Fitness Friday- Finding My Why

Happy Friday!  I hope that you have had a wonderful week!  So far this week has been great.  I got all my workouts in, I've been eating really healthy and launched our #SpringFeverFitness giveaway.  Today I need to get my run in, and get ready for another class I am teaching tonight at a friends home.  We have a fun dinner planned with friends tomorrow night, one of our close friends is in from Florida so we will be spending time with him as well.  It is also so great to have some great weather so we can get outside and enjoy the sun!  That always puts me in a good mood!  What are your plans for the weekend?

Lately I have been reading and hearing a lot about finding your why.  This is not a new concept for me and I often say that I have found my why, but I think as I get older, and hopefully wiser, that my why has changed.  I have changed and so have my health and fitness goals.  I am a mom of a very active toddler, and I would like to have another baby at some point.  When I was younger my goal was always to be skinny.  If you have been reading my blog for a while then you know my story.  If you are a new reader (Welcome!) and you can read more about me and my story here.  I was always trying to find what the new quick way to lose weight would be and then going full force until I wore myself out.  I have changed that mindset to more of just living a healthy lifestyle and setting a good example for my daughter.  I don't want her to grow up having the same body image issues that I did.  I want her to learn what strong and healthy is.  I have seen a change in that direction in the fitness community that I am a part of and I can only hope that it continues on that way.

My WHY for living a healthy and active lifestyle:
My biggest why is my daughter.  I want her to have a mom that is her example of health.  I want to be around and active as she grows up.  I want her to know that healthy eating means lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, but also that it is okay to have a cookie or some ice cream and that's totally okay.  The only "junk food" we talk about is fast food, and that for us is a never food.  Other than that she knows its okay to have a cookie after we eat our healthy dinner.  I don't want her to have a complex about food, I want her to just grow up with a good base of what healthy eating looks like. She has seen me workout or be active from the time she was just a baby.  We started with daily walks, well she was in her stroller, and she would sit in her little bouncy seat in my gym when I worked out.  As she has gotten older she is now starting to join in my workouts.  She knows that it is just a part of what we do.  We go for walks, we do yoga together, she joins in when I am doing planks or jumping jacks.  It is just a part of life.  I never talk about weight around her, and don't use negative talk about my body.  I love my body, it gave me my daughter, and for that I will forever be thankful!  I don't worry so much about my weight, I just want to be able to run, jump, crawl and play with her.  That is what life it about.  It's not saying that I don't have my own fitness goals, just that they don't control my life like they once did.  I just want to live happy. healthy and balanced.  That for me is my why, and I remind myself of that daily.

My WHY in my professional life:
When I started blogging it was just a fun hobby, and I love to write.  For me it was a personal journal.  As I have continued on with it, my hope is that I am able to help others find their love for fitness and healthy living.  I try to set an example and inspire others to workout and eat right because they love themselves.  I enjoy blogging and connecting with other ladies in the fitness community.  I also want to build a brand for myself and have my own business.  It is important for me to have my own identity and work (outside of being a mommy), and grow as a business professional.  My why comes from the need to create something and share my love of healthy living with others.  I am an entrepreneur at heart, I went to business school, and I know that one day I will be running my own business, whatever that may be. 

I think that really delving into what makes you do what you do is so important.  Defining your why will make it that much easier on the days that you are tired or lacking the motivation to get going.  I encourage you to take the time to figure out your why and write it down.  Put it where you can see it everyday.

Let's chat!  What is your Why?  Do you have more than one Why?  
What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?  I would love to hear from you! 

Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate having you visit my little piece of the internet!
Don't forget to enter the #SpringFeverFitness Giveaway, there is a HUGE prize pack!

Today I am linking up with Nicole from Fitful Focus, Jenn from Pretty Little Grub, Katie from Running for Cupcakes, and Clare from Fitting It All In.  Head over and check these ladies out!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fitness Friday + Back & Shoulder Workout

Happy Friday Fit Friends!  It is cold and snowy here, and my little one is begging to get out in the snow and build a snow man, which is where we are headed after today's blog post is up!

In a recent post I talked about working to find my balance with eating without restricting at all.  So far everything has been going great.   I am working with my friend and "coach" Amanda from Balanced Brunette to get my macros set at the right percentage for me.  Today she made a small adjustment for me and we will see how that goes.  I am trying to get my metabolism back up and running with eating whole foods, allowing for treats, lifting weights and HIIT cardio.  Right now I'm not restricting at all, and it feels like freedom with tracking macros.  I have been using the My Fitness pal app on my phone to track daily.  I won't do it forever, just until I reach my goals.  Then I'll work to maintain with a balanced lifestyle.  It's something like If it fits your macros or flexible dieting.  For me it's finding what works best for me to reach my goals.  I'm not focusing on the scale...I'm focusing on getting my metabolism back to where is should be.  We are going to visit a friend in Florida in February, when I get back Amanda and I are going to work on a reverse diet plan to really get my metabolism back up.  This creates a faster metabolism and allows for more room to cut calories to lose fat without going too low or having to restrict.  I'm still doing more reading in the reverse diet, but as of now it seems like a great place to start.  I have dedicated 2015 to reaching my goals.  I know with consistency, balance and some hard work I will get there!

My home gym...battle ropes, post workout pump, HRM calorie burn

 As for my workouts lately they have been awesome.  I am sticking to my schedule I have created and I love my new plan.  I am loving the added challenge of my new battle ropes.  I feel like once I get into a routine with my workouts it is easy to stick to since I know what I am working out on what day.  It makes it easy to get dressed and head to my home gym in my basement to workout.  Yesterday I did my back and shoulders workout with ropes and boxing mixed in for cardio.  I love having all my fun workout "toys" to keep it interesting.  I have been shooting to hit around 700 calories per workout and since I workout 5 days a week that gives me around 3,500 calories burned for the week.  I wear my polar HRM to track my heart rate and calories.  It gives me a little extra motivation and push to hit my calorie goal.  You have to keep it fun right?!?  Do you wear a HRM when you workout?  

Here is my back and shoulder workout from yesterday:

Circuit #1- 

Single arm rows- 35lbs x 12 each arm

Rope high pulls- 30lbs x 15

Shoulder presses- 15lbs x 15 

30 second plank hold

30 second ropes 

30 second boxing 

*I repeated the circuit 3 times before moving on to circuit 2

Circuit #2- 

Lat pulldowns- 90lbs x 15 

Seated cable row- 50lbs x 15

Lateral shoulder raises- 15lbs x 15 each

V-sit with a twist- 20 lbs x 30 seconds

45 second ropes

45 second boxing

 *I repeated the circuit 3 times before moving on to circuit 2

Circuit #3-  

Single arm rear fly- 15lbs x 15 each 

Upright row with kettle bell- 30lbs x 15

Front shoulder raises- 15lbs x 12 each

30 second bicycle crunches

45 seconds ropes

45 seconds boxing 

 *I repeated the circuit 3 times 

I hope that you have had a wonderful week so far!  I have one more workout tomorrow, my second leg day.  I love doing legs!  The DOMS the next day not so much!  Today I did a new drop set and HIIT cardio workout.  I will post both those workouts in the next few days.  This is what I will be doing for the rest of January before I change it up again.  I am really excited to see where I am at the end of the month with all the work I have been putting in.

If you are struggling with the restrict/binge cycle please feel free to send me an e-mail or a message to my Facebook page.  I am an NASM certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist.  I am happy to talk with you about finding your way out of this cycle.  Sometimes you need someone who knows what you are going through to just talk to.  I know it has helped me to have a few fit friends to chat with.  I am here to help in anyway I can! 

Today I am linking up with Pretty Little Grub FYI Friday and Fitful Focus for Fit & Fashionable Friday.

Head over and check them out!! I love both of their blogs!

Fitness Friday + Staying On Track Series- Part 1 Holidays

Yesterday our air conditioning stopped working...needless to say it was so hot!  However, I got up and got my morning workout in!  I was sweaty and hot, but I figured I was just burning extra calories!  I am happy I got it done, but I can't wait till we get the air fixed.  Did you get your workout in today, or do you have it scheduled for later?  Your mind can make up any excuse, you get stronger when you move past those excuses and just do it!  By now, you may have guessed that I love affirmations and inspirational quotes, I think they keep me going.  What do you use to stay motivated and work past your excuses?  What are some of your favorite quotes that get you moving?

I am starting a new series called Staying On Track.  With the holiday weekend fast approaching I thought I would give you some tips for staying on track toward your goals, and not blowing it just because it is a holiday weekend.

Staying On Track Series- Part 1 Holidays

Okay so it is Labor Day and you are going to a BBQ at a friends house or you are going away for the weekend, now what?

1. Pack your own food to take.  Even if you can't make every meal that you eat while out of town, you can have some snacks that will keep you from overeating when it comes to meal time.  Packs things like apples, bananas, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, rice cakes, Kind bars, homemade trail mix, protein powder to mix with water.  If you are going to a party take a healthy dish to pass and a fruit and veggie tray, this way you are guaranteed to have something to eat.
2.  Eat before you go.  Before you head out to that party make sure to eat a meal so that when you get there you will be less tempted to overeat all the goodies.
3. Plan a cheat meal.  It is okay to have a cheat meal every week, and you need one to help keep you on track.  If you know that there is going to be food that you just can't wait to eat, plan that as your cheat meal.  Just make sure to have only one portion.
4. Drink in moderation.  Let's be honest you are going to have a few "adult beverages", just don't overdo it!  Alcohol is converted to sugar in the body and will most likely be stored as fat.  If you are going to have a few drinks, space them out and have a large glass of ice water with some fresh lemon wedges in between drinks.  You can also make spritzers.  Add some soda water to your wine or mixed drink to cut down on the sugar and calories you consume.
5. Have fun and socialize.  Don't hang out by the food table.  Mingle and walk around.  Play some volleyball or lawn games.  Its easy for the calories to add up when you are nibbling the whole time at the party.

Stay tuned for more in the Staying on Track Series! What are some tips that you use to stay on track? 

**I just want to give a quick shout out to my friend and graphic designer Laura.  She re-did my logo at the top of my page for me.  She is awesome and did all my changes, I am super picky!  If you need any help with your website or blog check out her out: Laura-Schmeisl.com Did I mention she is awesome?**