Row, Row, Row Your Boat

 

Yesterday I used the rowing machine for the first time. I have been wanting to mix up my cardio while at the gym. So my plan was to use the elliptical for 15 minutes, do my arm workout, then "cool down" on the rowing machine for about 15 minutes. Boy was I wrong about the "cool down" part. I was dripping sweat and huffing and puffing within the first 3 minutes. I only did 10 minutes and thought I was dying! How have I never used this wonderful cardio machine??

Reasons Why I Loved the Rowing Machine: 

•  Great Aerobic Workout- though I didn't have a heart rate monitor on, I could tell my heart rate was increased. 
• Fast Calorie Burner- Again, I didn't have a heart rate monitor but according to the machine for the 10 minutes I was on there, I burned 124 calories!! 
• Upper body/back workout- Not only is it great cardio but I can really feel that it worked my upper back this morning! 
• Lower body workout- Since the seat on the rowing machine slides you are constantly bending and straightening your legs as you row! Giving your quads a great workout!
• Low impact- I love finding cardio options that are low impact and counter balance running! 

I can't wait to start using the rowing machine more often and increasing the time spent on it!
  Even found some workouts on pinterest!

Any of y'all use the rowing machine?? I would love for some tips or to hear your success stories!

Catch ya later,
B

Scale Breakup: It's not me, it's you

I'm done being in this abusive relationship with the scale. I know I look good and I know I'm making progress so why can't you man up and tell me that some time?! 

Do y'all ever have those moments when you wake up and you just feel skinny? Then you run to scale and pop that bubble in your head is gone!! I took my measurements today for the first day of my 9 week summer meltdown challenge and plan on focusing on those results instead of listening to the lies the scale tells me!! 

I am joining @got_fit_for_the_dress in her #noscaleinjuly Can't wait to get rid of the negative feelings the scale gives me!! 

Stay chill, 

B

Don't share with me, thanks!

Today I saw one of the new coke bottles that say "Share a coke with..." Coke has printed these new labels with popular names from around the world. 

The first thing I did when I saw this was google to see if my name was on one. Guess what it's not and I am okay with that! I don't want to share a coke with anyone let alone put it in my body! 

Each one of these things are found in soda! Yuck!! Eating healthy is a struggle for me but luckily I have never been a huge soda drinker. I would have one every now and then but after hearing how terrible they are. I have cut them put completely!! 

Just because a soda is diet and doesn't mess up your calorie count doesn't mean it's good for you! The way I like to think about is simple: You don't smoke a cigarette just because it is 0 calories so why drink a soda and put in the chemicals in your body! 

I focus more on drinking water when I'm thirsty! 

I promise I am going to start posting more! Now that I am done studying for the NCLEX (I passed btw) I have more time to work on it. Also I start a 9 week summer meltdown challenge on Monday and want to keep y'all updated!!! 

Until Monday, 

B 

Just remember what's worse than coke??

Diet coke

A Day Late

I didn't have time yesterday to post my Day 3 workouts and happiness because I was on the go all day!

My Happiness came to me before I even woke up. I have a good friend that sends me daily bible verse for encouragement. Today's bible verse was Hebrews 12:11.  It reminded me that my weight loss journey will not always be pleasant but I know I can do it with God by my side!

My workout today consisted of running. Running in the pouring RAIN!! It started raining about midway through my run but at least it gave me the extra push I needed to break my fastest mile time! I love when I get to run with my boyfriend. He is in way better shape than me so it causes me to push my self a little more

  I was craving Mexican for Lunch so I went with a Taco Salad! Yum!! And it was a breakfast for dinner kind of night. I wasn't super hungry nor could I figure out what I wanted but this oatmeal and dark chocolate almond milk definitely hit the spot!

I am going to try to keep on top of my post,

B

Happy Anniversary!

 Yesterday was actually me and the boyfriend's two year anniversary but due to Memorial Day, we chose to celebrate today. In honor of our anniversary, my day two of 100 Days of Happy goes to him. He has been such a supporter through everything! He wipes my tears when I am frustrated with my weight and reminds me that I am beautiful every single day. I honestly don't know what I would do with out him!






 When it came time to get dressed, I became depressed because nothing I wanted to wear fit. I wanted to wear jeans or a pair of cute shorts but they were all to tight. I ended up going with a flowy dress but once my makeup and hair was done I felt great and decided to make my disappointment of not being able to fit into those bottoms my motivation for the next couple of weeks. My goal is to fit into those pants by the end of summer!!







 Since we were going on a date tonight to an Italian restaurant at that I knew I better get my workout in today and it better be a good one! And I did! I killed Leg day today. I got in my run. Worked legs. Then ended with a 15 minute incline walk! It felt great! Day two of #workitout100 is complete.

   

Until tomorrow, 

B

New Start.

Today I decided to start the #workitout100 and 100 Days of Happy. I am planning on working out every day for 100 days and reflecting on something that makes me happy each day.

 In honor of Memorial Day, my first day of happiness comes from the fact that I live in a place that people volunteer to sacrifice their lives so that I may live in freedom. I am thankful for those men and women who make that sacrifice daily and remember those who have lost their lives trying.









 For my workout today, the gym was closed so I had to improvise! Got in a nice run with the boyfriend. I can definitely tell I am getting in better shape. Also did a summer workout for my arms and abs! Not to mention the number of unlogged calories I burned today because I spent almost all day either on the trampoline or in the pool! And of course since it was Memorial Day, patriotic workout gear was a must!

Even though it was a holiday it was still my weigh in day! Despite a terrible weekend with no tracking, no exercise, and failing to meet my water goals, I was still down 1.1 lbs!! Slow progress is better than no progress!!













And since it was Memorial Day, grilled hot dogs are a must!! But who needs a bun!! Added some healthier sides as well. Ate the grilled zucchini before I could get a picture!




 Happy memorial day!!
B

Happy Friday!!

This morning started off great. Woke up with tons of energy and decided to try out a new recipe!

Sorry for the terrible picture! It was devoured before I could get a better picture!

Mini Reese's Peanut buttercup Protein Cakes

Ingredients:
 1/2 c of old fashioned oats
 1 scoop of chocolate peanut butter protein powder
 2 large egg whites
 water

Directions
 Blend oats in a blender until they look like flour.
 Then mix in the protein powder and egg whites.
 Add enough water to make mixture a cake batter consistency.
 Pour into baking dishes.
 Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes!!

So yummy! Would have liked for it to have been a little sweeter so I am going to try adding Stevia next time!

Have a great weekend,
B

Welcome to the Real World!

The past two days have been filled with excitement!! On Tuesday, the boyfriend and I drove to the coast for his job interview for High School Boys Soccer Coach and Middle School History teacher. On the way down I got my ATT (Authorization To Test) email for the NCLEX.

I scheduled my date for June 24th!!

\Since we were on the coast, stopping at the outlet mall was a must! I needed wanted a new pair of shoes so we went to the Nike outlet. I of course found a pair I had to have wanted. They were on sale and fit like a glove so I took it as a sign to buy them!

Today was full of just as much excitement! I had two job interviews today. One was for a med-surg ICU and the other was for a Neuro ICU. Both went extremely well and I actually got an offer for the med-surg ICU position!!

On top of it being an ICU position (which is what I wanted), it is also a weekender position. At this hospital the weekender program works out where you work every other every Saturday and Sunday, and then every other Friday! But the best part is you work 60 hours a pay period but get paid for 80 hours!!

Even got a run in today after the interview and beat my fastest mile time!!

After getting back from running, the boyfriend got the phone call that they were very interested in having him be the soccer coach but kinda wanted someone with more teaching experience. The athletic director is now looking to find him a teaching position at the high school and we will know something tomorrow! So still keeping our fingers crossed!

I promise I am going to do better at posting daily and at an earlier time!

Goodnight,
B

Week one complete!!

I had my first weigh in this morning and.... 

DOWN 3 lbs!! I couldn't have been more excited. I had a great week and hope this one is just as well it started off well. 

I got a run in today, ate healthy, studied for the NCLEX, and played in a softball game. I just have too keep going. My new motto: 

 I'm not looking back. There is nothing back there I need. I'm in a new chapter in my life and working on a new healthier lifestyle! 

Happy Monday Y'all, 

B 

Not Going Back

Today's message at church was written just for me I am pretty sure of it. The title of the sermon was "Not Going Back." The message was about finding motivation to continue on a journey to be the best you can be. The only way to find this motivation is to make Christ the center. You can create will power for yourself and tell yourself, "I need to exercise." "I don't need to eat that candy bar.' "I need to order water instead of diet coke." You can only do that so long before the will power runs out. You need more to keep pushing through and being your very best. I now realize why I have failed in the past. I have been doing it all alone. This time I am making God the focus of my new life journey and looking at my self through Him in order to become healthy.

 

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it is written, ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Throughout my weight loss journey, this is what I plan to do. My body is not my own but rather a gift form the Holy Spirit. It has been a long time since I treated it like on so it is time to start. 

With God's help at the center of my motivation I vow to "Not Go Back" to my old unhealthy lifestyle and with that vow my goals of weight loss will come with my healthy lifestyle  

Big Girl Living in a Fit World

So sorry for not posting yesterday. It was a busy day with moving and all but I successfully moved back home with my parents! Yayyy growing up. Haha. I plan on living here until I get my first couple pay checks under my belt. I was actually excited to move back with my parents from a fitness stand point. 

My father has always been a healthy individual. He goes on strict healthy eating kicks but for the most part he just practices moderation. He is an avid gym attendee though. He spins 5 days a week and lifts weights practically every day. 

My mother has joined the fitness world in the past 2 years. Since then she has lost 65 lbs and works out 5 days a week. She is currently working with a personal trainer three days a week for weight training. She is also on her second week of a six week clean eating challenge! 

I was excited because I thought this was the motivation I needed. My mom would be cooking clean meals and I would have access to our family gym membership. It would be a win all the way around. Just the motivation I needed. But today it just became over whelming. 

My dad offered to take me shopping for an interview suit. I needed one so I agreed but I was not in the mind set to be trying on clothes today. Let me tell you something about my body type. I have football player shoulders, small breast, long arms moderately smaller waist and hips compared to the large butt and thighs I have. If you can tell me what body shape that is I would greatly appreciate it because I've got nothing! Well with this description, suit shopping is not fun. 

We kept having to go up in size of the blazer to be long enough and fit in the shoulders. Same with the pants. They were big in the waist but tight in my thighs so we would have to go up. It was very disheartening to see that number rise especially this early in my journey. 

I ended up with a size 18 in both the pants and the blazer. That is the biggest size I have ever bought in anything. After being discouraged, my emotions changed to disgust. I was disgusted in myself for letting myself get this big! 

This was just the motivation I needed! Now that I am home I am ready to start on my weightloss journey and I am excited to see results! Please comment with your stories and questions! I appreciate any additional motivation along the way! 

Until next time, 

B 

Breakfast- Most important meal of the day

Everyone has always said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" There is a reason this is true. I don't know about y'all but once I skip breakfast or eat something unhealthy, it is all down here from there. The rest of my choices are bad throughout the day:
                                        
                              Skipping Breakfast
                              Mexican for Lunch
                              Cupcake- my roommate brought me
                              Hamburger and fries for dinner
                              Wine (3 glasses) while packing
                              NO EXERCISE

Today was just all around bad. Tomorrow is a new day and I will most definitely be starting with breakfast! 

       

Make most of your days good ones! Don't let the slip ups stop you from reaching your goals!

Tomorrow will be better, 

B

P.S.

#TransformationTuesday

#TransformationTuesday for the worst. Most of these are used to show amazing weight loss results or even changes from awkward middle school years to the present. But mine today is different. Mine is a motivation for myself to lose the weight I have put on through college. The left is at the beach after high school graduation and the right is before my pinning ceremony last week. When I was in high school, I was in the best shape of my life. I played basketball and was on the track team. I could eat whatever I wanted because I exercised so much. When I came to college, the weight began to pack on. From drinking alcohol to having a buffet cafeteria to the only exercise I got was dancing at the club the number on the scale just continued to climb. I tried many time lose weight but these tries would only be short lived only a couple of days, a week at most! Between my freshman year and start of nursing school I gained roughly 25 pounds. Then when nursing school started I gained an ADDITIONAL 35 pounds. As I start a new step in my life (working in the real world), I want to begin a new lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle! I value any comments, support, stories, or questions along the way! 

Until next time, 

B 

No Pain. No Gain.

Today was my first week day as a new graduate and on my healthy lifestyle journey. So guess where I spent my day.. In the classroom!! Yes, just days after graduating I am back in the classroom for a NCLEX review course! Hopefully it will pay off and I will pass the NCLEX on the first try! But having to sit 6 hours of the day listening to lectures was painfully boring! At least I remembered to pack a healthy snack!

 

After the long day of NCLEX preparation, I still managed to get a run in.It started off great. I was running a great pace on track to get my 1.5 miles in under 20 minutes. About 6 minutes into the run, I began having a sharp pain in the side of my left calf. I have had many ankle and foot troubles in the past and I knew that this pain was caused by inflammation of my peroneal tendon.

 

I was only able to complete half of my run today but I liked to remind myself that it is way more than I have done in a while!! 

 One down. Rest of my life to go! Thanks for following my journey. I would love to hear your comments and stories!

Until next time, 

 

Welcome!

As of this past Friday, I am a new graduate BSN nurse!! I think the excitement of being free from nursing school is more exciting than being a college graduate. For those that have been though nursing school, you understand my pain. Nursing school brings a lot of stress. Stress is handled by people in many different ways. My late night studying, lack of sleep, no time to cook meals and definitely no time to exercise ended in WEIGHT GAIN! A weight gain of 30 pounds. A weight gain that was definitely not wanted or needed especially since I was already on the overweight side based on my BMI. Now that nursing school is over I am focusing on getting my life back on track. I plan on eating healthy and working out regularly. I invite you to follow me on this journey by reading my post and sharing your stories!