Let Your Goals Guide You

If we all had motivation, we would all probably have everything we have ever dreamed of too. Funny right? That all it takes is motivation and you could have all you ever dreamed of? One little word is all that is separating you and everlasting happiness….

Motivation is something I struggle with, as I’m sure many of you do as well. That and consistency. Pair the two together and you get pure laziness. Aka Audrey. I once had a friend express to me how upset it makes her to see a post that says things like, “start eating clean now, It’s EASY!” It’s not EASY! It freaking sucks! At first it sucks anyways. You crave sugar and carbs and junk food. Because that is what your body has been used to for so long. This isn’t something that is going to change overnight, this is something that takes practice, consistency, and learning. You have to reprogram your mind and your kitchen to be ready to clean eat. Just like you have to reprogram your body, and your mind, to workout. After you have come so far on this journey you forget what it was like to get started. You forget that you start with no experience and scared. Once you have been going, you forget that feeling because it all seems easy now. “it’s not getting easier, you’re getting better.” That alone should motivate you to start, that you WILL get better and that it does get easier because you’re getting better.

Lately my motivation has been at an all-time low. I find the time to workout, I just don’t do it effectively. And when I do it effectively, I ruin it all in the kitchen. I know what it takes and how to do it, just as many of you do, I just can’t get my brain programed right.

As of this weekend I am sitting down and writing goals. Short-term and long-term goals.

Short term goals are going to be week by week and month by month. Long term goals are where I’m trying to get in the end. My problem is that I set my goal for this last April, and I reached it. I did what I wanted to do and never bothered to set new goals. Goals are what it’s all about. Goals are what trigger motivation.

Yes, my goal is to have a rockin’ body that I am happy with, but if I don’t have goals to get there, I’m just wandering aimlessly through my workout routines and my every-day life.

Set goals with me. Tell me what your goals are. Accountability makes a difference. I don’t want to be obnoxious, I just want to push you in the right directions. I’ll only push Beachbody products if you want them pushed. Other than that I will supplement you with what you need to reach your goals in the time that you set for them.

GOAL QUESTIONS:

What do you want to achieve in one week of health and fitness? (write one every Sunday night)

What do you want to achieve in one month of health and fitness?

What is your long term goal that you are working towards in health and fitness?

Why do you want to reach this goal?

How will you feel when you reach this goal?

 

I will answer these questions for you, so that you can see my goals, since I am asking for you to share yours. (Please notice that I use the phrase I WILL instead of I WANT. Because I am in control of my own actions and decisions)

What do you want to achieve in one week of health and fitness?
                -This week I will workout 5/7 days at THE LEAST and lose at least 1 pound and 1 inch off of my waist. I will eat health 90/10 meaning only 1 dessert for the entire week, and control the portion size of the dessert.

What do you want to achieve in one month of health and fitness?
                -For the month of September, I will lose 5 pounds. I will only eat 4 sweets for the entire month starting on September 6. I will get rid of the excuses and be proud of my results. I will lose at least 4 inches off of my body head to toe.  

What is your long term goal that you are working towards in health and fitness?
                -Running: In the spring, April, I will participate in a 10K run
                -Eating: I will clean up my diet and achieve overall health by September 2016. Being confident in my eating skills and knowledge and knowing what my portion sizes should be
                -Workouts: I will be at an overall goal weight of at most 150 meaning a loss of 35 pounds in 12 months. I will lose at least 10 inches from head to toe.

Why do you want to reach this goal?
                - I want to be healthy and happy for the sake of my present, and my future. I want to look good for any future weddings, my own and many of my friends. I want to look at myself in the mirror and know that I am capable of anything I set my mind to and success is not impossible. I want to teach myself to be consistent and persistent with my workout routines and eating habits instead of giving myself excuses to cheat and not workout. I want to be able to run long distance comfortably and use it as my stress relief.

How will you feel when you reach these goals?
                -Week by week I will feel satisfaction and success. Reaching these goals will give me the self confidence that it takes to make it in the big kid world. I will have no regrets in life as to never reaching a goal that I have wanted for so long, instead I will know that I said I could, so I did.

My weight loss has plateaued and I need a reason to be motivated again. Choose to have this reason with me. Make these goals to get motivated with me. We have a clean eating group on Facebook  with great menus that I am willing to share or create for anyone that is interested. I have workouts of my own that I favor and I can give you sites of workouts and names of people who can put together an awesome workout.

Please feel free to contact me at any time, because I need you just as much as you need me ;).

Know that when I am not blogging, I am not doing well. I am not being the person that I want this blog to be about. If you notice that I am not blogging, bug me about it and ask me to write something. Tell me you miss seeing my blog because it is what motivates you. I will get my butt back in gear and start writing more.

 

XOXO, Audrey

I work with one of THOSE people...

If there was one category that I would place myself in, it would be hypocrite. I'm terrible at saying "you can't do that" and I turn around finding myself to be engaging in the act that I just shamed. I still do it anyways and think I'm above all else so.... I'm a hypocrite.

I still weigh 183 pounds,. One of my selfies won't end up on a health inspiration page. I do things wrong sometimes. I don't always know best. I haven't learned the 100% ins and outs of health and fitness. And biggest of all, I suck at the holidays.

Man oh man do I suck at the holidays. Mentally I kept tellinng myself I would NOT eat those sweets and that i would stick to the veggie tray, not the carbs... However, I have to admit that deep down I had it planned to cheat and enjoy my holiday and jump back on the band wagon after the holidays were over. That's horrible! This mindset sucked my motivation dry and made me miserable! I have breakouts on my face. I cry during the day because I feel fat and I am crazy unhappy! Why on earth do I continually do this to myself when I KNOW exactly how it makes me feel. Maybe some day I will learn.

I purchased a year membership at the local gym (so I now I a year membership at 2 gyms.. Yes I am stupid). I bought an exercise ball, a medicine ball, and a set of 8 lb weights to add to my elliptical in the basement to begin my own home workout area and I am set to purchase PIYO the beach body program tonight. This girl, is ready for a challenge! I am going to challenge myself and pish past my limits to reach the goal that I have worked towards. I refuse to give up now and you shouldn't give up either. Don't make this a New Years resolution to get as many likes as you can on facebook make it a goal with determination from within!

On the subject of the title of this blog... If you aren't familiar with one of THOSE people you will be after I point this out. It's one of those things that has driven me nuts since the day I began to lose weight. When you're on a weight loss journey you want to talk about it, show it off, brag about your weight loss, swap healthy recipes, share your favorite workouts, etc.. It's such a great feeling to find that person that you relate to on every level and have all the health and fitness things in common! .... Then you have the opposites. Example:
Me: "I ate an apple, green beans, and grilled chicken for lunch!"
Them: "that's way too healthy and you aren't getting enough carbs! If you're running you need carbs!"
Me: "what are you eating for lunch"
Them: "French fries and fried chicken"
note*** they weigh 115 pounds and never gain a pound
THAT is on of THOSE people. They also proceed with telling you that you are ruining your metabolism by training the way that you are and BLAH. BLAH. Blah.

I know I'm not a fitness guru but I have lost my 20 pounds in a very healthy way and I plan to continue with my diet and exercise the way that I started. So back off naturally skinny girls. I love you all but I am large and I don't plan to eat like I want to be large forever. If I follow your diet, I will be forever overweight. Therefore, I will follow mine.

Last blog I discussed emotional issues with your weight loss, if we never face these, you will struggle in your weight loss. You have to pinpoint why you gained this weight to begin with and why you eat with your emotions. If you don't pin point this now, you never will. Every time this comes back to haunt you, you will go back to your old ways. I have done it, probably 10 times.

Research your emotional eating problems, start this journey from deep within, and know your stuff. Don't let the outside world get to you. Stick to your diet. When you drop the pounds, they will realize that you're doing what is right for you.

Please please please everyone take a chance with health and fitness and just see what it has to offer you. Don't break promises to yourself and don't be the person that says you're going to the gym but finds excuses. Become a new person this year. A new you, a better you, a stronger you.

Remember I'm here for YOU just like you're here for me.
XOXO, Audrey

Remember Me?

Holy smokes! Where did November go!? How did I get so stinking busy!? AH!

To start off, Happy late Thanksgiving to all! I hope it was an amazing time for you and your families. However, I hope you avoided the massive table full of sweets and the second plate full of food!

This holiday season was tough for me. Really tough. I had 3 dinners to attend, each that involved way way way too much food. I made the huge mistake of weighing myself in the middle of one of the dinners on Thursday and the scale said I had gained 9 lbs. I think I nearly passed out when I read that but it sure made me walk away from the tables and stop eating food. Sometimes it takes little things like that and reminders as to what your goal is and why you should stick to it.

I am officially 17.5 lbs down and it feels amazing (because I actually didn't gain weight I stayed exactly the same)! But like I asked Ross today, WHERE DID IT GO!? And where in the world did it lay on my body before now!? It feels so good to be half way to my goal and seeing lower numbers on the scale. I feel like a new person, I feel like a happier person, and so much more as I'm bettering my life!

On top of losing my own weight I have sent my "tips and tricks" documents out to 17 people! 17 people that I know at least have access to a document that they can read and use to help change their life for the better. To take these steps in a way that can change their life for the better, permanently. Ican send this document to you if you just ask! I will never tell your name to anyone unless you want me to brag about you! ;)

Right now I want to talk about something simple that can help each of you. I was thinking about what I gave up food wise that really changed my diet and helped my weight loss move quicker in the beginning. We all know that seeing the scale drop immediately helps keep motivation, rather than no changes at all. So here is a list of foods that I gave up:
1. Carbonated drinks
2. Juices
3. Deep fat friend foods
4. Breads (except for 1 meal a day)
5. Sweets
6. Candy
7. Large portions of foods
8. Pizza
9. Buffets
10. Fast food

These are 10 simple things. Some things are harder than others but once they are gone, you don't even realize it. They are things that haunt you every once in a while but as long as you remind yourself of your goals, you will make it through.

I am finishing up a semester at college and only have 2 left! I promise I will post more! I have goals I want to reach before Christmas and I would like you all to set goals for yourself as well! Let me know what they are so I can cheer you on! Post your goals in the comments section, on my facebook page, or in a personal message! YOU CAN DO IT!

XOXO, Audrey

Cardio Is For The Birdies

Last week I posted a picture of my transformation, which brought up a lot of questions from others. Such as: What are your secrets? How are you doing it? What have you changed? How can you help ME?

Well guess what, I have answers for all of those!

What have you changed?
I have changed everything. From my eating habits, my sleeping habits, and my workout habits. I have changed it all. However, I didn't do it all in one day. I did it over time.
With my eating habits: I started one meal at a time. I started with breakfast and made it healthy every single day. Then when I was used to 1 I went to 2, then I went to 3 with a healthy snack. I made those meals each 4 hours apart. 8am(breakfast), 12 pm(lunch), 4pm (snack), 6pm (supper). I found that if I went longer than this without eating, I frequently over ate.
My sleeping habits: I started going to bed earlier instead of staying up all hours of the night and I started getting my butt out of bed in the mornings to workout.
My workout habits: I have tried to lose weight a thousand times plus and never get anywhere. Once I got used to eating at least 1 meal a day that was healthy I started working out as well. Something I had to understand was I have to work up to my max potential, not start there on week one. I was pushing myself too hard and I would give up because I didn't feel like i could do it. Start simple just like with the meals and work your way up. Even 30 minutes a day is amazing!

How are you doing it?
I have been trying to diet for years. Every time I thought that it was all about calorie restriction. However, it is SO much more than that. Calories need to be restricted BUT that doesn't mean cut them out period or eat less than your recommended daily value or to cut out the protein and the carbs that give you energy to keep going. You have to do some research and learn what each thing does for your body and how to control the numbers. What I tell everyone is that PROTEIN IS KEY! I truthfully believe that you have to get your max protein each day or you are only hurting yourself.
Also, I work out each and every day, with one rest day. You have to be dedicated to the change or it isn't going to happen. The excuses have to stop and become excuses for why you HAVE to go to the gym, not why you CANT go to the gym. It's all a mindset game. Weight loss comes with hard work in the kitchen and at the gym.

What is my secret?
Support. Support is my secret. I know that each week nobody depends on seeing my blog be posted but they are cheering me on when they read it. So many people are rooting for me and if I give up now I let down so many more people than myself. My secret is this blog and it holding me accountable. Each week I have nearly 200 readers. If I give up I give up on 200 people who are counting on me to prove the world wrong and to show everyone my strengths. Find your support, create your own blog, find a reason to keep going!

How can you help ME?
Ask me anything! Even if I don't know the answer, chances are I'm going to look it up. I can give you workouts even if they are workouts I have acquired from others when I asked. I can give you recipes, I can give you tips, I can give you tricks, I can drag your butt to the gym with me, I can hold you accountable by asking you weekly what you have done to make yourself better. I can do a lot for you, it just takes you asking me!

Outside of these questions I want to let you all know that weights are key! One time I worked out with my best friend before I began this journey and I was just going to bike. She looked at me with a serious face and said, "Oh no, Cardio is for the birdies. We are lifting weights today". She pushed me past my limits and made walking nearly impossible the next day. BUT I felt change in my body after just one time at the gym! The fact of the matter is that fat does not burn as many calories as muscle does. When you gain muscle you ramp up your metabolism, and you burn more calories. In other words, you're going to lose that weight quicker and that belly fat!

You can run or do your choice of cardio, I run 2 1/2 miles a day along with weight lifting, but don't forget to lift! With gaining more muscle you need more protein in your body. Did you know: the amount of protein you are supposed to consume per day is the muscle mass % that you have. For example I weight 186 lbs to date and my muscle mass % is 116.6. That means each day I have to consume approx 117 grams of protein to properly feed my muscles.

Lift weights and get your protein, see results.





I'll post again after the weekend with some awesome workouts that I have gotten from fitness guru, Tara Roach, that went through her own transformation and is now a muscle machine! Her workouts will kick your butt every time and make you feel like you truly did all that you could do.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend and please be safe!

xoxo,
Audrey

LATER HATERS!

Ever noticed that you can't smell a distinct smell in your own house, but in other peoples you can? I'm pretty sure that's about how my weight loss has gone. I know I can feel it in my actions, but I don't see it! When I say I don't see it, that doesn't mean that others haven't.

This week I attended a funeral visitation and the Bedford High School Homecoming activities. I received an abundance of compliments that I couldn't be happier about! I smiled ear to ear with every one and tried not to jump into the persons arms and tell them thank you! Then I take picture and actually LOOK at myself. Not just in the mirror but I study myself. Holy crap.... I really do look good!

I needed this change more than anything. I needed to be healthier for the sake of my present and for my future. I know I'm only 20 years old but I quite frequently think about my grandchildren.. and great grandchildren.. and so on. I want to be in their lives! I want to be up and moving and healthy to be apart of their lives! I want to wear my sons football jersey on homecoming and have it fit. I want to wear hip clothes so my daughter can like me that much more. I have goals for my future that give me a reason to lose weight. All very good reasons.

It took me years to come to terms with my body type. I have two amazingly beautiful older sisters who got blessed with gorgeous curves and size small t-shirts. When I was growing up, I would try to fit into all of their clothes. And when I say try, that means I succeeded. Even if the jeans took splitting the crotch out to wear them, I WAS going to wear them. Even if my muffin top was like an XL run over muffin... Yep, wore it..... I would try to fit into size medium dress shirts and so much more. One day I studied a picture of myself and I was like.... OMG what am I wearing? Why do I look like that? What was I thinking!? Lightbulb came on that day and that is where size large Audrey began. I was made fun of all through middle school and high school for being the chunky girl or any other name that people could call me. I was the girl with an awesome personality so the only thing they could spite me with was my weight. Why is it that girls have to be so self conscious about their weight from such a young age? Because some people like to be jerks.

I would like all of those jerks to take a nice look at me now... let their jaw drop really low... hear the words, "holy crap, she got hot"... and I'll keep walking because I know you couldn't accept me in my 6 size too small jeans 9 years ago...  LATER HATERS!

This week I was starving. I wanted to eat EVERYTHING in sight. I even made the comment to my boyfriend, "I could eat a whole house right now" and his response was, "are you going to let the people get out first or.....". Yup, that's how my week went. I ate nearly a whole tube of pringles chips one night at midnight because I was so stressed out from homework. I still went to the gym every single day but I was eating a TON. I weigh in every Thursday and I was nearly scared to death to go step on that scale. But LOL because I gained 10% muscle mass compared to 2% last week and lost 2% body fat. Since my muscle mass was increasing, I needed more protein. Without protein I was just constantly hungry. It all came together pretty quickly and started to make sense. Not to mention I still lost weight. That my friends is why this is not a DIET because none of this involved dieting and I still became a healthier version of who I was last week.

This week was everything I needed and more and I couldn't thank each of you enough. You are the greatest support system a girl could ask for. Especially my best friend Sam who went on a long morning jog with me on Saturday. :) I love getting the comments and compliments that people give me because they truly give me motivation to continue! I hope you see what I am doing and give yourself some motivation to do it as well! Remember, we are in this together!

Hope everyone has a great week!

xoxo, Audrey 

Happiness Is A Way Of Life

I have one simple question for you this week.. Is it easier to walk around with a giant smile on your face? Or a frown and have every person you walk by ask you what is wrong? To me, this question is easy. SMILE! :)

This week was great.. Every single part about it! I have finally broke through my plateau and lost more weight. Nothing feels better than finally being rewarded for you work. I got rewarded for my work, because I smiled through the hard times and kept going. I didn't throw in the towel and eat all sweets in sight, I pushed my body past what my mind thought it could handle.

Sometimes being positive and happy is a lot of work BUT good work. Every situation that arises, you have to stop for 10 quick seconds and decided if you are going to let something like that ruin your day. Instead, just smile and as T-Swift would say "SHAKE IT OFF!".

I am giving all credit to the people around me and for my trusty blog followers because I truly believe that if I wasn't writing this to you right now, I probably would have given up already. It has been FOUR WEEKS since I started watching my diet and eating healthy! Holy milestone! I want to give you a few of the reasons that I have kept going for 4 weeks. Some of these reasons may be a text message, Facebook message, quotes, or inspiration. ANYTHING! I am going to give you reasons to be healthy AND happy. However, I will not include any names with these things that I show you today, but you may recognize yours and know how thankful I am for each of you in my life!

15 Reasons To Keep Going:
1. "Slow and Steady" everyone has heard numerous times that losing weight isn't going to happen over time. I lost 8 lbs in 4 weeks, which is the recommended amount for keeping it off. Keeping it off means taking it off slow and steady. Slow down and enjoy this ride, because HOPEFULLY you can lose it and never have to do this again! One more memory in life!

2. "Way to be, to do something awesome with your life and have big goals! It is so worth getting out of your comfort zone to make not only your body healthy but your soul and mind and spirit as well!" When you read on pinterest that you can do a 14 day cleanse.. do you think of just losing weight? Or do you think of all the toxins in your body that are affecting everything you do from day to day. Your mind, your spirit, AND your body. Just another plus to clean eating is cleansing everything.

3. "I love your blog" Those four words give me motivation to write another one.. and to write another one I have to have something to write about.. which means I have to continue eating healthy and losing weight so I have something to talk about!

4. "If I can do it, you can do it!" This is true for EVERYONE. My favorite show is about ready to go back on the air. That's right, The Biggest Loser! Watch that show for motivation because if they can do it, so can you! Find someone in your life that has gone through the weight loss battle themselves and find some tips and tricks. Every single person is capable of this if they put their mind to it. That means you.

5. "It's hard to keep the right mindset with everything else going on in life"... This has to be hands down the hardest part of health. You don't have time for a healthy meal, you don't have time for the gym, you don't have time to read fitness research, etc.. I could make an excuse every single day of my life that I don't have time but instead I MADE time. I MADE 2 hours every day where  I go to the gym, even if I have to go to work 100% sweaty and disgusting right after it. The reason I'm okay with that is because some day I will walk in looking fit and healthy and know that it was because of all of the times I walked in sweaty.

6. "I'm very proud of you" Since the day I made this decision to start changing my life I have heard this. These words give a person goosebumps and happy tears. To know that someone is proud of you means everything. If you know somebody is on their journey of weight loss, tell them how good they look and that you are proud of them. It means more than you will every know.

7. "Keep it up & maybe it will motivate me or a few other people while you continue your journey" Took the words straight out of my mouth! This is my every hope for this blog! I LOVE when people text me for some motivation, tips, anything! I know I am no advocate but I am doing it myself, which is always the best teacher. I am always here for any of you! I will never spill your weight secrets, struggles, etc.. No matter what your situation, I would love to be the one to help!

8. "You got this!" I got this, you got this, the person in Alaska has got this, everyone on their weight loss journey has got this! We are a TEAM and WE can do this! I need you, just like you need me. :)

9. "Keep up the hard work!" Working out is hard, eating healthy is hard, cravings are hard, nothing about this is easy. That's what makes it fun! Who doesn't like a good challenge!?

10. "Don't get too caught up with work, school, and workouts that you forget time for yourself" Life is all about finding a balance. Make sure you don't forget to enjoy this ride while you're on it.

11. "I read your blog and I can tell that you are so serious and won't stop until you reach your goal" Nobody should ever stop until they reach their goal. I said it in one of the blogs before... Starting over sucks! Just remember that.

12. Paying for a gym membership. I am a money freak... So therefore when I pay for something I get my full use out of it. I didn't pay for a month gym membership to go twice. I have actually already been for 13 days and I don't renew until October 1. If you're a money freak like me, buy a gym membership and I promise you will find time to do it.

13. Never, Never, Never give up! This is the key in life.

14. Become addicted to sweat. Last night I told my boyfriend that I wanted to sweat enough during my workout today to fill a bucket. His look of disgust was priceless. If I am not absolutely drenched with sweat with beads running off my face at the gym, I don't think I'm going hard enough. I go until my shirt is soaked. Gross? YEP! But I can say that I am addicted to sweat.

15. Reward Yourself. I just bought a FitBit Flex because I have been dedicated to the gym for almost 3 weeks. Never let your reward be food though, they say that is bad. Save up money for something you want, new workout clothes, workout equipment, a night out, etc.. Be proud of yourself no matter what!

I am going to reward you with another great recipe for reading my blog again, AND a workout that I have been doing quite a bit!

Quick and Easy Chicken Avocado Burritos
Prep 5 mins     Cook 5 mins
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup Mexican cheese (or mozzarella)
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 large multi-grain tortillas (or flat outs)
1 tablespoon oil

Left over chicken can be used for this recipe. 

Instructions:
1. Mix the shredded chicken, cheese, avocado, and cilantro together.
2. Lay a tortilla flat out on a plate and add 1/4 of the mixture. Form a roll. Repeat for all tortillas.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a heated pan or griddle. Put all tortillas in the pan and cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Flip the burrito and cook until golden brown.

Left over burritos can be frozen cooked or uncooked for up to 3 months.

Audrey's Favorite Workout
Warmup
Walk- 15 minutes
Run- 10 minutes
Stretch

Workout
50X Jump rope
25X Crunches
20X Reverse crunches
30X Bicycle crunch
20X Walking lunges w/ weights
20X Hip Raisers
30X Russian Killers
20X Kettle Ball Flys
20X Arm Flies w/ weights
Plank
Side Plank

Cooldown
ArcTrainer- 20 minutes
Stretch

Hopefully everyone has a great weekend and can find some motivation! If you ever have questions, comments, or concerns, I would be glad to talk! Thanks again for all of the support! 2 more lbs until I reach my first set goal!

xoxo, Audrey



First Bearcat football game of the season was enjoyed with my favorite! We love football season!

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

When you start to think about health and fitness, your mind takes over. Ever seen the quote "Your brain quits before your body"? Health and fitness doesn't happen over night. Your motivation and education for health and fitness can happen over night, but not a weight loss or mass gain. I have to admit that I try to stay as positive I can on this weight loss journey, BUT once in a while the thought crosses my mind of "this is going to take FOREVER".. This thought, I think, is where people let their brain win and say, I give up....I did.

1 year ago I was on a fitness challenge and had lost 15 lbs. I was not so much focused on food as I was getting in physical shape. One day on my run I let my brain fill with bad thoughts. One being, "You're going to give up sometime, you can't do this forever, why not just quit now".. Another being, "I'm just going to be fat and happy forever".. Jillian Michaels would scream at me for this. NEVER call yourself names or use your weight as a joke. Stay positive and work hard, you will get there! Nothing in life that is worth it happens with the snap of your fingers. YOU CAN DO THIS!

If you are anything like me, you surf Pinterest for all things healthy. Motivation, recipes, workouts, quotes, etc.. In this post I am going to show you how Pinterest can be a good thing, but can also make those 'thoughts' that I talked about, worse.

Tell me you haven't seen this picture before.... I haven't eaten sweets for 2 weeks, and sweets are my weakness in life. They are the sole reason that I have love handles. I found this when I typed 'health motivation' into the search box on Pinterest.. GREAT motivation (not). Yes, you will survive if you eat a cupcake, but the beginning of your diet is about ditching the cravings. Tell me what health benefits a cupcake has for you besides making you have a 'cupcake top'. NONE. PLUS, I am not genetically predisposed to being 'fat' but I do have big bones. No diet can change big bones and chances are I am never going to have a thigh gap. So, I chafe. Get over it. Your legs are what take you everywhere in life and sometimes we take those legs for granted. Some people don't get the chance to chafe. Be thankful.

This is my absolute favorite picture that I will show you in this blog. When you come to the realization in life that each meal is not to fill your stomach, it is to feed your body the nutrients it needs to function, you are winning. As I said before, a cupcake has no health benefits. Not a vitamin, not a healthy fat, not giving you energy, it is actually giving you fatty sugars. WHICH, by the way slow you down, so add another pound to the body you already dislike. You hear it all the time "Your body is a temple". But seriously people, your body is what gives you life. Gives you the ability to get out of bed healthy every day. Allows you to walk. Allows you to do what YOU want to do each day. THAT in itself should be motivation to put nothing but healthy foods into your body.

Do I even need to write about this one? Make this promise to your body. To yourself. Change your life, change yourself. PROMISE yourself.

How am I losing this weight? I'm eating healthy and taking this awesome new diet pill called "Get-The-Hell-Up-And-Work-Your-Ass-Off-Every-Damn-Day"! That my friends is not a fad, and it will not be added to the failed list. Promise.

A diet isn't for a week, it's for a lifetime. It is a life change to make you better. When you are on a diet for a week, or just a month, you fail. Nobody wants to be a failure. Tell yourself that YOU WILL DO THIS!

THIS is why you keep going. You set a goal in the beginning that you know is going to be worth it in the end. The bad thoughts that you feed yourself, can be easily beat with positivity. Yesterday was the beginning of my fitness journey and I am in more pain than words can describe. However, I'm going back tonight because I know it is what it takes to get me where I want to be. Always think of the big picture.

I've been excited since the first .1 lbs dropped off. Be happy for yourself! No matter what the milestone, even if it is just going to the gym every day for a week, be proud of yourself! 

Everyone is going to have their awesome days and their bad days. That is part of life. But when that day comes remember this. You don't have to beat yourself up! Go back to my first post and read my suggested article of why men lose weight easier than women. One of the reasons was that they have an 80/20 rule! Not every day is going to be 100% but make sure they all average up to 80%. 

Last but not least. Don't quit! Be stronger than every excuse that you could ever come up with and do it! I'll end with what I began with, "Your brain quits before your body". Don't quit! 

I may say things that not everyone will always agree with. That's fine. I want you to argue with me. Because if you are arguing with me, that means you are also on this journey and have learned things for yourself. You want to put your knowledge up against mine. I am not saying that I am a fitness and health guru but I sure hope to be some day! The best way to learn is to get out there and do it!

My reminder to you today is all of these pictures. Make this the post that you repeatedly come back to and read for your daily motivation. Even if it means skipping the health and fitness section of Pinterest. 

xoxo, Audrey