Beauty on the Inside

It's been a while since I have posted anything and this isn't a great post, but it's a great song.  For the last few months I've been glued to this song.  I play it over and over because it helps me feel good about my day, about my life, and about myself.  If you haven't heard it, here it is.  It's easy for us to listen to the world around us and think that beauty is defined but what everybody else thinks.  I love that this song says that it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks.  Goals are accomplished by what we, ourselves, think and set out to do. What I love most about this song is that she emphasizes that we need to love who we are. We shouldn't want to be anybody else.

Last week of Boot Camp

So I just finished our last week of Boot Camp on Thursday and I have so many feelings about it...

What have I learned? What have I tried to help others learn? Well, here it is:

I have learned:

*In all honesty, I've learned that this is my passion. This is my forte.  I am good at creating workouts and at helping others become motivated.

*I have learned to be stronger and more accountable in my own health and lifestyle.

*I have learned that everyone is different.and not everyone actually wants to do hard things, and that I can't be depressed or disappointed in someone else's choice.

I have tried to help others learn:

*That your mind is not in charge of you; you are in charge of your mind.

*That the things you think you can't do; can be done.

*That when you put your mind to something, it becomes easier to accomplish.

*That at points in tough workouts, where you think you are "dying," remember: You are not "dying."  People with cancer in hospital beds are "dying."  What you are doing by pushing your body and exercising to your max; ... is LIVING!

Here is another blog post by one of my boot camp girls.  She had never run a single mile before she came into this.  On the fourth week I made her run a mile and she was beaming with pride because though it was hard, it was something she didn't think she was strong enough to do.  She proved herself wrong.  Then this last week I had a sprint/jog workout for her to do, but didn't tell her how far it was until the next day.  It was 2.25 miles.  She was pretty happy with herself, and I am too.  She couldn't do more than 2 or 3 push-ups when she started and now she can do a minimum of 10.  Way to go Jessica!  Here's what she had to say:

http://zaakandjessica.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-week.html

The Attitude to Have

Mindy Gledhill sets the perfect example in this song.  It's the perfect attitude to strive for.  It's not always easy to be optimistic and adventurous, but if you can ignite some inspiration and find a little motivation, you can do anything.

I love the lyrics...
"I'm gonna walk a hundred miles, I'm gonna whistle all the while, if that's what it takes to make me smile, i'm gonna walk a hundred miles. I'm gonna run right up this hill, summer sky or winter chill, if i need to take a break i will, but I'm gonna run right up this hill."

Feeling Better About Your Body After Baby

http://www.parenting.com/article/feel-better-about-your-post-baby-body

A Big Fat Debate

This is a great article.  I found it from a tweet from Jillian Michaels:

http://civileats.com/2011/03/04/a-big-fat-debate/

See for yourself

Jessica is one of the girls that comes to my bootcamps. Here's what she had to say about it on her blog:

http://zaakandjessica.blogspot.com/2011/02/mind-vs-body.html

I'm glad you feel this way Jessica! Thanks for coming!

An experience of a lifetime

I have become converted.

I was NOT opposed to races or running before, but I was most definitely not a participator. I have always tried to apply cardio to my workouts, but since I have always been weak at it, I was never motivated to push through that weakness.

A few months ago I had made a lot of decisions in regards to my goals and my life. I decided to make changes and make challenges for myself. One of which, was to develop a love for running (if it was possible.) So I started a training schedule and was running 5 days a week at first. I had been considering entering a race, but I considered a small one. Like a fun run, or a 5k, but then a best friend of mine approached me about my goal. This was our conversation:

Friend: "Let's do the race together and sign up for the 10k."

Me: "I don't know... I don't know if I'll be able to hack out 6.2 miles by the time of the race! I don't know if this is a reasonable goal to make!"

Friend:(with much emotion and tears welling up) "Colby, the only thing I've ever done that I consider 'cool' in my life, has been giving natural child birth. I need to accomplish something else that is 'cool' and for me this is it. I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish things that seem impossible. Not just child birth."

Me: "Well, first of all giving natural child birth is most definitely not the only thing you have done, that is 'cool,' but I don't know how to say no to that, so I'll do it, but you are gonna have to help me and motivate me every step of the way."

So that's what we did. We helped each other. We inspired each other. We pushed each other. And when race day came, neither of us had run 6.2 miles non stop yet, but that was our one and only goal. We didn't care about our time, we only cared about running the whole thing, and finishing.

On race day, we stayed close to each other the whole time. Sometimes she'd be ahead of me, and sometimes I'd be ahead of her, but we kept eyes on each other and set little milestones along the way and always ended up side by side, offering words of encouragement.

At several points in the race we wanted to stop. Our mind was telling us to just take a break for a minute, but then a sign on the side of the trail with a picture of a little child with cancer would pop up next to us and we both had the thought that, "At least my body is even healthy enough to do this. Some people don't even have a body that is strong enough to run, so I'm gonna make the most out of this healthy body and keep going. How can I quit when I know there are people out there who would give anything to do what I'm doing?"

It was an emotional experience. I never fully understood the magnitude of charity races until I raced one. It is an incredible experience to say the least.

After crossing that finish line I was on a proud-high the rest of the day. And it felt good to be proud of myself because to be honest, it had been a while.

If I can offer any motivation, or inspiration to those who think you can't do something hard. I'm telling you, YOU CAN. Not only will you feel proud and happy with yourself. Your attitude on life will change forever. If you have never participated in a race, I urge you to do so, not just to improve your cardio, but to improve your mind, your emotions, your spirit, your attitude, and to improve YOU!

Reach for the impossible and then when you reach it, keep going.

My support group:  my sister Emma, my son Ryder, and my daughter Lainey

First Night of Boot Camp...Check!

So we started our first night tonight.  Good job to all you ladies and thank you so much for coming!  A few things I would like to mention, that I didn't have the chance to tonight:

1.) Remember our theme: Everyone can do something easy, but not everyone can do something hard.  Choose to do the hard stuff.  Be the minority. Be different than everyone.

2.) Focus on your efforts, not your image.  Stop focusing on your image.  Stop focusing on how you look on the outside for now.  Especially when you're working out!  Don't think about how ridiculous you might look to everyone and how you probably look weak, or like you are struggling.  Just get in a zone and focus on what is best for you.  Once you start focusing on your efforts instead of your image, you'll begin to love your image more.

3.) Journal.  Please journal your progress.  If you want to do it privately in a notebook, or publicly on facebook; I don't care!  But don't just journal your weight loss,  journal your accomplishments in strength, endurance, flexibility, and mental capability.  If you couldn't do a single push-up at the beginning, but in two weeks you can... JOURNAL THAT MILESTONE!  If you couldn't run a mile because your mind told you it was too hard, but in 3 weeks you can because you ignored that quitter attitude... JOURNAL THAT MILESTONE!  I really want you to see your growth both mentally and physically.  If you stick with this, you will also see an attitude change in yourself, so journal it so you don't forget!

4.) Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition!  Water, water, water!  You will have much better results if you are eating the right things!  I will give you a list of things to eat a lot of, and things to have very little of.  If you do not change your eating habits, you will not have the strength, and body that you want to have.

5.)  Commit and conquer!  Decide right now to finish the six weeks, come rain or shine.  Make the decision right now, that this is something you are going to do three times a week no matter what.  Excuses and reasons not to come need to not be an option.  Try to convince your mind that there is no decision, or option on whether or not you should exercise tonight.  Just go and do without thinking about it.

6.)  Do cardio on the no boot camp days!!  I can't stress this one enough.  You need to apply cardio in your life 5 days a week.  Go for a run, or whatever it takes to get your heart rate going for at least 20 minutes  on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Trainer Momma

I have a friend who has been telling me to look at this blog for a while, so I've been looking at it a lot lately.  This lady is awesome and stands for every bit of what I do and more.  Check it out.  She has great tips on eating, working out, and just being a better you.

http://www.trainermomma.com/

On a Physical Note, On a Mental Note

On a Physical Note:

When we make healthy goals, it is sometimes extreme of us to say, "NO EATING OUT."  Because, let's be honest, eating out happens.  Someone has a birthday party at a restaurant, all of your friends are going on a lunch date, you and the spouse want to go out... these things are inevitable.  So what can you do when these situations occur?  Surely, you don't want to miss out, and how do you know what really is healthy and what is just fooling you?  Here's how to be safe:  when going out get in the habit of ALWAYS ordering a water.  No soda, no lemonade, no powerade...JUST WATER.  That is rule number one.  Rule number two:  Never order anything that is fried, or has any "special sauce."  Special sauce is just code for mayonnaise and something else with sugar and fat.  Poultry and Fish are always good choices when they are not fried or glazed with butter.  Instead of ordering mashed potatoes for a side, order a salad, or vegetables.  Rule number three:  Easy on the cheese.  Things that are covered in cheese, or creamy cheese sauce, means fat, fat, fat!  Rule number four:  Say no to dessert!  A single dessert can hold as many calories as your entire meal had in it, so get in the habit of saying no to the sweets.  For now, stick to the four rules and you should be cutting calories already. But most importantly, remember that it is okay to have these things on occasion.  Of course we are not going to deprive ourselves of never having a piece of cheesecake, but if we can make the piece of cheesecake a rare treat, you are on the right track.  If you find that you are choosing the "good stuff" every time you eat out, you should consider trying to change your habits and stick to the four rules.

On a Mental Note:

Be thankful for the body that you have.  Though we may struggle with weight, or with our image, we must remember that we are cancer free, that we have all four limbs, that we are mentally capable of anything.  Show your gratitude for your body by keeping it healthy.  As I was running my 10k on Saturday, there was a huge moment on mile 5 and mile 6 that I wanted to quit and walk the rest of the way.  But along the way, their were posters with pictures of children who had cancer, that we were running for.  I saw a sweet picture of little London (who the run was dedicated to.)  She passed away a few years ago and as I gazed at that picture I thought to myself:  "At least I have a body that is capable of exercise," so I didn't want to quit when I knew my body was capable of continuing.  Our bodies are capable of more than we think.  We have capable bodies.  Consider your blessings and what you are grateful for in regards to your body.  What are things about your body that you are happy to have?  I for one, am thankful that my body is healthy enough to bare children.  I'm thankful that I don't have any disease, that the hardest thing about exercise for me is asthma and that my inhaler quickly cures that.  I'm thankful for a body that is whole, that I have all the body parts that I need to function properly.  What are you thankful for?  What is it that you love about your body?

Mind v.s Body

Why is it so hard for us to have a strict eating and exercise regimen? Wouldn’t it be easy to do what we know is good for us?  Why would we want to intentionally avoid the things that can make us better, healthier, and stronger? 

According to www.annecollins.com obesity statistics 

Latest Weight Statistics

USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions

• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
• 78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990

Why would millions of people allow this to happen to their bodies?

The answer is simply this:  The mental challenge is much harder than the physical challenge.  Remember that.  Instead of focusing on getting physically healthy and strong; focus on being mentally healthy and strong.  Once you’ve mastered the mental challenge, the physical challenge becomes much easier. 

The next time you challenge your body, whether it’s exercising, or trying not to pull that car into a fast food restaurant, use your mental strength.  Think to yourself: what is the best thing for my body right now?  Is it pushing on an extra mile of running, or quitting right now.  Is it pulling into this Taco Bell because you haven’t eaten all day and a Burrito Supreme sounds so good, or just going home and making a turkey sandwich? Choose the hard things.  Choose the challenging things.

Challenge your mind, push past your mental blocks.  Make your mind strong, so that your body can be.  As you set a goal this week, don’t just accomplish it, go above and beyond.  Tomorrow will be my first race ever.  I’m running London’s run doing the 10k, but I’m not worried about placing, or how I look to all the other people.  I’m only worrying about making my own personal record.  I’m going to challenge myself tomorrow by pushing my mind and convincing myself to keep going even when I want to stop.  Wish me luck, and good luck to you too.

Anyone can do something easy

Just a little thought I would like to share:

As I was running this morning, I felt myself want to give up. I was trying to push myself, but my mind wanted to negotiate with me. A thought suddenly came to my mind.  Everyone in this world can do something easy, but not everyone in this world can do something hard.   As I pondered this, I realized that I wanted to be in the minority of those who do hard things, so I pushed on.  I want to be someone who can do something hard.  I choose to be someone that can do something hard.  Which are you?

Bootcamp: Let's Get Started

My bootcamp is ready for any takers! I'm starting February 7th so email me if you're interested! $10 a month! Super cheap and super worth it :) Email: cnmgymnast@gmail.com

Choose to be Cheerful

Each morning when we wake up, we have the choice to be happy, or not. Choose to be cheerful no matter what the circumstances. Be hopeful in your day. Do things that keep your spirits up. Do things that keep you feeling successful and accomplished. It can be little tasks like organizing one little drawer that has been driving you nuts. It can be taking a walk with your kids while admiring the beauty in the world around you. Then, when you do something that made you feel better about your day, celebrate by smiling and feeling good about it. Sometimes we feel that we don't deserve celebration after accomplishing something. For example, you might clean that drawer out and then say, well I shouldn't be proud of myself for doing that because I should've done it months ago. It's okay to celebrate something that you've put off because regardless of when you did it, YOU DID IT! Brag to your husband. Scream it out loud, "YAY I CLEANED THE DRAWER!" Whatever it takes to make you feel good about yourself and your day, do it. Choose to do things that keep you cheerful. Choose to be cheerful :) This video is a great reminder that we have the choice, no matter what goes on in our lives, to be happy and to have hope. This woman was a political figure who was busier than busy. She was responsible for tons of things including being the Relief Society President. She found out she had an aggressive cancer and was going through some intense chemotherapy. Here's what she has to say:

Healthy for a Day!

Just a health tip for everybody and anybody who is trying to motivate themselves to change the way they eat, or exercise:  Get past the first day.

If you can get past that first day, if you can eat healthy all day long, stay away from the sweets and do some sort of exercise, or activity; for one full day, it is much easier to keep going.  That first day is always so hard because you don't have a streak that you would be breaking if you cheated.  You think to yourself, "Well, I 'll just start tomorrow."  START TODAY!  It doesn't have to be a Monday, let it be a Wednesday, or a Thursday! No excuses.  Just start.  After that first day you'll feel proud and you'll want to keep your pattern going.  Try it out and see if on the second day, you are more excited than the first!

For those who eat for comfort or for fun, remember that food is for nourishing our bodies, not for making it weaker.  We have food to help us live, not to help us become so unhealthy that it causes our bodies to die, so choose your food wisely.  Look at the amount of calories in the things you are eating and look at the ingredients!