Inspire Me: Healthy

Another week, another Inspire Me post, Honey Boo Boo's. This week, I wasn't as strict as I'd like to be. So you see, with Mexico being 2 months away, I told myself I was going to have rules: 2 CLEAN meals a day, 2 CLEAN snacks a day and dinner being healthy (clean not a necessity). 1 time a week, not 1 day, I can devour anything I want for 1 meal. I don't mean I can order the entire dollar menu at Micky D's (like I'd ever go there anyways, yuck!), but if I have pizza? I can eat 3-4 pieces, but no more. Just so I could feel all wild and crazy and throw inhibitions to the wind. A girls gotta get a little wild every now and then, am I right? Also, I'd being giving it my all at the gym 4-5 days a week. I wanted to workout so hard, that I'd have to wash my hair from all that stanky sweat. 

Wellllllll some of that happened. Since I last updated y'all, my workouts looked like this: 

Thursday: Murdered my legs and did 30 minutes of HIIT @ gym

Friday: OFF

Saturday: Ran/walked the Color Run (distance: 3.1 miles)

Sunday: OFF

Monday: Leg day & 30 minutes of HIIT @ the gym

Tuesday: Upper body lifting & 20 minutes of HITT @ gym

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: OFF

Sundays are a given that I give myself an off day, but I see 4 off days in there - no bueno. Nicks schedule has changed so now I'll be changing my workouts to Saturday, Sundays (before church), Monday & hopefully my mamacita can take Troy so I can make it to the gym 1 other day. With Nicks new schedule, I'd have to be at the gym at like 3:30 AM to even get a decent workout in - I.dont.think.so! I was crazy waking up at 3:45, but to BE at the gym at 3:30 is not happening. I really don't like working out at home, but I think to give myself something extra, Im going to add in 30 Day Shred or something like that just to drive home the point to my body, that Im not playin. 

Eating has been not so great this week. Sunday we had the 1st preseason game of the NFL season, so we got a pizza. I was good and only had 1.5 pieces, but then on Tuesday we had leftovers of the pizza. Im embarrassed to say what happened, but lets just say it wasn't okay considering I had already had my splurge day of the week. But I'd be lying if I said it was so delicious once it touched my lips. Over..and over... ha! 

So, this week Im setting myself a couple goals:

1. Sticking to the eating plan I had set out for myself in the first place

2. For workouts: 30 day shred today and the gym: Saturday, Sunday, Monday. 

I also need to up my water intake. Goal for water will be 100 ounces a day.

Hope you ladies kept it in check this past week - lets all raise a glass of our favorite adult bevie water for our goals next week - CHEERS!

Get Healthy Link Up

Here I am now (as in 5 minutes ago) - Day 1 week 1

Growing up was so not easy on my self esteem. I can remember when I was 10 and already had fully developed and was bigger than all the other girls.  I was teased in Junior High (the worst most awkward years of my life!) and from a certain brother of mine on my weight, which added to my low self esteem. By the time I was in high school, I was a 5'7 and topped the scale at 185. I would come home and eat straight out of boredom. I would finish off a whole bag of tator tots all before my mom was home from work and then eat the dinner she prepared. 

This cycle continued until I got married at 18 and started to feel that I needed to take control of my health. With my husband being in the Marines and seeing how disciplined he was, I wanted to give him the wife/future mother of our children, I knew he deserved.I did what I knew: I fell into the streo type that cardio is the only way to lose the weight and that if I did 1 hour on the treadmill, that milkshake on the way home wouldn't matter. I never once thought about doing weights because I didn't know to "bulk".

It wasn't until I was 22 when I picked up Oxygen magazine on the shelf at the grocery store, that something clicked. I wanted to lose weight, and be like those girls I saw in the magazine. So I kicked processed food out (for the most part haha!) and started counting my calories and worked it in the gym. 

Fast forward a few years, I had dropped 35lb's since I first started, I was in kick as shape, Nick and I had moved back to California & I got pregnant. I was determined to keep my workouts up. No way would I screw myself and go buck wild with food and not exercise and fall back on the "Pregnancy Card". On my lunch breaks at work, I'd go to the gym & do 20-30 minutes of cardio, then when I'd get off work, would go back and do some weights & a little more cardio. I gained 30lbs when I was pregnant, splurged every now and again, and was happy & healthy by the time T Money made his appearance into this world. 

After 3 months we decided that my breastfeeding/pumping just wasn't for me, so it was on like Donkey Kong in the diet/workout department. I didn't have to worry about getting enough calories to keep milk supply up or if some supplements I wanted to take would effect Troy. 

Troy is 1.5 and I've lost the baby weight and then some, and feel more dedicated than ever. By joining in on this link up, I want to help keep myself in check. I can get sorta 'lax on the food department. Sneaking a few bites of Troys Mac N Cheese, eating some crust from his grilled cheese, having a handful of his veggie chips. Those babies add up. Other than that, Im pretty good on eating. Also, workouts can be dropped and Im not ok with it. Nick's schedule is always changing, and at the moment my only practical option is to go to the gym at 4AM. Yes, 4 AY-EMMMM! Its as fun as it sounds to get out of bed at that time. So as you can imagine, it's easy to talk myself out of a workout at that time. My goal is that I want to get to the gym AT LEAST 4 times a week & only splurge on the processed food 1 time a week. So maybe on date night, but keep strict the rest of the week. Also, Im going to Mexico at the end of October, so I want to be able to feel comfortable to take pictures even in a bikini. Thank you Kristen and Raven for creating this!

Inspiration

'Ello loves!

So first things first - Happy Friday! I hope y'all have something fun planned for this Summer weekend. As of late, on Nicks days off, we lay out in the sun on Troys naps and soak in rays. This weekend? Probably not happening considering its supposed to be a high of 75 today AND tomorrow. Gorgeous weather, just not "minimal clothes if any" weather.

As you all know, I'm a huge fitness buff. In fact, I got my certification in personal training (just check out that seal on the sidebar on the right, BOO YA!). So I love working out. I honestly am that obnoxious girl that if you get me talking about workouts, I will take over that conversation about working out and what you should be eating, etc. The "What to Eat" knowledge, Im decent in, but not an expert. Anyways, so I follow a few girls on Instagram (follow me at ktaylor84) who are the bomb dot com when it comes to motivating and inspiring me. One of them being Laura, from Laura Must Lose Weight

This chick is no joke. She weighed about 200 lbs before she decided to change her life completely around. Her diet is cleaner than clean and girlfriend knows her shiz when it comes to supplements. Not only did she lose weight, but she has muscles and definition, which is so much more attractive in my opinion than just being skinny. She has some great information for anyone who wants to know what she eats, how she trains, why she decided to lose the weight, and more.

I don't know about y'all, but I get pushed to give it my all, lift harder, run faster, when I have these girls to look up to. Especially when they have such amazing before and after pictures. Sorta like, if they can do it,I can do it.

Spring/Summer

Miss Quite Contrary is talking about decorating her new patio and it's totally inspiring me to take a trip with N this long 3 day weekend to get stuff for ours! Hmm...I'm most def in a decorating mood (with the patio) now! The patio is the only thing we haven't really touched in terms of decor. N and I were just sitting on our patio this past weekend admiring how we have a really nice quiet park like view from our place. Hmm...sounds like Lowes and Home Depot just might be in order this weekend! Check out QC's post by clicking here

Work it till it hurts

Happy Thursday! We are almost there you guys! I am so looking forward to this 3 day weekend with my love. Oh and he told me some pretty exciting news- he is going to try and get his schedule switched to M-F 8:30-5:30 instead of the Tuesday-Saturday 6:00-3:00! YAYA! At the company he works at, they switch their schedules every other month or so. But do you wanna know why he wants to switch it up? Because he wants to go to the gym with me!! You guys seriously don't know how much I've always wanted that. I see couples come into the gym and it makes my cold heart go "awwww-they like to sweat together" hehe. N went to the gym yesterday and he came home all endorphin'd up and was talkin up his workout....ahhh...makes me so proud *tear*

Soooooo, I need to start icing my knees and shins. I am running on average 15-17 miles a week these days, and I am starting to feel a little beat up at times. This morning my knee wasn't bugging me too bad, but my ankle/shin area was. So it's most def time to start icing them like I used to when I lived in NC. So I pushed thru my 2.5 mile run today and tomorrow my plan is to take it easier with a 2 miler. Saturday is another big one...5 MILES!! EEEEEK!! I KNOW I can do it because I did 4.5 last Saturday, it's just a number and numbers ain't a thang baby! Just gotta push thru it!

While running on Tread this morning, I was staying true to Jillians words "Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!" I was THHHHHHIS close to puking this morning. I've never been a morning person, and I think when I wake up early, my body sometimes tries to fight it by making me want to throw my almond butter and jelly english muffin right up.

So lesson today beautiful readers? KEEP GOING! DON'T STOP! It's going to hurt, it's going to get uncomfortable and your going to sweat and your face will feel like it's going to pop right off....BUT, that's when change happens and those endorphins kick in and it's a drug and drugs are addicting. Keep at it and DON'T give up!

WHEWY!

It's the humpity hump day of the week! Can I get an Amen?! It's crazy, on Tuesday I feel like "ugh, it's only Tuesday?!", but then when Wednesday hits, it's like "What? We're halfway done?!" Not that I'm complaining :)

I'm currenlty watching last night's Biggest Loser featuring my adorable BFF's Jilly bean and Roberto and it has been a moving episode and I'm not even halfway in! Who watched it? When Allison Jones came out and talked to them, I about lost it. Here is a little snipit from the US Paralympics site about her:

"Jones was born without a right femur. When her family moved from Texas to Colorado, she began skiing at age 5. She was racing by the time she was 8 years old, working up through Winter Park's renowned disabled program and reaching the U.S. Team by the 2001 season.

Nicknamed "Jonezy," she graduated from Denver University in 2007 with a degree in mechanical engineering. She was the recipient of the Pioneer Award, which is the highest achievement an undergraduate can receive.

Major Achievements

•2008: First place, slalom - The Hartford Ski Spectacular, Breckenridge, Colorado
•2008: Silver medal, Individual Time Trial LC 3/ LC 4 / CP 3 - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
•2008: Gold medal, Road Time Trial, - U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Championships, Morrison, Colo.
•2008: Bronze medal, 500m - U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Championships, Colorado Springs, Colo.
•2008: Gold medal in slalom, giant slalom, Super G, downhill, and overall - U.S. Disabled Alpine Championship, Solider Mountain, Idaho "

I mean seriously- look at all those medals she has won! She said when she was little, her mom put her in every sport there was. I totally agree with what her mom did- you can't look at it as a disability, just means you have to work harder. Maybe youtube her on BL last night cause I can't even come close to make it as moving as when she told it. Maybe it was that "que the tears" piano music they play when they tell sentimental stories?

Today, I made myself proud by finishing a 3.5 mile run on Tread (average pace of 5.9), and lifting some MAYJA weight with my gorgeous gams (that are compared to Gisele's CONSTANTLY..seriously-can get annoying ).

The run today just set the tone for my day- bad ass and productive! Have an Uh-MAZING day beautiful's! Remember- when you are working it out today, DON'T QUIT! KEEP GOING!


"Fitness to me isn't about a crunch or a push up, it's about taking your power back."
- Jillian Michaels

Inspirations

Lets talk inspirational people, shall we? The Biggest Loser starts this Tuesday!! I cannot wait!! Repeat: Cannot wait! I LOVE The Biggest Loser and if anything, it keeps my butt in gear all winter long. Just for reference, let me share with you my own biggest loser transformation

Before (Me in High School)


And After (about 1.5 months ago)




I can't believe I just shared my before picture with the whole world, but I want to keep my blog honest so I had to do it. I lost 30 pounds (most of it in 2009), by submerging myself in the world of fitness and nutrition. I am obsessed with it. I counted calories thanks to sparkpeople and had a wonderful support system on it (as well as N and my family and friends-everyone was always very supportive). I lived in the gym and became one of "those" people you look at with disgust because they are dripping every pound on that treadmill and pushing myself so hard on the weight machines.

I heart Biggest Loser SO much that I enlisted myself into the Jillian and Bob boot camp that takes place in my living room or temporary hotel room (see previous posts in July). I am a big believer in the 30 day shred and it will be my go to quick 30 minute DVD when I don't want to make it to the gym. Plus just looking at Jillian is enough motivation to keep my butt moving

Although mostly on the Biggest Loser (and in my mind when I'm running on the treadmill), I see her like this



And lets not forget the wonderful gay deliciousness that is Bob Harper


Now in my living room, I have access to both of these trainers, BUT if I were to go on The Biggest Loser, I'd want Jillian. Bottom Line, Jill wins. All of her contestants have won the money and lost the most weight at the finale of the show. PLUS, I would feel like I could get away with more if I had softy Bob. Bob that gay guy you have over for sleep overs and laugh all night and wake up and he leads you through a killer yoga session followed by a pedicure at the salon. Non the less, these 2 trainers KNOW fitness and what it takes to get YOU in shape. N was MAYJA inspired by the transformations, and he's a tough cookie! I'll let these pics marinate in your mind tonight before you reach for that bowl of ice cream or that last piece of holiday pie

Biggest Loser Eric


Biggest Loser Michelle


Biggest Loser Ali