I have had a few people comment on my writing style, so I
just thought I would talk a bit more about my style and who I think about when
I write. My style is relaxed and “conversational”. I don’t want you to feel like you are reading
a novel, more like you are sitting down and talking to me. I write very similarly to the way I
speak. My English degree does not help
me here :)
Before I began my journey, I would turn to the internet
for inspiration. I mainly found that in
women who had already reached their fitness goals. I could not find a blog or photos from women
that were “in progress”. I didn’t like
that very much. When I began my journey,
I wanted to be that person for someone who wasn’t “there” yet, and wanted to
read about the process. You must enjoy
the process, it is not just about the finish line.
Whether you are at the very beginning of your journey or
nearing the end, I hope that you find inspiration here :)
Wow, what an incredible 6 weeks! Bootcamp ended last night and I was filled
with SO many emotions. Last night we did
hill runs, walking lunges up hill, and even walking/running backward
uphill. It was hard, probably my hardest
workout ever during those 6 weeks. I
pushed myself and groaned and cursed but when the hour was up I felt SO
accomplished! I know many of the girls
felt the same. #FUManhole
Once I got back to my car after we finished training, I was
overcome with emotion. I was so grateful
for the women I now call friends and for my Coach, Sandra. These ladies push each other and cheer each
other on, it is so heartwarming. Thank
you for that :) I also felt so proud of
myself (and this is hard to admit because I feel like I am bragging, but I
think I need to get over that…), it was a very challenging workout and I paced
myself but I never gave up. I am
learning with each passing day that I am strong, mentally and physically. I can push myself further and harder than I
ever thought possible. I felt like nothing could stop me, I felt like a warrior.
They say that it is your mind that actually stops you from
pushing past your comfort zone, not your body.
It is SO true. My legs were
shaking, my knee was tight, and my lungs felt like they might explode; but I
was OK. I could safely push on and give
it 100%. My mind was telling me I should
slow down or take a breather, but I knew I was OK. I guess I am learning to listen to my body,
not just my mind.
Joining Sandra’s bootcamp is easily one of the best
decisions I have made on my Health & Fitness Journey. I have truly learned so much about myself in
the last 6 weeks and I am really looking forward to starting up again on June
17th! I can’t wait to see
what goals we can achieve over the summer!
Now, there is another thing I wanted to talk about. If you follow me on Facebook you may remember
I had a “Light bulb Moment” about loving your body. This was all sparked by a Kickstarter video shared by Taryn Brumfitt. She shares her
story, which is all too familiar, about not loving her body. It affects her relationships and social
life. Sound familiar? It does to me. She thought she was alone, so she decided to
ask 100 women to describe their bodies in one word. The responses brought tears to my eyes… wobbly,
imperfect, stumpy, very average, not nice to look at, gross, disgusting,
disgusting, disgusting… Taryn realized
that she had an even bigger issue on her hands.
She had a young daughter and she wondered how she would teach that
little girl to love her body, if she didn’t even love her own. She entered herself into a body building
competition and achieved the “perfect body” but quickly realized that the
outside is only half of the battle.
Nothing changed about the way she looked at herself or how she felt
about her body. It is just as much a
mental change as it is physical. She
decided to start a movement; The Body Image Movement. Taryn wants women to start loving their
bodies just as they are right this very moment.
EveryBODY is beautiful. It starts
from within; you need to learn to love, embrace, and accept your body exactly
the way it looks and feels right now.
That’s not to say you can’t improve the exterior by going to the gym or
doing yoga etc. There is nothing wrong
with that. It is all up to you, but just
remember that it starts on the inside first.
You can achieve the “perfect” body, but if you haven’t spent the time to
love yourself, flaws and all, nothing will change. You will still find something “wrong” with
yourself.
Her video really got me thinking, but it was the comments
section of her video that truly lit a fire within me.There were so many trolls saying that she was
promoting an unhealthy lifestyle by telling “fat people” to love
themselves.It crushed me!Everyone and everyBODY is deserving of love
no matter what size, shape, colour, or gender.Taryn was not suggesting that everyone throw caution to the wind and
stuff their faces without regard for their health.No matter what the scale says, you are
beautiful and you should love your body.
My journey has never been about reaching a certain number on
the scale or a certain dress size. I
just want to be healthy and happy and have the outside match the inside. I am getting there, one day at a time! It is very exciting and I am having a lot of
fun on this ride. It is hard but it is
so worth it :) I love my body and I am
so thankful for it. I treat my body with
respect now; I eat well, exercise, and have realistic expectations and
goals. This is a lifestyle change for me
and I have never been happier!
If you take only one thing from this post, I hope it is this…
You are beautiful, just as you are. You don’t
need makeup or Spanx to achieve it. You
are already beautiful. Take a
look at yourself and remove the cruel, judgmental lens. Embrace the body you have, be grateful for it
and love it.
Wow, what an incredible
week! Everything from my toes to my
eyelashes hurt from bootcamp, but I love it!
Initially I wasn’t going to write about my experience until after the 6
weeks were over, but there is just too much to say. I would end up writing a novel if I
waited!
So I guess I should begin
with how I decided to do Sandra’s bootcamp.
She has been telling me about it for a very long time. It always sounded so nice, but for other
people. I was too scared to join! I thought I had to be fit to do a
bootcamp. I didn’t think I would be able
to do it, so why bother signing up for something if you already “know” you are
going to fail? Right? WRONG!
Sandra and I went for coffee
and had a major gab session which ended in me telling her I would do her
bootcamp :) I was still scared out of my
mind, but I decided I needed her help to achieve my fitness goals. Then Sylvia shared that poster (Bootcamp Poster)
on Facebook and she asked “Who is coming with me?!” and I decided to make the
commitment (you know, Facebook Official LOL) and I commented saying that I
would see her there! Immediately I went
out and bought some tops and new socks.
What can I say, I love shopping, for any reason. Going to bootcamp? You need some new socks, girl. Yup, I said it!
I paid the fees and then
started bootcamp on March 4th!
When I walked in the doors,
I was certain that I wouldn’t know anyone but there was Jennifer and she gave
me a hug and welcomed me. It was so nice
to see a familiar face as soon as I walked in!
I ended up knowing quite a few ladies, so that was really nice! Although it doesn’t much matter, in case you
are a newbie considering coming to the next session of bootcamp, and don’t know
anyone, you are so busy doing your own thing, that you don’t have a chance to
feel like a loaner :P
Our first task was to run 5
laps and I thought ok let’s go balls to the wall! Bad idea lol.
I was toast after 2 laps. I
brought myself back to reality and reminded myself that I needed to ease into
things. Slow and steady wins the race,
right?
Sandra offered many
encouraging words throughout the evening – one of my favourites being: “Do not
cheat yourself; this is YOUR workout, not mine!” It made me push myself that extra bit
further. She was right; I shouldn’t
cheat myself out of a great workout and the results that will inevitably
follow, by half-assing it. I needed to
find my comfort zone and safely push past it.
I won’t get the results I want, unless I FIGHT for it! I ended that first night of bootcamp in happy
tears. It was really hard but there I
was; I finished! I didn’t sit anything
out, I didn’t let my insecurities get in the way of my goals and my
dreams. I made a promise to myself and I
was sticking with it. It felt so good :)
I had two bubble baths
between Tuesday night and Thursday night; wow I was so sore! But I LOVED it! It was a reminder of the effort I put into my
workout and it made me feel proud!
Then we had our second
night, just this past Thursday and I was pumped. Aside from the stinky boxing gloves (inner
germaphobe FREAKING OUT here!) it was an incredible night. We worked together and pushed each other to
succeed. It truly is a team of
incredible women in there who are all working toward the same goal. We ended the night with some yoga and this is
where it hit me. I had a new found
respect for my coach. I absolutely love
Sandra and truly believe that she was put in my life for a reason. And on Thursday night it clicked and I
realized I hadn’t seen her in her element before. I had only heard her talk about it. It was beautiful and I could feel how
passionate she is about her calling in life.
At that moment, during yoga, the tears began to silently fall and I was
just overcome with emotion, adoration, and respect for my friend. I am blessed to call her my friend and
grateful to call her my coach. I wouldn’t
want anyone other than her beside me through this journey – love you girl!
Then there is Peaches ;)
Girl, you make me laugh and make me feel SO comfortable, THANK YOU! I told you that I think I can learn a lot
from you, and I meant it. Even though we
haven’t known each other that long, I feel like you are the big sister I never
had and that you are going to teach me how to be more sure of myself and be a
little crazy – not so sweet and quiet all the time lol! On the first night of bootcamp, I was one of
the last to finish my walking lunges and even though you were done with your 3
laps, you came back and did them with me to the finish line so I didn’t finish
alone. You will never know how much that
meant to me. I truly appreciate your
friendship, and I hope it lasts a lifetime!
Ladies, if any of you
reading this are looking for a way to get out there and get healthy – I highly
recommend that you join the next session of bootcamp. I know I have only been at it for one week, but I guarantee
if you sign up, you won’t regret it. I don't need 5 more weeks to be confident in that statement. This is a team of women who are here to support each other and work on
their goals. There is no drama, no
BS. It is hard, but if you come in ready
to give it your all, you will have an entire room filled with women who will
help you achieve your goals – you never finish alone.
To all of the ladies
attending this session of camp, I really look forward to getting to know you
better :)
OK, it is story time…Last week I was at an
event and had an unfortunate encounter with a tray of red wine. It went
everywhere. I understand shit happens, but it is how you handle it that
makes all the difference. It was handled poorly by
the person who spilled the tray on me and, in my opinion; management has also
done a poor job of handling this. For the first time in my
life I have experienced what feels like inferiority because of my gender.
It’s a bold statement, I know. When conversing with the management at
this establishment – we will call it Venue A – I felt like I was being brushed
off, not taken seriously. It really bothered me! My father knows
the president of Venue A and once they began talking, I was completely cut out
of the conversation. It was no longer about me, it was all about
him. They wouldn't address me; they didn't ask
what I thought. I was no longer a key player here. This is MY STUFF
we are talking about here and somehow I have been pushed out of the
conversation. In my gut it feels like
Venue A just wants the “men to talk it over” and leave the “emotional one” out
of it. Even when they came to
pick up my damaged items at the office, they didn’t acknowledge me. At
first I thought it was because I hadn't introduced myself – fair
enough. But once I said OK here is my purse, wallet, and shoes… still
nothing! Shook my father’s hand, but not mine.It bothers me that I wasn't able
to get anywhere with Venue A and it required my father’s involvement
to make any headway. I am a strong woman who should be able to
handle her own business! This has sparked a fire in
me and a lot of things are going to start changing! As you might know, I
am starting bootcamp with Sandra on Tuesday March 4thand I decided this was my time.
I am finally going to give it 100% and stick with it until I get the body I
know is hiding under there. But this will also be an attitude change for
me. I have always loved this
quote from Zooey Deschanel –
I have always been the
nice girl and while that won’t change, my “vibe” will. I vow to work on my health, fitness,
body, mind, and spirit. I
will always be nice, but there will no longer be any question regarding my
strength as a person. I will continue to be tender and open. I will
cry if something moves me to do so, I wont change any of that. I have so many goals and
plans for bootcamp, it is really an exciting time for me and marks a new
chapter in my life. Things are going to change – physically and mentally
– I hope you stick by me through the journey and go along for the ride with me! This post doesn’t say
everything I want to say about Venue A… but I vented enough to be able to draw
a connection and find meaning in the situation and find a way to better myself
as a result. That is enough for me :) Life is all about finding
ways to learn lessons from your experiences and coming out of the situation a
better person. I hope that everything
works out with my personal belongings and starting today, I will be taking lead
on all conversations going forward. I am not one to be hushed any longer…
I was at the mall picking up a few things that I had
forgotten to grab yesterday and all of the sudden I felt something in the pit
of my stomach, saying STOP.I slowed
down and turned to my right and I saw someone I haven’t seen in many, many
years.I will leave out names,
connections, etc. as I don’t want any privacy issues – I might share a lot of
my life, but that’s just me.
Anyway, I wanted to just keep walking but I couldn’t, I
literally felt a pull toward her.She
was talking to someone and I interrupted and I immediately regretted it but I
also wouldn’t have changed a thing.I
feel like I interrupted that conversation for a reason.It was just sketchy.
We walked for a bit and all I could think of is OMG I just
want to hug her and tell her it’s going to be okay… Perhaps I should preface
this by saying that I am INCREDIBLY in touch with emotion.When I see someone hurting, it rips my heart
in half.Sometimes I can feel how much
they are hurting even if they don’t show it on their face – that was what
happened here.I have known this person
for so long and seeing her today and remembering what she was like before,
broke my heart.
I will never know for certain what that conversation I
interrupted was about, or what is really going on in her life – but man… I am
so glad I made certain decisions in my life that led me down an entirely
different path.
It got me thinking how close I was to living the same type
of life as her – having her reality be my own.It shook me to my core.We are
ALL one decision away from changing our lives – for better or worse.
That is pretty scary when you think of it!
I truly believe that things happen for a reason, and I
believe that the universe just aligned and I was destined to see her.Because to be honest, I couldn’t find a
parking spot at the mall to save my life so I was just going to leave and come
back later in the week.I decided to
make one more loop around and there was a spot.I almost didn’t go in there.This
opportunity was almost missed.
Decisions are hard and they are scary sometimes, but I think
it should be that way, for some things.Decisions
should require time, thought, and consideration.You are painting the picture of your life,
one brush stroke at a time.Be conscious
of that.Making the decision to go back
to school is hard, expensive, and means you will have to sacrifice a lot – but if
you give it enough time and thought, you will be able to decide if it is the
best choice for you.Maybe it will open
more doors for you!Same goes for
deciding to live a healthier lifestyle – it is hard but it is worth it.It also requires daily decisions to stay
healthy.It doesn’t just happen after
you “decide to be healthy” – it is a work in progress!
My point in sharing this with you is just to remind you that
we are in charge of our lives.Things
may happen that are out of our control, but you can always change the situation
you are in.
Anyway, I hope that she got something from seeing me today,
however brief it was, and that it will help her somehow.That is all I can hope for :)If by any chance she sees this, know that it isn’t
written with judgement at all – just straight from the heart.
“You're more beautiful than you know, more talented than you
think, and more loved than you can imagine.” ― Kandee Johnson
I have heard so much about juice cleanses – how amazing they
are and then some talk about how horrible they are.If you know me, you know I had to find out
for myself.I can never just take
someone’s word for it.So I did some
research to find a local Juicer – I wanted my first juice cleanse to be excuse
free, so I wanted someone else to do the juicing.I came across Total Cleanse out of Toronto
and they had a 14% off New Year deal so I jumped at the opportunity.
I am going to review the experience as well as a quick review
of Total Cleanse.
Juicing Experience:
I ordered the following juices for 5 days – Green Energy,
Very Berry, Red Energy, & Lemon Rush.
Green Energy - Includes:
Fresh cucumber, celery, kale, lettuces, parsley, lemon, apple, romaine lettuce
Very Berry - Includes:
Strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, apple, lemon
Red Energy - Includes:
Beet, carrot, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger
Lemon Rush - Includes:
Lemon, cayenne, maple syrup, filtered water
The juices were pretty tasty, but I have definitely created
better juices at home.The Green Energy
was very green.For me it was just too
much – I would’ve really appreciated more apple and less cucumber.The Very Berry was FANTASTIC!It tasted like pink Starburst.However, after day 2 – it became WAY too
sweet!Red Energy was pretty hard to get
through – the beets tasted like dirt.Ick!Finally, the Lemon Rush was
very refreshing but way too spicy.I
really enjoyed the maple syrup – it was a really nice aftertaste.
Day One – I was
very excited to get started.Green
Energy #1 – down the hatch!Lemon Rush
#1 – OMG SPICY!Very Berry – Delicious!Lemon Rush #2 – Still REALLY spicy!Green Energy #2 – I miss hot food…
When I started the day I was very excited to do this!Totally pumped and ready to go!By the end of the day the withdrawal symptoms
began to set in and it was horrible.I don’t
mean “wahhh I want chocolate…”It was
BAD!I had a nasty headache, bad mood, intense
cravings for anything and everything, and I wanted to give up.I knew that it was going to be hard but I had
no idea I would go through sugar withdrawals.I had the sweats and I looked like I belonged in a detox room at rehab
next to Lindsay Lohan.I pushed through
and made it to day two.
Day Two – Ugh.I am the type of person who loves
(temperature) hot food.I hate cold
food.So waking up to a cold glass of
grass juice was not my idea of fun, but I had a goal and I was determined not
to give up.I powered down my first
juice and made it through to the third juice, Very Berry.After that one, I just didn’t want to
eat/drink at all.It wasn’t fun and
exciting and I didn’t feel like the benefits would outweigh the
challenges.I kept pushing through!
Day Three – Meh.I didn’t really want to juice, so I just didn’t
eat or drink anything.I had a few sips
here and there.That was it.It immediately brought back those familiar demons…
“Don’t eat food, it will make you fat”, “As soon as you start eating again you
are going to gain 50 lbs… better get used to feeling hungry”… Thankfully I was
able to recognize that slippery slope and I cut the cleanse off after
that.Saturday morning I woke up and had
breakfast – real, hot, delicious healthy food :)
Now – I know that all sounds really negative… but I did
learn/experience a few things that made it worth it for me.
1)Foods that my body doesn’t respond well to
a.Gluten sucks.That is all.
b.Dairy – we aren’t full out enemies, but I really
dislike you.
c.Sugar – It’s over!I’m sorry, it’s not me.It’s you.
2)Mental Strength
a.Even though I wanted to throw in the towel, I
kept pushing and I showed myself that I can take myself as far as I want to!
b.On the flip side, I also recognized that I can
stop myself from going down a slippery slope.I don’t need to give in to those food issues – I am stronger than that.
3)10 pounds GONE!
a.I thought for sure this would come back as soon
as I started eating solid food again, but I have managed to keep it off!It’s a pretty sweet way to end a pretty tough
challenge!
Days After the
Cleanse – Pumped.I’m glad that I
did the cleanse but I don’t think I would recommend it.It is almost more of a mental challenge than
physical and I don’t think it is a healthy choice for women who are on their
journey to a healthier body.I DO,
however, highly recommend including juicing into your everyday lifestyle.Juicing (or making smoothies) is a fantastic
way to get in a lot of nutrients that can be a bit of a challenge to do when
eating them whole.Plus I love having
juice with my breakfast and I can do it guilt-free when I make it all
myself.I don’t have to worry about
added sugars and/or concentrated juices from the grocery store.I know exactly what is going into my juice :)
Total Cleanse:
I wasn’t blown away by Total Cleanse.Without getting into all of the nit-picky
details, I would suggest looking into all of your options (if you are
interested in trying a cleanse) and asking a lot of questions.Make your own informed decisions :)
Bottom Line:
I would not recommend a juice-only cleanse, but I would
recommend including juicing/smoothies into your daily routine!
I just wanted to address my NEW blog name and URL!
I feel like my blog is about much more than fitness. It is about life and everything that comes along with it! So I felt it was important to update the blog name and description.
I started this blog so I could share my experiences with the world! I love telling stories and helping others by sharing bits of my life. Whether you are here because you want to know about the latest arrivals at Sephora or because you need some motivation to stay on track with your health and fitness goals or perhaps you stumbled onto my blog because you were looking for some advice... You have come to the right place.
This is the kind of blog that reads like a conversation with your girlfriends - it's relaxed and I hope that after you've read a few posts, you leave feeling inspired. Grab a cup of tea and settle in, we have a lot to cover :)
I just got back from Texas a few days ago and that trip really changed my life. I had a lot of fun - we drove around Houston and the surrounding cities, I finished the last Sookie Stackhouse novel, I swam, and soaked up some sun. You are probably thinking, "What is so life changing about that?!"... Well, this is how it started...
I don't particularly care for my body shape... I know I need to lose weight and I need to get myself back into a routine of eating well and exercising daily. I know this, but I didn't think I looked that bad...
Scene A - The Airplane
Airplanes are not comfy for anyone, there is never enough legroom and there is always someone kicking your chair. But you know what is worse than that? Feeling uncomfortable in your chair because you don't fit. It took all of my might not to break down and run out of the plane and down the hallway back to our car and drive home. I played the scenario over and over in my mind. I planned my escape. The next thing I knew, we were landing in Texas. I wouldn't even enjoy the flight, something I used to love! Looking at the clouds and the land beneath me used to bring me joy, it was so beautiful. Now I lost the whole experience because I was so caught up in my plan to get out of there.
Scene B - The Hotel
Of course we had to pick a hotel with the LONGEST walk from the lobby to the pool. I kid you not, its a 5 minute walk. I hadn't mapped it out before I went over there the first time, it was the longest walk of my life. I felt like everyone could see me in a bathing suit, even though I was wearing a cover up dress. (What do you think is going to happen at the pool, Kayla????) I told myself, who cares, they will never see you again, and most importantly; you will never see them again. (Really, that's how you want to live??? Embarrassed about your body and telling yourself that its okay because you will never have to face these people again???) But it is what kept me going...
Scene C - The Pool
So I finally get to the pool. I have my book and 5 towels. One for behind my back, against the lounger. The second for behind my neck, to use as a pillow, and the rest to cover myself up so nobody can see me in a bathing suit. (SERIOUSLY??? What's the point?!) I waited until most people had moved on to another pool, or nobody was around at that moment and I jumped in the pool. Ahhh, this is my bliss... I LOVE swimming. I feel so free! I am swimming laps and then, I stop dead in my tracks and I think OH MY GOD it is Nicole Wilkins... What do I say, how do I even begin?! I am so excited! OH MY FREAKING GOD she is picking the lane next to me! Someone I look up to is right beside me!!!! (Oh damn, its not her... but I swear it looked just like her!!!) It turns out to be a girl named Lauren, she works in the gym as a trainer. She and I start talking, we're laughing, having a great time in the pool swimming laps and chatting when we need a break. Then, all of the sudden I need to pee... but I think to myself, you cant get out of the pool, she isn't going to want to talk to you once she sees what your body ACTUALLY looks like... so you better just hold it. Well, Lauren was in the pool another hour. I thought to myself this is ABSOLUTELY REDICULOUS! You cant live your life like this anymore... you need to make a change and you need to make it quick.
At that moment I said this is enough, Kayla. This is fucking enough...
I felt like the Ugly Duckling... For the first time in my life, I felt like I was UGLY and BIG. I don't know if I have just been in severe denile, I always knew I had weight to lose, it upset me a lot, but I still felt like a normal girl. Perhaps I have just spent too much time being overweight that I have lost sight of the beautiful girl I once felt I was. I don't remember the last time a guy really looked at me or told me I was beautiful. Honestly, couldnt tell you. (Not that you need anyone's approval, but it's just something that is nice to hear, you know?)
On this trip I decided that I don't want to feel this way anymore. I want to be confident again and not just think I am pretty from the chin up. I have hit all sorts of "Rock Bottom"... I have had eating disorders, severe depression, and yet it took a trip to Texas to shake me to my core. I have never felt so awful and ashamed.
Life is WAY too short to waste any more time like this. I told my friend Sandra that in the past I had always lost weight for someone else - but this time it has to be for me. This really made that clear to me. If there was any doubt that I could do it, was I worth it, was I too far gone... the doubt is gone. I am tired of feeling "second class" - I need to be healthy - Mind, Body, and Spirit - for ME.
If you are reading this and feeling any of the same things I talked about, please know that you can do it. You are worth it. You only get so many trips around the sun, so please start living now. Don't let fear and shame rule your life; you deserve to be happy. It might take you a different scenario to realize you need to make a change, but whatever it is, I hope you listen to your heart and I hope you work for the life you deserve.
One of my favourite quotes that kicks me in the ass when I feel lazy is:
You have to work for it. You have to pour your heart and soul into it and you cannot give up. You can fall, you can puke, you can faint, you can cry, you can scream... but you cannot give up!
I started this journey once before and got really close to a place where I was happy (er) with my body. I had lost 50 lbs and I was so proud of myself. But I let the stresses of life get in the way and BAM I was back at square one. I know how hard I had to work to get there, and I know that I CAN do it. I am so tired of starting over; so I am going to stop giving up. I will not let stress get in the way of my life anymore. I don't want to feel what I felt at that swimming pool in Texas ever again. I want to feel beautiful and worthy and never fear that someone wouldn't want to talk to me after they saw my body. How sad is that? I made a decision in Texas and I started right then and there. I got up every morning and had a healthy breakfast and then went to the gym and then swam laps in the beautiful pool outside.
Today I decided to share this with you because when I first started this blog I said I would take you along this journey with me. The ups, the downs, and everything in between. I told myself and my readers that if I could help just ONE person, it would be worth the brutal honesty. I don't sit here typing these personal blogs with ease. I cry and it hurts and I am terrified that someone is going to read my blog and laugh at me. Those things are all true. But my desire to help save another girl from feeling worthless or making unsafe/unhealthy choices like I did, is stronger than my fear. I share because I want to help.
Some days you need to hear that you have done a good job…
You work really hard on something at work and you want to hear that you have
done a good job and that someone noticed…We all need it, even if we shrug it off out of embarrassment or laugh it
off because we don’t know how to accept it.
There are times that we need to do things and do them
without expecting a pat on the back or a “Job Well Done!”It can be frustrating at times and
challenging not to have a cheerleader keeping you going.But there are times where you have to do
something because it just needs to be done.This can relate to many facets of your life; health and fitness, work,
love, and so much more.When you take
the garbage out you don’t expect your partner to make a scene…pom poms rustling
through the air… you do it because it is something that needs to be done.Why then, do we have such a hard time taking
care of ourselves?If you need to lose
weight, why are you putting the onus on someone else?I can’t lose weight because I need to have
someone cheering for me, making me feel like I can do it.That last part right there tells you all you
need to hear.YOU CAN DO IT.You are doing the hard work, sweating your
ass off; it isn’t that other person losing the weight for you.It is all you baby.
Or perhaps weight isn’t your issue but you smoke or drink or
eat too much white bread…You are all
fighting the same fight…You need to
believe in yourself and do this for YOU!Not to hear “oh wow great job!” or anything like that.Do it for the pure and simple
self-satisfaction.Do it for the ease of
getting dressed in the morning (those of us who have/are struggling with weight
know how hard of a mission picking out clothes can be), do it for the health
benefits, and do it to prove to yourself that you are strong and you are
capable!
Now, some of you might be saying… well that’s great and all
if you believe in yourself… but I just can’t… I have tried and I have failed… I
don’t want to fail any more… I don’t want to ever feel that again…
I have been there, too.We are brought up thinking that failure is a bad thing.Failing is really just discovering what didn’t
work this time, and what to change so the next time is better.Take every failure and find the lesson you
can learn from it.Cook the pasta too
long – its mush.FAIL.Lesson – cook pasta less.It seems pretty simple when we remove our
feelings from the equation.Workout like
crazy – lose 5 lbs – stop working out – gain 6 lbs.FAIL.Lesson – this is a lifestyle, not a quick fix, keep at it :)
I truly believe that you have to love yourself before you
can grow – whether that be in a relationship or your personal goals.Find something you love about yourself and
focus on that, rather than the things you aren’t so fond of.Your perception of yourself can make or break
you…If all you see yourself doing is
falling and never getting back up – you will stay on the ground forever.You MUST see yourself getting up, dusting
yourself off, and trying again (and again, and again, and again…).You have the power to change your life; it is
all in your heart!Just put your mind to
it and forget about everyone else.Don’t
worry about people at the gym (they aren’t looking at you and thinking “why
does she even bother”), they might be checking out your form, learning a thing
or two!Don’t worry about your family or
your friends either, it will take them a while to notice the changes in your
body… you see them every day and they may not be comfortable suggesting that you
look smaller…it’s a roundabout way of suggesting you once looked bigger… people
are weird.Just ignore everyone else and
do this for your damn self.It will feel
oh so good when you succeed :)
Stay tuned for my next blog post about positivity and
changing your mind to change your life!It will feature some words of wisdom from Pastor Joel Osteen, he is a
very motivating and uplifting man with a great story of his own :)
Today I want to talk about my FitBit!This nifty little gadget counts my steps,
flights of stairs, calories burned, and the online portion tracks my food and
water intake, sleep quality and so much more!
This is like a fitness coach and dietician all rolled into
one clip on gadget that is easily hidden under your clothes if you don’t want
it to be exposed; and I guarantee you will have people asking questions about
it!
The accelerometer and altimeter count my steps and
stairs.It gathers the information and
wirelessly uploads it to my personal page!I can also press a little button on the FitBit and I can see how many
steps I have taken so far.You can set
daily goals for miles traveled, steps taken, stairs climbed, and calories
burned!You compete with yourself to
beat your goals! You can also compete with friends and family. You earn badges with each milestone you reach: ie) first 25 flights of stairs, 10,000 steps, 50 miles etc.
You can also use the online meal tracking system to ensure
you aren’t eating more calories than you need.If you say you want to lose 5lbs you will have a few options as to what
approach you want to take: slow and easy, medium, or hard.Hard obviously means lose it in the safest,
yet fastest way possible.It will then
tell you how many calories you need to cut and how much exercise you need to
include to reach that goal by such and such date!
The sleep tracker is one of my favourite features.You set the stop watch before you fall asleep
and it will track what time you fell asleep, how many times you woke up (or
made significant movement), and how long you spent awake in the night vs.
asleep!I realized I was drinking too
much water before bed because I was always up at 2am.I stopped drinking 20-30 minutes before bed
and the 2am pee breaks are far and few between now!I just make sure to drink that water earlier
in the day :)
It really just makes me more conscious of my movement
throughout the day.Working a desk job
can sometimes mean sitting for really long periods of time.Now I make sure I get up and move more to get
those steps in!
