This was a sad weekend for America. Jack LaLanne, a health n’ fitness pioneer, legend & family friend has passed away at the age of 96. He was a powerhouse of inspiration, innovation, enthusiasm, passion & knowledge about living a healthy life. He led by example his entire life, what a huge commitment he had to himself and everyone else.

Uncle Justus Motter, My Brother Harry, Jack LaLanne, Kardena Pauza (Motter)

I had the privilege of meeting Jack LaLanne several years back, what an honor. My father and uncles helped establish Muscle Beach with Jack back in the 1940′s. My father & uncle shunned the fast food industry and junk food and opted for the nutritious food to fuel their Vaudeville shows and hand balancing acts to entertain the people of that exciting time.

I could relate to Jacks story of growing up sick, pimply faced, weak and wanting to hide from people. Maybe that’s why I am also such an advocate for living a healthy and vibrant life. I know what it’s like on the other side and it’s a horrible place to be. Once I started exercising and changed my diet, my appearance dramatically change, I had tons more energy, my acne cleared up, my thoughts were more positive.  I got so excited about life, I wanted to share my new discovery with the world, just like Jack.

This man had such a huge vision for humanity that his passion helped invent gym equipment, the introduction of gyms, introducing women to exercise, and age defying acts that to-this-day no one has attempted.

My Father Eddie Motter and Uncle Jus- Vaudeville shows

He was such a beacon of light for so many people, inspiring millions. With his passing I look to carry on the legacy and inspire millions to make massive & profound changes to a healthier & vibrant lifestyle.

My heart goes out to his wife, family & closet friends. The world was a much better place with him in it!

Please share how Jack LaLanne changed your life? We bought a Jack LaLanne juicer for my husbands parents. They love it & share with us they have so much more energy! Got a juicer!?

Kardena Pauza- Fitness Trainer, Author, Speaker, Coach
Author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans

Happy Holidays Everyone!  I loved drinking eggnog when I was a kid. Come to think of it, I loved anything that was high powered sugar and fat. Boy,was I hyped up on sugar as a kid! Good thing they didn’t know the word ADD back then or I probably would have been put on medication.

I still enjoy the traditional flavors of the holidays but I can do without the super heavy 400 calorie eggnog with the unhealthy high fructose corn syrup, heavy cream, and egg.
There are such better options now for enjoying and celebrating the holidays without packing on the statistical 5-10 lbs of holiday weight.
I’ve been making this eggnog for several years now and my parents, sisters and brother absolutely love it. It has a silky creamy smooth consistency without the super heavy feeling. It’s packed with the same great flavorful spices you find in traditional eggnog.

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make! The recipe is written below for you.
***BTW- I recommend a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Total Blender.

Healthy Raw Vegan Low Cal Eggnog
2 1/2-3 cups water
1 cup raw almonds   (Optional: Soak 12 hrs in Water-Healthier & Blends easier)
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews  (Optional: Soak 12 hrs in Water-Healthier & Blends easier)
Blend the nuts & water, then strain the pulp out by using a nut milk bag

4-5 dates (can use agave nectar or stevia)
1 tsp vanilla extract (alcohol free)
1 tsp. pumpkin spice or 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon & dash cloves (all ground)
dash salt

Blend nutmilk and the rest of the ingredients together in the blender until dates are completely blended smooth & silky.
You are done and it’s ready to serve! You can serve it cold or warm.

The almond fiber that’s left over after straining the nut milk can be used to make cranberry orange scones. Go to this link to see the video and recipe. Now you’ll have made eggnog and scones for whatever your event may be!

Enjoy!

Kardena Pauza,

Author of easyveggiemealplans.com

a 90 day vegetarian weight loss meal plan.

I had to share with you a surprise I had recently.  Some of you may know I love to go camping and be outdoors so, I put together a camping trip with some close friends.

Everyone brought food for our community meals and some of them haven’t read my blog it seems. That’s ok, it gives me more to write about.

We grilled up some veggie patties and grabbed for some tasty BBQ sauce. My brother did the honors.

Brother & Christine BBQing

BUT remember,

My # 1 rule before eating anything from a package is to read the ingredient list & then the nutrition label. DO NOT trust the front of the label, always read the back.

I read the ingredient list on this BBQ Sauce and what do you know,

the first ingredient was High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Since high fructose corn syrup was first on the list, that means the main ingredient is HFCS. That’s absurd! 2 tablespoons contained 17 grams of sugar!

It was like spicy tomato syrup.

HFCS is the worst type of sugar you could put in your body don’t forget about the extra calories these sauces bring.

If you added some kind of sauce, dip, dressing, spread, or jam that added an extra 100-200 calories to each meal.

You could be potentially gain 1 lbs. a week!

Watch out for those extra condiment calories! They can add up fast!
Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans- 90 day vegetarian weight loos plan
Certified Personal Trainer- Edge Personal Training

Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables do have some calories. Eating must be planned and limited even on a vegetarian diet. The good news is that a plant-based diet tends to have less fat and fewer calories than the same amount of meat. An ounce of fried bacon, for instance, has about the same number of calories as about 13 ounces of apple slices. That does not mean that you can eat an unlimited number of apples and expect to be normal weight, but a 200 calorie snack consisting of 13 ounces of apple slices will satisfy you more than the same 200 calories in only 1 ounce of bacon. The amount of fiber and water content and gives apples more volume therefore it’s more filling.If you were to plan to have a salad for lunch you would likely have enough food to fill you up without filling your fat cells, but only if you controlled your portions. Here is any easy recipe for a filling salad:

• 2 cups of lettuce
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1/4 cup of mushrooms
• 4 slices of tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of water chestnuts
• 1 tablespoon  of sunflower seeds
• a slice of diced onions
• 5 olives
• 1 cup of  of diced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup of celery
• 1/2 cup of carrots
• 1 tablespoon of dressing

Size: Diner Plate Calories: 333

To fill the same sized plate with a hamburger and French fries you would have more than 800 calories. Of course, 333 does not equal zero so if you continued to eat salads all day your weight would go out of control.

The myth of “negative calories” is an impossible dream. It takes very few calories to chew celery or mushrooms, so eating all you want will not make you lose weight.

A vegetarian diet is not a magic bullet, but used judiciously it can help lead to good weight control and general good health.

Today is all about  a product health watch. Somebody (no names!) brought a zesty guacamole to our kickball game and it never got opened or eaten. It sat in my refrigerator for a couple days, but I got hungry and I went to eat it.

It looks like it came from a traditional supermarket, but then I stopped and looked at the ingredients. I thought guacamole is supposed to be vegan or vegetarian? Not in this case! Looking at the ingredients, the 1^st one is milk, which is strange (it should be avocados), the 2^nd one is soybean oil and the 3^rd one is tomatoes. Turns out that avocados account for less than 2% of the ingredients!

When I looked closer look at the label, it says zesty guacamole “flavored dip.” If you’re like me, I thought it was guacamole, but it’s really just the flavor. If you read the ingredient list, it has over 35 ingredients! Crazy!!!  There’s whey, egg yolk, sugar, dried milk, sodium benzoate (a preservative, but also a known carcinogen, when combined with vitamin c, it creates benzene, known to damage DNA and cause diseases; it also affects children with ADHD and makes them more hyper, malt dextrin (another sugar), gelatin, cornstarch, blue #1, red #40, yellow #5 and yellow #6. Why food coloring? This is nasty! I guess with all those ingredients they couldn’t get natural avocado green. If the first ingredient is skim milk, then we know the majority ingredient is milk, so they have to color it somehow. These food colorings contribute to allergies, cause asthma, thyroid tumors, etc.

Keep it simple! Shame on you zesty guacamole dip!! The only person who should eat this is the sink monster!

Let me show you how to make a natural, easy and super yummy guacamole that only takes 8 ingredients!

• 1 whole avocado
• 1/2 Garlic Clove
• 1/2 to 1 Serrano or Jalapeno Pepper to taste
• 1/4 of an Onion
• 1/2 a large  heirloom tomato
• 1 small bunch of cilantro
• 1/2 a Lemon or Lime Juice
• Salt to taste
• Cayanne Pepper (if  no peppers available)

Slice the avocado in half around the seed, twist in half to separate the halves, then tap the seed with a heavy knife, turn and remove the seed. Scoop out the avocado and put it in a bowl. Mix it up with chopped onion, tomato, cilantro and seasonings. Mix and serve! It’s super health, natural and it’ll taste 100 times better than the guacamole dip that the sink monster ate!

Sink Monster!!!

Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments. And if you don’t have the 90 Day Vegetarian Weight Loss program, go to EasyVeggieMealPlans.com and get one there.

Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans – 90 Day Vegetarian Weight Loss Program
Certified Personal Trainer

I hope you have been enjoying your summer! I have been relaxing since I finished my figure competitions. My husband Mark and I went to the water park last weekend.  It’s fun to be a kid sometimes and play. It’s also a great way to get exercise that’s not monotonous. But you have to run from ride to ride, that gives you that spurt of interval training! We brought fresh watermelon with us to re-hydrate, it was so refreshing.

Have you noticed the watermelon and melons in the store are so ripe and juicy right now?!

Melons are in season right now and so are peaches and plums…Oh My!

I was thinking about this after watching the movie Food Inc. – a documentary about the unhealthy aspects of America’s food industry – including animal cruelty and environmentally-harmful methods of crop growing. My friends had been suggesting watching Food Inc., and I’m so glad I got around to watching it because it ignited my passion for supporting local farmers and being more conscience of my buying habits. Now I eat produce that is in season from my local area as much as possible, and in doing so, am reducing my carbon footprint. Needless to say, I highly recommend watching this movie.

Here is the link to the trailer of the film: http://www.foodincmovie.com/

The film proves why buying locally and supporting local farmers aids in attaining a healthier lifestyle and reducing one’s carbon footprint. Buying locally has so many benefits, including boosting your local economy as well as buying and eating foods that are ultimately of better value, freshness, and better taste. While each state and region of the country varies with what types of foods are in season throughout the year, just check with your local farmers and keep in mind that “Acting Locally – Thinking Globally” benefits us all.

Here are a few of those reasons to buy local:
1. The fruits & vegetables that you see in your local grocery store ship from long distances which create a large carbon footprint on the environment…in fact, the average American foodstuff travels an estimated 1,500 miles before even being consumed!
2. Most fruit & vegetables are picked before produce is ripe which results in lower nutrient levels, including iron and other important nutrients.
3. Chemicals (insecticides, etc) are sprayed on the fruits and vegetables to ward off insects and American industrial agriculture dumps close to one billion pounds of pesticides on food crops annually! The US alone accounts for more than one third of the $33.5 billion in global pesticide sales.
4. Support your local economy, not large corporate conglomerates that are made up of guys wearing business suits that make decisions about how to produce the most food in the least amount of time – I’ve got a hunch that they aren’t thinking about what’s the healthiest for you and I.

So, do you want to know which produce is in season in your region of the country?

Here’s a simple list of fruits & vegetables that are grown here in the United States:

Summer (June, July & August): Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Bananas, Cherries, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Strawberries, Redcurrants, Nectarines, Apples, Grapes, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Mangos, Watermelon, Baby Coconuts, Most melons, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Corn, Cucumbers, Egg plant, Garlic, Green Beans, Celery, Summer Squash, Cilantro, Fennel, Zucchini, Broccoli, Asparagus, Artichoke, Watercress, Radishes, Snow peas, Leeks, Peppers, and Swiss Chard.

Fall (September, October & November): Lettuce, Tomatoes, Eggplants, Pumpkins, Spinach, Pomegranates, Winter Squash, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Apples, Grapes, Mushrooms, Pears, Tangerines, Persimmon, Oranges, and Scallions.

Spring (March, April & May): Greens, Mint, Morels, Lettuce, Kiwi, Kumquats, Parsley, Nettles, Naval Oranges, Sweet Onions, Peas, Asparagus, Spring Onions, Rhubarb, Radishes, Pea Greens, Strawberries, Turnips, Fennel, Carrots, Cilantro, Fiddleheads, Arugula, Beets, Cardoons,  Beans, Apricots, Artichokes, Bok Choy, and Celery.

Winter (December, January & February): Chestnuts, Grapefruit, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Kale, Leeks, Radishes, Rutabaga, Turnips, Citrus Fruit, Dates, Cranberries, Passion Fruit, Pears, Kiwi Fruit, Papayas, Persimmons,  Collard Greens, Sweet Potatoes, Lettuce, Brussels Sprouts, Winter Squash, and Cauliflower.

*Avocado defies logic and seasonal patterns; generally you can always find fresh Avocados.

Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans
Certified Personal Trainer

Hello there! I wanted to let you in on what I’m craving, and that’s a mango vanilla parfait! This is great because it is non-dairy, raw, and there’s no processed sugar. I love it as a summer time refreshing treat!

To start off, we’ll make the vanilla crème. What you’ll need is some raw cashews soaked in water. I like them when they’re soaked, because they’re creamier and easier to blend. Then you get some fresh dates, about a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, a little water, a dash of salt and we’re on our way.

I’m going to use my high-powered blender, but any juicer will do. Just add a cup of cashews and dates (2) and some water and then blend for 1-2 minutes. Once you blend it, taste it to see if it needs more sweetener. Then just add water to make a puree, about 1/3 cup, add extract and everything else.

After I blended it once, I found that it did need more sweetener so I added 2 more dates (de-seeded – don’t forget that!), then I ground a little bit of Himalayan salt to enhance the flavor. Blend once more until smooth…Much better!

To make the mango puree, you can use the same blender. Take two mangos that are ripe from the fridge. Two mangos will be enough for 2-4 servings. Remember, don’t go over-board and eat two by yourself. This recipe makes enough to share with friends

The first step I’ll show you is how to cut the mango. Put it on its side; slice it next to the pit, on either side, then cut a tic-tac-toe pattern to the skin but not through it. Then “bend” the mango so the squares pop out into the blender. Easy, right? To get more meat out of the mango, lay it on its side and cut at an angle and cut as much of the meat away from the seed. In general, two mangos makes two cups.

The other ingredients for the mango puree are lime and coconut oil. The coconut oil will become very liquidy in the hot summer months (firm when you purchase it), but that’s ok, it hasn’t gone rotten. Use a citrus press for the lime and squeeze 1-1.5 tbsp right into blender. Then put 1+ tbsp of coconut oil in and blend to puree.

A martini glass is the perfect serving glass for the parfait; create layers to make your parfait even more inviting and appetizing. Add a layer of mango first, you can add a sprinkling of other berries if you want, then vanilla crème, then another layer of mango, then another layer of vanilla crème on top. Voila!

Because of the natural sugars that digest and metabolize better than process sugar and the amount of healthy fats, this is a great and guilt-free desert!

That’s it for now, but don’t forget to check out my fat loss reports right here at kardenaskitchen.com!

Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans

I have been watching the news about the BP oil spill and all the aftermath and devastation in the Gulf of Mexico. It breaks my heart to see the livelihood and wildlife so negatively affected.

This is not a fun, glamorous or joyous subject to talk about, but I feel it needs to be addressed.

Oil is only one of many contaminants infiltrating our oceans and sea life. Other contaminants are invisibly seeping in to our water ways and sea life.  I just read a study that was recently completed showing the effects from other industrial pollutants on our sea life.

The study was released this week by biologist Roger Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance, showing that our ocean’s whales have absorbed an alarming amount of toxins into their system. The study was conducted over a span of 5 years, and sampled almost 1000 whales.

These toxins are by-products from production of items such as leather, stainless steel, and various metals, etc. The study shows that the pollutants; cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium are being absorbed into the whale’s systems thousands of miles away from where the pollutants originated.
Chromium, a cancer causing pollutant in humans “was found in all but two of the 361 sperm whale samples tested”. Now let’s think about this…a whale is at the top of the food chain in the ocean, so are many fish people eat such as tuna, swordfish, and mackerel. These are the fish that accumulate the most toxins!!!!! It really shows us the damage that can be done to our own wildlife and food supply.

I’m not telling you all of this to scare you….

I’m sharing this information so you know all the facts and can make educated decisions about the way you live, work, and eat.

If you are a pesco-vegetarian, than knowing this information can be very important to your HEALTH.

Mercury is a chemical we have all heard of and have been warned about, but check out this alarming concentration the researchers discovered. “The researchers found mercury as high as 16 parts per million in the whales.” Swordfish typically has levels of about 1 part per million. Mercury contaminants over 0.5 parts per million is considered highl amounts. These numbers come from the FDA and the EPA.

Fish that contain the highest mercury levels and are to be avoided:

• Mackerel (King)

• Marlin

• Orange Roughy

• Shark

• Swordfish

• Tilefish

• Tuna

• Ahi

High levels of mercury exposure is known to cause immune disorders, alters genetics and enzyme systems, damages the nervous system, tremors, damages gastrointestinal tract and it’s especially damaging to developing embryos.

We need to be more careful as a society about what we consume and how we dispose of it. We are essentially poisoning ourselves!

So what are the positive things we can do? Here are some helpful tips on how to choose seafood IF you are pesco vegetarian;

1. Limit the consumption of large seafood – they absorb the most toxins
2. Chose low on the food chain seafood – eg. Anchovies, pollock, catfish, fresh water, trout, sole, sardines, and oysters. They have shorter life spans and reproduce more readily.
3. DO NOT buy farmed Salmon. Sometimes referred to as “Atlantic Salmon” they are raised in crowded and unhealthy conditions and may contain high levels of PCB’s.
4. When thinking about buying seafood at the market, or at a restaurant refer to a Seafood Watch pocket guide such as this one from Monterey Bay Aquarium

AND more importantly, here are some PREVENTATIVE – and not so obvious – measures we can take to insure we have healthy long lasting ocean life!

1. Don’t wash it down the drain – city sewer lines get blocked from grease, excessive food waste, and trash, and cause sewage overflows into the ocean

2. Use natural personal care and laundry products – Waste-water treatment plantsare not equipped to filter out these types of chemicals.
3. Be a green cleaner – Use nontoxic cleaning products and paints over a drop cloth. Recycle used oil, and schedule regular maintenance to avoid fuel and lubricant leaks.
4. Cut up fishing line, string, and rope before throwing it away, and never let balloons fly away – Seabirds and other creatures can get tangled in lines, and marine mammals often mistake balloons for food.
5. Don’t flush unused or expired medications – Hormones, antidepressants, painkillers, and other drugs are showing up in our water supply and harming aquatic life. Crush unused pills and throw them away in kitty litter, used coffee grounds, or other unpalatable items.
6. Use only natural lawn products, and plant trees and shrubs around your property to lessen erosion – About 60 percent of soil that is washed away ends up in waterways, bringing pesticides, and fertilizer, with it
7. Don’t use antibacterial soap – Its most common ingredient, triclosan, is not completely removed during waste-water treatment, and is toxic to marine organisms. FYI- A.B. Soap is not healthy for your skin or immune system.

Join me in the effort to live more consciously. I’m excited to see what we can do to make a difference!

Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans

Hey everyone, while I was at the Cal State Championships in LA, I met with Jen a fellow competitor. We were talking backstage about some tips and some things that really helped us get into shape for the competition. What a great time to share with you guys some healthy tips that really worked for me and that got me into phenomenal shape to be there.

Jen – Thanks Kardena, it’s really nice to meet you. I have a couple of questions for you. It’s actually my first show so it’s definitely a new experience! My first question is: How do you keep your energy level up if you want to avoid taking a fat burner? I know a lot of girls out there like to take fat burner pills but that is something I’m not interested in at this point. What do you recommend I eat to keep my energy level high for my workouts?

Kardena – I definitely don’t take fat burners, there are so many undesirable side effects. Instead, I’ve created this really great amp-up your metabolism drink that you can take first thing in the morning. You can see the recipe HERE
I take it first thing in the morning and it is all natural and it includes things you can find right in your kitchen! Cayenne pepper, lemon, some other secret ingredients….:) It gives you lots of energy, its super healthy for you, and it also helps detoxify your body so you’re amping up your metabolism, helping cut fat, and it makes you look better…detoxifying you from the inside out!

Jen – I know when I’m eating low calorie foods I never feel satiated! If you are on a low calorie diet, what kind of foods do you suggest to give me that full feeling?

Kardena – With my diet, being a Vegan, one thing I found is plant based foods have a lot of fiber in them so I can eat things like beans. Beans are VERY filling. My lunch is so filling…it fills me up until dinner, it’s amazing!
SO, beans, legumes, celery, things that are high in fiber will help you feel full and satiated. If you need a little extra help, psyllium fiber is a fiber that helps clean out your intestinal track as well as help to make you feel full. Those things will help!

Jen – My last question is about your cheat day! We’re on this rigorous diet for our big day to get on stage and then we get to the point where we can splurge a little. How do you handle that without going overboard? What do you recommend for your cheat day or cheat meal?

Kardena – good question! Cheat meals are important because it gives you something to look forward to during the week. What really works for me is to put a time limit on my cheat meal. Give yourself 45 minutes and have that food you’ve been looking forward to eating the most! But, keep it to 45 minutes so it helps you stay on track. If you stretch out that cheat meal you run the risk of derailing your progress. This is what I’ve found to be effective, and I think you will too!

Jen- Thank you so much for the advice I really appreciate it!

After having the opportunity to chat with Jen I met with another competitor, Michele. She looked awesome! I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk to some of the wonderful contestants like Michele to find out what it takes to get ready for a show like this!
So Michelle, what does it REALLY take to get ready???

Michele – Kardena, like you know, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and sticking to your goals, you have to really find ways that work with your lifestyle, choosing the right foods, the right times to eat, and the right places.

Kardena – So do you have a couple tips for our viewers out there who are looking to lose weight and really make some changes for themselves?

Michele – the number one tip I can give is to make it a realistic lifestyle change, give yourself goals you can set, and achieve, that way you can follow through and really make it a lifestyle change and not just something that is a 12 week program.

Kardena – That way you don’t have to cut out the things you really love!

Michele – No! you have to enjoy life, and enjoy food, but you just have to be healthy doing it!

Kardena – Good point! Thanks Michele!

Michele – Thanks Kardena!

Thanks for reading and watching…I’ll see you next time!
Kardena Pauza,

Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans

The morning of my figure fitness bikini competition I was so excited and nervous! If I didn’t mention it already, I did  this competition on a 100% natural & vegan diet and lost 11 lbs. in 6 weeks… I wanted to get out there and show them what vegans can do and what we’re capable of with organic whole foods. Isn’t that totally awesome!?

After walking the “cat walk” in the pre-judging in the morning, I was chosen to come back out on stage again, Rock! So I was pretty certain I was in the top four-five. This competition, for me, was a chance to set the record straight and show everyone that vegans can compete at peak performance with other athletes. I can build lean muscle, lose weight, get fit, just like everybody else. It’s about doing the right things at the right time. You have to be educated on how to do it right! I competed in the bikini competition which is similar to the figure competition – just a little more feminine than the figure division. Actually, it was really funny, a lot of people thought I was doing the figure competition because of the amount of muscle I have.

In the evening judging of the championship I was awarded 5th place! I’m very excited that I placed. I did exactly what I set out to do – I reached my goal of coming home with a trophy, what a thrill! Now, I’m pre-qualified for nationals, so I’ll be going to Las Vegas for the USA’s in a couple of months and I’ll be training hard from now til the event in July. I will be doing another competition between now and the USA’s in July so this is a busy summer for me.  What a great way to stay healthy during the summer party months!
I thought I’d share with you some amazing tools I used that helped me reach my goals.

1.  Sign up!
This one single action was the most difficult part, now I was totally committed and there was only one direction to go. All the way! Registering made me get my butt in action and set up my plan for success or what you might call a timeline. It helped me to see my goal in the near future and see it as attainable! After I signed up I had all this energy and power welling up inside of me and I got very determined to reach my goal – I had to do it NOW and I couldn’t back out! You have that same power within you – release it!

2.  Believe!
You really have to have a belief that you can do it. Believe that you can reach your goal, because you CAN. You have to smell it, taste it, visualize and feel it in every cell in your body. Get rid of all the self doubt and make up new positive thoughts about yourself – what you believe, you can achieve!

3. Make a schedule & stick to it
Put your action plan on the calendar and make it happen! Everyday I woke up at 4a.m. and worked out before I trained my clients at 6 a.m. which is completely outside what I thought I could ever do. It was not easy and mentally challenging but it was important for me to get my workout in before my first meal of the day.
Here’s another example, I was in Vegas on vacation for four days and on this particular day I needed to be at our annual family charity golf tournament at 6:30am (raises money for amputee golfers like my Uncle Jim). In my mind it was a must to get my workout in before golfing but the gym was closed, and running outside on the Vegas strip wasn’t an option.

Mark and I ran on the strip the day before around 8 a.m. and wow were we surprised to see fellow runners out enjoying the morning sun, I was so impressed and what a cool way to see the strip!  Hello to the great gal we ran with on the strip from Wisconsin, 1 hour went by fast!  We also ran by people stumbling to their hotel from being out all night and still drunk. This drunk person yelled out to us, “Your making me tired just watching you.”

Instead, I wrote myself a 1 hour workout the night before that I could do in my room, scheduled a wake up call with the hotel, woke up at 5 am and busted out my workout in our hotel room while my husband slept with a pillow over his head! Wow, I worked up a sweat and thanks Mark for supporting me.
After being in Vegas for 4 days I still lost 1.4 lbs! I kept my goals in mind and made it happen even with the inconvenient circumstances.

When you reach your goals and you look back you will be so proud and so thankful that you stuck to your plan and your vision and you made it happen.

Here are 3 easy steps to help you reach your goals whether it is weight loss, a bikini competition, or choosing a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle;

1st: set your goal – set a time, deadline, or register for an event.

2nd: have people around you who support and encourage you.

3rd: and most importantly be persistent, unstoppable, tenacious, relentless, and go after your goals…it’s so important! Be that person you envision yourself as and you will succeed.

I will see you next time!

Kardena Pauza,
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans