goals Archives -

One common mistake people make when trying to make a change!

03|1|2017

One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up…..instead of what they have to gain.

Has this ever been you?

I know it’s been me!

In fact, I’m in the midst of a detox that I had on the shelf for months because I was SO caught up in what I’d have to give up (TEMPORARILY at that….well, here’s to HOPING most of it is temporary because y’all know I don’t like deprivation) vs. how it could help me.

I had to make the decision that the good would outweigh the bad and jump in already!

What things did I not wanna give up?

Wellllllll……

Time ~ I knew I was going to have to spend more time planning my meals, grocery shopping & meal prep
COFFEE
Sugar ~ aka CUPCAKES
Gluten ~ aka CUPCAKES
Alcohol
After Phase 1, animal protein….so no eggs or meat/fish for at least two weeks
Gum ~ I chew sugar-free but the guide says the chemicals and artificial sweeteners in it can affect your body, especially if your body is in a state of inflammation and stress. AND, did you know the second you start chewing, it stimulates your digestive system?! So, your body is “thinking” is gonna get food and then it doesn’t. One of the main goals with this detox is to let your digestive system “rest” as much as possible throughout the day and night.

Giving up anything you love, even for a period of time, goes back to those #unsexy things I talk about on Tuesdays (ha, now Wednesday….yes, late getting it done again!) ~ those things that may seem hard and sometimes unimportant in the short-term but can lead to HUGE progress down the road.

So, like I said, I had to make the decision to just do it.

It’s been challenging and I’m only 8 days in.

But, I’m doing it!

And, what have I already gained?????

Welllllll……

Time ~ ha, didn’t I just say I knew I’d have to give up time to plan, shop & prep? Well, what I found was that while it took more time upfront, I make several day’s worth of meals at once and SAVE time throughout the week when I’m busier! AND, I’m not as tempted to reach for something not on the plan and not stressed wondering what I’m gonna eat.
The sugar has been tough. I didn’t realize the mindless candy snacking I was doing at work. I mean, I did KNOW I was having too much candy during the day between different offices and the breakroom around here but now that I’m not doing it, it’s an eye-opener on how often I was walking into an office JUST to get candy! Nothing even work-related lol.
Gluten is one thing I’ve wondered about being sensitive to. But, there are lots of schools of thought out there that gluten intolerance is way less common than it seems in the midst of the gluten-free craze. I’m going to wait longer before I re-introduce it and find out. I’ve also thought of doing a test a friend suggested to me for peace of mind. It’s kinda spendy but it would be SO worth it if it were accurate. I’ll be talking more about that in posts down the road should I choose to try it 🙂 If you’re curious WHAT it is right now, you can reply to this post and I’ll send you the deets on it. I read one person found out she couldn’t eat PAPRIKA. I meant how random is that BUT how awesome would it be to KNOW you should avoid paprika lol. I’ve also learned through this process that often the body can build up intolerances to food. Say, you ate chicken every day for months….your body could POTENTIALLY develop an intolerance to chicken. Fascinating, right?! Ok, maybe I’m a nerd but I love nutrition and the body amazes me, so I find it very intriguing to learn more. Especially since one of the signs of an intolerance is bloating, and since before I started this I would often bloat to the point I looked like I was 7 months preggo, I’m very excited about the possibility of narrowing some of this down!
Ahhhhh, beer and wine. Yes, I do miss having beers with friends or my not-every-night-but-a-few-times-a-week glass of wine or TWO. BUT, I can tell you I don’t miss any headaches I would get or just that blah feeling.
The eggs and meat has been more challenging than I thought it would be. I LOVE EGGS! And, while I don’t LOVE meat all the time, for some reason I’m dreaming of filet mignons wrapped in as much bacon as possible lol. #gofigure ~The last time I craved meat like this was when I really WAS preggo! #noimnot ~And, my hubby caught fresh perch last weekend and I was dying to have some. I like perch even more than walleye! #yummo ~So, I WILL say I’m anxious to slowly add animal protein & fish back in and hit the Whole30. Ha, and then I will probably get sick of meat again.
The no gum has been tough. I love having a fresh mouth! But, this one turned out not to be a deal breaker lol.
I saved the hardest for last lol. COFFEE. #coffeemakestheworldgoround #asdocupcakes ~ Ummmm, safe to say this has been my hardest part. I keep hoping one day I will wake up and not wanna run for my Keurig. Like I said, I’m into week 2 and it hasn’t happened yet where some of the other cravings have gone. So, I’m gonna guess this one isn’t going anywhere. A friend told me she heard some people don’t like the taste of it after going through something like this. I guess we shall see! And, one of the most common questions I’ve been asked since I started this is “Why no coffee???” I’ll talk about that in a separate blog post but it mostly has to do with getting your body back to a balance of alkaline/acidic. I’m not sure my body is in out of balance and more acidic BUT giving up coffee for now is one of the ways to help find out AND reverse it.

Anyhoo, there ya have it! My most recent experience of delaying making a change because of how uncomfortable it would be for me. But, as the saying also goes, I decided the pain of staying the same would be worse than the pain of change.

So, if you’re out there feeling like I did a few months ago…..knowing you need to do something different but you just can’t seem to get started or you just don’t WANT to out of fear of failure and more, make a list of all the reasons you want something different for your life. Then, read those things over and over and over every day for a while. And, then, just DECIDE. It’s up to you. AND, THEN, PUSH THROUGH….because it will be hard before it gets easier 🙂 (If I can do it, YOU can do it! #forrealslol) If you want something different, you have to do something different 🙂

Oh, and just so you know, this is a post about nutrition and doing a detox plan BUT the idea of deciding you’re ready to make a change applies to so so many areas in your life! I’m reading a new book ~ a book that I’ve actually had for a long time now but hadn’t started ~ and as I was finishing reading my chapter tonight, this stood out to me ~ The Law of Diminishing Intent says, “The longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will never actually do it.” John Maxwell in 15 Laws of Invaluable Growth

Let that sit for a moment. That hit me hard because a few short years ago I was so so close to “never actually doing it”….to never actually dreaming big…..to never actually taking action….to never actually failing forward. That would’ve been so sad if I had waited even a day longer 🙂

It’s another unsexy Tuesday!

08|17|2016

So, I was supposed to start Country Heat yesterday but I realized it meant having rest days on Sundays. I like having my rest days on Mondays or Fridays….So, I opted to wait and officially start today and have Mondays off! I have video calls and extra training for my coach stuff, so Mondays gets kinda busy 🙂 And, I have plenty of time for a half hour workout on Sundays 🙂

I did start the nutrition plan yesterday! And, it’s the same as the 21 Day Fix plan, so that’s really nice ‘cuz I’m very used to it! I just needed to use the little calculator in the Country Heat nutrition guide to figure out if I’m a Plan A, B, C or D and I figure out how many containers I can have a day and I’m good to go! I’m a Plan B and will soon move to the top end of Plan A. And, I love that I’m familiar with the foods lists! The best options are at the top of the list for each color-coded container. And, I definitely have my faves and my go-to’s! So, honestly, the hardest and unsexiest part for me is to just get back in the habit of actually tracking each and every little thing I eat. And, I’m also going to be journaling how I FEEL each day to recognize when things may be getting tough. Overall, I eat well during the week ~ I estimate 80/20….80% clean and 20% not-so-clean lol. But, it’s the bites of this and the tastes of that have clearly added up! And, my weekends haven’t been 80/20 for a while now 🙁 Plus, I’ve been enjoying a few adult beverages during the week and on weekends for the summer and time to cut that back for 30 days! Not only are they empty calories but my food choices are bad when I enjoy them lol! I haven’t decided for sure but I may give myself 1 or 2 treat meals and/or drinks in these 30 days. Part of me NEEDS and CRAVES just sticking to the program 100%….’cuz honestly it’s really not that hard and I KNOW it’s not that hard. But, the other part of me just feels like if I am TOO GOOD and don’t allow myself any treats at all (the plan totally allows for some treats….it’s just honestly where I can sometimes take that 😉 that I may set myself up for failure. So, this time around, I’m not deciding upfront. I’m just gonna do the best I can and see how the month plays out!

Day 1 was really good! I wasn’t tempted by all the chips and candy I saw at work today (ha, yes, I know…it’s only day 1)! My nutrition was #onpoint! I LOVED my workout! It was Country Swing and it was about a half hour and it flew by! I forgot to turn off my workout session right away but right around 300 calories for a half hour workout! I’ll take it! And, I was at 8140 for steps when I started and finished with 12,084!!! WAHOO! It really made me miss the certification class! AND, it really made me excited to practice practice practice and start group classes!! I think part of the reason I’m SO excited for this program is to bring it to more people! I’ve missed group fitness SO much!

So, here’s goes nothing! More of the unsexy things I will do in the name of achieving my health & fitness goals…..weight, measurements and before pics!

And, pics are never easy….BUT sharing them helps me stay accountable.

Measurements are also never easy to share….and unsexy…yes, very boring….to take. Blah blah blah. But, again, sharing them helps me stay accountable AND helps motivate me to kick. some. butt.

I would say I’m starting over but that’s not really how I look at this. Yes, I’m at one of the highest weights I’ve been….but I also feel the strongest I’ve ever felt. And, I honestly never gave up….I just lost some of my inspiration and determination ~ I made excuses ~ I got complacent ~ I let life get to me ~ and got a little too comfortable in my fun summer life. I’m over it now, tho. It was fun and it was hard at the same time. And, now I must get back to work.

And, as I’ve shared before, I’ve been working out all this time ~ definitely not to the intensity I would have liked with my foot and some other issues BUT my workouts are still not where I struggle. My eating and my relationship with food is where I struggle. But, where there is a struggle, there is also strength in overcoming. Time to overcome again.

So, YES, I’m very happy with my day 1! I’ll be straight up that the first 5 days of anything new are pretty tough for me. Day 1 always seems the easiest ~ days 2 thru 5 hard ~ and then I kinda settle in. I have to focus on all the wonderful food I will have vs. the things I’m choosing not to right now. And, I’m going to focus hard on my results….and more importantly WHY I want to achieve what I do (blog post coming about that)! If you keep the inspiration as to WHY you’re going after something, it’s a lot easier to….go after something lol.

I would love it if you follow and support me as I go over these next 30 days! I’m going to be going live daily from my health & fitness page on Facebook daily for extra accountability (you can click here and LIKE my page to get notifications when I go live 🙂 And, I’m starting more giveaways and fun things this month, so stay tuned there AND here!). I’m going to be doing weekly weigh-ins, pics and measurements! And, I kicked off a new private coaching group with 6 awesome ladies and I’m already looking to them for inspiration….because they help me more than they even know!

I have some BIG year-end goals to hit and I’m excited about some new things I’m going for in 2017 and will be sharing later! 40 lbs. gone by the end of the year ~ and honestly, if the scale doesn’t cooperate, that’s totally fine….let’s say a size 6 then….I’m in a 10-12…closer to 12 right now 🙂 So, that will work. Thanks for checking in and STAY TUNED 🙂

And, your bonus tonight is something that just happened and was SO cute I just had to share it! B and I were walking home tonight and I told her to say goodbye to her little friend, Sophie. Sophie was already on her bike headed home, so B yelled, “Bye Sophie ~ I love you!” Sophie yelled back, “Love you, too ~ see ya tomorrow!” How cute is that?!? #icanteven #littlegirlsaretoocute #buthandfuls #thatsSophieinthebackground 🙂

The Country Heat Movement

08|9|2016

I was on a call today with a bunch of coaches from my mastermind group that I’m learning SO so much through and one of the coaches…who just HAPPENED to be in the official Country Heat Test Group and got ah-mazing results…was talking about why she thinks so many people are getting insane results with this program and Shakeology. She said she thinks it’s because we’re just getting back to the basics of having fun while working out!

Here she is btw ~ Her name is Lyndsi!
And, these are her results in just 30 days!
Excited?? I know I am!

Ya’ll know I LOVE to lift weights! Strength training has become my passion. I feel strong and driven when it’s part of my routine. But, sometimes I will admit that it’s overwhelming and I start to maybe get TOO caught up in how heavy I’m lifting and I push myself too far and I lose focus on my form and before I know it, my body is paying the price. Weights will always have an important place in my fitness routine but I’m taking a step back from them….I actually have been for a while doing PiYo…..and hitting a different focus for at least a few months with COUNTRY HEAT! And, much like Lyndsi was trying to say, I think often I OVER-COMPLICATE what I’m doing! I still struggle with a little bit of workout ADD and now that my foot is better, I’m dying to get out and do some running. But, what I love about BB programs, is that you don’t NEED to add anything additional to the programs! They work if you follow them! Plain. And. Simple. So, even I need a lesson in often times less is more. I’m ready to do this thing!!! Are you?!?

If you missed it, I took a certification class while I was in Nashville a few weeks ago to be able to instruct this! And, now I just need to practice my little butt off AND find a place to instruct lol!! In the meantime, I’m determined to win a Beachbody Challenge prize with this program!! I’m committing to 30 days of it starting next Monday the 15th and I’m looking for 10 positive, passionate and full-committed people to do it with me as part of a test group! It’s going to be an epic group ~ I PROMISE! I’m implementing new things to keep everyone inspired and pushing their hardest! It’s only for 30 days, so I’m going to be requiring that no one come in with any excuses!! We won’t have time for excuses 🙂

Please join my event page on Facebook for the test group launch and stay inspired by the success stories I’ll be sharing! And, if you’re interested in joining me, you can fill out an app here so I can learn more about your goals and see if this is a good fit for you!!

Believe in you! Join today!

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Bringing Unsexy Back

07|20|2016

Ok, so this is gonna start out kinda random…..

but I feel sorry for Tuesdays.

Monday gets a bad rap but is also #motivationmonday so there’s that. Wednesday is hump day and wine day. Thursday is one day closer to Friday. Friday is….well FriYAY. Saturday….well, seriously probably the best day of the week for most, so enuf said. Sunday is…well, for me anyway…..a relatively and usually restful and peaceful day and a day to be inspired, spend more time with God and be hopeful and get ready to kick butt in a new week ahead.

BUT, TUESDAY?!? What does Tuesday have on the other days? Hmmmmm, I can’t really think of much that stand outs that people talk about. Well, maybe #transformationtuesday but apparently that’s not as powerful a thing for most people lol. (My hubby for one…he would have no idea what transformation Tuesday even means.)

So, I decided I wanted to spice up our Tuesday with a new series, #unsexytuesday. (Ha, it’s got quite the ring to it, right?!?! Yeah, not so much….so if anyone comes up with a better hashtag I can use, drop me a comment!!! lol) Why?!? ‘Cuz EVERY day matters! Every day you choose to do the unsexy matters….stay with me here 😉

I have the #realtalk series ~ and I have more “series” in the works…and really the unsexy series will be QUITE similar to REAL TALK….’cuz….well….the title speaks for itself.

What’s the unsexy? According to Google, it partially means “not exciting.” So, the unsexy in the context of this new series I wanna write about is about doing the things you don’t really wanna to do in order to achieve all your goals and finding a way to let go of the things that don’t serve you any longer, if they ever did.

For example, the sexy for me would be eating popcorn with real butter followed by a few cupcakes, while watching Nashville or the Bachelor on Hulu. Sexy for me would be reading Gone Girl. UNSEXY for me is eating turkey sweet potato burgers and a strawberry broccoli salad leftover from last night, while listening to a podcast on becoming a better leader. UNSEXY for me would be reading 15 Laws of Invaluable Growth by John Maxwell. Now, obviously the UNSEXY things are not terrible at all. And, honestly, the more I do the unsexy, the more comfort and peace I find!

So, yes, It’s about doing the mundane, seemingly unimportant things day-in-&-day-out that lead to big things. Things like losing 50 lbs. You don’t do it overnight. You make mundane, unsexy choices like eating turkey burgers and broccoli every day for days and days and days in order to do it (okay not EVERY day but you get my point). Things like saving $5000 dollars. You don’t do it overnight ~ unless you’re really wealthy OR win the lottery or something. You make mundane, unsexy choices every day to not spend beyond your means for days and days and days in order to do it. Things like going back to school for a degree. You don’t do it overnight. You make mundane, unsexy choices to study and research and learn for days and days and days in order to do it. Things like working for that promotion at work. You don’t get it overnight. You get it by doing a series of mundance, unsexy things for other people for days and days and days in order to get it. Bottom line: The unsexy things are the things that make you uncomfortable at first but that result in big rewards and start to become second-nature.

I first talked about my unsexy over a year ago. I’m gonna go off for a little bit here but I’ll bring you back 🙂 You can read about it HERE. And, I’ve thought a LOT about it since. One of the funnest (I always wonder if I should use a word like funnest…it’s not really a word and I’m supposed to be a writer….but that’s my writing style…using things I like to make into words “‘cuz” they fit my personality “lol”) things about blogging is to look back to something I wrote a year ago. To remember how I felt at the time. To look at how much B has grown. To remind myself of how far I’ve come.

The post was over a year ago (seriously, just go read it and then come back). It was the beginning of a really hard year for me. It was a year that I seriously wish I could just have a time machine and travel back and do just about EVERYTHING differently.

But, while life is about second chances, life is also about letting go and forgiveness and learning to move on from mistakes and guilt and weakness and loss. It’s taken me months to really believe this but there are things that happen in our lives and choices we make that will forever change us and those around us. But, the silver lining is, often the hardest things we go through, whether we choose them or not, are what mold us into stronger versions of ourselves.

My unsexy truth is that I often ~~forgot about~~ chose not to DO the unsexy things this past year to honor my goals and my dreams and the people who are most important to me….not ironically, the very things I talked about in that post. And, believe me it makes me cry. My counselor has told me on more than one occasion that I’m pretty hard on myself. I’m hard on myself to a fault and it often paralyzes me, so I have to work really hard at overcoming. If you can guess where this is going, I was pretty hard on myself last year. And, when I do that, I retreat. I withdraw from everyone, especially those closest to me. I make poor decisions. I lose some of my Faith. I stop doing some of the things I really enjoy. There was a lot of everything. Pain. Regret. Loss. Sadness. Depression. Self-doubt. Guilt. Food starting to become a coping mechanism again. Spending starting to become a coping mechanism again. I got lost in periods of instant gratification….in failed attempts to feel better. And, then the guilt would just snowball. And, after having come so far the year before, it was so confusing to me what was happening. How was it seemingly so easy to start self-sabotaging myself again??…and in some instances to extremes. To say I’m not proud of this time in my life is a drastic understatement. And, yet, while I somewhat recognized it, I didn’t know how to fully change it. Now, don’t get me wrong…there were bright moments and a lot of wonderful memories and periods of time when I rocked my goals and was present and I am so blessed for the family and friends I have who try their best to understand and be there for me even when I’m not there for them…..there is always a silver lining to the struggle and I’m trying my best to right the wrongs. But, I was perpetually taking 2 steps forward and 3 back. Until, finally, I knew I had to make a decision to keep going down the path I was OR I could get back track. Because you know what? I was SERIOUSLY uncomfortable most of the time. I was happy and inspired when I was writing and I look back at blog posts and I KNOW I was confident behind them because reading them even now I know my words were heart-felt and true! But, my passion and inspiration would quickly fade and I would lose sight of it all.

So, while doing the unsexy is uncomfortable, my self-sabotage was a heck of a lot MORE uncomfortable.

This quote maybe only relates to weight BUT you can turn it into anything in life ~ you choose your hard every dang day.

And, so, I decided to start choosing unsexy again instead of self-sabotage for my comfort level and I took action to move on and move forward.

I know I will fall back sometimes…..that’s just a little thing we call life.

But, if I fall down 7 times, I will get up 8.

I’m choosing my hard. And, I’m choosing it every. dang. day. ‘cuz that’s what it takes to stay in the game.

What’s my new unsexy focus you ask?!? My first 5 things….

1. I started meal planning again! I had told myself I didn’t enjoy it AND I didn’t like to cook….but that wasn’t true! And, these past few weeks of being back in that game, I remember that I DO like it! It’s like a game to meal plan ~ I actually like to have my week figured out ~ and while I don’t like to take a TON of time in the kitchen, I do enjoy cooking! I had even TOTALLY let B’s nutrition slide. I wanna let her be a kid and not be too limiting to her for fear of her turning that into what I did and start HIDING food. We have so many fears for our kids….my behaviors with food being carried down to her is one of my biggest. It may seem trivial to you but for something that has consumed so much of my life, I know I want no part of that for her life.

2. I started a fitness and nutrition journal! I had been journaling BUT I hadn’t really been talking to myself about my health & fitness goals, how I was feeling every day, how I was actually going to accomplish everything I set out to! I’ve barely started this and I’m wondering to myself WHY oh WHY wasn’t I doing this since day 1 as a coach?!? I HIGHLY recommend getting a fitness journal or if nothing else, use an online tracker to track your workouts and your nutrition! Something like MyFitnessPal (my fave!)

3. I told my coach about my goals and I committed to 3….ha, yes, 3….different challenge groups ~ 2 that I’m hosting and 1 I’m just sitting back and participating in like a new challenger! I need lots of accountability and inspiration to keep this momentum going and these are my go-to places for both. (If you’ve read the 10X Rule, I’m all about 10 x’ing what I do.)

4. I downloaded a new 60-day devotional on my Kindle. My last devotional was A Confident Heart ~ so so good! Highly recommend! And, my new one is a Lysa Terkeurst Made to Crave one. I LOVE her and her books and everything Proverbs31!

5. And, I took new before pics. I just took some a few weeks ago and shared but to be straight up, I had a tank top on to try to hide. I’m not interested in hiding or retreating anymore.

And, today was day 24 of PiYo, so I’m almost halfway thru this round of PiYo! It’s going really well! I will say I miss running and my weights and REALLY miss Hammer & Chisel right now but I committed to this program, so I’m gonna see it through. And, I was going to try fit some interval running in a few times a week but my foot just isn’t ready. (btw is anyone singing a little JT in their head right now?!?)

I challenge you to really think about the unsexy things you can do to start knocking out your goals 1 by 1 ~ IF you’re not already of course! You DO have the POWER. You can take your POWER back. Today is all that matters.

And, your bonus for the day 🙂 I love Proverbs31 & the First5 app! Check it out if you’re looking for daily inspiration 🙂
AND, remember, the only time you should look back is to see how far you’ve come and have the confidence to keep moving forward.

A goal without a plan….

01|19|2015

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love Chalene Johnson’s 30-Day Push.

I’m still working hard to become more organized and feel less stressed, but I can tell you without this program I would still be lost on how to follow through with goal setting and getting my daily task list accomplished.

I love having a list of goals for the year, all based upon a “Push Goal.” A Push Goal is the goal that is most important to you and one that your other goals should center around to help you achieve.

So, yes, the 30-Day Push has taught me to dream big and develop a plan on how to get there.

But, it’s also taught me how to plan my every day life. After all, success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Every morning I make a to-do list of 10 things. I do this at the same time every day on weekdays…and in all honesty the time varies on the weekends. These 10 things are things I need to get done and not more than I can do in a day. I don’t want to set myself up for failure. And, checking them off my list as I go is very satisfying. I don’t go in order ~ I just jot them down as I think of them and check them off as I’m able to complete them.

Here’s my to-do list for today!

1. Personal development ~ The Best Yes & 30-Day Push.

2. Get posts up in my challenge group, clean eating group, team page, graduate group and Biggest Loser results.

3. Get chicken and sweet potatoes in the crockpot for supper.

4. Email and messages followup.

5. Insanity Max:30 Pulse workout.

6. Half hour play time with Brooklyn.

7. Unload dishwasher and clean out at least one cupboard.

8. Laundry put away.

9. Get downstairs Christmas decorations put away. (Yes, they’re still up….don’t laugh!)

10. Rank in the Bank activity.

I’m going to be starting a 30-Day Push group again! You can email me at fitstrongpink@gmail.com if you’re interested!

In the meantime, I challenge you to try making a 10-item to-do list every day this week. Try it, see if you feel more organized and accomplished AND even better come back and share it here! I would love to hear if it helps you!

Skinny Jeans Challenge

09|2|2014

I may get hate mail over this comment but I’m actually looking forward to fall and everything that comes with it.

High school sports….

Cool evenings….

College and pro football….

Chili….

Sweaters….

Tall boots….

SKINNY JEANS!!!!

Ok, so TODAY I’m not 100% excited about the skinny jeans.

And, obviously they don’t necessarily scream fall or are everyone else’s idea of something to look forward to.

BUT, as summer comes to an end this year and I’m on a bikini mission, I also decided I wanted to first be on a skinny jeans mission.

I actually have several pairs of skinny jeans. And, I would really LOVE to rock them with a plain T or a short sweater.

So, I’m kicking off a 30-day Skinny Jeans challenge on September 15th.

And, I’m really gonna have fun with this one because I am revamping how I run groups and will be awarding great prizes in each 30 day group. There will extra challenges within the challenge to keep people EXTRA motivated. AND, for this challenge in particular, I’m including bonus fall fashion ideas that include a lot of….you guessed it….SKINNY JEANS!

I absolutely love running these groups and I can say without any hesitation that I get just as much out of it as anyone that joins with me as their coach. I’m literally humbled and inspired by the people I’m working with EVERY day. They push me. They make me laugh. They sometimes make my cry….the good cry.

So, if you’re out there thinking that you wanna rock skinny jeans with me this fall and want some extra motivation and accountability, you can reply on this post, email me at fitstrongpink@gmail, or check out my TeamBeachbody site here. Can’t wait to hear from YOU!

3-Day Refresh Final Results

07|25|2014

So, today was a really good day! I always like a good challenge, especially when I’m done…lol.

I honestly really liked the Refresh. I felt pretty rough the first day. By the end of the day that day, my head hurt so bad that it was actually making me nauseous. I’m not gonna lie that I almost got to the point where I was telling myself it wasn’t worth it, but then I realized that if I felt the way I did, my body definitely needed a detox! And, each day I felt better and better so I knew it wasn’t anything in the Refresh itself that made me feel that way.

I want to post these pics about as bad as I want a root canal, but I think they really show the potential of this quick reset. (I didn’t wear the same thing for three days btw…just for the pics…maybe that went without saying…lol.) I’ve talked before about how bad I can bloat and my before pic pretty much looks like I have a food baby. But, the good news for me is that I lost 2-1/2″ in my abs in these three days and 8″ overall, plus 4.6 lbs. So, yeah, I’m excited about my results…no doubt…but I’m way more excited about how I feel! And, even if most of it is water weight, I feel light, I feel way more energetic, and I feel like I’m back on track with my nutrition thanks to it!

So, now I just have to say that I LOVE the image at the top. I’ve been losing ground lately in my health & fitness journey. And, there are several things I’ve been focusing on to turn my setback into a comeback….and the Refresh was just one of them….but that’s just it….I will have setbacks. But, they won’t result in me giving up on my goals. Not anymore.

3-Day Refresh ~ Day 3

07|24|2014

Day 3 of the Refresh is almost in the books!

I’ve loved this quote in my collage since the first time I saw it. I was off track. No lie. But the thing I like best about the “new me” is that my setbacks lasted a helluva lot longer before. There is always time to turn things around….always.

So…..I will say that I’m anxious to be done but that I will definitely be pulling this little gem of program out of the hat every few months or before big events….like already thinking this will come in handy just before Cancun!

But, yes, right now I’m anxious for almond milk in my Shakeo, and things like greek yogurt and eggs and a spaghetti squash boat with ground turkey and tomatoes and mushrooms and onions and just a dusting of 2% cheese….ok, yes, I’m dreaming of food a little tonight as I type. I may not have had food on the brain had my husband not had pizza in front of me tonight. And, I probably could’ve picked a better night to be perusing Pinterest for recipe ideas. Either way, I think I can safely say that I made it thru and it went really well!

Check back tomorrow evening for final results!

3-Day Refresh ~ Day 1

07|22|2014

Ok….so not gonna lie….today has been rough. There is NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that my body is detoxing with Day 1 of the Refresh.

I was well aware of the challenges going into this ~ 3 days of eating a reduced-calorie diet, 3 days of eating vegan, 3 days without whole grains, and 3 days without caffeine.

So, why would I still want to do it?

Because I really have needed a reset. I’ve been struggling with my nutrition since I was in Vegas in June and actually bought this kit down there and had intended on starting it right away when I got back. And….then….I started making a BUNCH of different excuses to put it off. Birthdays….weekends and BBQs….golf….fishing. I finally told myself that there will ALWAYS be something that’s coming up this summer and if I really wanted to get back on track and kickstart my focus on nutrition, I had something at my fingertips to do just that.

I felt pretty good this a.m. after my Shakeology (with water mind you…and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my shakes with almond or coconut milk…so I was kinda nervous about that!) and my Fiber Sweep (I knew to drink this as fast as possible before it sets up). But, it didn’t take long after for my caffeine withdrawal symptoms to kick in. I’m sure some of my headache was also sugar withdrawals from the weekend, but, I honestly only drink coffee with flavored creamer.

(OK OFF TOPIC NOTICE ~ Here is my fav creamer these days but my advice would be to NOT try it…lol! I talk myself into creamer being okay because I usually only have a cup or 2 of coffee a day and I try hard in other areas to eat clean but I know I’m only kidding myself.)

It’s recommended to not drink coffee during the Refresh but if you do its even more recommended to have it black with only stevia if needed.

This is my half-smiling face after dinner tonight….which was the Vanilla Fresh Shake and fresh green beans with EVOO, garlic and lemon-squeezed juice. I totally could’ve eaten a 5-course meal tonight BUT I honestly already feel “lighter.”

I usually try to close my kitchen after dinner but it doesn’t always work. It’s working tonight! Even if I have go to bed at 8!!!

Tune in tomorrow night for a Day 2 recap!