Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Itty-Bitty Update
As I write this I just completed an hour session of back and chest, and of course I added some shoulders and biceps at the end. I'm lounging on my couch with my laptop resting on my lap. My arms and elbows are perched up on my hips and perfectly positioned pillows. Needless to say I fatigued my upper body. Lucky for me I love that feeling.
I will have full body before and after picture posted soon. In the meantime I am sharing 3 images (selfies) 2 of which are proceeding today's workout. I noticed two things as of recently: significant downsize in my hips and a tighter waist. As of today I weigh 149lbs.
I have been creating a long list of tips, both motivational and practical howto's, for those looking to transform their body. In the meantime, I will leave you with this: make a goal of living a healthy lifestyle and set a realistic time frame to see your body transform to your goal. You are more likely to make healthy choices in the absence of pressure. For example, I'm giving myself 2 years to lose weight and build a sizable amount of muscle. Two years is long time, but it is short considering the goal I'm going for, but it's a realistic time frame! I have noticed that when I mess up on my diet, I don't beat myself up about it because it was one mess up. When people set short term goals like "get a beach body by summer," there is no room for error, but when you make your goal "get a beach body and maintain it for my entire life" one's outlook changes to a healthier one.
The key is that you have to execute new habits in place of your old unhealthy ones. Start doing something new today, if even small.
I will have full body before and after picture posted soon. In the meantime I am sharing 3 images (selfies) 2 of which are proceeding today's workout. I noticed two things as of recently: significant downsize in my hips and a tighter waist. As of today I weigh 149lbs.
 |
| Hold your mouth right, then POP those baby triceps! |
 |
| Note the tighter waist and curves in both shoulders. |
 |
| It's nice to not have to suck in my gut anymore. |
My biceps don't look much bigger, but they look more full and well rounded. My arms are toning up nicely. I'm feeling great overall.
I have been creating a long list of tips, both motivational and practical howto's, for those looking to transform their body. In the meantime, I will leave you with this: make a goal of living a healthy lifestyle and set a realistic time frame to see your body transform to your goal. You are more likely to make healthy choices in the absence of pressure. For example, I'm giving myself 2 years to lose weight and build a sizable amount of muscle. Two years is long time, but it is short considering the goal I'm going for, but it's a realistic time frame! I have noticed that when I mess up on my diet, I don't beat myself up about it because it was one mess up. When people set short term goals like "get a beach body by summer," there is no room for error, but when you make your goal "get a beach body and maintain it for my entire life" one's outlook changes to a healthier one.
The key is that you have to execute new habits in place of your old unhealthy ones. Start doing something new today, if even small.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Bad Bad T-Shirts
Thanks for reppin' my brand, dudes and dudettes! I'm not making a profit off the t-shirts, so they will only cost you $10. I'll pay for shipping because that's how bad I want you to get one of these.
Questions? Just message me on FB.
1) Choose your size in the drop down menu
2) Write TANK or TSHIRT
3) Select Buy Now and follow the directions
Questions? Just message me on FB.
1) Choose your size in the drop down menu
2) Write TANK or TSHIRT
3) Select Buy Now and follow the directions
Monday, May 12, 2014
My 2nd month of progress
I am happy to report that I have been feeling fantastic the last several months. My diet is ehhh... so-so, but not horrible in comparison to most people's standards. I have had bread on a very rare occasion, and when I do it is in such little amounts that I feel no extreme side-effects. When I say rare occasion, I can count only two times in the last 30 days that I've thrown it down the mouth-hatch. (I've eaten a full pizza over a two day span since I wrote the above paragraph. I felt fine but was carrying water weight the next day.)
Let's move on to what I don't want to tell you. Since the last time I posted my progress there were 2 weeks that I only worked out once a week. That was disappointing for the fact that I'd love to push weights at a minimum of 3-4 times each week. Instead of making myself wrong I have learned to look at my schedule and how to make adjustments so I reach my weekly goal. I'm happy to report that I'm back up to 4 times a week. The idea of not making this a lifestyle of working out consistently is what made me recommit to my goals.
Here is what I have learned:
1) Prepare my gym bag the night before and take it with me to work. Go to the gym immediately after work.
*There is an important note for me to make here. In the beginning I had a "thing" (an excuse) about going to the gym during peek hours, it's too busy and I don't want to wait around for equipment. Well fuck that whiney excuse, what am I a 2 year old? No, I'm a 31 year old, and last I checked the reason I look like I do is because of the multitude of excuses I've made. So here's the new thing I have learned. I wait for the machine I want to use next. What a novel idea. The best part is, I've never waited more than 2 minutes, and usually the machine I am waiting for is my favorite one, the leg press.
Guess who I'm usually waiting to finish. Some young chic or scrawny dude who has been sitting on the machine texting his friends. Yah, I see you... you've been texting for 10 minutes and I've seen you do one half-ass set. Do you even lift bro? "Hey, are you almost finished? Can I work in with you?" Dude/Chick, "Oh yah, I just have one more set." Me, "Cool." When they are finished, I don't wipe it down because they didn't sweat. I slide in. Drop the pin 40 more elle-beezies and grin through my sweat. Because I lift bro.
2) Wear lifting gloves. Not because I'm saving my sweet, buttery-baby Johnson & Johnson palms, but because I don't have to focus on my grip of the weights. My mind focuses on my posture and technique. Am I engaging the muscle group that I should be targeting right now? Am I doing the lift properly?
3) Just wear the same gym clothes over and over, but be sure I feel damn good in them. I have 2 pairs of Nike shorts I alternate. I keep it simple, black and grey. I use the same sports bra and alternate my tank tops. I need my routine to be mindless so I don't get caught up in the non-important details of what-should-I-wear and does-this-look-good. I know what to wear. It looks amazing.
4) Grocery shop and food prep... and enjoy it. I have learned a lot from just a 45 minute convo with my amazing friend Dr. Elana Gelman. She's the queen of the kitchen, supermarket, and DIY YouTube channel. Many of my healthy-guru-southern-California-girls implement her ideas. She shops and preps her week's meals every Monday. I know, I know that sounds crazy, but after you think about it, you will agree it's a genius idea. She knows the science of easy food prep. My favorite trick I picked up from her videos is using your everyday mason jar with your blender to make your own pesto. What a curly-headed-genius.
5) Keep going. It's a lifestyle. Bad week? Whatever, it's still better than the last decade of fat accumulation. Get going.
Losses and gains
You can see for yourself what the numbers say, but my favorite 2 to point out are seeing a 1.5" gain in my bicep and a 1" loss in my hips. My arms are getting bigger!
Let's move on....
Weight, I am now down to 149 lbs. I need to clean up my diet even more to see faster progress. The thing is, is that I'm enjoying my non-strict diet. I feel a lot better than I used to. Honestly, I will probably start cutting though (losing weight) by eating healthier. You can't see a lot of change in the picture below, but I also just guzzled liquid at the pool in the picture on the right. You can see a little bit of abdominals forming though. This picture motivates me. All I can see is slow progress. Even though it is progress, I know I slacked in April.
My favorite part of this whole process is my back
Do you see some tricep and shoulder separation? I do. Weeeeeeeee!
Welp, I've been crushing it at the gym the last two weeks in hopes of seeing improvement in my legs and abs. I think I have been doing legs 3 times a week now. I am fairly good at targeting particular muscle groups on certain days, but lately after doing my rounds I find that I am still ravenous to push more weights for another 10 or 15 minutes. I end up getting a full body work out most days. I like it. We should see my cheeks a little bit higher in June.
Let's move on to what I don't want to tell you. Since the last time I posted my progress there were 2 weeks that I only worked out once a week. That was disappointing for the fact that I'd love to push weights at a minimum of 3-4 times each week. Instead of making myself wrong I have learned to look at my schedule and how to make adjustments so I reach my weekly goal. I'm happy to report that I'm back up to 4 times a week. The idea of not making this a lifestyle of working out consistently is what made me recommit to my goals.
Here is what I have learned:
1) Prepare my gym bag the night before and take it with me to work. Go to the gym immediately after work.
*There is an important note for me to make here. In the beginning I had a "thing" (an excuse) about going to the gym during peek hours, it's too busy and I don't want to wait around for equipment. Well fuck that whiney excuse, what am I a 2 year old? No, I'm a 31 year old, and last I checked the reason I look like I do is because of the multitude of excuses I've made. So here's the new thing I have learned. I wait for the machine I want to use next. What a novel idea. The best part is, I've never waited more than 2 minutes, and usually the machine I am waiting for is my favorite one, the leg press.
Guess who I'm usually waiting to finish. Some young chic or scrawny dude who has been sitting on the machine texting his friends. Yah, I see you... you've been texting for 10 minutes and I've seen you do one half-ass set. Do you even lift bro? "Hey, are you almost finished? Can I work in with you?" Dude/Chick, "Oh yah, I just have one more set." Me, "Cool." When they are finished, I don't wipe it down because they didn't sweat. I slide in. Drop the pin 40 more elle-beezies and grin through my sweat. Because I lift bro.
2) Wear lifting gloves. Not because I'm saving my sweet, buttery-baby Johnson & Johnson palms, but because I don't have to focus on my grip of the weights. My mind focuses on my posture and technique. Am I engaging the muscle group that I should be targeting right now? Am I doing the lift properly?
3) Just wear the same gym clothes over and over, but be sure I feel damn good in them. I have 2 pairs of Nike shorts I alternate. I keep it simple, black and grey. I use the same sports bra and alternate my tank tops. I need my routine to be mindless so I don't get caught up in the non-important details of what-should-I-wear and does-this-look-good. I know what to wear. It looks amazing.
4) Grocery shop and food prep... and enjoy it. I have learned a lot from just a 45 minute convo with my amazing friend Dr. Elana Gelman. She's the queen of the kitchen, supermarket, and DIY YouTube channel. Many of my healthy-guru-southern-California-girls implement her ideas. She shops and preps her week's meals every Monday. I know, I know that sounds crazy, but after you think about it, you will agree it's a genius idea. She knows the science of easy food prep. My favorite trick I picked up from her videos is using your everyday mason jar with your blender to make your own pesto. What a curly-headed-genius.
5) Keep going. It's a lifestyle. Bad week? Whatever, it's still better than the last decade of fat accumulation. Get going.
Losses and gains
You can see for yourself what the numbers say, but my favorite 2 to point out are seeing a 1.5" gain in my bicep and a 1" loss in my hips. My arms are getting bigger!
Let's move on....
Weight, I am now down to 149 lbs. I need to clean up my diet even more to see faster progress. The thing is, is that I'm enjoying my non-strict diet. I feel a lot better than I used to. Honestly, I will probably start cutting though (losing weight) by eating healthier. You can't see a lot of change in the picture below, but I also just guzzled liquid at the pool in the picture on the right. You can see a little bit of abdominals forming though. This picture motivates me. All I can see is slow progress. Even though it is progress, I know I slacked in April.
My favorite part of this whole process is my back
Do you see some tricep and shoulder separation? I do. Weeeeeeeee!
Welp, I've been crushing it at the gym the last two weeks in hopes of seeing improvement in my legs and abs. I think I have been doing legs 3 times a week now. I am fairly good at targeting particular muscle groups on certain days, but lately after doing my rounds I find that I am still ravenous to push more weights for another 10 or 15 minutes. I end up getting a full body work out most days. I like it. We should see my cheeks a little bit higher in June.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Tiny Steps
The first time I remember leading others I was 9 years old.
The first time I sold something I was 10 years old.
The first time I made a piece of jewelry I was 12 years old.
The last time I stopped dreaming was never.
I will be 32 years of age soon, and the desire to run my own business and make a difference in the lives of others has never changed. It has always sat at the depths of my heart to inspire, lead, create, employ, and earn a living doing it all.
I have had a feeling that something is beginning to peek. So the last 48 hours I have reflected on my journey and what actions I have taken that have landed me at where I am now. Turns out I have some tips to share for those who need some inspiration.
This weekend I will be launching a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money for my jewelry business. Getting to this point has taken a lot of guts for me. Why guts? Because I am afraid that no one will fund my campaign. But I'm still going to do it anyway. Even with the fear of "This is all pointless, why am I making a film about my jewelry if no one will fund my project?" Even with that thought looping in my knuckle-headed-brain I still kept going. I kept creating. Even in moments of frustration, tears, fears, doubts, as well as life-shattering moments of inspiration, my hands kept moving. Don't take your eyes off the prize.
Over the last 2 months I have recorded video footage of my studio, designs, and reached out to musicians to get the song rights to use their music and was disappointed by the responses. I researched crowd-funding platforms of the successful and failed campaigns that others have done. I have completed an online business school. Sketched out loads of jewelry collections, and contemplated the direction that I'm taking myself and my own business (that is a heavy feeling). The results of my video, the song that my friend beautifully created for me, and all my collections have turned out better than I imagined. After the crazy-thought-storms that I have endured, now I can HARDLY wait to release it all to the world!
In the meantime, my reflections have produced these tips for you...
Retrain yourself
Most people talk about doing stuff, I just do it. I am the queen of taking action. Even in the midst of that feeling of it-is-impossible. BUT It has not always been that way. It took a year of retraining myself to shut up and get going. Ironically it is easier to do than most people think. There came a day that I was tired of talking to my friends about my dreams; I finally heard my own broken record, and enough was enough. For the sake of changing my conversations I decided to take action. Instead of saying things like, "I'd love to have, do, or be _____ some day," my sentences began sounding like, "Guess what I just did," or "Check out what I made," and "I can't hang out next weekend, but come see me at my jewelry show..."
Many peeps are simply unwilling to get uncomfortable. When you're afraid of doing something, that's almost a sure sign that YOU SHOULD DO IT. If it doesn't scare you then forget it. It seems ass backwards, but its not. It's beautiful.
The book that shotgunned me out of my crap-habit was Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. It's an oldy but a goody. I reference it often.
Keep going + let the dots connect themselves
Every action you take, conversation you have (the good, the bad, and the ugly), place that you go, person you meet, book you read, picture you stare at, songs you listen to on repeat, place you daydream about, and desire you have, it all leads to something. It is not all for nothing. There is a big fat load of trust that you must have. Looking back on my 32 years, I can see how the dots have connected. Socially awkward conversations that taught me how to be confident. Putting up with bosses that probably shouldn't have employees. Working as a contractor so I could understand the pro's and con's and later relate to others in similar fields. Working in a large office with other women so I could make connections and friendships that have made me smile in moments I needed it. Even things that don't seem important or pivotal, somehow I see that they are now and were then.
I would highly recommend that you stop and reflect often about your dots. It gives you fuel and gratitude for what is coming next. Just trust.
Stop resisting what you love
One of my biggest fears was that I am too motivational. I am an annoying positive-polly. What I actually discovered was that I am a visionary and I get really excited about ideas. When I embraced that, I could see my gifts as clear as day: a) I see what is possible when others don't, and b) My view is not short-sighted, I can see how big a dream can actually become.
These gifts are as much a part of me as my freckled skin. I'm stuck with them and they're stuck on me. Forever. Unless a horrible accident should occur to where my skin were too... (I don't even want to think about what accidents could occur), but still... you know, genetics. So yup, freckles will remain forever.
It is not important for others to accept you, but that you accept yourself. <-That's a life changer.
Put a cap on complaints
My attitude towards my full time job has sucked. In fact it has sucked at some point with every job I have had. I have a cycle of getting to a point where the level of hate for my job pushes me towards my dream instead of having my dream pull me. This is a fresh, brand new lesson by the way. Thanks to Pintrest last week I came across this Ralph Waldo Emmerson quote that slapped me across the face.
It has become blatantly obvious that my next move must be to fully run my own business. No more looking for another j.o.b. Instead I am letting my dreams pull and excite me.
Take action + trust
I have already said this, but it needs repeating. Just do it. Mess up. Do it again and again and again. Trust. Trust. TRUST. You may end up realizing you need to change your game plan or that what you thought you wanted to do really is not what you want to do. That is ok. I have done that hundreds of times over that last 5 years. It doesn't hurt. I promise. You are allowed to change your mind!
Whatever you do, don't stop doing! (Unless you are truly exhausted and need to rest for the sake of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. You'll learn how to do that overtime, but you'll fail at that too. And that's ok.) When you keep going (even when you don't want to) and you follow through, it turns out that you impress yourself and that feels SO good.
Do something because you said you would. Then see what happens. (It's magical.)
That's it my friends. Just go do what you want to do.
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Saturday, March 22, 2014
A month progress, Before and After
This month I had high, unrealistic expectations. Hey, I'm being honest. Sometimes I'm an idiot for thinking I could achieve an amazing physique, but the lie kept me motivated so overall it was a success. As you'll soon find out, Positive-Polly worked for me. I've put a good dent in my muscle gain & fat loss goal. I'm going to warn you, this isn't a short post, but it's no Moby Dick. Keep in mind that it is about the first 30 days of the beginning of my transformation. Read on though, it gets good and there are pictures.
A month is a long time for someone who is eager to look sexy and not see the results. I know that I sound utterly ridiculous, but I just need to tell you the truth because if you are on a similar journey you probably have the same expectations. Well forget about it kid. You're still chub, but don't worry because in a few months shit is gonna get real tight. How do I know.... because it has begun.
My first 30 days:
Diet & Weight
On March 16th I began a ketogenic diet. If you don't know what it is, google it. Summed up it's similar to the Atkins diet; it is slow carb, with high (healthy) fat, and of course proteins. I retrained my body to burn fat for fuel instead of relying on the ever present (very unhealthy) carbs I was inhaling. The first 2 days I had massive withdrawals, also known as the keto-flu. My body was basically addicted to carbs and was searching for a new source of energy. The result is having all the shitty flu symptoms: headache, extreme soreness, lethargy, etc. I went to work and I even worked out one day. Was it worth it? Yes! I lost 7 lbs in the first week. That was mostly water weight. Regardless of what type of weight was lost, when I feel lighter I am more physically active and that was my goal. I intentionally started keto to motivate myself right out of the gate. It worked. I weighed 159 lbs when I began, and got down to 152 lbs. After 2 weeks I began incorporating more carbs back into my diet. Initially I was taking in less than 50 grams of carbs a day and I increased it by eating good stuff like sweet potatoes and other veggies.
I did have "junk" from time to time, but it was in moderation. I ate sushi several times and a few small doses of sugary snacks. I regretted every moment though. Sugar gives me headaches.
I had a piece of bread at some point and a severe headache immediately followed. For 2 days I wondered if my body would ever have another normal bowel movement. Ya, I said it. I had such extreme gas and bloating it was not only uncomfortable, it was painful at times. I am happy to report that I have cut out breads and wheat entirely. My energy is much cleaner. I can hardly believe I fed myself that stuff on the regular. My body clearly hates it.
Mood/Motivation
It was almost impossible to not be motivated to go to the gym. I did several things that work for me to stay in a state of eagerness to get to the gym.
1) Consistently talk about the gym
I talk to my younger brother daily about diet and exercise. I mention him first because I don't know anyone more dedicated to their goals than he is. We both do crazy shit and go to extremes. It is really nice to have someone to relate to on that level. We talk about how we're feeling, whether we are feeling sore, barfy, or badass. We discuss what we're doing now and what we plan to do in the near future to reach our goals. We get excited together, we share the ups and the downs. Each conversation is organic, we never said "hey, lets keep each other accountable" we just found that we enjoyed talking about everything muscle related.
I talk to my boyfriend about my goals. I am an out loud dreamer so he hears things like, "What if I had bigger shoulders than you?" "Babe, what if I land on the cover of a fitness magazine in two years?!" "Do you think I can get rid of my cellulite by summer?" He loves the conversations we have, and he's stoked that I am finally enthusiastic about the same thing he is.
I text my girl friends my progress pictures. It feels good to have the ego stroked with their praises and responses. I only do this with my friends who are in full support of my journey and are on their own path to physical fitness. It keeps me motivated and I hope it pushes them to keep going too. I like having a few sisters in the newb trenches with me.
2) Listen to workout music before going to workout
If I'm at home and already nestled in on the couch with my laptop and my body is warmed up by the food I just devoured, all I need to hear is a few bar lines of Eminem and you better be ready if you're coming with me.
3) Change the internal dialogue
I relate to myself like a beast. My internal dialogue is pure acknowledgments of my own power, my capability, and my ability to push myself further than most people do. I can either be my worst critic or my best friend. My thoughts are all made up anyway, so I might as well make it something good.
4) Get inspired
I probably watched over a hundred workout/posing/fitness videos of other women. I looked at countless images of female fitness models, and researched a dozen new exercises. I knew it was important to stay in the conversation, meaning keep the idea of muscles on the mind. Habits are all about changing one's neurological makeup. To do so I needed to feed my brain on the topic of fitness as much as possible. In the beginning, it's all about bulking mentally. I know some women can't look at other women's fit physiques and be inspired by them. I am glad that's not the case for me. By looking at other physiques I am inspired to see what my own genetics are capable of. What can I carve from the inside out?
I will let you in on a personal secret I have kept to myself for two years. When I get demotivated, down, or lazy I say only two words to myself that alter the trajectory of the next 3 hours of my life, impress myself. It's Game On after that. I become unstoppable.
5) Think long-term
My plan isn't to get skinnier or fitter for summer. No siree! This is all for the desire to be hot for the rest of my life. I had to remind myself that even though the first 30+ days would be tough, it is for the sole purpose of creating new habits. Habits of eating healthy, establishing self control to avoid horrible foods, getting to the gym consistently, and creating new routines that would get me to where I wanted.
6) Never lose site of the short term
This is probably my #1 most important habit that I have created for myself these last 30 days. I have only recently become a goal oriented person, but instead of "goals" it is more so feelings that I chase. When I want to feel a certain way I am more likely to take actions to get me to a feeling. My number one motivator for each day was to get to that feeling of buttery-exhaustion. You know, the feeling of playing so hard that you walk to your bed, pull back the sheets, slip your legs under the covers, and immediately fall into the abyss of deep slumber? I chase that feeling daily. I want to achieve mind-numbing exhaustion from the pursuit of pushing against physical resistance of the weights. I no longer want to be tired due to mental exhaustion of a long day at work. I am over that feeling. I hated that my full time job had that level of power over me. So to have physical exhaustion be in a race to the finish line with mental exhaustion, I stepped up my gym game. It worked. I sleep like a baby rock.
Measurements
Chest
Over the years my chest muscle strength has diminished. In high school I could easily crush 50 regular push-ups daily. Now it's a struggle to do more than 15 girl push-ups. I have a fear of losing breast size, but from past experience I don't expect it to decrease to anything less than a full B-cup. Let's be real though... I don't really care. On chest days I really focus on control and quality of my movements. My current max bench is 70 lbs.
Arms
As seen in the images below, I put on a noticeable amount of size in my arms with an increase of almost an inch. I love large arms and shoulders so every arm day I made sure to push it hard. On arm days I turn into Savage-Sarah, I get hungry for more weight.
Hips
Happy to say I can feel a significant decrease in my hips. The sides have slimmed down and my butt is starting to perk up and get firm. I don't feel that weird fat-bounce feeling on the sides any longer. The image below is me halfway through a leg-day workout at about day 23. At this point I had just finished 2 set of lunges, then 2 sets of double lunges (lunging twice per foot), and 3 sets of dead-lifts with a 20lb bar. Overall I lost 1/2" in my hips.
Waist
I did not focus on abs more than twice this last month. Why? Because if I am doing exercises with correct form I can engage my abs during those exercises. Squats: engaged my abs. Bicep curls: engaged my abs. Lunges: engaged my abs. Leg extensions: engaged my abs. Do you see a pattern? As my boyfriend would yell at me, "Squeeze, squeeze, SQUEEZE!" You can get the full benefit of an ab workout if you concentrate on engaging as many muscles in your body during one exercise, especially your core. It's where all your stabilizers are so you should be engaging them anyway.
With diet and exercise I had a 2" decrease in my waist. As my brother would say, Bangarang Rufio!
Thighs
This is where my thunder lies dormant waiting for the storm. Just kidding, but it feels that way. I am really looking forward to having these babies the size of small countries. After a month I feel a significant increase in firmness. When I walk I can feel the full engagement of my hamstrings and quads. My walk feels less sloppy. Only someone working out would know that feeling. Try it if you haven't. The image below shows a picture of my spray tan, that helped me feel skinnier in the beginning. I can tell that my legs are smoothing out and the fat is burning off. See it?
The 30 Day difference overall is noticeable, slightly embarrassing, but noticeable.
I cringe looking atsaggy-boob-hunchback the first picture, and yet one day I will be months and years past that picture and the current after. I humbly share these images with you because if this is the difference 30 days can make, then imagine what can happen in 30 more days, and then 30 more and then...
If you've been thinking about establishing a fitness routine then start. If you need or want support, holla at me and we'll find what would motivate you the most.
Leave a comment below. Share this post with a friend. Subscribe to my company newsletter to receive updates on jewelry designs that will inspire you along your own journey.
Xox,
Sarah
A month is a long time for someone who is eager to look sexy and not see the results. I know that I sound utterly ridiculous, but I just need to tell you the truth because if you are on a similar journey you probably have the same expectations. Well forget about it kid. You're still chub, but don't worry because in a few months shit is gonna get real tight. How do I know.... because it has begun.
My first 30 days:
Diet & Weight
On March 16th I began a ketogenic diet. If you don't know what it is, google it. Summed up it's similar to the Atkins diet; it is slow carb, with high (healthy) fat, and of course proteins. I retrained my body to burn fat for fuel instead of relying on the ever present (very unhealthy) carbs I was inhaling. The first 2 days I had massive withdrawals, also known as the keto-flu. My body was basically addicted to carbs and was searching for a new source of energy. The result is having all the shitty flu symptoms: headache, extreme soreness, lethargy, etc. I went to work and I even worked out one day. Was it worth it? Yes! I lost 7 lbs in the first week. That was mostly water weight. Regardless of what type of weight was lost, when I feel lighter I am more physically active and that was my goal. I intentionally started keto to motivate myself right out of the gate. It worked. I weighed 159 lbs when I began, and got down to 152 lbs. After 2 weeks I began incorporating more carbs back into my diet. Initially I was taking in less than 50 grams of carbs a day and I increased it by eating good stuff like sweet potatoes and other veggies.
I did have "junk" from time to time, but it was in moderation. I ate sushi several times and a few small doses of sugary snacks. I regretted every moment though. Sugar gives me headaches.
I had a piece of bread at some point and a severe headache immediately followed. For 2 days I wondered if my body would ever have another normal bowel movement. Ya, I said it. I had such extreme gas and bloating it was not only uncomfortable, it was painful at times. I am happy to report that I have cut out breads and wheat entirely. My energy is much cleaner. I can hardly believe I fed myself that stuff on the regular. My body clearly hates it.
Mood/Motivation
It was almost impossible to not be motivated to go to the gym. I did several things that work for me to stay in a state of eagerness to get to the gym.
1) Consistently talk about the gym
I talk to my younger brother daily about diet and exercise. I mention him first because I don't know anyone more dedicated to their goals than he is. We both do crazy shit and go to extremes. It is really nice to have someone to relate to on that level. We talk about how we're feeling, whether we are feeling sore, barfy, or badass. We discuss what we're doing now and what we plan to do in the near future to reach our goals. We get excited together, we share the ups and the downs. Each conversation is organic, we never said "hey, lets keep each other accountable" we just found that we enjoyed talking about everything muscle related.
I talk to my boyfriend about my goals. I am an out loud dreamer so he hears things like, "What if I had bigger shoulders than you?" "Babe, what if I land on the cover of a fitness magazine in two years?!" "Do you think I can get rid of my cellulite by summer?" He loves the conversations we have, and he's stoked that I am finally enthusiastic about the same thing he is.
I text my girl friends my progress pictures. It feels good to have the ego stroked with their praises and responses. I only do this with my friends who are in full support of my journey and are on their own path to physical fitness. It keeps me motivated and I hope it pushes them to keep going too. I like having a few sisters in the newb trenches with me.
2) Listen to workout music before going to workout
If I'm at home and already nestled in on the couch with my laptop and my body is warmed up by the food I just devoured, all I need to hear is a few bar lines of Eminem and you better be ready if you're coming with me.
3) Change the internal dialogue
I relate to myself like a beast. My internal dialogue is pure acknowledgments of my own power, my capability, and my ability to push myself further than most people do. I can either be my worst critic or my best friend. My thoughts are all made up anyway, so I might as well make it something good.
4) Get inspired
I probably watched over a hundred workout/posing/fitness videos of other women. I looked at countless images of female fitness models, and researched a dozen new exercises. I knew it was important to stay in the conversation, meaning keep the idea of muscles on the mind. Habits are all about changing one's neurological makeup. To do so I needed to feed my brain on the topic of fitness as much as possible. In the beginning, it's all about bulking mentally. I know some women can't look at other women's fit physiques and be inspired by them. I am glad that's not the case for me. By looking at other physiques I am inspired to see what my own genetics are capable of. What can I carve from the inside out?
I will let you in on a personal secret I have kept to myself for two years. When I get demotivated, down, or lazy I say only two words to myself that alter the trajectory of the next 3 hours of my life, impress myself. It's Game On after that. I become unstoppable.
5) Think long-term
My plan isn't to get skinnier or fitter for summer. No siree! This is all for the desire to be hot for the rest of my life. I had to remind myself that even though the first 30+ days would be tough, it is for the sole purpose of creating new habits. Habits of eating healthy, establishing self control to avoid horrible foods, getting to the gym consistently, and creating new routines that would get me to where I wanted.
6) Never lose site of the short term
This is probably my #1 most important habit that I have created for myself these last 30 days. I have only recently become a goal oriented person, but instead of "goals" it is more so feelings that I chase. When I want to feel a certain way I am more likely to take actions to get me to a feeling. My number one motivator for each day was to get to that feeling of buttery-exhaustion. You know, the feeling of playing so hard that you walk to your bed, pull back the sheets, slip your legs under the covers, and immediately fall into the abyss of deep slumber? I chase that feeling daily. I want to achieve mind-numbing exhaustion from the pursuit of pushing against physical resistance of the weights. I no longer want to be tired due to mental exhaustion of a long day at work. I am over that feeling. I hated that my full time job had that level of power over me. So to have physical exhaustion be in a race to the finish line with mental exhaustion, I stepped up my gym game. It worked. I sleep like a baby rock.
Measurements
Overall I lost 3.4" in 30 days. I feel better than I did last month. There is still yet a long way to go, and it is a bit daunting at times. I might be saying that right now because I'm simply beat. It feels good though. I don't have any guilt sitting here and relaxing, because here is the overall progress of the last month. |
Chest
Over the years my chest muscle strength has diminished. In high school I could easily crush 50 regular push-ups daily. Now it's a struggle to do more than 15 girl push-ups. I have a fear of losing breast size, but from past experience I don't expect it to decrease to anything less than a full B-cup. Let's be real though... I don't really care. On chest days I really focus on control and quality of my movements. My current max bench is 70 lbs.
Arms
As seen in the images below, I put on a noticeable amount of size in my arms with an increase of almost an inch. I love large arms and shoulders so every arm day I made sure to push it hard. On arm days I turn into Savage-Sarah, I get hungry for more weight.
Hips
Happy to say I can feel a significant decrease in my hips. The sides have slimmed down and my butt is starting to perk up and get firm. I don't feel that weird fat-bounce feeling on the sides any longer. The image below is me halfway through a leg-day workout at about day 23. At this point I had just finished 2 set of lunges, then 2 sets of double lunges (lunging twice per foot), and 3 sets of dead-lifts with a 20lb bar. Overall I lost 1/2" in my hips.
Waist
I did not focus on abs more than twice this last month. Why? Because if I am doing exercises with correct form I can engage my abs during those exercises. Squats: engaged my abs. Bicep curls: engaged my abs. Lunges: engaged my abs. Leg extensions: engaged my abs. Do you see a pattern? As my boyfriend would yell at me, "Squeeze, squeeze, SQUEEZE!" You can get the full benefit of an ab workout if you concentrate on engaging as many muscles in your body during one exercise, especially your core. It's where all your stabilizers are so you should be engaging them anyway.
With diet and exercise I had a 2" decrease in my waist. As my brother would say, Bangarang Rufio!
Thighs
This is where my thunder lies dormant waiting for the storm. Just kidding, but it feels that way. I am really looking forward to having these babies the size of small countries. After a month I feel a significant increase in firmness. When I walk I can feel the full engagement of my hamstrings and quads. My walk feels less sloppy. Only someone working out would know that feeling. Try it if you haven't. The image below shows a picture of my spray tan, that helped me feel skinnier in the beginning. I can tell that my legs are smoothing out and the fat is burning off. See it?
The 30 Day difference overall is noticeable, slightly embarrassing, but noticeable.
I cringe looking at
If you've been thinking about establishing a fitness routine then start. If you need or want support, holla at me and we'll find what would motivate you the most.
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Xox,
Sarah
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
It is time - Welcome to my NEW Life
For years I thought it was vain to have a desire to be HOT in that badass motherfucker kind of way. Strong-Hot. Beast mode sexy. "I crush you" intimidating. I like power if you can not tell, and I think it's sexy. I am probably over compensating for a longtime visitor of low self esteem, oh well.
Here is the deal, I have been an idiot to think I was being a better person for denying my own health. I sent a message to myself saying I wasn't valuable enough to honor my wish of taking my fitness to the level I most admired in other women: fitness model status.
From a young age I have admired the physiques of strong, athletic, muscular women. So much so I thought I might be gay; turns out I am not. I've kissed a girl and I liked it, but it's not my thing. (Thanks for the inspiration, Katy Perry) Men, and my man specifically, takes the cake in that arena.
I made up a story early in life that stopped me from pursuing my dream. In high school, rumors were spread implying that I was full of myself. Every once in a while a friend would inform me of the gossip that had me as the main subject. That kind of stuff hurts and for us sensitive-souls, it cuts deep, real deep. I'll just say that time of my life didn't go over well, and sadly I actually thought they might be right. To avoid further judgment I dressed to cover up, tried to keep to myself with some exceptions, and later in life I emotionally over ate (for several stupid low-self esteem reasons) all to avoid being too sexy. Side note: gossiping and rumors can be a bitch, so just stop.
My family is lean, and genetically gifted with Swedish DNA, athleticism and muscle was not something sought after in my family. Growing up however, we did extreme sports for the adrenaline rush, not athletic coordination. We water skied, snow skied/boarded, road dirt bikes on mountain trails and at local race tracks, wake boarded, flew planes (real ones), and then some. Building muscle was never a topic of conversation at the dinner table or anywhere in the house for that matter. In high school when I brought my first "muscular" boyfriend home (who I absolutely adored) judgment was quickly passed by my family (or at least I thought it was). I eventually adopted the idea that muscle equals low IQ. (Which according to some study I read somewhere working out actually increases IQ). Anyway, I had the idea that muscularity and working at sculpting and increasing muscle-mass was vain and shallow. So I didn't. But now I AM.
My family is lean, and genetically gifted with Swedish DNA, athleticism and muscle was not something sought after in my family. Growing up however, we did extreme sports for the adrenaline rush, not athletic coordination. We water skied, snow skied/boarded, road dirt bikes on mountain trails and at local race tracks, wake boarded, flew planes (real ones), and then some. Building muscle was never a topic of conversation at the dinner table or anywhere in the house for that matter. In high school when I brought my first "muscular" boyfriend home (who I absolutely adored) judgment was quickly passed by my family (or at least I thought it was). I eventually adopted the idea that muscle equals low IQ. (Which according to some study I read somewhere working out actually increases IQ). Anyway, I had the idea that muscularity and working at sculpting and increasing muscle-mass was vain and shallow. So I didn't. But now I AM.
Shit is getting real. Over the next 2 years my body is going to undergo a massive transformation. I will go from what I am now: 158lbs, 22% body fat, at 5'8", to an estimated 130lbs at 15%+ body fat. The numbers are highly dependent on my genetics, nutrition, and exercise routine. This is a new journey, I'm trail blazing for myself, and I suspect for others as well. For that reason I will make this journey public, and easily accessible to those looking for inspiration, pointers, suggestions, and non-medical advice. I am a very open person, and for the most part I don't hold back, so naturally I want to share this part of my life with other women (and men).
I am doing this for several reasons:
- health and fitness (duh)
- pursuing a personal dream
- creating art through sculpting muscle from the inside out (I’m my own David)
- inspire others
- become a paid fitness model (at least once)
- grow my jewelry business and online following (hey, I'm a business minded woman)
Byproducts I want to come from this:
- increased self confidence
- sustained energy levels to take on my full time job AND my own business
- learn as much as I can around fitness before I start a family
- be an active and healthy person for years to come
- level up in personal power
 |
| February 18, 2014 "The Before" |
Watch me and follow along as I ascend metaphorical mountain peaks, as well as drag myself through valleys of hell because this girl likes extremes, and I am willing to do the unusual to be one of the unusuals.
TL;DR Sarah is turning beast-mode and is doing so publicly.
Oh yah, to the girl(s) who started those high school rumors about me, I might be vain from time-to-time, but I’m proud of the work I have done. Selfies soon to follow. One more thang, fuck you.
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