Vacationing and staying on track!

Vacation is for rest, relaxation, and throwing all your healthy habits away right?  WRONG!!!!!!!  Some folks think it's impossible to stay on track while vacationing and I am here to tell you that you can!  I was recently in an area where the meals are almost always deep fried foods as well as meat and potatoes with every meal!  A vegetable cooked healthy is unspeakable!  And don't even mention the words working out!  I was there for four days and ended up losing at least a pound!  Yes, I had a couple meals that were not so great and definitely at the wrong time of day, but hey, I still left a loser!  How you ask?  I woke up and worked out and burned some major calories.  At least the resort I was at had a pretty good gym and I went to the grocery store!  My room didn't have a refrigerator or a microwave but I made due!  I bought organic and clean food that did not need refrigerated or heated up!  Tuna in water, salsa, pop chips, oatmeal, and of course fruit!!!!!  I kept my portion sizes to normal size and dinner would typically be a salad with some protein!  So what if the place you choose doesn't have a gym?  Get out and go for a walk/run for some cardio and use your room as the gym! If you don't want to use the furniture, use YouTube to find body weight workouts.  A good site to use is www.toneitup.com as well as www.gofitgals.com. So what about food?  Take my lead, go to the grocery store and shop!  Make sure to read your labels!!!!  Make sure it's clean ingredients and the label will also tell you the serving size.  But also ensure to have fun, rest, and relax!!!!!!!!

Health & Fitness Challenge!!!!!!

I know, it's been like FOREVER since I have blogged.  Frankly, there isn't much to blog about!  Work and kids have kept me pretty busy!  BUT, I did want to let you know that I am doing my own personal MINI CHALLENGE with some folks starting on Dec 26 and it ends Dec 31!  If you are interested in participating, go like my Facebook page!  Kim Gets Fit!  Tonight is the last night to "Officially" sign up, but you can always follow along, you just won't be able to win prizes!

DISCLAIMER!!!!!!!!  I am NOT a nutritionist nor a certified personal trainer!!!!!!  I am doing this to help motivate others and only teaching them what I have learned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YOu do this challenge at YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!!!!

Have a wonderfully BLESSED MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too Much Pressure?

Ever since I started working, I have been FREAKING out and putting TONS of pressure on myself because I feel like I don't have the time I used to to workout (nor the energy) and of course, my eating schedule has been thrown off. I feel like I have gained weight, and losing definition. Well, this past week, I have kind of taken a breather, trying to refresh my mind and not put so much pressure on

 myself. You know what? That helped TONS! I allowed myself to eat whatever, in as much moderation as I could, but not come down hard on myself. You know what? That helped! No, not the eating wrong, but letting go of the pressure! That is key! When going full force in this journey, we MUST keep a clear mind and NOT put so much pressure on ourselves when we hit a slump. What we have to do is find what is going on with us, clear our mind and keep moving forward, without the pressure of feeling like a failure. UGH, I said the word. I have been feeling like a failure and that added more pressure on me. This weekend, I got that good long walk in and cleared my mind and became at ease with myself. Yes, I have some work to do to get back where I was in Sept. but it's not as much work as I have been making myself feel like it is. I also, took more rest days this week. SAY WHAT? Well, I did and you know what? I don't feel guilty! I put in some hard time this week and am proud of what I HAVE accomplished! Instead of focusing on what I haven't done, I am focusing on what I HAVE done! So, if you are like me and put tons of pressure on yourself to do this journey perfectly, STOP! IT WILL DRIVE YOU INSANE! Take this journey day by day, meal by meal, workout by workout. If you take this pressure off of you, I am sure you will be happier with yourself and with your outcome! 

Peace, LOVE, and SWEAT!

Sitting behind a desk now!

Well, today I started my office job.  I made sure I got up extremely early in order to get my morning workout out in before I left.  I was surprised at how few calories I burned during the workout.  I'm thinking it was because I did it without any coffee in my system and maybe I didn't give it as much effort as with caffeine?  Nonetheless, I still got a workout in!
I learned today that sitting behind a desk all day long is a BIG shock to my system!  It was very hard to handle.  Since today was just orientation, I got to come home early.  So I jumped right in and started cleaning on my house and then, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, my workout before dinner!  I hadn't looked forward to a workout like that in a LONG time!  I can't wait to get my NORMAL workout hours set so I know exactly what is going on and I can have a new routine down in no time!  By no means, will I let having this position set me back!

Talking about set backs, they did give us free lunch for their cafeteria today, however, I prepared my meal and took my OWN lunch!  I am so happy I did because it sounds like the cafeteria does not have lean, clean, and green food!  I already know what I will be taking with me tomorrow as well!  Prep is key!

Bree Bond Guest Blogging!

I want to start off by saying that this blogging thing is actually much harder than what I thought!  New and fresh ideas almost every day is difficult especially when all you do is work, kids, and fitness, and healthy eating!  Yep, I lead a boring life!  So, I wanted to gift you all with something fresh, new and exciting and I asked a twitter friend to guest blog!  I was ecstatic when she accepted!  So without further ado, here is the YOUNG, FRESH and BEAUTIFUL BREE BOND!!!!!!!!!!!!  Show her some LOVE folks!

I’m just going to dive right into my guest post by first saying thank you to Mrs. Kim for asking to feature me and this post on her blog! I’ve always wanted a blog and think it’s the coolest when people ask me to a guest post, so thank you Kim. 

I’ll tell you a little about me. My name is Bree Bond; I’m a 20 year old from Texas, relocating to California to pursue my dreams of becoming an actress.  I am a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and self proclaimed health geek. I just recently received my NASM personal training certification after starting my fitness journey September 2011 through the Tone It Up nutrition program (which I HIGHLY recommend).  Anyways, when Kim asked me to do a post I had no idea what I wanted to write about… She asked me about a week after I had gotten my certification, which was also the exact time where I discovered an injury in my right hip flexor and lower abdominal muscles.  I was in severe pain and I am no baby when it comes to pain so when it hurt as bad as it did I knew I needed at least a week of complete bed-rest. *siiiiiiigh* Needless to say I had a lot of time on my hands…

So here I am sitting down to write this post-one-week-bed-rest. I went through so many emotions last week while lying in bed, all day every day.  (See, you use your core for EVERYTHING so it wasn’t an injury I could really just work around, I knew I needed to seriously let it rest) So, going from working out every single day (6 days a week) sometimes twice a day to a completely bed ridden was a hard pill to swallow for me.  I hurt my ankle when I was in 4^th grade and ever since I’ve had muscle imbalances on my right leg, as much as I tried to strengthen my right leg to match the left I was still left with an overcompensation usage in the right side of my core to make up for the strength differences.  This lead to overload of those muscles, which lead to inflammation, which led to my body saying, “woah bro, no more…” Yes, my body talks like a California surfer dude.  To avoid making you re-live my experience by describing every grueling detail, I just want to share with you all what I learned.

                  I knew all of these things but I am very  hardheaded  and sometimes think I’m superwoman,  this rest only solidified the knowledge I had and I see now that I needed something like this to snap me out of my stubbornness.    

                  I am all about pushing through plateaus, high intensity training, setting goals and having relentless determination to see them out, however… we are not indestructible.  I am constantly seeing things on Twitter like “#TeamNoDayzOff” or “#NoExcuses” and the list goes on and on. People on Instagram constantly making their training seem like torture because of how exhausted they are.  This makes me think, “Isn’t this supposed to IMPROVE our lives?” Now hear me out, I am a work out fool, it’s one of my passions in life, I would work out three-four times a day if it wouldn’t eventually kill me, but that’s just it, my body would absolutely give out.  We aren’t made for constant destruction which is exactly what working out does, it breaks us down so we can rebuild stronger. People ask me all the time how to push through a plateau.  A lot of people will say have a cheat meal, do empty stomach HIIT cardio blindfolded on one leg while wearing a top hat but you want to know my new found advice? Oh you’re going to hate it, I know I did but here it is; Give. Yourself. A. Break.  This is a personal trainer speaking; someone whose income depends on YOU wanting to get your butt to the gym but still I am telling you, give yourself a break.  Take a few days off; throw your body for a loop without shoving a Big Mac down.  Cheat meals only reinforce you old bad habits and aren’t conducive to fitness goals in my opinion. This brings me to the next thing I learned; Eating is everything.  You’ve heard “Abs are made in the kitchen” yeah? Well, here I am to reinforce that idea.  I changed nothing about the way I ate while completely resting, clean eats, 6-7x a day and I barely lifted a finger.  Here I am a week later to tell you that I did not gain a pound. Yes, some days I felt bloated.  Yes, some days I retained water and yes, some days I even ate more than I should have.  But you know what? I’m unchanged by it! How great is that?! One of the many benefits of being FIT, you can take time off, let life hit you and still maintain your fitness progress. Your body is smart, it knows how to work, and it knows how to adapt.    It’s impossible to lose your progress by giving yourself a break! Am I saying give up? Am I saying go “easy” on yourself? No, push, work, drive and then rest… J  You’ll actually come back completely restored and ready to work at your full potential.

Today is my second day back to training and I feel like I am actually making progress again! I am sore! I feel like I’m actually doing some work while I’m lifting! Before I was pushing myself to the point of exhaustion, my muscles to the point of severely painful inflammation and I wasn’t getting anywhere.  A rest day wasn’t the answer, a rest period was. 

I’ll leave you with these ideas.  Exercise and working out are two different things.  Exercise is playing with your kids, going on walks, riding your bike anything that gets your heart pumping a little more than usual.  Working out is for muscular endurance/strength.  It IS possible to live a HEALTHY lifestyle, maintain your weight and feel good without working out.  Working out does provide so many health benefits and I highly recommend it but, I just want you to understand that taking a break from working out and just living actively for a few days can be extremely beneficial too.  You cannot perform HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) everyday and not expect some backlash. Space them out; take into consideration the time, intensity, frequency, type and the enjoyment of your exercise and workouts.  They’re all dependant of one another. HIIT 2-3x a week is great but mix it up with some low intensity cardio too, work all your body parts (everything is connected), throw in core training, foam roll, stretch, rest and repeat. Rest is just as important as everything else I listed.  Be committed to your rest days/periods as you are to your workouts. Even more so be committed to eating for your goals.  As long as you’re putting clean foods in your body at all the right levels and not being sedentary, say hello to improved health levels and fitness maintenance during your rest periods from working out.  Strive for healthy, set goals and be determined.  You are worth every second of this fight for fitness, but sometimes it’s okay to put your sword down.

                  You can follow me on Twitter; @BondBree and also find me on Instagram @BondBree!  I am always open to questions and willing to help with what I can!  Stay strong and beautiful.  Now go workout ;) <3

weight loss apps and my polar

Most people, like me, start their weight loss journey by counting calories.  But like me, they are not sure how many they are suppose to intake and burn, etc.  Well, the first answer to that is it depends on the body and fitness level.  What I have found to be helpful is an app called myfitnesspal.  It's easy to use and since I was able to download it for free on my iphone, it's with me always!  I can take pictures of label instead of hunting for the item, create my own recipes, save my favorite meals, etc.  It is a very useful tool to me and I always know where I stand with my caloric intake, how much sodium I have had, as well as sugar and such.  This site lets YOU organize what you want to see, you can input your workouts and you can even interact with other people if you choose to do so.  I have tried other apps to count calories and workouts, but they just don't seem to be as user friendly as this one.  It also tell you exactly how many calories you have earned after a workout, but be mindful of what you intake.  Also something to remember is that, even though a workout is listed and it may tell you how many calories you burned during the allotted time, that is not accurate.  Each person burns calories at a different rate, so it's wise to use something like a polar hear monitor when working out to get your actual calorie burn.  I never workout without my polar!  There are all different types of polar's and the price range is from about $65.00 (low end) up to $200.00 (high end) and could actually be even higher than that.  I have the lower end model but it works really well for what I want!  I would like to find an affordable one that would tell me my time, heart rate, and calories burned all on one screen!  If anyone knows of one, let me know!  Here is the link to both tools that I mentioned!

myfitnesspal - http://www.myfitnesspal.com

Polar - http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/products

Guest Blogger Coming Soon!

I know that sometimes I get stuck on the same ole' same ole', so I thought, hmmmmm, I need to switch it up for my readers.  So that is exactly what I am doing!  Keep your eyes out as I am sure you will NOT want to miss this!  So excited!

Oh and yeah, that HIIT workout I did from Go Fit Gals?  Yeah totally sore today, but it's a soreness I LOVE!  If you haven't already followed them, do so!  They are on Facebook, Twitter, and they are launching a Nutrition and Workout plan in just a FEW MORE DAYS!


Dominate,and annihilate your workouts!

My HIIT workout and the affect 3 days off had on me

Today I hopped back on the saddle and got 1 of my workouts in.  I was going to do 2 back to back, but after I did a Go Fit Gals HIIT workout, I was wiped!  Man was it good!  I sweat like no other!  I did have to modify one thing but hey, that's ok!  This was still a calorie torcher!  Now, why did I have to modify?  Well, my personal belief is that I did have too many rest days.  I don't think my body can have 3 right in a row.  I felt like I lost some strength and stamina.  So, lesson learned, for me!  You may be able to take that many rest days and not feel any affect, others may not.  It's a personal thing and you have to be the judge.  Anyway, I wanted to share the workout I did in case you would like to try it yourself!  Make sure you follow these ladies on Face, Twitter, and youtube!

Here is the link to the video!

Now, GO WORK OUT!

Take a Rest Day!

Ever have one of those days where you are just exhausted?  Yep, me too!  Here lately, it's been more than usual.  I feel mentally and physically exhausted.  So, even though it's important to workout and push your body, it's also important to take a rest day or two.  Listen to your body, it will never tell you wrong!  Now that doesn't mean, sit around all day and do nothing, it means, don't push your body as hard!  Take active rest days!  I will admit that I took the weekend off, not because I wanted to, but because I was crazy busy and just couldn't fit it in to my schedule.  I usually only take one day off, but, this week, I am taking 3.  Today is day 3 but it didn't mean I slept in nor does it mean that I am sitting on my computer all day!  I have cleaned house and getting tons of laundry done!  Just keeping my body  in motion by cleaning, I burned over 500 calories!  Yep, that's right!  Tonight, I plan on going for a walk.  Nothing overly pushing it, but just a nice walk.  I have never taken this many days off in a row from my workouts (except when I was sick) and my hand weights.  I'm excited to see if this will also help me tone better and get through a plateau that I have been stuck at.  Will let you know how my body re-acts to this!

Why is it important for rest days?  Your muscles need time to heal and repair.  You've been ripping those babies for days and they need healing time.  Another reason to take a rest day?  Burn out!  You don't want to get burnt out on doing good for your body, if you do, you will relapse and end up doing nothing and all that hard work goes to waste.  I get burnt out as well, so that is why I had adapted the following schedule:

Mon-Fri, I hit it hard with cardio for 30 min, then another 30 min toning session.  Sometimes each is longer than that, but that is a typical time frame for me.

Sat is a light day.  I will walk/run, yoga, or a toning session but nothing major.

Sunday - a complete rest day.  Sometimes I am active by hiking, walking, etc. but most days, I just veg out after church.  I deserve it!

If you would like, try my schedule out and then report back to me and let me know how it works for you!

Happy resting!

Journaling

Do you journal?  What do you journal about?  I journal my food and workout routines along with my weight and measurements!  Why do I do this?  It helps me see what foods I am eating, how much I am eating, how many calories I am burning, what workouts are giving me the most burn for the buck, and where I need to improve.  I ALWAYS journal my food in myfitness pal along with my workouts.  Today, I sat a new goal to journal my own personal routines, that way I can know what I did in the workout and be able to repeat it to keep that burn going!  Why haven't I done this before?  I wish I had an answer for that one but I don't.
Here is a picture of how I journal and what my journal looks like!

SO HERE IS YOUR CHALLENGE OF THE DAY!

Go out and purchase a really adorable journal and start journaling!  If you haven't downloaded myfitnesspal, go do it, it's free!  You can also scan the bar code of the food you are eating and it will input all the information for you!

Once you have started journaling, let me know if it has helped you!

Peace, LOVE, Sweat!
I came here with nothing, but I'm going to leave with a legacy!

Determination & Hunger!

Did you wake up this morning with DETERMINATION & HUNGER inside you?  I didn't!  I over slept, had to take one of my children to the ortho, then to school.  Needless to say, I didn't get my workout in when I wanted to!  At the moment, I am blessed to be able to work from home so when I finished my errands, I laced up my tennis shoes and was going for my walk.  Yep, I said walk.  I didn't WANT to run today, I just wasn't feeling it!  Well, I was no more than 10 minutes in to the walk when a song from my workout list came on and totally changed my attitude!  The only words I could hear from the song was dominate, annihilate, champion, be a better me, I am a CHAMPION!  I took off running with determination and the hunger inside me to dominate that run!  I kept that song on repeat until I ended 2 miles later!  That's what we need, determination and hunger to be a better us!  Not only in our health and fitness journey but also in life!  How we treat and view others, our family, and friends,  and those in need.  Today, I challenge you!  Go out and DOMINATE that workout, conquer the food demons, and be a better person to everyone!

Peace, Love, Sweat, and BLESSINGS!

So MANY Blessings!

First, I want to start off by apologizing to my followers for being SO absent!  There have been so many changes happening in my life, that I just haven't focused on this.  Again, I am sorry, and I hope I can be more consistent with this.

The changes have been such a blessing that I want to share those with you!  First, I have changed churches (this one was difficult!) and am now able to be involved with children's ministry again!  I have not been involved since 2010 and that took its toll on me because I intensionally moved from the west coast to be a children's minister.

The other big change is that I will be going back to work FULL time!  Yep, in an office 5 days a week!  I am still working for the band (I can't give them up!  Too much love and respect for them and the crew!)
But this is something that my family desperately needed!  I am excited to be going back and continuing to gain knowledge in the pharmaceutical industry!  This also helps me reach my goal to become a Personal Fitness Trainer!  My intention is to purchase my schooling by Christmas!  Once I get that certification, I am moving on to nutrition, then a certified Yoga instructor!  Yep, I am going to make sure that NO MATTER WHAT I am able to work, work, work!

Besides the changes that have been happening, I have started a fitness page on Facebook that I am MORE interactive with!  Follow me!  Ask me questions!  Recipe exchange!  Everything FITNESS goes!  My page is Kim Gets Fit!

Now, on to the healthy stuff!  Today, my husband and I went on a trail hike together, just us!  It was so awesome!  The weather was beautiful and I got to see God's wonderful creations in a new light.  I also got to see my progress in the form of stamina!  There is this HUGE hill that you have to go up in order to see the river, this time around, I didn't have to take a break in the middle!  To some, that may not seem to be a big accomplishment, but to me, it was HUGE!  I felt stronger and I could tell that my stamina is higher!
This is where I tell you to not give up on yourself because any little change is a HUGE accomplishment!  If you are able to do 2 extra reps, hold a plank 5 seconds longer, walk .25 miles further, YOU HAVE GROWN!  Don't compare yourself to others, compare yourself to the OLD you!

With that, I will do one more shameless plug for my facebook fitness page (Kim Gets Fit)!  Once I reach 100 followers, I am gifting someone with a yr subscription to a fitness magazine!  Then after that, I am hoping to do a challenge with great prizes!  Keep watching and join in!

Peace, LOVE, and fitness!

Try Something New!

Are you stuck in a rut with your workout routine or diet?  Try something new!  If you always walk, put in a few minutes of running every 1/2 mile.  If you use weights, up them!  Not only will small changes to your workouts keep them fresh, it will also change your body!

Diet rut?  How about adding some plain Greek yogurt with a banana and strawberries!  Plain rice cakes?  Add some Conserve on it!  This not only gives your taste buds a change, it will also satisfy your sweet tooth!

It is important for us to change up our routines for two reasons:
1. Changing your workouts will keep you from getting bored with them, which will help ensure you continue to work out.  The added benefit, is in watching your definition change!
2. If we do not change and spice up our diet, we will get bored and more apt to give up on clean eating.  I have fallen victim to this issue many times!

So, get out there and try something new!  While your at it, invite a friend!

My something new was participating in the Color Run last Saturday!  I am always intimidated by runners, but I did my best and kept going!  I had my husband and daughter participating with me so that made it even more fun!  The glow run is coming to my town in about two months, I think I may have to sign up for that as well! :)

Support System

Do you have a support system in place for your NEW HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?  Having a support system is crucial for your success!  I am actually BLESSED to have an outstanding support system.  First is my Tone It Up family!  These are fellow Tone It Up girls trying to achieve the same goals and life style as me.  If you are on twitter, you MUST follow these girls!  You will know them by two things: 1. we have a twibbon that is teal and coral with two girls on it, 2. most of them have TIU in their twitter handle.  My other HUGE support system is my husband!  From the moment I purchased the Tone It Up nutrition plan www.toneitup.com he has been by my side every step of the way!  He will do slim downs with me, he works out with me, he runs with me, and he cheers me on during my dark times!  He alone is crucial to my success and he doesn't even know it.  If you have folks that are negative and don't believe in you and are NOT supportive in your new life style change, please, please find us and lean on us for strength and cheers!

As you know, I recently took a hiatus from blogging.  Well, I took it because I was NOT in a good place mentally.  That affected my healthy choices and I felt unworthy of trying to tell someone else how to change their lifestyle.  During that whole time, my husband stood by my side.  Letting me know that I could do all of this and I still have my food addiction beat.  Today, he did something that really showed me just how much he does believe in me.  He asked me to be his trainer!  I was so humbled and excited that he asked me!  I was in awe that he actually wanted ME when I have been in such a bad place.  Maybe this was the last little thing I needed to bring me out of this dark place and to keep on  MOVING FORWARD!  Yes, he is my support system.  That is the type of person YOU need.  Get your friends and family involved any way possible and they will be the biggest support you will ever have.  Sometimes, it takes baby steps, but it WILL happen.  Like I said, for an immediate support system, follow me on twitter or find my page on Facebook: Kim Gets Fit and I will be there with you every step of the way!

Never, EVER give up because YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Hiatus

Hi everyone,
I am writing to let you know that I am taking a small hiatus from blogging as I am not in a good place at the moment.  I am taking the time to get back to my old self and to get myself better mentally and physically.  I pray that you will stand by me in prayer and continue to follow this blog.  I will return as soon as I am healthy.

Peace, Love, and Sweat!

MIA for a little bit

Hi Folks!
Just wanted to let you know that I will be posting again real soon!  I am trying to enjoy the last days of summer with my children!

Diet and Exercise go Hand in Hand!

Sorry I have been MIA!  Last week, I was sick with pleurisy and was put down for a week!  That was one of the hardest weeks I have had in a long time!  But it was also a week of learning more about this lifestyle journey that I am on.  First thing I learned is,  I can hear all the trainers that I watch tell me that diet and exercise go hand in hand, but I never REALLY listened.  What I mean by this is that I took things for granted. I didn't worry about if i had an off day in eating because I worked out and vice versa (but always ALWAYS remember, you cannot work off a bad diet!).  Well, I knew that I couldn't work out for a week and thought I would just eat clean and I wouldn't have to worry.  Well, I was wrong.  First, I found that since I wasn't working out, I gave up on clean eating within 3 days.  I knew that clean eating would at least help me maintain my weight, but seeing all the definition of my muscles go away killed me!  So.....I gave up, not completely though.  I did do clean eating, it just wasn't as LEAN as it should have been.  In my last days off, it clicked, a lean, clean & green diet and exercising MUST go hand in hand!  DING DING DING!  That's what ALL the trainers are telling me!  It is IMPERATIVE to do both in order to be lean and sculpted!  Yep, you can maintain a weight loss by eating clean, but if you don't work out, you won't be sculpted the way you want and you can work out and be sculpted, but will not be lean if you don't eat right.

Yesterday was my first day back in to working out.  I wanted to come back with vengeance, however, this is the only body I have and I do NOT want to blow it out AGAIN!  So I am taking it slow.  Just like when I first started!  I will tell you this, my muscles are sore!  It's a great feeling!  I am staying away from my weights this week and will start incorporating them again next week and I absolutely can NOT wait!

Running Class

As most of you know (if you read this blog) I am new to running.  I hate it actually!  I always compare myself to other people and by what they have already accomplished!  BAD BAD BAD!  I Really have to stop doing that!  Anyway, in my endeavor to find out when the Wounded Warrior Race was in my town, I came across a running class at a local running store.  So guess what I did?  I signed up!  I needed SOME kind of insight as to what I could be doing better as to form, stride, aww heck, who am I kidding!  I needed all the information I could get!  Well, tonight was the night for the class!  I was so excited but really scared and I shared that anxiety on my personal facebook page. (shameless plug coming!  I have a facebook fitness page as well - kim gets fit) if you want to follow!  Anyway, when I finished my class, I had a response to my status which was simply this,


God did not give you the spirit of fear...but


 of love, and power, and a sound mind. (II. 


Tim.1:7) You can do it! You go girl!   

What a GREAT reminder and motivation that was!  Please don't ever forget that when you are fearful to try a new class or something new at all!

Ok, so back to the class.  Well, one of my biggest fears came true, I was the BABY runner in the class!  That didn't matter though because what they taught was great information for all the runners!  I did come out on top for one thing, my stride! YIPEEEE  (sorry, the competitiveness came out).  I really learned a lot, now just to ensure I actually can make the suggestions happen!  This may call for private running lessons!  My suggestions to all of you just starting out in the runner's world is two things, Don't forget the above quote and take a running class!  It was well worth the little amount of money it cost me!

Don't Give UP!

Sometimes when we have started a fitness journey, we tend to want to give up because we do not see results quickly enough.  I wanted to upload this photo for you to encourage you!  Don't Give UP!

Progress Is Progress

Today, I will be short and sweet!  Sometimes we get down on ourselves because the pounds are not coming off fast enough, or the inches aren't melting away quickly enough.  But I am here to tell you, that if you are really trying and putting your all in to it, you have already progressed!  Whether it's a fast progress or a slow paced one, it's still progress!

The one thing that I have been slowly progressing in is running.  I am not going the distance that I really want, but you know what?  If I can take two more strides over what I had done the time before, then I made progress!  It doesn't matter how fast I go or how long it takes me to FINALLY run a 5K, what matters is my effort and the progress I make in accomplishing my goal!

So, if your progress is slow.  Don't give up on yourself because I haven't given up on you or me.  Progress is Progress no matter what the pace or distance is!

<3, Sweat, and Peace!