New Week New Mindset

Prepping for your week doesn't just mean updating your calendar, planning your meals, and having your clothes ready. Being prepared to means to me, getting mentally prepared. Easy to say, but sometimes hard to do.

Here are some tips I use to getting mentally prepared for my week:

1. Sunday alone time: 

I am someone who is extremely social. I often book my calendar morning until night without much time between. What keeps me in check and mentally prepped for my week is taking some time for myself on Sunday. I often wake up a little later (without an alarm if I can help it) then walk to get coffee and head towards the bridge. This allows me to think, relax, calm my mind, and enjoy my beautiful city.

2. Forget what bothered you last week at work:

Did your coworker annoy you? Even worse; your boss? Write it down, and move on. Seriously. We won't always agree with everyone, understand everyone, and you need to realize that your reaction may be debilitating your progress at work. If you can change the way you react then you might be able to diffuse any issues.

3. Didn't catch up on enough sleep?

Is Monday and you didn't get enough R&R over the weekend. Do not allow that to slow down your week! Make it a priority on Monday to get in a power nap. You need to manage your schedule!

4. Goals

What do you want to acheive this week? Besides chores & work you should be making a list of things you want to do and out them in your calendar. Sometimes we forget that is better to work to live than living to work. Make sure you prioritize doing something fun! 

5. Clean space 

I am working on this right now, but I've read a ton about having a happy clean space to come home to. This means decorating, dishes, and laundry. It's important to leave a stressful job space and come home to a relaxing spot. It's sometimes a chore, but will be worth it to kick off your shoes and relax after your place is tidy. 

6. Exercise 

You knew this was coming, didn't you? When I am stressed I usually call my dad. He will listen to me blabber, and if I am a little stressed he usually asks me one thing, "did you workout today?". My answer when I am stressed it usually, "no, not yet". He replies, "go workout, and call me after." Seriously?! That's not the answer I look for, but when I workout I usually figure out my own answers. 

I hope these tips help you find a positive mindset to start your week! Happy Monday. 

Doubting Yourself Is Setting Yourself Up For Failure

We've all heard of a self fulfilling prophecy. You believe something to be true and it sooner or later happens. It recently happened to my friend. She mentioned to me how tired she was, and how badly she didn't want to go to work the next day. She woke up that next morning and told me she was sick.

I believe by putting negative energy out there, she created her own destiny. 

People ask me how I stay motivated, and positive. My answer to them is 1. I am not always motivated and positive & 2. When I feel unmotivated or negative, I do what I need to do to turn my attitude around ASAP.

Some of my tricks are stopping what I'm doing and going for a 10 minute walk with some calming music. Sometimes that doesn't work, so I head home to write down my thoughts. If I'm still bummed out, I take a short nap (20 mins) to turn my attitude around. If that doesn't work, knowing myself, I most likely need to just vent. I'll call a friend and just talk it out. Once I do all those things I stop feeling sorry for myself. I've done all I can do and I move on to things that are more important or topics that are bigger than myself. 

It's ok to be down and feel sorry for yourself, but the trick is to be aware and moving right along. Your mind has the power to create you or wreck you. It's in your power to choose happiness or self deprecation! Start today with a beautiful mindset. 

Turn it Up Tuesday Workout

Need a total body workout? Don't know what to do to be time efficient? Do this one ANYWHERE! 

Try to complete 3-8 rounds! 

Tell me how it goes! 

Who Needs Falsies When You Have 3D Fiberlash Mascara

I just tried out Fiberlash mascara this week, and I am SO excited about it. I love having big long lashes, but whenever I use fake lashes they come unglued. They also just don't look very natural.

Look at how much more full and thick my lashes look with this new mascara(pictured below). If you see the two top pictures I have a lot of volume, but not a lot of length. The bottom pictures are with the Fiberlash mascara and they are SO long. It's super easy to use, and doesn't irritate your eyes. You just swoop it on over your regular mascara. Try it out for yourself:

www.youniqueproducts.com/kyleekozon

MetCon via Thea

What's a MetCon?

The term "MetCon" became popular as CrossFit became popular. MetCon workouts have been around forever, and simply stands for Metabolic Conditiong. MetCons are designed to be fairly short and extremely intense. During these workouts you shouldn't be resting if you can help it, and you should be pushing your limits.

Here's one I designed this week.

Try it out!

Grilled Romaine Tex Mex Salad

I just got back from Yosemite today. In my normal fashion I hit the gym then headed to the grocery store. I wanted to whip up something delicious and healthy. Hope you try it! 

Grilled Romaine Tex Mex Salad

Ingredients:

4 oz Organic boneless skinless chicken breast

1 head Organic Romaine lettuce 

1/3 c Organic corn

1/2 c Organic bell peppers chopped

1/4 Organic red onion chopped

1/2 Organic lime

1/3 c Organic black beans 

Fiesta lime seasoning (Mrs. dash)

1. In a small pan mix corn, black beans, bell pepper, red onion, and lime juice. Let it simmer.

2. In a large pan on medium heat (or on a grill) grill your chicken with Fiesta Lime seasoning.

3. Chop romaine in half (long ways). Place on pan or grill face down on high heat until it's grilled a bit crispy. 

3. Place grilled romaine lettuce face up on a plate.

4. Add grilled chicken and veggie mix on top of the romaine.

Enjoy!! 

314 calories. 32g pro, 37 g carb, 4 g fat

HIIT Workout

Need a high intensity workout for the weekend? I have you covered! Try this one out, and make sure to modify the weights for yourself. 

My Favorite Summer Hair Products

I am obsessed with hair. This isn't news to anyone. I haven't shared my hair routine for summer, so I thought I would tell you my product obsessions.

I have been using Biolage for my shampoo and conditioner the last few weeks. I really like it! After my hair is towel dried I mix in the palm of my hand Hot Toddy & Sachajuan Intensive Hair Oil. I put both of those starting on the tips of my hair and work them throughout. After that I put some Sachajuan Styling Cream in my hair. From here I either do nothing and let my hair dry naturally, or I blow it dry. After I blow dry I usually curl my hair. I love the Money Maker flexible hair spray to finish my look. If I want a messier look I will spray in some Hair Play for texture. Lastly, if I want my curls to hold for days I will just touch up the front and spray some dry shampoo in my hair (Detox). 

You don't need to use these products, but they are what have been working best for me to keep my summer curls lasting! 

Juggling & Balancing Your Life

The more women I meet, the more I notice how crazy each of our lives are. We're all just trying to run the world ... working long hours, making time for relationships, social events, reading, having "me time."  And all the while, trying to have a nice butt & flat stomach. Being a woman is not easy. My answer, speaking as a "real girl" is that you cannot always balance your life!  You can't control every part of every day. Sometimes, you have to loosen up and go with the flow. Some nights, you might not get enough sleep.  Other days, you might have less time to workout.  It's all OK.

My favorite part about finding balance is understanding that there is no such thing. It's not something you find and keep forever. Parts of your life will feel more balanced than others; life is dynamic and always changing.  My tip: Find and stick with a routine that works for you, but also allow yourself to deviate from time to time (it's inevitable).

Personally, I have gone through so many "extremes" in my life. I'm finally in a place where I feel quite balanced (meaning perfectly imbalanced). I went from obsessing over food, workouts, and trying to be stick thin that I put my social life, friends, and mental health on the back burner. I reached my aesthetic goals, but forgot about all the other things I value in life. Now - I continue to workout like a maniac and eat healthy, but allow myself to deviate from my plan. I value travel now, make time for dates, go to fun events with friends, and make sure to enjoy some delish fro-yo from time to time. 

Find what works for you, ladies. Once you do, your whole life will change. 

Giveaway: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 Protein Powder

As you all know, I love making smoothies. I probably have 1-2 a day. Since I make so many, I really care about what I put in them. It's hard to find a protein powder that isn't made with JUNK. This one is really bomb, and you can try it for FREE if you win this give-a-way.

Register below:
Rafflecopter Give-a-way

Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 c almond milk

1 banana

1 tbsp peanut butter

1. Mash the banana in a bowl. 

2. Stir in chia seeds and peanut butter. 

3. Whisk in the almond milk until combined. 

4. Place in the fridge overnight to thicken and for the seeds to expand.

5. Enjoy! 

Summer Hairspiration

Last week I realized one huge thing.

Hair is everything. Yes, I said it. 
Hear me out. 

Picture yourself leaving the hair salon with a really great cut and style. You know that feeling? Hair bouncing and you have a huge smile on your face. You love the way you feel. 

Now, picture yourself leaving the hair salon in tears. The stylist did not do what you asked, and you leave with a really bad cut. I know this feeling all too well. When I got an accidental bad haircut as a kid, I was often mistaken for a boy for a summer!

My friend got her hair cut last week, and hated it. She wore her hair in a pony tail this whole week. It was definitely something that could be fixed, but we once again realized "hair is everything". It doesn't mean you need long luscious hair. All hair is great short, brown, red, long, purple, medium length; just as long as it's what you want and feel comfortable with! 

Since I know the power a good hair style can have over my confidence, I started playing and styling with my hair. I look up styles on Pinterest, or in magazines and dedicate some time to get good at doing them. Here are my favorites for the summer.

You might look at these and think that they look way too complicated to do on yourself. If you practice, I promise you can get most of them down (if not all of them). Here are some styles I've been playing around with.

Think to yourself this week about trying something new, you might just get a new found confidence! 

You're The Most Important Person In This World

This title might have thrown you off. To be honest the first time I heard this statement was this year. People don't often tell you that you are the most important person in the world other than your parents. My parents didn't even tell me that growing up, because that would suggest I was more important than my siblings.

I recently took a CPR/AED class very different than most CPR classes I've taken, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Brent, our instructor, has been a firefighter & paramedic for decades. In the middle of the class he asked us who the most important person was in an emergency situation. Most people said the injured person... Wrong!

You see if you don't put your health first and foremost, you could seriously be putting your life in danger. If you put your life in danger what sort of help can you be to someone sick or hurt? A perfect example Brent gave us was a firefighter who was on his honeymoon. He saw an accident on the freeway and decided to help. He jumped out of his car to run across the street, and because he put the accident before his own life he ran across the street without looking. He unfortunately passed away, and later his new wife found out that there wasn't even an accident across the road. There was just a man changing his flat tire.

What I took away from Brent's story is that no matter how small or big an instance is, always put your life first. You can't be a good friend, coach, coworker, teacher, or partner without taking care of yourself. 

I have seen this a lot lately. Put yourself first. Manage your time, sleep, workouts, nutrition, and schedule. Prioritizing your time is more important than getting together with friends everyday for drinks. Contrary to what other people believe, I don't think work should always come first. Work isn't more important than your sleep, workouts, happiness, or time with your wife. Find out the things that make you happy and balanced. Once you have all your "musties" then you can go help others and do amazing things.

Make sure you don't spread yourself too thin. I've learned the hard way.

Summer Greens

Everyone who knows me knows how I like to start my day (sometimes even end my day). I love delicious green smoothies, and for this reason I make tons of them. All different flavors, ingredients, and colors!

Today's recipe:

1 scoop Manitoba harvest hemp protein 

1/2 banana frozen 

2 cups spinach 

1 tbsp almond butter

Ice 

Blend the ingredients and enjoy! 

What's your favorite green smoothie recipe? Share it with me on Instagram and tag @thea_nolan for your chance to win @manitobaharvest protein. 

Why that brand of protein? 

Manitoba harvest has the only water soluble protein on the market(it blends well in a shaker cup). Some benefits of hemp protein is that Hemp70 is easily digestible, a complete plant based protein, offering all essential amino acids - great for vegan or vegetarian diets. It's also just better for you than Whey, so if you aren't vegan or vegetarian it's a great option. I love that It is mild tasting with a creamy texture that is delicious to add to my smoothies, or stirred into yogurt and oatmeal! My favorite flavor is chocolate. 

"OMG! I heard that's like so dangerous and really bad for you" ie. CrossFit

First things first, bashing someone's workout isn't cool. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean no one else should do it or it's "bad for them". I want you to know I am not "pro" or "anti" CrossFit, but I will tell you how I feel about some of the things I've heard people say the sport.

***Let me also remind you before you go on to think "well of course she's a CrossFitter writing about Crossfit". 

My background: No, I don't go to a CrossFit box. Yes, I think CrossFit is good to mix to your routine if you are an athlete, which I am. I grew up playing soccer, volleyball, & track. My mom is a P.E. teacher, dad is a 15 time world & 45 time national champion cyclist, my sister is a triathelete & Ironman finisher. I ran Division 1 Track & Field, got my B.S. in Kinesiology, work as a personal trainer, have competed in NPC fitness competitions, & got a CrossFit Level 1 Certification to learn more about CrossFit (not to become a CrossFitter) .

Myth Busting: Let me debunk some of the opinions I've heard and share some perspective. 

1. "CrossFit isn't a sport":
A sport is defined as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." These athletes train just as hard as individual would for the Olympics to make it to The CrossFit Games. Try one of these workouts and then you come tell me if it's a sport.

2. "CrossFitters have horrible form and could hurt themselves":
Go to any group fitness class in any gym, yoga studio, or outdoor activity and you will see people will poor form. I've done half marathons where people drop down to the ground due to lack of proper fitness, and running form. I've gone to yoga classes where many poses around me are held wrong. I've gone to group fitness classes at the gym where I notice form is lacking. That being said, WE ALL HAVE HAD BAD FORM until we learn good form. CrossFit is only getting a bad wrap because it's new and people want to bash it. It is up to individuals to work on their form as often as they can to become great. I do, however, believe this is a sport for athletes, and in my own personal opinion shouldn't be taken on by people new to fitness. Yes, it's intense. Yes, it's competitive. Only you can be the judge of if it's good or bad for you. If you aren't intense, or competitive you should just go to yoga or barre class.


3. "It's a cult":
Weird. Last time I checked a cult had to do with religion. CrossFit is a community. If you have never been on a team you wouldn't understand. If you've been on a team you totally get it. Waking up for morning workouts even though you would never be there if there weren't people expecting you to show. Not slacking, because everyone else around you is busting their butts. Finding friends with common interests. Having a group of people who are happy and healthy. The CrossFit community is full of supportive and loving people.

4. "The Programming sucks!"
Ok, I will admit I think some of the programming needs work depending on which Box you go to. That being said, it also depends on the coach who is programming. Some trainers at normal gyms tend to have really poor programming (yes, even with certifications). There are even some college or pro level trainers that are fired for the programs they write not resulting in great performance. Naturally, since CrossFit is new there will definitely be some trial and error. Know your body, know your limitations, and try to get good at everything. The best part about CrossFit is the variety in the workouts. Nothing is off limits.

The reason I decided to write this is because as an athlete it was engrained in my brain to be the best, and "pick" my sport. My soccer coaches wanted me to quit every sport outside of soccer, but I truly find value in variety. I wouldn't have the skills I learned from swim team, basketball, volleyball, or track. CrossFit is about being fit at all levels. Getting your body doing things that you never knew you could do. For this reason, I love the variety and challenge. I am here training for life.

Watch the CrossFit Games this week for some motivation here.

 

Who I've Been Following & Why

I love Instagram for the fact that I get to choose what my eyes see every time I look at it. I choose the people I follow wisely. I choose to follow people or businesses that inspire me, make me smile, motivate me, make me try something new, or give me ideas.

@shopvandevort

I love this insta page for styling inspiration. Sometimes I get too routine with what I wear, and this helps fuel some inspiration. They have a very hippy/boho look to their style, which I love! 

@crossfitgames

The games are coming up this weekend! They post some seriously motivating images. The athletes inspire me to work hard, never give up, and to have fun. Tons of these images make me realize, you don't always need to be training with someone to know you are supported. 

@songofstyle

Aimee has the cutest fashion sense. Although I wear lulu everyday, I love seeing her out of the normal fashion taste. She does boyish, chic, boho, girly, and everythjng else SO well! 

@amberdodzweit

Ok seriously Amber is beautiful, so you can follow her just for that. The reason I follow her is because of her story and her message. She has no problem giving a big FU to the fitness modeling industry and the misrepresentation of it. I love this, because similar to here I've been there. Fitness modeling isn't all that, and she helps reassure that being athlete is more important than being a model.

@Bloomthat

I love when beautiful, colorful, and fresh flowers pop up on my screen. Lately, this page has inspired me to make my own flower arrangements. 

@fabletics 

First off, I love fabletics clothing. Secondly, they have amazing info on their page. Workouts, clothing, recipes, quotes, and a little bit of everything else that's awesome. Make sure to check them out. 

Summer Rugged Florals

I got a ton of compliments on an outfit I put together really quick while on vacation. I threw together a "boyish" look with some florals and curls to make it a bit more feminine. I loved how comfy I was!

Here are similar items:
Shorts: Rag and Bone has these seriously awesome boyfriend shorts. They are cute, and not too short.

This Komono: Any floral kimono will work.

A crop top: This white crop top is the perfect pairing

Stadium or Stair Workout

Is it a nice day out, but you don't know what to do for an outdoor workout? Need to switch up your workout? Don't have a gym membership? Time to take it to the stairs.

Stadiums or stair workouts are a great way to get in your cardio outside without just going for a long run.

Try this:
5x up every step (run)
5x up every other step (run)
2x up every other step with a glute kickback (walk)
2x up every other step both foot jump (like a squat jump)
2x up every step 1 leg hop (1x one leg 1x other leg)
2x up every step sideways (1x facing one side, 1x facing other side)

if you are feeling extra spicy, do it again!