“For each new morning with its light, 2012 has been my favorite year so far. I think I am finally figuring out who I am and I am loving it. I have experienced a huge amount of support and love from so many people; friends and family that live both near and far, and amazing past and present trainers that have coached me on fitness, wellness and nutrition. There has been a lot of change this year, but I have embraced it. I am just getting warmed up - even greater things will come in 2013. I hope the world is ready - I know I am!
It is Thanksgiving break, after all, so this seems like a very appropriate time to give a shout out and say thank you. I am grateful for so many things. I have everything I need; my health and happiness, a wonderful family, good friends, a job, clothes on my back and a roof over my head. I am thankful for all of the people in my life who push me every day to become a better woman. Thank you and hopefully I won't make any of you blush too much. I am so thankful for my healthy body and the amazing things it does each day. Physiologically, the systems within it operate on their own without much conscious thought on my part to their function. This is simply amazing. I sprint, row hard, climb, lift heavy weights and push tires on a daily basis. I am rough on myself every week, and usually have nothing more than some awesome callouses, scrapes, broken blood vessels and lots of bruises. My body facilitates this level of activity and never ceases to amaze me with how quickly it recovers and is ready to support the next thing I do. My family is supportive and caring, although they are far away. I am overwhelmed by the sweet comments, messages, support and genuine interest they have exhibited from another time zone. Specifically, my parents are incredible and have been extremely encouraging throughout this journey. Though there may be some aspects that I know they do not fully understand, they support and love me unconditionally. Ultimately if I am happy, they are happy. Mom and Dad: I love you both so much and am so thankful of everything you do for me. I look forward to telling you all about my training and hope you do not grow tired of hearing all about it! Hopefully you will be able to see all this in action some day! I am very fortunate to have lived in some amazing places; New York to Boston to Austin. I still keep in touch with good friends from high school and college and love catching up with them and hearing all about the wonderful things happening in their lives. So much has changed for all of us over the past few years. We have moved on from the theme parties and have found life, love, careers and even offspring. Crazy. I am in a much different place than I ever would have predicted I would be just a few short years ago. This makes me happy. Happy about how much I have grown and most of all excited about the potential and promise my future holds. Kristen and Sarah: I am thankful to have your support and love. You both help me in every way you can and are there for me in moments of both seriousness and fun. Thank you for listening to me talk about my weekly goals and training ideas. You tease me relentlessly about my meals (among many other things), but I know it's all from a good place. Thank you for always being there for me and especially for letting me know when I am being too hard on myself. The days when I get to workout with you ladies are great. You are both so receptive to my #classicTK moments. If I am in the zone, you veer away, if I need a thumbs up, you immediately provide that encouragement - and let's not forget about our dancing and "that's what she said" moments. Keeping it classy at Beyond FIT. I have had the pleasure of working with two fabulous trainers over the past year and a half. Adrian: I would like to thank you for everything you taught me. You helped get me started and I truly believe that if I had never met you, I would not be where I am right now. You helped me to realize my potential and find my passion. You believed in me from the second we first met and I am extremely grateful for that. I wanted to quit, and you didn't allow that to happen. There are so many significant milestones that we reached together and whenever I think of them it brings a smile to my face - not an easy feat! It is so nice to get to catch up now and even talk shop! Chad: You have stood by me throughout this entire process; wearing different hats at different points. We have been friends for a few years and you have watched me change in so many different ways. I admire your ambition and drive. Your work ethic is incredible and I hope to train clients as effectively as you do sometime in the very near future. I am beyond thankful for you. I am thankful for your patience when I pester you with questions about macronutrient ratios, meal timing and ways to increase my upper body strength. Thank you for pushing me when we are training and you know I need it and for reassuring me when I am having a moment of self doubt. You helped me find the fire inside of me, you lift me higher when I am down and make me strive to improve in all aspects of my life. I have so much to be thankful for; wonderful people (many of whom are not even mentioned here), health and ambition. Things are great and they just keep getting better. I am working really hard so I can achieve all that I want. I am so grateful for all of the people that have helped me make positive changes in my life over the past year and a half and push me every day. I am only looking forward - and it's all really exciting! Here are some recent including a group shot from the great day at the Warrior Dash along with a progress shot from Thanksgiving Day 2011 and Thanksgiving Day 2012 and some other recent highlights. It has been a rough couple of weeks. There are so many mental road blocks that I am pushing through, and that can be more draining than even the most intense workout. I am struggling with things as far as body-image goes and it is really tough to get through when feeling alone. My workout yesterday was not one of my best. I was emotional and foggy brained. From the beginning, I was not in the right frame of mind. I felt weak and defeated. I have always been tough on myself in both my personal and professional lives. In school, I experienced severe, handicapping anxiety before tests. In each job I have held, I strive to be and do the the best I possibly can, even if my heart is not in the work. In relationships, I often give so much to the other person that my needs are not met. I am giving and giving but not getting what I need in return. No matter what it is that I am doing, I want to shine. In theory, I have the support and love from family and friends, both near and far. Though I know it is there, it is not always evident through actions. For me, this is where it counts most. I don't know what it is. Are people tired of hearing about this? Are they jealous? Do they not know what to say? Maybe everyone else thinks I am really strong and confident and do not need any verbal recognition. Though I believe that I am strong and confident, sometimes I still need people to tell me I am doing a great job and that I can achieve what I want. Just a reaffirming word, gesture or shout out is all it takes. Everyone needs that from time to time.
I went through a pivotal moment on this journey a few months ago. I was no longer the person going to others for help and advice. I found my groove, and it was working. Others saw this and people started coming to me for help and advice, for that proverbial pat on the back. I was (and still am) considered to be a success; someone who lived through it. I changed my life for the better, and therefore, knew have something to offer in helping others. Though I believe this to be true and most definitely want to be in this role, it is sometimes difficult when I am still in the process of working toward my own goals. I suppose I always will be, though. Working for something more, going after a new goal, locking in a new achievement. Today I am choosing to shine. I am embracing how far I have come and looking forward to the journey that lies ahead. I will not listen to any ghosts from my past telling me that I am not good enough. I made changes for life, not just for a short period of time. I want continued results. I want to be the best I can be. I will continue to get stronger, more knowledgeable and gain more confidence. I know that with continued dedication and focus I will achieve all that I want. I have it down on my end, but just need a little thumbs up from others every now and then. The 300 board at Beyond FIT Each and every day we make choices. They range from trivial things to life-changing moments. Should I wear the black heels or the pink heels? Would I like some avocado in my salad? Do I move across the country for an amazing job opportunity? There is a fine line between allowing the choices we make to define us as people, or simply to serve as a decision made in time. I had a fantastic week consisting of workouts, clean eating and a lot of hard work. Training at Beyond FIT was great - with some awesome highlights, including the 300 Workout, and squats at Power FIT on Friday evening. My eating was solid and I felt amazing throughout the week; really high energy and good focus. On Wednesday, we were challenged with the 300 Workout. There were some modifications made to the workout, but overall it was really challenging and intense. We kept track of our finishing times as well as the weights/resistance used, so we have something to beat the next time we complete it. Turkish Getup during the 300 Workout Following the workout, I was treated to an amazing raw dinner at my friend Fred's house. He is an amazing person; a vegan athlete and yoga instructor, who competes in triathlons and has just returned from training to be a raw food chef. Below you will find some photos of the food from our delicious meal. It was so great to be around so many people with a common interest. It was really a cool experience to discuss the benefits and impact of eating raw vegan on one's overall health and training and their athletic performance. Fred's knowledge of preparing raw foods was impressive and he was so patient with our questions about it all. The food was delicious! There were so many layers of flavor. With some research and time, I can see how I could easily implement a diverse mix of raw foods and meals into my diet. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion with me, Fred! Squats - 193 lbs. Power FIT at Beyond FIT was a fantastic way to kick off the weekend! Squats, pull ups and dips were on the schedule. I increased in my squats - to 193 lbs. My lats were still feeling very sore from the 300 Workout on Wednesday. I guess 50 pullups will do that to you. Instead of doing pullups, I did rows on the TRX Suspension Trainer. As I am sure you can imagine, I was pretty discouraged by this. Instead of allowing this to defeat me, I gained an understanding for the reason behind this move. Instead of putting additional stress on the muscles that were not yet recovered, we changed up the move to target other parts of the back and bicep. I did not do anything wrong. This was not my fault. I was still heading in the right direction and just needed some additional time to recover. This may not seem like anything significant to anyone else, but I can see the value in this critical moment. A few months, or even weeks ago, I would have allowed this moment to define the workout. Instead, I took a breath and asked Chad a few questions. I was not going to move on with the workout until I had an understanding about why I was doing what I was doing. Everything must be purposeful. Everything must be done with intention. This morning (Sunday) some of the great people of Beyond FIT met at Town Lake for a trail run. This was awesome and most definitely the highlight of my weekend. The weather was gorgeous; sun was shining, nice breeze and just under 80 degrees! Lundberg and I post run! I can't really give justice in describing the feeling I had when I was running along the lake. I felt unstoppable, strong and fit. I felt like I belonged there. I was able to run several miles without stopping and wanted to do more. I definitely want to incorporate more running into my training plan and sign up for a half marathon! By no means would I say that I love running, or even enjoy it. This is something I aim to change. I will become a runner. If only I could have the same outlook in other areas of my life. As I have been on this journey, especially as of lately, I am finding it difficult to find balance in my life. Earlier today, I met up with my girlfriends, Deb and Lundberg, at the Flying Saucer. Not exactly Raw. Not exactly on my meal plan. At one point, this was my home away from home. I spent many afternoons, turned into evenings, turned into late nights at this establishment. I even have a plate hanging on the wall as a result of drinking 200 different brews. I am probably the only person in the history of this place to have lost weight so much weight while drinking their way to a plate.
After not having a drink since summer vacation, I drank two beers. I had been craving a beer for a few weeks and gave in to the temptation. In the moment, this felt great! I was being social with my girlfriends; participating in things that girls my age do on a regular basis. We joked about how I was drunk off of one beer and commented on what a cheap date I had become. Now, although I am full of regret, not to mention the weird headache and bloated feeling, I am choosing to use this moment for good. I know it was not the most productive thing I could have done. I will remember how this made me feel use that to propel my decisions in the future. The choice to have a couple of drinks does not define me. This was not a life-changing moment kind of choice. It was just one decision made in time. This does not erase my progress. This has not derailed me from achieving any of my goals. Squats - 183 pounds I finished up my week of training at Beyond FIT feeling strong and motivated. Power FIT on Friday evening was an amazing way to kick off the weekend. I improved in everything; squats are now at 183 pounds, assisted pull ups using the blue & purple bands and dips using the green band. The weekend was great. I did not do anything. I relaxed and slept for what felt like a million hours on both Saturday and Sunday. The weather was very cloudy and it rained on Sunday all day long. My body needed it. I have been exhausted and it felt really amazing. I did get a cardio workout in on Saturday, though I did not find it to be challenging. It is time to increase the intensity on those workouts, too. Next week, I will incorporate more equipment like battling ropes, rowing machine and box jumps. I want to make sure I am putting enough stress on my body so I will adapt and grow. I do not want to be too comfortable and not push myself. It never gets easier, you just get better. Squats with 183 pounds. No big deal. The Raw Challenge has been going well. I juiced through the weekend and have been feeling really great. Lots of energy, though, I am sure all of the sleeping helped! I am craving some cooked food, though. I need to push through for the next two weeks. I can definitely see myself eating a few cooked vegan meals on October 1, but still incorporating raw foods into my diet moving forward.
With a new week upon me, there are new goals to be met. I will continue to juice and eat a raw vegan diet and will increase in my lifts. I am still taking cardio morning workouts off for now to ensure my body receives ample rest and recovery in between workouts. I am looking forward to my post workout shake this evening. Train big, eat big! Green Juice My experiment with eating raw vegan has been underway for just over two weeks. Thirteen days to be exact. Throughout the first week, I felt amazing. I was full of energy and was doing better in each and every workout, including the additional early morning cardio workouts I was logging. When the first weekend rolled around, in addition to having a lot of stomach issues, I was experiencing a low energy level and a loss of appetite.
After careful dissection of what I had been eating and doing, as well as staying away from solid food for a few days, I made some discoveries. Saturday night's dancing on the town really threw off my entire eating/sleeping schedule. I was already exhausted from putting in really long days the week before, and I never really rested over the weekend. I had not stayed up until 3:30 a.m. in a really long time. By doing so, the next couple of days were really off schedule. I was also in a major calorie deficit from missing a meal on Sunday and eating minimal food over the next few days to try to figure out what was wrong with me. As a result, I was dragging and had to really push to make it through my workouts. The major dietary element that had shifted since beginning my raw challenge last week was that I was incorporating more solid raw food, i.e., salad with bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion. These are all vegetables that I have not eaten in a while. My body had become accustomed to the easily digestible leafy greens that I was juicing. This is the only logical explanation for my difficulty in digesting the other food. It has now been two full days since resuming my regular juicing schedule. I am no longer eating raw salads and am finally beginning to feel like myself again. My energy has increased and I have been feeling great during my workouts. X FIT at Beyond FIT was awesome yesterday! I left feeling really strong and powerful. This is a very welcome feeling compared with what I was going through earlier in the week. I was feeling very discouraged and like I was making myself suffer since it was my decision to go through this trial of raw eating. I have changed every single aspect about my life and am doing everything I possibly can to achieve optimal health. I found it really disheartening knowing that I could have prevented the way I was feeling. Another weekend has come and gone. There were errands that needed doing and fun to be had with friends, but I remained committed to my goals through it all. One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to make sure that you surround yourself by great, supportive people. I like to be around others that challenge me to be better. Sometimes you need a little extrinsic motivation and it is always great to have good friends you can call on to support you, push you, be there for you or help lift you higher. My strength training workout at Beyond FIT on Friday was pretty good. It is a very different class than Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. It is more individualized, so I felt like the energy was low. Plus, I was tired after a long week of work and training! My squats increased to 168 lbs. and I knew I could lift even heavier by the end of my work set. I completed 5-6 assisted pull ups but saw a great improvement in my assisted dips. I am getting stronger each day. It felt really encouraging to see and feel a change in exercises with an emphasis on my upper body. All of my push ups are paying off! in.gredients: Real Food, Local, Community This morning I went to check out in.gredients, a package-free grocery store that is new to Austin. My brother told me about it almost a year ago and I was really looking forward to them opening! I think the ideas is fantastic. Everything is local and they collaborate with other ATX businesses to offer residents quality, real food. The store itself was beautiful, but I found the selection to be pretty limited. I understand that is the point; they want to offer the basics. It seems that my basics differ from that of their target customer. Row HIIT @ Beyond FIT I returned to Beyond FIT this afternoon for a Sunday Funday cardio workout. The jams were blasting and the cooler (85 degree) weather felt pretty great coming through the doors of the training center. After some foam rolling and a warmup, I completed a Row HIIT, some steady state rowing and finished it off with a Burpee-filled Tabata. Good times! It was not my fastest rowing workout; it was really tough to hit 60 s/m as I was feeling a little tired. Too much dancing last night! September 9, 2012 Although it's back to work tomorrow, I look forward to seeing everyone at Beyond FIT tomorrow. It is so amazing when the energy is buzzing there. It is inspiring, motivating and really adds another dimension of fun and challenge to the workouts. I am exciting for another week, where I will continue to push towards my goals. I am getting so close!
My first week of eating raw vegan is going well. I still have not really ventured into eating anything more adventurous or varied than what I had been consuming previously, but I am really enjoying it. The main reason for my lack of variety comes down to time. I am putting in long days; work, studying, workouts, and reading. I am trying to fill every possible minute with purposeful action that will help bring me closer to my goals. Perhaps the weekend will bring a bit more time to get creative with raw eating. My training has been going really well, too! On Monday, I increased in all my lifts. Deadlift - 173 lbs. and Bench Press - 70 lbs. My upper body is not as strong as my lower body, though I am getting stronger every time. At first, I was very discouraged by the inconsistency in these numbers. Now I have a better understanding that the muscles in our lower bodies are much larger than those of the upper body. I am doing a lot of pushups on my own (100 every day) and have started doing Negative Bench Press as well. On the Negative (the lowering phase of an exercise), a heavier weight is loaded onto the bar - 85 lbs., and I bring it down toward my chest as slowly as possible. Chad then lifts it back up to the starting position and I lower it down again. It is my hope that this, in addition to the daily pushups, will help increase my upper body strength so that I can increase the numbers on the Bench Press. I am also really thrilled to report that I have had another great couple of weeks are far as my measurement tracking progress goes. My current weight is 149 lbs. and my BFP is 22.0%. I have never been in such great shape. Not only am I really happy with the way my body looks right now, but I am even more thrilled to feel as fantastic as I do. Right now, I only feel motivated to work harder to achieve all that I want. Whenever people ask me what my goal is, I never really know what to say. I am weary of making anything "final", as this denotes the end. I have changed each and every aspect of my life and do not intend to go back to any version of my previous self. I am proud of the person I was and all that I have accomplished in my life so far. I know that I would not be where I am today if I wasn't willing to take a chance. I knew I could be better. In a way, it is almost bittersweet to be at this point. For over a year, I found the road ahead on my journey to be daunting. I struggled with celebrating how much I had changed (for the better!) and just how far I had come since I knew there was still a long way to go. Now, I can take solace in the fact that I am almost there. There will be more goals to set and surpass; heavier lifts, more pronounced muscles and most importantly, working with clients to help them improve their health, fitness and lifestyle. Bring it on!
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