In
short, I am a “20something” female from South Louisiana with a passion for
fitness. I’m not a doctor, a dietician or even a trainer. I don’t pre-plan every meal and I don’t take
a million supplements. I’m not in the
habit of starving myself or doing hours of cardio. However, I am consistent with my workouts,
conscious in the kitchen, I strive for my goals and I have seen great results
from the methods I’ve adopted. Above
all, I have a passion to help others daily, especially when helping them reach
their fitness goals. It is my hope that the information I provide might inspire
someone to be the best version of THEMSELVES and to kick start a training
program today! This blog is my attempt at making a difference, my effort to
contribute to the fitness community and my crack at getting others motivated in
the gym! So however you happened to come
across this page, I am thrilled to have you. I just have one question for you- Are
you ready to make a lifestyle change today?
The start of any fitness journey is
always filled with excitement; whether it be fueled by excitement for the boot
camp you just signed up for, the new workout clothes you recently purchased or
even just the inner belief that you are about to transform into the hottest
living being your ex has ever laid eyes on.
Whatever it is, it gets you there for the first time. It fuels you to be
present and to go after your goals tenaciously.
But what keeps you going? What
sustains that initial excitement and
energy? Simply put: goals.
Goals
keep you in the gym, goals sustain the motivation and goals force consistency
but only if you let them. Now, it is
important to realize that not all goals are created equally. They come in many different shapes and sizes
and are as specific or as general as you choose to make them. Most importantly, whatever goal you choose to
set for yourself, know that. it. is.
yours.
People
can influence you both to pursue and to abandon your goals but only you fail or attain them. So whatever your goal is today, know that YOU
control it. Only you can make it and only you can break it! Personally, I’ve gone through so many “goals”
in the gym it would make your head spin like something out of the Exorcist. I tried any and every “get-fit-quick” scheme
there was. If there was a new diet or
“cleanse” to hit the market, you better believe I was first in line to try it!
But after many failed attempts at my “fit lifestyle” I decided to stop trying
to do things “my way” and I started reevaluating both my goals and my approach.
Like I
said, I have been through many ebbs and flows throughout my “fitness journey”
but there were 4 significant shifts in my goals that I believe led me to the
lifestyle I live today.
|
Goal
|
Method of Execution
|
Outcome
|
|
To have a “perfect” body
|
Wishing, obsessing, diet restrictions, lifestyle restrictions, etc.
|
Zero physical change, binge eating to satisfy cravings, binge
drinking, depression over failure, resolution to “start again on Monday”
|
|
To lose body fat
|
Ran 4 miles a day/cardio for 45min a day, only lean proteins, no
carbohydrates after lunch
|
“skinny fat” look (we will address this term later on), little to no
bodily changes, increasing consumption of alcohol to hide hunger pangs
|
|
To “tone up”
|
Little bit of weight training was incorporated, still doing heavy
cardio daily, very restricted diet (I only incorporated what I thought to be
“healthy carbs”)
|
Did not push myself 100% in the gym due to fear of “bulking”,
nervously burning off any muscular “gains”
*AT THIS POINT I READ AN ARTICLE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE…PLEASE SEE **
FOR LINK TO ARTICLE
|
|
To have a strong and muscular build
|
Heavy weight training 4x/week, no cardio, began counting
macronutrients ( a theory commonly called “flexible dieting”)
|
Happy with my body, wanting to help others achieve their fitness
goals, wanting to go to the gym
|
I must
give a large amount of credit to my boyfriend at the time (now Husband) who
urged me to get in the gym and start lifting weights. He opened that door for
me and let me know it was possible, that it was possible for ANYONE who wanted
it! As a female I was so worried I would become “manly” looking, I only wanted
to “target” my fat areas. I hate to be the one to break it to you ladies
but…….IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY! First off, on to the subject of “targeting fat”;
the article I previously referenced does a great job of explaining this system
but I’ll go ahead and summarize the general points. Your body chooses where it stores or loses
fat, you do not have a say in this matter...all we can control is how much fat
we gain or lose. This is not to say that
our bodies cannot change over time because they most certainly can. You may
find the first time you cut your body fat that you lose fat very quickly in
your stomach yet on your next cycle of cutting fat you lose more quickly in
your hips. It is also very important to remember that just like you cannot lose
20 pounds over night, you cannot gain 20 pounds over night. When it comes to “bulking”,
we are simply not equipped with the amount of testosterone necessary to create
that “bulky” look we’re all so irrationally afraid of. We just aren’t. And if you’re on the other end of your screen
thinking that you’re that 1 in a Million gal who happens to bust open this
theory. Relax, this is the only time I will enjoy saying this, YOU AREN’T THAT
SPECIAL! Sorry, you’re chocked full of estrogen just like the rest of us J
So now
that we’ve worked through our bulking fears let’s get back to our goals. Personally,
I believe it is important to have several goals simultaneously; a long term
goal, an intermediate goal and a short term goal. A long term goal is one that
you carry out for life. Some examples of long term goals are, “I want to live a
healthy lifestyle” “I want to be an ambassador for health in my family” “I will
work out to live a more stress free life”.
An intermediate goal is one that that you may see come into fruition in
the upcoming months or even years. “I want to lower my cholesterol” “I want to
run a marathon” “I want to lose 10% body fat” are all examples of an
intermediate goal. Lastly, set a short
term goal to achieve for yourself. Some
examples of short term goals are; “I want to run for an extra half mile this
week” “I want to hit my PR (personal record) in squats today” or “I’ll
substitute my nighttime dessert for something more substantial”. Any of these goals can be changed to make
them your own; no goal is too big or too small.
However, when choosing your goals make sure that they are attainable for you physically at this
time. There is no quicker way to
discourage ourselves than to set goals that cannot be reached and we are no
longer in the habit of failure! We WILL set goals and we WILL attain them!
So what
are my goals you ask? Well this brings
us to the meat and potatoes of this blog.
Currently my long term goal is to maintain a healthy physique so my
husband has a healthy partner for life and so my future children have a happy
healthy momma! My intermediate goal is
the one that I couldn’t wait to share with y’all; my goal is to compete in a Bikini
Competition. Currently, I am still in a “bulking”
phase so that I may build up AS MUCH muscle as possible before my “prep” begins
on February 1st! I am incredibly nervous BUT the nerves have been my
fuel in the gym and really have helped me push myself much further than I ever
thought possible. See, that’s the great
thing about goals, sometimes you don’t realize how AMAZING your body is until
you push it past the mental limits you had previously set. My current short term goal is to really focus
on building my glutes, hamstrings and quads. I want me some big ol’ tree trunks
one day…and damnit, I’m gonna get em!
Some of
you MAY be wondering what I do specifically in the gym or for my diet in
general (and for contest prep) and I am so happy to tell you that these details
will unfold! I will share my favorite workouts and provide basic information on
my method of dieting known as “flexible dieting”. Some of you may already be
familiar with this term or perhaps with “IIFYM” (If It Fits Your Macros). If this concept is new to you, however, you
can read more on the website to become familiar with the subject.
So now that we’ve set
our goals, it’s time to get started! Go forth and enjoy your new possibilities,
things can only go up from here!
Until next time-
Be Kind
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