Health and fitness tips can be some what confusing and overwhelming.  I know I struggle with what to follow and the internet can often contradict itself.  So,  I usually try to follow a program/routine by someone who is living by the health and fitness tips that they promote. For our #trysomethingnewsundays I met with Kimberley Messer, a Fitness Coach and Instructor for the San Leandro/San Lorenzo No Excuse Mom’s (N.E.M) Group.  Kimberley follows the health and fitness programs from Team Beachbody.

I joined my local N.E.M Group last January.  The Group is dedicated to providing free workouts to moms and they allow you to bring your children to the workout.  The N.E.M group I attend usually meets at parks, so the kids play while I work out.  I was inspired by Kimberley’s love of fitness and healthy lifestyle.  She volunteers as a  No Excuse Moms Instructor two times a week.  The group has allowed me to meet amazing supportive moms in the area and has encouraged me to workout regularly and improve my eating.

After having my kids, I like many others, struggle with eating healthy and working out daily.  I often feel like I don’t have the time to focus on my health. Meeting with Kimberley and learning about her journey and her routine was very encouraging.  Additionally, Kimberley gave me some background about how she got into fitness and gave me some tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

I had an amazing time learning about meal prep, daily water intake, and a 30-minute workout that I can do at home on the days that we do not have an N.E.M workout class.  I just joined Maria Kang’s N.E.M Pot Challenge, a motivational challenge to encourage a healthy lifestyle and weight loss for 12 weeks prior to the holiday season.  So, I’m looking forward to putting this health and fitness tips to the test during this challenge.

About Kimberley

Here is a little more about Kimberley Messer.  Kimberley is a Mom of 2 beautiful little girls.  She leads the No Excuse Mom’s group and helps others find personal balance at home with easy to follow Fitness programs and daily nutrition plans.  You can follow her journey on her Healthy Fitness with Kim page.

I asked Kimberley a couple questions about being a Fitness Coach.

How did you get into fitness?

What inspires you to work out?

Having specific goals for my health.  I want to fit into a pair of clothing or saying that I want to workout every day for 30 days straight keeps me motivated. Also, being accountable to the N.E.M group and my Beach Body at home group helps me stay focused on my goals.

Why do you think people struggle with working out regularly?  And how do you stay motivated?

I think people struggle with thinking they don’t have the time when really you just need 30 minutes a day. I also think that people don’t know where to start when it comes to a workout routine. Having a coach or accountability partner(s) helps people to not give up and stick to a routine. 

How did you get involved with the No Excuse Mom group?

I started attending the San Leandro/San Lorenzo N.E.M group after trying to lose weight after my 2nd daughter.  I took an interest in learning different workout routines and leading the class.  When are current instructor could no longer teach the class, I stepped up and took over. 

Please note, when starting ANY new diet or exercise routine, you should always first get advice from a doctor.  The below are recommendations and ideas only. 

Breakfast Meal Prep

During my time with Kimberley, she walked me through how she does meal prep. She uses the Beach Body container system for tracking how much food she should eat from each food group and the recommended daily portions.   Kimberley showed me how to make 3 different overnight oats recipes that can be eaten for breakfast or any meal.  She showed me how to make  Peach Cobbler,  Banana Peanut Butter, and Apple Pie Overnight Oats. The recipes are dairy free and high in fiber.

Peach Cobbler Overnight Oats

Ingredients

1 serving

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• Peach sliced
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds or chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. The night before combine all ingredients in a mason jar or container.
2. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
3. Before eating, mix all ingredients, eat and enjoy!

This dish can be eaten cold or warm.  For warm, microwave for about 1 minute.

Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients

1 Serving

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• Banana Sliced
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds or chia seed.
• 1 tablespoon of natural honey

Instructions

1. The night before combine all ingredients in a mason jar or container.
2. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
3. Before eating, mix all ingredients, eat and enjoy!

This dish can be eaten cold or warm.  For warm, microwave for about 1 minute.

Apple Pie Overnight Oats

1 Serving

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• Apple Sliced
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds or chia seed.
• 2 tablespoon of raisins
• 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. The night before combine all ingredients in a mason jar or container.
2. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
3. Before eating, mix all ingredients, eat and enjoy!

This dish can be eaten cold or warm.  For warm, microwave for about 1 minute.

In this video, Kimberley shows me how to make Apple Pie and Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats:

Daily Water Intake

I know, we constantly hear and feel like we are not drinking enough water every day.  Below is the formula that Kimberley uses for her water intake.  It is based on the Beachbody recommendation that you can find here.

She takes her weight divided by 2 to determine the number of ounces of water she should drink every day.

Example:

• If you weigh 180 pounds you should be drinking 90 ounces of water every day.

180/2=90 ounces

 

Daily Workout Tips

Kimberley walked me through a 30-minute workout routine that anyone can do at home.  Weights are optional.  Below is a video of Kimberley showing me all the exercise moves that are outlined below. Kimberley works out 6 days a week and rests on Sundays.

Please note, Kimberley has found it important to mix up her routine daily to include cardio, upper body, lower body, yoga, pilates etc.  The workout below gives you a little bit of all the routines to incorporate into a single workout.

Warm Up

To warm up do each move for 20 seconds and then repeat it.

• Jog in place
• Jumping Jacks
• Forward Windmills
• Backward Windmills
• Reach and Pulls on the left side
• Reach and Pulls on the right side

After your warm up, you move into the full workout which is comprised of 3 sections: lower body, cardio, and upper body.

Lower Body

Do each move for 1 minute then repeat it, the workout can be done with or without weights.

• Squats
• Forward lunges, alternating legs
• Backward lunges, alternating legs
• Sumo Squats
• Toe touches, alternating sides

Cardio

Do each move for 30 seconds.

• Jog in place
• Skaters
• Knee Raises
• Butt Kicks

Upper Body

Do each move for 1 minute then repeat it, the workout can be done with or without weights.

• Push Ups
• Bicep Curls
• Chest Presses
• Shoulder Presses

As I begin to focus on my own health I will be following the health and fitness tips that Kimberley outlined above.  I’m now encouraged to have a plan and follow it.  My goal is to focus on meal preps, eat healthy food, drink enough water, and have a daily workout routine.  I will also be sharing my stories and goals with others so that I can be held accountable.

Are you ready to focus on your health?  Have you tried any of the health and fitness tips outlined by Kimberley Messer above?

For more healthy recipes check out my chia seed pudding and oatmeal “cookie” recipes.