Javazen Talks Health and Fitness with Jenn Richardson

Last week I caught up with Florida Beachbody coach, Instagram influencer, and mom Jenn Richardson, to discuss her philosophy in achieving health and fitness.

Please let us know what you think about our talk in the comments below!

Ed: Jenn, can you start out by telling me a little about yourself and your background? How did you end up where you are today?

Jenn: I'm Jenn Richardson, wife to my HS sweetheart, mommy to the two sweetest little boys, founder of Fit Couture and a 15-Star Diamond 3X Elite Fitness Coach. My little family lives in sunny Florida just steps from the beach. We live what I lovingly refer to as a perfectly *imperfect* life.

In January 2013 (just 2.5 months postpartum with my second son) I knew I desperately needed and was ready to make a change in my life. I had 45 pounds to lose to get back to my *goal weight* and I knew, despite being a *chronic fitness quitter* in the past, I was ready to do this thing. I was introduced to Beachbody and not knowing much about it, other than how incredible and happy my coach and her team looked, I decided to take the plunge. I basically asked myself "what do I have to lose?" I started drinking Shakeology and doing a BB program, TurboFire. Within my first week, I was down 3 pounds and I was elated with the progress! But I knew, it was just the beginning of my journey.

Starting a fitness program and actually committing to a diet and lifestyle change isn't easy - I'm not here to tell you that it is. It was hard and many times I wanted to give up. But I didn't - and I am forever thankful that I had the support system of my Beachbody family. Having people cheering you on along the way and picking you back up when you fall is one of the most critical aspects of making a lifestyle change like this!

After my first year of focusing on my own weight loss and fitness goals, I decided to take the plunge in actively working as a Beachbody coach myself. The emotional fulfillment that I have received being able to help others start their fitness journey and crush their fitness goals is hard to capture in words! It brings an incredible amount of joy daily into my life. My team, Fit Couture, has been a Top 50 team (of over 400,000 coaches in the BB organization) and we have exceeded 6000 coaches as of today! We have coaches of all walks of life as part of our fitness family but our common goal is to HELP OTHERS BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES. That's what I want to do, more than anything, for others.

Why is health important to you?

After watching friends & family suffer through various medical conditions that a healthy lifestyle could have helped to prevent I knew I wanted to become an advocate for living a healthy lifestyle. I also believe that aside from what's going on inside our body - a healthy lifestyle promotes a positive body image and self-confidence.

What is your dietary philosophy? Is coffee part of it?

Portion control and everything in moderation! I was one of those people who would crash diet - lose a ton of weight and then go back to my old ways of eating and gain it all back. Healthy eating needs to be a lifestyle choice and everything needs to be done in moderation - that includes cheats & treats! I follow a system now called the Portion Fix nutrition system which is made up of color coded containers that basically break down how many of each food group we can eat, daily. It's the only plan that's ever worked for me and it's amazing! As far as coffee - I am currently caffeine-free. I tend to choose tea over coffee.

What do you look for in health products or brands that you support?

Whole food nutrition! I look for products that don't contain artificial ingredients, chemicals or use of GMO's.

How do you stay motivated to work out and eat healthy during the cold winter months?

I live in Florida so our winter months are more like days, lucky for me because I hate the cold! However, I think that a good pre-workout drink and a warm-up workout before jumping into whatever you're doing is super helpful to get the blood flowing before starting your workout!

What do you find are the biggest stumbling blocks for someone who wants to improve their fitness and what are the best ways you’ve found to overcome them?

I think consistency is the hardest thing for most people. They're "all in" for a week or so and then fall back into their own habits. I think the biggest cause of this is a lack of support and accountability. I believe group accountability is so important and one of the most crucial things that has kept me going for the past 4 years in my own fitness journey! Without having people that can relate to your journey, who you can vent to, who can help celebrate your milestones - it's so much harder to stay on track! I host various accountability groups each month and the most common response from my groups is that they'd given up so many times before they joined a group but the positivity and encouragement from the other men & women in our groups have kept them going!

Do you have fitness goals for yourself? If so, what are they?

Absolutely! I workout 4-5 days a week and switch it up from cardio, weight training, yoga & pilates! I love doing different things so that my body won't plateau.

What gives you the most energy? How do you maintain peak energy levels?

Healthy eating! For a long amount of time, I depended on caffeine to give me energy. After a diet change - incorporate more raw fruits & vegetables and lean proteins into my diet and reducing carbs & sugar I saw a natural energy boost start to happen! When we fuel our bodies with the right foods it thrives!

What does balance mean to you? How do you stay balanced?

Balance to me means taking rest days when I need them, not overworking my body and listening to what my mind & body needs! Balance also means allowing myself to indulge every now and then! If we starve ourselves of the things we want, our mind will only crave them more. I find that allowing myself a glass of wine or some chocolate here and there allows me to curb that need without overindulging on it. I love food and I'll never be one of those people who eats clean 100% of the time but I don't think we have to be "perfect" all the time - we're human, and it's life! It's ok to indulge a little as long as it's done in moderation!

Where can people find you online if they want to stay in touch?

Facebook: facebook.com/jennfitcouture

Instagram: instagram.com/jennfitcouture

Snapchat: jennfitcouture

Website: jennfitcouture.com

Thank you so much for your time Jenn, I know that all our audience will find your wisdom useful for achieving their fitness goals!