercise you can skip kettlebells all together and find a trainer who can teach you the basic some basic movement patterns. If that isn’t an option you could stick with bodyweight/mobility exercises to build up some core strength. Then come back later. Or if you insist, use a light kettlebell and do less rounds.

We filmed this workout in a little tiny town in Georgia called Glenwood. By chance, we came across this quiet campground and it was so peaceful we decided to stay awhile.

The sunset the night before we filmed the workout was beautiful. A nasty storm followed. Fun times in the RV.

Anyway onto the workout.

Kettlebell Workout for Beginners – Georgia

1. Squats – 5-8
2. Single Kettlebell Bear Crawl* – Find a length you feel comfortable walking. I crawled about 100 feet
3. Presses – 5-8 Each Arm
4. Overhead Walk Right** – Find a length you feel comfortable walking. I walked about 150 feet.
5. Swings – 20
6. Overhead Walk Left – Again find a length you feel comfortable.
7. Rows – 5-10 Each Arm

Repeat 3-7 times.

This kettlebell workout travels back and forth. Start at point A with squats. Bear crawl to point B. Then do presses followed by an overhead walk back to point A for swings and so on. 

If you don’t have a long length to walk you could always set a timer for about 30 seconds and walk around your house or back in forth in your backyard.

*If you are unable to hold a plank for 30 seconds skip the bear crawl and work on a basic plank.

**Keep our core tight (abs braced) and shoulder blade down as if you are tucking it into your back pocket.

All right that’s it! Have a great weekend!!!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Check out our family’s adventures being inspired to follow you dreams at New School Nomads as we take a year long RV road trip through the United States!

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Some places are just magical.

Even when you are doing a kettlebell workout.

We filmed this one at Bahai Honda State Park in the Florida Keys and so far it has been one my favorite places to workout.

My kettlebell agrees.

One evening Brent and I had the idea to exercise during sunset. It was a brilliant idea except for we decided to carry the kettlebells from our campsite to the beach. A quarter mile isn’t far until you are carrying two 12K (26lb) kettlebells in a backpack. Ouch! By the time we got to the beach I was already exhausted.

But it was worth it. If only for the photos.

Florida – Kettlebell Pyramid Circuit Workout

-Part A-
Kettlebell Clean and Press – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Kettlebell Squat- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Kettlebell Row – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (1 rep is both arms)
Single Leg Deadlift Right – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Single Leg Deadlift Left- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Down Ups- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (1 rep is both legs)

Part A is an ascending ladder which means that the first round (or set) you do 1 of each exercise. The second round you do 2, the third set 3 and so on. Using double kettlebells makes this workout quite challenging. I’d recommend beginners only go up to 5 or even just 3 (it is that tough…for me anyway…maybe you are more She-Ra) and use a single bell.

-Part B-
Kettlebell Swings – 30/30 for 7 minutes.

Set your timer to 30 seconds of work to 30 seconds of rest for 7 rounds (minutes).

Bahai Honda has been one of our favorite places we’ve gone so far. I could have stayed for months. We had so much fun visiting Key West, seeing Key deer, playing at the beach, and snorkeling. Well my family had fun snorkeling, I got really seasick. You can see more pictures of our adventure in the Florida Keys on my travel blog. It’s worth it to click through just to see how close we got to the sweet little Key deer!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Check out our family’s adventures being inspired to follow you dreams at New School Nomads as we take a year long RV road trip through the United States!

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I’ve realized something.

I’ll never be a talk show host.

Nope. I’m way too awkward. You really should see the outtakes. They are funny. Or just sad. I can’t decide.

Maybe at the end of our trip I’ll do a video of all the outtakes.

It’s good to laugh at yourself right?

Anyway here is “Oklahoma”. We shot this kettlebell circuit in the morning at Lake Eufaula. (I’m pretty sure I pronounced it wrong.) Why I don’t workout early morning more often I don’t know. Oh yeah, I like to stay in bed cuddling with my favorite person and cat.

Oklahoma Full Body Kettlebell Circuit

1. Swings
2. KB Curls
3. Down Ups (Alternate Legs)
4. Side Plank Row
5. Squat and Reach (I call it a Squat w/ 2 Hand Press in the video.)
6. Single Leg Deadlifts
7. Alternating Lunges
8. Russian Twists

Repeat 2x.

I set my Gymboss for 8 intervals of 40 seconds work and 20 seconds rest.  For the unilateral moves I did one side of the body round one and the other side round two. 

Filming the workouts has been good in many ways. Not only do I know I’ll workout at least 48 times this year but they are helping me improve my form. Seriously, the first time I saw my push up on camera I cringed. I looked more like an anteater than the badazz I imagined.

As soon as I get a chance I’m going to edit my next kettlebell workout, “Arkansas”.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we take a year long RV road trip through the United States!

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I ran across Roni’s blog, Roni’s Weigh, a few years ago when I started my own weight loss journey. Last year, I met her for the first time during Fitbloggin’ and got to spend time with her again at BlogHer. She is every bit as warm, friendly, and helpful in real life as she is on her blogs. She’s the real deal. Roni is a wife, mother of two,  full time blogger, and all around awesome girl who chose to change her lifestyle for the better.

How does your lifestyle “now” compare to your lifestyle “before”? (You can see all of Roni’s progress pictures here.)

Oh boy is it ever different! I used to do nothing, and I’m not exaggerating. I’d work, watch tv or go to movies, and eat. That was about it. Now I try my best to be active and DO things. I take walks, go on hikes, read more, run in events, play board games and do puzzles with the family. Even though I’m still pretty food obsessed I’ve channeled that “hobby” by cooking light and finding new fun healthy foods. I more active now then I have ever been in my life and in better shape because of it.

Okay so I have to ask you something. You write 4 blogs GreenLiteBites, Roni’s Weigh, Roni Noone, and Poop Butterflies. You also organize Fitbloggin’ and manage a weightloss communities called Blog to Lose with over 5000 members! How do you do it and stay sane? Any time management tips? I know I need them!!

Sane? Who said I was sane?

In all seriousness, I do what I can when I can. I know it sounds kind of simple but it’s the truth. I have conference calls while baby is napping. I write blog posts while watching TV at night. I wake up early and work out when I can. It’s a lot of juggling but I’ve always been the type of person who’d rather be busy than bored.

What does your exercise routine look like now? Is it hard to find the motivation or time with so much going on in your life?

It has been hard but I’ve learned that I am much happier and have more energy when I’m working out. I even tend to handle stress better. Right now I wake up at 5:30 AM twice a week for a BodyPump class and I take a BodyCombat class in the evening one day a week. I also joined a gym that’s just over a mile away from the house so I run there and back. It’s been hard finding a schedule that works but I try to be flexible and not let more than 1 day go by without doing something active, even if it’s just a short run.

You love Weight Watchers and it helped you to lose a significant amount of weight. In a nutshell, what did WW teach you and do you still use it to maintain?

Weight Watchers gave me a quick and easy way to judge a portion and balance my diet. It also taught me to food journal, something I still go back to when feeling a little out of control. Right now I’m counting points to lose the last 10 lbs I gained from pregnancy.

I read your 3 Steps to a Healthier You series. My favorite part of that series is when you talk about turning off the tv and dancing with your son and husband. Do you still do that? Was it hard at first to start dancing? In other words, did you feel self conscious at first?

We still do it! All the time and now I have a new little once to dance with!

I’ve always been a music lover. My mom used to crank up the volume  when cleaning, my Dad was a musician, it’s just in my blood!

I noticed that the TV was ALWAYS on in my house and I hated it. So one day I simply shut it off and blasted the radio. It’s hard to be self-conscious when you are alone and dancing with a 1 year old. You’re just in the moment BUT that being said, I am self conscious dancing at weddings or parties because what I do at home is not really “dancing” it’s moving around like an idiot singing off key at the top of my lungs.

What about internet? How do you keep moving when your job requires computer hours? I know I could use some motivation in this area!

I think this is why getting those workouts in is so important for me. Most of the time I’m at my desk or on the couch with a computer on my lap. It is what it is. I’ve learned, however, to walk away. When I’m not at the computer I’m not at the computer, if that makes sense. I don’t tweet from my phone or check Facebook. I don’t walk around the mall checking email. I disconnect completely especially when I go to the gym. I never, ever, bring my phone when I go the gym. That’s my time and I don’t want to be interrupted.

How has blogging played a part in your weight loss and enriched your life? Any advice to new bloggers?

Blogging played a huge part in my weight loss. For me it was having an outlet to face feeling I never faced before. So many people (myself included) feel alone when it comes to how they feel about their bodies or how they relate to food. Once I put myself out there I realized I wasn’t alone. I also find motivation in motivating others. I love sharing tips and ideas and doing so helps me stay inspired.

What is something quirky that you do that makes you you? (Besides being the Queen of Zucchini?)

Hmmmm I’m not sure. I am little quirky, I guess, but isn’t everybody? Things people may be surprised to learn about me: (if they don’t already know because I’m pretty transparent on the blog) I’m a big fan of horror movies, I like all music except country (did I just lose a few fans?) and I have an unhealthy obsession with McDonald’s ice cream cones.

Thank you Roni for sharing your story. You are amazing and a Girl Hero in so many ways!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we take a year long RV road trip through the United States!

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It hard to put into words how much fun we’ve been having on the road. That’s not to say it’s not without its hard days.  I’ve found myself, once or twice, curled up on Brent’s lap crying my eyes wondering what the heck are we doing. The day we visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park was not one of those days. The caverns were, for lack of a better word, simply magical like another world.

It also happens that there was a perfect spot for a quick workout in the park. (I keep a set of kettlebells in the truck just in case. Doesn’t everyone?) The sun was setting and the colors were breathtaking. About halfway through the workout, I saw what I thought was “a piece of trash” blow by only to realize it was actually a skunk!  (I’m easily entertained as you will see.) Here’s a secret. Even though I call him “stinky” in the video, I actually like the smell of skunks. Weirdo.

New Mexico

This is a quick but challenging two part full body workout that can be done “for time”.

Part One 

1. Presses – 5
2. Squats – 5
3. Renegade (or regular) Rows – 5 (each side)

Repeat 3x total

Part Two 

1. Swings – 5
2. Burpees (no pushup) – 5
3. Cleans – 5
4. Jump Squats – 5
5. Swings – 5

Repeat 5x total

LOVED this workout and I’m definitely going to come back to it later. Next up is Texas, where I picked an “unusual” spot for a workout.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we plan to take a year long road trip through the United States!

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It’s Girl Hero time again!

This Girl Hero is extra special because she is my sister-in-law.  Kristi is a hairstylist and mother to three wonderful boys!  Her and her husband Garrett enjoy being outdoors and cooking together and, boy, can they cook.  Seriously, Thanksgiving at their house is nothing short of AMAZING.  This spring Kristi decided to change her lifestyle and lost 40 pounds.  She also a recent kettlebell convert!!!

Meet Girl Hero Kristi!!!

My goal at the beginning of this was to go from 165 pounds which I was to 135…that seemed so unreachable at the time. Now the scale reads in at 125 pounds and it blows my mind how far Ive come !I would like to be 120 pounds so that way if I want to partake in a yummy Thanksgiving dinner or maybe a piece of Christmas pie I wont feel as guilty ..I want to feel strong. I never want to look too skinny. When other people look at me I want them to see a healthy girl not a stick figure! My goal has been to have a six pack (I know I’m weird).

Thank you Kristi for sharing your story and for making me cry. I’m so proud of you!!!!  You are a Girl Hero!!!!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Check out our family’s adventures at New School Nomads as we take a year long (or more) road trip through the United States!

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I’m here being all kinds of crazy chillaxin’ at LAX with mascara speared down my cheeks. (I’m not good at goodbyes.) I’m taking a red eye flight to Baltimore. Going red eye because I’m scared to fly withBrent but terrified without him so we figured a red eye and some Xanax would do me (and the other passengers) good.

Before I go any further – I’m writing from my phone so please forgive the typos. Ok. Thanks!

So, we ordered a shirt from Spreadshirt but it didn’t get to my house in time so Brent, the love of my life who I already miss INSANELY, made this tank for me last minute, as in hour before we left.

On the back it says “We are heroes!”

Here also made me these “business” cards. I love them!! Although, I’m really not sure what kind of “business” I’m running.

Truth me told, I think I might feel a little silly wearing the shirt and carrying business cards for my blog but it is a BLOG conference.

Between flying, sleep deprivation, nerves about the conference, and being away from my family I may need more than Xanax before we land.

When I was asked to do the kettlebell demo I almost said no because I didn’t want to fly alone. But here I am ALONE at LAX months later. It’s good to face our fears. Right? Right? Right?

Once I land, I’ll get excited I’m sure but…

…right now my mind is occupied by sweet freckled faces and strong arms that make me feel safe.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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How and why (far more important) to make sweet potato chips.

PMS, which I like to refer to as Present Monster Syndrome, presents a set of challenges almost every month not the least of which are the cravings.  C.R.A.V.I.N.G.S.  Cravings, if not managed, will leave unwanted additions to my thighs every month and over time, left unchecked, I could be right back where I started.  No thanks.  So how do I manage to mostly maintain my weight when the monster comes a clawing?

Plan.

Plan. Plan.

Plan. Plan. Plan.

This weekend, I made a few batches of sweet potato chips in my dehydrator to get ready to fight beast.  Love these chips because they are easy, healthy, and satisfying when all I really want to do is eat my weight in Cheetos.  Just being honest.

It seems most people will tell you need a mandoline to slice the potatoes.  While I’m sure this results in lovely uniform slices that would feed my OCD, I’m trying to simplify my life which means the less stuff the better.  I also saw a video where someone suggested slicing the potatoes into nice little strips with a peeler after you peeled them.  I’d be able to to the grocery store and back 3 times with a party sized bag of Funyuns (Yeah I used to eat those back in the day, don’t judge.) before that got done.

1. I opted to forgo the peeling altogether and ran those puppies through the food processor.  (Hmmm…something about that sentence just sounds wrong.)  It took about 3 minutes to slice a few pounds of potatoes.  Being the rebel I am, I even used a 4mm instead (that’s the only kind I own) of a 1 or 2 mm blade and it worked fine.  Just don’t press too hard or at all on the potatoes to keep the slices on the thinner side.

2. Next, I laid the slices neatly for the picture, the rest I threw on the dehydrator tray, sprayed them with olive oil, sprinkled on sea salt, and turned the dehydrator to about 140º.  (While I’ve never done it, I’ve heard an oven can be used in place of a dehydrator if the temperature is able to be set low.) Despite the “do not to overlap pieces” directions on my dehydrator, I’ve found that since the potato slices shrink so quickly they can be overlapped (saving time) and they still dry out evenly.

3. On the second batch I added some cinnamon.  Cinnamon has been linked to lowering blood sugar thus reducing the glycemic index.

4.  A few minutes hours later.

Has anyone successfully made sweet potato chips in the oven?  Do you get cravings? What do you do about them?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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