My Journey Continued

Greetings, everyone!

If you missed my introductory post, click HERE.  Today I will tell you more about my journey.

After losing 30 pounds in 2010 by running, tracking my calories and exercise on Myfirnesspal, I decided to join a fitness boot camp at a local gym.  It was $60 a month and I wasn't sure I could justify the expense.  I looked at my spending habits and decided that I could cut out my frequent trips to Starbucks (even though I only ordered a skinny vanilla latte, I knew that I would be much better off cutting it out). I also decided that a manicure wasn't priority over my health.  There, I had it covered!  So, off to boot camp I went.  I had never participated in this type of group fitness class.  I'm not going to lie, it was hard the first 3-4 weeks.  I cried at times, doubted myself, said a few choice words, etc.  I thought the instructor was trying to kill us.  I pushed through the sweat, pain and tears and hung in there for about three months.  During those months of boot camp, the weight didn't come off quite as fast as before.  I was irritated with the scales and getting a bit discouraged.  HOWEVER, I was going down in size.  I lost A LOT of inches.  I decided when I hit the 52 pound mark (down from a size 18/20 in September 2010 to an 8/10 in April 2011), that I'd throw away my scales and not face that battle.  I was more concerned with toning up and defining my body.  So, I tossed them into the donation pile. HERE is an interesting article.

After 3 months of bootcamp training, and failed attempts at getting my friends to join with me, I decided that I could dig deep and pull up the "inner leader" that was buried deep inside me from my cheerleading days in high school.  So, I rounded up a few friends willing to meet me at a local park and we set out to improve our health and fitness together.  We started out as a group of four ladies.  As the days went by, people passing by in the park started inquiring about what we were doing.  We invited people to join us.  I disclosed to them that I was not  a certified trainer, therefore the "bootcamp" was free.  People were amazed at this opportunity and started showing up in greater numbers each week. After being told that I was encouraging, uplifting and motivational, I took advice from friends and decided to become a Certified Boot Camp Training Instructor.  The birth of an official business began and I decided to name it Rock N' Body Boot Camp, Inc.

And so, the journey began into being "self employed" and a "trainer".  Little did I know, this would prove to be one of the most AMAZING things I've ever ventured out on.  I love people, I love motivating them, I love hearing their victories, struggles and most of all, I love seeing them grow stronger, overcome obstacles, become healthier and most of all, HAPPIER and having an improved quality of life!

Rock N' Body Boot Camp ended up becoming something that would lead me down a totally different path after 21 months.  That path was CROSSFIT!  Yes, the thing that most people are scared to death of.  I have to admit, I was SCARED to try it.  It was intimidating and seemed barbaric.  So, my first WOD (Crossfit acronym for Workout of the Day) was December 5, 2012.  I drank the kool aid and it was GOOD!  I was hooked!  I'll have a new blog post in the upcoming days to tell you more about this journey!

In the mean time, TRAIN HARD, EAT SMART!

Here is a comparison pic

Hot Tea, please!

I woke up this morning with a scratchy, dry throat and itchy ears. Not good, since my schedule is jam-packed during the week. Being sick...."Ain't nobody got time for that!" Ha ha, get it?
I had one bag left of Echineacea tea, so I decided to have a hot cup with breakfast. This stuff is perfectly flavored (light and smooth) and I don't have to add Stevia to it. Yay!

When I'm out running errands later, I'll have to swing by Fresh Market to pick up another box. This stuff works wonderfully for me!

Everyone have a safe weekend and enjoy!
Today is my rest day from exercise, but I'll be lacing up my running shoes to get in some mileage tomorrow.

Is today a rest day for you? If not, what was your workout for the day?

Hi, My Name is Jennifer, Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hi Everyone!  My name is Jennifer and I am 35 years old.  I am new to this thing called blogging.  I have friends who blog, but I've never done this myself.  So, here goes!

My purpose for blogging is to motivate and inspire people who are on a journey to improve their health and fitness.  This includes weightloss, toning, defining...whatever your goal is.  So let me tell you a little about my journey:

In September of 2010, I stepped on the scales for the first time in a year.  I knew I had gained weight because I was constantly having to buy newer, bigger clothes.  What I was not ready for was the shocker of seeing a number OVER 200!  The ugly truth was 206.  Depressed, miserable, irritable and very disgusted, I decided that September 10, 2010 was THE DAY that I would get up off my lazy behind and do something to get in better shape.  Little did I know that running would become "my thing". Running along with improved nutrition helped me shave off 30 pounds in 3 months.  This lead to a happier, healthier Jennifer (as well as many other healthy habits). But I didn't stop there!  Stay tuned to hear more details on how I shaved off an additional 22 pounds, gained some back.  AND how I've learned what NOT to do, the obstacles, the victories, the brick walls/plateaus, as well as what led me to the decision to become a certified Boot Camp Training Instructor.

The pic below was taken in December 2010 (right around the 30 pound milestone).  As you can see, I still had a lot more to lose, but I was down from a size 18 jeans (pushing a 20) to a size 14.