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. 

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!!!

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!

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."

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. 

- Hustle Hard For Your Happiness -

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. 

Rules

Ahhhh!!! I didn't get a post up yesterday...... (wa-wa-waaaaaaaaaaaaa)

So, I just got caught up on Chicago Fire and I shit you not, the tears were flowing. Woah. I'm feeling a little emotional lately and it felt good to cry. Ever have those nights/days? You almost want something to happen just so you can open the flood gates. Sometimes its a necessity. Don't fight it. Let it flooooooooooow.

So I attempted something quite ballsy yesterday morning. I woke up feeling like Muhammad Ali. I jumped out of bed (literally), ate my breakfast (apparently it was a bowl of awesome), and said to myself, "I can totally fit my lift in before my sessions today!" Shit just got real. BUT it didn't quite go as planned and I was quickly brought back down to earth about 20 mins into the workout.

Note to self: You are not super woman. Heavy deadlift sessions should NOT be performed only 11 hours after an intense back workout.

I had a blast though, and I was very happy with my workout despite the fact that I wasn't able to hit the goal I had set for myself on deadlifts. Such is life! Which brings me to a few words of wisdom that you didn't ask for. Things aren't always going to go as planned. I think we can all attest to that. The important thing is that we adapt and make the best out of any situation that we find ourselves in. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled christmas lights. I won't lie. I used to find myself getting upset over little things and my happiness definitely suffered because of it. I've made a lot of little changes in my life lately, and I am a much better person for it. They old saying "Patience is a virtue" drives me up the flippin' wall, but that doesn't change the fact that the message is powerful and true. It's one that I now try to live by. Hey, it has worked for me so far :) 

As I mentioned in an previous post, I was once working a job I didn't enjoy and living paycheck to paycheck. I wasn't happy, but I also wasn't doing anything to change it. Looking back, I can see that I was playing the victim. I honestly had no idea what to do because I was completely lost, which made me lazy. I was unhappy and had no drive. It was a vicious cycle of feeling worthless. I was lying to myself when I said, "I'm doing the best I can." I could have done a lot better. I just didn't believe in myself enough to get to that point. I've always been a kind hearted person. I worked hard enough to get by, and I treated people with respect and wore a smile on my face as much as I possibly could, but I was just going through the motions. It wasn't until I made the move to MN and went through some drastic changes that I really began living. I've been forced to be alone more than I'm comfortable with. I've never been good at that. I've always been of a people person, but I've actually come to enjoy being along now. I've learned to truly love myself and the time that I have with me, and only me. I kind of like hanging out with myself. I'm good shit.

I'm going to wrap up with some food for thought, aka, a few "rules" that I live by. I'll expand on these in later posts.

• Start each day with a grateful heart
• Stay humble
• Hustle hard for what you want. Your happiness depends on it.
• Be patient 
• Anything worth having is worth fighting for.
• Work your ass off, especially when no one is watching. It means you're doing it for YOU.
• The relationship you have with yourself is the most important relationship you will EVER have. Love yourself unconditionally.

16 Weeks Out

In the bodybuilding world you count backwards. I haven't completed the first week of my prep. I'm "16 weeks out." (performs air quotes with fingers) I know that I'll soon experience the hard truths about why it is, in fact, a countdown for everyone who competes.

Reason #1: EVERYONE JUST WANTS IT TO BE OVER!!!!!

I weighed in at 153.8 this morning. My official starting weight was 158 on Monday, January 16th. I then tracked what I ate for the next 3 days and sent it to Aaron, my coach. He wanted to see what I had been eating calorie wise to maintain the weight I was at. I had been holding steady at 156-158 for the past few months with a focus on building lean muscle. He then calculated the macros he wanted me to consume each day until the following Thursday, January 25th, when we would jump into the carb cycle!

Today was a good day! 200g of carbs worth of good! :) Thursday and Friday are my high carb days on the carb cycle, aka, the days I look forward too most! I crushed my back workout this afternoon and had a lot of fun with my clients. I have the BEST job in the world. They remind me of this on a daily basis!! :) They make me want to be better. I get asked many questions on a daily basis. And no, I don't always have the answers. And I will never pretend to. I'm still learning too! That's what I love most about what I do. If I don't know the answer to a question someone asks me, it becomes a challenge, and I'll start the hunt to figure it out. The human body is an amazing thing. There is ALWAYS something more to learn, no matter what field you are in, but as a personal trainer in particular. There are so many ways of doing things when it comes to being a fitness coach. There isn't necessarily a "wrong" way. There are just different ways. Yes, some will work better than others. It's a learning process. It takes years of experience, trial, and error to become great at this job. It also takes the willingness to admit when you've made a mistake. Because we all will. We are human. We don't know everything and we shouldn't be expected to.

The things that separate the good trainers from the "bad" ones are simple. You don't have to have muscles. All you need is a brain, passion, a big heart, good communication and listening skills, and the will to help people achieve something bigger than themselves. That's it. "Looking the part" will help win some people over, but deep down, all they really need to see is that you care about them and what they are trying to achieve. Not that you have a 6 pack or big biceps. Anyone can lift a weight from the rack and put it back. Not every has what it takes to TEACH with purpose, and THAT is what makes a good trainer.

Pay Attention To Your Pee

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!! The 5am club was killin' it at LA Fitness today. I saw some crazy shit even that early in the morning. It never fails (shaking my head). As a fitness professional, there are times when I feel like I should be saying something to these people. They could potentially hurt themselves with some of the bizarre things I see them doing. I just never know exactly how to approach it. Also, being a woman doesn't help my case. If I were to walk up to a man and try to correct him, he would probably look at me, roll his eyes, and make some snide comment, OR he'd just take the opportunity to hit on me (insert eye roll here). Point being, since I'm a woman, chances are I wouldn't be taken seriously. But I'll talk about this in more detail in a later post. Moving on to why I'd really love to go to bed... right now. It's 4:00.

Today's macros: 180g protein, 75g carbs, and 60g fat. I am hungry. I also noticed my energy level slowly tapering off pretty early this afternoon. I'm usually good to go until 6:30/7 when I start winding down for bed. Not today. I just got home from work and the grocery store and I'm ready for a power nap, but there is an obnoxious 6 year old running around my living room with his favorite toy. Aren't dogs the absolute greatest?!? It doesn't matter how long you are gone. It could be to 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 months, or 2 years, and they are STILL the happiest thing on the planet when you walk through the door. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Roscoe to come home to every day. I love him to pieces!!!!

I had to cut it short last night, but "I'm baaaaaaack!" Once I got the spreadsheet laid out I was ready to fill in the days. Woot, woot! I also track my daily meals in the My Macros app on my phone. This allows me to send quick snap shots to my coach if he asks for them. Food Nazi. I eat breakfast as soon as I get up in the morning! This jumpstarts my metabolism and gets my body burning calories right away. I try to space my meals out about 3 hours apart. This also keeps my metabolism burning calories like an angry furnace! Like that? I thought it was pretty clever.

Side Note #1: I HIGHLY recommend tracking your daily food intake. Many people THINK they are eating well, but when they actually track everything they put into their mouth they are shocked to see the actual numbers. "There was 1,050 calories in that salad?? So THAT is why I'm not losing weight!" LIGHT BULB!!! There are a million apps out there for this. It's extremely beneficial to utilize one! My Macros is my favorite because the library isn't massive and you actually have to pay attention to what you are logging. If you're using an app like myfitnesspal that has a HUGE list of foods you can choose from, make sure you are entering what you are ACTUALLY eating. Don't just pick a random turkey sandwich from a list that's a mile long. That isn't going to help you. I like My Macros because of the fact that you have to manually enter things sometimes. It keeps you honest. It may be a little more work, but nothing worth doing doesn't comes easy. Am I right? (The answer is yes).

Side Note #2: If you find yourself getting busy during the day and forgetting to eat, set an alarm on your phone that tells you to stop and EAT!!! You may chuckle at this, but it works!

Water intake is another huge part of this preparation process. I'm drinking a gallon of water a day. Yes, I pee every 20 mins. No, I'm not exaggerating. It's a small price to pay for the benefits of staying hydrated! It helps me feel a little more "full" on these extremely low carb days. Want to know a few reasons why you should drink a lot of water? Good, I'll tell you. It increase energy and relieves fatigue, promotes weight loss, flushes out toxins, improves skin complexion, aids in digestion, and boosts your immune system! It's also a natural headache remedy. Dehydration is a common cause of headaches. What else does it do? Well, it helps to prevent cramps and sprains by lubricating your joints! Is that reason enough for you? Good. I'm often asked how much water one should drink in a day. Half of your body weight in ounces is a good number to start with, but the best way to truly know that you are hydrated is if your urine is almost or completely CLEAR. Not yellow. Got it? Good.

NOW GO DRINK WATER!!! 

Kelsey Out.