HIIT #1

Hi everyone!

So, as I was starting to run on my parent's treadmill today all I could think was, "I really do not feel like running today.." which honestly tends to be a common thought that passes in my mind. Some days I love running, some days I loathe it. Since I'm not at a gym today I got a little created my own HIIT workout (High intensity interval training). You can find these nearly anywhere online premade, but whenever it comes to MY fitness I like MY plan.

It went really well and was really challenging, not to mention it left my covered in sweat, so I figured I would share it! The way it works is easy:

30 seconds of cardio

1 minute of strength

Also, out to the right I'm putting the time that you should be done with this move, and I include a 10 second break between each move as well!

Ready?! :)

30s jogging in place     :30

1m arm circles (30 sec. forward/30 sec. back)     1:40

30s burpees     2:20

1m mermaid abs     3:30

30s plank jacks     4:10

1m reverse lunges     5:20

30s jumping jacks     6:00

1m downward dog push ups     7:10

30s skaters     7:50

1m leg raises     9:00

30s jog in place     9:40

1m squats     10:50

30s burpees     11:30

1m tricep dips     12:40

30s plank jacks     13:20

1m plank     14:30

30s jumping jacks     15:10

1m clamshell leg lifts (30 sec. right/30 sec. left)     16:20

Aannnd you're done! My favorite thing about HIITS is you aren't doing the same thing over and over again but you are DEFINITELY getting some awesome toning in!

If you don't know what any of the moves are you can find them by googling them, or you can ask me and I'll send you a video/picture of what it looks like!

After I did this I wanted just a little more so I did an abs & obliques video by Fitness Blender

Click here if you want to do  it too!4

If you do this let me know how it was! I love keeping my workouts creative and different to avoid boredom!

One Week Free From Sodas!

Yes, you read that title correctly! I've been without a soda for a week now! I honestly used to never care, soda was the one thing I couldn't and wouldn't give up. It even took about two months in my nutrition class for me to decide maybe I shouldn't be drinking them. Dr. Pepper was my chosen poison, and one day I was looking at the back of the label of a 20oz. bottle and saw a total of 66 grams of carbohydrates. SIXTY SIX. That's more than I try to go for when putting a meal together. It's giving you absolutely no protein or fat. You are literally putting sugar into your body that your body doesn't know what to do with other than it right on your love handles...or at least that's where mine likes to go.

Thinking of it now puts me in pain, even after just a week. 

I have always hated taking pictures of my body like this, no matter what size. I hope anyone that reads/sees these knows I do it only as personal update for myself and I share it to possibly help others. 

Now, I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like my waist line looks a wee bit smaller. I put on this pair of jeans that used to suffocate my waistline and they were easier to button than normal so that was really cool to me!

If you're waiting for how many pounds I've lost, I try not to keep up with it too much. I weigh myself weekly, but I'm trying to lean on it less. The power of the scale can often trick your mind into thinking you aren't doing good at all when really you're turning your muscle into fat, but let's save that  for another post shall we?

Anyways, I just wanted to share this accomplishment with y'all and encourage you to decrease or limit your intake of sodas. From personal experience I don't even find myself wanting one very often as long as I have water beside me to drink instead. Keep a bottle with you and I think you'll do fine! As for headaches/drowsiness, it does happen and yes it sucks. Just take some medicine and make some coffee (sugar free haha) and you'll be okay!

Dangerous Thoughts.

Don't you love Pinterest? Plainly, it has everything. You want recipe ideas (or just food to stare at at 1AM *guilty*), tips on losing weight and exercises, craft ideas, every picture and idea you need for a wedding, and so much more. But one of my favorite things are the quotes you can find. They're limitless really, just like the entirety of the site itself. I saw one today and it really stuck with me.

I really really like this, obviously, since I'm writing a blog post on it.

But I really had to stop and think about why I liked it so much. The first time you read it, it might come off as insulting the person causing you the worry, but at the same time it could just be a wake up call for you.

From someone that has struggled their whole life with anxiety, this is a nice realization. I can't tell you how often I worry about what others see me as and how important it is for me to be well liked by others.

Now I don't go into the whole "let me do this really stupid thing because everyone else calls it cool" but in general I try to relate to others in a way that forms a friendship. Whenever people aren't open to what I've tried to do to be friendly bam worry hits. 

What do they think about me?

Did that sound as stupid as I think it did?

What if they say mean things about me to others?

Typing it out like this without giving you a real scenario is making this sound much worse than it would if I gave an example, but that could take days.

The whole point is, is that person probably isn't thinking that. The thing I'm worrying about probably isn't happening and the only reason I end up hurting is because of myself. 

Thinking can be so absurdly dangerous.

Getting to a point of erasing these thoughts is going to be hard, but I am really trying to get there. I suppose it has something to do with a lack in confidence which I really want to work on. But also in general, just relaxing and not worrying about things that 1) Don't matter 2) Most likely aren't happening anyways.

I will always be on a search for peace in life.

The reassuring thing is I follow a King that can provide all the things that I'm lacking in myself. It takes time and dedication to that relationship to have a good one with myself, and a consistent one with anyone else for that matter.

I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints-- but let them not return to folly. Psalm 85:8

Diet Fads.

Hey everyone!

A really cool thing has been happening this week! Instead of feeling like I'm forcing myself to be healthy, I feel like I'm just eating. To make that make sense if it doesn't, I used to really struggle when it came to cleaning up my diet, and this week has gotten much easier. I'm guessing that post that I did last really motivated me because it got so many views and in general I seemed to motivate others with it, which in turn motivates me!

There's something I really want to speak up about though, because whenever I see my friends/acquaintances start these things I always cringe a little. I'm going to apologize right now if I step on any toes or discourage anyone because that isn't my intent.

I absolutely loathe dieting "plans" that are supposed to get you where you want to be. I'm not going to sit here and name off all the ones that come to mind (believe me, there's a lot) but I hope you know what I'm talking about. Ones that focus solely on calorie intake and completely ignore the fact that you're eating some microwave meal full of processed junk and probably enough sodium for your whole day. But it tastes so good, I don't even realize I'm dieting! *cringe*

Or the ones that push shakes and promote the healthy effect they have. I'd much rather have fun by myself creating shakes from stuff I have around my place and get the same results than pay to have someone set up every little detail for me. But hey, that's me.

Oh, and let's not forget the magical 1,200 calorie intake limit. I mean, as long as you're staying under that you are completely fine and dandy (even if your meal has had fast food as a main meal) right?

*cringe cringe cringe*

I am NOT trying to get away from my last post, I am extremely positive whenever it comes to changing your body and I realize it takes a bunch of baby steps to get to the milestone you're wanting to reach. The thing that scares me whenever people announce they're doing this awesome new plan made by some company that pushes extreme weight loss is what happens after the plan is finished. Sure, you've lost a substantial amount of weight, but what happens when the 8 weeks or whatever are done and no one is there making it for you anymore? You aren't sent your meals anymore? Or you just realize how hungry you are from lacking your needed food for the day? Nine times out of ten, there's a binge. You eat a ton of food because you've been restricted for so long, and then hate yourself for doing it. You've fallen off the path and there's now no one there to tell you what to eat the next day.

I was extremely guilty of counting calories and eventually obsessing over them daily whenever I first wanted to lose weight. I honestly believe I would of lost it much faster if I just traded out one processed meal a day with a home cooked one.

If there's one thing I hope you get from this, is that it isn't the fad changing you, it's YOU. Why not make that a modification that you can keep up and you can alter to whatever works best for you rather than follow someone else's guidelines. Diet and fitness is personal.

This post is not one filled with hate, just a different kind of encouragement than the last. I am simply trying to say if you're new to losing weight with no idea of what to do, don't try a fad, because they're fads for a reason.

Try switching out one processed meal a day with a home cooked one. You really like some fast food's burger? Make your own with whole ingredients at home, I bet it'll even taste better. You really enjoy frozen meals? Get ingredients to make it at home and you can cut out a ridiculous amount of sodium that your body is just holding onto.

I honestly believe just switching out one meal day is the best way to do it when starting out. And there's fun along with a sense of accomplishment.

Just like I said in my last post, I am NOT perfect. I still enjoy cheat meals and some day it's just easier to microwave something. But in general I feel so much better on the days where I'm cooking at home and creating my own plan and my own goals.

My Weight Loss Story.

When I started: Summer/fall of 2010.

Why I started: This part is a little lengthy, so stay with me please. 2009-2010 was an extremely hard year on me stress wise. I went from working out 5+ days a week at school to nothing because of moving from a small school where my confidence in volleyball was big to a much bigger school (I'm talking going from a graduation class of 18 to 500 something) where I was intimidated by just the thought of trying out. I regret that decision, I think I always will. Anyways, I was put on anxiety medicine in 2009, I had always struggled a tremendous amount with it, and the medicine definitely did it's job. I relaxed about everything, food, school, relationships, literally everything. Then the weight gain hit really quickly. I don't really know the time frame of gaining that huge amount because it happened so quickly. I just remember looking at myself and thinking, "what the heck happened Sav?"

My initial solution: I started walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes and getting on our elliptical for 5 minutes. I would up that time by a minute on both, so eventually I got my workouts to a full 30 minutes. I started only eating out once a week (SO hard to change that), and that was about it for a long time, I want to say from 6-9 months. The funny thing about fitness and losing weight is it's exciting and it pushes you to do things you never thought you would. I started following blogilates on youtube and learned what it meant to eat clean and train using more than a treadmill, but exercises to build your strength. I still didn't get the results I wanted to see, mainly because I couldn't get my diet on track.

Later in 2012: I started kicking myself in the butt to be real with you. I made myself run, and I really started to hate the fact I didn't see what I thought I was going to see once I lost weight. I had lost 40 pounds but I still didn't have my dream body. (This is what I stress most to my friends whenever they tell me they want to lose a big amount of weight) Let's be real, if we can't look at ourselves and form a dream body with our OWN curves, looking at someone else's awesome, but different bod is not going to make you happy. I started hating myself, my appearance. To others I looked confident and healthy, but I constantly nitpicked at my body and wondered how the heck I was going to get it off. On a journey of self-love I found myself in self-hate. There's a lot that I don't want to go into, and just thinking of the way I looked at myself in the mirror with or without the lost weight really saddens my heart now.

2013: I learned a LOT about food this year. Mostly about the awfulness of processed foods, and realizing how much of my diet needed to change. I still didn't fix a whole lot in the beginning of the year because let's be real, frozen french fries are so dang good...tasting wise. My fitness level went up and down throughout the year. Sometimes I'd work out all the time sometimes I wouldn't move (other than school/work) for a week. I didn't like living this way. I always expected consistency from others so not getting it from myself frustrated and confused me. I'd like to say it did end on a good note, mostly because I kicked myself in the butt again (positively this time) and told myself I was worth so much more than the crap I was putting into my body.

2014 so far: I started a nutrition class which is probably one of the best decisions ever. I've learned a lot of what I've been taught is false, and it's really motivated me to reach a new level of awesomeness with working out and my personal diet. I'm back and forth on whether or not I want to study nutrition, I feel like I have this voice in my head telling me to. I LOVE to help others with this, I invite friends to go to the gym with me literally all the time, and I love learning how to better myself so I can raise healthy kids one day.

Just on a final note, I'm not perfect. I still eat too much processed food and not enough veggies. But I'm working on it, and just from recent changes I feel so much better. No matter what stage you are in your fitness journey (because I really don't feel that it ever ends once you start) keep pushing, and be good to yourself. Talk as nicely about yourself TO yourself as you would want someone to talk to you.

I am ALWAYS here if anyone wants any advice, but I'm not an expert. I'll go for a walk with you and encourage you to run, but not push you to your breaking point. I believe balance is the key to many things in life, like nutrition and fitness.

I am, and always will be an outlet for anyone's struggles or problems, especially concerning this

Day by Day.

It's been a good while, huh? January has been extremely busy for me with going back to school, working full time, and in general just doing things around the apartment.

I have to take a break real quick to say how much I love this guy. God sure did bless me with my soul mate, and I'm so thankful I got this time with him at a young age so we can really grow old together<3

To be honest though, the past 5 days have been so incredibly nice. I got 5 days off in a row from work, and I embraced that...maybe a little more than I should by not going to school this week just so I could breathe for a bit. I'm not too awesome at going to school and I never got great attendance, but as long as I don't fall behind I never worry about it. I just needed a break. I don't get those very often anymore. I try to not have too big of a problem with that fact, but when the rare occasion comes to relax and enjoy myself I do so.

So what have I done in the past 5 days?

Friday it felt like my bridal party fell apart because I realized the person I set as my maid of honor is not who I wanted to be my maid of honor. At one point she was my best friend so I felt obligated to put her there, but realistically she showed the least interest in my days, much less my wedding. I'm trying to not be bitter, because trust me this didn't go over well, but it is extremely hard. I'm really saddened by all of this happening and the way it did. But that's growing up I guess.

Saturday I went and got my wedding dress! Even with the craziness my bridal party saw the day before, that day made me really happy to have them there with me. And my dress, oh my goodness my dress, it's just so perfect for me. Walker is being a total butthead and trying to see it and figure out what it looks like and I refuse to let him. We all went out to Panera for lunch, then I sat and talked with my new maid of honor (she was a bridesmaid and I just bumped her up because she was the one helping me the most with the planning and is most available to help me) for over an hour about everything and anything. It was really nice to be able to do that again with someone other than Walker, even though Walker is pretty awesome himself haha.

Sunday Walker's family had a get together for birthday celebration. I got some not too awesome mexican food and some very awesome red velvet cake. That kept us busy for most of the afternoon then that night we got to see one of our favorite friends play in a battle of he bands. It was pretty rad and he did great. We then went out to dinner with him and his lady (who happens to be one of my best friends and one of my bridesmaids). Needless to say after that I just didn't want to go to school the next day.

Monday I did absolutely nothing. I laid around with Walker all stinking day and it was wonderful.

Tuesday I chose not to do much until I went to the gym, then me and Walker went out and had froyo and I finally used my $25 gift card to tjmaxx.

So as you can see, I really only got the relax time I was hoping for the past two days, but I wouldn't trade the weekend for anything. I think today I'm just clinging to the laziness inside of me and giving myself half a break on today before I have to go teach my boss' husband checker skills 1 tonight. Yup, that's right...so I'm a little more nervous than I want to be right now. It's only my second time teaching so I'm still not really sure of what I'm doing, and now I'm teaching someone who is going to be a top leader how to check? It'll be interesting.

It's been much needed, because I can feel the want to do something coming back whereas before all I wanted to do was nothing.

But what about my relationship with God? This month I have not been close to Him. I haven't necessarily been pushing away, but I definitely haven't been praying as much as I should, and cussing is creeping back into my life. I don't really like my old format that I did before, where I analyzed each and every little thing. I'm not really sure how I want to do it, if I want something structured or if that gets too boring for me, but I want to return to spending time with God. I need it more than anything because what I've learned is even being lazy for a couple days doesn't bring what you think you need, but being with God can give you even more than you hope for.

"'Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.'" Mark 13:11

"'It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.'" Mark 13:34

Okay, so I decided to go on with Mark, I'm really determined to finish this book! Mark 13 is all about the coming of Jesus after he passes. 

A couple of verses really stuck out to me, the first was verse 11 which I put earlier. I really like this verse because it helps someone with anxiety (like myself) to realize if I'm worrying about how or when to say something I shouldn't, just as long as all my faith is in God and I listen to him as he instructs me on what to say or do. It's like when your in alignment with God the right words come easier because your heart is in the right place as well as your mind. You aren't focusing on the trials of today, but on the growth of tomorrow.

The second verse I chose (34) because it puts what we do for God in the a very simple way. Jesus is not here with us in person right now, but we are all given a purpose to do for him on earth while he is away. We carry such a huge opportunity to work for God, and that's a really awesome thing to be trusted with.

So after reading this and really thinking about this, I feel much better about tonight. I mean, I know what I'm doing, there's no reason for me to fear that. I've just got to stop thinking so far ahead into my future and worrying about things as a week, and instead focus on each day and really think about the ways to accomplish the tasks in front of me.

First Blog of 2014!

Hey there!

It is seriously so difficult to type right now because....

I got my first set of acrylic nails today. I'm not sure why, but lately I've really been wanting to try them out. I'm not sure how they'll work out at work, but hey it's worth a shot. You've just got to enjoying being a girl sometimes :)

Anywho, it's the first day of 2014. 2013 was so eventful, I feel like I literally went through everything you can besides getting married and getting pregnant that year. Even through all of it, it was absolutely fantastic. 

I'm hoping this year I actually keep up with meaningful blogs, all touching on important emotions, times, and events in my life.

Also, this year I want to do something extra special for Walker. I plan on writing recaps of each day until our wedding together, then giving it to him as a gift. I think he'll really life it, I'm just not sure how to keep it a secret.

That's all I've got for now, happy 2014 everyone!