Resolution

res·o·lu·tion

1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.

2. A resolving to do something.

3. A course of action determined or decided on

I love family time. Last night we had a great family talk about goals, traditions, and resolutions (sad T-roy and Tammy weren't here). We were sharing some of our resolutions for the new year, and I have to admit, I haven't been set on mine yet, even though I have been trying to think of what it is I really want to accomplish and how I'm gonna make it happen. As it came my turn to share, I thought of it. I want to teach/train/instruct others. Not like a personal trainer, but more of a group fitness type environment that's not at your typical gym. I have been wanting to do some type of instructing for some time, starting back doing Les Mills classes in high school when I worked at a gym. However, I was too young to get the certification, then moved right after I graduated to an area where those specific classes were not offered anywhere close. Since that time over 5 years ago, my vision and passion for health and fitness have definitely evolved and the type of exercise and lifestyle I enjoy have changed as well. So do I know what exactly I want to instruct? No, but I will decide that in the next couple months and receive the proper training and certification to do so, THIS YEAR! 

I also just wanted to reemphasize the importance of finding what has clouded you from reaching your resolutions years past. I can tell you that this year will be a totally different one for me because I have made the connection emotionally, that it's not about 'losing weight' anymore. It's about being healthy and giving yourself and your body what it needs to feel the absolute best! It's not about sticking to a diet. It's not about fitting into a certain size. It's not about seeing a certain number on the scale. Those goals can be motivating during that time you're working for it, but when you 'mess up' on your way to a number, hope is lost most of the time and the feelings of inadequacy and failure can overtake you then or when it's happened over and over and over again. It gets too exhausting to fight against yourself, and it feels as though it would just be easier to not try because of the fear feeling like a failure. Trust me, I know how it feels. I would just encourage you to dig deep into your past and try to figure out what has caused the 'you're not worth it' emotion in you. Talk to those you need to to feel free. And if you want to talk to me first about it, know that I am so willing to do that! Let me tell you, you can have all the desire in the world to accomplish something, but until you truly recognize that you are worthy of feeling pride and accomplishment in yourself, there will not be a true change. The weight (or whatever it is) will come back and the failure feelings will haunt time and time again. Resolute to gain true resolution, and once and for all. I hope this is making some type of sense and it's not all jumbled as it seems to me while writing this. 

Hope you all have a great last day of the year and cant wait to see what 2013 has to offer!

New Years...ask yourself

Pardon my absence as of late. It started with getting my wisdom teeth out, getting ready for Christmas, getting dry socket, pain, misery, sickness, more Christmas prep, Dad basically almost dying on Christmas Eve, heartache, happiness that my Dad is going to be ok and that they caught it in the knick of time, Christmas Day, celebrating Christmas with my family the following day, Family time, and now I finally have a minute to give you a little somethin' after 2 weeks....my apologies! Hope you all had a much more chill and less intense 2 weeks than I did. And a very Merry Christmas!! Hope Santa brought you everything you wanted and more:)

So with all this going on, and not being able to exercise for 2 weeks, because I still have dry socket and blood pumping is not in my list of recommendations, I have felt pretty out of it and cannot WAIT to get back in the gym! I can't believe how much I miss it and how pumped I am to hit it HARD again!

With the new year just around the weekend, I know there are lots of resolutions going through you head, and most of them probably don't last past the first couple weeks of the year, a few months if you're really dedicated. So my resolution for making resolutions this year, is to do things I CAN and WILL do! It doesn't need to be anything monumental, and you don't need to know exactly everything you want to accomplish in the next year, right now! However, I want you to think this weekend about what it is you WILL do in 2013! Mix these questions around in your head:

What makes me feel most accomplished?

What makes me feel my happiest?

What makes me feel my best inside and out?

Is there anything standing in my way of feeling my 'most' _______?(insert word, or any of the 3 previous)

It doesn't need to be anything monumental or out of reach, just think simply. Next week I'll be back with my New Years resolutions and ways to help reach yours.

Enjoy your last weekend of 2012!!

Healthy and Winter-y

I'm getting my wisdom teeth out today...lucky me! I've held off too long, so now you can see both my wisdom teeth really well and they're hurting. Hopefully I'll be coherent enough to post  tomorrow, but I make no guarantees. Maybe while the hubs is home taking care of me and Norah, he can do a little somethin' somethin' on here too ;)

If you're like me, you looove all the food that comes along with the cold season, but don't necessarily like how it makes you feel afterwards...I have found ways to this wintry heart to tummy happiness a couple ways and I wanted to share this one with you today! It is the EASIEST thing ever, so many serving to last a couple days (1 day if you're feeding Nick Hansen) but truly, a couple days for normal eaters, and tastes mmm mmm good!! Here is the quick and easy recipe that will warm up your body:) Nick informed me this morning that this needs to be something we make weekly for the rest of Winter, SOLD! 

(All Organic)

1 container chicken broth (32 oz)

2 chicken breast

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

1/2 red onion

1/2 cup green onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste (about 2 tsp each)

**optional - 1 cup brown rice

Prep: chop celery, carrots, red and green onions. Boil chicken for about 10 minutes, when cooked and white all the way through, drain and put chicken in a bowl to cool down a little bit. Once you are able to handle the chicken, shred it with your hands or 2 forks. Throw all ingredients into Crock Pot on low for 6 hours. 

**If you want to add some brown rice, do so 1 hour before serving.

TAP Journey - Connection

Last summer, just a few weeks before finding out I was pregnant, I had my 'aw-haw' moment. A moment that I didn't realize was so pivotal until a few short months ago when I finally connected everything together and let go. 


I think the real connection really started after giving birth to beautiful Norah. I was not expecting the delivery to go the way it did, but the days following I marveled at the human body, my body, for doing what it just did. From the beginning of the actual creation of this little human, her growing inside me, and delivering a perfect, healthy baby was mind-blowing. I have never been so proud of myself and I still get teary eyed saying those words in my head, "I'm, proud of myself." That really was the first moment in my life that I remember being truly proud of something I had done.  I was in awe of my own power. A power that all of us women possess, with children or not. It is part of our divine creation as women. It was then, even after years of being taught I was special and worthy, that I realized I was truly a daughter of God. A realization I hope everyone experiences A LOT sooner than I did.

The details of the critical moments of my childhood are a bit too personal to share in this setting, but I think the principle is the same for all of us. We all have things happen to us, most likely during our adolescence, that subconsciously affect us until we recognize it and take the steps necessary to move on and let go.  I learned that these happenings have major effects that cause us to react a certain way in particular situations. Without some personal retrospection and reflection, we can go on in life not understanding ourselves, questioning and doubting our self-worth and our decisions. After years of keeping the past hidden in the back of my mind and secret, it came back to the forefront and it was as though all the puzzle pieces came together in just a matter of seconds and I understood that it was not just my crazy self putting all those worthless, ugly, fat, no-good-for-nobody thoughts in my head.

I was finally able to make my own connection of the past and present, accept how it had affected me over the years, forgive others AND myself, and let go. There is nothing good that comes from holding on to anything from the past that you cannot change. I'll be honest, the hardest part is making that connection, but I promise once you do, and take the necessary actions to let yourself be free of it, you will finally be free to move forward and make you your best possible self. This is obviously a process, it's not like 1 day will make whatever happened change nor will the years of self-doubt and lack of self-worth go away the next day. However, with this recognizing and identifying things will get SO much better SO much quicker. It has stunned me how people I have known a long time give me such uplifting and kind comments more now than ever it seems, or maybe I'm just in a place now that I can actually recognize them as compliments and accept them. Who knows? Either way, I am SO much happier.





What has this got to do with fitness and diet?  EVERYTHING.  Once my relationship with myself got better, my relationship with food did a 180 degree turn and is better now than I can ever remember.  Finding out what past experiences cause you to turn to or away from food, drugs, relationships, whatever it may be makes it a whole lot easier to face those temptations when they come along and you'll be strong enough to not give in.

Ps-my SIL is in labor right now!! Can't wait to meet little Ellie!!

Flashback

Flashback to my first time back in the gym after having Norah...I wrote this right after coming home that day, funny to remember all those feelings and how it seems so long ago. So proud of myself for sticking to it and accomplishing what I was telling myself back then. 

First time back Saturday May 26^th

Ok…so today was so hard. Nick and I have been work out buddies for years now and I’ve always been able to keep up. That was not the case today! And it was beyond annoying and depressing. It was so crazy to do exercises and being all pumped to do them again, and ended up not being able to even do 1. Even though my mind wanted to do it 100%, my body was physically not able to. Exercises I used to be able to do 15+ reps, I couldn’t even do 2. My strength has not just dissipated, but GONE! Talk about seriously depressing! And on top of it all, I looked like a workout idiot for looking so weak and uncoordinated. I was in shock how much my strength had decreased! I left the gym feeling very defeated and annoyed. Annoyed at the fact that working out used to be fun because I could push my body to it’s limits without hurting myself, being able to not only complete the workout, but surprise myself and N by doing more than I had set out to do. It was fun being strong! Now, realizing it is going to be real WORK to get there again. Losing the baby weight is one thing, but regaining that muscle and endurance is TOUGH!! It’s annoying how you can be so disciplined for days, weeks, months, and lose the majority of that hard work like 75 times faster than it took to get there. Tangent:Like how you can be so good all week with the basics(eating and exercising) then give yourself a whole free weekend and whatever weight you lost magically reappeared on the scale Monday morning (reason why you don’t weigh yourself everyday and that weight is not how to measure health. More on those topics in their own posts later) 

It can all be very frustrating, so how do we make it fun again? How do I not want to kill myself before thinking about working out? How do I not let overwhelming feelings and frustration take over my emotions that lead to poor decisions? 

Ready for it…..?

Look at the positive! Sooo not what you wanted to hear, I know.

Focus on the exciting parts of starting fresh! Now there’s so many milestones to hit and look forward to! The feeling of a sprint not being 7.0, but 8.0..holding a plank for a minute easily and not for barely 30 seconds…busting out 20 pushups instead of a struggling 5…crushing your cardio time vs miles. Those accomplishments are what will make working out fun again! Set your goals and actually accomplish them! There’s nothing that feels better than achieving goals you set for yourself! Make mini goals every workout and day that will boost you! Let’s call them boosters instead of goals, because that’s what they do. They boost your self confidence, your day, and your drive to keep going! Come up with a boosts for yourself this week. Mini boosts for everyday, then a big boost to accomplish by the end of the week to propel you into the next week! 

via Pinterest

Food Week - Mini Menu

It's FRIDAY!!! 

As promised, here is a little menu for you to get an idea of some of the things I eat and when in a typical day. Recipes are on their way for the one you would like to see, so leave me a quick comment below so you can tell me which ones you're interested in..:) 

On the bottom of the chart you can see the typical times I eat each thing, I would prefer to eat dinner earlier, but Nick sometimes doesn't get home until later...the joys of commuting....Poor guy. 

-Prograde Nutrition

-Thinkthin bars

-Cheesey Salsa Eggs

-Protein Spinach Smoothie

-Chipotle Chicken

Hope this helps you all out a little bit! PLEASE let me know if you have questions on anything more specific because I know nutrition is a lot more complicated than this little bit of a menu. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!! 

Food Week - Dinner

Dinner is another hard one to fit in. Especially when using fresh, Organic ingredients, it can get a little overwhelming going to the store a couple times a week so the meat and veggies taste delicious and fresh. Trust me, I feel your pain. going to the store twice a week maybe is just one of those things that you're going to have to plan for and accept. I usually have one day where I get the majority of everything I need, then the second run to the store are usually things I forgot about or just need a little bit more veggies or fruits to get us through the following Monday. I am not a planner by any means, so a lot of times it's my own fault I have to go back, but when I plan properly, everything goes smoothly and the trip to the store is really quick because I know exactly what I'm getting.

Another joy that comes along with cooking fresh is it (usually) requires quite a bit of chopping and slicing. So a good tip is to try and chop up everything you need to, like peppers, onions, celery, lettuce, etc. all at once so for the rest of the week it's just a quick and easy throw into a stir-fry, salad, quesadilla, or sandwich. It's remarkable how much easier it makes the whole preparation!

One of my favorite and most versatile meals is my Chipotle Chicken meal. You prepare all the same ingredients, but you can use it for any kind of concoction--you can make it into a salad, while your other husband makes it into a burrito or fajitas, and your kids have it in a fun, easy-to-eat quesadilla. Lots of chopping, but so worth it for it's versatility and easy, tasty leftovers.

It tastes just as scrumptious as it looks pretty! I also just put a little bit of salsa and squeezed lime on top of my salad, it doesn’t even need dressing! You get a perfectly healthy and balanced meal without sacrificing one bit of flavor and yumminess!

Ingredients (all Organic):

2 chicken breasts

2 bell peppers

1/2 cup onion

1 cup brown rice

1 cup black beans

3-5 cups lettuce

2 TBSP olive oil

Mexican seasoning

Mango Salsa

limes (to taste)

cilantro (to taste)

Prep: Marinate Chicken by first applying olive oil to both sides of chicken breasts. then sprinkling mexican seasoning on both sides, a pretty ample amount so you get the flavor. let marinate as long as you can, at least 2 hours if possible. squeeze lime juice on when you put the chicken on the grill/skillet, this will keep more of the lime flavor on there. Cook brown rice, and when its just about done, squeeze in lime juice and throw in chopped cilantro to taste. chop and sauté peppers and onions in a little bit of olive oil. warm up black beans. 

Food week - Lunch

The hardest meal of the day for me to get in...sporatic schedules in every sense is usually what gets in my way of making this meal a real one and not just grabbing and snacking during the midday hours. So the thing I find most effective is throwing a bunch of stuff together in a blender and drinking it while I go about doing my tasks. Like I said, I've got some work to do because I know it's better to sit down and eat, but hey, it's more important to get whatever I can that is still healthy and keeps my metabolism going. So props to that! Celebrating the small things, right?

My favorite lunch concoction is a strawberry banana spinach smoothie. It's delish and packed full of the nutrients you need so you stay full for hours.


1 cup SO Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk
4-6 frozen strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
Handful of Spinach
1 scoop CytoSport protein powder (about 30 grams protein)
1 Tbsp Udo's Omega DHA Oil

Throw it all in a blender and mix it up! If you want it thicker, add a couple ice cubes. Thinner, add a little bit of water.

Here's the products I use that aren't as self-explanitory as bananas, strawberries, and spinach (get Organic). Vanilla Protein from Costco: $48.99 and it lasts forever. SO Delicious Coconut milk from Sprouts: $3. Udo's Oil from Sprouts: about $28 and lasts a couple months. 

The Sprouts items you can get from basically any health food store, Sprouts and Good Earth are just the ones we have in our area, and they carry them at both. I know Whole Foods, Trader Joes, any of those places would have them too. 

And again, I'll be doing a menu for more lunch options/recipes, so be on the look out for them:)

food week...continued...

ok, so last week was a bust! SO SORRY about that! I was in Vegas for work and forgot how consumed and tired I get during those trainings. I apologize for totally dropping the ball on that one. So let's pick up where we left off, shall we?

Next thing I eat is my mid-morning snack. For me, snacks need to be easy peasy. and that's exactly what this one  is. Grab and go. Now, it needs to be understood that most pre packaged things are not the best way to go, with any protein replacement there's going to be added chemicals, however it's better than a lot of other options and they're easy. Think thin bars however have no artificial sweeteners, fillers, or additives that you find in most, GMO free, wheat and gluten free, contain 20 grams of protein, and taste good enough to curb my sweet tooth. So sometimes I like saving my bar for my afternoon snack when those cravings come around 3.... My faves are the White Chocolate and Chocolate Fudge. I've tried most all the flavors, and those are the ones I always stick with. The peanut butter ones aren't bad either if you're a nut for butter. Haha....that wasn't funny. Oh well.

Anyways, I get mine at Sprouts and i know Whole Foods and pretty much any health store has them.      You can do so much with snacks. You can make a little protein shake, celery with peanut butter, apple and cheesestick, etc. It's important to put veggies in every meal and snack so get your protein whichever way you choose then grab a handful of veggies like carrots, broccoli, celery, etc. You'll be shocked how long you stay full! Remember to drink 24 oz water with it!

I'll be putting together a menu with all the info I'll be sharing this week so you can have it in one place and be able to read it easier. 

Food Week

Hope you all a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend and started off the Holidays with a ton of fun! I was so proud of myself on Thanksgiving because we actually got 2 full 'dinners' about 3.5 apart and I didn't feel sick to my stomach at all, I kept very good control, but was still able to eat everything I wanted and planned for. Me and my husband joined two of his sisters in an early morning 4 mile 'Earn your Turkey' run so that was a great way to start it off.

On to the matters of the week...I've gotten lots of requests to share what it is that I eat. So, this week I'm going to share a typical breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that I would have.

I literally eat the same thing for breakfast every morning, don't ask me how I don't get sick of it, but I crave it daily. Eggs, cheese, and salsa are definitely my go to. I usually pair it with some kind of fruit; apple, orange, banana, grapefruit, etc.

And as always....wash it down with 24 oz of water before 10 am. Try it out and stay tuned for lunch tomorrow:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's officially the start of the Holidays and I can't believe it is Thanksgiving tomorrow! This year has seriously FLOWN by! I'm a firm believer in positive thinking and keeping an attitude of gratitude continually so the best life has to offer will be yours.

Some [health-y] things I'm majorly grateful for this year:

1 - The healthy pregnancy and birth of miss Norah Lyn
2 - My body and how remarkable it is to single handedly sustain another life for over a year
3 - The support and confidence I feel from my husband in everything I do
4 - How healthy and strong Norah continues to be
5 - Having a working body that I can push over and over again

Remember the goal for Thanksgiving day . . . .

Don't deprive yourself. Don't stuff yourself.

Drink lots of water. Do SOMETHING active in the morning and after the big feast! Eat some dessert. BE THANKFUL. 

No matter what you're going through right now, there IS good in your life, and someone always has it worse than you. If you can't seem to find any happiness, go serve. Hope you all have a fabulous and happy Thanksgiving!!

Home Circuit and Video

We stayed the night up at my mom's house the other night because Nick had to be into work super early and they live MUCH closer to his work than we do, and we were already up there for Sunday dinner so we figured, why not? My mom works out of her house and was on lots of calls, therefore I couldn't leave for the gym, so I improvised. 

Here was my space for my workout yesterday...

My mom saw me running out of the house, then coming back in breathing super hard. She asked, "hey, show me what you're doing when you're done?" She then became my timer for my sprints after every round and said I should make a quick video, so she then became my videographer. Thanks, Mama! Within 30 seconds of us recording, her phone would ring. It literally happened like 4 or 5 times, so we knew we just had one chance to get it. So here's my lame excuse for a first video that we shot in 1 full take! Thanks to my hubby for not just letting me put it up with no tricks on it. Please excuse my nastiness from the outfit to face and hair. I had seriously just gotten done doing the workout like 10 minutes before and had to get it all done before Norah woke up, so don't judge. 

all you need is a couple square feet of space, weights, and a straight away(if you take the sprint option). I was definitely sweatin', huffin', and puffin'. 

K, for some reason Blogger is having issues uploading the video, so I uploaded it to my channel on YouTube and you can watch it here.

Let me know what you think and go get your sweat on!

gettin back on...

Ok, so I know there are no excuses, but for about the last month I have not been the best that I could be to reach closer to my goals. All the baby things/news/appointments/teething going on and vacationing in NYC, a place where you basically go to eat, is not really the best thing. So....lets get back on track, just in time for the holidays. I've made a rule that I will eat what I want the day of, just have small portions and not over-do it. I just gotta be clean the rest of the time before and after so it doesn't come back to bite me. Isn't that the truth in everything we do? Moderation and consistency gets us a lot in life. So that's my goal this week, be consistent in my workouts every day and eating clean. Moderation on Thanksgiving day. DO IT!!

Would it be helpful to do a meal plan or do a blurb of what I eat each day? I know it would help me be more accountable, and it might help others get an idea of what a typical eating day looks like for me? You tell me if that's helpful or just straight up boring. Thanks for your input:)

We got to stay and spend fun times with my cousin and her husband who live out there

One way I was able to quickly justify our eating was by using the Nike FuelBand to see how far we went each day...we went at LEAST 7.5 miles every day we were there! My feet and legs were always so tired every night we came home, and don't ask me why, but I was always so curious to see how far we had gone multiple times a day. There's a reason you don't see a lot of overweight New Yorkers, that's for sure. For your viewing pleasure, here are a couple pics from our trip.

Went to the Jimmy Fallon show and got to be groupies for Carrie Underwood

we ate GOOOD

LOVE 

Anyone recognize this Central Park location from tons of movies?

We biked all around Central Park for a couple hours, these bikes folded up to half their size

9/11 memorial was beautiful, they are SOOO much bigger in person

Motivation

It’s important to find what inspires and motivates you…obviously. But a lot of times, it’s hard to find that motivation to make the time, eat what you know is right, and stop making excuses. Especially when it seems like the whole world is out to get in the way of you doing these things. Am I right? I would love to look at a picture and have immediate long-lasting motivation til I looked exactly like that picture. But for some reason looking at picture after picture while we continue to sit and eat whatever we want, somehow that perfect image doesn’t appear when we look down at ourselves. Can I start a fundraiser toward whatever research needs to be done to make that happen?? Haha K, great! 

Even once that motivation is found, it can be really hard to maintain it until that goal is reached. It can be especially hard when we go through something that has weakened our body physically, like an injury or pregnancy. Since I just went through the latter, I’ll share how I found that drive…

this was something like 36 weeks

just 2 days before Norah showed up

First of all, I’ve been craving to be hard and toned since I was going through the flabby/not-so-pregnant-look that started at about 8 weeks and just kept getting shocked that my body would continue to get bigger when I thought there was no way it could possibly stretch anymore. But then, inevitably,it always does. 

For some reason though, when I hit that 6 weeks and got clearance to exercise, that drive didn’t come immediately like I had hoped. It was disappointing to work out. You don’t see the flabbiness go anywhere, it seems impossible to think it will ever go away, you’re strength you once had has incredibly diminished, and you’re starting from further back then you ever have. It’s actually quite devastating. At least it was for me. It wasn’t until consistently dragging myself to the gym for 4 weeks until the actual desire came to make time for a sweat session. It was stress relieving and my time for me. I started looking at it as MY time and I had to take advantage of it, and even though I didn’t feel like it in the beginning-I knew I would always feel better the rest of the day. If I was able to work out then it seemed like I got done what I needed to, and little things throughout the day wouldn’t bug me nearly as bad. Then I started to conquer little goals-like, sprinting at 9.0 again and being able to hold a plank without wanting to die after 15 seconds. I had to focus on that, my achievements and my body showing signs it was regaining that strength I once had. It was then I found the fun in conquering my own mind and body- breaking barriers that seemed too hard to do again or like it was going to take forever to get back to. 

before getting pregnant

You CAN do it! Your body WILL get there! You just have to put in the work, even if you’re dragging in the beginning. I'm determined to look better than before I had Norah, I think I'm getting close, and that's a feeling that can't be bought. 

5 1/2 months post baby...

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

It's an amazing thing to start to see your hard work pay off. For most of us, we are our hardest critics, the same couldn't be more true for me! Nick kept telling me how I was looking different, but every tie I looked at myself, i still saw the flabby tummy skin, stretch marks, and what wasn't how I wished it would be. The day of these pics was the day I finally gave myself some credit and saw a difference. Then, looking back at my 10 week photos, I was really blown away and was proud of myself. I don't know if there's a better feeling in the world than working toward a goal, making the sacrifices to get there, and then making yourself proud. My waist up has always been my 'problem' area so adding the whole pregnancy thing to it, I was pretty surprised that I actually could see definition. This was also the day I weighed myself and was pleasantly surprised by actually being under my pre-pregnany weight by almost 7 lbs! Cheers to goals and taking steps to reach them!

The frist time I looked in the mirror and really noticed a difference

Workout of the Day

This is what I made my husband do along with me today, and let's just say...it killed him. It's a simple workout, but trust me, it works your WHOLE body! Best of all, you only need a few simple things and  can do this pretty much anywhere. Plus, you'll be hurting and thanking me later.

All you'll need is two weights/something around your house that works. I used two 10 lb. plates at the gym and stacked them to do all these exercises. If you're starting off, just use a total of 10 lbs or whatever you can do.

Do 20 reps of each exercise repeat 4x
Bicep curls - use both hands and curl up weight
Squats - hug the weight as you make 90 degree angles with your knees, making sure to sit hips back
Shoulder Press - start with weight under the chin, and fully extend your arms overhead
Split Squat Lunges - hug weight, make two 90 degree angles with both knees, do 1 leg each set
Tricep Extensions - hold weight behind head, biceps next to your ears, extend overhead
Burpees (no weight) - go down to plank position, jump legs forward, hands overhead and jump

I dare you to do all 4 rounds with no breaks. Keep a timer going while you do it and set a goal for your finish. My time today was 16:34, how 'bout that for an efficient workout? If you're feeling even more daring, do a 90 second all out sprint as a bonus!

TAP Journey - He's the One

Picking up from where we left off, just a few weeks before leaving for Africa, we started dating again, even hinted at marriage. Africa was INCREDIBLE! All I had dreamt of, and more! All the things I got to see and experience while I was over there was everything I had hoped, and Nick and I had definitely fallen. So romantic, right? Our families wouldn't have been shocked if we would've come back engaged, but we didn't. We got home and 4 days later Nick left to Ohio to sell the rest of the summer. Did the whole long distance thing, I went out and visited him, he came home, and a month later we were engaged. 

We planned a 3 month engagement, just enough time for me to be bangin' on my wedding day! I met some new people who were trainers and they were amazing! I worked out with them 5 mornings a week, I was always sore, didn't miss a workout, and got a lot stronger, but no weight came off. Not because of anything they were or weren't doing, but because I still demanded perfection. When it came to eating, I sabotaged myself. Same cycle, I would eat great half the day, take one bite of something 'not perfect', so then I had the go ahead to eat 'imperfect' the rest of the day because I WAS going to be PERFECT tomorrow. I would literally raid the fridge and pantry before I went to bed and eat whatever because it was going to be my LAST time ever eating it.

Needless to say, the wedding day came and my worst fear came true. I wasn't what I had pictured myself to be. I hated taking pictures and video because I didn't want to see myself. I have never been as upset with myself as when I was looking through my bridal pictures with my photographer a week before the wedding picking out which ones to edit and blow up. Are you kidding?!? I wanted all of them to be thrown away, let alone blow any up so I'd look even bigger!

are you joking me right now? It's been so long since I've looked at these I can't even believe it!

I felt even worse taking pics on the honeymoon because now I had to be in a swim suit, so I resorted to big expression faces so people would hopefully look at that ridiculousness instead of my body. 

ps-putting your hands on your hips totally makes you look thinner...riiiiiiiigghht.

 I know my outfit is to die for...oh my gosh, what was I thinking? Haha glad I can laugh about it now. Anyways, we're married and that solves all my self-doubt and worth issues, right? WRONG! I still felt unworthy of Nick. Not just in the normal, 'how did I get so lucky' or 'what did I ever do to deserve him' ways, like I seriously thought it was some kind of joke everyone was playing on me and there was NO WAY he really wanted to be married to me, like what did I even have to offer? I was extremely insecure in our relationship and NONE of that came from anything Nick did. He was always soooo sweet and kind and complimentary and uplifting and perfect. I put all of those feelings upon myself. I remember our first argument was about 4 months after being married because I was telling him how he didn't want me...makes a lot of sense, I know. Things slowly got better, I shared my health and fitness goals with him, we worked out every day together, and were working together towards those goals but I never looked any different. Now, I would always let him see me eat healthy stuff that was 'allowed', but would sneak everything else and wouldn't let him see me eat anything bad. Anytime we weren't together, I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted. He was getting closer to his goals, but I wasn't. More arguments over me telling him he didn't want me continued to come up every now and then, and I couldn't shake the dishonesty of my eating habits.

'H'ear it Wednesday

So I totally got wrapped up and forgot to post the previous one yesterday, the joys of motherhood, right? So here's a second one for the day!

Wanted to share with you some of the regulars that play on my shuffle. I normally cannot listen to most of these songs just during the day or driving in my car, but for some reason when I'm in beast mode, they are awesome! If I feel like I can't go any harder, and one of these start playing, it's crazy how that huge burst of energy comes to finish. Try it!! Even this article proves it!

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
Radar (Bloodshy&Avant Remix) - Britney Spears
Dog Days are Over - Florence and the Machine
Best of You - Foo Fighters
Cry me a River - Justin Timberlake
Power - Kanye West
Stronger - Kanye West
Fighter - Christina Aguilera
Lights(Bassnectar Remix) - Ellie Goulding 
Let's Go - Lil' Jon

HAPPY LISTENING!!

keep on keepin' on

GOAL CHECK-IN: Monday 4.5 Camelbacks 

[what did you drink?]

Today we go to Norah's first 2 hour Physical Therapy appointment, don't know what they're going to do for that long, I'm pretty nervous because it cuts right in to when she usually naps, plus getting forced around I don't think will make her a happy camper.

Nick had to be in to work early early early, so we're going to go to the gym later this afternoon after Norah's PT. Can I just tell you I love working out with my husband, but I love working out in the AM! I love just being done with it and feeling the benefits of it all day. Leaving it to later in the day seems to always push it back, squeezed in, not as productive, and sometimes doesn't even happen. So, for me, mornings are always the way to go! I've had to do it at night the last 5 days, and it hasn't been very fun, but you just gotta do it. 

The last 2 weeks or so have been pretty difficult emotionally and physically. I was sick, had to get mouth surgery, Norah's been cutting teeth, throwing up, blowing out, life has been happening and it's been a little rough. I knowI've been a lot more lax about treats and not doing things to move toward my goals, and I can see it. That's the annoying thing about fitness, you can work so hard and be so good for however long, then you slack just a little bit, and it's almost like half of your results from your hard work go away. Am I right? The tough thing to do, is not get too discouraged about it. Recognize that's the way it goes, I made these choices, and now it's time to get back on track. There's nothing worse than just giving up and feeling 239871 times worse about yourself for stopping, when you knew how good it all felt! So KEEP GOING!! Really, I'm just talking to myself, but you feel this way sometimes, right?? Please tell me I'm not the only one! 

Funny, I was going to get on here and give you a workout, but now I rambled on about that whole thing....

So have I told you about the Bootcamp I've been going to for the last month that I'm OBSESSED   with?? Be on the look out for a special collaboration coming up! More details on the fitness challenge I just did with them last month and how I got hooked!

Goal of the Week

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Mine consisted of taking care of a sick, teething baby, so needless to say I was extremely busy doing basically nothing...one of the best feelings, right? NOT! No matter what though, I made time to exercise, and I can tell you I would be a different monster mom and wife if I didn't get those workouts in. It definitely makes a MAJOR difference in my mood and attitude toward whatever happens in a day.

In case you didn't know, I am also a Master Aesthetician, and I have seen the same thing in the vast majority of my clients lately...dryness which also causes some breakouts. The fall is here again, which means skin changes for sure. One major thing to not only help get over the weather transition...H2O!!! Water helps with anything and everything you can think of, especially when it comes to every aspect of health, weight-loss, weight management, the list goes on and on and on.

It is recommended to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. However, for what I'm trying to accomplish-body fat loss, muscle tone and definition, I'll drink at least 4 of these a day, being right around 100 oz. Honestly, I don't drink anything else, and if you're seriously wanting to see results, that's all you should drink, too. Now I'm not a water nazi, if you're dying to drink your favorite drink, then go ahead, just fill up your Camelback an extra time with water to help flush it out. My water bottle is seriously my secret to getting in my necessary amount of water every day.

NOW FOR THE GOAL OF THE WEEK...

For Starters: Drink half your body weight (in ounces) of water (150 lbs {150/2=75} 75 oz of water a day)

For Pros: 5 Camelback's (125 oz)

via

I'll be checking in! Ready, set, Pee!

Wear it Wednesday - Lulu Lemon

Anyone ever tried Lulu's stuff? Beware if you haven't, because you'll probably become obsessed. I'm in love with their products. Mainly the fact that they keep their shape, squeeze you in, somehow keep you warm but cool all at the same time, and are ridiculously cute! I sold my soul back on my birthday this year when my hubs took me there for a little shopping. Since then, I have saved my pennies for every purchase, why? Because it's totally worth it and they'll seriously last forever! And don't ask me why, but me in workout clothes is my husband's favorite. So I guess that's how we justify it haha. 

These were some of my first purchases...

crops

jacket

I die over all their clothes, but I'm currently lusting over these numbers.

Boogie Shorts

pants

Tank

Love Lulu! Hope you have a lovely Wednesday!

Fage (fa-hey)!!

Please forgive the lack of and similar posts, I got surgery yesterday and just got back from taking little Norah to the Dr where she threw up, got her vaccinations, and we learned she will have to wear one of these for at least 3 months. I'm just so grateful she's completely healthy and such a happy little girl! So it's been a little crazy around amongst other things so here's a quick little snack idea for you too. yummy, easy, extremely healthy, and packed with 23g of protein in 1 serving!

1 cup Fage

1/2 mango and banana 

I pick up my big carton of Fage at Costco for under $5 and it's by far the cheapest place to get it

You can add whatever type of fruit you want, I have been obsessed with mangos lately and it tastes amazing with it! Mangos are a little higher on the sugary side so try and stick to fruits high in antioxidants for a real healthy boost like blueberries, raspberries, and pomegranates are coming in season, do whatever you want! 

Happy Healthy Tuesday!

Go-To Packaged Snacks

Typically, I say eat 'real food', but let's be honest, sometimes (majority of the time) it's difficult to put together 5-6 meals for yourself, let alone a family. So here are my 2 main "Go-To's". Not only are they packed with protein and good ratios, but they are YUMMY! I seriously crave them everyday! These are perfect for a snack that you have to eat on the go, and something that definitely curbs my sweet tooth.

thinkThin bars are definitely my fave! They're gluten free, 20g of protein, and no sugar. Plus, I think they taste amazing. My two favorite flavors are white chocolate and chocolate fudge. Some of the others that you would think would taste good, I didn't like so much, so I just stick with these. These get me through when I have that sweet tooth craving in the late afternoon, so I usually save it for my afternoon snack. I find mine at Sprouts or Whole Foods.

These Premier Protein shakes are bomb, too! where else can you get 30g of protein, 160 calories, and amazing, chocolatey goodness all in one? These are the best! I haven't tried the vanilla flavor, I'm too chicken to go away from the chocolate. So if anyone has tried them, let me know. I pick these up at Costco, and I get them about every 2 weeks, super good deal! If I ever see anyone buy those Kirkland Weight Loss shakes I will come hunt you down, don't waste your money! 

So if you're looking for some good options for snacks that will keep your stomach, body, and tastebuds satisfied, here ya go! Let me know what you think about them and have a great weekend!