Obstacles

I have had many thoughts run through my head today, what I should write about, if I should just catch everyone up, or if I should just wait until my thoughts are cohesive. Maybe I’ll just do all of the above just a little.

       I realize it’s been a while since my last post. I moved a couple of times, and we didn’t have internet. I know, how archaic. During that time I was able to accomplish a few things. I had another baby, and received my personal training certification. I also started two new certifications which I am still in the process of completing. MMA training and youth fitness certification, I mean after all, those are a couple of the reasons why I went into the wellness field. But now I finally have internet again and I have a lot to say. Enough of the back story, and on with the show.
      Today’s post is a little more personal, and I hope my thoughts are thoroughly achieved through my lack of eloquence. Everyone has obstacles that they will face in their lives. Some let those obstacles become road blocks and some just jump over them.  There is even an awesome show about people jumping over obstacles, Stone Cold Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge. You’ll have to check it out if you don’t already watch it. Sarah is one of the trainers at my gym and she is on the episode Fallen on Hard Times.
       For me all the obstacles I’ve faced before were easy to overcome. At the moment, I feel like my obstacles are getting bigger or even more frustrating.  If you recall, I had lost a good amount of weight last year and was 10 pounds away from what the doctor considers my “ideal” weight. I had tons of energy, confidence was great and I knew I could tackle anything that got in my way of achieving my goals. Then I got pregnant. I exercised the entire pregnancy and ate well ( my portions may have been a little ridiculous, but I ate the same foods as when I was losing weight). I had people tell me it would be impossible for me to get my body back after baby number three. I may have been a little cocky, I know how to lose weight. I know all the right foods, and combinations and appropriate times to eat them. I know what exercises  and how much to do. What I wasn’t counting on was a new obstacle.
       I’ve been at my current weight now for seven and a half months. Guess how old my youngest is, yep, seven and a half months. Here is the thing, I’m doing everything I know how to do. I figured it had to be my thyroid again, or some hormone is completely out of whack. Something is affecting my metabolism and it’s got to be the reason that the scale hasn’t budged! I want something to blame. The scale. The scale is a liar! I’m sure all of us women say that at one point or time. We see a number that we don’t want to see pop up and we shout “LIES!” at it. Well, it’s the truth the scale is a liar! While I have been busting my butt at the gym  and eating right I have been doing what every woman does. Weight is just a number, so why do I put so much stock into that number> Here is what the scale doesn’t say, the increase in weight that I am able to lift, the number of miles that I can run in a day, or even the fact that my body fat has dropped 5%.
          In hopes that my thyroid was the reason for what seemed like my failure, I went to the doctor to have my blood work done. When I walked in to the doctor she took one look at me and suggested an antidepressant. I get that, I was in gym gear, my hair was in a bun and all of the hair I lost in the first few months of postpartum were beginning to return and stick out everywhere. I had no make-up on and I had very dark circles under my eyes. I anxiously awaited the results of the blood work, while hoping to prove her wrong. The stress hasn’t gotten to me, I’m just tired of nursing every two hours.
        Unfortunately, she was right. Every thing  was normal. All my levels were normal. The stress is the culprit. But I can’t escape stress, not to say I don’t imagine a few hours of quiet all by myself. It hit me the moment I ended the call, that this is going to be hard. A lot harder than I had anticipated. Distress on the body releases cortisol, and cortisol is bad. It makes it harder to lose weight. Your body is like a greedy sponge and it holds onto as much fat as possible. OI! That just adds to my frustration and feelings of inadequacy. I’ve begun doubting the knowledge I have because I am stuck. I’ve been turned down for jobs because “I don’t look like a trainer.” I’m not looking for pity through this post. Please don’t think that is my intention. This isn’t one of those situations when I say one thing but mean another.
       I’ve been reading Drew Manning’s book FIT 2 FAT 2 FIT, and if you want to follow him on Facebook I highly recommend it. I’ve just started it and am only in like the third chapter, but in the second chapter he talks about an ordeal that took place between his brother-in-law and himself. In those moments he realized that having been fit all his life that he “just didn’t get it” and that he didn’t really understand what it’s like on the other side of the fit spectrum. Which is what sparked his change to fat and then fit again. This was great!
        I now know what horrible stress is like, how it affects weight loss. Previously, stress was fixed with just two hours at gym. My doctor’s recommendation was that I stop nursing, get on Zoloft for the stress and take a new diet pill and all my problems will be fixed. UMMMM, no thank you! My nursing daughter comes first before I worry about vanity. In the long run, I have figured out that my new obstacle in life just makes me more relatable to clients. I know how hard it is, and as I find a way to tackle this obstacle I will also be learning how to help others that deal with the same issue. I’d say that’s a win!

When are you going to stop?

You’re going to find that as you are succeeding on this weight loss journey, that people will often ask you the annoying question.

 “When are you going to stop?”

My response to this is always “NEVER!” Now imagine that I have a scrunched up determined look on my face, with my fist in the air, because that’s how I imagine it.  I’m sure you’re thinking a few things, “So you’re going to workout and diet until you wither away?” or “So you’re going to work out and diet until you look like an odd version of the she hulk?” NO. No, I’m not planning on that at all. However, I’m not going to stop because this isn’t a phase or even a diet for me. You see, to me, a diet is something that you do for  a certain amount of time to get quick results. I don’t even bother with diets because they aren’t created to be done for a lifetime. So, you stop your diet and eat how you are use to and you gain the weight back. Frustrated, you think that losing weight is something that only the disciplined and determined are able to do and stick to. WRONG! You keep getting on the same tracks and just continue circling. Listen to your body it knows, what is best.

I don’t avoid certain foods unless they upset my stomach or I know they are going to make me bloated. Please don’t take this as a eat how you want, because that is not what I’m saying. Moderation is my tool, and I keep it on me at all times. If you hold a caramel brownie in front of my face and tell me I can’t have it, one of two things will happen. I will either laugh at you, and tell you “All things in moderation,” or I will rip the brownie out of your hand to prove to you that I can.  I have a sweet tooth and sadly, it isn’t just one that I can pull out so that it will stop bothering me. 

Are you seeing what I mean? I can’t stop, and I won’t stop. (Please no singing Miley Cyrus songs right now). This is  a lifestyle. Why is that important? Well, when you continue to tell yourself “this is a permanent thing” you learn how to do little things better. For example, because I know this is a permanent thing, I force myself to learn which foods are best when. How to get more food for less calories, and what foods have certain nutrients that I may be lacking. You also get a sense of what your body likes and dislikes, which is important. For so long I was drinking milk three times a day, I wanted my calcium to build my bones, but milk (even skim) hurts my stomach. I’m not lactose intolerant, milk just makes me queasy, but I learned that Greek yogurt doesn’t bother me. Listen to your body.

Now onto exercise, no I’m not going to stop it either. If I were to stop, I’d lose so much of the muscle I have gained and we all know that muscle burns more meaning you get a few extra calories to eat. Who doesn’t want that? I love exercise, there are so many benefits to it. My main reason for getting to the gym everyday, stress. I’m a huge stressor and the gym gets that out. We all know how bad stress is for your body too.

I recently found out that we are expecting. I have actually been getting this question even more now. “When are you going to stop?” Again my reply is “NEVER!” I may or may not imply that I’ll be exercising until it’s time to push. For me exercise has taken a new meaning. You see with out going into too much detail it makes this awful morning sickness bearable. Yes, I still feel horrible and I want this part to pass quickly, but if I weren’t exercising, I fear it would be so much worse.

My first pregnancy I had no sickness and ate what I wanted. Gained 60 pounds, labored for 13 hours, 2 epidurals that failed and one nurse with a bruised nose.

My second pregnancy I was so sick I lost 30 pounds, I had to eat vegetarian, I exercised lightly, labored 6 hours, with no epidural and 3 very happy and proud nurses.

Huge difference right?  I’ve learned that continuing an exercise program through pregnancy makes for an easier delivery. To me that is totally worth it. Who wants to labor for hours and not be able to walk for days after? Ugh, the thought! So, to answer everyone’s question, yes I plan on continuing my current program and modifying as I get bigger. I hope to be an example for women around me to know that unless your doctor says otherwise, when you are pregnant, you are not handicapped. So suck it up buttercup and get your butt to the gym, or park, or in front of the TV doing yoga booty ballet or whatever gets you going. To my boot camp pals, Don’t let the pregnant lady show you up  

Much love to ya!

Ain’t no mountain high, Ain’t no valley low

 

All too often I hear people say “I can’t.” What should really be said is “I won’t.” The reality is that our bodies are only as strong as our minds say they are. When someone tells me, “I can’t because (insert excuse)” in my head I hear “I won’t because (insert lame excuse).”

I don’t allow the usage of the word can’t in our home, unless it is something like, “I can’t reach the top shelf.” I remind my family that can’t isn’t in our daily vocabulary, and should only be used when something is physically impossible ( being too short) or when myself or my husband has deemed something out of bounds because of behavior, “I can’t spend the night because my room isn’t clean.” Try and take can’t out of your vocabulary for a week.

Now, replace can’t with can. “I can do burpees, I can do sit-ups, I can run.” It may not be amazing, or up to where you think you should be, but you can do it. Eventually, if you continue to say can, you will and it will be a cinch. Sometimes we just don’t want to do something, ( I know I am guilty of this) but instead of can’t say I won’t. This causes you to be honest with yourself.

One of the biggest excuses I hear is “I can’t afford a gym membership so I can’t get healthy or lose weight.” WRONG!!! gym or no gym, fitness is a state of mind. You can’t have a strong body with a weak mind (Thank you FLEX TIL YOUR FAMOUS for that phrase). I have seen people get healthy with out ever stepping foot in a gym. For those of you that use that excuse, here is a challenge for you. Eat clean, cut out processed junk ( because all it really is, is chemicals) and walk daily for 30 minutes. It doesn’t have to be fast, it can be slow, but do it for 30 minutes. Done? Good, now add this AB challenge to your regimen. Happy, Healthy, and Strong, you can attack anything. Nothing will stand in your way. “Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough baby!”

 

Day 1- 10 sit-ups(SU),4 reverse crunches(RC), 10 sec plank ( P)

Day 2- 15 SU, 5 RC, 15SEC P

DAY3- 20 SU, 6 RC, 20SEC P

DAY4- REST

DAY5- 25SU, 6 RC, 20 SEC P

DAY6- 25 SU, 7 RC, 20 SEC P

DAY7- 30 SU, 7 RC, 25 SEC P

DAY8- 30 SU, 8 RC, 25 SEC P

DAY9-35 SU, 9RC, 30SEC P

DAY10-35 SU, 9RC, 35 SEC P

DAY11-REST

DAY12-40SU, 10 RC, 35SEC P

DAY13-45 SU, 10 RC, 35 SEC P

DAY14-45 SU, 11 RC, 40 SEC P

DAY15-50 SU, 12 RC, 40 SEC P

DAY16-50 SU, 15 RC, 40 SEC P

DAY17- 60SU, 15 RC, 40SEC P

DAY18-REST

DAY19-60 SU, 15 RC, 50 SEC P

DAY20-60SU, 18 RC, 50 SEC P

DAY21-70SU, 18 RC,  55 SEC P

DAY22-70 SU, 20 RC, 55 SEC P

DAY23-80 SU, 20 RC, 60 SEC P

DAY24-80SU, 22RC, 70SEC P

DAY25-REST

DAY26-80SU, 22 RC, 1:15 P

DAY27-90 SU, 24 RC, 1:20P

DAY28-90 SU, 26 RC, 1:30 P

DAY29-95 SU, 26 RC, 1:30 P

DAY30-95 SU, 28RC, 1:45 P

DAY31-100 SU, 30 RC, 2:00 P

My name is Rachelle and I am an addict

There are many things to be addicted to, and I’m sure we have all had a problem with one thing or another. I’m addicted to food, and it’s a battle but I have come a long way. Mostly in part, because of this wonderful guy named Aaron Stafford. Many people know him and many people owe a great deal to him.  I know he has saved the lives of many people by giving them the tools and showing them what they are able to do.

He has done this for me, and even through all of my complaining and questioning and often times nonsense in ramblings, he has still been there to help. This is one of the many things that are great about him and why his business has flourished the way it  has. He wants to help people change, and I have seen how dedicated he is to each and every person that walks through those gym doors.

I am an addict, I need his classes. I think about them all the time, the sweat that will be dripping off of me each class. The challenging work he gives us, and best of all the encouragement to do it. I signed a contract to continue his classes and it ends in March. I have often wondered if I will continue, if I will want to. I can tell you this, YES! I love every bit of it. I go to class everyday, even when we have class on Saturday. The friendships I have made in my nine months are wonderful. We have become a family, and we support one another in our triumphs and our flops (although there are few flops). I truly enjoy boot camp, and I don’t think I could live with out it. I don’t even want to try.

I’m telling you this for a few reasons, first, I have found something I love and that I will stick to. This is important because if you want to succeed you need to find something that you love and want to do. Secondly, registration is this Saturday and Sunday. This is your chance to see what I’m always talking about. There are more classes then boot camp, in fact, a new program called FUEL is being released ( I can’t wait, I already signed up and I’m ready for the butt kicking that will follow). There will also be two additional BOX fit classes at night. There will be so many changes so if you have attended once before and weren’t feeling it, come back and give it another try.  This is something you don’t want to miss out on. Trust me. A year will pass, will you be glad you started today or will you regret not taking that first step?

For more information or to preregister just click here and see for yourself.

Are you scared?

Let me ask you, are you scared? Yes? Good! No? WHY NOT? I’ll be honest with you, I am very scared. But, the difference between what I do with my fear now, and what I did with it nine months ago, is what I want to focus on. I live a life full of anxiety, and everyday presents a new fear or ridiculous phobia. For a long time I let this rule me, but not any more.

Nine months ago, I was afraid of failing, of not being able to accomplish what I wanted to do, of getting hurt, or looking like a fool. I was afraid that I would have a heart attack, or injure myself, or that I just wouldn’t be able to do it. I would let my fear stop me from even starting. Why do we do this? I’m here to tell you to throw those fears out the window, or stomp on them like your doing the Mexican hat dance. They are crippling and useless. Easier said then done right?  Wrong.

I did this, and guess what? I got hurt, and then I healed. I looked like a fool, but I wasn’t alone. I was able to do it, and I still can. I only get better. A little advice, take it one day at a time. You can’t fail on a large scale if each day is a new goal. I take one day at a time, and I set a goal for each day. No sugar today, BOOM! No overeating today, BAM! Portion control, POW! Target calories, ZAP! Yeah I know, I sound like a old episode of Batman, but you get the idea. Make each day a new day. By focusing on the present day, and not the day before, you can become more confident in your ability to do this. You’ll have a bad day, and slip, but that’s okay, because the next day you’re going to tackle each challenge like it’s nothing.

This is a marathon, not a sprint.

You know what my fear used to be and how I over came it, so let me tell you how my fear has become my fuel. Now my fear is disappointing myself, setting a bad example for my family, going back to where I started, living a life that is less than enjoyable. These things are what I think about when I ‘m struggling, or want to give up. Sometimes, I get frustrated because I’m not where I want to be yet. I use my fears to remind me that I don’t want to go back.  It will take time, and my results will not be over night.

I talked about it before, but some of you may not have read my blog from the very beginning, so I’ll share again. What started me on my journey was a few things. I had been trying to get pregnant for four years and had been told to give up because it wouldn’t happen, and my son at five years old already had high cholesterol and was obese. I was OBESE. I hated that word, more than you can ever imagine. OBESE, OBESE, OBESE! Yes, I’m repeating it. It helps to remind me of how far I have come. I was killing myself and my child with food. I didn’t want to diet and I didn’t want to feel deprived. Guess what? I don’t, I don’t diet and I don’t feel like I am depriving myself. I treat myself on cheat days and I just make healthier choices.

It’s not a diet, but a lifestyle.

When people ask me what diet I’m on I tell them “THE I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK THERE DIET.” Did you know there is a diet called that? HAHA, yes there is. It’s called a change of diet, meaning it’s a permanent thing, a lifestyle. I can’t sell you on it if you don’t want it. Look back at what has brought you to where you are, do you want to go back there? If you haven’t started to change  your life, why not? You have to stop the excuses, and stop doubting yourself, change your mindset, and surprise yourself with how amazing you are. You can do it! Tell yourself that everyday. You are strong. How bad do you want it? If you’re not ready to commit to the change, then you just don’t want it bad enough. Picture a starving cheetah, has very little energy left, just enough for one catch. If that cheetah doesn’t catch it’s prey, it’s very well dead. Be the cheetah, your mouth watering, your heart pounding, you want it so bad you can taste it. You WILL get your prey. Now commit or go back to where you started/are, you are the only one that can make that choice.

So how do you choose?

Do as I do and as I say

Happy 4th of July! I hope you are all having a blessed day, and remembering the reason for our celebrating and shopping. I’m very grateful for the sacrifice of our servicemen past and present. It is because of their selflessness that we can cook out, go to the lake or beach, participate in the holiday’s celebrations and most of all, why we are free. You never know when your freedom is going to be stripped away, so take time to cherish it, and most of all Thank our military! 

Okay, so now that I got my gratitude out there in blog land.  There has been a thought running through my mind for a while, and I have been contemplating on blogging about it. This could be a topic that will stir up either a lot of thought, action, or possibly even anger. I hope there is a lot of the first two and very little of the third. Are you a leader or a follower?

Now think about it, and think about it as you go about your day or week. Think while you make your food choices, and while you are deciding whether or not to hit the gym. Are you a leader or a follower? It’s okay if you are a follower, at some point in our lives we all are, and there is nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong at all. But I want you to think like a leader, what I mean by that is to think about who is watching you.

When I first started attending Stafford Bootcamp, I was definitely a follower. It had been a really long time since I had worked out and I had forgotten my form and technique. I watched those that were clearly veterans in the class, and I learned from them. Now, that I am a veteran in the class, I try and help people when I can tell they are lost or when I can tell their form is going to lead to an injury. I’ve had plenty of my own and if I can help someone else prevent an injury from my mistakes, I do my best to help.

But that’s not all I do. I have adapted the mentality “Do as I do and as I say.” Why this? Well, because I try my hardest to do what I say. I may not be perfect at it, but I try my best. So why not say “DO as I say not as I do?” A couple of reasons come to mind. One, my advice is not always going to work for everyone. Two, even if my advice were perfect for everyone, no one is perfect. Sticking to something can be hard to do. This is why I say do as I do. I don’t mean copy every single thing I do, but see what I do and adapt it to work for yourself.

An example of this is when I’m in class, and worn out and feel as though I can’t continue. I stop take about three breaths and push again. I’m not going to lie and say that I continue `the exercise the entire time ( I mean really who can do push ups for three minutes straight?). I do make sure that whenever they tell everyone there are 20, 10, or even 5 seconds left that I am doing the exercise. I’m not going to cheat myself and stop when there is only a short amount of time left. This is what I mean, maybe three breaths is too short of a break and some one might need more time. Take that time but don’t cheat yourself by stopping when there is only a little bit more to do.

Another example, is my diet. I can tell you “eat clean 90 percent of the time,'” but in reality, I don’t even do that. I eat clean about 80 percent of the time. I’ve tried the 90 and I kept falling off the wagon. I’m just not there yet. I mean I have days that amaze me, I’ll juice fruits and veggies for two meals, have completely balanced meals  for the other three, and it seems so effortless. Then there are days when it feels like a struggle to make those meals balanced. SOMETIMES I JUST WANT CARBS! Who doesn’t right? When people ask me how I do it, I tell them make little changes first and to detox their system by drinking lots of lemon water. Try new things and explore new vegetables. You’d be surprised what you will like when you are open minded. This is how I have done it. I mean I hated Kale for the longest time, I could not choke it down. It would make me gag. But, I have eaten so much Kale that now I crave it! I need my Kale! Find what works for you and try your best to stick to it.

Back to the title, “DO as I do and as I say.” Sometimes my advice is really good, and you should follow it, but please see that even I am not the best at following my own advice. I try, and that’s all that really matters. We all have to try. This thought was sparked by the image of my daughter, who now copies everything our family members do. I see her reach her hand into our air popped popcorn and place a piece in her mouth, or dip her chicken into ketchup because that’s what her brother does. She also randomly does squats, because when Mommy gets bored she does some. She is watching everything we do, and I can teach her through my example. There is a saying, “actions speak louder than words.” This is very true. Children only hear about 20 percent of what their parents say (I may have grasped that number out of the air, but I know it is a really low percentage). They learn from what they see around them.

Remember that someone is always watching you. They’re watching to see if you’ll fail, or succeed, if you quit, or keep going. If you’ll let the pressure get to you, or if you let it roll off your shoulder. Someone is watching to see if you are a leader or a follower, or if you are someone they can rely on. Ultimately, it is up to you, and whatever you choose  will only effect you. I have tried to become a leader, and as I have done this, I have seen myself grow into a person I never knew I could be. The choice is yours, so choose wisely.

Goals

             Have you seen that commercial for AARP? You know the one that says “Michelle just finished her first marathon at forty. Proof that not everyone peaks in their twenties.” Something like that, I can’t remember the exact wording. Well, this got me thinking about my brother-in-law. See last year, Aaron decided that he was going to run a marathon. At first I thought he was crazy, I even thought he was crazy when he was visiting and had my sister drop him off ten miles from my house and he ran back. I really thought he was crazy when he arrived and his toes were bleeding. I mean, for the longest time if I hurt, I’d stop. So his actions had me confused, why would he do something that hurts his body? But now I understand, he was determined and wasn’t going to let anything prevent him from reaching his goal. I remember this every time I work out.

             Goals are great, but what if you don’t reach them? Like say you have a goal of a weight loss of 2 pounds per week, but you don’t meet that goal? Well, don’t give up! Just try again. You know that saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Well, that’s exactly what you need to do. Don’t get down on yourself because you didn’t meet that goal and give up. Do the work, and get out of your head. I can’t say this enough, GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD!! Here’s what I do, Every month I set a goal of 2-6 inches lost. I don’t really worry about the number on the scale, after all it is just a number and that number DOES NOT define me. I do get on once a week to make sure that I haven’t over done it. But that’s it. Sometimes I meet my goal, and sometimes I fall short. But after I pick myself up and brush the dirt off my shoulder I get back to work. I focus on each rep, or the intensity of my workout. Then I track all of my food. Sometimes I forget, I mean we all do every now and then, but I try.

                  Setting goals are important, and there are a times when you can sabotage yourself when you set a goal. There are a few rules, that I try to follow when setting my goals. I think that you will find they are very helpful.

- Set a realistic goal

      Know what you can do. If you know that you have a hard time losing weight, don’t say “I’m losing 40 pounds in three months.” First off, that isn’t safe. Secondly, it’s only going to upset you when you don’t meet that goal.

  - have a visual / tangible goal

      By doing this, you can see how far you have to go. This will also be a constant reminder. This past march I bought myself a swimsuit and I hung it up on the wall in my room. I saw this suit when I woke up and went to sleep. I would see it and think, how much work I had to do and then push for that.

-divide and conquer

   I have found that focusing on my long term goal, makes me a little nervous sometimes. I mean it’s going to take A LOT of work to get where I want to be.  Divide your long term goal into smaller achievable goals. Then celebrate, but not with food, YOU ARE NOT A DOG.  You’ll feel accomplished and this will push you to continue.

- Give yourself a deadline

   I’ll be honest, I’m not really good about this one. I have however, decided that by March I will have lost a total of 45 inches. I’ve already lost 29.5 inches so I’m not far off. If I reach a total of 45 inches before then, I will have to reset my goal.  By setting a deadline, you are forcing yourself to be accountable.  But again, be realistic in setting your deadline.

- Take it one day at a time

      Every day, I make sure that I get all my water, have two juices, drink two protein shakes, and that I don’t eat after seven o’clock. Some days, I do  this perfectly, and others I don’t. But, I try  to focus on this each day, because by doing this I’m not worrying about the result, but more about the work. Once I get focused on the work, I will see results. I talked about “the circle” before.

Now I want to share my goal with you. It may seem like an unrealistic one, and some may poke fun at me or tell me I can’t do it. For those of you, go ahead, because your ridicule will only fuel my fire. In a year, maybe a little less, but by my birthday next year, I would like to be in shape to compete like my inspiration Cody Lawyer at the protein princess. I won’t compete, but I’d like to be in the shape to do so. I have a buddy, My dear sweet sister, Emily has so kindly agreed to join me on this journey. We will keep each other on track.

What is your goal? If you don’t have one, set one. Make yourself accountable, and then achieve it. You can do it, I believe in you.