Don't Wait. Make it HAPPEN
Zella Top, NAVY just came out!| Zella black leggings | Nike Sneakers | Ray Bans 25% off | Coral Lips, sheen supreme |hand weights – 5lbs
Here is a little background on me. I’m Jenna, my husband and I live in New York with our 3 beautiful kids. I grew up dancing and tumbling. I love working out and am AFAA certified in teaching group exercise.
In high school I loved track and running long distances. Running was a big outlet for me to escape anything I was battling – like my parent’s divorce. I was nicknamed “biggest health nut” on my cheer team and have always been concerned with health and wellness.
As I have gotten older, it became tricky to figure out what would work best for my body. Over my 3 pregnancies I gained more than 150 pounds! My first pregnancy I gained 80 pounds with Davis, and if you don’t believe me you can email me– I’ll send you a picture to prove it! :).
I’ve worked really hard to get where I’m at today. I know nothing comes without discipline and hard work. I became AFAA certified and started teaching group exercise when I got pregnant with my 2nd, Gwen. This kept me on track and I only gained ~40 pounds with her and my 3rd pregnancy. 40 pounds was so much better for me than the 80 I gained with my first!
Figuring out how to lose the weight after pregnancy has definitely given me so much insight into the world of weight loss. I feel like I really understand it and can empathize with those trying to figure out how to lose weight. Whether you are just beginning your fitness journey or feel like you are at a plateau or need a little motivation to jump-start follow along with us. It’s so much easier to do it with a team than on your own.
6 months ago I decided I wanted to be healthier, toned and fit, not just skinny. I started with a trainer at my gym to learn all about weights & to get me comfortable on the weight floor. I was pretty intimidated. (you don’t have to have a trainer to be successful) Now my favorite 4 LETTER word is LIFT. It has changed everything. I’m no longer a slave to cardio for hours. I get my work outs done in an hour and see better results than I ever have. Lifting weights while doing interval training is the key.And CONSISTENCY is the key as well. Be active everyday. Set goals to make this happen and get your friends and family involved. There really isn’t a huge secret. It’s just hard work,time, dedication, consistency, loving yourself and sweating it out!
The most important feeling for me right now in life is to feel strong and healthy. I’m not worried about being skinny, just strong. When I say strong I mean emotionally strong as well as physically strong. Taking care of your body changes your soul/spirit as well. Being strong makes you feel capable in the life decisions you make. It’s so important to realize one effects the other. I’m so excited to share my experiences and everything I am learning along the way. I have a healthier outlook on keeping my kids active and fed properly as well. Lisa and I work really hard at this so stay tuned! We are thrilled to bring more daily fitness routines, work-out tips and meal plans. Please leave a comment if you have specific subjects, body parts, or really anything you want to make sure we cover on our site.
cardio with weights
Zella Top criss-cross tank in NAVY now
Zella Active wear – Zella works for all shapes and sizes. Nordstrom nailed it with this line. I love this activewear line so much. I truly think it’s one of the best on the market. I really do wear it, ALL THE TIME. The fit is as great as my my most expensive pieces from leading brands. This line is very affordable. The fabrics are soft and the styles are great too. If you have never tried it start with the “LIVE IN LEGGINGS” – lots of styles to choose from. You won’t want to take them off, ever. I wear to work out and as leggings. I’m wearing these in the above pictures. You can see other Zella legging styles I love in this post.
Don’t WAIT. Make it HAPPEN and set goals TODAY
xx
Jenna
Big thanks to : sponsored by Nordstrom, Zella Activewear
Comments & Replies
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Hey Jenna – we seem very similar. I’ve always been a runner and extremely active. I was active with my first pregnancy, but had to quit exercising because of medical reason. I gained 42 lbs that pregnancy. I am currently 9 months pregnant with my second and I am on my way to gaining over 50 lbs. I am already looking in the mirror and dreading the journey to get back to the weight where I was two years ago, but at the same time excited to feel like myself again. How did you start your journey back after your kids? I already feel overwhelmed and like I am going to get very discouraged trying to begin to get this weight off. Thanks so much!
I love this! You guys both look just so amazing, and hearing this is completely inspiring as I have the hardest time getting my pregnancy weight off! I would love to hear more about how to get your tummy back, meal plans/shopping lists, and any and all things related to how to get kids to eat healthy as well. Really looking forward to more of these posts!
I love this and am so excited you are adding more fitness/healthy eating tips to your blog. I didn’t think it could get any better!! I just had my 4th in january and am unable to make it to the gym mostly because we live too far away from one. i have a treadmill and spin bike and a couple weights. would love ideas on what i can do to get the best results with what i have. i am looking forward to when i’m not nursing and can dive into Lisa’s diet plan that she wrote about before….but would love ideas on what i can do to modify while nursing. is it okay to drink any kind of protein shake?
Would love to know your favorite quick healthy snacks and meals that your kids will eat too.
Thanks!!!
p.s. i think you know a lot of my Heap cousins in AZ. fun to make little connections!
After 3 babies and aging, I certainly would love a lifting plan for overall toning. I specially need lower body toning. Diet and
supplement suggestions would be great too! Love how you ladies inspire!
This is my favorite post! Very inspiring! I would love for you to post more on your workouts detailing them and eating healthy. Thanks!
Such a great post!! How many days do you lift and how many days do you do interval? That is my struggle is balancing what to do on what days or do both every day? Thanks 🙂
I have recently been reading a lot about weightlifting and how important it is for women and bone health. I don’t have a lot of time to get to the gym, so I would love some tips on at home workouts you can do starting out. I have some basic dumbbells and resistance bands, but I look at them and am totally clueless as to what I should be doing. Thanks!!
I am so excited about your fitness posts! I had my first child a year ago and finding the time and energy is challenging! My body hasn’t had the attention I would like to give it. How many days a week do you recommend working out? What types of interval training do you do? Do you do 30 minutes of intervals and then weights everytime you workout? Do you take any specific supplements. I am such a newbie at all this so anything would be appreciated! So inspired by you ladies!
Hey Jenna! How are you! This is
Brittney Shumway Smith…..remember me from our good old STARS and your mom as my cheer coach at Brimhall?? Love following you and seeing all you have accomplished! I’m pregnant w/ my 4th, due in a week, and can’t wait to move again. Something about growing up dancing makes it hard to not move for a while. Looking forward to your new fitness posts!!
Biggest concern is food…how do you balance SUGAR and moderation with weight loss without deprivation/binges. Cheat meals, “free days”, etc?
Great post Jenna! Very positive and motivational! I also live in NY and one of the things I find challenging are finding ways to stay active during the winter when it’s just too cold to even go for a walk. I’d love to know how you stay active during the winter and how you keep the kids active too. I have a toddler, so although she’s very active on her own, I’d love some ideas on getting through the long winter and rainy spring. I’d really also love to know how you plan meals for the week that are healthy, but things the kids enjoy too. Thanks again for the post! Look forward to more posts like this in the future !
Yay! I’m so excited to hear that you will be bringing more of this subject into your blog posts! I have had 3 kids and finally lost all the weight from those pregnancies by being a cardio/diet slave. I’m ready to transition into Strong mode as well! So I’m really looking forward to more details on your actual workouts! And I would love to hear how you went about making that plan and executing your daily gym routine!
I’m so glad you guys are doing this!! I’d love some tips on What to eat when you are constantly working, busy and on the go! Also, how to get rid of Saddle bags. Saddlebags run in my family and when i put on weight its the first place all my weight goes! Its frustrating trying to beat those genetics.
Love this blog! I would love to know what you typically eat on a daily basis. I just had a baby (really, just had a baby! 2months ago) and I’m determined to lose the weight, get back in shape, and continue to breastfeed. Any tips on how you cook/eat healthily on the go with kids would be so helpful! Thanks!
I love this thank you! I also gained a lot of weight with my pregnacies (of them and lost it all and then 25 more) but recently from stress have gained 12 lbs- i have made lifestyle changes- eliminated the things that were causing me stress – and started lifting:) however I am not losing weight! I find it hard to figure out what to eat in order to lose the weight. I would love help with that
I’m going to post once a week on fitness and health. Def. would love to help you with this. Food is 80% of the battle. Just start now and eat as clean as possible. Eliminate processed foods & sugar. Drink LOTS of water. Set 2 goals for yourself tonight that you can work on this week to get better at. One time mine was don’t eat the leftover chx nuggets and fries from the kids meal this week when the kids say they are all done. 🙂 also make sure everyday you do at least 30 min of interval training activity. Hope this helps. xx jenna
Good job Jen! You look amazing. Add ameo bergamot in a gel cap daily-its the oil of self acceptance. I also use determination a couple times a day. Grapefruit and trim and tone in my water. Makes such a huge difference
such good tips. I’m on it. xx
Im so excited to read more about health and fitness from you both! You guys look amazing and I hope you share more in depth what you both do. What kind of interval training? Do you lift low rep high weight? Hope to hear more details thanks!!
Can you share your basic lifting exercises?
I would love some workouts for pregnancy and eating tips. I’m pregnant with my 3rd and so far this pregnancy I have had less energy and can barely stand to eat so I just grab whatever is quick and easy. I try to be healthy but most of the time nothing sounds good. I went from running and doing some type of weight routine til I got pregnant and haven’t had energy to even think about how to get back to some type or work out routine. I miss it but I’m also at a loss. So any tips you may have Id love to hear! I’m also excited to see what both do already.
This excites me! I recently started on my own fitness path and know little to nothing but have always been interested in the nutrition side. So im eager to learn more on the fitness side of things! I would love a weekly workout schedule post to give us an example of what you really do to get where u are!