Excuses or results?

That's what it really comes down to isn't it? You can make excuses for why things didn't work out the way you wanted them to:

I can't get that 30 minutes of cardio in because I'm tired.
I can't eat healthy because I don't have time.
I am too lazy to exercise.


All things I've heard before. The first statement came from someone who was unhappy with the fact that he huffs and puffs walking up a flight of stairs. The second one came from a random person asking me why he can't get abs. The third came from my mother.

All but the last person (my mom) complain they can't get results. Maybe this is a little wrong to say... but for the average person, it comes down to one simple truth: you can have results or excuses, but you cannot have both.


If you're not doing exactly what you know you should be doing, then don't complain that you're not seeing the results you want to see. It's never going to work that way. It doesn't work that way in any aspect of your life.

Success isn't luck. True success is earned. The currency is blood, sweat, tears, sleep deprivation... in short,  the price for long term success is immediate sacrifice. You can have all the chips, ice cream, and cookies you want right now if you can accept that it will most likely make you more unhappy than happy in the long run... If you can accept that it will affect your overall health one day.

Success is a decision.

Just like how it's never too late to give up a bad habit it's never too late to pick up a positive attitude either. So when you wake up tomorrow morning and you're "too tired" to hit the gym or make eggs instead of eating cereal. Ask yourself: Do I want  results or do I want to make excuses?

Sometimes you need to fail

Failing is probably the best lesson I have ever learned. In life, not achieving a goal the first time you set out to try gives us an opportunity to try a different way. If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find excuses everywhere you look. The second greatest thing you'll ever learn is not to go looking for things you don't want to find. Don't set out looking to not accomplish a goal. Set out to achieve it by any means.

In the spirit of New Years Resolutions (and of course fitness blogging), the first thing that comes to mind is my quest for a stronger dead lift. I don't think I've ever not pushed myself in the gym. I don't think there's really ever been times where I've felt as though I got nothing accomplished. Even on a bad lifting day, it's an opportunity to assess my weaknesses.

Like the day I attempted and could not break 315 off the ground, and then proceeded to fail a 275 dead lift. The same lift I've done countless times before. Really, all I wanted to do was kick the damn barbell across the room from being so frustrated.

In all honesty, the failed lift just showed me where exactly my max was. It had been months since I've attempted a lift I couldn't (for lack of better words) muscle my way through. I needed that. I needed a new goal. I needed to feel the weight, to know that the bar was too far from my shins to start, to know that my ass wasn't low enough to start, to know that my grip wasn't up to par. I needed to learn all of those things again. I needed to keep it in perspective.

We all have good weeks, we all have bad weeks. No two weeks are the same. I don't care if your goal is to lose 10 lbs or gain 10 lbs. I don't care if your goal is to embark on a new career, move out of your house, or repair a damaged relationship. Where there is a will, there is a way.

If something isn't working for you, then maybe it's time to try a new method. If your job sucks, work on finding another. If you hate where you're living, then work on finding a new place to live. Damaged relationship? Keep the door open and keep trying to communicate. Failed lift? Assist work and new program.

It's January! The month of new beginnings. Don't be afraid to do something that scares you. Turn a negative experience into a positive one and use it to propel you forward. No matter what, keep moving forward.

My lessons of 2011

I posted this on my Facebook this morning. Might as well let the rest of you in on it too :) Have a safe and happy new year!

 

1. If you can imagine it, you can make it happen.
2. You are a product of your enviornment. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people and happiness will follow.
3. Sometimes, fighting for every inch to get to that mile isn't so bad.
4. It's all a journey, we are all works in progress.
5. No doesn't mean no, it means not yet.
6. Listen 10 times more than you speak.
7. Even on the worst day there is still something to smile about.
8. Strength lies in forgiveness, forgive those who hurt you and you take away their power over you.
9. No matter what has happened or will happen, I will always be her daughter.
10. Sometimes you don't get along with others because they reflect everything you dislike about yourself.
11. Growth starts outside your comfort zone. If you're not growing it's because you're TOO COMFORTABLE.
12. Everything will work itself out in the end. Make a decision and keep plugging away at it. Eventually you'll get it right.
13. If you're spending all your time thinking about what may go wrong, you're not focusing hard enough on what you want to go right. Plan to succeed, don't plan on failing.
14. Just accept the damn compliment once in a while.
15. Keep loving the way you love until you find someone who will love you the way you need to be loved.
16. Words are words, actions are actions. Don't confuse the two.
17. In life, you'll always get exactly what you need, when you need it. It may not always be what you want, but it's going to be what you need.
18. Let your past make you better, not bitter.
19. Thinking about doing something is always a hundred times worst than actually doing it.
20. Failed attempts are just an opportunity to grow and learn.
21. There will always be laundry that needs to be done, projects to be completed. Take some time out to yourself. You won't be able to do any of those things if you're not in good health. Quit playing catch up with yourself and remember to be kind to yourself.
22. It will never "get better" when you overcome this milestone or that obstacle. It's better today than it was yesterday. Make it better today, every day.
23. It's never too late to keep trying.
24. There is nothing you can't do if you want it that bad.
25. Celebrate your successes. As great as the next goal will be, the one you just accomplished was pretty awesome too.
26. There's nothing wrong with being passionate about something.
27. Be true to yourself. Even if you wanted to be someone else, you can only be yourself.

My secret to happiness

This has been one insane year for me. Well, the last quarter of the year has been insane for me. I will put this out there... In the last quarter of the year I ended a toxic relationship (several actually), got into a car accident, became briefly homeless, and acquired a second job. But, in going through all of those things... I reconciled with my long-estranged family, established new healthy relationships, and shed the last ties I had to my previous unhappy life. It all goes to show there are always good things with the bad.

Call me an eternal optimist.
Call me idealistic.
Call me positive.

I've somehow managed to make it through this year keeping a smile on my face 90% of the time, laughing and joking on a daily basis. I'll let you in on a secret. The secret to happiness is perspective.

Sure, it's been said before. I'm sure all of your friends, family, etc. have said it to you. But let's be real. 99% of the problems you're going through? Yeah, someone has already been there and done that. So little things like having to purchase a new car, ending a relationship that isn't really good for you anyway, finding a new place to live, etc. are just that. Little things.

You know you're going to pull through. You know you're going to eventually get done the things that need to be done. You know you're going to eventually get to exactly where you need to be. So why stress it?

Close your eyes, put in the work, and let the benefits roll in. Take the obstacles in stride, and remember it's all balanced. Sometimes, difficulties arise to keep us in check... You'd never know how sweet honey is without knowing the bitterness of vinegar.

Keep smiling!

You don't always get what you want

Life has a funny way of proving to me over and over again, it's not about what I want... ever. In fact, my life has very rarely ever given me what I wanted, just what I need. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. One of these days, I might finally understand how to want the things I need, and not want the things that can be detrimental to my overall wellbeing.

Let me throw this out there. I have decided at the ripe young age of 25, to start my life over. People that claim there is no reset button are just too scared to take the metaphorical dive off the cliff.

Once you cut out all the stuff that is weighing you down, it's a lot easier to keep moving forward.

Stuff. Sounds pretty general right? But let's think about this for a minute. Unhealthy relationships, poor resting habits, poor eating habits... Find the things that you have always hated and let it go. There are lots of things that people have said to me recently that come to mind:

"First you gotta know what you want, then you can go about getting what you want."
"All relationships are just relationships, even marriages."
"There's no reason you shouldn't be a killer."

Find people who are going to be positive forces in your life, and keep them around. It's as simple as that. And with those positive forces, you'll find a sense of peace.

That's probably been the biggest lesson I learned in 2011: I won't really get what I want, but life has a funny way of giving me exactly what I need, when I need it.

So go on, cut out the stuff in your life weighing you down... And feel free to fly. You'll never regret you did it.

starting over, over again

I took a hiatus. I know I did. But due to personal reasons, I'm sure it's excusable. Interestingly enough, I've never really trained quite this hard in my life either. Nor have I accomplished quite as much as I have in such a short period of time (we'll come back to this another time).

There's nothing more scary in life than starting over. The hardest person to get to know is yourself. I'm on the precipice of the rest of my adult life. I'm going through s pretty challenging work environment shift, I walked away from a very long term relationship, and I'm attempting to move on with my life.

Never in my life have I been so afraid. Never in my life have I ever been so driven to succeed.

Brother-sister bonding

The digital screen read 10:30 PM. I shift uncomfortably in the seat as we bounce along and yawn. We're driving back to my gym. After training and work, I must have been there 10 hours that day. Sylvester Stallone's voice fills the inside of the truck. Another right turn, followed by a quick left and we pull into the parking lot. The sign is faded, the light emitting from inside is faintly muted by tinted windows, but the feeling of happiness rises up and settles high in my chest. Time to get some work done.

My brother is my hero. He's got a soon to be wife, a full time job, my energetic nephew, and a crammed pack schedule. Despite the fact that we live together, I think I only physically see him maybe an hour or two a day at most. That generally happens in the morning on his way out, or at night after I get home. Yet he makes it a point to get himself to the gym, regardless of what hour of night it is (we've definitely trained well past midnight before knowing we both had work in the morning) and put in 110%.

If he could make the time, anyone can.

We stay for maybe an hour and a half, working on one of his self-admitted weakest body part. We trade tips and techniques, going back and forth, discussing ways to improve his lifts. And he leaves totally exhausted, thanking me for the company as we get back in the car and drive home to the house of sleeping people.

That brother-sister bonding.

Some negative people in my life have implied I only really found my passion for what I do because I want to be like my brother. What few people realize is your reasons for doing something is rarely what motivates you to continue to do that something after the initial "newness" feeling wears off.

When I first started to lift my brother was my first cheerleader and supporter. Health became a priority in my life. Health meaning not just lifts, not just cardio, nutrition, etc. Health meaning controlling your inputs to create desired outputs. Those inputs include everything from exercise, nutrition, soul, spirit, and a strong sense of self. Health is my passion.

I don't think I could have ever done any of it without him.

What makes a gym?

It's a thing I'm often asked. To be honest, I think the answer is really subjective depending on the person's goals. The breakdown below is based only my personal experience and journey. Feel free to contribute your own opinions in the comments area, it might benefit someone who is in the process of shopping for their very first gym!

Basic Concerns
These are general concerns to apply to all gyms:

• Cleanliness (you really don't want a dirty gym)
• Proximity (to work, home, wherever your spend the bulk of your time)
• Availability (do you travel often? Are they open when you're not working?)
• Parking (not sufficient amount of parking is irritating)
• Space (nothing irks me more than trying to work out and getting wacked in the head by someone doing flyes on either side of me) 

Goal: Exercise
This applies if you're a person who is just getting started. In this situation, you're just looking to get some exercise in. Generally, if this is your goal your gym should have:

• A variety cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, etc).
• Some free weights (I would believe a cap of around 75-100 lbs for dumbbells would be acceptable).
• Basic free weight equipment that should be there: squat rack/power rack, barbell bench & incline press, back extension machine. 
• A variety of machines for weight lifting (they are generally grouped by primary muscle used).

Goal: Training
Here, you're looking to lift 5-6 days a week, of you're lifting beyond the cap of 75-100lbs dumbbells. Please use this list in consideration with your own personal preferences. I find the more you train the pickier you get about your equipment. Generally, your gym should have:

• A variety of cardio machines.
• Two sets of dumbbells that go up to a heavy weight, another 1 or 2 sets of lighter weights. Here you're aiming for at least 4 sets of dumbbells.
• More than one power rack/squat rack, barbell benches, and back extension machines.
• Preferably more than one set of cable machines.
• A good number of plates. You don't want to wait for someone else to finish so you can start.
• Preloaded barbells (one straight, one ez) 
• A variety of machines for weight lifting (they are generally grouped by primary muscle used)

Goal: Classes
Here, you mainly like group cardio classes. Like step classes, cardio kickboxing, etc. This does not apply to boxing:

• Mirrored walls. (You want to know what's going on right?)
• Well-lit (You want to see your instructor)
• Friendly staff and well-spoken experienced instructors (note here experience isn't even as big of a deal as how comfortable you are with the instructor).
• Here, space is one of the most important things. You don't want to pick a place with a very small student space.

Misc.: Specialty
Once you get to specialties like boxing gyms, martial arts studios, etc. it's a totally different ball game. For situations like this it's best to go with an avid enthusiast, and pick their brain. For instance, I can tell you what to look for in a kickboxing studio or a ballet studio, but I'm totally useless in a boxing gym. It's better to go with an enthusiast than a whole group of people that don't know what to look for. Good luck!

Light weight

My heart is pounding so hard I can feel my brain pulsating, sweat is pouring from every inch of my body, and my legs are shaking from adrenaline swirling in my bloodstream. Don't count it, I tell myself, don't count it. My headphones are screaming lyrics from "All The Above." When I hear the beat pick up, I know the chorus is coming. I let out a grunt somewhere between a scream and a growl, drop my butt towards the ground and drive up with all the force I can muster through my legs, force my body to ignore the sticking point and stand up. Light weight! Light weight! Light weight! 


On the third rep, I'm totally spent.

Mission accomplished. I'm that much closer to my goal.

Today was back day. A day for feelings of dread and excitement. I will never understand what it is about deads that appeals to me. It's kind of silly to want to pull lots of weight into a standing position, but really once you do it you get hooked.

A friend once told me you will find yourself shooting up the weight rack whenever you successfully convince yourself that everything in there is light weight. All of it: baby plates, big boys, 5 pounders, it's all light weight.

I wonder if this can transfer to my every day life. If I tell myself everything is easy, will that instantly make difficult situations feel less difficult?

I tried it today. Had a conversation with someone quite close to me I haven't spoken to in a few years. Be easy, I chanted to myself, be easy. Now the conversation was not comfortable by any means, but it was certainly not horrible either. I made a promise and tentative future plans to see this person face to face in the near future. Many tried to tell me it had to be tomorrow. Truth is, I'm not ready. Everyone else thinks I am, but I'm really not.

If you ask me, I think everyone else around me are the ones that are ready for this to be over. Ready for me to reconnect and rebuild.

A friend told me it fear is not a good reason to make a decision. I think it's very applicable to my situation. I have no intention of allowing my fear rob me of my relationship. However, I equally do not like the idea of others dictating when, how, and where I should begin to mend this relationship.

If I end up taking that first step tomorrow by chance, great. But I'm not going to obsess.
Be easy. 


When all else fails, just breathe... And in the end, it will be ok.

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Mirror mirror on the wall... Tell me what I should like about myself.

It's amazing isn't it? By others' standards I should be really proud of how far I've come. I went from curling 15 lbs as a working weight with cheat a year ago to 20 lbs clean. I can deadlift over 200 lbs when a year ago I barely knew what that even was.

Then why am I so disappointed? Why can I only focus on my current goal and not see how many other goals I've already accomplished? What is so hard about accepting what I have?

This doesn't just apply to my training either. My entire life tends to be like this. I teeter back and forth on the cusp of success and failure. The weirdest thing is I will always acknowledge my fear of failure, but sometimes I think I also fear success. It's as if the taste of success will be so sweet but, I know it comes with the warning of the fall that may come. I'm 99% sure this feeling isn't unique to me.

It's a balance game.
It's a challenge.

In my quest to obtain a greater understanding of myself, I have come to accept that I will always be a person that is chasing the next big goal, the next big shining achievement. And that's ok. However, I still need to learn to value the things I have already accomplished, and not take it all for granted.

I need to accept that fearing success and failure will only leave me paralyzed, unable to move forward in my progression and achieve the things I know I can achieve.

I accept that fear is normal. But fear will never define me.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall... Thank you for reminding me I am a smart, strong, and independent woman.
Mirror, mirror... Thank you for showing me I am only as strong as I allow myself to be. 

Today's goals are tomorrow's accomplishments

Read it. Live it.

I'm saying that because I feel amazing. I pulled 205x1 (deadlift) today. Halfway through the lift I felt my body go what the hell do you think you're doing?! I ignored it, I kept pushing up and locked it out. Hell yes!


This comes back to my regular life though.

Goal: Get a job I love. That's going to be an accomplishment soon. Something awesome is on the horizon, I feel it in the air.

Here's another little piece of random thought I posted on Facebook the other day:

The job market is rough. Thankfully, optimism is free!

Never having time

I once said on my Facebook status:

There will always be laundry that needs to be done, errands that need to be completed, but consistently putting yourself last will only result in forever trying to play catch up with yourself. Take care of yourself, you deserve it :)


This particular status got something like 16 likes from my little network of friends. I read it over once in a while to remind myself to slow down. Because in theory, it sounds so great. Love yourself. But let's be realistic, how much of what you do in a day is really for you?


I'm not sure if you guys know about this, but at the moment I'm staying with my in-laws until my husband and I get back on our feet. It sounds great for a number of reasons. In the past two weeks I've received the following comments:

• You're living rent free
• At least you have a roof over your head
• At least you're not homeless
• Wow you must be saving a ton of money

Notice how a lot of those comments are kind of sneaky mean. They're not really positive. Especially the ones that start with the words "at least..." I think people kind of tell you (or tell themselves) things like that to try to "remain humble."

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful someone is willing to help us out right now. I'm grateful someone has the resources to assist us in this difficult transition period. However, I don't think grateful should equate happy or content. This is exactly what is should be: difficult.

I mean let's be realistic, if you're either happy or content with living with your in-laws because you don't have any options you are either used to it or you're lying.

Anyways, there's been tremendous pressure on me (not sure if it is real or perceived) to find a job. ASAP. Given this economy I don't think it's unfair or unusual for me to have a "deer-in-headlights" look on my face. The whole situation feels rather overwhelming. In fact, it's kind of gotten out of hand.

Which brings me to today. I'm sitting here in Barnes & Noble working on my design resume, pulling up job applications to gyms, and more or less bugging out about how I still haven't heard anything. Really, I'm supposed to be here to complete resumes and cover letters.

I left my in-laws' house because there's two ten year olds there that (while I love them) can be quite... loud. Plus I'm paranoid and think she's judging me. But that's just my paranoia speaking I think.

Anyways, here I am. Staring at the things I have to do and all I could think of was getting it done until I saw my tab open with my blogger loaded. It made me sad to realize I've been ignoring the one thing the de-stresses me. Journaling!

So, after you've read my pathetic post about stress (yes I know there are people out there that like have no clean water -- way more stressful situation), this is a friendly reminder that you need to take some time in your day, and do something for yourself.

Doing your laundry doesn't count. Shopping for food doesn't count.

When was the last time you meditated?
When was the last time you just sat down and did absolutely nothing?

Treat yourself! You deserve it. And trust me, you'll feel 100x's better, even if you didn't feel like crap before.

The case of the comments

Macros. The basic nitty gritties of what food eventually breaks down to in my eyes.

For the most part, I am willing to eat most things because it fits my macros, I don't care much if it tastes "amazing" or not. This might be because my father made the most awful mystery food for me and my brother growing up. You learn to just choke it down and not whine.

My fixation with this topic stems from a comment I got this morning.

I mentioned heading to the market to grab some chicken breasts and salad greens. Bear in mind I'm in a living situation right now where food space is limited, as is kitchen usage time. So twice a day I've been eating chicken and greens, and propping up the carb numbers with oats and rice cakes.

The person I spoke to said "you can't just eat lettuce and chicken all the time."

Really? Why not?

Then again this was coming from someone who doesn't eat either of those things.

The point I'm trying to make is simply this: don't hate on the person who is eating right. Obviously I eat things other than chicken and greens, given the living circumstances I haven't exactly been able to make a huge variety of food.

But you know comments are sometimes like food, sometimes you gotta just choke it down, and move on.

$11 for THIS?!

This morning I went to a diner for the first time in years. Apparently there are no good Greek or Jewish owned diners anywhere else other than the tri-state area. So if you move, you've been warned. Don't be surprised when you're stuck with Jim Hortons or IHop as a diner alternative.

I polished off my Chef's Omelet (3 eggs, mushrooms, tomatos, mozzarella, and artichokes). Delish. Don't look at me like that. I can have a damn omelet once in a while, macros have been adjusted accordingly.

The tab came out to $22. Not bad for a sit-down breakfast, a treat.

We ran a few errands such as picking out a swimsuit (more about that another day), which came out to $14 per piece. For men, yes womens swimsuits come in separates you don't get both for a single price unless it's some kind of sale or package deal.

So, as women, most of us are not completely disgusted at the idea of paying $14 for some piece of clothing. Yet, many people I know would be disgusted at what $14 can buy them at a grocery store. I can't even count how many times I've walked past people shopping for chicken breasts in a meat section and overhead someone saying $11 for THIS?!

Really blows my mind.

Sure, I try to keep my grocery bill low, but that's because I try to keep all my bills low. Personally, I think it makes more sense to pay more to fuel your body than say adorn it with fabric and jewels. But really that's just my opinion.

I'll even admit it, we walked out of the grocery store and had spent a little over $15 on some apples, greens, tomatos, cucumbers, cheese, and the paper. I even thought to myself what a ripoff. 

Even though the truth is it wasn't really a rip off, and I know it.

It's a daily struggle sometimes, to put it all into perspective and to remind yourself where your priorities are and where you wish they could be (if you were independently wealthy or something). But let it always be a reminder that without your health, you have nothing.

So take care of yourself, love yourself. 
And treat yourself to some organic apples once in a while, they really do taste better.

The point where dedication meets functionality

"After admitting your faults, the next hardest thing is acknowledging your strengths. In our minds we always want to pretend we're good at things we really WISH we were good at. Dig deep, take an honest assessment, and cherish your existing strengths. Find ways to leverage them in your life to achieve amazing things. You'll never be sorry you did it."

I wish I was good at a lot of things. I spent years telling myself I'm a people person (I'm socially awkward), that I'm good at science (nope), and that I'm easy going (definitely not). Now, admitting all of that doesn't make my personality seem very rosey, I'll admit it. But despite those quirks, I'm loyal, honest, and dedicated to what I'm truly passionate about (family and health). Those are the things I'm actually good at, not the things I wish I was good at. But I wanted to discuss the topic of dedication.

I posted the above statement on my Facebook wall yesterday, after having spoken to a friend about my blog post earlier about cheating. The comment was short and was something to the effect of how when he was stressed out he would slip into a cheat and hate himself for it, but he's gotten much better over time.

I found it quite odd that my friend would feel the same way I do about the subject, especially when I often feel he is much more dedicated than I am to this lifestyle. He does twice a days, goes out with friends and orders a glass of water make the conscious decision not to cheat despite temptation.

That's inspirational right there. That is dedication. I could really learn something there.

I'm in my mid twenties. Most of my social gatherings at this point in my life revolve around food. Most friends want to grab dinner, a drink, or maybe lunch. I tend to bypass the dinner or lunch part by inviting them over instead, and the drink... I'll volunteer to be the designated driver. My way of remaining devoted to my diet is by avoiding tempting situations altogether. Which works for me but I think it makes me come off a little antisocial at times.

I don't think I'm "over dedicated" or anything. But like I said earlier, there's something for me to learn. I have to step it up and not let the lifestyle consume me.

I'll have a club soda please.

Some days you just don't want to

Julia Roberts opened her mouth and made a hideous buzzing sound. No matter how much I screamed at her, she wouldn't stop! Oh wait, I must be dreaming.

I cracked open one sandpaper-like eyelid at a time, and waited for my eyes to focus. 5:39AM. The bane of my existence. My arm instinctively swung out to squat at the noise machine until I realized I had no choice today. Vacation is over.

Tragic isn't it?

I stumbled my way into the rest of my apartment to survey the disaster it had become in a matter of days. Boxes, boxes, unplugged appliances, duffle bags, plastic tote bins everywhere! All I wanted was to turn around and climb back into my now-lukewarm bed. But no, I must press on. Movers will be here in a few hours.

I downed a few glasses of water and measured my oats, whey, and blueberries. Nuked the whole thing and sat down to eat breakfast. It's times like these when I want to cheat on myself. It would've been so easy to drive to the nearest Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks and buy a breakfast sandwich and a coffee. It's not even like it's far or even expensive...

But even on days when I don't want to, I know I have to.

So I sat, shoveled my oats into my mouth and forced myself to chew and swallow. Five bites later, I started to feel better. Halfway through my breakfast I started to feel like myself again. Granted, this is more tired and cranky version of myself, but still it's me.

Sometimes we dont want to live the lifestyle. It's so easy to cheat here and there, and tell yourself "it's only once." Really, when you want to cheat is probably the absolute worst time to cheat. You end up on a slippery slope where a cheat meal becomes a cheat day.

I'm a bigger fan of planning my cheat meals. It gives you something to look forward to, and keeps you on track the rest of the week.

Whatever you decide to do, just remember:

This is your now, this is will not be your forever.


Don't let stress (in my case) ruin your plan. Instead, plan ahead and stay on track. Remember that what you want is bigger than what you want right now. Save the cheat for something that's more satisfying than a cup of coffee and a lousy sandwich.

All the things she said

This morning I was hunting for rice cakes at my grocery store when I heard it behind me:

"I bet she's one of those girls that can eat whatever she wants and still stays skinny."


I didn't even bother turning around. But inside the smile I had on my face fell an inch.  Now granted, I don't think the woman thought I was listening, but still.

I wonder if she woman knows I log my food, my training, and my thoughts.  No, I can't just eat "whatever I want." In fact my diet is quite restrictive for the most part. In fact this is a short laundry list of what I eat:

• poultry (chicken, turkey)
• fish (salmon = <3)
• small portions of cheese (mini babybel, string cheese)
• spinach, mixed romaine lettuces, kale, asparagus (leafy greens are yum)
• bell peppers (assorted colors)
• tomatos (sometimes)
• rice cakes
• whey
• oats

So no, I don't "eat whatever I want." If I decided to eat out 3 times a day, 4 days a week, I wouldn't be where I'm at now.

I suppose I shouldn't be mad.  I shouldn't be hurt.  I mean afterall she's a total stranger.  I'll probably never see her again.  Heck, I didn't see her when she said it.

This little experience has taught me something though.  I have a lot to offer.  While my studies for my CPT has slowed, I absolutely need to press forward.  Once I'm done with that I can make a bigger movement into nutrition.

I want to change the world, one person at a time.

Consistency is key

I have advised many over the years that consistency is key. No one can see results without the dedication, patience, and determination to see this lifestyle through on a daily basis. You can train away many things. You can train away years of a sedentary lifestyle, you can train away muscular imbalance and weakness. But you can never train away bad nutrition.

Bad nutrition. This is the part that gets me.

There's tons of books out there about how to eat clean, how to eat like a caveman, etc. While these books do a great job of bringing awareness to poor eating habits, maybe the real focus has been lost. The real focus should be how to fuel your body.

I'm not saying you need to torture yourself by eating "bland" food. But let's be realistic here, everything you put into your body changes your body. If you have spent years eating high sodium food your tongue will be used to saltiness (same goes for sweetness).

Try an experiment, take two weeks and track your food, keep your sodium to the recommended daily value. At the end of those two weeks you'll find that your taste buds have adjusted, and foods you once thought were bland aren't anymore.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying your food. I'm not even trying to imply there is. The point is you should have a healthy relationship with your nourishment sources.

Your food should be the thing that fuels your body to do amazing things. To a certain degree, you have to accept that you may not "like" healthier alternatives at first, but you will probably grow to accept them over time.

It's your life and it's your body. You only get one, so love it every day and be good to yourself.

So I know it's been a while

But I still enjoy working out. So I figure I might as well just keep writing on. And get it all out.

I'm currently working on my cutting phase. So I've had a little bit of muscle loss. Not too much but some.

I think it's time to break out the supplements and maybe cycle a little bit of creatine and fat burner to get to those last few stubborn bits.

Lift heavier. Train harder. Run further!

Let's get it done.