Tag Archives: Miscellaneous Ramblings

October 6, 2017 · 12:15 PM

I’m Still Alive!

still_alive Wow…it’s been a hot minute since I’ve sat down and shared anything here.

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that life threw our family some curveballs last year. My father-in-law, who lived with us, passed away last January and things began to go downhill for me while he was in the hospital. From no time to workout, to stress, to meals from vending machines and people bringing up bagels, sandwiches and others foods I didn’t normally eat, the weight began to creep on. After the funeral, things just felt weird. The bad eating became a habit and that habit left me feeling unmotivated and tired. ALL. THE. TIME. I would say “that’s it, it’s time to get back to basics” and begin a program only to fall off the wagon after a week. Sigh…

Team all of that up with my son’s anxiety hitting an all time high (if you follow me on Instagram you already know a little about this) I had to stop working and begin doing homeschool with him because it was so bad he couldn’t go to school. Talk about stress and the perfect excuse to say “fuck it” right?!

Yeah…I totally called bullshit on myself there. If you know me, you know I don’t sugar coat anything…even when it comes to myself. I believe the only way to be successful at changing your habits is to acknowledge that they are fucked up to begin with. You can’t blame anyone for your problems. Yes, they may create them and sometimes you have no control over what happens in life, but you ALWAYS have control over how you handle and react to them.

Last May I turned 40 and as a gift, my good friend signed us up for the Hershey Half Marathon. I know, you’re probably thinking, “Why does your friend hate you?” but she knew it was something I’ve been wanting to do and she herself had completed her first half marathon a few months before so we thought let’s do it together. Training for it actually helped me to get back on track and I began to enjoy running again…until it got hot out. That’s when I began to hate it and questioned the decisions I make in life. Our race was in October and thanks to my amazing luck, I injured my foot and was not able to run it. I contemplated walking the 13.1 since I’m a fast walker, but we were leaving for Disney the following weekend and I didn’t want to hurt myself any further before the trip. Instead, we still went to Hershey and had a fun friends weekend, which was pretty damn awesome.

Of course I used my injury as an excuse for the next few months. I started my on again off again relationship with workouts and meal prep but thankfully I didn’t gain more weight. This continued until just recently when I started walking and doing some turtle running along with some meal prep and home workouts, but something still didn’t feel right. There was no real motivation and I found myself coming up with reasons why I could put my workout off… or I just wouldn’t put any true effort into them. I was just going through the motions and let’s be honest, theres no point in doing that at all.

About 6 weeks ago I started working again and I made the decision to join the gym. Gasp! I know… I said I joined the gym. I couldn’t even bring myself to go into the gym to join, I did it on-line! Talk about lame, right?! But I’ve been going and I found a gym lover to help me get over my fears and feel comfortable there, which has been awesome! I even made the decision to give Keto a try, so it’s been an interesting week of fasting and learning how to not eat carbs and embrace fat as my main food source.

Soooooo…. I know that was long and if you’ve gotten this far, thank you for actually caring enough to read. I’m hoping to share more of my gym journey here as well as some of the Keto recipes I find try so I won’t be such a blog slacker anymore.

Have you ever fell into a fitness rut? If so, I would love to hear about how you were able to overcome it and find motivation again!

Leaving My Fears Behind

take every chance As 2013 prepares to be nothing more than memories and 2014 prepares to make it’s grand entrance, I am suddenly struck by fear.

Fear of everything that is waiting ahead of me…and I know that is not good.

As I look back on all of the years that have passed, there has been both good and bad. I have always survived the tough times and those tough times made the good times all the more sweeter. I know that everything life tosses at me happens for a reason and is given to me as a lesson that will mold me into the person I am meant to be. One would think that knowing this would allow for me to continually move forward with confidence, but sadly I am sitting here frozen in fear.

This year has been full of change and quite honestly, as horrible as some of it seemed, it was all for the best. Losing my job in March felt like the end of the world at first, but I had long since outgrown that place and I was comfortable, so I stayed. Life knew it was time for me to move on so it removed me from my comfort zone and actually allowed me to take advantage of some wonderful opportunities over the summer. Those opportunities pushed me even further out of that comfort zone by making me participate in group fitness, allowing me to meet some incredibly inspiring people and allowing me to look deeper into myself and my passion for fitness. As a result, I enrolled in NASM classes to become a Certified Personal Trainer and while I’m full of excitement with this decision, I am also full of fear due to it.

There is a fear and anxiety of failing. It’s overpowering at times and it brings me to tears. As I posted in the past, I hold myself to such high standards that I don’t allow myself to make mistakes and that needs to change. I’ve made some progress in this area but I feel like I have so much riding on this that I have to be tough on myself.

2013 has forced me to look at myself, what I like, what I don’t like and what I would love to do. I don’t want to do a job just to earn a paycheck. I’ve been given a gift this year and I intend to make the most of it. Hopefully my best is enough to get me to where I wish to be…if not, I guess there is something grander out there and I haven’t figured it out yet.

With that, my resolution for 2014 is to let go of the fear. It is not going to be easy as I am a worrier by nature. I worry about everything and it’s an awful thing. I know that I can’t change the past and worrying about the future is silly because it hasn’t happened yet. I need to learn how to live in the moment and truly just enjoy life as it happens. I’m not saying that thought won’t be put into the future, but I am refusing to drive myself crazy worrying about the “what if’s”. In all honesty, I have an amazingly supportive family and as long as they are happy and healthy I’ve succeeded.

Holy Sh!t…I’m A Student Again!

I think it was two years ago that I wrote about my New Years resolution to become a Certified Personal Trainer. That’s as far as I got with that resolution because I became overwhelmed with all of the school options and the different costs involved. I felt like a failure for not going through with it, but I didn’t want to do it, just to do it.

Earlier this year when I found out my job was no longer stable, I began visiting local gyms to speak with the personal trainers they had on staff, as well as the gym managers. I asked questions about the gyms, how long they’ve been training and most importantly, what certifications they accepted and recommended. Each gym had a list of certifications that they spoke about, complete with pro’s and cons, but one came up at each and every one as the “top notch” to have. That certification was NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) which was also one of the more expensive ones and now it made sense why. I tucked all of that information off into a little corner of my brain labeled “some day” and I moved on.

A few months later, a good friend of ours brought up the topic of me getting my certification and they recommended NASM. When we mentioned the money aspect of it they pointed out that there is a payment option and the wheels in my head began turning again. I wanted to sign-up for the classes but a new issue came up…that issue was fear. I was scared of failing, scared of working in a gym (I mean, I don’t even have a gym membership because of my group fitness phobia) and the thought of starting over in a new field of work just scared the shit out me, so once again, I filed the thought of getting certified under “some day”.

A few months ago, I began working on personal development and I made a dream board. The dream board included all the things I’d like to do during the course of my life, so it included things like places I plan on traveling to, my dream home and personal goals for myself. I believe that making these boards gives you a visual reminder of what you are striving for in life and turns those “dreams” into goals because they are now on paper (or in this case a giant piece of foam board). One of the things I put on there was a NASM certificate. I even added my name and a completion date to that image and then glued it into place, without really thinking about it anymore.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been questioned by multiple people as to why I have not gone for certification yet and I never had a good answer to that question. Yes, there was the money issue, but that excuse was taken away from me with the payment options. Then there was the fear issue, but that’s really not a valid excuse to not do something. I know that amazing things happen when you leave your comfort zone, because I’ve been traveling outside of mine for 4 years already. So what the hell is my problem?

Well, the universe seems to have a plan for me…and I can’t keep ignoring it, even if I’m scared. My family gave me the shove I needed by showing nothing but support and I received an early Christmas present to get me going on the path I’ve been running away from like a coward.

Yup…that’s right! I’m officially enrolled in NASM’s Certified Personal Trainer course. Starting next Monday, I’m officially a student again! While I’m terrified of developing study habits and taking quizzes, I’m so grateful for the support of my family and friends who have seen that I can do this, even though I’m still struggling to believe.

Yesterday, I found myself looking at my dream board closely and I’m shocked at how many things on there I’m close to achieving. I may not be traveling the world or in my dream house, but I will be…it’s just a matter of time!

Do you have a dream board? If so, what kind of things do you have one it?

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Tagged as Certified Personal Trainer, fitness, Health & Fitness, mental struggle, Miscellaneous Ramblings, NASM, Personal Growth, School, Self Acceptance

June 18, 2013 · 1:56 PM

A Fun Family Weekend

This past weekend was Father’s Day weekend and I must say, it was really nice.

Saturday, the hubs had to work and the little man had a birthday party to attend, but that night we attended a local festival. Our town hosts this large shindig every year in our local recreation center (the same one where my beloved trail is). They have tons of food trucks, different vendors, live entertainment and then a field full of inflatable bounce houses and slides for the kids. They also have a bungee type jump and rock climbing wall for the older kids, and they even added a DJ on the basketball courts for the teen crowd this year, which my daughter liked.

My hubs and I both splurged on dinner that night. I decided to have a Philly cheese-steak and he had sausage and peppers. If you’ve been to a fair or festival, you know how awesome they are, despite the price. Stuff like this takes me back to my childhood in Brooklyn at our annual festival, and I’m a fan of trips down memory lane.

Remember kids…it okay to eat stuff you like that isn’t 100% healthy from time to time. Just don’t turn it into a daily habit!

The night was spent watching our son bounce, slide and make friends with the animals in the petting-zoo. Once it got dark, we found our daughter, grabbed a sweet treat and headed over to pick a spot to watch the fireworks before heading home. There is something about ice-cream and fireworks that just summer, right?

Petting zoo

Family minus one

Father’s Day was spent at home in our yard.

I woke up early, ran to the grocery store for some fresh baked rolls for lunch and then I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for some daddy treats and coffee. I skipped the donuts but I did treat myself to a warm bagel. I have a weakness for the little nutritional black holes….especially when they are hot out of the oven. (I know, there is much healthy going on in this post, we’re human…like you.)

We thankfully had really nice weather and just enjoyed sitting outside, grilling and having fun. We had yummy burgers for lunch and dinner was grilled cilantro lime chicken and grilled corn, tossed with over roasted potatoes, onions, peppers and hot sausage. It was another experiment and turned out really good! I actually can’t wait to make it again, since it was super easy and flavorful.

Because donuts aren’t bad enough, I made a cake. A cake surrounded by Kit-Kat’s and topped with M&M’s. (I know…what the hell…but dad’s deserve treats…plus I blame Pinterest!) I spent the entire afternoon telling the kids, my husband and my mother to quit trying to steal M&M’s off the cake. It was exhausting, but so worth it!

Dad's Run on Dunkin

Super Dad

Yesterday was hubs day off from work, so he and I headed to the movies to see Man of Steel, which he has been dying to see all weekend. We went to an IMAX theater to see it, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I really liked the way they told the story, and Henry Cavill really brought Superman/Clark Kent to life for me. Michael Shannon was excellent as Zod and I was surprised that I liked Russell Crowe as Jor-El. My biggest gripe was the length of the film…too long! Hollywood really needs to quit making movies that are 2.5 hours and longer. First off, they are a day killer. The movie started at 12:45 and we didn’t get out until almost 4pm…I don’t have time for that. Second, movie theater drinks are HUGE and my bladder is small. If I get up to use the bathroom, I’ll miss part of the movie. As a result, I sit there with a full bladder, squirming around waiting for the movie to end. THIS is why I can’t wait to see Monsters University, Despicable Me 2 and TURBO. Kid movies are always a normal length and they are bladder friendly!

Monsters University ID

Well…I hope I didn’t bore you to death with my weekend and I hope you enjoyed yours! Did you do anything fun? Have you seen any good movies lately? Looking forward to anything coming out soon?

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Filed under Family Fun

Tagged as Family, food, Man of Steel, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Monster University, Movies

May 10, 2013 · 10:10 AM

Leaving My Comfort Zone

Comfort zone After I shared my #FitBlogNYC news and shear giddiness, things got more exciting!

Remember I said I hoped FITNESS magazine would give us more info about the event during this next week? Well… they did!

We all received an e-mail yesterday afternoon providing information on the workouts that would be offered during the event. We had to choose one of the following three, cardio, yoga or a power run. All three of these are being brought to us by amazing sponsors, and they all sounded great. However, I immediately felt really stressed and out of my comfort zone. My thought process went a little like this:

~~CARDIO~~ – I have zero rhythm and will end up stepping on someone. Save that train wreck for your own living-room.
YOGA (?) – Possibly, however you’ve done yoga in a class setting before. Try something new!
POWER RUN (!) – Initial excitement, followed by self doubt.

Those of you who know me and follow this blog, know that I don’t do group fitness activities. My first ever group fitness event was when I met Tony Horton at his book signing, and I at least had my husband and good friend with me. Outside of that, I’ve done three Bikram Yoga classes (I hid in the back during all of them) and some 5k’s, which I dont’ mind at all.

I ended up reserving a spot for the Power Run and I am extremely nervous about it. I fear that I won’t be able to keep up with everyone. I fear that I’ll gas out halfway through the workout. I fear that my fears are going to make me fail. This is not a good mentality to have. I need to learn how to have confidence in these things. I can’t compare myself to others. I need to give myself credit for trying, do my best and know that I’ll get better with time and training. I need to lose the self doubt, because I have come so far in the past four years. It’s time for me to quit trying to be a perfectionist and just have fun!

I clearly still struggle with the mental aspect of fitness, but I suppose that makes me human.

My next bit of good news also came via e-mail!

I received an invite from Physique 57 to try a barre class after #FitBlogNYC!

Once again, group workout anxiety kicked in, but it’s not everyday that these opportunities present themselves, so I responded that I’ll be there.

I’m sure I won’t be the only person trying this class for the first time, so there is a little comfort in that. I believe that trying new things makes you grow as a person. Plus you never know if you’ll like something unless you try it, right?

So… Here’s to trying new things, leaving my comfort zone and learning how to relax and just have fun! Wish me luck!

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Filed under Health & Fitness, Running

Tagged as #FitBlogNYC, fitness, Fitness Friday, Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness, mental struggle, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Personal Growth, Physique 57

April 29, 2013 · 6:22 PM

Playing Catch Up

I had all intentions of posting blogs daily last week. Hell, I even had topics to post about, but life had other plans for my time.

Oh well.

After last weeks celebration of finally hitting 200 miles for 2013, I dropped off a bit. I’ve had an awful ache in my neck that just won’t let up and I have been busy with stuff around the house. I’ve also still been playing nurse-maid to the puppy, who thought it would be a great idea to eat half of a tennis ball. Thankfully he is doing better now, I just hope my wallet heals from that vet visit soon. Sigh.

I miss getting out and clearing my head while running. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll steal some time to log a few more miles. Oh…and hopefully I make it to the mall to get some more of this…

Designer Whey Protein To Go – Lemonade

I received this sample in the mail a while ago and I kept forgetting about it. I brought it out with me the other day during my run and finally gave it a shot. To my surprise, it was pretty tasty. I think I was nervous about trying it because I have a picky palette when it comes to protein drinks. There was a slight after taste to it, but nothing awful. I actually finished the whole bottle and decided that I would like to pick up some of the Orange flavor to see how I like that.

Last week, I also got an e-mail from Fitness magazine saying that I was invited to their Fitness Blogger Meet and Tweet event AKA #FitBlogNYC this year!! I’m truly excited about this opportunity and I can’t wait to go. I’ve already met some great people via the event hashtag on Twitter, and I look forward to meeting them as well as seeing MomsGottaRun. (Someone remind me of this excitement when it’s 4:30am and my alarm is going off because I have to get ready to catch a bus into NYC. Okay, thanks.)

Photo Credit: TreadmillRunway.com

This week I plan on hitting the weights again and getting my eating under control as well. Every now and then I forget to adjust my caloric intake when my workouts drop down and that’s not a good thing. I’ve been sort of spacey about my nutrition since getting sick. I also thought that being home would make keeping up with eating properly easier, but I was wrong. It’s all just time management and I haven’t been very good at that since losing my job a few months ago. It’s time to get my shit together and start functioning the way I am supposed to.

Speaking of functioning the way I used to… I think I felt a small spark of excitement over design today. I was asked by my good friend Beth, from With Glitter In Her Veins, to help her design some stuff for a new business she starting up. She needed a logo, Facebook Cover photo and stuff like that, so this morning I started messing around with it as I enjoyed my morning cup of sanity. To my surprise, inspiration came to me quickly, I e-mailed my design to her and she loved it! It felt good to have the creative juices flowing again, so I decided to make a new logo for myself and try my hand at designing invitations again. I’m not sure if I’ll get a nice bonfire going with this spark, but I might as well give it a shot again and see where it goes.

How was your week? What is everyone up to with their fitness these days?

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Tagged as #FitBlogNYC, Designer Whey, fitness, Fitness Magazine, Graphic Design, Health & Fitness, healthy-living, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Personal Growth, Running

April 8, 2013 · 12:42 PM

Derailed By The Plague

Okay, so it’s not actually the plague, but it sure as hell feels like it.

It all started a little over two weeks ago. My husband, son and daughter all caught one of those dreaded stomach viruses. They took turns running for the bathroom and I sprayed everything down with Clorox, while holding my breath and praying I wouldn’t be the next victim. As each day passed, and they recovered, I become more and more confident that I escaped getting sick.

I made it to our anniversary weekend away in Atlantic City and despite my daughter having a relapse, I still managed to avoid getting sick. It must be all of the healthy eating and running that had given me super powers…right?!

Our weekend in Atlantic City. Maybe I caught the plague from playing slots….hmm.

The Wednesday after we came home from Atlantic City, it was gorgeous out and I was feeling great, so I went for a run. I headed towards the post office since I had a package to mail out and I was determined to do a straight run…no slowing down or walking breaks. To my surprise, I did it and I set a new personal record which had me on cloud 9 all day!

You see, for weeks I’ve been battling that little voice in my head that tells me I can’t do things. I don’t know why it was so strong lately, or what I was afraid of, but I would sabotage all of my runs by listening to the voice and slowing down or taking a break to walk for a few minutes. I finally conquered that voice and made it shut up, I was so excited. Little did I know that I was going to pay dearly for that major break though.

The next day I woke up and my throat was sore. Soon, my nose started to run and I felt very sluggish. I figured the shift in weather had triggered my allergies, so I took some Claritin and decided to take it easy for the day. By that night, I took to the couch and knew it wasn’t allergies.

Friday, I woke feeling terrible and it took me the better half of the day to get up and get moving. You see, every year on Good Friday we have a tradition on making pierogies from scratch. We make well over a hundred of them, so I sanitized myself and got to work. Thankfully I am only responsible for the filling, so I bonded with the couch while my hubs did the dough and formed all of the pierogies. That night I broke down and took some meds before bed, which is huge for me. I hate meds and I am a total baby when it comes to them.

Good Friday = Pierogies in our house

The next morning when I woke up, I knew things where getting worse. I felt awful. My throat was on fire, I was coughing and my stomach didn’t feel good either. My bladder finally forced me out of bed and on my way back to bed, I got so light headed that I passed out in the hallway. I have no idea how long I laid in my hallway before coming to and then crawling back to bed, but I didn’t leave that bed again (expect to use the bathroom) until Tuesday, when the hubs took me to the doctor.

Easter was ruined, thankfully hubs took off from work on Monday because my daughter was puking AGAIN and need to go the pediatrician.

When I finally got to see the doctor, he put me on antibiotics, cough syrup with codeine and an inhaler three times stronger than what I normally end up on when I get bronchitis every year.

I’m happy to report that I am feeling a week and a half after being struck by the plague, but my breathing is still very labored and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to safely start running again.

My plan is to go out for a few short walks over the next few days and as I see how I feel, I’ll add short periods of jogging to that to see how I feel. It’s very frustrating to finally have a mental breakthrough, only to be completely derailed by something that is so out of my control. I was also supposed to have started Insanity on April 1st, but that too has been postponed.

I have my fingers crossed that my breathing settles down over the next week, and I can ease back into running sooner than later.

Have you ever been derailed by sickness? If so how did you ease back into your routine?

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Tagged as Health & Fitness, mental struggle, Miscellaneous Ramblings

March 21, 2013 · 3:39 PM

My Week So Far + Five Things

This week started out dragging and then suddenly flew by!

My weekend was nice and quiet. Saturday was a rest day for me, which my body truly appreciated since I’ve been pushing it so hard. As I was lazily laying in bed, I stumbled upon a Groupon for the Color Me Rad 5K, which is taking place in May. Of course I couldn’t resist signing up for another Fun Run…especially since it was only 20 bucks! After a lazy day and dinner, the hubs and I watched “Oz The Great and Powerful”, which I enjoyed but had some issues with. Have you seen it? What were your thoughts?

Sunday I earned my final badge in the #FurtherFasterFurther Road ID Challenge, by doing a 3.17 mile run, wearing green for St. Patty’s Day. After my run, I begin cooking our St. Patty’s Day Feast and then we spent the rest of the day relaxing and eating.

I ended up earning 31 badges….some had double or triple worth so I think I ended up 37 or 38!

The rest of this week has consisted of my usual. I took another rest day and just stretched on Monday, Tuesday I ran, did some time on the trainer and then went and cashed in on my last massage. The hubs had given me a three month membership for Christmas and it was hands down THE BEST GIFT EVER. Since this was my last massage and I had a $5 off coupon, I decided to upgrade to a 90-minute session! It was painfully-blissful and just what my body needed!

Wednesday I did ChaLean Extreme, Push 1 & 2 and then followed it with 10.5 on the trainer. I also took a ride up to The Vitamin Shoppe and picked up some Quest bars. I’ve seen the lovely RunEMZ rave about them on Twitter and Instagram, so I had to check them out. Upon returning to my vehicle, I immediately tried the Chocolate Brownie and I was not disappointed at all! I need to get my booty over to GNC (since Vitamin Shoppe sucks and had limited stock of these) so I can try the other flavors she recommended.

IMG_5249[1]

Today has been a rough day. The hubs woke up puking around 1am, then my son woke up at 3am puking and finally the girl woke at 6am and followed their lead. I honestly don’t know how I escaped this, but I am truly grateful, as I am a total wuss when it comes to vomit. I did however complete a 15.5 mile ride on the trainer a little while ago and I’d like to do a short run as well as some yoga later.

Now for the Five Things…

The lovely Jackie, from Nora & Jac, tagged me in a Five Random Things post (which I didn’t realize was “random” so I’m winging this as I go) the other day, and I’ve been a super slacker about blogging, but I’m finally completing it soooo…

1. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York in this apartment building:

Brooklyn

2. I HATE mayo…loathe it. I’m so against it, I don’t even like to touch the jar in the fridge. There is something about it that creeps me out.

3. I have “corpse extremities”. Seriously… my hands and feet are ALWAYS ice cold. I can have socks and boots on all day, take them off and I have toesicles. The hubs just LOVES when I stick my icy, dead hands on his back.

4. I love taking road trips. Granted, I am referring to road trips sans kids. I love driving, seeing the landscape and listening to whatever I want on the radio.

Finally, I’m borrowing one from Jac’s post, because my brain isn’t really functioning due to lack of sleep…

5. I’ve had many people tell me that I look like Mary-Louise Parker…you can be the judge.

Twins?

Okay…there you have it. My week in review as well as Five Random Things about me. If you want to join in, please feel free and leave a link to your post below!

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Filed under Health & Fitness, My Ramblings, Running

Tagged as ChaLEAN Extreme, fitness, FurtherFasterForever, Health & Fitness, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Running

February 11, 2013 · 1:59 PM

Fitspiration… Stop It! I Beg You!

Lately, I have become increasingly agitated by “fitness inspiration” or “fitspiration” photos people have been Pinning, Instagraming and Facebooking. They usually feature a stick thin woman or a woman who clearly trains for competition, with a motivational quote. I love most of the quotes on them, however both of these image types are not realistic goals. These photos might be a dream of yours, but most times, they are not a reality and will only set you up to fail and feel miserable about your body, despite whatever progress you may make. (Trust me…I have gone through this.)

Unsure of what I’m referring to? Here are a few examples:

These ladies have amazing bodies, but it’s not the norm.

Now, before you jump all over me and tell me that they are attainable with hard work, I am well aware of that. ANYTHING is possible, and I’m not knocking that. I’m simply speaking of the average overweight mom or woman who is obsessing over losing weight.

A typical woman works a desk job, has evening activities to attend with her children, a house to clean, laundry to do and is forced to grab fast food from time to time. That doesn’t mean that there is no time to workout….you make the time for that….however, the type of strict diet and workout routine needed to achieve the super fit, sculpted bodies in some of these photos is very hard to follow.

Using photos like these as motivation also makes it hard to appreciate the progress that you do make during your weight loss, because you’re always comparing yourself to something that isn’t the norm.

Do you know how many times I have had people message me saying they don’t understand why they are following a program and only losing a pound? They are genuinely upset by losing a pound when they should be happy they are making progress, being active, eating healthier and not gaining. As a generation, it’s all about instant gratification and this is not the place for it.

This leads me to another pet peeve of mine, which I have seen all over Facebook since the new year. Obscene diets and “miracle” pills. I’ve said it a million times, so what’s one more?

THEY DON’T WORK!

Just stop it! You didn’t gain the weight over night, therefore you shouldn’t expect to lose it overnight. There is no quick fix. There is no magic pill. Do you really think the super fit girl in the commercial simply popped a pill and woke up with those six pack abs and super perky ass? NO! She worked her ass off for it in the gym and ate super clean. If it was as simple as popping a pill, we wouldn’t have an obesity problem in this country.

Please….just stop with the fad diets, popping pills that claim to block fat and help you get fit and lean without exercise. I beg you! They are unhealthy and if you do have any success, you will just end up gaining it all back, plus some when you stop following the diet or taking the pills, not to mention the damage you can be doing to your body by following these plans.

The road to getting healthy is not an easy one, but it can be a rewarding one. I’ve been at this for over three years and I’ve battled a lot of demons (thanks in part to photos like the ones above), but I’ve learned so much. How to eat healthy, that it’s okay to have a cheat day, that my body is much stronger than my mind and when my mind shuts the fuck up…my body is capable of amazing things! The most important lesson is one I’m currently working on, and that’s to love myself. I’m learning to accept the flaws of my body, because they add character.

Yes, I had a tummy tuck and some people might view that as shallow, and that’s okay, because it doesn’t matter what they think. It’s what I needed to do in order to move on with my life and to finally say goodbye to the fat girl I spent so many years of my life being.

In closing, I ask you to simply to keep realistic goals when you start trying to lose weight. Take it slow, keep it real and know that’s okay to be human and make mistakes. It takes time to break bad habits and form new, good ones. Most importantly, take the time to appreciate all of the things you achieve!

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Filed under Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness

Tagged as Challenges, fitness, Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness, healthy-living, mental struggle, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Personal Growth, Self Acceptance

February 11, 2013 · 1:59 PM

Stop It! I Beg You!

Lately, I have become increasingly agitated by “fitness inspiration” photos people have been Pinning, Instagramming and Facebooking. They usually feature a stick thin woman or a woman who clearly trains for competition, with a motivational quote. I love most of the quotes on them, however both of these image types are not realistic goals. These photos might be a dream of yours, but most times, they are not a reality and will only set you up to fail and feel miserable about your body, despite whatever progress you may make. (Trust me…I have gone through this.)

Unsure of what I’m referring to? Here are a few examples:

These ladies have amazing bodies, but it’s not the norm.

This leads me to another pet peeve of mine, which I have seen all over Facebook since the new year. Obscene diets and “miracle” pills. I’ve said it a million times, so what’s one more?

THEY DON’T WORK!

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Filed under Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness

Tagged as Challenges, fitness, Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness, healthy-living, mental struggle, Miscellaneous Ramblings, Personal Growth, Self Acceptance

Tag Archives: Miscellaneous Ramblings

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Fitspiration… Stop It! I Beg You!

Stop It! I Beg You!

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