Inspiration

Since we can never be too inspired to work our as*es off in the gym everyday.

For me I need to think of why the heck I do what I do when my clothes are soaked with sweat, my hair is all messed up when I am at the gym at St. John's, and when all I want to do is eat an entire cheesecake.  BECAUSE I WANT TO CHANGE MY LIFE! I want to be the best person I can be.

Today, I had a moment in the gym (at St. John's) I was doing the lat machine and I was working it hard core between a sprint set and a rope climb and some guy was just staring at me and I didn't realize I was doing 75 pounds of resistance....whoops.  I officially reached beast mode.

Since we all want to get the guy....

The five year reunion or reconnecting with a friend from HS tomorrow for the first time....

Because I want to finish my next half faster than my first. 

Because I will run a marathon.

 And for every other reason you can think of.

We can do whatever we set our minds to. END OF STORY! 

So what are you going to do today to make your dreams a reality?

Until tomorrow, 

C

Easy Food Ideas

Food. We love it.  We hate it.  We resent it.  We regret it. But let's be real, we need it! 

So here are some super easy and super healthy suggestions for REAL LIFE because let's be real no one has time for any of this crazy complex meal making.

Lunch idea: 

1c sweet potato and quinoa chips

1oz cheese (whatever is your favorite) 

3oz turkey breast (lunch meat)

2T salsa (My favorite is Minnesalsa) 

1 mango sliced

I heated the turkey and cheese in a saute pan so that it tasted similair to a grilled cheese. 

Snack idea: 

I am currently loving this for any treat or snack. 

1 part chia seeds to 2 parts almond milk

I let it hang out together in a tupperware container overnight mixing it a couple of times to make sure the seeds are not clumped together.  Then when I am ready to eat it I portion it into 1/2 c containers. I will be the first to tell you that I didn't love this when I first tried it (maybe last July), but I seriously cannot say enough good things about it now.  It keeps me full, it tastes decent, it's something sweet, and it's not bad for me! Top it with some whipped cream and it's a beautiful treat. 

Woot woot! 

Dinner idea: 

4 oz beef medallion (sliced) 

1c mushrooms

1c spaghetti squash

 Sautee the meat in 1T butter, then add the mushrooms and ta da it's done.  I also pre-cooked the squash so I just had to microwave it and toss it on the plate. Delish. 

Here are some healthy tidbits to remember.

Your weight is not your worth.

Until tomorrow :) 

C

Goals!

Here are my major goals for the week:
-focus on eating only when actually hungry
-use peanut butter and dried fruit as treats and desserts
-make every workout count
-stay focused on the long term, not daily trials and errors
-use training workouts as motivation for the goals I want to accomplish
-swim, bike, and run at least once this week

Countdown to TRI!
26 days

Until tomorrow :)

C

Scale Article

I hope you all got the chance to read the weight/scale article I posted yesterday!  This article means a lot to me because like I said I have been having some scale issues. When I met with Kyle the other day although it was at 5:30 at night) I stepped on the scale and saw 188 (usually I am between 175-178)....I know that isn't what I weigh and I had obviously eaten and drank water that day, but still that freaked me out A LOT! I never want to be close to 200 pounds again.  It is just very discouraging to see that my body fat percentage and bmi put me in the category of obese, but then the number of push ups (38) and sit ups (42) in a minute put me at the 90th percentile for my age group. Ugh. So frustrating. 

I emailed Sara and naturally she had some great insights:
Totally ditch the scale.  The scale is a simple measure of our weight.  Not our lean weight or fat weight.  That being said, getting to your 1/2 marathon goal or even tri and weighing more than you thought could take away the powerful meaning of those huge triumphs.  I know it's hard, hard, hard to not get stuck on the scale, but it never really helps us in the big picture.  Weighing once in a while (once a month) isn't a bad thing, but use other sources of accountability to note your progress.  Perhaps a pair of jeans or something.

When I train hard and my body fat goes down, sometimes my jeans get tighter.  I can see the muscle tone, and I can tell my butt looks higher and better, but I can also let them bug me.  I know if I stopped training hard my jeans would get loose due to muscle loss, but I want fit and health more than I want loose pants.  

I am suggesting you give up the pursuit of what you think is perfect and go for the goal that will keep you feeling good, confident, and strong.  That, in almost every situation, will result in the other things you are  hoping for, but you won't need to fixate on them. 

I hope that makes sense.  You have changed so much since the day I met you and I do find your inspiring and beautiful.  I would never want some number on a scale or pair of pants to say otherwise.  You've come too far for that silliness.

Everyday, ask yourself how YOU can improve your health, confidence, and strength.  I think you will find motivation to eat for health, and exercise for strength and confidence.  Don't be hard on yourself, see the best in everything you are working on - if you've been critical of yourself, I think the attitude shift could make a big difference.  

I know that's long and drawn out, but I took a lot away from what she said and figured I would share in hopes someone else can gain something too! 

For a mid-weekend recap...I did come home this weekend for a family funeral.  Although this was a sad time for the family I am very glad that I came home to share this time with them and see family that I hadn't seen for quite some time. 

Friday- 
Came home after class 

Made a great dinner. 

Whole wheat pasta from Trader Joe's 
Peas and Broccoli
Shrimp
Salsa de Parmigana from Brine's 

Then made a quick run to Charming Charlies to pick up B's birthday present.  Of course, I couldn't just go in and buy one thing, so I came out with two things for me. 

Great nude necklace

Cute wedges for work

Saturday- 
Stairs at 6am with Bails
Funeral 
Papa Murphy's DeLight pizza for dinner...God's gift of pizza in a semi healthy form. 

Tried Arctic Zero Ice Cream.  SUPER GOOD, a definite recommendation. 

Make the rest of the weekend great! 

Until tomorrow :) 

C

Scales....

I have been struggling with the idea of the scale and my true weight and what it means to be healthy lately.  I want to encourage you to read this article today and later I will provide my own commentary. 

Give it a read and then I'd love for all of us to share our thoughts. 

http://www.tonygentilcore.com/blog/should-you-use-scale-weight-as-a-measure-of-success/

Until later :)

C

First meeting with the new trainer!!

Today was a HUGE deal!  I finally got to meet with a personal trainer.  I am so excited that he is so willing to help me on phase two of this crazy journey.

Kyle is part of this new program called Johnnie Fitness. Check it out here!  During the session today I got weighed, BMI, and body fat measured (I hate that....ugh....never good news) and did some fitness testing.
A mile in under 10:00 (check!)
38 push ups in a 1:00 (check!)
42 sit ups in 1:00 (check!)

I cannot wait to see how these things change over the next six weeks.  I will be meeting with him once a week to train and get new workouts.  This is such an exciting time for me I now have the fire under my butt to really get me on track with eating totally healthy, not splurging on crap food, and working out harder than ever before. (Obviously because I need to show Kyle what I can do!)

I also had the chance to share my story with Kyle.  He was so interested and even said he was "inspired and motivated" by me!  ME! I can't believe it.

So excited to share what he has to teach me!  Stay tuned.

Until tomorrow :)

C

P.S. I officially registered for the tri today!  One month from tomorrow and I will be biking, swimming, and sprinting my way through another finish line.

April Arm Challenge

Happy April Fools Day!

On another blog I follow (and you should too) Tanee proposed an April Arm Challenge, so naturally WE ARE going to do it!

http://fromfattofitchick.blogspot.com/2014/03/april-arm-challenge.html

Here's all the information you need to get started.  It'll seriously take 5 minutes a rep and if you do it two or three times your arms will be fabulous by the end of the month!

On another note I am meeting with a trainer at school tomorrow and I am SUPER excited :) You'll obviously get a full recap tomorrow night.

Until tomorrow :)

C