Since around August/September of last year I have started my health and fitness journey. I wanted to lose weight and become fit <--- NOT just skinny although that was a big part of it. I was at my heaviest I had ever been in my life! Although I would not have been considered obese and BELIEVE I was still within my weight parameters for my age and height, I was not fitting in to any of my clothes and just saw the numbers on the scale gradually increasing.
I had been working and going for my bachelors full time and therefore was mentally exhausted. If I DID have time to workout or watch what I put in to my mouth, I just didn't feel like it. School was my top priority. So after graduating with my degree and earning High Honors, I put the petal to the metal. I re-joined the gym and downloaded MyFitnessPal app.
I did a lot of the hard work on my own. I did not buy things such as Beach Body or Shakeology because for me, I just CANNOT work out at home. I become distracted, am not motivated, and then end up doing a half-ass workout because it is just me there. In the videos and some blogs they always say you are only in competition with yourself--do not worry about the others but when I was at the gym in my Nike classes, I'm sorry, seeing the others working their butts off and looking AMAZING motivated me to do better-- to try and do BETTER than them. Shakeology was just too expensive for me. And yes there are the break down comparisons that if you use it as a meal replacement you are only paying $4 something a meal but it is easier to spend $4 every day than to spend the full $100 something up front <--- for me it just was not what I needed to do in MY fitness journey although I do know it works great for many people!
I made better decisions when cooking and worked my butt off at the gym! I did some research and found Lean 1 was a great protein shake comparable to Shakeology but HALF the cost and I could buy it at a local Vitamin Shoppe. I was doing so well that I gained a couple supporters at my work who joined the bandwagon. It always helps when you have those around you trying to achieve the same goals. At one point during my journey, I was attending 10 classes a week at the gym. I was fitting in to all my clothes and felt fabulous!
One thing I did not do during this time period (about August to March) was venture over to the weights section. I am not the girl who believes that lifting will make me look like a man.... it was just that I was not educated on how to appropriately use the weights in order to actually get a good work out in. Anyone can go over there and throw them around; do a couple here, do a coupe there. Plus, the big tough guys intimidated me and I did not want them thinking I was an annoyance taking up time on their machines :p While talking to an employee at work, he told me about a nurse who body builds and creates meal plans and such for super cheap! I do not know about you but I cannot afford to pay for a personal trainer at a gym (way over priced in my opinion).
I got in contact with Isra, the nurse, and the rest is history! She created specialized meal plans AND weight lifting plans to get me where I wanted to be ----> lean and strong. The plans were for a month and I did 3 straight months with her. On the meal plan I did switch from Lean 1 to PUMP by Beverly. It was EVEN cheaper and tasted the same to me :)
I had been working and going for my bachelors full time and therefore was mentally exhausted. If I DID have time to workout or watch what I put in to my mouth, I just didn't feel like it. School was my top priority. So after graduating with my degree and earning High Honors, I put the petal to the metal. I re-joined the gym and downloaded MyFitnessPal app.
I did a lot of the hard work on my own. I did not buy things such as Beach Body or Shakeology because for me, I just CANNOT work out at home. I become distracted, am not motivated, and then end up doing a half-ass workout because it is just me there. In the videos and some blogs they always say you are only in competition with yourself--do not worry about the others but when I was at the gym in my Nike classes, I'm sorry, seeing the others working their butts off and looking AMAZING motivated me to do better-- to try and do BETTER than them. Shakeology was just too expensive for me. And yes there are the break down comparisons that if you use it as a meal replacement you are only paying $4 something a meal but it is easier to spend $4 every day than to spend the full $100 something up front <--- for me it just was not what I needed to do in MY fitness journey although I do know it works great for many people!
I made better decisions when cooking and worked my butt off at the gym! I did some research and found Lean 1 was a great protein shake comparable to Shakeology but HALF the cost and I could buy it at a local Vitamin Shoppe. I was doing so well that I gained a couple supporters at my work who joined the bandwagon. It always helps when you have those around you trying to achieve the same goals. At one point during my journey, I was attending 10 classes a week at the gym. I was fitting in to all my clothes and felt fabulous!
One thing I did not do during this time period (about August to March) was venture over to the weights section. I am not the girl who believes that lifting will make me look like a man.... it was just that I was not educated on how to appropriately use the weights in order to actually get a good work out in. Anyone can go over there and throw them around; do a couple here, do a coupe there. Plus, the big tough guys intimidated me and I did not want them thinking I was an annoyance taking up time on their machines :p While talking to an employee at work, he told me about a nurse who body builds and creates meal plans and such for super cheap! I do not know about you but I cannot afford to pay for a personal trainer at a gym (way over priced in my opinion).
I got in contact with Isra, the nurse, and the rest is history! She created specialized meal plans AND weight lifting plans to get me where I wanted to be ----> lean and strong. The plans were for a month and I did 3 straight months with her. On the meal plan I did switch from Lean 1 to PUMP by Beverly. It was EVEN cheaper and tasted the same to me :)
I gained the strength I wanted with Isra, lost the weight I wanted to by my own hardwork and dedication and then leaned out from Isra's meal plans and strength planning, and gained flexibility from Yoga. I was so happy with myself and felt confident with my body. I was on a roll. I was doing great! I had even played with the thought (after Isra suggested it) of entering a bikini competition <---- highly unlikely but never say NEVER right!!
Then Nate and I decided to visit Seattle to decide if we wanted to move there or not. We went the last week of July. I did not work out while we were there as it was a busy time.
I then became sick while in Seattle with an URI and Bronch. so was out at home for about another two weeks due to being ill and then being weak from not eating. Then it was MOVE time?!?! We were so busy with trying to get everything figured out that our healthy eating went out the window and I couldn't get to the gym on a consistent basis.
I made the horrible decision to freeze our gym memberships bc we just weren't going and to pay for something your not using is POINTLESS. Then we had to pack up our house which meant NO DISHES for cooking.
I have let a lot of my hard work go down the drain :( I no longer have the leanness I worked so hard for and of course have gained some weight. I am thankful though that I am still able to fit in my clothes and I am just trying to keep it that way until this "in-between" is finished and I CAN and WILL get back on the routine.
This is a pothole that I have hit in my life. Everyone has them. The determining factor though is whether you let that pothole consume you and just make a cozy home inside OR you dig yourself out with determination and hard work and get back on that smooth path.
I will not let this ruin everything that I have accomplished and just go right back to where I initially started or worse than I was. This is the CHOICE that everyone has to make at some point in their life. It can be about a variety of things but everyone has a CHOICE to CHOOSE which path they are going to take.
And please know that in life, many choices do not have to be your FINAL choice. In the path of health and fitness I know I have CHOSEN to eat a Pazookie at BJ's ( a delicious baked on the spot cookie with a mound of vanilla ice-cream) or to eat pizza instead of cooking. It happens but CHOOSE to only make that a RARE CHOICE :)
Many of you on my FB have been doing your health and fitness journey and it is exciting to see :) We can be the generation that maybe ends obesity in our country just like those TRUTH commercials for smoking. Lets spread the word that being healthy and fit is the way to live while still enjoying yourself :)
If anyone is interested in Isra's information please comment below and I'll be more than happy to refer you! Everything can be done via e-mail and phone. She was a great supporter for me and was always there when I had questions. She was very pleasant when I needed to switch something on my meal plan because I just COULDN'T eat it. She will definitely be stern though! You CAN get results if you follow her plans to a T unless there are some underlying conditions that your body just doesn't take to.
What helped you become fit? What would you suggest to any readers who are interested in jumping on this fabulous life changing bandwagon? What was YOUR hardest part in your journey?
Cheers and Protein Shakes*
Then Nate and I decided to visit Seattle to decide if we wanted to move there or not. We went the last week of July. I did not work out while we were there as it was a busy time.
I then became sick while in Seattle with an URI and Bronch. so was out at home for about another two weeks due to being ill and then being weak from not eating. Then it was MOVE time?!?! We were so busy with trying to get everything figured out that our healthy eating went out the window and I couldn't get to the gym on a consistent basis.
I made the horrible decision to freeze our gym memberships bc we just weren't going and to pay for something your not using is POINTLESS. Then we had to pack up our house which meant NO DISHES for cooking.
I have let a lot of my hard work go down the drain :( I no longer have the leanness I worked so hard for and of course have gained some weight. I am thankful though that I am still able to fit in my clothes and I am just trying to keep it that way until this "in-between" is finished and I CAN and WILL get back on the routine.
This is a pothole that I have hit in my life. Everyone has them. The determining factor though is whether you let that pothole consume you and just make a cozy home inside OR you dig yourself out with determination and hard work and get back on that smooth path.
I will not let this ruin everything that I have accomplished and just go right back to where I initially started or worse than I was. This is the CHOICE that everyone has to make at some point in their life. It can be about a variety of things but everyone has a CHOICE to CHOOSE which path they are going to take.
And please know that in life, many choices do not have to be your FINAL choice. In the path of health and fitness I know I have CHOSEN to eat a Pazookie at BJ's ( a delicious baked on the spot cookie with a mound of vanilla ice-cream) or to eat pizza instead of cooking. It happens but CHOOSE to only make that a RARE CHOICE :)
Many of you on my FB have been doing your health and fitness journey and it is exciting to see :) We can be the generation that maybe ends obesity in our country just like those TRUTH commercials for smoking. Lets spread the word that being healthy and fit is the way to live while still enjoying yourself :)
If anyone is interested in Isra's information please comment below and I'll be more than happy to refer you! Everything can be done via e-mail and phone. She was a great supporter for me and was always there when I had questions. She was very pleasant when I needed to switch something on my meal plan because I just COULDN'T eat it. She will definitely be stern though! You CAN get results if you follow her plans to a T unless there are some underlying conditions that your body just doesn't take to.
What helped you become fit? What would you suggest to any readers who are interested in jumping on this fabulous life changing bandwagon? What was YOUR hardest part in your journey?
Cheers and Protein Shakes*