Goals

It seems I took a brief hiatus from blogging. I'm not sure if it was lack of motivation from being sick for so long, or just a general unwillingness to share, but it seems the writing bug is trickling back so I thought I'd jump on it while the energy is here. 

Today I would like to discuss my fitness goals for this year. 

#1: Squat 160lbs (1 rep max)
#2: 20 full push-ups consecutively 
#3: 1 complete unassisted pull-up 

I am also continuing with my no french fries (almost 2 full years, and still going strong), and have added no potato chips to the docket as well. 

In addition, in order to maintain better body positivity, I have decided that I am only allowing myself to jump on the scale to weigh myself once a month (in an attempt to avoid negative feelings when I see the scale fluctuate a pound or two), and I will be taking progress pictures on the 1st of every month. Unfortunately, I missed January 1 (remember, I was sick for two months straight) however, here are my progress pictures for February and March 2017. I can honestly barely tell a difference, yet I am approx 4lbs heavier in the March 2017 photos.  

(February 1, 2017)

(March 1, 2017) 

My fitness regime is currently following along with Fitness Blender's FBFit program. I do 5 days a week of varying lower body, upper body, cardio, abs, stretching, etc. I also walk 5 days a week approx. 20-40 mins a day with my furry trainer (up and downhill), and I play volleyball 2 to 3 times per week for approx 2 hrs a day.

I am trying to stick with relatively "clean" eating habits, but this is the area I tend to struggle most with. I am however, choosing lots of chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner times, and a lot of veggies and hummus or fruit and yogurt for snack times.

Where are you at in your fitness lifestyle?
-Linds

My Best Tip To Ensure You Don't Skip Your Workout!

I have an incredibly unsteady work schedule (sometimes I work days, sometimes evenings, sometimes nights, sometimes twice a week, sometimes 6 times a week, etc....you get the point), and therefore I have a very unpredictable life schedule. 

I recently had a co-worker comment on my ability to always get my workout done considering the awkward/unpredictable hours of our career, and she was pleasantly surprised but what my "trick" is, so I thought I'd better share! 

Aside from over coming the mentality of "I don't have the time" vs. "I am not making this a priority," my best tip to ensure I get my workout done each day is: put on your workout clothes immediately. 

Regardless of what type of day I have planned (or not), this tip ensures I have one less excuse not to get my workout done. If I work in the morning, as soon as I come home I change in to my workout clothes. Even if I still have errands to run, dinner to cook, etc., when that spare moment arises I'm already ready. Same goes if I don't work until the evening. I wake up and immediately get dressed in my workout gear. I can still walk the dog, grocery shop, do laundry, etc., but again, I'm already ready for my workout! 

Thankfully we live in a time wear it's relatively trendy to wear fitness fashion on the go so it's not like I look like a major slob, however, if I do have somewhere "nicer" to be, where I can't get away with tights and a tshirt, sometimes I just only put on my sports bra instead underneath. For me it's easy enough to just want to sit on the couch and relax, but already having my gear on (or partially on) makes me feel silly if I don't make use of it! 

(I had an appointment in the middle of the day this day so I just wore my sports bra and spandex underneath my regular clothes)

So there you have it, my quick tip for how to help boost your motivation to get your workout done everyday! 
-Linds 

Thought Provoking

It's been over a month since my last post and I wish I could say I have some valuable excuse as to why, but honestly, it's mostly just due to business or, even more honestly, laziness/distraction. 

I've recently discovered Instagram (veebswatts07) and I cannot seem to help myself once I get going on it. I could scroll forever!

I do notice it has me feeling a little jealous (as social media tends to do) that I'm not one of those people who lives for their work. I see tons of those beachbody coach people on instagram, and although I have no interest in that program, I find myself feeling jealous that they are making money doing simple things that they love to do (ie working out), and would be doing anyway even if they weren't getting paid. 

I've talked about this a few times before on the blog, about my feelings of not knowing what to do with my life, and it seems I have not yet overcome these feeling. Is what I am doing enough? 

Current lifestyle:

-Work to pay the bills

-Work a job that gives me time to do leisure activities (i.e. a job that I don't have to bring home with me at the end of the day)

-Participate in leisure activities (reading, volleyball, working out, writing)

-Overspend once in a while to do something bold (we may have just recently booked a vacation in mexico)

-Feel guilty for overspending, so pick up more hours at work to pay the bills

What I crave:

-Sharing my passions with more people (I wish I could teach people how to play volleyball, and I wish I had fitness companions to help share my progress)

-Work so that I feel like I accomplished something

-Make others jealous with how much fun I have working (i.e. loooooove what I do)

I'm not trying to say my current lifestyle is a bad one. I've very lucky to have the job that I do, that pays very well, and that gives me time and freedom to still have a life outside of work. I just worry that maybe I'm not fulfilling my full potential. No one knows what their potential is until they keep pushing the boundaries, but fear is a big scary beast, and I just don't feel brave enough yet. And let's be honest, even if I did feel brave enough, I wouldn't know where to start, or which direction to turn. 

-Linds

A Glimpse Into My Fitness Journey

I have decided it's time to share some of my fitness journey with you so far. 

First things first, let's start off with a brief glimpse into my past:

In elementary school I danced, rode motorcycles, sprinted, monky-ed on the monkey bars, played basketball, and volleyball. I was more acrobatic than most of my friends, taller than all of my friends, and I broke my wrist riding a motorcycle. I also noticed that my legs were bigger than a fellow dancer I always competed against, however I was a faster runner than all the boys. 

In high school I continued playing both basketball and volleyball, and I got my first real job. I was slender, as we're most of my friends. I received multiple academic and athletic awards. I dated a couple boys, and pursued a long term relationship. I waitress-ed, quit basketball and I wasn't the best at anything.

While pursuing post secondary education, a lot happened. I gained weight. I broke up with my boyfriend. I dated. I pursued a long term relationship. I gained more weight. I lived with boys and moved multiple times. I had to put my cat down. I ate terribly. I was in love. I ran, joined a gym, quit the gym, and I lived apart from my boyfriend for several months.

I never had to worry much about my size/weight as a "kid" growing up, however, I always took note of it. I loved that for most of my adolescent years I was tall, slender, and relatively athletic. The older I became, the tougher it was to sustain any sort of physical fitness. I never used to have to "work" to maintain my body shape (which I took much pride in), but slowly yet surely that started to catch up with me which was a huge shock to my system. I noticed more and more that my clothes didn't fit as well, I was always having to buy a size or two larger than I expected. My confidence was crushed, and I couldn't handle it. So what did I do? Complained, and stuffed my face with more crappy food, and complained some more. I worried that my husband would lose interest in me, and feared the worst. 

There was no one thing in particular that made me change, but eventually I realized that it was myself that I was disappointed in (there was no one else to blame no matter how much I tried), and that I needed to get control over that. My husband has always been my best supporter, loving me at every size and shape I have been, which made it that much more obvious to me that I needed to change for myself. It was me that was unhappy, not anyone else. I needed to see myself in a more positive light, and that meant, putting in some work. If Mark was willing to love me at my worst, I had to be willing to work to be my best. 

My girlfriend/co-worker, Terri, introduced me to Fitness Blender. I've talked about it a million times on this blog, and that's because it has truly changed my life.  She mentioned it to me one day while we were working, showed me a glimpse of a video, and I thought to myself: I can do those moves. The next day I loaded up the webpage, searched through the free online videos and took the plunge. 

I have not looked back since. It was March 2015 when I did that first Fitness Blender video, and between March and June I did several videos a couple times a week. Although at that time in my personal life things were not the best (crummy work hours, etc.), my confidence was growing regardless. I was working out around 3 times a week and feeling stronger every day. Sadly, in June 2015 I had a small hiccough. I broke my foot during one of the workouts, and then re-broke it again a few weeks later in July. I sunk into a bit of a slump again, feeling embarrassed at all the lost progress, but thankfully, I kept reminding myself how energized I did feel while working out, and as soon as I got the "okay" that my foot was healed, I decided to plunge right back into those Fitness Blender videos. 

I have been working out 5-7 days a week since October 2015. On any given day I do anything from running, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, strength training, cardio, etc., and of course, I still play volleyball a couple times a week. Honestly, it's the HIIT and strength training that has made the biggest impact on my life. I used to shy away from strength training, not because I thought I would get bulky (trust me, it's easily avoidable), but because I thought it was boring. Fitness Blender quickly taught me though, that done in the right sequence, strength training is fun, and probably the most effective at getting the kind of results I was looking for. My weight has dropped about 15-20lbs from my heaviest (2014), my body has never looked stronger (in my opinion), and the best advantage of all, I feel healthier. I look at my body on any given day, and I like what I see. Sure I still have flaws or "problem areas", but I am learning to love and embrace them, and see them more as projects instead of simply negatives. 

I never thought I would be one of those people that just loves and craves working out. I've always loved sports and athleticism, but general working out never appealed to me, and now, it's literally a part of me. Whether you struggle with body weight issues, or just confidence in general, I highly recommend exercising regularly. It may sound cheesy, but to quote Legally Blonde, "endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't shoot their husbands." My life has changed drastically over the years, but in the last 10 months I have learned a lot more about myself than probably my total lifetime so far. I feel like I have become an entirely different person. It feels kind of weird to say it out loud, but I kind of like myself a lot now. Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of major flaws, and I will always need some "work", but when I look in the mirror, I know I am a better person today than I was 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, last year, or even last week. 

My body changes from 2009 (my most "thin" at 130lbs) to 2014 (my heaviest and most unfit at 155lbs), to this year (my most fit, and feeling strong at 140lbs)

If at any point you are feeling like I did (and sometimes still do - we can't be positive all the time), stuck in a rut of feeling shame about the way you perceive yourself, it's time you make a change. Some days it's hard, and it's always sweaty, but I promise you won't regret it. 
-Linds

Monthly Mayhem: July 2016

Travel:
-Edmonton, Alberta for Keith's wedding (July 21-24, 2016)

-Whistler for two volleyball tournaments (July 30-31, 2016)

Volleyball:
-SalmonFest grass co-ed R4s volleyball tournament -July 1, 2016

-Subbed for a couple leagues (Beach 4s in POCO, and grass 2s in Vancouver)
-TFC Whistler co-ed grass R2s volleyball tournament - July 30, 2016

-TFC Whistler co-ed grass R4s volleyball tournament - July 31, 2016

Events\Activities:
-Josh & Ashley's wedding - July 2, 2016
-Mark's boss' bday BBQ - July 9, 2016
-Cousins graduation BBQ - July 10, 2016
-Mark's co-worker, Ryan's, bday BBQ - July 16, 2016
-Keith & Jody's wedding - July 23, 2016

-Met up with friends Cory and Kalene (who we met in Mexico), while we were visiting in Edmonton 

Fitness:
-Finished FBabs
-Started FB30 round 2

Food:
-Quinoa/Sweet Potato patties

Ink:
-Still working through the French version of "This Lullaby" by Sarah Dessen (onto Chapter 5)

How did you spend your July?
-Linds

Sweet Potato/Quinoa Patties

I've recently discovered a new recipe using a food I loooooooove.

I absolutely love eating sweet potato, in pretty much all forms: baked, mashed, fried, etc. So, the other day, I was trying to figure out what kind of meal I could make starring the sweet potato instead of keeping it as a "behind the scenes" side dish. 

Then I discovered this: Sweet Potato/Quinoa Patties

I didn't end up using 1 recipe in particular off of pinterest, but instead took inspiration from a few, and decided to just wing it.  

Here is how it went:

Ingredients (Makes about 8-10 patties):
-1 can cubed sweet potato (drained well)
-2 eggs
-1 & 1/2 cups of quinoa (pre-cooked and well drained of moisture)
-1/2 to 3/4 of a large onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 tsp-ish of chili powder
-3 to 5 tbsp flour
-drizzle of oil to coat frying pan

Directions:
-Combine all ingredients in bowl (I add the flour last to help soak up any leftover moisture)
-Mix thoroughly (it'll still be a bit chunky because of the onions)
-Coat frying pan with thin layer of oil and heat well
-use 1/4cup size to scoop portions of mixture into frying pan
-Cook until golden brown, flip, continue cooking until other side is golden as well (about 4 to 5 minutes per side).

I was really pleased with myself for just winging it on a recipe I had never tried before, and it was a major bonus that they turned out delicious! Mark and I each ate about 4, and ended up dipping them in sirracha sauce to give em a little extra kick of flavour! Now granted, they definitely weren't filling enough to be an entire meal on their own so we had a salad on the side, however these would be more than enough for a little afternoon snack when you have a starch heavy craving (ie. me after my workouts). 

I plan on next time making a bigger batch, and seeing how well they freeze so that I can have an easy ready to go snack. 
-Linds

Feeling It

I feel good today. Simple as that.

I woke up groggy so I decided to stay in bed and sleep a little longer. 

I went for a walk with Captain in the rain, it was super cleansing and refreshing.

I tidied the house, which brings me a sense of calm and order. 

I worked out, covered in sweat and shaky muscles, edorphins pumping.

I showered, feeling relaxation come over me.

I lounged on the couch...simplicity. 

I feel good today. I made choices that made my day satisfying. I like the way my body works hard for me yet relaxes when the opportunity arises, and no one can tell me that what I did wasn't enough. 

How are you feeling today? Are you feeling it?
-Linds

Monthly Mayhem: June 2016

Here is how I spent my month:

Travel:
-Nothing

Volleyball:
-PFAC Co-ed Grass Reverse 4s Tournament at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School June 5, 2016 - 2nd place in C pool - 9th out of 16 total

-Finished Indoor Co-ed Reverse 4s Aldergrove Volleyball league - 1st place!!
-Top Gun Womens/Mens 2s Grass Tournament run by Cambie Sports June 12, 2016 - came in 3rd place in the AA\A+ pool

-Finished Co-ed 6s POCO Volleyball league -3rd place!

Events\Activities:
-Into The Thao Friday June 3, 2016 (a friend of ours from volleyball, Bryce "Wonderbread" Koebel, performed in it) - AWESOME!

-Dad & Sister's birthday Dinner get together, Saturday June 4, 2016 
-Niece, Ryan's 3rd Birthday - June 11, 2016
-Go-Karting for Father's day at Fast Track Indoor Karting -June 18, 2016

Fitness:
-Finished FBFlex and FBBooty Round 2
-Started FBabs (again + adding in some "extra credit" impromptu workouts)

Food:
-Did some muffin baking again but haven't tried any new recipes

Ink:
-Still working through the French version of "This Lullaby" by Sarah Dessen (about 95 pages in)

How was your June?
-Linds

Monthly Mayhem: May 2016

Travel:
-none...but after April's travel adventure I am already itching to go somewhere!
-We bought our plane tickets to Edmonton for a wedding coming up this summer

Volleyball:
-Still in the middle of Co-ed 6s POCO league, and almost finished Co-ed R4s Aldergrove league
-Beach volleyball at LEC May 7, 2016

-Beach volleyball at Semiahmoo May 29, 2016

Events\Activities:
-Saw the "Jungle Book" in theatre May 1, 2016 - Loved it!
-Shopping Friday May 6, 2016 (Plenty - I have since purchased a dress that I tried on there)

-Roller Derby May 7, 2017
-Mother's Day dinner Sunday May 8, 2016
-Mark got a tooth pulled Friday May 13, 2016
-Bought glasses
-Sister, Christina's 32nd Birthday!

Fitness:
-Finished FBFit Round 2 (Physical Fit Test Results + progress photos)
-Started FBFlex & FBBooty Round 2
-Bought a workout bench for $5.00 at a garage sale

-Ran minimum 3km once per week
-Went to bootcamp at the Rec Centre with my girlfriend, Vanessa

Food:
-Salmon

-Banana Oatmeal Blueberry Blender Muffins
-Raspberry Yogurt Muffins
-Blueberry Bakery Muffins - recipe to come

Ink:
-Working through the French version of "This Lullaby" by Sarah Dessen (about 80 pages in)

How did you enjoy your May?
-Linds

5 x Jealousy

I constantly find myself rationally, but also often irrationally, jealous of other people. Here are just five of the reasons why (trust me, there are plenty more):

Bodies
I believe anyone that has a somewhat "fit" body, automatically has a better body than me. I feel severe urges of jealousy when I see people with toned arms, flat tummys, slender legs, or more capable muscles (i.e. they can do something I cannot). I wish I had the mental and physical discipline that they do in order to gain and maintain their physique. 

Style (clothing, hair, and sometimes makeup)
My favorite look is the "look how cute you look, and you didn't even have to try!" however, this is something that I am next to never able to achieve, because even if I end up with a look that is complementary, it is never effortless. It usually takes hours of tossing clothes in and out of my closet, multiple attempts at doing and re-doing my hair until it falls just so, and as far as makeup goes, although I much prefer a subtle, simple look (mascara, tiny bit of blush, and lip-gloss), sometimes I can't even manage to get that right on the first try.

Confidence
I don't believe I will ever get to point where I can go an entire day without doubting myself at least once at some point throughout an entire day. I believe people with the right amount of confidence (not arrogance), are the most beautiful.

Home
I feel so envious of people that can somehow manage to afford to purchase their own home in today's market, simple as that. I want to own a small, basic home, with a decent size yard, but I know it is just so far away right now.

Travel Experience
I have been to the following places: Vanderhoof, San Francisco, Merrit, Osoyoos, Kamloops, Oahu Hawaii, Oregon, Washington State, Tofino, Sunshine Coast, San Jose Del Cabo Mexico. I believe most people have been to more places than I and I am jealous that they have seen and experienced more things than me. I want the relaxation and adventure that comes along with travelling to new places. 

Jealousy can be a tricky thing. Although most times it has negative connotations associated with it (see all irrationality above), I also do strongly believe that it can be a positive motivating tool --> if used carefully. Focus on letting the jealousy give you ideas and innovation on where you want to go, or how to improve your life instead of letting it control or consume you.

(Captain's jealous face when the cat is getting pet instead of him)

-Linds

Finished FBFit Round 2!

On Friday I finished round 2 of FBfit 8 week program and although my final physical fit test results weren't quite what I had hoped for, I am overall still very pleased with my ability to maintain my weight, size, and strength throughout the program (keep in mind I was off on vacation for two weeks-one of which was spent in Cabo).

Here are my fit test results:

Here are my progress photos:

(Top: March 13, 2016; Bottom: May 6, 2016) 

I know the lighting and angle is way different (Mark wasn't home to take the most recent pictures so I had to do it on my own), so it's hard to see a true comparison, however I think I did okay.

Yesterday I started FBBooty round 2, as well as FBFlex (both 4 week programs) and I'm feeling great! My main focus for this 4 week span is going to be to tighten my lower belly so in order to do that I'm really going to slow down and work on contracting every little muscle for each move instead of pushing the pace which mainly challenges my cardiovascular endurance.

Wish me luck!

-Linds

Oatmeal/Eggwhite Pancake

Here is a recipe my sister recommended to me since I've been complaining about being insanely hungry all the time, now that I am exercising so frequently.

The only ingredients are (makes 1 large pancake):
-1/2cup of oats
-2/3cup of egg whites (about 3 large eggs)
-sprinkle of cinnamon
-drizzle of vanilla

Literally all you have to do is:
-combine ingredients together in a bowl
-pour into a frying pan
 -fry for approx. 4 mins
-flip
-fry for another 3 minutes or so (until golden)

This recipe is great because it's super quick, super easy (essential for my household), super filling, and super healthy (it's basically just egg whites and oatmeal)! Now, I do have to admit the pancake is a wee bit bland to taste (even with the added cinnamon & vanilla), however I've just been adding a handful of berries on top to sweeten it up, and it's delicious!

(Oateam/egg white pancake topped with blueberries)

If you're like me and struggling to find a healthy, filling snack, I highly recommend trying this out, and Ilet me know what you think!
-Linds

What's your thing?

It seems like out of everyone I meet these days, guys, girls, couples, etc., everyone seems to have a defining quality about them. There is something that sticks out so strongly that if anyone mentions their name, you immediately recognize them because of that particular thing. I'm not simply referring to physical qualities here, it could be something like a hobby or career they are known for too. 

So, that has me wondering...what is my thing, or do I even have one? Also, is it good to be known for just one defining quality....what's the saying: "jack of all trades, expert at none"?

I've always thought of myself as a relatively well rounded person but, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I am limited in the interests I pursue. I play volleyball, I jog, I workout, I read, I write, I play boardgames, I walk, I hike, I play with my dog... Although that list may seem like it has a lot of items, they are all very similar in the category under which they fall. On the other hand, I don't think I'm known particularly for just one of those items. I would love to be an expert at volleyball, or the most physically fit/toned as possible, or spend my days searching for new mountains to hike because I was running out, or be the champ at all boardgames however that just isn't the case. I simply do a little of a few things that all are very similar in their classification. 

How do you decide if this is a good or bad thing? Is it good to have a "defining quality?", and if so, how do you choose what you want that quality to be?
-Linds

Monthly Mayhem: April 2016

Travel:
-Vacation at Barcelo Grand Faro Los Cabos Resort (April 16-23, 2016)

(Hanging out at the Barcelo Grand Faro Los Cabos Resort)

Volleyball:
-Co-ed 6s POCO Spring Volleyball League started up (April 6, 2016)

Events\Activities:
-Beach day with Vanessa (April 8, 2016)

(Vanessa & I at White Rock West Beach)

-Mark's Dad's birthday dinner (April 30, 2016, actual bday April 23, 2016)

Fitness:
-1 week left of FBFit round 2 (taking progress pics later this week)

Food:
-Oatmeal/egg white pancake

 Ink:
-Finished: The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
-Started: The French version of "This Lullaby" by Sarah Dessen

How did you spend your April?
-Linds

Be Bold!

While on vacation in Cabo I decided to be daring and unafraid! I did my headstand in public! 

And you know what? It felt great! 

Sure I was nervous, especially being on the sand, in a bathing suit, and in the presence of multiple miscellaneous people, but I just went for it and totally nailed it! 

I'm so proud of myself for just winging it! 

I dare you to be bold! 
-Linds

Monthly Mayhem: March 2016

Here is what my March 2016 consisted of:

Travel:
-none

Volleyball:
-Finished co-ed 6s POCO winter volleyball league - 3rd place (March 17, 2016)

(From left to right: Steve, Mark, me, Alyssa, Brendan, & Bryce)

-Co-ed R4s volleyball tournament (March 19, 2016)

(Me - blocking)

-Finished womens 6s winter volleyball league - 1st place (March 24, 2016)
-Play For A Cause Co-ed 6s Volleyball tournament - 2nd place (March 26, 2016)
-Started co-ed R4s volleyball league (March 31, 2016)

Events/Activities:
-Easter Dinner with Mark's family (March 26, 2016)

(Mini-eggs Easter treat)

-Started a new position at work (back to 5on 5 off schedule)

Fitness:
-Finished FBFit Round 1 - PFT results 
-Started FBFit Round 2
-Started running again
-Borrowing brother-in-laws bowflex adjustable weights

(Bowflex adjustable weights)

Food: Tried some new recipes (recipe post to come)
-Banana Oat cookies
-Peanut Butter sugar cookies

(Peanut butter sugar cookies)

Ink:
-Finally finished the 1st "Harry Potter" novel - En Francais
-Started "The Forgetting Time" by Sharon Guskin

How did your March treat you?
-Linds 

Proper Form is Priority: Downward Facing Dog

Downward facing dog has a very frequent appearance in my Fitness Blender cool down/stretches so I thought I better check in on my form. I have never been much into yoga so my experience with this pose is pretty limited however, the more I do it and try to push my range of motion, the more I enjoy it bit by bit.

(Downward Facing Dog)

Sadly I'm only giving myself a 2.5/5. 

Although I was feeling good doing the move, I see now that I still have a lot of flaws. My hands and feet are too wide apart, my spine is rounded, and instead of pressing down into my shoulders they seem to be a bit scrunched up. I do have to give myself a bit of credit on my flexibility though because I am now able to press my heels all the way into the floor and I do have my fingers spread for better weight distribution! 

How do you feel about the downward dog pose/stretch? 
-Linds

FBFIT Round 1 Results

If I don't already talk about it enough, here is another post about my love of Fitness Blender, although this one is more progress/results related.

On Sunday March 13, 2016 I finished FBFit Round 1. It was an 8 week total body fitness program. It had a mix of HIIT, cardio, strength training, yoga, pilates, etc. I finished the program 2 days early, and here are my Physical Fit Test results:

(FBpft results)

(Top: January 24, 2016; Bottom: March 13, 2016)

Although Mark only joined me for a handful of workouts throughout the program, he did decide to join me for the final fit test. Here are his results:

(FBPFT results)

(Top: February 1, 2016; Bottom: March 13, 2016l

All in all I am pretty pleased with my results. I definitely have noticed a lot more tone in my body and I just feel so much better. My endurance has improved and my ability to lift more weight has majorly improved. I did expect my run time to be a bit better however it was literally torential downpour the day I did it so I felt the cold and wind really slowed me down. Oh well, progress is still progress!

I also am now one week in to FBFit Round 2 and I am super excited to be borrowing my sisters Bowflex Adjustable Weights. Without the adjustable weights my options were two 5lb dumbells, two 10lb dumbells, one 12kg kettlebell, one 16kg kettlebell, and two 20lb dumbells. Now with the bowflex weights I have a way wider range of weight which should hopefully drastically improve my progress! 

Here's to another 7 weeks of improving!
-Linds

Changing Perspective

One of the hardest parts of changing how you see yourself, is getting other people to change the way they see you. 

I lost 15lbs in 2.5 months and no one said a word. Sure, the scale told me I made progress, and I felt happier and healthier than ever before however, it was tough to put on a smaller size pant, or fitted style shirt because I assumed that since no one noticed or commented on my weight loss, I must still look 15lbs heavier - bummer. I've kept the weight off for a following 2.5 months (and counting), and yet I still find myself wondering if my body looks as good as I hope it does. 

Is it only because I know how flabby my belly was before that I think it seems so flat now? Is it really flat? Am i really any more toned? Do I have defined muscles? 

I'm currently 5'8.5", and I weigh on average 138lbs. I workout (variations of HIIT, cardio, strength training, yoga, Pilates,  and stretching) minimum 5 days a week, I play volleyball twice a week, and when I look in the mirror, I feel good! (Well, of course, if I'm being completely honest, I will always have my "problem" areas that I'm not sure I will ever feel good about, but overall I feel good, and am so proud of the changes in my body). 

I know since I feel so much better than I did 8 months ago that I shouldn't care so much whether other people have noticed my fitness improvements (I'm really only doing it for my own health benefit-eating cleaner and working out consistently improves my outlook tremendously) but, I find I keep hearing a little voice in my head saying "It's not enough. People will let you know once you've really made progress." 

So I am stuck in my brains twisted dilemma of trying to change perspective. How do I teach my brain to stop desperately hoping for approval from others that I've done a good job, when deep down I already know that I have because I feeeeeeel so much better. How do I tell myself to believe that I am fit and not just because I'm stronger than 6 months ago by comparison, but because I can see and feel that I actually have gained and toned muscle?

Have any of you had body image struggles? How did you overcome your negative perceptions? 

-Linds

Feeling The Pressure

I am nearing the final 8 week mark of my #FBFIT round 1 program and I fear that I will be dissapointed with my results. 

The first 4 weeks I was super motivated and making leaps in progress, but then week 5 hit and I started to fade, and then week 6 and 7 I had a terrible sickness that lingered (and to be honest is still kind of hanging around) and really slowed me down. Now I'm on week 8 and have my physical fit test scheduled on Tuesday (for comparison), so needless to say, I'm getting pretty worried. I really want my results to be impressive but I just don't think I pushed myself hard enough in the second half of the program to be fully satisfied with the outcome. 

So, I've got 4 days left to really let the pressure get my but in gear and hope for, well let's be honest, a miracle. 

-Linds