When starting a trip across the country one of the first things that will excite us about our trip is the person or persons that we will be traveling with. When I first went running the Disney Half Marathon I was excited because two members from our running group were going and they knew all about the Disney parks. This helped my family and I have a ton of fun in parks throughout the week. I helped them run their first half marathon and they helped our family have one of our best vacations ever. 

When it comes to our health journey, who are we bringing with us? Yes, it matters! We would not want to have a miserable trip, so we would want to have someone by our side that we could count on. We want someone honest, reliable, supportive and accountable, and of course fun. 

 In episode #85 We discussed 7-Tips For Running Accountability Partners. In this post we will talk about why having an accountability partner with our overall health journey is so vital to you reaching your destination, and have fun along the way. Running & Intermittent Fasting are nice vehicles to travel in to your destination towards good health.

To help me with this topic we have two amazing mothers, who are also sisters, that have been in our program for 5 years. That would be the great Jen and Jamie Burke!

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Coach: Hello ladies! 

I’m excited to have you both on the show at the same time. 

You both were on previous episodes. Jen you were on

episode #16 - Run, Walk, Run. Conversation w/ Jeff Galloway and Weight Loss Story 

Jen, that was September 2019, I feel like that was the start of you putting things together health-wise. Would you agree?

Jen: Yes, I would agree with that. I know we were starting to train for the Trail of Two Cities coming up that November.  We also started making vision boards.  I am a visual learner so being able to see my goals in front of me helps me stay focused.  I think that helped me achieve my best 5K time at that race and it helped me through 2020 as well.  (Here state how you felt at this time…… I do think we may have started talking about vision boards and goals and can talk about 2020)

Coach: Jen, you were voted by members of the Run To The Best You program as the Most Improved Member of 2020! How did you feel to receive that honor?

Jen: It was a huge honor because I didn’t always put in the effort that was needed to improve.  It meant that I was finally making myself a priority.  We talk about that a lot, how it’s easy to be overwhelmed and stressed with life.  Especially as a mom, putting your kids first, your job...etc.  Sometimes you put yourself on the back burner and you don’t have energy and you don’t feel like showing up for yourself.  I would see other members of the group putting in the effort each week and finally, something clicked.  Having the group recognize me for that meant a lot to me.    

Coach: Jamie, we had you on the podcast on October 7th, 2019. That episode was entitled;

Intermittent Fasting Stories (The Jamie Burke Story) 

This episode came just a few weeks before you ran your first ever half marathon, and to this day it is the third highest most listened to episode. How does that make you feel?

Jamie: Pretty weird. I hope that people listened to it and got something positive from it.

Coach: As you were buzzing with excitement around that time, can you recall how it felt to run your first half marathon? From the expo to the morning of the race, to post-race?

Jamie: I remember being anxious and nervous, especially the morning of the race, but when I think about it now it was just all very exciting. I love looking back at all the pictures from that day and I’m just glad I was able to run my first half with so many cool people. I pretty much immediately signed up for the 2020 Triple Threat races after that, and they all ended up going virtual.

Coach:

Wow, thank you both for kicking us off by sharing a taste of the past. Now for our new Readers, let’s tell them what you do for a living and WHY getting & staying healthy is important to you?  Let’s start with Jen

Jen:  I just started a new job at The Atlantic Center for Independent Living as their Outreach and Activities Specialist.  We help individuals with disabilities to live and work as independently as possible.  I have a background in art and teaching so the cool thing about my job is I get to be creative and teach people different life skills to help them live their best life.  I think being part of Run to the Best You has helped me see the value, not just in the physical aspect of getting healthy, but for overall health and wellness too.  Staying positive, setting goals, taking things step by step to achieving those goals.  These are all things I’ve learned to implement in my life and now I can use what I’ve learned to help others.  

Coach: Ok Jamie, the same question.

What do you do for a living and WHY getting & staying healthy is important to you?

Jamie: I clean houses and offices. Before I improved my health, I struggled a lot with getting through the workday, not only was I constantly hungry but I was tired, and out of breath going up and downstairs. Back then I was working 6 days a week most weeks and completely burnt out. I was having a lot of mental breakdowns. Getting and staying healthy isn’t just important for handling my job, but I need to handle the job, the kids, the house, and my relationship.

Coach: When thinking back to the start of your health journey, what was your wake-up call, Jen? Give me that one moment in time when you said; 

“I got to get myself together!”

Jen:  Around the time I joined the group my life was falling apart.  Homelife, work-life, my relationship.  I was at a standstill and felt stuck and unable to deal with everything going on.  I was stress eating, not exercising, I was tired and angry most of the time.  I needed to make a change. Going through the process of learning how to run my first 5k was a challenge that gave me more confidence and I started to feel better.  

Jamie:  There was some school function for the kids that I had to go to. I didn't need to dress nice but I wanted to look at least half-decent. I remember I had a pair of jeans that were the biggest size jeans I had ever owned and I could not fit into them anymore. All I could wear were these worn-out black leggings and an oversized shirt. I was so embarrassed and upset. I didn't want to have a complete emotional breakdown every time I had to leave the house so I knew I had to do something.

Coach:

Why has having each other in your health journey been so instrumental in your success? 

(Can you tell who is who?)

Jen:  It was cool that Jamie felt inspired to join the group after I ran that first 5k.  Now she runs circles around me but she inspires me to continue to improve.  She has always been very dedicated to whatever she decides to do so she helps me stick with it too.  For example, the other morning she had me out on the bike path doing sprints.  I wouldn’t have been out there if she didn’t come to get me out of bed lol.  

Jamie: Yeah Jen likes to say “Give me 20 minutes” and then I show up and she's snuggled in bed. In all seriousness, Jen did inspire me with that first 5K she did. She had just been through some very serious dark personal stuff and I was blown away by her commitment and ability to train and complete 3.1 miles. So now, it's great to train together. We carpool, the kids come to the run group with us sometimes and play together and since we live in the same neighborhood it's easy to say hey, get up, let's go.

Coach: Ok, let’s address that C-word. Covid-19. No one is immune to the effects felt from the pandemic across the world. Jamie, last week I did a blog/podcast on How To Lose The Quarantine 15. We quoted you when you said that you never gained the extra weight during the pandemic. 

How was that possible?

Jamie: Just being consistent. Once everything shut down, I think a lot of people were suddenly caught off guard, their entire routine changed and old habits and comfort foods crept back in. I just kept on fasting and eating real foods and running. I tried to be cool and start drinking red wine to open my eating window but quickly discovered that was not working for me when I saw the scale creeping up so I cut that out real quick.

Coach: Jamie, what I appreciate about you, is that you have become an avid learner of all things health and wellness. What other podcast do you listen to stay sharp and motivated? 

Jamie: Yes I’m kind of obsessed with all things metabolic health at the moment so I am always listening to podcasts. My favorite right now is The Fundamental Health Podcast with Dr. Paul Salidino. I also listen to The Intermittent Fasting Podcast with Gin Stevens and Melanie Avalon and The Melanie Avalon Bio-hacking Podcast. Once Covid hit I found myself following a lot of health podcasts and doctors on social media. I also really like Dr. Jaime Seeman and Dr. Gabrielle Lyon. They post a lot about the importance of getting adequate protein, vitamin D,  and exercise for overall health. Taking in this information helps me stay on track.

The Intermittent Fasting Podcast with Gin Stevens and Melanie Avalon

The Melanie Avalon Bio-hacking Podcast.

Coach: That’s great! Jen, same question, what kept you going through 2020? 

Jen: I pretty much maintained my weight but in the first few months of quarantine I stopped running.  Once you started the virtual runs and then the health connection calls I started to get back into the groove.  It was a learning process for everyone to navigate the “new normal.”  I’m thankful that we were able to stay connected through the group.  

Coach:

Jen, since the adoption of our Health Connection Calls for our Online Accountability Group members, you haven’t missed a call. Would you say that helped you start to adopt Intermittent Fasting?

Jen:  Yeah, I enjoy the calls.  It’s a learning experience and interactive.  I think hearing other members’ experiences, good and bad, helps me stay focused.  You and Marie Geary really inspired me to combine the intermittent fasting with the mile a day streak.

Coach: What has intermittent fasting done for you? State your non-scale victories if you can recall them. 

Jen: I definitely have more energy and don’t feel like I have to take a nap in the afternoon like I used to.  

Coach: Jamie, you were the first person to take me up on the Keeping It Real Health Challenge in 2019! Along with eating real whole foods for results included introducing intermittent fasting. You are the face of what Keeping it Real is all about. 

Please tell everyone what Intermittent Fasting has done for you!

Jamie: The most important thing for me is that hunger is no longer an emergency. Before I started fasting I used to get that low blood-sugar, weak feeling like, “I’m not gonna make it if I don't eat right now.” This happened every two hours, but now I can fast as many hours as I want, with sustained energy, zero brain fog, and IF has helped me to continue to make better food choices and really think about what I’m putting into my body.

Coach: Jamie, how much are you down since the start of your journey?

Jamie: A little over 60lbs. I started around 220 and I just seem to be visiting the 150s.

Coach: What does that represent in your life? It’s one thing to say a number lost on the scale but what can you do now that you couldn’t do at 220lbs? 

Jamie: I’m really not a fan of the scale at all, there are so many variables and reasons why your weight may be up or down so I’ve come to terms with that and just take the numbers I get as information, I don’t tie emotions to it like I used to. 

At 220lbs I just didn’t like myself. I didn’t like how I looked, how I felt, or how I behaved. And now I just feel comfortable. My main focus now is working on my body composition, increasing muscle and decreasing body fat, so even if I don’t lose another lb that's ok. 

Coach: Jen, you have a 90 plus day walk a mile a day streak going. Between the number on the scale and the non-scale victories, what does these changes really represent in your life? 

Jen:  I used to think it would be too hard to fit exercise in every day.  I didn’t have the time or the energy.  Now that I have been setting aside the 20-40minutes a day to get outside and walk or run it’s become a healthy habit.  I like to go out around 8pm when it is quiet and have that time for myself.  It’s good for my mental clarity and helps me unwind at the end of the day.  

Coach: Everyone just heard your amazing story, now let’s give them how they can apply these things in their lives. You both are mothers of two children. Jen has two sons and Jamie has two daughters. Jen works from home and Jamie runs a small cleaning business. 

Jen please give us your daily schedule. How do you get kids ready for school, fit your run/walks in, and what is your favorite intermittent fasting schedule?

Jen: The past two months have been great doing the 9am plank/squat challenges.  So I get the kids up and they get on virtual school.  I usually get myself dressed and ready. 9am challenge, make a pot of black coffee.  I start work at 9:30am.  The coffee gets me through till around 11am.  The kids have a break so we usually make eggs and bacon around then.  That breaks my fast and we might have a snack at some point after.  By 3pm give or take depending on the day we are done school and work.  We make dinner between 4 and 5pm and I close the window by 6pm. 

 I shoot for a 16/8 fasting schedule and most days It’s more like 17/7.  

Coach: Jamie, give us your daily schedule. 

Jamie: My favorite fasting schedule is 18/6. I like to eat two meals a day, one at noon and one between 5-6pm. I adjust accordingly for run nights. I’ve done everything from 16/8 to 20/4 and even ADF and 18/6 is definitely the best for me right now. 

My day usually starts at 6:30 am, I get up and have a few cups of black coffee. Get the kids to school at 9, then go do a job. I open my eating window at noon with a packed lunch. Finish work, get the kids home and start making dinner. If it's a run night, I’ll make sure the family is set up with dinner and I’ll eat when I get home. We try to get to bed around 9pm. I’ve discovered I need a solid 9 hours of sleep. Sleep is so important. When we did that 6am plank challenge in December I was not a happy planker.

Coach: We are so proud of you both and a huge thank you for coming on the show and sharing your experience with other mothers from around the world. 

What are you working on in the near future?

Jen: Every Tuesday at 1pm I run a life skills activity on zoom.  It is completely free for anyone who lives with a disability. I post the activity on our Facebook Page: Atlantic Center for Independent Living.  If you are a friend or family member of someone living with a disability and are looking for more information and resources please follow our page as well.  We have support groups running throughout the month on topics like: Communication, Stress Management During Covid-19, College Survival, Living with a Disability and many more.   

Jamie: I’m just working on improving my run times, and I’m definitely enjoying the process.

Coach: You guys are amazing accountability partners and valued members of our group. Speaking of our group and Health Connection Calls……

Is there anyone you would like to give a shout out to…. someone that inspires you to be better?

Jamie: I don't know if I could single out one person, but there is one amazing thing I’ve noticed about the group that we are in. Everytime someone accomplishes a goal, no matter how big or small it is, before that person takes any credit for the work they just put in, they thank everyone else in the group for helping them along the way. Every single time. I've done it too. When I beat my 5k record on January 1st, all I could think about was how appreciative I was for the constant support and inspiration from everybody. So, I would shout out everyone and say keep showing up, keep posting your runs and your meals, and your wins because it always helps me.

Coach: Once again, thank you both….. we will end with this question;

If we had a time machine, and you could go back to the day that you made the decision to start your journey….. What would you say to her? 

Jamie: I would go back in time and tell her to “Get it together.” I think that me back there would not believe what she would become. I also would thank her for having the courage to start the journey.

Jen: I would go back and tell that Jen, “Make the commitment, you won’t regret it.” What you can gain through running and intermittent fasting will change your life. We would hug it out and probably watch a old classic movie together too. LOL