How to Stay Motivated Through Life’s Challenges

You guys, having a hubby with a broken ankle, on crutches, and not able to do a whole lot is tough business (you can read about his accident: HERE) Being honest here, I’m exhausted. I’m taking care of all sorts of things these days. I’m kind of an introvert, so going out to run errands and get groceries has become his thing. I know, I’m a lucky girl to have him take care of all that for us. Anyhow, it’s been challenging these couple of weeks tackling it all alone. I’m not complaining, just keeping it real. It does make me realize how good I’ve had it with a hubby who helps so much, but boy do I miss it now! So, what’s the point here? The point is, I have a million things to do and my workouts and training runs were starting to suffer. I was not working out regularly and I kept my runs short. But the other day I had a good 3 mile run and felt amazing. I was able to tackle the rest of my day with more energy and I just felt in better spirits. I’m sure my family noticed too. Cranky mom was gone! Hello, fun mom! After that run, I have made it a priority to go back to my regular workout schedule and improvise when I have to, but really make an effort to not miss it. While things have been sort of crazy in my life, here are a few things that have kept me motivated through it all:

1. Plan ahead. It really helps to plan your day. I’ve been using Jenny Collier‘s free printable planner. You can check it out HERE! I specifically use the Daily To-Do list and weekly meal planner. I try to get up a little earlier and with my coffee in hand, I work on my to-do list. I put it all down, from dropping off the kids at school to doing laundry. And of course, I put my workout time in there too.

2. Be flexible. Once you have your day planned out just right, things sometimes don’t go as planned. I’ve learned that remaining flexible to what life throws your way is key. So, you slept through your 5am alarm and weren’t able to get your early run in, can you make/find time to do it later? Your appointment is running late and your going to miss your Body Pump class. Can you adjust your day and make it to a later class? Hey if all else fails, you can do a quick workout at home and get your sweat on anyhow! Maybe include the kids too! You’ll feel so much better knowing that you still got that workout in even if you could have easily called it an “unscheduled rest day”.

3. Be realistic. As much as I’d want to, I know I can’t do it all. By the end of the day, some things just aren’t going to get done and I’d much rather it be folding laundry than my workout! Seriously though, sometimes a good run is way more beneficial to everyone in the family than whether the book shelf got dusted. Just sayin’ 😉

4. Don’t forget your goals. Think about why you started working out. Was it to lose weight? Get healthy? Are you training for a marathon or your first Spartan Race? Whatever the goal is, keep it in mind. Don’t give up on your goals just because life gets hard.

Do you have any tips to share on keeping motivated when life gets complicated? I’d love to hear them!

I am Enough | Dealing with Self Doubt

Some days I walk into the gym and feeling like a total badass. I feel amazing, like I’m in my happy place. I walk in feeling Comfortable and confident that I belong there. I’m working hard and this place, this gym, is helping me reach my goals. And then. And then, there are days where I walk in feeling like its the first day of freshman year in high school and I can’t find homeroom and I don’t know how to open my locker. I look around me and see only young girls with flat abs, hair & makeup done, and of course wearing a matching Lululemon outfit! I look down at my shorts and top that do not match, I can feel my hair already starting to frizz, and well, let’s just say there are no abs of steel here! I’d love to say that I shake off those feelings and go on with my workout and kill it, but I’d be lying. The truth is, those feelings of anxiety, self doubt, and pity linger on during my workout and beyond. I begin to question everything I’m doing. Am I working out enough? Should I change my diet? Why am I not seeing results fast enough? Should I lift more? Should I add more cardio? And on and on and on. If it’s really bad, I’ll even compare my progress with others. I know this is ridiculous, but when you’re feeling down, it’s hard to think logically.

What makes me snap out of it? How do I get back to feeling like myself again? It’s tough, that’s for sure. It’s hard to just say “enough!” and move on, but that’s what it takes. I just have to say, “Enough of this nonsense, I am enough” and believe it. The believing, that’s the hard part. Believe I’m good enough, believing I’m working hard enough, believing in the process. Yes, it’s tough, but I’m tougher. And so are you! The next time you start feeling down on yourself or worrying that you aren’t doing enough, just remember where you started. I think back at the habits I had before and compare it to the habits I have now. Sure, I have my days where I don’t feel like a rock star, days I’d rather lay in bed and not workout, days I wish I could eat the whole pan of brownies, but they’re only days. They aren’t my life. Moments of weakness don’t define who I am. They don’t make me turn back to who I was before. A moment of weakness are just that, a moment, a very brief period of time. We all have our “moments”, but it’s important to keep them brief because we can’t let a bad moment change the progress we’re making.

So, the next time I walk into the gym and see the 20-somthing girl with booty shorts and crop top walking confidently around the gym, I take a deep breathe (yea, I’m sucking it in) and think of how my body has given me 2 healthy beautiful children. I think about how my body has carried me through 30-something years of life. I think of how my body can take so much more than I thought it could. I think about everything I’ve accomplished so far and I feel proud of who I am. And then, I hold my head up high and I exhale. I am enough.

Have you ever felt this way? How do you deal with feelings of self doubt?

Transformation Tuesday

This is the first time I post a Transformation Tuesday, probably because I’ve felt I am not exactly where I want to be and I don’t feel I’ve reached my ultimate goal. But today I’m like, hey, I’ve come a long way and I should be proud of all the hard work I’ve put in. You can read all about my journey in detail on My Story page. It’s amazing to see that almost 2 years ago I would not even consider buying running shoes, nevertheless wearing them! Yet, here I am today itching to buy a new pair of sneakers, signing up for races and events I didn’t even know existed and training hard for these challenges.

I’m here to tell you today that you can make changes to your life. You can find the drive and the focus you need to make those changes. It’s not going to be easy and if you’re anything like me, you will have pitfalls and it won’t be perfect success. But, that’s not the point is it? No, the point is that you are out there doing what you thought was impossible. Doing what you didn’t even know you wanted to do! So, whether you are just starting your fitness journey or you’re on the road and think you’ll never reach your destination, just know that it’s happening. It’s not only happening on the outside, but it’s happening on the inside. People are noticing. It’s not about reaching that perfect number on the scale, although that’s nice too, right? It’s more about finding the courage to do something different and focusing on becoming the best version of yourself. Here’s to transformations from the inside out!

It may not seem like a huge drastic change to many, but it is to me and I'm happy with where I am now and looking forward to where I'll be 3 months from now! — It may not seem like a huge drastic change to many, but it is to me and I’m happy with where I am now and looking forward to where I’ll be 3 months from now!

Take Control | Don’t Give up

So, who signs up for a half marathon and celebrates by eating a donut?!? This girl, that’s who! I just had to get that off my chest, it’s not really what this blog post is about. Ok, so moving on…

It’s been a stressful week at home, mostly just stressing over work stuff. Lame, I know, but hey, I’ve got kids to feed! Maybe I’m being a bit dramatic but the point is I’ve been stressed out. I skipped my training session on Tuesday and I almost skipped going today too. Why? Because yesterday was a bad day and I woke up still feeling in a funk. I just wanted to stay in my PJs all day and do nothing. But, I started to feel bad, remember I missed Tuesday, so I put on my workout gear, tied my sneakers and I made it to the gym.

I started out feeling sluggish, but then somewhere in between my 2 minute interval on the Stairmaster (level 10!) and bicep curl lunges, I remembered what someone once told me. I was told that you may not be able to control everything that happens in your life, but you can control what you put in your mouth and how your body looks. Aren’t those words of wisdom? At that point, I was like, forget feeling sorry for myself and worrying about things that are out of my control. My problems and anxieties will still be there when I’m done with this workout but right now is “Me” time. It was time to push my body to the limits, it was my time to sweat, to get out of my comfort zone and work it. If only for the next 45 mins of my workout, I felt powerful. I felt in control and it was awesome.

Am I jumping for joy and feeling euphoric right now? No, I’m not. Let’s keep it real! I’m back to reality, but I do feel a little bit better. I feel focused and ready to tackle whatever life throws my way! I feel empowered because I didn’t let life’s annoying problems get in the way of my goals. So, I’ve said it before (specifically in this blog post —> HERE) but I’ll say it again: Don’t give up on yourself and your goals!! Making exercise a part of my regular routine really helps me deal with the stresses of life and I’m confident it will help you too. So, go on a walk today around your neighborhood, pop in that workout DVD, or go to the gym, whatever it is, make some time to take care of you. Your body will thank you. xoxo

And, if that’s not enough, click on the picture below for 100 other reasons you should workout today!

Workout Wednesday | Survival Tips for Going to the Gym Alone

Earlier this week on my facebook page I asked if wether people preferred to workout alone or with a buddy. I asked because a few weeks ago my husband and I were talking about it. Turns out, I prefer to workout alone for the most part, while he needs a buddy. As for the responses to my question on facebook, most people said they were ok with both. Exercising or running alone was seen as “ME” time, while working out with a friend was also motivation to work a bit harder or a nice distraction from the miles ran.

When I first joined the gym almost 2 years ago (WOW! I can’t believe it’s been that long already!) I had to go with a buddy, usually my husband but also some friends of ours that would go in the evenings. We tried to go regularly about 2-3 times a week but I found way too many excuses to not go and evening workouts took it’s toll on our family time. Kids ate before us, we rushed to get out the door, put the kids in the playroom, rushed to come home and shower and get them to bed and we would end up having dinner around 9pm. It was not a routine we were accustomed to or one that worked for us. I was paying a monthly membership and I am not one to throw money away so I had to get my money’s worth. I figured I had to find a way to make it work. So, I put my big girl panties on and went to the gym alone one morning after dropping our oldest off at school and my daughter went to the gym’s playroom. I was so scared!!! I did a Body Pump class and although I was sore for days and felt completely inadequate compared to the other people in there, I kinda liked it. I kept going and also tried out a few more classes until I found what worked for me and I created my schedule. Soon, even though I was going alone, I knew I would see some familiar faces in my classes and I didn’t feel so alone. So, if you are scared to go to the gym alone, here are a few suggestions from me, someone who has been there, done that!

Do Research. Check out your gym’s fitness group classes schedule, find a few classes you want to try out, and put them on your calendar.
Be consistent. Don’t give up on a class because you don’t know the routine. It will take a few times of going to figure it out and get into it. If there was something about the class you liked, try it again. Don’t give up.
Make gym friends. We are all creatures of habit and tend to stick to what we know. So, let’s say you found a class you liked and you go for your second try. Stick to the same general area where you were stood the first time. Why do I say this? Because the other people will probably do the same and you’ll start familiarizing yourself with them. I’m not saying you have to become BFFs with the lady standing next to you at Zumba, I’m just saying a familiar face is nice. And, if you happen to grab a juice together and become BFFs, well, you can thank me later 🙂
Have a plan. If group classes aren’t your thing, that’s ok. Put a workout routine together (there are tons of them on Pinterst and I even have a few on my Workout Motivation Board), save it to your phone, and walk in there like you own the place. It’s ok to look at your phone to see what’s next, I do it all the time! Oh and have a backup plan or don’t be afraid to go out of order in case the machine you need is being used.

Well, there you have it. My tips on surviving the gym alone! Oh and I know that I am very lucky to get to go during the day, so if you have to go in the evenings, I suggest going directly after work if you can. This way, it’s done and out of the way before all the demands of home come flooding in 🙂

Letting Go Of Our Fears

What would happen if we just let go? If we just woke up one day and said, “I’m gonna do it!”? Excuses are abundant. I know I have a million!! We all make excuses for ourselves. Excuses for why we can’t workout, why we are stuck in a job we hate, why we can’t go back to school, why we don’t follow our dreams. Like I said, I get it. It’s hard to step out of that comfort zone. It’s hard to make the first move. It’s hard to try something new when we don’t know what the outcome is going to be. Did I mention, I get it. This is me right now. Sure, I have taken some risks. I have made some big changes in my life and to an extent, I know what it’s like to let go of fear. I’ve had some fears. The fear of walking into a gym, the fear of being in the front row of a Body Pump class (What was I thinking?), the fear of failing at my business. And, guess what? I overcame those fears and I’m here to tell you and to tell myself again, the outcome is worth it.

We get comfortable in our routine. We find something we think works for us and we stick to it. It’s safe and warm and cozy in our comfort zone. I’m in a pretty comfortable place right now. But, I started thinking of “what if’s?” and “why not’s?” and I got scared. I got scared of failure. So, I kinda put a few things on hold for a bit. But, of course those thoughts and ideas are still bubbling up inside my head and I can’t ignore them anymore. I shouldn’t ignore them and you shouldn’t either. What’s the worse that could happen? What’s holding you back? What’s the worst case scenario? I thought of mine and I am ok with it. I am ok with living with my worst case scenario. You know why? Because if I don’t try, if I don’t let go of my fear of failure, then I will never know if I will succeed. So, if you want to succeed at something, you have to give it a try. Lots of times, that means being scared. It means getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things. It means you have to work hard. You’ll never know unless you try and wouldn’t you rather say you tried and failed than never tried for fear of failure?

I know, I’m not saying anything you haven’t already heard or anything you probably haven’t already seen in an infographic on Pinterst. What I am saying right now to you and to myself is this: Let’s do it! Let’s focus on one (or 2 or 3) of our fears and take them down one by one! It doesn’t matter what it is. Whatever it is let’s let go of fear and come out winners. Winners for trying! Winners for letting of of fear!

Tips for Keeping Your New Year Health & Fitness Goals

Right now, most of us are planning, making lists, and getting ready for the new year ahead. We’re reflecting on this year that is so quickly coming to an end – seriously, where did the time go? Just about everybody always adds losing weight and/or exercise to their list of goals for the new year. I know I always do. But what I’ve learned is that just writing down or saying “I want to lose XX lbs. in 2014” or “I want to start working out more” Is not gonna cut it. I know, because I always did this and always failed. I failed because there was no action plan. It’s great to set goals to become healthier or more active in your life, but without a plan, it’s just a dream. This is the year to turn those dreams into reality. Here are a few tips to help you get started on the right track!

1. Have a game plan. Saying and doing are 2 different things. Write down how you plan to lose those XX pounds. Will you do a 21 day sugar detox? Will you practice better portion control? Will you join a gym? Workout 3 days a week for 30 mins? What workouts will you try? Write it all down and keep it in a handy place to go back to!

2. State why you want to make these changes. These statements can be very powerful and have a big impact on keeping yourself motivated to make these lifestyle changes in the coming months.

3. Put it on your calendar. Make appointments, set reminders on your phone, and/or recurring events on your calendar. Whether it be scheduling time to go to a fitness class, go for a jog, or pop in a workout DVD, make it a part of your daily routine.

4. Weekly meal plan. This is major if you are looking to make healthy lifestyle changes. Pick a day out of the week that works for you (Sunday is my day) and write down your meal plans for the week then go shopping accordingly. If you have a super busy schedule, then you can even try prepping your meals on this day to make it easy to just grab & go during the week. This will really help you stay on track and not make hasty or bad food choices because you don’t know what to make for dinner or you didn’t pack your lunch and just went out for fast food.

5. Be realistic. Saying you want to workout 5 days a week can be daunting, especially if you haven’t been on any set routine before! Start off with smaller goals and work your way up to the ultimate goal. Start by making it a goal to workout 2 days a week for the month of January (Don’t forget to put it on your calendar!) Then add a day each month thereafter and by May you’ll be working out 5 days a week!

6. Step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes we need to try new things and go out on a limb a bit because that’s where the magic happens. If you do the same thing over and over, it can start to get boring, so try something new! It could be a new healthy meal, a new fitness class, or even just a different running trail. You’ll never know if you’ll like something new unless you try it. It will be scary, but just think how proud you’ll feel when you actually do it. You may find you really love it and if not, at least you can say you tried it!

7. Keep yourself accountable. Telling someone else about your goals is a good way to stay accountable. Having a good support group will help you stay on track with your goals.

8. Sign up for a race. I know this is what keeps me going and I firmly believe that signing up for a race will keep you motivated too. It’ll give you a goal to aim for. Sign up for your first 5K or your first marathon. Try an obstacle course race or a fun run. There are so many options available right now, that there is bound to be something you’ll find fun. Sign up with a few months in advance and get to training! You won’t regret it.

9. Don’t give up. None of us are perfect. We’re gonna miss a workout or indulge in a meal that’s not part of our meal plan. It happens. The key is to not let one bad day, ruin your goals. Honestly one bad day won’t ruin your progress, giving up will. So, if you know you’re going out for a special occasion, allow yourself a “cheat meal” and move on. So you missed a workout because you worked late that day. It happens. Those are small bumps on the road. We all have them. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’ve read it takes 21 days to make something become a habit, so don’t give up!

10. Rewards. Who doesn’t love to get rewarded for a job well done? Some people like to buy themselves a new outfit after reaching their weight loss goals others will plan a night out. Workout 3 days a week for 30 days and get a pedicure. Get a new playlist for your ipod after you run your first 5K. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have to be expensive or big it just needs to be something to keep you motivated! Set your goal + reward and you’ll be on your way 🙂

Do you have any tips for staying on track with your fitness goals? I’d love to hear them.

Let’s Stop Comparing.

Did anyone else watch the NYC Marathon on TV this past Sunday? I watched bits of it and was so inspired. I know I will never-ever-ever run as fast as the top female finisher! She ran 26.2 miles in 02:25:07. Amazing! To put things into perspective, I’m hoping to finish my first half marathon, 13.1 miles, in around 2:30. Of course, running is her life, not a hobby. She’s an elite athlete and to compare myself to her, for any one of us to compare ourselves to her, would be wrong. It’s unrealistic and not healthy. So, why do we still do it? We may not compare ourselves to top athletes, but we compare ourselves to other women. We’re bombarded by stories on social media about all these amazing success stories and we start to feel bad about ourselves. We start to second guess ourselves, second guess our own progress. I know it happens to me. I’ll be like, “It only took her 3 months to lose 30 lbs, it took me a year! What’s wrong with me?” “She can do how many pull ups? I just want to do 1!” I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Let’s stop comparing ourselves to others. The only person we should compare ourselves to, is ourselves. Let’s focus on becoming better than we were, not better than so and so. We are all at different stages in our lives and journeys, so why compare our middle, with someone else’s end. How do I know what it took for that lady to lose 30 lbs in 3 months! Maybe it was hard for her, maybe it was easy for her. I don’t know. I only know that it was her journey, her story, her moment. Not mine. It took me over a year to lose 30 lbs and I’m ok with that. Why? Because it’s my story, my journey.

Let’s look back at who we were last year, last month, last week, and be proud of the progress we’ve made, the goals we’ve reach, and the hurdles we’ve overcome. Not just in fitness, but in life too. That is much more rewarding and much more realistic. Let’s be happy with ourselves. Let’s live our life fully and wholeheartedly. Let’s promise to stop comparing ourselves to others and focus on ourselves this week! Write down 5 things you’ve done this year that you are proud of and start feeling good about yourself. Deal? Deal!

Let's stop this and start living our own life! — Let’s stop this and start living our own life!

Finding the Balance in Our Lives

Is this even possible? I ask, because we all seem to struggle with it. I don’t think I’ve ever met a single person that has said they live a perfectly balanced life. We are always striving for a perfect balance between our work, family, hobbies, responsibilities, etc. What does having a balanced life really mean, anyhow?

I’ve struggled for a long time with this. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the freedoms and perks that come with being a mom who works mostly from home. But, it’s very hard to work from home and have “working hours”. When I’m doing laundry, I feel I should be working. When I’m at the gym, I feel I should be working. When I’m playing with my children, I feel I should be working. But then, when I’m working on my computer, I feel guilty that the dishes aren’t done or that my daughter is playing alone in her room. Or better yet, watching way too much Disney Jr. Also, with social media being such a big part of our lives and in my case, a big part of my work, I feel like I’m always “on”.

There are days, when things feel completely chaotic and out of control mostly because I’m trying to juggle too much at the same time. On those days, I feel unaccomplished and stressed out. I find that when I get to this point, I need to step back and prioritize. I need to figure out what’s most important, what’s truly urgent and tackle those things first. This means some things just don’t get done or don’t get done right away and I have to be ok with this.

Maybe having a balanced life does not necessarily mean a stress-free life. Maybe a balanced life isn’t so balanced after all. There are things that will take priority over others, like our family. Or things that will take more of your time. There are things we just prefer doing over others. Instead of looking for a perfect balance in our lives, maybe we should just look for some balance. Maybe balance is more about being flexible and able to change directions. Balance may not always be about giving everything or everyone equal priorities. Maybe balance is about letting go of the things that hold us back and weigh us down and keeping what makes us happy and fulfilled.

What does having a balanced life mean to you?

I was really struggling to keep my balance during Tough Mudder!

Happy Friday | The Challenges of the Weekend

The weekend is almost here and we are looking forward to crossing a few more things off our Summer Bucket List these next 2 days! I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and doing some fun stuff together. Do you have any fun plans for your weekend?

I’m a wedding photographer and lots of weekends are spent away from the kiddos, so we really try to make the weekends we have with them special! As much as I enjoy having weekends off and spending them with my family, I do worry about how I’m going to eat healthy and stay on track while we’re eating most of our meals out of the house. I’ll do really well all week. I’ll workout every day and cook and eat healthy meals. Then the weekend gets here, we’ll be at the park or running around at stores and then BAM it’s time for dinner. Your options are limited and you aren’t going to go home and cook (it’s Saturday, after all). You decide on a place to eat, vow to find something healthy on the menu, and then the bacon blue cheese burger and fries catches your eye….Is this scenario familiar to you? Do you give in to the burger or make a sensible choice instead?

Let’s not let the weekend ruin all our hard work this week! Here are 3 easy steps we can take this weekend when we’re met with temptation while eating out!

1. Tell your family or friends you’re out with that you’re going to have a healthy meal! Just saying it out loud to others will help keep you accountable and when you start drooling over those chicken nachos, they can hopefully help steer you away 🙂

2. Plan a quick morning workout. You can find some on my Pinterest workout motivation board. Anything from 15-30 mins. should do it. Something simple you can do in your home that will help get your blood flowing & heart rate up. I find that taking just a small amount of time for myself before starting the weekend helps me stay on track. It reminds me of what’s more important and I feel stronger when faced with temptation during the day. I’m like, “I worked hard this morning and don’t want to ruin it!”

3. Have fun. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you give yourself a cheat day or a cheat meal once a week, then go ahead and use it on the weekend when you plan to eat out. Enjoy the time with your family and friends. Don’t be so focused on counting calories or not eating carbs that you forget to live in the moment. Eating healthy and exercising is a way of life, but it shouldn’t consume your entire life.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your messy life!

xo,

Jessie