Get your doctor’s okay. This is especially true if you’re a complete beginner. You need to be sure you’re aware of any underlying health conditions and even if you know you have any complications to begin with, your doctor should know what kind of physical activity you are planning to participate in. (I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear about it!)

Weigh yourself. Out of all six of the things on this list, I’m willing to be that most people do weigh themselves before starting. When weighing yourself, do so first thing in the morning. While starting weight IS important to be able to compare to when you’ve finished a program, there are a few more things you should be keeping track of.

Take measurements. Measurements are SO important because you’ll be able to see inches lost even if you haven’t lost that many pounds. When you’re burning fat and building muscle, it’s going to be difficult at times to see much difference in the numbers on the scale (depending on your current physique) but you WILL notice inches lost. You’ll see it in the mirror and you’ll feel the changes in the way your clothes fit. I just use one of those measuring tapes for sewing.

Be sure to measure the following:

• Waist (at belly button level)
• Hips (widest part – may have to turn sideways to see where that is)

Take before photos.  I know what you’re thinking… but taking “before” photos is SO important. Just think of these as your “goodbye photos”. They’re for your eyes only and they will serve two purposes: The first is that you’ll see what you looked like before you started so you can see the differences after 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, etc. The second is that at anytime you get discouraged along the way, you can take out your “before” photos and tell yourself that you don’t wanna look like that anymore – or ever again! Great motivation.

Record body fat percentage. If you haven’t checked your body fat percentage before, you definitely should. You can estimate this online using various calculators but you’ll never know for sure without actually physically measuring it for yourself. You’ll get the most accurate reading if you measure body fat in 2-3 different ways, but we’ll keep things simple here. To track your body fat percentage you simply need to choose one method and use it throughout the duration of your program.

Three examples:

• Body fat calipers (very inexpensive, even included with some workout DVD programs)
• Body fat scale such as the EatSmart Digital Precision Body Fat Scale (this is what I use)
• Fat loss monitor

Keep a food diary. Keeping a food diary or food journal is crucial if you’re trying to lose weight. A food journal allows you to visualize what you’re putting into your mouth. This makes it easy to analyze how you’re eating and where you could make some improvements. When tracking, log every single calorie that touches your lips. It’s very easy to make calorie counting mistakes but just remember that each one counts! It’s a good idea to track water consumption too. I usually try to aim for 64 ounces each day. You can keep a food diary using a notebook or online for free using MyFitnessPal.

*NOTE: Once you’ve started your program, I recommend tracking your progress every 30 days along with way. Thirty days is a sufficient amount of time to be able to see changes in your body. If you want you can weigh yourself more frequently but I’d suggest no more than once per week. Also, if you do choose to weigh yourself weekly, be sure to weigh-in on the same day of the week (like Wednesdays).

*ANOTHER NOTE: When taking measurements, body fat and checking weight, I’d suggest doing so at the same time of day each time. I tend to like mid-afternoon for taking measurements and checking body fat percentage and first thing in the morning for weigh-ins.

*Repeat steps 2-5 every 30 days.

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Look, Santa was at the school too and THAT didn’t even help:

I haven’t had such a busy Christmas weekend in quite some time. Having 4 kids and several blended families makes for a whole lot of Christmases in a short period of time. (We had FIVE of them.) The kids love it though! It’s probably true that there are still a Christmas celebration or two to be had before all is said and done but the bulk of it is o-v-e-r. Thank goodness. My energy tank needs to refill itself!

With that said, I just wanted to list a few tips to make it easier to get back on track after the hectic holidays.

Get plenty of rest.

On any given day, I generally wake up around 6am – even on the weekends. It’s my internal alarm clock that wakes me at nearly the same time every day. I also stay up between 9 and 10pm. Now with the holidays, I stayed up later, got up earlier and had extremely busy days which for me brings feelings of complete exhaustion. Last night I slept from about 8pm to 9am this morning. Apparently my body needed some sleep!

Sleep is important because it’s during that time that your body rests and rebuilds itself to help you feel refreshed and energized for the day. Allow yourself some extra sleep time after the holidays. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to tackle anything.

Begin (or continue) clean eating habits.

Christmas feasts are filled with lots of goodness but it’s important to get back on track as soon as you can. Begin your day with a nutritious breakfast and it’ll help you eat better throughout the day. Protein at breakfast time keeps you fuller longer and you’ll be less likely to crave “bad” carbs later on. I like to think of protein as something that keeps my appetite balanced. Including it at each meal is a must.

You are under NO obligation to eat all the leftovers.

Don’t get caught up in eating all of the leftovers your in-laws, cousins, aunts, grandmas and friends sent you home with.

Forgive yourself.

If you overate (like I did yesterday), suck it up and move on. Tomorrow is another day and you can start FRESH. Don’t be too hard on yourself for enjoying a yummy holiday meal. Life goes on and what you did yesterday doesn’t HAVE to affect you in a negative way, as long as you keep moving forward and make healthy choices.

Workout!

If you slipped up on workouts this past weekend, again, don’t be too hard on yourself. Schedule a workout for yourself as soon as possible and stick to it. You’ll feel better physically and mentally and you’ll burn calories too. If you’re up for a challenge? Add an extra 10 minutes to your cardio session or a few extra reps in your strength training workout.

The holidays can definitely make it pretty easy to slip up on our diet and exercise routines. The best thing you can do is vow to make healthier food choices and schedule your workouts in as soon as possible!

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*Disclaimer: My husband came up with the title for this post and it made me laugh so I had to use it! I asked him for an idea for a title and he spit this out like a reflex as soon as I asked. He’s a pretty quiet guy but when stuff does come out of his mouth it surprises ya.

Christmas is coming – just about 20 days before it makes it’s arrival again. Feels like I just got done making Christmas cookies! (and that was a year ago!) If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a fitness lover or just looking for some ideas yourself, here are a few things I’ve come across throughout the year that I think are useful at the very least, but some are pretty unique too.

Fit Gear

iPod Nano. You can find the colorful, newly designed iPod Nanos at Amazon.com for less than $120 right now and that includes free shipping. They’re available in several different colors including pink, green, orange, graphite and blue. Every fitness enthusiast has a playlist, this is the perfect tool to use during any type of workout weather it’s at the gym, in your home or outdoors. They also have the iPod Shuffles for less than $50!

Resistance Bands. Resistance bands are a great fitness tool because they make it easy to workout anywhere. Also, you can substitute resistance bands for exercises that typically require cables. I don’t have cables so I use resistance bands to modify moves like cable flyes, delt flyes, various crossover moves and more. Bodylastics.com has some great packages (starting at just $29.95, single bands for as low as $11.95) and the bands are of great quality – you can even use them to assist with pull-ups.

Heart Rate Monitor (Polar). Heart rate monitors are another useful fitness tool because they allow you to keep your heart rate in check. This type of monitor allows you to realize when you’re working in your own personal target heart rate zone. It also helps you realize when you’re outside of your zone – whether it be too low or too high. This Polar FT7 model is getting great reviews and prices start at $76 at Amazon.com. Polar is an excellent brand but there are various models and even other brands that are cheaper in price.

Camo Lifting Gloves. These gloves have genuine swarovski crystals on them! These are on my Christmas list! They have a bunch of other colors including pink, blue, purple, green, orange, animal prints and more. The lifting gloves I have now are ripped all over the place. Plus they’re kind of bulky. These gloves seem like they’d be a bit easier to work with for lifting purposes. I like the pink ones here too. ($24.99) *Use coupon code “MFHERS” to save 5% on purchases made through 12/31/11. FemmeFitaleFitness.com

Jump Rope. Jump ropes are a very inexpensive way to get a bit of cardiovascular exercise. You can use them for warming up or circuit training and you can jump rope pretty much anywhere. You can get fancy weighted ones or even ones like you used to use in elementary school. I personally have one of each! My “elementary days” jump rope is exactly like the one pictured but it’s yellow and white and I’m pretty sure it was only like $5 at either Walmart or Amazon? The only problem I have with jump roping? My dogs always go after it and get slapped on their backs! And then I stop. ($5.00)

Home Workout DVDs. I’m a home workout fan (my basement is my gym) and I have learned to appreciate fitness DVDs in addition to the free weights I also like to use. Just off the top of my head I know that I own Turbo Jam, Step 360, APY60 Yoga, P90X and 30 Day Shred and these are just a sample of what’s available for home use! Jillian Michaels has a new DVD coming out this week titled, “Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed & Shred“. I like home workouts because you can push yourself to the limit (without others watching), no fighting for equipment or long waits and you don’t need any major equipment. ($12.99)

Words to Sweat By (gym towel). I love these. It seems like such a simple concept but I wouldn’t have ever thought to do it! This isn’t your ordinary gym towel. Words to Sweat By has an entire line of gym towels with cute sayings on them to help motivate and inspire you during your workouts.

My favorites: “There will be no jiggle in my wiggle” and also “C is for crunches, not cookies.”

You might even think it’s too cute to wipe your sparkly sweat on, but hopefully not! Words to Sweat By also has tank tops, t-shirts, keychains and more. ($9.95)

Customized Yoga Mat. YogaMatic.com offers yoga mats that can be completely customized with your own photo! This would make a great gift item for somebody else or a nice little splurge for yourself if you’re a true yoga fan. I think I first saw these on Oprah when Jennifer Aniston brought one to The Oprah Show that had a photo of Oprah’s dogs on it. It was so cute!! I wouldn’t want my big ‘ol face on one of these but pet photos or photos of your children would be a pretty neat idea. Although, I’m not sure how I’d feel about sitting on them?  ($85.00)

Fit Reads

The 4-Hour Body (Tim Feriss). I haven’t personally read this book but it’s getting excellent reviews. I have read his previous title “The 4-Hour Work Week” and this guy knows his stuff. In this book he talks about methods of putting on muscle, “subtracting fat”, improving your sex life, running farther, jumping higher….it seems like it’s geared more towards men – at least according to reviews.

Push (Chalene Johnson). The girls on your list (or maybe yourself!) may prefer Chalene Johnson’s brand new book, “PUSH”. I have pre-ordered this one and can’t wait to get it! In “PUSH”, she talks about how to transform your body, your diet and your life in 30 days. She’s one of the most positive, upbeat people you will ever come to know. Take a peek at her Facebook or Twitter page and you’ll see what I mean.

Fit Accessories

Skull Candy WTF Beanie. I loooove these hats! The purple/gray is my favorite but there are over 50 DIFFERENT colors and styles available. I like these hats because they’re reversible and because they appear to be big enough for my head. I have such a hard time finding hats that fit but this one looks like it’ll do the trick. ($19.99) SkullCandy.com

Skull Candy Chops Buds. Here’s another great gift idea from Skull Candy, ear buds. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time with the ear buds that originally came with my iPod Nano. The one for my right ear constantly falls out. These ear buds are perfect because they curl around your ear to help them stay in place. Whether you’re running or lifting you won’t have to worry about them falling out of your ears. This particular set is available in six different color combinations. ($19.99) SkullCandy.com

Gift Cards

Still not sure what to get because it seems like the fitness enthusiast you know has everything? Consider a gift card. That way they can choose. Some great fitness-related places to get gift cards from include Bodybuilding.com, Sports Authority, 24-Hour Fitness and Walmart.com.

If you really wanna make somebody laugh, consider this handy piece of “workout equipment”.

*All photos are copyright their original owners.

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Activity

The first thing you need to ask yourself when you are shopping for workout clothes is what you need them for. You should choose apparel that is well-suited to the type of exercise you will be doing– and whether you’ll be biking, running, taking an aerobics class, or practicing yoga, your clothing needs will vary depending on the type of exercise you choose.  Bulky clothes with extra fabric will make various yoga poses nearly impossible to achieve. The same clothing, however, might be perfect for someone going for a brisk walk when the temperatures are a little cooler. It’s also especially important to think about your workout plans when you’re selecting athletic shoes. There are shoes specifically made for every type of activity out there, each designed to make your workout both comfortable and effective.

Materials

When you’re working out, you’re most likely going to break a sweat, and nothing is more uncomfortable than clothing that doesn’t properly pull the moisture away from your body. Cotton clothing is known for its ability to breathe, but it isn’t always the best choice for intense workouts. It absorbs moisture, but it doesn’t keep it away from the skin. Instead look for clothes that are a blend of synthetic materials such as polyester, Lycra, spandex, and nylon. If you prefer natural materials, try athletic apparel made from bamboo. Bamboo is a great alternative for those who aren’t fond of synthetic materials, and it naturally pulls moisture away from the body so that your skin can breathe more comfortably.

Size and Fit

The right size and fit of your workout clothing is essential, so when you go shopping, be sure to try things on before you buy them. Workout clothing often runs on the smaller side– so buying the size you normally would wear without trying it on could end up being a big mistake. For most types of exercise, fitted clothing is best– but you want to make sure that it’s not restrictive in any way. It’s also important that the clothes you buy give you the freedom to move your body without any discomfort.

Look and Feel

If you don’t like the way you look in something, don’t buy it. Choose clothing that makes you feel confident, not self-conscious– and select pieces that accent your good features and disguise the ones you don’t like. Fitted clothing is usually the most flattering– typically it’s best to avoid clothes that are either too tight or too baggy.  Dark, neutral colors are preferable as they will make you look slimmer, and they will be easy to mix, match, and layer with other workout pieces you own.

Special Features

Technologically advanced materials have made all kinds of unique options and features available in workout apparel, making exercising both safer and more comfortable– especially in the great outdoors. If you will be spending long hours in the hot sun, you might want to consider clothing made with built-in UV protection. For individuals whose workouts take place under the night sky, reflective or glow-in-the dark materials are a must. There’s even special athletic apparel made with anti-microbial materials that help prevent and eliminate odor. The options are truly endless when it comes to specialty workout apparel– and most specialty items are available anywhere workout clothing is sold.

Buying the right workout clothing is important if you want to experience the benefits and results of regular exercise. Keep these buying tips in mind when you’re shopping for new active-wear– your workout will be more fun, comfortable, and effective if you do.

*Guest post from Adam. Adam shares many coupons, including Macys coupon codes, through FrugalDad.com.

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How Did I Get Where I am Today?

If you ask any fitness model, professional bodybuilder or other fitness enthusiast why they’re so into living the fit life, chances are there’s some kind of story behind it. If people didn’t have a reason to want to be fit, they likely wouldn’t be.

Now, lemme just say that I’ve never had a real problem with my weight. I’m not some huge weight loss success story either (although being in better shape post-two-babies than I ever was before I had kids is a great accomplishment!). I did battle eating disorders during my first couple years of high school but was fortunately able to overcome it. The problem though? I’ve always been skinny fat. I wanted to change and actually BE fit and strong. Skinny doesn’t automatically equal healthy, strong OR fit.

With that said, my story begins in 2007.  I started dating this hunk o’ man with big, tattooed arms and a bubble-muscle butt. (He’ll kill me when he reads this! haha!) This man is now my husband. He’s a dedicated weightlifter and I thought I’d give it a try after we had our son (my second biological child). I saw how dedicated he was and clearly this weightlifting thing was working for him, so why wouldn’t it work for me too?

Fast forward to May 2008 which is when I began lifting weights for the first time – by choice. I can remember doing a weightlifting unit in high school which I loved, but never pursued it beyond that. I guess I always thought girls would get “bulky”. Shame on me! And shame on those who think that way today. It’s so not true.

Within just a few months I had built a good amount of muscle and the definition was noticeable in my arms, my back and my legs within just a couple of weeks. I even started to see my abs and I had just had my second child in March! You could say that I fell in love with lifting from my very first workout. It’s so empowering!

The Beginning of Melinda’s Fitness Blog

For those who don’t know, I started this fitness blog in July of 2008. I started by adding my daily workouts just to hold myself accountable. Before I knew it I was receiving comments from people cheering me on. That motivated me to keep going and pushing myself. Now I continue to post on this blog for my personal benefit and also because I want to help motivate and inspire other people that you can build your dream body at any age – even if you’ve had kids!

Keyword = “build”. You can’t get the fit, toned body that you desire (and deserve!) if you don’t strengthen your muscles with resistance training. Dieting won’t tone you. Eating less won’t tone you. Muscle building WILL. In order for muscles to grow, they need resistance.

3 Reasons Why I’ll Continue to Live the Fit Life & Never Turn Back

1. It’s been a miracle cure for depression, which I battled for over 10 years off and on (mostly on).
2. I’m able to be strong and healthy for my kids.
3. It inspires my kids (and others!) to be healthy. The kids love to workout and they always let me know when I’m short on almonds, tuna and yogurt!

What or Who Has Had the Most Influence on Your Fitness Life?

The two largest influences on my fitness life are my husband and this blog. This blog has grown to be bigger than I ever imagined and I’m so happy that people are liking it. I love reading the comments, the questions and the advice that other people have to share.

Now you, my readers, inspire me to keep chugging along – even on the days I don’t wanna – and I’m so thankful for that. My husband got me into living the fit life and this blog has kept me going. So THANK YOU.

Keep living the fit life!

Melinda

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When the seasons change I like to make changes – usually with my workouts. Call me ambitious or call me insane but today marks the very first day of my participation in Jamie Eason’s LiveFit Trainer program. I’ve been wanting to try it since it came out a few months ago but haven’t even attempted it for various reasons excuses. In all seriousness, I wanted to wait until we were at least somewhat settled into our home and we are, so here I go!

12-Week LiveFit Trainer – A Quick Overview

First, if you don’t know who Jamie Eason is, you can learn more about her here on my blog. She’s a huge inspiration to a lot of people and for good reason. She’s the woman behind this program and she’s finally sharing her fitness secrets. The LiveFit Trainer program is 12 weeks long, just like the title states and it’s for every walk of life – including men.

The program is broken up into three phases:

• Phase 1: Begin Transformation with Weightlifting and Clean Eating (NO cardio!)
• Phase 2: Add Cardio + Cut Carbs to Burn Fat and Build Muscle
• Phase 3: Advanced Training Methods Including HIIT, Carb-Cycling and Supersetting

Also, you’ll notice when you visit the 12-Week Trainer over at Bodybuilding.com that it’s broken down by week and also by day. You can print out each day’s workouts and meal plans and also view videos of Jamie. Jamie’s videos include fitness tips, her popular recipes – including protein bars and motivational messages too. She WANTS you to succeed. “Like” her on Facebook and you’ll see what I mean.

Modifications I’m Making

Just a piece of advice: Whenever you decide to follow a workout program that you see, you don’t have to do it “exactly” as written. Obviously you need to put in the work, there’s no doubt about that, BUT you can modify different things to make it work best for you. Some modifications might include training intensity, training splits and foods.

You’ll notice the first phase of the program doesn’t include cardio. That means NO cardio exercises for 4 weeks. Normally I’d be completely happy about that but I have a 5K to run on Thanksgiving Day morning so I WILL be training for that. Which means running during phase 1. Dammit.

The second modification I’m making is the foods I’ll be eating. Jamie Eason has created a list of “approved foods” which is very helpful but there are quite a few things my stomach just won’t tolerate. The two main foods are eggs/egg whites and bananas. Bananas are a great post-workout snack and eggs contain a good amount of protein but I’ll have to find substitutes. It’s easy to substitute other fruits and I’ll probably consume an extra scoop of protein powder or something to make up for the inability to eat eggs.

**It REALLY sucks though because most (if not all) of Jamie’s amazing recipes include egg whites. Does anybody know of a good substitute for eggs/egg whites for cooking and baking purposes? There’s gotta be something. Help me if you can!!**

Other modifications I’ll be making are some of the exercises themselves. This program is designed to be used in an actual gym, but I workout in my home gym. That’s my only option and I’m happy with it! Basically all I’m missing are cable machines but I can improvise pretty easily.

Documenting My 12-Week LiveFit Trainer Progress

I will be documenting my progress, workouts and feelings towards the LiveFit Trainer program on a weekly basis. I’ll post the workouts that will be done and maybe whine a lil bit about how much I’m missing carbs. I struggle with eating a good amount of protein so I just need to make good decisions.

I’ll post my workout as soon as I’ve finished and that post will include a tiny surprise too – particularly for LiveFit Trainer fans. Check back! If you’re feeling ambitious like I am I invite you to join in on the fun! Cuz you know it will be!

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The NCSF organization sent me an email a few days after my test (to remind me I had failed and that I could re-test) and what I found in that email was they mentioned that only 65% of those who take the test actually pass it the very first time. I think it’s a good thing that they make the test so difficult but I was still bummed. It sucks to fail at something you feel so passionate about but I did have a lot going on and probably should’ve waited until our house stuff was squared away.

Upon completion of my exam I received my test report sheet. It took all I had to not break down and cry right there in front of the sweet lady who gave me my report, so I held it in until I started walking out to my car – where my husband sat waiting for me – and then I let it all out.

The scoring report broke the exam down by sections and gave me a percentage of how I did in each one. I did horrible in the two sections I knew I would. So I guess the good news is that I know what to study to prepare for my retake. I’m confident I can pass the test the second time around and I think my score will GREATLY improve. If I’m gonna pay $99 to retake the test, I wanna make sure I do excellent.

Advice for Those Seeking Certification Through NCSF:

• Study, study, study
• Really know the anatomy of the body (muscles, bones, spine curvatures, planes)
• Study, study, study
• Consider buying the prep materials (I wish I had done that – the materials are cheaper than the cost of a retake and you’ll be better prepared)
• Study, study, study
• Don’t take the test when you’re under stress (I’m a few days from closing on our house now and the past few weeks have been way stressful…I wish I had postponed my test date again)
• STUDY! Read all of the materials thoroughly and make sure you understand and implement everything they’re trying to teach you. This includes the Lab Manual, Study Guide and Textbook.

I’m looking forward to tackling this exam in the near future. Right now though, I must put all my focus and energy into getting ready to move into our new home and taking the time to enjoy all the hard work we’ve put in thus far. It’s been quite the journey.

Oh yeah, and for the record, this is POST #400!! (Too bad it wasn’t more positive, huh?)

I hope you’re having a great week!!

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This challenge was started by a member of the community at MyFitnessPal. If you aren’t a member I encourage you to do so as we’ll be working together to support each other along the way. Even if you aren’t interested in this challenge, MFP makes it easy to watch your calorie intake and meet your weight loss and fitness goals. You can add me if you’d like, my member name is “missmelinda”.

The Mission: To Complete 100 Miles During the Month of September

Photo by: Chimmly on DeviantART

To complete this mission I need to run an average of just over 3 miles a day. However, I don’t plan on running everyday, my plan is this:

• Run/walk 25 miles/week
• Have 2 rest days/week (I will fail miserably without my 2 rest days!)
• This means I’ll be running/walking ~ 5 miles, 5 days a week

I’m pretty anxious to see how this one turns out. There’s one thing I do know though…I will complete more miles during the month of September than I have any other month whether I actually complete all 100 miles or not!

I’ll be keeping track with a ticker visible on the upper right sidebar —>

Here we go!

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Here’s my awesome bandage idea since I’m too scared to cut the nail all the way off:

This actually happened a week ago today after my son collided with my big toe running at full speed with his shoes on in the house. He felt so bad. Guess that’s his payback for me accidentally getting pepper in his eyes at lunchtime! I did finally get brave enough to put socks and tennis shoes on on Friday to walk around the zoo but there’s no way I’m brave enough to run yet. Therefore, my plan is to walk until it’s had a bit more time to heal and keep my diet in check.

Positive Photo for Weeks 7 + 8

I love that this photo shows that there’s more to exercise than just strengthening the body or making it look better physically. Exercise also has numerous brain benefits and I can attest to that!

Week 7 Questions

1. What have you done to help you achieve your goals? Since I haven’t been able to be as active as I’d like I’ve been watching what I eat a bit more carefully and resting to make sure this UTI goes away as quickly as possible. The back pain in my kidney area has been horrendous.
2. What have you done to make you feel fabulous? We brought our kids to the zoo and got in a pretty great workout. Como Zoo has all kinds of trails on hilly terrain that made it pretty challenging. Kids weren’t such big fans of it though. It felt good to be active and walking for ~ 5 hours.
3. If your house was on fire, and you could grab ONE thing (outside of people and your computer/laptop, they are all out) what would it be? The pets!!!
4. Tell us about your blog. Treat it like a book, what’s happened so far? I started the blog just over 3 years ago and it started very small. It consisted mainly of my personal workouts and I then branched out to write informative articles to help others learn more about fitness, exercise, weight loss and good nutrition. I’ve also accepted various guest posts from other fitness enthusiasts and have had a few product review opportunities. My favorite so far? My Step 360. I haven’t been able to contribute as much as I’d like during the summer but when the kids are back in school I hope to write 3-5 posts per week again. This blog has helped to motivate me to lose the last 10-15 pounds of my pregnancy weight (it was a real bitch).
5. Fun Question:  Tell an embarrassing story about yourself. No dodging. Oh man, here we go… I think the most embarrassing has to be when I was maybe 11 or 12? I was fishing with my parents and my cousins and I had to pee really bad. The problem was we were out on the lake somewheres and there wouldn’t have been enough time for us to go back to find a restroom without me peeing my pants first. Everyone kept telling me to jump in the water but I was scared to. So…I stood up in the boat and proceeded to piss my pants. Nobody’s forgotten about it either!

Week 8 Questions

1. What did you do this week to work towards your goals? Same as #1 above.
2. What did you do this week to make yourself feel fabulous? Having a UTI doesn’t exactly make me feel fabulous but I suppose I could say my recent shopping trip to Aeropostale. I bought new sweats and hoodies because dressing like a bum makes me feel amazing!
3. What has been your biggest challenge this week? My bladder and my big toe.
4. Do you need neatness and order to feel good or does a bit of untidiness not bother you? NEATNESS. If my house is messy I’ll go crazy on everybody. It stresses me out big time. If I’m crabby because there’s kid’s toys and clothes everywhere after picking them up 5 times in one day already, my husband will make me a drink, tell me to sit down and he’ll clean. It makes me laugh and allows me to relax and cool off.
5. Would you rather be attacked by 20 duck sized horses or 20 horse sized ducks? LOL!!!!! I think horse-sized ducks would be terribly frightening!! I think 20 duck-sized horses would be adorable so I’ll go with them. If they were really attacking me I think I’d stand a bit more of a chance!

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How Has Fitness Changed Your Closest Relationships?

The first relationship I have to talk about is the one with my husband. HE’S the one who got me started and it wasn’t because he pushed me to, it was because I knew if he could get results then I could too. I think the fact that we’re both active has strengthened our bond even more. We’re there for each other and I must say that his dedication is amazing. Anytime I don’t feel up to working out for whatever lame excuse I come up with…seeing him venture downstairs makes me realize I need to get my butt down there too. Having a partner who cares about their health as much as I do is really amazing – and it makes grocery shopping pretty fun.

As far as relationships with friends and family go.. I still feel like I’m given quite a bit of grief in regards to the foods I eat and how “skinny” I am. Have I mentioned how much I hate that word? I get tired of people telling me I can eat whatever I want and still look the same. That would NEVER be the case. I don’t think some people realize how negative those comments sound.

However, there are a few here and there who are very supportive and that’s so helpful. It’s tough enough as it is to stay dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle (at least most of the time), it certainly doesn’t help when people make stupid comments on what I’m eating.

There’s a small group of people in particular who are very supportive and they are my children. It’s so fun hearing them ask me when I’m going to workout or that I need to buy some more cottage cheese. I also love that they like to workout with us. That’s a pretty rewarding feeling.

How has fitness changed your closest relationships?

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