Hard.

The past couple of weeks have been hard.  The workouts make me so sore I struggle to get out of bed in the morning.  On top of some personal things I am dealing with I am just very tired- to say the least.  I squeeze in 10-11 workouts a week right now.  And as you saw in my pervious post they are heavy!  I've come to the conclusion that losing weight can be difficult, gaining muscle is SO much harder!  Merrick thinks I am not eating enough.  I am shooting for 160g of protein a day which is also a lot harder than I realized.  I am not use to eating so much food!  Anyway, that's all I have in terms of updates. 

New Plan.

I just got this emailed to me before class this morning.  Here is my new plan to finally build some muscle.  It's going to be a beast especially since this is in addition to Fight Shape classes, BJJ and Muay Thai classes.  In addition to my workouts I've been dealing with a probable hairline fracture in my right thumb for about a week now.  I am always bumping it, which doesn't help at all.  Merrick said I can tape it up to help with the pain.  Good news is that bone overgrowth will- in the long run- make it stronger.  Side note:  Eric is entered into a grappling tournament on the 21st!  So, that's really exciting for him.

Mondays:
Lunges
5
10
Box jump
5
5
Plyo Pushups
5
5
Low squats
5
10
Slam ball high toss
5
5
Donkey calf raises
5
10
Front squats 30 sec rest
5
10
Full clean Rack
5
5


 Thur or Fri
Turkish getup KB
5
5
Swing KB
5
5
Windmill KB
5
5
Rotation KB
5
5
Goblet squat KB
5
25
Single leg deadlift KB
5
5
Row Rower
5
10
500 Meters
Dead tread Woodway off incline 10
5
30.30


 Wed &Wknd
Bag press
10
10
Bag lift and reach
10
10
Slam ball lat overs
10
10
Squat lifts with Hanging bag
10
10
Bent rows with Bag
10
10
Hamstring curls with Slam ball and bag
10
2
Hip up toe taps Bag
10
10
Total score
Add up entire time to finish

You can do it too!

Since my 90 day transformation challenge ended I have had so many people have approach me about the journey.  More times than I can count different individuals have made comments like,

 "Amazing work!  I wish I could do that." "You are so dedicated I wish I had your motivation"  "I don't think I could ever be capable of working that hard"  "I'm just too busy to work out that much" "Your husband must make a lot of money to afford that kind of training"  "I want to look like you, but I just don't think I could give up ..."  "Maybe someday...."

Let me just set the record straight.  I have not achieved an impossible goal.  I have not done anything- if someone truly wanted to- anyone else could not do. 

It all comes down to what you value most in your life.  What is truly more important?  Is it the short-term satisfaction of eating junk in that moment of desire or wanting long term health?  Staying up extra late to watch that TV show or going to bed early so you are able to get up before the sun to squeeze that extra workout in before the kids wake up?  Is it more important to buy clothes, shoes, eat dinners out, shiny new cars, etc or invest in a professional trainer to help you reach your fitness goals? 
And since we are on the subject of money, working out and eating well is NOT expensive.  You can go for walk/run outside, swim at the lake, do body weight exercises at the park, sprint up your stairs, find a free treadmill on craigslist (that's what I did) and make it work.  When Eric asks what I want for holiday gifts (birthday, Christmas, etc) I usually always tell him training sessions and workout clothes.  For our anniversary we bought each other workout clothes and made a date of shopping for them together. 

My husband and I have decided that being healthy is what we value and so we invest our time and money into that. 

Try something new.  I have a friend who meets other moms at the park and they all workout together with the kids and strollers.  I know someone else who swims laps in the lake each morning before work.  I run sprints in my yard, squat, lunge and do pushups with my kids.  They LOVE it! If I know my kids need a quiet day at home I will wake up extra early and workout before any one is out of bed.  If I miss the morning workout I will communicate with my husband that I need to go either when he gets home from work or after the kids are in asleep for the night.  He has learned that I am a much better wife and mother when I can workout.  I have more energy, patience, and motivation for the other areas of my life when my body is at it's best.  I am very grateful for that understanding on his part. 

It makes a big difference that we are a team in this lifestyle together.  It was not always like that though.  For the first 7+ years of our marriage I was the only one who valued a healthy lifestyle and it was hard on us as a couple.  Here I was working my butt off (literally) before during and after each of our kids and he was not.  This last 90 day journey has started to change all of that.  He enjoys MMA training and has really enjoyed seeing the amazing results it has produced.  For him, he had to find something that was fun.  It's different for me- I will pretty much do whatever it takes to stay fit (but that is my personal conviction)   

Another key that has helped is that I simply do NOT buy junk for our home.  I have never purchased soda, chips, cookies, cakes, pastries, etc. (unless it's for a specific/special occasion-which is rare) to keep in our home.  I don't even go down those aisles in the grocery store.  My kids get goldfish, apple juice for breakfast and other snack-y type foods.  But once they are gone for the month I don't rush out to the store right away to buy more.  They can eat apples, cheese, fruit, carrots and hummus, etc if they are truly hungry.  We make a Costco run once every 1-2 months and then I don't shop anymore b/c I always end up buying snacks we don't need.  Is it fun to snack on treats?!  Of course.  Is it worth it?!  Not to me (most of the time).  I'd rather skip the junk, feel good, look even better and have no regrets or frustrations when they aren't necessary.  It's more important to me to be healthy.  Period. 

Figure out what you truly value, make a plan, figure out if you are really willing to give up, change certain habits and go for it!  Live regret free, love others, love yourself, and inspire others to do the same:)