Why Do You Do It?
Posted: May 2, 2013 Filed under: favorites, lifespiration, paleo, thoughts | Tags: favorites, lifespiration, paleo, thoughts 1 Comment »Last night, I was browsing through a few blogs on my favorites bar, and I came across a post called What Keeps You Paleo Motivated? that really struck a chord with me.
Whenever you decide to make a change in your lifestyle – whether it be to eat better, exercise more, quit smoking, get more sleep, or whatever else – it takes some serious motivation. The post above talks about a few peoples’ individual motivations for choosing to eat paleo: they want to lose weight, fit into their jeans, succeed at living healthier, stop farting at work (seriously), ease their stomach pains…
Clearly, it’s different for everyone (be thankful you’re not the guy who wants to stop farting audibly in front of his coworkers), and this motivation certainly changes over time. At first, you may decide to eat better because you want to lose weight, but once it’s off, you may also realize that you’d felt crappy for a long time and now see that you never want to go back there.
The piece of the article that really resonated with me though was this:
For me, the answer to the question about what motivates me is feeling good. When I eat better, drink water, and work out regularly, I feel better. If I want to eat a bagel or an ice cream cone, I can… but I know what the consequences will be. And when I don’t eat those things, it’s not because I can’t because I’m on some diet, or because someone told me I couldn’t… it’s because I choose not to.
Of course, this mainly applies to eating for me, but it could apply to anything that you’re needing motivation for in your life. Do you want to lose weight? Then make the choice to eat healthier and do it. Do you want to have more energy, stop bone loss, and get stronger? Then make the choice to exercise at least a little bit every single day and do it. Do you want to live longer? Then make the choice to quit smoking/limit drinking/stop tanning/etc. and follow through. Do you want to be happier? Then get out of that bad relationship, quit that dead-end job, or move to an apartment on the beach and get happy.
Framing things out in this way really does help me feel less like a victim and more like a success story. I don’t want to have stomach aches, so I choose to eat well as often as I possibly can. I want to be fit and healthy, so I choose to get up early and workout. I want to live a long life, so I choose to forego tanning, drink a lot of water, and learn about things that are good for me.
Sometimes, it’s not easy. Sometimes I say to myself ‘why are you bothering with all of this?’ Most people don’t spend half their Sundays cooking food for the week. Most people don’t research restaurants before they go to make sure they can find something on the menu that won’t upset their stomach. Most people don’t skip the bun on a burger. Most people don’t get up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym and run around like a maniac. So why should I make my life so much harder to do all of these things when I don’t have to?
The answer is: because I choose to!
So, friends, what motivates you? You may not eat paleo, but there has got to be something that you choose to go out of your way to do because you know it’s worth it.
So… why do you do it?
Fitspiration: CrossFit Edition
Posted: April 23, 2013 Filed under: crossfit, favorites, fitspiration | Tags: crossfit, favorites, fitspiration Leave a comment »I haven’t done a Fitspiration post in a really long time, so today I figured I should bring it back for another installation.
I’ve really been expanding my idea of fitness lately, and I’ve become more and more interested in the world of CrossFit over the past six months or so. The sport has opened my eyes to a whole new style of working out that I really gravitate toward, and I’ve picked up a few new fitness inspirations along the way.
Physically, it has shown me that you don’t have to look like a chiseled bodybuilder, a skinny model, or any of the other “ideal” body types to be fit. You can be an average/normal/{insert other somewhat-negatively-associated-but-well-meaning adjective here} girl or guy and still be a fitness machine.
Of course, fitspiration isn’t just about how you look – it’s also about how you think, how you feel, and how you stay motivated – and these strong ladies inspire me to push myself harder every single day.
What motivates and inspires you?
Temporary Shutdown
Posted: April 8, 2013 Filed under: CPT, crossfit, daily, favorites, meal prep, workouts | Tags: CPT, crossfit, daily, favorites, meal prep, workouts 3 Comments »This weekend was certainly a whirlwind, with the first half moving at hyper-speed, filled with driving back and forth across the state, some last minute cramming for my exam, and a few errands sprinkled in. Luckily, the second half was spent in a state of total relaxation, doing all kinds of fun things with some of my favorite people.
My mom is wonderful and came with me to Massachusetts for my exam, and I loved having the moral support. After I passed (!!), we celebrated by hitting up Trader Joe’s (what else would we want to do?) and spent the afternoon relaxing. My brain needed a serious break, and it was nice to not have to think about much for a little while.
When I was ready to head back home, I snacked my way through the car wash and then hit the road.
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I baked up these delicious little babies for dinner, and although I generally don’t like stuffing, TJ’s does stuffing right. The cranberries were an awesome addition, and alongside some green beans, this chicken made an absolutely delicious celebratory meal.
I planned on spending Sunday laying low, and that’s exactly what I did. In general, I love having things to do and a to-do list to focus on, but now that my exam’s over, I’m definitely going to enjoy a little downtime. For breakfast, I had a TJ’s cinnamon raisin bagel with whipped cream cheese and grapes before parking myself on the couch for a movie.
And then: this happened.
My friend just built a gym in his new house, and I have a feeling I am going to develop a love-hate relationship with it very quickly. We did a (seemingly simple but really not) workout that consisted of a warm up (running, stretching, and some light squats), five rounds of {5 thrusters @ 65lbs, 10 med ball slams @ 30lbs, and 25 jump ropes}, plus some pull-up work at the end. I really struggle with pull-ups (like, really), so getting better at those is a serious goal of mine and luckily he’s willing to help.
After the workout, we hit up Panera for a light lunch. Their chicken noodle soup is pretty good, but their bread is where it’s at.
The rest of the afternoon was spent riding bikes around the lake and just relaxing, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’m one of those people who’s brain in constantly on overdrive – brainstorming my next blog post, compiling my to-do list, studying, planning, thinking random and totally unnecessary thoughts, etc. – so it’s nice to just shut it off and enjoy life from time to time. I’m sure I’ll be bored within a couple of weeks and start thinking about the next project I want to tackle, but for right now, I’m going to just sit back and enjoy it!
Dinner came in the form of this frozen pizza; I’d never had this version at all, but I haven’t had frozen pizza in general in longer than I can remember. Surprisingly though, the ingredients list wasn’t all that bad, and the taste was pretty great.
Salad on the side rounded things out, nutritionally.
And for dessert: one of my all-time favorite flavors of ice cream. What better to celebrate an accomplishment with?!
Finally, when it was time to refocus and get back into work-week mode, I decided to do a bit of meal prep for the week. I cooked red and green peppers with chicken, olive oil, cumin, crushed red pepper, chili powder, and cilantro on the stove top and let it simmer for a bit.
And I baked up chicken and sliced zucchini and roma tomatoes with Italian seasonings and crushed red pepper for about 30-40 minutes.
It only took me about a half hour to prepare everything (minus cooking time) but now I’ve got four out of five lunches done for the week!
It was definitely a fabulous weekend all around!
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Posted: April 8, 2013 Filed under: CPT, favorites, fitness | Tags: CPT, favorites, fitness 7 Comments »This weekend was a big one for me.
After six long months of studying, I’ve finally reached one of the goals I set for myself.
I spent the last month or so cramming for the exam, and I felt really prepared going in. I was still nervous, as I always am before tests, but I felt confident, and all that hard work paid off when I received this result at the end.
And with that, I am now officially a NASM certified personal trainer!
I set this goal for myself without a whole lot of expectations in mind, and I still don’t have that many now. I don’t see myself trying to get a job in a gym anytime soon (if ever), but I do want to use my certification as a credential for knowing what I’m talking about a little more. I really enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts and knowledge here on the blog, and I’ve been giving tips to friends and family where I can. I want to continue to better myself, help others, learn more about fitness, and expand my outlook and knowledge base, and I think that this certification is a huge step in the right direction.
In the next few months, I want to focus more on my blog, my career, my own personal fitness level, and my personal life, and now that I won’t have to spend all my free time studying, I think I am in a great position to do all of those things. I really want to expand the framework of my blog, try to write for other publications, and incorporate more of my health and fitness knowledge in my writing when I can. I want to continue to grow and challenge myself in my career, setting myself up for a professional future where I can excel and which I actually enjoy. I want to focus more on training my own body, learning new moves, trying new things, and increasing my overall fitness level to one I’ve never reached before. But besides all that, I also want to get outside more, spend more time relaxing, meet more people, and strengthen the relationships I already have.
It seems like a lot, but now that this chapter is closed, I’m ready and excited to start a new one – with this certification tucked securely in my pocket. I’m proud of myself for going through with the work and succeeding, and I’m so thankful to all of the wonderful people in my life who have supported me along the way. I’m sure I’ve been annoying my family and friends with my studying, complaining about the work, and using them as human study tools, naming each of their muscles and body parts and telling them random facts that they probably couldn’t care less about. But still, they never told me to buzz off… and that’s when you know you’ve got great people in your life.
Congratulatory flowers came from some of the most special people in my life, and the texts, Facebook messages, Instagram responses, and tweets this weekend were all very much appreciated. I feel lucky to have so much support, and it’s amazing to know that I’m surrounded by wonderful people.
So with all that said, here’s to the next chapter!
What’s Your Thing?
Posted: April 5, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, favorites, fitness, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, favorites, fitness, strength, workouts Leave a comment »For some reason, this week’s workouts have seemed a lot more intense than last week’s, and even though I started the week off slow, I’m definitely loving the change. I really enjoy challenging myself in anything that I do, and fitness is no exception. I feel so accomplished when I do something better or faster than the last time, and seeing myself get stronger is such a great feeling.
When I first started focusing on lifting heavier (only about five weeks ago), I really had no idea where I stood strength-wise. I had never tested my maximum strength capabilities, and I rarely ever pushed myself to go heavier – instead just sticking to what I was used to. Since then, I’ve squatted more than I ever have, bench pressed more than I ever have, and, yesterday, I deadlifted more than I ever have. I’m learning that my body is capable of so many cool things that I never even realized, and it’s exciting to see how far I can go with it.
Besides my physical capabilities, my outlook on fitness in general is expanding too. I have learned so much through my NASM studying, and I find myself wanting to constantly read about different kinds of workouts and put them into practice. I used to hate working out with other people, but now, even that is changing. I’m really only competitive with myself, but meeting new people at the gym, learning from others, and even researching new ways to workout on the Internet has really opened my eyes to all kinds of new things – and it’s been really fun.
Thursday’s workout was largely running-based, something that I have definitely not been focusing on lately. That said, it totally kicked my butt, but the struggle is just going to help me get better!
Here’s what it looked like:
- Warm up: 5 minute walk on treadmill + 15 Back squats @ 45lbs
- Deadlifts:
- 12 @ 95lbs
- 8 @ 115lbs
- {3 @ 135} x2
- {5 @ 135} x6
- Workout:
- Run 12 laps (1 mile)
- 21 Dumbbell swings @ 20lbs
- 21 Goblet squats @ 20lbs
- Run 8 laps
- 15 Dumbbell swings @ 20lbs
- 15 Goblet squats @ 20lbs
- Run 4 laps
- 9 Dumbbell swings @ 20lbs
- 9 Goblet squats @ 20lbs
- 50 Wall balls
- Core (4x):
- 20 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 15 Swiss ball back extensions
- 10 Overhead side bends with Swiss ball (each side)
- 5 Hanging knee lifts
- Cool down: 5 minute walk
For breakfast, I tried out a new protein powder from GNC. Casein is a slower-releasing form of protein, which can be beneficial at times, like before bed, when your body is about to go for several hours without food. That’s when I generally plan on taking this, since I don’t eat in the morning before I workout, but yesterday I was too excited to wait. (Plus, I was starving after my workout yesterday morning and too lazy to make a real breakfast.) I blended a big scoop with some water and ice, and let me tell you, this is the best tasting protein powder I’ve tried yet. The chocolate flavor was rich, and it was totally creamy and smooth. All I have to say is: thank you, GNC!
It was a fruity kind of day around here yesterday, and once I got to work, I snacked on a banana and some pineapple to hold me over until lunch.
For lunch, I had another batch of chicken, zucchini, and tomatoes with crushed red pepper and Italian seasonings, plus a few prunes on the side.
I also had to run to TJ Maxx at lunch, where the check-out line is my worst enemy. They line it with all kinds of goodies and add-ons that no one actually needs, and I’ll admit, they get me every time. This time, I picked up a little bag of these dark chocolate almond toffee candies (that I definitely didn’t need), and oh my, they were good!
Luckily, the ingredients list wasn’t so bad either…
Cantaloupe rounded out the rest of the fruit for the day as an afternoon snack…
And for dinner, I kept things simple with baked chicken (drizzled with honey after it was done) and asparagus (drizzled with olive oil and black pepper before cooking). It only took about five minutes to prepare but it was absolutely delicious!
To wrap up today, I want to say that as I go on, I’m learning that fitness is definitely my thing. And even though I know I go on and on about fitness everyday, I also realize that it’s not for everyone. Some people tell me that even though they love reading my blog, they just skip right over the workouts section, and that’s totally fine with me. I get it. But there are so many hobbies out there to try, and surely, there’s something for everyone.
So even if fitness isn’t your thing, I encourage you to find out what is because the bottom line is that you find out what you love to do – and you go do it. (Of course, if it’s something active that benefits your health, that’s a bonus!) We all go through life working hard at our jobs, taking care of our families, and spending our time doing chores, but it’s so important to also do the things that make us happy. So if you haven’t found it yet: don’t give up. You’ll find it, and when you do, it will be great.
Questions:
What’s your thing? What do you love to do most in the world?
What have you tried that just wasn’t your thing?
