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.

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.

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

New Year, New Me.

Uhm, when people told me that the gym was going to be packed I didn’t think it would be so crammed that I felt uncomfortable doing my routine. “New Year, New Me” really has started off strong with the seasonal gym goers 😉 I met a coworker at the gym last night, and I was astonished at the amount of people (granted it was around the time people would usually go anyway, but…). Despite the sea of humans, my partner and I were able to get a good hour and some workout in.

There was a slight second that told me, “just go home, there’s too many people.” I feel like that is just part of the anxiety with anyone (girls especially) who goes to the gym and is surrounded by many bodies. Try your hardest to keep a strong mind and push through those thoughts. Remember, your willpower is stronger than your anxiety.

Some advice:

Remember to bring headphones. Some people just cannot workout without them. I feel that the music helps to interrupt the bad thoughts about being in the gym on your own. Find something either soothing to you like jazz or classical, or find music that gets you in the mood to just  kick ass! I usually listen to punk or rock because it fires me up.

Bring a friend. Although denying the gym because your friend wouldn’t come is NOT a valid excuse, you should always have a partner with you. This will keep both of you accountable, and it’s way more fun with a buddy!

Write out your workout before going. I know it’s hard sometimes to sit down and think about what you want to do at the gym. But it is very important to write out what you will be doing when you get there. It helps motivate you to go, but it also prevents you from aimlessly walking around. That’s when I get nervous. I have to have a plan when I go, or I feel silly!

There are plenty of things you can do to prevent anxiety when going to the gym. Make sure you find the way that works best for you. It’s already hard to get into a solid routine, but if you take the right steps to preventing anxiety, you’ve won half the battle!

Weigh In: Day 1

So, yesterday was weigh in day number one!

Since it was starting weight, everyone was very hesitant to get on the scale. I assured all of the participants that their weights would not be shared with anyone.

In order to keep track of progress, I use a site called Corporate Fitness League. It has all of the tools that I need to log weight, height, BMI (body mass index), age, emails, names, and it even has tabs for exercises and nutrition facts. The site is very easy to navigate and will come in handy when I get too lazy to do calculations 😉

I am extremely excited for everyone to work on this challenge. I feel that it will benefit all of us greatly! Health is so important, and I really feel a change in people’s attitudes already! It makes me happy that the participants are more conscious of their decisions on what to eat and how to exercise.

I plan on displaying quotes on my Biggest Loser board. The first quote of the challenge is: “Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.” I want to make sure that everyone keeps this in mind. You should strive to be healthy because you want to keep your body in good working condition, not because you hate what your body looks like.