Mental Battle

Have you ever been doing something really well and then all of a sudden you just quit? This happened to me recently. During the month of April, I was so dedicated to my workout routine. There was nothing that was going to get in my way of working out. I didn’t even take full advantage of my rest days; I always tried to get in some kind of physical activity. One thing that helped me stay accountable to that was tracking my workouts in WOWY. This is Beachbody’s online gym that I pre-schedule my workouts in. It changes the color of the calendar date after you log your workout and I was determined to have a calendar of all completed workouts for the month of April. I’ve never done this before – I’ve always skipped a day or even just forgot to log my workout when I did one. Well I achieved my goal as you can see:

But after April, my daily schedule changed as did my motivation. I graduated from Michigan State University on May 7^th with a bachelors in Psychology (yes, I’m bragging). So that weekend was filled with celebrations which brings along bad food and drink choices. I didn’t work out that weekend just because of everything going on (yes, this is an excuse). I fell off of my routine and it was hard to get back on. The following week after graduation I started working a full time job. When I was in school, there were some days that I would be home by noon or even 3:00. It was much easier for me to get a workout in on those days when I had extra time. Now I am working 8-4:30 Monday-Friday. By the time I get home, I’m hungry for dinner and then I want to let that digest before I workout. And then I think to myself, I have to work out for an hour; there goes an hour of my night. The excuses start to form and I experience a mental battle. Thoughts that race through my head as I’m sitting on the couch being lazy: You need to work out. How are you going to look this summer in a bikini? But that requires sweating and then you have to take a shower. But, Alicia you know you will feel so much better after you workout. You feel fine right now….. Well, you get the point. It’s like a devil and angel are sitting on my shoulders. There were those days that the devil won, but most days I made myself do my scheduled workout. I did feel so much better afterward; it’s just starting that was the hardest part.

It’s all about getting in to a routine. For some people that have crazy work schedules that vary week to week, this can be extremely challenging. I would have a hard time doing that, but you’ve got to do it. I am now on day 68 of my Turbofire/ChaLean Extreme hybrid. I am in between the ChaLean Push phase and the Lean phase, so right now it’s just a bunch of TurboFire workouts day after day. I love Turbofire, so I’m not complaining. I do miss my strength training though! It looks like I have until June 10^th until I begin the Lean phase – I’m so ready for it! I need to kick things up a notch. Summer is fast approaching and the Beachbody Summit is in 4 weeks!

Getting Started

So many people ask me how I find the motivation to workout. So many people want me to give them some of my motivation. I can give it to you - but it's up to YOU what you do with the motivation I have to offer. I know how it feels to not want to work out... I still have those days. Some days, it's just because I'm being lazy. If that's your excuse too - then you have to make yourself workout. You know you will feel so much better afterward anyways! If you make yourself workout on your lazy days then you will feel so much better about yourself mentally and physically. On the other hand, if your body is in pain - sometimes it's ok to take a day off. It's important to allow your body a day of rest in order to recover and avoid over training. But sometimes you might just want to use the excuse that you're too sore to workout just to avoid working out. If this is the case, make yourself workout! Don't try to trick your own brain! If you want to reach your goals, you're going to have to go out of your comfort zone!

Working out for the first time in a long time can be hard. I think the hardest part of working out is getting started. But you've got to make yourself. I promise you - working out is going to make you feel a whole lot better than sitting on the couch. Not only will you have accomplished something great but exercising releases endorphins that give you a natural high! Even if it's only 20 minutes - just think of how many more calories you burned in those 20 minutes of exercise than you would of watching TV. I love the saying - No one ever regretted working out, they only regretted not working out. It's so true! So my advice to you if you're struggling to work out consistently is

1. Find something you love! 
2. Make yourself do it for 5 minutes - if after that time you don't feel like working out, then quit. But give yourself at least 5 minutes!
3. Schedule your workout. Know not only what workout you're going to do the next day but at what time. Don't break this appointment with yourself!
4. Just do it!!!!!

If you need more help getting started. If you just don't know where to begin. Please feel free to leave me a comment or email me: bbcoachalicia@gmail.com I would love to help you live a healthier life!

Taking Breaks from a Healthy Lifestyle

Do you think it is ok to "take a vacation" from eating healthy and working out while you're on vacation or on special occasions, such as holidays? Will one day or one week really matter? What do you think?

My personal opinion is that it depends on the person. If you're the type of person that is already struggling to eat healthy and work out everyday, taking a week off or even a day could really put a dent in your success. This type of person may find it hard to start back up again. They will continue to eat and (not) exercise like they are always on vacation. On the other hand, if you have been working really hard with your nutrition and exercising consistently, then I think that you should be able to reward yourself every now and then with a "cheat" day. The key is "every now and then". You shouldn't take an entire day each week to "cheat". It's suggested that you have one meal a week that is considered cheating - if you want to stay on track. It's important to give yourself cheat meals. This is all about a lifestyle change. There is no way you're going to go your whole life without eating your favorite greasy food again. Eating once a month or so, will hopefully help satisfy your cravings and give you something to work for.

This topic sparked my interest because recently my Mom went on a cruise and yesterday was Easter. My Mom planned on visiting the fitness center everyday on her cruise. She came back and told me she didn't even go once, however she stayed pretty active during her cruise. So while she did take a vacation from working out on her vacation, she wasn't just being a complete bum. She was proud to announce that she only gained 1 pound on her cruise! That's pretty impressive knowing how much food is available on those cruise ships! Yesterday, being Easter, was my test. I'm not going to lie... I ate horribly. I totally indulged in my Grandma's mashed potatoes and gravy. They were SO good! Even though I am 22 years old, my Mom got me an Easter basket full of my favorite candy and a Subway gift card :] How could I resist my favorite candy? I couldn't! I did do one thing that I was proud of yesterday... I worked out! I think this is one of the first times that I have actually worked out on a holiday. So that was pretty big for me. I knew that if I was eating horribly, I had to at least workout so I could burn some of those calories off. I didn't even log my calories yesterday, I didn't even want to know how many I ate. But I think that's ok, because today I am back on track.

So what do you think? Do you use vacations and holidays as breaks from your healthy lifestyle or are you disciplined enough to stay on track?

GO HEAVY OR GO HOME!

I've been doing a ChaLean Extreme/TurboFire hybrid for the past 44 days. I've really stuck with this program and following it like the schedule says. I have noticed that the schedule has me doing strength training and then the next day it throws some cardio at me. For the most part it alternates between the two. There are 3 phases to ChaLean Extreme: Burn, Push, & Lean. Currently, I am in the Push phase. I believe I have 1 or 2 more weeks left of the Push phase. Then the schedule has me doing TurboFire workouts almost everyday for a few weeks. After that I'll begin the Lean phase. I think over the next month is when I will start noticing big changes in my body. TurboFire really helps my body burn calories and since I've been building up muscle for over a month, I will burn even more fat. Chalene Johnson always likes to say MUSCLE BURNS FAT! It's pretty much embedded in my brain now. Check out this video to learn more about ChaLean Extreme:

 

I recently got some new Bowflex SelectTech weights. They are SUPER nice and worth the investment! It's one set of dumbbells that you can turn a dial on to switch to a weight between 5-52.5lbs. I love that we don't have to have several dumbbell sets laying around the house and it's super quick to change weights. If you're doing strength training (which you should because MUSCLE BURNS FAT), I highly suggest looking in to getting a pair of these. Before all I had was a pair of 5 and 8 pound dumbbells. Now I am lifting up to 20 pounds with some exercises on ChaLean Extreme. The Push phase I am in now is all about lifting heavy, Chalene says GO HEAVY OR GO HOME! So now that I have the appropriate dumbbells to do that with, I am really feeling this workout! It makes me feel so strong, yet so weak at the same time! If you want to do ChaLean but don't have the financial funds for the dumbbells, you can always use resistance bands! There is always a person in the videos that uses the resistance band. They tend to be cheaper than weights but just as effective! Let me know if you're interested in learning more about ChaLean Extreme or any other Beachbody program!

Best Workout Ever!

Have you ever done a workout that was so much fun that you never wanted it to end, yet at the same time it is so intense that you have sweat rolling down your face into your eyes? I have! It's called TurboFire! Last spring, I saw this preview for Turbofire and immediately knew I just had to have it:

 

It didn't come out for a few months after I first saw this preview, but the day it came out, I was one of the first ones to order it! It comes with 12 different workouts that range in time from 10 to 55 minutes. It comes with a class schedule that you follow so you're not just doing random workouts everyday. Having a schedule really helps me stay motivated. A schedule allows me to count how many days I have worked out and also how many I have left until the end of the program. It's fun to do a different workout everyday. Since there is 12 different workouts, you always feel like you're doing a different workout! All the workouts are centralized around High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which has been found to burn up to 9x more fat and calories! This type of training makes you workout as hard as you can for less than a minute and then you get a break. Chalene Johnson, TurboFire's instructor, says - "You have to earn that break!!" So you work extra hard so that you can rest for a few seconds. Chalene's energy throughout the workouts just keeps you going, it's so motivating! Another great thing about this workout is the music. It's especially made for the workout so the punches and kicks match up with the music. Just when you want to give up, the music gets pumping and you get your second wind! It's truly amazing! I could go on and on about this workout, it's just fantastic. Here is a video of my brother and I doing Turbofire. I've gotten a lot better at it since this but this video still entertains me:

If you're interested in purchasing TurboFire, you can do so here. You will not regret it! It comes with a 90 day money back guarantee - so what do you have to lose, besides weight and inches?

Set the Bar High!

The word Goals has been in my vocabulary for quite some time. When I was in high school, I was on my high school cheerleading team and like most sports teams, we had goals. We had individual goals, as well as team goals. It was always fun to set a goal at the beginning of the season to have something to work toward all season long. As I graduated high school, I became a cheerleading coach. I always have my teams set goals. We don't just come up with goals and keep them in the back of our mind, we write them down. I usually have my girls make a big poster with all their goals on it. It gives them something to look at during practice, it's especially helpful when they are having a hard day.

So what exactly is a goal? According to Dictionary.com:

–noun

1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

2. the terminal point in a race.

3. a pole, line, or other marker by which such a point is indicated.

In other words, it's something you work toward. I've learned over the years that a goal should include, what you want to do and when you want to accomplish that by. I think a lot of people when thinking of goals forget the WHEN. It's important to put a deadline to your goal. You should always create several goals including long term and short term goals. Short term can be two weeks to a month from now and Long term can be a couple months to a year from now. Goals should also include how you're going to get there. What are you going to do to lose the weight? What are you going to change to be able to spend more time with your kids?

Another important thing to do is to WRITE down your goals on paper. You don't have to hang it on your wall if you don't feel comfortable, but at least have it written down. Don't think you can just keep it up in your head. Goals are just dreams until they are on paper! If you want to keep yourself more accountable then hang up your goal in a common area - such as your bathroom. You will go into your bathroom several times a day, so seeing that goal posted on the mirror can help you stay focused.

One last thing is to make your goals reasonable and attainable. They should be something that you have to work hard for, but still are achievable. For example, if you're working a minimum wage job right now, it wouldn't be reasonable to set a goal to be a millionaire by the end of the month. Sorry, but chances are slim that it will happen.

Today, I wrote down my goals. I've had my goals in the back of mind for quite some time now. I finally decided to take my own advice and write them down. Here are my goals:

1. To lose 4 pounds by May 7th. I currently weight 134 and have since the beginning of the year. I'm ready to break this plateau and get to 130! I am going to do this by watching my food intake and making sure I exercise 6 days a week. I chose May 7th because that's the day I graduate from college. I could celebrate two successes in one day!
2. A long term goal of mine is to weigh 125 by August 1st. I am going to achieve this goal by counting my calories on a daily basis, and incorporating strength training and cardio to my everyday workout routine. My best friend gets married in August and I want to be able to get my bridesmaid dress altered to at least one size smaller by then. 125 is also the weight I left high school, so it would just be awesome to weigh that again. That's only 9 pounds less than I am right now, so I know I can do it!
3. One of my business goals is to help one person get on Shakeology Home Direct by the end of April. I want to introduce this shake in to someone's daily life so it can help them like it did me! I am going to send out samples so people can try it before they buy it. I will share this shake with everyone that I think could benefit from it... which is EVERYONE!
4. My academic goal is to achieve a 4.0 in one of my classes, and at least a 3.5 in two of my other classes by the end of the semester. I am going to do this by not procrastinating, taking my time with my homework, and studying for my exams. I know by my grades right now, it wouldn't be reasonable to work toward a 4.0 in all of my classes so that's why I am aiming for a 3.5. Plus, these are the grades I need to raise my overall GPA to a 3.6. I am at a dang 3.5 and some odd decimal numbers right now, so it would be awesome just to raise it to a 3.6. I can do this!

Already today, writing down these goals has helped me. I didn't feel like working out but you know what? I did anyways! I have goals that I need to achieve. I will not fail! And if I do, I'll just set new goals! It will be ok!

I invite you to share some of your goals with me. I want to know what you are working hard toward! Please feel free to comment with your goals here on this blog, write them on My Facebook, or Tweet me your goals! If you don't want everyone else to know your goals, but would like to share them with me please send me an email: bbcoachalicia@gmail.com. I can also help you write goals if you need help.

Renee's Transformation

Every now and then I want to post people's success stories on my blog.

My very first one is my friend, Renee. I've known Renee for 5 or 6 years now. She used to work with my Mom and then I ended up working as an employee at her and her husband's restaurant business. I never really noticed at the time but after two pregnancies, Renee had put on a lot of weight. Renee knew that my Mom and I started getting into fitness, so she came to us when she decided she was tired of being fat. Her first Beachbody purchase was Hip Hop Abs. After that, she was hooked. In January, she decided to become a Beachbody Coach in order to get the 25% coach discount. Since then, she's bought ChaLean Extreme and she is now drinking Shakeology on a daily basis. Now she has people asking her how she lost all her weight and is able to help people the same way that my Mom and I helped her. I am so proud of how far she has come! She is a great role model for her two little girls. Check out Renee's blog for more information on her fitness journey: www.reneemstoll.blogspot.com

If you would like to be featured in my blog, please leave a comment or send me an email: bbcoachalicia@gmail.com