Journey to a New Me

Oh the journey!!! Are you riding? Bailing? Or fighting?

2014-08-19T09:48:00.000-06:00

Through this journey, I find myself in one of three places.

Riding along with no cares. Doing really well and sticking to my plan and reaching goals.

Bailing. I can't find my motivation or I just have an I don't give a crap attitude. {Yes, I have these moments}

Fighting to get back on!!!! It's always right after I bail, my mind starts telling my body to get with the program!

No matter where I am in my journey or which place I'm in, I know in the back of my mind that I have come so far and made the change! There is never a question of going back. I do look back at how weak I was and how strong I am now.. not only in physical strength, but also emotionally. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will able to continue this journey for the rest of my life. It's who I am.

Do I still have layers coming off? Yes, I do. Cooking and meal prep is a good example of that. I haven't quite got down to where I'd like to be with that, but I'm working on it. I do know I can and will do better.

This journey is more than a workout here and there and picking salad sometimes over a big cheeseburger or hold the fries please. It's about digging deep within yourself and finding out what you're made of. And it's about finding that self love. That is the hardest thing I think. I've come a long way with the self love, but it's still a work in progress. I love myself more some days than others. I find myself picking apart my body at times and have to stop myself. There is always someone out there who would love to have my body {or your} body or be at my {or your} fitness level.. that's just the way it is. Everyone is struggling to be better, do better, and we use each other as motivation or to help us find that determination within ourselves.

So where am I on this ride right now??

I'm riding along! I'm in a good groove right now. Pushing hard through my workouts and trying new things. I am also holding on for dear life because this ride I'm on and the high I get from conquering my workouts or the pride I have from cooking a wonderful meal in my kitchen is what's helping to get me through a rough time emotionally right now.

Blood, sweat, and tears, right!?

One day at a time..

Getting back in the kitchen..

2014-08-16T11:08:00.002-06:00

I am one of those people who loves to be in the kitchen cooking and baking EVERY NOW AND THEN.. I get excited about making a new recipe or making a fun dinner for the family, but the every day cooking breakfast, lunch, dinner is not so much my thing. And I absolutely despise leftovers.. Is there anyone else out there that knows what I'm talking about???

I LOVE to grill so I do really well during the spring/summer months when it's easy to go hang out on the patio and grill up some steaks or chicken, hamburgers or hotdogs, veggies, pineapple.. Mmmm. I enjoy the patio time.

So Thursday night, I was craving grilled veggies and chicken, but I didn't have enough time to light grill and hang out on patio so instead I opted for baked salmon and some fresh veggies! It all turned out amazing!!!! No pic of salmon cause I inhaled it..

baked veggies

Breakfast that morning was ridiculous..

I wanted some scrambled eggs.

I pulled out the egg tray and was going to set it on the counter and then...

Splat!

Have you ever cleaned up splattered eggs on the floor.. eeewwwy goooeeey slime for days it seemed like. And that one got under the fridge so I had to pull fridge from the wall and then you know I had a dirty dusty mess back there too.. Let's just clean the whole kitchen now!!!!
I did finally get some scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast. Delish

I have found several food pins on Pinterest that I'd like to try so now it's just a matter of going back in and finding what I want to try and getting to the grocery store. I found a flourless cinnamon roll on Instagram too. OH MAN! It looks heavenly. May have to try it too.

I ALSO bought a meal plan online.. I've printed the menu and recipes for 2 weeks.

Looks like I have some grocery list writing & shopping to do!!! I'll be prepped and ready for MONDAY!

Food pics coming soon!

Sooo it's been awhile.. Let's catch up!

2014-08-11T19:10:00.000-06:00

I don't even know where to begin, so let's just start with my personal journey and where I'm at..

I am still working out almost daily! Can you even believe that!! My "new me" journey is going on year #5!!!! It's mind blowing really. I obviously did not go through a phase this time.. I've absolutely changed myself for the better. I look forward to hitting the gym and hate it when I miss a workout for whatever reason. Living a healthy life through my workouts and my food has become a way of life and I can not imagine it any other way. My workouts help me in more ways than just maintaining my weight or doing it just because I know I should. Workouts are a stress reliever and an energy booster. Workouts make me happy. I'm not gonna lie, some days, my workouts are better than others, but the only BAD workout is the one that just flat out didn't happen.

I look forward to writing myself a new workout or trying new things. Putting previous workouts into a different order and changing the rep sets. The key is to keep it fun and interesting and always adding variety so that it never gets boring. Boring sucks.

Most recent pic of me; wearing my "Squats are a gain in the ass" tank!

The scale ---

I honestly don't get on the scale much anymore. I used to be one of those 'weigh myself a thousand times a day' people. I'd weigh first thing in the morning.. after coffee.. after breakfast.. right before the gym.. right after the gym.. hell, if I could find a scale AT the gym, I'd weigh there too!!! I was weighing after dinner and before bed. I would even get on the scale in the middle of the night if I had to get up to go to the bathroom.
Can you say RIDICULOUS!!!! I was completely under the "scale spell". I'm definitely cured of that now though.

I don't really do too many measurements anymore either. I get dressed each day and if my clothes are starting to get a little tighter, that's when I know I've eaten out too many times that week or my workouts need to change. If clothes start to feel a little looser, that's when the victory dance party happens!

I'm working out in the weight room and I also like the cardio equipment. I've definitely noticed huge changes in my efforts in both areas. Sprints on the treadmill used to kill me.. My max speed was 7.0 or so.. I can do 10.0 mph now! and I can do more than 3 or 4 sprints at a time. I can do interval sprints for a good 20+ min and not think I'm going to die!!! Now, that's progress!

I love the weight room!! I love challenging myself and trying to go a pound or five heavier each week! I love the sore feeling I get from the weights and the weights just plain satisfy me! If you haven't tried the weight room, you are missing out! It's not just for the bodybuilders out there!! And if you need help or a boost to get yourself in there, you need to find a good personal trainer.. hint hint.

Work ---

I'm working at the same gym I've been at for a few years now and have a great client base! They are all so unique and awesome! I look forward to each training session. I have seen so many transformations and I will have to get permission from one of them so I can brag on them!!! (( stay tuned ))

I also have online clients that are AMAZING!! I love them all to pieces and am absolutely blessed that they choose ME to help them along on their journey!

I can't complain about my journey or anything in life really.. It is what you make it! I choose to make it something spectacular!!! You only have get one life to live.. Make it worthwhile! Leave your mark!

I plan to get back on the blogging train, so I hope you'll check back in and see what I'm up to!

Letting it all out.. Learning, Growing, and Finding Faith along the Journey

2013-07-18T14:11:00.001-06:00

This is a different kind of post. It's not about a killer workout I just did or about some great new recipe. It's about life. My life.

Only my close friends and family know what kind of hell I went through last year and I feel the need to blog it out so that I can share my story and possibly see for myself just how much I have grown since.

Last year, my husbands job took him to California and he was to live in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have two smaller kids and I had zero desire to move my kids to Las Vegas so I made the choice to stay home in Colorado and continue on with our kids in their school. My husband would make trips home monthly and we would figure things out as we went on this new journey. I'm not gonna lie, I tried so hard to be a strong mother and wife and keep things at home under control and flowing, but there were days that I wanted to crawl into a hole and just cry my eyes out or die. I am a pretty self-sufficient person and I can handle most situations, but the lonely days and nights were pretty tough.

Cooking for myself and two kids was a whole different ball game as well! We lived on spaghetti and lots of small snack type meals. I tried new things like making a big meal and having leftovers or freezing for later.. yeah, that's not really our thing. It didn't work out well. We didn't starve and made it through but it was def an experience.

My husbands trips home were always really good, but they always included him having to help me catch up on things around the house so the weekend always flew by and I never really felt like I got enough time with him. We sent our fair share of emails, pictures, texts.. had tons of phone conversations and Skype time, but it's never really the same as being with that person one on one. Again, we made it work.

So while my husband was away making a living to support our family, I really dug my heels into what I wanted for myself and that's a living in health and fitness. I really connect with others on weight loss journeys and trying to figure out how and when and what to do when it comes to a workout plan. I enjoy it. I'm a fitness freak so it only makes sense. I signed up for a personal training certification workshop and went for it. That weekend was so amazing for me! I learned so much and a month later, I found out I passed! I got my Personal Training certification! Now, I could really get my feet wet with clients. I had been doing what I could with "clients" online and in the gym, but now it was going to become a real opportunity to reach more people.

I was totally overwhelmed at first and didn't do anything with my cert for about 2 months.. Then I got hired on at the gym that I have been using for the past year and a half! I still have a lot of work to do in that.. Getting your name out there and getting clients isn't as easy as some might thing. I am making progress and have a couple clients lined up and also joined a couple other trainers at the gym to do WOW (Women on Weights). Exciting times :)

I also started my own online training site.. Find Yourself with Kelly and it's taking off pretty great too! Feeling very blessed with that. I named it Find Yourself with Kelly because I feel like before my weight loss journey, I did not know who I was. I was living life day to day with no real purpose, no self love, and no goals. It's kinda crazy how when you get your health on track, everything just falls into place. I know there are zillions of others out there in this world who know exactly what I am talking about and those are the people I hope to reach. We are all beautiful people who sometimes get lost in this crazy world.

Another part of the journey for me has been my walk with God. I have always felt like I was walking pretty close to Him, but then I realized I wasn't quite as close as I thought. Once I realized that, I made a huge effort to get closer! I joined a Life Group and started attending church with friends in my life group and wow!!! I was not where I thought I was, but I was on my way! I was baptized on May 4th, 2013.

My faith has deepened more than I can express and it has absolutely prepared me for how life is going at this very moment.

My husband worked in California for almost 15 months and has been home now for 4 months and it's been sooooooo good having him home full time again, but things are fixing to change again. I'm not sure of all the details yet, but I do know that whatever happens, we will survive because we have FAITH and we choose to. I will trust in the Lord and I will not be afraid. Every single time I hear the voice of fear creeping into my head, I push it out and think about life's experiences and how each and every one of them have made me who I am and I am stronger for it. Don't get me wrong, I have my weak moments, but they don't last long.

* GIVEAWAY *

2013-07-08T11:17:00.000-06:00

I have a pretty exciting announcement to make!

I just launched my new Personal Training website!!! You can check it out by clicking the link below:

>>>>>>> Find Yourself with Kelly <<<<<<<

I found my passion for fitness while on my own personal journey. At 29 years old, I was overweight and tired, lacking the energy to play with my kids. I decided to get serious about my health and started by changing my eating habits and getting some exercise. I found myself through my journey; I found that I am good enough, I am beautiful, and I am stronger than I ever thought possible. I found my strength and something that I am good at. I want to help others find their inner self. If you are like I was, sitting on the couch just watching the days pass by, I want you to know it does not have to be that way!!! One day at a time. And remember, progress is progress, no matter how slow.

After successfully losing nearly 50 lbs., I realized that my passion is helping others reach their own health and fitness goals. I am a Certified Personal Trainer and understand the importance of motivation, support, and education. I will show you that with dedication and discipline, you have it within you to do things that you never thought possible.

I'm doing a giveaway on my Facebook page, Journey to a New Me, to help promote my new site.

******Winner will receive a custom 4 week program written by me AND a one year subscription to Muscle & Fitness hers magazine ($120 total value)! Pretty cool huh! :)

Here's the details:
Go to my page ----->>> Journey to a New Me
LIKE my page
SHARE the giveaway post {{It is pinned to the top of the page}}
COMMENT the giveaway picture that you've liked and shared

BOOM! You're entered! Good luck! :)

***If you are interested in signing up for online or one on one training, please CLICK HERE. I would be more than happy to help you reach your personal goals!***

Fear.

2013-05-20T13:47:00.001-06:00

I got in my car this morning and drove to the gym. I did a 5 min warm up and then hit some back and shoulders in the weight room. I didn't belong there today. I felt the need to run so I headed to the treadmill and hammered out 10 sprints and did a short walk to cool down. I did some power squats in between sprints too. I left feeling kinda ick. It was a good workout, but not super fantastic. I needed more. I wanted more.

Workout #1. Shoulders/back plus sprints

I got home and decided to get on my bike and go for a ride. Alone.

Time out.

Lemme tell ya, I am TERRIFIED of stray dogs. Last year I was going out for runs around the neighborhood and there was this one time... I was almost home when I realized I had a running partner.. a stray pit bull dog. Apparently it wasn't going to eat me, but when I saw the dog next to me, I went into a complete panic. I called my husband and told him to be in the driveway when I got there.. I stopped running and went into a fast pace walk. The dang dog never attacked me, but sure scared the crap out of me. Not too long after that incident, I took my dog for a walk around the neighborhood. We were just walking and minding our own business when all of a sudden this stupid yapping dog came running out of a garage we'd just passed.. that stupid dog attacked my dog. My dog fought back and I was yelling and screaming and slapping the pavement with the leash because during the fight, my dog lost his collar/leash. The idiot lady/owner of dog who attacked my dog came running out of her garage and told me to get my dog and get the heck outta there. I yelled at her and told her to get her dog on a leash! Oh I was steaming mad! Well.. that ruined the neighborhood walks/runs. My dog and I finally made it home, but he is forever scarred by the event. Heck, I am too.

We went on a family bike ride a few weeks ago and once again, a dog came between me and the path. The dog was growling and barking at us and we were forced to get off our bikes because he was blocking the path. My husband used his bike as a shield and we slowly made our way past the dog and were on our way, but I was *THIS CLOSE* to a heart attack.

So back to my bike ride that I decided I wanted to go on today.. alone. I let my husband know I was going and hit the bike path. I rode up to a duck pond and back.. To the pond is uphill almost the entire way and the wind was not in my favor up that hill today, but I persevered! My runtastic log informed me it was a 4.04 mi ride with a 157 ft elevation gain.

I did it! I rode the bike path on my own! This is seriously a huge accomplishment for myself! I used my fear to push myself on.. Feels good to conquer it.

“What do I fear? I fear stagnation and lack of progress. I fear never reaching my potential and being average. I fear being forgotten… The past… Yesterday’s news. I fear giving up and being passed by, going softly into that good night. I fear letting those I love down, letting myself down. I fear settling, giving in to the “that’s just the way it is” mindset. I fear dying without leaving my mark. I fear not feeling these fears anymore and just floating along. These fears feed me, they nourish my drive. I love my fear.” – Anonymous

Workout #2. Bike ride.

I win! I conquered today and feel so good because of it! :)

Now, it is time to conquer the next fear.. I am a Certified Personal Trainer. I want so badly to continue with my passion and get to training people. In the back of my mind, I am terrified of failure.. someone getting hurt.. my client not getting stronger or losing inches.. all kinds of nonsense. I would think that other trainers had/have these same fears. My friend told me the other day, if it doesn't scare you, it's not worth it. Right on! It is time to find a gym to train in.. I want to help people. That is my ultimate goal. I want to help change someone's life. I know I can do it. I know it won't always be rainbows and glitter everyday, but I could be helping someone else conquer their fears!

Shopping! Try a new look!

2013-04-23T13:11:00.002-06:00

Shopping has not always been something easy for me to do. Heck, I wouldn't say it's EASY now, but it is definitely a whole lot more fun! I do still find myself looking at clothes and going to the larger sizes first and then realizing that I need to look at the S or M sizes. There are times also that I will be folding laundry and I'll hold up my jeans or shorts and wanna cry cause I can't hardly believe that I've lost the weight and kept it off! I hold up the jeans or shorts and think to myself.. "These are so small...."

Yesterday I went to Ross to find some bike accessories and didn't find what I was looking for so I decided to look through the clothes and see if I could find any good deals. I checked out the fitness clothes first and found two awesome Nike brand shirts and decided I had to have them. I also found a nice Nike brand tank for my hubby. Then I ventured over to the dresses. I've never been much of a dress person, but I see others wearing such cute summery dresses and decided to try on a few.

I was really surprised that I LOVED the dresses that I chose..

I can hardly wait for some nice weather so I can wear these outta the house! Colorado hasn't got the "Spring Memo" yet..

Sometimes it's really nice to get out of our comfort zone! It might be awkward at first, but it's the only way to move forward! And now that I've also tried on last summers shorts, I need to go buy new, smaller ones! Looks like I'll be hitting Ross again soon! ;)

Torching some calories! Workout included

2013-04-22T14:30:00.000-06:00

When going to the gym with my husband, I must be prepared to stay a little while and put in some work (which I don't mind!). We put in a killer good workout on Sunday morning!

Dressed and ready to hit the gym!

Workout: Chest/Back/Abs

50 pull ups (Yes, 50!!!!)

Flat bench press 4 sets of 12

Incline bench press 4 sets of 12

Pull overs 4 sets of 12

Incline flyes SUPERSET with Dumbbell chest press 3 sets of 12

Bent over row with barbell 4 sets of 12

Straight leg deadlift SUPERSET with crunches 3 sets of 12

Lat pull downs 4 sets of 12

Partner crunches with ball -- one crunches and the other throws weighted ball

(will try to video the partner crunches for next time)

A few shots of our workout:

pull overs

bent over row with barbell

straight leg deadlift

829 calories gone! BAM!

Totally pumped after that workout!

It is so much fun working out with my husband.. He pushes me and helps me with my technique/form. I do most of my workouts on my own because our schedules don't allow us to workout together through the week, so it is so nice to workout together and help each other out. He'll tell me "Quit using your back" or just push my back down into the bench. He helps me lots more that I help him! I can root him on and help him get those last couple reps, but God help us if I ever need to help lift the bar up! I'll be chunking weights off the bar quick and fast if needed!!! Thanks so much babe for being an awesome inspiration to me!!!! :)

Sunday afternoon we also went for a family and friend bike ride! We rode 10 miles and kids did awesome! It is safe to say that my back, chest, lats, legs, and butt are sore today!!!!!

She let herself go.. A story about myself, but applies to so many...

2013-04-16T13:07:00.001-06:00

She quit wearing makeup. It didn't help her feel pretty and it couldn't cover up the sadness in her eyes so it seemed pointless. She quit fixing her hair. Everyday was a ponytail or hair covered with a hat day. She even quit going to a hair stylist to get her hair cut. She would cut it at home by herself.. it didn't really matter much what it looked like because it was in the ponytail or hiding behind a hat. Her smile was fake if it was even there on her face at all. She was tired and out of breath all the time. Too tired to chase kids. Too tired to cook dinner. Fast food became the norm. She quit wearing fitting clothes and started choosing baggy pants and sweatshirts to cover herself up. She would take a shower and make sure to not make eye contact with herself in the mirror afterwards. She couldn't bare to look at herself naked.

She'd let herself go.

This is my story. I'd let myself go and I am here to shout it to the mountain tops that it doesn't have to be this way!!! WAKE UP!!!!! Snap out of it!!!

I look back at what my life was just a couple of years ago and how it's drastically changed for the better. I finally got control of my life. I put myself first. I made time for myself. I got a hold of myself.

Fitness is a part of who I am now, but the bigger picture is that I choose to be healthy. Healthy feels good.

I smile now and it's a true, happy smile!

Yes, everyone has a bad day occasionally, but if you start your day with a positive attitude, you can accomplish anything.

And stop it with all the diets. Please just forget the word D-I-E-T. Think of your eating as FUEL! Fuel your body!! Use that fuel to get moving! Go for a walk, a run, a spin.. pick up a weight, a sandbag, something heavy! Feel your body come to life!

It's never too late!

You are beautiful.

I want to help people see that they can do things they never thought possible. I've been there.. I can relate.

I want everyone to know that you DO have time for yourself. Make an effort and make it a priority.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Your journey is YOUR journey. Do not compare to anyone else's. Set your own goals and then go for it! You got this! Let's do this!!!

Where are you in your journey? What are your goals?

Do you need some motivation??

Happy Happy Happy News!

2013-04-03T09:39:00.000-06:00

March was definitely a month of awesomeness! I have lots to share...

First piece of awesome news:

Me with my AAAI Personal Trainer Certification!!

I tested for my AAAI Personal Training cert March 3rd and FINALLY got my results back!!!

The conference for the cert was just awesome! I learned so much information and then when testing time came, I said a prayer and took a deep breath and filled out the test. I went over it twice and checked my answers. I counted the ones that I was unsure about and might get wrong. There were about 6 out of the 100 questions I wasn't entirely sure about. Labeling the muscle man was a cinch and the essay question was easy too. So when I left the conference, I was pretty confident that I'd passed! I called my husband and my close friend and shared the news with them... They both said they were sure I'd passed.. Waiting for the results was the hardest part!!! As the days and weeks passed, I grew less and less confident. I started to doubt myself. This is the first thing I've ever done for myself, my dreams, my passion. It would totally crush me if I failed. I let that nonsense take over my thoughts.. So when the big envelope came in the mail, I told my husband that whatever the results, please just hug me.

We sat down at the table together and opened it.

My stomach was so nervous!!!!

I pulled out the papers and about hit the roof!!! I immediately started crying and was just so damn happy!!!! One of the best days ever!!! I will start looking for clients and a J-O-B soon.. that's the next step, right!!?? ;)

This is so true! I am excited to start training somewhere.. a little nervous too! But holy excitement!!!!

March also means Spring Break! Oh boy did we have a good one! We drove down to Houston area to hang out with my mom and her neighborhood was absolutely stunning. I couldn't get over the trees and the greenery everywhere. I live in dust-filled-tumbleweeds-blowing-around Colorado. When people hear I live in Colorado, they think mountains and trees... Nope. Not this part of Colorado I live in. I can see the beautiful mountains and dream of trees, but I live in a dust bowl. Anyways, I hauled our bikes down to Houston so we could ride the bike paths down there.

One of the bike paths.. so beautiful

I am doing a GIVEAWAY on my Facebook page.. CLICK HERE TO GO TO PAGE AND ENTER!

I'm giving away a $50 iTrain gift card! Check out www.itrain.com

Awesome training plans for:

RUNNING JOGGING WALKING SPINNING ELLIPTICAL CLIMBING ROWING TONINGYOGA SCULPTING STRETCHING PILATES DANCING BOXING STRENGTH INTERVALS

And then on the last day of March.... HAPPY EASTER!!!!

My husband and me

My beautiful family

Pyramid Sets! Getcha some of that!!!! ;)

2013-02-25T14:15:00.004-07:00

Pyramid sets

I've been doing pyramid sets in my weight training for awhile now and I LOVE em! My hubs introduced me to them and I've loved em since!! I do change it up every 4 weeks or so to keep it interesting, but I always look forward to going back to the pyramid. The pyramid sets will GET YOU OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!!

Using the pyramid set, this was my workout today:

Weights: Upper body

Flat bench press
Barbell clean and press
Shoulder lateral raise and frontal raise on cables
Standing barbell curlsIncline dumbbell flys
Tricep dips on bench
Wide grip lat pull down
Tabata abs on TRX (plank and jacks)

Cardio: 1.50 mi on treadmill and 1000m Row

So, for example, my barbell clean and press looked like this using the pyramid:

1st set: 12 reps 20 lb barbell

2nd set: 10 reps 30 lb barbell

3rd set: 8 reps 40 lb barbell

4th set: 6 reps 50 lb barbell

Heck yes!
Feeling the sweat run down the back of my arm and drip off my elbows...

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!

Dig Deep

2013-02-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Man oh man, last week was tough! I had to really find it within me to keep hanging on and pushing through! I was chatting with a friend early last week and she was telling me she was having a hard time and felt like giving up... I said these words to her: There are highs and lows in this journey.. Dig deep during the lows and when you reach that next high, you'll feel that much higher!!! You're worth it!!
At the time, I wasn't having a 'rough patch', but soon after chatting with her, I hit a low.. I remembered what I told her and thought to myself.. JUST DO IT! I got this!!!! Last week is done and over with and I can't go back and change it, but I can make this week awesome! I can make it my high!!! I had to make myself a poster with my words on it as a reminder.. :)

Brand new week... fresh start! Get out there and tackle it!

Major excitement going on over here... !!!!

2013-02-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Lots of exciting news to share!!!

First of all, I finally got over that sickness, including the cough! I am good as new ;) I took it slow getting back into routine and have finally been able to kick it up a notch and weight training is going great! I'm doing a new routine and changing up reps... keeps it exciting and leaves me ever so sore.. and I do love a good sore body after working it out! My new schedule is:

Upper body

Cardio

Lower body

Cardio

Full body**

Cardio

**For full body days, I have been going to Pilates Reformer class. If you've ever thought about trying out the reformer, you should just take the leap and go for it! It is an amazing experience and will work every part of your body.

My next piece of awesome news ::::::::::: >>>>>

I applied to the Sweat Pink Ambassador program about a month ago... I have seen the Sweat Pink badge on a few of the Facebook fitness pages I follow and I had to check it out and see what it was all about.

Who are Sweat Pink™ ambassadors?

Enthusiastic health nuts who love sweating and eating well, but can also appreciate the finer things in life (chocolate, cheese, wine…)

Natural leaders. They motivate those around them to achieve their best, and set an example of healthy, positive living. They set up running clubs for their friends, and organize gym dates early in the morning or after work. They get their co-workers to try yoga, and to order fruit instead of donuts for meetings.

Passionate. Whether they go gaga for green smoothies or tear up the floor every day at Zumba, there’s something about living well that really gets them going, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

Curious. Always looking out for the latest fitness or foodie craze, eager to learn, connect, share, and discover.

Once I read what it meant to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador, I decided it fit me and went for it! I filled out the application and have been waiting patiently for a response.. I got the email response yesterday with my invitation and lemme tell ya... I jumped up in the air screaming with excitement!!!! I feel very honored to have been accepted and invited into this amazing community of amazing women! Feel free to check out the program by clicking here.

**Due to the popularity of the Sweat Pink Ambassador program, applications are currently closed. To be notified when we reopen, please sign up here

Decided it was time for a new comparison pic..

I started weight training mid last year and have made some great progress. I have had my share of battles and have been able to push through.. It's so great to see the progress!!! When I took the picture on the left (Feb 2012), I was so freaking excited to see the formation and start to some definition.. not to mention, the 'bat wings' were getting smaller and smaller!! I was not weight training at the time of the pic on the left.. Just lots of cardio and some bootcamp type workouts.I started weight training around May 2012..
I had no idea I'd be where I am today! I'm no body builder and that's not my future, but seeing the progress from putting in a daily effort to take care of my body really gets me pumped!!! I have muscles!!! Pick up the weights girls!!! :)

One more piece of news.... I am attending the AAAI/ISMA international fitness instructor certification program in 12 days! I will be attending lecture March 2 and 3 and will test March 3rd!!!
So say a prayer for me! Passing and getting my certified personal training certification would mean so much to me!!! I finally found what I'm good at and what my inner passion is... I want to share it with the world! I want to be that trainer for someone who helped change their life and helped someone achieve their dreams!

Not the 'New Year' I Had in Mind...

2013-01-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sick in bed and mad that I am sick and in bed..

January has pretty much come and gone.. one day left in the month and all I can say is adios!

Right after my Jan 1st post, my daughter developed some weird red spots on her neckline and chest area. I thought it was eczema and started treating her with hydrocortizone. They didn't get better and they spread. She started out with 6 or 7 and within a couple days, she had about 20 spots total. Then they started getting bigger and bigger.. I took her to urgent care and turns out she had a skin fungus. We were told to head to the pharmacy for some cream and we started treating her spots. By the end of the week, she had 32 spots. Most of the spots have disappeared, but she still has a few places on her face and neck that are still visible. She missed two days of school and then wore turtlenecks for the rest of the week. Turns out, the fungus was contagious to the touch. I ended up with two spots myself and the dog got three! Geez louize! Cream for us all..

Once all the spot mess got all cleared up and we were able to come out of our house.. but only for a few days because then my son came down with sore throat and fever. Ugh. He was sick for about 2 days.. Then it hit me.. like a brick. I had the major sore throat and chest pain. No fever, but I felt like someone had beat me with a bat and left me for dead. It was an awful feeling. I was pretty much bed ridden. My kiddos took such good care of me.. bringing me water and helping me out around the house. They lived on eggos and fruit snacks pretty much.. I did order them a pizza one night. On day 7, I finally started to feel better and I did a couple loads of laundry. I had no voice for about 3 days so that made it hard to communicate on the phone with my husband and mom.. I had to write things down for my kids. Sickest I have ever been.

This whole being stuck in the house and then getting sick really got me down.. I started feeling so low and depressed. I wish I could say I kept a positive attitude about it all, but that's just not it at all. I wanted to give up. Then on Day 8, I had reached that point that I knew I wasn't getting better, I was getting worse and I really needed help. I got up that morning and made it to the living room floor where I laid while the kiddos got ready for school. I could not function at all. My throat and chest was on fire again and my cough/phlegm was absolutely disgusting. The kiddos left for school and I made it back to my bed. I woke up a couple hours later in a pile of sweat. I knew I needed to get to the doctor and I needed a shower badly. I hit the shower and right when I was done and opened the curtain to get out, I crashed. I laid on the bathroom floor seeing spots. I couldn't hardly breathe. I was starting to panic. I laid there until the spots passed and then got dressed. I dried my hair the best I could and got in the car and headed to urgent care.

I sat in the waiting room for an hour and fell asleep in my chair. I finally got to go back to a room and the doctor came in. He asked questions and checked ears, nose, throat, and listened to my chest and back. Severe bronchitis.. borderline pneumonia.

Me with inhaler.. lifesaver!

He prescribed antibiotics, inhaler, and codeine cough syrup. He said I should have been to see him days ago.. my husband and good friends would agree, but stubborn me wouldn't go. Next time, I won't wait til the last minute to get to the doctor. I got my meds and went home and back to bed.

Have you ever had codeine cough syrup??? OH MY GOSH! They might as well prescribe a shot of Jack Daniels! Absolutely disgusting! It made me make that "that's sooooo gross face" for a few minutes. I still get queezy thinking about that taste. The first dose, I had no idea so I poured some into a spoon and drank it.. I can't accurately describe the taste. Disgusting doesn't do justice. I didn't notice much help from it that night, so I doubled the dose the next night.. This time, I tried it as a water/cough syrup concoction and also had a chewable orange vitamin C ready to go to help with the after taste.. Still absolutely disgusting, but did notice it helped me a lot better that night. How the hell do people get addicted to that crap!?!??!?! EEww. I couldn't take it again, so I poured it down the drain.. Husband wasn't too happy about that since that second dose seemed to help me... Sorry honey, it was too much for me. Ick.

So I'm still using my inhaler and I do feel a million times better, but there are still times that the cold air outside takes my breath away and still coughing up junk. Read that the cough can linger for up to 4 weeks after treatment. If the cough lasts longer, guess what... back to the doctor. Yippy.

I've been to the gym a handful of times this month and now after being sick, it's like starting over. I finally made it back yesterday and I did push hard through my shoulder/arm workout, but I def didn't overdue. I didn't lift as heavy as I did previously and I didn't get my 5 sets done, only got 3 sets of each exercise.. But heck! It's progress! Gotta get back to it slowly.

Jan 15th, a couple days before the sickness attacked me

Juicing! Ahhhhhhh good stuff :)

I bought a new toy at the beginning of the month and only got to use it a couple times before getting sick.. A juicer!!!!! I've heard amazing things about juicing and I am such a picky veggie eater so I def do not get the veggies/nutrients my body needs. I wouldn't ever eat a cucumber, beets, or tomatoes, but I can juice them with other fruits/veggies and drink it! Tastes pretty good with a scoop of vanilla protein also. I'm also finding out that ginger has TONS of health benefits!!! When I was sick, a good friend brought me some ginger root and gave me a ginger/lemon tea recipe. Oh my goodness, sooo good!!!

Here is the recipe:
1 cup boiling water
1 inch piece raw ginger root
(Use a grater, goes in tea)
1 tsp raw honey
(I use agave light nectar, low glycemic and tastes the same) however if your throat hurts use the honey, natural remedy for sore throats.
1/4 fresh organic lemon
Let sit for 5 min, drink up!
I was really surprised at how good it tasted :) I've seen tons of juicing recipes that call for an inch or so of ginger also. Click here for health benefits of Ginger Root.

lemon/cucumber water

I found this cute 1L bottle at Target today on clearance for $6 and came home and filled it up! Cut up 1 lemon and 2 mini cucumbers and filled with water. It's in the fridge and will sit overnight and be ready to drink in the morning. Can't wait!

Thank goodness a new month is just around the corner! I plan on smashing February!!!!! I am getting back on track :)

2012 ~~~ A Year in Review with tons of pics!

2013-01-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

Another year has zoomed by! Holy smokes!!!! At this time last year, I didn't belong to a gym and was still focusing on fitness/health by getting in some workouts at home. It wasn't always easy to get up in the am and do a workout while following a video or poster workout on the computer. Sometimes the warm bed was much more appealing!!! I did find my way to the BCx Boot Camp and got in some killer workouts there and made some pretty great progress with that program! It made me want more! It made me see that I was capable of more that what I'd been doing and I needed to continue to challenge myself.

January

doing some kickboxing at home!

Sweat. Fat crying!

got a new cable system to put on the door for some at home training. Works pretty great! ....
but now I need to hook all four bands together for the hardest resistance. I've gotten stronger!
That's dang awesome!

April

I finally found a gym with exactly that! And the gym I found employed the trainer I'd worked hard with the previous year!! Talk about a win win! Now, we've grown to be close friends and I just love her to pieces! It's so good to have a friend who you can talk to about health and fitness but also lean on when you need a shoulder or tell them your good news. :)

a group of awesome peeps from the gym heading to the Manitou Incline !

I'm not gonna lie.. when I saw that ahead of me, I wanted to sit and cry. BUT we conquered it!!!!!!!!

at the top with my friend Amy! We so rocked that incline!!!!!

June

Summer time came and I hung out at the pool just about every single day! It was prolly one of the greatest summers ever. My kiddos taught themselves how to swim and I lounged pool side with good friends. Summer time shorts, tanks, and bikinis make it so much easier to stay on top of things! I sweat my butt off in the heat and continued to work hard and lose inches.

I bought these shorts brand new and a couple short weeks later... TOO BIG!
What?!?!?!?

I started losing fat and pumping some weights and changes were happening all over the place...
I have biceps!!!!

July

Joined a personal training group and we were determined to conquer pull ups!
Here I am on the bar with an assistance band.

August

08-21-12 I did my first pull up and was inducted into the Pull Your Own Weight Pull Up Club at my gym!
Holy excitment!!!!!!!!!!

September

post workout with my hottie hubby!

curls in the gym

Camping trip

California

October

My "Grrrr face"

working the triceps!

I grew my hair out this year! This is the longest my hair has been in over 10 years.. :)

November

My WOW *Women on Weights* shirt I earned through personal training! I wear it proudly!

December

Still pushing hard! I am still hitting the weight room and loving it. I continue to change it up to keep my body guessing and keep it interesting. I've made some really great progress.... doing things I never thought possible. I even hit the treadmill for some interval sprints and actually LIKED that! Now that's interesting!

Progress!

My hubs bought me a new wedding band for Christmas and got down on one knee...
It was the sweetest moment EVER!!!!! Love that man!

Strong!

I maintained and did really well through the holiday season and am happy to say I closed the year at 132 lbs! That's down 6 lbs from Jan 1, 2012. I'm stronger both physically and emotionally. I've come out on top of some crazy ups and downs this year. I can honestly look back at the year and say I did good. I wouldn't change a thing. Everything happens for a reason and though, at the time, it may seem like a huge mess, there is always a positive side to things. I've learned how to find that positiveness in everything.. well most everything. The point is I TRY to find it. This journey is about much more than a number on the scale or the size of my jeans. It's about finding myself.. It's a journey that no one can take for you. You must do it for yourself.

Life is amazing! I'm so blessed with my friends and family and I'm just happy to be alive and healthy and able to soak it up and enjoy it!

God bless and Happy New Year!

Everything is just SUPER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-12-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

Bodyspace stats as of today

I introduced myself to super sets this week in my weight training and lemme tell ya.. Wow! It's making a huge difference! I have been to the gym many times and seen my husband do some super sets, but never gave them a shot or really thought about them.. til now.

I'm training on my own now and so figuring out a good workout that I can set my mind to, hammer it out without distraction, and get myself fired up for is a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I can pump myself up for a workout and kill it, but I gotta have a plan.

Plan to succeed!!!!!

I don't want to be in the gym for an hour or more with lots of time inbetween sets and trying to figure out what's next. I gotta have a plan.. written down and with me so I know what I'm doing now and exactly what exercise is next. I also want to be able to get the most of my time, so super sets seemed the way to go!

Music! I finally bought some ear buds so I can listen to my music cranked while I workout. It's a total game changer!!! ;)

I did an upper body/lower body/cardio schedule for a little over 2 weeks and while it was working, it just didn't seem to fit what I am going for. I felt like I had to be there longer to work the muscle groups to get that burn.. I hope that makes sense. So after re-evaluating, I've decided to do a 5-Day split schedule with cardio.

My new routine looks like this:

Chest/Biceps

Quads/Plyos

Cardio

Back/Triceps

Glutes/Hamstrings

Shoulders/Abs

Rest Day

I've got my first week of this new routine under my belt and I am SUPER stoked about it! I can work the muscle groups listed on those days and do the routine with super sets and I leave the gym feeling pumped! ... and shakey! Love that shakey shakey!! ;) **I actually get cardio in after every weight training, but that 3rd day of training is JUST cardio and I am shooting for at least 30 min**

I have been SUPER sore this week with this new routine and also tracking all my workouts on the BodySpace site. I really like how when I go to track a new workout, it shows when I last tracked that exercise and what my exact stats were for that said exercise. It's good motivation and a nice pump for me to move up in my weights!

On top of weight training and cardio, I'm also doing the Holiday Squat-a-thon! Holy moses! I've been changing it up; plie, sumo, with a side kick, air, jump... So as to keep it interesting! One thing for sure though, my quads are feeling the burn!!!!!!!

Nutrition is going SUPER too! Since blogging the two posts about nutrition and reading til my eyes are about to fall out on cleaner eating, I've decided that taking it slowly is best. I'm a picky eater to say the least so it is already hard for me to find things that I like so throwing in all these crazy new recipes with ingredients I've never heard of was just a smidge intimidating! I went to the Vitamin Cottage this week to check out what all they had to offer... I can tell you right now, I'm not paying $7 for a can of organic spaghetti sauce or $8 for a tiny loaf of Ezekiel bread. It's just not happening.. So what I guess I'm saying is I will continue to make the best choices that I can by reading the labels on food and also by trying to make at home what I can. Doing the best I can is all I can do and it's working, so I'm not worried about anything nutrition related at all.

I did buy a couple things at Vitamin Cottage while I was there..

I usually buy Unsweetened Almond Milk, but saw this Flax Milk and decided to give it a try after I compared labels to the normal Almond Milk I buy... Decided I like them both so will prolly switch back and forth.
The Greens & Whey.. not a fan. At all.
Almond Butter.. I added it to my oatmeal. Not a fan of that either. I'll stick to cinnamon and honey in my oatmeal ;)

I also have been hearing SUPER things about taking Glucosamine for joint health so I decided to order some! I got these in the mail today and am excited to start taking them and seeing some relief in my joints!!

For Joint Health

Oh! And I took measurements when I started my BodySpace account in Mid-November.. I took new measurements today.

I LOST inches in my hips, waist, calf, and thighs!!!!
I GAINED 3/4 inch in my arms! That's pretty cool ! :)

Everything is just SUPER!

I put this together this last week..
the pic of me at 180 lbs was Dec 2009 and the other 3 are more current pics.

Nutrition Part II

2012-11-27T19:06:00.003-07:00

***Following up on my last post... The Next Step - Better Nutrition***

I started off by visiting eat clean sites and printing recipes. Then, I made my list and went to the grocery store. There was a recipe that called for stevia in the raw. I got to the store and that stuff was too expensive for my liking. I didn't buy it. I didn't make the recipe. I hear all the time "Eating healthy is too expensive" and while I've told people no, it isn't... Well, I may be rethinking it. I dunno. I have changed quite a few things in my eating along my journey like switching to ground turkey, eating more veggies, and going for whole grains. I read labels and make the best decision I can by checking fat, sodium, and calorie content. I don't buy cakes or cookies or ice cream or anything sweet. I don't drink a gallon of Dr Pepper a day anymore either. I drink water water water water.. and more water. So it's not like I eat terrible.. I just want to be able to eat a little better. There is always room for improvement :)

I'm doing a pretty good job at listening to my body and deciding when I'm hungry and when to stop. This isn't something that's learned over-night and has been a process for me. I'm definitely an emotional eater and I can put down some food when my mind isn't right.. Holiday food is easy to get carried away with as well. My family is dealing with some personal battles and I would be lying if I said I haven't had my share of bad days lately. I have some really good days where I do great with eating and stay on track. I get to the gym and have a killer gym session. I get decent sleep. Then there are the days that I sleep in cause I got zero sleep and it sets me up for a hard day. I have my super emotional days and I don't eat right. I eat whatever is easy and convienent at the time. I'm not the kind of person who likes to spend hours in the kitchen. I like quick and easy.

So I did find a couple recipes that turned out pretty good and thought I'd share them.

Slow Cooker Pomegranate Chicken

Momma's Roadhouse Chili

Southwestern Tilapia

I need to look at some more sites and find more recipes. I need to open my mind to new things.. So I'm going to keep pushing forward and try to keep my head in the game and my mind focused... Even on the hard days. I know I can do this. Stay tuned for more nutrition talk..

The Next Step.. Better Nutrition

2012-11-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've been on my journey now for about 3 years.. Wow. Seems like yesterday I was standing in the grocery line looking through a magazine hating myself for how I'd let myself go.. Dreaming about one day making a change. Sept 2009, I had no idea that in Dec 2009 I'd decide to finally make that change start happening!

I made the commitment to myself and to my family.. Changes have been made and I will never ever EVER turn around and go back to the person I used to be. There are about a million reasons why, but bottom line is I am a happier person now that I used to be. When I'm happy, seems everyone around me is happy. Funny how that works... ;)

I've been really focusing on weight training for the last few months and I have NOTHING bad to say about it. It's helped me realize that I am stronger than I ever thought possible! It's a rewarding experience every single week when I see that I have progressed from the previous week. When I walk into the gym and hear the weights clanking, it gets me real excited!

There is no doubt that I love to workout.. where I could use some work though is with my intake. So here's the deal...

Start Paying better attention to everything I put in my mouth. I'm good at eating clean about 85% of the time.. I can make some improvements here. But you won't find me cutting out all carbs or sugar or any of that. Not for me. Just more greens and getting the protein I need.

I've read several articles by Jamie Eason and I'm thinking she's pretty amazing! She lays out quite a bit of awesome information on Bodybuilding.com. She even shares quite a few recipes. Have you seen Jamie Eason?? Yes, she's a fitness model and No, I don't want to look just like her. I do, however, like what she has to say. She says it in a way that makes sense to me. I've also created a BodySpace account through the BodyBuilding site and I'm tracking workouts there.

I am also following quite a few EAT CLEAN pages on Facebook.. There is tons of info and support at my fingertips and I know if I use it, I will succeed. It's just a matter of setting my mind to it.

I got this.

Workout for the week:

Day 1 Upper Body
Day 2 Cardio
Day 3 Rest
Day 4 Lower Body
Day 5 Cardio
Day 6 Full Body
Day 7 Rest

and repeat!

I've got a workout plan written down and I'm ready to put it to action starting next week!

Progress! It feels good!

2012-11-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

Hello blogger world! It's been a long couple of weeks since my last post.. I have been a stressed out, sick, busy lady! The week of Halloween was insane with all the activities going on.. then I got a migraine from hell for a week and then the stomach bug. I am feeling back to normal and ready to tackle this month of November. I actually just got home from the gym and I'm feeling pretty pumped from our workout today. I admit I wasn't feeling up to my game on the drive to the gym.. My stomach was still feeling a little queezy and I just felt weak from being sick. I decided that I felt good enough to go and attempt my workout though. I'm so glad I did!!! Once I got going, I felt more and more pumped and I went up in weights today... Just a good feeling.

Today's calorie burn.. BOOOYA !
Weight training and then 10 min on the spinning bike

Pull ups are back in this 8 weeks workout and I'm really excited about that! I hit another milestone this last weekend --------->

7 unassisted pull ups !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My last attempt at my max for unassisted was 5 pull ups (these are consecutive, no break in between) so I upped my count by 2 reps! I completed my very first unassisted on August 7th, 2012.. I've been working hard and it's showing. SO EXCITING! Progress! :)

Stay positive.

Push forward.

Get up and move.

Set goals.

Get your GRR face on!

2012-10-20T15:16:00.001-06:00

When I think about my journey and where I started and how I've progressed, it is still so absolutely surreal to me. I knew I was making the best decision I ever made when I hopped on the healthy train, but I had no idea where it would all lead to.

I knew I had to quit smoking so that was step one. Then I gradually added in exercise and started to change some food habits. I took it slow in the beginning and one step at a time which I think ultimately kept me interested and kept me from getting overwhelmed and quitting. I got some awesome stats from Quitnet.com that I wanted to share:

I quit Sept 15, 2009..
Time Smoke-Free: 1128 days, 11 hours, 40 minutes and 36 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 13542
Lifetime Saved: 3 months, 13 days, 10 hours
Money Saved: $4,399.20

***cartwheels***

I have tracked 35,439 fitness minutes into my SparkPeople fitness tracker since joining in Jan 2010. I know I've missed tracking a few of my workouts in there so I def have more than that, but heck! 35,439 min is really awesome to me!

Like I've said before, I never thought I'd be one to enjoy weight training because I fell into the trap believing weight training wasn't for women unless they were training for an event of some sort.. That is simply not true. Weight training is my favorite kind of workout now and I believe EVERYONE should incoorporate weight training into their workouts!

This week we did our maxes (4-6 reps of each exercise) and it's always awesome to see how much weight you can push and how far you've progressed in four short weeks! All the ladies in my group push so hard and it's just so great to be a part of that!!

My trainer busted out the camera on Thursday so I could share some pics here. (Thanks Lori)

Arnolds 35 lb dumbbells
Trainer is holding my wrists so I don't hurt myself
And this would be my GRRRRR face ;)

Arnolds 35 lbs
All the way up!

Push Ups on the Fit Wall .. Pretty dang parallel !
Super hard!

Decline chest press 105 lbs
Had such a hard time with this exercise. Progessed with it though!
Four weeks ago, I was pressing 75 lbs..

Tricep pressdowns 110 lbs first set
120 lbs second and third set
Bam!

Froggie squats! *squat down low, jump up and bring your feet to your butt*

This is what four weeks of progress looks like... Tell me that isn't awesome!!!

Whatever your goal, give it your all and make every effort to reach it. If you have to add

more time to reach your goal, that's ok. Just keep striving to do your very best.

We all have our "off" days, but each day is a new day.

Anniversary Spa-tacular! and shopping trip pics :)

2012-10-12T20:56:00.002-06:00

I am so busy with life these days and my blog posts have been pretty far and few between.. I hate that because I know that I am missing out on documenting some milestones here and also know that I have readers that like updates too.

Hubby and I spent the end of September in Las Vegas celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary and lemme tell ya, we had the best of times! My hubby joked that we were wrapping up 6 years of celebration plus our honeymoon all into this one big blow out! We have never done anything extravagant for our anniversary and never got a honeymoon either so it was really cool to go out and just let loose, just the two of us. Kiddos hung out with Nana and PawPaw and, trust me, they all had a great time too! My kids were spoiled rotten by the time my parents got done with them!!

We spent time at the pool and also enjoyed some really great food and some time out on the town.. but the best part of it was when my hubby decided at the last minute to book us a couples massage!

Not only did we get a massage, but we were invited to hang out in the couples only area while waiting to be called back for our massage appointment. It was so fun to go back and change into a super cozy robe and slippers and then be taken to a room where my husband had room service bring up a bottle of champagne.. then we were taken to this room shown in the pic below.. Too.much.fun. The amazing fiber optic lighting above, the waterfall into the jacuzzi, the lighting.. Too perfect. My husband romanced the heck outta me :)

Our massages were really amazing as well. We both got deep tissue massages and though the pressure was pretty intense, I walked out of that room feeling quite refreshed! Once the massages were done, we were taken separately to Mens/Womens sides of the spa and were able to freshen up. I walked into the womens shower area.. there were about 10 different showers there and all had different shampoo/conditioner/body wash fragrants! It was tough to decide which shower to choose!!! I finally went with the Vanilla one. Something about Vanilla.. So we both got freshened up and got dressed up for dinner. The entire trip was so much fun and we both had the time of our lives!

found this pic online... this isn't me and my husband, but wanted to show the jacuzzi area

Post-Vegas means I need extra recovery time! I got home last Tuesday afternoon and took Wednesday off and headed back to weight training on Thursday. Oh my goodness.. I did get through the workout and I actually had a lot more strength than I thought I would, but I still tired quickly. More rest over last weekend and then came out full throttle this week! Well, except for Monday. I caught some sort of crud and was down and out for the count most of the day. I laid around the entire day and then right before bedtime, I started to feel better and joined a group of awesome people doing a 7 Day Push Up Challenge ----> 100 push ups daily for 7 days.

Monday was Day 1 of the challenge and I completed all 100 push ups... 25 on my toes and the rest on my knees.. *ahem* THEY COUNT! It took quite a bit out of me, but I was determined to start Day 1 with everyone else. Day 2 - Day 5 have all been on my toes!!! This is a huge success! It wasn't that long ago that I coudn't do 10 push ups on my toes!

Holy freaking progress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stoked!

I also did some shopping recently.. finally. I hate to spend $ on clothes for myself, but decided I'd put it off long enough and tired of pulling and tugging on my jeans to stay up..

My first ever pair of skinny jeans and tall boots!
Vanity Brand Size 26

Vanity Premium Brand Jeans Size 26/33

If I ever thought I looked skinny, this would be the pic..
This is really me!?!?! I work hard and love the progress, but sometimes it's surreal!
I never in my lifetime thought I'd wear this size jean again!!!

Journey Continues...

2012-09-23T21:11:00.000-06:00

I am so glad it's a new week! Last week was rough to say the least!!! I bashed my shin on the box jumps, hit my nose on the bench, toasted my legs, and pushed myself to the max! Loved it all but the dumb injuries! haha My personal training just wrapped up another 8 week session and I'm starting a new one this week which means new exercises! It's always fun to get a list of new stuff to do! We stick to the routine for four weeks and then get our second set the next four weeks. It's AMAZING how much improvement you can make in four weeks!!!

This last session included the incline chest press. I was terrified when my trainer said we were doing it... I had done the incline chest press a couple times before last year, but there was this one time that while pressing the bar up (no added weights), my left shoulder gave and something popped inside.. it hurt like heck!!! I cried and freaked out! I could not move it. Well after a couple weeks of babying it, I was back at the gym working out, but I never attempted the incline chest press again. Til now.... So four weeks ago, I pressed the bar plus 5 lbs on each side for a total of 55 lbs. This last week, I pressed the bar plus 20 on each side for a total of 85 lbs! I'll take it!

I've been following my 4 day/week weight training and 2 days/week cardio for the last two weeks and I'm pretty pumped about how it's been going. I sometimes can't believe how much stronger I get from week to week.

Finished the 7 Day Glute Challenge yesterday too. Whoa buddy, that was a rough one on top of the weight training! ... it's also how I managed to hit the box on the jump Friday. My legs were just dead. I'd jumped the 30" box the previous week and really wanted to hit it again last week, but body said no way! I have a nice knot/bruise on my shin bone now!!

This week, I've added a 7 Day Ab Challenge. It's fun to add something new to the mix and I'm doing the challenge with some friends so that makes it fun too!

I hit this gym this morning for my Pull Workout and had my daughter snap a couple pics so I could share them...

bicep curls at the gym

TRX Inverted Rows

Cable Pulls

The full workout today:

Hamstring raises with 25 lb plate
DB lateral and front raises
Barbell Upright Row
Wide Grip Lat Pull
Seated Row on cable
Hamstring Curl on TRX
Cable Pulls
Bicep Curls
TRX Inverted Rows

3 sets of each

Took me right at an hour and felt pretty good afterwards! I came home and did Day 1 of the ab challenge :)

Total workout time today: 67 min
Total calorie burn today: 408 cals

Saturday a group of us headed up to the mountains to check out the fall colors and go for a hike. It was a truly wonderful day with friends and the views were amazing...

Here's to a new week!

Accepting the Challenge

2012-09-18T19:14:00.003-06:00

I'm staring at this screen with lots on my blogging mind and wishing that the text would just magically appear. My brain is a little scattered.

I made it through the first week of my schedule change and it went really well! Four days of weight training, two days of cardio seem to fit me well! The hardest part of this whole thing though is writing the workout itself. I've been taught to stay on the workout for at least 4 weeks before moving on to new exercises, so I want to really like the workout and really feel like it's doing me some good. Wouldn't that just suck to do a workout for four weeks and see no change??!! I do also realize that you do not have to be sore to prove that you worked hard, but I LIKE SORE. I want sore. I'm crazy.

I think I actually did a pretty good job through the week with my workouts, and I did end up sore from them. I follow a Push/Pull schedule so as to work different muscle groups on different days. I did have to change some of the things I'd planned on. I really think next time I plan a workout, I will go to the gym to plan it.

I get positive feedback from people and some healthy criticism of my workout... Do it this way or that way.. It's such a learning process. I welcome all help, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it's just so damn frustrating. :( I am DETERMINED though and will keep on keeping on!

I did a push workout today and I think it went really great! I am a bigger fan I think of the pull workout so it was hard for me to judge today's workout.

Today's workout: (3 sets of 10)
hack squat w/ 40lb barbell
cable crossover 20lbs
inverted pushup
calf raise w/ 70lb barbell
Dumbbell incline fly w/twist 10lbs
arnold press 15lbs
cable tricep push down 80lbs
abs crunch on cable 110lbs
windmill abs holding 40lb barbell overhead

This week I am also doing a 7 Day Glute Challenge (click for link) and today was Day 3:
100 squats
90 bridges
40 forward lunges each leg
40 leg extensions each leg

Yep, stick a fork in me done! My legs/glutes are getting one heck of a workout this week! I think I like it....

I'm seeing changes in my body and really liking the strength I am seeing! I never thought I'd be here.. but here I am!

Friday in the gym, I jumped the 30" box!!! Holy smokes!! When we started box jumps, the 24" box was completely terrifying. I decided on Friday I wanted to try the next size box. Bam! It happened. I look at the 36" box now thinking.. "It'll never happen".. but heck! Ya never know!! I might be jumping on that thing next week! I might need to invest in some shin guards first though...

Yesterday was MNF.. If you watched, you know what kind of crap game the Broncos played. I'm a huge Bronco fan so the whole game just made me nuts. So while I was yelling at the tv, I decided to do some extra squats, wall sits, calf raises, V-ups.. Just trying to keep active/busy..

Last night during the game. Still smiling :)

OH! I also am dealing with an infected belly button ring. Yup, ouch. I've had it now for 8 weeks and it's been fine up until lately. I'm sure it has something to do with workouts/gym. I know for a fact last week when we did an exercise with a stability ball and twisting that I ripped my belly button. I ripped it as soon as I started the exercise, but I kept going! I had 3 sets to do and dang it, I was doing them!! Paying the price now. But I've got some Tea Tree Oil to keep me company and lemme tell ya, that is some nasty stuff!!!! The smell is AWFUL! But knowing that it's helping in the healing process, it's worth it! No more stability ball twists on the cable machine...

Doesn't look too bad, but it hurts like heck

Dedicated, not obsessed... Maybe a little of both!

2012-09-11T13:45:00.003-06:00

Me and my hunky hubs! ;)

I've been doing weight training now for fourteen weeks.. It's safe to say that I am ~~addicted~~ dedicated to it now. It's become a way of life for me. There are many feelings of accomplishment that accompany me when I walk into the weight room. I feel like I belong there. I do not feel overwhelmed. I do not feel like the men are looking at me wondering why I'm in "their part of the gym". I think that has a lot to do with my gym atmosphere though. I would say it differs at different gyms. I felt VERY overwhelmed at my last gym and simply didn't really feel to have a place in the weight room. I think several things have changed that, but most of all, I have changed. I am stronger and have more confidence in myself.

Being a huge cardio fanatic previously, it was a little strange to incorporate more weights, less cardio, and don't do both on the same day. I totally get it now though. I do think there are ways to do both in same day if you do it right .. I personally feel like if I'm on weight training day, I'm going to go in there and bust my butt and get it done. If I'm on cardio day, it's HIIT cardio and it's quick and powerful. Doesn't matter which day or workout I'm doing that day, I'm gonna give it my all to the point of I don't have anything left to give and that is why I'm only doing one or the other in one day.

So I've been doing personal training with a trainer and we are on week fourteen and it's taught me many things. I have gained so much strength from it and it has made me want more. More weight training!!! So I sat down at my desk last night and four hours later, I've come up with a new schedule.

4 days weight training (push 2X, pull 2X)

2 days hard core HIIT

1 day rest

I wrote up separate workouts from my workout that I do with trainer in order to change it up a bit. I kept in mind everything my trainer has taught me and things I have read.. I used the Muscle & Strength site to watch videos and get new ideas. I actually had to graph all the different exercises and put them into PUSH or PULL side and then break them down into bicep, tricep, quads, traps, shouders.... Omgosh, it's a lot of work to come up with a workout! lol I enjoyed it though!

I did my PUSH workout today:

Barbell Hack Squat
Barbell Bench Press
Cable Crossover
Plank Push Up
Calf Raise
DB Incline fly with twist
Bent over DB tricep kickback

(Click exercises below to see video)

Barbell hack squat: crazy cool. It's a different kind of squat and my legs are still burning. Seriously. I used 20# barbell all three sets and felt it. I move up next week.

Barbell Bench Press: such a boy move. haha! I am determined though to get my chest stronger. First set: 10# each side (plus 45# bar)
Second set: 12.5# each side
Third set: 15# each side

Cable Crossover: Makes me feel like the Hulk busting outta his shirt! LOL
First set: 20# each side
Second set: 20# each side
Third set: 25# each side

Plank Pushup

Plank Push Up: A great moment of how far I've come today... After my first set of 10, I thought, "That wasn't as hard as I remember it being". I've gotten stronger. We totally amped up the plank pushups!!!
Second set: add a push up in between going down on forearms and back up. Oh yes! BURN!
Third set: Put a 35# sand bag on back! Completed 5 reps.

Push up with sand bag on back! YEAH BUDDY!

Calf Raise: I initially wrote down doing this with a barbell, but my crazy cool friends showed me this new way of doing it on the cable machine. We have previously done calf raises on the smith machine, but by the time you add enough weight on there to actually FEEL it in you calves, your shoulders are about to crumble and fall off.. That's my experience anyways.
First set: 160#
Second set: 200#
Third set: 240#

That's what I'm talking about!!!

DB Incline fly with twist: Ouchie!!! This is a muscle group that I haven't worked as much. Flys are hard, add a twist/squeeze at the top and I'm pretty certain I'm gonna feel these later.
First set: 10# DB
Second set: 13# powerblock
Third set: 13# powerblock

Bent over DB tricep kickback: Love these!!!
First set: 20# DB
Second set: 20# DB
Third set: 25 # DB

I left the gym feeling pretty great!

Monday: HIIT cardio
Tuesday: my push
Wednesday: trainers pull
Thursday: HIIT
Friday: trainers push
Saturday: my pull
Sunday: OFF

I am stoked to get into this new routine and see some results! I know, too, that I must also pay attention to my food intake. I am still using Bod-e supplement and it's awesome post workout to get that protein boost.

I love my life... ! Family Time and Milestones

2012-09-05T10:50:00.000-06:00

I had one of the best weekends ever! My family went camping with some super cool friends up in the mountains.. The scenery was beautiful, the air was fresh, the company was wonderful. We took the kiddos on a hike and got some great pictures!

my awesome kiddos

me and my super cool family

i don't mind sleeping in a tent, but we will be buying cots VERY SOON! ;)

Saturday happened to be my birthday and it was one of the best birthday's ever for many personal reasons... I feel so blessed to be where I am in my life right now. I can't even think of the words to describe how happy I am... My husband is more than I could ask for and my kiddos are so sweet and keep me on my toes. We all have our health and are very active and happy. Seriously, what more could you ask for?? Life is good.

I turned 32 years old and I feel A M A Z I N G ! Age is just a number. Kinda like the scale in a way... I honestly have never felt better in my life and I know it's because I am so happy with life and I take care of myself. I am always looking forward to what's next and do my best to keep a positive outlook.

I did have a hard time sleeping Friday night and kept waking up wondering what time it was.. I wore my HRM all weekend for a watch and so there was one time in the middle of the night that I pushed the light on my watch and saw a different screen.. I couldn't figure out what it was or what time it was. It was still dark out and I was delirious so just went back to sleep. I later realized after I woke up and it was daylight outside what I'd seen on my watch in the middle of the night...

A birthday cake on my HRM !!! Now that's pretty awesome !!!! :)

I didn't have any real birthday cake.. We had s'mores around the campfire instead! Good times :)

We got home from camping on Sunday and got caught up on laundry and sleep. That was the best nap ever! Monday was more of the same.. hanging out with the family and just spending time together. Those are the best kind of days. We watched a movie together, took another nap, and then cooked on the grill. A blessed weekend.

Today I went back to the gym for pull day in my weight training class. I went in there on a mission to smash the workout, but didn't realize how bad I wanted to smash it until it was time to do the pull ups. I was going for my first milestone of 5 unassisted pull ups on the bar in order to get a milestone pin in the Pull Your Own Weight Pull Up Club that my gym started..

I got on the bar...

One..

Two..

Three..

Four..

Five Unassisted Pull Ups completed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I literally almost cried! I fought back the tears and just smiled the biggest smile ever! There are no words...

I am just so happy with my progress.

It's a great day.

It's a great life.

Me and my man