Jena's life adventures and unsolicited fit pics

On August 28th 2017  I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis Disease. A week earlier I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. It was recommend by my doctor to start thyroid medication. I talked with my Nutrition Coach and asked her opinion on Hypothyroidism. She did some research and found some good information on how to adjust my diet to possibly reverse some of the side effects of Hypothyroidism and prolong having to start thyroid medication. I'm not against medication, but I know once you start hormone replacement medication, you will have to continue for the rest of your life. My goal was just to put off starting meds as long as possible. I contacted my doctor and shared the information my nutrition coach and I had found. My doctor was very open and willing to try this route but as she read over the list of what we need to do, she noticed that they were opposite of what we  needed to do if I had Hashimotos Disease.  She had not run the tests to rule it out so I went

Wow, I haven't posted here forever. A lot has happened over the last couple of years. I am still on my fitness journey. I have gained a lot of weight back this year due to illness, stress and not working as hard as I should. Sometimes I have to read back at what I have accomplished over the years to motivate myself to keep going. I feel like the Fit to Fat to Fit guy except my Journey has been Fit to Fat to Fit to Fat and now working on the Fit again! If you didn't get a chance to read this article last year, here it is. I hope it can help someone else keep going and not give up on this life long fitness journey. http://www.southvalleyjournal.com/2015/10/01/87981/trainee-to-trainer-how-a-woman-transformed -Jena

Wow, what a year 2012 was for me! 2011 was really the year I focused on reaching my weight-loss goals, and 2012 was the year I focused on reaching my education goals to become a fitness instructor and a personal trainer. In 2012 I also purchased a small fitness studio,  Studio Azul,  with a couple of my friends and I look forward to keeping this studio up and running so people near the studio have a place to escape to and stay fit and happy! In November 2012 I was hired on at  JL Sorenson Recreation Center  as a fitness instructor sub and in January 2013 I got my own Kids on the Move class that I teach on Mondays and my own TRX class that I teach every other Fridays. I also was hired on a couple weeks ago as a Personal Trainer at JL. I  have a couple of clients so far and I am beyond excited to be able to help others. I also get so excited & nervous when I get a call to sub a class but I love it so much. I subbed my first Zumba class the other day, it was so much fun, the class o

Yesterday in the mail I got this little gem: It feels amazing that I was able to accomplish so many goals this year! It has been a great year full of learning, growing and new lifelong friendships! Thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey, I have such a great group of friends cheering me on, I love you all. I can't wait to get out there and start helping other reach their fitness goals! Keep Moving, Keep Smiling, You've got this! --Jena

Wow, this year is going by too fast. Just wanted to give a quick update. Last week I re-took my personal trainer test for the 3rd time, 3rd time is the charm right? I should know by the end of next week if I passed! Today I auditioned for spin class instructor, I taught the first half of class and it was a great experience. I was so nervous but as soon as I started my music and using the mic for the first time, things just fell into place and now I know without a doubt this is what I want to do! I got a lot of great feedback from people who were in class, I feel like it went great! I hopefully will be able to get on the sub-list to start. Thanks for stopping by, I hope to start dedicating time to writing on here again, thanks for your support and patience! Keep moving! ---Jena

Three years ago I ran my first relay race, Red Rock Relay Zion , with Team Herriman Hotties. I was already in the middle of my weight loss journey but I was struggling with losing weight, I didn't know I had PCOS or Insulin Resistance at the time but I was eating right and exercising all the time. This wonderful group of Women let me be part of this amazing team, they loved and accepted me how I was and cheered me on, every step of the way. I was runner # 4 with a total of 18.5 miles to complete over 3 runs in 24 hours time. I had the best time running with these women in this beautiful relay race across Southern Utah that started at Brian Head Ski Resort and Finished at Zion's National Park. Herriman Hotties has had several different runners over the years due to people needing to drop off the team for various reasons. In total, there are 21 Herriman Hottie Alumni, and we all have a very strong bond. I love each of these women, they all inspire me, motivate me and make me