I passed!!

I passed my CPT exam with NASM!! In my last post I wrote about the anxiety I was starting to feel about the exam and the self doubt I was letting into my mind. Well...I did it!

It doesn't get easier, you just get stronger...

I'm starting to quietly freak out over my personal trainer certification test date approaching. In the recent days I've been waking up worrying and stressing which just makes me doubt myself. I look in the mirror and I question if I am even doing the right thing....

This past year hasn't been an easy one for me. I don't know why...maybe it's because I take things too personally...I feel like I failed at a career I had been working for my entire college career...and at the point in my life I felt like my worth was measured by the success of my career. Thankfully, I found comfort and stress relief in the gym. I found success...in the gym. I found strength. and I was reminded of my true self.

Though I have succeeded for myself and lost my own weight and found my way to a healthy life-- I feel as if I still have so much to learn. I have just been born into this. The things I do know are that I love challenge, pushing myself physically, and helping others reach their goals. It makes me feel fulfilled to help others. I have changed my life for the better and I want to show other people that they can do it too. That is why I want to pursue this path. Sometimes when I wake up and I have self doubt...negativity...an enemy in the mirror... I forget why I started. I forget who I was when I was truly miserable. That is something that should never be forgotten.

I don't want to fall back into the slump of who I used to be. I don't want to be afraid of anything. But I am still a work in progress. Every. Hour. Every. Day.

This is my blog and I am not great at keeping it up. I don't like posting things just to post them. I post things for me, first. If it's important to me. And if it somehow inspires or motivates someone else...then that's just awesome. I am no expert. And some days I feel like a fraud. But I put in time, work, and determination. I am dedicated to living a better life. And sometimes I just need to remind myself of these things...everyone needs a reminder now and then.

-S

Peanut butter = Happiness

Meant to post this on Thursday, but for some reason never got around to publishing it. Here it is. I know you've been waiting for it.
--

So tonight I teach some more ladies how to bounce that ass up and down on the floor....lmao. Actually, it's a really small class, so most of the time...it's just me. Boucning dat ass. Just kidding. kind of. (me and...like 5 others).

Anywho, so Thursdays and Mondays I'm (a little) more active than the other days of the week, so I add more carbs to these days. This morning I decided to have some good ole oatmeal. Actually, its better than the oatmeal you probably know and love. Why, you ask? I add in a scoop of vanilla whey protein and ~ a spoonful of peanut butter w/ honey. Yup. Because I want to. And I love peanut butter....it basically makes everything better. It's a giant band aid on a bad day. Plus, it's super quick and easy....and keeps me full :). Enjoy!

I use HEB brand Quick Oats. And giiiirrrl they are quick. 

1:00 minute in the microwave.

Stir Stir Stir! And Eat.

Hump day...more like Pump Day!! Meal 3

So, I typically eat 4 meals a day. That's just what works best for me. I wake up, run, eat (meal 1). Shower, eat (meal 2). Work, snack. Home, eat (meal 3). Gym, eat (meal 4). I count my smoothies and protein shakes as meals because typically I will have some sort of complex carb with it (like fruit). I have a confession though...lately I've been pretty lax on my diet. And I can tell with how my body is responding. So, starting Monday I decided to kick my butt back into gear. Today I made some grilled chicken "fajitas" with corn tortillas for meal 3, lol. It was super yummy. Be jelly!

Blue-Raspberry-Banana Protein Smoothie

Good Morning!!

For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that I basically make breakfast smoothies everyday. Really...everyday. All of my smoothies basically include the same basic ingredients: ~1.5 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1 scoop whey protein (I use Dymatize--protein will have to be saved for another post), a pinch of Flax Seed, and a squirt of raw unfiltered honey (for added natural sweetness). I'm very meticulous with my measurements, can't you tell, lol (sarcasm). The other ingredients I just interchange--different variations of fruit or veggies (like kale and spinach). I love using frozen fruit and freezing bananas. Adds to the texture and makes a bomb ass smoothie.

Today I used a handful of frozen blueberries & raspberries, 1 banana, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of avocado for added texture. (Adding avocado creates a "milkshake" like texture, and you won't taste it :-) -- I freaking love avocados. It's on my list of things I eat daily).

 

Blend that shit up...and wooh-la! Delish. 

The finished product:

Enjoy! :) Preferably in a cool cup, like the one above.

Undercover Foodie

Hello loves. I love food. Since losing weight my love for food has not changed--at all. Actually, my appreciation towards it has only grown immensely. I just want to throw it out there and say that to lose weight you don't have to starve yourself. You should really never starve yourself. Don't ever do that to your body. Your body needs fuel, just as a car does, to run efficiently. Make sure you are giving it the best fuel for your engine. :) Anyway, I have done the counting calories, macros, etc...but in the end I simply I made smart decisions and have created awesome tasting food. Today this is what my breakfast looked like (which was a reward after only allowing myself protein smoothies for the past few days):

Contents:

2 Egg whites

Red pepper

Red onion

Spinach

Garlic sea salt

Black pepper

Red pepper flakes

1/3 Avocado chunks

1 grilled chicken breast

2 tbsp of salsa

Here is your shopping list:

All White Egg Whites

Veggies (of choice)

Frozen pre-cooked chicken breast (I like Tyson brand)

The best part is that it is super simple and super quick. I don't want you to keep coming up with excuses as to why you can't/don't have time to eat healthy!!

Firstly, these eggs can be cooked in the microwave. The microwave, people!!!!!! 

Pour some egg whites into a microwaveable bowl. Chop up some veggies. Add to the bowl.

Cook in microwave for 1 minute, stopping to stir and check. Give or take on your microwave, you might have to add a few seconds. SECONDS.

Okay, Now, put that frozen breast on a plate. Zap for 2 minutes. Throw some salsa on that b*tch.

Put your eggs on the same plate. Add Avocado.

The End!!!!  :-) (It'll probably take you less time to make than it did to read this post)

Mental Strength + Physical Strength

Happy Monday! Tonight I taught my Monday cardio dance class tonight. I am SO thankful for my Monday night class. It is a pretty big class (20+) which really energizes me. I love it. We shake our booties and fun is had by all.

Anyway, back to the meaning of this glorious post. Mental Strength + Physical Strength.

In order for a person to really change their lifestyle they've got to have their mind in the right place. When it comes to fitness, mentality is everything. Obviously, you know that. You know it's hard. If it weren't --everyone would do it, right. My philosophy is that in order to truly be a strong person all around you must be strong in & out--both physically AND mentally. To be disciplined, stay dedicated, continually pushing yourself to do better than you did yesterday, changing your habits,...I feel like that is the true measure of someone's strength.

I really respect those who don't look for the shortcuts, the easy ways, and put in the hard work that it takes to get results. When it comes to mental strength you have to be willing to endure being "uncomfortable". You have to be willing to "accept" pain (as in feel the burn, and like it!). Once you commit to constantly pushing yourself, it just becomes habit. Never settle. Be strong both mind and body. When your mind says no... tell it yes... and don't look back.

Mental Strength & Motivation. Finding something that motivates you to get your ass up can really be a driver in building mental toughness. Tell yourself you will get a reward (ex: food --a cheat meal on the weekend--or whatever motivates you!) and keep your eye on the prize. Remind yourself why you started. Think about how great you'll feel after you workout. Keep going. For me, the push motivates me. The feel I get of pushing harder than I thought I could...that keeps me going. Your mental strength builds this way...there really is no other way to do it...and no, it's not easy. But you CAN do it. Staying positive is also a huge factor as well. Stop getting down on yourself. Having a strong mind also means a positive mind. You must be fair and patient with yourself. Results don't happen over night. You didn't gain weight over night. Once you control your mind, you can control your body. You will realize you aren't having to tell your mind "no" as often, & that's when you know you are getting stronger mentally. And that's the best feeling in the world. When you have a strong mind when it comes to your workouts, it translates into other aspects of your life as well.

Mental strength & food. Stop "giving in" to cravings. Instead, be smart with your substitutions. You want a cookie, now don't you? No, I'll tell you what you want. (Haha.) But really. You probably crave sweetness. Satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sweeteners like fruit (ex: banana with tsp raw unfiltered honey), a handful of almonds (with a tbsp of dark chocolate chips), or have a spoonful of peanut butter. "Giving in" to your cravings is not a bad thing...and you're not "giving in"...you are simply satisfying them by being smarter. Substituting will lead to smarter choices more often and less "slip-ups" and less cheating and bingeing.

Strive to be the full package, mentally and physically. But this is just my simple opinion. Find what works the best for you and do it. :-) Bam!

Goodnight everyone!