Make your mess your message!

I haven't written about this in a while but I feel it's important to remind myself and others that just because you have been through a "mess", in my case an ugly divorce when my son was born DOES NOT MEAN YOUR WORLD HAS ENDED!! In fact, a mess can be turned into your message!! I am much more awesome post divorce, post 20's and post baby! Going through a messy time in your life needs to be looked at in one and one way only. There is something much better on the other side!! For me my mess has turned into me finding my passion for helping people to be healthy and get fit. I am benefiting much more than I could have ever imagined from changing careers (I was previously in HR before becoming a personal trainer). Money is no longer what I strive for or get sad over when I don't have enough. I reversed everything and do what I am passionate about and what comes of it is a much happier more confident person. If you believe in yourself and do what you love you can make money, you can stay home with your son one day a week, you can love to go to work. You have to put the work into it and spend your time making things happen rather than complaining that they are not the way you want them to be. This theory is exactly what changing your body is about. It will happen if you do the work and if you put your heart and soul into it entirely!

 I can relate to moms, I can relate to people struggling with their weight and self-image. I was once there! Here is a picture of me with my son (April 2010) when I was just turning 30....and as I like to say," dazed and confused". I didn't know what I was going to do, I didn't even really know who I was. I have spent the past 3 years finding myself (thru trial and error) and following my passion. Working out and eating right changed me tremendously. It gave me the power to truly be me and not hide behind this girl in the picture. I was sad, mad, scared, divorced, a new mom and honestly LOST.

[caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="225"] My son and I-post divorce-April 2010-right before I started working out and eating right. 138 lbs.[/caption]

Fitness helped me FIND my true self and use that to help and inspire others!  Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to go after what I wanted in ALL aspects of life. I feel amazing now and I have no problem keeping my weight under control. I have changed all of my habits. I live this way now and it is wonderful!!! I do go by the 80/20 rule and indulge in wine, beer order pizza and even eat sweet treats every once in a while but they are not my normal and they are not what I want in my body most of the time. I eat lean and I eat often. I love fruits and veggies and good carbs. I have a daily dose of flax seeds and I drink lots of water. These things help me stay on track and feel great! They give me the energy to go after my dreams and stay fit! In the pic above I weighed 138 lbs. I never really worked out and I ate like crap, I had no muscle tone!!! I remember trying to workout in that previous year and not even being able to get past 1 min on an elliptical! I was pathetic!!! :) Last fall I ran a 10 K and I am now training for the Pittsburgh half-marthon in May! This is amazing considering who I was 3 years ago!

[caption id="attachment_689" align="aligncenter" width="200"] 10K race results-something I never thought I would do![/caption]

My scale has read as low as 109 lbs a year ago and everything in between to where I am now at 125  lbs-strong, toned, full of energy and HAPPY!!! This is where I want to be because this is where I feel my best!!! I don't weigh myself daily and sometimes not even weekly. I base everything on how I FEEL. How do my clothes fit? Am I full of energy or sluggish? The scale is a good gauge but it is not what I "rate" myself on! I would rather have more lean muscle on my body than be a certain number on the scale.

I hope my journey can help Inspire you! If I can do this then YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

[caption id="attachment_690" align="aligncenter" width="283"] Fall 2012-thumbs up![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_691" align="aligncenter" width="291"] On my way to run outside-fall 2012-Never thought this would happen either!!! Just keep going!![/caption]

XOXOXO-A

2013 Resolutions!

Rev up my workouts-no 2 workouts should ever be the same!

Eat cleaner and even healthier!

Set weekly goals.

Organize my junk pile daily-don't worry I will never get rid of you....

Learn something new every day to then teach others!

Uplift others with positive compliments as much as possible!

Try new things-leave my comfort zone-that is where things happen!

Inspire others to be fit!

Own each day-no dwelling in the past or worrying about the future!

Notice the good in every situation!

Stick to my plans and goals!

 

When planning your goals or resolutions-be specific and think big!

Whatever you put your mind to you can do!!!

xoxoxo-A

We will Win today!

 

What will you win today? What will you imagine and then actually go and do? So many things are under our control if we will just do them! What does it take to win, to have what you want??? It takes work , action, determination, belief, passion and mind control! Think about it on the smallest scale....then turn it around to the biggest of your dreams, the biggest goals your mind can think up, the picture of your body in your head. Think and visualize in great detail what you want to look like, feel like, do, achieve,habits you want to kick, habits you want to form, all of it. It is ALL possible!

 



Use your mind to take over your body and I promise you will achieve what you want. It is all in your mind-winning and doing are all in your mind. Once you can overcome your own mind you will overcome your body. Try a little thing today and build on that. Today I will win by not having sugar in my coffee and not let my mind say just a little. Today I will run the entire time and not let my mind tell me to stop when it gets hard. Today I will take a walk. Today I will do something nice for someone else without expecting something in return. Today I will find happiness in making others happy. There are endless "daily wins" you can achieve and I assure you when they all add up, you use your mind and all of its power, you will win and it will become contagious and addicting. You will continue to win on a daily basis because you know what its like to lose and losing isn't what you want (unless you are losing fat-that is great!)

Your attitude runs your life-if you say you can't then you won't. If you say you can then you will. Expect more for yourself and the best part is you are the only one that can make a change so YOU will only have yourself to thank! Having a sense of pride is crucial to wanting to continue to win. Will your name be up in lights on the big screen for winning today? No, probably not but inside where it counts most to yourself is where you will feel like a superstar! Once you start winning you will know that you deserve to win and winning will become what you do.....Once you win you will want to repeat what made you win the first time. You will change those habits into winning ones with ease after you experience the feeling of winning. It will come natural.

Daily wins=Big life changing wins! 

Go you!

xoxoxo-A

 

No Excuses.

What are you waiting for?  Why not make your health your #1 priority right now? What  could possibly be more important than living a well-balanced, active,  fit, highly productive, healthy, long and lovely life?

What are you afraid of? Why haven't you started yet? Take time to actually think about what is holding you back. You need to deal with what that is, face it and NEVER look back. There is no such thing as tomorrow. You have now and you have the past...when will you start? Let's start now!!! Right now! Start to make changes, small ones, and stop bad habits one at a time. Big changes come when tons of little changes add up!!!! Break it down one day at a time, one meal at a time, one workout at a time.

You are worth it-despite what ANYONE has ever told you or how they made you feel. You don't have to be a skinny twig and you don't have to weigh a particular number BUT I believe you should be doing everything in your power-which is pretty much everything-to live a long and healthy life for yourself and for those that love you.  All you have to do before you run one mile on a treadmill or pick up one weight is commit to yourself that you are going to change your body inside and out. Say to yourself everyday that you will not stop until you reach your goal. Once you reach your goal you will set new goals and you will constantly strive to make sure you will be around for many years and be the best version of you that you can be!

You may be "happy" at your current weight or with what you are eating and drinking BUT I know for sure that your body isn't happy and it isn't functioning as well as it could be. It needs to function at its peak potential and it needs good clean nourishment every single day to do so.

You have to start somewhere, at some point,  sometime. Now is that time! Now, Now and Now.....you are not alone and you will have support if you ask for it. Share your goals with your friends and family. Everyone needs a support system to achieve their goals-no matter what they are. We need one another, show love and offer help whenever you can. Happy people=A Happy world.

NO EXCUSE is good enough.....NO EXCUSE at all.....



xoxoxo-A

Mind over matter

Feeling super inspired after a great reminder (at least what I took from it) in church today that God gave us our physical bodies to honor, respect them, treat them right, celebrate them, discipline them, train them and love them. I am reminded that as an official personal trainer now my biggest obstacle will be gaining the committment from my clients to make the change, to accept the resistance of what they want now for a greater, bigger future reward. I cannot make them want deep down to change their eating habits or to want to exercise. They will have to decide that for themselves and once they do-watch out because there will be no stopping them from that point forward! It is all connected, the value of knowing that you are loved by God unconditionally, but that to worship and honor him you will know and you will choose to value your life, your health, your well-being. You will want what he wants for you, what he intended all along for you. Eating right, exercising and resting gets you 3 steps closer to what was always intended for you. Our health effects everything that we do, our behavior, our attitudes and how we co-exist with one another. The biggest step is to first come to this realization and the rest-no pun intended-will be cake! Speaking of cake, I had some last night at a party, and I did not feel one bit of regret. Why not? Because like I have said before you should always allow yourself to celebrate, to "cheat", to enjoy what you like in moderation. Daily you are resisting and disciplining yourself and that is why it is so much better when you get to have your cake and eat it too! For me, my cake is the daily discipline and resistance that I show which allows me to feel how I feel and do what I do. I hope you can relate to this because it is the key to making the change, to building your self-esteem, your muscles and your love for this precious life God has given you.

Now go...resist, train and then celebrate!

xoxoxo-A

Some tips & tricks to getting your fit on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know, I know....you "don't like water"....you "don't like salad, you don't like veggies, you can't run, you don't have time, it cost too much to eat healthy"....if I had a dollar for every time I heard something like this, I would be rich or at least be able to buy a real Louis Vuitton bag!!!

Tip #1: Stop with the excuses! They will get you nowhere fast!

Tip #2: Yes you can! You really can! I promise! Don't say I can't and do not say I Don't....only speak the words I can and I do and my favorite I did.

Tip#3: Drink water all day, everyday by adding fruit to it. I do this almost daily by filling up my DD Iced coffee cup that I usually get in the morning with water and fruit, whatever I have on hand.  I drink at least 3 of these 32 oz size cups on top of the iced coffee that I already had out of the same cup that morning. Drinking water is like a daily cleanse for yourself....it gives you clearer skin, it flushes all of the bad out of your system and your body literally needs it to survive! I do not drink enough water throughout the day without this cup, not joking, it's like my security blanket.

Tip #4: Get a fitness buddy-they will help encourage you and keep you motivated while having fun with a friend!

Tip#5: Buy the same things over and over at the store. Pick your daily foods that are healthy and stick with them. This is what you eat now....there is no thinking, "hmmm what am I going to eat?". You already know and you know its good for you. They will become your staples and then spice them up from time to time with different fruits, veggies, spices and herbs. For me this is usually chicken, ground turkey,  sweet potatoes or yams, rice cakes, peanut butter, almonds, Greek yogurt, granola, oatmeal, brown rice, milk, cheese, lettuce, fruits and veggies. I save so much time at the store and at home!

Tip #6: Be "that guy" when ordering at a restaurant. Feel free to ask for things the way you want them and should be eating them-steamed, grilled, no sauce, no cheese, etc. They might find you annoying but smile big and thank them so much...its worth getting a strange look or a roll of the eyes over putting empty junk in your body just because that is the way it is listed on the menu.

I hope these help you! I know they help me!

xoxoxo-A

Karate chopping intimidation at the gym!

 

So I have been hearing from some friends that "they don't belong at a gym"....they are "intimidated by the other people there that are in better shape than them" ....(insert any other excuse, I mean reason, here) etc. Well let me tell you a secret,  I was once a scared little puppy just like some of you and I want to help karate chop that intimidation for you right now. I am clumsy. I am not coordinated. I had no idea what I was doing 2 years ago when I first started. I wanted to keep to myself and I didn't want help. I didn't feel like I fit in there either. Now, 2 years later I could care less about who is there, what they look like, what they are wearing or what they are doing. I am there for me and for my development. I am in the zone from start to finish. I observe what others are doing so that I can try new things and see whats going on in the world of fitness but I am there with my goals to accomplish and that is that. Remember, "those people" were not born physically fit perfect specimens. They also stepped into the gym for the first time one day and needed to lose weight or get ripped, toned and killed just like you. If you dare enter the gym you will be surrounded by people with like goals which is so important in staying motivated when trying to transition yourself to a healthy lifestyle. The gym is my happy place. Exercise releases endorphins. Think about it, you are going to one of the most happy places on earth, there are endorphins flying around everywhere! Laugh at the gym. It's a FUN place to be! Above all else, please don't be afraid to go to the gym, to try running in the park, to try a spinning class..... to do anything. Life is too short to be scared of anything.

Be bold, be brave, be yourself.

Now go...karate chop your fears. You are awesome!

xoxoxo-A

Be Full of LOVE

Be full-full of thanks and gratitude for everything you have and are going through. Be mindful of others and how they act, who are they and what they are not. Take and absorb the traits of others that you wish to be. We are attracted to others because they have traits that we want in ourselves. Be fully aware of what you are doing at every moment. I just tucked my son into bed and as we talked I was very much in that moment. I was fully aware of that too. It was like I stepped out of myself and saw us and reminded myself to pay attention and feel the moment and enjoy it and I did.

I have also noticed that in my life I have met people and I have strongly gravitated to them because of certain traits they possessed. I didn't realize it at the time but I did and now I can see in myself certain things about my family and friends that I really admire about them. Then on the flip side maybe also a little bit of what I consciously try not to be. I am sure I am looked at the same way so that was not an insult in any way. We are who we are. Wouldn't it be great if we were all born with a job title on our birth certificates so that we didn't have to spend all of this time trying to figure it out....ha! Mine would say: Adrienne Lefcakis (I have no middle name) born April 15, 1980 Pittsburgh, PA "Future Personal Trainer and super loving person". Or could they at least have a disclaimer that says: "God loves you and everything will always be ok-promise."

Be very grateful for all of your past experiences. People really do come in and out of your life for very good reasons. Once you realize its ok to let go and take that person and those experiences to help you keep growing-you will be a much calmer and smarter person. They are put in your life for a reason at the time and taken out at a time. It is all part of a master plan and a great one at that. You just have to believe that everything will always be ok. People can change, people can be sorry and realize what they have done in the past was wrong. I really don't like the phrase "people don't change". I do believe you "can't change people"....they have to do that on their own. We almost can't blame each other for the way we act in particular situations because it only happened like that because of who we were in the process of realizing this concept. So my point is, don't hold grudges, don't put blame and hate. Just accept it for what it is now and make the best of it! Make it awesome! Love really is what makes the world go round. Once you choose love as your path I swear things get easier and easier to sail through.

Just some things I've learned along my way.....

xoxoxo-A

Staying Focused daily~because tomorrow may never even come~

Stay Focused! Rule #1 when trying to achieve results. Write stuff down. Keeping track and setting daily goals is the best way to go.Rome was not built in a day. I use a BodyMinder to keep track of what I am doing to my body and what I am feeding it. Its like a "To Do List" for your body. The most important part of you. The part that allows you to go and do and enjoy life.  I know it can seem overwhelming to keep track of all you have to do in a day and now I want you to write down your workouts and what you ate? Seriously? YES, seriously!!! It will help keep you accountable and get results. It gives you an outline for each day, including columns for how much water you drank to how intense your workout was and a meter to grade your goals met for the day.Of course it also helps you keep track of cardio, strength training and calories. I don't want you to worry about where you are going to be in 2 weeks or in a month or 2. Where are you today? Where will you be tomorrow? What steps are you taking today to achieve the results you want? I have used this and then stopped and I assure you that it is better to use than not.  You can look at it and be proud of how awesome you are. It's right there on paper as proof!

 

DFTBA!

Are you in an abusive relationship with your own body?

Think about this....relationships are what lives are made up of right? Who are you closer to than your own body? There is no one else that will speak the truth better than your body. We are all souls/spirits inhabiting a body. We get to make that body function poorly or amazingly depending on how we treat it.  It reacts directly based upon what you feed it, if you exercise it, if you let it sleep and of course adversely if you do the opposite. It can not tell a lie. This should be one of the best relationships you have-always truthful, listen to your body, when its hungry feed it and feed it well. When it needs to stretch drop down and give it a downward facing dog. When it needs to rest lay it down.

What do you want most out of a relationship with your significant other? Love and respect right? Anything less is ABUSIVE. Don't abuse your own body! Please! So many times I hear people complaining of aches and pains, feeling sluggish, having headaches, feeling tired and weak....guess what....your body is mad at you and it's trying to tell you!!! Example: It's 11 a.m and you have a headache, lack of motivation, sleepy, miserable...sound familiar? That is your body telling you that you forgot to love it by feeding it breakfast and you also forgot to respect it by oh so casually missing its mid morning snack. It may also be a little bitter that you let it lay around all night instead of taking it for a walk the night before. Give your body what it needs and it will be your best friend!

Not eating is abuse. Eating badly is abuse. Drinking your face off repeatedly is abuse. Lack of exercise is abuse. Once you have abused something so much it shuts down, it will hide, it will search for happiness in all the wrong places. It will become dark and scarred. Please don't abuse your own body. It needs you and you need it just like every good relationship...there is give and take. Give it what it needs so you can get what you need. You need to be happy above all else. Use your own body to do this!  You have the control (which is not something we can say about a lot in life). The choice is yours-STAY IN THE ABUSE OR LEAVE IT, CHANGE IT, MAKE IT BETTER, MAKE IT AWESOME. We are all capable you just have to want it bad enough to make it a priority and take the leap. When you realize you are worth it you will end the "abuse" walking away never looking back with no regrets. You will feel and know you made the right choice. You will choose love and you will choose respect. You will choose happiness. xoxoxo-A

Things don't exist unless they are imagined first!

Don't stop believing, reaching or day dreaming about what you want. Your thoughts turn into reality so why not reach for the stars? Why not want great things and people in your life? Why not surround yourself with ideas and words that you want to become your reality. I made this Goal/Inspiration board a few months ago and I know it may seem silly but it keeps me focused and excited about what I want to keep present in my life and what I am reaching for. Last night I freaked out pretty bad about being laid off, being broke, having to move soon and basically everything I had gone through in the past 3 years. THAT WAS OVERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST!   I felt that maybe I was being too much of a dreamer and not being realistic with my current situation.  Then someone very close to me reminded me that "things don't exist unless they are imagined first!" Goals and dreams are what keep us motivated and excited to be alive! Be smart. Be motivated. Don't stop just because a small road-block has come your way....use it to spring you into even more greatness. I believe there is nothing better than overcoming a challenge or several at one time. This feeling is like no other! Working out to me, whether it's lifting weights and getting through that last set when you think there is no way and then you do 5 more reps just to say "ha, I did it and then I did some more when I didn't even think I could do it at all". Or when you think you will run the track 6 laps and you do 7 or 8 because you believed you could so you did even though it wasn't your plan when you started. Life is about pushing yourself to the limit and celebrating at the end! It's the journey not the destination. How proud will you be of yourself when things get tough and you overcome and then some???!!!

"Anything in life worth having is worth working for." -Andrew Carnegie

Looking for Peace? You might already have it!

[caption id="attachment_27" align="alignnone" width="300"] Love this! In a time of chaos when you are looking for PEACE-remember what PEACE really means![/caption]