Need a Fresh Start?

New Years always starts on such a high note. Everyone and their mother are setting goals and resolutions, bound and determined to actually keep them this year. I know, because I have been there so many times, too. Made resolutions, broken them. Remade resolutions, and had to again, restart them. It can be discouraging and disheartening.

I want you to know though, it's okay to have a fresh start. You are allowed to start over. And you can start over and SUCCEED.

Something great that I have heard and keep in my mind is "if you're tired of starting over, stop quitting." So go ahead, take that leap of faith, start over and commit to sticking with it.

I know that I have had to start over with my fitness in many ways on this journe . Whether intentionally starting a new day over after a rougher day before, or beginning a workout program again, or redoing a program and giving it 110% of my effort, or even starting a new nutrition plan again and eating cleaner.

I have been through it. And more importantly, I know how difficult it can be, especially if you are going in on your own, or no one is keeping you accountable. It can be easy to stop and say "no one will know." But then you're right back where you started.

That is exactly where I was last January before I started focusing for real on my health. Of course I still have had to refocus since starting, but I have not gone back to my old unhealthy habits of not working out and not watching what I eat. Before I started, I was a serial quitter. Doing something for two weeks and hanging up the towel.

A fresh start was exactly what I needed. And what made me stick with it was accountability and motivation. That is why I am so passionate about leading the accountability groups that I do every month. It is my way to pay it forward and help others begin THEIR fresh start and establish healthy habits in their life.

My group this month is putting an extra special focus on just that. Making this our fresh start and establishing those healthy habits in our lives. Another really exciting part of this group is going to be a Biblical perspective on taking care of our bodies and how we can find balance in our lives while moving towards health overall.

If you haven't ever heard about my groups, have no fear! Here is a basic outline of what this group (and most of my groups are like):

-We begin April 20, and go for 30 days
-There are ten spaces available in my group (I like to keep it small to keep it close knit)
-Our group is held via a closed online Facebook group, so you can participate from anywhere in the country
-Daily motivational posts and tips from me, your personal and group coach.
-You check in daily and rate how your workout, nutrition and water intake was to keep you accountable.
-I help you meal plan and get recipe ideas that fit your life
-I help you find the perfect workout program for your fitness level, goals and preferences.
-You commit to working out and eating healthy for 30 days
- You participate in our group and find encouragement and community
-We will also have a few contests and prizes for this group!
-When you finish your workout program and submit your results, you get a free T-shirt (who doesn't like free??)
-Personal access to me and weekly check ins to see how things are going

And that is just the overview! Really this format has been the thing to keep me on track for over a year, which has never happened before ever in my life. Its a big deal to me to be able to find something that works. And maybe an online group isn't your thing, BUT I know what is working for me, and I can't NOT share it and lead others who need accountability just like I did.

So if you are interested at all, please message me, email, comment, however you want to reach out to me, and I can give you more information.

You can also invite yourself and add yourself to my group event on Facebook here .

Are you ready for a fresh start, too? Join us! 

21 Day Fix Extreme Review

Today is my last day of my first official round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme! So, in celebration of that, I wanted to bring you my official review of the program! This is my fourth Beachbody program, and i must say, they set the bar high, and I love it. My other programs are T25, the original 21 Day Fix, and Les Mills Combat! The 21 Day Fix sets have been fantastic, so let's go ahead and dive into the review!

Here are some specifics about the program, in case you were curious.

21 Day Fix Extreme

Length of program: 21 days, but can be repeated as many times as you want.
How many days do you work out: 7 days a week, one of which is yoga (love it!)
How long are the workouts: 30 minutes
How many workouts are included in the program: 8 full 30 minute workouts, and a ten minute ab
Equipment needed: set of light and heavy free weights and a resistance band
Fitness level needed: You need to have a base level of fitness. If you have completed any other Beachbody program you should be good
Nutrition aspect: portion control containers and an extremely doable eating plan
Helps with: losing that last ten pounds, toning up, getting extreme, getting fit for an upcoming event, and getting healthier!

Alright, so now you have some of the bare basics of the 21DFX (21 Day Fix Extreme) program down. Let's get into the nitty gritty.

Pros: 
-I loved this program even more than the original 21 Day Fix. Specifically I loved the challenge that the workouts gave me.
-I really enjoyed using my weights in most every workout. I feel like it really gave me a lot of great strength training.
-I can do more push ups on my toes now than ever before! For reference, before I started my journey last year I couldn't do a single push up on my toes. After this program I got past 15!
-The eating plan is absolutely doable and sustainable. You do not go hungry with this!
-The principles of the eating plan really nourish your body and give you a good balanced diet. You aren't skipping out whole food categories, and you aren't depriving yourself.
-You have the option of doing the "countdown to competition" eating plan, which is a super clean eating plan to help give you maximum results! I didn't do it this round, but plan on it in the future!
- As with the last program, I love the 30 minute workout length, it's perfect for me.
- I like that they have a modifier on the screen and I could easily follow along if I needed to modify a move.
-I feel like I gained a lot of energy and more over all body strength doing this program!
- Planning ahead and using the eating plan really helps you to succeed with this program.
-I love that it is a 21 day program. It helps you establish a good healthy habit, and gives you a quick win, AND because it is NOT a crash diet, you can continue on with it!

Cons:
-You eat a lot of protein, (or red containers), especially if you do the countdown to competition. It's not bad, but I personally struggle with my red containers anyway, there's only so much chicken and fish I want to eat in a day. But, it is healthy!
-It's not so much a con, but a challenge that I worked through. There is a plyo workout that includes a lot of jumping. I definitely grew in strength but boy did it challenge me!
-It was an extremely comical "con" but I definitely had to get used to using a resistance band for the pilates workout. I wouldn't say it's a con, more something you have to get used to and be careful not to snap yourself in the face with the band while changing positions.
- Not personally a con for me, but I know for others it can be a challenge when you start out to meal plan. If it's something you are not used to doing, it can take time, BUT it is absolutely worth it, and I love helping people through that process.

Overall thoughts about my experience with 21DFX
As I stated before, I really enjoyed this program. If you haven't been doing a higher intensity program or working out at all in a while, I would suggest doing the 21 Day Fix as a god start up point. But people who have been working out can absolutely jump in on this. It is a fantastic program and has taught me so much about nutrition and how key and critical it is to overall health.

Nutrition brings about 80% of your results, so it really is that important. With the 21DFX (and the original) you are focusing on eating clean and nourishing your body with foods that fuel you. That in turn helps you gain more momentum on the fitness side of things and helps you just shred out your physique! I have become more and more aware of just how important nutrition is and I want to shout that from the rooftops.

Using the 21DFX helps you learn those principles and gives you a great foundation to continue that on past the 21 days, and also gives you great workouts that are doable and build your energy and strength. This program is a 10++ in my book!

Who wants to join in another round of the 21DFX with me and get some results of your own?? I have several groups starting soon, so if you are curious at all, or want more information, please don't hesitate to ask or reach out for more information! I would love to help any way I can.

Who is ready to get Extreme?? Stay tuned for my results too!

Ready For a Challenge

March has been a stretching month for me so far. It has been a struggle to be in between seasons, to be honest. I am craving warm sunshine on a daily basis, only to be met with a lot of clouds lately. You wouldn't think that would have that big of an effect on my attitude and motivation, but it has. This desert girl needs her sun!

But the struggle has been more than the physical change of seasons. It is as if my spirit is also in a transition as well, and I can't quite put my finger on it. In spite of the struggle, I am also finding new ways to be intentional about motivating myself, and encouraging others along the way too.

I know that I can't be the only one fighting the winter blues, ready for the warmth of the spring sun and the welcoming change of seasons. So, I am putting out a challenge. For myself, and for you. The question is, will you join in and find the motivation for yourself this month as we brace to enter the spring?

Many of you know that I lead monthly accountability groups online to help people with their health and fitness. It has been such a blessing in my life, let me tell you! To see others come alive the way I have experienced it too, through improving our health and fitness. It is absolutely priceless. Especially as we shed our winter layers, I know it can be hard to try and refit into clothes that may have gotten tight over the holidays and cold winter months.

But you know what? It doesn't have to be that way. I know I want to feel confident and comfortable in all my clothes and in my own skin this summer and spring, and I want the same for you too!

So here is my challenge, are you ready?

March 23rd I will be launching my second 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group! The first group has been a huge hit, and it has been a blessing to work with the ladies in the group and help them reach some of their health and fitness goals the past month. I'm ready to start again with a new group of ladies! This will be a 30 day group that uses the brand new and amazing program, the 21 Day Fix Extreme. We will meal plan (which I help with the process), do daily 30 minute workouts, fuel our bodies with dense nutrition, and keep each other accountable.

The accountability and motivation is the biggest part for me! Accountability has been the absolute key to keeping me on track for the past year. Without it, I know that I would have failed long ago and given up and quit. But I don't want you to quit, I want to see all of my clients succeed!

You can check out all the details and get even more information by adding yourself to the event I created for the Test Group here. https://www.facebook.com/events/409663255860113/

My second challenge will begin the following week, on March 30th. It will also be another 30 day group, but our focus will be using a brand new tool that Beachbody just launched...Beachbody On Demand! I am pumped about this tool, because it is something that we have been asking for for a while, and Beachbody has delivered.

Beachbody On Demand is like Netflix for your workouts. They created a catalog of some of their most popular, top of the line workout programs (the WHOLE program!), and you get complete access to it, 24/7, from anywhere that you have an internet connection. That means you can workout when you travel, you can workout if you don't have a DVD player, and it means that there is no excuse. The technology and availability and value in this is incredible.

Like the 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group, we will also be keeping each other accountable every day for 30 days, making sure we stay on track and reach our goals! I help with meal planning, picking the right program to fit your goals, and keeping you accountable along the way. More details coming soon about it, so keep your eyes open!

So, are you ready to shed the winter pounds and feel confident, radiant and comfortable in your own skin this spring and summer? Perfection isn't the goal, progress is, and I promise you it is worth it. When you have more energy to play with your family, to do life with those you love, and you feel comfortable while you are doing it? It's absolutely priceless. I know from experience and I want you to feel that too.

Let me help you stay motivated and accountable this month! Please reach out to me if you have any questions at all, or want more information. I would love to help you in any way that I can! So, who is up for the challenge?

Top 5 Fit Tips

Over the course of this year, I have learned a lot about health and fitness. Probably more than I have ever known about the subject, actually. I found out that exercise and good nutrition actually make you feel like a new person (duh!), and that a healthy lifestyle isn’t a burden, but a joy.

But, that isn’t to say there weren’t bumps along the way. There still are! But, I’ve found my motivation and my drive to really make this my lifestyle and make a lasting change in my life, and I know how incredible it feels to be on track to getting healthy, and I am not going back.

So I want to share with you some of my top tips that have helped me along in my fitness journey, and I hope that they bless and encourage you and help keep YOU going!

1.    Make a plan and stick to it! This may seem like a simple thing, but truly, having a written plan of what you’re going to do is so incredibly important! If you don’t know what you are going for, or how you’re going to get there, how will you know what to do? You’ll quit before you even start. Write down what exercise you’re going to do for the week, what you will eat, and DO IT!

2.    Schedule your workouts. This tip goes along with the first, but is also very important! If you just say “oh yeah, I’m going to workout tomorrow.” But don’t know when, you’re allowing room for excuses to come up. Take it a few days or a week at a time if you have to, but physically write it or type it into your calendar what time you are going to workout every day, so that it is easier to get in the habit and carve out the time for it!

3.    Nutrition is KING. I didn’t realize this until a few months into my workout program, but nutrition is everything, truly. You can’t outrun a bad diet, and abs really are “made in the kitchen.” Fuel your body with whole foods, and find a balance. Yes, you can still have a “cheat meal” and enjoy foods, you don’t have to just eat like a rabbit. But nutrition can make or break you and your progress with getting healthy.

4.    Stay accountable. Find a workout buddy, join one of my support groups online, or tell a close family member or friend what you’re doing. Share why you are getting healthy and ask them to keep you accountable during this time! Because trust me, there will be days when you feel like quitting, but that’s usually when you need to keep going the most!

5.    Stay away from the scale! I know that it’s addicting and you want to know what your weight progress is, but stay away from that scale! Do NOT weigh yourself every day. Weigh yourself at most once a week. The scale is NOT the most accurate measure of progress, especially in the beginning of your journey to getting healthy. So much goes into the number, more than you think. So step away from the scale, and rely on pictures, your energy level and your measurements to tell you your progress!

Just a few tips to keep you going on this health and fitness journey. It can be a bumpy road sometimes, but I’m telling you, it’s worth it! I’m not even at my full goal yet, but I can already tell you that my life has done a 180 from what it was before I started this. I have more energy for work, more energy to put into my relationships, my marriage, and just life in general!

If you need help getting started on your fitness journey, or you have no idea where to start, please reach out to me! I would love to help you get started, and to support you in this. You can click the “contact” button at the bottom of the page and reach me there, or find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sarahfcason) or on Instagram (sarahfcason).

Now I want to hear from you, what’s your favorite fit tip??

The Couple That...

Finish this sentence!

"The couple that _____________ together, stays together!"

While you can fill that blank with a variety of answers, let me be clear in saying that marriage is not simply held together by one single activity done together. It's an intricate, deep and complex covenant in life.

But, there is absolutely some validity in the fact that doing things together as a couple can bring you closer together. Whether it's a shared interest, the interest of one, or something entirely new to both, it can be a wonderful bonding experience. Today I'm going to fill in the blank with "the couple that sweats together, stays together!"

I have to give my husband props because when I came to him in January, laying my heart out and telling him that I wanted to workout, that I had to get healthy, he listened, and he supported me whole heartedly. He did the entire ten week program of T25 with me to support me, keep me motivated and keep me going while I made exercise a new part of my life.

That motivation, support and accountability meant the absolute world to me, and was the key that I had been missing the whole time when I had attempted to do different work out programs before. I had no accountability, no real motivation, and so I fell off the wagon time and time again before. But not this time!

Zach and I pushed play every day for ten weeks, and at the end I was so incredibly proud of both of us for going through the program and finishing strong. He stood by me, encouraged me, let me cry and spill my heart of why I wanted to get healthy, and helped me push play every day. That accountability was the key to the change in my health that is still continuing now.

And that is why I am passionate about accountability. That is why I lead challenge groups every month. That is why I invest my time, heart, sweat and tears into my challengers and these groups. Because I know the power of accountability and motivation, and it is life changing. Truly. My husband is the inspiration behind my coaching, and the reason I am passionate about helping others- because of his choice to help me and keep me accountable.

So now, I'm paying it forward. If you feel like you are stuck in the place I was at the beginning of the year, wanting to get healthy, but not knowing where to start, how you were going to get it done, not wanting to fail (yet again), and feeling overwhelmed by it all...you're the one I'm looking for. You're the one I want to help succeed.

And challenge groups are where we make all the magic happen! The motivation, the accountability, the knowledge, the goal setting. If you're serious about this, I have one more spot in my 100 Pound Challenge  that starts tomorrow. Comment or message me and we can get your journey to health started, and I will work with you to come up with a plan to make it happen!

So, are you going to be the one who makes the change?

5 of My Favorite T25 Workout Moves

Exercise was not on my list of favorite things to do really at any point in my life. I knew physical activity was good for you, but I preferred to read a book, write, or draw. Not to mention I always felt discouraged because I wasn’t the same size as everyone else.

But despite my past misgivings, I have actually come to enjoy exercise and working out! Of course there are always days that I would rather do something else, and getting in my workout seems tedious and time consuming. But overall, because I have made time for health and fitness in my life, I enjoy it a lot more!

So today I wanted to share five of my favorite moves from T25 and share them with you. Give them a shot yourself at home and see what you think! They are simple moves, but effective. And boy when you throw them in the mix of a Shaun T workout, the sweat is going to start to flow!

1. Lunge Squat Progression. This is one that I still modify and take slower, but I love it! It’s much more fun to me than just doing normal squats or lunges (which I don’t generally like lunges all that much). So in a non-modified move, you are going to turn to your left and lunge, jump center and squat, turn right and lunge, jump center squat, then turn left and repeat. To modify it, you just take out the jump and rotate through the lunge, squat to lunge again.

2. V Hold. I have a love hate relationship with the V hold, but it is still one of my favorite moves, and through the workouts it progresses in various ways. But the basics of this move help your core and lower abs. You are going to sit and bring your feet up and create a “v” with your body. You can keep your hands on the floor or put them up in the air.

3. Speed and Agility. This is one of Shaun T’s moves that shows up throughout several of the T25 workouts, and I love it! It’s a quick move, it will get your heart rate going, and you’re working on being able to move quickly. He describes it as a forward and back jumping jack. You start with your feet center, then split your feet, right foot forward, left foot back. Jump center, then split your feet the other way, left foot forward, right foot back. Jump center, and do two “out and ins” with your feet. It can take a minute to get used to the move, but once you have it, it’s great!

4. Spider Lunges and Spider Static Stretches. I had never tried these moves before T25, but I love the spider lunges! At first I could not get my foot all the way up to my hands, but when you are consistently working your hip flexors, you become more flexible and can move farther. Start in plan position, then bring your right foot up to your hands, making your knee and shoulder touch. Take your foot back into plank position, and then bring your left foot up to your hands again the same way.

5. Alternating High Knees. This move is a great one to work your core and lower abs, and you can take it up in intensity as well. You can start out on your feet, bringing your knee up towards your chest, and alternating through. To progress up, bring it up onto your toes and keep the heel off the group. The next step up after that would be to have a high knee jog. This move is like a standing crunch almost, so when you bring your knee up towards you chest, you want to squeeze your core.

There are only a few of many of my favorite moves from T25! There are seriously so many great moves that really target problem areas in my body and really help me to get great results, and help me get stronger.

Have you ever tried any of these moves? Give them a try and tell me which one is your favorite, let’s see if we have some of the same ones!

The Way You Feel About Yourself

Since February of this past year, I have embarked on a journey to lose over one hundred pounds, slim down and most importantly, get healthy. Some of you may know a bit about my story, but at the beginning of this year I began to realize that I was not in shape (and hadn’t been in a long time), I was getting weaker, and I was feeling awful.

I had no energy, I felt like I was dragging behind and couldn’t keep up with my husband or my friends, and I just wanted to take a nap all the time. Even before I left the country to go overseas for a year, I went to the doctor to get a check up and was told that my blood pressure was in that pre-hypertension stage. Where I almost had high blood pressure, but wasn’t quite there.

You know what I did? I ignored it. I thought “eh, that won’t happen to me.” And I kept eating what I wanted, didn’t want to work out, so I didn’t, and I just kept living. Well it caught up to me. While I didn’t go to the doctor after I came home from my time overseas, I’m pretty sure I passed that thresh hold of being in pre-hypertension to having high blood pressure. But I kept going.

Until I had that wake up call in January and knew something had to change, or I was going to be headed down a slippery slope of medical problems that could be severe and cut my life short.

We always tend to think “oh that will never happen to me.” And then we wake up and realize, it has happened to me. But we may feel powerless to do something about it, so we continue on in the way we have always gone.

There is a huge passion and fire burning in my soul to reach out to you that feel like there’s nothing you can do. I have such a strong, burning desire to help people who are on that hard slope towards medical issues, and I want to help you out.

Because it IS possible. There IS hope. There IS another way.

Will it be easy? No. Will it be free? No. Will it be hard? Probably. Will you want to quit? Most likely more than once.

But you know what? IT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT.

I wish I could reach through the computer screen, sit with you over a cup of coffee and pour into you, fill you with hope and SHOW you that there is another way. Don’t get sucked into the lie that it won’t happen to you, because chances are, you might be facing huge medical complications and bills down the road because you ignored the signs now.

Don’t let that be you. From the bottom of my heart I desire to give people hope and show them what I have learned, because it is truly life changing.

Yes, the journey is painful. Yes, I invest in my health now. Yes, I deny myself of some things I over indulged in before.

But let me tell you, even though I have not reached my goal in health, I have never felt more alive. I have more energy, more joy, more discipline, more zeal for life than perhaps ever before.

Getting physically healthy has helped me get on track in all areas of my life. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally. It has touched every area of my life.

So let me ask you this…what is your health worth to you?

Are you willing to make a little sacrifice right now to gain more energy for your spouse, your family, your job and your life? To get a more positive outlook and perspective? Are you willing to move forward, even when you feel like quitting?

Or will you sit down where you have always sat, giving in to the instant gratification mentality of our culture, only to find yourself facing more serious (and expensive) problems down the road?

I hope that you hear my heart in this. It is not a blog to cast shame or guilt on anyone. Truly, it has just been burning in my heart to show people that there is hope. And though it can be hard, the journey is not as impossible as you think.

I encourage you today to think about where you are putting your health on your list of priorities. Are you investing in it now, or are you putting it off until later down the road? Be brave. Take the leap you need to take today.

And know that there is support and help and accountability for you here! I love to help others find their way, set their goals and reach them. If you need help, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!