Looking Ahead, No Turning Back.

I found this picture not too long ago. I was so stunned, and it really got me thinking on how much...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:30:31 -0400

I found this picture not too long ago. I was so stunned, and it really got me thinking on how much I’ve really changed my entire life. I’m in the green dress.

The before picture was from April 2009. I went to Las Vegas for my cousin’s wedding. I don’t even remember barely anything from that trip. It’s all a blur. Going to Las Vegas should have been a fun and memorable experience. Instead, I literally just sat on the sidelines of my life. If you look at that girl in the green dress, she looks like she’s in a daze. She looks like she was off in oblivion. She was alive, but certainly not living.

Flash forward to June 2013 (the picture on the right). I’ve lost 120 pounds, and have made a complete lifestyle change. That was the day I ran a 10 mile race and beat my previous time by over 10 minutes!!!! I was so elated. This is a girl who is living. This is a girl who has a gigantic smile on her face that is sincere in every aspect of the word. This is a girl who is no longer sitting on the sidelines. She’s running past those sidelines (literally) and enjoying every second of her life.

Changing the way I eat and moving my body was the best decision I’ve ever made. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but honestly, these two pictures are worth so much more than words. Milestones. Tears. Sweat. Determination. Strength. Courage.Those are the few of many words that come to mind.

I cannot even begin to explain how much growth and change I’ve made. I truly have transformed. I have changed physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The fitblr community has helped me in so many ways, and I hope to be able to give back. If I inspire you in any way, shape, or form, I’m a better person for it. We’re all in this together, guys. We truly can be anything we want to be.

I used to always dream about wearing cute tops from places...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:09:14 -0400

I used to always dream about wearing cute tops from places like
Pac Sun, but I always had to settle for plus size clothing from places like Torrid.
Sometimes it’s the little things. How I can walk into a store and buy a Volcom/Roxy shirt and buy it without trying it on and know it’ll fit.

Reflecting on this because non-scale victories definitely need to be documented more often.

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Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:31:52 -0400

So remember a few weeks ago I briefly mentioned that I was...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:28:00 -0400

So remember a few weeks ago I briefly mentioned that I was going to check out a crossfit box? Well, I did!

Back story: A girl I went to high school with bought a month membership to a crossfit box. I don’t really talk to her much, but she really was inspired by my weight loss journey. She’d message me every once in a while telling me how great I look and how happy she was for me.

Randomly one day around a month ago, she messaged me on facebook asking me if I’d like to have a free month at a crossfit box. She told me she bought a month membership, and she got into an at home work out and wanted to finish that instead of doing crossfit. Instead of wasting her money, she wanted to give her month membership to somebody. She messaged me and told me she thought I deserved it after all the hard work I’ve done for myself.

I sincerely took this as a sign. I’ve been hearing so many things about crossfit for a while now (through people I know, tumblr, instagram, websites, magazines, etc) and have really been dying to try it. But, to get a whole MONTH free??? Insane!!! I had to jump at the opportunity.

So, a couple weeks ago I decided to check it out. I was a bit nervous going into it. Trying new things can be scary… especially going alone. I actually drove around in circles for a good 10-15 minutes contemplating if I should go. I ultimately decided that I needed to face my fears. Jillian Michaels actually was embroidered in my mind. “Life starts at the end of your comfort zone.” That quote couldn’t be more true.

So, I walked into the crossfit box not knowing what to expect. There were a couple people there, and they were super nice. I met the owner, signed a few papers, and began the WOD (work out of the day). I did burpees and wallball squats. 20 minutes, on the minute. I kept up the entire time, and I was sweating bullets. The next couple days afterward, I could really feel the muscle soreness. Ever since that day, I’ve been hooked.

I’ve attended more crossfit classes since then, and after the free month is over, I plan on joining. It is very expensive, and I already have a gym bill to pay, so I will be playing it by ear. I believe crossfit is EXACTLY what I’ve been needing in my fitness regime.

I used to be a cardio junkie. I would do cardio machines for hours at the gym. I would run and run on the treadmill. I’d do the stairmaster until my legs fell off. Any progress I made was painfully slow. I knew I needed to make a change. I wanted so badly to transition into weight lifting and using your own body weight exercises, but I couldn’t figure out how to do that. Part of me didn’t want to get out of that comfort. I mean hey, I first lost the majority of my weight with strictly doing cardio. The pounds melted off. But, after losing so much weight and educating myself more during the process, I knew I needed to switch things up.

It’s so funny because right before this girl offered me the free month of cross fit, I was getting really bored of my work out routines. I was running, doing cardio machines, some of my own exercises, and spinning. My routine was exactly becoming well… routine. I find it so odd how this whole thing happened. It literally came just in time.

Now, I mostly use the cardio machines as warm up tools or for HIIT work outs. Today, I warmed up on the treadmill for 10 minutes and for 10 minutes on the stairmaster. Then, off I went and did my own exercises. I incorporated moves that I’ve learned from the Insanity dvds, crossfit, tumblr, and just thing I’ve stumbled upon. I did my own circuits and used my owned body weight, and I burned over 700 calories. It’s crazy, because I find myself being BORED on cardio machines now. The fact that I used to spend an hour at a time on a machine is mind-boggling to me now. I never thought in a million years I’d feel this way about cardio. It’s so cool to see myself evolving (mentally and physically).

I weighed myself this past friday, and I lost another 2lbs. That is a total of 15lbs in three months!!!

With consistency, hard work, continuing to grow and get myself out of my comfort zone, I’ve embarked on another leg of my journey. I’m so excited, you guys. I feel the lightest and strongest I’ve ever felt before. Crazy how both of those words can be in one sentence.

P.S. look at that muscle peaking through! ;)

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Wed, 29 May 2013 13:03:52 -0400

I don’t usually post pictures like this, but I’m extremely proud...

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:13:00 -0400

I don’t usually post pictures like this, but I’m extremely proud of myself. I don’t remember the last time I was this proud. This is me in the bathroom of my job two days ago. At my job, you have to dress business casual. All of my work pants have become much looser on me lately. I haven’t made this kind of progress in what seems like such a long time. I cannot explain into words how happy I am.
After I lost about 110lbs during my journey, things started to get weird. My life changed so much… I changed so much… and I think I became comfortable. I was in constant limbo with eating clean for 3 weeks, binging for 3-4 days, and then trying to get back on track and eat clean again. This was a cycle for a good year-year and a half. It took a huge mental toll on me and there were times when I really just couldn’t believe what I was doing do myself. I was stagnant. I was sad. I was angry. I was stuck.
Next Friday marks 3 months (huge leap from 3 weeks, yes?!) of being consistent, eating healthy, working hard, breaking that vicious cycle, and reaping the benefits. I have lost 13lbs since March 1st, 2013. That’s almost a solid pound a week. Healthy. Consistent.
I’m so ecstatic. I feel like I’m on another journey. Truly, this is just another leg of the original journey. It’s going to help me in all aspects of life. I see myself improving at my job and my schoolwork as well. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I’m so grateful to have found the strength, fire, and courage inside me to crawl out of that dark and deep hole I dug for myself.
“I’ll keep my eyes fixed on the sun.”

Yesterday morning, I woke up early and headed to the gym. The...

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:13:00 -0400

Yesterday morning, I woke up early and headed to the gym. The past couple days I’ve had a really bad cold (sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing), so I was not exactly thrilled about going. I hopped on the treadmill and started walking at a heavy incline. After only about 4 minutes, I was breathing very heavily and had to hold on to the treadmill. I knew something wasn’t right, and it had to be my cold (I’m a runner; I run constantly. Walking on an incline isn’t usually a problem for me).
After about 6 minutes, I was discouraged and got off the treadmill. I was all set to leave and give up, but I called my boyfriend and he graciously picked up the phone even though it was 7am and he was at work. I told him I was upset about my work out and I didn’t want to feel like a quitter for leaving. He said to me, “Babe, you know your limits. Listen to your intuition.”
And just like that, with those simple words… I went upstairs and did my own work outs.
I made up my own circuits and did 3 rounds each of them which included:

-kettle bell swings
-jump rope
-squats
-burpees
-6 pile high box jumps
-switch jumps with weights
-40lb dead lifts
-running on the track

These are all exercises I’ve learned through out my journey at different times. I managed to be drenched in an unbelievable amount of sweat afterwards. My hair felt as if I just came out of a sauna. I felt so good and so strong. The best part of it all was that I was so close to leaving, and then I decided to stay and do my OWN work outs by MYSELF and still get a great sweat in.
It really just shows that I am my own motivator. That I can push myself even when the odds are stacked against me. Plus, my boyfriend truly is wonderful as well.

P.S. I’m leaving for work now and my legs, thighs, and glutes, are all very sore. A good kind of sore.

"The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:49:27 -0400

“The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you.”

- Colin Powell (via eyes-of-mars)

WHEN I SEE SOMEONE DO AN EXERCISE THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:04:52 -0400

fitcats:

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Thu, 16 May 2013 08:43:36 -0400

Broad Street 10 Mile Run!

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:46:00 -0400

Can I just say how happy I am about this time!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a new PR!!!!!

Guys. You guys. I beat last year’s time by 10 whole minutes!!! Last year, I finished in 1:47:11, this year I finished in 1:37:04!!!!!!!!!! You can view last year’s post about this run here.

I did everything differently this time around. Last year, I carb-loaded before the race with tons of pancakes and pretty much ate whatever I wanted because I thought, “Oh I’m running 10 miles, I can eat what I want. I’ll need energy.” This did not go over well, and I was pretty uncomfortable the whole time I was racing last year.

This year, however, I carb-loaded the night before with Ezekiel bread, natural peanut butter and whole wheat pasta. The morning of the race I had a banana, a cilf bar, an a little energy gel shot. I felt good the ENTIRE run. I even wore a watch this time around, and as I was running I could NOT believe what good time I was making.

What’s really ironic is that last year, I trained MUCH MORE for this run than I did this year. This year, I only ran one 8 miler and one or two 6 milers prior to this 10 mile race (okay well I did run a lot on the treadmill too), and last year I did two 8 milers, a bunch of 6/7 milers, and just overall trained more for it. I also had a lot of problems mentally with how I viewed food and I was at a constant mental battle with binge eating.

Which brings me to this amazing fact: today marks exactly 75 days (Almost 3 months… WHAT?!) of a new mindset and approach to clean eating and making this a lifestyle, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself. Binge free. This is so huge. I cannot explain it enough. I promise I’m going to make a detailed post about this soon. I’ve just been really busy with working full time and taking a summer course. Plus, my best friend is home for a couple days from college, and I do like to see my boyfriend every now and then ;). But believe me, it’s coming.

I went into this race hoping to beat last year’s time. I wanted to get under an hour and 40 min, but even that I thought wasn’t going to happen. So, I told myself to at least try and beat last year’s time, even if it’s just a couple seconds. And what do ya know… I CRUSHED my 1:40 goal and finished 10 minutes faster. That’ an amazing accomplishment in not only the running world, but in my world as well. :’)

Needless to say, this is exactly how I felt upon completing the race:

looking at myself in the mirror after I've eaten healthy all day and worked out

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:25:25 -0400

Last Friday, my boyfriend and I went and saw Jillian Michaels...

Fri, 10 May 2013 23:01:00 -0400

Last Friday, my boyfriend and I went and saw Jillian Michaels live for her “Maximize Your Life” tour!
It was such a good time. She puts on a really fabulous show. She’s exactly how she is on The Biggest Loser. You really get what you see with this lovely lady. She also has such an awesome sense of humor.
We had really great seats… Close and in the middle. It was so neat being so close and in such an intimate setting with a huge inspiration of mine.
Her 2 1/2 hour show was basically about health, fitness, life, struggles, nutrition, and goals. The first half of the motivational speaking was about diet/nutrition/exercise (aka the first picture). She went into brief detail about food labels, balance, organic eating, calculating your BMR, exercise, HIIT training, etc. What really surprised me was the fact I pretty much knew everything she said already. Not that it wasn’t entertaining or beneficial for me, but it made me really realize how knowledgeable I am on the subject matter. I mean, when it comes to the in-depth science of it all, I really don’t know squat (exercise humor LOL). But as for the facts she kept laying out… I knew it basically all of them.
After we had a brief 20 minute-ish intermission, the other half of her show she talked about life/goals/fears. I really loved how honest and open she was. She talked about her personal life quite a bit, from her father to her life partner to her being fired from The Biggest Loser (during season 3) and then returning, etc. She really let you connect with her and get a little glimpse of her battles she’s faced.
One part of her show really struck a chord with me. She was talking about how you always hear people tell people how to get in shape by “using the stairs more” or “parking your car far away and walking to the entrance.” She said that it’s basically an insult and you’re selling yourself short. Jillian was like, “No, how about you RUN up the stairs, or RUN down the parking lot.” Do more.
It’s just so true. I see it all the time. People selling themselves short and expecting the bare minimum. I know before this weight loss that I sure as hell did. It’s crazy to me how when I reflect on my past and see how much crap I put up with for so much of my life. I’ll tell you one thing… I don’t put up with anything anymore and it’s the most liberating feeling.
Sometimes I literally feel like I’m living in a dream and can’t believe I actually lost the weight. I remember for so long wishing and dreaming and hoping it’d happen.
And you know what? It didn’t happen by wishing and dreaming and hoping. It happened with my hard work. My choice. My choices. My actions. My discipline. My sacrifices. My sweat. My drive.
I truly have Maximized My Life (in all aspects).

And you can too.

My Mind Is A Changing

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:42:00 -0400

Work has a catered paid lunch for us today.

Co-workers bring in home-made desserts.
.
Michelle eats a couple chips, a tiny (very tiny) piece of cheesecake, and a few chocolate dipped strawberries.

Michelle goes on with the rest of the day normally and doesn’t binge eat on everything in sight thinking that she ruined her eating today and might-as-well continue with it.

It’s been a little bit over two months of serious consistency. My mind has changed, and I’ve sincerely grown. Huge post about this coming underway, y’all.

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Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:58:00 -0400

Just a couple facts: I’m seeing Jillian Michaels live this...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:08:00 -0400

Just a couple facts:

I’m seeing Jillian Michaels live this Friday night with my boyfriend!
The Broad Street 10 Mile Run is in exactly one week.
It’s been almost 60 days (2 months) of consistent hard work in both eating & exercise. I will be writing a huge post on this very soon because well, this is a HUGE occurrence/milestone in my journey and deserves proper reflection.
I’m going to be checking out a CrossFit box very soon.
I really dig my eye color.
I love putting clothes together that don’t look like they’d match and then they end up doing so.
Sundays are my favorite day of the week.

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Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:21:40 -0400

Peanut Butter: This shit... it fills you.

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:24:00 -0400

Just got home from work and was really, really hungry. Today is my Meatless Monday, so I opted on making a whole wheat wrap with peanut butter and 1/2 a banana.

Instantly my hunger is gone and I’m so full. Also downed 16oz of water. Not only does pb fill you, it’s so sticky in your mouth that you’re forced to drink lots and lots of water… leading you to be even more full.

Ugh. Peanut butter.

Ran 8 miles this lovely Sunday morning in preparation for my 10...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:31:00 -0400

Ran 8 miles this lovely Sunday morning in preparation for my 10 mile run I have in two weeks. It was such an amazing run, and I’ve been saving the end of my peanut butter jar just for this glorious occasion (got the idea off tumblr!). My jar of pb included: Trader Joe’s peanut butter, 1/2 banana, Kashi Go-Lean crunch, and Trader Joe’s puffed wheat :)

Running can be so funny. I ran 6 miles last week, and it was a struggle. Today, I ran 8 miles, and it was the complete opposite. Granted, I had a few rolls at dinner last night and I’m quite sure that counted as “carb-loading” which gave me fuel for my run today, but if that’s the case then so be it! I needed that energy. I needed this run. I haven’t ran 8 miles in almost a year’s time, and it definitely didn’t feel like that. I felt so good the entire run. My body, my breathing… everything was just so on point. I felt so strong. The weather was a bit chilly, but that quickly didn’t matter after 10 minutes in. I was even hesitant of doing my run today because my legs were still a little bit sore due to my full body work out I did Friday morning, but I’m so glad I opted on just doing it. I really feel like I could have ran the whole 10 miles today!

I really love having off on Sundays. I seem to have my best work out days on Sundays, and it sets the entire mood for the week. Things overall have been really wonderful lately, and I will be updating you all soon enough. Let’s just say my relationship with food has changed dramatically… in the best way possible ;)

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Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:34:01 -0400