Jump Starting

We've all been there. We dive head first into our weight loss. The timeline looks something like this.

Day 1- Bound out of bed put on brand new gym clothes (because you can't workout unless you have new clothes). Lunch is packed with clean wholesome food. Cutting out that soda cold turkey.

Day 2- Don't quite jump out of bed because you are so sore. Lunch is packed because you took advice from others and meal prepped. Still not wanting that Diet Coke because you have goals!

Day 3- Today is much like yesterday. Still sore but pushed through. Today though, it seems like everyone was having a diet coke.

Day 4- No bounding out of bed. You are sore, tired and you convince yourself it is your "rest day". Today everyone is drinking Diet Coke while eating burgers and fries. Yummmm burgers and fries.

Day 5- You step on the scale. You think to yourself, I feel good. I feel lighter. The scale says +2. Seriously I gained weight?!?! How does that even happen? So today you partake in the burgers and fries. Because well you just can't lose weight.

Day 6- My body can't lose weight. I don't care. Eat all the foods!!!!

Day 7- Ugh I really need to get my eating under control. I need to go to the gym.

Does this cycle sound familiar?

I know this is how my life was.

I would do great but as soon as I didn't see results I would quit. Then I found a plan that would allow me to jump start my weight loss. I could eat real nutrient dense foods. I wasn't starving myself. I never felt deprived. I was feeding my body and taking supplements for what I was missing.

My cravings went away. I felt better. I slept better. My workouts improved and my strength woh I was increasing my weights it seemed like every week.

I also found success. I was losing weight. I was losing inches. My clothes were fitting better.

This is what I had been looking for. It wasn't a magic pill. I still had to put the work in. But I was seeing results. That one thing we all crave when we start our weight loss journey.

I want you to see results too. I want you to feel success. I want you to end this cycle.

Which one will it be? I'm here ready to help.

www.advocare.com/130638487

Obligatory

I honestly cannot believe that 2014 is over. 

Like in less than 48 hours we will enter a new year. 

A new year with all the possibilities in the world. 

A fresh clean slate to mark however we want.

A year to continue what we started in 2014.

A  few weeks ago I was working out with my girls and it was just the 3 of us and we tend to chat because well to be stereotypical we are woman but more importantly we are friends. We discussed how we are no where near where we were weight wise during a different time of the year.

That got me thinking...

No I'm not where I was but I am not where I started. Cliche yes but it is true!

So bring on 2015 because I can only get better!

The Little Things- Wednesday Link-up

I'm usually bad at this link up thing. I'm not blogger savvy by any means. However, I've been following this lady (www.assignmentamanda.blogspot.com) for a few weeks and her and I are pretty much at the same place in our weight loss journeys.

She is also holding a July arm challenge on IG #assignmentamandagunshow which you all should join in!

Anyhoo, back to the link up...

This link up (co-hosted by Candra from Camo and Lipstick) is about taking the negative situation and finding the positive. So here goes. Negative- I am no where near where I need to be on this weight loss journey. Positive- I have discovered so much about myself since beginning this journey. I've found a love for going to the gym or working out with my cute workout partner. I love finding ways to make my favorite foods healthier and cleaner. I've become such a better wife and mom since I have taken time for myself. I feel rejuvenated when I get done with a workout and I no longer feel like I'm on the sidelines while life is passing me by. Am I where I want to be, no, but am I doing things that I am supposed to be doing, absolutely! Taking time to enjoy the process because that is part of the process. As the old adage goes, take time to stop and smell the flowers.

Forgiving Yourself

***I apologize for the absence. My brother got married on Saturday, it has been a bit chaotic***

While this journey to becoming a better me has mostly been about weight loss and getting healthier there have been other improvements along the way. Areas of myself that maybe I didn't even know I was lacking in or never even thought of improving.

One of those areas that never crossed my mind, learning to forgive myself

When I would eat foods I shouldn't (like a whole thing of Oreo's), go overboard at a buffet to the point of being uncomfortable, or simply not eat I would get mad at myself. I would criticize myself for eating foods I knew weren't healthy, for over eating on those unhealthy foods. I became mad at myself which would lead to more binge eating of crap food. It was a vicious cycle.

My unforgiving ways would also go to my workouts. If I overslept I would beat myself up all day. Like seriously, how could you not get out of bed, laziness, pure laziness. Then as I would be relaxing on the couch at night I would have this nagging voice that I needed to go do something. I needed to stop being a bum on the couch.

Yea, I was mean to myself. I was very unforgiving when I would slip-up.

I'm not sure why I beat myself up.

I obviously wasn't perfect before I started this journey.

Not sure why I thought that starting this journey I would never miss a workout or eat crap foods.

I knew I would, because I'm not perfect. If I was perfect I wouldn't be trying to lose the weight in the first place!

Source- pin.terest

Here lately though I've been forgiving myself.

Now this is not to be confused with making excuses. There is a HUGE difference!

For example, this wedding and helping my mom get everything around has made for some long nights and restless sleep.  There were times that I chose to sleep instead of doing my 5am workouts.

Old Megan would have beat myself up about it but not done anything on my own.

Improved Megan acknowledged that my body needed the sleep and then since I also knew that I needed to workout I pushed myself to do it. Alone. No gym. No coach. Just me and Reagan (usually). I didn't use the excuse I was tired to sit my butt on the couch at night. I used that as motivation, like hey I didn't work out this morning so now I have to use my evening to do it!

source- pint.terest

The same goes for eating.

I don't eat perfect. I try my hardest to be healthy 80-90% of the time. There's times I don't. Not beating myself up as I continue to lick the brownie batter but instead, stop eating the crap, acknowledge that I did and do some burpees to feel better!

It is just amazing to me how this journey is shaping me into the woman I always knew I was but had forgotten I could be.