Barbells of wisdom.

     For the past two years I have been working out and changing my lifestyle. I work out at least twice a week, EVERY week. I have gone from a size 16 to a size 10, lost about 30lbs and learned a shit-load about what it means to be healthy. It has been an eye opening experience for me, lots of ups and downs, lots of crying, lots of moments where I thought I would quite, and lots of victories. I would like to share with you, some tips and insight into this crazy journey and what it was for me. I know a lot of you are just starting out, just trying to get healthy.  I hope this post can help keep you focused on your goal, and help you realize that a lot of people are going through the same crap that you are. So, in no particular order, here are the top things I learned while losing weight.

* Get a partner....or two, three, four.... Be accountable! Find a group of women who know you, have the same fitness and lifestyle goals, and make a plan. Set some goals together and be accountable to each other. Show up for workouts and if someone doesn't make it, call and harass them! (And hope they do the same for you) There is no hope in hell that I would have ever made it this far without the amazing group of women I have around me.

* Say goodbye to whatever boobs you may have. They will be the first to go! 

* Abs are made in the kitchen! Believe me, I have a solid six-pack under that layer of fat, and all the working out in the world is not going to show them off. You have to change your diet AND exercise. It doesn't have to be extreme, make little changes every day. Add more fruits and veggies, drink more water, watch your portions. You will get there. 

* There is no magic pill! If you want to lose weight and keep it off, the only solution is hard work. Don't buy in to the diet pills, the hormone supplements, protein drinks, magic shakes or wonder drinks. Everything you need to lose weight and get healthy can be found in the produce aisle of your grocery store. 

* Celebrate every victory and keep track of all of it! You ran your first lap around the track without stopping? Write it down and don't be afraid to celebrate it! Sure there are lots of people who can do that... but there are also a lot of people who can't. You just became part of the group of people who CAN!

* Never, EVER compare yourself to someone else. This is true for most areas of your life! You cannot compare how fast you run to someone else who has been running forever. Even if you do the same training, some people are just faster. You have to be proud that you are even running! Some people are good at running, some people are good at squats. You will find what you are good at and you will rock the shit out of it!

* Throw out your scale and measure yourself!!! Take pictures too, naked ones! (Or close to it) Its really hard to see weight loss on yourself, but if you have pictures and measurements, they cannot lie! I went from a size 16 to a size 12 without losing a single pound. And nothing ever happens overnight. 

* Whatever fitness and lifestyle goals you set, add FOREVER to the end of it. A wise man once told me. (Thank you Nick for all that you do! We love you!!) I want to be able to run a 5km without stopping or wanting to die....forever! YES! I want to be able to avoid all cookies and cakes and any form of sugar....forever?? Set standards and goals that you can live with....FOREVER! 

* LIFT WEIGHTS! Do not be afraid to lift weight, you will not turn into a bulging muscle head. You will look leaner, feel stronger and burn fat as you sleep.  

* Eating healthy is not complicated. Although it may seem that way because there is soooo much information out there, its hard to know what to trust. Its simple. Add more veggies, eat proteins after a workout to rebuild your muscles, drink lots of water and never skip a meal. 

* There are no failures. You might slow down, you might take a break, you might eat 12 mini cupcakes in one day or eat your child entire advent calendar . As long as you dust yourself off and get back up, you did not fail.  

     I always expected that I would work hard to lose weight, then stop once I reached the goal. This is so far from the reality. The changes I have made are with me forever. I will live longer and stronger because of the changes I have made. Its not easy, but nothing worth having ever is. Yes its hard work, but you know whats harder? Looking the mirror every day and being sad about how I look. There were so many days that I stood in front of that mirror and wished so hard that I would find the energy to change. Now that I have, I can look in the mirror and be proud. Sure there are still things I want to change, but now I can do that with my head held high.