We want results!!!

 We want results!!! Right?!

Well here's the thing. As much as this makes me less then thrilled, results will not happen over night. I know this is kind of a "Duh" statement, but it's the truth. There are things we can do to change that but it pretty much comes down to things like getting Liposuction and not actually putting in any real effort on your part. Lots of money! But no true effort.

Effort is important. . .if you aren't able to put in the effort to get results, then chances are you won't keep any you get. Effort and good habits go hand in hand. You need to find a system that you can follow for the long hall so that you keep seeing results and so you can stick to the things that got you there.

The difference between a diet and healthy lifestyle choices are important to focus on. A diet can be a good start, much like a cleanse can be. However if you don't know how to be after it is all said and done then it isn't likely it will matter. Results come from a combination of what you take in to fuel your body, and how you exercise to burn that fuel.

 Find a workout plan that fits you and your lifestyle. There are so many choices out there. You can't go wrong with any of them!

If you have a lot to loose, and this is a big change in your life, start small. Don't stress your body and heart in a way that can either do damage or just discourage you all together. Set aside 4-5 days a week and walk. Start with half a mile and work your way up. Adding another half mile after every other week or so. You will realize you can walk longer and be less out of breath as you progress.

Once you feel good about that add in something else. Add a yoga class 2-3 times a week, or a Yoga DVD. Start challenging your body to do something different. Yoga is great because it doesn't have any impact and it is all about flexibility and stability.

You can also try a Coach to 5K program if you have a particular goal of being able to run. You can start off first by walking and then ease into the Coach to 5K program. From there you can make whatever goal you want after that. Whether it being to challenge yourself to a 5K with obstacles once you've completed a 5k or two. Or you can keep pushing distance and try for a 10K or a half marathon! Going even farther by completing a full marathon! The goal should just always be to start somewhere and keep pushing yourself after that.

In order to see results you need to keep your body challenged and engaged. You need to go to that breaking point, where you are sweating and starting to breath heavy and maybe even want to quit. But don't quit. This is what you want. You have to push yourself past your comfort zone.

Results will come. If you can promise yourself the time to dedicate to making that effort then you will see results. It won't be right away, and not all results you will be able to see. But you will notice your abilities will grow and your flexibility will increase and your pants will feel loose. Before you know it you can soon SEE the results and then so will other people around you. 

However if you only change your physical activity and not your diet it is likely that the change will be small if any at all. You need to set up a plan that works for you. Make premade meals and put them in the freezer. Spend one day a week prepping your meals based on either a healthy cook book you bought or a special meal plan you want (such as the Paleo diet, a clean eating diet or a gluten free diet). And remember when I use the word diet it is referencing your daily intake of food, not a short lived system meant to have an ending point. What do you want out of your eating plan? Do you want to eat what you like but just learn portion control(If you do nothing else, this is something everyone should be doing regardless)? Do you feel you would benefit from a gluten free diet? Maybe you have noticed you're feel very bloated and you don't feel well after eating products with Gluten as well as desiring the added benefits of weight loss that usually follow this diet change. Maybe you want to cleanse your body of the process garbage and switch to a clean eating way or life or even following the Paleo diet (mimicking what we ate during the days of "cavemen"). There are once again so many options and different choices out there depending on your lifestyle and your desired outcome.

Once you have gotten these two things down (diet and an exercise program) it is time to start seeing results! It might seem small at first but once you see that number changing on the scale and your clothes start feeling better it will validate all that hard work. Stick to it for four weeks! In four weeks you will start to notice your hard work paying off, and after that everyone else will start to notice too. You will become an inspiration in your social circle and you will truly see how worth it, it all was. Don't get down on yourself because after the first week you didn't see any change. If you change your body will also change, it just might take a few weeks at first for you to be able to tell. But it will be worth it all in the end!!!

No Excuses

We can all make excuses to explain why we haven't done the things we have wanted to do, why we haven't reached goals. . .why we gave up. We all have that ability and we have in so many ways over used that right.

There are no excuses. . .Challenges? Yes absolutely. There will always be things that get in our way and make us have to work twice as hard to reach our goals. We won't be able to easily complete each task we put ahead of ourselves. But we can. Absolutely we can.

I have a very soft spot in my heart for the men and women of our military. Between family members and friends there are a lot of people in my life who have or are serving our country. The thing I have learned most from our men and women in uniform? Never Quit. EVER!

After seeing a video of Team Xtreme doing a Spartan Race, I chose to sign up for one myself. Because with tears in my eyes, I knew this was a group of men I wanted to follow. The dedication and determination of these Wounded Warriors was just aw-inspiring and reminded me that your physical abilities start and stop with your motivation and determination to do them. 

I mean what excuses do we make?

"I just don't have the time"

"I'm not in the shape I want to be, and it's hard"

"I just can't get motivated"

"I have a sports injury from high school that slows me down"

"It all costs money"

"I have kids and I am super busy all the time"

"After a long day I just want to go home and relax"

There are hundreds and thousands of reasons and excuses we can all make to not do something. Whether it be competing in a fitness competition, partaking in a run of some sort, or just working out and getting of the couch. We can all find those reasons to quit, give up or not do them at all. But is that how you want to live your life? Or do you want to be that person that people look up to and admire?

Watch this video and see exactly why quitting isn't an option

These men have run into war with their brothers and given the ultimate sacrifices. Some gave their lives, some gave their limbs and I am sure all of them have suffered in much deeper ways none of us can begin to understand. What have they done about it? . . . They got right back up, pushed forward and are now setting new goals for themselves and motivating others in the process. 

I went on a run yesterday actually, with my step mom. And it was hot and we were tired. We had run earlier in the week and we knew we didn't want to just run once. My step mom is training for a half marathon and until I decide to sign up for one myself we are determined to run as often as we are able. We completed the run, only 3.75 miles that day. And as we were by our cars a couple came out of the same trail we had been on. The man running was an amputee and had a blade runner. We asked how far they were running, they said they were about half way through their 9 mile run. . . We wished them well and they went on their way. It reminded me that our minds can trick us into thinking we can't do something, but our bodies are much more resilient. I felt humbled at this nonchalant answer from the man. He clearly thought nothing more about his injuries, only about the miles ahead of him.

We can learn so much from the people who have come out of the ashes and rose to become even greater then before. We can't keep finding these excuses and letting them define our success in life. If you want to do something, just do it. That simple. No one is stopping you but you.

10 DaY Smoothie Cleanse

So four days ago my boyfriend and I started another 10 day smoothie cleanse. A few months ago I purchased the Nutribullet on Amazon and it has paid for itself twice over already! We successfully completed one 10 day cleanse and we are now on day 4 of our second cleanse.

There are a lot of great benefits to doing a cleanse of any kind, and I have talked about them in the past. Everyone has different reasons to do them as well. I am looking to undo some unhealthy eating and cut down on the bloat it has caused as well as helping get my eating habits back to a better place. Other reasons to do a cleanse?

Weight loss of course!

Lowering your blood pressure

Detoxifying your body

Help with digestion

Take in more fruits and veggies in your diet

Clearer skin

Increased energy

Take in antioxidants

Fighting and preventing illness

Changing the way you look at food

There are just so many reasons to not only do a cleanse, or more specifically a smoothie cleanse. You can also add it to your daily diet once you're done to keep those benefits in motion.

When I started with smoothies, I had been using a juicer for about a year already. But I felt like I was getting rid of too many essential nutrients by removing that roughage and only extracting the juices. I knew that there was a lot of fiber in there I was cutting out and honestly it was just a lot more work and prep so I was juicing a few times a week instead of every day and I had lulls where I didn't at all.

After getting my Nutribullet I have used it almost every single day aside from travel days here and there. It is so fast and easy that even when I am running late to work I know I can get a good smoothie thrown together for myself and my boyfriend and I don't have to worry about what we will be having for lunch. We have saved so much on eating out because of this as well! No lunches out or breakfast out and when we eat dinner out we have a much better way of ordering, because we have put in all this effort to be healthy in all of our other meals and we know what our bodies NEEDS verses what we think we WANT.

There is something very important to know and keep in mind however when it comes to smoothies!!! YOU CAN'T JUST USE FRUIT!

Fruit is what helps sweeten your smoothie and give it that flavor we love, however remember while fruit is healthy you can have too much of it and the sugar will actually have the opposite effect you are looking for. The suggestion with smoothies is you want about half and half, but if you can help it throw in more greens and veggies (as you get more use to the smoothies you can change the ratio). I ALWAYS have either kale, spinach, mixed greens or some kind of leafy green in each smoothie. About two big handfuls. Then I use water not milk. Other veggies that I enjoy mixing in to change up, for both the benefits and flavors?

Cucumber

Carrots

Tomato

Zucchini

You can also add things like Flax seed, protein powder, a multivitamin powder, chia seeds, nuts, peanut butter (i suggest powdered, both for ease of use and less fat) along with many other additives. However what I use is my Shakeology. I don't like the flavor of a lot of those other things but I still want the benefits of them in my smoothie. Normally I have Shakeology every morning anyway so now I just add it to my breakfast smoothie and I have everything I could possibly need in one!

 

  Other things to keep in mind during a smoothie cleanse:

Drink A LOT OF WATER!!!

Set a goal and stick to it! No quitting!

Take down your begining weight and measurements

Snack on raw veggies as much as you want

No processed food!

No diary or sugar!

I allow myself up to 2 hard boiled eggs a day

Don't over do your workouts during a cleanse

Sleep, your body will need it! (7-8 hours!)

It helps if you do it with someone

Don't jump right back into your old habits!

Remember you are doing this cleanse to start off on the right foot, this isn't so you can get right back into eating unhealthy crap and not working out regularly. Diet and exercise are hand in hand and you won't see results if you don't do these together. This is the beginning of a lifestyle change. It isn't a crash diet. You can do this!!!

Smoothie Recipe I enjoy!

Just Peachy:

One bottle of water

A cup of frozen peaches

A cup of frozen blueberries

2-3 Big handfuls of Spinach

Some kind of multivitamin mix or Shakeology

Standard Go-To:

One Banana

1 1/2 Cup strawberries

One bottle of water

2-3 Handfuls of Spinach or baby kale

Some kind of multivitamin mix or Shakeology

AND DRINK A LOT OF WATER ALL DAY LONG!!!