Healthy LIFE

my fitness journey started almost a year ago. april 8, 2013 to be exact. how am i able to remember the exact date? it was keith's first day of his then new job. prior to us moving out to greenville i had fallen off the fitness wagon. the stress of moving, packing and finding a place to live trumped keeping up with my workout regime. once we moved and got settled in, i figured we had this new life, so it would be a great time to start over with a new me.

laziest, but cutest workout buddy ever ;)

april 8, 2013

i started off with 10 minutes a day. it's all i could find motivation for. i would do pieces of my insanity videos. some strengthening and core. it probably took me two months to make it a routine. two months of light workouts to make it an essential part of my day. but then i realized, "hey i don't have a job. i need to maximize all the free time available to me." i started working out anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours a day. during this time my workouts consisted of any combination of cross fit, dailyhiit, and insanity. no wonder i could workout for 2 hours! i decided i would make working out my life...until i found a job.

well, august 2013, i found a job. and guess what? working out is still every bit as much a part of my life. because i had spent 4 months working so hard to get in shape and lose weight, i wasn't going to stop now. there were still goals to reach. i want to be strong and look strong. i want a six pack. i want to feel confident in my body. so, i still workout.

in december, keith and i ran a 5k. it was a fun run. but it was nice to be able to go out for a 3 mile run and feel fucking awesome. plus, it has motivated me to want to run more. just another type of exercise for me to add to my regime.

the long winter months got tough. motivation wore thin. being inside and frigid cold for 3 months made exercise challenging. it was difficult some days to convince myself to change out of warm, cozy clothes into my workout clothes. but i knew if i didn't workout...that would feel worse. so, as hard as winter was...we plowed through it.

and now, april 2014, one year later. my motivation soars. a day without a workout feels awful. i haven't quiet figured out how to have an active rest day. i know my body needs rest and i do my best to listen to it. i don't have a weekly schedule. i just go with what feels right for that day. i try to workout between 4-6 days in a row before taking a day off. some days are more intense than others. some days are long workouts. some days are short. every day i try to give it everything i've got.

in october i posted my measurements before i started the bodyrock.tv 30 day real time challenge [RTC]. i never shared with you my 'after' measurements. i will today. they are for me and for you. i am well beyond the 30 day RTC, but it always great to review your progress. i am not a believer in checking in everyday as i feel that can be discouraging if you don't see results 'fast enough' or 'high enough' or 'large enough'. i think it is more important that you are comfortable in your clothes than what the scale says. i'm not much for sharing before and after photos, so this will have to do ;)

before measurements                         current measurements

bust: 34                                              bust: 33
chest: 29.5                                         chest; 27.5
waist: 28                                            waist: 26
hips: 35.5                                           hips: 36
right thigh: 21                                   right thigh: 19.5
left thigh: 21.5                                   left thigh: 19
left arm: 11.5                                     left arm: 12
right arm: 11.5                                   right arm: 13

i lost about 2 inches almost everywhere [wow! awesome!!]. i fully expected to gain inches in my arms and legs due to gaining muscle. so i am kind of surprised that my thighs lost so much. i should check my measurements again in another 3-4 months to note any additional changes.

it's been a year since i began this journey and i am in the best shape of my life. i am still searching for those 6-pack abs. but i think about it, true peak fitness is difficult to achieve. think of ALL the years of junk food and alcohol and couch surfing i have done [more than i care to discuss]. i have given my body some bad stuff. toxic stuff. we all have. so, to erase all of that, to get rid of fat and build muscle, well that is going to take a long time too. and i am in it for the long haul.

and to have a healthy body isn't just all about exercise. i could workout as hard as i wanted to every single day, but if feed my body crap, all my efforts will be rendered useless. abs are made in the kitchen. your diet has to be as great as your workout plan. ask anyone close to me, and they'll tell you that i am kind of ridiculous about what is in my food. when it comes to your food choices, less is more. lisa, [the bodyrock.tv host that i LOVE], suggested doing a 1-ingredient challenge. so basically you only eat foods that have one ingredient [apples, chicken, lettuce, bananas, rolled oats]. you, of course, can combine 1-ingredient items to other 1-ingredient items [ex: apples, bananas and milk to make a smoothie]. i love this idea. it's tough, but it will tune you into what you really should be eating.

so, by being physically fit and maintaining a healthy diet, it quickly spills over into other aspects of my life. i sleep better. not that i ever had trouble sleeping, but now i feel like i have a deeper, more meaningful sleep. i am less stressed. again, not that ever feel stressed, but by feeling healthy, the little things in life that i might have worried about, don't seem to wrinkle my feathers as much. i am happier. i am, by nature a happy person, so my being healthier has had an exponentially positive effect on my happiness.

when you feel good about yourself, inside and out, it will transfer to the rest of your life. just the same as if you felt poorly about yourself. that is why the saying goes, "love yourself first...". it's so true. there is only one YOU. love it and care for it the best way that you can.

now that i finally feel "in shape", it is sometimes hard to stay motivated. it's like, "ok, now what?" but i constantly remind myself that getting into shape was just the beginning. staying in shape and staying healthy for the rest of my life. but in order to do that i have to keep goals. for now, i have pretty basic goals. eventually i'd like to take my fitness level to a more competitive nature.
my healthy goals for this year?
run 2-3 5ks [and hopefully an 8k]. try to find another sport to get involved in [biking or kayaking...maybe]. find more local foods to eat. continue to make as much food/meals as we can from scratch. 

i can't really put into words how amazing this journey has been. a healthy lifestyle is just that for me...my life. any other choice is now no longer an option.

except for cupcakes. ;)

xoxo,
ks