A Different Kind Of Motivation

We are at that phase in our toddler's life where he needs to choose to be a toddler or a child. Time to get out of diapers. We are hoping that this lovely Pachyrhinosaurus will be the key to helping him figure out that it is cool to go on the potty.

Guppy was very kind and got this dinosaur for Mason specifically as an incentive to go potty. And if he does learn then I bet more dinosaurs are going to be making an appearance. Guppy's rules for Mason to earn the Pachyrhinosaurus is:

~Seriously a cool looking toy. He is hiding out in a VERY HIGH cupboard right now~

1) Wear underwear- not go around the house naked.
2) No potty in said underwear

My rule:
3) Must go #2 on the potty 10 times before he gets dinosaur. (I figure 10 times is like 10 days since he normally only goes once a day.)

So we will see if this will make it worth his while. We did make it a sold 5 hours in undies without an accident. Then he totally peed when he went down for a nap. Then he made it 3 more hours in fresh undies no accident. Until we watched a movie and he had an accident. So we are trying.

I will say that potty training a 3 year old boy, is no FUN! AT ALL! And Mason has the personality that he won't do something unless HE decided he wants too and he hasn't quite decided. I am hoping the picture will help further his incentive to go potty and GET OUT OF DIAPERS!

QOTD: What have you done to potty train your kids? I need any advice!

Survival Guide For The Gym In January!: Newbies

I am going to write a 3 part series over the next few days about this topic and it will be for EVERYONE! Today's post is for those that are new to the gym.

The new year is the #1 time of the year for gyms to maximize on their membership rates. So many people start out the new year with a new membership because they want to get into shape. They are tired of living the way they are and want to change for the better.

Is this you? Did you get a gym membership for Christmas???

YOU DID! WAY TO GO! So happy for you and welcome to the world of the gym. I am so proud of you to commit to yourself, and to your family. You are amazing. I know this wasn't easy and I know it was a little scary too! Going to a gym is very intimidating. There are so many fit people there to begin with and you might feel like you just don't quite fit in. There is learning the equipment, what exercises to do, how to fit in and just getting used to adding a new thing into your daily life.

Just know that you are not alone. Everyone new to the gym feels this way. We were all new at one point. My biggest fear about the gym when I went was because everyone was so thin and fit and I was not. I was overweight. What would they think of me?

Honestly, they probably don't even notice you or if they do, they are super proud of you for what you are doing and know that it is hard. No one should ever make you feel less because you joined a gym to take care of you!

The first few months of my gym I wore baggy cotton shirts and cotton shorts to work out in to hide my belly and fat. But I sweat like a Beast because I wasn't wearing the right clothing. I then felt self conscience of how much I was sweating. I felt weak in front of everyone because I was struggling to do squats and even just lift the bar for the bench press. I could barely walk on the treadmill before I was out of breath. I could hardly do the elliptical for 10 minutes without dying! But I kept going. I finally decided that I needed to be comfortable at the gym. I ditched my baggy shirts and cotton shorts. Got tank tops and fitted exercise pants. If the guys at the gym wanted to look well, that was their choice I was doing this for me. I wore no makeup and frankly I wasn't going to the gym to pick up guys. After a few months of dedication those same guys I was nervous of looking at me, judging me because I was fat, started commenting on how much stronger I was getting. And how much slimmer I was. I was losing inches and I WAS stronger. When I maxed out the weights on the leg press machine, not the one where you add barbells but the actual machine, the men were impressed! I was a force not to be messed with.

I had joined their ranks, but honestly I joined their ranks long ago. The day I decided to join a gym. I was a gym rat!

 Here are a few things to know to help you out:

~Don't worry about what other people are thinking of you. It doesn't matter. Honestly. I know at some point you will see someone and be like, to look like that. Well, to look like that, takes hard work and dedication. I frankly admire the women who lift weights. I want arms like some of those women someday.

~Right now know that the gym will be busy when you go. Because when you go, probably mid morning, is when everyone else will want to go. So to avoid the morning rush go a little later in the morning. Also the afternoons are just as crazy if not more so. Times to avoid might be 9:30-11am and 4:30-6. But your gym might be different. You can ask your gym when their busier times are and they will tell you!

~Limit your time on the cardio equipment to 30 min unless the gym is not that busy. In my current gym there are 3 different sections of cardio. I have a specific type of treadmill that I prefer to run on. My rule of thumb is if there are at least 2 machines open around me than I can go beyond 30 min. If not then I know that my workout could get cut short. Once that second machine fills up. I have to get off. There could be someone out there that prefers the same type of machine I do.

~Please use a towel when siting down at machines. Or at least wipe the seat down after you use the machine. You don't like sweating and nobody else wants to sit on your sweat. EWWW! And wipe down your cardio machine too. Wherever you touch just wipe it down.

~Take a little time for you after you workout. I have the kids in the kids zone and they can be in there 2.5 hours a day. I don't do 2.5 hours of working out. I do an hour to hour and half at most. Then I just lounge for a little while longer. Read a book, browse the internet. Use the changing rooms and get ready for the day, take a shower. Take time for you to relax.

~Don't take every class in your first week. Spread out the love of classes because if you do too much too soon you are going to hurt. You won't make it back to the gym tomorrow because you are sore, and then something else comes up and before you know it you haven't been to the gym in awhile. Don't fall into this trap of go to the gym and stop before you start. Take it easy. Go walking on the treadmill and watch a class going on or go to the class but at the back of the room and take it easy. Limit yourself to 1-2 classes a week at first. Know that if you take spin that your butt and other areas will be sore for at least 3 classes, you take! Go slow and over time you will be able to do more. It's ok to only do a little at a time!

~There are trainers there to help you. More than likely when you signed up you got a free 1-2 sessions with a trainer. They can take you around the equipment and show you how to use it, because they don't want you to get hurt anymore than you want to get hurt. DO THIS! It is a must! Have someone show you the ropes.

NYD5K Race Recap

My first race recap of the year! Oh how fun!

~Pink faced from the race. I look like I am dying but I am fine!~

New Year's morning I braved the wind and cold to run a 5k. I was told the week earlier by one of the coaches from my training program that the beginning is a dirt road. For nearly a week I was wondering what that meant. Like super rocky, like break my ankle cause I am super clumsy or if it meant anything else.

I got a ride from my friend J. It was a lot colder than we were expecting and very windy but the winds really weren't that bad when we started to run. It was just freezing at the beginning because it was so shady where the bib pick up was.

J and I went and huddled in the car after we got our bibs to try and warm up. J mentioned that she ran the race a couple of years ago and it was pretty flat. I am starting to like hills, to an extent, because that is where I can make up my time lost from walking. My game plan was to come in at under 50 min. That is all I wanted.

I lined up at the back of the pack, I was actually right behind my captain from the training program. I jogged with her in the beginning, for about the first 3/4 miles. Then I actually needed a short walking break. As I walked I noticed a lady behind me, then she passed me but she breathing a little hard. We started talking and she said that it was her second race ever.

I started pacing with her and talking with her to help her breathing out. The common question of "why am I doing this" kept coming up. I told her she was already doing it and I kept running with her. As we rounded the 1.5 mile mark at the turn around I felt like she was pulling back on the downhills. I told her to open up her stride and let gravity take her. She did and was loving it!

We continued to run and talk and I shared advice with her on running. As we came up to the last 1/4 mile my friend J met us and was join in. She was already done, totally kicked butt and she is pregnant! The lady I was running with, her family was going to run in with her too so I pulled ahead and ran in with J. Right as I crossed the finish line the lady I was running with sprinted right in front of me and finished half a second before me! And here I thought she was further behind me. J pushed me at the end and I was actually pushed at the end which is good!

And good news is, I came in at 47:45. I was super excited. I think I could have even come in sooner but I would rather help someone out than just let them suffer and struggle. Maybe for the 10k I have coming up in February I will push myself. Actually I have to push myself because I need to hit a certain time so that I can use it for corral placement for Disney. I want to be in a good corral!

The course was not too hilly. I had a steady climb then decline so that was nice. More rolling than anything. The landscape was beautiful. We were running on a back road and there were some pretty beautiful homes out there! Not to mention that a horse charged at us. I thought he was going to jump the fence at us.

The only draw back is that the road was not closed so cars were driving around us runners so it could have been potential even more dangerous than it was, but it was a back road and there weren't that many cars. It is a very small race. But nice to have a New Year race so close to home!

January Week 1 Recap

My first recap of the new year! HOW EXCITING! Big changes are coming your with with me and my site. I am taking this blog to the next level. More information to help you succeed in your goals. And you are truly going to witness my changes. And I am going to share what I am doing every step of the way. Oh and speaking of steps, thanks to my new FitBit Charge I am going to be showing my total steps for the week! Again I say, HOW EXCITING!

This last week has been an eye opener for me. I have had enough of my clothing feeling too tight, upset tummy and just watching my face look more and more bloated. I am not a happy camper in the Becky weight department and I have put my foot down. I am done. I am changing my life. I will only have special foods on special occasions and not every day will be a special occasion. I am changing the way I eat, following my nutritionist given eating plan and I will achieve my goals because this is the year I take control of my life.

I am staying busy with exercising regularly now, I seriously have kicked it up a notch since 12/26. I am already feeling better and have lost 4 lbs of just bloat hanging on me since 12/26. Starting today me and a few friends are part of a clean eating challenge so it is not just me that is making this huge change with eating. (wanna join, let me know!) Oh and my Facebook page now has 200 followers. And it is because of people like you that I write. Thank you so much for reading and following along!

Mason: Mason graduated in church and went from being in the nursery to going to his first classroom setting of learning. He is now what is called a Sunbeam in our church. He goes to singing time and a group lesson with all the older big kids then for the last hour he goes to his classroom for a lesson just for his age group and playtime with snacks. He took off down the church's hall yesterday between classes, typical Mason. His teacher in hot pursuit. It was funny. He just ran right past me. It was super cute. He still has a huge obsession for Dinosaurs and loves all the dinosaurs Guppy and Gummy got him for Christmas.

Collin: Collin is crawling up a storm. He is super fast. He is also starting to pull himself up to standing. It is kind of scary because that means walking is just around the corner. I bet he will be walking sometime next month or so, but it seems he is happy as long as he can get around and follow big brother and the dog. He loves eating food. We are doing baby led weaning. He is getting a mixture of puree and table food, with supervision. He doesn't enjoy rice in a puree form but likes it normal. It is pretty fun to watch. He has finally learned how to roll over from his back to tummy. It takes him a few tries but he is getting better and he is a super happy vocal baby. He moved to his crib in his room last week and this momma is GETTING SOME MUCH NEEDED SLEEP! He is waking up once in the middle of the night and early morning and that is it. We are both sleeping so much better now!

Working Out: 
I am going to go back to Friday 12/26 because I didn't do a workout recap last week.

12/26: 2.55 miles mostly walk. - 18:10 min/mile. I was just getting over a cold.
12/27: 4.63 miles - 15:57 min/mile
12/28: rest
12/29: rest oops, I missed a Monday!
12/30: 2.90 miles - 16:41. I call this the hill from Hell run because a hill totally kicked my butt!
12/31: rest
1/1: 3.14 miles - 16.41 min/mile. New Year's Day 5k. I ran with a new friend and helped complete her second race ever with a smile on her face and learning something new about running!
1/2: 2 miles  walk - 18:00 min/mile. Recovery walk from race the previous day.
1/3: 4 miles - 14:46 min/mile. I call this my redemption run. Showing that I can do a faster min/mile race.

Total Mileage: 
Dec 26 - 27: 7.18 miles
Dec 28 - Jan 3: 12.04 miles

Oh and the FitBit total steps for 12/28-1/3: 
Total Steps: 59,422 - equal to 27.41 miles
Total Floors: 115

Things to note: over the last month my speed has gotten faster and easier. Saturday 1/3 my comfortable feeling speed on the treadmill was 5.0. Whereas in November I was pushing it to go that fast. 4.5 was my comfy speed, so I am happy with that.

Shins are killing me. But this is what happens when you go from being sick and no exercise to kicking up your mileage. So BAD Becky in that regards but it needed to be done!

Goals for this week: Start increasing my running intervals. I can do it I just keep whimping out so no more. I start pushing myself now because I have a goal for my 10k next month and I will get it!

Ditch The Junk Food

Oh man! I am still dealing with the after affects of "too many cookies for Christmas!" So to help get me out of my bloated, irregular and icky feeling state I am going to eat clean. Yep, I'm taking the plunge in cutting out the junk food and eating whole foods. No more processed foods for me here!

And I need your help! Studies have shown that people who have friends going through diet and exercise together are more likely to succeed than those that go at it alone.

So I am hosting a 5 day clean eating challenge on a private Facebook page. If you are just like me and trying to clean up what you are eating and ditch the belly fat and bloating send me a message and I will get you added on the group! I would love to have you help me out!

You know what, You are worth Fighting For!