Connect the Dots Ginger | Becky Allen: exercise
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Plus Size Fitness Newbies: 10 Tips To Get Started Right

There are times when I introduce myself as a health and fitness coach or let people know I am studying for my personal training certification, I get that nasty little voice in the back of my head saying, "I bet they are thinking, how can she be a fitness expert when she isn't even fit herself?" Well, you are right, I'm not skinny, lean, toned, ripped, or however people classify "fitness experts". I am a plus size woman smack dab in the middle of her journey, and I have felt that I need to help others just like me reach their goals too. So, I became a coach, and started training to be that expert. And guess what? I'm not the only plus size gal to do so!

Plus size is defined by clothing sizes, not by how physically strong someone is or what their endurance levels are. I am literally working my ass off to reach my goals to be lean, toned and strong and at a healthy fat percentage. But not skinny. I don't want to be skinny. I want to be strong! But these insecurities of not being good enough in the physique department I have had for awhile. It held me back for years from going to a gym or truly feeling comfortable at a gym. Wearing shorts in public.

So here are my tips if you are just getting started with your fitness or getting back into fitness after some time away and you body is not where you wish it were. Basically, on how you can over come fitness related insecurities.
1) Start With Something Fun
If you love dancing, DANCE! Sign up for a dance class, do Zumba, or Country Heat. Dance! When you are enjoying your workout, it won't feel like work and the time will fly by. Don't start with running if you don't like it just because XYZ lost a ton of weight when she started running. Do something that you enjoy. Don't know what you enjoy to do? Try a bunch of different things. MMA, Cross Fit, Dancing, strength training, cycling, get a personal trainer. There are tons out there that you can do that don't involve walking on the treadmill or using the elliptical for hours every week (unless you really like walking on the treadmill or using the elliptical). Or interested in having unlimited access to over 600 workouts and growing? SEND ME AN EMAIL and let's chat!
2) Don't Fall Back Into A Crutch Workout Routine
Years ago you were able to walk on the treadmill or elliptical and were able to maintain. So what do you do when you start going back to the gym? Start with the treadmill and or elliptical. I did that you guys! Because it was safe. Because it was what I was used to. Because I could watch TV! There are so many different types of exercises you can do now that will challenge you, that will help your bones get stronger, that will help your heart function better, that will help your body shape literally change. Don't start back in with your comfortable crutch workout routine. Try new things! (see above for ideas of other types of workouts)

3) Invest In A Good Bra
You don't have to invest in cute exercise clothing but you need to invest in a good sports bra. Especially if you are just back into working out, your size may have changed, or your old bra might be a little too worn down. Invest in a new bra to help keep you comfortable. I honestly love the new cute, strappy back bras. But they might not be good on runs, and sometimes I have to double up on them if I am doing plyometrics. So check the intensity meter on the bra before you buy. A cute one with medium intensity would be this Queenie Ke Strappy Back Energy Sports bra.



4) Exercise Clothing
I said above that you don't have to invest in cute exercise clothing, but you might want to buy a few key pieces to get you started. When I uncomfortable exercising in a guy, I wore a XL cotton shirt and exercise shorts with cotton undies. It was so hot and uncomfortable, but heaven forbid I wear a tank top and actually feel comfortable temperature wise at the gym. It wasn't until I decided, it's a gym who cares, that I started to wear tanks and then started to invest in new clothing to exercise in. Wear what you are comfortable in. But don't feel like you have to suffer in cotton shirts and undies or sleeved shirts and long pants when it is 105 inside and outside of the gym. There are so many cute and amazing affordable clothing out there now. And when you wear something cute you feel better too, and your whole experience just get better. I personally wear capris and longer shorts. Helps with chaffing issues. And eventually, you will need some good shoes too, especially if you are running. I personally love my Brooks running shoes and use them for my workouts right now until I find a pair of cross training shoes I love!






5) Don't Put Off What You Want To Do Because Of Your Weight
Just because you aren't at your goal weight doesn't mean you can't start a brand new at home program or go to a gym. Or be in a yoga class. Or do cross fit. Pole dancing. Belly dancing. Or whatever you want to do. Don't say, "when I get to my goal weight, then I can go..." or don't get in the habit of saying, "if only I could lose weight I could..." Your body knows what you are saying and those phrases are full of deep negativity. You have to change your mindset to reach your goals. Use this a a brand new step in your journey. A new adventure. One that is going to be totally different than all the times before because you can see the changes. Because you have free online support and motivation to help keep you going when the times get tough! Do what you want to do now, as you are now. You don't have to be a certain size to do any workout. All you have to do is just start doing that workout.
6) Don't Compare Yourself To Anyone
This goes along with #5 because honestly it is so easy to do this at the gym. When you see another plus size lady running on the treadmill, comfortably and you are dying at 2.5 speed, you start to compare. (BEEN THERE DONE THAT, many times!) Or seeing another woman in the "guys section" ripped and lifting major weights. It can be really intimidating to go over there and lift weights. You are where you are in your journey. And they are where they are in their journey. And for all you know, they could have started right where you are at. You never know where someone is in their journey. Don't think that you will never get there because you can. You just have to be consistent with the gym, and eating right and over time it will happen!
7) Be Sure To Always Warm Up, Cool Down and Stretch
Something that is easily forgotten when you just want to be done. Make sure you take a quick 5 minute warm up and cool down before and after every workout. Just on the treadmill, or around the track. Nothing too strenuous. Even before you go into a class. Get in a quick warm up so that you are ready to go before their warm up, sometimes those warm ups are like the start of the workout. It is just go-go-go! And stretch at the end too! This will help to avoid injuries. And if you are sore from the previous day it will help to loosen up those sore muscles so that you can torture, I mean work them again! Don't just finish and run to do something else. Take the time to stretch out your legs, back, arms so that you don't get too sore. Think of it as helping your body lengthen out into lean long muscles because that is what you are doing. You are helping your muscles relax out so they don't cramp up on you.


8) Weight Loss Shouldn't Be Your Only Goal
As easy as it is to exercise because you want to lose weight. It is just like the term "diet." It won't last. When the scale doesn't go down, or it goes up (as it often does in the beginning as the muscles are getting stronger and fat loss hasn't started yet) you can get frustrated and call it quits. But don't do that. Sure, the scale might not be moving, but think about all the other benefits you are doing for your body with exercise and healthy eating. Strengthening your heart, bones, muscles. Lubricating your joints so you don't hurt as much. Getting endorphins pumped into your body helping you feel happier. Body shape literally changing. Glowing from the inside out because your organs are working better, being more efficient because you are feeding your body what it needs and hydrating. The list goes on and on. When things get tough and you feel like quitting, just remember this is more than just losing weight. You are setting an example to your kids. You are being an inspiration to your friends or co-workers. You are showing people that being consistent with something in life is possible.
9) Celebrate EVERY Moment and Accomplishment No Matter How Big Or Small
Celebrate the fact you went to the gym 3 days, 4 days, 5 days in a row. Celebrate that you pants feel looser. Non Scale Victory as we like to call them. Celebrate how well you are feeling. Celebrate any time you drop 10 pounds, or a dress size. The key to celebrating is how you celebrate it. Don't use food as your way to celebrate, which is what we often equate celebrating to. Find something else to do to celebrate. Some people put money in a jar for every pound lost and when they hit X pounds lost they have enough money to buy a new outfit. Or purse. Or a trip. Celebrate with telling your friends your accomplishments, because they are watching your story. You are helping to inspire them to get off their butts and get moving too! Celebrate with new gym equipment at home. A Bosu ball. New free weights. Get a mani, or pedi! Anything way you can celebrate without it focusing on food. Don't get me wrong, you can still celebrate with foods, but make it for a really big goal. Like 50 pound loss. Or hitting your goal weight, or birthdays, holidays. And just stick with food type celebrations as a holiday.
10) NEVER GIVE UP! 
Losing weight is the hardest thing you will ever do and it will take TIME. There are going to be times where you question yourself and think what you are doing is crazy. There are going to be times where you workouts sucks. There are going to be times where you don't have the energy or motivation to do it. But...BE CONSISTENT! Make a goal to exercise at home or go to the gym no matter what 3 times a week. No ifs, ands or butts about it. Every week. Make it a goal. That way you are still doing something for your body with ample rest time in between. But darn well try to exercise more often if you can. Aiming for 4-6 days a week is great! Again finding something you love will help out so much in the motivation department. Just be consistent with your exercising. With your healthy eating. With doing what you know you should do and you will make changes to your body. You will reach your goals. And the only thing that will determine how fast or slow you make it to those goals is you and how hard you work for them!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Monday, July 17, 2017

Plus Size Fitness: Modified Core Exercises

No shame in modifying your workouts when starting your workout journey, coming back from an injury or after taking a break from regular exercise.

Pin for later! 
Check out these modifications for these 3 core exercises! 

Do as many as of each of these exercises in 1 minute. Rest for 2-3 minutes then try one more set!

Push Ups:
Renegade Rows: 
Alternate lifting weights from left to right.

Plank Walks: 
start in a modified plank position with hands close together
Step right hand out to the side then bring back to center
Step left hand to the left side then back to center
Then do the right again, then left and so forth.
Interested in working with me as your virtual coach or joining my team to help motivate and inspire others like I do? EMAIL ME or private message me over at my Facebook page and let's chat! And don't forget to join my FREE Online community to give you that daily motivation, tips, and support to help you reach your goals and score a free copy of my clean eating guide! 


Friday, July 14, 2017

Working Out Is Your New Personal Therapy Session

The #1 thing I hear from people, moms especially, is "I don't know how you do it [find time to workout] with kids at home." That's the thing; I don't really have time to workout at home. I don't. I'm busy just like anyone else. I just took Collin upstairs for time out because he didn't like hearing me say no to something so he decided to be vindictive and get back at me by taking a plastic knife to my piano. (that S&*t don't fly in my house!) 

I am a busy mom with crazy kids at home, but if I don't workout, I AM THE ONE THAT WILL GO CRAZY! I have learned how to make my workouts sessions like my daily therapy session to stay sane. No joke you guys. When I was going to a therapist for my miscarriage, I made it a point to exercise and felt so much better mentally than the days that I didn't exercise. 
How do you make your workout into a personal therapy session? 

1) Set aside some time for you. MAKE TIME in your life for you. If that means 30 minute nap time. Quiet time. Time out. Whatever you call it. Do it. My kids are in their quiet time spaces when I do mine. They are in a safe location so that I can turn my brain off for them and focus on what I am doing.

2) Focus on the workout and what the trainer is saying. Most trainers are motivating. They will say something that will just hit you right in the heart. Use that phrase as your drive to help you get through the next 30 minutes or however long you have left. The other day it was: YOU HAVE SO MUCH MORE IN YOU! He was so flipping right! I DID! The workout was getting harder, and I was getting tired. So I started to just go through the motions, but motions aren't going to get me results! So I pushed and finished strong you guys! 

3) Allow yourself to think about you and how you are feeling during the workout. Sounds weird but it is true. Don't be making your grocery list as you are doing pushups. Don't be thinking about what you have to do after the workout is done, think about you in that moment. How you are feeling. How your body feels. How far you have come. What you will feel like when you reach your goals. We start going through the motions or quite when we stop focusing on what we want. 

4) Take pride in what you just accomplished at the end of the workout. Give yourself a mental high five for rocking your workout. Think about you struggles you overcame or a move that was hard but you tried it anyways, and were able to do 1, 3, or 5 of them. You are amazing and strong. 

5) BE CONSISTENT! Don't just do this one day a week, be consistent and do this MOST DAYS, and especially the days that you feel run down or down on yourself. ( I want to say weaker mentally, just having a harder time coping with things going on around you, but I don't know if that is the right term but it kind of is) The more that you exercise, the more consistent you get with it the more it will help you. The more that you will want it for this reason. Our bodies and mind need exercise you guys. There is a reason why our body is flooded with endorphins after we exercise. We need it! 


So...who is getting in their personal therapy session today? What are you going to do? 
Interested in working with me as your virtual coach or joining my team to help motivate and inspire others like I do? EMAIL ME or private message me over at my Facebook page and let's chat! And don't forget to join my FREE Online community to give you that daily motivation, tips, and support to help you reach your goals and score a free copy of my clean eating guide! 

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Beginning Walking or Running Tips

I was up early before the sun this morning with my Shakeology in hand to help volunteer at our local Woman's 4 Miler Training Program! It is a program that helps women of all levels train for our 4 miler race in just 11 weeks! Have you been looking into getting into a new walking or running routine? Check out these 5 tips to help you get started the right way, to avoid frustration, pain and injury! 

THINGS TO KNOW WHEN STARTING A NEW WALKING OR RUNNING ROUTINE: 

1) START OUT SMALL! 

Do not plan on running 3 miles on your very first day. Not only is it not safe, but you are setting yourself up for injury and frustration. You will be sore the next day and not want to run/walk the next few days while you recovery from your run. If you haven't walked/ran in a long time (months) Start with half a mile or whatever feels comfortable! 

2) START OUT SLOW! 

Start small in speed. It is totally ok to walk too! Do not expect to be running at a 6 minute mile when you are untrained. YOU WILL GET INJURED! Start with a warm up walking, then do your half a mile or mile at a faster speed and don't forget to cool down taking things back to a slower speed. YOU NEED TO WARM UP AND COOL DOWN YOUR BODY! A 6 minute mile and a 15 minute mile is still 1 mile. The fact that you are doing anything is awesome! Just get up and do it! 


3) START OUT EARLY IN THE DAY!

It is the summer time and things get hot fast. As hard as it is to wake up early, WAKE UP EARLY! The earlier the better to avoid the heat. General rule of thumb if the heat index (Feels like Temp) is 100+ best to go earlier in the day. Your body will heat up to 15 degrees while running and you do not want to get over heated. 

4) HYDRATE! 

Don't forget to drink a large glass of water before, during and after you run. You need to stay hydrated while you exercising. Make sure you take water with you so that you don't get dehydrated. 

5) HAVE FUN! 

Find a group of friends to walk/run with and it will be so much more fun! You will want to do it. Come back. And Keep doing it. Bring music, but only use 1 ear bud when walking on the street or sidewalks for safety to you hear cars coming your way. 

BONUS TIP: STRETCH

Even if you only did half a mile, or not as much as you had planned. TAKE TIME TO STRETCH OUT YOUR BODY! So that you don't get extra sore the next day. It just takes a little time after your run to stretch your body! It is so worth it and the best thing you can do to keep your muscles and body healthy after exercising! 


Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Amazing Abs in April

Summertime is right around the corner. Now is the time to start working on your summer body. Check out this no-nonsense killer ab challenge, thanks to Glamour.com.

Get your friends involved in the challenge with you. Share this on Facebook and Instagram, and post your before and after selfies. Be sure to tag me @SunKissedBecky #CTDGAbsChallenge. See you in six-pack-ville.



Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

5 Ways To Stick With Your Resolutions

Here we are 5 days into the new year! How is your resolution going so far? Are you working every single day to make you one step, (big or small) closer to your goal? You got this! Keep going. They are important to you or else you wouldn't have decided to make these changes in your life! And if "Losing Weight" made it on your list, it is the TOP resolution for the New Year! Followed closely by " exercise more" and "improve overall health" Maristpoll

Here are 5 ways to help you stick with those resolutions!

Set Real and obtainable goals: 

Be realistic in your goals. Start with smaller goals that are obtainable rather than larger daunting goals. Like, lose 10 pounds by March. instead of lose 100 pounds by March. It isn't going to happen safely or without medical intervention. You have to be realistic with yourself or else you are just setting yourself up to fail. And no one wants to do that. Another great goal to think about is to slowly increase how many days you are exercising. If on average you exercised 2 days a week, like clock work, bump it up to 3-4 for a challenge. But automatically jumping to 7 days a week might be too much of a leap and can lead to getting burned out pretty quickly. Be realistic in your goals.


Find the time. Or if you have to Make the time: 

If it is important to you, you will make the time for it or find the time in your day that you can fit it in. Make it fit into your schedule and if you have to wake up a little earlier in the morning to get the time you need into your life. You might have to sacrifice browsing Facebook or Instagram but what is going to make you feel better. Looking at people or being that person you want to become!


Share Your Journey:

One of the best things, and scariest things I have ever done, is starting to share my story with all of you. It scared the living daylights out of me for fear of judgement or ridicule. But you know what. I want to help people realize that they can change their lives too. That is what matters. And honestly it took me 17 months as a coach to share my actual weight on social media. I shared my before and after pictures but never, ever put a number to it, until last month and I came out with it. I am currently 235 pounds guys. And you know what is so funny. Now that it is out of the bag, I can't stop mentioning it. I feel like I am providing so many women out there who think they are too heavy or too out of shape or what not an opportunity to show them that NO THEY ARE NOT! We all start somewhere. Share your store. Inspire others. We have a real epidemic on our hands. Obesity. And it requires all of us to work hard to fight it. Be that example to your friends! Post your pictures. Share your story. Share your ups and downs. You never know who you will inspire.

Upgrade Your Eating Habits: 
It is so hard to cut something cold turkey. And often after a few days of no chocolate, chocolate ends up in the house and before you know it. It is GONE! (please tell me I am not the only one that this happens to!) Make small healthy, lasting changes to your diet. ask for veggies or a salad instead of fries. Drink water only with your dinner. Eat only one slice of toast in the morning, then slowly transition to eating oatmeal in the morning. Add more veggies to a smoothie. Or even just make a meatless meal once a week focusing on eating more greens in your diet! Try something new. You never know you might like it, and how it makes you feel!


Make It Exciting:
When you do go to exercise, make it fun and exciting! Start a new workout program. Doing the same old boring stuff means you can get bored sooner and more likely to stop. Try a new workout that challenges you. Hammer and Chisel, 21 Day Fix Extreme, a Cycle class, hot yoga! There are so many things out there to up the anti in your workouts! And make it fun! Also make an end goal for what you are doing to. Like sign up for a specific race that looks awesome, or be able to do 10 military style pushups. Challenge yourself but make it fun and exciting.

Sticking with your goals is only part of the battle. Go back and check out about SMART goals and making sure that each and every one of your goals matches all the categories in the acronym. Your goals are worth it. They matter! You matter! Stick with these and you will stick with your goals!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Friday, January 1, 2016

Hammer And Chisel Health and Fitness Program Details


This past Monday I began my new adventure in working out. I have upped the anti and moved on to a harder workout, and harder being the right word. This is more challenging and requires more focus and determination to do it, but I have to say that every workout has been FUN! I am excited to do my workouts. I am excited to see what they have in store for me. I am excited to see how strong I am getting. I am excited that I don't have to modify as much as I thought I would. I am excited to go up in weight on my dumbbells. I am just so excited to be on what I am calling part 2 of my adventure.

What is The Master's Hammer and Chisel? 

For the very first time, trainers Sagi Kalev and Autumn Calabrese have teamed up to create an expert program designed to help you craft a powerful, perfectly defined body. The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is an innovative resistance training system that incorporates three muscle-sculpting phases—Stabilization, Strength, and Power—or SSP Training. This is how Sagi and Autumn help you efficiently build, chisel, and refine a masterpiece physique in just 60 days.

What makes Hammer and Chisel different? 



  • It is built on the three phases of SSP Training— Stabilization, Strength, and Power. Other workouts only focus on one or two phases, which might give you decent results. But The Master’s Hammer and Chisel program incorporates all three methods to help you relentlessly chip away fat and carve every muscle for a strong, visually stunning body in 60 days.

  • 12 brand-new, 30- to 40-minute workouts that combine Sagi and Autumn’s proven techniques for 60 days of hardcore resistance training. 

  • Easy-to-follow and completely customizable nutrition plan, along with 7 portion-control containers that show you how to portion out the right amount of food to help you reach your unique fitness goals. Along with your daily does of nutrition and superfoods to help you reduce cravings for sweets, junk foods and fast foods. It has been my secret weapon in helping me to lose weight.
(From Chisel Balance. Last move of the day, kicked my trash but I did it and did not give up!)
  • Flexible nutrition that allows you to lean out, sculpt and maintain, or build muscle.

  •  Includes options to adapt certain exercises if you have limited access to equipment.

  •  Includes a modifier who demonstrates some moves at a lower intensity.

Hammer and Chisel is still on SALE this month. So if you want to join my exclusive group with others just like you doing H&C for the first time you can GO HERE, or if you want to know if this workout is right for you, fill out THIS FORM and I will get back to you and we can chat! I would love to have you join the group and get amazing results with me! Oh and when you do order through me you get an EXTRA FREE WORKOUT. Yeah! I hook you up!

I am seriously loving this workout. I was excited about it when they announced it to the coaches back in July, but you guys, IT IS REALLY AWESOME! I am more excited about it now and I can not wait to see the kind of results I get with this program. I lost 20 pounds with 4 rounds of 21 day fix. This is the next step for me. This is my moment that I am going to rock it!

(outtake: Kids love the containers too! Doesn't hep when I am trying to take pictures of them!) 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

January 30 Day Plank-A-Day Challenge



It's another month and the holidays are NOW BEHIND US! Time to get busy! I thought it was the right time to do a 30 day Plank A Day challenge! Sounds great right?!?

Planks, oh planks! They kill me every time. Why? Because it is a full body exercise. It uses your whole mind and body to do them. Yes, mind! For me it is a mind over matter issue. If I just turn off my brain and keep it from thinking about how much my legs and core are shaking then I could just hang on a little bit longer. Let's engage our cores, and push our heels back and hold a strong plank. 


Here are the different level of planks you can do: Start as a level one and then you can progress from there as you get more comfortable and strong! 

Side Plank variations:



Each day that you participate, take a picture and post it on your Facebook and/or Instagram account with #PLANKADAY #SunKissedBecky #CTDG so I follow along your journey too! 

So let's go ladies! let's work our abs off! And get a strong core which will help us with all of our other daily things we do!



And, of course, be sure to like our FACEBOOK page and follow us on PINTEREST for motivation, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Success in 2016: Plan Your Day

Hello New Year, in just a few days! Are you making your new year resolution list yet? I am still working on mine. But here is one that is on my list. To plan out my day and make sure that I have balance between my family, work, and everyday life stuff. Sadly when you say yes to one thing, you have to say no to something else. Like, if I say yes to working out, then I am saying no to sleeping in. Get it? 
Pick one day a week that you sit down and plan out your schedule, every hour of every day of the week. I am serious! 

1) Family always comes first so start with that. Schedule in any doctor appoints, kid drop offs and pickups, or any other family appointments that you have for the week, oh yeah and church activities.

2) Schedule in your workout just like a doctor appointment. It really is that important for me that I schedule it in secondary in my life. 
3) Next I schedule in my work time. Teaching and coaching. My goal in 2016 is to stick to my schedule. Do what I have to do in the time allotted. I have been crossing over way too much and that is not ok for me and my family. I will no longer sacrifice my family time. I have to become more efficient in my actual work time! 

4) Lastly I schedule my me time. I personally need some alone time for me to just unwind from my activities. I can usually get 30-45 minutes of this a day. I use this for reading or just turning off my brain. 

Here is how to stick with your schedule: 

Turn the sound off on my phone
Set alarms or timers for how long to do something
Close my laptop and put it away
Mute the notifications on Facebook
Only open the window you need to work in right now
Keep yourself focused on the goal in mind
Work from a to do list

Starting today you can plan to make 2016 more successful with these tips! Be sure to follow me on FACEBOOK and PINTEREST for more daily motivation and support!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Reduce Holiday Stress With Exercise

It is the last weekend before Christmas. Many of us are going to be out and about today getting the last things we need for a spectacular Christmas! In the midst of running around, take time to get your workout in during the day. It will help tone down the surrounding stressors.

30 minute walk
30 minute run
Strength Training
Zumba
Cize
21 Day Fix Workout Routines
Hammer and Chisel (ordering mine this week!)
Just do something! 


The best way to reduce stress is by sticking to your health and fitness routine. We often drop our exercise program during the holidays because we're so busy with errands and to-do lists when, in actuality, we need more exercise than ever.

It is more important than ever to schedule in your calendar, just as an errand or doctor's visit would be scheduled.

When you take the time to take care of yourself, you're ensuring that you'll have the energy and peace of mind to get all your tasks done efficiently and timely. Besides that, exercise releases those feel good endorphins and who can't use a little of that this time of year?

Comment below with what time or a picture of your scheduled workout time for this week!

Even Santa is getting his workouts in to haul all those presents around! ;)
wink emoticon

Friday, December 11, 2015

December AB Challenge Variation

Want to change it up again with more ab workouts for this month! Check out this workout routine! Lose those love handles or upper muffin as I call it!


Thursday, December 10, 2015

Celebrate The Little Victories

Celebrate the little victories which are leading you to HUGE RESULTS! This is why it is so important to take a monthly picture and measurements because the scale is a BIG FAT LIAR! The other day I went into Kohl's because I needed jeans. BADLY! I have been wearing my maternity jeans because, well, they weren't worn in the inner thigh. They still fit, but the pair I have left have been falling off my hips and hanging too low and most of my shirts weren't long enough to cover the nude colored belly elastic thingy that covers your whole belly (do you know what I'm talking about?)

Anyhew, I am going out this weekend for a girls weekend and didn't want to sport maternity jeans. I automatically went to plus sized area. And grabbed a curvy bootcut. Totally thought I picked up an 18 because there is no way I can fit in a 16. I put them on and it was tight. I ain't gonna lie. And I had muffin top from my upper belly area, above my belly button. I hate that area by the way! I sat in the dressing room freaking out, because a) I have been working my rear end off to get fit. Even Matt said my butt was literally smaller! b) I didn't want to still be pushing out of an 18. 

After a few minutes of wallowing in my sadness I looked at the tag and it said 16! WHAT! My sadness went to AMAZEMENT! I not only was able to pull up a 16 past my thighs, I was able to zip and button them without much difficulty. Just my upper bell hanging out a bit. I can not believe it! 

At some point in your journey you will have a killer awesome moment just like that, that makes all the sweat, tears and squashing those pesky excuses totally worth it! 

Are you following me on Facebook or Pinterest yet? WHY NOT! Head on over and get daily motivation! 

Monday, December 7, 2015

My Next Adventure!

I am a researcher. I try to find as much info about something before I decide to do it. From everything I have read: "workouts are easy to follow, modifier, well thought" out all those things are great but, well, I found this momma of 3 who was part of the test group for the exact same workout program I want to do next month. 20 pounds, SHE LOST 20 pounds!!! Yeah, I'm doing it.

Easy workout schedule to follow, nutrition help, daily dose of nutrition, included with the program, daily motivation and support straight from me. I have 3 slots available to join me and start the new year right. January 4 and this goes down, along with my weight and inches! 

Are you in? Send me an email or CLICK HERE and fill out the form to let me know you are interested! 

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Standing Ab Workout

Since December is Ab month I wanted to share this awesome STANDING AB ROUTINE! Not all abs are defined doing crunches on the floor. Actually one of my favorite core routines I have ever done is in PiYo and almost all the moves are standing positions! And boy howdy does it work your body!

Check out these workouts to try and add a variation to your December challenge!

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