Do you ever have trouble motivating yourself to exercise? I've been there ...and I'm a personal trainer! Sometimes the last thing I want to do is stay at the gym when I've just trained my clients.  I'll admit I was in a big workout rut for a few months... I think the hardest thing is gaining that momentum. Once you start again, it's so much easier to continue and I'm happy to write that I am definitely on the workout train again and it feels so good! Here are some of my tips to get inspired and motivated when you're in a slump: 

Find something that you actually LIKE to do -  just because your friends run doesn't mean you have to. I recently got a new bike and have been riding constantly! I like to fit in a ride as many days as I can, even if it's just a few minutes. It makes such a difference in the way I feel and it's a great way to soak up some sunshine and get a great workout in while exploring America's Finest City!

Work out somewhere different - What energizes you? Where do you find inspiration? Do you love to be by the ocean? In the mountains? Change up your scenery.

Take a new class! Sign up for something new at the gym, take an outdoor bootcamp, whatever sounds good to you. I love the energy of a group class and someone else pushing you harder than you'd normally work out.

Buy a new pair of workout shoes  - I'm a little obsessed with BRIGHT-colored shoes... nothing like putting those on to make you want to lift some weights!

Start small - you don't have to run a marathon the first time you start exercising. Just do a little bit at a time, maybe a few lunges or squats and pushups in your room, just a few minutes every day is a great way to start.

Get a friend to work out with you - It's hard to ditch your workout when you have someone waiting for you.

Picture what you want to look like - one of my mentors JJ Virgin uses this trick with her clients all the time. Take a picture of your head and put it on the body you want - look at it on a daily basis, visualization is SO powerful. Speaking of that, visualizing yourself getting up to go for a bike ride or going to the gym after work is so helpful to actually make those things happen.

Share your goals - tell your roommates, family, friends your goals. They'll help keep you accountable. If people around you aren't supportive - time to find some new fit friends!

Make a new playlist - Some of my favorite workout tunes right now -

Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

Give Me Everything - Pitbull

Firework - Katy Perry

Only Girl in the World - Rihanna

More (RedOne Jimmy Joker remix) - Usher

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

Yes I like party music for my workouts, you don't have to =)

Get a personal trainer - Many people tell me that they want to get in shape before they get a trainer... that's what we're here for my friends. A good trainer will meet you where you are, help you get clear on your goals, and motivate you along the way to meeting those goals!

Sign up for an event - Pick an event to sign up for - maybe you've always thought you want to do a sprint triathlon. I had no idea what I was doing when I did my first one a few years ago - I didn't know the wetsuit zipper goes in the back, older men were passing me yelling  "Mountain biker!!" and I swallowed a bunch of ocean water because the waves were so big.  I placed 8^th in my age category... out of 8.... but I finished it!!! (Yes those things actually happened, I couldn't make this up.)

The hardest part is taking that first step - once you lace up your running shoes, or put on those workout clothes, or step foot in the gym, it's hard to turn around. What are you going to do today? Here's something to do RIGHT NOW: get up from your computer and go for a walk and get some fresh air!

Fitzee Girl Audition - Evelyne Lambrecht

I've been a fan of Optimal Nutrition since I first started eating their bars at Fitness Quest 10 about 4 years ago. Optimal Nutrition's sister company Fitzee Foods now has an actual location where you can pick up organic meals and snacks to-go. Some of their meals include Misoyaki salmon with vegetable coconut rice, BBQ chicken wrap, and Rocky spaghetti and meat sauce. Fitzee's mission is to provide their tribe of health conscious "Fitzees" with quick, fresh, all-natural meals that nourish their mind, body, and soul - how cool is that! 

Fitzee Foods is located at Liberty Sation in Point Loma - go check it out and tell them I sent you. I'm so excited that I'll be leading all of their free Saturday workouts in July (7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30). We will meet at the store at 2445 Truxtun Road #109, next to Verizon Wireless at 10am.  

In other exciting Fitzee news, the company is looking for their Fitzee Girl and I want to be it! When I first heard the description, I just knew I had to do it. You can watch my audition video on the Fitzeegirl channel on YouTube and by clicking the box above. The winner will be announced on June 11^th.  Thanks everyone for your support so far!!

Lately I've been on a breakfast burrito kick... no, not the kind that you get at the Mexican drive-through, but the homemade kind.

Though it is a little more time-consuming to prepare everything in the morning - you could easily save time by doing the prep work the night before and just re-heating it in the morning. After you've sautéed (I use coconut oil or ghee) whatever you're going to put in the burrito, transfer it to a bowl and put the brown rice tortilla in the pan on medium heat and turn it over a few times. Then fill it up and ENJOY! Let me know what combinations you come up with. I've enoyed this breakfast so much because it gives me energy for a few hours and is great fuel for a workout (at least for me). People always ask me what to eat before a workout and I honestly believe it depends... some people feel great with a shake in the morning, some don't do well eating a big meal before, some do - just experiment with different dishes to find out what gives you the most fuel for your workout.

I've made so many different variations so wanted to share a few of these with you:

- Sautéed chicken breakfast sausages, 2 pastured eggs, arugula, ½ avocado

- Sautéed kale, cabbage, and shredded carrots, ground turkey, guacamole

- Chicken breakfast sausage, kale, mushrooms, eggs, parsley

- Smoked salmon, eggs, sprouts, chives

I also wanted to share one of my favorite lunches - a great healthy salad that takes  about 5 minutes to throw together -

In a salad bowl, mix baby arugula, smoked salmon, ½ avocado chopped up, chives, and about ¼ can of organic corn. I've also added sliced eggs in this salad. Something about the peppery taste of arugula, the sweet taste of the corn, the salty taste of the salmon, and the creaminess of the avocado taste heavenly together - no dressing required!