Don't be afraid!

When you're working out...don't be afraid to push yourself!!!

There is a difference of pain leading to injury...and then there is discomfort leading to transformation.

There is a point in your workout where you have to just push harder, breath harder, and let yourself sweat. I think that we get to our 10 reps & we're done, but it is nearly effortless - stop it! You are not changing your body, your muscles or physique when you are easily doing 10 reps.

Let's use curls for an example. Last week during my arms workout, I was doing 15 reps of 10 lbs...this was not challenging. I got heavier weights (actually blessed w/ them)...and today, I was doing 10-12 reps of 15 lbs. That was hard.

The key is to 'reach the point of muscle fatigue'. If you're using weights, that place where you can't do any more without getting all squirly.

If you're doing cardio, go as long and hard as you need to, to get a good sweat. If you're walking on the treadmill and you're chatting comfortably on the phone or with the person next to you....nuh-uh! None of that. I want you to kick up the incline 1-5% & the speed a couple notches. I want you breathing hard & sweating.

When you're working out - work out! You've designated that time to change your body so do it!!!!

I'm in the midst of week 3 of my workout program. I'm keeping 4 lbs. off. (This is good, because I fluctuate soooo much (because of my eating)). And since I'm doing this, I might as well do my best, right?

Just to let you know, I've really cut bars of all kinds out. No protein bars, Fiber 1 bars, etc. for me. While these are great for some people to use instead of reaching for the chips, candy bars, and burgers...these bars have become like candy for me. Eating 1-2 a day, as a snack...after a meal is not what will lean me out. So I too have to make changes to change my physique.

This was me, February of 2010...just about 19 months ago. My waist was about 35 inches I believe.

I was 6 weeks postpartum & 159 lbs.
I did NOT want to take this picture either...but I did because I knew it would be a piece of the puzzle that tells people where I came from!!!



Yes, this pic was taken at 5:47 a.m.


Here I am at the end of August, 2011. I'm 131 lbs. in the pic, my waist 29.5.

This is post-Insanity. 67 days of crazy cardio conditioning. I did not execute every move, every workout, but I showed up daily (6 days a week) and put out the effort. It was hard work...and I'm here to prove to you that

HARD WORK PAYS OFF!!!

IT IS POSSIBLE!!!

Now, my personal goal is to really build muscle & see it!!!!  I've got to eat lean and enough protein, but watch the fat & carbs to lean out. My goals are my own personal ones. I'm not on a huge weight loss plan. But as I am pushing myself with my intense cardio, sweat dripping in my eyes, drops of sweat all over the floor, I know that I will get the results I want.

It's all about making a commitment and not being afraid to keep it! You're body will love you for your determination...and after time, you will have more motivation because you will see the pay off!!!

So don't be afraid to get crazy intense with your workouts. Change comes when you push yourself!!!!

Waiting until it's too late...

Why do we wait until it's too late to get disciplined?

Why do we wait until we are behind on our bills to get on a budget? Why do wait until we're diagnosed with diabetes to start watching our sugar intake? Why do we wait until a presciption for high cholesterol, high blood pressure is given to try to watch what we eat? Why do we wait until our spouse is ready to walk out on us to change? Why do we wait until our kids have no desire to spend time with us, to make time for them? Why do we wait until we are dying to pursue God?

Why do we wait until it's nearly too late?

• There are 20-something year olds that I see eat a ton of sugary foods. I warn them to change now so that they don't get diabetes in their 40s.
• There are 30-something year olds that I see drink alcohol liberally. I warn them to give it up or cut waaaaaay back now, so that their liver doesn't fail them in their 40s.
• There are people who have been smokers of 10+ years. I warn them to give it up now to avoid lung cancer in their 60s....COPD in their 50s.

There are warning labels on every thing. Why do we not heed the warnings?

I have finally come to the point of wanting to cut back on caffeine (2-3 cups of coffee in the early a.m. + a tea most afternoons). I don't drink the Monster, Rock Star, Red Bull drinks. I don't drink sodas all day. I'm not as bad as some, but am looking to the future realizing how delicate my kidneys really are.

What about your heart? Are you taking in too much fried food now? You may not have any health problems now, but if you don't give up the fries, pizza, burgers, and chips now...a heart attack may really be around the corner for you in your 50s, 60s, or 70s.

In terms of your finances, do you have plan in place to get out of debt? Are your credit cards maxed out because you refuse to tell yourself 'no'? Are you living paycheck to paycheck w/out an emergency fund? I was blessed to hear a friend's plan of paying off their home a.s.a.p. Is that a reality for you?

I heard this weekend that the gov't says we may go BACK into a recession. Did we even get out of it? Did unemployment really drop??? Or has it continued on the rise? 

Why can't we just admit that our country is really in a depression??? The country's credit rating was even dropped in the last couple weeks right? If it was declared we were in a depression, would that affect your spending & saving???? Or is the gov't going to wait until it's too late & half the nation is starving to declare a depression?

I want to sober us up in the fact that WE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE to make changes!!!

• We have to stick to the budget TODAY!
• We have to stick to the diet TODAY!
• We have to stick to the workout regimen TODAY!
• We have to give up the alcohol/drugs/junk food TODAY!
• We have to pursue a relationship with God TODAY!
• We have to make time for our spouses & kids TODAY!

This is my plea for you to make healthy changes across the board: in your finances, your church attendance, your nutrition, exercise, and family.

Any goals you been procrastinating to pursue, pursue them today!

Stop procrastinating TODAY &

make a change while there is still time!!!!

 

Is this you??? Putting off until tommorrow to stop the procrastination?
Don't let one more day go by! Get serious today!



Measurable Results!

I am a person who loves seeing results, whatever it is! I love seeing $$$ in the bank, a clean room, empty laundry baskets, people loving on me (healthy relationships), and 'down 1 lb.' on the scale.

The FIT TEST that you do every couple weeks with the Insanity program, shows you that you're improving & I love it. Today is the beginning of WEEK 5. It is suppose to be the beginning of recovery week, but I wanted to start it off w/ a little 'report card' of our improvement. To stay transparent & accountable, I will list my numbers from the first week of starting Insanity...and will list today's results.

FIT TEST RESULTS & IMPROVEMENT:

Exercise/Move                         End of Week 1-June 25th                   Start of Week 5 - July 18th
Switch Kicks                                      80                                                88     (+8)
Power Jacks                                       50                                                65     (+15)
Power Knees                                     106                                               103   (-3) ????
Power Jumps                                      34                                                40     (+14)
Globe Jumps                                      12                                                 18     (+6)
Suicide Jumps                                    17                                                 21     (+4)
Push-Up Jacks                                   13 (most on knees)                        20     (+7)     (on feet too!)
Low Plank Obliques                            56                                                82     (+26)


Now What?

Now, in just another 2-3 weeks, I will reevaluate myself again. This is a great gauge that serves a purpose. One, I see that I am physically changing/improving w/ strength and endurance. And two, proves that this program works.

Another way that I know that I am doing something right - I am down 5 lbs. It's always a challenge for me to drop weight once I hit 134/135. I think it's a mental thing. Since my original goal was to 'get below 137 lbs.', I seem to get stuck at 134...maybe 133...then I go up a pound or 2. This was my original goal - I  wanted to weigh in at this weight because that's what I weighed before I got pregnant w/ boy #2.

Now, I'm wrapping my mind around getting down to 127 lbs., since that is the lowest weight I've ever been in my adult life. I think I was 21 or 22 years old, (12 yrs. ago) when I weighed that...and I did it the WRONG way of using Hydroxycut!

Now, I'm 34 & I'm doing it all-natural. Through diet & exercise! Healthy foods, no artificial/stimulant help! I do have people asking me 'when are you going to stop losing weight?'...Their question needs to be "when are going to stop taking on ridiculous challenges?"

(Next challenge may be the Volkslauf. I keep toying with the idea. And I've got to make a decision very soon.)

So, I think the answer to that last question is "NEVER". Because as soon as we stop taking on challenges - we stop growing! And who want to stop growing???? NOT ME!

My Personal Workout Update

This Monday marks Day 1 of my 4th week of Insanity. I am finally shaving off one pound at a time and held at 131.0 today.

I have a ton of people asking me, when are you going to stop losing weight? And here's my thoughts on that question. It's easy to reach a goal weight...and be done, and then just 'maintain'. However, the last time I was 'maintaining', by doing my routine workout, my routine 'eating'...3 lbs. creeped up on the scale. My goal at the first of the year was to continue to weigh in from 130-134.

Last month, I hit 136 while 'maintaining'. I guess you can't call it 'maintaining'...but gaining, right? I know some of you think I am being rediculous, but if you seen how hard I was working out, my 4 days a week, you would understand my frustration with a 2 lb. gain.

The truth was that my eating was getting out of control. I was cheat eating. I was eating a few bites of the kids' noodles/spaghetti, I was having 2 Fiber 1 bars/day, I was having the last bites of basically anything that was on the kids' plate - AGAIN. This is a consistent area that I struggle with.

But instead of focusing on 'not eating' their food, I focused on eating 'my food' while they ate. My tummy was full and it was easier to just toss what they didn't eat in the trash. And then, I focused on the exercise component. Although they say it is 20% - exercise and 80% - food in losing weight, I knew in addition to stopping the cheat-eating, I had to step it up with my exercise program as well.

As a result of get stricter with my food (the 80%): measuring out my servings, cutting the kids' food out, cutting the bars out, adding more water, fruit, lean meats - I've dropped weight.

Getting more consistent with my workouts also helped do the trick. I went from working out consistently 4 days, maybe 5, to working out daily - 6 days a week. I'm still only working out around 45 minutes. (It's the most intense 45 minutes of my day, by the way.)

I did what I needed to do. I was honest with myself and admitted where I was slacking off in my eating, I confessed that my workouts were not priority. I basically identified what I needed to change.

Then, I came up with a new goal. My goal wasn't necessarily to "LOSE WEIGHT". I set a measurable goal of "Complete a workout program, start to finish". With the exception of missing 2 days due to a serious sinus infection/bronchitis last week, I have not missed any workouts.

The results: Down 5 lbs. in 3 weeks! I have this week to finish out, then a 'Recovery Week'...and then the Insanity get's even more insane for the last 4 weeks. I'm hecka nervous, the titles of each workout on the calendar have the word MAX in them. Yikes is right!

Going back to the word maintaining...I don't think for me that the goal of 'maintain' is good. "Maintain" means: to keep in a specified state, position (as per dictionary.com). But when it comes to weight loss, I feel like 'maintain' becomes stagnant. You are no longer challenging yourself, so you get lazy. When you miss a workout, it's easier to not be focus on eating good. So my advice: Never just maintain.

If you get to a weight that you are happy with, then set a goal of running in a 5K/10K, complete a workout program, take a karate class. Set a goal of something that has exercise at the center, something that will keep you focused on training your body. So my advice:

Don't maintain, don't gain - just keep training your body!

Don't know how to step it up & train?

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