Tis The Season To Be Good To Yourself

ledford0416-7746 - Be Good To Yourself This Holiday Season

One of the things I love so much about the holiday season is that it focuses on giving.  This season, I recommend giving yourself a gift and that’s the gift of grace.

All too often, we criticize ourselves for being less than perfect.  Thoughts like “I should have mailed the Christmas cards earlier,” “I should have been more patient with my spouse and/or children,” or “I should be exercising instead of watching dog videos on Facebook” not only rear their ugly heads during the holiday season they can follow us into the new year.

Guilty thoughts that attempt to beat us up usually come from a desire to be perfect.  And, even though most of us know that perfection is impossible, much of the”professional” advertising we see focuses on displaying perfection as a form of happiness or acceptance.  Thank goodness for social media!  Live raw video helps to remind us that nobody is perfect and to give ourselves a break.

Be Good To Yourself this holiday season

No matter how good you get at fending off the guilty voices that like to haunt all of us, they will show up from time to time.  When a guilty thought enters your mind I recommend taking a moment to ask yourself where it’s coming from.  If it’s a habit you know that you need to change, forgive yourself and tell yourself you’ll do better next time.  If you’re feeling guilty about something that is based on society’s opinion of you, it may be something you need to shake off and tell yourself you don’t give a flip what others think.  For example, you just ate a chocolate chip cookie full of gluten and loved it!  There should never be guilt attached to food.  Period.  🙂

I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life and Lord knows, I’ll make more.  One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from people older and wiser than me is that no matter how many times you beat yourself up, you can’t change the past.  Most of the time the issue causing the guilt is no big deal.  If it’s something that involves others and you need to apologize then I recommend doing so.  If your mistake or failure was a doozy (and I’ve had a few of those) then learn from the mistake and do better next time.

What’s important to remember at all times is that no one is perfect and that if you are doing your very best to be a good person and move forward in your life each day, that is good enough.

Here’s to a wonderful and guilt-free holiday season and new year!

Shared with love,
Jennifer

Twelve Healthy And Fun Holiday Gifts

 

Fitness Gifts - Holiday Gifts - Cyber Monday - Jennifer Ledford - Certified Personal Trainer - Healthy Lifestyle Coach

Need great gifts for the people on your list that are interested in health and fitness but not sure what to buy? No worries! I’m here to help.

There are so many products available these days it can be a little difficult to choose just the right gift. To  keep things simple for you, I’ve made a list of twelve fitness and health-conscious gifts that are sure to please.  Based on my own personal experience, not everyone that’s interested in health and fitness wants something “gym” related so I stepped outside the box and added a little more variety than just your standard fitness gear.  🙂

Twelve Fitness and Health-Conscious Gifts

  1. Foam Roller. It’s hard to go wrong with a tool that can be used for self-massage, strength training, and stability work all in one neat little foam cylinder. These are available on Amazon’s website or you can find them at online fitness stores like Power Systems. I recommend purchasing the 36″ long by 6″ round because it is the most versatile. $18-$20

    AmazonBasics high-density foam roller - Fitness Gifts - Holiday Gifts - Cyber Monday - Jennifer Ledford - Certified Personal Trainer - Healthy Lifestyle Coach Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

  2. TRX Suspension Training System. This training tool has become a staple in the fitness world due to its effectiveness and the simple fact that you can use it anywhere. You can use it to stretch, build strength, increase endurance, improve stability, and develop a great looking physique. The TRX is suitable for beginner to advanced levels of fitness. The list price is $199.95 but since I’m a certified TRX trainer the company allows me to share a direct link with you that offers a $45 discount.  Whoo-hoo!  Click here for the discounted link.

    TRX HOME Suspension Trainer - Fitness Gifts - Holiday Gifts - Cyber Monday - Jennifer Ledford - Certified Personal Trainer - Healthy Lifestyle Coach

  3. Gift Cards. Gift cards for stores that sell active wear, cooking supplies, specialty groceries, and outdoor gear are all great presents for the active and/or nutrition-conscious person on your list.
  4. Sports-related gift certificates. A gift certificate for lessons to try a new activity or sport that someone has expressed interest in is super thoughtful and it could be the encouragement that helps them get started. If they already have a favorite sport, a gift certificate for usage fees, passes, supplies, or gear is a big hit as well.
  5. Fitness, Cooking, or Healthy Living Magazines. A subscription to a magazine is a simple and budget-friendly gift that keeps on giving all year long.  Before giving this type of gift make sure you have confirmed that your recipient has expressed an interest in “light” cooking magazines or magazines that feature health and weight loss.  I’ve seen this well-meaning gift taken the wrong way before.  The last thing you want is to offend the person you sent a gift to. I recommend staying away from the image-based magazines and sticking to the publications that are more health-focused than weight loss driven.
  6. Music. Gift cards or memberships to music sites like iTunes or Pandora are a nice way to help the exerciser on your list stay motivated by freshening up their playlist.
  7. Ready-made meals. Who wouldn’t want fresh meals delivered to their doorstep? It’s the next best thing to a personal chef and giving it as a gift could shoot you up into rockstar status. Munchery gets good reviews and they offer a wide variety of well-balanced and healthy meals. You can place your order the same day you’d like it delivered. Bonus!If the person on your list loves to cook but could do without the shopping, check out companies like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh.  They’ll send out pre-planned meals along with all of the ingredients and their easy-to-follow recipes.
  8. Wine or beer.  Yep, you read that right.  I recommend wine and/or beer.  Most people that are into good food like wine or craft beers.  My husband and I like to pick a few wineries or wine shops each year and make a tasting date out of our shopping trip.  Tasting it beforehand adds that special touch.  It allows you to share how much you enjoy the wine and why you’re excited to present it as a gift.
  9. Aprons.  This is a great gift for the person that spends a lot of time in the kitchen and likes to keep the food off of their clothing..  I wear an apron almost every night but for some reason I don’t always splurge for a new one so when I receive one as a gift, I’m thrilled.  Aprons are not just for the ladies.  Guys like to wear them too!  http://amzn.to/2fqbsk0
  10. Nice linens.  For the health-conscious person that likes to eat most of their meals at home, cloth napkins, fun dish towels, place mats. or tablecloths are all great gifts to help add a little ambience to the kitchen.
  11. Cheese plates.  Cheese plates aren’t just for entertaining.  We use ours for snack time.  A set of cheese plates is something your recipient will use for years to come. http://amzn.to/2fpu0Rw
  12. Exercise mat.  This a great gift for the home exerciser or the person that prefers to bring their own mat to the gym.  I even let our dogs use mine from time to time. 🙂  http://amzn.to/2gnd40c

Enjoy your shopping and holiday season!

With love,
Jennifer Ledford

 

Easy ways to maintain your weight during the holidays

Easy ways to maintain weight during the holidays by Jennifer Ledford

Thanksgiving is in just a few days and all of the Christmas catalogs are showing up on my doorstop.  For many, the holiday season is a time that is spent with family and friends feasting and enjoying seasonal foods.

One of the ways I maintain my weight is I do not restrict myself.  I maintain the mindset that I can do whatever I want when I want to.  By taking restrictions off of yourself you take away the scarcity which allows you to settle into a place of free will rather than some diet having authority over you.  If I know I can eat pie anytime I want to it’s not that big of a deal for me when they show up around the weekends.  I tend to lean toward more savory foods so by allowing myself to taste a little bit of everything, I can go back for the things I really enjoy .

This holiday season I want you to enjoy yourself and enter into it with a sense of peace around food.  I want you to have fun!

In today’s video I share one simple tip on how to approach food during the holiday season without depriving yourself.  Take a moment to watch it and have a wonderful Thanksgiving no matter how you decide to spend it.

I am thankful for you!

Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford