1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder

4 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 Jello Sugar Free Cheesecake Pudding

2 tbsp powdered peanut butter

Add ice – blend – enjoy

155 cal 30p/6c/3f

Cora’s Fitness Journey: Four Month Progress

Starting Out
I was motivated to start my fitness journey with Angie because I was feeling stuck in a rut and ready for change. As a high school track athlete, I was introduced to the weight room. At the time, I did not realize how much I enjoyed lifting, but as time went on, I realized how happy it made me. I tried to workout and meal plan/track macros on my own but was unsuccessful in getting visible results.

Over the last few years, I have tried a combination of just doing what I felt like doing in the gym, bodybuilding.com workout plans, online coaching, and a personal trainer. Through these things, I was able to get stronger, but still was not seeing visible results. I also attempted to meal plan and track macros but did not really know exactly what to eat or how much I was supposed to be eating per day. I believe that my diet was really hindering any progress I could have been making.

True Progress
About two weeks before...

If at first you fail, try, try again…right?

The world is so quick to tell you giving up is okay. You failed one time? Ok, at least you know you tried. Are you worth it? Do you think your future is enough of an investment of your time and energy that you wake up every day and fight for what you want? When life gets tough, you just throw in the towel and accept defeat? You can never reach your goals in life if you allow life to knock you down. Get back up and keep fighting.

Here is why you don’t have what it takes to be successful in life:

You give yourself the option to quit.

If you go into any endeavor with the mindset that you are just going to “try” than you have already given yourself the choice that failing is an option. Go into it giving it everything you’ve got, and the mindset that you WILL do it, and if you fail, you will try again. Never giving up.

You make excuses for yourself

Im tired. I don’t feel like it, maybe...

Q: So what is your story, how did you get where you are today?

Pre-Fitness Journey
Before my real fitness journey I was approaching my “fitness” throughout college the wrong way. Unfortunately, I was dangerously restricting my calories, doing extensive amounts of cardio on top of that, and binge drinking heavily on the weekends.  I was always trying to get skinnier and the thought of gaining muscle made me afraid because I was OBSESSED with being as small as possible. You see, I felt as though I was never getting anywhere, I was unhappy, and my anxiety and stress levels were uncontrollable. It just got tiring, feeling weak physically, mentally, and emotionally.

After struggling through this battle and thinking about how I wanted to make a change I was looking at empowering social media accounts and blogs of female competitors a lot. I spoke with a close childhood friend about how I wanted to look, feel, and be. Aside from all my doubts and all my...

Meet Molly Anderson—College Athlete to Fitness Enthusiast: How Molly found her why

Meet Okon VIP Athlete Molly Anderson. Molly has been with Okon Fitness since June 2016. As one of Okon’s first clients since launching in May Molly has become an important part of the team. Our journeys are all different, and what we fail to realize is that this process is just as mental as it is physical. Molly has been an outstanding client, she has had her good weeks and bad, but no matter the obstacle she overcomes. Each week she has become stronger, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional. It has been my pleasure to have been able to help her find herwhy. What I love most about Molly is her positive attitude and motivation to be the best version of herself. Since Molly began her Okon Fitness Program she has lost 13 lbs. and in just 4 weeks lowered her body fat 3.5%!! She has gotten down to 23% with goals to continue to see that number drop! So proud of her progress...

It’s that time of year—Pumpkin, Pumpkin, PUMPKIN!

Even though you may not actually love Pumpkin (it’s bland and plain alone), It is fun to Fall into the festivities of the Season! And as one of my favorite times of the year, I like to go all in. Only I try to stay on the healthy side (stay away from the dark side), because let’s be real here…I am kiiinda a health nut, and I kiiinda have to look good in a bikini. So here are a coupleFun Festive Foods For Fitness Freaks (see what I did there—yah I’m good). Best part, they are no bakerecipes, and take 20 mins or less to prepare!

Protein Pumpkin Spice Dessert

Healthy guilt-free snack packed withprotein—Get your Pumpkin Spice fix with this delicious treat for one.
Want to share this light whipped treat? Just double the recipe!
 
Since there is no baking involved, preparation time is short. 

Prep time: 20 mins

Ingredients you will need:

...

Going from 17% Body Fat to 7% body fat—in one year
Follow some of these habits to help you towards your health and fitness goals.

1. Start my morning with 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up.

Most people start their day with a banana or a light meal, and some don’t eat anything at all for breakfast. You’ve likely heard that the most important meal of the day is breakfast, and that statement isn’t going anywhere anytime fast. Breakfast is the key to getting your health in line and also making sure you take the proper steps towards a healthier you overall. Tim Ferriss referenced his dad’s experience in his book 4 Hour Body and he lost 28 lbs. in just over two months by simply eating 30 grams of protein in the morning. This practice will make you feel fuller, longer and also help you on your journey to maintaining a healthy habit of eating a wholesome breakfast first thing in the morning.

I do this or I do fasted cardio in the...

Follow these tips to consistently transform your body and accomplish your fitness goals!

1. Drink Water!

Sometimes drinking water is overlooked in the whole scheme of things, but this is one of the most important ways to stay in shape and keep your metabolism high—which ultimately helps burn calories. It is recommended by professionals to drink 8 cups of water a day, but (depending on how much you weigh) it is better for your body to drink around 3L to 1 gallon a day! You may want to mix some Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) with your water and sip it throughout the day. BCAAs help with muscle retention and also Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. One type of BCAA I LOVE is Xtend by Scivation (Mango is my favorite!!)

2. Take Daily Vitamins

How important is this? Very. Even though multivitamins may get a bad rap, you just need to do your research and make sure you’re getting what they put on the label and you’ll be golden!

3. Get Enough Sleep

What?? You...

In a world revolving around food.

Here are a few tools I use to help overcome challenges and temptations in our everyday lives.

Need vs. Want
The most important thing to remember while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle is simply this:

“We do not live to eat, we eat to live.”

In todays society our lives very much revolve around food. Getting together with friends, family BBQ, celebrating an event or holiday, going out on the weekends, vacation, essentially everything we do on a daily basis has one main focus; Food. In many ways we stopped caring about the nutrition of the food we are consuming, and have become more interested in how it tastes and even makes us feel.

To be successful, it is important to differentiate between what our bodies need, and what our minds want. Now this does not mean you should never consume food that makes your heart soar and wonder what magnificent being created such a delicious entree or dessert that has...

Enjoy these snacks to help you stay true towards your fitness goals
I find myself having cravings throughout the day and I also have my clients say they feel the same way. A lot of times we do have cravings we get caught off guard and find ourselves stopping at the nearest gas station and accidentally grabbing trail mix, a donut, candy, or…an extra large pizza. I can understand, life is hard. Staying true to your lifestyle is hard as well. Lucky for you, I have a few hacks to help you stay on track.

Here are seven snack hacks to help you stay on track:

Almonds
Almonds are an incredible source of protein and good fats. They are among one of the lowest calorie nuts, and provide 6g of protein and 3.5g of Fiber per serving. Remember to always eat Raw Almonds and not salted or roasted almonds. Bonus Tip: Almonds have a high amount of polyphenols, antioxidants that have cancer-fighting properties. So you’re fighting fat as well as...