How to recover from the Summer...

Summer is offically over.  It is the time where we say goodbye to hot summer nights, shorts,  flip flops, weekend BBQ's, swimming, tan skin, and summer vacations to the lake house.  We also get to say goodbye to the excuese Summer brought...excuses like, "I worked hard for this summer body, so now I can indulge a bit more" "Having more than one cheat day won't kill me" "I will just run extra tomorrow" "It's too hot to run today" "Oh, I will be on vacation this week, so I won't be able to get to the gym"  "I'm just too busy this week to prep my meals"

This Summer was a good one for me personally.  I still made it to the gym 6 days a week.  I was given the oppurtunity to Coach Farrell's 4:30 Summer Session. ( I am so proud of my team by the way, they all did amazing with their session).  I made wonderful memories with my husband, and my friends.  As for my weightloss goals, I started to see myself plateau.  I probably ate 70% clean this time around.  There were lot's of friends and family get togethers this Summer, that it was incredibly hard to pass up the yummies and stick to chicken and rice.  Then I started obsessing about it, and I could feel myself fall back into that dark place in my brain.  That place that was telling me I was just failing all over again, and that I needed a quick fix.  I started weighing myself every day, then getting angry that I wasn't hitting my goals.  Instead of giving up because I wasn't going anywhere with my goals, and it seemed like I was still so far away from them, I stopped myself.  I had something this time that I have never had before.  I have a support system.  I took a long hard look at my FXB family and looked at how far I have come, instead of looking at how far I have to go.  I looked at all the hard work we have all put in, the struggles we are all facing, and how life just happens sometimes and there is no changing that.  It's O.K.  This is a marathon, not a sprint.  

How am I going to recover from my Summer?  I am going to breathe, and let the crisp Autumn air surround me.  I am going to use my support team to help keep me accountable this Fall Session.  I am setting goals and making them part of my daily routine. I am not going to give up my fight. I will motivate others, and help them on their journey. I will know that at the end of the day, I gave my all and I won't be stopped. Goodbye excuesses, goodbye doubt, goodbye scale...  I will not fall into the darkness, for I know that God has a plan for me, and I'm not done telling my story.  

Keep Inspiring, 

Shauna

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~

Shauna's Thoughts: Fitting Rooms

Fitting rooms... I loath them.  The lighting is always horrible, the mirrors I swear are the kinds you would see in a fun house, and the rooms are so small I start to get claustrophobic. Every time I bring in a pile of clothes into the room, my first instinctive thought is "These are never going to fit me, why am I even bothering."  I have had such a bad relationship with myself that I have ingrained into my brain that nothing ever fits.  We look into the mirror and when we don't see what society has deemed as perfect, we start to beat ourselves up by saying horrible things. Fat, ugly, thunder thighs, cow stomach, stretch marks, cellulite, saggy skin, bat wings, muffin top, cankles... the list goes on.  When we are looking into the mirror saying these horrible things to ourselves day after day we start to believe it.


Lucky for me my job requires a uniform that they provide, so no need to be fancy there. If I am not at work, I am at Farrell's or at home and I wear workout pants and a t-shirt (I'm really a great catch). All of the other normal clothing I own like jeans and dresses just don't fit...they are either too big, too small, or  very outdated.

Recently I have had three occasions where yoga pants and a superhero t-shirt were not going to cut it.   I had to face my anxiety and fear and go shopping somewhere other than Wal-Mart.  Maybe it's because since having my son, (who is now four years old) that I just lost interest in dressing up and wearing real clothes. I'm going to blame it on the inventors of yoga/work-out pants, because once you try on a pair of really comfy, soft,  stretchy yoga pants you can never go back to jeans. Ever.  Either way, I have lost the art of putting together a complete outfit. Where are Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear when you need them?  They are amazing stylists who can make any girl (or guy) of any size or shape, feel like a million bucks.



I put my big girl pants on and faced the shopping centers and the fitting rooms.  Now that I have lost over 30 pounds, I honestly didn't even know what size I was.  As I walked into these shops I instantly felt like everyone was watching me and judging me.  I felt as if they were thinking "Why is she even in this store? She looks like she belongs in a barn.  She will never fit into anything in this store she is way too big for these clothes. She is clueless and awkward..."  Of course this was all in my head.  Nobody even looked my way, and a few of the clerks even helped me pick out some things to try on.  My point is, here is another instance where when we don't feel like we fit this idea of perfection, we (or maybe it's just me) start to have all of these irrational fears and thoughts of what everyone else will think or say.

So here are some things I have recently learned when shopping

 (I'm still working on some of these myself)

1) Have an idea of what you are going to be shopping for.  What occasion is it for, and will it be appropriate for that occasion.  When I was trying on dresses for a wedding we had to attend, I tried on about 8 dresses.  The one I instantly liked was a long cheetah print dress... however my husband brought me back to reality.  "Do not get the cheetah print one, this is a wedding, and you are not from Jersey" he said.  So even though I really thought that was the dress for me, I had to keep looking for something more appropriate.

2) Don't let the size number on the clothing item have control of who you are.  Every store is different and all size 12's are not made the same, just like all size Mediums are not  made the same.  The type of fabric, cut, and manufacture will all play a factor into how the clothing fits. This is why most of us dread trying on clothes.  That stupid number on the back of my pants can flip my emotional meter into a frenzy in a matter of seconds.  When you try something on that doesn't fit and it is the "size" you think you should fit in, it damages you mentally.  That's when we start to critique ourselves and say those horrible things about our bodies (see first paragraph)

3) To avoid this problem, I take 3 sizes of whatever clothing item I want to buy into the fitting room.  Small, Medium, Large....10, 12, 14...etc.  Then I choose whichever one truly fits my body.  I just bought two pairs of shorts the other day.  One was a size 12, and one was a size 14.  I don't care what the tag says all I know is they fit, they don't give me muffin top, and they don't squish my thighs out the bottom like sausages.  I haven't worn shorts in over a year, so needless to say I was so excited. I actually felt good in the shorts.  Instead of saying something negative about my body, I looked into the mirror and said, " Girl look at those quad muscles starting to come in".

4) This brings me to my final tip.  Let's build a better positive body image of ourselves.  Our bodies are like a canvas, they show the story of our life. Most of us all have things we want to work on, or things that we wish we could change about our bodies, but we need to embrace what we have.  My stomach looks like a baby tiger attacked it, and I only had one child.  I have had stretch marks on my thighs since middle school. My chest is non existent now since I have lost weight, bye bye boobies! That's OK though.  This is my journey and I am still working on my final product.

Even as I write this, I think about it being summer and how I have yet to get into my swimsuit.  That is definitely out of my comfort zone.  See what I mean, I'm working on this positive thinking thing too.  This week was getting into shorts, and that was a big deal for me.  I don't know if I see a swimsuit in the near future, but I will take baby steps and start saying nicer things to myself.  I encourage all of you to get into a positive mind frame.

Keep Inspiring ~Shauna~

Weekly Motivation: Don't give up!

Well, Jenni and I continue to have a crazy month of May.  Motivation Monday has just turned into "Weekly Motivation".  Like I mentioned before, on this segment, we want to feature and interview someone who inspires us.  I was finally able to sit down with a wonderful woman named Carol Wisecarver.  She is a role model, an inspiration, and a true legend at our Farrell's location.  After my first kickboxing class with Carol, I knew this lady meant business.  That class is defiantly in my top five of hardest workouts I have done so far!

Carol Wisecarver

In January 2009 Carol saw a commercial on T.V. for a new workout facility in Omaha that was based on cardio kickboxing.  She had taken a few kickboxing classes in the past and decided to check it out.  Little did she know that by taking her first step into the building, she would become an FXB lifer.  Within the first five weeks of her first ten week session, Carol was asked if she would be interested in becoming an instructor.  From there on she was hooked.  Within the next few years she became part owner of the facility, to eventually owning the entire location! She fell in love with Farrell's for what the program does.  It creates a sense of community, instills confidence,  delivers great results, and challenges you to step out of your comfort zone.  While she loved what she was doing for people, by changing their lives and getting them healthy, she realized as an Owner she was starting to only see people as dollar signs.  She didn't like that feeling, so she sold her location to someone who would take just as much pride in the program as she did, and help Farrell's flourish in Omaha. Since then, Carol went back to instructing, and getting to do what she does best, inspiring others!  She is truly someone who cares about the success, and story of everyone she meets. 




Question and Answer Time:

Q: You look amazing.  Have you always been in good shape?
A: No, my family has a history of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  This doesn't come naturally. 

Finishing the Lincoln 1/2 Marathon

Carol is always on the go, doing lots of different things to stay active.  Hiking, biking, running, and even sky diving.  When she started Farrell's she hated running just like many of us do, but she was focused and determined and she didn't give up.  Running became her therapy to help prepare her for the day ahead or to unwind and reflect on what the day brought.  Carol has done four 1/2 Marathons and it seems like she is always participating in some sort of fun run for the month.



Q: What motivates and inspires you to live such an active lifestyle?
A: My 23 year old Daughter.  I want to there for her and watch her grow in life.  I want to be a good role model for her and show her that we all make mistakes sometimes and that's OK.

Carol, who just turned 50 this year, said her father passed away in his 50's, this is another reason why she stays so active.  I'm going to do whatever she is doing cause I can only hope when I turn 50 I look as amazing as she does!


Q: Food. Tell me about your nutrition.
A: Meal prep is key. I drive to Lincoln every day for work and I have to prep my meals. Everyone knows if I don't get my lunch in, I'm no fun.  I use Fruit to satisfy my sweet cravings.

Working in Lincoln, and living in Omaha makes for a busy day for Carol.  She gets up really early every day and takes/teaches 5 a.m. (and most likely gets a run in I'm sure).  She gets all of her meals ready for her day,  and drives to Lincoln and back.  If she didn't have her lunches and snacks prepped and ready to go, she would fall into bad habits and probably choose more unhealthy options.  She says she likes to prep up grilled chicken, that way she can add it to her salads easily.




Q: Favorite go to snack?
A: Cliff Bars.

Q: What three words best describe you.
A:Focused, Determined, and Content

Q: What would you tell someone who is on the fence about starting a workout program.
A: JUST GET STARTED! Stay commited and DON'T GIVE UP!

I couldn't agree more Carol.  We all have to start somewhere.  If we give up and stop trying, we will never know what could have been.  It will be hard, it will suck sometimes, it will be frustrating, you will have good weeks and bad weeks, but if you don't keep pushing yourself you will just be in the same spot you are in now.  I have so many good motivational quotes for this one... take your pick :)

 

A big thanks to Carol for letting me steal some of her time to talk to her and ask her all of these questions.  Seriously though, Carol is a woman of strength, determination and a true inspiration to anyone who meets her. I don't know how this woman does all she does, but I am so thankful I get to be a part of her energy when she is in class.  Thanks for being awesome Carol!

Keep Inspiring
~Shauna~

Shauna's Thoughts: How to stay Motivated

Sorry we weren't able to get a Motivation Monday post done this week.  May has turned out to be quite hectic to both Jenni and I. We will have a great story for everyone next Monday.  I get to do a Q&A with the lovely Carol Wisecarver! She has been in the FXB world for a very long time, and I cannot wait to get her story. Until then, I thought I could share some ideas and tips on how I stay motivated.

#ONE 

Find your reason WHY.  Why did you start this journey in the first place?  

Did you just want to lose a few winter pounds? Did you have to lose the weight because of a medical reason? Were you just tired of the way you look and feel?  Were you tired of making promises to yourself and never followed through? Did you want to be healthier for your family?  There had to have been a reason WHY you started.  Write that reason down and put it somewhere where you will see it every day!

#TWO

 Don't do it alone! Get the entire family involved, do it with friends, or make friends with people who have the same goals.  Surround yourself with like minded people.  You will gain accountability, support, and you will have fun. This will give you a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk you off the ledge as you are about to eat that delicious doughnut, and give you some good competition!  All of which will keep you motivated and determined to keep going. 

#THREE

 Realize that Rome wasn't built in a day.  I didn't gain all my weight and get into all of my unhealthy habits in one day.  It took a year for me to gain back the 30+ pounds I had lost the previous year.  I was realistic and I knew I wasn't going to lose all the weight in one day either.  Remember there isn't a miracle pill or diet that will instantly make you skinny (well I mean I guess there is photo shop... JUST KIDDING). It will take hard work, perseverance, determination, accountability, and getting into the right mind set to see results. There will be good days and bad days, but don't give up just cause you had a bad day or week.  Get back up, call a friend and get back to it! 

#FOUR

 Do something you like to do, I have said this before.  I have never been successful in my weight loss because I never stuck to it.  Why?  Because there wasn't any passion in what I was doing.  Sure, I was dropping weight and looking better, but I hated going to the gym.  My husband will tell how I would dread going to the gym.  I would make any excuse possible to not go, and complain about the workouts he was giving me.  It wasn't until I found something that I enjoyed doing and became completely passionate (OK let's be honest...obsessed) about, that I have finally stuck with it.  Enjoying my fitness routine motivates me to go every day, and push myself harder and harder during every workout. It motivates me so much that I was refereed to as the "teachers pet" the other day.  Guess what?  I wear that with pride because I love what I do. Haters gonna hate ;)

#FIVE

Here's a sample of my Smash book

Keep a fitness journal or post inspirational quotes.  This is something that I also get made fun of for doing, but I don't care.  It keeps me motivated.  I started my fitness "Smash Book" when I started FXB at the beginning of this year.  I needed something that I could document my journey in.  I wanted something that I could look back to when I was feeling unmotivated, in a slump, or having one of those "bad days".  I absolutely love it and it doubles as a therapy session for me.  I love having a creative outlet.


                                                                         
#SIX
Don't let the number on the scale define you.  This one is hard for me to remember too.  I think as a society we have been trained to fit into a certain size jean, and stay with-in a certain number on the scale. We are all made differently, and we all come in different shapes and sizes.  Don't be discouraged by the numbers.  Look for improvements in your daily life.  Are you able to walk farther without losing your breath? Do you have more energy?  Are your clothes fitting better? Try taking measurements of your body every three months.  Maybe you didn't lose numbers on the scale, but you will be shocked when you realize you have lost inches on your body! Stay positive and keep going  refer back to #THREE!

Well those are some things that help me stay motivated.  Leave a comment below and tell us what keeps you motivated!  Just remember don't give up, it will take time and patience, but in the end it will be worth all of hard work.

Keep Inspiring
~Shauna~

Shauna's Thoughts: My Favorite Things

Hello everybody!   For My Thoughts Wednesday I want to talk about some of my favorite things. These things are a must in my every day routine, and some of them I have just started to use and love!  I hope this will bring you some inspiration to try new things :)


1) A good dependable water bottle.  My daily go to bottle is the Blender bottle.  Most fitness junkies know what this is, but if you don't it is a life saver.  They are good for water, juice, and tea but I use mine to blend up my pre-work out and protein powders. They come in many styles and colors, they are BPA and Phthalate free, re-usable, and dishwasher safe.  Whatever water bottle you choose, make it a good dependable one, because this should basically be glued to you at all times. Water, water, water....all day every day.

2) Quest Bars.  This is THE. BEST. PART. OF. MY. DAY.  It's like I get to eat a delicious treat every single day... and it's nutritious. They come in an variety of flavors perfected to satisfy that 2 O'clock snack attack.  My favorite bar is the Cookies & Cream flavor.  I also like, Double Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Supreme, and Coconut Cashew.  They are usually 20grams of Protein,  22 - 25 grams of Carbs, high in Fiber, and are Gluten Free.  They make other products as well so check out their website questnutrtion.com and you will be able to see all of the nutrtion facts.

3) Here's a new favorite, P28 breads.  These are High Protein (28grams per serving) breads and my favorite are the Bagles.  Now that I am able to eat bagles again :), no cream cheese of course, they are awesome to make sandwiches with.  Today I made a delicious turkey and provolone sammie. Check out P28Foods.com for other products, and recipes.

4) My food log is a daily must. I use My Fitness Pal for all of my food logging and nutrient tracking.  I cannot stress enough how important keeping a food log has been for my weightloss journey.  The good and the bad, it all goes in there.  I try to plan a day ahead, that way I can see how my carbs/proteins/fats are stacking up for each meal. It helps me make sure I am getting all my nutrition in for the day to keep me accountable.  If I have to many "not so good days" I can look back and see what I need to do to re-balance my nutrtion and get back on track. You can also add friends and check out what kind of delicious meals they are coming up with! You can find me on My Fitness Pal by searching user name: sunnypacz19.

5) My Polar fitness watch is my heart rate monitor and my calorie counter.  There are a million types of these watches out there like the Fitbit, Jawbone...etc. My husband got me the Polar watch about two years for my birthday and I love it.  It keeps track of my workouts, heart rate, and you can also download the phone app to track your running/walking sessions.  I think investing in some type of fitness watch is good, because again, it will keep you accountable and monitor your progress.

6) Lastly, my workout is my favorite part of my day.  As you probably know by now I live life at level 10.  I am a Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping nut and proud of it.  This is my 45 minutes part of the day that is mine.  I get to relieve the stress of the day, challenge myself, see my friends, get away from being an adult, and to not worry about anything except what I need to reach my level 10 for the day.  I'm not saything this is the only thing that works, this is just what works for me. The key here is I LOVE FARRELLS.  Find something you love and become passionate about it.  Kickboxing, running, biking, lifting weights, Zumba, dancing, doing Beach Body DVD's at home, Yoga, or playing a sport, whatever it is just move your body! Get up and get active.  If you enjoy your workout you will have a better chance of sticking to it.

So there are a few of my favorite must haves.  Let me know in the comments below if you have some go to foods, snacks, or fitness things you love and cannot live without! You can also find me on instagram ( it is another favorite thing of mine) @sunnypacz.  I post alot of my meals and my life on there.  Thanks for making Inspiring Journey part of your day.

~Shauna~