It All Adds Up

You are a sum of all your choices.

That’s really what healthy living boils down to, a series of choices. It’s those incremental choices that will eventually lead you to the healthy lifestyle you’re seeking.

This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect all the time. That’s not realistic. Neither is healthy living that requires you to cut out all the things you love. Healthy living needs to incorporate the things that you know if you gave them up, you would binge tf outta them once you had the chance to have them again.

Like wine. Or chocolate. 

That’s why getting healthy, working out regularly, and eating well consistently is hard. Because it’s about balance just as much as it’s about learning why you’re making the decisions you’re making in regards to healthy choices. Then understanding how to have those things you love with moderation.

But how do you get healthy and not give up the things you love? Like pizza?

Grab Your Dumbbells!

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I encourage my clients to have what they want, I don’t adhere to cutting out every single treat you love or working out to the point where you feel like you’re going to break. Those paths, as my time training people has taught me, are not sustainable. 80% of the time, you need to be making the healthy choices even if that’s not the choice you want to make. It’s showing up for the workout when you would rather be doing anything else, and eating well when you would rather have take out. 

Then it’s you allowing yourself those treats in moderation. Over time, you’ll learn that you don’t actually need the WHOLE bag of chips, but just a bowl. 

So have your chocolate. Drink your wine boo and be ok with it because you know that you’re doing it in moderation. You give yourself those allowances so you don’t go overboard like a college kid at her first frat party. 

And know that with each one of those choices you’re creating balance and a strong foundation for a happy and healthy life. Also know that with every single choice, making those choices will become easier and more routine.

Fuck Cardio

Hard workouts suck. There’s no two ways around that. Hard workouts make you question your life choices, lead you into thinking you would rather be doing literally ANYTHING else except for what you’re doing in that moment. Like those taxes you’ve been neglecting to file…

It’s the HIIT workout that feels like it’s never going to end. That workout where the breaks don’t seem long enough and you’re counting down the minutes until you can move on with your day. Ever wondered how long a minute can last? Go do some burpees for a minute and find out. I promise, literally everything else you ever do will feel shorter than your minute of burpees.

But hey, with no challenge, you will see NO change. That much I can promise. And I don’t promise ANYTHING to my clients. Except that. Change, transformation, getting out of the mom jeans and back into that sexy little LBD that’s been accumulating dust in the back of your closet all comes from challenging yourself. It’s in those moments of questioning, of breathlessness, of SHOWING UP that change is made. I can also promise that staying in that comfort zone you’ve created for yourself hasn’t worked, you’re not seeing any change.

There’s pride in challenging yourself though. There’s pride in being able to say “hey I did that” after a tough as nails workout. There’s a sense of accomplishment in knowing that you did the hard thing. You pushed through, you prevailed and now you know you can keep going.

Here’s the thing: I’m always proud of you and I’ve never doubted your capabilities. I have this tremendously blessed position of being able to observe you and I know you can do it. I know that change you want so badly that you can taste it isn’t actually unreasonable or outside of your grasp. You just have to WANT to get uncomfortable, you have to embrace the hard workouts, you have to be willing to take that first step.

You know that even when the workout sucks and you want to quit, no one will be able to take that feeling of accomplishment once it’s over away from you. You can totally own your success as much as you can own your failure, so take your hard workouts one at a time. Take the challenges one at a time, and then over time you’ll notice, it gets easier.

Mental Fitness

I didn’t always approach my fitness as a means to grow mentally stronger. Fitness for me initially was a means to get past trauma. Be it the trauma from my foot, the trauma from delivery, the trauma of injury…it was always my way to push past something negative so I could regain my strength.

Working out is the place where I can focus my emotions and tune out the rest of the world. Let’s be honest, sometimes all that noise can be overwhelming AF, and deserves to be pushed into a corner so you can focus on YOU.

However my journey with my strength continued and the injuries became a thing of the past, I began to use my workouts as a way to push my own boundaries. I adapted with my strength as my body adapted to being strong.

I figured that no little hour long (or whatever) workout was going to own me, so I might as well see what I can do. Like a scientist in a lab, I started pushing my boundaries so I could see where my strength truly rested. Sometimes I succeeded and felt like a freaking olympian. Sometimes I failed. Even in those moments of failure, I took it as an opportunity to see where my starting point was and what I needed to do to get to the next point.

I began to push my boundaries. In part because I know my workouts are a safe space TO push my boundaries and in part because I was curious about my own strength. 

Mostly, I pushed my boundaries so I would know on an intrinsic level that I am not limited by my boundaries. I know that I can continue to expand the limits of those boundaries, I can push the edges until I am eventually where I want to be.

I also know that if I can push my own limits, I can move mountains for everyone around me. If I can show up for myself, show myself how resilient and mentally fit I am, then everyone around me will benefit because I’ll be able to show up in a bigger way.

So don’t stress about the workout not being cute or comfortable. Don’t stress if a complicated exercise gets the best of you this time, don’t stress if your workout leaves you feeling occasionally frustrated. You’re growing, you’re changing and you’re getting stronger, and as you adapt and change, so will your fitness.

Give Me Your Best Excuse

Your excuses are NOT the conversation. 

Trust me, if there’s an excuse I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard you say it in passing, as much as I’ve heard you say it directly to my face. I’ve been doing this fitness thing long enough that I’ve heard it all. I’ve probably thought of it myself as well a time or two. 

Excuses are comforting though. They give us an “out” from all the things we don’t want to do, including reaching any goals about creating balance in the chaos amongst us. They act as our preverbal security blanket, keeping us in our comfort zone. 

That comfort zone is such a shitty place to be though. I mean I get it, the prospect of trying something new and epically failing is terrifying, the prospect of change in general for most people is super intimidating. Because while change itself isn’t necessarily hard, the anticipation of what waits on the other side is killer. We don’t like to live in ambiguity so we don’t, we stay securely in the place of comfort, even if it’s detrimental to our health and well being. 

Because look, you’re not an idiot. You know that you’ve hit that point where you want to change so badly, you think about it all the time but you also are low key terrified because you don’t know how that change will actually impact your life. How will eating healthier impact your family gatherings? How will making time to workout impact your relationship with your kids? Will your tribe understand WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, or is it so outside of the norm that you fear you’ll be rejected?

OR are you scared to change because you think if you do, you’ll suck at it, the change won’t hold and then all of a sudden you’ll become one of those people that everyone else says “well she tries and tries to lose weight but nothing seems to work” and that’s embarrassing AF?

The excuse is readily available to get you out of putting forth the effort though so you use it. The “oh I can’t get to the gym because of _________”; “I can’t eat healthy because __________________”.

After all, you can’t fail if you never try right?

Every time I think of an excuse, every time I hear one, I think of the alternative. For me, when excuses are being thrown around, I think about it like a crossroads, and then I think about the moment I started walking again.

Because my injury was so significant and the pain was so intense, I spent the first 6 months or so of being hurt on some hardcore pain meds. Like enough to tranquilize a horse. As a result, there’s not a lot I really remember about those first several months of my life. It’s hazy, with memories being filled in maybe by my subconscious but also by my parents.

When I got to walk again though, I distinctly remember that. I was off the pain meds by that point and I was FUCKING SCARED. I remember everything about that moment in time down to how the PT’s office SMELLED. That’s how vivid that memory is for me. And I remember thinking “meh fuck this, I’m good. I’m not strong enough and I’m going to fall and then I’ll be back in surgery” and the litany of BS continued. Then I remember my PT looking at me and saying “you can either get up and walk or not. It’s up to you but you’re not going to fall. You’re stronger than what you think”.

Obviously it all worked out but that anticipation of the unknown almost left me completely stuck in a reality where I was surviving, but not thriving.

I’ve taken that moment in time and carried it with me, compared every other tough as nails situation to it. Because if I can learn how to walk again, I can do just about freaking anything and BECAUSE I got the chance to learn to walk again, I’m going to try do just about anything. And if I fail, at least I failed trying, at least I learned and know where I need to make changes and at least I showed myself that I am stronger and more capable than I think I am.

How Badly Do You Want the Challenge?

Training for me is badass because I get to see more than just the physical transformation of a person. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing ole hit their weight loss goals, or get their body to the point of strength and capability where they can do things they didn’t think would ever happen. It’s amazing, it creates joy in my life because I’ve empowered someone to step outside of their comfort zone and into a more authentic version of themselves. 

But that physical transformation doesn’t just happen on its own and the more rewarding transformation for me is the internal transformation. 

We live in a society that’s very aware of the power of eating healthy and moving your body, but the reality is that most people half ass that effort. They’ll come in, they’ll workout but really it’s not their best effort. They’ll eat well but fail when it comes to eating well consistently. 

I don’t need to tell you what you NEED to do, I get to hold you accountable for what you know you should be doing. 

While I’m doing that with you, I’m waiting for that moment. I see it happen, gradually at first and then completely suddenly when you go from that half ass effort to the everything you’ve got to give effort. 

That transformation...I LIVE for that shit. In that moment everything about your energy and your aura changes. The confidence you exude is palpable. I know nothing will stand in your way and nothing I give you will be too much. 

Gone are the excuses and in its place is this inherent knowledge that you’re capable and deserving of actually achieving the goals you’ve set. You want the challenge because you know it won’t actually be that hard, and you know the change will be completely worth it in the end. 

We Don't Regress

I don’t care if you become stagnant or even plateau, but your ass better not go backwards. 

Life is going to get chaotic. That’s just a reality of adulting. Whether you work outside your home or not, between managing a household, pets, a family, or whatever it is that’s a priority to you, life can be crazy. The days pass by quickly and seem to be filled with a million things that NEED to get done but might not necessarily happen. 

I know exactly what happens to you when shit hits the fan and life seems crazier than normal. The first thing to go are your workouts. You just don’t have time right? You have this activity or that activity to get to, your kids need whatever they need from you, and frankly there’s just not enough hours in the day to get it all done. So bye bye fitness. You know what goes usually right after that? Your eating. I mean you’re not working out anyways so why worry about what your shoveling in your face? Plus you’re so busy that you don’t have time to even think about it. You’re more concerned with just having something as opposed to nothing at all. 

That’s all backwards motion to me. Regression at its finest. And no one is immune from it. But we have to have better coping mechanisms than that so when you are at the point where you can get consistent in your routine again, you don’t feel like you’ve been set back so far that there’s no catching up so there’s no point in TRYING to catch up. 

Don’t throw all your hard work out the window. When life gets crazy, we have to learn how to adapt and overcome. Have a plan for your week so you don’t get caught up in the chaos. Know the days that would work for you to get a workout in. Maybe that means you don’t get your workout one day, or maybe it means the workout is modified, but compensate for that in other ways. Be mindful of what you’re eating, make the effort to prep healthy snacks so you’re not grabbing for whatever is available and be intentional with your water intake. Maybe even cut out the alcohol on the days you know you’re not going to be working out. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect, this is all a journey and walking this journey means making the necessary adjustments to ensure you can still be making progress towards your goals. 

At the end of the day, don’t give up. Don’t quit on yourself and don’t go backwards. Remind yourself that your goals are still important and still deserved, even if the day isn’t perfect. 

You Know EXACTLY What To Do

Girl, I do NOT need to tell you what to do when it comes to being a healthy mama. 

I’ve been training people for a long time and in that time I’ve seen two commonalities amongst every single person I’ve trained: I’m not dealing with weak people and I’m sure AF not dealing with dumb people. 

You’re smart Boo and you know exactly what you need to do in order to get your body back to a point where you’re happy to see yourself naked in a mirror. 

Move your body and eat well. 

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. 

So if it’s that easy, how come we’re not all doing it? Because you have to get to the point in your life where you either get so frustrated with your status quo that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to change it, and you also have to know that you’re deserving of that change. In accordance with those feelings, you also have to know that the world isn’t going to fall apart because you take an hour to workout. 

The goals you’ve set for yourself matter and more importantly, all that shit that was on your plate before the workout will be there for you AFTER the workout. I guarantee it. So give yourself the endorphin rush to have the energy to handle the never ending To Do List. 

Then fuel your body with high quality, GOOD food most of the time. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your glass of wine but it does mean that the majority of the time, you’re giving your body good, not processed, fresh af food. 

Maybe that means meal prepping, snack prepping, getting a meal delivery service, busting out the crockpot, or whatever works the best for your family. For all of us, the strategies that are effective are different but the intention has to be the same. 

When all else fails, get the support you need to remind you that you matter, your goals matter and you have help to grant there. 

Who Joins Your Workouts?

You’re gonna but a point in your workout where you invite in your inner critic or your inner athlete to join you. If you’re truly working out with the intention of getting stronger and creating a transformation for yourself, the majority of your workouts will get to the point where you’re totally over it. Your lungs are burning, your heart is on fire, and your mind starts wandering to all the other things you COULD be doing besides working out. Like doing your taxes. Go figure something so tedious could sound so much more appealing when you’re sweating your ass off.

Unfortunately, I think that most of us get to that place of being faced with adversity or a major challenge, and we tend to go to a super negative place in our heads. We tend to think about all the things we feel like we suck at and not all the things we’re fantastic at.

That critic in your head can get super freaking loud too. Sometimes that critic can get so loud that you start thinking “well maybe I’ll just stop now, I only have 5 seconds left on this interval” or you stop with a couple reps to go. Over time, it becomes easier and easier to just stop a little earlier on your workout. Then that eventually builds into avoiding the workout all together.

Every single person I train is an athlete. Every single person I train is strong and completely capable of finishing the workout they start. I’ll remind you of that every time you workout and you notice that negative voice starting to creep in.

You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for and you are capable of so much more than you think. I know that. I know you can get through the workout you’re currently in and wanting to stop and you’re more than able to crush the next one too. Don’t doubt yourself. You got this.

How Do You Breathe When You Workout?

I get this question all the time, in relation to specific exercises. When am I supposed to inhale and when am I supposed to exhale?

As a trainer, I love this question. What it shows to me is a greater understanding the person working out has about the power of exercise as well as a willingness to learn about said power. It also shows me that the person is wanting to make sure that what they’re doing is effective.

Here’s your technical fancy answer: for working out you should be inhaling on the eccentric phase of the exercise and exhaling during the concentric phase of the exercise. 

I know, you’re like eccentric? What the HECK is that? The eccentric portion of an exercise is when your muscle is lengthening under load. The easiest way for me to think of this is when you straighten out your arm in a bicep curl. That’s when you inhale. It prepares the muscle for work. Lengthening the muscle helps with muscle repair and increasing metabolic rates.

Conversely, concentric action of the muscle is when the muscle is contracted. Like the top of a bicep curl. That’s the actual work. When the muscle is shortened, it generates enough force to move an object. The concentric movement is when you exhale. Without getting too deep into the fancy science behind filaments and tendons, the exhale helps the work seem easier.

Ultimately, the breath works with the length of the muscle so you get maximum results. Really that’s what you want right? To make sure you’re getting the best results and the most effective workout in the short amount of time you have in your day TO workout. 

While all this depth of understanding is awesome, and definitely knowledge you should be aware of when you’re working out, at the end of the day, it’s not the primary focus for me. The primary focus for me is that you’re moving your body and taking time out for yourself, doing something that will more actively move you towards your goals.

It’s definitely something you should be practicing and while you need to have this awareness and be mindful of it while you’re working out, if it’s not being used with every single rep of every single exercise, it’s not the end of the world. Just make sure you’re breathing while you’re working out and you’re good. All those details will come with time and practice. 

Grab Your Dumbbells!

All you need are some weights for these time efficient workouts that are sure to make you sweat!

I Turned My Pain Into Power

When I first got hurt, I didn’t think that my story was interesting or really even dramatic. It wasn’t until more people asked and I shared more that I realized my story was a little dramatic. I guess that makes sense. Not walking for a year is definitely not something that happens to every person.

In hindsight, it’s not even the injury itself that makes the situation dramatic. For most people, it’s seeing how I walk, workout, live my life in general and then finding out this traumatic event happened to me that’s dramatic. Because they can’t tell by looking at me that anything significant has happened to my body, that I had this life altering thing happen, or that I overcame such a major, well…THING.

Unbeknownst to them, that was my goal. I was YOUNG when I got hurt, and I knew that the life ahead of me would be (hopefully) long and fantastic. But I also knew that I didn’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else around me. I didn’t want the stares I received when I was in a wheelchair with metal sticking out of my foot, I didn’t want the special treatment I received when I couldn’t walk, I just wanted to be like everyone else.

So I took all the pain I experienced both physically and emotionally, and I reverse engineered it to make me stronger. I knew that pain could derail me, bring me down, it could ruin my whole life, or it could become my source of power. It could show me how strong and capable I am, how resilient I am, and how I have an amazing support system around me that builds me up when I can’t hold myself up.

I tell my classes every time the work gets hard to remind themselves that they’ve made it through 100% of their bad days, so they can do whatever it is that I’m asking them to do. I tell them that because I tell myself that when the work gets hard. If I can get through that pain and anguish, I can do just about anything and be grateful for the opportunity to be ABLE to do it.