Weekly Motivation: Kick discouragement in the face

As Jenni and I start our new chapter in our fitness journey as Coaches for FXB, I thought it would be a good idea to share some thoughts about how to stick to your workout plan, how to stay committed, and how to not get discouraged.

Let's face it, when you are the new kid on the block it can be intimidating and scary.  Whether you are starting a new job, new school, moving to a new city, joining a club, or starting a fitness routine for the first (or 10th time like me), it can be very overwhelming.  I have a pretty bad case of social anxiety, and if it wasn't for FXB getting me out of my comfort zone, I would still be a hermit inside my home, overweight, and sad. 

Starting a new fitness program is hard.  Our bodies aren't used to the physical activity we are about to put it though, and we aren't used to using food as fuel not for pleasure.  We shock our systems by cutting out caffeine, sugar, and processed foods.  Then tell our bodies to endure a physically demanding workout, and expect to feel good afterward.  No it sucks.  Our bodies are trying to expell and flush out the toxins we have been feeding ourselves for a long period of time.  Muscles we didn't even know existed hurt, fat starts crying, our heads are pounding due to "caffeine withdrawals", we are cranky, and get irriated more easily. I have been there.  I have gone though all of this many times.  Our natural reaction when things get hard is to?  You guessed it, QUIT. We quit and go back to our old familiar lifestyle.  Why do we do this?  You guessed right again...because it's EASY.  It is so easy to stop prepping up healthy meal choices and grab all of your meals at convient fast food places.  It's easy to choose to lay on the couch and binge watch all of Sons of Anarchy, while digging into the pint(s) of Ben and Jerry's.  It's easy to get out of a long day of work on a Friday and decide to skip the gym and hit the pool party instead.  It's easy to go and have a drink or two or five with your friends.  It's easy to make excueses.  Where did easy get you though.  Easy got you to that unhappy, unhealthy place where you stare into that mirror and don't like who you see. Easy got you to the place where you put yourself down daily and say horrible things to yourself.

#1: Find your support team.  It is so much easier to stick to it when you have support from like minded people.

I think by now if you have read some of my other entries, you will know that the number one reason why I have stuck to it is because I have found an amazing support system.  My Farrell's Family. If it weren't each one of them making me accountable, keeping me motivated, and sharing my journey, I wouldn't have stuck to it.

 #2: Do something you really enjoy doing

Again I have said this before. Do something you love and are passionate about.  Do you like running, hiking, biking, weight lifting, zumba, swimming, tennis, soccer, kickboxing? Find some kind of physical activity you like to do.  When you are having fun, you won't want to quit.

#3: Kick Discouragement in the face

We all transform at our own pace.  We all catch on to new things differntly.  Sometimes it's harder for us to get into a routine than others.  Do not get discouraged, remember why you started this.  Use your support team to revive your spirtits.


 #4: Remove  I CAN'T from your vocabulary

Try...You will never know what you can do unless you try.  Will it be scary? Will it be hard? Will it be uncomfortable?  Yes it proabably will, but try.  You can do more than you think you can.







#5: Set Goal that you will be able to achieve in the time given.

Make smaller goals that you can accomplish.  Example: I will drink 80 ounces of water each day, I will log all of my food for the week, I will lose 5 lbs. in 2 months. Once you reach that goal reward yourself.  NOT WITH FOOD, you are not a dog (unless they are Quest Bars.  Alwasys reward yourself with Quest bars they are amazing).  Reward yourself with a different kind of treat: get your nails done, hair done, shop for a new outfit, get your car professionally cleaned, get tickets to a concert....what ever it is make memories with it!  That way you can remember 'Hey I hit my goal and because of it I was able to...' Goals and rewards always help push me to keep going.

Let me be that little voice that tells you to push yourself out of that confort zone.  Keep going, and don't give up when it starts to get hard.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  When you start to get discouraged and start to feel the excuses start to fester into your brain, STOP!  Think about why you are saying you "Can't do something". Are you really, truly, physically unable to keep your commitment to yourself to be healthier? Or is it the easy way out again? YOU CAN... Believe you can do it and you will surprise yourself.  Wake up determined and go to bed saying "It might not have been a perfect day, but I tried my hardest." In the end you will be thankful you never gave up.

Keep Inspiring,
 ~Shauna~

Me? Competitve?...Nah!!! ok! Yeah!!!!

                               

Its true! You really are your biggest competition! My most satisfying "win's" against my biggest competition have been the those accomplishments I told MYSELF over and over that I COULDN'T do and then DID!!!

I have debated doing this post for quite sometime, but my fellow "Inspiring Journey" blogger finally convinced me that since we were coming of another 10 week competition now might be a good time.  So here it goes.  Here it goes at the risk of sounding like the biggest, brattiest baby.  But before I go to much further let me start by saying, YES I am major competitive.  Not sure why or how.  It has been a good thing and thing.  It has made people absolutely hate me and it has inspired others.  I guess its all in how you take it.  But please know that just because I am competitive I also have huge heart and feelings and genuinely care about people.  Especially the people I find myself in competition with! In my head, at the moment, I may want to squash them like a bug but in all actuality I am thankful that they too see me as competition and are giving me a run for my money :)

                       

Ok, with that said he comes my bratty story.  And how being competitive not only just about ruined everything, but also might have saved me as well...(but this is part of my "inspiring journey" right?)

So at the gym both Shauna and I go to they have a 10 week body transformation competition.  Whoever does the most transforming in that 10 week session wins $1000.  So, when I joined Farrell's THIS was my goal.  Yeah yeah yeah, I was going to lose weight, I was going to change the way I eat, hey and I might gain a little muscle, but I WAS GOING TO WIN THIS!! And for me it wasn't so much about the money, as much as it was about having the "title" and having the "title" in a fitness competition of all thing!! So, during my 10 weeks I became VERY close friends some of my 10 week team.  At the end I genuinely just wanted someone from our "group" to win. (I honestly thought one of the three guys had the best chance of all of us). When we arrived at the "winner announcement" party and pictures were handed out mine looked ok, and just about as good as anyone elses, or so I thought.  So time came and the announced the top 3.  Ladies and Gentlemen, my name WAS NOT called!  WHAT??!! I didn't even make top 3!!  Yep, it was true.  But my friend Shauna DID win and honestly at that moment I was beyond happy for her.  I was beyond happy that someone from out "group" had won!  I jumped and screamed and clapped and hugged and then.... bratty, competitive Jenni reared her ugly head!!!

Ok, so lets back up a bit. 


When I started this 10 weeks my goal was to win.  I knew the only way that I was going to be able to do that is if I did EVERYTHING I could.  I needed to eat right EVERY day.  I needed to workout EVERY day and not just show up at the gym, BUT give the gym my highest level.  That was what I was going to do.  That was how I was going to win this competition.  If I didn't win this competition at least I knew that I gave it my very all that I made every sacrifice I could have made.  So this is what I did.  I showed up EVERY day.  I worked hard EVERY day.  On the one day the gym was closed, I worked out that day too.  I kept my nutrition on point and only took 3 cheat MEALS during the whole 10 weeks.   I worked so hard.  So come announcement night, when my name wasn't even called (along with 100+ other names of people who worked their tails off) for the top 3 my spirit was broken a little.  I did have someone come up and say to me "you were in the top 5" And while I smiled politely and thanked them inside I was saying "Yeah, well what does top 5 get ya...a big fat NOTHING"  It wasn't until a couple weeks later when my head cleared that I realized what being top 5 did get me! (I'll get to that in a bit)



I went to work the next day in tears.  How could this happen?  I worked my butt off.  So what did I do.  Exactly what my biggest competition (ME!) wanted me to do.  I threw a hissy fit.  I ate anything and AND a piece of cake FROM my work cafeteria.  Yes, I continued to attend Farrell's everyday, but not giving my workout my highest lever for sure.  Plus, I'd walk by Shauna's picture everyday with the thankful thought I didn't have a sharpie to draw a mustache and horns on her pictures. I'd roll my eyes at the mention of "There's a $1000 winner in the house" ugh it was killing me (and honestly, it probably was), Then one day my good friend Shanon sent me the sweetest text and snapped me out of it.  (not sure what I'd do without that girl) I realized this had NOTHING to do with Shauna, this had NOTHING to do with Farrell's it was about me and I was RUINING all my work that I had done in the last 10 weeks by being the biggest brat.  I HAD to snap out of it!

                
                              
                        
 My competition with myself was NOT over.  Yes, the Farrell's competition was done, but I still had/have a lot of work left to do.  And my competition constantly tells me that I will not win.  OH YES I WILL!!!!! 

So what did coming in the top 5 give me?  Way more than I will ever be able to explain in words.  it gave me the ability to chose foods that are good for my body. (by the way, after eating the crap I did for the week I was being a brat I ended up getting very sick and I am pretty sure it was all because of the nasty foods I chose to eat.  I didn't eat anything that would have helped my body fight off the nasty sinus infection I ended up with) During my 10 weeks (I think week 5) I went below 200lbs for the first time in 12 years.  I fit into a pair of jeans I had been holding onto for over 15 years.  I caught my husband staring a little bit longer than he had in a long time.  I held my head higher.  I felt better.  I could move better.  I could play with my kids easier. I made some of my best friends in that 10 weeks.  This is what coming in the top 5 has given me.  Sometimes I think, how dare I even want more than that but the competitive part of me thinks I bet there is more than that.... push yourself and lets see!!!

Competition in good.  Don't let it ruin you.  Let it drive you.  Let it push you. Let it be the reason you don't give up, not this time!!!

Shauna's Thoughts: Back To Basics

May has turned out to be a very crazy month for myself. First my Grandmother went into the hospital and I am really the only one here to help visit and bring her clothes and necessities she may need.  Then my husband and I made the decision to move into my Grandma's house in order to prepare her home for her return.  She will also need assistance once she is finally release. Trying to plan and execute my sons 4th birthday party, and try to settle him into the new house. Plus trying to balance my work and Farrell's schedules around all of this has really put my nutrition into a bit a jumble. My weigh-ins at Max Muscle have still been really good even in the chaos, but I know that my nutrition is starting to slip. I have been down this road too many times before, and I don't plan to continue going toward this dark path. So, as life is starting to settle back into normalcy, I am grabbing my ticket to getting back to basics. NUTRITION will be the key!  You can spend hours exercising and working out, but if you don't have your nutrition locked down you will never make progress.

Everyone has bad days, that turn into bad weekends, that turn into bad weeks, or even possibly turn into bad months.  That's life and it happens. We can't beat ourselves up for being human. What we can do is think about how far we have come and get back on track. I'll say it again,  let's get back to basics.  Write down your goals for the next month, break it down into weeks if that helps. Post it somewhere you will see it everyday. Plan your meals for the day or better yet the week! Water water water...this is something I have not been doing enough of. Grab a friend to workout with, friends that sweat together stay together.  Now that it is getting nicer outside get off the couch and do something fun outside with the family!  Do not let one bad meal, one bad weekend, or even one bad week keep you down. You have come to far to let something so tiny smolder your flame. 

Last weeks goals!

So, who is with me? I challenge everyone to write down their goals for the next month. They don't need to be crazy goals, make the goals something you can achieve in a month. Then you won't feel pressured or discouraged and give up.  Some examples could be: Drinking at least 80oz of water a day. Cut back alcohol to one drink a week (better yet no alcohol for 30 days).  Same for soda. Do you have a sweet tooth? Use fruits to satisfy your cravings.  Be dedicated to using your food log... You get the point.  These small little changes  will make a big impact over time!  Make posters, collages, or keep a journal for inspiration. I finally had a few minutes last night to catch up on my Fitness Smash Book.  It helped me gain some much needed motivation by looking at all the progress I have already made.  So remember, if you slipped up or fell off the wagon and you're looking for a sign to get back on track....THIS IS IT! This is your sign.  I will not let you fail, you can do anything you put your mind to. How bad do you want it?

Keep Inspiring  ~Shauna~
 

I get by with a little help from my friends...

So your ready to do this.  Your ready to kick those unhealthy habits in the butt and get your "healthy on".  Where the heck do you start? How the heck do you start? As I mentioned before, when I first started losing weight I did so in a very unhealthy way.  Mainly, because I didn't know any different. And also, I had been pretty desperate.  I used to joke about how I may not be doing this right, and it may kill me, but at least I'll die skinny.  What a horrible way to live!!! The one thing I did do right however was my Zumba on Wednesday nights! I did with a group of friends.  This was not only the thing that got me moving in the first place, but made me realize that there was actually an exercise out there that I could do and not hate.  After each class a couple of friends from the class and I would talk for just 15 minutes before leaving about how well I was doing and what I could do differently.  These small little pep talks motivated me into the next day!
I also mentioned that when I started Farrell's, I did so because I friend asked me to.  This really changed our friendship.  Our friendship grew so much in those 10 weeks it was incredible.  Not only did our friendship grow, but we gained a whole new family of friends in our "team".  These are seriously a group of people I would consider some of my closest friends! AND I JUST MET THEM!! What makes this group so special.  They pushed me, motivated me, and held me accountable for every pound, for every bite I took, for every sit up I did, for every class I attended.  Without this group encouraging me I would NOT be where I am today.  I would NOT have the success story that I do. 
So with all that said, the first place to begin is with your friends! Find at least one person who not only has the same "FIT" goals in mind, but is willing to sacrifice the same things you are to achieve that goal.  I am very competitive, which helped me get my butt to the gym every day.  I DID not want the reason I didn't win (which I didn't by the way lol) this competition be because I didn't show up and give my all.  I didn't want to let my team down.  I felt obligated to attend every day and give 100% everyday.  I felt they were counting on me.  I wanted to make them proud.  They consistently told me how proud I was making them.  I believe I did the same for them.  And because of this I worked harder and harder. 
Before I started Farrell's I did workout by myself.  But I would go and hit the elliptical with intentions of going for an hour, but would then crap out at 30 minutes all the time.  One because it was pretty boring and two, no one would know.  Same with the Zumba classes I took.  I would go with the intentions of working as hard as I could, but if I got the slightest bit tired, I'd stop, and I really didn't have anyone there to give me the stare down and tell me to keep moving.  Once I got to know the instructors and regulars a little better this got a little better, but that took awhile. 
I am now doing our workout classes with my husband.  I am so excited about this because I know what this does to relationships. I am excited as to where this will take my relationship with my husband. 
Use your friends.  Help them get motivated to be healthy.  Watch your relationships grow.  Show them that you are not going to give up...not this time :)

Excuses are like ...

Yep, its true! Excuses are like a@&holes, everyone has one. I know, I know, its sounds harsh, but its so true. I, however, am proclaiming myself the queen of excuses! Really! I can come up with some pretty good ones.  I was talking with a coworker the other day about all the excuses I have come up with and I have heard to not eat healthy, to not go to the gym, to not find a fitness program.  Honestly, most the "excuses" are pretty good and valid.  When I invite someone to the try out my program and they tell me the list of things they have going on that day I don't judge them one bit, infact I get exhausted for them.  I completely get it! I think I mentioned in my first post I finally got fed up with myself, I got mad! I finally decided I wasn't going to let myself make one more excuse as to why I chose the large value meal at the fast food joint vs. the chicken breast (without the bread) and a salad. I wanted to feel better more than I wanted the French fries. I wasn't going to let working a 12 hour day stop me from finding time to go to the gym because I was tired.  I wanted to feel better more than I wanted to sleep an extra hour.  I got mad.  I got determined. 
My typical day starts at 3:30am. I get up and get ready for my day (yes, hair and makeup before the gym. Crazy, I know, but makes my morning a bit easier.  Still trying to figure out the best way with all that). My husband and I are at the gym by 4:45am for the 5am class. (Our older son is home with the younger ones while we are gone, in that way we are very lucky that we can do this together)  Our class lasts 45min.  Afterwards, I stay at the gym and try to clean myself up enough to go to work while my husband goes home and gets all our kids up and ready for school.  (God Bless Him, He's pretty great!) I then head to work at 7am for a 12 hour day at the hospital.  I get home about 7:30ish pm.  (I'll talk about my meals at work here in a second) I spend some time catching up with my kids about their day, get them ready for bed and tuck them in.  Then my husband and I do our meal planning for the next day together, pack our lunches up. I shower and go to bed.  I do this routine three times a week (I work 3 - 12's). On the days I don't work obviously my schedule is way easier. No, its not ideal, but it is necessary.  There are so many times I would love to sleep just a bit longer, but I know, for me, if I get out of a routine of going to the gym every day then I will eventually miss two days, then three, then won't go at all.  For now, since this is all still new to me, I guess I just go everyday until I can trust myself to maybe go 5 days a week or even 4.  I don't know.  For now, I make this work.  So, I guess when someone says to me.  I have no time to go to the gym.  I have to take the kids here and there, I have work, I have this commitment and that commitment.  I completely understand (remember I have 4 kids running different directions as well).  There are several 24 hour gyms.  (some I'm not so sure I'd recommend, but they are better than nothing) So when someone says I just don't have time, I always ask, well what are you doing at 4:00am? There really is time. If you want it enough. There is time.  I promise :)
Ok so food... I often get asked what do you eat? I always say "a lot" ,cause seriously I do.  The program that I do suggests that you eat 6 small meals a day.  And so far this has really worked for me.  I seriously am never hungry. I have more energy than I ever have, and I feel great all day long (and some days its a really long day). I know I have a lot of improving to do on my food.  I hate that I am such a picky eater.  I wish that I liked more foods than I do, but I am really trying to change that.  My goal through out my day is to eat as healthy and clean as I can.  The less ingredients on a package the better... The other thing I do is plan my meals.  A lot of my "fit" friends will plan out their week, I sadly, haven't gotten that good yet.  I do mine daily.  Every night, my husband and I figure out our meals for the next day.  What we plan, is what we eat. No more. No less. Farrell's has some crazy scientific formula that individually calculates how much protein and carbs a meal you should have.  I don't know what that formula is, or how they came up with it, or really how even scientific it is, but it works for me and gives me a good guideline.  So, for me, each of my meals contain 35g of carbs and 20g of protein.  I try really hard to eat every 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours (with work it can be tricky sometimes). I do use whey protein shakes and a protein bar almost daily, but my husband doesn't use either.  So, that is pretty much it.  I can get detailed about every meal if you'd like and I have to honest I eat pretty much the same things every day.  Its pretty boring.  But as I said in my first post I now look at food as fuel, not as pleasure.  With this thinking I have found that things taste so much better, because when I do have "cheat" meal (which of course I do) I savor and love each and every bite of that meal.  It tastes so much better and I appreciate it way more than I ever did before because I know it will be awhile before I taste it again. ;)
So, its not easy.  Especially with how crazy life is daily.  But, it is possible to be healthy.  You have to start somewhere.  Shauna sent out a quote one time that said  "Its not easy, Its going to hurt, You are going to want to give up, but you wont! NOT THIS TIME, you are a FIGHTER" I love that.  It is so true.  :)

Shauna's Thoughts: Nutrition

To explain a bit about the blog, Jenni and I have decided that we will be starting off with four posts per week.  

Monday- Motivation Monday

Wednesday - Thoughts by Shauna

Saturday - Food & Fitness

Sunday - Thoughts by Jenni

I wanted to start my first Thoughts segment with a topic I get asked about daily.  "What are you doing to lose weight?"  It's really a two part answer.  I work out 6 days a week, and most importantly I follow my nutrition plan.  In this segment were are going to focus on the Nutrition part.

The reason why I kept going through the vicious weight gain / weight loss cycle is because I had an unhealthy relationship with food.  In my experience I would probably call it a Food Addiction.  It got to the point that I was hiding food and binging.  It would be my day off of work and I would be ready for lunch, so I would just start driving around.  What did I taste for today? I would pull into a fast food place drive around the parking lot with guilt because I knew I shouldn't be doing this.  It didn't matter though, I needed my "drug".  So, I would pull up to  the drive thru and I would order what seemed to be everything.  Just the small size? NOPE I needed the largest of the largest size.  Was one fry enough? NOPE I needed two. Would I like desssert with that? Of course I did, I'll take the order of three cookies (because it really was a deal).  Then I would park the car and I would consume all of the food. I felt like I needed to hide what I was doing.  I would dispose of all the wrappers, cups, and packaging like it was evidence. After my taste buds were satisfied, and my belly was extremely full (sometimes to the point of puking) I would fall into an euphoric state.  This high wouldn't last forever though.  After I snapped back to reality, the guilt would set in all over again.  Why did I just do that?  Why couldn't I just say NO? Why am I hiding what I'm eating? It was seriously like a drug addiction.  

I would compare an addiction to food to any other type of drug/alcohol addicition.  Except, when you have a drug/alcohol addiction they will put you into re-hab, and completely seperate you from your addiction.  You have people there to monitor and watch you, give you medicine to help with withdrawls, give you steps to live by, and offer support.  When you leave re-hab, they will even put you into a sober house to help you further transition into "normal" life.  Once you are done, you have the power to cut off ties yo your past life and make a new life for yourself.  A food addiction however is just plain torture.  Food is something we will use 4 - 6 times a day.  It is on every street corner, in every home, and every store.  We raise it, grow it, sell it, and consume it. Don't you see? We cannot survive without it. 

So how can we even begin this journey with all this temptation around us?  You have to want it.  You have to have the power to say no.  You have to open your eyes to the world of healthy, nutritious food.  You have to find a balance.  Farrell's helped me with this.  They provided me with information based off of my body weight and body fat percentage, then gave me carb and protein numbers to plan my meals.  They didn't provide me with the meal plan it's self, they just gave me the tools to build one.  I had to put the work into it. If I bit it, nibbled it, or drank it, I wrote it down.  I portioned, weighed, and prepped my meals for each week. I knew what I was going to be putting into my body, and I prepared myself for the day.  Even though I work in a restaurant, I took my snacks and lunch to work.  I still had my cheat day...and sometimes it ran into two days, but I was able to get back to the daily grind after the weekend was over.  WHY? Because, it was working.  I was starting to feel better.  I had more energy.  I saw changes in my body, my clothes started fitting again.  Then people started noticing a difference in my apperance.  It wasn't a vicious cycle anymore...I was finally on the right path to a lifestyle change.   

I am not a nutritionist, and I can't give you the carb and protien numbers you should eat for the day, again it's all based off your body.  I would recomend you see a nutritionist or registered dietitian if you are looking for help.  They can provide you with so much information about the why's and how to's of eating healthy and properly for your body. Here are a few changes that worked for me so maybe they can work for you:

1) Make small changes to your diet such as cutting out soda.  Try to limit how many cans or bottles you consume in a week.  Cut back on the fancy coffee drinks (O.K. this one was the hardest for me.  I love Scooter's Coffee so much that I should probably own a building by now because I've spent so much on their delicious coffee concoctions).  Cut out fast food, or make healthier options when you go out for example a side salad instead of fries or no bun on the burger.  Most restaurants carry a nutrition guide for their menus that way you can plan ahead.

2) Start trying new "healthier" foods such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, or ground turkey meat.  I mean seriously you can replace ground turkey for ground beef in any dish. 

3) Drink at least 80 ounces of water each day!  Stay hydrated and full at the same time :)

4) Plan for your day, and keep a food log!  A food log will help you see exactly what you are eating.  Write everything down no matter what it is.  My fitness pal is a great app. to use and keep track of your food.  

5) Try to eat smaller meals thoughout the day to keep your blood sugars from spiking.  I usually eat 5 - 6 meals a day.  This was the hardest thing for me to start, but now I don't even have to think about it.  

6) Read food lables, watch portion sizes, and measure everything you are eating.  You will be amazing at what you think a 1/2 cup of something is vs. what it actually is.  If something is given in a weight then measure the weight first, 1 measured cup of rice can weight very different depending on how much rice you pack into the cup. I have a food scale, measure cups, and table spoons ready at all times.

7) Alcohol = the devil.  Don't do it. Not. Even. Once.

8) Switch out white starches with whole grains and wheat. This is a preference of mine but it fits my new lifestyle plus I like the way it tastes.

9) Eat a good healthy breakfast. ( Dough-nuts do not count as healthy) Take the time in the morning to cook some eggs or some oatmeal. You will appreciate having the fuel to start off the morning and so will your body.

10) Get some sleep.  You body needs proper time to digest, re-charge, and repair itself. Most of us stay up late and watch our shows, I am guilty myself. Just turn off the TV and go to bed. You have plenty of time to catch up on Greys or Nashville some other time.

So thoes are some of my tips that have helped me along my journey, maybe they can help you to.  Like I said before I am not a nutritionist and I haven't researched or read every article, I experiemented and found the right mix to help me fit my new lifestyle.  This isn't a fad diet, this is my new diet. I eat, sleep, and live this new healthy life. I made the changes and so can you.

Best in Health,
Shauna