Last month I went to a big event in St Louis, MO. This was the first in person event since 2019! It was glorious and I absolutely loved being with my community. That is what I want to talk with you about this month…community. Did you know that you can have more than one? That you can be with different people who you have something in common with that you do not with someone else. As silly as that may seem to type and read, some people may not know that. I have several different communities based on the variety of things that I like and like to do.
Yes, there are times that these communities intersect and some people in one may be in the other. You will obviously find people who you have more than one thing in common with. Even if you do connect on one thing, as you get to know someone you may find that you have much more in common with them and sometimes you will find that you do not. And this is all ok.
My point is this, we need community. We need to be joined with people who we can share experiences with. There are times when one thing in your life is more prevalent than other things so you may be connected with that community more. For me right now it is wellness. And as much as I want to direct everyone to a life of wellness that includes movement and nutrition. I realize that not everyone is ready.
As with everything, this is going to mean different things for everyone. For example, my husband 100% supports me but is not on the same field with me when it comes to fitness and nutrition (although he eats a lot like me because I do most of the cooking!). He at this point does not have a desire to go with me to my annual Summit. He does not connect with that like I do and that is ok. For other couples they do all of it together and that is absolutely fantastic. For us, knowing that I have his support is enough. Secretly (maybe not so secretly), I hope that someday he will join me in the gym and on the trips!
We are not meant to be alone (for long extended periods of time). We are not meant to do life alone. We are to have people around us that we can celebrate with, work with, play with, grumble about things with, etc. You know that saying “it takes a village,” well that is about community. That is about coming together in times of crisis and celebration. We need each other for support.
Going It Alone
Because fitness and nutrition are a main focus, I am going to take a moment to talk about that. When I decided that I needed to do something (not sure what back then) about the way I was feeling and the way I looked. I did not tell a single person. I quietly started with eating smaller portions. After a few months I had lost weight and was feeling better (but still had a long way to go). At one point I decided that I needed to start intentionally moving my body. I had some workout DVDs, and I went at it, all by myself. I got bored quickly, did not push myself and frequently wanted to give up. I am not even sure how my friend found out, honestly, I would have to go back in Facebook and check to see if I posted anything about it, regardless she found out and started asking me to join challenge groups. I said no the first few times and then finally caved and joined one. Oh my goodness! I had no idea what I was missing. The encouragement and support were unbelievable. Even virtually connecting with a group of people who were doing the same thing was nothing short of amazing. It was a while before I started my first Beachbody program and when I did, I was blown away. I found so many more people to connect with. That makes all of this seem so much easier than what it is. Do not take that the wrong way, there are still extremely hard days and lots of challenging work. But when you have people next to you shouting, “you can do this,” “way to go,” “just keep going.” You feel that in your head and heart, and you want to keep pushing.
Finding New Life
I originally signed up with Beachbody as a customer, to lose weight and eat healthy, but upgraded that to becoming a coach. The things I did and were learning helped me so much that I wanted to share that experience with others. I was working with a great team in the beginning, and we were learning so much in those early days. How to help people, how to build a business, how to keep going on our own journeys. It was hard, but we had each other. Over time, people moved onto different endeavors and I found myself alone. For the past few years, I have not really been actively doing much to help people or build a business. At one point, I honestly thought I could do this alone (call me Mrs. Independent) and I was, but everything was just mediocre. I did not have the people in my corner that could relate to what I was doing. I was missing my community. In 2018 I went to a Summit all by myself. It was a great Summit, and I did meet new people, but I felt disconnected. In 2019, I went back but was meeting up with a few people that I met the previous year. We connected and stayed in touch over 2020 and 2021. Those 2 years there was not a convention because of the pandemic. It really took a toll. I was talking with a friend and was considering quitting; in fact, we were both evaluating if we were at a stopping point. She was in the same boat I was and had been for a while. She went on an earned trip earlier this year and connected with another person and a new team. While on the trip she was telling me all about them and how she was feeling the energy again. When she came back from her trip, we started have long discussions and we both made the commitment to “quit” and re-start with a new team. We all met at Summit and we both felt the community surrounding us. The energy and vigor are returning.
We can do so many things on our own. We are strong and independent, but we are stronger with a community beside us. We can feel the power of the community. We can feel the encouragement and support. That feeling drives us ahead. I encourage you to find your community(ies). If you need help with that let me know, I would love to help you. Just like I want to help you eat healthy and intentionally move that body. Let’s do just that with this amazing recipe I found from fitgreenmind on Instagram.
Recipe of the month: Crispy Spring Rolls with Creamy Peanut Sauce
Spring Roll Ingredients:
Rice papers (at least 6 sheets)
Water
Your favorite fillings (carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, green onion, tofu, cilantro, cabbage)
Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Creamy Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
¼ cup peanut butter (or nut/seed butter)
2 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 tbsp maple syrup
Salt to taste
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili flakes
Water if needed
You can make these in the air fryer or oven. If you are using the over, preheat to 400.
Cut all your veggies (either julienne or diced small) first. Dip the rice paper in the water. Lay it flat. Layer the fillings in and roll it up tight. My suggestion is to make all the rolls first. Brush with oil.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through. If you are using an air fryer, set to 400 and air fry for 5-7 minutes, rotating halfway through.
While these are frying/baking, make the sauce! Super simple, mix all the ingredients together and use the water to thin the mixture. Mine was a little to thick this last time, but it still tasted good.
These smell amazing but be warned they are hot!!! Let them cook before you dive in. Make these up and let me know what you think.
Okay enough with the food, let’s get moving!
Move of the month: Goblet Sumo Squat
This is a fantastic move that works every part of your legs. You are going to start my placing a dumbbell at your feet so that it is standing up on the bell. With your feet pointed out you are going to stand with your legs wider than hip width. Squat down to pick up the weight and hold it by the bell (cupping it in your hands). You can hold the weight out from your chest, or you can rest it against your chest, either way is fine. Keeping your back straight and holding in your abs (not holding our breath), you are going to squat straight down. Imagine your back is against a wall and you need to be touching the wall with your back all the down and all the way up. From the squat position you are going to go back up and at the top squeeze your cheeks! Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps. The modification for this move is to use lighter or no weight and to not squat down as far. You are working your inner thighs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and even your calves. This is an amazing move!
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Starting and navigating a new journey can be intimidating and overwhelming. Working with someone who has been in your shoes is extremely helpful and encouraging. Journeys are better when in the company of others.
Jilisa Ghareeb has been a Beachbody coach for 6 years. Her favorite part of being involved with fitness and nutrition is watching her clients change and open up a whole new world. As a coach, she is able to help others by introducing them to a change that is often scary, intimidating, and full of “what ifs” to an encouraging and inspirational lifestyle full of “I cans”. She uses her own story to show others that everything is possible with hard work and determination. If you’re interested in reaching out to Jilisa for more information you can contact her via email, on Instagram, or Facebook.
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