Maria Sogard, Author at VFit Studio

The VFit #CRUSADE

April 13, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

Crusade – what a powerful word, movement, mission, whatever you may call it – that word packs some heat!

What follows is a heartfelt message from VFit Studio owner and founder, Rachele Jaegers:

This word represents a calling that was so electrically delivered to me from the universe over the past few weeks.

I eagerly invite you to click play on the message above and listen to my 10 minute call to action. I personally invite YOU to join this #CRUSADE we are on at VFit.

I simply cannot keep quiet any longer – there are some truths that must be brought to light now more importantly than ever as we shift back into a new season of life.

Please do not be so rushed to get back to “normal” that you find yourself in a place where your health and well being takes a back seat.

We have a duty to come out of this pandemic with the drive and dedication to take control of our physical and mental well being.

#CRUSADE – Coming out a year of a pandemic I feel rocked to my core to use our voice, our team, our passion to make a positive impact on the culture of health care.

I invite you to take a second to read out loud this powerful quote. Heck, stick it on a post it on your mirror like so many of us have done. This quote sums up about your personal ability to take control of your health:

“I make my health and well being a priority.”

We are more fired up than ever to empower the world that self care is not selfish, it is critical care.

We must stand together motivated, united and with the common value system that each one of us have so much control over our own health and well being.

You can not pass the power that you hold over your own health and well being to anyone else.

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that self care is critical care – and it takes WORK to maintain.

As a collective we fear that so many have given up in their quest to put in the WORK to take care of their mind, body and spirit.

Yes it takes WORK to live a healthy lifestyle- a lot of work. But it’s the most important work that you will ever be charged with doing.

Don’t you teach your kids that anything worthwhile takes hard work, resilience and diligence. These very lessons are also the core of “health care”.

You can outsource much of your life, but getting in exercise – as our trainers like to continually remind and thank our members about – is NOT one of them.

You are in charge of your own workouts.

You are in charge of your own food.

You are in charge of what you allow into your mind, who you choose to engage with, what you watch on TV.

You are in charge of prioritizing sleep. You are in charge of what you feed your body.

You are in charge of so much more than we are at times left to believe.

So today we stand together at VFit ready to take on this #CRUSADE and we need as many to stand up and speak up.

DO NOT feel shamed for sharing your sweaty selfies, DO NOT worry what other’s think when you get excited and passionate about your fit fam. DO NOT downplay just how much effort and self respect goes into taking care of yourself.

To live to your fullest purpose and potential, it is not merely an option to take care of yourself, it is critical and needs to be a non-negotiable priority in your life.

It is never too late to take control of your own personal health and change that narrative in your head if you are not currently make YOU a priority.

You are deserving of taking control of your health and well being, please don’t discount the power that you my friend hold so much of!

This is our mission and our own personal crusade this season here at VFit and we can’t wait to see who rallies to the mission.

Please feel free to share this blog/video, comment below or send us a message.

And if you want to join the VFit team, the most powerful and uplifting community around, check out our current membership options here.

April Wellness Cafe – Recipe Rolodex + How We Talk About Food and Our Bodies

April 3, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

For the April session of First Friday’s Wellness Cafe we went over recipes from VFit Studio’s Recipe Rolodex with Maria and then Lauren broke down different ways you talk about about food and your body.

Maria first showed the free resource of VFit’s Recipe Rolodex in a live demo and then shared recipe lists. The Recipe Rolodex has over 250 real food recipes made with clean ingredients to help fuel you and your family. The recipes are simple and time tested with our own families. You can also access the Recipe Rolodex via the main menu on VFit Studio’s branded app from iTunes or Google Play.

During the upcoming Wellness Reset held April 12th – 25th, we will go over all 7 pillars of wellness with the food pillar being highlighted. During the 14 days, there will be information and group activities centered on each pillar: food, exercise, water, me time, outdoor time, gratitude, and sleep. You can learn more about the Wellness Reset here. Maria will share 3 more Rolodex Fav Lists during the reset which is intended to help spur new ideas and invite you to try new recipes.

Recipe Rolodex Fav Lists

Presented in First Fridays Wellness Cafe 4/2/21

Breakfast Revisited

Top 10 Biohacking Recipes

Once the Recipe Rolodex session ended, Lauren took over. Here are Lauren’s notes about her session on how we talk about food and our bodies.

Diet talk is all around us. Just think of the diet ads you see, fad diets galore, and friends or family members complaining about their bodies and their looks. The happy people you see in ads are thin, selling you the idea that thinness equals health and happiness. Although this is getting slightly better with more body diversity, it’s nowhere near where it should be. Think about the articles and headlines that get you confused about nutrition and create food phobia. We want to create an environment for ourselves and our children where all bodies are accepted and food is just food.

Think back to growing up… did your family talk about being healthy vs unhealthy, and what did that mean? Did you discuss what it mean to be fat vs thin? Did they discuss dieting and put a big emphasis on looks? Did you feel like your diet was restricted or controlled? Does that affect you now, and how you see food, fitness and your body?

Those ideas growing up STICK WITH US for a lifetime. You may have found that your relationship with your food and body stems from how your parents felt about themselves, or how they treated you. What messages would you like to send to your children?

This may make you want to shy away from talking to your kids about food, but don’t let it. It’s HOW you say things and what you do that have a bigger impact. The message we want to display is that all foods can fit and all bodies can fit, while avoiding negative connotation relating to eating and body size. It’s OK to say that different bodies respond in different ways to different foods. The only time it becomes risky is when we talk about weight loss diets with kids. When we do that, our kids may be less happy with their own weight and are more likely diet to lose weight. And when kids go on diets, they are at a much higher risk of developing an eating disorder or disordered eating. I don’t recommend talking about weight loss or diets with kids.

Weight is not a medical condition. If you have a medical condition such as high cholesterol, then you can talk about cholesterol and adding in fiber to your diet for it’s beneficial effects. You can discuss the way you eat while also taking weight out of the picture. Kids do not need to be scared to eat certain foods, or concern themselves with fat grams, calories or other potentially harmful information. Food talk and self-talk will be positive and non-critical.

Multiple studies have shown the effects of caregivers trying to control their children’s intake. The result? High levels of critical and restrictive eating messages from caregivers are associated with low IE scores and higher BMI. When parents attempt to restrict children’s eating, it backfires by disconnecting them from their natural hunger and satiety cues, ultimately creating the problem they were trying to circumvent. (Intuitive Eating, 4th Ed.)

What can you do to help create a more positive body image?

Don’t body bash yourself or others. Quit the body check game. Don’t discuss size or compare yourself or your children to others.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your body, focus on your relationship with your body and how you can speak kindly to yourself.

– I love that my arms hold my loved ones

– I’m grateful that feet allow me to walk

– I love that my smile connects me to people

What if friends question you?
Lauren, registered dietician

When others start diet talk, remove yourself or have some good go-to phrases:

– Dieting leads to deprivation, deprivation leads to craving, and craving can lead to out of control behavior.

– I give myself permission to eat whatever I want when I’m hungry and find that I’m more easily able to stop when I’m full.

– When I feel satisfied with what I eat, I eat just what my body needs.

– I’m learning to cope with my emotions with kindness, instead of relying on food.

– I realized that my life is so much better when I don’t worry about food or my body.

– I have so much time to enjoy other things when I’m not preoccupied with food.

What to say instead of “This is Healthy” or “This is good for you.”

– “Purple and blue foods give you a strong brain. Orange food helps you see better.”

– Keep it simple – call foods by their names. “This is a carrot. This is a cookie. This is a potato.” Food is just food. It’s not a special treat, bad for you, special, or a guilty pleasure.

– Tips for dessert: Don’t make kids earn dessert by eating a certain amount of other food, downplay it by serving with a meal, use non-food rewards and bribes, use neutral language, give kids opportunities to eat as much dessert as they want occasionally. – You can discuss what’s in a food, what it does for your body, and how it makes you feel, but without judgment.

VFit Trainer Team Shares What the Last 12 Months Has Meant to Them Being a VFitter

March 31, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

A year stronger together we choose to celebrate with 12 days of celebrations here at VFit Studio with #vfitstronger. We’ve grown stronger together through the last 12 months and our entire community holds self care as a top priority. This is the tie that binds us together.

Below our VFit Trainer team shares what the past 12 months being a part of the VFit community has meant to them. What parts of being a trainer helped them through the past year, and what they have learned. Most importantly, our trainers thank our members for all that they have given them. The sweat, smiles, shine – something to rise up and get out of bed for. Thank you!

VFit has had such an unbelievable impact on my, even more so these last 12 months. When everything fell apart last year, when all of the sudden I was working from home during my busiest time at my job, and the kids were home, and we were living in an unfinished house, I knew I could turn to my workouts and this community as something constant and motivating.

Being able to go from the member side to the trainer side was such an exciting journey to take, and I was even more excited knowing how much VFit was a source of joy, happiness, consistency, and positive energy to our members. I couldn’t wait to jump on the other side of the screen and be able to pour that inspiration and motivation to others in the way the trainers and this team had already done for me.

As part of planning to be a trainer I switched using zoom in speaker view to gallery view. To be honest though, I didn’t just do that to get used to how it would be teaching, but because it brought me so much joy to get to see all your smiling faces each day, when otherwise I was stuck at home seeing no one. Knowing that I would get to see my friends and get up and get going each day with you all was seriously what kept my sanity.

The amount of friendships I have gained all across the country through this community and our challenge groups are invaluable. I always know I have someone to turn to and that I have such a huge community to lift me up and stand by me when times are tough.

VFit is not just about exercise, it’s not even just about our overall wellbeing, it is a family full of love and support. I will be forever thankful to have found this community and to get to call you my friends.

Thank you all for helping me be #vfitstronger and for being that constant positive energy in my life. You all motivate each of us on the trainer side probably more than you realize.

Looking forward to what this next year will bring and to how we will all continue to grow and be challenged together.

❤️ Bridget

Having my safe, happy, consistent and committed space in VFit this past year has been nothing short of incredible. Looking back to March 2020, when we didn’t have any idea what the next month- much less 12- had in store for us, I can’t believe what we have done. My family, the trainer team, YOU the members, the world as a whole. What we’ve lived through was nothing near what we could have imagined 365 days ago, yet here we are and strongER for it.

When my kids went virtual with school and my husband went virtual with high school teaching, there were two things I could count on- chaos and VFit. Who knew how to manage in a house, during the end of winter in Ohio, while trying to navigate so many complete unknowns and strange ‘newness’ of every aspect of life? Not me! And the emotions! Two adults who were scared, nervous, unsure helping two kids process the same things- it was all so much.

But, VFit. Just as it always is- the saving grace. The sanity. The constant in my routine (or lack of routine). That month of VFitSTRONG, it’s probably safe to say that I took as many classes as I taught. Knowing my people were there, their voices and smiles- that we were all in a similar boat. I could check out for 30 minutes and pretend life was how it normally was. I was burning anxious energy to create patient and positive energy for later in the day which was so desperately needed.

And from the other side- seeing SO MANY faces, logging in for the exact same reasons I was logging in. We needed the joy and I truly, 100% believe our team delivered that class after class. The trainers poured out all we had to fill these new members’ hearts with all the love and joy that VFit brings every single time. What a blessing to do that for so many- 50, 75, 100 people signing in sometimes to have that consistent, joy filled anchor. For myself, what I put into classes as the instructor came back to me tenfold. I needed your faces on my screen as much as you wanted to be there. And our members- our OG VFitters that opened their hearts and space in class to welcome others- you were and continue to be rockstars! Only our members would not miss a beat and keep logging in at 6am to sweat when we literally had nowhere else to be that day!

If you’re one of the OGs, have joined us these past 12 months or are thinking about how VFit can fit into your story- thank you- for filling my cup 30 minutes at a time with your energy, beautiful smiling faces and positivity. Its meant the world.

❤️ Christine

What a difference a year makes!! Wow looking back at being a member of the Vfit community in quarantine for the first 6 months was motivating and powerful. The positive, calming and inspiring uplift I felt every time I logged in was refreshing and helped me feel the power within as I worked towards taking care of my mind through movement.

I learned by logging in day after day that routine teaches perseverance through the unknown and each instructor kept reminding us to WORK FOR IT and NOT WISH FOR IT!

And then in September a real miracle happened, I was hired to be part of the DREAM TEAM to IMPACT and be the light to our community and help lift this community up through fitness. Words cannot express how much bright light, positive energy, and love this community has poured into my heart when I teach.

Week after week, I observe each of you give it your best and continue to work at taking care of your mind, heart, and body even as the seasons change for good and not so good, you keep coming to class to workout and get your minds right for that day. Truly inspiring to see the unstoppable, confident, dedicated men and women of Vfit.

Members, thank you!! I motivate and bring joy to class because each of you light me up and give me a smile when I see you log in!!

Thank you for taking care of yourselves and coming to class to SWEAT, SMILE and SHINE together!!

❤️ Janelle

Last year VFit was my rock, my bright light, my consistency and what I looked forward to everyday when there was so much uncertainty. I knew that every time I logged in, I would be greeted with a smile, a warm welcome, and friendly faces. VFit filled our empty days with positivity, hope and support.

During that time, thanks to Rachele, I took a leap of faith and quit my job and started a new journey. I wouldn’t have done that without you all. You’re a safe place; a place to grow stronger, inside and out. I felt at home.

And now, on the other side of the screen, I feel your energy, I see your smiles, your kids, and your workout spaces. What a blessing it is to show up and move everyday with friends across the country. To celebrate what we can do. Every time you choose to login, we notice you. We get excited to see you.

We hope that you walk away feeling better than when you started, because I know I do. Each class brings something different, but it always brings a smile.

We ALL make this a community. Thank you for showing up and cheering us on too. We wouldn’t be here without you. We are all VFITSTRONGER together.

❤️ Lauren

Over the last week I’ve seen lots of posts from members telling us how much VFit Studio has helped them over the past crazy year of COVID. It’s so great to hear this feedback!

But did you know that YOU, our members, also saved US over the last year? Last March and April, as everything was shutting down and the world seemed like such a scary and uncertain place, the classes we taught became our beacon in the darkness, the only time every day where we could block everything out and focus on our community and health.

Especially as we opened the studio to all and increased our classes. I can’t tell you how much it has lifted my spirits every day to get to see your smiling faces on the other side of the screen! It’s much less scary now, but even as things are getting back to “normal,” what would we do without our VFit classes to let us know what day it is??

All of this is to say that, reading your posts about the past year, please know that for everything we poured into YOU, you poured back into US tenfold. So, from the bottom of my (our) heart, THANK YOU!!” #vfitstrong #vfitstronger #sweatsmileshine #gratefulthankfulblessed #oneyearstronger

❤️ Leslie

These 3 sweaty selfie pics were taken in the last week.

First, let’s talk about how I look like a red faced Oompa Loompa after Cycle Fit. I even have Oompa Loompa hair, with the sticky Outly bits at the side. I’ve been getting a lot of survey comments that people like my “realness.” Sometimes you have to tell it like it is and own up to your Oompa Loompaness.

And then I turned 40 this week. Had to dress up for my VFit morning classes. I love my birthday. Thank you for celebrating with me. The other selfie was taken in the morning after Met Mash. 12 hours later I would be calling 911 because I thought my husband was having a heart attack. Turns out his heart was fine but he got food stuck in his esophagus. Our hospital could not get it out so the next day I drove him 6 hours to a bigger hospital. The pressure in his throat caused a tear in his esophagus and fluid got in his lungs. He spent 4 nights in the hospital last week and now has follow up appointments every 6 weeks to stretch his throat because his esophagus is smaller than a baby’s at the top. He has had trouble swallowing his whole life. He is still experiencing pain in his chest but is slowly healing. I got out for a few walks while he was in the hospital, but that was it.

I missed my VFit crew. Makes me realize that I like working out in the morning because there are fewer distractions and medical emergencies in my life before 7:00am.

After being a VFitter for about 3 years, I was honored last March when Rachele asked if I would teach some kid’s fitness classes. I have coached many youth sports over the years and love helping kids have fun moving their bodies.

My two craziest realizations as I started teaching were that I was welcoming everyone into my home via the camera. You all get a front row seat to my tiny condo and family of 3. Thanks for not minding the piles of books and Legos in the background.

Also, I realized when I started teaching, that it is weird to talk to yourself out loud for 30 minutes. And telling jokes when nobody is there to laugh is a weird situation. I sure hope you are laughing out loud at home. At least just to humor me.

Thank you for welcoming me to the trainer crew last year. It is a pleasure to guide you and encourage you to be the strongest version of yourself. You can do hard things and I am proud of everyone who shows up to class ready to work.

❤️ Coach Lindsay B

The last 12 months were filled with challenges but many more moments of community, strength, love and celebration. The VFit trainer team really stood up with grace and courage when the calling came for us to open our virtual doors to all!! #vfitstrong I feel so honored to have been a part of that. We tripled our schedule, we showed up for each other, we had fun and we did it all with joy! We held the light while the fear and unknown grew.

From gratitude happy hours to our giant schedule to Magic in the Mountains to meeting some of the members (in person!) to growing together and learning what is most important. These are the moments I will hold in my heart and memories. The community and support at VFit is such a gift and helped get me through so much this last year.

Thank you VFit team for showing up and being such a meaningful part of my journey! I adore your smiles, your courage, your strength, your hearts and your willingness. There is no greater team than this team!! Let’s celebrate each other and how far we’ve come with more fun and smiles!! #vfitstronger

❤️ Lindsay M

This past year getting to keep the one constant in my life that’s always kept me grounded – exercise – is what helped me thrive through the last 12 months since COVID hit.

While nearly every aspect of our lives outside of the home was stripped away, we were left to look within those walls, and internally, and create new pathways of how we would shape our lives.

I instantly became a homeschool teacher, as did millions of other parents across the world. I also became a Sunday School homeschool teacher. A homeschool gym teacher. You name it, it happened from home.

While I worked through how to navigate the new roles I took on with Shelter in Place, it was that consistency of getting to lead my live streamed classes every week, without fail, that helped me stay grounded, ensure I was taking care of my own personal health and wellbeing while balancing my new load of responsibilities, and know I was helping others across the world get in that crucial piece of the puzzle: self care.

Without the consistency of my VFit live streamed classes and support of the positive VFit community this past year, I would not be where I am today. Through the last 12 months we’ve managed a cross country move, I’ve taken on growing professionally with actively pursuing my Personal Trainer Certification, I’m physically the strongest I’ve ever been and can now do crazy crow to headstand flows, sailed through much of Long Island Sound this summer, I even picked up switching to skiing from snowboarding (an old dog CAN learn new tricks if he’s open to getting out of her comfort zone!), to new daily habits such as journaling and reading which have helped me better connect with myself.

Thank you to the VFit community for absolutely being my rock the past year. You’ve made me a stronger person, inside and out, through your sweat, smile, and shine each and every class. Whether I was leading you through epic tabata cycles, or taking class Met Mash live with you on the other end of the screen, it’s 100% because of this community that I am where I am today. Thank you.

My #1 reason to exercise is to get my mind right! Without some movement and routine in the morning, I can get overly anxious, I’m unproductive and I just can’t get motivated. Exercise fixes all of that!

As we move into this new season of life and pass the 1 year mark of COVID, I see a lot of people talking about going back to “normal”. And I get it!

We missed out on a lot this last year and there is much to be excited to get back to.

BUT don’t rush so quick back to normal that you lose track that we aren’t the same as we were a year ago. This last year challenged us all beyond belief, and in different ways for everyone, but today we are not the same version of ourselves we were a year ago.

And I believe that’s going to be one of the biggest #blessings to come out of all of this.

This last year has taught us who and what matters most in this life.

So as things feel like #normal is on the horizon, don’t rush so quickly back to everything you did before, that you fall back into over-scheduled, under nurtured, disconnected and burnt out.

We have a beautiful opportunity right now to create and live our lives with as much purpose and passion as possible. Your new “normal” has yet to be written, be mindful that you write the story you can be proud of.

And make sure you keep taking care of YOU! Exercise, eat well, sleep, go outside, be grateful, drink water, feed your souls – these are all things no one can do for you. #vfitstrong #createyournewnormal #selfcare #strongereveryday

❤️ Maria

OMG! This past year has been different in unimaginable ways, but the one constant that brought sanity to my life was logging in to VFit each day and seeing your smiling faces from all over the world. The VFit members and trainer team have brought joy and light to my life even during these dark months of uncertainty due to the COVID pandemic. I don’t have words eloquent enough to express how thankful I am for each and every one of you. VFit strong and stronger!

❤️ Shari

Reflecting on the last year, a year full of adversity for me, I am most thankful for having the VFit community in my life because it gave me the chance to continue wearing my hat as a fitness instructor. While so many colleagues in the industry were losing their job and livelihood, I was able to continue working, and that blessing was never lost on me.

Thank you for showing up even when it was hard. Your presence in class allowed me to continue wearing my fitness instructor hat and honor a part of my identity that is so dear to me. And thank you for never losing your patience no matter how many times my little Q interrupted class asking for snacks or when Luca would share the latest tidbit of info he learned in school. I am grateful.

❤️ Steff

❤️ Spread the Love: 28 Self Care Tips from VFit Studio Trainers

March 25, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

For the month of February, VFit Studio trainers took to our special free Facebook Monthly challenge group and shared daily self care tips to help spread the love and dive into a focus on personal wellness. The collection of self care tips covers a wide variety of simple, easy to implement ways you can infuse more self love and positivity into your day. You do not need to block out an hour a day to get in more me time, as you will read on, our trainer team is VERY creative with ways to get in more time alone and find more beauty in the every day.

Your Daily Tips for Self Care

Treat yourself. Who knows what want and need more than you? No one. You are the expert in this department. Don’t be shy and treat yourself to something you want. From a new exercise top to maybe your fav bottle of wine. Give yourself a treat just for being you and enjoy it. – Maria

Sneak in some me time by hiding in your car. Take extra time for you, wherever you can find it. If hiding in your car or bathroom is the way to do it, go for it! You can take this extra time to check emails, meditate, or just take a pause in the day before you head back inside to your home. – Shari

Own your weirdness. Do you have an innate NEED to have all counters cleaned up before you can focus at home? If so, own it and take that 10 minutes to clean them off before you start you day so you can focus. Or maybe you gotta have your day written out or you feel frazzled. Own it – take that time to write out your list and feel good the rest of the day you did what fills your cup and gets you going. – Christine

Extra ZZZs. Once a week, plan a day to get in extra sleep. Make it a date with yourself, go to bed early and get that extra rest for your mind, body, and spirit. You’ll wake up feeling refreshed and energized. – Janelle

Listen to your favorite song. Turn it up and dance and sing your heart out! – Bridget

Time outs aren’t just for kids in trouble! Give yourself a personal time out. Hide in the bathroom, garage, backyard and breathe – Lindsay M

Instead of berating yourself and using unhelpful, negative self talk, flip the script and use kind words & self compassion. You’ll get closer to your goals by giving yourself grace – Lauren

Share the love. Take a moment in your day and tell someone you care about how much you love them today. Sharing your love and acknowledging those you care about is a special way to make sure they feel the love and know how appreciated they are by you. – Maria

Take recovery time for yourself. Whether it’s an epsom salt bath or foam rolling to extra stretching before bed, do what you can to focus on recovery time every day. – Shari

Reduce screen time and put limits on it for yourself. Work on being present. There’s many ways to do this, you can use an app that helps block out your screen time for set parts of the day or work to be conscientious with when you are on your personal screen. Work to be present – be where your feet are. – Christine

We give so much to our careers and jobs, its mentally and physically healthy to take a day off work when needed– and unplug to renew and refresh. – Janelle

Give yourself credit. It’s easy to focus on the negative. Take some time to look yourself in the mirror and congratulate yourself on accomplishments or thank yourself for things you’ve achieved. – Bridget

Change self judgement to curiosity. Observe your thoughts, notice when you judge yourself or others. Meditation is a great way to practice this! – Lindsay M

Get rid of clothes that don’t fit – they can produce negative thoughts and a constant reminder of not feeling good in your skin. Wear things that are comfortable & that you feel good in! – Lauren

Practice the art of forgiveness and let things go that no longer serve you. Storing negative energy drains your body and divides your attention. Focus on what matters and let that grudge go. – Maria

Don’t deprive yourself. Eat the chocolate! If we always deprive ourselves we will end up binging. – Shari

Acknowledge taking a break from your routine and give yourself grace. The world will NOT fall apart if you step back for a few minutes, hours, or even a day or two. Ask for help, step away, and come back refreshed and ready to focus on what you are working on. – Christine

Celebrate YOURSELF on your BIRTHDAY by doing what you LOVE – allows permission to embrace that you were uniquely and wonderfully made, their is only one of you in this world, celebrate your aging. – Janelle

Limit things that you may see that bring you no joy. Remove negativity from your day to day. – Bridget

Journaling to know yourself. Sit quiet, breathe, listen and journal your thoughts. – Lindsay M

We are all made uniquely – all shapes and sizes. Instead of looking at unrealistic body ideals, read books and fill your social media feed with body diversity & acceptance. Appreciate your uniqueness…we are not meant to be the same! – Lauren

7 pillars of wellness check in. Use VFit’s 7 pillars of wellness and do a mental check in with where you are at with all the pillars to dial in your present moment. Find a pillar that could use some love? Focus on that pillar today and one positive action you can do to change the script. – Maria

Tune into your breath. Simply take 5 minutes and just breathe. This meditation practice will get you tuned into the present moment and fill you with light and a clear head. – Shari

Go outside in the sun and soak up the goodness, or sit by sunny window. A dose of vitamin D is a mood booster and calms the mind. – Christine

When is the last time you did your routine health check ups? You are important, a valuable human and just like we take our kids, we too need to be scheduling preventative appointments. – Janelle

Stop focusing on glass as being half full or empty, focus on the fact that ‘the glass’ is always refillable. – Bridget

Take pause and collect your thoughts about the week ahead and schedule out your week, reflect, and work on goal setting. – Lindsay M

Spiral up. When you are feeling down, what is ONE THING you can do to feel better in that moment? It can be small.. drink water, take a deep breath, step outside, or reach out to a friend. Stop that downward spiral in its tracks! – Lauren

Try a tip today from the above and share in the comments how you felt afterwards! Do you have any tips you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you.

March Wellness Cafe – Macros, Snacking & Mindful Eating

March 10, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

The VFit Studio March Wellness Cafe focused on three core areas: macros, snacking, and mindful eating.

Led by VFit Studio nutrition experts Maria and Lauren, the intent of the First Friday’s Wellness Cafe series is to educate members and the public at large about core areas of nutrition in a monthly series and help frame a healthier mindset around food, body image, and self care.

There can be a great deal of stress, judgetment, and emotion when it comes to nutrition. The Wellness Cafe series is our forum to bring us together and shed light on a more positive and less strict approach with the goal to help you feel more comfortable about the choices you make and enjoy the journey.

This month we put together slides which we have below you can go through at your own pace here, or watch the replay above and hear us talk through them.

VFit’s continued emphasis on total body wellness continues as next week we unite with another VFit Studio trainer and health coach, Christine, with a special one week group nutrition session. For more information on the session you can learn more here.

The next Wellness Cafe will be held Friday, April 2nd at 12:45 PM PST and is livestreamed through VFit Studio.

Kid Friendly “Pink” Beet Pancakes

February 14, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

We were honored to have Vfitter Misa host a special Valentine's themed kid cooking demo before Valentine's with our members. This nutrient dense and eye pleasing pancake recipe can be served year round - invite the kids and have some fun in the kitchen as you use some beets to help create these rose colored flapjacks. Recipe adapted from the Natural Nurturer

Wellness Cafe – Break Up with Your Scale

February 8, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

Welcome to VFit Studio’s First Fridays Wellness Cafe series. Join VFit Studio wellness experts in an open forum discussion on topics related to fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits. This series will be led by VFit Studio Trainers Maria Sogard and Lauren Ferrara. Maria heads operations at VFit Studio and is a certified nutrition coach focused on clean eating and meal planning. Lauren is an avid marathoner and registered dietitian working closely with clients to learn intuitive eating and engage in a healthy relationship with food.

Welcome to VFit’s First Friday’s Wellness Cafe Series

With a stacked trainer team with a wide variety of expertise, it just makes sense to have collaborations as many of us have shared expertise and passion beyond leading VFit Studio online workouts.

It’s with this in mind that the VFit Studio First Friday’s Wellness Cafe came to life – with our first session held on Friday, February 5th.

Lauren is a seasoned dietician and I’ve been working with clients the last year as a nutrition coach and we have so much we want to share and be a resource for our members.

Up above we’ve shared the full recording of our first session. Below are our talking points and some brief questions and answers we fielded from our first session.

To begin – we’re all members of an active online community like VFit Studio to become better versions of ourselves and our dedication comes through on that cause with every check in we make.

You can get all the check ins in the world, but if you aren’t balancing your 7 pillars of wellness, your mind, body, and spirt will be off balance.

VFit Studio’s 7 pillars of wellness: you can learn more about each pillar and our core philosophies here in depth with a special blog post covering all 7 pillars.

We wanted to created a forum where we can help address the food pillar and nutrition in a special monthly series to help serve as resource for members.

Together, Lauren and I want to help the team look at food as fuel, and to help transition that mindset about ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ food, to how the food makes us feel.

Let go of that idea of diets and restriction, it’s proven again and again those simply are not sustainable and often cause more harm than good in the long term.

Are you viewing your food as fuel and helping your body build muscle mass and have sustained energy stores?

It’s important to be mindful of what you choose to eat, how your body will use that fuel, and how that will impact not just your workouts, but your energy level, your sleep, your mood, etc.

We want you to feel comfortable and enjoy having your cake and eating it too, while being mindful of the balance of what food you choose to eat throughout each day.

One classic nutrition rule of thumb is to work on the 80/20 rule, or another ratio that may fit better with your lifestyle and objectives. Basically, you work to eat well and heathfully 80% of the time, and let yourself induldge and have – and enjoy with no guilt – the other 20% of the time. Now this scale may be different numbers for some but the key takeaway here is that you eat well mos tof the time, and when you don’t, you enjoy it, but then you move on! You don’t let one cookie turn into 10, or cookies for dinner every day of the week. But eat that cookie if that’s what you want and let yourself enjoy it. If you are just starting out trying to eat more healthfully you can work in a ratio that is more reasonable to start and then slowly build on the healtheir number until you feel you’ve found balance and your body is performing how you want it to.

Looking at the ‘classic numbers’ related to your body like BMI and the scale are doing yourself a disserve. BMI does not take into account a whole host of factors including muscle mass (bmi doesn’t acct for muscle vs fat), genetics, sex, etc.

And the scale … now that’s the BIG ONE. Here’s where Lauren comes in and gives a talk that every person needs to listen in (or read) and let sink in:

Break Up with Your Scale

From Lauren:

“I have a Health at Every Size, Intuitive Eating, anti-diet (not anti-health), body diverse, body positive – approach to wellness. There are no strict food rules, beauty ideals, or extreme measures. I focus on self-acceptance, self- compassion, nourishing and moving in ways that creates a better life for yourself.

How often do you weigh yourself? Do you rely on the scale to dictate your body’s needs? Does it dictate your food choices or how much you exercise? Does it dictate your mood? How you feel about yourself? What benefits does the scale bring you?

When you treat your body like a problem, you carry blame and shame, which results in avoiding behaviors instead of approaching positive changes. It’s not your body that needs to get rid of the weight, it’s your mind. One of the first steps is to get rid of dieter’s tools that are not serving you.

False measurements of health such as ideal body weight and BMI have led us to believe that we need to be a certain number of pounds to be healthy, and that a lower weight equals health, which simply isn’t true. You may think you’ll feel better when you lose the weight or look differently, but where did you get that idea? Studies have shown that improvements in psychological well-being associated with weight loss are just as temporary as the pounds lost and regained (which they will for 95% of people). The good feelings diminish with regained weight and existing issues of self-worth return.

A focus on weight loss and dieting only keep you stuck in the belief that your weight is a measure of who you are. Your weight, your body, is not you – and your worth is not tied to your weight.

True health means nourishing your body, moving it in ways that you enjoy, speaking kindly to yourself, getting sleep, having social connections, and so much more. It is not punishing yourself with extreme diets or exercise to fit into an unrealistic ideal.

What happens on the scale?

In one moment, hopes and desperation combine to form a daily drama that will ultimately shape what mood you’ll be in for the day.

Ironically, a good or bad scale number can both trigger overeating.

The scale ritual sabotages mind and body efforts; one moment devalue days, weeks, and even months of progress. Focusing on the scale or your weight immediately introduces an external factor, creating a wedge between your inner wisdom and eating choices.

What if you were feeling your best, but the number didn’t reflect what you thought it should – would you stop all of your positive behaviors?

The scale does not reflect body composition, genetics, body type, activity level or your overall well-being. Deifying the scale to give you the power to feel good or bad about yourself is falling prey to the influence of false facts. Water, hormones, and diet all cause daily fluctuations.

Weighing in on the scale only serves to keep you focused on your weight; it doesn’t help with the process of getting back in touch with your intuitive eating, what feels good to you, and what matters in life more than how much you weigh.

Take away tip: Get rid of dieter’s tools such fitness trackers and apps that count calorie counters, points, or macros.

What of this information resonates with you? What can you do?

Detox yourself from dieting and appearance focused influences that don’t make you feel good or don’t help you cultivate a better life. Break up with your old ways and set up a clean slate.
Lauren Ferrara – registered dietician

1. Break up with your scale – Write a note and paste it on there “I love myself more than you.”

2. TOSS IT.”

At the end of the First Friday’s Wellness Cafe, we took up a few questions from those in attendance and have shared some brief answers here. It is recommended that you consult with your doctor, a registered dietitian, or certified nutrition coach before making drastic changes to your eating behavior.

If you’d like to learn more about the First Friday’s Wellness Cafe series, you you can email Maria directly. VFit Studio runs wellness resets focused on the 7 pillars of wellness each quarter, with group nutrition coaching sessions led by Maria beforehand. Lauren is available for one-on-one nutriton sessions and you can book a complimentary 15 minute discovery call with her here, as space allows.

Questions & Answers

What is Intermitent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. There may be some benefits to this eating style, and works well for some people, but ultimatey it restricts your eating window so you have to see if it is a good fit for you.

What is protein and how much should you have?

Protein is involved in almost every structural and functional component of the body. Protein can be found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, soy, and beans. The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.5-0.7 grams/pound of body weight for recreational exercisers and up to 0.7-0.8 g/pound for athletes. Adequate protein is consumed in most American diets, but vegetarian or vegan diets may need some more support to make sure enough protein is consumed from non-meat sources. Protein supplements are also available, but natural sources are preferred.

What is collagen and should I be having it?

Collagen is a protein full of the amino acids which helps maintain and repair your skin, tendons, bones, and joints. Production slows down as we age, resulting in loss of skin elasticity, dry skin, wrinkles, less flexible tendons and joints. Collagen can be found in powdered form or bone broth so explore what works for you. It can be a good addition to any diet to help with muscle recovery and increased protein intake, but like all supplements, it may not be for everyone.

12 Lessons Learned from 2020

January 7, 2021 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

Above: VFit Studio Founder and Trainer Rachele Jaegers

The year 2020 has come to a close.

Start your 80s era slow cap as we usher in a brand new year together.

While many want to push 2020 as far out of memory as possible, it is through our toughest times that we grow and learn the most.

We are here today to to look back at the last year , sharing our top 12 lessons of 2020.

There was a lot of good and light that came from the darkness, silver linings, and strength. We encourage you to take some time to reflect on your own lessons and just how far you have come.

You can read the highlights below, or press play on this workout replay of willPower with Rachele, where each lesson is woven into a 30 minute workout:

Replay of Willpower weaving in the top 12 lessons of 2020

Lesson #1: Dream Big

Right now you have opportunity in front of you in the form of a blank slate of a year. If 2020 taught us anything, it is that we can’t predict what may be coming, and to focus on what you can control.

Your dreams are all yours for the chasing.

Go forward and let yourself have those big dreams.

Find something that lights you up and try to soak some of that joy in as often as possible. Do your best to not let the past get you down and not to feel like all is lost.

Keep your faith and hope, and always remember: dreams are for everyone.

Lesson #2: Chase More Sunrises and Sunset

This lesson was personally experienced while I was at a retreat in February with my Todd Durkin Mastermind group. There was a special ‘optional workout’ each morning and the second morning’s workout happened to be a beach sunrise workout.

While it sounded amazing, the ocean is magical, it was also my first time away from my husband and 3 kids – I ad the opportunity to sleep in.

BEEP – the alarm chimes off at 6 am and with blackout curtains doing their thing, there was that voice inside my head that said, “why don’t you sleep in a bit?”.

Thankfully, I didn’t. In my gut I knew that it was going to be a magical workout full of energy, laughter, grit, sweat and the beautiful sun rising over Coronado toward the Pacific Ocean. I can still vividly remember that morning and just how magical the experience was.

At VFit, we always say, “If you beat the sun up, you have already won the day.”

If you aren’t a morning person “yet”, you can start slow and gradually start waking up 5 min earlier each day to create that earlier morning routine. Talk to yourself as if you ARE a morning person.

There’s magical peace in the quiet of the mornings. The early mornings are often the only part of your day you have full control over.

On the flip side, as the days come to a close at sunset, don’t forget to look out, take a deep breath in and look at the sun setting. Some of the most magical painted skies come at sunset and it is an opportunity to honor the day and your 100% record of making it through.

Lesson #3: Be the Coffee Bean

From the book The Coffee Bean by Damon West & Jon Gordon, this lesson we shared all year long at VFit.

The world is a pot of boiling water. Right now the water is boiling and as hot as can be.

In life, you can be three things: an egg, carrot, or coffee bean.

2020 taught us just how needed more coffee beans are in the world.

In the boiling water of life, the carrot gets soft, loses hope and structure.

The eggs harden and gets tougher, loses hope and becomes pessimistic.

The coffee bean, however, when it hits the water, it changes the water.

Even if you are walking into store with mask on, smile! People can feel your energy and one thing we can not lose grip on is hope and faith.

While there is much we can’t control, we will always control our thoughts, reactions and how we treat others. Be the coffee bean!

Lesson #4: Serve More

As humans we have service in our hearts.

When March hit last year and the world around us crumbled, we rose to the occasion and found an opportunity to serve more.

VFit had been open for over 4 years and knew that we could offer help so many were in need of. We pride ourselves on our community, so we opened our doors FREE TO ALL for an entire month with the VFITSTRONG initiative.

Overnight we doubled our class schedule, attendance nearly tripled to our classes, we added kids classes, cooking classes, Spanish, happy hours – we were doing everything in our power to bring light, love, sweat, smiles and shine to others.

Our VFITSTRONG mission tested every system we had built the past 4 years to the max. We could have easily crumbled had it gone wrong, but we didn’t even have time to “what if” ourselves.

Sleep was scarce, fear was high, trainers were working overtime, we were vulnerable, but we were called to serve and lead with our hearts!

We wanted to help create a sense of stability, community and sanity to a world that was just flipped upside down.

While this month of trying to navigate our own home lives being flipped upside down and opening our virtual doors to all, was one of the toughest months of 2020, we wouldn’t take it back for the world.

We stayed true to our mission of purpose, impact, change lives, save lives.

It may not always be at the perfect time, but find ways in your day to open your heart and serve others.

Lesson #5: Ask for Help

A tough lesson, but one we will all need to learn. You may have a hard time with this one too, but the thing is, if you don’t ask for help, no one knows you need it.

In 2020, we learned to lean on others more than ever and often times in more creative ways than ever.

I would have never made it without the help from my spouse, family, in-laws, trainer team, and friends.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Think of a swinging pendulum and don’t try to balance everything all at once. Work to be vulnerable and ask for help when you need it. Others want to serve as well, so you’ll be doing both sides a favor.

Lesson #6: Get Busy Living

It can be so easy to get caught up in fear, anxiety, and paranoia, that we can forget all the parts of our life we do have control over.

Do your best to connect with family and friends more personally. Do things that light you up – whether it’s dancing more, snuggling your pet, or diving into a hobby and passion of yours.

Say yes more and do what feeds your soul. Take the trip down the street, hike that mountain, swim in the lake, unplug more.

You don’t need to travel the world to get busy living. It is about being present and connecting more.

Lesson #7: Who Matters Most

Who are those people that truly matter the most to you? With quarantine, many restrictions and cancellations placed through the pandemic, we all found ourselves at home more.

Some suddenly had more family time than they knew they could handle and others are still counting down the minutes until they can hug their loved ones again.

In 2020, we were shown just who matters most in our life.

Or, perhaps in this last year you discovered that there were those around you that were casting a dark shadow and changing your thought process. You were able to let them go.

Find who matters most in your life and protect your space like it’s gold, because it is. You have the ultimate control over the energy you let in. Your life will be a reflection of the people you are surrounded by.

Lesson #8: Daily Habits Define Your Days

When the world was spinning out of control last year, it was easy to go into spring break mode, let loose and give up on many of life’s daily tasks and activities.

While that’s okay in small spurts, it clearly is not sustainable in maintaining a high quality of life.

Having structure is important.

Ask any VFitter and they will all be singing praises of gratitude for the structure, stability and support of the daily habits we continued to keep in place.

Some days it took every ounce of our energy to just show up, but those times when it is the hardest to show up and you still do – those are the times that build your resilence.

When we lose structure of our strong but powerful daily habits, we start to let our days control us and suddenly a whole month or year may fly by and you can’t remember a second of it.

Habits aren’t always the most fun word in the dictionary, but create good strong ones and you’ll have a lot more time to have fun and thrive in life.

Hone in on your daily habits to help you maintain structure and control.

Lesson #9: The Stick

We all carry ‘the stick’ around with us. The stick is what we use to beat ourselves up with and judge ourselves. Have you ever noticed that the voice in your head is harsher to yourself than you are to everyone else around you?

Stop beating yourself up with the stick.

Instead turn that stick into a back scratcher!

Use it to celebrate a win or compliment and change that mindset.

Same tool, two very different uses, choose wisely.

Lesson #10: Unplug to Recharge

Last year we were all pushed to our max. Oftentimes, this happened over and over and over again.

How do you recharge and get inspired? There were so many times in 2020 when I personally didn’t have inspiration or motivation to get it all done and keep serving with my many hats.

In 2020 I found the best inspiration come back to me when I finally stepped away to unplug. It is now on my 2021 goal sheet to take one weekend a month to fully unplug.

You don’t have to read everything out there and look for outside inspiration all the time.

Your true inspiration is from within.

Quiet your soul and dig into the whispers.

Lesson #11: Simplify to Amplify

2020 taught us, we can’t do it all!

You do not have to recreate the wheel in everything you do. Last year taught us all that there is a simpler life – because so much was taken off our plates.

Less commuting, being away from home, travel, etc. Getting in quality time with your family and things that feed your soul sometimes means simplifying your life and daily calendar.

Be intentional with what you choose to add back in and be sure to keep some of that quiet that 2020 brought to us.

Lesson #12: Community Matters

I am an only child and have worked hard my whole life to build strong communities.

Community is what gets you through.

We all had a story to write last year. We all made it. Don’t compare your story to anyone other persons’ story.

Make sure you are part of a community that TRULY wants the best for you and in the toughest of days they will pull you up.

You also have to lean into it as well and give to your community. Be a team player, share your lessons learned, reach out and offer a helping hand, don’t be afraid to speak up.

Without my family community and the VFit community I am not sure what 2020 would have looked like for me and I am thankful I don’t have to find out.

As human beings we need other’s, make sure to build strong communities in your life.

So that’s a wrap on 2020 – Those are my top lessons. Do you have any you would like to share with us? Let us know and comment below.

And always if you are looking for that team that truly wants the best for you, is there to lift you up, make you smile and keep pushing you forward in your health and wellbeing journey, we have room for more at VFit.

Check out our team options here.

Meet VFit’s December Member of the Month

December 16, 2020 by Maria Sogard 5 Comments

2020 is coming to a close and we’ve made it to the 12th level of the year – aka December – congrats to us ALL! If you are reading this, you have a 100% track record of making it to this very moment, no matter how tough some days got.

The entire VFit Trainer Team has been reflecting back on all that 2020 has thrown us and as we sat down to sift through the nominations for our December “Member of the Month,” we came up with a unanimous decision that brought us all to happy tears.

The heart of VFit is our community. The soul of our platform is the personal connection, authenticity, and passion that every VFitter shares with each other.

As we poured through the names of MANY deserving VFitters, there was one theme we kept coming back to.

In a year that has kept so many loved ones apart, VFit has been a rock solid catalyst for keeping families connected, motivated, healthy, and strong.

It brings smiles to our hearts to reflect on our journey this year – getting to see SO many families connecting each day through our live, face to face workouts.

Grandparents waving to their grandkids after a circuit class – from New York to Cali.

Mother daughter duo’s sweating, smiling and shining after completing their morning workouts together – from 2,000+ miles apart.

Entire families logging into Zumba and Cardio Dance to fill their homes with laughter and cheer.

Sisters taking Cardio Shred together every Thursday morning – from Florida and New Hampshire.

Cousins who grew up together, but now living far away, able to log into nighttime Yin classes to relax and unwind after long days of raising young kids.

We saw it day in and day out – families that were “apart,” still logging in together to say their hello’s, their “I love you’s” to one another, and get in an epic sweat sesh!

So many sisters, moms, grandparents, kids, cousins, in laws; all getting to spend quality time together, in this year that did all it could to limit how we got together.

Amidst the up’s and downs of 2020, there was no stopping VFit classes or our community from coming together.

For December we want to honor and celebrate the VFit Family Tree – over 100 of our members are accounted for here! That’s nearly 1/3 of our entire member base connected by blood or marriage

It truly makes our hearts sing knowing that through VFit, these families were able to connect, get stronger, and keep that special family bond throughout 2020.

Is your family on this tree? How many more branches will we grow in 2021? We can’t wait to continue to watch this tree grow.

In health,

The VFit Trainer Team

Mastering Your Morning Routine

November 20, 2020 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

This is the ONE thing that usually separates those that are hitting their goals from those that fall short: the morning routine.

As Rachele shares, “When these are not strong, I can feel the difference the rest of the day.”

We are all given the same 24 hours in the day, but it’s the habits and actions you choose to fill your day that separates many from the life they are living from the life they WISH they were living. Dial in your habits, and live a life more in line with what you envision for yourself.

Below, Rachele breaks down her top 7 healthy habits that have worked for her that can work for you as well and go on to live a life worth telling a story about:

1) Your morning routine starts the night before. How are you setting yourself up for a strong start? Workout clothes out, lunches packed, alarm set, water out, etc,. get yourself prepped for the day ahead the night before.

2) DO NOT hit snooze! Sleep up to the last second you can

3) When that alarm goes off, wake up with purpose and tell yourself a power mantra or statement before you even stand up. My go to “ I have purpose today!”

4) Chug a glass of water. It’s like your insides being hit by the sprinklers and it wakes everything up!

5) Stay off all electronics the first 30 minutes you are up. It’s amazing the difference when you don’t rush right to texts, emails and social media! You went all night, you can go 30 more minutes I promise

6) Give yourself the gift of 5-10 minutes of inspirational reading or journaling. This was a life changer for me when I started working on this daily.

7) Move your body at least 5 minutes. Once you do at least 5 minutes of movement your mind will think clearer, act clearer and most important be more present. Of course a full workout is amazing in the mornings but at least get some movement in.

A strong morning routine is one of the most powerful habits you can build. Be proud of being a work in progress, it’s a beautiful thing!