smiles for monday.

my house is a disaster, our a/c is busted, i'm sleep deprived and forgot to shave my legs this morning....

but i'm really, really, happy.

i'm back to work and i love my job. have you ever had the feeling when your working that you are right where you are supposed to be? that you were made to do what you are doing? best. feeling. ever. i'm so blessed that i have found a career that fulfills not only my pocketbook, but my soul.

as tough as it is to be away from my smiley son during the day i'm so very pleased with his daycare and rest at complete ease when i drive away. the adjustment is honestly going better than i EVER could have imagined. THANK. YOU. GOD!

my half-marathon training problem is now solved. i had a work/training dilemma on my hands. you see, G will be working in Vancouver for another few MONTHS and is only home on the weekends. i'm aiming to run at least 3X/week for the half-marathon that i JUST RESGISTERED for in October (or should i say OKtober!) with my sis-in-laws. i'm gonna realllly try and be a bad-ass and follow that half up with the local half the following weekend. so technically i'll be running a full marathon. just in two weeks time. that counts, right?! anyway, back to the dilemma. my work hours are mon-thurs and a handful of Fridays from 7ish to 4ish (that "ish" is SO very broad, too). Kai is at daycare during that time and the LAST thing i want to do when i pick him up at 4(ish) is either take him to my mom or sisters OR have a babysitter come over so i can train. seriously, NOT OK! i've just been away from him for the bulk of the day and to leave him again feels wrong and selfish on so many levels. i have a few working mommy friends who get thier workouts done while thier HUSBANDS are in bed and their children are still asleep. THAT is ideal, really. you get it done before baby is up and they never knew you were gone. perfect....oh, wait....husband is only here on weekends. shoot. BUT, i did manage to find an AWESOME babysitter who lives oh-so-conveniently right down the street from me. what if SHE could come early a couple days a week and kind of be my fill-in husband (you know, sleep while i work out! haha)?. 5:15 is crazy early for a 17 year old girl, but i told her i'd compensate well...for an hour or so of sleeping/watching tv on my couch and listening for baby and maybe feeding him breakfast. i'm happy to report that she went for it (YAY)...now to keep on truckin' with this training...(i'll blog about that later!)

and, oh yeah...it's fair week! i'm pumped to take Kai (last year he was so tiny when we walked around w/him in the baby sling people asked me if i was carrying my puppy around in there. no joke.) to see the animals and ride a few kiddy rides and nibble on an elephant ear (haha!). G and i are also excited to have some grown up fun (what is that?!) on Saturday night at the rodeo, too.

it feels good to smile on monday.

Kai thinks so too.

weekend in 5.

1.
 i do believe our air conditioner (original with the house, built in 1985 might i add...) picked the most PERFECT summer to croak. it's been quite the mild summer thus far (i'm probably going to jinx it!)--i've only gotten like three ripe tomatoes and by this time last year i was picking them by the bucketfulls! i've honestly hardly missed the a/c. but the few moments that i do, i REEEEAAAALLLLY do. we're being sticklers about adding to credit debt right now and are gonna try and stick it out...at least tough it out until we can buy one with cash (Dave Ramsey would be so proud!). thank goodness for pools, fans and fam and friends with a/c!

2.
G came home friday night just in time to fill in for the Simmons Financial Softball team (he had a BLAST--and got all scuffed up from multiple infield dives). Kai and I watched (i play/fill in too...but someone had to watch the small fry...). Kai had SO much fun watching/playing/crawling and getting really dirty:

watching his interest in the game got me slightly enthused

about being HIS future #1 fan cheering in the stands.

3.
i got up bright and early saturday morning and jetted over to beautiful Walla Walla to run the annual Sweet Onion 10k with my Mom and sister Kelley. it was really fun! the weather was absolutely ideal for a run, the conversation lively, and scenery ideal:

i LOVE making memories like this with friends & fam--

if you get a chance to do a fun run, do it!

4.

after our run we participated in something called the "Sweet Skip" which was quite what it says: skipping around from restaurant to restaurant sampling their signature sweet onion dishes (and wine, of course). i've never eaten so much onion in one day! i'm a big onion fan so that is really quite a statement...

here is us at Jacobi's, one of Walla Walla's most well known restaurants. they had a great patio set-up, the perfect soundtrack playing, and a killer drink menu.

i would have been happy to camp out there all afternoon!:

5.

and i even managed to have a fantastic night/day with G too, who wasn't too worn out from his busy "guys day" with Kai (they had a blast all day at the 3-on-3 tourney just a few blocks away from us on main street). we went to Saturday night church and then had one of our favorite couples (Tiff & Jacob!) over for dinner and then spent Saturday hanging out and working in the yard (we even got to go on a lunch date while Kai took an extra long nap @ Nana's house--Ixtapa, the new restaurant by Burger King is legit!). after G headed back to Vancouver i went on an EXTRA long walk with Honey & Kai, one of my favorite daily activites for sure.

i'm starting to wince at the rate that the old "back to work" date is approaching on my calendar and am bound and determined to squeeze every last drop of sun, snuggles, naps and adventures from the days that remain...

...heading to bed feeling happy & blessed.



post-baby body check-in (diet & work-out included!)

i've received a handful of emails recently requesting healthy "non-boring" eating and workout advice. mostly from new mommies (i'm with ya ladies!).

i honestly didn't start seeing "real" results until i got "real" about the two dreaded C's:

1)cutting CALORIES
2) CARDIO.

i thought i was making progress. in my mind, i guess i was satisfied because i was getting to the gym most days of the week and, well, my maternity clothes were "way" too big and some of my bigger jeans were starting to fit loosely. and then, i got a wake-up call. pictures don't lie. my dad snapped this lovely photo of my siblings and i at my sister's graduation in early May. i didn't see it until he "tagged" me on facebook. as i sat there clicking (and "untagging") through those photos i was angry with myself. i'd reached the epitomy of a plateau and had been content with being complacent. complacent with my eating, my workouts and my body. i'd made some progress, but got comfortable along the way and let the intensity die. once i got over my little breakdown/tantrum over my reality check (thanks, dad) i obtained a copy of this picture and stuck it on my fridge. some people stick old "skinny" photos up as motivation...not me.

THIS was my motivation. i wanted to see a change. and i KNEW it had to start with my eating....

it was at THIS point that i realized sweating my booty off in the gym wasn't going to get me where i wanted to be unless i got serious about watching my eating. i wasn't eating horrible, but i was definitely not being disciplined with sugars, carbs and most of all, PORTION SIZE (motherhood makes you hungry!).

so with picture posted for strength on fridge, here's what i did:

1. i cut out "white" starches (breads, potatoes, rice, crackers, chips...)
2. i LIMIT dairy. i gave up my beloved cheese, yogurt, of course ice cream and even switched completely over to almond milk, which i now PREFER.
3. i eat breakfast EVERY DAY. either oatmeal or a flax/whole grain organic cereal with fresh fruit.
4. for a mid-morning post-workout snack i either make a shake or drink a muscle milk LIGHT ready-made shake.
5. for lunch and dinner, i focus on VEGGIES, VEGGIES and more VEGGIES. salads, stir-fry, soups paired with healthy whole grains like brown rice, black beans, nuts/seeds.
6. for dessert or extra snacks throughout the day= FRUIT!
7. i eat when i'm hungry, i just control my portions and make sure it's as pure and fresh as possible (not processed with a bunch of fake ingredients!)
8. i have healthy snacks on hand at all times (for me AND Kai!). this way i'm not tempted to sneak through the drive-through to satisfy my hunger! (I LOVE the south beach diet mixed nut packs! i mix em' with raisins and it's a great filling snack!)
9. i learn from Kai. i feed my baby natural, healthy, whole foods. why do we ever stop eating that way? i told my mom i was going to call my diet the "high chair" diet because i would often eat my lunch with him right off of his high chair (like chunks of avocados and cooked squash, sweet potato and asparagus!).
10. i treat myself. this one is key. i usually save my "treats" for social events. i'll have a yummy drink (or two!) or a piece of birthday cake or a cookie. this is neccesary and enjoyable.

my best friend when it came to finding healthy veggie or protein-packed recipes was the internet! seriously, if you have an internet connection you have all you need to whip up a healthy meal or come up with a good grocery list. plan for the week and sit down on sunday night and find a few meals you want to try...i will even make a bunch of brown rice and a big fat salad for the week on sunday night, that way half the battle is done!

on the WORK-OUT side things definitely shifted. i was no longer able to get to the gym 4-5 days a week for cardio and classes because G was gone in Vancouver for work and well, my Mom doesn't live at my house. i VOWED to make Kai's lovely long morning naptime my sacred workout time. NO EXCEPTIONS. and here's the kicker. i bought this dvd. at Walmart. for $10:

i followed this video religiously. i didn't cheat. i dripped sweat. i wanted to cry. i wanted to punch her in the face. but in all honestly, i started seeing results within weeks. i know i've blogged about it before, but seriously it's no joke. it's hard, and i LOVE it. it was just the "wake-up" call my body needed.

and for added cardio, i would throw Kai in the jogger and Honey on her leash and we would walk/jog for 40-60 minutes almost every evening. this is an enjoyable way that i can burn extra calories, get Kai outside and Honey some exercise. it's fun and something that i greatly MISS when life get's too full and we don't get to go.

and then, there is yoga. POWER yoga. i obviously do this every Thursday at the gym because i'm the instructor...but i like to throw it in the mix a couple of times a week as well.

So, about 2 months later, after making a CONSCIOUS effort to eat RIGHT and shock the body with a new, consistent and CHALLENGING workout routine, here i am (sorry about the picture quality--it's just me and my blackberry!)....

may 4th 2011 - june 30, 2011



blurry, i know.
but look! i'm getting tank top shoulders back! (finally...)

dirty mirror & lost inches in waist & thighs.

 It's PROGRESS!

and progress sure don't come easy.

one of Jillian's key phrases that i've engraved in my mind when tempted to eat crap:

"remember, you can eat your way through any workout."

you can log hours upon hours in the gym, but if your eating sucks, so will your results!

{cheers} to hard work and healthy living!

my life in 10 (clearing out the blackberry)

1. goats. oh my gosh, i LOVE goats! i keep telling Gary how much i want goats when we buy our next house "with land" like we always say. they are too cute. kind of like a cross between cows and dogs. these goats live just down the street from us and i have made it a habit to walk by them every time Kai, Honey and i are out for walks. Kai laughs at them and Honey barks at them and i feed them!

seriously, how cute are they???

 look at the little babies!

2. cards & letters addressed to Kai! Kai has gotten several items in the mail over this last year. we usually walk out to get the mail together and i always make a big deal if there is something in there for him. we go inside, i help him open it and read it to him (a few times) and then i let him play with it. and it's SO cute, because he holds onto it and plays with it like he knows it's just for him.

this is a postcard from his cousin Spencer who lives in Gig Harbor.

we are going to write him back!

3. strawberries. but not just ANY strawberries, strawberries from MY GARDEN! i probably only got a handful of berries from my plants last year. this year i'm getting handFULLS every day....and a certain little red-haired boy has learned that the red berries hanging from the green plants outlining mommy's garden taste YUMMMMY!

i love having fresh, home-grown berries for my morning oatmeal...

4. dirt. Kai is a magnet to dirt. this is good and bad. i like that he is easily (and cheaply!) entertained. i do NOT like that it usually ends up in his mouth and/or all over my floor.

 the aftermath...(this plant has been relocated)

5. ants on a log! this has been my healthy alternative go-to snack as of late. celery with a schmear of almond butter and a sprinkle of raisins. YUM. i use the same toppings on bananers as well and it's even better!

6. watching Kai morph into a socialite. i could watch him interact with friends and cousins all day. it cracks me up! he is learning so much and growing into such a little man...sigh. almost one!

7. if there is water around, he's in it. even if he has no change of clothes or swim diaper handy. this is the birdbath/fountain in the garden at Grandma G's house that he HAD to be in.

i {love} that cute little bum!

8. workin' it out from home. because G's been over on the westside for work and will be for most likely the remainder of the summer (sad, but at least he gets weekends off which is more than i can say when he was workin' offshore!!) i have not had convenient childcare to get to the gym. which sucks. but has forced me to adapt and take full advantage of Kai's long morning naptime (which ranges from 1.5-3 hours). i am kind of a workout video snob. if it doesn't really challenge me and make me sweat i feel ripped of. well this dvd kicks my a-double-s...and i'm sick and twisted and LOVE IT. i'm just getting into week 2 and can't wait to see the results at the end of 4!

9. picture mail. i love getting picture texts. it's like getting the gift of a shared moment. this particular picture message was sent to me by my lovely sister Kelley Jayde who has recently graduated from a very vigorous nursing program (woo hoo!) and just took an exam she has spent hundreds of hours studying for. here was the adorable text accompanying the picture:

homemade spring rolls and wine...waiting for my test results to show up online...

you send pics of your child and i sent you pics of food :)

um, yum. the girl sure can cook.

(i unfortunately did not inherit that gene).

10. my job. i've spent the year serving as the GED testing coordinator for BMCC- Hermiston. i love this job. like school counseling, it is busy, sometimes stressfull, fast-paced, unpredictable and allows me to work with and get to know a very diverse group of people. all things i thrive for within an occupation.

here is a young gentleman who has come in for testing several times this spring.

he didn't get all five exams taken in time to walk at his graduation, but he came prepared with cap and gown to "walk home" should he reach that goal, and tonight he did.

this was a proud moment.

we had a little celebration for him in the testing room and he's now en route to the Art Institute of Portland. 

*picture publishised w/permission, of course! :)

and that, my friends, is my life in 10.

Tuesday .02 (five randoms & some GOOD NEWS!)

1. Kai threw my BlackBerry in the FULL bathtub last night. Yeah, it's a goner (phone numbers, video clips, yet-to-be-printed pictures of Kai {tear}!). Talk about "device detox!" (I think I jinxed myself). However, I DID find the time today to take our HUGE pile of recycling AND 5, yes FIVE loads of laundry (all folded, too!). No, I didn't let our dirty clothes build up to 5 loads, I washed blankets, sheets, towels, car-towels, dog-towels, kitchen towels....
2. I did this workout today from Shape magazine. I haven't done any of her dvd's but judging on how fatigued my legs feel (a GREAT feeling, btw!), maybe I need to.
3. I've been meeting weekly with a "mentor" of sorts who has encouraged me to return to my long-lost habit of keeping a prayer journal. After about a month back into it I can't believe I ever stopped. Talk about rejuvenating the old prayer life! Writing my prayers down like letter to God is a wonderful way for me to keep focused (I have an ever-drifting overly imaginative mind!), yet also keep a record or diary of sorts of what I'm going through that day. It's pretty awesome to be able to look back and see how God worked even the hardest of situations out for good!
4. I've also been LOVE, LOVE, LOVING The Message (MSV) Bible. I've owned a copy for awhile but never really delved into it...until now. It's reads with a wonderfully personable feel and allows me to gain insight from the dryer or more difficult passages.
5. GOOD NEWS!: Today I received word that my Initial I (K-12) School Counseling license is in the mail! Due to some unfortunate circumstances this has been a LONG time coming, but at last I can reap the fruits of my grad school labors and put the past year of waiting and paperwork behind me! I actually cried (for joy!) when I got the message. YAY!

progress proofs.

Post-baby (taken last fall):
 

Let this be a lesson to all of you Moms-to-be: DON'T gain 70 lbs. while pregnant!!! 

Post-Baby (taken in April 2011):

This may not look like much, but these jeans were once VERY tight, and now I can slide them on and off without having to unbutton them!

(still my most comfy pair, but starting to look silly as they kind of fall off of my hips...)

 Yes, it's taken 8 months for this little bit of progress.

I've had to work harder than I ever have for what seems should be way more results,

and I still have a ways to go...

but even after the stubborn weight and stretch marks, man, was it all worth it!

Could it be?? Post-baby body p-p-progress?!!

Good News, my dear bloggies!

I {finally!}NEED NEW JEANS (And NO, not a bigger size).

This week, I fit into an old pair of 6's (YES!)

and

Suddenly my two pairs of go-to pre-preg jeans are falling off of my hips (past the point of belt-help).

This got me thinking...

What could have spurred this sudden "tightening"? What have I been doing differently?

Here's what I came up with:

1. Chasing a crawling baby around a still not baby-proofed house. exhausting.

2. Honestly, LESS cardio. I know that I was overdoing it over those first few months, which was actually working AGAINST me. This is a mistake that many over-zealous gym-going females make. Now I'm doing an average of 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week. I feel better, AND have results.

3. I don't know if this stuff works, but i've been drinking it...the chai flavor is yummy (hot AND iced!)

4. Eating (mostly healthy!) five times a day, without fail, and NEVER skipping out on breakfast.

5. YOGA (3-5 times a week) and WALKING. Yes, I said walking. I used to think that walking was just for old ladies or people who were too wussy to run...but honestly, it's my go-to form of cardio right now and just may be the change i needed to start seeing results. I still run, but because of my hip injury i'm down to two 4-6 milers a week, which honestly, is working out just fine. I love that as the days get nicer I get to get my cardio in WITH Kai and Honey AND get my daily dose of vitamin D. As far as the yoga goes, I've always done it, but not really challenged myself like I have of late. I think putting together classes for the gym has really stretched me in my own practice and I am so grateful for that. I swear that it spikes weight loss!

...........................................

I've still got some post-baby softness to clean up (I don't measure my progress on my scale-weight, I go by how my clothes fit AND my measurements...TONING=size drop, not neccesarily weight drop!) but for now, I'm going to celebrate my progress with a new wardrobe item...

Time to go shoppin'!

maintaining balance: reading for pleasure, taking exercise outdoors & (of course) food

all throughout my Masters program, i kept a running "reading for pleasure" list, as i will admit that i did NOT keep a "balance" between school/work-related reading and personal "for fun" reading (who does can?) much of my grad school reading was compelling, interesting and very relevant, so it wasn't like i was stuck reading the DSM (well, sometimes i was) or pouring over case studies (well, sometimes i was) but for the most part it was all good (i'll admit right now that i actually miss being in school--i could honest-to-God be a lifetime student. i love school. sick? maybe, but very true).

well, i'm done with grad school, and am not planning on going back for the good ol' Doctorate for awhile. someday, perhaps, but not now...

so, i'm reading for pleasure (finally!)

i've been burning through books like crazy, like i'm making up for lost time.

i read mostly at night. after Kai's in bed and i've somewhat put the house back together i look forward to nothing more than making a cup of tea and crawling into bed or into a big fleece blanket on the couch with a book. the problem with this is many times, i can't stop. i keep reading and reading and reading and before i know it, it's 1am...but i'm back at it the next night.

i remember when G and i were first married and i felt guilty asking if i could have my bedside table light on because he had to get up early for work...so i would bribe him with the promise of tickling his back/scratching his head while i read to offset the light being on.

this bit me in the butt.

now EVERYTIME i read in bed, G rolls over (practially across my lap) and says "you know the deal..."

so not only have i been doing a lot of reading, i've been doing a lot of tickling and scratching (sigh).

i've been, like, WAY obsessed with Kristen Hannah. she has 18 novels published, and so far i've read 10. they are pretty good sized, too. but to keep me well versed and balanced, i've started offsetting her novels with non-fiction to kind of give me a bit of variety.

so yesterday, i started (and finished!) Portia De Rossi's Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

i remembered watching her on Oprah, GMA, the Today Show and, of course Ellen (her wife) promoting the book. She struggled for over twenty years of her life with extreme dieting/bulimia/anorexia (dropping below 90 lbs. at her lowest point), and tells her story with unflinching honesty. i enjoy reading memoirs about real-life people who have triumphed over life's obstacles...especially when they write with such breathtaking, raw courage.

while i have never struggled with an eating disorder i have battled with the pressure to be thin from a society that glorifies skin and bone. i have a naturally very athletic build, and have always had thick legs and been able to put on muscle quite easily. i love food too much to deprive myself, but i have definitely attempted (and failed) some pretty crazy diets/exercise regimes.

i've concluded that no supplement, program, club, class, diet, drink or pill will do the trick.

if something does cause you to lose weight rapidly or drastically, you will inevitably gain it all back (or more!) once you stop. your body will always return to it's natural, "healthy" weight.

with that being said, i'm going to share some of my favorite excerpts from the book (Unbearable Lightness) that i believe everyone can relate to, and should hear. take it for what you will, but i believe it packs a powerful punch:

• I hate the word exercise. I am allergic to gyms. But I don't think that "formal" exercise in a gym is the only way to achieve a healthy, toned body. I have discovered that enjoyable daily activites that are easy, like walking, can be equally beneficial. I have noticed on my daily walk with my dogs that I rarely see an overweight person walking a dog, whereas I see many overweight people walking on treadmills in a gym. I attribute this not only to the frequency of having to walk your dog, but also the good feeling one has when doing something good for another being. Seeing my dogs' excitement as I walk them around my nighborhood every day makes me happy, and when I'm happy I walk a little taller and a little more briskly. I can only imagine the enjoyment parents must experience when seeing the joy on their kids' faces as they play tag football or shoot hoops with them.

• I also enjoy being outdoors. I like breathing the cold night air deeply into my lungs as I walk up the hills in my nieghborhood and smelling the forest air as I walk on hiking trails after a morning rain.

• Another way for me to stay fit is to do activities where I can learn a skill, like horse riding or tennis or dancing. I find that if I can concentrate on getting better at something, rather than getting fitter or looking better, I accomplish all three things- the latter two bieng happy by-products of the original goal. Doing an activity to relax is also important for me. I swim to clear my head rather than count laps and burn calories. Swimming slowly is a form of meditation for me.

• I have found ways to increase my heart rate, stretch my muscles, and breathe deeply every day in an enjoyable way that I would never label as exercise.

• I eat every kind of food that I like, moderating the portions using my appetite and not a calorie counter. I love fat and I love carbs. Nothing fills you up and feels more satisfying than a mashed potato or pasta and olive oil. There are days when I eat a large bag of potato chips for lunch and I feel too full and greasy to eat anything else until dinner. It may not be the healthest, most balanced day in a lifetime of days, but I more than likely won't repeat it in the following day.

• The diet industry is making a lot of money selling us fad diets, nonfat and sugar-free foods full of chemicals, gym memberships, and pills while we lose a little of our self-esteem everytime we fail another diet or neglect to use the gym membership we could barely afford. Restriction genereates yearning.

• You don't have to be emaciated or vomiting to be suffering. All people who live their lives on a diet are suffering. If you can accept your natural body weight-the weight that is easy for you to maintain, or your "set point"--and not force it to beneath your body's natural, healthy weight, then you can live your life free of dieting, of restriction, of feeling guilty every time you eat a slice of your kid's birthday cake. But the key is to accept your body just as it is. Just as I have had to learn to accept that I have thighs that are a little bigger than I'd like, you may have to accept that your arms are naturally a little thicker or your hips are a little wider. In other words, accept yourself.  Love your body the way it is and feel grateful toward it. Most improratant, in order to find real happiness, you must learn to love yourself for the totality of who you are and not just what you look like.

Pretty thought-provoking and inspiring if you ask me.

It really is all about maintaining a healthy balance and accepting and loving and taking care of the bodies that we have been given. Too often we get lost in the lies our culture shoves down our throat that make us believe our attractiveness is directly correlated with our jean size, but I call B.S. on that notion. I'm not as "thin" as I once was, but you know what? I'm happy. I'm healthy. I LOVE getting out and enjoying the sunshine with my baby and puppy dog, and taking (and teaching!) fun classes at my gym. I've lost the pregnancy pounds and am currently sitting at my bodies natural, healthy weight of 150 pounds--not the 125 that I once maintained with such discipline. I've traded size 2's for size 8's but ya know what?

I'm smiling.

burn-out prevention (3 tips):

if you are going to dedicate an hour or two of your day to getting a workout in, you want to do everything possible to make it worthwhile.

i know that my gym-time changed BIG TIME after becoming a Mommy. i now have a LIMIT on the time i can spend at the gym. gone are the days of spontaneously being able to catch a fun class with a friend at a moments notice. gone are the days when G and i can hit up the gym together (sad!).

but guess what happened? Whitney learned how to get the job done and NOT waste time!

this doesn't go without saying there aren't days i just DREAD getting a workout in. most days i ANTICIPATE my gym time, and really look forward to a good sweaty, calorie burnin' sesh...but there's this unfortunate thing that creeps up on even the best of gymrats called "burn-out."

we've all experienced burn-out in one way or another, some of us a day or two, some of us weeks or (hopefully not!) months.  you know, the kind of days where we drag our feet about going to the gym, and then when we {finally} get there we shuffle around like a lost puppy, not really wanting to do anything, just "appearing" to exercise, but not really doing anything at all.

wherever you may be in your motivation cycle, here are few suggestions to get out--or help you avoid that inevitably approaching "rut":

1. go out and buy some new workout gear (that's right, GO!). maybe shoes are your thing, maybe you want some new running or yoga pants, a new bright-colored sports bra or some new tank tops or sweatshirts. it sounds silly but don't you remember how excited you were as a little kid to wear your "new" clothes to school? well, buying workout clothes to wear to the gym has the same effect (well it does for me, anyway!). a few months back i found that i needed some non-stinky "gym" shoes as my New Balance running shoes were dirty and gross from being worn outside so much. so (spurred on by the fabulously firm booty commercials, of course) i went and bought a pair of Reebok Toning shoes, (which i LOVE btw) and was definitely excited to try em' out in classes and on the cardio machines at the gym!

2. get out of your comfort zone and try something new. odds are, you are in a rut because you are doing the same stuff every day. challenge yourself to take a new class, break out that bicycle thats sitting in your garage, meet up with a friend once a week to do a fun workout dvd, sign up for a city-league team, go for a hike or start lap swimming. you could even sign up for a 5K, half-marathon or maybe even a triathalon and start training with a group of people with common goals for accountability! sometimes you just need something to work toward...

3. supplement yourself! check out Advocare or (my personal favorite) Bodybuilding.com (cheaper than ANYWHERE else!) for products that can enhance your fitness goals. i am a HUGE fan of pre and post workout supplements (energy boosting sups like Adovcare's SPARK for a pre-workout boost and a good low-cal protein shake for post workout recovery). do some research and find a few products that will assist you in getting even closer to where you want to be. i often find that if i'm going to invest money into my fitness regime, i'm opt to be more dedicated with my training and diet...

also making sure that you are eating several healthy meals and snacks throughout the day, drinking LOTS of water and getting enough sleep are {simple} but KEY ingredients to reaching your fitness goals, whatever they may be.

bad, lazy, self-loathing days will happen to all of us. expect them. prepare for them.

what matters most is our ability to OVERCOME.

the road to reaching your goals will undoubtedly be littered with MANY tempting parking spots threatening to sideline your ambition and progress.

don't park.

{{unless, of course you are buying yourself new running shoes!}}

5 rules for a BALANCED approach to a better bod:

i've received several emails/fb messages with questions pertaining to workouts, clean eating and weight loss.

i thought that i'd consolidate several of people's inquiries into a basic 5-point post, serving as possible motivation for you and a good reminder for me!

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1. feeling the urge to chuck the scale off of a high rise building? do it! the number on the scale is SO, SO, SO not the way to judge progress. you are really going for losing INCHES not POUNDS. and when you lose inches, everything is "tightening" up, which means you are building MUSCLE, and muscle weighs more than jiggly fat...so screw the scale!!! judge your weight-loss/muscle gain and toning progress on how your clothes fit! if your larger sized clothes are getting baggy, GOOD! if you need to cinch up your belt to hold your pants up, GOOD! if you can finally pull those skinny jeans up, GOOD! be fair and honest with yourself and don't get wrapped up in a number on the scale. it's false advertising. i can personally say that my clothes fit BEST and i looked the best NOT at my lowest weight. you can reach a certain number on a scale, but still be flabby and soft, so please don't torture yourself trying to reach a certain number

2. don't deny yourself what you want. not eating will only set you back further, and make you cranky and irritable. crash diets result in crash binging. portion control and several small meals a day (pack a food bag in advance to assure healthy-choice availability!) are KEY in weight loss. if you have a sweet tooth, have a little sweet snack. the trick is satisfying that sweet tooth with "healthy" sugars like peanut butter on celery, sugarfree jello, a few m&ms with trail mix or dried fruit or sweet potato or cooked baby carrots drizzled with sugarfree maple syrup. don't beat yourself up if you need a sweet treat. small indulgences will not hinder you!

3. whatever you do, DON'T fall into a routine. you HAVE to mix it up. i see this happen all the time in the gym. you see the SAME chick on the SAME machine (treadmill, eliptical, stepper...) FIVE days a week. if you want to START or KEEP seeing results, you need to keep your body OUT of it's comfort zone--and doing the same thing each day is comfortable and familiar. {shock} your body by using different muscles! so...take a new class at the gym, get outside and run or cycle for a change, or even mix it up with a fun new DVD! switching things up every so often will also keep you from getting burned out, which is most people's demise when they set out with lofty fitness goals.

4. don't forget about the obvious but neccessary small things: drink LOTS of water. change up your ipod playlist often to push you through plateaus. stretch. replenish your body post workout with a good protein shake or bar. invest in some good cross-trainers (and a good sports bra!).

5. set goals for yourself. WRITE THEM DOWN and PUT THEM WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM! i don't know what it about writing your goals down, but that accountablility is often much more effective than just "telling" friends and family. i like to write my goals down and keep them taped just above my bedside table and/or the side of my fridge. and don't just set fitness goals, set a couple of  "fun" goals like reading for pleasure or picking up a new hobby.

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it's all about maintaining a healthy balance...