Do you ever feel like you have no fucking clue what you're doing with your life? I do. And I'll be damned if everyone who reads this hasn't thought it at some point in time. Don't get me wrong. I have a career that I love. I've found my passion, I have a roof over my head, and I have a supportive family and amazing friends who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for the life that I live, but I am human and there are still days that I wake up and think that I'm not living up to my full potential. I wonder if I'm doing things right. I get down on myself for not being where a "normal" 32 year old is in life. And honestly, it's ridiculous for me to even think this.
I strongly believe that we're conditioned to second guess ourselves because of what today's society says is normal. It's extremely unfortunate that we have reached a point where the world we live in has made us feel like we have to live up to certain expectations (physically, financially, and emotionally) in order to be considered a normal/successful human being.
For example, you're considered normal/successful if:
1) You make a lot of money
2) Your body looks a certain way (no lumps, bumps, bruises, or scars)
3) You drive an expensive car
4) You own an expensive home
5) You don't have any form of depression, anxiety, etc.
5) More stupid shit that doesn't actually matter....
Our happiness is often measured in the little greenish brown pieces of paper that we carry around in our wallets (gross), but guess what. Money has nothing on self love and compassion for other people. I'm 32 years old and I haven't "settled down", bought a home, had kids, OR bought my first new car yet... (GASP!!!) Oh, and NEWS FLASH!!! This changes nothing about how "normal" or successful I am. I'm just doing me and I'm learning how to be a better human along the way.
My success is NOT based on the money I make, the car I drive, the house I live in, or how my body looks. Neither is yours! My success is based solely on the person I strive to be each and every day. The hard work I put into what I do, and the people that I impact along the way. No, I'm not perfect. I stumble around trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing half of the time, but it's the effort and heart that I'm grasping onto as I hit the floor each time I fall that measures my success. It's recognizing that I'm not perfect and that I never will be, but I get up anyway. There are times when I want to throw in the towel, but then I remember why I started this journey. I remember that I'm simply a perfectly imperfect version of myself that continues to strive to be better. We all have our demons, myself included. I'm learning to own up to them and not let them consume me like I have in the past. This is what life is all about. We all have the ability to rise to the occasion. Your time will come and you'll blow your own damn mind! It's extremely important that we all do our part to help others see the greatness within them. Make it easy for people to be themselves around you. Be approachable. I will admit that there were times in my past that I failed to do this for the people around me, but I made a promise to myself that it would never happen again.
I've learned to....
1) Keep an open mind.
2) Embrace the differences I see in other people (LEARN from them).
3) Call myself on my own bullshit.
4) Listen to all constructive criticism thrown my way (then do my best to make it my bitch!)
5) Never stop learning.
6) Be myself.
7) Love myself.
Humankind comes first. People matter most. Doing your part to impact others in a game changing way is what's going to make the differences that this struggling world needs. Share your story and listen to others. A little compassion goes a long way. Letting people know that they aren't alone in the things that they are going through can save them. It's time to be brave. It's time to make the changes in ourselves that will impact those around us in a uplifting and motivating way. I'm in. Are you?
Until next time.
:)
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Diet vs. Lifestyle (Part I)
Living a healthy lifestyle is something that takes time. It's a learning process. It takes trial and error. Everyone is different. It takes patience. It takes guts. We have to be WILLING to fail. We also have to realize that failure is NOT a bad thing. Failure is a necessary step in succeeding. Sounds a bit counter intuitive, doesn't it? Let me explain.
As humans we have the natural urge to succeed at everything we do. We want to be great. And we want it to happen on the first try. The fact is, we won't always be great at everything! We definitely won't always be great the first time we attempt something. You are bound to suck at something at some point in your life! That's just the way it goes. The key is to use the "suck" as a learning experience. It's a test to your character. You will learn first hand how you react to this type of situation. Will you surrender to the "failure," or will you recognize that you haven't failed. You've simply stumbled upon the perfect candidate for a new goal.
Dieting.
The word diet pops up around every corner these days. It's also something that I see a lot of people become frustrated with. I consistently hear people say they "failed" on their diet, dieting is too hard, I just want to enjoy my food, etc. But what exactly is a "diet"? To me, the word "diet" refers to a quick fix. It's not sustainable. It's a kind of torture that people put themselves through (dreading every single day of it) because they want to look good for an even that's 4-6 months away. Weddings, vacations, class reunions, etc. The problem with this is that once that event is over, they go right back to their questionable eating habits and fail to take care of their body all together! Why does it have to stop there? Why do our bodies not mean more to us than that? Let me share a little secret with you. You can still eat a donut here and there and burn fat. Trust me. I know first hand. This girl loves her donuts and chocolate milk combo once in a while :) The key is TRACKING. If you don't know what you're putting in your mouth how are you supposed to learn what your threshold is? Everyone's body is different. Some of us can eat more fat than others. Some of us can handle more carbs. It's literally trial and error paired with tracking what you're taking in. Playing around with different foods to see what fills us up more, etc. For example, I find that when I consume oats or potatoes for my complex carbs, I feel more full and satisfied than if I were to eat rice. You just have to find out what works best for you. I tried carb cycling for the first time when I trained for my show and learned a lot about how my body reacts to fats and carbs. Carb cycling is an excellent way to burn fat and boost your metabolism.
The point is, always be aware of what you're putting into your body. If you don't track it, you won't know!! Unless you're a magical food genie. It's easy to THINK you've eaten pretty good, but when you actually "put it down on paper" you've probably eaten well over your allotted calories for the day. Now you'll wake up tomorrow, jump on the scale (excited because in your mind you did well and probably lost some weight) then this happens.....
"F**k!! How did I not lose weight??!?! I was SO GOOD yesterday."
DUN DUN DUN......
Now you're discouraged and just want to quit because you feel like a beluga wale. Your next thought is probably something like, "This dieting crap just isn't for me... I can't seem to figure it out." Now you eat like crap all weekend because you already "failed." So what's the point? This is the mindset that will get you. It will get you EVERY TIME. Honestly you guys, for a lot of us it's just an excuse. It's an excuse not to take the steps to that we know we need to take to succeed. We just don't want to put in the extra effort. This is where your true colors will show. Do you actually WANT this, or do you just want it? Self improvement isn't something that just happens. You have to work for it. You have to WANT to become a better version of yourself.
In order to have the body you desire, be an over all healthy person, and feel good (inside and out), you have to make it a lifestyle. It's a way of living. You have to make your well being a priority. To do so, start by focusing on these three things (one at a time if needed).
1) Sufficient sleep
2) Healthy eating habits
3) Frequent movement
It's easy to overwhelm yourself when trying to get yourself going with a healthier daily routine. Don't bite off more than you can chew. You may need to start small. If you're one of those people who doesn't get enough sleep at night, start by going to bed 20-30 mins sooner for a while, then increase it. Baby steps. Melatonin (a natural sleep aid) may also be something to look into. Once you're getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night, star thinking more about nutrition. What are you putting into your body. Are you eating a lot of processed foods or are you eating whole foods? Do you know the difference? (I will go into more detail about the two in an upcoming post). Try to eat a lean protein and some veggies (greens if possible!) at each meal. If you tend to be more sedentary during the day, it's better to eat a diet high in lean proteins (chicken, fish, etc.) and healthy fats (avocado, omega 3s (fish), etc.) and lower in complex carbs (breads, potatoes, pastas, rice, etc.) If you're very active you'll need to increase the carb number to sustain energy levels. After you've found a routine that works for you and you've become more conscious of getting more sleep and what you're putting in your mouth, you can focus more the exercise portion. You'll have more energy from the extra sleep and healthier foods and it won't seem so terrible once you get your routine down!
People fail to realize is that you don't have to murder yourself in the gym every day to see results. You also don't have to do things that you don't enjoy. I think this is where a lot of people go wrong when it comes to exercise. If you don't enjoy running, don't run! If you're constantly forcing yourself to do something you don't enjoy doing, guess what? It's not going to last. You'll do it for a month, say F this, and quite. Now you feel like you failed. If you aren't exercising then you might as well eat whatever you want because you already failed at the whole gym thing, right? This is the mind game that people play with themselves on a daily basis! I've done it. Multiple times! If you're human, you've done this. It's our way rationalizing our emotions and the actions that follow. What we fail to do is get a couple steps ahead of those thoughts. Want to know how to do that? Read on.
Exercise doesn't HAVE to come from resistance training or killing yourself on cardio equipment for 60 mins a day. You don't have to become a power lifter, cross fitter, or a bodybuilder. You just have to MOVE!!!! It all boils down to two things:
1) Frequent movement (as mentioned above)
2) Eating at a caloric deficit
MOVEMENT
Get up and move! A lot of jobs out there require people to sit at a desk all day, which puts them at a higher risk for injury than those of us who are constantly up and moving around. Your muscles start to believe that the position they are in while sitting is the proper resting position, so they shorten in that position (become tight). This tightness pulls your bones out of alignment, which causes all kinds of issues. This is why the combination of frequent movement and self myofacial release (SMR) is so damn important!!
** Click here for an overview of SMR technique and the benefits ----> http://blog.nasm.org/training-benefits/foam-rolling-applying-the-technique-of-self-myofascial-release/
Like I said before, movement doesn't have to be in a gym lifting weights and pumping it out on cardio equipment. Do the things you love to do! Play gold, tennis, basketball, bike, hike, or swim. Go for family bike rides and walks. Just get out there and move!
EATING AT A CALORIC DEFICIT
It's simple you guys. If your calories burned are greater than your calories eaten, you'll lose weight. If they aren't, you'll either gain or maintain where you're at. This is why I strongly recommend tracking your food AND calories burned during your workouts. It's extremely important to do both of these things until you're in tune with your body. After a while you'll know what intensity you'll have to go at in order to burn X amount of calories in a workout, etc. But until then it's good to know exactly what's happening. You have to know what you're putting in your body in order to know what you need to burn during your workouts for weight loss. Purchase a heart rate monitor. This will be the most accurate reading of calories burned. I use a basic Polar brand monitor with chest strap and watch. It works well for me. There are a million out there though. Take look!! :)
Questions? Email me at kbriggsfitness@gmail.com
Until next time!
- Kelsey
:)
As humans we have the natural urge to succeed at everything we do. We want to be great. And we want it to happen on the first try. The fact is, we won't always be great at everything! We definitely won't always be great the first time we attempt something. You are bound to suck at something at some point in your life! That's just the way it goes. The key is to use the "suck" as a learning experience. It's a test to your character. You will learn first hand how you react to this type of situation. Will you surrender to the "failure," or will you recognize that you haven't failed. You've simply stumbled upon the perfect candidate for a new goal.
Dieting.
The word diet pops up around every corner these days. It's also something that I see a lot of people become frustrated with. I consistently hear people say they "failed" on their diet, dieting is too hard, I just want to enjoy my food, etc. But what exactly is a "diet"? To me, the word "diet" refers to a quick fix. It's not sustainable. It's a kind of torture that people put themselves through (dreading every single day of it) because they want to look good for an even that's 4-6 months away. Weddings, vacations, class reunions, etc. The problem with this is that once that event is over, they go right back to their questionable eating habits and fail to take care of their body all together! Why does it have to stop there? Why do our bodies not mean more to us than that? Let me share a little secret with you. You can still eat a donut here and there and burn fat. Trust me. I know first hand. This girl loves her donuts and chocolate milk combo once in a while :) The key is TRACKING. If you don't know what you're putting in your mouth how are you supposed to learn what your threshold is? Everyone's body is different. Some of us can eat more fat than others. Some of us can handle more carbs. It's literally trial and error paired with tracking what you're taking in. Playing around with different foods to see what fills us up more, etc. For example, I find that when I consume oats or potatoes for my complex carbs, I feel more full and satisfied than if I were to eat rice. You just have to find out what works best for you. I tried carb cycling for the first time when I trained for my show and learned a lot about how my body reacts to fats and carbs. Carb cycling is an excellent way to burn fat and boost your metabolism.
The point is, always be aware of what you're putting into your body. If you don't track it, you won't know!! Unless you're a magical food genie. It's easy to THINK you've eaten pretty good, but when you actually "put it down on paper" you've probably eaten well over your allotted calories for the day. Now you'll wake up tomorrow, jump on the scale (excited because in your mind you did well and probably lost some weight) then this happens.....
"F**k!! How did I not lose weight??!?! I was SO GOOD yesterday."
DUN DUN DUN......
Now you're discouraged and just want to quit because you feel like a beluga wale. Your next thought is probably something like, "This dieting crap just isn't for me... I can't seem to figure it out." Now you eat like crap all weekend because you already "failed." So what's the point? This is the mindset that will get you. It will get you EVERY TIME. Honestly you guys, for a lot of us it's just an excuse. It's an excuse not to take the steps to that we know we need to take to succeed. We just don't want to put in the extra effort. This is where your true colors will show. Do you actually WANT this, or do you just want it? Self improvement isn't something that just happens. You have to work for it. You have to WANT to become a better version of yourself.
In order to have the body you desire, be an over all healthy person, and feel good (inside and out), you have to make it a lifestyle. It's a way of living. You have to make your well being a priority. To do so, start by focusing on these three things (one at a time if needed).
1) Sufficient sleep
2) Healthy eating habits
3) Frequent movement
It's easy to overwhelm yourself when trying to get yourself going with a healthier daily routine. Don't bite off more than you can chew. You may need to start small. If you're one of those people who doesn't get enough sleep at night, start by going to bed 20-30 mins sooner for a while, then increase it. Baby steps. Melatonin (a natural sleep aid) may also be something to look into. Once you're getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night, star thinking more about nutrition. What are you putting into your body. Are you eating a lot of processed foods or are you eating whole foods? Do you know the difference? (I will go into more detail about the two in an upcoming post). Try to eat a lean protein and some veggies (greens if possible!) at each meal. If you tend to be more sedentary during the day, it's better to eat a diet high in lean proteins (chicken, fish, etc.) and healthy fats (avocado, omega 3s (fish), etc.) and lower in complex carbs (breads, potatoes, pastas, rice, etc.) If you're very active you'll need to increase the carb number to sustain energy levels. After you've found a routine that works for you and you've become more conscious of getting more sleep and what you're putting in your mouth, you can focus more the exercise portion. You'll have more energy from the extra sleep and healthier foods and it won't seem so terrible once you get your routine down!
People fail to realize is that you don't have to murder yourself in the gym every day to see results. You also don't have to do things that you don't enjoy. I think this is where a lot of people go wrong when it comes to exercise. If you don't enjoy running, don't run! If you're constantly forcing yourself to do something you don't enjoy doing, guess what? It's not going to last. You'll do it for a month, say F this, and quite. Now you feel like you failed. If you aren't exercising then you might as well eat whatever you want because you already failed at the whole gym thing, right? This is the mind game that people play with themselves on a daily basis! I've done it. Multiple times! If you're human, you've done this. It's our way rationalizing our emotions and the actions that follow. What we fail to do is get a couple steps ahead of those thoughts. Want to know how to do that? Read on.
Exercise doesn't HAVE to come from resistance training or killing yourself on cardio equipment for 60 mins a day. You don't have to become a power lifter, cross fitter, or a bodybuilder. You just have to MOVE!!!! It all boils down to two things:
1) Frequent movement (as mentioned above)
2) Eating at a caloric deficit
MOVEMENT
Get up and move! A lot of jobs out there require people to sit at a desk all day, which puts them at a higher risk for injury than those of us who are constantly up and moving around. Your muscles start to believe that the position they are in while sitting is the proper resting position, so they shorten in that position (become tight). This tightness pulls your bones out of alignment, which causes all kinds of issues. This is why the combination of frequent movement and self myofacial release (SMR) is so damn important!!
** Click here for an overview of SMR technique and the benefits ----> http://blog.nasm.org/training-benefits/foam-rolling-applying-the-technique-of-self-myofascial-release/
Like I said before, movement doesn't have to be in a gym lifting weights and pumping it out on cardio equipment. Do the things you love to do! Play gold, tennis, basketball, bike, hike, or swim. Go for family bike rides and walks. Just get out there and move!
EATING AT A CALORIC DEFICIT
It's simple you guys. If your calories burned are greater than your calories eaten, you'll lose weight. If they aren't, you'll either gain or maintain where you're at. This is why I strongly recommend tracking your food AND calories burned during your workouts. It's extremely important to do both of these things until you're in tune with your body. After a while you'll know what intensity you'll have to go at in order to burn X amount of calories in a workout, etc. But until then it's good to know exactly what's happening. You have to know what you're putting in your body in order to know what you need to burn during your workouts for weight loss. Purchase a heart rate monitor. This will be the most accurate reading of calories burned. I use a basic Polar brand monitor with chest strap and watch. It works well for me. There are a million out there though. Take look!! :)
Questions? Email me at kbriggsfitness@gmail.com
Until next time!
- Kelsey
:)
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Holy Shit. I did it.
I can't even put into words the emotions that were flowing through my veins the weekend of my show. I had a long conversation with my dad that Friday evening about how I was feeling and what my concerns were. I didn't feel 100% prepared, I had no idea what to expect, and I was a nervous wreck!!! He did what he does best and he talked calmly and rationally. He reassured me that I would do great. I had worked hard for this for a long time. I put in the work. All I had to do was relax and have fun with it. I did my best to do just that.
I got to the venue that morning after they put my face on (porcelain doll style) and all I could do was pace. I had no clue what to do with myself. I had 2 hours until my stage time and I couldn't sit down or my spray tan would smudge (insert eye roll here). Soooooo I continued to pace. The pros went on, so I watched them. It's amazing what we are able to do with our bodies when we fuel them with proper nutrition and push them to our limits. Seeing them put a little more fire in my eyes. I've come a long way, but I have so far to go!!! This excites me to no end. There are endless possibilities for me in this sport. After watching a few pro divisions, I walked out to the lobby of the auditorium to see that my passé had arrived. I let out a sigh and felt some instant relief. God it was good to see their faces!!! :)
I had the BEST support system a girl could ask for. Just look at them!!!! They are beautiful :) I felt more love that weekend than I had felt in a really long time. My heart was full. It honestly still is. The look I saw in their eyes was more than enough to make it all worth it. They were proud. They were inspired. There is no better feeling than knowing you've had that impact on someone. Especially people that you care so much about.
It was an emotional time for sure. I wouldn't change a thing. It was perfect. I set out to accomplish a goal, and I nailed it.
SHOW DAY!!!! ---> Weight: 139 lbs ---> Body Fat: 6.9%
For those of you who have followed my blog up until this point, thank you. It means the world to me. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this, and I got so busy that I took a little hiatus, but I'm back and I know good things will come of this.
I'm going to continue to write. I will share my story in hopes to help you along in yours. After all, it's not just a fitness journey...
It's life!!!! :)
I got to the venue that morning after they put my face on (porcelain doll style) and all I could do was pace. I had no clue what to do with myself. I had 2 hours until my stage time and I couldn't sit down or my spray tan would smudge (insert eye roll here). Soooooo I continued to pace. The pros went on, so I watched them. It's amazing what we are able to do with our bodies when we fuel them with proper nutrition and push them to our limits. Seeing them put a little more fire in my eyes. I've come a long way, but I have so far to go!!! This excites me to no end. There are endless possibilities for me in this sport. After watching a few pro divisions, I walked out to the lobby of the auditorium to see that my passé had arrived. I let out a sigh and felt some instant relief. God it was good to see their faces!!! :)
I had the BEST support system a girl could ask for. Just look at them!!!! They are beautiful :) I felt more love that weekend than I had felt in a really long time. My heart was full. It honestly still is. The look I saw in their eyes was more than enough to make it all worth it. They were proud. They were inspired. There is no better feeling than knowing you've had that impact on someone. Especially people that you care so much about.
It was an emotional time for sure. I wouldn't change a thing. It was perfect. I set out to accomplish a goal, and I nailed it.
SHOW DAY!!!! ---> Weight: 139 lbs ---> Body Fat: 6.9%
For those of you who have followed my blog up until this point, thank you. It means the world to me. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this, and I got so busy that I took a little hiatus, but I'm back and I know good things will come of this.
I'm going to continue to write. I will share my story in hopes to help you along in yours. After all, it's not just a fitness journey...
It's life!!!! :)
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
And Then She Did What She Thought Was Impossible
We all have reasons why we do the things that we do. We all have our own belief system that leads us to our emotions and actions. Sometimes this belief system leads us in the right direction and sometimes we steer way off course. That's life. We learn from the mistakes we make (hopefully) and we evaluate situations differently the next time around, all in hopes that the out come will get us to where we want to be in life. We just have to trust the process and do our best to live the life we want to live.
I've made my fair share of poor choices in life.
I've let my emotions take over a lot in the past. It's easy to be blinded by the power of human emotion. Like a lot of other people in this world, I wear my heart on my sleeve, which in turn leaves it extremely vulnerable to the ugliness that can be found around every corner. I'm 100% trusting of everyone I meet until they give me a reason not to be. It may be a bad thing. I'm often told that it is, but that's just the way I roll. I can't help it. There have been multiple people who have lost my trust in very unfortunate ways. I've had my heart broken and I've been taken advantage of. I'm sure you can relate to this. We've all been there. It's a terrible feeling and sometimes it's hard to overcome the hurt that comes along with it, but with every closed door in life (especially the ones that are slammed in our face) another one opens. We just have to find it. The path that leads us to this new door is an important part of the journey. This is the part that we have to remember. Every experience, good or bad, makes a difference. The focus needs to be on what you do next. Not what you could have done up until that point. It's as simple as that.
Where do you want to go now?!?
1 year ago I was in a completely different place than I am today. I was lost. I had just gone through the hardest break yet, and I had no clue what to do with myself. I wanted to crawl in a hole and stay there. I found myself in this big city with minimal true friends and only one family member close by. I struggled through the first few months, then I woke up. I knew I had to make a change. I had to take my life by the horns and turn it into what I wanted it to be. So I started thinking about what I truly wanted. What did I need to do to find my happiness again. The answer was simple. Find myself.
And then she did what she thought was impossible.
I had lost sight of who I was a while back. I knew this. I just had no clue how to fix it. So I started thinking about what I used to do. What made me feel like I had a purpose? What made me happy? What was it that lit me up inside? The answer is, and always has been fitness and other people. I love people. I love getting to know them. I love hearing their stories. I love helping them reach goals that they never thought they'd be able to reach and I love seeing the look on their faces when they do so! It makes this life worth living for me. The main thing that I lost sight of was that I enjoyed doing the same thing for myself. I get extreme joy and satisfaction from setting goals for myself and hitting them. So that's exactly what I did.
By entering this competition, I essentially started over. I hit the reset button on my life. I needed a fresh start. I needed a new goal to zone in on. I needed to prove to myself that I could do it for ME and only ME. I'm doing it alone and I like it that way. I've pushed myself further than I ever thought I could. I've transformed myself into a hungry beast who KNOWS what she wants and deserves. I'm confident. I'm fearless. I'm driven. I'm unstoppable.
Starting Weight: 158 lbs
Current Weight: 136 lbs (1lb away from goal with 1.5 weeks to go)
Starting Body Fat: 18%
Current Body Fat: 8% (1% away from goal with 1.5 weeks to go)
I have never been more proud of myself than I am today. I needed the tables to turn, so I turned them the F*** over!!!! I'm in control of my life and I love what I'm doing. I found true happiness again. I found the me that I've been searching for and I will continue to be this person because I love her with all of my heart. In just 10 days I will step on that stage in front of my family and closest friends and all of my hard work will come full circle. It will be a roller coaster of emotions that I can't wait to ride :)
Until next time,
Kelsey
:)
I've made my fair share of poor choices in life.
I've let my emotions take over a lot in the past. It's easy to be blinded by the power of human emotion. Like a lot of other people in this world, I wear my heart on my sleeve, which in turn leaves it extremely vulnerable to the ugliness that can be found around every corner. I'm 100% trusting of everyone I meet until they give me a reason not to be. It may be a bad thing. I'm often told that it is, but that's just the way I roll. I can't help it. There have been multiple people who have lost my trust in very unfortunate ways. I've had my heart broken and I've been taken advantage of. I'm sure you can relate to this. We've all been there. It's a terrible feeling and sometimes it's hard to overcome the hurt that comes along with it, but with every closed door in life (especially the ones that are slammed in our face) another one opens. We just have to find it. The path that leads us to this new door is an important part of the journey. This is the part that we have to remember. Every experience, good or bad, makes a difference. The focus needs to be on what you do next. Not what you could have done up until that point. It's as simple as that.
Where do you want to go now?!?
1 year ago I was in a completely different place than I am today. I was lost. I had just gone through the hardest break yet, and I had no clue what to do with myself. I wanted to crawl in a hole and stay there. I found myself in this big city with minimal true friends and only one family member close by. I struggled through the first few months, then I woke up. I knew I had to make a change. I had to take my life by the horns and turn it into what I wanted it to be. So I started thinking about what I truly wanted. What did I need to do to find my happiness again. The answer was simple. Find myself.
And then she did what she thought was impossible.
I had lost sight of who I was a while back. I knew this. I just had no clue how to fix it. So I started thinking about what I used to do. What made me feel like I had a purpose? What made me happy? What was it that lit me up inside? The answer is, and always has been fitness and other people. I love people. I love getting to know them. I love hearing their stories. I love helping them reach goals that they never thought they'd be able to reach and I love seeing the look on their faces when they do so! It makes this life worth living for me. The main thing that I lost sight of was that I enjoyed doing the same thing for myself. I get extreme joy and satisfaction from setting goals for myself and hitting them. So that's exactly what I did.
By entering this competition, I essentially started over. I hit the reset button on my life. I needed a fresh start. I needed a new goal to zone in on. I needed to prove to myself that I could do it for ME and only ME. I'm doing it alone and I like it that way. I've pushed myself further than I ever thought I could. I've transformed myself into a hungry beast who KNOWS what she wants and deserves. I'm confident. I'm fearless. I'm driven. I'm unstoppable.
Starting Weight: 158 lbs
Current Weight: 136 lbs (1lb away from goal with 1.5 weeks to go)
Starting Body Fat: 18%
Current Body Fat: 8% (1% away from goal with 1.5 weeks to go)
I have never been more proud of myself than I am today. I needed the tables to turn, so I turned them the F*** over!!!! I'm in control of my life and I love what I'm doing. I found true happiness again. I found the me that I've been searching for and I will continue to be this person because I love her with all of my heart. In just 10 days I will step on that stage in front of my family and closest friends and all of my hard work will come full circle. It will be a roller coaster of emotions that I can't wait to ride :)
Until next time,
Kelsey
:)
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
5 Weeks To Go. Wait... What?!?!?!
First off, I want to congratulate my good friend Dustin Meyer who won his division AND the whole damn show at the NPC Central USA Championships in Omaha this past weekend!!! Props to him and his dedication to kicking some ass. He may not know this yet (he will now), but he put a little more fire under my ass. He's living proof that it CAN be done your first time around :) Thank you for the additional inspiration Dusty!
It's hard to believe that I've been at this for almost 13 weeks. I literally blinked and there is only a little over a month left. As I typed one month I damn near shit my pants. No joke. I will say that this has been one of the greatest challenges of my life. I definitely haven't lived up to all of the expectations that I had set for myself up until this point. I've slipped up here and there, but I'm human and I can't expect to be spot on 100% of the time. No matter what has happened, I've continued to push in order to get back on track and stay there. I've made phenomenal progress and I'm seeing outstanding changes in my body. I'm very proud of what I've done and I have no intention of stopping.
I'm in the process of turning my body into a work of art. The judges will critique me in every way possible. How symmetrical am I? How lean I am? How spot on is my posing? Can I move in a way that makes my muscles jump out at them? Can they see my muscles in ways that they can't on the women standing next to me? Do I present myself well? All of these things are racing through my mind every second of every day, and at this point in time, I don't feel like I'm going to be ready. My upper body is on point and will no doubt be killer. My arms aren't messing around, my back is shredded AF, I'm noticing a lot more vascularity, and my abs are coming in more and more each day! BUT my legs on the other hand haven't come in much and it's starting to stress me out. Aaron assured me that this is normal for women. He said they may not fully come in until 2 we're about weeks out. Wait.... WHAT?!? Talk about pushing it. I don't know about you, but that isn't soon enough for me. It stresses me out. A LOT. I've been pushing the cardio a little harder in hopes to speed up the process. I'm layering my legs as much as possible and hitting it in the morning and in the evening when I can. I'm training harder than I have ever trained before, and I'm doing it on minimal caloric intake. I won't lie. It's brutal. I'm not having as much fun as I was in the beginning, but I knew these days would come. It was just a matter of when.
The nitty gritty has officially commenced. I have to keep reminding myself of why I'm doing it, who I'm doing it for, and why I'll be better because of it. I'm always hungry and my energy level just isn't there like it used to be. I don't jump out of bed like I did 12 weeks ago. And that's discouraging to me. It's getting harder and harder not to hit snooze 6 times. I struggle to get everything done each day, but I'm taking it all one day at a time. I'm especially taking the cardio one day at a time. Lifting is the easy part. For me, the steady state crap has been the hardest part. The diet is a very close second. If it's not lean or green, I don't eat it (6 days out of the week). Mustering up the energy to run 5 + miles, or sweating it out for 55-60 mins on an elliptical with little to no carbs is usually the last thing I want to do. Especially after a 5am lifting session and working on my feet all day. But I'm learning that I am a fighter. This among other things that I've over come have proven that. It has challenged my mental and physical capacities. I hate it. I love it. I want it to stop. I want more!!! The challenges keep coming and the end keeps getting closer. I'm not sure what I'm more excited about at this point. Hanging out and EATING with my close friends and family after the show, or the show itself!! Let's say I'm equally excited about both. The only difference is that one of them doesn't make my heart race like I'm back in college speech class again.
I started at 158 lbs and 18% body fat. I'm now down to 141 lbs and under 9.7%. I knew I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something that I had been talking about for years. I knew it was time to stop talking and start acting, so here I am. This is not just a fitness journey. It's emotional, powerful, and I have high hopes that it's motivational and inspirational. Time to rock the next 4 weeks.
Until next time!
It's hard to believe that I've been at this for almost 13 weeks. I literally blinked and there is only a little over a month left. As I typed one month I damn near shit my pants. No joke. I will say that this has been one of the greatest challenges of my life. I definitely haven't lived up to all of the expectations that I had set for myself up until this point. I've slipped up here and there, but I'm human and I can't expect to be spot on 100% of the time. No matter what has happened, I've continued to push in order to get back on track and stay there. I've made phenomenal progress and I'm seeing outstanding changes in my body. I'm very proud of what I've done and I have no intention of stopping.
I'm in the process of turning my body into a work of art. The judges will critique me in every way possible. How symmetrical am I? How lean I am? How spot on is my posing? Can I move in a way that makes my muscles jump out at them? Can they see my muscles in ways that they can't on the women standing next to me? Do I present myself well? All of these things are racing through my mind every second of every day, and at this point in time, I don't feel like I'm going to be ready. My upper body is on point and will no doubt be killer. My arms aren't messing around, my back is shredded AF, I'm noticing a lot more vascularity, and my abs are coming in more and more each day! BUT my legs on the other hand haven't come in much and it's starting to stress me out. Aaron assured me that this is normal for women. He said they may not fully come in until 2 we're about weeks out. Wait.... WHAT?!? Talk about pushing it. I don't know about you, but that isn't soon enough for me. It stresses me out. A LOT. I've been pushing the cardio a little harder in hopes to speed up the process. I'm layering my legs as much as possible and hitting it in the morning and in the evening when I can. I'm training harder than I have ever trained before, and I'm doing it on minimal caloric intake. I won't lie. It's brutal. I'm not having as much fun as I was in the beginning, but I knew these days would come. It was just a matter of when.
The nitty gritty has officially commenced. I have to keep reminding myself of why I'm doing it, who I'm doing it for, and why I'll be better because of it. I'm always hungry and my energy level just isn't there like it used to be. I don't jump out of bed like I did 12 weeks ago. And that's discouraging to me. It's getting harder and harder not to hit snooze 6 times. I struggle to get everything done each day, but I'm taking it all one day at a time. I'm especially taking the cardio one day at a time. Lifting is the easy part. For me, the steady state crap has been the hardest part. The diet is a very close second. If it's not lean or green, I don't eat it (6 days out of the week). Mustering up the energy to run 5 + miles, or sweating it out for 55-60 mins on an elliptical with little to no carbs is usually the last thing I want to do. Especially after a 5am lifting session and working on my feet all day. But I'm learning that I am a fighter. This among other things that I've over come have proven that. It has challenged my mental and physical capacities. I hate it. I love it. I want it to stop. I want more!!! The challenges keep coming and the end keeps getting closer. I'm not sure what I'm more excited about at this point. Hanging out and EATING with my close friends and family after the show, or the show itself!! Let's say I'm equally excited about both. The only difference is that one of them doesn't make my heart race like I'm back in college speech class again.
I started at 158 lbs and 18% body fat. I'm now down to 141 lbs and under 9.7%. I knew I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something that I had been talking about for years. I knew it was time to stop talking and start acting, so here I am. This is not just a fitness journey. It's emotional, powerful, and I have high hopes that it's motivational and inspirational. Time to rock the next 4 weeks.
Until next time!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
There Is Only One You.
I started the day off on a slower note, but the morning workout helped. I also think the caffeine I consumed around 12:30 kicked in because I've been in go mode for the last 3.5 hours. End result: I decided on the design for my logo! Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
What it means.
What it means.
The mirroring letters represent what you see when you look in the mirror. Maybe you like it, maybe you don't. And I'm not just talking about how you look naked. I'm talking about the package deal. Your self-esteem, self-image, self-worth, which are all the building blocks of true happiness. The point is, you can change it if you're not satisfied! You just have to make the decision to do so and put in the work it takes to find your purpose and live up to your full potential. Do this, and loving yourself will be easy. I promise.
There is only one you.
This tagline came to me right away. We are only given one chance at this life and one body to live it with. Too many people treat their bodies like they're disposable. My mission is to help every individual that I work with realize that their body is essentially all that they have and it's extremely important that they keep it mobile, strong, and healthy. Food is fuel, and we all need to be more aware of what we're fueling our bodies with. Some people are simply careless, but others just don't know. Knowledge is power and my goal is to provide that knowledge. Everyone deserves a fair chance at a healthy, happy life :)
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Try And Hold Me Back.
First off, I got a new book written by the founder of a fabulous organization and I'm very excited about it. If you have a second, visit the website for To Write Love On Her Arms (twloha.com) and read about this movement. It's an amazing non-profit organization raising money for an even more amazing cause. Thanks guys!! :)
Single Digits!!! I met with Aaron on Wednesday this week and my body fat is officially in the single digits. I'm sitting at 9.7% and 142 lbs. I dropped 2.1% since my last check in and that's with a trip back home in between! I killed that shit (pardon my french). I tend to turn into a sailor when I get excited. I'm extremely proud of myself for maintaining self control and adhere to my strict diet plan while being surrounded by ALOT of tempting foods. I'm still ahead of schedule and it feels great, especially since this is the first time that I've ever done this. It definitely feels a lot more natural now. My body has started to adjust to the extremes a little bit more than it initially had. It's not easy, or fun at times, but this whole process is making me a mentally, physically, and emotionally stronger woman. And there is no price tag on that.
I feel unstoppable. I have a fire in my eyes that wasn't there before. I'm on a mission to achieve something that I've wanted for over 3 years. Something that I was too timid to try and tackle before. This desire to be great is a new one for me. And I love it. I get chills down my spine when I think about the goal I've set out to accomplish. This is the first time in my life that I've been emotional (in a good way) about a goal. I get tears in my eyes thinking about all the support that I have, how far I've come, and how hard I've been pushing myself for this. It's a feeling that I hope everyone is able to reach at some point in their life. It's a feeling of KNOWING you are a damn rock star and the only thing that can stop you is yourself, but there's no way that will happen because you want it too damn bad. You learn to ignore the pain because the pain of life will never stop. You simply have to channel it into something that means the world to you. Then, you conquer it. It's empowering. It's motivating. Nothing can stop you. It's inspiring to you AND to those around you. And when you start to inspire yourself, you know you're doing something right. Fear has kept me from stepping on that stage in the past, but it has nothing on me this time around. Try and hold me back now fear.... JUST TRY!!!
I feel unstoppable. I have a fire in my eyes that wasn't there before. I'm on a mission to achieve something that I've wanted for over 3 years. Something that I was too timid to try and tackle before. This desire to be great is a new one for me. And I love it. I get chills down my spine when I think about the goal I've set out to accomplish. This is the first time in my life that I've been emotional (in a good way) about a goal. I get tears in my eyes thinking about all the support that I have, how far I've come, and how hard I've been pushing myself for this. It's a feeling that I hope everyone is able to reach at some point in their life. It's a feeling of KNOWING you are a damn rock star and the only thing that can stop you is yourself, but there's no way that will happen because you want it too damn bad. You learn to ignore the pain because the pain of life will never stop. You simply have to channel it into something that means the world to you. Then, you conquer it. It's empowering. It's motivating. Nothing can stop you. It's inspiring to you AND to those around you. And when you start to inspire yourself, you know you're doing something right. Fear has kept me from stepping on that stage in the past, but it has nothing on me this time around. Try and hold me back now fear.... JUST TRY!!!
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Let It Go.
If you are still holding on to people, feelings, and/or negative effects from past experiences that may have left you feeling defeated, hurt, broken, betrayed, lost, or even empty. Think of them as leaves of a tree. Every year they brown, fall off, and blow away. And guess what?!? That's exactly what makes room for more to grow fresh, green, healthy, and NEW!!!
The weight of what has happened in your past isn't worth carrying around. If you let go of what you no longer have the power to change, you will make room for bigger and better things. The world is waiting for you.
Let it go.
:)
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Recap
I haven't posted since March 23rd. Woah. I knew it had been a while, but it has been longer than I originally thought! A lot has happened in the past few weeks. Let me tell you what.
1) I got a new clipboard!!! Life changing.
2) I got brand spankin' new ceramic pots and pans!!! I am VERY excited about these and I don't need to explain myself.
3) I ordered 2 more Glasslock food container sets. Even MORE excited about these!! The above statement also applies here.
4) I'm starting to see crazy changes in my body. There are muscles popping up that I've never been able to see before. I'm starting to see the striations in my shoulders (very cool) AND my 6 pack has started to come in. Pumped!!! This has been a "future" goal of mine for QUITE sometime now. I can't stop smiling about the progress I have made. 7 MORE WEEKS!!!
5) Roscoe and I packed up and drove down to Illinois for 5 days to visit my family, friends, and celebrate my niece's 1st birthday! Good times.
Let's talk about the hardest part of the 5 hour drive back home real quick. It's not being able to snack on things that I normally would on the way. Sad, but true. I usually take 2 Quest bars (one white chocolate raspberry and one cookie dough), an apple or a banana, and peanut butter!! That wasn't the case this time around. The trip there wasn't too bad because it was my high carb day (300g)!!! I was able to eat 1 cup of cottage cheese and some blackberries and my favorite little "desert" concoctions, which is 1 cup of oats (this amount varies on high or low carb day), 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, and 3 tbsp of PB2 (powdered peanut butter). Soooooooo damn GOOD!!!! On the drive home, however, I had two little tubs of raw green veggies... (sad trombone sound). I drove home on Monday, which was a low cab day (25g) and I ate those for breakfast. Sweet potato of course!! :)
1) I got a new clipboard!!! Life changing.
2) I got brand spankin' new ceramic pots and pans!!! I am VERY excited about these and I don't need to explain myself.
3) I ordered 2 more Glasslock food container sets. Even MORE excited about these!! The above statement also applies here.
4) I'm starting to see crazy changes in my body. There are muscles popping up that I've never been able to see before. I'm starting to see the striations in my shoulders (very cool) AND my 6 pack has started to come in. Pumped!!! This has been a "future" goal of mine for QUITE sometime now. I can't stop smiling about the progress I have made. 7 MORE WEEKS!!!
5) Roscoe and I packed up and drove down to Illinois for 5 days to visit my family, friends, and celebrate my niece's 1st birthday! Good times.
Let's talk about the hardest part of the 5 hour drive back home real quick. It's not being able to snack on things that I normally would on the way. Sad, but true. I usually take 2 Quest bars (one white chocolate raspberry and one cookie dough), an apple or a banana, and peanut butter!! That wasn't the case this time around. The trip there wasn't too bad because it was my high carb day (300g)!!! I was able to eat 1 cup of cottage cheese and some blackberries and my favorite little "desert" concoctions, which is 1 cup of oats (this amount varies on high or low carb day), 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, and 3 tbsp of PB2 (powdered peanut butter). Soooooooo damn GOOD!!!! On the drive home, however, I had two little tubs of raw green veggies... (sad trombone sound). I drove home on Monday, which was a low cab day (25g) and I ate those for breakfast. Sweet potato of course!! :)
It takes a lot of planning and prepping to travel during show prep. I made 30 meals and packed them up in a cooler that I could fit in myself. No, I'm not exaggerating. The best part about having to haul that colossal thing around was that it forced me to FINALLY take the 8 bags of old clothes that had been occupying my trunk for the better half of a year, to Goodwill. Yeah, you read that right. A whole year. Aaaaaaaand I may or may not have driven by that same Goodwill about 100 times in that year. Don't judge me.
My sister did an amazing job planning Millie's party. She had handmade decorations, she started new traditions, there was delicious smelling food (wouldn't know how it tasted because I couldn't eat any), and ice cold drinks! Back to the food. I hadn't really craved anything up until this point (except for peanut butter... for obvious reasons) mainly because I hadn't been around any foods other than what I had been making for myself and my clients. Although, the food I make for my clients is still pretty hard enough to say no to at times! I haven't gone to restaurants, or been to parties for this very reason. There are too many temptations when all you really want to do is eat some naughty foods!!! And it's not like the food was extravagant. It was simple. But everything looked and smelled phenomenal. I must say, that was the first time I had ever drooled over the sight and smell of a ham and cheese deli sandwich. I could have gone for about 6 of them, a deviled egg... or 10, a few mini cupcakes, or a full block of cheese. I even day dreamed about eating the remanence of Millie's smash cake. Extreme, I know. But it happened.
Side Note: Babies and smash cakes are the BEST!!!!
I did my best to stay busy chatting and utilized the deck (where there was no food) as much as possible!!! All exaggeration aside, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Yes, it was tough, but I lived to write this blog entry about it, right?!?
The first year of Millie's life flew by WAY too fast. It feels like she was just born 3 months ago. I think her parents would fully agree with me on that. She's such a cool little human though. She's so damn smart! I predict that she's going to be a nerdy little heartbreaker, which is quite the combo. She has an amazing personality and I can't wait to see what the next few years have in store. My sister is going to have their hands full!!
Most of my trip was spent with family, but I also got to meet up with some great friends! I've been spending a lot of time alone up here in Minneapolis due to my crazy schedule with work and this show prep, so it was soooooooooo nice to spend some quality time with my favorite group of girls back home. I love you guys to pieces and I can't wait to see you at my show at the end of May!!!
I also got the chance to lift with one of them. We had been planning to do that for a long time and things just never quite worked out. But we got it done this time around! I met her at QC Strongman where she goes on a regular basis to lift. It was fun to see her in her element! I always enjoy lifting at new gyms. To me, it's like trying a new restaurant! So I was super pumped. Plus, it was deadlift day!!! One of my favorites :) She wanted me to take a look at her form and give her some pointers. So we did just that. It was a successful lifting session. She is very quad dominant, so I broke things down for her in a way that she needed to hear it in order to help her fully understand what she needed to add/subtract from her routine in order to strengthen the weaker areas (glutes and hamstrings) that are the cause of her lower back pain during her lifts. She had a bit of an "aha moment", which is one of the coolest things to see as a coach. It's that moment when your client gets that look on there face that tells you that the light bulb just turned on!!! "I feel it where I'm supposed to now!" I just talked to her yesterday and she said she had just had an awesome deadlift session on Thursday. She's feeling the difference of the small changes we made while I was back. She works her ass off and deserves to feel accomplished when she walks out of the gym after her deadlift sessions, not frustrated. I think she's on the road to doing just that and I couldn't be happier.
Until next time!
:)
Most of my trip was spent with family, but I also got to meet up with some great friends! I've been spending a lot of time alone up here in Minneapolis due to my crazy schedule with work and this show prep, so it was soooooooooo nice to spend some quality time with my favorite group of girls back home. I love you guys to pieces and I can't wait to see you at my show at the end of May!!!
I also got the chance to lift with one of them. We had been planning to do that for a long time and things just never quite worked out. But we got it done this time around! I met her at QC Strongman where she goes on a regular basis to lift. It was fun to see her in her element! I always enjoy lifting at new gyms. To me, it's like trying a new restaurant! So I was super pumped. Plus, it was deadlift day!!! One of my favorites :) She wanted me to take a look at her form and give her some pointers. So we did just that. It was a successful lifting session. She is very quad dominant, so I broke things down for her in a way that she needed to hear it in order to help her fully understand what she needed to add/subtract from her routine in order to strengthen the weaker areas (glutes and hamstrings) that are the cause of her lower back pain during her lifts. She had a bit of an "aha moment", which is one of the coolest things to see as a coach. It's that moment when your client gets that look on there face that tells you that the light bulb just turned on!!! "I feel it where I'm supposed to now!" I just talked to her yesterday and she said she had just had an awesome deadlift session on Thursday. She's feeling the difference of the small changes we made while I was back. She works her ass off and deserves to feel accomplished when she walks out of the gym after her deadlift sessions, not frustrated. I think she's on the road to doing just that and I couldn't be happier.
Until next time!
:)
Thursday, March 23, 2017
No More Penny Pinching...
I had my 3rd posing session this morning and my body comp was right where I thought it would be. My body fat is down to 11.8% and I weighed in at 144.6 lbs. This past week was a really intense week of the carb cycle, but it paid off. I dropped another 2.4 lbs and I'm well on my way to being show ready two weeks out like I want. The adjustments we made to my carb cycle two weeks ago have made a huge difference. My body has reacted much better to just one re-feed (high carb) day. I'm up to 300g of carbs on that day (Thursdays) and down to between 75 and 0 on the other 6 days of the week. The fact that my re-feed day is so high and I'm still dropping a steady 1.5-2 lbs each week tells us that my metabolism is on FIRE, which is a very good thing. Like I said way back in one of the first posts, the higher we can get my carb numbers on my re-feed day, the better!
We went over all of the body building poses and made some fine tunes where needed. He then showed me some physique poses... FINALLY!!! These are a lot more unique and fun than the old fashioned bodybuilding poses (in my opinion). It's going to be a challenge to master all of them in the next 8 weeks, but I'm up for it. I've already done so much in preparation for this thing, but it still feels like there is so much left to do!! I've started to calculate all the money that I've spent on this over the past few months and it has become really clear that when it's all said and done, I will have put more, time, energy, sweat, money, and probably some tears into this than I have ever put into anything else in my life. What does this tell you? Well, it tells you that it is EXTREMELY important to me, because I am a huge tight ass. I do NOT spend a lot of money outside of my basic day to day needs, so this has been really hard for me!
Here are the things I've checked off of the to-do-list that makes me cringe a little bit more each and every time I see it:
Register for all 4 divisions ($270) - Check!
Hire a killer diet/posing coach ($900) - Check!
Book tan time ($100) - Check!
Scheduled hair/make up appointments ($210) - Check!
Purchase Suit... (Gulp) - Not yet!!!!
Practice poses, kill diet, and train like a beast (Priceless!!!) - Check!
I figured I'd start doing a little research on the suits since it's the last thing on my list and let's just say I became a bit overwhelmed. These suckers range anywhere from $250 all the way up to $1200. Ummmmmm... it's two itty bitty pieces of fabric that barely cover my "junk"!!!!!! But I need one, so all whining aside, I proceeded to look (for about 3 more seconds), then I closed my lap top and walked away. I'll save that shit for another day.
Until next time!! :)
We went over all of the body building poses and made some fine tunes where needed. He then showed me some physique poses... FINALLY!!! These are a lot more unique and fun than the old fashioned bodybuilding poses (in my opinion). It's going to be a challenge to master all of them in the next 8 weeks, but I'm up for it. I've already done so much in preparation for this thing, but it still feels like there is so much left to do!! I've started to calculate all the money that I've spent on this over the past few months and it has become really clear that when it's all said and done, I will have put more, time, energy, sweat, money, and probably some tears into this than I have ever put into anything else in my life. What does this tell you? Well, it tells you that it is EXTREMELY important to me, because I am a huge tight ass. I do NOT spend a lot of money outside of my basic day to day needs, so this has been really hard for me!
Here are the things I've checked off of the to-do-list that makes me cringe a little bit more each and every time I see it:
Register for all 4 divisions ($270) - Check!
Hire a killer diet/posing coach ($900) - Check!
Book tan time ($100) - Check!
Scheduled hair/make up appointments ($210) - Check!
Purchase Suit... (Gulp) - Not yet!!!!
Practice poses, kill diet, and train like a beast (Priceless!!!) - Check!
I figured I'd start doing a little research on the suits since it's the last thing on my list and let's just say I became a bit overwhelmed. These suckers range anywhere from $250 all the way up to $1200. Ummmmmm... it's two itty bitty pieces of fabric that barely cover my "junk"!!!!!! But I need one, so all whining aside, I proceeded to look (for about 3 more seconds), then I closed my lap top and walked away. I'll save that shit for another day.
Until next time!! :)
Monday, March 20, 2017
Half Way!!! (Almost)
I started this journey just over two months ago at 158 pounds and 18% body fat. I walked into Aaron's office with no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I've wanted to do this for a long time. I've just never had the balls or funds to make it happen. Recent events have changed the way I approach things in life and I have no intension of waiting for good things to come to me. If I want something, I'm going to go out and get it. End of story. So here I am, chasing the top spot in my first physique competition.
Last week was a huge week for me. We made some changes and set a goal to drop at least 1.5-2 lbs for the next 6 weeks. I weighed in at 147 pounds this past Thursday morning (down 2 pounds) and I couldn't have been happier with myself. We'll be taking my body fat % again on Thursday of next week when I have my next posing practice. I should be right around 11-12%.
Next week I will officially be half way through my preparation, which means things are going to be getting a little more intense. I no longer have two high carb re-feed days. I'm down to just one. Right now I'm at 250g of carbs on that day. As I said before, that number will continue to go up and my low carb days will slowly continue to drop. Right now I'm at two zero carb days each week. Thursday is my re-feed day and I'm at 250g carbs right now. Friday I drop back down to 100g, Saturday and Sunday I'm at 50g, and Monday I'm at 25g. Tuesday and Wednesday are the killers, aka, the big fat ZEROS!!! They haven't been too horrible yet, but I still have 8 weeks to go... (insert scared face here) I just have to keep a level head and remember that the fact that it's extremely hard is the exact reason why I'm doing it.
The diet isn't the only thing that is becoming more intense. We've also ramped up my cardio. And if you know me, you know that I don't normally do much cardio. I started at 20 mins of HIIT 1-2 times a week (this is normal for me). Now I'm at 25 mins of HIIT two times a week plus 55 mins of layered steady state four times a week. The reason I do this while where multiple layers is to sweat as much has I possibly can. This helps to condition my skin for how tight it's going to be come show time!
We're really trying to get a head of the game so I'm show ready about two weeks out. That way I can "relax" a little bit more and feel 120% prepared when I step foot on that stage at the end of May. I want to focus solely on perfecting my posing routine and getting my skin as tight as possible the the last two weeks. I want to walk on to that stage KNOWING that no one has a chance against me. If I continue to put in the work, I can make that happen.
Last week was a huge week for me. We made some changes and set a goal to drop at least 1.5-2 lbs for the next 6 weeks. I weighed in at 147 pounds this past Thursday morning (down 2 pounds) and I couldn't have been happier with myself. We'll be taking my body fat % again on Thursday of next week when I have my next posing practice. I should be right around 11-12%.
Next week I will officially be half way through my preparation, which means things are going to be getting a little more intense. I no longer have two high carb re-feed days. I'm down to just one. Right now I'm at 250g of carbs on that day. As I said before, that number will continue to go up and my low carb days will slowly continue to drop. Right now I'm at two zero carb days each week. Thursday is my re-feed day and I'm at 250g carbs right now. Friday I drop back down to 100g, Saturday and Sunday I'm at 50g, and Monday I'm at 25g. Tuesday and Wednesday are the killers, aka, the big fat ZEROS!!! They haven't been too horrible yet, but I still have 8 weeks to go... (insert scared face here) I just have to keep a level head and remember that the fact that it's extremely hard is the exact reason why I'm doing it.
The diet isn't the only thing that is becoming more intense. We've also ramped up my cardio. And if you know me, you know that I don't normally do much cardio. I started at 20 mins of HIIT 1-2 times a week (this is normal for me). Now I'm at 25 mins of HIIT two times a week plus 55 mins of layered steady state four times a week. The reason I do this while where multiple layers is to sweat as much has I possibly can. This helps to condition my skin for how tight it's going to be come show time!
We're really trying to get a head of the game so I'm show ready about two weeks out. That way I can "relax" a little bit more and feel 120% prepared when I step foot on that stage at the end of May. I want to focus solely on perfecting my posing routine and getting my skin as tight as possible the the last two weeks. I want to walk on to that stage KNOWING that no one has a chance against me. If I continue to put in the work, I can make that happen.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
You Are My Motivation.
I had my second posing session with Aaron on Tuesday this week and I left feeling like an unstoppable train!!! We worked on my poses for the first 25 mins, then we sat down to chat and this is what he said. "I'm not trying to put any pressure on you, but I will be honest. I'm expecting great things from you." He is the first person that has ever said that to me. And I didn't realize this until I was driving home. I actually started to tear up because right then and there, it hit me like a ton of bricks. THIS is what I was put on this planet to do. I was born to be a bodybuilder!!!
I was given this talent to inspire people on a daily basis. I love my job as a personal strength and conditioning coach. I love my clients and seeing them achieve things that they never thought they could. I also love showing them that I struggle just like they do. I've had to work extremely hard to get to where I am in my life. And I can honestly say that I'm nowhere NEAR where I want to be. I have so much more to see, do, and accomplish. I'm 31 years young. I'm just now really seeing the full spectrum of what I was put on this earth to do.
I knew that I loved being a trainer from the moment that I started working with clients, but I also knew that there was still something missing. It had nothing to do with my job and everything to do with something inside of myself. I couldn't put my finger on it before, but it's very clear now. I was missing that part of me that made me feel like I was always pushing myself to be better. Before now I was just kind of going through the motions. I didn't really have specific goals in place for my life. I tricked myself into believing that I was living to the best of my abilities. I'd go through this checklist in my head: I have a job that I love, I can pay my bills, I have friends and family who care about me, I have a great dog, a roof over my head, and I have enough money to do the things that I enjoy. This seems pretty legit, right? But this is exactly where I went wrong. I was settling for what I had already accomplished instead of striving to do more with my life. I finally woke up one morning and thought to myself, "I'm bigger and better than this." That was the day that I decided to challenge myself in a whole new way.
I've completed 7 weeks of preparation and I'm feeling better now than I ever have. Why? Because I'm finally doing what I was meant to do. I'm not only pursuing my passion as a personal strength and conditioning coach, but I'm also pursuing a passion that I knew had been the missing link all along. A competitive bodybuilder. It's the perfect addition to my personal training and meal prep business. It challenges me in ways that I have never been challenged, which is exactly what had been missing in my life up until this point. The posing, extreme diet, and the excessive amount of cardio are just a few examples. Before this, I would do a maximum of maybe 45-60 mins of cardio a week. I'm now doing right around 250 mins each week. This number will only go up (shaking my head and grinning). It's forcing me to do things that I normally would laugh at. That is why I love it so much! It combines these challenges with my #1 passion of fitness. It just doesn't get any better.
As I get closer to the date of my show (May 27th, 2017), I can't help but think about all of my friends and family members here in Minneapolis and back home in the Quad Cities who have already booked hotel rooms and made plans to come support me on one of the biggest days of my life. This honestly brings tears to my eyes. I have never felt more loved and supported than I do right now. I faced one of the biggest challenges in my life back in May of 2016, but I since realized that the only love that I truly need in my life, is the love that I have for myself. If that love is strong, then everything else will only grow stronger. I've come full circle and I'm very proud of that. The love I have for myself is stronger than it has ever been. And this makes the love that I'm getting from those close to me feel stronger than it has ever felt. It's amazing what self love can do for you.
I'm beyond excited to see everyone in the crowd on the day of my show. I don't think you guys truly understand how much much it will mean to me. I will warn you ahead of time, I'm going to be an emotional wreck once I step off of that stage. A good wreck though, not a bad one! I just know that I'm going to be overwhelmed with all the love and support that will be there for me. It's going to be more than I have ever experienced. Not only that, it will be on one of the biggest days of my life.
I'm writing this because I wanted you all to know that YOU are a HUGE piece of what keeps me motivated. When I'm feeling discouraged, tired, or just simply having one of those days when I'm not psyched up about getting my workout or posing practice in, I think about you. I think about the commitment you have made to me and seeing me achieve this goal. I think about who I'm inspiring by not giving up. This is what flips the switch for me. This is what keeps me going. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Love,
Kelsey
I was given this talent to inspire people on a daily basis. I love my job as a personal strength and conditioning coach. I love my clients and seeing them achieve things that they never thought they could. I also love showing them that I struggle just like they do. I've had to work extremely hard to get to where I am in my life. And I can honestly say that I'm nowhere NEAR where I want to be. I have so much more to see, do, and accomplish. I'm 31 years young. I'm just now really seeing the full spectrum of what I was put on this earth to do.
I knew that I loved being a trainer from the moment that I started working with clients, but I also knew that there was still something missing. It had nothing to do with my job and everything to do with something inside of myself. I couldn't put my finger on it before, but it's very clear now. I was missing that part of me that made me feel like I was always pushing myself to be better. Before now I was just kind of going through the motions. I didn't really have specific goals in place for my life. I tricked myself into believing that I was living to the best of my abilities. I'd go through this checklist in my head: I have a job that I love, I can pay my bills, I have friends and family who care about me, I have a great dog, a roof over my head, and I have enough money to do the things that I enjoy. This seems pretty legit, right? But this is exactly where I went wrong. I was settling for what I had already accomplished instead of striving to do more with my life. I finally woke up one morning and thought to myself, "I'm bigger and better than this." That was the day that I decided to challenge myself in a whole new way.
I've completed 7 weeks of preparation and I'm feeling better now than I ever have. Why? Because I'm finally doing what I was meant to do. I'm not only pursuing my passion as a personal strength and conditioning coach, but I'm also pursuing a passion that I knew had been the missing link all along. A competitive bodybuilder. It's the perfect addition to my personal training and meal prep business. It challenges me in ways that I have never been challenged, which is exactly what had been missing in my life up until this point. The posing, extreme diet, and the excessive amount of cardio are just a few examples. Before this, I would do a maximum of maybe 45-60 mins of cardio a week. I'm now doing right around 250 mins each week. This number will only go up (shaking my head and grinning). It's forcing me to do things that I normally would laugh at. That is why I love it so much! It combines these challenges with my #1 passion of fitness. It just doesn't get any better.
As I get closer to the date of my show (May 27th, 2017), I can't help but think about all of my friends and family members here in Minneapolis and back home in the Quad Cities who have already booked hotel rooms and made plans to come support me on one of the biggest days of my life. This honestly brings tears to my eyes. I have never felt more loved and supported than I do right now. I faced one of the biggest challenges in my life back in May of 2016, but I since realized that the only love that I truly need in my life, is the love that I have for myself. If that love is strong, then everything else will only grow stronger. I've come full circle and I'm very proud of that. The love I have for myself is stronger than it has ever been. And this makes the love that I'm getting from those close to me feel stronger than it has ever felt. It's amazing what self love can do for you.
I'm beyond excited to see everyone in the crowd on the day of my show. I don't think you guys truly understand how much much it will mean to me. I will warn you ahead of time, I'm going to be an emotional wreck once I step off of that stage. A good wreck though, not a bad one! I just know that I'm going to be overwhelmed with all the love and support that will be there for me. It's going to be more than I have ever experienced. Not only that, it will be on one of the biggest days of my life.
I'm writing this because I wanted you all to know that YOU are a HUGE piece of what keeps me motivated. When I'm feeling discouraged, tired, or just simply having one of those days when I'm not psyched up about getting my workout or posing practice in, I think about you. I think about the commitment you have made to me and seeing me achieve this goal. I think about who I'm inspiring by not giving up. This is what flips the switch for me. This is what keeps me going. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Love,
Kelsey
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Unconventional
It's 2am and I couldn't sleep. I have a million things going through my mind for some reason. I'm usually a GREAT sleeper. I can shut my brain off at night until that alarm goes off at 3/3:30. But since it came knocking a little earlier today, I figured I'd get up and write the post that I said I'd write last night. I've been slacking you guys. I have not been managing my time well when it comes to getting these posts written and I apologize for that. But here it is. Finally!
I wanted to share with you some strategies for working out in unconventional spaces. The two things that it really comes down to are simple. Make good use of your own body weight and be creative with the space you have and the objects surrounding you!
You can do so many things with just your body weight. There are a lot of people out there who will tell you that you can't give yourself a good workout without equipment. That's simply not true. I've given many clients and myself plenty of killer workouts with minimal to absolutely no equipment. You don't have to be pouring sweat and breathing like you just ran a marathon to have given yourself a good workout. It's all about what your goal is. A flexibility workout will be completely different than a straight up strength based lifting or cardio session, but it is JUST as effective and can be just as challenging! It's just challenging in a different way. There are also certain flexibility moves that will keep your heart rate up in the 80 percentile if you place them strategically in the middle of heavy lifting or HIIT session as active rest. This is a good way to utilize your breaks for improving flexibility and overall mobility!
Here are some of my favorite "go to" body weight movements:
1) Hand walkout w/ or w/o push up (Strength/Flexibility)
2) Pike Push Up (Strength/ Flexibility)
3) Spiderman Pushup (Strength/Flexibility)
4) Sumo Alternating "Air Row" (Strength/Core Stabilization)
* This would normally be done with weights, but it has benefits w/o them too!!!!
5) Jump Squat (Strength/Power)
6) Double or Single Leg Leap (Forward, Lateral, or Diagonal) -- (Strength/Power/Balance)
7) High Knees
8) Yoga Plex (Flexibility)
9) Lunges (Strength/Flexibility)
* Lunge Variations: forward, reverse, lateral, and diagonal.
* You can also alternate legs opposed to doing all reps one side, then moving to the other.
10) Single Leg Airplane (Balance/Flexibility)
11) Siderman Complex (Balance/Flexibility)
12) Leg Whip (Strength/Flexibility)
13) Reverse Lung w/ Knee Raise & Torso Twist (Strength/Flexibility/Balance)
* Twist toward the knee that you bring up
14) Dead Bug - Isometric hold or w/ arm and leg extensions
* This will bullet proof your lower back and over all core if done correctly!
15) Hollow Body Holds (An advanced progression of the dead bug)
16) Reverse Crunch
17) Hip Switches
18) Supine Oblique "Side Bends"
19) High or Low Plank
20) Body Saw (Core/Shoulder Strength)
21) X Plank (Core Stabilization/Balance)
22) Russian Twist
Note: I tried posting links to demo videos for all of these exercises, but I couldn't get them to work. I'll figure this out soon! Until then, you can find them on youtube. Please leave any questions you may have in the comment section and I'd be happy to answer them for you! :)
Now if you are in a hotel room, there are A LOT of things that you can use for a workout. You just have to think outside of the box! For example, your bed can be used in the same way as a bosu ball is used for balance. Stand on the bed and do some single leg airplanes or makes some dumbbells by throwing some of your belongings in a pillow case and do some single leg curls and or overhead presses! You can make them as heavy or light as you want. Also, almost every hotel room has a chair with wheels! This can be used as an "ab wheel." It's obviously higher off of the ground than a real ab wheel, so for some it will be less challenging, BUT it still does the trick. Just fatigue yourself with a few of the exercises I listed above before hand, then do as many reps as you can get with the new ab chair you just created! It can also be used as the stability ball during stability ball hamstring curls (which is one of the BEST exercises for your hamstrings in my opinion). See you guys, you just have to think OUT SIDE OF THE BOX. You have everything you need just about anywhere you go. I will elaborate on this more either today or tomorrow, but that's all the time I have for now. It's time to get this day rolling, aka, time to go make me some breakfast!!!
Until next time :)
I wanted to share with you some strategies for working out in unconventional spaces. The two things that it really comes down to are simple. Make good use of your own body weight and be creative with the space you have and the objects surrounding you!
You can do so many things with just your body weight. There are a lot of people out there who will tell you that you can't give yourself a good workout without equipment. That's simply not true. I've given many clients and myself plenty of killer workouts with minimal to absolutely no equipment. You don't have to be pouring sweat and breathing like you just ran a marathon to have given yourself a good workout. It's all about what your goal is. A flexibility workout will be completely different than a straight up strength based lifting or cardio session, but it is JUST as effective and can be just as challenging! It's just challenging in a different way. There are also certain flexibility moves that will keep your heart rate up in the 80 percentile if you place them strategically in the middle of heavy lifting or HIIT session as active rest. This is a good way to utilize your breaks for improving flexibility and overall mobility!
Here are some of my favorite "go to" body weight movements:
1) Hand walkout w/ or w/o push up (Strength/Flexibility)
2) Pike Push Up (Strength/ Flexibility)
3) Spiderman Pushup (Strength/Flexibility)
4) Sumo Alternating "Air Row" (Strength/Core Stabilization)
* This would normally be done with weights, but it has benefits w/o them too!!!!
5) Jump Squat (Strength/Power)
6) Double or Single Leg Leap (Forward, Lateral, or Diagonal) -- (Strength/Power/Balance)
7) High Knees
8) Yoga Plex (Flexibility)
9) Lunges (Strength/Flexibility)
* Lunge Variations: forward, reverse, lateral, and diagonal.
* You can also alternate legs opposed to doing all reps one side, then moving to the other.
10) Single Leg Airplane (Balance/Flexibility)
11) Siderman Complex (Balance/Flexibility)
12) Leg Whip (Strength/Flexibility)
13) Reverse Lung w/ Knee Raise & Torso Twist (Strength/Flexibility/Balance)
* Twist toward the knee that you bring up
14) Dead Bug - Isometric hold or w/ arm and leg extensions
* This will bullet proof your lower back and over all core if done correctly!
15) Hollow Body Holds (An advanced progression of the dead bug)
16) Reverse Crunch
17) Hip Switches
18) Supine Oblique "Side Bends"
19) High or Low Plank
20) Body Saw (Core/Shoulder Strength)
21) X Plank (Core Stabilization/Balance)
22) Russian Twist
Note: I tried posting links to demo videos for all of these exercises, but I couldn't get them to work. I'll figure this out soon! Until then, you can find them on youtube. Please leave any questions you may have in the comment section and I'd be happy to answer them for you! :)
Now if you are in a hotel room, there are A LOT of things that you can use for a workout. You just have to think outside of the box! For example, your bed can be used in the same way as a bosu ball is used for balance. Stand on the bed and do some single leg airplanes or makes some dumbbells by throwing some of your belongings in a pillow case and do some single leg curls and or overhead presses! You can make them as heavy or light as you want. Also, almost every hotel room has a chair with wheels! This can be used as an "ab wheel." It's obviously higher off of the ground than a real ab wheel, so for some it will be less challenging, BUT it still does the trick. Just fatigue yourself with a few of the exercises I listed above before hand, then do as many reps as you can get with the new ab chair you just created! It can also be used as the stability ball during stability ball hamstring curls (which is one of the BEST exercises for your hamstrings in my opinion). See you guys, you just have to think OUT SIDE OF THE BOX. You have everything you need just about anywhere you go. I will elaborate on this more either today or tomorrow, but that's all the time I have for now. It's time to get this day rolling, aka, time to go make me some breakfast!!!
Until next time :)
Sunday, February 26, 2017
SLASH!!!!
If there is one thing that I've learned, it's that you can't just sit back and wait for things to happen in your life. You have to be proactive. Good things don't come looking for you. You have to put in the work. Great things take time and persistence. They take the eagerness to succeed and the drive to make shit happen. There will be times that you have to step outside of your comfort zone and dig deeper than you have ever had to dig before. You won't always like it. Hell, you'll probably hate it at times. It may scare the shit out of you; but as I've said before, if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough. You may find yourself hanging on for dear life at one point or another. It's going to be hard, but it's also going to be worth it. Do whatever it takes to make yourself happy.
(S) SMILE.
When you're happy you put off positive vibes and you SMILE more. This is probably one of the most important things you can do in my opinion. Smiles are contagious you guys. Smile as much as you possibly can. I'm not saying walk around with a fake smile on your face. I'm saying make the changes in your life that put a real smile on your face. When I see a 100% genuine smile; whether it be from a complete stranger, a good friend, or a family member, I can't help but to smile right back. And it ALWAYS leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me. This, in my opinion, is the best feeling in the world. And everyone should get to experience it.
(L) LISTEN.
You have to start making an effort to surround yourself with positive people. This is going to put you in the position to start making changes. Why? Because you'll feed off of the positive energy. Positive people are successful people. And I'm not just talking about financially successful. I'm talking about emotionally successful. They know how to see the good in most situations. Once you find people like this, LISTEN to their story. I mean really listen. Find out what it is that made them the way that they are. If you let people in on a deeper level, I guarantee that you'll find something inspiring in them. Use this as fuel for your own fire.
(A) ACT.
There comes a time when we all have to be a little selfish in order to keep ourselves happy. I am the most important thing in my life right now. I've had multiple people ask me if I'm dating anyone yet. The answer I give is always the same. "Myself." I've been working my ass off and putting myself first for the past 9 months and I've seen nothing but good things come of it. I don't plan to change that anytime soon. I've learned to listen to my heart and ACT on those feelings. I know who I am and what I'm capable of. And I plan to keep being the best version of myself and helping others do the same though sharing my insight, thoughts, opinions, feelings, and experiences.
(S) SHARE.
Don't just listen to other's stories, SHARE yours with them! You may not see it yet, but I can guarantee you that to someone else, what you've overcome in your life is inspiring. Let your experiences be someone else's fuel to better themselves.
(H) HELP.
No matter how successful you become in life, always remember where you came from. Stay humble. Remember the times that you struggled. Remember the times that other people in your life dropped everything in order to lend you a helping hand. And most importantly, remember all the people out there who are still going through struggles. Don't ignore them. HELP them. It's your turn to lend the hand. Use your success and the other resources you've gained to make a difference in other people's lives. If you do this, then you're doing it right.
SLASH the world.
Until next time.
:)
(S) SMILE.
When you're happy you put off positive vibes and you SMILE more. This is probably one of the most important things you can do in my opinion. Smiles are contagious you guys. Smile as much as you possibly can. I'm not saying walk around with a fake smile on your face. I'm saying make the changes in your life that put a real smile on your face. When I see a 100% genuine smile; whether it be from a complete stranger, a good friend, or a family member, I can't help but to smile right back. And it ALWAYS leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me. This, in my opinion, is the best feeling in the world. And everyone should get to experience it.
(L) LISTEN.
You have to start making an effort to surround yourself with positive people. This is going to put you in the position to start making changes. Why? Because you'll feed off of the positive energy. Positive people are successful people. And I'm not just talking about financially successful. I'm talking about emotionally successful. They know how to see the good in most situations. Once you find people like this, LISTEN to their story. I mean really listen. Find out what it is that made them the way that they are. If you let people in on a deeper level, I guarantee that you'll find something inspiring in them. Use this as fuel for your own fire.
(A) ACT.
There comes a time when we all have to be a little selfish in order to keep ourselves happy. I am the most important thing in my life right now. I've had multiple people ask me if I'm dating anyone yet. The answer I give is always the same. "Myself." I've been working my ass off and putting myself first for the past 9 months and I've seen nothing but good things come of it. I don't plan to change that anytime soon. I've learned to listen to my heart and ACT on those feelings. I know who I am and what I'm capable of. And I plan to keep being the best version of myself and helping others do the same though sharing my insight, thoughts, opinions, feelings, and experiences.
(S) SHARE.
Don't just listen to other's stories, SHARE yours with them! You may not see it yet, but I can guarantee you that to someone else, what you've overcome in your life is inspiring. Let your experiences be someone else's fuel to better themselves.
No matter how successful you become in life, always remember where you came from. Stay humble. Remember the times that you struggled. Remember the times that other people in your life dropped everything in order to lend you a helping hand. And most importantly, remember all the people out there who are still going through struggles. Don't ignore them. HELP them. It's your turn to lend the hand. Use your success and the other resources you've gained to make a difference in other people's lives. If you do this, then you're doing it right.
SLASH the world.
Until next time.
:)
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Wake Up With PURPOSE.
The ones who truly make an impact on the world are those who can't wait to get out in it!
So many people claim that they "don't have time" to prep meals for the week to keep them from eating crap. They also "don't have time" to get some sort of workout in each day. But they manage to have time to watch 3 hours of TV each night (yes, I'm rolling my eyes). I'm not going to lie to you, I used to be one of those people! Then I woke the hell up and realized that I have so much more to give to this world. I made a promise to myself that I would no longer waste another minute of my life being lazy. I know who I am now. I know what my purpose is and I know damn well what my passion is!
Yes, I know that sometimes an extra hour or two of sleep sounds great when you're exhausted in the morning from a long night of sitting on your ass watching TV (thick sarcasm) Hey, I have an idea! GO TO BED AN HOUR OUR TWO EARLIER and skip the TV. Genius. I know. Get your ass up the FIRST time your alarm goes off, immediately eat a balanced breakfast, then head to the gym and get your endorphins pumping so you're ready to take on your day with vengeance. Wake up with purpose and start your day with a grateful heart. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, so we need to do great things with the time that we have! Take the steps to make your life what you want it to be. If you want the tables to turn, turn them the f*** over! You are the one that has to make the changes. If you are excited about what you're doing each day, it will show in every aspect of your life. Your self-esteem will increase, your energy level will be higher, your attitude will be positive, and your productivity level will be through the roof. Start doing the things that you love and everything will come full circle. I promise!
Set goals that make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.
I can honestly say that I'm EXCITED to get up between 3:00 and 3:30 each morning. I have a set plan for how each day is going to go, and they always start with three of my favorite things: Roscoe kisses, a good breakfast, and a good workout :) The routine I've created for myself is strict, But I love it. It's what keeps me on track with the goals (short and long term) that I have set for myself. It keeps me honest, humble, healthy, and motivated. And at the end of the day, I can't wait to go to bed. Sometimes it's simply because I'm starving, but usually it's because I'm excited for what the next day has in store for me! I'm so high on life right now that nothing can stop me. This is how we should all strive to feel about life. The world would be a much better place!
Sometimes a new goal is exactly what we need to make a fresh start. It's like hitting the reset button on life. It isn't abnormal for someone to find themselves at a stand still here and there. Things can get stagnant. You just have to quickly recognize when this happens and do something about it. Be proactive with your life! This is where goals come in. They give us something to work toward and an end result to look forward to! If you aren't working for something, you aren't living up to your full potential. I don't know about you, but I was put on this earth to do more than just pay bills and die! Think about it.
Past goals that I set for myself and completed have put me in the position to change lives for a living. It doesn't get much better than this you guys :) Like I've said before, it wasn't always like this. I've had to work my ass off and make HUGE changes in my life to get to where I am. There was a time when I was NOT happy with my life. But looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. Every experience, good and bad, has made me the person that I am today. And I really LOVE that person. I'm going to end this post with a little something that I came across today. It sums it up beautifully :)
Until next time :)
So many people claim that they "don't have time" to prep meals for the week to keep them from eating crap. They also "don't have time" to get some sort of workout in each day. But they manage to have time to watch 3 hours of TV each night (yes, I'm rolling my eyes). I'm not going to lie to you, I used to be one of those people! Then I woke the hell up and realized that I have so much more to give to this world. I made a promise to myself that I would no longer waste another minute of my life being lazy. I know who I am now. I know what my purpose is and I know damn well what my passion is!
Yes, I know that sometimes an extra hour or two of sleep sounds great when you're exhausted in the morning from a long night of sitting on your ass watching TV (thick sarcasm) Hey, I have an idea! GO TO BED AN HOUR OUR TWO EARLIER and skip the TV. Genius. I know. Get your ass up the FIRST time your alarm goes off, immediately eat a balanced breakfast, then head to the gym and get your endorphins pumping so you're ready to take on your day with vengeance. Wake up with purpose and start your day with a grateful heart. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, so we need to do great things with the time that we have! Take the steps to make your life what you want it to be. If you want the tables to turn, turn them the f*** over! You are the one that has to make the changes. If you are excited about what you're doing each day, it will show in every aspect of your life. Your self-esteem will increase, your energy level will be higher, your attitude will be positive, and your productivity level will be through the roof. Start doing the things that you love and everything will come full circle. I promise!
Set goals that make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.
I can honestly say that I'm EXCITED to get up between 3:00 and 3:30 each morning. I have a set plan for how each day is going to go, and they always start with three of my favorite things: Roscoe kisses, a good breakfast, and a good workout :) The routine I've created for myself is strict, But I love it. It's what keeps me on track with the goals (short and long term) that I have set for myself. It keeps me honest, humble, healthy, and motivated. And at the end of the day, I can't wait to go to bed. Sometimes it's simply because I'm starving, but usually it's because I'm excited for what the next day has in store for me! I'm so high on life right now that nothing can stop me. This is how we should all strive to feel about life. The world would be a much better place!
Sometimes a new goal is exactly what we need to make a fresh start. It's like hitting the reset button on life. It isn't abnormal for someone to find themselves at a stand still here and there. Things can get stagnant. You just have to quickly recognize when this happens and do something about it. Be proactive with your life! This is where goals come in. They give us something to work toward and an end result to look forward to! If you aren't working for something, you aren't living up to your full potential. I don't know about you, but I was put on this earth to do more than just pay bills and die! Think about it.
Past goals that I set for myself and completed have put me in the position to change lives for a living. It doesn't get much better than this you guys :) Like I've said before, it wasn't always like this. I've had to work my ass off and make HUGE changes in my life to get to where I am. There was a time when I was NOT happy with my life. But looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. Every experience, good and bad, has made me the person that I am today. And I really LOVE that person. I'm going to end this post with a little something that I came across today. It sums it up beautifully :)
Until next time :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
First Posing Session
I had my first posing practice with Aaron last night and it was a definite success! We did body composition for the second time. I'm down 3% body fat and 6.5 pounds in the last 4 weeks. Very happy with those results! When I first walked into the posing room, I didn't really know what to expect. Let's just say that I'm not a huge fan of looking at myself in the mirror. It's so awkward. And flexing is a whole new ball game for me. For those of you who know me, you know that I'm bashful when it comes to this. I won't flex for ANYONE. Just one more reason why this show is going to be a HUGE challenge for me. I felt like a big fool at first, but I started to get it slowly, but surely. There are a lot of little things to think about when it comes to each pose. And who would have known holding a pose would be so exhausting! I could tell that my back was tight when I started to cramp up a little while doing my lat spread pose (which is really HARD by the way). This showed me that it's definitely going to take some practice before I'm able to hold these poses comfortably for the amount of time that I need to.
We went over 6 different poses. It felt like 60. I took notes and tried to remember as much as I possibly could. Tonight will be my first practice session on my own. I'm excited! I hope I remember all the details we talked about yesterday. I know it will just take time. I'll get it! Aaron took pictures of me in each pose so I would have something to refer back to if I get stuck. He also wrote down a few notes for me.
It was definitely a lot of information to take in; and there is a lot more that will be thrown at me in the next few weeks, but I'm definitely excited. The challenge of learning and perfecting these movements is calling my name. I have 14 weeks to prepare, which makes me feel a lot better. Starting early with the poses is extremely important because as a competitor, if you don't have them down, you're score in the show will be docked and you won't do well. Like I said, it's extremely exhausting to hold these poses and if you don't condition yourself to do so, you'll find yourself going flat during your time on the stage. When this happens the judges are no longer able to see your muscles pop in the way that they need to in order to give you a high score.
One thing that I can see being a challenge are the vacuums that I'll have to maintain during certain poses. Holding air in your chest while flexing AND breathing is harder than it sounds. Holy crap. I've known from the beginning that I'm going to have to work my ass off for this, but yesterday put this whole posing thing into perspective. I have my work cut out for me! It's not just flexing in front of a mirror. It is an art. There is a specific technique behind it. I can honestly say that I have a new admiration and respect for all competitors who have mastered the art of posing because it is NOT easy! My next session is March 7th and I'm already looking forward to it. My goal for that session is to be able to run through all 6 poses we went through yesterday with little to no corrections from Aaron :) Wish me luck!
Until Next time (which hopefully won't be as long as it was last time)
:)
We went over 6 different poses. It felt like 60. I took notes and tried to remember as much as I possibly could. Tonight will be my first practice session on my own. I'm excited! I hope I remember all the details we talked about yesterday. I know it will just take time. I'll get it! Aaron took pictures of me in each pose so I would have something to refer back to if I get stuck. He also wrote down a few notes for me.
It was definitely a lot of information to take in; and there is a lot more that will be thrown at me in the next few weeks, but I'm definitely excited. The challenge of learning and perfecting these movements is calling my name. I have 14 weeks to prepare, which makes me feel a lot better. Starting early with the poses is extremely important because as a competitor, if you don't have them down, you're score in the show will be docked and you won't do well. Like I said, it's extremely exhausting to hold these poses and if you don't condition yourself to do so, you'll find yourself going flat during your time on the stage. When this happens the judges are no longer able to see your muscles pop in the way that they need to in order to give you a high score.
 |
| Pose: Back Double Bicep |
Until Next time (which hopefully won't be as long as it was last time)
:)
Friday, February 17, 2017
The Struggle Is Real
It's Friday, and I'm definitely ready for the beautiful weekend that's in store for us here in Minnesota! The weather has been insanely warm here lately. I love it. I'm a Minnesota transplant, so I honestly could not care less about skiing and hockey. Yep, I said it! This is something that I would NOT say out loud around most Minnesotans. Hockey is insanely important to the people of this state. It's a bit crazy. But anyway, back to the reason why all those skiers and hockey players haven't been real thrilled lately. It's going to be damn near 60 DEGREES and it's February! I'll be busting out the grill and patio furniture with a giant smile on my face. It will be nice to relax on the deck while I grill a bunch of meat for my client's and I's meals for next week. MUCH better than being stuck inside for 6 hours doing it!!! The last few days have been a big rough so I'm looking forward to the sun and relaxation.
I endured my lowest carb day thus far on Wednesday. I was sitting at 25g. I was feeling pretty damn good after two days at 50g. My busy day to day, work, and extremely strict sleep schedules have made all the difference! But Wednesday was a different story. With the lack of carbs, I proceeded to fill the void with fibrous carbs, aka, a lot of broccoli in attempt to make myself feel full. What I failed to think about was what consuming this much fiber will do to a person. Let's just say I was now not only very hungry, but my stomach felt like an over inflated balloon. The air needed to be released!!! I was so miserable that I ended up going to bed at 6:45 that night. This was the best decision I had made all day.
I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and my stomach screaming at me, but once I got up and got my favorite long awaited oats, peanut butter, and protien powered mixture into my system I began to feel a little better, but I still just wasn't 100% with it. Even with the extra sleep I could be described with two words. Hot mess. My 5am Thursday morning can attest to this. She handled me very well though. I think she actually started to feel a little sorry for me. Haha! We're close, so I felt no need to hide my struggles from her. Sometimes I feel that's necessary to show my clients that I struggle too. I'm not super human! I'm straight up human, just like them. Things don't come easy for me either. I have to make sacrifice and work extremely hard to achieve my goals as well. My hope is that when they see this in action, it will help put a little extra fire in their eyes. I want them to be inspired.
Up until Wednesday things had been going really well apart from my weigh in last week. I was up .4 pounds, which wasn't ideal, but it was just a minor set back. And if you read my previous post, you know exactly how I feel about those! Aaron adjusted my macros for this week and I crushed them. They crushed me a little bit as well, but I still won!!! I weighed in at 151.6 yesterday morning. BOOM! Right back on track. I get to enjoy one more high carb day today, then it's back to the dreaded depletion days. I'm hoping to be down around 148 at next week's weigh in. It's looking like my 8 week goal of 146 may come a little early and I couldn't be more proud. Happy Friday you guys.
Until next time!
I endured my lowest carb day thus far on Wednesday. I was sitting at 25g. I was feeling pretty damn good after two days at 50g. My busy day to day, work, and extremely strict sleep schedules have made all the difference! But Wednesday was a different story. With the lack of carbs, I proceeded to fill the void with fibrous carbs, aka, a lot of broccoli in attempt to make myself feel full. What I failed to think about was what consuming this much fiber will do to a person. Let's just say I was now not only very hungry, but my stomach felt like an over inflated balloon. The air needed to be released!!! I was so miserable that I ended up going to bed at 6:45 that night. This was the best decision I had made all day.
I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and my stomach screaming at me, but once I got up and got my favorite long awaited oats, peanut butter, and protien powered mixture into my system I began to feel a little better, but I still just wasn't 100% with it. Even with the extra sleep I could be described with two words. Hot mess. My 5am Thursday morning can attest to this. She handled me very well though. I think she actually started to feel a little sorry for me. Haha! We're close, so I felt no need to hide my struggles from her. Sometimes I feel that's necessary to show my clients that I struggle too. I'm not super human! I'm straight up human, just like them. Things don't come easy for me either. I have to make sacrifice and work extremely hard to achieve my goals as well. My hope is that when they see this in action, it will help put a little extra fire in their eyes. I want them to be inspired.
Up until Wednesday things had been going really well apart from my weigh in last week. I was up .4 pounds, which wasn't ideal, but it was just a minor set back. And if you read my previous post, you know exactly how I feel about those! Aaron adjusted my macros for this week and I crushed them. They crushed me a little bit as well, but I still won!!! I weighed in at 151.6 yesterday morning. BOOM! Right back on track. I get to enjoy one more high carb day today, then it's back to the dreaded depletion days. I'm hoping to be down around 148 at next week's weigh in. It's looking like my 8 week goal of 146 may come a little early and I couldn't be more proud. Happy Friday you guys.
Until next time!
Monday, February 13, 2017
Be Courageous With Your Story
We all have a story to tell. We all have a purpose for being here. This purpose is the very reason why we were put on this earth. Our story is the process of finding that purpose. I took me 31 years to get to the point in my life that I am at right now. I've finally reached the point where I feel like I'm truly making a difference in the lives of others on a daily basis. This is what truly makes me happy. Do you want to know what makes it even better? I'm doing it 100% on my own. This is something that I never thought I'd be able to do. I've always had someone by my side to help me along when I got stuck. But this time it's different. I have me, and only me, to rely on. Independence is empowering.
I was in a pretty rough spot not long ago and if you would have told me that I'd bounce back as quickly and fiercely as I did, I would have laughed in your face. I had no idea which way was up or down. I didn't know how I was going to pay rent or take care of my dog. There was a point when I thought I was going to have to move back to IL, which is the absolute last thing that I wanted to do. I didn't want to give up. I've done that way too many times in the past. I wanted to stand my ground and prove to myself that I had the fight in me. I wasn't going to run away with my tail between my legs this time. The greatest things in life often stem from the worst situations. It was time for me to woman up. I came to the realization that I'd be a much happier, stronger, more wise, driven, and disciplined version of myself once I was able to move forward, and guess what. I was right.
Be Courageous With Your Story
I want everyone reading this to know that even though we may have never met, that I am proud of you for overcoming the obstacles that you've faced in your life. And if you're currently working your way through something, stay strong. Believe in yourself and your abilities to dig deep. You have the strength inside of you. You may have to search for it, but it is there. I promise. I truly believe that we'll never find ourselves in a situation that we can't get ourselves out of. If we look at things from a different perspective and treat crappy situations as opportunities to grow, we'll be unstoppable.
I know it's hard to believe in something that you can't see. Sometimes we just have to leave things up to chance and take risks. Nothing is out of reach. I've taken A LOT of risks in the last three and a half years of my life and I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a damn thing. I know I made all the right moves. It took me longer than I had planned, but I'm right where I'm supposed to be, and I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm slowly becoming the person I was meant to be. Watch out world!
Use your struggles to fuel this fire that we call LOVE. Turn something unfortunate into something great. Share your story with others. You never know who you're going to inspire. People need other people; whether it be for physical touch, a simple smile, or encouraging words. You have the ability to change lives simply by being you. You just have to show compassion and empathy. Work your ass off and care about people, even if they are complete strangers. Hell, ESPECIALLY if they are complete strangers. We have a heart for something. Use it for something good. Be selfless. Two hands can make a difference, but a heart can change the world.
Go do something great! :)
Until next time.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
The Seminar
I'll start this post of by admitting something to you. I did my weekly client meal prep today, but that's not all folks. I did it all while singing at the top of my lungs (yes, with the windows open because it was over 40 degrees here) to every song that came on my iPod. One that I was extra excited to hear was Chris Brown's oldie, but goodie, Crawl. I love hearing songs that I haven't heard in awhile! Especially the ones that I played on repeat when I first heard them. Anyway, that's how I spent this lovely February day! Woot! Woot! Good vibes all around on this sunny Sunday! :) Now, on to the topic of conversation. I'm going to make this one short and sweet, but I'll expand on it tomorrow simply because I'm beat!!
I attended a posing seminar yesterday afternoon that my coach put on. It was held on the exact stage that I'll be stepping on in 15 weeks!!! Yeah. Shit just got real. It got me super psyched and terrified me simultaneously, but it was a lot of fun to be surrounded by people who are as passionate about this sport as I am. It was even more nice to be around other people who were also whipping out their tupperware full of food because it was time to eat meal number 4 at 1pm! It's exactly what I talked about in a previous post. I didn't feel like I stood out. I fit right in :) Something that would have made me feel completely out of place (eating from a tupperware bowl smack dab in the middle of a seminar) around any other group of people, was now seen as normal (Sigh). I was in my perfect world!
I met some great people who have gone through the same struggles that I'm going through now, and I'm excited to meet more and learn as much as I can about this amazing sport.
Until tomorrow!
:)
I attended a posing seminar yesterday afternoon that my coach put on. It was held on the exact stage that I'll be stepping on in 15 weeks!!! Yeah. Shit just got real. It got me super psyched and terrified me simultaneously, but it was a lot of fun to be surrounded by people who are as passionate about this sport as I am. It was even more nice to be around other people who were also whipping out their tupperware full of food because it was time to eat meal number 4 at 1pm! It's exactly what I talked about in a previous post. I didn't feel like I stood out. I fit right in :) Something that would have made me feel completely out of place (eating from a tupperware bowl smack dab in the middle of a seminar) around any other group of people, was now seen as normal (Sigh). I was in my perfect world!
I met some great people who have gone through the same struggles that I'm going through now, and I'm excited to meet more and learn as much as I can about this amazing sport.
Until tomorrow!
:)
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Tools For Success
If I had to pick just one piece of advice to share with you about starting up an exercise routine it would be this: Don't use exercise as a punishment! Don't go to the gym and run for an hour just because you ate that pizza the night before, or because you had a few extra cocktails on your birthday. If you do this, you're immediately throwing any chance of it being fun for you right out the window. And exercise should be fun!!! Quite doing things because you feel like you have to, and start doing the things that you enjoy doing because you want to. Do what you love to do! If you don't like to run, why would you choose to get up at 5am every morning and run 5 miles as your main source of exercise?!? This is punishment! It makes no sense to me. If you don't enjoy what you are doing you will eventually burn out and stop all together. It's not rocket science you guys. If you love the game of basketball, join a league. If you enjoy running, run! If you find release in rollerblading, GO SKATE!!! Exercise in ways that you enjoy and set some goals for your self along they way. It's as simple as that. Make sure you're always working towards something. If you're not, things in your life will eventually become stagnant and you'll end up with a mid life crisis. (ha!) The questions are simple. What do you enjoy and what goals can you set in order to better yourself by doing these things?
The first step is deciding what it is that you want to do (activity and goals). The second step is deciding how you are going to hold yourself accountable. If your goals are fitness related, will you work out with a buddy? Will you work with a personal trainer? If your goals are socially related, will you join a social group and go to at least one meet up every week? Whatever your goal is, its important to come up with a plan of action in order to successfully achieve it. This plan is going to be your saving grace. It's the same with clean eating. YOU HAVE TO PLAN AHEAD!!! If you don't have meals prepared, you're more likely to eat something quick like a lean cuisine (gross). And no, lean cuisines are not healthier because they have the world lean in the title. Read the labels, not the title. Nothing worth having is quick and simple you guys. You have to put in the work to get the results you want.
Choosing a goal.
I feel like this is where some people go wrong. People get ideas in their head of what they want to achieve based on what they see on TV or read in magazines. They don't sit down and really think about what it is that they want. They decide to lose the weight or build the lean muscle for all the wrong reasons. People do things for acceptance. If we don't choose goals for ourselves we simply won't stick with them. The desire to succeed has to burn deep with in you because when you reach the point of wanting to throw in the towel (you will), that desire is going to be the only thing that keeps you moving forward. It's your golden ticket. I chose to compete in this competition because I've been battling with myself about it for over two years now. I finally managed to lay the perfect path for myself, now I just have to follow it and forget about the fear. If your dreams don't scare the living shit out of you, then you aren't dreaming big enough.
"How do I hold myself accountable?"
Holding yourself accountable can be a challenge. It definitely takes practice. And honestly it takes a little practice to do it on a regular basis. It's a good idea to start out with someone to help you hold yourself accountable. Maybe you would do best with a workout buddy. This person will probably rely on you just as much as you rely on them. That's what makes it work so well! There are many ways to hold yourself accountable. I have multiple friends who use Facebook groups to do this. They post things about upcoming workouts and keep each other motivated to go. Don't be afraid to try new things. It's probably going to be a process. You have to find what it is that works for you and DO IT!!!
I have a piece of paper hanging on my refrigerator that has a big 146 written on it. Why? Because when my coach Aaron and I met up to discuss details for the first time on January 18th, we set this goal. He took my initial weight and body fat % and we talked about how everything was going to work. We mapped out a specific plan of action and set specific goals. My 8 week goal is to get down to 146 pounds. Every time I see this little piece of paper, it reminds me of the goal that I have set for myself. For me, I need more than verbal cues. It helps me to SEE something on a daily basis. I'm a very visual person. If you are the same way, I encourage you to try similar strategies. This is one of the ways I hold myself accountable. Another way I'm holding myself accountable is by telling EVERYONE about this show months in advance. My initial thoughts about doing this were "KELSEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?! What if you fail?" Hearing myself say this was exactly what I needed. The people that I care about most in this world are planning their trips, spending money, and making time in their busy schedules to come show me love and support. This in itself is enough to give this everything I have. I will not let them down.
 |
| Why is it on the fridge? Because that's where I keep the Peanut Butter. |
The key to holding yourself accountable is figuring out what it is that motivates you. Who are you doing it for? If your answer doesn't include yourself, then you need to reevaluate things. Life is too short to live trying to impress and/or satisfy other people. If you make a conscious effort to live for yourself, I promise you that everything else will fall into place.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Beast Mode
My alarm went off at 3:00 this morning as usual. I rolled over and reached for the snooze button, then my subconscious spoke up, "KELSEY!!! What in the HELL are you doing?!? GET. UP." Okay, okay, I'm up. Time for breakfast!! 3/4 cup egg whites, 1 oz avocado, 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, and 1 hard boiled egg before my workout. Today is the last low carb day of the week. I'll weigh in first thing tomorrow morning, then the eating begins. If you're looking for me tomorrow or Friday; I'll just be over here, carb loading like a G.
Want to know what I lifted today?!? Okay, I'll tell you. Biceps, triceps, and abs! I'm not going to lie. I feel completely out of place when I lift at LA Fitness. Let's just say that it's not your typical bodybuilder's gym, but it's extremely convenient for my current schedule. I'm pretty bashful and just want to lift in peace, but I often feel like a museum exhibit (hands over face). It's like these people have never seen a woman with muscles in action before! Well, this is what it looks. Get used to it boys. You're going to see A LOT more of it!! Especially when this song comes through my headphones!
 |
| "When the sun rises, I wake up and chase my dream. I won't regret when the sun sets, because I live life like I'm a beast." |
I have been asked, on a daily basis, how I'm feeling and how my diet is going. My answer has consistently been, "It's going great!" My energy levels have been awesome considering the lack of carbs that I have been consuming the last five days (only 50g today). I give a large portion of the credit to my extremely strict sleep schedule and daily routine. I've adhered to it 120%. I sleep 8 hours every night. No more, no less. I get up when my alarm goes off and jump right into my day regardless of day of the week. Most people are aw struck when I tell them that I wake up between 3 and 3:30 every morning, but it's necessary. My work day starts at 5 am three days out of the week and 7 the other two days. In order to stay on the same sleep/wake schedule, I wake up at the same time and workout out before hand on these days. I have been keeping myself extremely busy with training clients, cooking, blogging, reading, and crushing my workouts. The less time I have to think about the fact that I am hungry, the better!!
Rock solid work ethic and a healthy daily routine are the main building blocks of success in this sport. If you're going to compete, it takes A LOT of will power and dedication to stick to the strict diet plan and get the workouts in as needed. It's not for everyone. You have to have an extreme passion for it. You have to be willing to make it your life for the full 17 weeks of preparation. Yes, if you're going to do it right, it takes THAT much dedication. It's not easy. It will become mentally and physically grueling. But it has been fun to challenge my mind and body in a way that I haven't yet. I'm looking forward to the days that I want to throw in the towel. Why? Because I want to look those days straight in the eye and tell them to F off!!! My true colors will show. And I'm excited to see them. So far, I'm handling it like a boss. My attitude is on point and my spirit can't be broken.
I'M A BEAST!!!
I'M A BEAST!!!
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Isn't My Dog Cute?
Okay, yesterday was chaotic. And it all happened with just 75 grams of carbohydrates in my body. Woof. I spent the morning at the vet with Roscoe because he managed to rip a toe nail off on Sunday night AFTER my vet was closed. Typical. The cone he has to wear has been a real treat. If you've had a pet that's had to wear one of these, you know what I'm talking about. He runs into everything, including me. He also can't seem to figure out that he needs to hold his head up a liiiiiiiiitle bit higher when he walks up the stairs. "Hash tag" struggle bus. I can't really get frustrated with this face though!!!!
Once I got him home and settled, aka, got his meds in him so he was able to relax, I went straight to work. When I got home around 2:45, I realized that I was starving and exhausted. I played with Roscoe for a bit, made dinner, ate, fed the little guy and gave him his meds, got my food ready for today, and then it was time for bed. I didn't get a blog post up, I didn't get the menu for next week's meal prep sent out, and I didn't get to finish my book. I did, however, avoid eating everything in sight with my 7pm bed time. I can't wait until tomorrow when I'll only have 50 grams of cabs to work with (think sarcasm). Is it Thursday yet?!? I'm ready to EAT.
Unfortunately, my brain is running on auto pilot tonight and there is not a single creative thought inside of it right now. I'm going to make this short and sweet. I had a killer workout this morning had some good sessions with my clients today, but I am hungry. I know that this is just a minor glimpse of what the next 15 weeks are going to throw at me. I just have to keep reminding myself of why I'm doing this, what I'm going to gain from it, and how it's going to change my life. I'm on a mission. I will stick with it. I will succeed.
Until next time!
Once I got him home and settled, aka, got his meds in him so he was able to relax, I went straight to work. When I got home around 2:45, I realized that I was starving and exhausted. I played with Roscoe for a bit, made dinner, ate, fed the little guy and gave him his meds, got my food ready for today, and then it was time for bed. I didn't get a blog post up, I didn't get the menu for next week's meal prep sent out, and I didn't get to finish my book. I did, however, avoid eating everything in sight with my 7pm bed time. I can't wait until tomorrow when I'll only have 50 grams of cabs to work with (think sarcasm). Is it Thursday yet?!? I'm ready to EAT.
Unfortunately, my brain is running on auto pilot tonight and there is not a single creative thought inside of it right now. I'm going to make this short and sweet. I had a killer workout this morning had some good sessions with my clients today, but I am hungry. I know that this is just a minor glimpse of what the next 15 weeks are going to throw at me. I just have to keep reminding myself of why I'm doing this, what I'm going to gain from it, and how it's going to change my life. I'm on a mission. I will stick with it. I will succeed.
Until next time!
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Hustle Hard For Your Happiness
"Giving up on a goal because of a set back is like slashing the other 3 tires because you get a flat."
- Hustle Hard For Your Happiness -
I read this quote a few months back, and it was an instant "like". I've used it multiple times since then. It seems, these days, that a lot of people take the easy way out. They make excuses for why they just "can't" do something. I'm too busy, I don't have enough money, I hate my job, I'm too old, people will laugh at me. I've heard them all. I've done it. You've done it. It needs to stop! A set back is just that, a set back. It's NOT the means to an end! When things don't go your way it should fuel the fire. It should make you want to work even harder to get to the end result. Your goals are important to you, or you wouldn't have set them for yourself. Remember that. I see people achieve their goals on a daily basis and the feeling I get can be summed up in one word. Goosebumps. I've seen months; sometimes years of blood, sweat, and tears all come together into one single action. A gigantic smile of realization that they just did it. You can be that smile.
There it is again guys! Rule #3 of my last post. No one is going to do it for us. WE have to make our happiness. It's about hard work, rock solid strategy, and using the god given talents that we have been given to make a difference in this world. They were given to us for a reason. The three main questions you need to give serious thought to are: What is it that you want out of your life? It could be that you want more money, a big family, to own your own business, or to travel the world. The next questions is, how are you going to get there (hard work and strategy)? And last, but not least, how are you going to use your abilities to make it happen (talents)? This may feel a little overwhelming at first. You may feel like you're not quite at a point in your life where this is possible. And that is OKAY. We all have to start somewhere. But I promise you, if you stick to your plan and take one step at a time, it will all come together for you. It's not that you can't do it, it's that you don't have the belief system in yourself to do it. The first step to finding true happiness is finding unconditional love for yourself. You must first accept who you, believe in it, and then expose it to the world! It's waiting for you.
I've had a long road of set backs and a track record of letting them win at first. I'll be the first to admit that. But I did eventually kick them in the face and take wheel! That's why I'm writing this. I want people to see that I am where I am in my life today because of the set backs I had, the people I've met, the good heart that's beating inside of my chest, and the hard work that I've put in. It may have taken me 31 years to get here, but that was my path and I'm extremely proud of it. I got here, didn't I?!?
I recently had an "AHA!!" moment and everything has started to fall into place for me. My hard work, patience, and extreme perseverance is finally paying off. There have been times in my life when I never thought I'd get to this point. We've all felt that way. You're not alone if that's how you're feeling now! But I'm walking, talking (sometimes just babbling), living, breathing proof that things WILL turn around. You just have to put in the work and show compassion for other people. There is no secret recipe, or a "happy pill" you can take. It's all about figuring out what it is that you want out of your life and doing whatever it takes to get there. If you truly hustle hard for your happiness, set backs will have no chance against you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)