What Motivates You?

When I began this journey a little less than a year ago, it was honestly out of boredom. I had recently graduated from college, moved back to my hometown, and began my career. I felt like I was starting life all over again. Where did the last four years of "finding myself" go? I was away from the city and people that became my home. I decided to get myself into gear by starting a new hobby - working out.

I started going to the gym as a way to have "me time" away from my house and away from burning out with school work. Going to the gym became a positive way for me to spend my time. It was NOT easy to get started or stay motivated, but Dylan was a great source of encouragement. I also had to find reasons why I enjoyed going to the gym.

During a recent conversation with a few of my line sisters, we were discussing babies and childbirth.No, none of us are pregnant. We just love babies! We discussed our convictions and "plans" for what we want childbirth to be like. Two of my line sisters had seen the documentary The Business of Being Born, produced by Ricki Lake. (If you haven't seen it, it is on Netflix!)







This documentary has given me a new piece of motivation - my future children. There are so many varied perceptions about what a woman's body can and cannot handle or should and shouldn't go through. Although giving birth is in the far, far future for me, this truly got me thinking. I want to be healthy spiritually, mentally, and physically for my future children. I want to do everything in my power to be able to provide them with a safe and healthy home for those nine months. I also want to feel strong during and after delivery.

Again, this is far in the distance. I know that anything can and will happen when the time comes to deliver a child, but what can I do now? How are my current lifestyle choices affecting my one-day children? What beliefs will I instill in them through my living and eating habits? I want to make the best possible choices now so that I am setting my children up for success.


What motivates YOU to live a healthy lifestyle?

Snap a Picture

Let's be real. When you are working towards a fitness goal taking pictures of yourself can sometimes be very discouraging. Sometimes when I look at my pictures, I think, "Wait a minute! The camera added a little something there", but I keep the picture anyway. One of the many things I love about the photo album in my iPhone is that it dates the pictures. This is an easy way to track my progress in my own phone if I'm not ready to share it publicly.

Last month, I decided to create a picstitch showing my progress from February to May. I made one for my sides, one for my tummy, and one for my back. I'm disappointed in the amount of time between these pictures and the amount of fall-off in between; however, I am proud of the visible decrease of inches around my waist. 

Left is February 2nd, Right is May 4th 

Left is February 2nd, Right is May 4th
Love that when I was screen-shotting these for myself I caught a piece of Dylan's encouragement!  

Left is February 2nd, Right is May 4th 

Before today, the only person I shared these with was Dylan. This is the proudest I have been of myself thus far in this journey. I am proud of my physical progress, as well as my increased strength. 

Here are some things I have learned about taking progress pictures: 

1. Gym lighting isn't always the best.  I discovered that i prefer to take my pictures in my bathroom at home. This allows me to get the angles I want without feeling like I'm hogging the mirror at the gym. 
2. Consistency is key. As in anything, consistency is so important. I am now challenging myself to taking progress pictures once a month. I don't want to go overboard, or be unrealistic, and say I will take them once a week. I also want to allow time for my changes to truly show through. Figure out what works best for you! 
3. Consistency is key. Consistency is not only important in how often you take the pictures, but also in how you position your body, and how you wear your clothing. The progress picture of my back is a great example. In the picture from February you can see my entire back, but in the picture from May you can only see the top and bottom. It's important to wear your clothing the same way, or wear similar clothing, in each picture in order to ensure that you're really getting what you're looking for. 
4. Give yourself props! We're human. We're going to fall off. We're going to see things we don't like, but give yourself credit. Find at least one positive change you can compliment yourself on. 

I want to hear from you! What do you do with your progress pictures? Do you save them in your phone or do you delete them? Do you send them to a friend or keep them for your eyes only? 

Don't let work stop you from doing WORK!

Hello folks! When I started training about a year ago, one thing I struggled with was having enough energy, before or after work, to get in a good workout. A co-worker suggested that I try a pre-workout supplement so I thought I'd give it a shot.  I know that if you're fairly new to getting in shape or making a lifestyle change it can be intimidating to walk into GNC or Vitamin Shoppe looking for different products but the key is DON'T be afraid to ask questions. Employees in those types of stores are just like any other store, they are there to help! It took me 3 tries to find a pre-workout that was truly for me, and like always, it was Jordan who helped me discover it. I was using more "hardcore pre-workouts" and it was a little too much for my body. At the time Jordan was using Essential Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition and she suggested that I give it a try. I instantly loved it! Taking Essential Amino Energy gave me the perfect kick for my workout, it wasn't too strong and it tasted great! In my conversations about the product I've discovered that it's popular with everyone from beginners to competitive body builders. If you decide to use EAE or any other product just make that you consult your physician first and make sure that it is a good fit for you. Hope this post was helpful and good luck lifting!