Today I just want to eat crap.... Cheat meals.

The infamous Cheat Meal. 

The idea brings about images of stuffing your face with every manner of things from candy and cookies to fried junk.  All while you look around frantically making sure that no one sees.

Most health and fitness minded people probably do this, maybe weekly.  It centers around the idea that we should be eating healthy and watching calories or macros, and then having one meal that we can let ourselves go.  Most people binge on fried foods or high fat foods that clog their arteries and make them feel like crap all day.    

I think the thing I hate most is the name, "cheat".  

Like we need to associate more negative connotations with eating unhealthy foods.  We all have days when we crave sweets or salt.  We all give in.  And to be honest, we should be having something small and indulgent everyday.  

But making people feel like what they are eating is wrong more than they already feel is just not necessary.  

If you allow yourself an Oreo or two each night, or an occasional trip to taco bell (you can eat relatively well at tbell if you know how to order), than there won't be this undeniable need to have huge binge cheat meals.  

I guess it really is like my mom always says, "Everything in moderation".

From want to need. Slight rant.

While driving home from Cincinnati this past weekend, I saw a sign on the side of the road by a corner.  It said, "What if fitness were fun? Come try a new kind of fun fitness!"

I gotta tell you, that sign got me thinking.  I thought about it the whole 

way home (slightly less than 3 hours).  

Why do people think that fitness is an option? Like if they aren't having SO MUCH FUN then they won't do it. You know..... the "I don't like working out" people.  And don't get me wrong, I WANT it to be fun.  But, sometimes its not.  My 225lb squats today were not fun.  They were painful and hard.  But you know what is fun? Gains, results, comfort, strength, and lack of ill health. 

Somewhere along they way people stopped thinking of fitness as something they needed to do or had to do for their health.  It became something that fit people did.  It became something that people 

only did if they wanted.  It became a hobby or an option.  

Fitness needs to be a priority, for everyone.  

It keeps your strong and healthy and keeps your heart and lungs and joints and 

muscles working better for longer.  It keeps you in shape and makes you feel good.  Maybe not 

mid squat, maybe not mid jog.  But in the long run, over a lifetime, 

it makes you feel good.  

Just because we don't always have a blast at work or school, does that mean we just don't include it in our lives.  We all have to work, to provide for ourselves and our families.  So if we know that biologically, we NEED to move, why do people right it off as if its not important? 

I hope someday this will change.  I hope someday, people value physical health as 

much as mental and social health.  

....... Ok. Rant over. Thanks!

Awkward.....

We’ve all felt it.  We’ve all done it.  The stare.

You know when you’re walking through the mall or at the grocery store and you just happen to be wearing the jeans that give you a bit of a muffin top?  Don’t be ashamed, everyone has them in the right pants. 

Doesn’t it feel like everyone is looking right at it and thinking, “Look at 

that girl and her fat rolls”…..

It’s hard not to feel that way a lot of the time.  Especially when we go to the gym.  

Going to the gym can put us in a very vulnerable state.  We are in tight clothes, 

sweating, panting, and our hair looks….. different. 

Meanwhile, whenever you look around, it seems like everyone is looking right at you and judging you, your body and your form.  After a while, it can feel like the anxiety surrounding going to the gym is stronger than your interest in going. 

This is one of the top reasons why people stop going to the gym after they start a regimen.  But it can be conquered with one simple thought.

Here’s the thing.  These people don’t matter, don’t know you and you are fine. 

You are there for one reason, to get healthy.  You need to get in there, put in those ear buds, blast some Meghan Trainor and buckle down.  The only person whose thoughts can bring you down is you.  We spend so much time worrying about other people and their opinions when the only ones that really matter are our own.  We use these thoughts as excuses and then the cycle continues until you are so self-conscious that you can’t do anything. 

Stop the cycle, stop worrying about little miss perky booty or the guy with the biceps bigger than your head.  Worry about you, and only you.  

Holiday Workouts and Fighting Negativity.

Hello fellow 4^th of July lovers.  

Hope you are all recovering well from your weekends of face stuffing, drinking, family and fireworks.  Today I wanted to talk about staying positive and healthy during holidays or vacations. 

While I was on vacation for the 4^th weekend, the boyfran and I went up to his parent’s lake house.  Everyone usually goes; his parents, his brother, his sister’s clan and friends.  We love being up on the water with friends.  Given the holiday, we all had some extra time off work and were obviously away from our normal routines. 

We did not let that stop us.  

We managed to get ourselves out of bed each morning and be motivated to get in some exercise.  One day we did a routine out in the yard with his mom, the next day we ran up to the coffee house and back.  Saturday morning 

arrives and I got as many people as possible convinced to workout with me before the festivities and the beach day.  We all got down on our yoga mats and towels in the yard and started a nice sweaty ab routine.  And then it hits, the one thing 

that can ruin motivation in any form. 

Mr. Negative. 

That one person with us (he was not one pf the people working out) that was convinced that we were idiots.  He laughed, he made jokes, and worst of all he made not very nice comments to his girlfriend. 

I hate Mr. Negative. The person that fully believes that exercise is pointless and that people that do it are wasting their time.  They think they are perfectly healthy with their ever growing beer gut and lack of ability to run around the block.  They will continue to have this belief even until they have a heart attack or high blood pressure. 

Keep your cool around these ones.  

Or do what I did…. Yell at them and tell them 

to shut up and quit laughing.  Just know that you are on the right track and pretty soon you are gonna look amazing.  Every day is a good day for some exercise and 

positive thoughts.  I don’t care if it’s Christmas, Get Out There and SWEAT!!

P.S. This could be anyone, not just men.  

Here, There and Everywhere.

Working out.  Everyone is different.  Some people don’t have the time or money for a gym membership every month.  Some people can't focus at home and bounce around doing household activities in between.  There are positives and negatives for both.

When you go to the gym, you are sure to run into equipment that will allow you to do any workout. Banks of cardio machines, usually positioned in front of some TVs, allow people to get in their daily sweat session.  Most gyms will have treadmills, elliptical, stationary bikes and stair climbers to give you variety.  Most gyms will also have an area for resistance training.  Hopefully you will find Weight machines, cables, benches, free weights so you can build some muscles and tone up.  Some gyms will also have some open space and mats for people to spread out and do workouts.  I find this space invaluable for days when I want to work abs or use resistance bands.  Some also include tracks, pools, group classes and circuit areas.

Gym Pros:

• -          No personal equipment is necessary, everything you need is provided.  As long as you have clothes to get moving in and a water bottle, you’re good to go. 
• -          When you get to the gym, you have fewer distractions than you might have at home.
• -          Workout variety with cardio, resistance training, group classes and personal trainers always keep it interesting and challenging. 
• -          Social support from others can be an added bonus.  I know I have made some relationships with the people at the gym and it helps in case you ever need a spotter. 

Also, many gyms provide the help of certified personal trainers who can help guide you in how to reach your specific goals.  Most trainers have experience with many different types of health and fitness goals and can be a huge asset. 

Gym Cons:

• -        Cost. Memberships usually include monthly payments and possibly a down payment or joiner fee. 
• -         Some people feel pressure and are uncomfortable when at the gym.  They can feel like people are looking at them and judging them.  (I will be writing about how to overcome this fear in an upcoming post.)
• -        Time and kids.  While many gyms do provide child stations and extended hours, it just doesn’t fit into everyone’s schedule.  Sometimes you just don’t have time to get everything together and drive all the way there.  Which is valid. 

Working out at home can offer an option to people either not able to go to the gym or who 

prefer to workout in their own home.  There are many options ranging from personal cardio machines, video series and free weights/ resistance bands.  You can also run and bike in your neighborhood or simply take a walk. 

Home Pros:

• -          Free and easily accessible.  You can workout anytime that fits into your schedule.
• -          Privacy. You have the ability to look like an idiot or maybe struggle without anyone around to see you.

Home Cons:

• -          Provide your own equipment.  If you want to do videos like P90x or T 25, you’re going to have to get them somehow.  If you need weights, you’ll have to buy them.  Of course you can do body weight exercises, but eventually you may need more of a challenge. 
• -          Distractions. I cannot tell you how many times I have said, “Ok I am going to do abs when I get home from work”.  But then I get home and I do dishes and laundry and play with my dog, and before you know it, its 10:30 and I have to go to bed. 

There are more pros and cons for each side.  And one is not better than another.  It is simply up to each person and their workout style. 

Overall, try to fit some form of exercise into your schedule every day.  Mix it up and have fun!