Time
By and far the largest impediment to sticking to an exercise/diet regimen is time.  We're all pulled in          many directions, tied to appointments, meetings, kids soccer games etc.. Finding the time to meet with a trainer in person (when the trainer is also available) can be challenging.  If you attend group fitness classes, you have to revolve your schedule around when they're offered and if you're running late or the class fills up, you may miss your work out entirely. When you work with a coach online such as myself, you work out when it's convenient for you.  You can work out at home with dumbbells and an exercise ball, in a gym or even the park if you want be outside.  

Location, Location, Location
When you train online you aren't restricted to going to a certain gym and you can even work out at home or in the park.  You may live in an area where there aren't many options or maybe the hours at your local gym don't work with your schedule. As your coach I can tailor the work outs to your preferred location as well as the equipment you have available.

Accountability
Next to time, people often say that lack of accountability is preventing progress. Via the Trainerize App I'm able to see when you work out, and follow you progress. There are options to share food intake, photos, as well as measurements. 

Are YOU a candidate for online training?

• Do you have at least 6 months of exercise experience?
• Are you motivated to work out alone, but lack a plan?
• Does your schedule prohibit you from making it to fitness classes when they're offered?
• Do you need accountability to remain consistent?

Is Online Training NOT a good option for you?

• Are you completely new to working out?
• Do you have several injuries that require modifications when you exercise?
• Do you enjoy working out in a group?
• Do you dislike using phone Apps?

Here's what my clients are saying about training online with me using the Trainerize App:

Using Trainerize and having Jen as a our virtual coach made all the difference when we went on a month long road trip. We didn't backslide!! My favorites: the customized workouts that Jen gave us through the app, having her celebrate us when we were doing well, and being able to chat with her at any point. Highly recommend!
                                                                                                                                             -  Lyndsey

What I like best about using Trainerze is having a way to interact with Jen out side of our regular sessions. Sometimes the gym can be overwhelming and I like that the app makes it feel like Jen is right there in the gym with me. She can send me personalized workouts and see each time I complete one. Using the app helps me keep myself accountable and stay on top of my fitness goals.
                                                                                                                                               - Emily

Road trips have never been the place I expected I'd keep up with my fitness goals, yet Jen's coaching, which skillfully utilized the Trainerize app, was a perfect example of a coach-away-from-home. The strong clear focus on key exercises every morning, along with timed intervals for extra self-challenge, kept us healthy, happy, and resistant to the twin challenges of ubiquitous fast food and extended sitting time. It felt like we brought Jen with us, and she was a fantastic travel companion!
                                                                                                                                             - Colin

I'm looking for 3 motivated people who want to get stronger, lose some body fat and feel more confident - and do it through online training at a introductory reduced rate.

Are you tired of working out and not seeing results?

Are you confused/frustrated with the conflicting information about nutrition and exercise?

Do you struggle to work out consistently?

Do you want a program specifically tailored to your time, experience, likes/dislikes and available equipment?

Do you like the idea of having access to an experienced compassionate coach anytime?

If you found yourself answering YES! to many of these questions, take a minute and fill out this questionnaire and then we can see if we'd work well together.  I'll be accepting 3 new clients at a reduced rate so don't miss out on this great opportunity.   

Has this ever happened to you? You worked hard on your diet all week, it's Friday and you're ready to step on the scale and celebrate a weight loss victory.  You look down hoping for a certain number but what you see is not what you expect. Sh*t!  You've gained 2 lbs! How could this be?  The thoughts begin to rattle through your head "This isn't fair", "What's the point of even trying", "Ugh, I'm so gross" and suddenly a perfectly nice Friday is ruined!  I could spend the next 1000 words telling you why the scale doesn't matter that much or explaining how it would take an excess of 7000 calories for you to gain 2 lbs of body fat, but these arguments aren't going to save your Friday.  Let's focus on what you can do to recover as quickly as possible from this set back because if you're in this fat loss/health game for the long run, you're going to need to build some patience and resilience.  

Take Six Deep Breaths
This may seem stupid to you, what could a few deep breaths really accomplish? You're body doesn't know that you aren't actually in danger and it will unleash a cascade of hormonal responses to help you survive the immanent threat. The only problem is, this isn't really a dangerous situation and you don't need those hormones to outrun a predator. What you really need is to calm the f*ck down.  Take those breaths deep into you stomach and try not to let the shoulders shrug. Exhale slowly and fully. Repeat 6-10 times. 

Take a Judgement Free Inventory of Your Actions
Look back at the previous week to month and honestly review your habits.  Did you eat well at least 80% of the time? Did you get in at least 30 mins of light activity each day? How was your sleep? How were your stress levels? As you do this, try to avoid judging your actions. If you weren't active say: "I had 3 days where I sat at my desk all day and didn't walk or exercise" rather than "I was a lazy POS and I didn't go to the gym after work".  If you were indeed very consistent for the past week, how about the few weeks before that? How did they look? Chances are you haven't YET strung together several weeks/months of positive habits.  This isn't about spiraling down into a rabbit hole of shame and self doubt. It's just an assessment of your performance.

Choose a Simple, Easy to Implement Action
Now that you've assessed your behaviors and taken responsibility for them you can take action.  If the scale has really upset you, you're probably considering implementing several strict food rules.  It's Friday, so maybe you'll just enjoy the weekend and start them on Monday.  This can lead to a cycle of overeating, deprivation, and more overeating.  I can confirm that this pattern does not lead to long lasting fat loss but it does lead to a lot of hunger, shame and misery.  Instead, focus on one simple thing that you can do today to improve your nutrition.  Return to those big rock habits that create the biggest bang for your dietary buck: protein with every meal, vegetables with most meals, drink plenty of water, eat fibrous carbohydrates etc.... Choose one and use it with your next meal. Continue to focus on that one thing for the next several days or even week until you've strung together several successful days.   

Take Care
I get it, you're like Veruca Salt and you want your oompa loompa now, as in you want results and you want them fast! The problem is, you can control your actions, you cannot control your results.  After a set back, remember to BREATH, ASSESS, and ACT.  Limit the amount of emotional energy you put in to your weight and your perceived appearance because I'm guessing that you have other sh*t going in your life that needs your attention.  After all, this isn't really about the scale is it? It's about feeling better about yourself.  The best way to feel better about yourself is to take care of that body and mind of yours. Chances are the scale will reflect your efforts.