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Welcome to Week 4 of the SKFitLife Challenge!
Week 4 seems to be where you are feeling one of the following ways:
1.) “I’ve totally got this!”
2.) “Ok, I’m doing it… where are my RESULTS?”
3.) Ugh… Week 4? I haven’t even gotten my first workout in yet!
HANG IN THERE!
If you are #1, it’s obvious… just keep rocking. If you are #2, make sure you watch the video! My #3 challengers, watch the video and get back to the basics listed in the steps below:
Step 1: Download your training.
Step 2: Watch/listen to the Week 4/5 SKFitLife Challenge Information Video.
Step 3: Do the workout.
Watch for Week 5 in your inbox exactly 7 days from today.
Direct Training Links:
Download all 12 weeks of training and HIIT at once by clicking here: https://app.box.com/shared/static/cx691bsgyr5xex645b4k.pdf
Week 4 SKFitLife Challenge Information: Just Keep Going
“Do you remember this pic??? There is no statement more true than this… if you are finding that you are not seeing many results yet, KEEP PUSHING. Time is passing anyway… you may as well keep working towards your goals. You will reach them IF YOU DON’T GIVE UP.
Focus on all of the things you have accomplished thus far… is your skin getting clearer, your eyes shining brighter, your hair smoother, easier to walk up the stairs, carry groceries, less cravings, less mood swings, sleeping better, increased weights in the weight room? FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE and KEEP PRESSING. Some challengers will see progress earlier on and some will have to wait until the 6 week mark like our winner of the first challenge, Kathleen. She didn’t see any real changes until the 6th week.
Quitting is not an option. Take all of that self-doubt and frustration you have and use it to push even harder in the gym.
Are you logging your food? What does your food log look like?
Take into consideration how you were treating your body prior to this challenge… were you “teaching” it how to store fat by starving it? Be kind to your body and nourish it with clean fuel. It needs to know that it is ok to shed the extra pounds.
This takes time and that is why I created the private Facebook group… because most people think they “deserve” to see results within a few days and the reality of it is that your body doesn’t even understand the concept of ‘deserve’. You will reap the benefits of hard work and more importantly, consistency.”
~Stephanie Keenan
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_3eJ90Oh2U[/youtube]
Weekly Lessons Covered in Audio:
Do you have your reminder of why you are doing this in a place where you can see it on a daily basis? Great places include on your desk or fridge. It can be your before pic, a photo of a beach or bikini, whatever will remind you when you feel like slacking on training and nutrition.
☀️ Getting Stuff Done!
☀️ Are you feeling “left in the dust”?
☀️ Beware Misleading Information… “studies show…”
☀️ Eating Out Guide
☀️ What is the best way to “cheat”???
☀️ Is there an exercise I can add or maybe focus harder on to chisel away my “spare tire”/”love handles”?
☀️ I’m starving! I eat every 4 hours am I doing something wrong?
☀️ I overate earlier in the day, millions of crackers and hummus, should I skip dinner?
☀️ Is skim milk ok?
☀️ What is a good food/supplement for a good burst of energy I feel like I need it when I am transitioning from work to mom?
☀️ What kind of water do you drink?
☀️ How to navigate seasonal illness.
Weekly Facebook Interaction:
What is going through your mind when you are pushing through those last few reps and those last few sprints? What is the internal dialog you have going on in your head?
We all know how difficult (read: IMPOSSIBLE) it is to change someone else (and if you haven’t learned this just yet, you will;-), BUT what you CAN do is you can BE THE CHANGE…Those around you can’t help but pick up on how great you look and feel so I want you to share how the challenge (or even your commitment to health prior to the challenge) has made a positive impact on those around you.
Weekly Recipe Ideas:
Meal tips: Plan your meals, make a shopping list and be realistic about what you are going to be able to cook in the time you have available
Missing chips? Try baked chips made from yummy organic vegetables like plantain, yam and beetroot sprinkled with salt(if you can make them yourself, so much the better!)
Supper with a tropical taste: Mahi Mahi. Pineapple mango salsa and salad.
Ingredients:
- 6 fillets mahi mahi
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2T Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh root ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1 large mango, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 c diced fresh pineapple
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 6 flour tortillas, warmed
- 3T chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the mahi mahi with salt and pepper. Cook the fillets in the hot oil until the fish is golden brown on each side and no longer translucent in the center, about 3 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lime juice, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Gently combine the mango, pineapple, and avocado in a bowl.
- To assemble, place a cooked mahi mahi fillet into the center of a warmed tortilla. Place a scoop of the mango salsa onto the fish, then drizzle with the Greek yogurt sauce and finish with a generous pinch of chopped cilantro.
Chicken Ratatouille
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, unpeeled, sliced into half moons
- 1 yellow squash, unpeeled, sliced into half moons
- 1 eggplant, unpeeled, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 9 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 4 large tomatoes, sliced
- 10 basil leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté chicken until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add onion and brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, peppers and mushrooms. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring to cook evenly.
- Add tomatoes, basil and parsley. Stir to combine. Cook about 5 more minutes.
- Serve with brown rice, quinoa or polenta.
Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Mix together all ingredients. Should be the consistency of Play-Doh.
- Roll into 14 small balls.
- Refrigerate to firm them up, overnight for best results. Enjoy.
Stephanie’s shake: Start with cutting 1/2 banana into 4 pieces and 1T of cashew butter, blend together with the blender cup 3/4 full. Then add 2 scoops of Vanilla protein powder (we used IsaLean) and desired ice until all cashew butter is mixed well. Perfect post workout meal.
Weekly Need to Know:
Enjoy the Journey
Just like this challenge didn’t start out with a bunch of rules, regulations, and guidelines, this journey doesn’t end when the needle hits your goal weight or when your pants slip on with ease in your goal size. This journey is about filling your life with more healthy habits and nutritious foods and truly living a fit LIFE. I know we all have goals that we are trying to achieve and it is tempting to think that we will be happy when we reach that goal but reaching that goal is just the beginning.
What happens when we reach that goal weight/size/bodyfat? This is where we have to take a good look at where are inside and how we will be able to trust ourselves and trust our bodies not to backslide into unhealthy habits.
My fitness journey has been like a pendulum: it has taken a couple extreme swings (please see my blog post https://www.skfitlife.com/2011/09/19/post-show-past/) and I have spent the past few years working to find the middle. That is where the true prize lies.
When I first started my fitness journey, I felt like, with the merest slip-up, it could all slip away. It is such a sense of freedom to know (and believe) that I don’t have to exercise every day and be super strict with my food at every meal. I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been. The kind of trust I needed to complete my inner transformation has taken time and I am still a work in progress, but I have silenced that inner “judge”. The one that says I am not thin enough or that I should feel guilty for something I ate.
If you are experiencing this challenge of self-acceptance, you can try this little exercise:
When a “negative feeling” comes, write it down on one side of a sheet of paper. Then, try to replace that negative thought with a positive one and write it down on the other side of the paper. It may sound like a silly exercise, but it really works to eliminate those negative feelings.
Celebrate who you are. Enjoy the feeling of your new body and know deep down inside that you deserve to be fit, healthy, and happy. You are the only person who can do this.
The power to be beautiful lies within you.
You are beautiful. Now let your inner beauty shine bright.
You are all working hard to accomplish something great… feeling and looking strong and healthy!!! We have seen some stories of less than supportive family and friends and this is especially tough when they are the people we love and who love us.
I have experienced several years of the “oh, must be nice to be in shape.” “Come on… just one won’t hurt you.” “I don’t know why you care about that anyway.” And even more painful tactics that would compare to psychological operations in war.
The truth about all of these tactics, comments, and negative feelings is that they are not comfortable with you shining a light on their excuses, limitations, and laziness. When you are doing something they think they can’t do, they like to hold you back to their level. This can happen intentionally as well as unintentionally.
This poem has helped me get through more than a few years. I recommend adding it to your vision board and read it each and every day. You are doing great things here and you are improving more than just your lives… you are improving all of those who come in contact with you.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
~Marianne Williamson
Using the Private Facebook Group
The private Facebook Group was created to encourage sharing tips, tricks, insights, truisms, connecting, getting questions answered, and helping each other out. This is where you can connect with ME, Stephanie, too! If you have questions, please feel free to post them and either I or a member of my team will help to answer you. You can also reach us at challenge@skfitlife.com.
Weekly Resources:
☀️ Homemade body butter http://www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2012/02/homemade-whipped-coconut-oil-body.html
☀️ For all of u suffering from shin splints, I highly recommend KT tape – you can get at your local running store – works wonders!
☀️ Mike Geary… a great resource: http://www.truthaboutabs.com/3-foods-to-stop-eating.html
☀️ Dangers of Bottled Water: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/15/dangers-of-drinking-water-from-a-plastic-bottle.aspx
☀️ http://evolvingwellness.com/posts/423/bottled-water-not-worth-the-price-or-your-health/
☀️ Natural remedies and how to avoid seasonal illness: http://www.naturalnews.com/035323_home_remedies_colds_coughs.html
“If you are finding that you are not seeing many results yet, KEEP PUSHING. Time is passing anyway… you may as well keep working towards your goals. You will reach them IF YOU DON’T GIVE UP.
Focus on all of the things you have accomplished thus far… is your skin getting clearer, your eyes shining brighter, your hair smoother, easier to walk up the stairs, carry groceries, less cravings, less mood swings, sleeping better, increased weights in the weight room?
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE and KEEP PRESSING. This is only the second day of the second week. Some challengers will see progress earlier on and some will have to wait until the 6 week mark like our winner of the first challenge, Kathleen. She didn’t see any real changes until the 6th week.
Quitting is not an option. Take all of that self-doubt and frustration you have and use it to push even harder in the gym.
Are you logging your food? What does your food log look like?
Take into consideration how you were treating your body prior to this challenge… were you ‘teaching’ it how to store fat by starving it? Be kind to your body and nourish it with clean fuel. It needs to know that it is ok to shed the extra pounds.
This takes time and that is why I created the private Facebook group… because most people think they ‘deserve’ to see results within a few days and the reality of it is that your body doesn’t even understand the concept of ‘deserve’. You will reap the benefits of hard work and more importantly, consistency.“
Recommended Products
My Favorite Good Fats:
Organic Macadamia/Cashew Butter
Supplements:
Protein Powder, Meal Replacement, Vitamins, Protein Bars, and Electrolyte Replenishment.
Check out all of our recommended products here!
Access your training and much more from our app!
Don’t forget to check out and subscribe to the Stop Chasing Skinny Podcast!
This is where you can listen to episode after episode where I take you through in-depth conversations with doctors and other experts in everything related to health.
Subscribe today!
Do you have friends and family members who may like to join you in this 12 Week Online Fitness Challenge? That means you can connect/re-connect with people across the country and across the world! Share the 12 Week SKFitLife Challenge with them!
