I am the real deal

I am the real deal. I don't mean that in a conceited, cocky way though.

Here's what I mean, I'm a real person, a real woman, real wife, real mother. I don't have help around the house except for my husband when he's home from work. I have 4 kids and I run my own business.

I am not the perfect mother. I often say the wrong things to my kids, and I do raise my voice - a lot.

I have struggles with food and weight, just like a lot of people do.  Mine might not be as noticeable as others, but I go through my times when I want to raid the pantry. I go through my days when I feel frustrated because the numbers on the scale went up instead down.  Although I love to cook healthy, I don't buy everything organic. I drink cow's milk sometimes. I don't eat grass-fed beef. I'm trying to get better, I'm working on it.

I don't like the way my face is changing as I age, and I don't like what the skin right above my navel has become after having 4 kids.

I don't like waking up at 5 am to exercise. I'd rather not exercise on some days.

I didn't have an athletic childhood, and I wasn't a very popular or outgoing kid.  As a matter of fact I was very timid, shy and maybe even mopey.  I didn't come from a rich family, or even middle class. It was lower middle class.

I bounced form job to job. I couldn't find my niche. I'm not organized and I have some clutter hot spots in my home.

Too many people think its easy for me to stay in shape, to eat right, to run a successful business from home, to stay positive. But I'm real, just like you all are.

However, I am always working on turning my negatives into positives. One good and bad quality of mine is the fact that I'm rebellious in a way. I refuse to let a negative situation get the best of me. My rebellious nature has gotten me in a lot of tight spots and trouble. But thankfully its also helped push me to do better. When someone tells me it can't be done, I will try like hell to do it.

I look back at my life and I'm sometimes tempted to fantasize about; if I only did this, or if my parents had paid for braces for my teeth, or if I didn't use that credit card, if I didn't date that guy... But if my circumstances had been perfect, if I was Ms. Popular in high school, if my parents had money, if I had been more athletic, I might not be where I am today.  Where I am now is being a real person for you.

I'm a real person who coaches real people. Its not pretty and its not perfect, but its me. And I get where you're coming from, and I don't think I'm better than you.  I just want to help you be a better you.

I'd love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Whole wheat pancakes for the fitness minded

Pancakes have always been a big hit with my kids since they were old enough to eat them.  But the traditional type can be a no-no for the fitness minded. So on my quest for a healthier pancake, I found a recipe for whole wheat ones.  I make a big batch, freeze them and then microwave for 30 seconds per pancake for quick weekday breakfasts.

So here is my current recipe for whole wheat pancakes:

Jessica's Whole Wheat Pancakes for the Fitness Minded

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tbs of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
2 tbs brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup of oil
1-3/4 cup of milk

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next add your eggs, oil and milk. Stir until blended, but make sure you leave some lumps.

Coat a pan with cooking spray and heat pan on medium heat.  Add 1/4-1/3 cup of pancake batter for medium sized pancakes.  I can usually fit 3 pancakes in my pan.

Wait until, pancakes get little bubbles and carefully turn.  I place the cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet and then freeze.  Once frozen I place in a freezer bag.

Hot pancakes taste great with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup or topped with berries.

These pancakes can be used when following the P90X Nutrition Guide or the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide.

My recipe makes about 15-18 pancakes.

My P90X Chicken Scramble with Spinach

I love using the P90X Nutrition Guide and the Insanity Elite Nutrition guide for recipes.  Since I love to cook, I often make my own versions of the recipes.

Last night we had breakfast for dinner.  The night before I had made a salad with cubed chicken and I had some left over.  The kids really look forward to my homemade, whole wheat pancakes and scrambled eggs.  My husband and I wanted to something a little more grown up.  Enter the Chicken Scramble with Spinach!

I used whole eggs instead of egg whites.  I was short on eggs and it would have been a pretty skimpy dinner if I didn't use the whole egg.  I also omitted the Parmesan cheese and basil that the original P90X version calls for.

I served it up with a side of fresh strawberries.

My P90X Chicken Scramble with Spinach


This recipe is for 2 people

6 whole eggs (or 12 egg whites)
2 cups of baby spinach
2 TBS finely chopped onion
6 oz of cooked, cubed chicken

Cook spinach and onions in large non-stick skillet in 1 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in chicken.  Once spinach is soft and wilted, remove from pan and place on plate.

Cook eggs over medium heat until halfway set.  Add the spinach, chicken and onion to eggs and cook through. Garnish with fresh, crushed black pepper or Mrs. Dash and enjoy.

I'd love to hear from you.  Let me know if you try this recipe and enjoy it.  Feel free to leave a comment below.

Healthy Banana Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!! Ice cream is so yummy, but a big no-no for lots of people.  It could be because they have blood sugar issues, or gluten, lactose and digestive issues or maybe trying to avoid the fat and calories associated with it.  I'm not saying you need to totally never have ice cream again, but if you want to save calories and eat clean, this  might be for you.  I'm going to try it this weekend.

I saw this yesterday on the Today Show, while waiting at the dentist with my kids. The segment was on healthy snacks for kids.  And then today, while getting a pedicure (thanks to my hubby xo) I was thumbing through Health magazine and saw the recipe again! So I figured I was meant to try it and share it as well.

So here it goes:

Banana Ice Cream

1 ripe banana per person, sliced and frozen. (You can place slices on a cookie sheet to prevent them form sticking together while freezing)

A few TBS of low fat milk (dairy, soy, almond, rice)

Place the frozen banana slices in the blender or food processor, and pulse at first , then blend to get a creamy texture.  You can add a TBS of milk a little at a time to get a smoother consistency.

Once at the desired consistency, you can spoon into serving bowls and top with chopped walnuts, shaved dark chocolate, or cinnamon.  You may even want to try a drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup if your bananas weren't that ripe.

Another idea is to add a little PB2 (low fat natural powdered peanut butter) to your blender and make it extra yummy, or even add a little chocolate Shakeology to it (yummo)

Eating Clean

On Monday, March 28th, I'm hosting a Get Set for Memorial Day Clean Eating and Exercise Challenge on Facebook.  I figure if we start on the 28th and run right through the Friday before Memorial Day, we should be rocking for summer.  I'm not making up meal plans or exercise routines, but as a group we will hold each other accountable to eating clean and exercising daily.

Basically you want to eat the foods in the top 2 tiers of Michi's Ladder.  If you mainly eat form those 2 tiers, you will be eating near perfect.

I wanted to give you an example of how I ate yesterday, so you can see Michi's Ladder in action.

Breakfast: a berry, banana whey protein smoothie made with 1% milk and hot green tea on side

Snack: 3/4 cup of plain oatmeal, made with water, topped with 2 Tbs raisins and 2 Tbs walnuts, with 1 Tbs whey sprinkled on top with water to drink

Lunch: 1-1/2 scoop of chocolate Shakeology, blended with soy milk and ice and green tea on side

Snack: 1 slice of 100% whole wheat bread, with 1 Tbs peanut butter (here's where I dipped into tier 3), and 1/4 sliced banana, 1-6 oz glass of milk and water to drink

Dinner: Egg white omelet with spinach and mushroom and 1 high fiber, 100% whole wheat, 100 cal English muffin. and hot green tea and water to drink.

Remember to drink lot of water (at least 64 oz).  If you need to dip into tier 3 or more, that's fine as long as you keep that minimal.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com.

Keep your heart beautiful, healthy and ready to love

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, let's talk about our hearts.  Keeping your heart beautiful (well maybe beautiful to the medical world) and healthy is of vital importance.  Our heart pumps blood through our bodies and when its not functioning properly, well we can have some major set backs or even death.

Surprisingly so many of us take for granted this beautiful, beating, pumping organ.  We smoke, we eat badly, we don't exercise and we stress ourselves out to the point where we get our blood pressure up.  The American Heart Association says that "Thirty-nine percent of Americans believe they’re in ideal heart health — but less than 1 percent actually are."

So how do we get our heart healthy and keep it that way?

Calm, breathe, relax. This sounds easier said than done, but learning to not sweat the small stuff, enjoy life and be grateful for what you have is a start.  You can also try meditation and yoga. Playing with your kids, laughing, not taking life so seriously will help your mental and physical being. If you have problems learning to de-stress, you may want to seek the help of a professional.

Get moving and grooving! Physical activity is good for mind and body. Try to get at least 20-30 minutes per day of physical activity.  I know people who only do this one time per week.  People we need to move, we were made to  move. Go for a walk, go swimming, ride a bicycle, participate in a group fitness class.  You can even workout at home. Beachbody has several fitness programs for every level from beginner to highly advanced.  Need help deciding what program you should do? Just let me know:)  Exercise is not only good for your heart, but this is also a great way to get rid of stress!!

Lose the belly.  Well, you can start by getting up and move! But you also need to watch what you eat too. And believe it or not, holding on to stress produces cortisol, which helps us hold onto belly fat.  Try to get a good night of sleep, eat right and exercise to lose the belly.

Quit smokin da butts!! I know this is so hard to do.  I used to love smoking! I found it enjoyable.  But you all know the harmful effects of smoking on your health.  Oh and just think of how much money you will save by quitting! I can't believe how much a pack of cigarettes goes for! So quit now. Find a support group or talk to your doctor about this.

Feed your body well.  You would think this would be a no-brainer, but its not.  Fast food, overly processed convenience food, high fat treats all are just so tempting and easy, right? But what are you sacrificing for shaving off a few minutes? I know its hard to get in the habit of cooking healthy and making healthy choices. Although once you get in the habit, it becomes a lot easier.  And guess what, you eat better, you will feel better and look better. Eating from the top 2 tiers of Michi's Ladder is a great place to start.  But if you need help with recipes and what to eat when, then look into the Team Beachbody Custom Meal Planner that comes with Club membership. You can get dozens, upon dozens of heart healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  These meals are all easy to make and most dinners take less than 30 min to make. The weekly price is a lot less than Weight Watchers, plus you get something that WW doesn't offer - me as your support person and coach!

Shakeology is another great way to get good nutrition fast! You won't be tempted to hit the drive-thru if you pack a rich, chocolatey smoothie with you.  And its been shown to improve cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Eat the right fats. Not all fats are bad for you!! I repeat, NOT ALL FATS ARE BAD FOR YOU! Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth.  They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm.  Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones, too. Your body definitely needs fat – but not as much fat as most people eat.

Using oils like olive and canola are a good choice, but watch your serving sizes.  Also eating foods like avocado, walnuts, salmon are an awesome way to get healthy fats into your diet.  These fats also help raise your good cholesterol, and lower the bad cholesterol.  You can also take a supplement like Core Omega-3, which gives your body the support it needs for optimal heart, brain, and joint health.

So this Valentine's Day, give the gift of love to yourself, by taking care of your heart.  This gift is the gift that keeps on giving.  You'll be able to spread love to your family and friends.  If you love someone who need to take better care of their heart, ask them to do it for you:)

If you need help with nutrition and fitness, send me an email to fitiwthjessica@live.com.  I'd love to hear from you!!! Please make my heart happy and leave a comment below:)

Brazil Butt Lift beginning of week 3 results

Okay, I was a little afraid to take my measurements this morning. I wasn't on my best behavior with eating last week and over the weekend with Christmas.  I made cookies, and of course you can't make them without having one, two or a few. Then I made ravioli, had Chinese food, had a big Christmas breakfast, the list goes on.

One thing I made sure of though, was not missing a Brazil Butt Lift workout.  If I know I'm going to be eating worse than usual, I make sure I stick to my workout schedule.  Some people get so upset if they go overboard that they just throw in the towel and give up.  You can't do that!! You need to get over it and move forward. 

So here are my results with Brazil Butt Lift, so far:

Here were my measurements on Day 1/Week 1:


Waist 28.5"
Hips 36"
Thigh 20.5"

Here are my measurements on Day 6/Ending week1
Waist 27.5"
Hips 35.5"
Thigh 20"

And here are my results from today beginning Week3

Waist 27" (down another .5")
Hips 35" (down another .5")
Thigh 20" (unchanged)

I'm pretty impressed with the results so far!  Even after all of the cookies and extra snacks, I still managed to make progress:)

I'm a Team Beachbody Coach and former fitness/Pilates instructor.  But this doesn't make working out any easier for me. I know how hard it can be to find time to exercise or eat right,or just get started.  If you need someone in your corner to help cheer you on, let me help you by clicking here for free coaching and support.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

To lose weight, you need to eat more!

If I had a dollar every time someone (especially women) told me they don't eat or won't eat to control their weight, I'd have a nice little nest egg saved up.  Or give me a dollar whenever someone asks me how many calories they should be eating, and they say "That's too much," then I'd be even richer. 

People, you need to let go of the notion that not eating, or not eating enough is helpful.  Its more harmful than good.  Please read Beachbody's, Justine Holberg's article below:

Eat More, Lose More. (Really?)


By Justine Holberg

You work out practically every day and you're feeling good because you've lost some weight. Until a week or so passes and you can't get the scale to budge. It's like an invisible wrench has been thrown into the works. Now what?

You start second-guessing everything you're doing:

Maybe I'm eating too much?

Should I work out harder?

Do I have to live on parsley and hot water?

So you restrategize. You slash calories and step up the intensity of your workouts. Unfortunately, after another week, you're still not losing. Now you want to give up altogether. But before you throw in the towel, ask yourself this:

Am I eating enough?

Contrary to popular belief, sometimes you have to eat more to lose weight. While that may sound counterintuitive, it often does the trick. Here's why:

1.Metabolism is the key to weight loss. If you don't eat enough, or often enough, your metabolism slows to a crawl and weight loss becomes more difficult, especially when you're exercising. That's why skipping meals isn't a good idea if the goal is to shed pounds.

Tip: Always eat breakfast to kick-start metabolism and try eating mini-meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism fired up.

2.To keep your metabolism up, you MUST eat. Conventional wisdom dictates that when you first start dieting, the less you eat, the better. While it's true that you often should eat less, eating too little can backfire over time. As your body composition changes, your body will think it's starving, which can make it hold on to fat. (The process actually has to do with excessive release of a hormone called cortisol, but you don't need to know the details, so we'll just call it fat.) To avoid this, most experts agree that over time, you shouldn't eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women, 1,500 for men. If your daily diet consists of fewer calories than that, consider eating more.

Tip: Keep a food diary to track calories.

3.You need more calories when you work out. If you're exercising while following a low-calorie eating plan, you'll need to take into account the calories you're burning. That's because it's now easier to enter starvation mode. Let's say you're burning 400 calories and only eating 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day. This means you're really only taking in 800 to 900 calories per day before you begin to calculate how your body composition is changing. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so as your body changes, you need to eat more to keep the weight loss coming.

Tip: Drink an after-workout recovery drink like P90X Results and Recovery Formula®. After hard workouts, its calories are utilized so quickly by your body, some people refer to them as "free calories." They really aren't, but those calories will ensure that your muscles (and metabolism) recover quickly.

And remember this:

Figuring out to what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat isn't easy. That's why people often refer to losing weight as a journey. It takes a few different paths to get there. Sometimes you have to adjust your ratio of protein, fat, and carbs to start losing again. Or adjust your calorie level, which can include eating more to lose weight.

Tip: Use the Team Beachbody® Meal Planner. It can make figuring out your calories much, much easier. You can personalize an eating plan that takes your workouts into consideration.

Finally, if you're still on the fence about needing to eat more to lose weight: You might be thinking, "How come I know some really skinny people who barely eat?"

The answer is this: You can eventually lose weight by not eating. It's called starving. Reduce calories enough and your body will start breaking down its muscle tissue, and this will result in weight loss. However, it makes your body increase its emergency hormonal responses, which also causes your body to be stressed and hang onto fat, making it.very easy to gain the weight back again.

So I hope you take this thought away with you today: The idea is to keep your metabolism revving and running. This will help you get healthy and stay strong. Eat the right amount of food to help your body continuously burn calories, and you're more likely to shed those unwanted pounds.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

When sickness strikes.

Well, its that time of year when all sorts of sickness strikes.  Cold, flu, stomach bug, you name it.

Right now, I'm starting to recover from my least favorite, the stomach bug. Its no fun for anyone when mom gets sick, so I have my own way of shortening the duration of it.  Acidophilus really helped me last year and so far with this year's bug.  I take it acidophilus capsules everyday, but when my kids start getting sick, I take it 3 times per day. Ialso drink plenty of fluids and eat very light until a full recovery.  This little trick has helped me tame the bug to last only 24 hours for me instead of 48 or more like in the past.

But what should someone do with their workout routine when sickness strikes?  Well my advice is to take it easy, especially if you're running a fever, have a stomach virus, or just feel like you can't move.  Get rest! You can always get back into your routine when you feel better.

If you are starting to feel better, you can do some easy exercise like gentle yoga, walking or even light weight training.  But if you start feeling dizzy or tired, stop.

After you're recovered, ease back in to your routine.  If you went without eating for a few days you will feel very weak.  Don't force yourself into a really tough workout right away.  Get back to eating right and then you can get back to normal.

So, don't forget to keep washing those hands of yours, take your vitamins and eat right. Hopefully you can keep the germs away.

I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

Procrastination

Okay, I know we're all guilty of it.  I'm perhaps one of the biggest procrastinators out there. As I type, I have a big pile of my 2 year old's clothes to bag up for donation.  I did promise myself I would get to it later today though:)

I had been procrastinating about cleaning my fridge for a long time, but my mission today from Fly Lady was to set the timer for 15 minutes and go to work on it. Well, I set the timer for 20 minutes and finished with 3 minutes to spare - woo hoo! So later today I'll set my timer for 15-20 minutes and tackle that pile of old clothes.

I've often thought that procrastination had to be good for some things though.  Its kept me from spending money on stuff I didn't really need. But there is still a big down side to putting everything off.  Like when it comes to doing something you know really needs to be done, such as de-cluttering, cleaning, exercising, eating right, paying bills...

What happens is every time you put it off, it just seems harder and harder to do it.  In our quest for perfection, we tend to set our expectations too high. For instance, some feel they can't exercise until they lose weight.  I had someone tell me they weren't going to the doctor for a physical until they lost weight (WHAT?). Or we put off eating right until after the holidays. After a while we get so used to making the excuses that we never start what we said we would do and we turn a mole-hill into a mountain.

So what is it that you keep putting off?  How do we stop the excuses and just do it?  What's worked for me is letting go of things having to be perfect and taking baby steps. For example, I could have taken an hour to clean my fridge, taking everything out, getting every nook and cranny clean, but that would have been horrible for me and I would never do it. So I took the advice from the Fly Lady and set my timer for a short amount of time, which I felt I could handle. And guess what? My fridge looks great and I was really proud of myself, plus it was fast!

So what about exercise or eating better? Well you could incorporate the same baby-steps philosophy. Instead of vowing to run for an hour, but never doing it, try 10 minutes, see what happens. Could you handle just 10 minutes? 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes.  Or instead of trying to go full force into better eating, try eating just one good meal per day.  Could you handle that, or maybe even just one healthy snack?

It doesn't have to be as my husband would say a "full balls" effort. That could be very intimidating for a lot of people.  You could just dip your pinky toe in:)

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Jessica's Healthy Whole Wheat Muffins

This muffin recipe makes a great snack to for your kids. They're lower in fat and sugar than most muffins, and you can make them plain or add blueberries, cranberries or whatever you wanted.

I made these the other day and added blueberries to half of them.  This recipe will make 12 muffins:

•1/4 cup oil

•1 egg
•1 cup milk (fat-free)
•1/3 cup brown sugar
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•2 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose)

In a large bowl combine the oil, egg, milk, sugar and salt. Mix it very well with a fork or wire whisk. Measure in the baking powder and flour. Mix again until moistened. Do not over mix.  Spoon the batter into a dozen muffin cups sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from the pan.

If you want to add blueberries, gently fold in 1cup frozen or fresh blueberries before adding to the muffin cups.

These muffins aren't going to be sweet at all.  My kids love them warm and with a little butter on them.  I would love to hear how they turn out for you.  Leave me a comment or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

Is it hard or is it easy? Only we can determine that

Why does it seem like its easier for some people to stick with an exercise or nutrition program? Why is it that some people can find the time to workout and make the most of it? Why do some people struggle with all of this? 

I know many of you who do struggle with this will quickly come up with defensive answers like "I'm too old" or "I don't have enough time." "I'm just meant to be this weight." "I can't control myself." "Its genetic." "I hate exercise." "Diets are too restrictive." "It will take too long." "Its too hard!" Trust me, I've heard them all and may have used one or two myself.  Nobody is perfect. If I don't watch what I eat and how much I exercise I can easily put on 15 lbs.  I know, I've been there.

But getting in shape or back in shape doesn't have to be hard at all.  Its really quite an easy formula. If you need to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat. Its that simple and easy.  No weird science behind it.  The deficit in calories can be from adding exercise into your day or reducing calories, or a combo of both.

Its really scary because the US government estimates that over 2/3 of the adult US population is overweight or obese.  That means a lot of people out there either find it way too hard to do the right thing, or they've just totally given up hope.  What would make someone give up hope to jeopardize their health that way? Don't you think you're worth more than settling for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, joint problems? If you are one of the majority of people who believes that there is a God or Creator, do you really think this is what he had in mind when He created you?  I don't think so. I think you definitely deserve better than to settle on the new "average" in the US. 

So let's quickly take a look on how easy it can be to lose 1 pound per week. If you lost 1 pound per week, that would be 52 lbs in one year! That's amazing!! And its easy to do. You just need to train your brain to 1) appreciate you and love yourself enough to take better care of yourself, 2) be positive about this, don't worry if you mess up, its not a race 3) realize that even the smallest changes you make will result in huge long term health gains.

By cutting your calories by approximately 500 calories per day you can lose 1lb per week.  The cool part is, if you exercise, you don't have to cut 500, it can be less than 500 (or even 0) depending on how much exercise you do!

But let's just tackle eating for now.  Here are some ideas on how to cut out those 500 calories.  I don't want you to cut the good stuff out like veggies, or high quality lean protein, we're talking the stuff your body really doesn't need:

3 homemade choc. chip cookies = 500 cals (approx)
2 beers, + 2 oz of chips = 500 cals (approx)
1-1/2 cups of ice cream = 500 cals (approx)
2 12 oz glasses of soda, + 1 cup of pretzles + 500 cals (approx)
1 tall mocha Frappucino + 1 plain bagel 500 cals (approx)

Now I don't want you skipping meals to cut out those calories. Skipping breakfast and lunch is probably the worst thing you can do because you'll be famished before dinner and on a rampage in the kitchen.  The above is just some of the extras we may include in our day that could be cut out if you really wanted to cut some pounds.

Hard or easy? Its really depends on how you look at it and how badly you want to improve your health before a doctor orders you too.

I would love to help you with healthy meal ideas and custom meal plans.  Having a meal plan will make losing weight and your life so much easier.  I love using my meal planner,it helps save me time and guessing what to make.  Click here if you'd like to take a 30-day trial of the meal plan I have to offer.  If you don't like it within the 30-days you get a full refund. 

Please feel free to leave a comment here or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Obesity is the in thing, an eye opener at Disney

You know how you hear about something on the news or on the Internet, but it really doesn't hit home with you? Well, I always knew there was an obesity problem in the US, but I don't go out a lot so I really don't see too many people. I mean I do go to the playground with the kids, I go to the library with them and I will go food shopping, but most of the time I place an order online and pick it up without having to leave my car.  So my day consists of very little face to face action.

When I was doing more personal training, my clients weren't in bad shape. They might have had 15 or 20 pounds to lose, but nothing that I would say fell under the definition of obesity.  Even while teaching classes at the gym, most of the people who took my classes were in shape.  I guess a lot of people who are obese feel self conscious about the whole gym environment.  It can be intimidating with all of those mirrors and people walking around with just a workout bra and shorts.

During our very recent vacation, I was shocked to see the amount of obese people and families at the resort we stayed at.  I'd have to say that I counted only 6-10 adults that seemed to be within a healthy weight range at the pool.  These in shape people were some of the same people I would see at the fitness center every morning.  And let me tell you, the most people at the fitness center when I was there was 3 including me.

It was pretty sad to see people riding scooters to go down the corridors of the resort because they were suffering complications from obesity. Then when we went to Magic Kingdom, the numbers of obese people increased even more.  I'd have to say that obesity was the majority there.  Did you know they say the average size American woman is a size 14?

I find it sad that most Americans know what is good and bad for them, but they still continue to make bad choices because its easier than making good choices.  I'm not talking about making a bad food choice on occasion, we all like to indulge a little bit now and then.  But more and more Americans are eating foods that used to be an occasional treat every day, every meal.  More and more Americans are choosing not to exercise at all. They'd rather sit in front of the computer or TV.  Hey, its okay to relax. Relaxation is very good, but you need to burn more calories than you eat. So if your day consists of a lot of sitting and driving around, you need to adjust your calories accordingly. 

What's the point of me writing all of this? Well, it renewed my passion to reach out and help people stay in shape or get in shape.  I'm not suggesting that everyone get washboard abs, or super skinny, but just get to a healthy weight. Its not easy to change habits.  Its especially hard when you seem to have the whole nation pushing for you to become super-sized.  You need to have the desire to change.  You need a good support system and have a plan.

I know this might seem overwhelming, but there is hope.  You have me and a whole community at Team Beachbody to offer help for free.  If you or someone you know is having a hard time sticking to a plan, let me know.  I would love to help you.

I'd also love to hear from you.  Feel free to leave a comment here or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

My vacation and staying fit

Vacations, we all love them,cherish them and eagerly await them. We even diet and exercise right before our vacation in order to look good, maybe even hot, and to perhaps feel great while on our retreat.  But most of the time we will throw all of that hard work out the window when we go away, only to feel bloated, guilty and maybe 5 pounds heavier when we return.

I don't know about you, but I can still have a great time on my vacation if I take the time out to squeeze in exercise and plan some healthy meals and snacks.  I know this isn't a very popular idea, but trust me, if you give it a try you won't be disappointed.

Recently, my family and I had the opportunity to take some time off and travel to Florida to visit with my mom and also my dad. We stayed at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village.  First off, we were blessed to stay at this amazing resort.  It made it very easy to keep up with eating right and sticking to my P90X routine (at the time of my vacation I was in week 11 now in week 12).  We stayed in a room with a fully equipped kitchen. I know there are a lot of people who don't find cooking on their vacation fun, but with 4 kids it really saves us from a lot of headaches and spending too much money on food.  Knowing we would have the kitchen, I packed my vanilla whey protein and Shakeology, along with things like plain oatmeal, whole grain bread, beans, brown rice and other healthy goodies.  Once we got down there I hit up Wal-Mart for the rest of our pantry. 

You can save a ton of money, time and calories by just eating breakfast in your room. With a dishwasher right there all we had to do was prepare, eat and stack dishes. Then we were ready to hit the pool.

We did indulge a few times and ordered private poolside dining, but we tried to stay healthy with that too.  The resort made it easy to pick healthy choices such as Tandoori chicken with chickpeas.  But for most of the days, I just ran up to the room to blend up (well my husband did that) a chocolate and peanut butter Shakeology.

Exercise wasn't a problem and I really looked forward to that part of the day. I woke up around 6:30 am (I know, I'm crazy), every morning to stretch and then take a walk to the fitness center.  I know this doesn't sound like something to look forward to, but the walk to the fitness center was so beautiful, relaxing and peaceful. The sun would just be coming up, there were flowers everywhere and cool little lamps to guide your way.  I really enjoyed this sacred time to myself every morning and felt this was truly one of the best parts of my vacation.

I stuck to my P90X schedule as closely as possible. Since I was on vacation, I didn't want to spend too much time in the gym, so I adjusted my routine to include 25 minutes on the treadmill or stepper and then 25 minutes of a strength routine.  Then on my scheduled cardio days I did 35-40 minutes on the treadmill or stepper and then 10 minutes of abs.  I feel like even though it was a quick routine, I worked really hard.

Again, I know most of you might find this not fun at all, or maybe even slightly crazy, but I didn't gain any weight while away and no feelings of "why did I eat that much?" type guilt.

I've got lots more to blog about, but will wait until later on.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com.

Healthy snacks for watching TV

I don't know what it is about watching sports on TV that makes us want to snack? You would think it would it would do the opposite and make us want to get moving, uh, no.  So how do you take what seems to be a centuries old tradition and  make it healthier? Read the article below:

10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time


By Joe Wilkes

Fall is upon us, which means that the new TV season has begun, baseball is heading into the postseason, and football is starting up. The weather's getting cooler, and the couch will soon call for you to lie down on it with a warm blanket. Now, keep in mind we're not encouraging any couch potato behavior. We'd prefer you pop in a P90X video and use the couch as a towel rack. But we're all human, and it's almost impossible to resist the siren song of a playoff game or the return of Glee or Dancing with the Stars. Just because you're taking a couple of hours off to flatten both your gluteal muscles and your sofa cushions doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with chips, cookies, or other bagged diet-killers. Here are 10 tasty and healthy snacks that are great for TV downtime.

1.Popcorn. It's not just for the movie theater anymore. In fact, you're better off skipping it at the movie theater, because a bucket of oil-popped movie theater popcorn can contain as much fat as three to five double cheeseburgers. But air-popped popcorn is a pretty benign treat. Three cups of popcorn have just 93 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Air-popped popcorn doesn't have much nutritive value outside of the energy you may get from the calories and some dietary fiber, but it can satisfy your munchies without getting you too far off the diet path. The best popcorn comes from your own hot-air popper—and with no additional fat or salt, unless you add it later. If you're going for microwave convenience, make sure you read the label carefully. Even some of the "healthy" brands contain a fair amount of fat and salt. And many microwave brands contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer. You might be better off making your own microwave popcorn. Just put 1/4 cup of popcorn into a brown lunch bag, fold the top over tightly, and microwave at your usual popcorn setting. Try to avoid salt and butter. Instead, enjoy your favorite herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice with some garlic powder or cayenne pepper.

2.Bean dip. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they don't have tons of calories. One cup of canned pintos only has 206 calories; it also has 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber—almost half of your recommended daily allowance. And beans are incredibly filling. Even prepackaged bean dips are pretty decent (of course, always check the label for the fat and sodium contents). You can make your own dips, hot or cold, by food-processing canned black or pinto beans (my favorites are the ones canned with jalapeños) and adding water to create your desired consistency. You can also use fat-free refried beans. You could add some chopped bell or jalapeño peppers, green onions, or canned corn to add a crunchy texture, or some chopped tomatoes for a little extra flavor and vitamins. Instead of fatty fried tortilla chips, use baked chips or, better yet some crunchy raw veggies like carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.

3.Salsa. This is the perfect mix of tomatoes, onions, and peppers—all members of the top tier of Michi's Ladder. And the great thing is that salsa is so low in calories and so high in fiber, you can basically eat it by the cupful and not gain weight. If you buy it at the store though, watch out for the salt content—that's the secret ingredient in most canned and jarred salsas. You're much better off making your own pico de gallo: Just dice tomatoes and onions and mix with as much minced jalapeño and/or garlic as you can stand. Add fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste and toss the veggies in the juice of two limes. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can eat it with baked chips or the crunchy veggies that also go great with the bean dip. The salsa and the bean dip also complement each other well, for the double dippers among us.

4.Crispbread crackers. These crunchy treats (including Wasa® and Rykrisp® brands) have around 30 calories a cracker (depending on the brand, flavor, and style) and a couple of grams of fiber in each one. For the Top Chef in you, they make great bases for some healthy ingredients from your refrigerator. Try a dollop of fat-free cottage cheese with a dash of hot sauce; a slice of turkey breast and roasted red pepper; a "schmear" of hummus and a couple of pitted olives; or a slice of tomato and a fresh basil leaf with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Even the pico de gallo recipe above with some shredded nonfat cheddar will make a tasty cracker-topping treat. By being creative with some wholesome ingredients, you'll forget all about the halcyon days of eating Ritz® crackers washed down with aerosol cheese right from the can (sigh).

5.Pistachios. Pistachios are a great heart-healthy snack full of antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fats (the good kind). A 1/2-cup serving (with the shells, assuming you don't eat them) only has 170 calories, with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber; however, that serving also has 14 grams of fat, so don't go nuts chowing down on a whole bag. Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, and other nuts all have their nutritional upsides, too, but the reason I think pistachios make great snacks is the shells. The shells are difficult to open, so rather than shoveling handfuls of pre-shelled nuts down your throat, eat in-the-shell pistachios so you're forced to slow down. Keep an eye on the sodium content when you buy the nuts. Either buy unsalted or low-salt versions. And forget those disgusting pink ones that taste like lipstick. Who needs to leave hot-pink fingerprints all over the couch? A lot of stores also sell flavored versions that aren't too salty—chili-lime is one of my favorites.

6.Edamame. The Japanese have one of the healthiest diets in the world, and soybeans are a great staple of that diet. Edamame—steamed or boiled soybean pods—contain all the essential amino acids, many essential fatty acids, and soy isoflavones. And a half-cup of beans only has 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 9 grams of carbs, with 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Truly one of nature's perfect foods. And like pistachios, you can serve them in their shells, which slows down your face-stuffing process, giving you time to feel full before you've overeaten.

7.Mini-pizzas. Forget the frozen food section. Anyone with a toaster oven or a broiler pan can be his or her own Mama Celeste or Chef Boyardee®. Just take half of a whole wheat English muffin (67 calories; 2 grams of fiber), add a little low-sodium tomato-based spaghetti or pizza sauce and a sprinkle of shredded low-fat or nonfat mozzarella cheese, and voilà—tasty and healthy pizza! As with the crispbread crackers, your imagination's the only limit for toppings. Fresh herbs like basil and oregano are delicious. Peppers, mushrooms, and low-sodium anchovies are popular and fairly healthy. Just stay away from processed meats like pepperoni, which are often loaded with saturated fat, carcinogenic nitrates, and sodium.

8.Pita chips and hummus. Now you can open a Greek taverna in your living room. While some stores sell premade pita chips, you can easily make your own with very little fuss and muss (and usually with much less fat and salt). A large whole wheat pita has 170 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and less than 2 grams of fat. To make chips, cut around the edge of the pita with a small paring knife, so you have two discs. Then with a knife or pizza cutter, cut the discs into eighths or smaller chip-size pieces. Arrange the pieces on an aluminum-foil-covered cookie sheet, lightly spray with some olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with a little salt, low-fat Parmesan cheese, or your favorite dried herbs. Cook in oven or toaster oven until lightly browned and crispy, then serve with your favorite hummus or dip recipe.

9.Relish tray. Some of my favorite snacks are pickled or brined anything—cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, artichoke hearts, carrots, okra, baby corn, cornichons, cocktail onions, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi . . . even herring and hard-boiled eggs! Extremely low in calories, a plate full of pickled veggies on the coffee table is great for snacking. But watch out for the sodium! Certain store brands have more than others. The more ambitious might try marinating their fresh veggies in vinegar and a little heart-healthy olive oil to control the amount of salt involved. If you use salty brands, you might consider rinsing them to get rid of some of the salt, or mixing them on a plate with some fresh, unpickled vegetables to mitigate your salt intake.

10.Deviled eggs. Eggs, once considered a scourge of the heart-healthy diet, are now getting a better rap. What's indisputable is the health value of the whites. If you take the yolks out of the equation, the egg whites prove to be small, healthy, high-protein delivery systems suitable for all kinds of nutritious creamy fillings. Cut a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in half, lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the yolks. (See the Yolkless Deviled Eggs recipe elsewhere in this newsletter!) Try mixing some nonfat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or nonfat cream cheese with your favorite flavorings and spices, then blending or food-processing until creamy. Spoon or pipe the mixture into the egg whites where the yolks used to be, and you'll have a high-protein snack without all the fat and cholesterol. You can also use the empty egg whites as scoops for your favorite healthy dip or salsa.

Of course, you can enjoy even more snack food if you can work some exercise into your TV watching. During playoff season, don't just save the stretching for the seventh inning. Try some exercises like P90X X Stretch throughout the game. Or if you're settling in for a night in front of the tube, make a deal with yourself—you can veg out and watch The Office and 30 Rock if you turn off Jay Leno. If you watch a show like Hawaii Five-O that motivates you to kick some butt, schedule some INSANITY time immediately after the show while your adrenaline's still pumping. Or if, like me, you've become enslaved to your DVR or TiVo®, use it to your advantage and do a cooldown stretch to your favorite show as a reward for a well-done workout.

Jessica's Healthy Homemade Waffles

Waffles are my kids second favorite breakfast (pancakes are #1).  I used to buy frozen waffles and pancakes week after week. That gets expensive, and I knew I could make my own and save money.  At first I started using "box mix," then I decided try to save even more money by making the mix from scratch.  Plus they are a lot healthier without preservatives and I can use whole wheat flour and add flax seed to the mix.

You will need a waffle iron.  They vary in price. I went with a model that was about $20.  The investment I made in purchasing the waffle iron 2 years ago has more than paid for itself by saving me at least $4 per week on frozen waffles.  I make this batch (makes about 12 waffles) and then freeze the leftover waffles for easy breakfasts.  My kids will eat one waffle with some scrambled eggs on the side.

This recipe is pretty easy, and you can add 1-2 scoops of whey protein powder for extra protein.  I don't do this because my 4 year old can pick up on that extra ingredient and he doesn't like it.

So here is the recipe for my healthy, homemade, economical waffles (if you want my pancake recipe, go to July 2010).

1 and 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of ground flax seed
2 TBS sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of canola or veg.oil
1 and 3/4 cups of milk

Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Heat waffle iron. While that is heating,mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Batter should be lumpy.

Use a ladle to pour 1/4 - 1/3 cup (may be slightly more or less depending on size of waffle iron) of batter onto waffle iron.

Close the lid of waffle maker and cook for about 4 minutes. Waffles will be golden brown and crisp. They will soften once they cool.  Repeat this step until batter is gone.

You can let the waffles cool and then place leftovers in a freezer bag or container. Frozen waffles can be reheated in toaster.

Some of the reasons why I workout

The other day, while doing a very hard P90X back and legs workout, I got to thinking "why am I doing this??"  I mean a lot of other people aren't spending their child's nap time exercising. They're doing house work, they're catching up on phone calls, sewing, crafting maybe some other business.  I don't know. But why am I sweating, huffing and puffing my way through 45minute long, tough workouts 6 days a week?  Why am I watching what food I put into my body? 

Well in my last blog, I pointed out that its the small things we do every day that amount to the big things.  So even though we may not see results in microwaved instant, they will come in time. And its not all outward appearance, its what's going on inside of your body that counts too.

But we're creatures that like to see results outwardly more than the inner benefits, especially when it comes to exercise and nutrition.

So here are some reasons why I do this to  myself:

• I really like having a flat belly. I know it may seem vain, but I like looking down an not seeing what used to be a bulge.  Plus I had 4 kids, so to see my belly this flat, is pretty cool.
• I love having the energy to keep up with my 4 kids.  When I take them to the playground, I like to be able to play with them.
• I love that my body is flexible and strong.  Again, when I play with my kids, I love the fact that I can squeeze through all the narrow mazes and crouch down real low and not bump my head or hurt my back.  I can swing from the monkey bars and jump from the high places without fear.
• Even though P90X is a challenge, I love how I feel mentally and physically after completing a workout.  As a mom of 4 kids, things don't always get finished, or if they do often it will appear that it never got worked on (like the family room always getting trashed by Hurricane Alexa).  But I get a feeling of accomplishment when I do exercise, especially if it was very difficult to get through.
• I love when my kids decide to join me while exercising.  Michael (he's 4) has been doing the warm-ups with me during P90X and some of the exercises.  Alexa (she's 2) likes to join me in yoga an stretching.  And my older boys, Chris and Anthony like to do push-ups and cardio with me.
•  Someone once said to me that I should have fun and just eat.  What's funny is that I do eat (about 1900 cals), and just because I'm not stuffing a slice of cheesecake in my mouth doesn't mean I'm not having fun! I love to eat, but for some reason I don't equate it to having fun.  I eat to fuel my body and give me energy. Having the energy to play with my kids is fun.

• I love to look good when I get dressed up.  Listen, I don't do dress up often, but when I do, I love it when my husband says "you look hot!"  Who wouldn't want to hear that? I totally love the fact that my husband is still attracted to me.  And let me tell you, he's not the type to give out compliments just because.
• I like to see my muscles in my arms.  Again, I know this sounds vain, but its nice to see a little biceps and triceps action.
• I love when I go to the doctor and my blood pressure is good, and my cholesterol is good too. I know there's nothing sexy or hot about that, but it is a good feeling to know you're taking care of your body the right way.

So those are just a few of my "why's." I know some of you think I'm crazy because I don't go out drinking anymore or have a glass of wine every night (instead I meet a friend at Starbuck's on occasion). I don't eat a lot of "fun" food.  I spend my free time working out and trying to get others to do so.  Yes, it is a little crazy, but I like it. 

Its not for everyone, but if you're not happy with how things are going now, its not too late to make some changes.  The only thing you have to lose is maybe some high cholesterol, some high blood pressure, some inches off your waist and some pounds off the scale.

I'd love to hear from you.  Leave me some feedback here or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

Plant. Cultivate. Harvest. - Decide. Commit. Succeed.

I've been in the fitness industry for over 6 years now, and the amount of people who give up on their fitness goals always amazes me.  You would think that I'd be used to it by now, but I always hold out hope when a friend or client of mine makes the decision to get back in shape.  The odds are stacked against most people though.  And I can tell you it has nothing to do with genetics, gender, age, positive thinking, negative thinking, rewards, feeling deprived or any of the other excuses that I have heard or read.

I started reading "The Slight Edge," by Jeff Olson. It arrived in the mail yesterday and I was eager to start reading it.  The book 's subtitle is "Secret to a $uccessful Life." Yes, the "S" in "successful" is actually a "$"sign.  I knew a lot of people reading the book and the reviews were pretty good. But what I didn't know is that the author was going to tackle health and fitness and why some people will succeed, but most will fail and give up.

Again, this isn't about positive thinking or imagining our way to the perfect body, perfect life, perfect bank  account. I actually did read a book once that said if you picture yourself healthy and thin, you will become healthy and slim. Yeah, right! Or other books will tell you that if you think positively about exercise and getting healthy, you will want to do it more often.  But realistically we can't be positive 24/7. We're going to have bad days, and days where we'd rather not exercise or eat right.

In the book it says "We plant the seed by joining the gym, and then we get frustrated when a few days go by and there's no fitness harvest." OMG, this is so true. We want to plant the seed and go right to the harvest.  We expect that if we just jump on the treadmill for a week or start our first week of P90X we should see results now.  We want results after only 2 days of eating healthier. 

Our problem is that we're such an instant gratification society, that we forget it takes time to cultivate our "harvest."  In this case I'm talking our "fitness harvest." But this is also true with relationships, money, learning a new skill, paying off debt, etc... We have the good intention of starting something good, but if we don't see the results that day, we want to quit.

And as the author states, the results of quitting aren't very dramatic either, which makes it easy to do.  You're not going to drop dead of a heart attack tomorrow, if you decide to stop your exercise or eating right. But over time, if you continue to do so, it will happen.  But its the same with deciding to stick to a plan and cultivate it. You won't get that body you've been dreaming about right away, or your cholesterol might not go down yet, but in time will happen.

Too many times I've heard from people that they've been doing a week of P90X or Insanity and they don't notice any changes. Or they've started eating right (for a few days) and they still weight the same.  This always send up a red flag to me, because if they can't keep their focus on the unseen, big prize ahead of them, they may never make it there.

As Beachbody says, " DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED."

So how about you? I'd love to hear your feedback, thoughts or questions.  You can leave a comment here or you can email me at fitwithjessica@live.com.

Autumn Resolutions

So what does autumn have to do with resolutions? Aren't those just for January? I never really thought about it before, but when summer unofficially ends with Labor Day and the start of school, we tend to start thinking of getting organized, eating better, starting back with our fitness program, taking classes,etc.

I think its a great time to make some resolutions. Get a head start! Why wait until January? 

So here are some of my autumn resolutions:

• Squeezing extra cardio. Not a lot for now, just an extra 20 min per day in addition to my regular routine.
• Eating better. I know my nutrition isn't that bad, but I want to tighten it up a little more.
• Read more personal development books, just 10 minutes.
• Drink more water.
• Keep the school paperwork down to a minimum.Try not to let it pile up.
• Keep my kitchen table free from clutter. We eat all our meals in the dining room, so the kids tend to pile stuff on top of the kitchen table.
• Spend more time reading to my 4 year old and 2 year old.
• Organize my closet.
• Plan out snacks and meals-on-the-go for kids sporting events.  Save money and eat healthier by avoiding fast food for kids.
• Help my team of coaches even more. Offer more support, motivation and promote them more on my website and Facebook
• Spend more time outside no matter the weather.

So what are some of your goals you want to start this fall? I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or send an email to fitwithjessica@live.com.

Success Story - Sky, Team Beachbody Member/Flight Attendant

I love hearing success stories.  I especially love it when its from someone I am coaching! Trust me, Sky is gorgeous no matter what, but she had a few pounds that she wanted to shed. Sky is also very busy flying the friendly skies as a flight attendant, so sticking to a workout and nutrition program can be pretty tricky.  But having a busy and unusual schedule didn't stop her from doing her P90X workouts on the road and keeping up with her nutritional needs with Shakeology.

Sky let me share an email she sent me last night:

"Coach, I am doing GREAT!!! Loving my P90X, the SHAKEOLOGY has done WONDERS FOR ME!!!! Today was my jeans day where I tried on my clothing. And I am officially from a size 9/10 down to a comfortable, loose size 7/8.  I have dropped quite a bit of weight with my Shakeology being my BEST MEAL OF THE DAY!!!! I'm going to order new uniforms as my current ones are simply slipping off. = ) LOL.. I am soooooo HAPPY!!!"

Again, Sky doesn't have the most ideal schedule in the world, yet she is bringing it every time and making the best of it. 

So what's stopping you from losing that last 10 or 20 pounds (or more)? What's stopping you from changing the way you live to a more healthier lifestyle?

I know people who think nothing of paying over $4.50 for a beer when they go out or $9 for a glass of wine.  I have friends who think nothing of spending over $4 daily on Starbuck's coffee or $6 daily on a pack of cigarettes.  Yet they look at me like I have two heads when they hear the price of Shakeology or P90X,  or another workout system or supplement. If you breakdown what the cost of Shakeology is, at the most its only $3.96 per serving.  P90X works out to be about $1.32 per day if you divide it up into 90 days.  And they will complain that they are overweight, tired, feeling miserable, on too much medication, have no energy...

Sky didn't let excuses stop her, and she could have come up with a lot.  Don't let the excuses in your head stop you. You don't have to just except feeling tired, lacking energy, being overweight. You can change your life and start living healthier.  Its not too late.

Send me an email if you have questions or want help.