If you live in the south, you’ve heard the phrase “come hell or high water”. That’s how I felt on Friday, Day 3 of the challenge. I planned to stay on the 24 day challenge and update you guys over the weekend, come hell or high water. Well incase you didn’t know, I’m from North Houston. Which means that I’ve had both hell and high water over the past few days! For the sake of accountability, I’m gonna tell you guys alllll about it.

Day 3 (Friday) –
Stayed on my meal plan with the exception of 3 beers at the fairgrounds on Friday night. 3 beers when you’re dieting is WAY different than 3 beers when you’re not dieting. I was drunk as a skunk, but I turned down Bucees chicken strips and French fries in the name of Advocare. Hallelujah.

Day 4 (Saturday) –
Woke up Saturday morning and had my normal breakfast, followed by a late lunch at Salata about 6 hours later. I had a small salad and actually cheated a little by eating a few bites of my sister’s white roll dipped in the tomato basil soup, which I do not regret because it was amazing. Fast forward to Saturday night, I had a total of 9 beers and 3 Vegas Bombs. If I were keeping a list of the most intoxicated I’ve ever been, Saturday night would be in the top 5.

Day 5 (Sunday) –
Woke up Sunday morning surprisingly not hungover. But that’s probably because I was still a little drunk. Sunday was the “hell” part of the ‘hell or high water’ thing I mentioned earlier, for personal reasons. I was distracted on my drive home and I accidentally drove all the way to Tomball on 99, so I went to Krista’s house and drank some more. Because hell. Krista finally convinced me to shower and put on some clean clothes, which I did, and we set off to my house to meal prep and pack a bag so I could stay with her that night. While we were at my house I finally ate. I made my tuna and egg protein surprise, and holy hell why don’t I eat that every day? It was so delicious.

Day 6 (Monday) –
This is the “high water” part. It started raining Sunday night around 5:30 and it stormed until sometime Monday morning. I decided not to try to make it to work, which was the best thing I could have done. I slept until like 11am and spent the rest of day on the couch with Krista watching OITNB. I stayed on my meal plan for breakfast and lunch but I wasn’t hungry for my snack so I didn’t eat it. I eventually made my way back to my house from Krista’s and lounged around for a few hours before going to sleep.
So that’s it! That was my weekend. On Monday morning, I was feeling extra lean so I decided to weigh myself. Krista’s scale said 179.8. So on Day 6 of my 24 day challenge, I had already lost more than 13 pounds. And I feel every bit of 13 pounds lighter! If you remember, I started this challenge just trying to get rid of my cravings. I didn’t think I’d lose more than 5 pounds, if that! So my weight loss has come as a complete shock to me. This challenge is already worth every penny, and I’m only a quarter of the way done with it. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the challenge takes me!

Day 2 was another good day. I still got the same burst of energy about an hour after breakfast, but I didn’t feel it as intensely this time. I stayed pretty full during the day. I wanted to inhale the entire fridge as I was piddleing around in the kitchen making my lunch, but that’s more of a binge eating tendency than me actually being hungry or craving something. Today I did crave corn nuts! Of all the things. I eat corn nuts maybe once a year, I guess it’s corn nut time again! Lmao.

The chart has really helped me stay on track with my supplements. Speaking of supplements, I am adding Catalyst to my 24 Day Challenge starting tomorrow. As I was reading tips and tricks and reviews of the 24DC, I saw an outstanding number of people raving about Catalyst and calling it “lipo in a bottle”… This is one of the few Advocare products I’ve never tried (because lesbihonest, it sounds too good to be true!) but I’m excited to add it to my regimen. I’m going to take a dose before my workouts, so I will update you all and see if I notice a difference.

Speaking of workouts, I had an amazing workout today! I went to the gym and ended up doing WAY more than I planned on doing. I didn’t want to leave! This was the first time in a very long time where I was running around, trying new things, challenging myself. It was great! I left the gym feeling really accomplished. I knew I could have done more, but I was really looking forward to going home and going to sleep. So I did.

I’m looking forward to Day 3, as I will be adding my Catalyst. This weekend I am unsure if I need to still wake up and go to bed at the same times as during the week as to not throw off my metabolism, or if I can stay up late and sleep in as long as I continue taking my products before/with meals. Eating won’t be a challenge for me this weekend as I’m not having any cravings and I’ve been able to turn down food up to this point. (Today there was cake at work to celebrate a birthday, but I didn’t even have one piece!) I’m going to make time for the gym over the weekend and hopefully my workouts will remain high-energy like they were today. Will update soon!

Day 1 was overall a good day. I thought I was going to struggle with remembering to take the supplements before breakfast and at dinner time, so I set a silent alarm on my Fitbit to remind me. I also made a quick reference chart where I’ll be checking off the supplements I’m taking throughout the day. I keep that chart in my Erin Condren planner since I mess with it all day anyway. I didn’t forget any pills or doses yesterday, and I’ve walked away with some very valuable information and observations:

• The fiber powder I was so worried about… I shouldn’t have worried about at all. I mixed the powder and my spark in a blender bottle and took it with 10 oz of water at breakfast. I had to add another 2-3 oz about halfway through because I could tell it was thickening, but I think I actually prefer the fiber & spark to just spark! The spark is a little less bitter thanks to the fiber, which is technically unflavored, but it neutralizes it or something.
• HOLY ENERGY! About an hour after breakfast I got a massive rush of energy. I was saying “good morning” to everyone that walked past, I was giving high fives, I was smiling… It was weird. Lol. I’ve never had Spark affect me as strongly as it did yesterday. We’ll see if that stays the same or if I get used to it.
• The sleep at the end of Day 1 was the best sleep I’ve had in my entire life. I’m not exaggerating. I slept the entire night. I didn’t wake up and turn over, I didn’t reach for Justin, I didn’t have trouble falling asleep… It was weird. I fell asleep facing my desk and woke up also facing my desk. That tells me that I didn’t move all night. I slept so good and so hard that I woke up and had no idea what the time was. I thought I set a weird alarm that I had forgot about and it was actually, like, midnight. But nope! 4:45. I hopped out of bed with my swag on. I wasn’t groggy, or grumbly… I was happy!
• Went to HEB after the gym to stock up on supplies for shark week and I didn’t grab a chocolate bar like I normally do on this particular monthly shopping trip. I didn’t want chocolate at all. In fact, the only thing that sounded good were the Pistachios by the register, which I bought along with some Almonds and Cashews.

So my energy level and my sleep quality were the big shocks to me yesterday. Skirting the dreaded chocolate craving wasn’t as big of a deal to me for some reason. Day 1 of a new regimen, you don’t expect any change at all! Much less something dramatic like what I experienced. I’m excited to see where the rest of the cleanse phase takes me (:

... and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… JK LOOK AT ME OVER HERE STIRRING! I’m going crazy! I am so damn excited to start this challenge. Here are my thoughts –

1. I probably should have done a little more research on the diet aspect of the 24DC. I wasn’t planning to change my diet at all while on the challenge, for two reasons; One, I don’t eat badly; Two, I’ve been seeing great results with my current meal plan. But as I’m researching and reading more and more reviews and experiences, I’m thinking that maaaaybe I should have included a bit more protein, and more snacks for sure. There’s always next week, I guess! Hashtag, learning experience.
2. Really not looking forward to the fiber drink in the mornings. Like, REALLY not looking forward to it. Actually completely dreading it. I’m not a chugger and I do vomit rather easily. But sincerely hoping it’s not as bad as everyone says.
3. I honestly don’t expect to lose much weight. I’ve been working out and dieting pretty consistently for at least a year, so I just can’t see myself achieving the miraculous weight loss that some people see with this program. I just don’t think there’s much of me left to lose! I say this with my fingers crossed and I hope I’m 100% wrong. But I’m a realist.
4. “they” aka random people on the internet, say that you should drink ‘plenty of water’ on this challenge. I wonder how much water “they” consider to be plenty. Because ya girl is getting at least two gallons a day.

Like I said, I’m accepting this challenge at this point of my journey to refocus myself. My cravings are pretty bad and my workouts are fairly low intensity because my energy level is low (which is my own fault – I haven’t been getting enough sleep). I don’t expect to lose more than 5 or 10 pounds. BUT. I’ve never gone more than a week without having a cheat meal or bingeing out of control, so hopefully I will be able to stay on track for the next 24 days and achieve results I’ve never seen before! I will post my starting photos and weight here for accountability reasons:

If you're interested in getting more info about the 24 Day Challenge, click here to learn more! There's still time to join my Challenge group, should you be interested.
Click here to send me an email! I normally respond pretty quickly, and it's one-on-one confidental where you can ask me anything your little heart desires.

Also, right now Advocare is running a promotion where if you purchase a 24DC, you get free shipping on your entire order. They are also including an extra box of Spark! This is really an awesome promotion, and in my time with Advocare I've never seen them run anything like this (so take advantage of it while it lasts!).
I will update you guys soon (:

The time is now! I've made up my mind, and I am going to do a 24 Day Challenge by Advocare. I decided to take on this challenge (although it will mean giving up alcohol for almost a month, brb crying) because I just CANNOT beat my cravings. I realized I had a problem yesterday when I was driving home listening to Ron White on Pandora and he said “Tator Tot” and my mouth started watering. Lol. It’s funny, but not really.

Cravings have always been a problem for me on my journey. It’s really held me back. I’ve had excellent weeks where I was able to stay on my meal plan and lose a good amount of weight, just to poison my body with fast food or something fried on the weekend. I always feel like total crap for several days after I eat something bad! And if it becomes a habit (which it always does) by the time Monday rolls around, I feel lethargic and lack energy, BIG TIME. On the other hand, on the select weeks where I don’t fall (or jump) off the wagon, I feel amazing. Give me 7 days of clean eating and I’m pretty sure I can complete a triathlon!

It’s not easy, by any means, to “just eat right”. Nearly every social outing nowadays involves either food or alcohol. It’s not something most people can avoid. And it’s even harder to beat when you’re an emotional eater, like I am. Between the emotional eating and the cravings, I’m basically screwed. And when I do give in, it affects me for days. I have zero energy, I break out, and worst of all – I crave even more bad food.

The 24 Day Challenge is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I always seem to have a reason to put it off, but I’ve gotten to a point where I won’t put it off any longer! Most people lose between 10 and 25 pounds on the 24 Day Challenge, so I’m also looking forward to being that much closer to my goal weight. Currently I’m around 80 pounds down from where I started last February, I my ultimate goal is to be 100 pounds down, overall, and then start building muscle and sculpting my body.

I ordered my 24 Day Challenge today, April 5th, and I am expecting it to arrive sometime tomorrow. I’m going to start my challenge either Friday or Sunday, depending on when the people in my challenge group are ready to start! #nochallengerleftbehind2016 Lol I actually just made that up but seriously – The challenge is 150X easier when you have people doing it with you. Accountability, for one, and you also get to share your success with people and see theirs!

I’m going to be posting regular updates on social media, of course, but I also plan on writing a two part blog on my experience. I don’t know what results this challenge will bring, but it can’t hurt!

If anyone is interested in participating in my 24 Day Challenge, leave a comment or send me an email. I will be happy to answer any and all questions you might have. Here are some common ones I get:

How do I order?
Go to chaneyshrinks.com and click the Advocare tab. On the upper left side click “24 Day Challenge” under ‘Shop Products By’. Then click “Create your own 24DC bundle”. From there you choose your flavors of Spark, Fiber, and Meal Replacement Shake, in addition to choosing an MNS system.

What is the best flavor of Spark?
Fruit punch. I legitimately got two boxes of fruit punch. Mango Strawberry, Green Apple, and Pink Lemonade are also pretty great.

How do I know what Fiber to get?
They are all the same price, but the unflavored is recommended because it contains the most soluble fiber. Meaning the fiber mixes better and there are less gritty pieces. Also, with the unflavored, you can mix it with you Spark or Meal Replacement Shake and hopefully you won’t even notice it.

What’s the difference in the MNS systems?
It basically boils down to this – All three are going to give you energy and help control your appetite. However, the MNS C and MNS E contain double the caffeine of MNS 3. In addition, each system specifically targets one area and improves it. For help with energy, choose MNS E. For help with cravings, choose MNS C. For help with both, choose MNS 3. I went with MNS 3 because I don’t want any extra energy at the end of the day!

How much does it cost?
With shipping, the 24 Day Challenge is around $200. However, consider the following:

• You get 14 days of Meal Replacement Shakes in your 24 Day Challenge. If you had been spending $5 a day for that meal, that’s $70 still in your pocket. If your replaced meal was more like $10 a day, you’re saving $140 over the course of two weeks.
• You get 24 days of “wake up” drink. For some people it’s coffee, for some people it’s soda. Let’s say you spend $2 a day on coffee or a soda from the vending machine or gas station – That’s another almost 50 bucks you aren’t going to have to spend over the course of 3 weeks.
• Consider the 24 Day Challenge to be an investment into yourself. If you were going to a job interview, you would buy a nice dress or pant suit, maybe splurge on a manicure or a haircut to make sure you put your best foot forward. That is investing in yourself! The 24 Day Challenge is also an investment. Not only does this program have the potential to give you more energy, but think about how much happier and confident you would be if you lost, say, 15 pounds. I know I’ve personally been in the situation of saying “I’d go over there if I looked sexier” or “I’d raise my hand in the meeting if I more confident”.

I am finally back in a place where I am looking forward to every single meal and workout.

And to tell you the truth, I could not be happier. It has been a long few months, and I guess you could consider it a plateau. I’ve been floating between 183 and 193 since the middle of December and it’s now the middle of March. So I’ve been “in a plateau” for four months now. It’s not that I stopped working out or I stopped meal prepping. I was still doing everything I had been doing previously. My problem was the binge eating and the low intensity workouts.

I was still able to make myself go to the gym and follow my meal prep during the day. At night and on weekends, I can’t say that the same is true. It became easier for me to justify unhealthy food like ice cream and breakfast pastries from Starbucks and doughnuts. It became easier for me to say “I’ve run a mile, that’s enough.” I wasn’t challenging myself, and therefore I wasn’t changing myself.

Giving up was never an option for me. Although I could see myself living happily at my current weight, I still have my ultimate goal of being 100 lbs down. Even if it’s just for the day, I want to earn the right to say “I lost 100 lbs”. Of course I would have liked to hit that goal months ago, but I never gave up. I think I had to struggle and really learn to appreciate the process before I could move past my plateau.

I’m not really sure what changed. I’m not really sure what I said or did or saw or heard that put me in this place where suddenly, I’m ME again. I wish I could tell you guys. Share my “secret”. But there isn’t one. Last week I was practically sobbing at the idea of forcing myself to go to the gym. This week, I’m sobbing because I have to take a day off. I don’t know, man. I just know that I fell back in love with this process. With the sweat and the prepped meals and the dirty yoga pants and most importantly the results.

This has been quite the learning experience, though. I now know that it’s easy as fuck to maintain your weight. You may float plus or minus 5 pounds depending on the day, but you can pretty much eat whatever you want as long as you’re still going to the gym (even for a little). I cannot WAIT to be at that point permanently. Omg. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the amazing food I’ll get to enjoy again!

I have about 20 pounds to go before I hit my final goal. I’m giving myself a time frame of two months. By the end of May, I have every intention of hitting my 100 lb goal and making the transition into strength workouts and maintenance. Cardio will always be my first love, but I can’t wait to be swole.

If you took the time to read this rambling blog, I want to say Thank You. You’re one of the many reasons I keep going. My readers here, my followers on Instagram, my Snapchat buddies, and my lifelong friends on Facebook have all been a huge part of my motivation. I hear all the time how you guys think I’m inspiring, or motivating, or amazing. Really, it’s you all. You keep me going on my bad days. I push, for you. So thanks :)

I’m not writing this post because I think I know everything there is to know about loss. I don’t think I have all the answers. In fact, I have a very limited experience with death and grief and legitimate soul-gripping sadness. But this, I can say… It’s changed me. It changes me every day. Every day is the hardest day yet, and so far it hasn’t gotten any easier.  

The first thing I’ve learned about grief is that everyone does it differently. Death effects everyone in completely unique way, and it never effects you in the way you think it will. For example. When I first got the call that my Aunt was sick, I was devastated. That was expected. And then she passed, and I was calm. Not super calm. Like, seeing my family upset made me upset, but for the most part I was okay. That was moderately unexpected. And then before I knew it, it was the day of the funeral. I didn’t shed a single tear until the very end, where I cried for maybe 2 minutes. Didn’t cry at the graveside at all. This was completely and totally unexpected. As close as I was to my Aunt Stacie, I expected my grief to throw me into a black hole of unending sadness and misery. But it didn’t. (Well, hadn’t… Yet.)

The weird thing about grief is that most of the time, I’m fine with my Aunt Stacie not being here anymore. I wouldn’t bring her back, even if I could. Not even for an hour or for “one last conversation”. THAT is my Aunt Stacie’s legacy. She was such an amazing person that I don’t have a single doubt about who she was or where she’s at now or how much she loved me. Loved all of us. I’m genuinely happy she’s in heaven. I’m happy that she’s with God and her Daddy and Johnny Cash and all the friends and family that went before her. I’m happy she isn’t in pain anymore… Most of the time. Grief hits me when I think about her being here. Grief hits me when I think about what she’d be doing if she were here. Grief hits me when I think about what she’d say to me in a certain situation or about something going on in my life. Grief hits me when I realize I’m following a path she taught me to walk. Or when I realize I’m learning a lesson she tried to teach me. That’s when I grieve.

It’s almost like the longer she’s not here, the more I grieve. Like the more time I could be spending with her that passes, the more I realize that she’s really gone. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t upset at the funeral… I didn’t yet realize that she was gone. I didn’t realize she wasn’t just a phone call away because duh, she’s laying right up there!

I am lucky that Aunt Stacie is buried in a cemetery maybe 3 miles from my house. I’ve gone to visit her about once a week since she’s passed. I don’t try to go that often. Sadly, most of the time, I just end up there. It’s really sad when there’s a world full of people and the one you need lives in a cemetery.

I’ll give you guys an example of something that’s really gotten to me:
My sister’s 21st birthday. On my 21st birthday, we had a family dinner with my first margarita and Mexican food. Aunt Stacie showed up, of course, and somehow through the course of the meal she convinced me to go with her to a bar. In Monaville. One of her bars. And have a beer. She took me to the bar that night and bought me my first legal beer. One of the first things my sister said to me after my Aunt passed was “I’m never gonna get to have a beer with Aunt Stacie” and in that moment I decided that I was going to make it happen. So on the night of my sister’s 21st birthday, me and my boyfriend and Bailey and her boyfriend all met with beer at the cemetery and had a beer with Aunt Stacie. Even poured a little out for our homie. That night was particularly hard for me because all I could think was “It’s not supposed to be like this”. She should be here. She should be dragging Bailey to Monaville even though she has work tomorrow. But she isn’t.

And most of the time, I’m fine. I’m blessed that I don’t stay up all night wondering if Aunt Stacie is in heaven or hell. I’m blessed that even though we hadn’t talked in a while, I knew exactly how much she loved me and how much I meant to her. I’m blessed that she left me little comments on my blogs and Facebook posts that I randomly come across.

I know this blog wasn’t Fitness related. Sue me. I needed to write this more than any of you needed to read it. Aunt Stacie was so proud of my fitness journey and who I am as a person. I remember one time she texted me and said “I’m up late reading you blogs. I check them about once a week. I don’t really know why I’m so proud of you because I didn’t raise you and I definitely didn’t teach you how to write. But when I read you blogs I’m moved to tears. Your passion and intelligence is clear in your writing. Love you” or something to that effect.

In closing, I’ll leave you with this. During the funeral people kept saying how lucky they were to know her. How lucky they were to that she had effected them. My Aunt Stacie didn’t effect me. She was the opposite of an effect. She was a cause. She’s the reason I drive a Camaro. Exclusively Aunt Stacie. She’s the reason I’ve held onto my Johnny Cash obsession. She’s the reason I was courageous enough to choose a technical school instead of going to college. She’s the reason I hang out in bars when I get the chance. She’s the reason I don’t necessarily want kids. She’s the reason I chase the sun [direct shameless reference to Krista]. She’s the reason I know family doesn’t mean a blood type or traits. She’s the reason I love the ocean. And she’s the strongest woman I’ve ever had the privilege of loving.

Unless your name is Patrick Star and you live under a rock, I'm sure you've seen the very controversial holiday cup that Starbucks unveiled this past Saturday. The "controversy" started when one "Christian" posted a video to his Facebook page, claiming that Starbucks had prompted a war on Christianity... Because their holiday cups were plain red. To understand how stupid this is, lets take a look at the holiday cups that Starbucks has released in years past...

As you can see, the cups from years' past have contained poinsetta flowers, sparkles, pine trees, reindeer, and ornaments. All the things Jesus preached about in the Bible. Here's this year's holiday cup:

This little demonic red gradient cup comes with a gold sparkly sleve as so you don't burn yourself on the satanic liquid within. How thoughtful of them! Social media made SUCH a big deal out of this little red cup that I decided to dance with the devil. I decided that today, Friday the 13th, I would walk into hell (aka Starbucks) and purchase myself a little cup of sin. So I did just that. Here's what I found as I ventured into the Devil's realm on this most unholy of days:

Here you see bags of ground-up fecal matter from the Devil himself labeled "Christmas Blend". This was obviously shocking to me, since I had previously been told that Starbucks had waged a war on Christians and were consequently boycotting Christmas and all things Jolly. Luckily I kept my wits about me.

Possessed by the Devil, I ordered and payed for my coffee. A triple Pumpkin Spice Latte with no whipped cream. I watched the woman behind the counter prepare it, wondering if she had any idea that she was preforming the Devil's deeds. I knew deep down that I would receive a cup of sin which the Devil would enchant to taste like my normal drink.She handed me my cup, which I contained the blood of my enemies. I couldn't bear to drink it. It was 30 minutes later sitting at my desk before I took the first sip:

In an effort to change up my life (cuz ya know, I do that) I tried fasted cardio this morning and it’s been magical. Here are some of my favorite observations from today.

Observation #1 – I hopped right out of bed this morning.
What?! On a Monday?! Yes, you read that correctly. When I woke up at exactly 3:20 this morning, I hit the snooze button (of course) but I didn’t go back to sleep. I didn’t roll over and slam my eyes shut in a desperate attempt to capture that last 15 minutes of sleep. This morning was different. Of course I was tired, but knowing that I’d already committed to a morning gym session (by laying out my clothes the night before) really got me thinking. Should I take preworkout, or Spark? Did I set out my headphones or are they in my backpack? Should I tan today? Will I have time to tan today? How cold is it outside?

Observation #2 – My day is over when I clock out
There’s not many things worse than getting off a 12-hour shift and having to drag yourself to the gym. It really, really sucks. Since my workouts happen in the morning now, my day is actually over when I clock out. I get to drive home, shower, and go right to sleep. That’s paradise, folks.

Observation #3 – I’m actually awake at work
Normally it takes a Spark and about 4 hours before I’m ready to engage in conversation with my coworkers. It’s even worse on days where I didn’t get at least 8 hours of sleep. But since my day started about 2 hours and a sweat session earlier than normal, I was wide awake when I walked in the door this morning. I was telling people “good morning”, giving high fives… It was weird.

Observation #4 – I’m hitting my Fitbit goals earlier in the day
It’s only 10:30 and I’ve already hit my goal of 5000 steps for the day. My workout was less than 1000 steps, so hitting my goal is entirely due to all the energy I have post-workout. Normally, all that post-workout energy goes to waste because I go home and go right to sleep. But not today! I’ve been awake since 3:20 this morning and I have YET to crash or feel tired.

Observation #5 – I’m drinking water to rehydrate, not to get ahead
This is at the top of the “Things I Didn’t Expect” list. Today, I am actually thirsty! Normally, I drink water all day (a gallon to a gallon and a half) to keep myself hydrated in preparation of my work out in the afternoon. It’s not necessarily EASY to drink that much water, especially if it’s a slower day at work and I’m not moving around as much. But today has been entirely different! I’ve been consistently drinking water throughout the day and I have no doubt that I’ll pass the two-gallon mark today. I’m not sure if I’m dehydrated from my workout this morning or if my body just needs the fluids, but I’m not complaining one bit. 

Observation #6 – Early to bed vs. Early to rise
Let’s say that I wake up every day at 5:00, work 6:00-4:30, and go to bed at 6:00. No workout (hypothetically). Add a one hour workout. Hypothetically, I either have to start my day an hour earlier at 4:00, or end my day an hour later at 7:00. Right? It doesn’t matter if you wake up an hour early or stay up an hour later – You’re still losing an hour of sleep to go to the gym. This is entirely true with me! If I work out in the evening, I get home around 6:30 and go to bed by 7:30. However, if I work out in the morning, I’ll be home every day by 5:00 and asleep by 5:30. It all balances out. It doesn’t matter what time you work out, you’re still devoting one hour out of your 24 hour day to the gym. It all boils down to waking up earlier or going to sleep later. For me, I’m thinking the best option is waking up earlier.

I’ve been told so many times “You should look into being a personal trainer” and every time I laugh a little bit harder. People are saying that to me now because I’ve lost so much weight, and because obviously I know a little bit about getting in shape. My body has changed, yes, but my personality hasn’t changed at all. I’m not (suddenly) this kind person with soft edges who has the power to encourage you to do anything you set your mind to. In fact, I’ve got even more of a no bullshit attitude NOW than I had when I started.

Two years ago, a few months after my first attempt to get healthy (which mostly failed), I found a girl named Mary on Instagram. She was from the northeast, she was a former soldier who was now a trainer. I started following her and so many times I talked with her about getting healthy and working out and eating right. You don’t really need to know about my friend Mary. But if she were here, she would tell you about all the excuses I gave her for YEARS before I decided to start taking my health seriously.

• “I don’t have time!” – I said as a cashier at CVS, working no more than 8 hours a day.
  
• “I don’t have the money for a gym membership!” – I said at my home less than a half mile from a public track.
  
• “I don’t have the energy!” – Might have been true, but probably because I was eating consistently eating total crap.
  

The point I’m trying to make here is that Mary is a patient woman. She’s just the right mixture of pushy and disappointed that says “I know your excuse is bullshit, but so do you. I’ll wait.” Me… I am not that. I am not Mary. We have very different personalities.

If I were to ever become a trainer, which I won’t, I would absolutely HATE to have a client like me. Someone with a never ending stream of excuses about how they couldn’t (or WOULDN’T) compromise for their results. I’m getting angry just thinking about it.

I posted a status on Facebook the other day and I’ll re-post it here. It said – 
This is why I can’t be a trainer. This shit right here. Excuse me as I rant: If you come to me for advice or suggestions, I’ll stop what I’m doing to help you – all day, any day, no problem. However. If your immediate response to my two cents is to tell me how that’s not something you can work into your life, I’m not gonna try to argue with you. I physically cannot. I just say “okay” and go along with my life. That, to me, says “I’ve already decided to continue what I’m doing and hope things work out in my favor.” That says “I’m unwilling to compromise my lifestyle to get the results I want.” And I simply cannot argue with that level of ignorance. Sorry if this is offensive to anyone. I’m ignorant intolerant. 

I was that person with all the excuses. I was that person who would get hype about “changing my life”, just to give up when I didn’t drop 60 pounds overnight. I was that person who didn’t like vegetables or most fruits, so I thought I would never be able to diet or eat clean. I was all of these people, and more. I’ve overcome that. Now I know, that all of those excuses were just that – excuses. Now I know that results don’t happen overnight. I know how to eat clean in a way that my body responds well to. I can’t fight those demons in someone else because I’ve just figured out how to fight them in myself.

That’s why they call this a Fitness JOURNEY. Because it’s a long road! And because you learn new things all along the way; about yourself, about your body, about your emotional attachment to food, about your limits… And once you learn those things, they change! Limits change, attachments change, and bodies definitely change. At the end of the day, I’m still on my own fitness journey and right now I don’t ever think I’ll ever know this road well enough to give directions.

However, there is one area where I’m completely confident giving advice, planning, and helping people to understand  - and that’s meal prep. I’m so good at it, in fact, that I offer it as a service. I started doing this a while ago, and I have clients all over the United States that come to me for their completely customized meal plans. I don’t do this as a way to make money, but the fact of that matter is that there’s a lot of work and calculation that goes into creating a meal plan for someone. Everyone is different. Everyone needs a certain number of calories to keep their bodies going. Every eats at different times throughout the day. Sometimes people need more calories during certain times of the month (looking at the ladies). Some people need to eat 5 meals a day, others only need 1 meal and several snacks.

The point is, meal plans are not 'one size fits all'. Everyone likes different foods, different textures. These are all things I take into consideration when creating one of my meal plans. I’m still accepting clients, so if you’re interested in what you’ve read about today, click here to create an email. I’ll get back to you within the hour. If you want more information, click here to check out my Meal Plan FAQs. 

Happy Thursday!