Ready, Set, Goal!

By nature, I am a goal-oriented person who thrives on competition. I usually know what I want, I will relentlessly pursue it and I want to be the very best.  Sometimes, my competitive nature cost me things I later regretted losing, like friendships. Other times, it propelled me higher than I ever would have flown on my own. But, I digress....I knew what I wanted out of this journey and even had someone to compete with: The old me. I also knew I could be better than her so it was time to set my goals. Some interesting facts to consider as you set yours: People who write down their goals and look at them daily are 85% more likely to achieve them. If you really want to go all out, you can carry around another copy in your pocket and have a 95% success rate. I wasn't quite seeking nerd status yet, so I wrote down my goals and pinned them on my cork board by my computer. I read them everyday, usually more than once, and it kept me honest about what I was doing.

STEP ONE: SET YOUR GOALS
The first step is to decide what YOU want. I cannot emphasize this enough: It must be what you want, not what anyone else says you could or should do or what they want for you. Goals only work if they come from your heart because only you will have the motivation to complete them. First, set an ultimate goal and then break it down into smaller goals. When I began my journey, my ultimate goal was to look better in a swim suit than I ever had by the end of March. Now that I had set my goal, I just had to work backwards. I started formulating my plan by setting smaller goals: Be at the gym 5 times a week for cardio and weight training and clean up my diet. I broke it down even further: Plan training splits and menus weekly and research reference materials online two evenings a week to keep training and menu ideas fresh. Then, even more: Set alarm for 4 AM to arrive at the gym by 4:20 AM, prepare gym bag, gym clothes and pack the next day's meals the night before.  This may sound like overkill but it gave me a routine, which was what I needed. You may be thinking "Carrie, I don't even know what my goals are, I just want to get out of bed in the morning to get to the gym." Good! Write that down as your first goal with a wake-up and arrival time. I am not kidding. Now, it is your turn: Choose an ultimate goal and smaller goals to strive for in a realistic time frame, like 90 days. There are no quick fixes or fad diets that will give you sustainable results; you must be consistent in doing this the right way because it is a lifestyle transformation.

STEP TWO: SET YOUR REWARDS
To be honest, this is my favorite part because I want to know what I get when I hit every milestone. Let me make a suggestion: DO NOT use food as a reward. Part of this process is building a new and healthier relationship with food so don't revert to using it as comfort even for celebration. Instead, pick something that really is a treat! For me, if I stuck to my schedule and meal plan for a month, I could get a massage. I even scheduled it way ahead of time so I could look forward to it! I don't think I had ever felt like I earned something more! Eventually, I did splurge on a nice bathing suit but most of my rewards were $50 or less. Of course, the biggest reward was watching my body and life change. Whatever you choose, make sure it is motivational and rewarding to you. Have rewards for all your goals, small and large, so you can stay on track.

STEP THREE: MAKE YOUR PLAN YOUR REALITY
You have set your goals, chosen your rewards and now it is go time! To truly achieve, you must live and breathe your goals and they must be at the forefront of your thoughts and actions. Every choice you make will impact how your plan becomes a reality and only you can define that reality. Most days I was on target but there were some days when I fell off the wagon. This will be hard: You will be tired, hungry and discouraged at times but you will also discover a strength you never knew you had, a sense of accomplishment for a job well done and the comfort you can only find in your own skin.  You will want to give up, but ultimately you won't and you will succeed. And once you do succeed, it is time to set new goals because without them you will flounder and stagnate.

STEP FOUR: REPEAT
My goals continue to grow and evolve, just like I do. Yours will too. Some of my goals are small like one more rep of an exercise at a higher weight or making the right meal choice even when I would rather not. Others are larger,  and they all lead to my ultimate goal. Yes, I went through the process, have my goals written down, my plan to achieve them and they are pinned on my cork board. Remember, goals are just that: Goals. Set yours high because even if you fall short, you will have achieved more than you ever imagined possible.

Set your goals, execute your plan and don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. Until next time, be your best self everyday and keep it Fit with Attitude!

XOXO,

Carrie

Challenge Accepted

Today was my last morning at the gym for two weeks; tomorrow I am having minor surgery. It is not a serious health condition or anything life threatening but rather a corrective, follow-up procedure to a surgery I had in January. Someday I may discuss or even blog about what it was, but today is not that day. Strangely, it wasn't the thought of surgery that was bothering me this morning but rather the recovery: 10 long weeks of not being able to move like I want, work out as I wish or even do mundane tasks like pick up a case of water or my dog, Tucker. My stomach began to tie itself in knots as I recalled all the details and the toll it took on me mentally and physically. I lost weight, lost muscle and self-doubt started to creep back in. These were depressing memories. Then I remembered that in the last four weeks of my training I had pushed my limits and it had been spectacular! The muscle tone I lost had returned and my body fat percentage was back to 14%, which was my goal. More importantly, if I could do this once, I could do it again. With that in mind, I got up, dressed and headed to the gym for one final kick-ass workout.

After a fantastic lift, and some HIIT on the StairMaster, it hit me: Why not turn this negative into a positive? Why not use this as a unique opportunity to have you train with me? Then I thought, "Would anyone be interested? I am still doing it either way, but it would be nice to have some company." The idea is to make the journey to a healthy lifestyle a step by step process that is not overwhelming. I truly believe most people want to take the leap to eating clean and exercising but either are afraid or have a laundry list of excuses. Also, there is  too much information to sort through so it is hard to know what is right and what really works. Then there is the gym...You walk in and look one way to see a woman running full speed on a treadmill not breaking a sweat and the other way is a muscle guy with a neck as big as your thigh lifting two gigantic dumbbells. Confused, you just stand there looking lost, wondering why you came and where do you even begin? I think this is where I can offer some assistance. Remember, I didn't know anything when I started and it was only through continued research and trial and error that I came up with my plan. My way is not the only way, but perhaps it will give you a starting point.

This is my plan for the next two weeks: I will be publishing a series of blog entries pertaining to goal setting, nutrition and training preparation. This will be the time to get your house in order: choose a food prep day and menus, make grocery lists, prepare meals, join or renew your gym membership, put together your gym bag, set up a training schedule, find a training partner (if you wish) and, most importantly, set goals. Moderate cardio will begin in week 3 and in week 4 we will add legs with light weight and body weight exercises. Core will be added in week 6 and upper body in week 8. By week 10, we will have been working full body for two weeks.  I will supply recipes, sample menus, exercises and instructions for those who are interested. Don't worry, this will not begin as a hardcore workout because there is a lot I will not be able to do. However, if my Doctor is correct, I should heal faster this time and then the timeline can be accelerated.

Then I started thinking, 10 weeks.....this is perfect! You will be able to show off all your progress and new sense of self by July 4th! How exciting would that be??? I know from experience it is! Last August, we were invited to a friend's lake house for the weekend.  I hadn't worn a bathing suit at any type of event and was itching to do so. I looked at it as "the big reveal". It wasn't that I wanted to impress anyone or was looking for compliments but rather I was proud of my hard work and what I had accomplished. The day came and it was more than I had hoped for. I did receive compliments about my physical appearance but there were more about how I seemed so different, stronger and happier. Questions were asked about what I was doing and why. Those four friends are very dear to me and have been incredibly supportive through this journey. They have known me for more than 5 years so they have a basis of comparison of what I was and what I had become. All in all, it was a very fun, meaningful and validating weekend. You too can experience this!

The other reason to join me is because we need each other, i.e. "It takes a Village". Okay, I must confess, I need you. I almost went crazy last time and by the end of February I was losing it. I was uptight, edgy, and had several days where I ate an entire 10oz bag of peanut butter M&Ms in one sitting. Yes, I am an emotional eater and although I have gotten better about it, there have been a few days in the last 4 months where I swear my car drove itself to the store and then through an out of body experience I ended up in the candy aisle. It happens, then you move on.

So, this is my proposal. Are you up for the challenge? Are you ready to set aside excuses and make a change? I hope you will join me during my recovery so you can begin or continue your journey to a healthier lifestyle! Who's in?

Until next time, be your best self and keep it Fit with Attitude!

XOXO,

Carrie

April 2014- 112lbs and 14% Body Fat

It All Started with a Break-Up

When I decided to write a blog I promised myself I would be honest, raw and unedited. I would not just do this for those who might choose to read it, but for myself. Some of this is still very emotional for me and I am sure I will shed a tear or two while writing. In future posts I will focus more on training tips and nutrition, but for now it only seems right to start at the very beginning.

2013 started out as a wretched year....my heart was broken, my soul was crushed, I was depressed and I was angry, very angry. Mostly, I was angry with myself, especially when I looked in the mirror or in my closet. I only had one pair of jeans that fit and a closet full staring at me that didn't. I knew how to eat clean and workout but I couldn't find the motivation. Food had been my friend and it loved me as much as I loved it. When I stepped on the scale on New Year's Day it was the heaviest I had been in years. I burst into tears and then went to the pantry to find something sweet and eat my feelings.  To say the least, I didn't feel things were going my way and I was my version of miserable. Then something odd happened: I was standing in my bathroom looking in the mirror and the voice in my head said loudly "No one is going to do it for you." I answered out loud "You're right." I thought for a moment I had finally gone insane, but instead, something clicked. Instantaneously, I decided no more "sad sack, poor me" stories and no more excuses. I knew what I wanted to achieve and I was finally ready to get started. 

We are all motivated by internal and external forces but finding the right motivation that keeps us driven can be the most difficult task of all.  I was angry and when anger is channeled correctly it can be quite powerful and positive. Really, this just started as straight up anger management.

The first thing I did was pull out a large garbage bag and throw out everything in my pantry, refrigerator, freezer and special hiding places that was not going to be a positive influence.  I have never been much on snacks or chips but I have a raging sweet tooth so I lamented the loss of six chocolate chip cookie sandwiches and large bag of peanut butter M&Ms. Anything that I could dream of snacking on was tossed. The next day I changed gyms.  Now, I had a clean pantry, refrigerator and freezer and a new gym membership at Lifetime Fitness. Next, I went to Marshall's and Target to purchase new workout attire. (I couldn't look ghetto in the high class gym.) Then I made a grocery list and went by Kroger's. On a complete whim, I picked up "Hers Muscle & Fitness" Magazine. This would become my bible and I still subscribe. It has fantastic meal plans and training spreads complete with pictures. I read it cover to cover many times and each time extracted something new. I found two blank journals and made one for training and one for meal planning. 

When my alarm went off the next morning at 5 AM, I was up, dressed and at the gym by 5:20 AM. I executed my plan and felt good. There was only one problem, I got to see my (then) ex and his new girlfriend working out together. I didn't want to see that, no one wanted to see that. However, it wasn't going to derail my plans so I got up earlier. The alarm started going off at 4 AM so I could be gone before they arrived. I made it through the first week. It was hard. I was tired, hungry and unhappy but I stuck to my plan and when I stepped on the scale I was rewarded for my efforts. Time went on and I started to enjoy getting up that early. Usually, being at the gym was the happiest part of my day because I was alone with my thoughts or could choose to think about nothing. I listened to my music and no one bothered me, which was good because I wanted to be left alone. I had my "hi peeps" (there were only 10 of us there at that ungodly hour), my body started changing and I noticed that mentally I felt stronger. The first month went by and I was down seven pounds and then time started to fly. I told my external motivation it could F-off because I was in this for me now. I took a hard look at my life and decided what was really important and what I could let go of. And, I did let go of things: people, negativity and expectations to name a few. Funny thing happened when I started concentrating on me: my self-confidence and self-image began to sky rocket, my relationships became better, I became a happier person and was no longer the shrinking violet. I was no longer afraid to walk away from a situation I knew wasn't good for me.

February passed in the blink of an eye and then it was March. I was lifting heavier weight, I could see muscles, I was pushing myself harder. To keep things interesting and my muscles confused, I changed my training split every month. I was feeling good and had met my secret goal which was to look better in a swim suit than I ever had. I even wanted to wear one! In three months I had lost 15 pounds and lots of inches. People started to notice. Clothes that were once tight were now too big.  I was feeling mentally and physically better than I ever had! A prominent trainer at the gym stopped me one morning and said "I see you here all the time in the morning. To be here this early takes a lot of dedication and you look great. What are you training for?" I really didn't know how to answer that. What was I training for??? Life. I was training for life, although I do not believe that was the answer he was looking for. Then he asked "If you don't mind me asking, what age group are you in?" I answered "37." He said "Really? I thought you were in your 20's". That made my day, my week, hell, maybe even my whole year. Another trainer asked if I had a competition coming up and a gym patron asked me to give her some pointers. I was encouraged. I bought better clothes for the gym that really showed the figure I was working so hard for. I was proud of what I had been able to do. I had completely transformed my lifestyle and myself. I set new goals. I felt unstoppable and that I could handle anything life threw at me. 

And then, the one I had wanted to notice, did. And this time our relationship would be on very different terms. The abridged version is that all worked out as it should have and there are such things as happy endings. Although, I do not think that would have happened if we hadn't had our separate experiences because I needed the time to grow and transform and so did he.

A year and a half later, I continue to set new goals and push my limits.  Sometimes, I think I have completely lost my mind and maybe I have. Now, when someone gives me a difficult time about going to the gym I know it is because they do not understand how it has changed my life. How it has made me a confident, stronger and better person. Yes, I look and feel better physically but it is the mental aspect I appreciate the most. Maybe the break-up was the best thing to ever happen to me. 

I truly believe if I can do this, so can you. If this has made you smile, laugh or even given you a little motivation, I am happy to have shared my experience with you. Find your motivation, set your goals and don't let anyone or anything stand in your way.

Until next time, be your best self and keep it Fit with Attitude!

XOXO,

Carrie

The Happy Ending