Color Me Rad 5k!

Today was SO much fun!

I completed my second ever 5k with one of my closest friends.

Color Me Rad is a 5k race that is meant for friends, family, and fun! Everyone was dressed up in their Rad Gear, and covered head to toe with colored chalk. It is amazing to see the so many people getting together to engage in fun, healthy activities. Once you enter the event area, it’s like your whole mind set changes. You are filled with happiness and determination to get this race done, no matter what. Today I ran this 5k with one of my closest friends, and we continuously encouraged one another to keep on moving. Even when we had only gotten a few hundred feet away from the starting line, she was there to give me a high five and push on. I am so grateful to have the support that I have!

I wasn’t running this race to see how fast I could get it over with, or to make myself have better time than the others. I ran this race for myself. I ran because I wanted to show myself that I was capable of working hard and being a great example for others. By the time my friend and I had gotten to the finish line, we were covered with colored chalk and colored slime (a new addition to this race). We felt better than ever! And honestly, I did not want to shower all of the chalk off afterwards because I felt like it showed everyone I accomplished something great!

Get out, and do rad stuff!

Final Weigh In!

As you can see, I have been extremely disconnected from my blog lately. For most of the month of March I was studying for an entrance exam, working, and “adulting.” I have also been a little uninspired, but I’m coming back.

Friday, April 1st, was our final weigh in for the Biggest Loser Challenge that I started in January. I am extremely proud of all of those who participated and stuck through it with me! All together, my participants, including myself, lost 101lbs! The office goal was to lose at least 100lbs by the time the 12 weeks was up. I appreciate all of the work that was put into this challenge, and I will continue to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

I would like to recognize the winner of the challenge. Sara stuck with the challenge all 12 weeks and managed to lose a total of 31lbs. I am extremely proud of her efforts, and I hope to see her continue down a healthy path. The two runner ups lost 23 and 13 pounds each.

Weigh In: Week 6

I know, I know. It has been a while. Since my last blog post I have had work, gone to the gym, and vacationed in Florida for a few days.

This past Friday I got myself back on track with the Biggest Loser Challenge at work. My plan is to add a week onto the challenge, so we still have a solid 12 weeks to kick ass! Even though there were two weeks in between the “week 5” weigh in and the “week 6” weigh in, my participants were able to either maintain or lose weight. All together my participants, myself included, have lost a total of 73 pounds.  I am super happy to see that everyone was sticking to it even though I was out of town.

What I found extremely difficult while I was on vacation was maintaining a good exercise schedule. I was in a new place with no gym AND my family stuffed me with lots of delicious food. I took a few days off from really kicking it into high gear with my workouts, but I made sure to stay active every single day I was in Florida. Here’s some tips on how to stick to exercising when you are on vacation.

Try to book a hotel with a gym. Unfortunately, the hotel that my family and I stayed in did not have a gym. I was super bummed out about this. A hotel gym is a good way to keep yourself accountable for working out. Just tell yourself, “Self, there is a gym downstairs. Please wake up and go for at least 30 min.” Honestly, what could be better than having access to a gym that’s in the same building?!

Go outside. If your hotel does not have a gym (like mine), explore outside! My dad and I found a beautiful greenway about a mile away from where we were staying. Even if there isn’t access to a greenway, there are usually sidewalks 😉 just saying. Just take a 20-25 minute walk before you start your day, or even after you have had your fun for the day.

Find fun, active attractions. My parents and I wanted to explore the various fun things Florida had to offer, so we looked around online and discovered a nature park. This attraction was donation based (cheap) and had a nature walk around most of the property. We were able to enjoy the beautiful day and also stay active while doing so! Museums, zoos, and aquariums are really great for this because they force you to stay active the entire time.

I may not have had a fancy gym or gym equipment, but I made sure to keep myself up and active most days. It also helps to drag your family members (or whoever is on the trip) along with you while you are getting in your workout for the day. This gets everyone involved and helps keep you accountable.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hello everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day 🙂 I hope everyone’s day is filled with love, chocolate, and lovely flowers.

Last Friday, February 12, we had our 5th weigh in. Many of my participants were able to turn their gains into losses, and I am extremely proud of them for that. I want to recognize one particular participant because she has consistently been losing 1-2 pounds each week. She has cut out soda, drinks mostly water, and consciously makes good food and exercise choices. She has been a superstar!

A lot of people have questions about what to eat before and after exercise. When do I eat? What do I eat? How much? Etc.

Pre-Workout. If you want to eat a snack before exercising one choice I would recommend is peanut butter and an apple. This snack includes a protein and a good source of carbohydrate. Do not eat this snack immediately before working out. I would give yourself about 30-60 minutes until you exercise. If you are trying to fit a meal in before a workout, make sure you eat about 1-2 hours beforehand. A good meal suggestion would be oatmeal with fruit in it. The oatmeal will help you get full and the fruit will provide some extra fluid to help with hydration.

Post-Workout. When you are finished with your workout, you can either have a snack or a full meal, your choice. The great thing about post-workout food is you can eat immediately after you are finished at the gym. If you are looking for a good snack after you work out, try chocolate milk or a protein bar. Make sure that you are not going for a protein bar that is high in sugar though. A post-workout meal suggestion is some scrambled eggs with a little bit of veggies such as spinach. These post-workout meals are here to refuel your body. Also, make sure that you eat these post-workout foods within 30-60 minutes.

WATER. Water is so important. You need to make sure you drink water before, during, and after each workout. Drink about 8 ounces of water 30 minutes or so before you start your routine. Drink 10-15 ounces every 10-15 minutes during your routine. And finally, drink about 8 ounces after your routine. Another tip I learned in school is for every pound you lose during exercise, you should drink about 16 ounces of water.

Now that you know a little bit more about what to eat before and after a workout, it will be a little easier to plan out your week. My suggestion is writing it all down on Sunday so you stick to your schedule during the week.

Also, try not to overindulge yourself in chocolate today 😉

Happy Hearts Day ♥

Sources:
My teachers in college who knew literally everything there is to know about exercise
Pinterest Infographics
Fitness Republic
Buzzfeed

Weigh In: Week 4

So, it has been a month since the beginning of our Biggest Loser Competition! We weighed in on Friday, and even though some are still having a little bit of trouble, we are still pushing through! I did some calculations and we have lost about 54 pounds all together. I am so proud of everyone 🙂 The percentage of weight lost is 29.7%.

I want to have some fun events for my participants in the coming weeks, but I have been sick so I am running behind on organizing and planning. There is a fun run in March that I plan on inviting everyone to, and I am still working on registering myself and some others for the Color Me Rad run in April.

Since I’ve had a cold for the last few days, it has been hard to motivate myself to get moving. After doing some research I found that it is okay to exercise while sick (with sniffles and a slight cough), but don’t push yourself too hard. If you have a fever or you are physically in pain, I would probably skip a day or so. Always consult your doctor if you have any doubts. And if the cold gets worse, please see your physician! They may have some helpful remedies for you 🙂

My go-to remedy for a cold is some yummy chicken soup and hot tea. Usually ginger tea or some regular Lipton tea with honey.

I almost quit about 14 times..

Jackie is a great example of motivation! Keep up the good work girl!

peonies and paisley

I almost quit about 14 times during my last run.

As some of you know, I am training for the Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday, February 21!

I am SO excited, but also a bit nervous. This will be my first half marathon and I have been training since July. The beginning of the training wasn’t too challenging, especially since the mileage was short and sweet (around 3-4 miles).

Now I’m up to running 11 miles and it’s absolutely exhausting! The amount of mental and physical preparation that is needed before I step out the door is a ton of work. Then there’s the difficulty of creating the ultimate running playlist, one with the perfect amount of upbeat songs that will provide me constant motivation throughout my run. Or just songs that I can sing along to – yes, I am that type of runner.

Last Friday, I went…

View original post 468 more words

Change it up!

A few years ago I signed up for the Color Me Rad 5K. I honestly did not know what I was getting myself into, but race day came, and I had not even trained (not even a little). So today I was surfing the web for some fun stuff to do in the coming months, and I saw that registration was still open for the Color Me Rad 5k in Wilmington, NC. This race is on April 3rd, and I figure I have PLENTY of time to train for this! So, I think to end the Biggest Loser Challenge with a bang, I am going to run in that 5k race!

Honestly, if you do not want to run this race you do not have to (you can always walk)! It is such a fun time. There are free t-shirts, color chalk bombs, temporary tattoos, awesome sunglasses, and lots of fun! If you are thinking about changing up your exercise routine and adding some spice to your life, I would highly recommend training and running in this spectacular race! I have included the website and some pictures below! Definitely consider this great opportunity.

*Let me know if you want to create a team and register that way!

Pictures from October 20, 2013 when I ran my first 5K!

Just showing off my muscles.

Chalk is forever all over!

Having a great time with my friends!

My wonderful support system/other half 🙂

 

Wilmington, NC

Weigh In: Week 3

So, weigh in was on Friday! This week was a little different from the last few. Many participants stayed the same weight, and many gained a few pounds. I want to make sure everyone knows that there are always going to be some bumps along the way, and you just have to keep on pushing yourself to be better than you were! I know that some were very disappointed, but it’s only motivation to do better next week! I am still so very proud of my participants for becoming more aware of their eating and exercise habits! 

I plan on giving them some more encouraging information during this next week! I will have exercises, nutrition information, and even some motivational quotes for all of them. Keep up the good work 🙂

Remember, the best gym is the one outside! Take a walk, a jog, or play some flag football! Just know that there is always a way to get active.

Happy Sunday 😉   
 

Happy Hump Day!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to remind all of you that it is Hump Day! Remember to keep up all of the good work, and keep pounding!
Also, there are only 2 more days until weigh in number 3! I’m so excited to see the progress that my participants have achieved.
Below I have posted a super awesome HIIT workout:

Upper Body: kettle bell renegades, push ups, kettle bell sumo high pulls
Lower Body: walking lunges, donkey kicks, deadlift
Core: Russian twists, V-ups
Cardio: mountain climbers, burpees, high knees, jumping jacks, tuck jumps

Complete each exercise for a minute. Repeat this cycle 2-3 times to get a full HIIT workout 🙂

Happy Hump Day!

Yogi Tea

I found Yogi Detox Tea at the store! I just wanted to share with all of you! It has ingredients to help cleanse your insides, and it tastes great. If I had to compare the taste to another tea, I’d say it’s similar to Chai Tea (which is also delicious!). Unfortunately, this tea does not have caffiene in it, so I am forced to get my caffeine fix with black tea or coffee, but I enjoy drinking it at pretty much any time of the day. 

Check out this tea and other Yogi brand teas 🙂