Looks Like It Is Catching On

Ok, you know it is legit when the Disney princesses are in on it! I think this is a fun little chart to share! I just wish we had more positive and strong character for little girls to look up to. I AM NOT dissing on the disney princesses, I am a fan just as much as the next girl. But I wish we had a lot more positive role models that showed girls that they don't have to be this marketed, airbrushed, rail thin, tall model. Even with all the hollywood stars...I feel like girls are looking up to negative and unrealistic role models. No one tells them in the mass media that if you are your individual self, if you are smart, devoted, strong willed, stubborn, just if that you aren't the same as everyone else, you are beautiful. Strong, smart, hard working, dedicated, girls that stay true to themselves and don't have to blend in or follow in the footsteps of being a commercial commodity are the truely beautiful ones. Magzines, models, movies, music, media, like to make us think we aren't good enough sometimes by shoving a very mainstream and commercialed type of "beauty" in our face an if we don't fit it, we feel...well ugly and unimportant. FALSE. Find positive role models that lift you up and encourage you, not beat you down and make you feel liek crap about yourself.

Can I get a Hallelujah???

OMG!!!! So, I know a while back I talked about the importance of water drinking and those of us (me) who have a hard time drinking water, or smashing your sugar cravings I told you all about water enhancers. Now I know they have artificial sweeteners and flavors in them, but I am NOT perfect so I will take what I can get to help me drink more water and avoid cravings. Let me just start with this, I am not paid to tell you this or share with you this product. I only share products I enjoy, like, products that work for me, etc. I am in no way being compensated for sharing this info. HOWEVER, I have found something we can all appreciate and enjoy without the artificial ingredients! It is sweetend with stevia, a very natural sugar that does not affect your glycemic index, it is safe for diabetics and better for your body, 0 calories, 0 sugars and chemicals, and (get this) 7 essential vitamins (A, D, E, B3, B5, B6, B12, B)! WOOT WOOT! Ladies and gents, let me introduce to you STUR. It is a more natural and cleaner water enhancer. It is gluten free and wheat free for those who have sensitivities or allergies! I am so excited for this! I know, sad...but hey! I am always happy to find healther and cleaner ways to help me live better, especially with water. I struggle terribly with this...

Hello! DUH!

How many of you ladies are afraid to life weights because you were aleasy told that you will bulk up and get a more masquline fisique? LIE. Women do not have enough of the hormone, testosterone, to obtain bulk. That is why men bulk up when they lift, they hace enough of that hormone to get bigger. Women don't have the amount males do and will obtain a more cut, lean, slim look. GO LIFT! GO get it!

Excuse Free Routine

No equipment? No problem! Full body workout with no equipment and works with a minimal amount of room...now go get it!

Thanksgiving this week???

Holy crap!!! Where did November go???? It is already here?!?!? Well, as the holidays come around it is a lot harder to stay on your A game...food wise. There are SOOOO many delicious foods and recipes that go around when the holidays come around. It can be rather difficult to eat clean or behave at times when you are surrounded by a plethera of warm, delicious, comforting foods and drink. Hey, you can indeed have some fun and splurge a little, but be smart about it. One of my biggest downfalls and my favorite of thanksgiving is stuffing...and oh boy can that rack up the calories in a serving. But it depends on how you make it. With any cooking, you can alwasy substitute butter with healthy cooking oils like EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for thos of you who don't know) or flaxseed, or canola oil works too. For me, I like my stuffing pretty gooey, and I buy it from a farmer's market. It is made with whole grain, wheat bread and already has a lot of great herbs and flavor to it. We just add some celery and some onion to it to give it a little extra punch to it. Put it all in a pot and let it soak in enough water for the right conistentcy and voila! It really doesn't need butter or oil so the fat contect is lower. Make sure you read the ingredients on your stuffing if you want to be a little healthier. Buy products with ingredients you recognize and can pronounce. Try to get it as natrual as you can, I promise you this stuffing that I buy does NOT lack in flavor. You can always add your own healthy extras or spices and herbs to give it the right flavor. I get about 2-3 bags of this (pretty cheap too) and I always have plenty left over ;)

Cutest Workout Station Ever

Can you disagree??? Lol, love my little fluffy Meeko and his support for my healthy lifestyle

Season of Giving Giveaway!!!

Hey guys. It is the season of giving and I wanted to give you a chance to win a nice Target gift card for your holiday shopping. 6 awesome bloggers joined together to bring all of you an awesome chance to have a little bit of relief from the stress of the Holidays. Hope you enjoy!! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Friday my fit friends! I hope that ll is going well for you! We made it another week!!!! Boy, I will tell you that it has been a long week for me. I think I may have walked under a ladder or broke a mirrior with the amount of bad luck I keep running into. But the important thing is that it is over and it is finally the weekend! I know that during your time trying to improve your health that it can be so difficult (especially this time of year). But if you are tying to plan for an event, and let's say you have a specified amount of weight to lose. This handy dandy chart can help you get there. It shows how many calories = to lbs being burnt off. This is of course

would be a number you would aim for per week, but if you have a little bit to lose or maybe more, you can use this little guy to help guid you in the direction or even help you understand how many calories you need to burn to lose weight a more quickly.

This is Why We Plank

I think this is so cool! I know that you have probably seen this photo floating around the web, but I think it is really insightful. I don't know about you, but I like to see what our bodies are doing behind the scenes. Now I know there is no such thing as spot reduction, however, you can still make areas of your body stronger and once the weight gradually comes off, the muscles begin to show. My abdomin  is a trouble area for me, but I also love how this exercise works the quads and your deltoids. Three for the price of one exercise!

Plank Challenge: How long can you hold it??? I want everyone to drop and give me 30 seconds of planking...go get it!

Delicious Recipe

I LOVE fall because of all the delicious recipes and foods that are in season! For those shakeology lovers, you HAVE to try this! If you would like more info on this tastey, wholesome, nutritous treat please follow the link below! I can't live with out my shakeology!!!

http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/lyssajane

Operation Smile

So in addition to yesterday's post, the CampusBookRental.com organization also gives back. I find this to be a very important effort because my sister works in a dental office and she tells me all sorts of stories and how important it really is hygenically and healthfully to keep le pearly whites clean. Operation Smile is a children's international charity that performs reconstructive surgery on children born with or have developed a cleft and they don't have the funds to pay for surgery. I have found that with every textbook rented from CampusBookRental.com, they donate a portion to Operation Smile. I think this is really cool, you can get your college textbooks for a huge discount, or are able to rent out already purchased (and expensive) books to other college students and earn money everytime (as well as save other students' money by renting the book) AND donate to a well known international charity for children. WIN. WIN. WIN. WIN! I don't think you could really find any other way to be so productive with money since you are already working, going to school, taking care of your family and your health/fitness. It's so nice to see companies actually doing something for the greater good! If you want to know more about this charity, I have posted a link below. It really is a great organization and a good read on their website. There are also other ways to donate and help out if you aren't in college and want to get involved.

           http://www.operationsmile.org/about_us/who-we-are/ 

Being a Student Can Get $$$$

Me and my boyfriend were discussing college the other day and he was off on a tangent on how expensive school books are. Sadly, he had purchased all his books and one night someone broke into his car and stole his bag with his text book in it. I felt so bad for him...I remember when I went to college that I never wanted to spend the ridiculous amount of $$$ on books. I don't remember how I came across them, but I came across a bunch of really cool websites that allow me to rent the books I needed anywhere from half to less than a third of the price! They even paid for shipping both ways as long as I returned it on time. Then I wouldn't have to worry about selling the books I wouldn't use either. However, I wish I would known about...Campusbookrentals.com. They have extremely reasonable prices for a book you won't even be keeping once the semester is up. What is nice is the renting periods are a lot more flexible than a few of the sites I used. I also couldn't mark in the books from other places, and I always need to write notes or I just forget the things I learn in class. You can actually write or highlight in these books. My favorite thing about this is (because you get money out of this) is there is a section in the webite called rent back. So if you have already spent $$$ on buying a book you won't use again, you can rent it out to other people and get money everytime you rent it out to someone. Who knows, you could end up making more off the book than you spent (which is rare!). There is a cool video below on the rentback section. I just know how stressfull it can be being a student when you are trying to balance work, family, and education and you are transporting back and forth. I have been there! I am surprised more people haven't heard of renting books...its so much cheaper than buying... 

CampusBookRentals.com Rentback >

Anyone Else Run Into This

The gym is a great place that offers a lot of diverse equipment to offer a lot of different ways to work out different parts of your body. However, there is always that one machine that leaves you scratching your head on how to use it....

Good carbs...they do exist

Stop hiding from all carbs! There are good ones! You need carbs for fuel and energy! Use them in a nutrtious manner to fuel your body!

New Discovery

I recently came across this product/company thanks to one of my instragram fit friends @thebettyrocker, called Capellos. It is gluten free (for those of you allergic or are unable to eat gluten) and grain free (I also know there are a lot of peopel with allergies to wheat). They use qaulity, and wholesome ingredients and you can count them on your fingers! And you can actually pronounce and understand the ingredients. They are local in Colorado, but you can order their products online. They have the chocolate chip cookie dough, lasagna sheets, fettuccine noodles, and gnocchi noodles.
Mind you, they are a bit on the pricey side but that is because they are sold in a bundle or bulk. They have pastas and cookie dough for chocolate chip cookies (Umm hello! Sign me up, carbs are my weakness!). I am always happy to find healthy ways to eat pasta or cookies ;)

                          

HUGE Give Away

I have teamed up with amazing bloggers and boutiques to bring you this amazing and huge giveaway. 25 prizes, which means 25 winners. Please read and follow all steps to increase your chances of winner these amazing prizes. If you are a blogger and would like to participate in these types of giveaways please comment on Nightchayde's blog. Good LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interesting...

So I know last week we talked a little bit about my lack of good skin care since I wasn't consistant in taking it off at night. I have been sort of looking around for acne prone & sentsitive skin care routines. I am allergic to just about everything under the sun and I have super sensitive, dry, acne prone, and eczema prone skin :( I find it very hard to find skin care solutions that actually produce long term results without irritating my skin at a decent price. After doing some digging, I ran into an overwhelmingly large trend for the organic hygiene goers for face wash to use organic (drum roll please) honey. Weird, right? That is what I though initially...until I tried it. It is very interesting. You want to make sure you get organic, from a farmers market or a whole foods type store. It will look cloudy and have a grainy texture. So, this has been my skin care routine for the past 5 days. 1st I am using what I have left of my Clinque clarifying lotion. I think it is funny it is called lotion because it is more of a toner (first toner that WON'T dry my face out) to remove make up. Then, splash my face with warm water. I then gob a good quarter size of honey on my face and rub it in circular motion around my face like a normal face wash. (CAUTION make sure to keep it clear of your hairline...that could get pretty sticky and messy). Then I just splash with warm water and moisturize with an eczema prescribed moisturizer. Since I have dry skin, I have noticed my face has retained my moisture and is more smooth to the touch. It has also reduced some of the irritation my skin was displaying (bumps & redness).

Can I Get an Amen???

Now go get it in and start your weekend off right.

Halloween

Probably my most favorite holiday of the year. I think it is so much fun to and interesting! What I would like to hear is what are YOU doing during this holiday to stay healthy and keep your kids healthy? Now I am not about to tell you to give out boxes of raisins or tooth brushes. There IS a way to have a little leniency and still stay healthy. It is ok to have a treat here and there, but don't take the fun out of it. Let kids be kids. I think it is important to help them understand that gobbling a pillowcase of candy probably isn't the best and the importance of moderation. But I'll leave the creativity and all that up to you. You're the parent, not me so you know what's best. However, the real issue is staying out of your kids candy or the stash you keep around the house until Halloween. My personal opinion, remember the importance of moderation as well. If you have trouble with temptation and the bag of candy on your shelf for Halloween, have someone hide it for you. Or, don't buy Halloween candy until right before. All the good candy is taken, and you are left with the yucky stuff..so you won't eat it anymore. Put it in places that you don't often see it, like a high shelf or a cupboard you rarely get into. Out of sight, out of mind.

Small Beginnings

So you want to start a workout regiment but don't know where to start or how. Don't overload yourself with stress about it, fitness is actually supposed to be fun contrary to popular belief. If you need a workout, go on pinterest. There are tons of workout plans, ideas, videos that offer a wide variety from cardio to weights to stretching. There are several differnt kinds that either target a specific area or are full body. If you don't have the means to invest in all the equipment or what not, it is a cheap and easy, fun way to start your fintess journey. It even has it's own health and fitness section for great workout tips, plans, ideas, and nutrition. It also has many other bloggers with amazing stories of their journeys and struggles. I know it sounds silly, but if I need inspiration or motivation I do look at pinterest's fitness section (but be careful! Pinterest is super addicting and may consume you for several hours). I have provided below a few sample workouts from pinterest. It is a super effective way to kick off your new journey. It also is portable since there is an app for pinterest while you are on the go, you can kick out a squat or push up challenge.

Make Up Question

So I have been really bad lately. I have been continuously falling asleep with my make up on...yeah, bad news. My face is already really sensitive and I get breakouts when I fall asleep with my make up. I need your help and advice. I am usually just so worn down by the end of the day, the minute I actually get to stop I end up falling asleep. As a fall back, I used to buy Burts Bees facial cloths. I like those, but I wanted to know what you guys like and recommend as far as a quick make up removal or a great facial cleanser/scrub/wash for sensitive and acne prone skin. I have tried many different products and I seem to eventually build an immunity to products that appear to work in the beginning. I have tried Mary Kay (which works for me on and off), Avon, clinique, proactive, clean and clear, and burts bees citrus scrub. I love Burts Bees citrus scrub, it really gets the dead skin off and smells yummy! Mary Kay timewise does work for me on and off. Clinique and proactive are great, but expensive. I also think that proactive isn't as dramatic as the infomercials say it is, but then again I think proactive is more for those who have really bad or severe acne. If any of you know some great cleansers/scrubs/cloths that are reasonably priced, work quickly (or just works for you) I would LOVE to hear about it! Thanks!

Soulmate Workout

Do you have a soulmate workout??? Do you get up in the morning (or whenever you workout) looking forward to or are excited for your workout? If you aren't, you just haven't found the "right workout for YOU". That is ok! You will find one! It doesn't matter if it is walking, swimming, weight training, running, yoga, pilates, dance, etc. There are a variety of things out there for you to enjoy! My soulmate workout is one of the first workouts I ever bought from an infomercial, Turbo Jam. I loved the variety of this workout as it combines kick boxing, dance, tae kwan doe, athletic drills, etc. I have a short attention span, so the fact that the pace and movement of the workout changes quite often keeps me from getting bored and losing interests. The creator then came out with a much more challenging workout, same concept, just more emphasis on the HIIT mentality. Turbo Fire is my soulmate workout that started from Turbo Jam and exploded into Turbo Fire. It is a lot of fun, the music keeps me moving (and I feel music is a HUGE deal for me.) Music makes me work harder, faster, and keeps my interest and effort level up. I have linked to two videos of the workouts below. What are some of your guys' favorite or soulmate workouts? I always love trying new things! I just had to share something I love and that helped me peel off 60 lbs and has kept me going ever since I decided to make the change. If you want more info on my soulmate workout, just click the pic below! Now go get your sweat on!

Nothing To Do With Fitness

Ok, I know this is silly and it has nothing to do with fitness, but I wanted to share this. I am a member of the Rent the Runway website. I am NOT getting endoresed or have any other affiliation with them other than I prescribe to their email alerts and hold an account with them. Anyways, they are a website that allows you to rent higher end designer clothes for a pretty decent price for those special occasions! Well with halloween coming up, and the likely hood of you paying more money than you should for a very cheap costume that you will only wear once, why not use that money on something that is higher end, good quality, FLATTERING, and actually cute enough to wear on its own? Plus, you'd only be wearing it once, so why not just rent it? Rent the Runway and Etsy have teamed up for tons of cute costume ideas with their loveable section of designer clothes. Such a cute idea! I provided the link below! I am unsure if you have to sign up (it's free btw) to be able to browse their selection, but it is worth it! These are a few of my favorite picks from the website.

http://www.renttherunway.com/halloween?nav_location=submenu&object_type=top_nav&action=click_halloween

You Better Work...

Happy Friday everyone! We are finally here! Need a little assistance getting through your workout today? I have just the thing. Now I am not much of a Britney Spears fan, she has some good music but I have never really followed her. HOWEVER, her newest song is a fantastic workout motivator and a great number to add to your workout playlist I will warn you it does have some language in it, just so you know. If you want to check it out, just click the pic below! Now get to work...

Accurate Journal

Make sure you are keeping track of your intake and your output. Your body has the most accurate information as to your nutrition and exercise not matter what you put down. If you aren't seeing change and are stuck, re-evaluate your input and output. You are just as likely to over consume and be under in acitivity as you are to under consume and over exercise. As your body changes, so must your habits. As you begin to lose the weight, it becomes harder to burn as many calories now that you aren't carrying around those extra 10-50+ lbs. However, as you start to create muscle  and become stronger in your cardio endurance exercises, which either allows you to go much harder, faster, or stronger and you are still sticking to your caloric intake with your prior weight, you could be under consuming the nutrients you need. It is a fine line to walk between the two. I find it helpful to have a calorie tracking device (see fit tips section for more info on this) like my fitbit one. You may also want to consult with your physician, nutritionist, personal trainer, or all three if you have those resources available to you to help you evaluate your nutritional needs. Like I said, it is a fine line to walk and you need to make sure your body is getting nourished properly to perform properly.

Be Your Personal Best

I know that a lot of the time, we sit there looking at our friends, family, peers, celebrities, etc. and we compare ourselves to other people. Sometimes we look at others and think that they are perfect, they do everything right or better than we do. We always see someone having a better body, a better diet, a better life, better talents, better looks, better well...everything. We like to put people on these pedestals and dig ourselves into these deep dark holes. We aren't pretty enough, we aren't smart enough, strong enough, we aren't...good enough. I want you to STOP listening to those voices. Stop beating yourself up and trying to live someone else's "perfect" life, or live up to their standards. You are always trying to be something that you're not to live up to someones standards or make someone like you for their reasons, and not yours. DO YOUR OWN PERSONAL BEST. STOP worrying about perfection or doing something to make someone else happy. STOP comparing yourself. Start doing things for yourself, to make yourself happy. To some that sounds selfish, but it isn't. You need to start doing your own best, we all have weaknesses, we all fall down, we all fail. But we fail in our own ways and have our different challenges and our own strengths. It is unrealistic and unfair to live a life for someone else, to live under someone else's telescope, to make everyone else happy to be someone else. Be you, live life for you, do and complete tasks for you and yours. No one is perfect, no one. All you can do is your absolute best, and try your hardest. That is when you live your full potential, that is when you succeed. You are being true and honest with yourself, and you start living a life that fulfills those strengths and endures those personal weaknesses. You will never hear anyone say or regret living up to THEIR OWN PERSONAL best and their own standards. They created a life where instead of being someone else and living like someone else, they left their own footprint, their own accomplishments, legacies. Sorry this was a long rant, but I feel like this is something we all deal with, even me. This post even might have been more for me because I am SO guilty of doing this. Just rememeber, that you are amazing and talented in your own way, don't hide that to be just another Jane or John. Be you.

His and Hers Give Away By Nightchayde

Hey Guy's! I have an amazing giveaway for you hosted by 

Nightchayde.

Make sure you follow the steps in the rafflecopter at a chance to win two gift cards.

The winner will get to choose a $50 giftcard for herself and one for the man in her life. 

There will be a second place prize of a Modern_85 scarf seen here.

And a third place prize of a Modern_85 Headband seen here. 

Good Luck!

Giveaway Hosted By:

Nightchayde

Co-hosted By:

Life with Amberly & Joe/ We & Serendipity/ All Things Unpredictable and Chic/ The Red Closet Diary

While Camden Sleeps/ Karissa & Company/ Sincerly Jenna Marie/ PreppyPanache/ Kiss Me Darling

Dallas Leopard/ Rapsberry Glow/Lil Red Runner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best Ab Workout...THE BEST

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 

But OH SO effective!

A Big Thanks!

Did you start your 20 minutes a day, 1 hour a week calender? You did???? I knew you would! How do you feel about scheduling at least 20 minutes of the day for YOU? Why shouldn't you? You deserve it!

HOLY WOW. So I logged on today and noticed blog went up 30 followers. WOW. What an amazing and wonderful treat to see. I cannot thank you enough for taking a few moments of your day to peruse my endless scribbles about my passion. I cannot say it or thank you enough for just pushing the follow button. It means the world to me. I thank you so very much for such an awesome opportunity!

BUSINESS: I would like to post everyday an exercise for those trouble spots. Now, I know I told you all that there is no such thing as spot reduction. BUT, you can make those areas stronger and once you begin to lose the weight all over by sticking to your diet and exercise, those areas will be able to show off their potential ;)


Today's workout: Triceps (hardest little boogers to get toned and shaped!) Do these exercises twice a week and get rid of the flab and jiggle under your amrs! Sorry about the faceless creepy graphic...

One hour a week

I want to challenge you. For just one measley hour a week, I want you to find something you enjoy that is a phsyscial activity. Sports, running, jump roping, climbing, yoga, walking, etc. Then for at least five days, schedule a 20 minutes of that day for whichever activity you choose. Write it down, write what you are doing, what time you will start it, and for how long (20 min) and schedule it for five days at least. Now that you have taken the time to MAKE time in your day for just 20 minutes of activity, you don't have an exuse for not having anytime for just a small 20 minutes of your day. As you continue to do this each week, you can add intensity and/or time to make the task more challenging and thus you burn more fat and calories. All it takes is good planning, determination, and baby steps to healthier choices. This really isn't as hard as it seem. I got this template from pinterest to use to schedule my week/month. Go ahead and use it as well to schedule your 20 minutes a day :)

What is Your Motivation?

I often get the question of "How do you get/stay motivated to workout and stay healthy?" For me honestly it is therapy. I feel like I am happier and I feel so empowered and so much better after a good sweaty workout. When I am having a hard time pushing through I think of all the people in school or in my life that have told me that I "can't/won't succeed." I think about all the people that called me horrible names in school because I was overweight and I think of how they treated me like I was nobody, nothing, a failure, a loser. I think of all the people that left me high and dry and only used me to their benefit. By that point I am mad as hell (being a red head) that isn't hard to do ;) JK! But in that moment I hear my oh so stubborn, rebellion voice peek through and say, "Yes I can, yes I will, I can do anything I set my mind to, keep moving, get tough, push harder, prove them wrong, you've got mountains to move and more determination than they will have in a minute, GO." That's what gets me pumped and gets me going in the morning (with a touch of music of course). But that's me, that's what gets my blood boiling. What is it for you?
 
I had some friends that did a money jar. They would add X amount of money to their jar for making a healthy choice or working out to save up something to buy for themselves. This could be a new dress, new shoes, taking yourself out to your favorite restaurant, or going to a movie with your friends/significant other, etc. Others need a simple visual (as seen below) to show them the progress they have made. When I first lost a lot of weight, I literally didn't see it, other people did. So when you are measuring and keeping track, it motivates you to go harder and push yourself when you see progress. Stay motivated my friends! I know it's Friday, so get your workout in and done so you can go play!

Excuse?

Is this your constant promise to yourself that you never fulfill? Well stop with the tomorrows, start today. Don't worry if it is not a Monday or if you are slammed. Just give yourself 20 minutes to start out. Trust me, nothing feels as invigorating and uplifting as a workout being crushed. And yes, those 20 minutes of your life count.

Break Your Plateau #3

This one applies to people who work out every day and have been doing so for quite some time. There are times where we are just wearing and tearing on your body and we haven't given it much time to recover and recoop and have that time to just change. For your body to show change, it has to recover and mend the small tears you create in your muscles when you have thoroughly worked them out. Your body may be just trying to get by everyday by recovring what it can and surviving your next workout if you aren't getting enough rest in between workouts. So yes, #3 is Rest. For some of you this may be very easy for you to do. You have been training so hard for so long with little rest in between or "days off" that your body is wearing and needs time to repair. For the workout junkies, this will be a hard thing to do. I find myself feeling a lot more happy, and clear minded, energized, accomplished when I do workout. Without it I feel lazy, sort of ornery, and tired if I don't. Taking breaks is hard for me and I am sure it is difficult for you all as well. But taking about 1-2 week break would be recommended to have your body recover after all your training and constant day in and day out of working so hard. Your body just may need time to repair.

Break Your Plateau #2

2.) Do the Math

You need to make sure you are keeping your nutrition in check. It is SO easy to not count the extra handfuls of food here and there. You could be over eating and negating your caloric burn and hard work. Now, I don't want that to come off as if you are eating more than you are burning there's no point in trying, or give someone an excuse to give up. The process will just be slowed or become stagnent if you are over eating what you are burning. The more fit you become, the harder you have to work at staying fit, it's just how it is. Someone who carries more weight is carrying that extra force in their workouts, making it much harder and makes it so they burn more calories in exercise versus a smaller individual due to the fact they aren't carrying all of that weight and their body isn't being challenged as much. You have to add intensity to your workouts and push yourself to burn more and keep in check with your input and output. You can do that by getting some kind of calorie counter. My recommendations are in my fit tips section of the blog.

This is sort of a more rare situation but, you also may not be eating enough to keep up with your workouts. You could be over burning what your intake. Everyone thinks that if you starve yourself you will lose weight and be skinny. Well, you may lose a few lbs, your body will feel as if it is starving and lock in defense mode. It is built to fight the elements and survive as long as possible. Once you are in starvation mode, your body will hold on to everything you do eat and store it as fat. Then your metabolism slows as well, and your metabolic rate burns less than it did before when you were eating. Fueling your body withthe right foods keeps your metabolic rate pumping. You may also be over exercising your intake, leaving your body exhausted, tired, weak, etc. It isn't getting the nutrition it needs when you are working out, it can't get that energy and keep the body strong and durable for your workout or to recover for that matter because it needs nutrients to recover the new muscles you build or strengthen.

Break Your Plateau #1

Are you still continuously working out and eating right, but aren't seeing further change? Welcome to the plateau club. Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. It happens to all of us fitness junkies! It is a very frustrating and discouraging point in time where you are trying to shed those last few 5-15lbs and it just won't budge. You've tried eating less, extending your workouts, and nothing happens. There may be a few things going on that you may be over looking or aren't noticing. 

1.) You're body has become accustomed to your workout. 

Your body is smart, it grows and becomes stronger as we challenge it. But there begins to be a point after you've run the same route, lifted the same amount of weight, done the same workout body where your body begins to "yawn" at your workout. Your body has done this same thing a million times before, there is no challenge anymore. How many times would you want to take the same class, watch the same movie, listen to the same song until you want to roll your eyes and yawn. You already know it, and it has become a part of you but offers no new challenges or excitement. Your body needs to be challenged.

Solution:

Try something new! Break out of your routine! Make your workouts shorter and more intense, do HIIT workouts, add resistance to your cardio, go heavier in your resistance training! You want your body to be challenged and shock it out of it's routine to see change! When I was just doing the same workout of running every day on my elliptical, which is still burning calories, but not showing change anymore I wanted to change it up. It got a little mundane and I wasn't seeing a whole lot of change. I started Insanity, and boy...was my body shocked. That is a workout that does NOT mess around! I also started shortening my time on the elliptical and doing HIITs on it for 20-30 min.

Want a Reason? Here's 20.

Saw this, and I had to share. You want a reason to workout? Here's twenty. Pick one....or more and get it done.

DO IT

SO GO DO WHAT YOU PROMISED YOURSELF YOU'D START DOING. I even provided the workout for you. NO MORE EXCUSES! Take back what's yours NOW.

Ok...someone is following me around

 Seriously! I think someone has! These are all the areas I am very selfconcious about and probably 80% of the female population is (they left out the belly though). My goal this year is to work on these parts by making them stronger. I think I will definately try these workouts! Just remember my peeps and I konw I sound like a broke record but...there is no such thing as spot reduction. Fat doesn't disappear off your love handles after doing 500 bicycle crunches. It comes off gradually and all throughout your body. Just focus on this. Being HEALTHIER, becoming stronger than you were, becoming the person you truly are and being free from any restraints. Free from pain, aches, terrible immune systems, frequent fatigue, free from the obstacles that keep you from being you. It isn't about being skinny (don't roll your eyes) or being a barbie doll. It is about being YOU. Once you are free from those restraints, you can be YOU. Do what you've always wanted to! Traveling, playing with your kids withouth huffing or needing to sit down, going on long walks with your significant other (beach anyone?) or getting through work without aches or strains.

Truth

Yup, that's right. We live in a society where we expect immediate results. We forget sometimes that the things we want most or the things worth while take time. Be PATIENT. Take one day at a time. No one meal won't change your body, but it does set the tone for your next decision and the next direction you will take. Choosing nutritious food makes you feel more energized and makes you feel better about yourself, with an improved mood and more energy you can achieve more physically and mentally instead of beating yourself up and feeling bad about yourself. It is just like every day life decisions. Each one takes us to a different point of our journeys and lead us down a path of our destiney that we choose. Every turn we make, we pursue a different journey or desitnation. Just remember, the decisions you make and the work you put into it delivers the exact results of what you put itno it.

App of the Day!

So I love smart phones and all their fitness and health apps that are available to help me learn more and introduce me to new workouts, eating and food tips, and so on. Today's app of the day is called FIXFIT. It has all sorts of workouts and based on what your schedule looks like it has a search engine that filters by time form 20-45 min! There is a calander inside to schedule your workouts and help you meet your goals and workouts you can download for offline (yes, I sadi OFFLINE) viewing. It has different cardio or weight training sessions that target any areas you wish (legs, core, glutes, etc). I like this because they also have stretching exercises and I am HORRIBLE when it comes to flexibility training. I really need to make that a priority as much as my cardio and weight training. But go check this handy little app out! It is perfect if you are on the go and travel a lot, you can find some fun short workouts to keep you fit and in shape while on the road! Oh...btw...did I mention it's free???

Metabolism 101

Saw this on pintrest and I thought I would share it with you! Interesting stuff!!! That will teach you to fast...and keep moving!

Just Curious...

I was just wondering if I started a small workout group, how many of you would be interested? We would meet on a facebook private page frequently and  cheer each other on, share our struggles and strengths. It would be for thirty days and I will cheer you on and we can all share tips and tricks on how to survive ;) the workouts and the tough days or obstacles we run into. If you are interested in it or want more info on it, just shoot me an email at lyssa_jeffries@hotmail.com or comment below. It will only be 5-6 people and I need to know if you are interested by Sept. 16. Thanks guys!