Workout Prison

First I must begin by saying I'm sorry to my two followers for not posting lately. Life has been really busy.  I promise to update more often. 


Have you ever felt like you were in a fitness prison?

On a normal basis, I am a creature of habit.  I could eat the same thing everyday and never get tired of it. When I first started working out I had the same problem.  It is important to change up what you do in regards to fitness.Recently, I found myself feeling in a fitness prison.While I change up my workout regularly,I felt burnt out.  I realized that running was really burning me out.  I was finding no pleasure and would dread going out for my daily runs.  I decided to switch it up, and do some treadmill running, this did nothing for me.  I found myself running and constantly watching the distance.  I just wanted the run to end.  It is really frustrating when you are at the top of your game and then suddenly you can't stand the thought of walking a mile, especially when you have a marathon creeping up slowly. 

So to overcome this I did a couple of things.  I stopped beating myself up about it.  If you really do not want to run,  don't run.  I focused on other parts of my training, the parts that I love.  I put some more focus into my strength training.  And I have to tell you a secret........

I cannot tell you how strong I feelwhen I lift.  I am filled with confidence when I do things that I otherwise could have never done.   Lifting makes me reflect.  It makes me think about how far I have come and about all of my accomplishments. 


Next,I changed up the route.  It is convenient having a running route so close to home but I was finding myself tired of the same old site.  So I went with a friend to the C&O Canal. 

I will tell you that the picture does not even do the route justice.  I have never done a trail run,but it really was fantastic.  I will have to do this again. I now find myself ready to hit the pavement with a positive attitude. 

Never again will I do a 5K!

Many of the things on my bucket list have been about Travel.  As I have begun to become healthier I have begun to add some health milestones to my list.  I wanted to be under 200 pound, wear smaller clothes, and look good naked.   I find that I am shifting.  Now I just want to be strong and fit.  I want to push myself and do things that I did not think was possible. 

3 years ago I participated in Frederick Twilight 5K.  It is your basic 5k.  I was at a different place then I am now.  See the pic below to sense my excitement. 



To me it was the worse race of all time.  To be honest it was the only race that I had ever done.  I had talked about doing a 5k but wondered, "Why would anyone want to ruin their day by doing one?"  I found myself more in tune with my body.  I noticed every ache and crack.  I noticed that pain in my sides.  I noticed a six year old smoke past me and I noticed a man with no shoes make it look easy.  I thought to myself, "Show offs"  I started to recite my new mantra "This will never happen again.  I don't care what my trainer says."  Boy was I wrong.


Warrior Dash

Ragnar Relay- Most challenging leg- Not everyone gets a shiny belt buckle. 

Introducing- The Rock and Roll D.C. Half Marathon

I haven't been able to to put into words how I feel.  I know that proud is mixed in with relief.  I am proud that I am doing things with my life that I never thought were possible.  That 5K that seemed impossible is now part of a daily routine. 

I chose this pic because look how excited I am to do a 1/2 compared to my 5K excitement

So what's next.  Marathon and Goofy that's what. WOOT WOOT!

100 Miles Complete

This week has been a great week.  So let's recap it!

Weekly Recap

Monday- Recovery Day
Tuesday- 1.08 Mile Treadmill run- Workout with Brian- Killer Weight Circuit
Wednesday-5:00PM- 10.01 Mile Run (Smooth)
Thursday- 7 Miles-  5:45- Boot Camp Instructing Kettle Bell Class- Part of the Run was Tabata Treadmill
Friday- 3 Mile Run/Walk-Nasty shin splint made an appearance- Tabata boot camp workout
Saturday- Run with Ashley total 9.23. Awful Run my legs were like Jelly and the cold has caught up with me.  (100 Mile Milestone)
Sunday-Recovery


I have to tell you that I love being back at boot camp.  I took some time off to train but it was great to be back with the campers. 


I made 100 miles!



I have to tell you that I ran on Saturday and I felt so crappy.  It was cold and I was so tired and I am sick, which has really has gotten the best of me.  At the end of my run I was so disappointed because I had only gone 8.23 miles.  I needed 8.32 to make my hundred. 


But I will tell you I honestly had nothing left to give.  The legs felt like Jello and I was in an uncontrollable coughing fit. Not even my man, Eminem could get me to move anymore.  I went home and got into the tub exhausted and upset that I could not muster anymore out of me.  After my fingers thawed out I took a wonderful nap, then it was time to go to a birthday dinner with my husband's family. 


After eating a scrumptious birthday meal I decided that I could not leave the day without 100 miles.  So I did it.  In between dinner and dessert I completed a mile to make 100. 


Now I am not the first one in my group to make 100 but I sure feel like it because I am so proud of myself.  My last two runs have been difficult and I felt like I had to fight for the hundred this week.  I thought maybe I would reward myself with a pair of running socks next week but I got something even better. 



My wonderful husband, Greg got me this beautiful running watch and heart rate monitor.  It has all kinds of wonderful features.  Virtual trainer, heart rate monitor, virtual partner, etc.  I think the only thing it does not do is run for you.  It is awesome.  I have no clue how to use the darn thing yet but I can not wait to figure it out. 


I am dying to try it, but It is official, I am sick.  I am on the Nyquil plan as we speak.  I am kind of bummed because there is only 8 miles between Sammy Jo and I.  While I know she will hit 200 before me I would have liked to keep it interesting!  But I have decided to try to be kind to my body because I want to do well on race day. 


So the next time you hear from me it will be when I have begun to use my new watch!

Vision and Goals

This is a post written by ALLESSIA.  She is a goal coach on the LULULEMON website.  I think you will find this interesting. 
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Think about your life 10 years from now. Where will you be, what will you be doing, what have you achieved? Writing down a detailed vision for your ideal life (being as descriptive as possible) helps to identify the goals you need to achieve to realize your vision. Here is our secret sauce to success; our 6 core concepts for vision and goal setting.

The 6 Core Concepts of Vision & Goals

The lululemon vision & goals training program is based on 6 core concepts.  These are tried, tested, and true methods for clarifying your vision and then setting goals to make it a reality.  Use this program to guide your vision & goals process.
1. Possibility
Set visions & goals in possibility and that are beyond what is likely to happen.  A mindset of possibility allows you to get into creative visualisation and clearly articulate your ideal life without self created limitation.  A couple of ways of getting into possibility:

• Let your past be in the past: We tend to look at the past in order to create our future, yet a goal set from the past will likely create more of what already exists, and inherently has limitations.
• Remove perceived constraints: What limitations do you create for yourself that don’t actually exist?  ‘I don’t have enough money’.  ‘I don’t have the time’.

2. Vision
Your vision for your ideal life will drive your goals.  The purpose of setting your vision is to create a clear picture of your ideal life so your goals become powerful and meaningful to you.  The vision articulates what you are out for in life and your greatest ambitions.  It will give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning – something to get excited about.  Why are you setting goals – where will it get you?
A powerful vision:

• Is set 10 years in the future.
• Is clear and concise with enough detail to feel complete.  A paragraph or two should suffice.
• Incorporates all major domains of your life.  Usually: health, personal, career.
• Moves you emotionally and gets you excited – maybe even a little nervous.
• Uses present tense language.  Write it as if you are already there.
• Is authentic to you and grounded in your passions and unique greatness in the world.

3. Balance
It is important to balance your vision & goals in the major domains of your life.  Having balanced goals leads to a balanced life, while having goals in only one area can leave your desires for other areas unfulfilled.  The three main domains in life are most often: personal, health, career.  These can mean different things for different people.
4. Audacity
Be bold and set goals that are a challenge for you. Dare to challenge assumptions or conventions you have and tackle difficult goals.  Set your goals to be BHAGs:  Big Hairy Audacious Goals.
To decide if your goal is a BHAG, ask yourself:

• Is this goal easy to achieve?
• Is this likely to happen anyways, with little effort on my part?
• Is it a push goal that will move me closer to living my ideal life set in possibility?
• What sense of accomplishment will come with achieving this goal?

You will know if you are truly setting BHAGs in life if you’re failing at 50% of the goals.
5. Format
Formatting your goals in the correct way gives you the greatest likelihood of achieving them.  A goal written with the incorrect format can be wishy-washy and will go un-achieved.

• Trickle back: Start with the end in mind.  Set your 10 year goals first, then move backwards to 5 year, 1 year
• Quantifiable: You must be able to measure your goal.
• Specific: Precisely articulate the desired activity, object, event, or outcome in the goal.
• Present tense: Write your vision & goals in the present tense.
• Affirmative language: State what you want, not what you don’t want.
• Concise: Use as few words as possible; no justification is required.
• By-when date: State when the goal will be achieved.

See the worksheet below for examples.
6. Integrity
Once your goals are set, consider how you incorporate them into your daily life to achieve them.  How do you live with integrity to your vision & goals?  Here are some ideas:

• Create a system to honour and achieve your goals.  Do you use your day-timer?  Do you post your goals on your fridge?
• Enroll others so they know what you stand for.  Sharing your goals with others who are also committed goal setters allows them to support and assist you.
• There is choice every day in life.  Choose the things that move you closer towards achieving your vision & goals, rather than those things that are in conflict

Think about your life 10 years from now. Where will you be, what will you be doing, what have you achieved? Writing down a detailed vision for your ideal life (being as descriptive as possible) helps to identify the goals you need to achieve to realize your vision. Here is our secret sauce to success; our 6 core concepts for vision and goal setting.

Happy 31st

On February 16, 2012 I turned 31.  To be honest I am not bothered by getting older.  I am finding that each year I am getting healthier and stronger.  So how does one celebrate her birthday?  She begins the day by being a kick-ass boot camp instructor, and trying out her first workout called. ZEN.  Check out the workout page for that workout.

After the workout I went to Nordstrom Rack and bought some clothes and then I went for a wonderful trip to LULU Lemon.  I have to tell you if you have never been there it is worth a visit.  I bought a fantastic pair of running pants, a new sports bra, and a wonderful top.  While they were expensive I must say they are the fantastic. 

Don't you just love my new shirt!





Then I hit the gym for Brian's Birthday workout.  So here it goes.......

Warm Up- 1 Mile Jog
310 meter row x3

31 minutes total
31 Plie squats
31 Pull Ups
31 Push Ups
31 American Kettle Bell Swings (25 Pounds)
.31 Run

As many rounds as possible. 

THE END RESULT

It's Amazing what I can do at 31 that I could not at 28!

FOMO Syndrome

I was reading SELF magazine the other day and I realized that I suffer from FOMO syndrome.  For those of you that do not know what that means it is FEAR OF MISSING OUT.  I have a great group of people that I workout with and I love to see them everyday.  It is wonderful to have someone to always do something with.  If I want to go for a run I never have to do it alone.  This led me to do the Ragnar Relay and it also led me to sign up for the D.C. Rock and Roll Half Marathon. 

To be honest running a half marathon has never been on my bucket list but, the girls have convinced me that I have 13.1 in me.  Before signing up for this I had never run more than 9 miles.  The last time I ran 9 miles I had pain in places I never thought possible.  Ashley, decided that she wanted to start the 1000 mile club. At first I was like, "Heck No?"  But, FOMO syndrome led me to get started.  It also inspired me to train harder for 1/2 Marathon. 

Workout Recap

Sunday: Weight Training

Monday- Run 4 Miles in the Am.  Fight Club with Ashley and a 2 mile night run

Tuesday- 5.3 miles workout with Brian. 

Wednesday- 5 miles

Thursday 2.23- Birthday workout with trainer-killer

Friday-Recovery

Saturday- 14.23 mile run (WHOOOP WHOOP- that's right)

Sunday Recovery



What's On Your Playlist?

I have always admired people who can run without music.  Unfortunately I am not one of those individuals, the music has to move me.  It made me wonder what is on every ones playlist.  I am constantly bored with my playlist and looking for new music.  Just in case you are looking for some new ideas, here is what is on my running playlist.  What's on yours?Feel Free to post. 

Workout Playlist #1

Song                                                                   Artists

Yeah                                                                                                          Usher
With You                                                                                                   Chris Brown
Whoa                                                                                                         Lil' Kim
Who's That                                                                                                 R. Kelly
Whine Up                                                                                                   Kat DeLuna ft Elephant Man
Umbrella                                                                                                     Rihanna Feat. Jay-Z
Good Girl Gone Bad                                                                                   Cobra Starship
Turn me on                                                                                                  Kevin Little & Mad.
Touch It (Remix)                                                                          Busta ft. Missy, Mary J, Papoose, DMX
Total Eclipse of the Heart                                                                             Nikki French
Starstrukk                                                                                                    Katy Perry
Stand Up                                                                                                     Ludacris
Snake                                                                                                          R. Kelly
See You Again                                                                                            Miley Cyrus
Say I                                                                                                           Christina Milian Ft.Young Rockstar 101                                                                                               Rihanna Feat. Slash
Push It                                                                                                         Salt n Peppa 
My Chick Is Bad                                                                                         Nicki Minaj
Lose Yourself                                                                                              Eminem 
Get Me Bodied                                                                                            Beyoncé
Fighter                                                                                                         Christina Aguilera
Eye of the Tiger                                                                                            Survivor
Eminem - Till I Collapse-                                                                              Eminem
Moves Like Jagger                                                                                       Maroon 5
Move It Like This                                                                                         K7
Cyclone                                                                                                        Baby Bash Mastered
Lighters                                                                                                        Bad Meets Evil Hell
Give It a Go                                                                                                 Timbaland Real Steel
What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)                                                                 Kelly Clarkson
 Dance A$$ (Remix)                                                                                     Big Sean Ft. Nicki Minaj

10 Weight Loss Commandments

Ode To Big Daddy Burke

I am sure that you all remember the quote, "Behind every great man there's a great women?" While I believe this to be true I believe that "Behind every great women is a great man?"  I know this to be true because over the last year I have had the pleasure of working with one of these men.  So I would like to give a long over due shout out to Bryan Burke, Operation Boot Camp Instructor, as well as a great friend. 

 Not too long ago I posted about the Ragnar Relay.  To date I still have not blogged or captured my full experience, probably because I would then have to recap how I ended up tossing my cookies on more than one occasion.  I wrote about the Ragnar Ladies because I wanted to capture the Strong Women that I have the pleasure of working out with on a daily basis.  There was only one problem,  I left someone very important in the shadows, Bryan. 


When I met Bryan he was a tough but wonderfully kind instructor.  I saw someone who genuinely cared for his boot campers.  While I thought I knew Bryan I will have to tell you that you never truly know someone till you are in a van with them for two days straight with no escape. 


Our fearless team captain ( I say fearless because any man who has to be in a van with 5 women alone has to be brave had to put up with 5 independent, strong opinionated, and politically incorrect women), got more than he bargained for when he left for our two day trip.  

There are no words to express the strength and patience of this man.  From the beginning Bryan had his work cut out for him.  When the ladies decided they wanted to pre-game pre race, Bryan had to make sure that everyone was ready to go in the morning.  While the ladies poured him Long Islands he made sure he was up early and ready to go, never complaining about the bed he had to sleep in that was too small. 

Bryan, or his current name , Big Daddy heard more then I am sure he ever wanted to.  With style he listened to his Ragnar ladies discuss their need for Pamprin, a new sports bra, and so much more.  With patience he supported every runner.  He made sure runners were in their correct spots, hydrated, supported, and even ran with one of his ladies who needed some support even though he was missing some critical piece of clothing.   Bryan kept the spirits up throughout this whole trip.  To be honest we all probably would have been lost without him.  I know I would have because I was sick to my stomach after the first leg. After my first run I felt weak but Bryan made me realize I was a lot strong and capable. He also served as comic relief when he ran in his shorty shirts.  While doing this he never asked for anything in return. 

So today I salute you Bryan.  Our Ragnar Big DADDY and forever friend.  You are one in a million!

Power Moves

Runners World Magazine had an article on Power Moves.  The number one power move was the DeadLift.





Deadlifts

Targets- Glutes,hamstrings, hips, quadriceps, and back

Purpose: Strengthens your posterior chain-the strice-the driving muscles in your hamstrings and glutes.

Instructions: Stand with feet beneath a barbell, shins almost touching the bar, feet under hips.  Keeping back straight and chest up, sit back into hips and grip the bar.  Take a deep breath in and hold it as you push hip forward, keep arms straight, and lift the bar so it travels a vertical path along your body.  

Build On It- Increase weight over time until you reach a max weight you can lift two or three times for one set.  Origress to three sets, aiming for five reps, threereps, then one rep of max.              

                                                                                                                   

I picked this pic not because of the over powering weight but because of the form.  Ironically there were not any great pictures of women doing deadlifts with a bar.  They had them using two dumbells. Thought if you are not ready for a bar doing it with dumbells is a great place to start.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Beware of Ignorant People

There will always be ignorant people in your life.  Today I decided that I wanted to discuss this in my blog.  This post will probably not be as upbeat as my blogs normally are because I will tell you that these kind of people just don't tickle my fancy.


My workout partner and I had the pleasure of working out outdoors one day this week, Mother Nature has been kind to us.  We are working out and both busting our humps.  Now my workout buddy works with little kids and through our workout a bunch of her little guys were yelling her name.  Now many of you might think that this sounds cute, but after 20 minutes it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard.  While the workout is happening she is busting her hump, even thought it is hard to concentrate with all the little eyes watching her. 

The workout consists of sprints, lunges, burpees, bench push ups, and more.  It is a difficult workout for me.  It is a more difficult workout for my partner because we are at different fitness levels.  The amount of energy and hard work that she puts in in nothing short of will power and HEART.  When we are all finished we feel accomplished and relieved that the kids have stopped screaming. 

So yesterday, my hard working, strong kick-ass partner, goes the work and has a "lovely" conversation with her coworker.  Her coworker (We'll call her Ignoramus) states that she saw her working out yesterday.  This is where a normal person would say, "Great Job! "  Instead she says, "How come the other girl was working harder than you were? I saw her doing sprints and you were doing other things." 

Now this is where my rant comes in:
Unless you workout yourself you have no idea the amount of effort that goes into a hard workout.
You have no idea the exertion level of another person. 
While I may have been running a little bit faster, I assure you Ignoramus that she was working way harder than I was. 
She burned more calories then I did, and she also had more class then you ever will.
Why? Because she is willing to put in effort and show up for a workout while you just piss a free gym membership away.   

I can't stand people who have no idea how hard it is to change your life around, or people who have no idea how hard you work during a workout.  I also can't stand when you look like "A Two Ton Tony"  (As a former fat gal I can say this) and you feel the need to critique someone who is actually trying to do something about their weight. 

If you have someone like this in your life that is bringing you down.  I hope you kick them to the curb.  Better yet, why not invite them to workout with you and see how hard it is.  I guarantee you they would not stand a chance.  Well, at least Ignoramus would not last a minute on the field with my partner.  She's just that BAD ASS.   

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!