Eggs & Pancakes

I loved my workout today! I started with muscle ups on the bar and was able to get 5 in a row! Great start to my workout, it was fun! :) 

Even though I don't do any cardio, my lifting workouts are so intense that I almost feel like I'm doing cardio. It's all about the intensity-lifting heavy and doing supersets definitely keeps the heart rate up and will make you sweat! Sometimes I add in finishers or conditioning circuits to end my workouts, but today was just weights.

Click here's to see today's workout:
http://lindsaystraininglog.blogspot.com/2012/02/muscle-ups.html

So apparently yesterday was national pancake day. I love, love, love pancakes....but rarely eat them.  However, all the talk about pancakes yesterday made me want some, so I made my protein pancakes for lunch today, along with 2 fried eggs. YUM!

1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 4 egg whites, few drops of vanilla-blend and cook. Super easy. I have tried a lot of protein pancake recipes, but so far this one is my FAVE. I top them with sugar free syrup-and yes, I know sugar free stuff is bad for you and all that, but it's something that I eat once in a blue moon, so I don't worry about it.

 I'll leave you with a great post I came across today:
http://lifetime-weightloss.com/blog/2012/2/18/you-are-your-greatest-obstacle.html

Rant Alert!

I don't get why people wait until a month before their beach trip, or whatever event it is, to get "in shape". They go on some strict diet and do a ton of cardio every day, only to make minimal change in how their body looks-because a month is just not enough time.

I have had clients do this. They 've been training with me for a while, but I know that they're not being consistent with their eating, or doing enough outside of our training, even when I am always on them about it.

Then all of a sudden, they have a vacation coming up, and NOW they want to get focused and eat really good. The problem is....their trip is just a few weeks away! They tell me that they're going to eat really good and that they want to work out extra hard. And I'm just like, "What?? You should have been doing that this whole time!!"

If they had had that same drive and determination a year ago, 6 months ago, even 3 months ago, and been consistent, they would probably have gotten awesome results by now and wouldn't have to be rushing to get in "bikini shape."

The thing is, unless you are already pretty lean to start with, a few weeks of eating really good is not going to be enough to see any drastic change in your appearance. You just can't transform your body in a few weeks, no matter how healthy you eat or how much exercise you do.

And anyways-why wait until you have a beach trip coming up to get a beach body? Wouldn't it be nice to be in bikini shape all year round??

I'm willing to bet that Erin is always beach ready!

"Nothing can compare with free weights.There is simply something about the sound, feel, and smell of the cold iron in one's hands.Granted, some don’t like it, sometolerate it, and others turn from it completely.

You can’t be a true bodybuilder if you do not have a passion for the sound and feel of the iron. At some point in time machines should be included for some movements but nothing compares to the loose iron."

- Alan Palmieri

Beautiful Sunday With My Loves

Old School

I took my workout outside yesterday with some of the "toys" that my husband made for me.

Tire sled a.k.a torture device.

I did forward and backward sled sprints, overhead walking lunges and ball slams. It was fun! It felt good to do something different and be outside in the fresh air.

The sled sprints were a lot harder than I thought they would be! I kind of felt like Rocky Balboa, training outside in the cold! It even started to snow, ha!

Sprinting, sled dragging, tire flipping, and heavy lifting with barbells and dumbbells-I just love this stuff! Old school training is making a comeback, and I think it's awesome.

The problem with people these days is they want all the conditions to be perfect, they want to whine and complain about the temperature in the gym or the music, they don't want to sweat too much, they want to put forth as little effort as possible, and they want the most results they can get with the least amount of work.

The invention of cardio machines and weight machines have just made people lazy, in my opinion! What happened to jumping rope and running stairs for cardio? That's all people could really do back in the day-that and walk or jog. Just think, all the old school bodybuilders didn't need all the fancy machines we have today. They did just fine with calisthenics, barbells, and dumbbells.

I say every one would be better off  just getting back to the basics, and not being afraid of a little sweat and heavy weights. :)

Burpee Results

Well, I did my 7 minutes of torture burpees today!
Results=91! Not super impressive, but it was just for fun so who cares! It was a test of my endurance, which I will admit is NOT my strong point!

NOT.

Then I just goofed off and played around with handstands. I've been practicing a 1 armed handstand without a wall, and finally got a decent pic of one:

I'm happy the weekend is here! I'm excited for my cheat meal and to try out the tire sled and slammer ball that my husband is making for me!  Hope everyone has a good weekend! :)

A Glimpse of Spring :)

Today is going to be almost 70 degrees here in Kentucky!  I'm definitely going to take advantage of this weather because it's not going to last long. :( Looks like I'll be breakin' out the rollerblades today!

So for anyone who follows CrossFit, you know that the games Open started yesterday. The first WOD for the competition is 7 minutes of burpees-as many as you can get! Craziness. But I think I'm going to do it tomorrow just for fun! Well, more like for torture. I hate burpees! It'll be a fun little challenge to do on my "active recovery" week. Even though I'm sure I will do horrible, but, oh well!

Well, I've just recently decided that I think I want to set up a fitness photoshoot sometime this year. Since I will probably never compete, I want to do something to show off all of my hard work! I'm thinking it would be fun to do have some shots with my husband in them, too! It's kind of scary for me, though, since I'm a little shy and self-conscious...but I want to do it! Just not sure how to go about finding a photographer...

I guess that's all for today! Time to go enjoy this beautiful weather.

Oh, and check out my bodyspace on bodybuilding.com that I recently created. I finally found a place where I can post flexing and mirror pics, and it's completely normal, ha!
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/LinzCapp/

You Can't Always Get What You Want

Just because you crave something doesn't mean you have to have it. It's good to practice self control. It's hard at first to resist temptations, but over time it does get easier.  Your willpower becomes stronger the more you use it, just like your muscles.

Right now I'm hungry, and for some reason a big sub sandwich sounds SO good to me...or even better, a big, fat cheeseburger! Oh yeah. Does that mean I'm going to go get a cheeseburger? No. I'd like a cheeseburger, but I don't need a cheeseburger.

When I go to the store and walk past the cereal, or the pop tarts, or the Doritos...the thought goes through my head, "Oh man, that looks so good. I wish I could eat that."  Does that mean that I buy it just because I want it? No. I walk right on by and don't even give a second glance.

After dinner sometimes(most of the time) I want a piece of chocolate....and sometimes I have one. But sometimes I try to practice self control. I don't need to have a piece of chocolate after dinner every night, even if it won't negatively affect my health or looks. I will be just fine without it, and I will be stronger for not giving in. By doing that, the cravings have less power over me. I simply think, "Nope,  don't need it" and walk away...and guess what? The craving goes away.

People seem to think that I'm like some super human who doesn't ever have cravings. Well, I'm normal, and I do-every day. I'm a junk food junkie at heart! There are some days when I think to myself, "I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of eating like this." (Which is usually only when I'm eating broccoli, or any vegetable for that matter!)


This is not to say that I don't ever slip up or give in to a craving. Sometimes I do, but it's rare, and when it happens, I'm completely fine with it and just move on with no guilt because I know it's not a regular occurrence. Over the years, I simply have found ways and strategies to help myself NOT give in to my cravings. And the more you get into the habit of eating healthy and not giving in to cravings, the easier it will become to turn them down!

The Magic Formula

Confidence: check.

Belief: check.

Hard work: double check.

Consistency: check.

Desire: double check.

"Stop being a dreamer. It doesn't matter that you say you want to be ripped and buffed. Wanting is just the first step. The rest takes work, and consistent work at that. No half-assed attempt every other week. And that's where you must get that epiphany: You need to keep on doing what you are doing, day in and day out, month after month, year after year."
-Pauline Nordin

Thoughts

Weight is still going up! I weighed in at 126lbs yesterday!! Holy crap, I've never weighed that much! Well, maybe my senior year of highschool when I had more bodyfat from all the fast food and Reese cups I was eating every single day! Oh, those were the days...


I haven't been tracking my food the last couple weeks, just playing it by ear now. I don't like being obsessed about tracking every single thing I eat. I guess I'm getting in enough since my weight is staying up. I'll start tracking it again when I want to lean out and have to get a little stricter with my diet.


Well, as I mentioned, I'm doing a week of CrossFit workouts...did one yesterday with pullups, pushups and box jumps. I have to say, I was excited about doing CrossFit this week....but now I'm just looking forward to getting back to the weights!


I guess I'm just not that into it like I used to be. :( I don't look forward to killing myself every single workout...and I've realized that I like to be able to BREATHE during my workouts! There are parts of it I still like, but I will only use it for short conditioning workouts every now and then after my lifting from now on.


Hmmm...well, not much else to say... I'm wishing, hoping and praying to be able to plan a beach trip this year! We're waiting to see if my husband will get enough vacation days. It would be SO much fun for us to go away to the beach for a few days-it's been 4 years since we last went together. But until then, I guess my dreams will have to do....

I Love Surveys!!

Just a fun survey I found on someone's blog. Back in the Myspace days, I would do these things ALL the time. I love them!

1)      What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday?
 Spending the whole day with my love doing a whole lot of nothing! Sleep in, go to the gym, church, then maybe dinner or popcorn and a movie  :) Or, in the summer, just lounging in the pool is pretty much a perfect day to me.

2) List your top three favorite TV shows.
-Real Housewives(yes, I'm addicted to these shows, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!)

-American Idol(have been watching since day one!)
-Dateline Mystery

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them?
Both! I’m always the one with the camera snapping pics, but I like to be in them, too!

4) Why do you blog?
To inspire and motivate others to be healthy and fit, and also as a way to get out my thoughts and to document my life.

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly…
-Facebook
-YouTube
-Blogspot
-Crossfit(not so much anymore)
-Pinterest

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be?

Don’t have twitter!

7) List a few of your favorite snacks.
I don’t really have “snacks”…but if I did it would be tuna, baby carrots, boiled eggs, apples, and  almonds

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind?
Yes-my big 125lb baby, Asher-a White German Shepherd

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without?
      -Cell phone
      -Computer
      -Car

10) What’s your favorite drink?
I LOVE water!And diet pepsi every now and then-horrible for you, but oh so good :)

11) Do you enjoy cooking?

NO. But baking, yes!

12) Do you have children?

Nope!

13) What are your favorite hobbies?
-Blogging
-Reading
-Lifting weights
-Editing pictures/scrapbooking 

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing?
Shy, for sure!

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?
I would like to be less shy and self-conscious, a better speaker, and more relaxed around people. I guess that's more than one thing!

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress?
Dwayne Johnson! I mean, seriously-just look at him.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week?
Ummm....handstands?

18) Do you live near your family or far from them?

About 30-45 minutes from most of them.

19) List three of your talents.
      -Athletic
      -Can kind of sing
      -Used to be able to draw pretty well...not so much anymore

20) What is your greatest attribute?
Hmmm…..I would say being a positive and hard working person.

I Like To Be Different:)

No ellipticals or aerobics classes for me. THIS is my kind of training:
http://www.cutandjacked.com/Training-For-Women-Functional-But-Not-Traditional

I have to say, I've always liked to be a little different. In highschool, I never drank or went out and partied every weekend. Well, I've never drank in my life, actually. I didn't have a traditional wedding -I ran off and got married in Hawaii on the beach, in a bikini!

While most women strive to be skinny, I've always wanted muscle. Most women do tons of  boring cardio, while I try to avoid it at all costs.While other women are at the gym reading their Shape magazines on the ellipticals, I'm running sprints, doing burpees, or jumping rope.While other women are doing crunches, I'm doing deadlifts.

This is just a reminder to encourage you to branch out a little; get out of your comfort zone sometimes and try new things! You don't always have to do what everyone else is doing. Dare to be different! :)

Always Up For a Challenge

Yay, it's Friday!!! :)  I'm so happy the sun is SHINING today, thank you, Lord! It has not been around in a few days, and I NEED it. Oh, Spring get here soon please.

I had a great upper body workout today. Did some push jerks just for fun since I haven't done them in a long time, but didn't try to go TOO heavy. Then I went for a max set of chinups for another Survival of the Fittest challenge and got 15 reps! I very rarely do chinups(I usually do neutral or wide grip pullups), so it was fun to see how many I could get.

Wednesday I did another Survival of the Fittest challenge- to get as many reps as I could on back squats with my bodyweight(125) and ended up getting 30 reps. I surprised myself again with how many I was able to do, since I always thought my endurance was horrible. I HATE high reps squats and have never done that many reps with a heavy weight in my life! But I can never back down from a challenge!( http://experiencelife.com/survival-of-the-fittest/2012/02/16/survival-challenge-3-results-max-rep-back-squats/)

Check out my YouTube page, where I frequently post clips from my workouts:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Duckyls7/videos

So anyways...the plan for the weekend is popcorn and movie night tonight at home, then brownies and leftover pizza for our treat meal tomorrow, and a date to the movies on Sunday to see The Vow. I can't wait for it to get warmer so we can do things outside again! I am definitely an outdoor girl, so I think that's why winter drives me crazy.  I grew up on 5 acres, and I was always outside as a kid. I just love the outdoors.

How CrossFit Has Influenced My Training

I'm taking a break from my training next week to do a week of CrossFit, just for fun! I'm excited...but also scared!

I'm so glad that I tried something different for a while with CrossFit, and that it got me out of my bodybuilding "bubble"! And I had a lot of fun doing it.

I have changed my style of training since doing CrossFit and have gotten more results in the last few months than I have in the last 10 years(partly due to the fact that I'm also eating much better!).

I don't use any machines or cables and very rarely do isolation exercises, if ever. I'm also not doing the one muscle group per day thing anymore, and it seems to be working well for me! I've had a few people tell me I look bigger, so that's good to hear! :)

Here are a few things I learned through CrossFit that will forever influence the way I train:

-Train more like an athlete.
-Deadlifts are a MUST in any strength training program.

-Include Olympic lifts such as power cleans and snatches, as they are great for explosive strength and power.
-Try new things, and do things you're scared of.
-Squat deep(hips below parallel)-no bodybuilder 1/2 squats!

-You don't have to do every exercise super slow.
-You don't have to do bodybuilding workouts to build muscle.
-Do more of the things you hate! (Umm...burpees, anyone?)
-You don't need to do a ton of ab exercises to strengthen your "core".
-Muscle-ups and handstands aren't just for gymnasts!

-Kettlebells are a great conditioning tool.
-Powerlifting for strength with low reps is fun :)
-You don't need machines.
-Bodyweight exercises can be just as effective as weights(ever tried pistols?).
-"Cardio" doesn't just have to mean 30 minutes on the elliptical.

Never Rest...Until I'm Better Than My Best

I had to share this from Erin Stern's Facebook status. I LOVE this! Another reason why she is my FAVE fitness model, and my role model. :)

I own it - do you see?
I'm not training for "almost," "not quite," or "maybe."
Each rep, each set, each step -
Closer to victory.
... So, on I fight -
Me vs. me.
Leaving nothing on the field -
Only sweat.
Giving more than my all -
No regret.
Pushing for the day I find
The body in the mirror
Mirrors the one I see in my mind.
I own it - and I'll never rest
Until I'm better than my best....

By: Erin Stern

V-Day

♥ Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!♥

"I don't pretend to know what Love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; Love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, Love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, Love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into the room and smile at you."
-Jennifer Nicole Lee

My husband proposed to me 6 years ago today. I was the happiest girl in the world, and I still am today! He is an amazing guy, and he's everything to me. Sometimes I still can't believe how lucky and happy I am to have found him.

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff!! ;)

We don't have any big plans for Valentine's day since we already went on our date over the weekend. So I just made a batch of cinnamon protein bread(Jamie Eason's recipe), since my husband loves cinnamon. Then I'll probably make him something for dinner, and I was thinking hot chocolate afterwards since it's so cold today(we actually got a little snow last night)!

Anyways...I've been working on my handstands like crazy lately. I don't know why they are so hard for me! I finally got about a 10 second hold the other day, which I was SO happy about! Next to conquer is 1 arm pushups and then...I want to be able to do a human flag!  I know, I'm a crazy person.

I ♥ Valentine's Day :)

I don't care what people say about Valentine's Day and it being just a "commercial" holiday, I love it! :) I mean, really every holiday is "commercial", right? Like, what's the point of Halloween??

So if you hate it, don't celebrate it and don't complain about it. I'm sure most of those people who hate it are those who don't have a Valentine anyway(oops, did I say that out loud?).  ;)

So in celebration of Valentine's Day, I made some yummy strawberry cupcakes. (I'll take any excuse to make and decorate cupcakes!) I maybe had just a few of these over the weekend....

And Saturday night my husband and I went out for a yummy meal at our favorite restaurant, Cheddar's, for our "Valentine's date":

We have holidays for everything else, so... why is it so bad to have a special holiday to celebrate love and to show the special people in our life how much they are loved and appreciated?? (Yes, even though you should be doing that on a regular basis, too!)I just think it's fun to have an excuse to give flowers, eat chocolates, make cupcakes, go on a date, write a love letter, or whatever it is you do choose to do on Valentine's Day.  :)

"Cardio" For Heart Health?

Whenever I suggest to someone to stop doing so much cardio, the first thing they usually say is, "But what about my heart?" There's this misconception most people have that in order to keep your heart healthy you have to do long duration, steady state, aerobic type cardio(jogging, walking, elliptical, etc.).

Well, you really don't.

Studies are now showing that brief, intense bursts of exercise (anaerobic) such as weight training, sprinting, and interval training keep your heart strong and healthy just as much as aerobic training.

Strength training in itself has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, improve cholesterol levels, and improve blood sugar control. Just another reason why everyone should be lifting weights!!

So do your traditional cardio if you enjoy it in addition to your strength training, but don't think that you have to do it just because it's good for your heart. This is great news for "cardio" haters, like me! :)

Some articles to check out:

http://www.physorg.com/news131796976.html
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/823/Tip-233-Perform-Strength-Training-to-Improve-Cardiovascular-Health-and-Insulin-Sensitivity.aspx
http://stronglifts.com/strength-training-cardiovascular-fitness-blood-pressure/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/for-heart-health-sprints-match-endurance-training/
http://journals.lww.com/heartinsight/Fulltext/2008/05000/Weight_Training_Has_A_Good_Rep_for_Cardiovascular.12.aspx

Comparing

Comparing yourself to others is never a good thing....

Every now and then  I get down on myself about my body and the way it's shaped. And it becomes worse the more I look at and compare myself to other women. When you compare yourself to others, all it does is cause you to focus on your flaws, all the things you hate about yourself, rather than on the things that you DO like about yourself.


As I've shared before, I have always hated the fact that I have NO hips and that I hold fat on the sides of my stomach(aka love handles-and yes, they are there, I just always try to hide them!). I don't have the square abs and tiny waists that I see in pictures of fitness models. And I have always hated my skinny little legs, bony knees and scrawny calves.

I know that no matter what I do, the shape of my waist and the size of my hips are things I cannot change. So why do I scrutinize myself the way I do?  Why do I compare myself to others with completely different body types than me? Why do I focus on my imperfections, especially the ones I can't change? 


All I can do is work with what I've got and make myself the best ME that I can be, and not compare myself to anyone else. I'm proud of the physique that I have created. I'm proud of the quads that I've built through heavy squats and lunges, I'm proud of my shoulders that pop out, and my arms that I've built through years of heavy pushing and pulling.

We are each unique, with different body types, but all beautiful in our own ways no matter our shape or size. We can only do the best we can with the body we are given. You can't change the length of your legs, the way your abs are shaped, whether you have wide hips, or narrow hips, skinny calves, or big calves. You can build up muscle and lose fat, but there are some things you will never be able to change and just have to accept.

Be proud of how far you have come, of the body that you have created, and don't compare yourself to others!

Finally.

This makes me happy!!

I weighed 118lbs in November/ beginning of December...so I have gained about 7lbs, which  took me a little over 2 months. My stomach is just a tad bit fatter, but who really cares about that...until bikini season!! :)

Just Playin' Around

Upside down....

At Home Workout Ideas

There's no excuse for not working out. Don't feel like going to the gym? Short on time? Then get in a 10-15 minute workout at home! This doesn't mean you should neglect the heavy weights, but if you can't make it to the gym, that's no excuse not to get a workout in.

There are so many things you can do with just your own bodyweight. Here are some fun ideas I came up with off the top of my head.

50 seconds: Jump rope or jumping jacks
40 seconds: Burpees
30 seconds: Mountain climbers
20 seconds: Pushups
10 seconds: Squat jumps

40 alternating reverse lunges
20 burpees with pushup
Repeat 3-5x, or do as many rounds as you can get in 10-15 minutes

21-15-9 (21 reps of each the first round, then 15 reps of each, then 9 reps):
Pushups
Squat Jumps
Burpees

40 mountain climbers each leg
20 reverse lunges, 1 leg at a time
40 high knees or jumping jacks
20 squats with hands behind head
Repeat 3-5 times, or 10-15 minutes

30 seconds squat jumps
Rest 15 seconds
30 seconds pushups
Rest 15 seconds
30 seconds burpees
Rest 15 seconds
30 seconds altnernating lunges
Rest 15 seconds
Repeat 5x

1 minute jump rope or jumping jacks
15-20 step ups(1 leg at time)
10 Pushups
Repeat 3-5x

Tabatas(20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest,8 rounds):
Choose one of the following exercises to use:
Jump Rope
Burpees
Squats
Mt Climbers
Lunge jumps

The possibilites are endless!! NO excuses!!

How Bad Do You Want It?

"How bad do you want 'it', really??!! Do you want 'it' bad enough to make sacrifices; bad enough to take the road less traveled; bad enough to shed as much blood and as many tears as needed; bad enough to get back up after you've been knocked down for the 9th time; bad enough to defy ALL the odds; bad enough to never, ever, ever give up ... or is that asking too much??

Whatever 'it' is to you, do you 'talk' about 'it' more or do you 'live' 'it' more. If you don't want 'it' that bad, quit complaining that you don't 'have' it or aren't 'there' yet - because those of us who 'want it' bad enough are busy making it happen, not talking about it."
-Matt Cappotelli

Ramblinnnggg....

I thought it's been a while since I've done a rambling, "I don't really have anything to say" post....and I'm bored, so here goes. :)

I have been loving my workouts lately! I am doing almost all compound exercises on an upper/lower split. I'm not really doing much conditioning since I'm still trying to put on a couple of pounds. I usually jump rope or do some kettlebell swings after a workout for 5-10 minutes once a week, and then I run sprints for about 15 minutes once a week. That's it.

I'm SO glad I don't have to do tons and tons of cardio to stay lean. Having a clean diet and lifting heavy takes care of that! When I decide I want to lean out a little more to get my abs to show, I'll start doing some longer conditioning workouts-but NO traditional cardio for me, as long as I can avoid it!! Talk about BORing. 

I really miss CrossFit. I love what I'm doing right now, and I feel like I'm growing...but I'd really like to add in one day of CrossFit just for fun. It'd be interesting to see what my conditioning is like now! I think I'm going to take a week off from my workout program in a few weeks and just do CrossFit workouts.

So anyways......I had the yummiest treat over the weekend-deep dish chocolate chip cookies with reese cup chunks and peanut butter m&ms! Oh my goodness, they were SO GOOD. I had some pizza, too. :)

Well, I am officially ready for Spring! We had some really nice days last week in the 60s, and it was sooo nice. It's right around the corner! I have almost made it through the winter! I am dieing to go on a beach trip...so maybe, hopefully...that can happen in the near future(fingers crossed!!).

Growing :)

What About Health?

In the quest for losing weight, people seem to lose track of HEALTH....it's all about reaching that number on the scale, no matter what the cost. As long as that number goes down, it doesn't matter that it's all water weight and muscle that you lost, right?

It doesn't matter that you look the same... it doesn't matter that you're flabby and saggy because you have no muscle...it doesn't matter that you'll gain it all back in a few months....All that matters is that you lost 10lbs in a week-woohoo, way to go!

NOT.
I just WISH people would focus on the LONG term-on getting healthy, eating quality foods that are GOOD for you body and not just low calorie crap, and on strength training to build muscle so you can be strong and firm, not weak and flabby.

Stop focusing ONLY on weight loss and focus on getting healthy and strong. Yeah, there are ways to lose weight fast...but is it healthy? Does it have any long term benefit? Is it something you can maintain forever? Is it a lifestyle change? If not, you have accomplished nothing.  It's just a cycle that will repeat itself over and over again for the rest of your life.

Be HEALTHY. Do something that will improve your quality of life, both now and in the future. Something that will make you not only look better, but also feel better, have more energy, and be stronger. Something that you can maintain for the rest of your life!

Discipline

http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/a-few-words-about-discipline-and-sacrifice/:

"For me, the pain of failing to achieve what I set out to do is much greater than the pain I endure to do what is required of me to achieve those goals. I can think of nothing worse or more painful than to give up and never move closer to the things I really desire. It is this fear of failure that often drives me and far outweighs the pain of discipline and sacrifice."

What 2500 Calories Looks Like

Since I'm trying to put on some weight, I am aiming to get 2300-2500 calories a day. Now, I'm not stuffing my face with junk(although I do have a few small treats here and there if I want to and a once per week cheat meal), but most of it is "clean".  I don't eat perfect, nor do I really want to at this point.

So anyway, here's what a workout day would look like for me. This is what I ate Monday, and it was about 2500 calories:

8:30: 1/2 cup oats(a heaping 1/2 cup!) + Syntha-6 protein+1 tbsp natural peanut butter

11:30:Post workout shake-2 tbsp gatorade poweder+organic whole milk+natural whey protein

1:00: 2 eggs/2 whites scrambled with 2 oz canned chicken, 1/4 cup cheese, and 2 tbsp salsa + a bowl of cinnamon cheerios(my once a week cereal treat! I love cereal!!) with almond milk

4:00: Apple, 5 oz healthy meatloaf recipe+1 tbsp ketchup, and 6 almonds

7:30:  4 oz chicken breast, 3/4 cup broccoli, 8 oz whole milk

10:00:  Protein shake made with almond milk and natural whey protein, 2 tbsp peanut butter

Carbs-~210grams
Fat~100grams
Protein~217grams

As you can see, I have 2-3 protein shakes a day, only because there's no way I can eat the amount of meat I would need to in order to get all the protein I need in a day.  Once I start cutting back on calories and trying to drop some fat, I would probably cut that back to 1-2 a day.

You Are Stronger Than You Think!

So I found these challenges on one of the facebook pages that I follow, Survival of the Fittest. Last week's challenge was to do as many reps as you could with your bodyweight on front squats.

So today I thought it would be fun to give it a try just to see what I could get! I weighed in at 123 today, but I decided to go with 120lbs because I thought I was really going to be terrible at these. I was thinking that I'd be happy if I got 10 reps.

Well, I guess I underestimated myself because I ended up getting 17 reps! I was pretty surprised with myself! :) It was brutal, though, especially since I really never do high rep squats ever!

"I learned something from all those sets and reps when I didn't think I could lift another ounce of weight. What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know." ~Arnold Schwarzenegger