time for myself

just a quick update...

i know i havent posted in almost a week, and i am supposed to be on daily for the challenge. however, i have decided to take a little "me" time, and try to find myself again.

i will continue where i left off next week.

Day 7

Day 7

Preferred time of day to exercise

I like to exercise in the morning about an hour after I eat breakfast. It helps me to get energized for the day, and I don't feel too full. 

I have tried exercising before eating.... can't make it through.

I sometimes exercise after work, at night.... I don't push as hard.

I usually will set an alarm as I wake up, for about 2 hours later. That way I have time to look at all my stuff on the internet, then play World of Warcraft while I eat, then when it goes off, I get up and move!!!!

Day 6

Day 6

Favorite Music to Exercise By

Honestly, it depends on what kind of exercise.

Hula hooping

For hooping, I like something with a good backbeat. Right now, I love Alex Clare and Florence and the Machine, its upbeat and fast so I can move :)

Strength Training

Hard rock. Pandora's Alternative Endurance and Hard Rock Strength channels are a must.

Random stuff

Sometimes I just have fun. I'll do random things like yoga, with hiit, plus the hundred workout. For that I put on "oldies". It's sad that I even call it that lol. Here it is: SPI CE girls. Hanson. S Club 7. All the things I listened to as a tween. Sometimes something from the past helps bring you back to happier, more energetic times.

Day 5

Day 5

Your top 5 motivations

1. My daughter

I try so hard to be a good influence on my little girl. So I eat better, and move as much as possible. We love to hula hoop!

2. Music

Music gets me pumped. I blare it when I feel sluggish, and it pumps me up.

3. My Mental Health

I have such a hard time being "normal". I am always on the edge of a downward spiral. But when I work out and eat right, I feel better. I hold onto that feeling, and use it to get my butt in motion.

4. Friends and Family

I consistently hear "why do you work out, you are so skinny". I want to SHOW people why I do it. I push harder so that people will be inspired by me.

5. Chalene

I usually will just turn on Turbofire because it's on my schedule. But once I get started, I hear Chalene yelling "You did not hold back!" and I push harder. Whose house? MY HOUSE!!!!

Day 4

Day 4

Inspirational People and Why

Hmm... this one is tricky. I have never really thought about it before, but there are three people who help me push through life and workouts on a daily basis.

1. Chalene Johnson

Chalene Johnson is the creator of TurboFire and Chalean Extreme (among others). She also wrote the book PUSH, which is full of daily goals to help you live a fuller, more productive, life. She's beautiful, crazy, and lives her life HUGE! Her workout programs are full of energy and uplifting messages. She is exactly what I am striving to be. 

2. Mindi Friendland (my coach)

Mindi is the reason I joined Beachbody, even as a customer. I stumbled onto her blog, and she just inspired me to go for it. I watch her videos when I get down on myself, and I see her power through her workouts, and deal with kids running around her, and even see her stop in the middle! She is real. She has also been very active in my fitness journey. She provides support, encouragement, and even a kick in the pants if I decide to get lazy lol. 

And, last but definitely not least

3. Joel Yelin (my boyfriend)

Don't groan at this one! I'm sure everyone would say their significant others, but I have real reason to say it. Joel has a dream to be in the UFC, and he is working hard to get there. He is doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 3 days a week, plus training with his friend once a week, plus working out on a few of his off days as well. This is in between: working 10 hour days, household chores, raising our daughter, and providing support for my crazy butt. I really don't make it easy, either. He has pushed through so much with me. And he keeps going. He motivates me to move. He also teaches me some of the moves he is learning, so if (god forbid) someone attacks me, I could get away. He is so amazing, and so strong, and he pushes me to be better. <3

Day 3

No formatting today, I am squeezing this post in before taking my daughter to school!

Day 3

List your favorite health foods

I love vegetables and fruit. It is honestly my favorite thing to eat. I just started putting kale in my spinach salads, very good and good for your body. Favorite fruit: blueberries. So easy to throw into cereal, or eat as a snack! Favorite veg of all time: onion. No, I don't like it cooked, only rarely will I eat it sauted. I like it raw, dipped into some form of dressing.

I use vinegar on everything. Yes it's healthy..... but I like it for it's taste.


Shakeology... I'm considering it a food because of everything that's in it. It's almost impossible to get all the nutrients in this shake in one day, let alone on sitting. I drink one in the morning, blended with blueberries. It's delicious, and I feel more energetic after having it!

Day 2

30 Day Fitness Challenge

Day 2

List the reasons for improving your fitness

Okay.... I have plenty of these. List form is probably better in this case :)

• to keep up with my daughter
• to lose my belly shelf that came with having a c-section
• to not feel sick and tired every day
• to provide a good example for family and friends
• to not be so depressed
• to be more self confident
• to love my body
• to have a fuller life
• to open up to new things
• to be more flexible
• to be able to lift things without hurting myself
• to be able to run

When I don't exercise and eat right, I feel guilty. I get sad, because I have a little girl who watches everything I do. I want to show her how to be healthy, and have fun doing it.

I used to be free, and healthy, and happy. I spent most of my time outside, walking or doing yoga. Somewhere along the way, I lost that, and I lost myself in the process. I am bipolar, and have low self esteem. I also have been at my heaviest (130lbs). While a lot of people say that is nothing, and I should be thankful for it, I don't like being that weight. I am a small person. I have never been over 115 in my life. I look in the mirror and see flab. If you have never seen me naked, you have no right to tell me I'm wrong. 

I hear a lot of "everyone dies, just live your life!" Guess what? I am living my life the way I want to. I was never happy just... living. My happiest time is when I'm living well.

30 Day Fitness Challenge

I am following in my coach's footsteps and doing the 30 day fitness challenge. Basically, every day I will post a blog entry with that day's task.







Day 1

Measure and weigh yourself

As of today, I am around 123lbs (with clothes on and after eating breakfast), and at 30% body fat. My weight is really right where I want it, now I am working on lowering my body fat. It's hard work but I can do it!




Now my personal challenge for readers.... DO THIS CHALLENGE!!!! If you are active, it shouldn't be that hard. If you have lost your motivation and drive to be fit, this will remind you of why you started on your fitness journey, and show you new reasons to continue. Honestly, what do you have to lose?

Upcoming Plans

So.... Today marks the first day of the LAST month of TurboFire. I'm excited to be at the end, but now is the time to start thinking about what comes next. I know that if I don't pick something else up right away, I'm going to fall right back into my old habits. And I've worked too hard to let that happen. So here are my two options:

Chalean Extreme

In my mind, this is a great second program for anyone who has done Turbofire. It is also by Chalene Johnson, but it seems to be more about building muscle, and not as much cardio. Plus, when you get TurboFire, they include a hybrid schedule to do both programs together to get even better results!

Body Beast

I wasn't really considering this one until I saw my personal coach do it. The name and video for it intimidated me. But watching her showed me that girls can do it too. In the video, it's all huge guys of the "I like to pick things up and put them down" variety. That is not me. I am tiny. But Mindi seems to be around my size, just a little stronger. She showed me I could do this.

Another reason I am considering this program is because of my boyfriend. He is moving forward with his plans of being an mma fighter! Today is his first Brazilian Jujitsu class, and I'm excited for him. I want to help him in any way possible, and I think that having this program would be a great way for him to build muscle.

PiYo

This is not a Beachbody program. It is strictly from Chalene and her company, Powder Blue Productions. I am getting this soon no matter what, and am going to do it along with whichever program I chose to do. The reason? I want to get certified in PiYo, and start teaching classes. It is one of my goals for this year, and it will get done.


Which one should I do? I could use some feedback, because as of right now I am pretty torn. Please leave comments, or email me. Also if you are interested in starting a program yourself, definitely sign up for the FREE coaching by following the link on my page, and putting Patricia DeHart as your sponsor/coach. By doing so, I can help you chose the program that is right for you, and be there every step of the way :)