Re-Motivation Tuesday

Sorry folks! I have been Missing in Action and I know a few people were ready to put my face on the side of a milk carton but never fear, I AM BACK!

With the school semester starting at work, things have gotten crazy and so I was swamped with students, stories, and the tasks that i had to complete. Now that that has settled down a little bit, we are back with a new week full of challenges and stories that need to be dealt with.

This post comes a day later than usual but that's because I was hiking down in Southern Illinois yesterday and exploring nature or something like it. Humidity was in full swing as we took to the trails and did as many loops as we could handle before lunch and then we were off to the next park and exploring trails without maps.

This is one of my favorite quotes and I keep it close to my heart in all that I do in life, workouts, and faith. It's amazing how that first initial moment is the scariest and then it gets easier as you go.

Motivation Monday

This past week I was in Colorado visiting my mom and stepdad. Being in the altitude was something that I knew would affect my runs and marathon training but I figured that I would push through it. Oh man, talk about a struggle. I started out my 14 mile run on the treadmill in the office. At mile 7, the treadmill stopped working, I BROKE IT! Geez. So then I took it to the outside. I found a 2-mile loop through the neighborhood but it was characterized by a major hill that i dreaded. But i pushed through. I had to stop and walk several times but I completed my run and felt awesome at the end. I didn't even look at my time since I knew that my time would suck but I completed it which was the big thing.

Keep it up!

relax before bed with these 5 simple moves

Many people have a hard time shutting off their brain in the evening but these five moves from Fitness will allow you to seek out a more restful sleep.

Upside Down Relaxation (2 minutes) 
- Sit facing a wall (or your headboard) with your butt about 6 inches away from it.
- Lie back and extend your legs up the wall.
- If this is too intense a stretch for your hamstrings, slide your butt farther away from the wall.
- If it's not enough, scoot closer.
- Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing up, and breathe gently, feeling the stretch in the backs of your legs.

Winding Down Twist (1 minute) 
- Sit cross-legged on the bed and exhale as you place your right hand on your left knee and left hand on the bed behind your tailbone.
- Gently twist your torso to the left.
- Allow your gaze to follow, looking over your left shoulder. Breathe deeply, then return to center and repeat on opposite side.

Nighttime Goddess Stretch (2 minutes) 

- Lie on your back with knees bent.
- Place the soles of your feet together, then let your knees fall open, forming a diamond shape with your legs.
- Rest your arms on the bed.
- If you feel any strain, elevate your legs by placing a pillow underneath each knee.

Child's Pose (2 minutes) 
- Sit up comfortably on your heels.
- Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you.
- Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you.
- Hold the pose and breathe.

Rock-a-Bye Roll (2 minutes) 
- Lying on your back, hug knees in to chest.
- Cross your ankles and wrap both arms around your shins with clasped hands.
- Inhale and rock your body up to sit; exhale as you roll back.
- Continue for 1 minute, then roll back, extend arms and legs, and drift off to sleep.

Several of these are moves that I can be seen doing while cooling down from a cardio workout so why not do them when trying to "cool down" from the day. Sweet dreams!

Motivation Monday

Trial and Error is the story of my life right now. I am working in my marathon training schedule with a new job and all kinds of new opportunities that keep coming up to me. While exciting, it is forcing me to really buckle down and schedule my days out. My long runs are constantly switching days and will either be Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday based off of what is going on. I wish that the sun came out earlier so that I could do my long runs before work instead of after. But oh well. We push on. The key to my success has been perseverance and maintaining the course set before me.

5 months later...my transformation story

March 2012
A week after starting the challenge

Who would have guessed the difference that a few months can make. It's been 5 months since I made the decision to change my life and get to healthier me. In March I decided to take on a 90-day Beachbody challenge and use all of "those tools" that I would read about in fitness and health magazines to find a healthier me.

I ordered the TurboFire Challenge Pack with Shakeology and made the commitment to try it out for 90 days. Instead of looking it as a 90 daunting days of working out, I made the decision to look at it as one day at a time. I made a food journal page and bought a small notebook to tape these pages into so that I could carry it with me in my purse. I scheduled my workouts for mornings, 5am!! And then it began. I took my starting measurements: Weight 164lbs, Chest 38", Right Arm 11.6", Left Arm 11.6", Waist 36.6", Hips 42.8", Right Leg 24.8", Left Leg 25". My pant size was a 14 approaching 16. I wrote these down and committed to never see numbers like this ever again.

The journey began with my friend Rachel coming over in the morning to do the workouts with me but then schedules got crazy and she couldn't anymore. This is a point when many would "fall off the wagon" but I made the conscious effort to keep on and so kept pressing play on my TurboFire workouts. I loved doing the workouts because they were fun and after a month of doing many of the routines, I found that I was able to focus on my form and make sure that I was doing every movement correctly. After 2 months of TurboFire I decided to start training for a half-marathon which then turned into a full marathon. I am up to running double digit numbers as my long runs and have crossed over to being one of those people that takes cold/ice baths after my long runs.

Working out is not the key to my success and transformation. Diet was a major part of it too. People who know me will tell you that I love tasty food and ABSOLUTELY refused to deprive myself of anything that I wanted to eat. I began following blogs that provided tasty food that was healthy. I was not afraid of google searching for healthy alternatives. Myfitnesspal became my best friend when out at restaurants because I could quickly look up food caloric contents so that I would be able to make informed decisions when eating out or traveling. As a part of the Beachbody Challenge I was also using Shakeology which i found curbed my desire for sweets as well as helped with recovery and keeping myself healthy while working out. While it is investment, it pales in comparison to where I was before in terms of my health. To this day, I have my Shakeology every day. My favorites are Chocolate Mocha or Strawberry Lime. Delicious!!

At the conclusion of the 90-day challenge which was in May, I was down around 15 pounds as well as noticed that I was gaining what has been deemed as "Turbo" arms and some tightening in my midsection. I was still wearing a size 12 pants but there was definitely some "saggy butt" going on in these pants. I submitted my results to Beachbody and received my TurboFire tank for completing the program.

I focused on my marathon training for a few weeks and then I was ready for a new challenge as well as was approached by a few people to help them on their fitness journey. I took a break from Beachbody programs to focus on helping others and it led to me helping out with a 5K training group at my church which is currently entering its 3 week of a 10 week program. I am so proud of all of the participants. With this program underway an opportunity to become a coach for Beachbody and help out others on their journey was given to me. I signed up and bought Brazil Butt Lift(BBL) which has produced some great results in people who have completed the program. I am using it on "no run" days so we shall see the changes that it produces after a month. My measurements when I started BBL, one week ago, were Weight 147lbs, Chest 35", Right Arm 10.5", Left Arm 10.5", Waist 31", Hips 38", Right Leg 21", Left Leg 21". I am currently wearing a size but I think that I will be going down a pant size in another month since these are starting to get a little loose.

Overall weight loss in 5 months is...

17 pounds and 23.4 inches 

and I'm still going.

There are not more bulges on my side and I feel confident in wearing a skin tight t-shirt dress. 5 months ago I would have worn Spanx underneath as well as covered it up with a sweater so that no one could see my stomach/hip bulge.

Faith, Commitment, and Fun have gotten me to this point in my life and I couldn't be happier. Thanks for reading my story. ~Lovebug

Motivation Monday

This was one of the first bible verses that I looked at when planning the 5K training and bible study group that I am helping with at church. Even though it has been 3 weeks, I am still holding tight to this passage for it truly keeps me focused on the path ahead.

Today is an 11 mile day for me in my marathon training and this morning I was only able to get 8 miles in before it was time for me to get ready for work. So I already have a date with myself to bust out the last 3 miles this evening. It would be so easy to fall into the... well I already did a run this morning so I don't need to do another 3 miles this evening... but that would only be cheating myself. Where did cheating myself ever get me... oh that's right, heavier and unhealthier. Never again will I cheat myself out of the plan set before me.

Motivation Monday

I started Brazil Butt Lift today and 'Oh my word' was I sweating up a storm. I am so excited to see what kind of changes happen around my mid-section with the program. Squats are my new best friend apparently.  I took my starting photos and measurements this morning and I am so excited to say that I have broken through the 150 lb barrier. I have 4 more pounds to lose and then I will be at my goal that I set on Team Beachbody when I started doing TurboFire in March.

Marathon training is going well and tonight I will be running 10 miles. I can't believe that I am at the 10 mile mark this week. I had to switch up my schedule to accommodate for my new weekend job at the dog kennel. This week I will post a story from this weekend and how thumbs truly separate the human and dog dynamic.

I can't even begin to express how excited I am about this new challenge in my fitness life and love that you all are her with me for the journey.

Interested in learning more about my Beachbody journey or trying it out for yourself? Visit my website or message me for details.

Motivation Monday

This weekend flew by in a hurry. It started on Saturday with my taking the police test for Charleston. They do all of their testing in one day so it starts with the written test which i passed without a problem (90something percent) which let me move on to the physical test. I completed the sit and reach as well as he bench press and sit ups which left the run as the last part of the physical test. As someone that has been training for a marathon, you would think that I would be able to run a mile and a half in under 16:40. It was hot and humid but I did it in 14 minutes. Wahoo!! So the last part of the test was the interview and it was done in a group. I think that I did ok but you never know in those kinds of things.

After this test, I still had to do my mileage for my marathon training so I waited until later in the evening and did my 8 miles. Not bad! It would have been so easy to say that I didn't need to run because of what I had done earlier but I did not want to shortchange myself so like the picture above says, "give it everything you got" and I did.

The rest of the weekend flew by with staff softball games as well as church where I spoke about a 5K training program that we are doing at the church. So excited about this!

Motivation Monday

Today's Motivational Image comes is inspired by my run yesterday. To date it was my longest run, 7 miles! If you had asked me a few months ago if I ever thought that I would be able to run 7 miles, I would have told you that you were crazy!! But sure enough I did it. The first 2 miles were the worst because I chose to run at the end of the day when the weather was cooler and so this let the voice inside of me argue with me about how tired I was, etc. After the first 2 miles, I was in the zone and on a roll. It was simply a matter of reaching the end.

So no matter whether you work out in the morning or evening the key is to simply do it and see it through. The hardest part is the beginning but it feels so good to finish. Keep it up!

Motivation Monday

This week I am in Tucson, AZ for my sorority's convention and there is nothing easier to do that fall into that "I'll take a week off" excuse and see this as a FREE week. Nope! Not my story. While I will be reconnecting with fellow alumna as well as making new friendships, I will still make time to run and do my TurboFire routines. I am going to be one of those annoying morning people that is up and moving at 5am (like I am here). The food at this thing is always tasty and packed with calories so moving around the resort will keep me out of trouble.

I have rarely had a problem traveling and working out. While visiting my best friend Melissa in California this spring, we would place her infant daughter in her Bumbo seat and she would watch me jump and kick and punch while laughing and thinking that it was a game. It's all about priorities and my priority is to stay the course and not slip back into old ways. This truly is a lifestyle change for the better.

Happy Monday!

Mommy and Me Exercises

In honor of my friend Natasha at Schue Love who welcomed her first child on Tuesday, I thought that I would post these simple exercises that can be done while not having the relinquish your child to a blanket or bumbo.







1. Leg Lift
Start by laying on your back on a yoga mat or soft carpet. With your knees bent, stabilize your infant on your legs. The mom that wrote this recommends that you do not feed the child right before doing this. With your hands on your baby's shoulders, slowly raise your legs up so that baby is facing down. Then slowly return legs to a 90 degree angle. Do this 10 times.

2. Arm Curls
Cradle your baby in your arms with your handles facing upwards. Make sure that he/she is secure in the crook of your arms. Slowly curl your arms towards your body, bringing your baby to your body as well. He/she will probably giggle as you do this. Slowly return to the starting position. Do this 10 times.

3. Push-ups
You can do this on your knees or toes. Lay your baby underneath you on a soft surface. Start in plank with baby placed underneath your chest. Slowly lower down into a push-up, making sure to give your baby a smile and a kiss. Do as many as you are comfortable doing.

4. Single Leg Squats

For this stretch make sure that you use the correct form. Stand and hold your baby in front of you with your feet together. Starting with the left foot, step out and bend your right knee until your left thigh is parallel to the ground. Both legs should form a 90 degree angle. Return to standing position and alternate to the right foot. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

5.Side Swing

Standing up, hold your baby in front of you with outstretch arms. You can choose if you want him/her facing you or not. Hold your baby directly in front of you and twist your torso 90 degrees to the left. Return to the middle position and twist to the right 90 degrees. 

Motivation Monday

Happy Monday! This was my motivation for this morning. The weekend went by too fast and so today was harder than normal. I spent Saturday and Sunday painting the outside of a house as a part of a community service weekend with my church. I sweat off the equivalent of my weight in water over the course of the day. I was exhausted. When the alarm went off this morning at 4:50 am I was really tempted to roll over and go back to sleep but instead I nudged the dog cage so that they would want to move and would then make me get up. I laced up my shoes and moved. Ran 3 miles and did TurboFire's Fire 55 EZ Class. Once 7 am hit, I was done with my workouts for the day and knew that there would be no guilty feeling later when I found that the day had passed by and that I had no time to workout. Feeling good! How about you?

Half Marathon Training

In recent weeks, several people have asked me about my training schedule for my marathon and how I might modify that for a half-marathon. Considering that I was training for a half-marathon before i decided to run a marathon, it was not that hard.

Below you will find a 10 week program for anyone that has completed a 5K or can run/walk 3 miles without needing to be carted off to the ER. Do not be afraid to walk a 1/4 mile while training, listen to your body! That is the only way to make sure that you remain healthy while doing this program.

Hope that this helps! Happy running! This is one of my favorite things to do since it allows me time to think about me, life, problems, successes. What do you do while running? Listen to music/books on tape? Make your shopping list?

Motivation Monday

Mondays seem to be the worst day of the week for most people. They are a sign that the weekend went by too fast and that now we have to wait a full 5 days until we can relax again. One thing that I find is that many of us are great at starting projects or goals but once some roadblock happens, we easily slip back into the old ways and never pick back up. Today's motivational quote focuses on the simple things... feet, brains, and  our ability to do whatever we chose. So while this quote fits well in a runner's life, you can also apply this to any other life choice i.e. avoiding that donut in the break room or taking a walk at lunch instead of sitting in your office.

Dr. Seuss always provides us with great thoughts of wisdom, how will you use this today?

Fun in the Sun!

As the weather continues to be beautiful and I spend more time outside I thought that I would talk about tips to protect yourself this summer season. I know that as I spend longer runs in the afternoon sun, sunscreen has become my new best friend.

1. Be aware of what's in your medicine cabinet. Many times people don't think that the daily medications that we take can have an effect on our body and how our skin is able to react to the sun's rays. READ the labels!! Certain OTC pain relievers, birth controls, diuretics, and antidepressants can make sun more sensitive. Jordana S. Gilman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City says that naproxen (Aleve) is the biggest culprit but some ibuprofens have been reported to have the same effect too. So the moral of this story is to check your labels and if all else fails, reapply sunscreen every two hours.

2. Double up in hot spots. A shot glass's amount of sunscreen is enough for the whole body but some dermatologists say that you should add a second coat to your nose, lips, hands, ears, and tops of your feet. If you are anything like me, these are the pasty white areas that tend to burn all the time. You wont be doubling up your SPF but you might actually be receiving the SPF that is written on the label.

3. Shade is ok. While spending a day in the sun, take breaks and spend some time in the shade of a shelter or even under the umbrella. Too much time in the sun can lead to a summer cold and no one wants to suffer through that.

4. Fake it! Studies show that people who use a self-tanner are less likely to spend hours sunbathing or go to tanning salons. This will help save your skin.

5. Get your skin checked. If you have insurance, why not use it! IT is important to have your skin checked annually so that you can make sure that you get ahead of any potential cancerous risks.

The moral of the story, wear sunscreen and it will make your skin last longer and look younger.

TurboFire Round 1 Complete

On Sunday, after 3 months of doing TurboFire, I had my final weigh-in and I can proudly say that I lost 11 pounds and 16.9 inches off of my body. I have gone from a size 14 to a size 10 pant and it feels awesome!!

This dress is a dress that i couldn't even zip up when i started this journey and now that i am 3 months in, it is too big for me and might have to be donated. I am sad to see it go but at the same time i know that i will find another one that is just as fabulous!

Yesterday I started Round 2 of TurboFire and this round will include the Advanced DVDs which should take me in to the beginning weeks of October. So when i finish this next round, i will have completed TurboFire in addition to ran a marathon!

It's amazing what a difference a change in attitude and goals will do for someone. So much so that others are now asking me to help them in their journey. Who would have thought that I would be helping people reach their goals of physical fitness? Not me but I will follow wherever this path is taking me.

Go Sleeveless Sometimes! It's ok!

Here are 5 arm exercises that will help to tone up that arm jiggle and send the bra strap baggage packing! Thanks to Fitness for sending these tips.

Plank Arm Row and Rotate

1. Start on floor in plank position. Move feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Keeping hips level, lift left hand off floor and bend left elbow behind you to bring hand next to shoulder. 
3. Return to start.
4. Repeat, this time rotating torso to right so that left elbow points up. Return to start to complete 1 rep.
5. Do 2 sets of 10 reps, alternating sides.

 

Dip Kick

1. Sit on floor with knees bent, feet flat. Lean torso back 45 degrees and place palms on floor under shoulders, fingers facing out. Bring left knee to chest and place left foot atop right knee.
2. Bend elbows directly behind you and lift hips a few inches.
3. Straighten arms to lift hips higher, extending left leg up. With leg extended, do 8-10 pulses, bending elbows slightly and then straightening arms without locking elbows.
4. Switch legs and repeat. Do 2 sets.

Pilates Press

1. Start in plank position.
2. Bend right knee 90 degrees so that toes point up.
3. Bend elbows directly behind you keeping arms close to body, and lowering only a few inches toward the floor. Press back up.
4. Do 8-10 reps. Switch legs and repeat to complete 1 set.
5. Do 2 sets.

Strap Happy Shaper

1. Start on floor in plank position, balancing on forearms and toes. Clasp hands together.
2. Press through toes to move body forward, bending elbows until face is almost touching floor.
3. Press backward with shoulders (not from hips) to return to start position.
4. Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps.

Down Dog to Up Dog

1. Start in plank. Lift left foot a few inches off floor.
2. Press hips up and back so that body forms an inverted V, lifting left leg behind you toward ceiling.
3. Lower leg and hips toward floor, bringing them slightly lower than start position so that back is arched and chest faces forward.
4. Do 8-10 reps. Switch sides and repeat. Do 2 sets.

All of these are super easy with the exception of the last move. It takes some getting used to but take it slow and you will see the arms flab firm up in a few weeks. Happy Working Out!

Dolman Sleeve Top

Last year I saw a post from Merrick and Merricks Art with a tutorial for this top. While raiding the clearance bin at WalMart i found a purple textured fabric and thought that it might be good for this top!

Friday afternoon i went to the Gap Outlet and found this pair of trouser cut jeans for 5 dollars! This little purchase set me on a mission to create a new top to go with it.

And there we went. It took me a few hours but thanks to Netflix i was able to pass the time away and before i knew it i had this top. This is my first article of clothing that i have done with my sewing machine but i know it wont be the last.

Bess and Baines both wanted to be in the photo so they posed for you all.

Change in Running Plans

Like so many other things in life... it doesn't always go as planned.

A few weeks ago i found out that i did not make it into the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco so that sent me on a search for a new half marathon to compete in that was closer to home. My friend Anna at Red Runs is someone that runs a lot in Illinois and so i sought her out as my source for a new race. And there it was... the Chicago Rock n Rock Half Marathon!! It looks like a blast, at every mile there is a band playing so there is no need for an ipod for this race.

Then yesterday hit. I had yet to sign up for the Rock and Roll half marathon and i had been talking to another friend about doing the Color Run in Indianapolis when my boss forwarded me a email about the Chicago Marathon and running it as a part of the American Cancer Society team. It felt like it was meant to be. So I signed up and and am now training for a full marathon as well as raising $1000 for the cause. Next week i will post a link to my fundraising page as well as DIY projects that i am doing in an effort to raise this money before the end of September.

This post is so that i can share with all of you my training schedule with all of you for the marathon.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
2	Rest	3	Rest	2	Rest	4
Rest	3	Rest	2	2	Rest	5
Rest	3	Rest	2	3	Rest	6
Rest	3	Rest	2	3	Rest	3
Rest	3	Rest	2	2	Rest	5
Rest	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	5
Rest	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	6
Rest	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	7
Rest	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	8
Rest	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	10
Rest	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	11
Rest	4	Rest	6	4	Rest	12
Rest	4	Rest	6	4	Rest	14
Rest	4	Rest	7	4	Rest	16
Rest	5	Rest	8	5	Rest	16
Rest	5	Rest	8	5	Rest	17
Rest	5	Rest	8	5	Rest	18
Rest	5	Rest	8	5	Rest	20
Rest	5	Rest	8	5	Rest	9
Rest	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	8
Rest	3	Rest	3	Walk 2	Rest	Walk 2
Marathon

I will keep you all posted on my progress.