I'm a 25 year old teacher who realized that the stress and time commitment of teaching had allowed me to let my body get to a point that I never wanted it to. In July of 2011 I made a bet with my boyfriend (who is a personal trainer and fitness buff) that I could make it 30 days eating right and training at least 4 days a week. He designed my meal plans around what I liked to eat and focused me on strength training.. low and behold, I lost about 15lbs in that month! I was so empowered that I've continued to make new goals and set new PBs since. I'm ready to PUSH even further and get my body to a place I only dreamed of being.
This chronicles my progress as I participate in the 30dayPUSH.
30dayPUSH goals:
1. Work out at least 5 times a week.
2. Improve endurance.
3. Dead lift my body weight.
4. Lose 6-8 lbs of body fat.
5. Drink more water!
6. Plan meals for the week every Sunday.
7. Abs + squats EVERY NIGHT.
8. Allow time for REST.
9. Weigh in weekly, not daily.
10. Motivate others through strength and positivity.
strength + change
So since the last 30dayPUSH, I’ve kind of fallen off the wagon. By that I mean - it was the end of my masters classes, the end of the school year, and so much going on that I didn’t make it to the gym as often as I should have —- and to top it off, I ate what EVER I wanted!
Now, I get back on track. It’s SUMMER TIME and my one year progress shot is coming up in 40 some odd days [EEK!!!!] so I will be spending roughly 90 minutes a day at the gym at least 5 times a week. That’s the goal.. and cleaning up my diet quite a bit.
LET’S DO THIS.
I really love these photos.
THIS IS MY PHOTO! This brings me to tears. I had the hardest time posting this photo specifically because it shows my legs.. and for my entire life my legs have been my most insecure point on my body. To see so many reblogs with such lovely things to say, I am humbled and empowered. <3
(Source: lovesewphie, via makingtea-nommingfruit)
Anonymous asked: i'm only 14 and 5'2 and i weight 135 Not going to lie, a lot of weight is in my boobs but a lot of it goes to my thighs! tips? its so hard to eat healthy but i'm triyng and i'm also a vegetarian
Keep at it girl! Sparkes (my boyfriend) always tells me that you can’t spot train any area of your body - that you have to work all muscle groups to lose fat everywhere. That being said - squats, dead lifts, and lunges are awesome for your legs!
livewith0utregrets asked: When you compare day 1 to day 30 it looks so different! I'm so jealous. How have you slimmed your body so much?? :)
Thank you endlessly! Huge focus on eating right (clean goods, lean meats, lots of fruit) and working out! Honestly, I didn’t even work out as frequently as I’d hoped but when I did - I kicked my own ass :)
foreverfindingfit asked: Hey, Your doing so great! keep it up XD
You have no idea how much I needed to hear this! Thank you. I’ve fallen off the wagon the past 3 weeks, but am slowly working my way back on ;)
Why do we allow the people who hate us to impact and consume more of our thoughts than the people who love us?
Anonymous asked: What's your basic daily intake for one day when you workout?
Honestly, I don’t pay much attention anymore. I can say though that I always have a banana or something before working out and a bar or something after :)
Life has been busy! Sparkes competed in the Highland Games yesterday… first time, and he took 3rd place! I am just continuously amazed by his strength and perserverance. Check this shit out!
Event: Caber Toss (15 feet tall, 80 some odd pounds).
Anonymous asked: whats HIIT?
It stands for High Intensity Interval Training.
You can do this on the treadmill, elliptical, etc. Basically any cardio machine. When you do HIIT you can spend less time on cardio while still working out effectively. Here’s an example of what I do on the elliptical:
2 minute walk (4.0mph)
1 minute run (8.0mph)
2 minute walk (4.0mph)
1 minute run (8.5mph)
2 minute walk (4.0mph)
1 minute run (9.0mph)
2 minute walk (4.0mph)
1 minute run (8.5mph)
2 minute walk (4.0mph)
1 minute run (8.0mph)
2 minute cool down
