Change… the ultimate motivation.

This past week was very successful. I completed all my workouts for the entire week, using Kayla Itsines BBG app, Sweat.

Now, I throurghly enjoy the ratio of cardio to strength training with BBG, but it seems to me the strength workouts are more like low intensity calisthenics. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good slow strength building day using bodyweight. I’m just not craving that right now, though.

One thing I’ve learned about my body, in the past is that it responds well to high intensity cardio, long distance running, and functional fitness (crossfit, kettlebell, or weightlifting), and yoga. Whenever I’m getting a solid mix of those things I feel top notch, lean out, and get nicely toned.

BBG just doesn’t include that. It’s not well rounded enough – for me.

So my search began again.

I found myself submitting my info for a trail of Daily Burn, just to try out Black Fire. It’s supposedly the at home TV version of Crossfit. -I adore crossfit. I miss it. But have yet to find the RIGHT box to be apart of.- So I figured Black Fire would provide me with similar functional movements, a tv crew to motivate me, and it’s a free trial….

Right off the bat I fell in love. It has a competitive feel to it, it’s using stuff I already have from the home gym, and it was 30 minutes of nonstop “LET’S DO THIS!!”

Dripping sweat, 30 minutes, and 157 calories killed later…This is what I’m talking about.
The app streams on Chromecast so it feels LIVE, well as much as a TV can. The instructor was tough and motivating at all the right times.

BBG is a wonderful program, and I’m sure I’ll be back one day, but I need alot of intensity right now. Changing things up always helped me stay out of a rut, in the past, so this change kind of revs me up to hit the ground running this week.

Tomorrow, I plan to lace up for a run,at the gym after I teach my yoga class (day 9!!!), and doing day 2 of Black Fire tomorrow evening.

I’m looking forward to this program, the results, and how it makes me feel!

Excited and ready to kick some ass…

Staying Commited.

I’ve always had issues sticking with things. Hobbies, careers, my passion for painting. It all comes and goes. I hate to say I have a great excuse, but sadly I do- I’ve been diagnosed and battling with Bipolar disorder, since 2005. Beyond the intense moods, and maddening anxiety, comes my will to stay committed to almost every aspect of my life. It’s a push and pull of dedication, on an almost daily basis. Living with mental illness is not by any means easy, but standing by while it consumes you isn’t any easier.

In comes my weightloss journey.

Fitness has never been a hobby of mine. I simply started trying to shed pounds because I was obese, and wanted to be around for my daughter, who was at the time an infant. This was over 3 years ago. I’ve told the story of my coming to fitness before, on a previous blog post, but I will say the moment I decided to change my body, changed my life.

Given my pattern of stopping a hobby before it even gets off the ground, I went in half ass thinking this would be yet another fail. Ofcourse, I was supposed to attempt weightloss the old school way, not see results in 2 weeks, and give up.

But I didn’t give up.

I started to see the parallel between my wellness and my moods. Work out, and have a grasp on happiness. Don’t work out for a few days, be grumpy and vicious. Haha. But seriously, it’s true. Even my husband and family noticed the difference in attidude. My friends starting complimenting me not only on my losses, but for how radiant I was becoming.

And that was it. Fitness made me feel amazing. It unlocked some hidden cave in my soul, and released the Happiness Cracken. I began trying new things. Setting goals I was not sure I could reach, but excited to attempt. Those new things became my things. My activities that I began to look forward to, day by day. Those goals became successes, and I’ve had to create new ones on various occassions.

People say I’m commited to my fitness routine, and yes its slightly true. In a statement that rings truer, I’m addicted to happiness. I’m addicted to smiling again, to feeling confident, to being passionate about something that could have been an immediate failure- had I given up on myself.

I’m just a patient to to happiness, and fitness is the therapy that has gotten me as far as I am, in the last 3 years.

It’s a whole package for me, working out, meditation, mindful practice, and journaling. It’s very cathartic to have a healthy outlet to reflect on the inner me. I’ve come so far, and I’m so shocked at my progress. There I was at 200 lbs at 4’11”, and now I’m literally 17 pounds from my goal weight.

I honestly cannot say enough about the relationship I now have with wellness, or between me and loving myself. It’s a beautiful thing to have. I’m lucky. I wish that all of my readers can dig deep and find something in fitness worth commiting to, on your journey. It may be the confidence from the slimmer mirror poses, the skinny jeans that hadn’t fit a year ago, or maybe that incredible boost of energy you get after running halfway from home, with nothing but running shoes and sunglasses….and then being excited to run all the way back! Whatever it is…cherish it. Fuel it. You deserve to commit to that moment, because you deserve to be happy.

 

 

Hot Diggity… Fitness Apps.

If there is one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I’m obsessed with fitness apps. I’m always looking for the next useful thing. And boy, do they come by the dozens. 

Need a virtual workout buddy? There’s an app for that.

Meal planning jackpot…Yup. Tons of them.

Want to earn freebies for sticking with your workout plan? So many to choose from.

I adore the variety and availability of the digital fitness industry. It’s quick, easy, and at your fingertips. Maybe that’s why my phones storage is always close to full.  To be honest, I’m deleting apps that go unused on a weekly basis. Although, most of them come close to gold, some apps really aren’t worth the download.

So here is a list of my must have apps, that I simply have come to  rely on:

NOOM COACHING- It is truly everything you need in one solid application. You sign u for a free or pro account, and receive quality day by day virtual coaching. Everything from recipes, to gps tracking, and group support. You get it all! I started with Noom about 3 years ago and it always been in my pocket of gems. I really like the support and motivation you get from the virtual coaching and other members. ….A+

Vida Coaching – Vida has a pretty hefty price tag, but worth every ….single …dime. You dream about live, one on one guidance from a professional trainer/nutritionist, daily tracking, photo capture of meal…(with time stamp, so you can’t deceive), plus did I mention A REAL PERSON TO DO FACECHATS WITH!!! I’m jumping up an down about Vida. This is the holy grail of virtual coaching. Not only does your professional coach keep up with you activity and meals, but they check in with you daily …A++

NIKE RUNNING APP- ITS NIKE!!! Ofcourse it’s got a flawless interface, and user friendly with things kick android and I WATCH compatibility. I enjoy running the freedom of not needing to carry my bulky phone. It also has a hefty display of your pace durin each mile. Run coach provides a tailored training program to get you to that marathon length run. ….B+

BODYSPACE- If your into fitness, you’ve heard of Bodybuiding.com, and they created this app so us gracious fitties can follow the training of some of bodybuilding set Elite competitors and trainers. JAMIE EASON..etc, and a dozen other wonderful high hitters of the  industry have compiled some decent plans to get you ripped, lean, or skinny jean happy ! ….B-

Coach.me- Starting as LIFT, COACH.ME began its roots in the task realm, which sort of propelled it into the motivating and direct coaching experience it has spiraled itself into.  With over 700 coaches to choose from (INCLUDING ME 🙂  COACH.ME has it going on.  Meditation, running, gym routines, habit training, you name it, there is a coach for it. For a small fee, you are able to choose a coach that’s best to enhance your motivation and results. The coach checks in with you daily, leads you in the right direction, and you see changes!   I will be totally honest, some coaches out more into their job than others. Just because one person looks cool by profile, does it mean they will cater to your goals as much as you’d like, but that’s why you can clicks the link to my profile- on the about me page of this blog :wink wink:….B-

FITOCRACY- Where the members are family ad the gins are beast mode. Seriously, FITO IS MY VIRTUAL FIT FAM. With a group for every fitnes interest and Fred. Ok, FRED is the robot mascot for the app. Makes perfect sense, right? If you can’t tell, Fitocracy is full of gratudious selfies, game like scoreboards for participation, great workout templates, and professional weight loss plans. It’s the stuff barbels are made of. I just LOVE this app!….A+

A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS:

NOM NOM PALEO- RECIPE APP

REVIVE- INNOVATIVE TRACKING APP

CRONOMETER- BETTER THAN MYFITNESPAL

KIPLAN- VIRTUAL MOTIVATION COACH AND TRACKER

YOUTUBE – BECAUSE….FREE FULL FITNESS CLASSES ONLINE.

I hope that  by sharing this information, it helps you virtually enhance you fitness journey.  What are some of your favorite apps?

Writers block…but I’M BACK!

I always hear about writers having mental blocks or running out of dialogue. Well friends, it happened to me. Not that I haven’t been immersed   in my fitness journey – because I’ve got sooo much to tell you- but I just lost the the steam to write about it. Until I had something fresh and worthy to chat about. The same old, ” I made progress….I’m struggling this week…stay motivated!” stuff was likely draining you. As a reader, I totally understand that when following a fitness blogger that things can and will get stagnant after a bit. Following a fitness blogger has many benefits, but adventure and mystery is not one of them. Haha.

So after some time away from my keyboard, I’m back with a change of course, some journey strides, and a new outlook. You’re squirming in your seat, right?!?! Ok. Ok. I won’t tease any longer….

Welcome to my Wholeness Journey.

Mostly wellness, and not fitness, because fitness concerns the physical – only the sight and seen part of my journey. During my time away I started looking to new ways to challenge my body and release my brain clutter. I’ve always been keen to meditation and suffer from Bipolar disorder, so channelling my inner self has helped me overcome some dreadful obstacles with my mood disorder. But, I digress. YOU GUYS have been here for it all! Cheering me on and keeping me motivated 🙂  I’ve lost 55 pounds since I started my weightloss journey. You’ve followed me as I have evolved from a house mat to a runner, weightlifter, fitness enthusiast, and life adventurer. This has been an amazing ride.

But it’s totally not OVER.

At this point in my journey I have achieved some amazing stuff. Things I never truly thought I’d come close to actually accomplishing. But, I have!

Earlier, I mentioned my wellness journey, and meditation. The reason these are so closely connected to my previous “fitness journey” is because I’m no longer seeking just physical self standards. I have decided to open my journey into one of wholeness and self empowerment. One that will lead me to happiness, health, and longing.

I sound like a crazy fit hippie, and that’s ok with me. I wish that name wasn’t already taken on facebook,  haha!

In my time away I have been meditating daily, practicing yoga 4-5 times a week, running 3- 4 times a week, and engaging in strength training twice, weekly.

I’ve been busy, my friends! I feel great. Staying active and having things to do that engaged my mind AND body has given me an entirely different outlook on my body. It’s empowering and satisfying.  This is a feeling that seemed so far away, before, and now it’s all mine to explore.

I hope you continue to cheer me on in my journey!!! Fitness, wellness, and weightloss! But, more than that, I hope to encourage you to explore your own WHOLE journey.

Be happy, and challenge yourself, because you never know where you will take yourself in life. 🙂

Happy Surprise

This week started with major drive, then quickly took a nose dive as relocating to a new house took place. I must say making time to exercise was placed on the back burner as I was left lifting boxes, scrubbing floors, packing, bending, unpacking, and trying to mantain my sanity. I was SUPPOSED to start my classes at my new Crossfit gym, this week, but had to sub for at home workouts instead. I got a few in during the first part of the week, then boom! Nada.

So instead of fully giving up, I focused on what I could control- my diet. I choose healthy options even though we were basically dealing with an unprepared kitchen. I planned as much as I could. When I couldn’t eat my already prepped meals, I opted for salads or lean protiens at fast food joints.

All in all, weigh in day is here and I have no choice but to have expected the worst. Gain or little to no progress was my first assumption when I arouse to stand bare on my scale. Shockingly, a good lack of 3 pounds stared back at me during my weigh. I almost gasp! Hell, I’ll be honest, I did gasp! Moving onto measurements- a decrease by 7 inches overall.

“Nutrition is 80%. Exercise is 20%”. This quote has never seemed so real to me. I’ve always believed and known that a good balance of diet and exercise will create great results but sometimes it’s surprising just how true that ratio is.

Obviously I’m elated with the losses made this week. I almost feel like I don’t deserve to be proud of them, because it was truly not my best effort, and I’m ready to jump back into my routine Monday.

Things are shaping up! Literally! I’m looking to gain a certain apparence rather than only losing weight, at this point. BUT my unspoken scale goal, could be to have lost another 30lbs by May 1st. So far, I’m half way there, since January. Yay.

Happy surprise.

Let’s do this.

So I have a confession.

I mentioned my time creating a fitness support group/ social platform. Well, I haven’t been practicing what I preach. I made a plan. Started the plan. Watched what I ate, took my rest day, and sort of fell off my wagon. I haven’t worked out in 4 days. Sure, I’ve been tracking my food intake, but it’s nothing to brag about. I’ve been eating healthy choices with a few too many alternates mixed in.

Am I ashamed?
NO. Everyone will lose sight of the goal every now and then. The important thing is to figure out where you fell off and to refocus, recommit, and start again.

Am I going to beat myself up?
NO. Being upset at myself for halting my progress is not going to bring me any results. The only way to get back on track with my goals is to be positive and reinforce my dedication.

I realize life gets in the way, sometimes. Actually, we get in our own way sometimes, also. But, the only way to pull yourself out of a hole is to lift yourself UP and OVER! That’s exactly what I intend to do.

I’ve been here before. My journey has been one of more than 3 years. During those years, I’ve quit, started again, taken unnecessary breaks, and cursed myself for being unmotivated. The lesson I have learned from those experiences is that you get what you put in it. Fitness is definitely a give and take result. It’s all in what you can exhaust from yourself.

I may have fallen off my game, but I’m not throwing in the towel anytime soon!

It takes a village…

There are two types of fitness folks: the type that openly seeks support and encouragement throughout a fitness journey, and the type that shyly stands back and tries to reap the benefits without putting in much effort otherwise.

The problem with being the latter, is that if you aren’t proactive about gaining support and encouragement, then you will not be proactive in achieving maximum results. At least not in the same time frame as someone who actually takes the time to find an accountability buddy or gym partner.

I’m not saying stalk a stranger into doing bicep curls with you every Upper Body Day. I’m just alluding to the idea that you get better results by being part of a group or team. It doesn’t have to be a one on one situation. Or even in person- I have a group of accountibilty partners in a strictly private, social media platform. We chat, ask questions, make plans, share ideas and habits, and we are all working toward similar goals.

I started the group because I needed a swift kick in the rear to get refocused on my current goals, plus the more the merrier. It’s nice to have a place to unload my fitness related chatter. Most people don’t want to talk about muscle soreness or personal records, but in fitness accountibilty groups that is where the meat and potatos land.

Going it alone can have its benefits, but being active in an active community of like minded individuals can never be a bad thing. It will only propel greatness and motivation. You’ll feel like your apart of something and you’ll be more apt to hold yourself accountable if you are being honest to yourself and the group. That’s enough to make anyone want to stick to their workout plans!

Joining a group or partnership shouldn’t stop there. You have to put effort into the situation. Talk, give feedback, ask questions, give tips, share experiences, and get to know your group members. A little communication and positivity goes a long way. Fitness is way more fun when you’re social, anyway!

Give it a shot, and find someone to hold you accountable. A group or person that not only inspires you, but motivates you, and supports you to accomplish your own goals. The proof is in the pudding…it takes a village to get fit.

Hitching a ride to Fit Town.

Thanks so much for the overwhelming encouragement and applause toward the start, duration, and end of my 50 pound weight loss. I cannot thank my supporters enough for how much you inspire and motivate me, on a daily basis. I can only hope to have you behind me, cheering me on, during my next endeavor – becoming fit.

Fitness has become sort of a safe haven for me. When I’m angry or feeling low, a good workout will get my mind in the right place. It never fails. When I’m anxious, clouded, or feeling overwhelmed …a good workout will fix that right up. So, even though my workouts came about due to trying to lose weight, I’ve gained much, much more. I have a peace of mind. Those minutes are clarity, and I place my energy into every second of it, ending each routine with a since of accomplishment and freedom.

I hope I don’t sound crazy, when I describe my love of fitness. It’s almost become a nice little drug. Sure, it is! Keeping my hormones in check, my body healthy, my brain happy, and my legs looking killer! It’s not an easy fix, by any means, but it’s sure a great option to rely on.

My appreciation for my hobby/addiction/passion has taken me to some interesting places on my journey- from a spin cycling classroom full of no one except me and empty bikes, starting a running club to run through wooded areas with women I had never met before, to joining crossfit. That’s just some highlights of the fun stuff, because there is plenty more I could write about. I’m not writing a novel here. I’ll spare you. Ha.

I believe that everything I have done has served it purpose and lead me to finding out exactly what works best for my body and provides which results. It also helped me widen my arsenal of cool activities. When it comes to cardio, I’m no longer stuck on an elliptical. I can run, row, cycle, dance, kickbox, and do hiit training like nobodies business.

All these things were so far from reality when I started my journey. That’s exactly why as I enter new territory in getting lean, strong, and fit, I’m not afraid. Im not going to hesitate to jump right into crossfit training and aim to stick with it.

My goal:
No more scale goals 🙂
To gain definition and tone to my body, flatten my stomach more, and strengthen my legs.

Current size, 6-7. Goal size, 3.

My training:
Crossfit 3x a week
Additional cardio 2x a week

Timeframe:
3 months.
Starting Febuary 1st
Ending May 1st.

Nutrition:
Clean meals.
Meat. Veggies. Fruit. Some grains.

I’m ready to say “Screw getting skinny. I WANT TO BE FIT!”.

MY RECIPE FOR SUCCESS :Dedication. Motivation. Consistency. Variety.

Nifty 50

This week I hit my total of 50 pounds shredded. Totally emotional about reaching my goal. Now that I have, I’ve taken a few days to relax and zone out from calorie counting, macros, and protien shakes. Haha. I took time to go crazy! Going crazy didn’t go as planned. I found myself still meal prepping. Still, craving sweet potatos and apples as a treat. Not to say I didn’t have vanilla ice cream tonight – because I certainly did- but I’m not going too far from my new norm, and I’m surprised and very happy about that. And even though I’m taking this freedom time, I’ve been catching some workouts. It’s safe to say the active, healthy lifestyle is here to stay- with maybe some recommitment, here and there!

I want to take a second to talk about motivation. Simply because without  focusing on finding things that drive me, I would not have hit my goal.

1.First off, I have a motivation wall. Yeah, it’s cheesy, but it works. I have cut outs of strong flexing chicks, and healthy food in its glory, displayed on my bedroom wall. I have a full length mirror right under it, for when I take my progress pictures. This keeps my eye on the prize. Keeps me in the zone.

2.I have a few role models. I look up and admire a string of strong, confident women that know their way around a gym. I found them on youtube, or instagram. Katy Hearn has great gym etiquette for basic weight and bodyweight workouts, and a killer, lean body to look up to. Christmas Abbot is my Crossfit Queen. She is strong as hell, owns her own gym, wrote a dieting book, has amazing tattoos, and is petite but packs a huge punch when it comes to her training. Danielle Waltman. Geez, she is my youtube addiction. I found this woman because she was doing weird cable lifts in the gym and making videos of herself for youtube- she knows a thing or two about customizing your routine and changing things up to keep it fresh. She’s always posting new snaps of her workouts. Passion2bfit is a lovely instagram personality that has a physique to work for. She is so sweet on her post, and very personable, but also very knowledgeable about weightlifting and anatomy. Those are my fitness gurus… Do you have anyone that inspires you?

3.Finding support in your journey can be awkward. At first I thought it was hard and weird to tell people about my passion for fitness because I was still overweight and learning. Obviously they wouldn’t want to listen to me babble about my half ass workout, right? WRONG. I love sharing my journey with my husband and close friends but they were not on the same journey as me, so I wanted an outlet to speak to people who were on the same path as me, or looking to walk close behind where I once was. Hence, starting an online community. I started SkinnyQuinnie as a social facebook page. It was purely a place for me to document my workouts and progress, day to day. A place where my friends could motivate me by cheering me on. I felt like I had to workout or post meal preps, because people were watching, waiting for the updates…and that was the biggest motivator I could have created for myself. It was, and is, great. Then I wanted to delve into sharing my experiences and tips to a broader network….a la SkinnyQuinnie Blog.

Those are just a few major tips on things that have pushed me towards success in reaching my goal.

Next step in my journey- getting lean and building muscle. 😉

Who is she?

This is me.

These pictures are taken a little over a month apart, yet so much has changed.
Not only has my face become slightly more defined and slim, but I have evolved in my approach to fitness journey, and my life, as a whole.

I say this because for starters, I used to be a cardio junkie. An elliptical, stationary biking bunny. I found the beauty of outdoor running and never looked back. I come in to my treadmill for horrible weather and crappy season change, but for the most part I crave amateur distance running.

Again, I say this I have evolved because not only am I finally embarking on my goal of joining crossfit, I’m enjoying the training. I’ve been a novice lifter throughout this past year, and it’s something I’m highly proud of. I went from having the typical mindset that weight training can make a woman bulky, to realizing that women aren’t meant to be weak. My mental idea of what a woman “should” aim for physically has adapted into discovering that each woman can and should be empowered by the changes their own bodies will endure; and to take pride in where that journey takes us.

I’ve changed.

This hasn’t been a miracle month of point a to point b, but this month has given me time to notice exactly how much I have redirected my original goals. How I went from wanting to be skinny to wanting to be powerful, fit, strong, lean, and self empowered.

To me, THAT, is more than I bargained for in this journey, and I’m happy to have gotten this far. You see, when I looked at my picture from today I was happy to see my facial tone changing, but I also see a light in me that was not there years ago. I was sad, lost, low, and searching for myself. Fitness has given me back my life. My dignity. My strength. And my pride.

I no longer glance in the mirror and question, “who am I?”…because I KNOW I have the power to create my own self worth.