The Digital Photo Frame Makes Me Come Full Circle.

For Christmas my husband gave me a digital photo frame.  I can not express how elated I was to receive this.  I have wanted this present for a couple of years.  When I go to someones home with one I ooze jealousy.  It is almost Feburary and I have yet to display my new frame.  Today I took out my digital card and decided that I was going to finally display my new frame. 

I begin to go through the hard drive and then the realization hits that this is not going to be easy. While there are many important moments in my life that I want noted, most of them are me FAT. I'm not just talking overweight I am talking FAT, like you look like you ate yourself fat.

 It's hard to look at some of the happiest moments of our life and realize that you were the most out of control.  I had no control over my weight, or was it that I did not want to take control and change who I was.  Looking at these photos made me realize that the majority of my happy moments I was someone I did not like on the inside.  With every photo came another thought. 

While looking at one of the photos I said to my friend Katie, "Why didn't Greg (my husband) tell me I was fat?"

Katie: Because he loves you.
Me: Katie, remember that saying, Friends don't let friends drink and drive?
Katie: Yeah
Me: Well friends shouldn't let friends get so fat and not say anything.

I realize that memories are your memories and you can't change how much you weigh when they happen.  I am lucky to have the love of my friends and family at my worst or my best.  I also know that I am going to take some more photos so I can have memories of me at my skinniest.  :)
(Expect some new pics soon)

How to Maintain the Motivation

My friend Rachel asked me the following question the other day.

"Krista Vega how you do maintain the motivation to stay healthy. I did WW before my wedding and had great success...but afterwards couldn't stay motivated to go to the meetings and stick to the plan. It all slowly crept back on plus 10 more lbs! Which is why I'm back again....any advicee?"

It's a questions that requires a lot of thought.  I am going to try to answer Rachel's question to the best of my ability.  I am going to try to do it in 10 easy steps.

How does one Keep Motivated to Stay Healthy

1.  Set Goals for Yourself-  Every great plan begins with a goal.  When you write a goal it takes shape.   I had a goal I have always wanted to look good naked. I also knew that I did not want to walk at a 90 degree angle anymore.  I had a back condition and the extra weight that I put on was not doing me any good. 

2.  It is Never Too Late To Be The Person That You Want to Be-  I realized that I was not the person that I wanted to be.  With that said I realized that I was going to need some help.  When I began my journey I had no concept of portion control.  I joined Weight Watchers to get myself started. (While I am no longer following this plan it was a nice place to begin) With this I also joined a gym that I felt comfortable at. (This is where I give a shout out to the Frederick County YMCA)

3. Knowing when to ask for help-  There came a point in my weight loss where I had plateaued and became very frustrated with myself.  I felt that I was not getting towards my goal.  I knew that I needed help.  That is when I decided to sign up for a  personal trainer.   My goals at the time was not to be healthy it was to be able to look smoking hot naked. Let's be honest as a women don't we all want to look fantastic naked?  My asking for help led me to my personal trainer, Brian Hiltbrand.


 While I always thought that I needed a Jillian Michael's yell in your face kind of trainer Brian was completely different but exactly what I needed.   It is important to have a person that can push you.  Prior to Brian I was afraid to enter the "Man Section" of the gym.  I thought women were meant to hand out in the cardio section.  Brian made me believe that real women bench, do dead lifts, and lift heavy weights.   (If you ever consider getting a personal trainer make sure they understand your goals, push you, and grow with you)  Brian and I have been together for about 4 years and every workout is just as challenging as it was on my first day at 250 pounds.  It's because of Brian that I am willing to try new things.  He introduced me to running, Kettle Bells, Crossfit, and lifting.  He also encouraged me to push my limits as well as told me when I was pushing to much when I was recovering from ligament reconstruction.  Brian also helped me realize that being skinny was not the goal, being strong and fit is.

4  The FAT PHOTO- We all have one.  It is the photo that you look at and you are like, "Holy crap I look like I ate myself."  This photo is the one you look at when you are about to eat a jar full of peanut butter.  It's the photo that says,  "Do NOT ENTER the fridge because you never want to be there again." ( I will be posting mine at the bottom of this blog for my before photo)



Megan is my GO TO girl.  Any time I take on
a challenge she is there.
  She drove from N.J to Maryland for the
Warrior Dash.

5.    A Workout Buddy- While I am not opposed to working out by myself,  it is fantastic to have a wonderful gym buddy.  I am not talking about a person who is going to go to the gym and chat with you.  I am talking about a person who is going to go and workout with you.  Over the last four years my workout buddies have changed for various reasons, but it is great to have someone who can motivate you and that you can motivate.   This is where I get the opportunity to give a shout out to the fantastic people in my workout community.  (I am missing my running partner, Patty)

Ashley Vancleef
We workout and push each other.



Renee is my workout partner

Two days a week we workout

and give it all we got.  She also

is my cheering squad. 



6.  Let things Go/Know When It's Time to Move On- There comes a time in your life that the things you've been doing stop working. At times it is difficult to move on.  I had this realization when I struggled at the end with Weight Watchers.  There came a point when I was working out so much and I was building so much muscle that the plan was not working for me.  I realized that I was actually under eating.  I needed a change.  A blessing in disguise happened, a billing error.  This led me to leave WW and branch out on my own. Eating more protein based and cutting out the processed foods and Smart Ones was one of the best things that happened to me.  It also made me realize that I don't have to pay anymore to lose weight.  I need to take what I learned and do it on my own. There are also times that you may realize that a certain program is not right, maybe your with the wrong trainer,or maybe your workout buddy is not for you anymore.  Change can be a great thing.   

At one point I decided I needed a change in my workout and it led me to Operation Boot Camp.  This move led me to become a a stronger woman and eventually a Boot Camp Instructor (Check me out former fatty now boot camp instructor)

7.  Take Ownership- In the end you need to change yourself.  Take ownership when you do something wonderful  take ownership, take ownership when you make a mistake.  You can not expect the scale to give you great results when you spend your days eating chipotle.  Also, do not beat yourself up when you do not get the results that you want.  It is important that you understand that losing weight is a journey.  It will not happen overnight.  It's also a great idea to have more than just the scale measuring your success.  I take measurements every two months. 

8.  Motivate Yourself- Motivate yourself with things that are not food related.  When I began to lose weight I motivated myself with  a whole bunch of stuff.  

• Take gift cards and put weight loss goals on the envelopes.  Do not open them till you reach your goals.  
•  Treat yourself for certain goals ( I decided that I would go skydiving when I reached my goal.  I haven't done it because of the weather but I plan on it)
• Treat yourself to different classes- I decided when I lost 25 pounds that I would sign up for a pole dancing aerobics.  After taking that class I realized that a pole dancer really needs a strong upper body to work that pole. 
• I also treat myself to new and different fitness equipment. 

9.  Train for something- I find that when I am training for something I am always more focused. I started with a 5k and then I loved to different things.  Active.com has events in your area.

10. My trainer once said, "It took 25 years to put on all the weight that you did.  It is going to take take time to get the body you want."  I think of this quote often when I feel far away from my goal.  It causes me to recommit and persevere.



      

                          Before                                                                          After



The 300

Now I can be honest and say that I do not want to be built like Gerard Butler. However, I have to be honest and say that there is something impressive about the shape he was in when he did the movie The 300.  He, along with many of the men in the movie are something to drool out. 

I was online and found the workout they did to prepare for this movie and said to myself, "I want to do that!"
So I sent a message to my trainer, Brian Hiltbrand, and tell him of my grand idea.  (There has to be some pride when your client emails you and tells you that she wants to do a kick-ass workout)
A week later I come into the gym and Brian gives me the look.  Now for those of you who do not know the look, it is a look that let's you know that you are going to go to your breaking point.

Pullups - 25 reps

Barbell Deadlift with 135 lbs. - 50 reps

Pushups - 50 reps

24-inch Box Jumps - 50 reps

Floor Wipers - 50 reps (With 90 Pound Weight above head)

Single-Arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps

Pullups - 25 reps
When I began the workout I felt strong.  When I hit the floor wipers I thought to myself, "Krista, what the heck were you thinking?"  At the end I have to tell you I was so proud of myself.  My goal for next time is to beat my time.  I have to look and see where I put the original time and post it.  Next month I hope to do it again with more weight and faster.   I definitely think you should give the "Original" a try.

I found the workout for all levels and I am going to post below:
THE "ORIGINAL" 300 WORKOUT

• Pullups - 25 reps
• Barbell Deadlift with 135 lbs. - 50 reps
• Pushups - 50 reps
• 24-inch Box Jumps - 50 reps
• Floor Wipers - 50 reps
• Single-Arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
• Pullups - 25 reps
  
  Instructions →
   

THE INTERMEDIATE 300 WORKOUT

• Pullups - 25 reps
• Dumbbell Deadlift - 50 reps
• Pushups - 50 reps
• Body-Weight Squat Jumps - 50 reps
• V-Ups - 50 reps
• Dumbbell Push Press - 50 reps
• Pullups - 25 reps

The Beginner

Body-Weight Rows - 15 reps

Body-Weight Squats - 25 reps

Pushups - 15 reps

Jumping Jacks - 50 reps

Mountain Climbers - 20 reps

Close-Grip Pushups - 10 reps

Body-Weight Rows - 15 reps

Fight Gone Bad Turns Out To Be Fight Gone Good!

Having a fitness partner can motivate you to workout even when you don’t want to simply because you know someone is counting on you or simply because you have an audience.  They can also motivate you to work harder then you would by yourself. 

Today was a long day.  I was stuck in meetings and out of my normal routine.  At the end of the day I found myself wanting to eat dinner, have a nice cup of hot chocolate, and a nap.  What kept me moving was knowing that I would be meeting two friends at the gym. 

At 5:45 I walked in energized and excited to workout.  To be honest, at 5:45 on my own I would have been dragging through the door.  Ashley and Theresa definitely gave me an extra boost of energy. 

Our workout, Fight Gone Bad consisted of 21 minutes of box jumps. jump rope, squats, sit ups, push ups and burpees.Our goal was to try to beat our previous score with each round and to give each round everything that we had. 

Round 1:  The box jumps begin and we are starting out strong! I am  feeling like a champion and then all of a sudden Ashley yells out, "30 seconds."  I begin to think to myself that we are only at 30 seconds.  I am already out of breath and I am only halfway through the first exercise.  The only comfort I have is that I know that the Frederick County YMCA has AED machines on had.

By the end of the first round I feel a burning in my chest.  Although, the thought of another two rounds seems like torture, I know that I had a better round because the girls are here.  Ashley telling me that I need to get more in and giving me time checks made me push further.

Theresa does her first round and I realize something about my workout gal that I have not known before.  It turns out that Theresa is pretty good with a jump rope. We will be adding more of this into her workouts.  WATCH OUT THERESA! She is zooming through that part of the workout and making it look easy. She is showing so much strength through her round. (My huge regret is not getting a pic of Theresa during the workout because the thought came to me after Theresa had to leave.  I am sure that there will be many other photo ops)

Ashley hits it hard, as always,and takes off running.  Pretty soon she is feeling the same way that we all feel.  The first seven minutes seem long.  With encouragement she preservers and keeps going even when her body is telling her to quit.

Round 2- Exhausting.  We are fighting hard to beat previous scores but we are more and more tired.  In many of our areas our scores do improve.  Ashely pushes me and although I do not beat my push up score for round two I am able to get five more out before the buzzer because she tells me that she expect them!  

Ashely begins her round and leaves her old box jump score in the dust.  At the end I encourage Ashley to give me three more burpees.  This sweet Oklahoma native,while fighting her way through the burpees uncharacteristically says, "That's all I got B##ch."  However, she proves herself wrong and gives me one more burpee then she was asked to give, hence, beating her score.

Work it Ash!

Round 3 is only bearable because of the encouragement and the fact that we are competitive by nature.  Each one of us is thinking that we can not let the other one beat us.  I have Ashley's burpee score in my mind and I am thinking that I have to get a least the same number if not more.  Ashley's mind is thinking the same thing.  This pushes us further then we thought possible and with the encouragement from each other we area beating each others scores back and forth and still genuinely thrilled at the success each of us has made.

When it is all said and done we are sweaty, exhausted, and unable to breathe.  We are also proud, strong, and satisfied.  Even though we have not regained our breath we make plans to workout again together because we bring out the best in each other.   

It turns out that our workout, Fight Gone Bad, turned out to be Fight Gone Good because of the two strong women beside me. 

Theresa and me at Ragnar.  I needed to add her picture so you could see this strong diva!

Introductions

So I guess I should introduce myself before going into my long winded posting. My name is Krista and I am a 30 year old women who decided that one day that I did not want to be fat anymore. I had this one moment that I realized that it was time to start taking my life back. I had a back condition and it got so bad that I was eventually walking at a 90 degree angle. I realized that the heavier I got, the more pain I was in.  Now this should have not been my first sign. See the list below of wake up signs that I should have paid attention to:

1. All my clothes stopped fitting.
2. I could only shop at Lane Bryant and stopped shopping with friends.
3. A guy named Da Rule (no ladies I'm not joking) tried to pick me up, while wearing an imitation Michael Jackson glove. While trying to pick me up he said, I usually like my girls thin but **** girl I am just so into you". He also followed it up with, "I'm not the most legal guy in the world but I will treat you right". Even at my fattest I deserved a man better than this.

So while dealing with my back I realized I needed a change. I ended up seeing my doctor and getting a consult for the Lap Band. That's when it hit me. I had never made an attempt at managing my weight. I had never been on a diet. I had bought the books but never read them. How could I possibly be contemplating this when I never tried. I had never taken the easy route with anything else in my life.

From that moment on I began to take my life back.  Four years later I am the happiest I have ever been.  Everyday I am stronger then the day before and I look forward to shopping with my friends and doing the things I once loved pre-fat.  It is great to be the person that you were meant to be.