What's in My Gym Bag? - BB Cream

When I go to the gym I always bring a big backpack with me. I guess I like my stuff and I like to be prepared. Here are the things that I keep in my gym bag. When I am done with a workout, I make sure and put them right back in. That way they are ready for next time. By the way, these are my own opinions and I am not getting reimbursed in any way.

Maybelline BB Cream
More makeup in my gym bag? Yes. I love this stuff. First of all, it's a foundation and moisturizer in one. It goes on sheer so your skin looks natural. It has a non-irritating, non-chemical sunscreen, titanium dioxide. I can't count how many bottles of this stuff I have gone through over the years. I have it on subscribe and save with Amazon.

If I rolled out of bed and could do one thing (make-up wise), it would be this. It takes seconds to apply and evens out my skin tone while moisturizing at the same time. What could be better?

Routine of Good Habits

Here is another inspirational quote you can download and print.

Daily Routine 4x6 printable

Here is a tutorial on how to change the color of the printable using photoshop.

After you download the quote, you need to open it in photoshop.
Select the magic wand tool. I drew a red circle around it.

Make sure the box labeled contiguous is unchecked (I circled this too).
Then using the magic wand tool click on the color part of the design.

With the color selected, you will need to create a new layer. Go to LAYER > NEW > LAYER
or you can type shift + ctrl + N

On your tool pallet, click on the top color and it will open a color picker window. Use the tools to select whatever color you like, then click OK.

Choose the paint bucket tool (circled in red). Click on the color that you want to change and it will make a new layer with the new color.

Finally, go to FILE > SAVE AS
Save the file as a JPEG and choose a place to save it. And you are done!

I am completely self taught in photoshop. I have just tinkered around with it and figured out more and more tricks over the years. I have been using it for almost 10 years now and have gotten quite proficient. If my tutorials aren't the "official" way of doing things, it's because it's just the way that I figured out. You can use this trick on most printables. Good luck!

What's in My Gym Bag? - Lip Stain

When I go to the gym I always bring a big backpack with me. I guess I like my stuff and I like to be prepared. Here are the things that I keep in my gym bag. When I am done with a workout, I make sure and put them right back in. That way they are ready for next time. By the way, these are my own opinions and I am not getting reimbursed in any way.

Revlon ColorBurst Balm Stain
Yes, I'm one of those girls who wears makeup to the gym. Lip gloss tends to wear off rather quickly. I love this lip product from Revlon. It goes on smooth and soothing like a balm, but lasts like a stain. It's not sticky and never bothers me when drinking from my water bottle. I keep it in my gym bag so that my lips have a little color. I use honey. It's not a loud or bright color. It lasts throughout my workout. You can twist the bottom to use more product. It will last a very long time. Yep, this is good stuff.

Success = WORK, and lots of it.

Here is another fun printable you can download. I really do hope that you take the time to print these as a hard copy and put them somewhere that will inspire you daily.

click here 4x6 free printable download

What's in My Gym Bag? - Bluetooth Headphones

When I go to the gym I always bring a big backpack with me. I guess I like my stuff and I like to be prepared. Here are the things that I keep in my gym bag. When I am done with a workout, I make sure and put them right back in. That way they are ready for next time. By the way, these are my own opinions and I am not getting reimbursed in any way.

Bluetooth Headphones.

Do you ever wonder what everyone is listening to while they are working out? I always wonder. 100% of the time, I am listening to a book. Since October, I have completed 5 books almost all while working out. And I have listened to hundreds of books over the past several years.  Now, I might miss a thing here or there while counting out my reps. But, it's not that hard to workout and pay attention to a book at the same time. I use Audible. My monthly subscription to Audible is one my splurges that has added profound value to my life. After all, I am a busy mom who doesn't have time actually to sit down and read a book. I am on my feet nearly all day long, whether it's doing dishes, cooking, exercising, or just being with my kids. The times I actually do sit down are when I'm driving or folding laundry. I listen to books then too.

I can't count the number of times I have accidentally yanked the cord from my headphones out. They they get launched out of my ear and I have to rewind and figure out where my book left off. Especially during dumbbell rows. When I saw these bluetooth headphones on Amazon, I was like, "where have these been all my life?"

Pros:

They have a big button that does what you need. Hold it down to connect to your device and turn on. Tap once to pause, resume, or answer a call. Hold it down again to turn them off. They also have a big plus and minus button for volume control. Other headphones have not been so simple for me.

The two ends are magnetic. They click together like a necklace when you aren't using them. AWESOME!

Another great feature is that they charge with a USB Micro cable. This is the same charger I use to charge my phone, so I can recharge the headphones while driving if needed.

They are also very useful for talking on the phone while driving or even just around the house. It's really nice to have your hands-free while talking on the phone.

These headphones have a long range. I can have my phone charging in the other room and still listen to a book with them. That's pretty nice too.

No more cord down your shirt getting in the way. 

Cons:

You have to remember to charge them: **ugh. another device to charge** This means you can't keep them in your gym bag. You have to remember to bring them everyday. For this reason, I keep two pairs of regular headphones in my bag as back-ups. Heaven forbid I have to workout and be alone with my thoughts. Ha! It happened once, and wasn't so bad.

When you are doing something that makes your bounce ie: kettlebell swings, plyometrics etc. The plastic thingy that has the buttons bangs into your neck. I don't see how these would be amazing for running. Maybe I'll break down and run on the treadmill one day just to report on the experience. But I can say, they are kind of annoying for kettlebell swings.

They are a tad hard to keep in your ear. Try out all three sizes of ear bud. The smalls worked best for me.

Go get some of these. I'm sure there are probably nicer brands. I saw some at Costco that were $50. These are middle of the road and work great for me.

The Only Path to Success

Do you wish there were a quick fix? We seem to have a "microwave mentality" and want instant results. Results, or success, takes daily tedious sacrifice. Here is another quote based on the book, The Compound Effect. Enjoy this free printable!

Free printable download Click here!

I also made a 4x6 version (they are cheaper to print)

Free printable download 4x6

What's in My Gym Bag? - Weight Lifting Gloves

When I go to the gym, I always bring a big backpack with me. I guess I like my stuff and I like to be prepared. Here are the things that I keep in my gym bag. When I am done with a workout, I make sure and put them right back in. That way they are ready for next time.

B Nooch Lifting Gloves. I have delicate wrists. I fractured my right wrist in 7th grade and it has bothered me ever since. This is one reason I wear these gloves. The wrist straps help support my wrists and keep them from breaking when doing moves like bicep curls.

They also help my hands feel comfortable. They are essential if you do kettle bell swings!

I own two pairs of these. A small and a medium. The mediums were way too loose, so I got smalls, which are very tight. They are stretching out a bit and getting better with time. Just make sure to measure before purchasing.

These are my own opinions. I am not being reimbursed or compensated in any way.

Knowledge Without Action is Wasted

Here is another gem of inspiration from the book, The Compound Effect.

This quote is similar to another, "if you know better, do better." This is a printable download. Enjoy!

4x6 Free download

8x8 or 12x12 free download

My Weightloss Journey

I was one of those people who ate whatever they wanted. In high school, I ran cross country and track. I also lifted weights in the off-season as required by my coach. Plus, I was a teenager with a fast metabolism. I always weighed around 130/135.

In college I ran, lifted weights, roller bladed, and rock climbed. I was in amazing shape in college. I never really had access to a scale, but I do know I got down to 125 at one point. I probably weighed around 130 on my wedding day. But after I got married, I developed some bad habits. I never exercised. I ate snacks late at night. Lots of carbs, Lots of TV. I'm sure you know the "lazy lifestyle" quite well.

6 months after I got married I became pregnant. With my first pregnancy I threw up every. single. day. Even they day he was born. It went fom 20 times per day, to 10 times per day, to once a day at the end. But still, I managed to gain a lot of weight. I was about 160 after my first baby. I stayed at 160 the whole time I was nursing and came to accept that as my new normal. I decided to sign up for a half-marathon to lose the baby weight. I ran and ran and ran. I did lose about 10 lbs. But, I didn't change my nutrition whatsoever.

During my pregnancy with baby number 2, I ate constantly! It was the only way to stave off nausea. About a year after he was born, I learned about whole foods. I changed my diet, probably for the first time ever, and lost about 25 lbs. I got down to 148 and felt really great about that. I did not exercise though.

After baby number three, I was back up to 175. When she was about 5 months old, I participated in a boot camp and lost about 30 lbs. I got down to 145. This was through strict nutrition and a LOT of exercise. I did Shaun T's Insanity program from Beach Body.

After baby number four, I had lost my motivation to lose weight. I was back up to 175. I did manage to get down to 165 after she was about 10 months old. Then, I received a cancer diagnosis. Thyroid cancer. It was a fairly large tumor and spreading fast. I had surgery and radioactive iodine treatment. This was a difficult time for me mentally and emotionally. Between the time of the cancer diagnosis and the surgery, I decided to eat an alkaline diet. I did lose a little more weight from that change. However, after my surgery and treatment, I gave up on the alkaline diet and went back to my old bad habits.

Since that time, I have struggled with exhaustion and lack of energy. My thyroid blood tests always showed "normal" yet, I did not feel normal. I have had my dose changed about 5 times 4 times increased and once (most recently) decreased. I think I finally have my dose under control. I actually feel kind of normal now. I still get tired, but it is not longer the perpetual exhaustuion I used to feel. I think a combination of getting my dose fixed, exercising, and eating better I got down to 155/150 range.

About two and a half years after the cancer experience, I decided to get serious about my health and nutrition! I wanted to get back to my high school/wedding weight which I determined to be 135. I joined a 21-day fix challenge group. I followed the 21-day fix eating plan. I really liked the eating plan because I felt like it was well balanced and made sure you got all the important food groups. I did the 21-day fix workouts. I also did the Chalean Extreme program on Beach Body on  demand. I chose this program because I love weight lifting. The challenge group started at the end of April. I was 153 at the beginning of the challenge. I lost the most weight at the beggining.

From July until now I have steadily lost about 1 pound per month. It has been so slow, that I have been extremely frustrated at times. I kept seeing these posts online of people who lost 30 lbs in 30 days. What was wrong with me? Why was my progress so slow?? BUT, I kept telling myself that if I kept going I would continue to see change. The time would pass anyway. I could either give up and stay the same, or keep pushing and make progress, even if it was slow progress.

Slow progress is better than no progress!

Here are two swimsuit pix. One from after baby number 3 and the other from this summer. I'm still not at my goal yet, but I'm feeling much better and motivated to keep going.