So excited to introduce you to this amazing woman! We randomly followed each other a few years ago on Social Media and have been keeping up with each other, sharing tips, etc to this day!
She gave me one of her recipe books as a graduation gift back in December 2014 and I LOVED the content. I am so excited to be including some of her recipes in my Recipe E-book that I am working on! 🙂
Name: Megan Nicole Larson
Age: 32
Occupation: Administrative Assistant at an Optometry office and personal trainer, yogi, nutrition coach
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
How long have you been in the health/fitness field? 5 years
What made you want to pursue this as your occupation? I left college originally to become a makeup artist but spent most of the time sharing nutrition tips with clients instead of makeup tips. When my mom’s cancer returned after 12 years in remission this furthered my passion to learn more about holistic nutrition and how what we eats helps not only to give us clear, glowing skin but also how it can help prevent and fight diseases. After college I learned about fitness competitions and started taking jiu-jitsu and that lead to an interest in becoming a personal trainer in addition to holistic nutrition coach.
What do you love most about what you do? I love teaching people that losing weight and getting in shape doesn’t mean sticking rigidly to a specific diet or workout fad. I love helping my clients figure out what types of physical activities and foods they can eat that help them reach their goals while fitting their lifestyle and likes and dislikes. You like pizza and yoga? Ok let’s figure out how to work that into a fitness/ meal plan!
How many recipe books have you created? 4 cookbooks and one 6-12 week bikini body e-book
What is your favorite healthy meal & healthy snack? My favorite healthy meal is ground turkey with oven roasted yellow squash. I absolutely love yellow squash! I toss it lightly in olive oil and add a dash of garlic powder and Himalayan pink sea salt and roast it in the oven until the slices brown. I also love using Ezekiel tortillas to make a pizza. I use one tortilla, marinara, tons of veggies and rotisserie chicken and broil in the oven until the tortilla is crispy. My favorite snack is usually a Think Thin bar or Ezekiel tortilla with peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, and half a banana.
Do you have cheat meals? If so, how many a week? What is your favorite cheat meal? When cutting body fat over the holidays, I try to limit myself to either one cheat meal a week or two small ‘cheat treats’. When I’m being really good I try to swap cheat meals for healthier versions of my favorite treats. My favorite cheat meal is either pizza or Mexican food.
How many days a week do you work out? I work 10 hour days at my day job Mon-Thurs so I can relate when people say its hard to workout after work. To stay on track I keep a mat, free weights, and workout videos at home for the times I just don’t want to go to the gym. I workout usually 5-6x a week.
What does your work out routine look like? Mon-Thurs I try to get in at least a 30-40 min workout. Then I kick my butt on my three days off when I have more time and often do a strength workout and cardio. I also do heated power yoga 1-2x per week- usually on the weekend. My workouts consist of lifting weights, HIIT, plyometrics, body weight movements, and yoga. My cardio is dance cardio, sprint intervals on the treadmill, running or long walks outside. I rotate between different fitness plans and activities to keep challenging myself and prevent getting bored.
What is your favorite quote? “Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% of how I react to it”- John C. Maxwell
Do you have anything exciting that your working on? Right now I’m putting myself through my first ever 6 week fitness challenge. I’ve never tried doing a fitness challenge with prizes before and its a lot of fun! End of the day I view myself as competing just against myself. I think its really important to show anyone following me that as a nutrition coach and trainer I’m not perfect. I dealt with bronchitis around Thanksgiving that made it hard to workout and went home for the holidays where I enjoyed lots of fun treat meals. I put on a little weight and wasn’t disciplined working out. Like many, life happened. Regardless if I win I hope to motivate others over the next 6 weeks as they see me getting my body ready for bikini season.
What is some advice you would give to someone who is getting started on their fitness journey? Never give up! Start over 16x a month if you have to but DO NOT GIVE UP! Find what works for you and will keep you motivated. If this means getting a trainer long distance because you connect better to them than a trainer at your gym or need to do a fitness competition or sign up for an MMA gym then do it. Try several things and find what motivates you. And realize you weren’t meant to be perfect! A lot of people I meet go into a fitness or meal plan with tons of enthusiasm and then get discouraged and quit because they aren’t perfect. Its okay to miss a workout sometimes to spend time with a friend that is visiting or to have a slice of cake at your friend’s wedding. You have to find balance and realize that you won’t be perfect every day and that’s ok. As long as you are working out and eating healthy 85% of the time those slip-ups, missed workouts, and extra treats won’t matter. Life is mean to be enjoyed and lived.
FITsation 